It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new.
But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful.
There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
Alan Cohen
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend.
Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Minettes Story

















Once upon a time, there was a kitten named Minette.
She found her home quite by chance, she was alone in a big place called Animalkind, where all the humans were super nice and she was the only kitten there.
She had been found by a nice person who discovered her, in the snow, under a bridge, curled up next to her mama , who had died.
The kind stranger rushed the kitten to the vets at Animalkind where they warmed her up and gave her medicines and made her well.
One day, this lady came in  .. she walked in the door and everyone said hello to her. The nice people at Animalkind knew the lady from her visits there, she was a sad lady. She talked to them about getting a kitten. There were no kittens and she told the people there, When the time is right, there will be a kitten and we will be right for each other.
The lady came in and walked towards the desk, noticing that all the enclosures were empty.
She did not look behind her, at the kitten following her ... that was me.
She said to the lady at the desk, There are No Kittens ??
And the lady just shook her head and pointed behind her ... to me.
The lady turned around and saw that I was standing behind her, waiting for her to notice me. To take me home with her.
She laughed, she said I didn't even see you ! and picked me up.
She held me, looked at me, whispered something to me and then turned and told the ladies at the desk, I will take her home with me now.
And she did.
And we are living happily ever after.
Oh yeah, she saved Merlin too and now there is Honey !!
Those are other stories for another day.
This is My Story.

Friday, July 29, 2016

Friday Foto

A beautiful building in our neighborhood. I loved the way there were always trees outside our windows  ... we had a very old , very large tree outside our bedroom window with doves nesting in it.
We woke to the cooing of doves every morning .. and sometimes to the tiny sounds of a nest of baby doves ( under the air conditioner ) ..

Thursday, July 28, 2016

A Reminder

Comments are welcome.
Advice (from Anonymous readers)  on how to blog are not.
If you see something that needs correcting, send an email.
If you think you can do a better job, publish your own blog.


Thank you.


Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Dog Days

This is when I want a dog. . . or two. Seeing puppies like this ...
The cats and I have spent the entire day , staying in ... enjoying fresh air and air conditioning ... at the same time. I am inside some but outside mostly with the fans and the cats in their summer heat comas.
I read and listen to music then go inside to cool off a bit and see if anyone sent an email.
They didn't.

So I go back outside and daydream, imagine a new home, puppies, friends and some sort of social life and then I am shaken out of my daydreams by one very cranky old cat who reminds me that he has to eat on time or else.
Even though it is too early, I feed him. I can still feel all his bones, old cats are like that ... he still digs in at mealtime so I am happy he is well and eating and he can be as cranky as he wants to be.

Minnette waits to see if he leaves anything in his dish and she eats it.
But she doesn't eat her own. She is obviously one of those (children) who thinks what is in the other bowl looks better... even though they eat exactly the same thing.
So I humor her, I take her bowl and the other bowls away then put down one bowl ( hers) and she gobbles it up .. smug with the knowledge that mama gave her a special treat.
Merlin and Honey yawn and go out into the heat for an after dinner nap.

I hope everyone is staying cool, relaxing and enjoying their summer days ...
Hard to believe it is already the end of July ...

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Blue & White


The National colors for Argentina are Blue and White ... I wonder why ...
This was "our " sky , from the ground .. the park in Recoleta .. looking up and away .. it was fabulous, you could watch the weather coming and going .. But mostly, it was just blue skies with some clouds and plenty of sunshine .. what more could you ask for.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Gone But Never Forgotten

After I dried my tears for the second time after reading todays post by John Grey ( Going Gently) I had to look at photos of my dear Pup .. Tate.
For those who don't "know" him, Tate was our brown Standard Poodle.
We bought him when we lived in NY. We moved to Florida and he discovered why I like Hotels.
He was an honored guest of the Kimpton Group. He had his own hotel food and water bowls.

He flew to Argentina, with the pilot giving the flight attendants messages for me during the flight on how he was, that he was still sleeping, he was fine.
And so he was.
Running through the airport, at the end of the leash that was firmly held by  me ! he made his first appearance in Buenos Aires ... he was quite the sensation !

Apparently, in Buenos Aires, small dogs were preferable for city/apartment living ... no one had ever seen a Standard Poodle.
Poodles, yes, big ones, no.
So we were stopped dozens of times a day to allow people to pet him, talk about him, talk to him and kiss him.
No one was afraid or even careful, that dog got more kisses on his lips from pretty women than most men do !

And he loved cats. We had had an elderly cat when Tate the puppy came to live with us.
We worried the old cat would hate him, we worried Tate  might hurt the cat in puppy exuberance.
The first morning we tiptoed down to the kitchen and there was the puppy, asleep in his crate, with the old cat snuggled up next to him.
They were lifelong friends and whenever he saw a cat, even those hard hearted city cats in Buenos Aires, he was all tail wags and smiles.

The shops and markets we went to each day, all welcomed him and got their kisses ... and gave some too.
He was my  "teddy bear". the thing a child holds on to for comfort , something familiar that he loves and feels good knowing it is there ... That was Tate for me.
At night we would watch tv, he was lying on the sofa between us .. I would sit at my desk on the computer, he was sleeping there beside the chair .. when we went for a walk, we almost always took him too.

He was our Good Will Ambassador, everyone , every single person, every day, stopped and talked to us about him, petted him, kissed him and he was always smiling and gentle and easy.
I had trained him to lie down when a small child or baby was around, to avoid accidentally knocking over the baby.
When a lady with a child would walk towards us and she would ask if the child could pet him, he would already be on the sidewalk, lying down... happy to sniff a baby and get a pat ..
There was a "bag lady" that stayed in the park all day, on her bench ..
We would stop at the bakery most mornings on the way to the park, my husband would pick up medialunas and muffins etc.
When we got to the park, we would take our share then I would give the park bench lady the rest. One day I watched her share a muffin with Tate, a bite for her, a bite for him.
We bought her extra  after that .

He loved the police horses .. that dog loved horses .. he would whimper and cry and beg to be close to them. The mounted police always got a good laugh out of that .. I had to watch that the horses didn't get annoyed and kick him but they looked bored and ignored him mostly.
He didn't care, he just wanted to be there with them ... " mom!  look! horses !!" ...and then I would lead him away for a walk ..

Between my husband and Tate at my side, I was never really homesick when we moved to Argentina. They were my home, wherever we were .
We were a family, wherever we were ..

He died in Argentina, he was old , he had a mass on his liver.
He was not ill for long, he didn't suffer. When the time came, the vet came to the house and we all held him and cried.  She would not euthanize but she gave him lots of pain killers.

Mu husband and I  talked about getting a dog when we were living in NY.
We talked about what kind we would get, we would get a cat ... but there wasn't enough time.
My husband died suddenly, unexpectedly, and there I was .. alone.
None of the comfort that Tate would have provided.
I thought of that then ... if Tate had only been there with us.

Now I have cats.
Suddenly without plan, I became a Cat Lady.
I just knew I needed a little living creature in that house with me, out in the woods and fields and far from anyone I knew.
So I went to Animalkind in Hudson NY and Minette found me.
She made me bring her home with her. My tiny blue kitten with the huge yellow eyes.
She is brave, fierce, beautiful and a sweet little girl. I adore her.
Last year, I was thinking it would be nice if she had a friend, company, cat company when she was sick of me.
I looked on the Animalkind website, nothing jumped out at me .. like she did when I saw her the first time.
Then one day I looked at the Hudson County NY Animal Shelter website.
And saw this face ... this grumpy face and I called them and asked if he was still there.
They said yes .. I said, hang on to him, I am on my way.
Now Minette and Merlin   take naps together  and   gossip in the sun   and   share the bed with me ..

That was it .. I had a little girl cat and an old man cat and we were fine.

We took a long drive, from New York to Florida, staying in La Quinta Hotels (pet friendly) and upon our arrival here, my poor Mom died.
And her cat had to come live with me.
No one else wanted her.
Her name is Honey. She is as sweet as she can be.
She is huge. Heavy. And dear ... she probably misses Mom. I do. She might be thinking of me as Mom now though. .
Their dinner is finished and Minette and Merlin are napping on the lanai.
Honey is here, upstairs with me.
She just had her after dinner bath and settled down for a nap.
By my side. I am her mom now.

So here I am.
The Old Widow with Cats ...

 Honey Merlin



Minette




And Tate





Thursday, July 21, 2016

A Room with a View

This was the view from our living room .. which instead of regular windows that most of us are used to ( in the US anyway) our windows were like this window. Glass / French doors leading to small sometimes just for looks balconies and always very tall.
We had the best view, at night they threw the doors open and the huge chandeliers would sparkle and sometimes there would be a party and the doors would all be open  .. with glimpses of people and paintings on walls.
It was a good reminder to me to know that when evening came and I opened my doors and windows, the same thing would happen, someone would get a view.

Today I have views ... from this room I am looking out of the second floor window next to my desk, at a pine tree forest. And skies, blue blue Southern skies.
At night the sky is totally dark with stars to be seen .. a big moon and sometimes, a shooting star.
The cats and I saw one not long ago, I was thrilled, they were a bit  blasé about the whole thing.

I was thinking of the views I have had in the past few years.
Back in the US from Argentina, we stayed in a rental in Egremont,  Ma .. a 200 year old house.
I loved it and would have lived there .
We found the house we (My Husband) liked in NY State. It was a house just like the one I grew up in , in North Carolina. 1950's Ranch. I hated it.
But it was on a gorgeous acre of trees and flowers and an inground pool that never had the cover taken off.
We never had time to make it our home. We were there for only 3 months when my husband died suddenly. I stayed long enough to get my senses back ( sort of ) and sell it.
And now here I am in Florida.
I am already muy contenta .. it is warm, pretty, friendly, I get lost all the time and the food is fab.
I have views of trees and amazing birds and now and then a little creature ambles out of the trees and snacks on grass and wanders back into the woods.
People take care of the grounds, I just take care of my home.  I like that deal.
I will be here for one year. This is the year that will see a lot of decisions made. Perhaps a bit of traveling done ... both in Florida and beyond.








A Reminder

Someone said something about the posts and subjects on my blog and I just wanted to confirm here that while I do post about my present day life, in the very exciting and gorgeous state of Florida * a wee bit of sarcasm* I am writing a blog that is about My Life In Argentina.
So while I might be presently in the USA, my blog is still in Argentina.

I totally understand that some people might want to hear/read current stuff... there are a ton of blogs out there that can provide that.
My blog is my sort of journal, memories and people and places in Buenos Aires at a certain time and hopefully to be in the near future.

So I hope this clears up any confusion or questions anyone else might have.

Thank you Andrew ..

Thursday morning with the Cats

Thursday morning ... second cup of coffee on the desk, cats napping because they woke up nice and early and started fussing and playing, just long enough to be sure I was awake, then they fell asleep and I lay there awake.
I heard noise ... water running ... heart pounding I sat up in bed ... listened .. was it rain ?
I looked out the window and there was water pouring out of somewhere, across the street, running out of their driveway and down the street. What in the world ? Poor people ... water issues now have the power to totally send me into panic mode.

The cats are now napping, seeing that I am out of bed, drinking coffee and at the desk.
Minette now wants to drink coffee with me.
I made the huge mistake of giving her a tiny bit of milk when pouring some into my coffee the other day.
She now begs for milk.
I have no one to blame but myself.

Merlin just squints and looks in my general direction and sometimes squeaks out a small rusty meow.
Of course, I drop everything and rush to do whatever he wants.
He is blissfully unaware of most things and content to be snuggled and to take long naps.
I adore him.

Honey is settling in to her new home, new siblings and new mama.
She weighs a ton and does not help my bad ( just temporary) back but I have to pick her up and snuggle her often.  she must be so confused.

 I was thinking, what is there to do today .... not much .. alone.
I still have not been to the beach. I got lost the last time I tried to take that drive so I have to wait until someone else feels like going ... I was able to drive alone with cats from New York State to Florida but I cannot find my way from my neighborhood to the beach here in Florida.
sigh~

Well, time for more coffee. Will watch the Morning News  ... unless it is too depressing.
Then I will sit out in the already quite warm morning air on the lanai and chat with the cats, who love it out there, the warmer the better.























Monday, July 18, 2016

A Sight to See

I miss the sight of Buenos Aires. I miss the walks where , even after living there for years ! I would stop and say Look at that ! or wait a minute and take another photo .
It was in Buenos Aires that I really started using my new camera.
Given to me by my husband. As he did all of the cameras I had through the years. My first camera was his old worn Nikon.  In one of my husbands previous lives, he was a photographer.
His work is on music album covers, an old Life Magazine and walls here and there.

He gave me that camera and only helped when I asked for it, he thought I had a gift for it and he watched and would give advice but he let me learn on my own, trial and error and I think I did better because of that.
I inherited his old Nikon that he took to India .. that he photographed some pretty popular people, some unknown people and showed me a world that I would have otherwise ignored.
That he was there, that he took those photos, made me all the more interested and awed by him.
He was a very quiet man but very expressive, soft spoken and so smart .. I never knew anyone to say or act like he was bored when my husband was speaking.

I have boxes of slides of photos taken in India and Rome and London. Then there are the photos, boxes of photos, Before Me, With Me, Before Babies, After Babies, Dogs, Cats, Houses, Trips, Friends, Family  ... all through the years.
It will take me years to put it all together in some sort of order.
Because I want to see those faces again.
I want to be able to put all of my years of my photos in order and add them.
I have some big job ahead of me.

So this tree was close to where we lived. I loved the colors of the old buildings and the trees.
The architecture in Buenos Aires is a wonderful mix of Art Nouveau .. Modern ... 50's Modern ...really really old South American style .. those I love .. with the big lobby with doors to the gardens in back .. usually that would be the Porters apt on that floor with him getting a garden while the rest of us got balconies.

And there are certainly plenty of balconies in Buenos Aires .. and gardens ... sights to see.

....to be continued.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Sunday in the neighborhood


A typical Sunday afternoon in Buenos Aires... we would take our time over coffee and medialunas, talk about what we wanted to do, where we wanted to go, and get ready and walk out the door.
In the beginning, it always began with the 2 block walk to the park where Tate would have his fresh air, run around and be silly and meet up with his other friends.
Later, we would just hang around and have coffee and decide what to do ... often walking from our neighborhood , Recoleta, to Palermo where we would have Sunday lunch at the Evita Museum.
Out in the walled garden .. listening to wonderful music that they played throughout the house/museum and garden.
The food was excellent and the atmosphere was wonderful.
The walk to the Museum and back home was through streets that had buildings like this one, small ones, big ones, fabulous architecture wherever you look.
One of the biggest things I miss is that walking .. from here to there ... rarely looking in windows of shops, mostly looking at the buildings .. the parks and just feeling that satisfied , contented feeling of Being There.
Life sure changed for us.
I am in a place that cannot be more different from where I was just those few years ago.
I was so happy .. muy contenta.
I am fine here, enjoying living here ... happy to know my flight to BA will be shorter than the flight from NYC ..
At the present, I am involved in house hunting here with my daughter.
She is the one looking for a home. I am stuck in this lease for a year.
It is fun looking with someone else .. without the worries of choosing .. just "window" shopping .

Happy Sunday ...

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Sad Days

I am going house hunting with my daughter again today, plus a stroll through the huge mall (outdoor) and buy some goodies at Sephora. A nice full day.

I am appalled at what has (what seems like suddenly ) happened to the World .. my friend in Nice who was so happy and content being there, after working all their lives, and researching where to live when they retired, is now living in a place where tanks are protecting the citizens from madmen.

I have not heard from the friends in Provence ..

The world has suddenly gone very wrong, I hope it can be righted, quickly ... soon ... before more innocent people are allowed to be murdered by insane extremist killers.

After reading emails and the news, going to the mall, safely ( well as safe as the US can be with its own mad men with guns) , will be a welcome experience .
Mundane grocery shopping, buying mascara, things that a person doesn't think twice about doing, other than the days where you just don't feel like shopping for groceries or cooking ... now they have taken on a new meaning to me.

The appreciation of being Safe while Living in ones home.
Safe where you shop, live , dance or play.
Safe when your neighbors might be from far away places or people you have known all your life.

We grumble and complain about laws, and rules and our politicians but so far, the number of lunatics with guns still doesn't not outnumber the safe and secure lives we lead.

My heart goes out to all of those in harms way. My friends in Europe, my friend in Nice ... all of the good , hard working, peaceful people in the world who have suddenly come under attack by people who believe in Hate and Killing and Death.

Sad Days Indeed.


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Jacaranda time

This is what Spring looks like in Buenos Aires..
In a line, down the boulevard as far as you could see. . Jacaranda trees, blooming . Bees and birds and everyone were very happy about those trees.
It is quite a sight. I miss it.

We would have our morning coffee in the apartment, my husband reading the paper online, catching up on World events and then we were off for our own event, starting a new day in our new home.
We never got over that feeling .. that feeling of something new is waiting for us out there.
It is nice to have that sort of anticipation starting your day ..

That first year was almost overwhelming .. something new everywhere all the time. In another language. There were times that I clung to the dog at home and just waited for the feeling of All is Well, All is Calm to settle over me again.
With my husband and the dog there, it always settled over me again.

With the two of them, I was brave and full of a sense of adventure.
And each day brought so many new sights, sounds, tastes ! and happily, each day was good.
Even the days spent getting our paperwork in order, all those offices, all those waiting rooms, all those stamps on that little book.
I was looking at that little book this morning.
It needs a new stamp in it.

The Jacarandas lose their flowers and are full and green and leafy and home to birds nests and shade people when they sit in the park or wait at the bus stop.
They line the avenues .. long lines of purple flowered trees ..
I miss them.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

ExPat Focus / A Blog about My Blog

I got an email a few days ago.
Someone asking me if they could feature my blog in a blog about blogs.
How could I say no ?
I like it when people want to spread the word, I write a Blog ! Read it !

But the second treat was that this nice man has a very interesting website and I have been enjoying all the other bloggers and their blogs.

If you have the Travel Bug, this might be for you. Or it might be dangerous, you will be unable to resist buying a ticket and going somewhere ... far away lands and magical places .. Argentina is not a bad place to begin with ..
Here it is .. from ExpatFocus.com

Notes from A Broad
http://notes-fromabroad.blogspot.co.uk/
For close to a decade, Candice chronicled Life as an expat in Buenos Aires before she and her husband moved back to the United States. Seven months later she found herself suddenly widowed .
Living in a Florida condo for now, Candice is plotting to head back to Argentina. Browse her blog archives for beautiful stories of expat living.

Cat Appreciation Week

If you are like me .. there must be someone out there like me !! You can never get enough photos of cats.
Especially when they are your own. I love cats so I can also get a big kick out of photos of cats belonging to other people ..

This week is going to be My Cat Appreciation Week.

I will post a photo a day.
But ..... if you send me a photo of Your cat ... I will post it too. One a day ..

So get those cameras out and make that pussycat pose ..

I am posting 2 today because I forgot yesterdays photo.


Minette  


















Honey Takes a Nap

Monday, July 11, 2016

Buenos Aires

I am homesick. . . . for Buenos Aires.

So I am going to start posting photos .. from my days in Argentina.
Buildings that I loved or caught my eye, parks, a certain Pup in Buenos Aires .. just this and that.

That way, if I can't actually be there, I can share a look at the place and remember nice memories.

This is part of the Recoleta  Cultural Center. The Center is comprised of a  Concert space, a mall , shops, restaurants, and it is next to the Church of Our Lady of Pilar and the Recoleta Cemetery.
An incredible place ... brings to mind Pere LaChaise or Montmarte Cemeteries in Paris.

This building above was 2 blocks from our home. We would walk through it to get to another section of the neighborhood/parks instead of taking the longer walk around the Cemetery.

We loved seeing art shows here as well as music concerts.

The color of the paint, the original paint was tinted with cows blood ( or so they said) .. it is a really beautiful space with stained glass windows and it is up high so you can look farther away, over the parks, the buildings and all that blue Argentine sky ..

You should go there.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Sundays With Merlin

Merlin is old. Merlin is slow. Merlin loves to sleep. Merlin especially likes to sleep on my bed.
I happen to love having him sleep on the bed with me .. imagine a soft like a stuffed toy, large cat that purrs like a great big cat and enjoys nothing more than a snuggle.

That's Merlin, my love.

Today is hot and sunny and I am blue so the best thing for me is to keep busy. I will do things in the house with the cats, no doubt disturbing their naps and peace and quiet but I will reward them with goodies later.
A little birdie told me that the cats would love a bit of that roasted salmon I made.
That birdie is right.

It is gorgeous out. Sunshine, a cloud here and there and a little wind.
I have nowhere to go and nothing to do and that is just fine.

So I am headed downstairs to the lanai and a nice wicker chair with cushions and taking my book and my soda and I will be joined by one old slow beautiful cat, one young sprightly beautiful blue kitten  and one large, very large, calico cat who is still   a kitten ..  even if she is bigger than a small dog.
Every pound of her is full of love though ... that is Honey.

I hope your day is full of love and sunshine and a cat or two. ... or three.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Out Like a Light

Personally, I think she found some wine somewhere.

I know, it is very warm here, I was out for a while, she got into the wine . She can't handle it.

This is Minette. My love.
My other love , Merlin, is sleeping on the sofa, like a cat. A sober cat.

Moms cat / now my cat, Honey, is sitting on the lanai, watching the rain. She is a pensive little girl.
I think she misses Mom. She is happy here, she is as sweet as she can be .. I try to be sure she gets as much love as Mom gave her.

Obviously, someone gave Minette too much ... something.
Or she is just a little New Yorker kitten and not used to Florida Summer heat.
I guess I had better go wake her up .. or maybe not.

I might just go curl up on the sofa and snuggle with Merlin and watch bad Saturday night tv.

What are you doing this weekend ?

Friday, July 8, 2016

There Is Such A Thing As Karma



 "People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime "


Thank you to FatDoorMouse who wrote this in response to my Wednesday  blog "Choices"..
She is right, before so called Friends turn on you and behave in a way that makes you wonder what did you ever see in them, what ever were you thinking ?
There was something about them that made you like them, made you want to be friends.
When it is "real life", then it is easier in ways, you can see expressions and hear tones.
When it is "on line life", then people , not very nice people, can hide their smirks, disdain etc while typing away to some unsuspecting person who still hasn't got that "Trust" thing down .. you know, the sort that If you are nice to them, they think you are a friend .. they trust right away, they disregard the fact that you can be horrible to other people, even a spouse, but  they  never think that you would do that to them.
Unsuspecting and gullible people are not bad, they are just vulnerable to the Ugly people .

I guess when it comes right down to it, I want to continue to be the person who is open and wiling to give someone a chance, I seem to have more lovely friends than not, and the ones that are not, were nice, somehow, at one time.
Obviously something happened in their lives that changed them.
Too bad it just didn't change them to Nicer rather than Horrible.
Because now I can imagine them, older, alone, no friends. . just a few dogs to keep them company, if even that.

So thank you dear Doormouse ,  this will be the end of my philosophizing .. I think the weather, planting flowers in pots and figuring out how to keep the cats from eating them , how to get cat p**p stains out of white carpet ... who in their right mind puts in wall to wall white carpet in an entire duplex apartment ?? all should keep me sufficiently busy today .
Of course the kitchen and downstairs are not carpeted, but apparently, tile is no fun to poop on.
Carpet must have a more toilet like quality to it.
I know ... it is too early in the day to be pondering the mind of a cat when it comes to where it poops.

So onward and upward kids ! Time to Rise and Shine ! Make hay while the sun shines ! Do Not Go Back To Bed !
Kind of makes you want to yell shut up , doesn't it ?

So go out there and be nice. See if you get some nice back for it.
Yes, there is such a thing as Karma .

The Mall

The Recoleta Mall was about 3 blocks from our home.
It was built while we lived there, a gorgeous mall.. all glass and light filled and modern.
It faces on one side, the Recoleta Cemetery so you can stand on the top floor and look out over that huge cemetery , it is quite a sight.
The street lamps are everywhere and I love this photo because of that , the old lamp in front of this ultra modern building.
Often the lamps are broken here and there but many of them are in good condition, some even having a small birds nest inside. Those are so cute and charming , and the parks people never disturb them until the babies are gone. I liked that a lot.
So this is "our " Mall.

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Choices

I thought I would be the proud Mama and share photos of the babies.
My babies.
No not the one that is an editor living in NYC.
No no, not the one that is living here and runs a law office ..
MY babies ... right here right now ..

Merlin, Minette and now Honey ( my moms cat that I inherited and I love her)

My intrepid little explorers, they rode in a large dog crate in the back of a car for days, staying in hotels with mama and not really loving it but the nightly snuggle in the king sized bed wasn't terrible.
The lady that came in each day to make the bed and spent half an hour chatting, petting and kissing the cats .

Thank goodness this townhouse was waiting for me, the owner is a lovely man from South America, he didn't care if I had cats , he is so far, the ideal land lord.
I never see him or hear from him but the one time there was a broken pipe and he felt bad and took me out to dinner when it was all over.
Now that is a perfect Landlord.

So this week has been a bit nerve-wracking for me. I have suddenly acquired a fear of paperwork, bills, filling out things that give away my money and first born child .. that sort of thing.

But the good news is ... I am still waiting for it all to sink in ... it is almost finished. I just have to get Florida license plates for the car. I got lost the other day going to do it by myself. 3 hours later, I arrived home. With NY plates still on the car.

I have been watching PBS , reading, listening to music and talking to cats... and sometimes having lunch with my daughter .. all very good for my still frayed nerves and lingering sadness.
Adding to the sadness is the abhorrent online behavior of someone that I had counted as a real friend for years. I don't know, sometimes I think that the world is really full of looneys .. am I one or am I one of the not that looney yet people ?
I think really looney people have no clue that they sound and behave the way they do.
And then they wonder why they have no friends ... who can ever explain why they have no friends.

I am glad to say that when I was feeling bad about the loss of an old friend, an even older / from the 1970s friend ( from the UK) emailed. Reminded me that there was a place for me to stay at their home whenever .... it is good to hear that .. now and then. Someone wants to see you, talk to you .. offers you a place to stay to make it possible ..
I will hope I can make this trip in the fall.
I will stay in a hotel in London for at least part of the stay, the first hotel I ever stayed in on my first trip to London.
And then there is the invitation to Buenos Aires.
Hmmmmm ... London in Fall, BA in Winter (Summer there) .. choices, it is always good to have choices.



Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Lolling Around



















The Day After a holiday is always a bit rough.
Late night, too much eating and drinking and being silly.
Sometimes it is just nice to be able to loll around and do nothing ...

Monday, July 4, 2016

Happy Fourth of July


My First Fourth of July in my new home in Florida.
It was very quiet, spent alone with the cats, relieved there was no booming of fireworks all night.
I think they might be tightly controlled here ... it was even more quiet than in Upstate New York !
The cats and I hung out on the lanai with just stars for light, classical music and dreams.. I am always plotting and planning. It is good to plan .. even little bitty plans. It keeps you looking Forward and not getting mired in the Past or even the Now.

I slept well... this might have something to do with cats that left the room when they woke instead of staying on the bed and bickering.
Minette likes a snuggle for about 2 seconds then she has to hop down and go prowl, full of energy little girl.
Merlin is my 'snuggler' ... not only does he feel fabulous to cuddle up to but he will just ramp up the purring and lay there like a large limp hairy baby .. at my mercy .. kissing and snuggling and whispering love words. He seems to eat it up.

Sweet huge Honey isn't a 'snuggler', not much , she likes to be petted then she wants to get on with the day .. I am surprised, my mom was always cuddling a cat ..
But Honey shows her love and affection in other ways and I am just glad she is here.

So the morning dawned bright and clear and quiet ... super quiet.
Summer has arrived.



Saturday, July 2, 2016

I Don't Get It

I don' get "Taxidermy" ... whether you are a great hunter and love killing things or not.
Who wants to live with Dead Things ?
Are all the beloved dogs and cats of the family lined up in the halls ? moldering away ?
Is Uncle George stuffed and standing in one of the drawing rooms ..
What is the point ?

Anyone who has seen a dead thing versus when it was alive, knows that when it is dead, something is gone and stuffing the shell won't put it back. It just makes it grotesque.


And to proudly display a deer or rhino or bird in your family home to show people how you killed a creature for no reason at all .... I think the wrong head is on the wall, the deer and rhinos and birds should be standing around the drawing room, laughing at how much better the hunter looked dead than alive.

Now tell me, how happy would it make you to see a stuffed dead peacock in the house ?

Friday, July 1, 2016

Bill Cunningham

Upon my arrival in New York City in 1971, I went shopping for a coat with my soon to be husband.
He took me, where else ?, to Bloomingdales. Just a few blocks from our apartment and the best place in those days to shop, well, Saks and Henri Bendels weren't bad either !

I found a great coat right away, rust colored suede with fur trim on the hood and cuffs.
This little California girl fell in love with that winter coat for girls in New York City. It made me one of them ... he also loved it.

And apparently so did Mr Bill Cunningham .. who was coming in the door as I was leaving and he asked if he could take my photo. I had no idea who he was but my husband said yes .. he knew who he was  !

So there I was, that year, in the NYTimes fashion section, with other photos of other girls and boys in their new winter coats.
He was one of my earliest NYC memories and quite a sweet one too.
And on a personal note, I never saw him again, I would have loved to.
He had twinkly eyes and a big grin and a gentle manner ..

Rest in Peace Mr Cunningham.

Friday

Should I call it Fat Friday ? Feline Friday ? Funny Friday ?

Honey doesn't think it is funny but at the same time, she really likes to sit on the scale while I wash my face and brush my teeth at night and in the morning.
Maybe she thinks I need help ? or maybe she thinks Humans are Just Too Weird.
Or she wants a taste of that stuff I put in my mouth on a brush .. hmmm.

Minette shows no interest but she is a flighty little girl.
Honey is serious.

Especially right now, as I type, I look over at her, lying on her back on the toy box with a blanket for her comfort ... belly up... very tempting ... I won't disturb her though .. it is stormy and she is slightly freaked out by thunder.

Merlin sleeps through it.

Minette stays close to me.

I must be a good example to my cats.
No getting freaked out about the storms here.
Stop getting lost every time I go for a drive.

Listen to my daughter and ...... RELAX.

Wishing you a Relaxed Friday ..
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