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.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Autumn

November is a month that is full of all sorts of things for me ... memories, good, bad and sad.
I love November as far as weather and fall colors and good memories through the years ..
My moms birthday was November ..
My husband and I were married November 6th, I used to see it as the time fun started, cooler temps, weekends in Upstate NY with leaves falling and apple picking and baking and family dinners .
Quite a few family members have birthdays in November ... it has mostly been a good month for all of us .
Even in Florida, the weather has cooled down to a crisp chill at night and while there are no trees changing colors that I can see .. it feels good ... the air smells good .. it is Autumn .

I wish I was in New York right now, I would like seeing those trees in all their glory, reds and golds and piles of leaves on the ground, the smell of burning on weekends when the raking and cleaning up happens.

Here it is crisp and cool .. There are no fall colors in the trees though .. there are only pine trees.
But it feels good out there .. the cats nap out on the lanai then stagger into the house and nap on the sofa ..
I guess Autumn is Nap Time for some creatures ..

Maybe I will try that ...

Happy Autumn ~


Friday, October 27, 2017

Pleasantville

  On the walk to the  mailbox.
I might be bored to tears and lonely a lot of the time but I can't deny it is a pleasant place to be.


Thursday, October 26, 2017

Trick or Treat ?

The Trick :  I got my license plates today. I am now officially a Florida Driver.
I had to drive to Hell and back and everyone there was as kind as could be and helpful and sympathetic and I was very lucky to have that nice experience when I was dreading the whole thing so much.
Then the second part I was dreading happened but I managed .. I got lost. But finally I saw a sign that said I-95 which mean that if I got on that, it would eventually lead me home ... and it did.

I was driving 70 mph in the slow lane with a truck tailgating me ... just in case I wanted to be stressed just a little more. I wanted to tap my brake but was afraid he would hit me so I changed lanes when I could and wanted to do a Happy Dance when I saw a familiar landmark and ended up getting off the highway much closer to my home than I thought I would.

The cats were so glad to see me and I was pretty glad to see them ... no one wants to drive or even move at my house tonight.
Dinner ?  whatever  ... as long as I do not have to get in that car .. or think.
Thinking is so overrated .. it just makes you tired. And you get nowhere doing it.

The Treat : I 'll call a  restaurant nearby and order  dinner and if they deliver, even better.
I hope your day was more treats than tricks ... wait until Halloween !!!






Tuesday, October 24, 2017

My Brain is Melting

After the nonsense I went through today with red tape paperwork , blah ,blah , blah and then trying to find my way home ... I got soooo lost ... it took forever and my panic attacks were having panic attacks.

I stopped at one place to ask for directions and a young man and his wife were sitting at a picnic table outside under a massive Banyan tree .. I wished I were sitting there relaxing and appreciating the beauty instead of being twisted inside with anxiety and worry ... the wife was holding their new baby .. a beautiful little girl ... I wanted one  ... sigh~ They aren't as easy to get as they used to be :)

Today just did me in ... prepare yourself for whining crying and if you have no patience, make a run for it now...
Honey the cat stood by me with me weeping and wailing, Minette bumped heads with me and Merlin woke up to kiss me then back to sleep.

I managed to find my way to the place to get my papers changed with the new address etc from NY to Fl for my car .. So that alone was a dreadful long drive ... then a long drive on pretty 2 lane roads where I prayed I would not break down .. who knew how long it would be before they found me .. shriveled up in the car .. clinging to the steering when with one hand and my phone in the other .. 

I sat and waited maybe half an hour then a very brusque lady called my number and I walked up and told her why I was there and what I did not have with me ... she said Can't help you, come back when you have it all. Then she went back to chatting with the girls and I walked out to the car dejectedly but started getting a little pissed that she spoke to me so rudely..

I started driving home, totally depressed that it didn't happen and I will have to do it again.
Then somehow ... I was lost ...in the wilds of North Florida. I drove along for a while, it was at least a pretty drive with massive trees dripping moss lining the 2 land road ... with very pretty and  very old homes along the way .. some behind high fences and gates.


I stopped at a little place where people were sitting at picnic tables and eating and I asked this couple for directions. They were so young. They were the very proud parents of a tiny baby girl. I have to say that this meeting with these 3 sweeties was the highlight of my day, followed by the relief and happiness when I pulled into my driveway and the cats were waiting at the door.
Of course it was dinner time but it was still good to see them when I needed it.
I can't find the Title to my car ... I thought my son had it .. he doesn't. I don't .. or maybe I do ..
I have to talk to people and see ..  this horrifies me .
They sure weren't very nice here   ... the Southern softness and politeness stops at the door of the Dept of Motor Vehicles..

I need to go back to that little cafe and sit under the Banyan tree and hold a tiny baby ..  yeah...that'll do it .

Saturday, October 21, 2017

This is Baby Charlotte


BABY CHARLOTTE

click on her name above

Cats and Hair ...

Happy Saturday !
I didn't exactly get to sleep late, but I got to lay there undisturbed for a while ... my babies are growing up .. they find something to eat and take a nap somewhere quiet ... I adore kittens but this is the Upside to having a cat.
I don't have to walk them and they munch on dry kibble left down for them ..

I wanted to do something today but I think , I will just spend today trying to be peaceful.

Worrying about red tape sort of things in Florida, thinking about life back in NY, thinking about life back in Buenos Aires ... being walked over and sat upon by large kitties who have no idea that they are not petite little kittens ..
I think Honey weighs about 20 lbs ... I tried to weigh her .. my back has still not recovered ..
She is huge , heavy and slippery ... can't figure it out but Minette is small and sleek and easy to hold, Merlin is a large (heavier than he looks) hairy old man who just goes limp. He knows ... you can't fight it, just surrender ... Mama is going to kiss you ... just be still and take it like a man / cat.

The sun is blazing in the window, the clouds are skimming by and the man on the radio is talking about storms ... please god, let them be somewhere else .. that needs rain ..

My friends from NY who were living in Fl ... have returned to NY.
Increasing my longing to be there .. my memories of all the good stuff ... my fear that it is true -
You can't go back. We won't even discuss missing Buenos Aires ..sigh ~

Have I mentioned that I got a haircut ... first one since being in Florida .. I needed a trim .. I got a lopsided haircut .. I hate it ..
My hair is a hairdressers dream , it is easy to handle, does what you tell it to do and being straight, it is easy to cut. IF you know what you are doing .. you don't have to comb that little handful of hair 30 times before snipping it ... you should know to check the bottom when you are done ... is it level ? straight across ? do the sides match ? one isn't longer than the other is it ?
This girl did none of those things ... I did .. She failed.
I will go back to NY for my next haircut.

Happy Saturday !!


Friday, October 20, 2017

Friday Night and

Friday ... I remember when Fridays were looked forward to , plans made for Friday nights, weekend plans made ... and then, one day .. every night was Friday night and every day was the weekend.
But it was still fabulous ..

Here, now, Friday nights are only recognised because there might be something to watch on the television. Otherwise, Every night is Friday night and every day is Saturday ... except when I want an office to be open for something important and I have to wait until Monday !!

This whole car license plate deal has become ... well ... an ordeal.
They were closed today when I drove over to do it .. there is more to it than I thought and I don't have one thing that they need so I have to send away and wait for it ... the whole thing is annoying  and I feel like just saying to hell with it and go back to NY.
I mean really, I am driving a new car with license plates and registration etc and they want one more thing ..  there is no One More Thing ...

And of course, I get anxious and then the heart thing happens and to hell with it, I can take my car with NY license plates and go back to NY .

There, that felt good.

Dinner was ridiculously Southern and I loved it.
Fried chicken with grits. yep .. I have gone over to the dark side, dark meat chicken with buttery grits.

So it is Friday night and the weekend is ahead and I have nothing planned.

What are you doing ? What is The Plan ?
I remember making plans for weekends in the old days, dinners, Sunday drives Upstate, Feria in San Telmo on Sunday with Tango in the streets ... now ... nothing.
Oh wait, not "nothing" ... heavy rains are expected with flooding.
I can't find the words ......

So moving on,  to more fun things ...  my Genealogy ...
wow ... The Names I Could Drop !!!!

One of my 8th cousins ... had a son ... who became President of the United States ...  not that long ago.

Friday Night 

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Her Name is Honey

My mom named that cute little kitten, Honey. When I was a child we had a little yellow kitten that mom named Honey Bee .. Honey Bee died in an accident and my mom was broken hearted.
Years later .. about a year ago .. my mom got this comical kitten ... and named her Honey.
Because that was Moms endearment .. her children and her pets .. we were all Honey.
And now she is mine ... Honey .. silly, comical, sweet, huge Honey.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Even Now

I don't know how I did it , but I just looked in the mirror, the full length mirror and a woman from the 1950's  was looking back at me.

She has long blonde hair   to the shoulders,  that is sort of doing this bouffant flip thing ...
I know she didn't mean to get that look, there are days that her  hair has a mind of its own.
Today was one of those days ... Mary Tyler Moore with blonde hair might sum it up.

The weight gain, to ease off the big weight loss ( that was not needed in the first place) has been coming along but I think I am going to stop where I am and not think about it anymore.
The more you think about how much/little you weigh , the more anxious you can get about eating .. too much, too little .. don't think about it.
Eat right, eat when it is mealtime and not too much   ... the end.

I have been told to go shopping, not to worry about anything.
I won't go shopping but I admit to having a tiny spree online with Sephora.com and Cuisinart.
Yeah, Makeup and Gold  Coffee Filters.....  I am going wild.

The cats are all at ease .. we all have settled on Who goes Where on the bed at night and during the day .We all have our spots that we like best.
I get the most spots and sometimes someone has to move over and let me in ... that is the way it is at my house ..
Minette is still my darling .. she is such a Good Girl and so sweet .
Merlin breaks my heart every day with his sweetness and age , he is so very dear to me.
Honey is the baby, even though she is the largest, she is the youngest and has attached herself to me.
I am in my chair at my desk.
She is on the antique toy chest under the window, next to my desk .. I put a blanket on the chest .. you never know when a kitty will drop in for a nap.

I am making plans for my future, this   feels  like I am in a lovely nest .. watching my days drift by .. my life is drifting ... I want to do more than drift .. I want to see more than the cats every day ..
I want to do something more .. so plans are cooking .. thoughts are swirling ..

I have hopes and dreams, even now ..


Thank you but I don't need advice on eating or shopping ...






Saturday, October 14, 2017

The Weekend

Minette my little beauty... making her weekend plans.

We are waiting for the weather to decide if it will be a hurricane-like day or just sun and clouds and hot.
So far, we are sun,  clouds and hot.

The girls and Merlin are all napping.
Mama is fighting the urge to join them.
At least until afternoon !

Wishing everyone a fun weekend ... be safe ...

Friday, October 13, 2017

Friday 13

I hope everyone has a good and lucky Friday the 13th ...
The cats and I are doing work around the house ... As you can guess, their job is more on the keeping an eye on things and directing once in a while. It always seems to involve a food dish though.

The weather has been fine. Not too hot, no rain so far.
There is constant talk about Hurricanes and nothing has happened so far, for this I am very grateful.
I find this to be a reason for hating living here ... the threat hanging over you .. a killer storm, floods etc.
Give me some good old fashioned NY snowstorms, a summer thunderstorm .. I don't need weather drama. I like my own dramas , thank you very much.

Stay safe, enjoy your day .... what's happening this weekend ? Tell me ...

C and my familiars ...


Monday, October 9, 2017

Fond Memories

 Natures Beauty in Oregon
Now and then when I get tired of the heat and humidity in Florida, when I remember when I lived here before with my husband, we took a 2 week vacation to Portland, Oregon ..
It was so lovely, leaving hot and humid Florida and arriving to the cool summer temperatures of Oregon.
We rented a car and drove to the Coast ... we went to the waterfalls, there are many of them, we went to the Lookout where you could see forever .. it was all magical and beautiful and a wonderful vacation.

So as most people do, we talked and reminisced about the place ... especially in the hot humid weather of Summer in Florida ..
And then that last straw ... the Tornado warnings ... me dashing into the bathroom in the center of the house with no windows, jumping into the bathtub with a full grown Standard Poodle who thought this was great fun ... and my husband, standing in the doorway to the bathroom, laughing helplessly at me ..
We did online research .. we talked to people ... we packed up and put the dog in the car and drove to our new home in Portland..
Every day was good. Fun and pleasant. The people were very nice.
The neighborhood and our new home were very nice ... the food was wonderful and summer in Portland was perfect... that first year.
I remember it all fondly.


Saturday, October 7, 2017

Cougar

Today was a good day .. an interesting day to say the least ..
I take my coffee in the mornings and go out on the lanai and sip and listen and enjoy the warmth and quiet and view of the woods ... just a few feet from my home.

This morning there was a little something new added to the view.

A baby cougar, playing in the grass. With Mama watching from the edge of the woods.
They were both so beautiful and it sort of boggled my mind that there I was , at home in my pajamas, having a cup of coffee and watching a baby cougar and its mama out on the grass ..
I was still and quiet and glad the cats were sleeping in the house ..

Eventually a sound or something made the mama get up and mosey on back into the woods, with baby right behind her.
I know there are creatures in the forest ... but I never expected to see a cougar and baby ..
It was a good day ..

Comfort

                    Comfort is on the way ..  on the way to Las Vegas 

Friday, October 6, 2017

Plans

What a day !
I was all prepared, in my mind, for a stormy day or at least a day that threatened to look stormy.
We had bright blue skies and no clouds , dry, sunny and not too hot .. I like it !
The cats like it too ... perfect cat  nap weather, lolling on the chair with mama weather, grooming  one's leg for at least 15 minutes weather ...  a good day.

I hear rumblings about storms and things that make a person   anxious but so far no real worries .. Friends are getting ready to move back to NY .. selling a home .. with a hurricane aimed at them.
How inconvenient is that ! ?

I got an offer today .. the kind I love to get.
Someone said , come stay at my house ... I won't be there, you will have the place to yourself .. bring the cats .. no problem ... 
Well, the only problem would be mine ..  that place is a bit far away ...
I really want to do it ... I can go for a week or 6 months ... suddenly life has become full of choices and all of them fun .. or at least exciting ..

As luck would have it .. I have something else cooking so the offer might have to be held on to ... take a Rain Check ..
Let me get this other thing settled then we can talk about how long the cats and I can plan on being away ..


 Plans .. I love making plans and having plans .. although, you know what they say ..
You plan and you plan, then Life happens ...

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Remembering

Sometimes, going back in Time, sitting and remembering , enjoying Good Memories, is an excellent way to start the day.
No television, no radio, no newspapers .. online or elsewhere ... just sit and remember ..

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Paris .... Perfect





My husband and I rented an apartment in Paris, just down the street from the Eiffel Tower ..
We had 10 days of wandering and shopping and exploring and pretending we actually lived there.
Our son was able to come though France on his way from Asia to the US and stayed with us for a few days .. at our "home" on the Left Bank ... lovely memories ..
Living in Argentina

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sunset in Buenos Aires

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