Caturday: Shop Cat II

Cubby's new favorite place to hang out is in the shop. On Monday, I posted pictures I'd taken of Cubby. These were taken by TB. Cubby makes his way around the shop and makes himself comfortable everywhere!


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GiST 159 & Saturday Stuff

Grace in Small Things 159

1. There was a refreshing breeze when we walked at the Cape May Zoo. It definitely made for a more comfortable afternoon!

2. Everyone had such a nice time at the zoo, even if most of the animals wanted to hide or sleep. Little T especially enjoyed the giraffes and zebras. TB took picture after picture and hopefully I'll get to share them soon.

3. We got a really cool picture of Little T with his dad going on a roller coaster ride at Hershey Park. The look on the little guy's face is just priceless!

4. We had enough "found" money left over to order dinner from the local pizzeria. Hooray, a break from cooking yesterday...especially after a long and exciting trip to the zoo!

5. Today I'm giving my body permission to crash. I was going to fight against it but realize that would be an exercise in futility! :D Nap, here I come!

We've been teaching Buddy to wait patiently for his treat and then toss it up in the air and catch it!

Saturday Six

1. You’re asked to bake cookies at home for a special gathering: which flavor of cookies are you most likely to choose to make? I used to make a seven layer cookie that is very decadent and would probably would to make it again!

2. You’re asked to bring store-bought cookies for the event instead: which brand/flavor of cookies are you most likely to buy? Probably Mrs. Fields' chocolate chips

3. Are you more likely to bake or buy a variety that you personally like best, or one that you think most everyone else will like more than you do? I tend to like the flavors other people like so I guess this would be a combination of the two!

4. A Girl Scout comes to your door with her cookie brochure, but you can only afford a single box: which flavor will you buy? The mint chocolate

5. Take the quiz: How Does Your Cookie Crumble?

You Are Solid

You are laid back and easygoing. You don't like to make too big of a fuss. Like everyone else, you have your tastes and preferences... you're just more flexible than most people. You are good at compromising, and you get along with all sorts of folks. You are a natural diplomat. You try to make things as easy on others as possible. You know that life can be a drag, so why make it worse for someone else?

How Does Your Cookie Crumble?

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

6. What’s your preferred way of eating an Oreo: all at once, or by separating the two outer wafers and eating the filling first? I have to have a glass of milk so I can dip the cookie as I eat it. I leave it whole.

GiST 158 & Thursday Stuff

Grace in Small Things #158

1. We got a dividend check from my auto insurer. With a little of the "found money", we went to Michael's and I picked up a new counted cross stitch project to work on. Something else to do on a hot afternoon!

2. I also got a paperback copy of Diana Gabaldon's Echo in the Bone and will be reading that very soon.

3. We donated our rarely used treadmill to the senior center in town. All it's doing is gathering dust here and this way it'll bring something positive to the services the center offers. They happily picked it up this afternoon.

4. Some of the dividend check is going to having a happy visit to the Cape May Zoo tomorrow. We're taking our little guy and the girls are both going too.

5. I'm returning a bunch of movies I borrowed from the library and hopefully there will be more waiting for me to pick up. I just love the library!


Thursday Challenge

Photo Theme: Outdoors

I took this picture of TB and Little T on one of our walks at the end of June. I look at this picture and marvel at how green and pretty everything looks at this park! We haven't been in over a month because of the extreme heat and humidity. Around our house, things became very brown and dry. In the last couple of days, we got a little rain and things are green again. I am so looking forward to a time when the weather is pleasant enough for us to be able to go to the parks again!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Random Thoughts

1. If there was one thing I could change about myself, it would be to get rid of my procrastination. Some days I can manage to overcome it; many I can't and I'm very frustrated about it!

2. My grandmother was special because she loved me unconditionally, valued me, and let me know it. She was a proper lady and taught me all about manners and place settings. We also would take tea together and watch the birds and squirrels play from her big picture window in the kitchen. When we went shopping, she'd have me choose books for the "library" at her house. She was my protector and champion and I loved her probably more than she knew.

3. If I could be any person in the world, I'd still be me because the bottom line is, I'm happy--this is stripping away the daily stresses and the financial mess and all that other stuff. I'm happy being me....except for the procrastination.

4. My hobbies are reading, walking, counted cross stitch, swimming, and simple puzzles. In general I like them because they exercise my mind. Some (walking and swimming, obviously) exercise my body. They help me to be healthy. They also help me to be whole and avoid depression because my mind is active. With reading, I learn so much from each and every book I pick up.

5. I would want to be remembered for caring about other people, especially friends and family

6. If I could have three wishes, I would want: to spend an all expenses vacation of three weeks in Hawaii, one on a cruise somewhere (maybe the Bahamas), and one on a trip to Ireland, where I could learn more about my family's roots

7. If I found a $20, I'd either go to Borders and get a couple of paperbacks or I'd go to Michael's and get another project to work on!

8. My favorite toy as a child was a stuffed cat my grandma made for me. I called her Meow and carried her everywhere with me.

9. What would happen if there was no television? People would talk to each other more often! Before there was TV, they'd gather around the radio and listen to stories and shows so I imagine there'd be something like that going on too. Maybe people would visit each other more often and play card or board games too!

10. If I could travel into outer space, I'd want to see the moon and maybe go for a walk on it. I identify most with the moon. When we look up into the sky at night, there it is. I don't wonder about other planets the way I wonder about the moon.

11. If I could play any instrument, I'd want to play the saxophone. It has such a sexy sound to it but can also be lively or even melancholy. I love the sax!

12. I'm really glad I learned how to play the guitar. It was a big deal when I was in high school and I got many hours of enjoyment out of it. It was wonderful to make any kind of music I wanted to suit whatever mood I was in!

13. I haven't had watermelon in a long time but when I was a child, it seemed to be a summer staple. Now they make seedless watermelon and for adults they're convenient but I'd think they'd be boring for kids. Half the fun was spitting the seeds out!

Potential, kick-start 1

I've gotten so lazy about blogging and writing, period. I found some websites that provide prompts and thought I'd give some of them a try to try and get myself started again. I'll be taking creative writing this fall and that will also force me to write--there's no way I want to fail a class!

Do you believe in your own potential? What does that prospect inspire?

I wish I could answer without a doubt that yes! I believe in my own potential. The truth is, though, if I really believed in myself, wouldn't I commit to writing my stories and blogs? Wouldn't I find the motivation to follow through with something even if my creative juices weren't flowing so well on a given day?

I have so many ideas and then get bogged down either in details or in the belief that what I write isn't "good" or original ... so why bother?

I'm my own worst enemy.

Now, on the other hand, if I truly believed in my potential, I'm sure I'd have to force myself to get away from the computer to eat or spend time with the family. I might have five different ideas going at once but I'd be able to track them and would probably concentrate heavily on one or the other. I'd finish projects. Shoot, maybe I'd even get them published.

I need to get me some more affirmations to work on. I want to believe in myself because deep down, I know I could write a good story. If I can stick to this and get into the habit of writing something every day, it'll go far to helping me see my potential.

Wordless Wednesday: Cheering up a sad mom & GiST 157

Wordless Wednesday

Grace In Small Things #157

1. If he'd lived, my first husband Rich would have been 50 today. Obviously, I'm thinking about him today. I cherish the memories.

2. My new little Puddy Tat is sitting on my printer keeping me company. She needs her button eyes hot-glued on.

3. It was nice to be able to accommodate my grumpy intestines and bail out of the orthopedic doctor appointment this morning. My back and ankle are better so I could afford to skip a visit. I don't need any medication yet.

4. I enjoyed relaxing and watching a movie with TB while the girls were out. Even though we weren't talking, it was nice to sit down and spend time together!

5. Toaster strudel pastries were on sale and what a nice little treat to have with coffee and eggs this week!

GiST 156

1. Kristin got a good report from the knee doctor today. She's healing very nicely and will be starting physical therapy tomorrow. She and Heidi just went off to see Inception.

2. Kristin made me an adorable little stuffed cat to cheer me up (I've been depressed I guess) and now I'm thinking up a good name for her. She's my favorite color--purple and had like a blue tie-dye design on her! Periwinkle maybe although that's the name of the cat on Blue's Clues

3. I saw my DVR (Division of Vocational Rehabilitation) Counselor, Leslie, today and we just tied up a few loose ends and caught up on what I'm going to be doing this next year -- finishing my degree in education.

4. I'm taking Creative Writing too, hoping to kick start myself back into writing again

5. A refreshing nap this afternoon. Since I had to drastically change some of my meds because of the damned Medicare "donut hole", I haven't been feeling up to par. My thyroid might be off kilter again because of the lithium. Anyway, I left a message for my doctor to check into that. Meanwhile, it really helped to have this nap.

6. Another blessing in the guise of an elderly woman wanting to do good: TB put on Freecycle that he was looking for a lathe and she happened to have a multi-purpose lathe/saw/other stuff. Her husband had passed away and no one else in the family had any use for the machinery ... so she gave it to TB!

Cats on Tuesday: Room For Two

CATS ON TUESDAY is a group of cat lovers who share pictures and/or stories about their cats once a week, hosted by Gattina.

Oh hai effurrybody, look! Cubby an I are sharing!


Cubby: Eye don' min' sharin' but you're in myspace now, Mousie!


Mouse: Oh noes I'm not. You wanna see space invayshun? Here goes!


Besides, you're layin in sum of my space so I get to lean on you!
Cubby: Oh noes, you don't!


Mouse: Oh yeah?
Cubby: Roommate issues! Time to move!
Mouse: Aw, can't we jus' get along?

Want more cat blogging?

Be sure to check out Gattina's blog and Blogging Cat Noos for all the latest!

GiST 155

Grace in Small Things #155

1. Heidi made the dean's list at the college!

2. I had a productive session with my therapist today.

3. We were able to get quite a bit of groceries for the amount of money we had ...Shop Rite is a good place to shop!

4. I had a nice chat on IM with my friend Donna this afternoon. It's been too long since I've been in a chat with her. I really miss my friends a lot ... Dawn, Donna, Cheryl, Nancy in PA and Nancy in DE ...

5. Coffee really helps take the edge off the mid-afternoon sleepies!

Mancat Monday: Shop Cat

In the last month, I haven't seen as much of Cubby as I usually do. One day I went back to TB's work shop (it used to be our family room) and discovered why! Cubby's become a real shop cat. He's found all kinds of interesting places to perch and hide back in that workshop.

Eye liks it here, sez Cubby. Nobuddy bovvers me an I hav my pryvacy!

Want more Mancat Monday and cat blogging? Check out Blogging Cat Noos for all the latest!

GiST 154 & Sunday Stuff

Grace in Small Things #154

1. Fresh cabbages from Angel Food Ministries + corned beef roast still in the freezer = corned beef & cabbage dinner a la St. Patrick's Day! I love corned beef and cabbage!

2. The windows are closed again. Thank God for air conditioning!

3. TB's starting to get commissions for signs. Hopefully he'll get more and more so that he can make his hobby become a business venture!

4. My cousin made a CD for me with some family pictures she's scanned. I've been enjoying looking at those pictures!


5. I feel good when some little thing I do makes someone else's day. I loaned my set of The Sims games to Heidi so she could upload them to her new laptop.

This is me! When I saw this picture, I had a clear memory of that bird mobile. I don't remember how old I was in the memory. I just remember reaching up to play with the birds. It seems I was at least old enough to be able to pull myself to a standing position in the crib.


Were my parents ever really this young? I have a couple of pictures of them now at this age, thanks to my cousin!

This is my Grandma Molly. I don't remember her as clearly as I do my Grandma Edith. Still, I remember stories that she played the accordion. I didn't remember whether I'd ever heard her play or if I just imagined it. I found this picture on the CD and was totally delighted!