Game Plan

I found this card today at Trader Joe's. I love their cards by the way. I get a lot of cards there for events at work. But I also get cards for myself sometimes too. But I won't be giving this to myself later for a special occasion - it's going to be my prompt for every day. My marching orders for 2016.

I think this vacation has been enlightening because I've seen how easily I can waste time. I did really need this time off,  but I also realize that I have a lot more that I want to do that I enjoy, but that I don't actually get off my behind and get started on. I need to get out of my own way and start doing what comes naturally. Game on.

What Does 2016 Have in Store?

I don't make New Year's resolutions because I know that I will break them in no time. And I don't always get overly reflective heading into the new year, but I have been over the last few days.

It started two nights ago as I was transferring dates from my 2015 calendar to 2016. I always do it between Christmas and New Years; writing down birthday's and adding a year. I also have the year that loved ones have passed, both family and pets. I got a bit melancholy looking at how many death's were noted, and how old the rest of us are.

This has been a very difficult year for me; I have shed more tears than anyone knows. I have my good times for sure, but I have also experienced a lot of sadness and loneliness in the last twelve months. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for a lot of things about my life, but am equally unhappy about some things I have always wanted that I no longer have any hope that they will ever come to be.

A few days ago, I saw on the next block up the little blue house that has been empty for over a decade is in the process of being torn down. There are a few guys salvaging what they can from it before it's demolished. It made me very sad - I hoped for the longest time that someone would come along and buy it and bring it back to it's former glory. It's a sweet little craftsman with a bay window and picket fence. It brought out the romantic in me; I saw what it could be, not what it was.

Seeing that house being ripped apart was just another sign to me that there is less and less that connects me to this neighborhood and the house that I will have to leave after almost 18 years. I am a little scared (to be honest) about where I will end up next, and can only hope that it will not be worse than where I am at. There have been many changes on the block that make me glad I am leaving, but there are still little things that make me wish I could stay.

This is not going to end with me saying something deep and insightful, I don't have it in me right now. I am just going to keep trying to do the best I can, and try to stay as positive about the future as I can, and know that some days that is a real struggle, and others not so much.

Merry Christmas 2015

I hope everyone had a great day. Quiet one for me here - I took a relaxed approach to the day. We got a bit of sunshine later in the afternoon which was much appreciated after all the rain we've been having.

I roasted a chicken with stuffing and will have my pumpkin pie in a bit. I took these pictures of the cats all snuggled up last night. Boo & Munchkin snuggle a lot, but not usually in that chair. And Tom Cat always looks so sweet when he sleeps. Happy New Year everyone!

Jingle Bell Run 2015

For the first time I participated in the Jingle Bell Run here in Bellingham. I walked it - 3 miles in 58 minutes & 55 seconds.

Of course the weather was crappy but I did the whole course and was soaked to the skin by the end. I have blisters on the bottom of both feet. But hey, now I know what to wear if I do it again next year! To greet me both coming and going was Ginger, one of the chickens from next door.

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

It's sunny and cold here in Bellingham. I am thankful for the sun, and the roof over my head and that I didn't lose my electricity with all the wind storms we've had this month!

I'm enjoying the day relaxing with the cats and my dinner is in the crock pot.....but I already had a slice of pie!

Octopus Typewriter by Courtney Brown

I can't tell you how much I love this! So cool. Another post on Colossal.com today about the 3rd annual California Sculpture SLAM being held at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art. featuring this piece from artist Courtney Brown.

I'm all of a sudden thinking about Pirates of the Caribbean.......

French Photographer Seb Janiak on Colossal.com

A post today on Colossal.com of these incredible photos from French photographer Seb Janiak of insect wings that are edited to look like flowers. Absolutely stunning.

Today in Brief

The Duplex - November 5 2015

Get Fuzzy - November 8 2015

Savage Chickens - November 6 2015

I haven't been posting as much as normal here on the blog, but have been posting pictures on Instagram several times a week. I'm gearing up for the holiday's and will be making a lot of treats soon so am starting to get organized for that and plot things out. With the time change it's still a little bit of a struggle to get motivated to do some things now that it's dark so early in the evening.

Here are just a few of the many funny comic strips I have been collecting lately.

Happy National Cat Day!

For #throwbackthursday and #nationalcatday I posted this picture of Woody and Boo from March 2014 on Instagram this morning.  Little did I know that he would be gone from this world a few months later. I loved him so much, he was so beautiful, loyal and a big cuddle bug.

'Melting Pop' - a animated Zoetrope cake by Alexandre Dubosc

I love these! This was on Colossal.com today - it's a minute and a half of pure fun ☺

Princess Bride Day

This is my Friday night.

The Long, Hot Summer

The summer of 2015 was very hot and dry here in the Pacific Northwest. And although I enjoyed the sunshine immensely, we really needed the rain. Starting on Friday, August 28th, it rained every day for 8 straight days. With the prediction of this rain, I figured the lawn would come back and be nice and green and be back to normal. So I decided to do a little project of taking a picture every other day of the same spot to gradually see this happen; boy was I wrong with my prediction.

The drought conditions were so bad that it has just barely had an affect. My last post of last weekend's storm and the damage that happened are another illustration of how bad things got here.

8-28

8-30

9-1

9-3

9-5

August Storm

Sumac Tree behind the house

Yesterday we had a storm come through that is very typical for fall, high winds and rain. It did a lot of damage though, because most trees are under distress because of the hot, dry summer we had, and they still had all their leaves.

I was in the yard late yesterday morning taking care of some branches that had broken on the Snowball Bush out front, and was dragging them to the alley, and was shocked when I got back there and half of the Sumac Tree broke off and was across the alley. I spent several hours in the yard yesterday cleaning up fallen fruit and small branches, now I get to deal with cutting this down to manageable size branches for the rest of the week.

When I went out to get my groceries this morning, I saw leaves and branches down everywhere. The picture below is of the pond at Barkley Village and there were some branches in the pond, but small ones and leaves were littered all around it too.

The pond at Barkley Village

What a blustery day Pooh! I went out and picked up apples and Italian Plums that had fallen overnight before the winds really kicked in to high gear. What a waste of time that was. The backyard is now littered with 3 times as much, and a lot of leaves and small branches to boot. Looking at the chickens next door I can't help but think of The Wizard of Oz.....

A video posted by Momma Maria (@ourladyofsubduedexcitement) on Aug 29, 2015 at 12:50pm PDT

The Mother Lode!

From all indications Hershey had discontinued my favorite new discovery from last year, Chocolate - Almond Spread. But tonight when I stopped by Barkley Haggen after work I just happened to look on the shelf and saw the mother lode!! About 10 jars and I bought 5 of them (oh yeah).

I posted the recipe previously for the ice cream I make with it. I'm already thinking that I'm going to be a lot choosier about sharing it. I have that episode of Seinfeld in my head  (are you sponge - worthy?) Oh man,  all I can say is, this made my day!

Wheels

Last weekend I rented a car for the first time in a year. Last Sunday was the Around the Corner annual picnic, and for the first time in 3 years I didn't want to have to bum a ride from anyone. But I also just was looking forward to driving. Period.

June was 3 years since my car died and I've been riding the bus ever since. For a long time it was a daily reminder of feeling like a failure. I felt like such a loser,  that at my age I couldn't afford to get a new car. At times I still feel that,  but I just have to deal with it.

But very recently I've realized that not having my own car has had other affects on me too. I feel like I'm very boring. I haven't been able to go to so many of the places I really love, and that feed my soul. It's almost like I've been hibernating or put my life on hold.

I love to go down to the waterfront and did just that last Saturday. I got a sandwich from the deli at Haggen and drove down there and just sat and ate, and enjoyed the view. I used to do stuff like that all the time.

Doing almost all of my travels by bus to run errands is so time consuming I don't have time to go somewhere just to have fun. Some places are also just difficult to get to on the bus. The truth is I'm just tired of living this way, because I feel like I'm not really living at all.

Jane Long - Digital Photography

On the same day as the post on the murals in Rochester NY, there was a post on Colossal.com of the digital photography of Jane Long, and these are soooo cool! She takes vintage photographs and creates new color images, and wow, they are stunning. Check out the post, there are a few more photos featured, but these were my favorites.

Wall Therapy 2015: Public Murals in Rochester New York

Over on Colossal.com I caught up to a post from August 14th about Wall Therapy, featuring public murals in Rochester, NY. My mother grew up in Rochester, and she would have loved this. Check out a few of the murals - pretty cool stuff.

A Little Jon Stewart and Canadian Geese

Between yesterday and today I caught up to the last week of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and shed a few tears along with everyone else I imagine, when Stephen Colbert was saying his final goodbye. No one can replace him, it is truly the end of an era. I hope the episodes will be online to go back and watch ones I missed from earlier this summer.

I better get off my can and get some things accomplished today. I am finishing up sewing a top and I still have so much work in the yard to do it's not even funny. Next Sunday is the Around The Corner annual picnic out at Hovander Homestead Park and I'm hoping the weather is good and Mother Nature doesn't chose that one day in this very dry summer to give us a downpour.

This 'n That- August 2, 2015

I am slowly catching up to things at home now that the overtime has ended at work. One of the things I need to catch up on before I possibly miss the chance is older episodes of The Daily Show. I am actually months behind, but have caught up to a few here and there including some of July.

I am going to be very sad to see Jon Stewart retire from it, but have to respect his reasons for leaving. I read a good article in today's The Detroit Free Press from Julie Hinds that pretty well nails it as to why I loved the show and him as host. He has been so funny lately skewering Donald Trump, oh man, think of all we'll be missing!

I have been feeling guilty that I am not getting as caught up as I should on taking care of the yard, but it's just been too damn hot! This has been the hottest driest summer since I moved here, and it has been so hard for me to get motivated to get outside because basically I don't feel like sweating like a pig.

I'm hopefully going to complete my latest sewing project of another summer dress today, but would like to get back to working on refinishing the top of the drafting table too. I don't think that I ever featured one of my earliest completed refinishing project before; this antique desk chair I bought from Steve's shop downtown. It had a kind of light brown finish on it, but it mostly needed to be redone because it was pretty nicked up over time. It is actually a very comfy chair.

With the pending move at some point by next spring, I keep thinking about the antique chair I got from Eddree that needs to be re-upholstered. I don't know how I'm going to deal with that yet, but it's definitely in the back of my mind.

Goodbye Overtime!

As of Wednesday this week I'm back to a normal 8 hour day. The overtime started slowly around the beginning of June - then really ramped up at the start of July. I worked 11 hour days for about the last three weeks. It's tiring but thankfully doesn't last too long.

The cats are happy to get to go outside on a Saturday morning for the first time in almost two months. I've got a lot to catch up on!

Mom

30 years ago today we lost mom. Just typing out these words can still make me cry.

Crazy Busy June

The Day Lilies at the height of their glory earlier this month

One of my two mixed planters on the front porch

Oh man, what a crazy month it's been. Work has been very busy and it will get even worse over the next couple of weeks. I'm finally taking a few moments out to post a few pictures to let anyone out there know I'm still around ☺

I lucked out with some really healthy annuals that I bought for the front porch, and the fuchsia Geranium has actually been wintered indoors for a couple of years I think.

Tom Cat

Munchkin

Boo