Musings on a Small Life

Somehow it seems fitting that it's snowing while I type this, on the last day of November. (I hope it doesn't amount to much!) One more month and we'll be turning the calendar page to a new year, to new possibilities. There's nothing exciting to relate from the past two weeks. My holiday decorations have been up since November 13-14; I seem to put them out earlier every year, though I'll never do it before Remembrance Day. I got my Christmas cards mailed out on the 27th; in advance, I hope, of Canada Post's deadlines, both domestic and international. I haven't taken any pics, other than one snapshot of the swamp last weekend: I'd wanted to walk up to Starbucks, an easy 3 km walk (though it's uphill part of the way), but the old road along the swamp is closed off to pedestrians and cyclists now. (What was the point of making a paved path out of the old road, just to block it off?) Anyway, I had to walk across the overpass (over the train tracks), and ...

We had a dusting of snow overnight on Sunday/Monday, and I took these with my phone on my walk home from Starbucks early in the morning. I always like the first snowfall, no matter how little, for the photo op. After that, I'm done with the cold weather! Enjoy; comments are off. Peace.

For the first time in his life, Derry caught a mouse and brought it into the house! It was o'dark early on Saturday morning, dreary and drizzly, and Derry had been outside in the enclosed garden for an inordinately long time for such weather. I had just started doing some baking when I saw him at the patio door, wanting back in. I opened the door and he trotted inside before my brain could even register that there was a mouse hanging limply from his mouth! After I realized what he was carrying, I admit I might have become a bit hysterical, between all my shrieking and laughing. I like mice, I'm not afraid of them, but I don't want critter carcasses in my house! Derry made a beeline for the upper stairs and I had visions of mouse parts on or under my bed. But I managed to get him to drop it at the bottom of the steps, near the entryway (and mercifully on bare floor, not carpet), so I picked up poor thing bare-handed and put it outside on the other side of the common walkway...

I can hardly believe it's already November 12th as I type this, almost half-way through the month. It's crazy, how quickly we're barrelling toward the holiday season and a new year.   It's dark, dismal, windy and pouring rain today, but until now we've had [mostly] lovely weather, more like October than November.     I haven't much beyond the daily routine to share, though friends R & C did pop up last Sunday for a visit, which was wonderful. I had two small boxes and one large bag of donations, which we dropped off at Talize, and C changed out a couple of light switches for me, which was much appreciated.   Then I had Monday off and tackled the huge stack of empty boxes in my garage, cutting them up for recycling. During the process I came across a number of things I had stored there years ago and forgotten about, so now I have a few more boxes to be donated. LOL. Oh, this does remind that two weekends ago I actually went to Value Village, hadn't been...

Happy Halloween to all who celebrate (I actually don't, haven't for many years). Everyone--and every kitty--stay safe and stay indoors. This is from the old Fuzzy Tales blog we had, so long ago now it seems: I miss those days of cat youth and vitality...of human youth and vitality too. LOL. Take care, have a terrific weekend. Peace. *Comments are off*

In my entire life, I don't think I've lived anywhere that was properly done (built/repaired/etc.) and that actually looked good . Why would this be any different? LOL.   The plumber came today to install the new fixtures; it looks ridiculous . (But keep reading before you form a mental comment!)     This is what happens when the fixtures company sends the brushed nickel fixtures you ordered but a chrome plate. (The plate will not be permanent, but will have to stay until the reno, to cover up the holes from the previous two taps.) I could have waited for a nickel plate, but it would have been yet another LONG delay, and it's already been about eight weeks. (And I can already see that I will want the kind of brushed nickel fixtures that do NOT show any water marks!)   He explained what should be done when I replace the tub surround (move the tap fixture up, the spout fixture down) and that I won't need a plate once that's done (new drywall, of course). Until then......

I had booked off last week (Monday the 11th was our Thanksgiving holiday anyway) and also booked off the 18th and 19th, was back to work (via the home office) yesterday.     I will just state right away that this break was fine , was good -- no emergencies of any kind for a very welcome change! Mostly it was spent running errands and having appointments, but I did two special (to me) things: 1. Walk into a hair salon in the mall (the only one left) and get a haircut. (You do have to book an appointment, but the owner was just finishing up with a client and didn't have anyone right after, so she took me.)  Now, I know this sounds so commonplace, but no one other than my stylist (whom I've gone to for at least a dozen years) touches my hair. I literally do have the occasional very bad dream where a different stylist is cutting my hair and making a terrible mess of it. I've been loyal to my stylists all my adult life, have stuck with someone until I've moved, or they...

Happy birthday to my sweet, silly, and yes, contrary, Nicki, who would have been 15 today (per the info on his adoption papers, not his real birth date). Pic from October 2014. I'm remembering him with love and wry humour, not sadness.  Photo below adjusted using LunaPic. Head butts and smooches to you, Mr. Purr Bug.  ♥

A very happy Thanksgiving weekend to those of you in Canada! I hope you have a lovely long weekend, whether you're celebrating with human or fur family (or both).  Comments are off. Enjoy the holiday and please heed your public health recommendations; we're definitely not through this pandemic yet. Peace.

Wow, it's the last Monday of September already. Beats me where the heck the month--the year--has gone. There's an Annie Dillard quote I read years ago that has stuck with me: " How we spend our days, is, of course, how we spend our lives ." (Full disclosure: I've not read any of her books; the quote, seen in passing, caught my attention.) That makes me feel a bit sad, since I spend my days in front of a computer doing tedious things with spreadsheets and databases. LOL. On the other hand, I'm blessed to have a good job with great people, and hey, most of us have to earn a living. Life could be much, much worse and I'm grateful for all that I've been given. ♥ Derry's GI issues continue, and I've got an email in to the vet to ask about a round of antibiotics and/or Prednisolone. I need to give up the hope that this will be managed by food alone at this stage ; perhaps down the road it can be. Part of the issue is that he just won't eat most o...