Happy New Year 2019

Baby Blues - January 2, 2019

So obviously I don't post very often. I intended to do a thoughtful post reflecting on 2018, and looking ahead to 2019 on New Year's Eve, and clearly that didn't happen. So here I am after a long day of work, and running an errand after work, and it's now 12 hours after I left the house for the day.... and I'm posting a comic strip that really hit my funny bone because it was so relateable. 

After I got home, and started to get settled in, I had to move the couch to retrieve not one, but two toy mice the cats were playing with when I encountered a small pile of pine needles from the Christmas tree! I got a Christmas tree on the Saturday right before Christmas - this was the first tree I've had in around 20 years. I was kinda bummed that it didn't last longer, but I had to take it outside on New Year's eve because it was dropping so many needles. I thoroughly vacuumed the living room (or so I thought), but, well, you get the picture.

I really enjoyed the tree for the short time I had it. I really love the smell of a real tree, and it was nice to see ornaments that have been boxed up for what seemed like forever. Some ornaments from childhood along with some I got for myself or received over the last 30 years. This was the first tree that all of my cats had experienced and they actually did pretty good at not messing with it, but I did manage to find two small ornaments on the floor as I was cleaning up. 

So long story short, I'm alive, my days are just long with work, and so I'm not on the computer sharing stuff that much because it's a lower priority with the little free time I seem to have. I do post on my Instagram because it's convenient to do on my phone, it's where I do most of my web-surfing to get the news and entertainment. I am doing okay, and like everyone else, I'm looking forward to spring and working in the garden and seeing everything new that I planted last year.

The cats are all doing okay; they all got to the vet in September, and Munchkin was diagnosed with Diabetes, but he's doing much better now that he is getting insulin shots twice a day. Tommy is feeling older lately, but he's at least 16, so it's to be expected.

I hope everyone that reads this is doing well, and forgives me that I'm not a prolific writer.

Happy New Year! Maria

Munchkin

Boo & Tommy

Christmas 2016

Munchkin & Tomcat

Sherman's Lagoon - December 25 2016

Christmas Cookie Party 2016

I hosted the Cookie Party for the first time ever today. I was trying to figure it out exactly, we've been meeting for over 20 years - probably closer to 25. January will be 30 years since I moved to Bellingham.

Today was kind of perfect because it was snowing almost the whole time, it was so pretty. I moved in here April 1st, and I like it a lot - my little house feels like a cabin in the woods. Good times. Good times.

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!

Merry Christmas 2014

Merry Christmas 2014

The lone bloom on my big Christmas Cactus started to open yesterday, but I'm not complaining, usually it's not blooming at Christmas at all. This has been a very somber month for me, so I will take any small joys I can get. I am thankful for my health and the roof over my head, and my feline family that always accepts my love, no questions asked.

And special thanks to Steve & Naomi for inviting me over for a small Christmas Eve dinner last night on Humboldt Street before they headed out to Lummi Island for church. 

I've been saving up all these recent funnies for today. Earl in the Pickles comic could have been written about me and my deep abiding love for eggnog ☺

Merry Christmas

The Duplex - November 30 2014

The Duplex - December 3 2014

Pickles - December 23 2014

Mutts - December 21 2014

Cookie Party 2014

WTA Christmas Bus 2014

I'm not sure when they started the tradition, but Whatcom Transit Authority decorates a couple of buses for Christmas, and I've managed to ride on one of them at least once these last two years since I've been car-less. Today I got to ride on this bus twice. It's kind of fun and makes you smile.

Susan & Don, Denise and Naomi (in the background) and Barb

Dot, Susan & Don and Denise

Denise, Naomi, Barb, Steve and Glenn

Naomi & Steve and Glenn

Jo and Maria take a selfie

Today was the Cookie Party at Denise's house. It was our normal crowd of Don & Susan, Steve & Naomi, Jo & Glenn and Jo's mom Dot. This year Barb made it again, along with Steve & Naomi's grandson's Chase and Sam. Jo is as camera shy as I am, but I pretty easily convinced her to take a selfie with me for a good cause - to send to Debra in Florida. We all miss Debra, she will always be a part of the Around the Corner Gang, but moved to Florida over a year ago to be near her mom.

We were talking a lot about old books and how they came to be acquired, when Denise told the story of buying an old trunk at the local auction house years ago, and inside the trunk were a couple of  local school annuals, one of which Steve had drawn an illustration in! Talk about serendipity, that blew me away. And of course, the end of our conversation ended up being about food! That's what brought us together, and keeps us together ☺

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

classic Calvin and Hobbes

The Duplex

Travels to the Edge - Christmas Bus

Last year on Christmas Eve I took the bus to do some grocery shopping and was lucky enough to get on one of the city buses decorated for Christmas. It was a kick, it was dressed to the nines! Today I caught the bus home from downtown after doing some last minute shopping and was lucky enough to get one again. They don't decorate all of them - so I do consider it luck.