Attack of the Killer Washing Machine…

My golden girl does not like change. She likes her food bowls in exactly the right spot, her toy boxes (yes, she has many) placed where they have always been placed since she was a puppy, and her beds (yes, again she has many) placed in exactly the right spot, with the cushions fluffed at one end and flattened at the other. Her minions (hubby and me) oblige her without question.

Despite Vivvy’s love of the familiar, we hadn’t expected that trait of hers to extend to kitchen appliances. When our old washing machine finally gave up the ghost and started fusing the electrics, we set about choosing a new one. The machine was fitted while AJ and Vivvy were out for morning walkies and the problems started when they returned. Her Ladyship stopped at the kitchen door and would not budge. We thought something was very wrong, until we worked out that the new machine was the culprit. Unsure why, because it was in the same place and even looked similar, we tried coaxing her with treats (which she’ll normally walk through just about anything for), but no. We had to open all the downstairs doors so she could do a round trip avoiding the kitchen on her way to the back garden. Eventually, after employing many sneaky tricks, we got her to walk past it. She gave it the widest berth and the evil eye. Now, she’ll walk past it, but with her eyes closed! So funny. We think the reason for her reluctance lies in the reflective nature of the machine door, and wonder if the shapes and shadows she sees in that has been the reason for it spooking her out.

As if the month hasn’t been traumatic enough for her, I bought her a new drying coat – an absolute necessity because I don’t think we’ve had a completely rain free day here in the UK for months now. She hates wearing her raincoat during walkies, so I thought this drying coat post-walkies was the next best thing. It’s thick and cosy and you just wrap it around your sodden pup, fasten the velcro, and they are supposed to love it. Well, she stands frozen like a statue the whole time it’s on and when/if we can coax her to walk to us for a treat she waddles like a duck.

We love every day with Vivvy and she gives us so many laughs. This month has been no exception. Never a dull moment with our golden girl, but hopefully there’ll be no more killer appliances in her immediate future 🙂

Website: www.fayeavalon.com

Spring. What Spring?

Here we are in the middle of April: springtime. Such a shame in the UK the weather isn’t playing ball. As I write this, hailstones are hammering down in between heavy rain showers, the wind howling, strong enough to send pots crashing to the ground, and the temperature has plummeted in sharp contrast to the weather we experienced yesterday and the day before – the warmest days of the year thus far. Crazy. No wonder us Brits are obsessed with our weather.

At least Dave managed to mow the lawns and get the sweetpeas, carrots and onions into the ground at the weekend, whilst I was able to do some weeding and pruning and general tidying up. We did have leeks growing ready to be planted out, but some pesky slugs had better ideas and demolished all twenty of them overnight. We have been overrun with them and snails this year thanks to the all the rain.

I think, too, the weather is the cause of my current loss of mojo. No matter what I plan or want to do, I do not have the impetus. I need warmth to get me going, a bit like a lizard (I must have been one in an earlier life!). How I’ve missed not being able to sit out on the patio just after dawn and enjoy a quiet cup of coffee as I watch and listen to the birds and observe the wildlife in the garden. I need that special hour or two in the early sunshine to set me up for the day. So far, I’ve only been able to do it once this year, and I wasn’t outside for long. Hopefully as the weather improves (fingers crossed) I will be back up to par and raring to go.

Another reason for my low mood is because this month has seen me hit a milestone birthday. Birthdays are not something Dave and I celebrate, we don’t give each other cards or gifts; we don’t do anything special such as a meal out – Dave isn’t one for that, he’d much rather he or I cook a meal at home, but I cannot believe I’ve reached my platinum birthday. Where have all the years gone? The muscles may ache, the knees hurt climbing stairs and I don’t have the energy of a teenager anymore but inside my head I still feel like one.

That aside, it is lovely to receive cards and beautiful presents and birthday messages from family and friends. Talking of cards, I might have mentioned in the past my two older sisters are identical twins. Believe me, when I say there is a solid telepathic mindset between twins, as I have discussed in the past. My sisters often unintentionally dress the same, have been known to buy the same clothes, give each other the same gift; the list is endless. This year they even sent me identical birthday cards, and they were not together when they bought them! Spooky? No, it’s what happens with twins, and Dave and I are still laughing about it.

The crashing pot I mentioned earlier was a birthday present from unexpected guests who arrived on Friday morning. We love blue pots and this was a beauty complete with a pretty pink azalea bush in flower. It looked lovely on the little garden table between our two patio chairs. Not any longer. Oh well, a perfect excuse to visit the garden centre and buy another. Or two. Or three.

On the whole, I’m feeling better already writing this. Life is great. Yes, it has its ups and downs, its heartache and loss, but also it is full of laughter and fun, and family and friends are an important and vital part of it. There are so many good things to be thankful for, and it is true that life is what you make of it. I’m never down for long, it’s just that this year it seems longer than usual.

Meanwhile, the black clouds have been swept away, the sky is blue now and the sun is shining. The central heating may still be on but from here things can only get better. And they will, starting with this little springtime painting I’ve managed to finish in time for next month’s art exhibition! Till next time, take and enjoy your spring whatever you are doing.

Kit Domino’s websites and blogs

Blessings

February was a long month, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As a lot of you know from my Facebook posts, I had a hip replacement on the 12^th. I’m 3 weeks post op and getting around pretty well, though still using a walker. Osteoarthritis sucks. I’ll just leave it at that.

One of the best parts of having surgery is the closeness of my family. Two daughters stayed with us at first, our son stopped by more, and our two other daughters did a lot of food duty, either preparing or sending food.

Siblings sent cards and food and called and texted. Friends, too.

So as I type this blog, I find myself feeling very fortunate and so blessed it makes me cry happy tears. I don’t know how people manage medical issues and surgeries without a support system because I would not be doing as well as I am without the people surrounding me.

To each of you who’ve reached out, thank you. I appreciate you more than I can verbalize, or write. I am humbled and in awe of your generosity and the time you spent lifting my spirits.

I’ll leave you with a glimpse of our family. When you have the children, grands, and greats we have, getting them all together is a real feat. This picture is all but six of them. Pretty darn good, if you ask me.

Have a wonderful beginning of Spring. I hope sunshine brightens your day and enough rain falls to foster lots of blooms.

Winter Cabin – Again

It’s that time again. What time? Winter Cabin Time! As you may know, my family goes away each winter for a winter cabin adventure. We rent different cabins based on the number of family that can make it and we enjoy down time, relaxing, visiting, and just time with each other.

This year has rocketed to the top of my “favorite cabin adventures” list. The main reason for this is that 21 out of 24 of our family made it. That is astounding to me, and it’s been a while since we could almost all make it. And yes, you read that number right. When you add up our kids, partners, grands, and greats, we are that big. I’m in awe of each and every one of them. They are amazing adults, totally cool teens, and energetic and fun kidlets.

It’s my favorite vacation of the year and it certainly starts each of our years off on the right track. We eat, play games, eat, watch football, eat, paint rocks and shells, and, umm, eat.

We generally have snow, but had more than usual this year. It was also very ccccold, with minus temps at night. One day, the HIGH was zero! Some got out for some sledding, though they weren’t out for long.

This year, the kids gifted us a photo album of all the best pictures from our 20 some years of doing this. They each wrote how important this event is for them and how grateful they are for it. It brough hubby and I to tears. We are just as grateful for them. The fact that they still want to do this, still want to get together every year, is both unusual and gratifying.

I love our family. And I hope you have this kind of love cocooning you from life’s challenges and giving you heart smiles.

For more information about Laurie Ryan:
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Moving Forward

I find it difficult to think we are in the third week of 2024, and even harder to believe that this day last week, was the day my family said our final farewell to my 97-year-old mother who sadly passed away a few days before Christmas. It was a simple, non-religious ceremony with only immediate family, lots of tears but also lots of laughter, just as Mum had wanted; she hated fuss. I think she would have approved both of what we did and the music we chose.

The last six weeks have gone by in a blur of emotional and physical stress I can only express as a surreal, out-of-body experience, however, I am finally back down to earth and moving forward. Through all that has happened, the support of close family and friends has helped us all come out the other side, for that I am extremely grateful.

Our Christmas was cancelled and in the suspension of time between losing Mum and the funeral, I kept myself busy by blitzing the house, as being away at Mum’s hospital bedside for most of December, trust me when I say nothing was done in the way of housework although Dave did his best in my absence. When bored with cleaning or stopped by him from doing more, the only way I could cope was by turning to my paints, although at times it was a struggle to stay focused and I nearly scrapped this one, but glad I persevered and finished it.

So, a new year, a new beginning in many ways. I am not one for making New Year Resolutions but I am determined this year to finish all those tasks I’ve started but yet to finish, particularly where my writing is concerned. I know I am ready to move on because I am itching to get back to my books. Moon Stones needs to leave the house to seek a publisher, and the next installments are tamping away inside my head, impatient to be let loose. Spring is in the air here despite the frost and cold we’re enduring this week. There are snowdrops and crocus in flower on our the lawn, daffodils in bud and many of the shrubs already showing new shoots, my garden boots and gloves calling, but they will have to wait a while before they are allowed out of the cupboard.

Meanwhile, a few more trips to Reading are necessary as there are legal matters to sort, signatures required on several documents, the bungalow to clear and put up for sale whilst we wait for probate. Then my sisters and I are going to take ourselves off for a much-needed holiday. We need it.

Kit Domino’s websites and blogs

Things We Discover in a Cemetery

Jillian here. Happy January. Like Laurie, I didn’t know what to write about this month. All the New Year, New Me stuff bores me so I didn’t want to go there with this post. Instead, I thought about one of the things I like to do, which may sound macabre to some, but I enjoy walking in old cemeteries. They truly are peaceful to me and soothe my soul.

I took some pictures as I usually do on my visits and these four are pretty poignant to me. The cemetery is one of the oldest in Pensacola and it called St. John’s. It is pretty close to my office so I sometimes go there on my lunch hour. It is old but still actively burying people. Some are people I know.

The Perry family is a prominent one from way back in our history– both in Pensacola and in the state. We had a Governor Perry and there is a town named Perry on the other side of Tallahassee. The three graves here in the Perry plot make me sad as none of these men had a chance to grow old. William Allen Perry- even though it looks like he was born in 1844, it is actually 1814, but either way, he was young–only 39–when he died. George Perry–who has no date of birth on his tombstone, died at age 52 in 1862, so we can presume he was born in 1810. This makes me think these two were brothers except for the fact that William’s tombstone says he was the son of Captain George and Polly Perry and George’s doesn’t mention parents. Unless the parents were deceased by then so weren’t around to add their names. Which makes sense to me.

The other George Perry only lived 30 years, 6 months and 21 days. Someone loved him so dearly, they counted the number of days he was given on this Earth. I have wondered what was the cause of death of these Perry men? All very young. Of course, we know medicine wasn’t all that advanced and a mere infection could be the end of you back then. I also wonder if the George who died in 1862 was a civil war soldier, but I imagine he would have been old to be on the battlefield.

Salena Smith Wilson is buried nearby, but not in the Perry plot so she isn’t related to them. She was only 25. I imagine she might have passed in childbirth, but can’t know that. On the Findagrave website, she has parents and two siblings listed but not the spouse and no children. This doesn’t really prove anything as that site is one that anyone who signs up can edit. But I think about poor Salena and her short life and the husband who loved her.

I do enjoy my walks in the cemeteries. It piques my curiosity as well as stimulates my imagination. I’ve taken many a name from a tombstone as a character name in a book. First names, especially. 

What about you? Do you like to stroll through cemeteries?

Festive Four-Pawed Fun

I hope everyone had a safe and peaceful Christmas. It seems to fly by, doesn’t it? All the build-up and hype, and then, whoosh, it’s over and we have that strange in-between time called Twixmas.

For many, one of the joys of Christmas is watching the little ones opening their presents. Our little one has four paws. It’s always been entertaining watching Vivvy open her gifts. She’s quite the lady. In the past when we used to board guide dog puppies, the ‘opening presents’ experience was frantic and chaotic. Vivvy, as one of those puppies we boarded, was no different, but for the past few years she’s become more discerning and takes her time opening her pressies. She’ll choose one, open it very carefully and delicately, then she’ll take it to her bed where she’ll play with it for ages.

It’s only after a lot of encouragement from her humans that she’ll open another one, and the same thing happens where she’ll take that toy away and really enjoy it. She had several gifts left to open by the end of Christmas Day, so we gave them to her on Boxing Day.

Her favourite gift has been a ball with curled felt ribbons stuffed into its orifices. She played with that all over Christmas. She took it everywhere, and even laid it beside her food bowl at dinner time ready to play again right after she’d eaten. She looks like the Queen of the May when she walks around with it but stops dead when she steps on one of the extended ribbons. Then she’ll look back at us with an expression that says “well, what are you going to do about it?” 🙂 Then it’s up to mummy to wind the ribbons back and stuff them into the holes ready for her ladyship to unravel again. It’s quite therapeutic and meditative winding those ribbons back, and at least it keeps me away from the chocolates 😉

www.fayeavalon.com

December 2023

This gallery contains 1 photos.

This is my second year of not decorating for Christmas.  For the past two years Kris (daughter) and I have left sunny Arizona and driven up to the Pacific NW.  Does 2 years make a tradition – no, but it may set … Continue reading →

Recapturing Memories

Jillian here. December already?!? This is a tree in downtown Pensacola in a breezeway between shops. Isn’t it pretty?

I have had a hard time since my mother passed away remembering her as she was before the change in her in the last months of her life. A good friend reassured me that what I was feeling was normal due to the trauma of those months that I may not have even been aware I was experiencing. This friend had a similar experience with the death of one of her parents and said it would take some time for the memories of my mom how she really was to return.

This week, I had a bit of a glimmer of hope that I would one day recall all the fun times and how much Mom enjoyed life when I was watching a show I discovered about a month ago that has been rerunning on our PBS station. It’s called “Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.” I understand this show still has new episodes in the UK so I hope for more of these as they are super fun to watch.

I think they are also available on Pluto and Tubi TV for free here in USA.

The premise of the show is that two celebrities team up with two experts in antiques and drive around in classic cars searching antique stores for items to auction. They each start out with 400 pounds to spend and, at the end of the episode, they take the items to auction to see who did the best shopping. The auction parts are usually pretty funny as they can totally bomb and it’s very competitive between the teams.

You may ask how this show helped me remember my mom as she was. She loved, loved, loved going to these kinds of shops. A fun day out for her was looking at every item in the shops. She didn’t always buy something but she loved to pick up the little things and explore. She collected bells, birds, wreaths, and other things. She was a magpie and absolutely had a blast milling around and inspecting tchotchkes. My sister went with her most of the time but I went too, on occasion. My sister would get frustrated sometimes with the touching everything Mom liked to do.

When I was younger, we went to the local auctions all the time where they auctioned small items as well as big furniture items, but they phased out the regular ones and we haven’t been in years. Mom would get so excited bidding, she’d sometimes end up with stuff she didn’t really want. She especially loved to bid on the boxes of things the auction house would pile together to make less sale lots. She enjoyed the discovery of what treasure might be in the bottom of the box.

Thanks to this show, I’ve recaptured a bit of my mom, and for that, I’m grateful.

Hope everyone enjoys their holidays this month no matter which you celebrate.

One Year On

Jillian here. Happy October. It’s 6 am and 48 degrees Fahrenheit at my house. Should be in the 70s later. Bliss. We get a short fall here so I love it when it’s cool.

On October 8, 2022, Mr. C sawed up the tub in one of our bathrooms that we needed to renovate. I posted about it last year here. The floor was still the same as the first owners of the house put down and it was ugly. 😀 We thought it would be a month long project. Au contraire. We had no idea of the trials and tribulations ahead.

One year later, after more cancer diagnoses, illness, many hospitalizations, two deaths (luckily, I stayed healthy—just everyone around me had medical issues), I took my first shower in the new space when the door door was finally up. It was wild to see it was on the actual one year anniversary. How crazy is that?

I haven’t hung any artwork yet but it’s not going to be fishing themed now. When Mr. C saw the new pictures I want to hang, he was sad and said, “No more fishing? Even the pole will be gone?” I said, “Dude, it’s been that theme over 20 years. We’re moving on.” 😀

Before:

After (we used the same cabinet—painted—and Mr. C made the countertop):