I remember

The first time I met Ellie she was sprawled out in the middle of a food bowl to keep the other puppies away so that she could eat all she wanted. She was the runt of the litter of the half-Australian-Shepherds-half-origin-unknown puppies on my mom's farm. My grandmother, who swears that she cannot stand animals, was quite insistent that we go get this puppy before she starved.

Ellie Mae lived a very respectable fifteen years. I'm proud to have been her friend. But boy am I sad she's gone.

I like my home

Today is beautiful, and I don't have any desire to be anywhere else.

So I'm a homebody, OK?

I'd rather be on my couch with my kitten and my hubby and a good book than anywhere else in the world.

My home=Heaven on Earth

Sweat Suit Friday

One day at work, my boss bought us all a cake that was being sold for charity. I knew he was a good guy then (because cake=love, my people). But today, he might have outdone himself.

He instituted Sweat Suit Friday.

Why? Because we've had a hard week.

I look like I slept in my clothes and drove to work.

Best. Day. Ever.

For the love of cupcakes

If you love cupcakes as I do, you should wear your love on your shoulder.

Buy this tasty treat here:

http://thepinkneedle.etsy.com/

Old Kitty

I was starving yesterday. What's new? Hubby and I load up in the car, and I become excited at the prospect of chicken and dumplings.

On the way out, we drive by an old kitty in the road. She has an adorable little sweater on that says "Woof". Hubby says, "Let me make sure the kitty is OK." He gets out and pets on her.

Kitty bumps into him and walks another direction. She keeps walking in circles. We didn't know if she was confused or blind. Either way, she was thin and old and in the middle of the road. So we took her home.

At home, we sat out some food and water and she ate and drank quite vigorously. She walked about our basement, bumping into things and walking in the other direction (think Pong, only in feline form). Hubby calls the neighborhood association. I thought perhaps we had some way of notifying people of a pitiful lost kitty. They said not really. So we called the Humane Society. They said they could take her, but no one was there after six o'clock. Perhaps talk to PetsMart--they have a satellite program, and maybe we could leave her with them.

Before we go, we knock on doors where the kitty was found. Two people were not home. Two others were quite friendly, but said they either had no cats or theirs were at home. We asked people walking on the street. No one was missing an old blind kitty.

So we go to PetsMart. They said they could not take her, we needed to take her to the main humane society. They have "drop boxes" for strays. A DROP BOX FOR AN ANIMAL. I become horrified. She said, no it's not bad--they have their own little space, you can put in food and water and maybe a little blanket or something. I know that most people check the Humane Society first, and they could scan her for a microchip, so this seemed like the best option.

It seemed like a good idea until we get back. She is full and happy now and has started to meow. She sounded like her voice was cracking from age. It broke my heart. I got all soft and made hubby put her in our cats carrier. I start to cry. A DROP BOX. We are going to put this poor old cat that will surely be euthanized unless her family finds her in 2.5 in a freakin' DROP BOX. Hubby assures me this is the best way to find her home.

On the way out (still crying) I see some people near the gates of our neighborhood. I told hubby to back up, I wanted to yell and see if they were missing a cat.

"Hey! You missing a cat?"
"YES."
"Has on a little sweater?"
"YES!"

The lady takes her out of the carrier. She cries. I cry more. Kitty nuzzles her mama. God works again in small, profound ways.

Hump Day

Happy Wednesday, peeps. You're still breathing.

*cough cough cough* WHEEZE *cough cough cough*

So I'm pretty sure I've got SARS. When I try to talk, I have a coughing fit. When I try to swallow food, I have a coughing fit. When I breathe too deeply, I have a coughing fit.

It's totally sexy.

Love thy Tailgaters

Dear neighbors,

I would love you a lot more if you'd not try to sniff my bum while driving. Seriously.

I'm convinced that the lack of a sticky outy trunk causes drivers to want to be closer to me. I appreciate this. You might find that I am a thoroughly pleasant person who shares candy. Or you might find that I don't appreciate having your headlights in my backseat and that I carry firearms.

Either way, perhaps another time to play "getting to know you" would be better than during rush hour.

Midway

So my most favorite place to eat on all this earth is Holly Hill Inn in Midway. Last night the hubby and I went with the mother-in-law and the aunt-in-law (who drink me under the table every time we go out). We spent enough money to support a small third world nation, and oh my goodness, it was worth it. Everything was positively delightful--the food, the wine, and the company.

I decided that I wanted to join the Wine Guild at HHI, and I took a few fliers. Unfortunately I discovered when I got home that these fliers were already filled out with people's email addresses, so I had stolen someone's sign-up. My bad. For penance, I'll spend the 42 cents to send it back. Without my return address or shame attached, of course.

I'm too old

Tonight I visited a friend's new home, ate kabobs, and played a board game. It was wholesome fun. I'm so glad the club days are behind me. I'm just too old for that. And I think I might have been just too old way back then, too.

Tomorrow I will get up and celebrate the Sabbath. That, too, will be wholesome fun.

I will come home tomorrow and get my hubby. Maybe we'll snuggle a bit, and I might just kiss his face.

Perfect food

Cheap. Cheesey. Delicious.

Hair

So a year or so ago, after hubby and I were married, I cut off all my hair. I wanted a BIG change to signify a BIG change in my life. One day I was sick, and our kitty decided to climb up my hair. I took it as a sign and cut off about eight inches of hair. I didn't look back.



Until recently.



I miss having long hair. When I think about myself at my prettiest, I had long hair.



I was also about 30 lbs lighter, but I digress.



So now I'm trying to grow out my hair, and I am frustrated with how slow of a process it is. Slower than Christmas even!

The power of red lipstick

I bought a red lipstick yesterday (half-priced at Meijer's!). It has made my day brighter, and I feel like a right elegant lady.

edit: Revlon does no animal testing for their cosmetics. Big ups to Revlon! Always buy cruelty free.
http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDontTest.pdf

Kristi's Saturday Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for this wonderful life I live and for the promise of eternal life after this one is over.

Please give me patience for people who aren't on time. Currently it is my biggest pet peeve. Please don't let me think badly of them, but see where their time may be more important than mine or may be needed elsewhere. And if it's not, and they are just being jerks, well, I pray for patience and the ability to forgive people quickly.

Please help me to not think badly of my husband because his pile of laundry is twice as high as mine. Please help me to not dwell on the fact that doing laundry would be a miniscule chore if not for his need to change clothes 15 times a day.

There is so much for which I am thankful. One of which is Indian food. Thank you for Indian food and also for peanut butter. You were really onto something with this peanut butter thing.

Thank you for giving me a wonderful home to live in and the intelligence to sustain a good career, even on days when I'd rather stay at home and be a lazy bum.

Thank you for wonderful friends. I pray for them, that you would always fill their days with joy.

I pray for all the animals that don't have a warm place to sleep tonight and for those that don't receive the love and attention that we give our own pet. Give them warmth and love, heavenly father. They are innocents.

Thank you for the best family on the face of the earth. Thank you for giving me a mother who chose life when she chose to have me. Thank you for allowing me to be born in a country where my mother did indeed have that choice to make.

Thank you for a husband who is my best friend. Thank you for all the cool places we go together, both physically and emotionally. Please let us never forget how much we love each other even as the years pass. I can't imagine a life without him now, and it's hard to remember a time when I was without his love and companionship.

Thank you for giving him the ability to cook well, because, well, you know it's not exactly my strong point.

Help me to remember the two pilars upon which our faith is established--love of God and love of neighbor. You're like, the most rockin'est God ever, so there is no way I could forget to love you and praise you. But please, please help me, Lord, to remember to love my neighbor.

Love,

-kristi

AMEN!

Housekeeping

I'm a lousy housekeeper. My bff Lori is now cleaning houses since she is a stay at home mommy, and I want very much to just hire her. Hubby thinks I should just keep the house clean. To me that is like saying, Just learn Greek already. The mess makes me nervous and upset. I tried to clean this morning (it's election day, no work!), and it overwhelmed me, so I sat down and took an aspirin. I managed to wipe off the stove. The dirty dishes are in the sink. The clean laundry is in the dryer. What is wrong with me? What is so hard about vacuuming? It's not that difficult. I think I'll buy myself a cute apron from Anthropologie like this: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=883297&navAction=jump&search=true
Perhaps that will give me incentive to clean.

I have a gyno appointment today, and they are going to ask me what was the first day of your last period and I fo' shiz have no idea. I'm wondering if I should make up an answer or just tell them I don't know. Then they will prompt me to think hard, and I just won't know. I have thought about this for three days now, and I just don't know. I feel like a failure of a patient.

Last night for dinner, I made a Weight Watchers concoction of broccoli, Italian sausage, and penne pasta. It was edible, but I was starved by nine o'clock. Hubby went out while I was in RCIA class and bought Ovaltine. When I got home, we watched the Military Channel, and I admired the flame throwers. I know what I want for Christmas this year.

At RCIA class, Fr. John performed a Rite of Welcome into the church for three of us. I wanted to act all cool and think, Oh yeah. I'm on the Jesus team now. But really it was quite emotional and my eyes teared up a few time. None spilled over the brim, though. Patty put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed occasionally during the ceremony. I felt such love--love from the community and love from my heavenly father and I knew then, if I had any doubts, I am right where I should be.

Spasm

Hubby woke me up this morning to give me a smooch on his way out the door to work. It was eleven after seven. I was alternately irritated and pleased that he did indeed remember me before dashing off. Pleased won out, so I decided to call him and remind him that daylight savings time was over this morning, it was actually eleven after six, and he would be getting into work an hour early. He didn't mind.

Did you know the brain doesn't have pain sensors?

Anyway, I re-woke up at a rather pleasant eight am and prepared to go to nine am mass. It is there that we "break open the word" and study the liturgy, and quite frankly, there is too much of a joyful noise going on at 11:15, so I prefer to go earlier. As I bend over to get on a pair of pants, I cough and my back spasms. I hobble and whimper to a couch where I arrange myself in such a fashion that my back isn't in too much pain. I think, OK, I got up, I should go. I stand up. Back clinches up, and I know I'm fucked. I take a deep breath and go anyway.

Today is All Souls Day, so the church is packed. I'm lucky. I can stand up in the back and people won't think anything of it. I take an Alleve without water and it gets stuck in my throat. It causes heartburn. I'm feeling very sorry for myself, yet quite pious and proud for being there despite adversity. I mean, those pesky Romans have nothing on a back spasm and a nasty case of heartburn.

To reward myself, I went to Old Navy and bought a bunch of clothes. None of them fit. I watch a food show, and they're eating ice cream sundaes. I want a sundae. I also want to be able to fit into my new clothes. I decide to take back the clothes and get a sundae.

A good side effect of the back spasm is that I didn't have to work for Hubby today, which had originally been the plan, and how I had planned to pay for the new clothes.

So instead I laid flat in my bed most of the day, and I rested. And this, I think, makes a perfect Sabbath.