otherwise engaged

Last year Andrew and I got engaged, on an unassuming Thursday evening, what an exciting event! This year we had plans to celebrate our engagement with a fancy dinner and time together. We were both looking forward to it! However, early that morning happened to be the time that God had picked for something else. I had to hold my cat that morning, suddenly a very sick cat, and let him go. A day that I had expected to spend celebrating, planning, rejoicing, I instead spent mourning, remembering, and praying with a very achy heart.
Later that morning Andrew called to wish me a good day and talk about what happened, "just one year ago today..." He asked me how my day was going so far and the floodgates opened. After work that day instead of taking me out to dinner, he took me into his arms and let me cry and snot and wimper all over him. I was one sad girl! That night we did not do much of anything, watched TV and I cried some more. He talked with my parents who were equally as sad, although Dad's a good fake. And that night I realized that there is nothing more romantic than knowing that the man that I get to marry loves me no matter how exhausted, unshowered, tear stained, sweatpant clad, falling apartedly I may be, and he still wants me to be his wife.

Maybe that same romance explains that HUGE smile on my face. I am a very lucky woman.

Coon Huntin

The sexy headlamp/raccoon locator.

This week has been a rough week. Tonight after the finale of The Biggest Loser as my mother and I toddled off to bed she walks past the back door and lets out a horrible gasp. There was a HUGE raccoon on our back porch! Raccoons = cat killers. We have had enough of that for one week, so Mom and I decided to take action into our own hands. We made a lot of noise, shined lots of lights, made some more noise, and then she sent me out to snatch the cat food. I have to do some backtracking here. We do not normally have cat food on the back patio, however, we had a cat until last week that had a huge heart for strays. I joke not. J.C. was a friend to the homeless. This cat that we have been feeding was a friend of J.C.'s that is extremely skittish. Although this cat was very hungry, he was also very afraid of people. So, J.C. would sit by him, as a kind of mediator, letting him know it was okay to relax enough to eat. Mom also has a very soft spot for throw-aways. Between her and J.C. we had no choice but to feed this little guy and feed him we have! But now, this food has attracted unwanted visitors. We will continue to feed our little guy under a careful watch to be sure that no one is sitting at the table uninvited! Coon, beware!!

J.C.

He was a very particular kind of cat. He liked to drink from his water dish best when it was placed on top of the toilet. Go figure. I found this quite hilarious and made fun of mom for doing it for him, until one day, there I was picking the water bowl up off of the floor so that J.C. could drink on top of the toilet.


I keep thinking that I'm going to see him waiting to go on a walk. Yes, we walked him. He liked to have someone with him. A companion. He liked to go around the house. And why go alone, when you could take a friend?
You don't realize how much you rely on them until they aren't waiting at the door for you. He isn't waking you up in the middle of the night to watch him eat. He isn't leading me to the bathroom so that he can jump on the counter for a scratch and some love.
I miss him.

Simple Pleasures

These shoes are amazing. Amazing. They are comfortable, so comfortable! Several people had recommended them to me, and oh my, were they right! I have been living in them. I wear them with sweats, with nice jeans, with summer dresses. These babies go with everything! Also, I really like what the owner of the company is working for. For each pair of Tom's that is purchased a pair is donated to a child without shoes, one for one. Not many companies go one for one. Check them out here: www.toms.com.

I have been watching this plant grow, willing it to bloom. I picked this plant out last year at the nursery because I LOVE peonies. This year it has grown and budded with much vigor. This baby is ready for spring! I have been watching those buds hoping to see them burst open...nothing yet. Still waiting...I'm learning patience. This seems to be a theme in my life over the last year. Keep waiting. I'm learning.

Shirt Re-do

I had a shirt that I didn't wear anymore because those puffy sleeves make my shoulders look huge! Huge I tell you. I was walking it out to the "donate" pile when a wonderfuly horrible idea crossed my mind. I could re-fashion it! Oh heavens...

So I cut off those puffy, shoulder bulking sleeves (that felt good), and then the neckline and got to work. I managed to jam the sewing machine, but after much determination, and about an hour later, my Mom got it to release. Thanks Mom! Did I mention how great my mom is? I started by pinning one of the sleeves the way that I wanted it, then I got tired of pinning and figured it wasn't all that necessary and set straight away to tacking it down. I took the material from the sleeves and a few pearls and added a couple of flowers to the front. It turned out pretty well, didn't manage to grab a photo of the day I wore it. I think my hair was super out of whack, I.E. I didn't do it at all. Anyway, hopefully I'll post a picture of it soon. I think Mom was shocked that I could whip something like that out.

What's in a Name?

Last weekend we were at my grandmother's 100th birthday party. We had to wear name tag's explaining our relationship to the family. I made Andrew's name tag :)

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls, I have decided, take a lot of practice.
Yeast. It's a tricky thing. Temperamental. Likes to be pampered. A princess and the pea of sorts, everything has to be just so.
Gooey. Or too gooey? Not gooey enough?
The future mother-in-law asked me why I was making cinnamon rolls.
I said, "Practice."
"Practice for what?" she asked
"Life," I answered honestly, and then added, "to become a good wife." That was a lie, they all knew it.