Kitties, kitties.....

I am not a cat person. Never have been. Kittens are cute, of course, but when it comes to pets, dogs are the only way to go. However, we now have not one, not two, but FIVE cats. We started with the gray cat, Scout. Then my sister added the orange cat, Pippin. Then Scout had kittens. So now, here we are, with one dog and five cats.

They sure are mighty cute though! The little boy is the sweetest little thing ever, while the two girl attempt to destroy everything around them.

And Pip is now a big, fat, furry, lazy cat. He demands that his bowl always stays full. He is a finicky eater -- no people food whatsoever and only one kind of cat food. We bought a different brand a few weeks ago. He put a piece his mouth, spit it out, and then fell backwards on the floor in a melodramatic swoon and whining. I kid you not. I have never seen a cat or any other animal behave like such a diva. In the picture above, he was "helping" me quilt, that is, making a bed out of the fabric before I tried to cut it.

And, since Pip brought up the subject, here are the fabrics for my new quilt. I wanted to try something with more modern colors, but I had an awful time deciding what pattern. For now, I have decided on doing an Ohio star pattern and alternating pink and green stars, with black and white throughout. It will be interesting to see how it turns out!

Things Change........

This year is almost half over?! I can't believe it. Time is flying by. I remember when I was little, feeling like every birthday and Christmas were light years apart. Now I take down the Christmas tree, blink, and it's time to put it back up again. When I was a kid, however, the passing time reflected little to me -- getting new toys, reading new books, and working through each school year with the sole object of getting to summer vacation as soon as possible.

Well, as time goes by, things change. I have thought I was an adult for a while now, but in the last two years I have really, really had to grow up. Mom wasn't here to help me anymore. Did I even realize that she was helping me?? I have had to take on more responsibilities than ever before in life, and, despite the assurances from my married friends that I really have no responsibilities at all, I assure them in return that, though single I have my fair share of responsibilities. In fact, I have even been known to argue with them that I have more -- after all, they get to split their burdens in half. There are two people to get the bills paid, take care of the kids, and make decisions with. I have to make the money to pay the bills, write the checks, and remember to pay them all by myself. I also have to make the decisions on my own -- whether to take on a payment, a project, apply for a job, what classes to take. And as the bigger decisions in life come up, such as whether I should move away from my family to pursue a job opportunity or continue school to complete a four-year degree, I have to decide which way to go by myself. My friends also tell me how good I've got it -- after all I am footloose and fancy-free to make my own decisions. Maybe they are right, but they haven't convinced me yet.

But, like I said, things change. I used to have different plans and ideas about my life. But, things have not fallen into place as I thought they would. And I have decided that the best things I can do for myself is to do the next thing that is in front of me. Not giving up or settling or forgetting my original ideas, but trusting that I am in the place in life I am for a reason. Not worrying and crying or feeling left out because of what I don't have, but to look at what opportunities I do have and what I can do right now. I can finish my degree, make new friends, take vacations -- and enjoy these things. Jim Eliot said, "Let not longing slay the appetite for living" and I am trying to live by that. I would prefer not make decisions by myself and pursuing a degree and career was never high on my priority list. But these are the opportunities that I have today, so instead of worrying about what I wish they were I am going to enjoy them. And you know, they are not as bad as I thought they would be!

Worry is an awful thing. And I am a worry wart. Worry causes sleepless nights, tension headaches, lockjaw, weight gain, and temper tantrums. I can't back that up with scientific evidence, but believe me, it can. And Jesus said, "Who by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" So instead of worrying about what I don't have, when I will get it, what decisions I should make, and what classes I should take, I am trying to change my outlook. And simply take life one day at a time, one decision at a time. It's not a big thing, but it does help. And I know that there is Someone always there to help me, who will never leave or forsake me. I know that He has a plan for me and I trust in that.

A Real Life Fairytale!

Anyone who is related to me, has worked with me, met me, or even just read this blog should not be surprised to know that I got up and watched the royal wedding live. I have been counting down ever since Prince William and Kate Middleton, now Princess Catherine, announced their engagement. I couldn't wait to see the dress. Now don't get me wrong -- the popular, sleeveless, modern wedding dresses can be beautiful, but I was just dying to see a true princess dress with lace and sleeves and timelessness. I was not disappointed! Her dress was stunning -- very classic lines, and a Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor style that I just love. the simplicity of her entire style, with the light veil, delicate tiara, and overall elegance was exactly what I hoped to see. It was perfect!

A lot of my friends and family couldn't have cared less about the wedding and I can understand to some extent. But, personally, I see things a different way. This was a moment in history. Prince William is the son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, a direct descendant of many royal families in Europe. Kate Middleton was a "commoner." And, one day, they will be king and queen of England. With all the turmoil and war and strife, the recession, economic stress, unemployment, etc, it was wonderful just to celebrate a joyful day -- a marriage of two people who seemed to glow with happiness. It was also awesome to so see a ceremony seeped in traditions, Scripture, and history. America doesn't have anything like this. The closest thing we have to royalty are president's families and movies stars, but in both cases, the weddings are practically always private with a few pictures released to the press after the fact. I really appreciated the way Prince William and Princess Catherine went the extra mile to include not just Britain but everyone in their ceremony and joy. I was at my house sitting on the floor in front of the TV in my bathrobe, but I felt like I was an invited guest!

Anyway, I just had to post about the wedding of the century. And I wish the prince and princess many, many happy years together!

My latest art project

A lady at work commissioned me to draw her grandson for Christmas. I was really happy with the way it turned out, and, more importantly, she was too. This was just a regular snapshot they had taken of him in his highchair, but the expression and lighting were perfect for a picture. This is one of my favorite portraits I have done so far!

One of my new favorite things......

For Christmas, I got a Kindle! My cousin got one a while back, and I thought it looked neat, but it was hard for me to give up the idea of holding a real book in my hands and turning pages. I mean, you just can't replace curling up in a chair on a rainy afternoon with a good book. But when some other friends began raving over there's, I started to reconsider.

Well, one of the main things that made me reconsider is the library system here. In KY, we had FIVE libraries within a ten mile radius of our house, with online catalogues to renew and place holds with, and an Interlibrary loan system that brought books from California to my house within a week. Here we have one tiny library, without a lot to choose from, with only a three-week loan system. I never remember to return books within three weeks, so I always end up with fines. And as for the Interlibrary system -- I placed a book on Interlibrary loan in October of 2009. Guess when I finally received it? May of 2010. I had completely forgotten about it by the time I got the call that it had arrived. So, the idea of being able to have practically any book I want in my hands anytime I want it was definitely appealing.

So, I next had to decide between a Nook and a Kindle. Both seemed to have their perks, but I finally took a chance on a Kindle. And I love it! I downloaded Elizabeth Gaskell's entire works -- Wives and Daughters, North and South, Mary Barton, The Life of Charlotte Bronte, etc -- for just three dollars!! Not only that, but nearly all the classics (i.e. really old) books that I like to read are FREE!! I have already downloaded about thirty books and a few games as well. I admit that it's not exactly the same as buying beautiful, gilded books with illustrations and seeing them on the shelf, but the ability to have practically all the books I want makes up for it! This is definitely my favorite new gadget! :)

A few pics....

I live once again in the sunny south, where we wear t-shirts on Thanksgiving and have 70 degree Christmases.

Can't you tell???

All this snow came, the day after Christmas, the closest thing to a white Christmas that any of us have seen. Princess definitely had fun!

This is our snow-covered house!

And now presenting the new kitty!! My sister went to the mall to buy a birthday present and, after not finding anything she liked for me, stopped by the pet store. She came home with this thing lol. She named him Pippin, but we mostly call him Pip. He has a very pink nose, very pink paws, and he literally cries like a baby when he is upset. He has a prissy little walk, he is somewhat cuddly, and he enjoys aggravating poor Scout within an inch of her life. He is only nine months old now, but as you can see, he is a pretty big baby!

He did not know what to think about the snow!!

We got almost ten inches!!

This is his favorite way to be -- asleep, upside down, and stretched out!!

This was taken right after we got him in October. You can see he has practically doubled in size since then!

This is one of my favorite pics ever!

2011

Well......what can I say. Blogger tells me that my last post was February 26, 2010. So it has been almost an entire year since I posted on here. I think I really needed a break for a while. Last year was a pretty stormy year. We had a lot going on, a lot of adjusting to make to the "new normal" for our family since my mom is gone, and a lot of sorting out to do. I really thought I might crack under the pressure for a while -- we had to go through and divide all of Grandma and Grandpa's things after Grandpa's death, completely turn the house upside down again to put in new carpet, go through the drama of class registrations for myself and my sister, go through the drama of changing jobs, and about a hundred other things. My Grandma on my dad's side died in April. Princess had to have major surgery because of a lump on her stomach and the vet was not very encouraging through that time. And we've basically had to learn (or attempt to learn) how to get along with each other through all this. So, hopefully you can see why I have been absent for a long while.

Don't get me wrong, some good things happened last year, as well. I was able to finally leave retail (wahoo!) and started working in medical records at a hospital, which is great because that is what my degree will be in. I passed all my classes for fall, and was accepted into the Health Information program that I wanted. We got a new kitten and my aunt opened a little store in town that I have been able to sell a few crafts in.

I am really optimistic that 2011 will be a much better year. My sister and I have gotten used to registering and taking classes and my job schedule is much better than before. And we have come to accept the way things are now. So, any way, I hope everyone is having a blessed and happy new year!

This is the South?

I remember living here years ago. Winters were mild. We wore t-shirts on Christmas Day. The most snow we got was a dusting. But look at this year. I haven't seen this much snow in this town since I was two years old.

Baby's first snow! She didn't like it at all :(

This was right before she looked me and said "MEOW!!!"

She stayed outside exactly two minutes.

Princess loves the snow.

This was the view when I came home from work late one night. Snowflakes the size of cotton balls caught in all the trees. It was gorgeous. The perfect snow for snowballs, snow cream, sledding, and taking pictures.

But ......... I AM READY FOR SPRING!!!!

Finished!

My last final to complete my career diploma in Medical Coding and Billing consisted of 12 projects -- making records, filling out insurances, scheduling appointments, writing business letters, etc -- and a three page research paper. It was a miserable experience. Every time I thought I was finished, I discovered another "job" that had to be completed or a typo in a paper I thought was finished. And I had a limited time to complete it. And as I printed the final copies of all my work, Scout decided to entertain herself by attacking each paper as it came out of the printer, resulting in large holes, itty bitty teeth marks, and several re-prints. And the post office couldn't get there "overnight" even if I paid the "overnight" price. And I was late for work because it took so long to get it mailed. BUT I found out yesterday that, the paper was on time, I received a grade of 96, and my career diploma is complete! I am so glad it's over. There is more work to do to get certified and complete my degree, but the first step is finished. Yay!!!!

If ever there was a bad kitty.........

then here she is!

She has a talent spilling drinks, scratching unsuspecting people's feet, climbing on the curtains, attacking the printer, attacking Princess's tail, watching television, and staring at herself in the mirror. But, she's only a kitty! Maybe one day she will learn to behave. I have my doubts, though...........

My Old Kentucky Home

Last week, I rented Elizabethtown, a movie filmed in Elizabethtown, KY, starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst. I can't really recommend the movie -- not really great and language issues --but it sure made me miss Kentucky. I think that is the main reason I wanted to see it. I wanted to see KY again.

None of us were thrilled to move to KY ten years ago. I cried and Mama cried. This town was pretty much all we had ever known. And to this country girl, that big city in KY was HUGE. There were all the stores, restaurants, and tourist attractions that you could think of. There was too much for one place to have. The traffic was ridiculous and never could you go anywhere without hearing a siren. When we made our visits back home, we would all breathe a sigh of relief at the slower pace, the ease of small town life.

Well, ten years changes things. I don't know for sure where I consider home anymore. When I lived in KY, I considered this place home. Now, when people ask me where I'm from, I automatically say KY. People could never understand my Southern drawl in KY. Now people here can't understand me. And I miss KY. The country was so beautiful. Rolling green hills, thoroughbred horse pastures, blooming Bradford pear trees in the spring, scarlet leaves in the fall, snow and ice in the winter. Watching the movie, I recognized the KY river bridge I drove over a hundred times at least, the rocky cliffs along I-64, the wildflowers, and the brilliant green foliage. The land here is so flat. I had never even noticed it before. There is nothing but fields and a few small grocery stores. Nothing to do. No stores. Buying a pair of shoes involves a 100 mile round trip drive. The same three restaurants over and over. I miss the big city, with all the traffic and the fast pace.

I miss the gorgeous parks.....

The stone fences...........

the sunsets............

even the snow and icicles.

Ten years in KY, and I didn't get to see half the things I wanted to see or visit the places I wanted to. It isn't likely that I'll go back anytime soon, if ever. But that place I hated so bad in the beginning became a second home to me. Those ten years almost seem like a dream now. I am right back where I started ten years ago, older, hopefully wiser, but still in the same little town. And the tables have turned. Now I wish I could see the rolling green hills and bumper-to-bumper traffic of KY. And I cried a little watching Elizabethtown.

New Music

I splurged last week on something that I normally don't buy -- sheet music. Not really exciting new to anyone else, but I was excited about it. :) Since I don't take lessons anymore, I never learn any new songs, and I was just completely tired of the same repertoire of music that I have been playing for about five years now. I knew I wouldn't have time to learn anything hard and my hands can't handle a lot of tricky stuff anyway, so I tried to think of what I would really enjoy playing. The answer I came up with was music from my favorite movies. It's already familiar to me, and it's just fun to learn songs that you hear in movies over and over again. I wanted to learn Bella's Lullaby from Twilight, so that was my first choice. The rest of the score is really just variations on the same theme, though. Then, I saw the score from the Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly. Now Colin Firth will forever and always be Mr. Darcy to me, but the music in this version is awesome. I love the titles of the songs, too -- Daydreams, Stars and Butterflies, The Secret Life of Daydreams, etc. The music is a little harder than I thought it would be, lots of twos against threes in music lingo, but I can't wait to learn it. And last, I happened to see a solo of My Father's Favorite from Sense and Sensibility. It may well be my favorite of all of it. So, I cannot wait to learn my new music. And, hopefully, our house is going to sound like a Jane Austen movie! :)

Last Final!!

I have officially packaged up my final project for my medical coding and billing career diploma!! It was rough. Twelve projects, which involved creating medical records, writing business letters, creating patient brochures, data entry, coding, etc, etc, plus a three page research paper. I thought I would never survive it, but it is finished. It may not get a good grade, but it is finished. I am so excited. I had planned to finish this in nine months. That didn't happen. But, it only took 15 months, and I am over halfway to an Associate Degree! Yay!! Now I can take a deep breath, slow down, and relax a little.

Blog Award

Kaitlyn at I Stand Redeemed gave me my first blog award!! Thanks, Kaitlyn!! :)

It's a new dawn, a new day, a new decade......2010

Just two days ago, we celebrated the beginning of a new year. It suddenly dawned on me today, that, not only is it a new year, it is a new DECADE. Ten whole years have passed since we welcomed in the millennium with excitement and apprehension. Were computers everywhere going to crash according to Y2K? Was an asteroid going to land on the earth? It's been quite a decade. Do you remember the New Year of the new millennium? Surprisingly enough, though I couldn't tell you for certain sure what I had for lunch yesterday, I remember ringing in the year 2000 clearly. It was our first new year in the state we had just moved to, approximately 600 miles from where the rest of our family were celebrating. We were living in a tiny apartment and I was 14 years old.



It seems like a long time ago now, but these ten years have gone by in a blur. And a lot of those years were hard. There were good times and bad times. There were lots of milestones along the way. I turned sixteen, got my driver's license, graduated high school, won awards for my artwork, and got my first job. I went to professional tennis tournaments, played the piano in competitions, entered art shows, and taught myself to quilt. I read more books in those ten years than I probably ever will again for the rest of my life. We brought Princess home in 2001. My baby cousin Kati was born in 2002. I saw several of my friends and cousins get married and start families. We lost my Grandma in 2004 and Grandpa had open heart surgery and became ill for months that same year. The whole country will remember September 11, 2001 and the war that has followed.

Last year was a very hard year. I've lost both my Mama and my Grandpa. And the year ahead will not be like any of the years before because my Mama won't be here. But I am hoping that though this year and this decade are coming on the heels of the hardest year of my life, that somehow, though different, they will be good. I hope to finish school this year and get a better job. I hope that I will accomplish some of the things I have always wanted to. I hope that I will find time again to do the things I enjoy and just remember to enjoy life in general.

I trust that God has a plan for me. He has been with me through all the difficult days. Even the days when I've had meltdowns and temper tantrums, I know He never forsook me. And His plan is better for me than any plans I make for myself.

Right now a new year and a new decade is before us. I have a wishlist of things I hope for, a list of goals that I want to accomplish, and a list of random things I'd just like to do. Well, they aren't physical lists, but I have the lists in my head. I hope that ten years from now, I will be able to look back and see that some of those things really have happened. Or maybe I will be able to look back on better, happier days than I even imagined for myself. I don't know. I do know that this is the beginning of a new decade, a new stage of my life. I hope this will be a good year. And I wish everyone a happy new year!

When I left Queen's my future seemed to stretch out before me like a straight
road. I thought I could see along it for many a milestone. Now there is a bend
in it. I don't know what lies around the bend, but I'm going to believe that the
best does. ~ Anne of Green Gables

Christmas is Here!

Let it be Christmas everywhere

In the hearts of all people both near and afar

Christmas everywhere

Feel the love of the season wherever you are

On the small country roads lined with green mistletoe

Big city streets where a thousand lights glow

Let it be Christmas everywhere

Let heavenly music fill the air

Let every heart sing let every bell ring

The story of hope and joy and peace

And let it be Christmas everywhere

Let heavenly music fill the air

Let anger and fear and hate disappear

Let there be love that lasts through the year

And let it be Christmas Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere

With the gold and the silver, the green and the red
Christmas everywhere
In the smiles of all children asleep in their beds
In the eyes of young babies their first fallen snow
Elderlys' memories that never grow old
Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas Christmas everywhere
Let it be Christmas everywhere
In the songs that we sing and the gifts that we bring
Christmas everywhere
In what this day means and what we believe
From the sandy white beaches where blue water rolls
Snow covered mountains and valleys below
Let it be Christmas everywhere Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas Christmas everywhere
Christmas everywhere Christmas everywhere

Grandpa

My Grandpa passed away late Monday night. He had fought a long, long battle with lung problems, but now he is finally at rest.

Back in 2004, he had open heart surgery and developed the worst case of the worst kind of pneumonia that you can contract. He was on a ventilator for months, which damaged his lungs further. We never thought he would come home then. The most we expected was for him to wind up in a nursing home. But he recovered and came home.

He was never strong and healthy again, but he did get to enjoy more things in life. He remarried (Grandma died early in 2004), spent time with his grandkids and became involved in church. Over the last two years, his health started to decline. He became dependent on oxygen and had a hard time going places. My mom was his oldest daughter, and losing her took a toll on him, too.

About ten days ago, he went into the hospital again. I wasn't able to see him as often as I should have. Monday, I saw him one last time. As soon as I saw him, I knew he couldn't last much longer. It was just like looking at Mama during her last days again. That night, they called and told me he was gone.

It has been hard to go through another funeral so soon, especially right here at Christmas, so please pray for us as we go through this. We are all glad to know that he is in Heaven, free from pain and suffering.

Another long absence......

So much for thinking that I would get back into blogging again. It's not that there isn't anything I would like to blog about, I just have no time. None. The hours my retail job are requiring of me are rediculous. Add to that the part-time teaching job, trying to keep up with my schoolwork, housework, grocery shopping, bills, etc, etc and you will hopefully understand why blogging time is limited. But, the semester has ended at the college and I have a little free time. My New Year's Resolution will be to blog more. Of course, my readers have probably forgotten me by now. Don't give up on me yet. I am going to make an honest effort to get back on track.

I have survived another Black Friday as a retail associate. I was truly hoping last year was going to be my first AND last of that experience, but, November 27, 2009 found behind the register again. This year was entirely different. Not only was I a cashier, but a department associate as well. That meant not only was I responsible for waiting on customers, but I had to set the sale, set the signs, wait on customers and ring them up. So, I worked about five days straight leading up to Friday. Wednesday was set-the-sale day. My department includes the home department. This means that I had to pull out all the bedspreads, mattress pads, pillows, sheets, pots, pans, coffee makers, take-and-bakeware, foot massagers, record players --- let's narrow it down---- everything weighing at least 20 pounds, out of the stockroom and back shelves and stack them in the center aisle because the were the "Early Bird Specials." Other people were working on it besides me, of course, but my point is that I had a lot of heavy lifting to do. When the store finally closed at 9 pm, we spent the next two hours taping rebates to boxes and putting up sale signs. I got home about 11:30 pm.

Thanksgiving Day was somewhat of a blur. We ate dinner with my aunt on my dad's side, then ate supper with my aunt on my mom's side. The food was good, but I was too tired to really enjoy the holiday. And I was dreading tomorrow.

My alarm clock went off at 2 am Friday morning. Or does that still count as Thursday night? At any rate, I threw enough make-up on to make me look alive, put on the most comfortable clothes I could get away with wearing, and headed out into the cold, dark night. I arrived at 3 am to buy my own early birds before the store opened. One of my purchases was a pre-lit Christmas tree. I knew I would never put a tree up if it wasn't 90% pre-assembled. We went through the ritual -- the 15 minute pep-talk/lecture, the final touches to the signs, the doors burst open.

The big crowd didn't sweep through like last year, but plenty of people came in. And they came in bunches all day. As far as the crowd was concerned, it wasn't really any worse than a busy Saturday. But the people were crankier. One woman cussed us out. Another aggravated me to the point of tears. One family of middle-aged sisters went through my line so many times, one at a time, buying one item at a time, that I would gladly have given them all the cash in my wallet if it would have made them go home. By the time 3 pm came around, I was so tired I thought I would fall asleep standing up. And I was finally allowed to go home.

I went home --- and crashed. I slept like a rock for three hours. Then I got up, ate leftovers, and put the tree up. And there it stayed, with no ornaments, for about a week. But now, most of my shopping is done, school is out, and I have three days off next week!!! So, I have made it through my second holiday retail season (or I will have officially in two weeks). I sincerely hope I will not have to work through a third one.

How is the Christmas season going for everyone else??

And it begins again......

I can't believe the holiday season is already upon me again. I was so hoping that I would not have to face another retail holiday, but here I am again and Black Friday looms before me. It's totally different at this store, too. Before, I was solely on the register. Now I work in bridal, home, lingerie, women's plus-size, misses petite, and the formal dress section. That's a big section. And I am usually the working the department by myself. I also have to run the register, recover the dressing rooms, and merchandise the store. Needless to stay, I am generally never still from the time I clock in. This morning, everyone had to come in two hours early to "bust freight", aka, open all the shipment and unpack it. Long day. My cousin Kristen works at the same store with me, so that makes it a little more fun. We took our lunch break together today and both of us nearly fell asleep over our chips and salsa.

I'm also working a second part-time job at the local community college teaching a computer class twice a week. And I'm still taking online college classes that I hope to finish soon.

In my freetime, I am unpacking even more boxes at home. We have finally bought my grandparent's old home and the moving truck brought all of our things from our old home just two weeks ago. The spare room is stacked floor to ceiling with boxes. I am trying to paint, also. I should post a before and after pic of my room. It is so full of boxes and clutter that I can hardly turn around, but I have big plans for painting and organizing it next week when I have a week of vacation. I am so glad to have that week off. It is going to feel wonderful to not have to go in to work for a whole week!

So, now you are all pretty much caught up. A lot has changed for us and there is a lot of work to do, but we are getting through everything a little at a time.

An addition to our fur family....

Back in June, we became the proud owners of a new kitten. She's cute, but she's mean. Can't you tell by that face? :)