Cat out of the bag!

I now can show pictures again, having sorted some software issues on the new computer, and I finally managed to take a sneaky shot of he that shall be known as Mr Baxter - the mysterious ginger cat that still lives under my house. It was hard to get him to pose for photos, as the poor fellow is so starved for attention that he tends to be rubbing on ones legs if he sees you. So I used Marli as bait, and he rubbed on her instead, much to her amusement!

English roses

Still no pictures, but words can conjure a thousand images!

At the weekend a friend brought me English roses from his garden. Large headed, with tender stems, cloaked in tiny prickles. No picture could do justice to the smell! From sweet lemony to dark blackberry, intoxicating body and mind. All with special names, all known by sight (to my friend) Even the air around them is heavy with perfume.

With each day, the blossoms drop: pink, peach, pale yellow and sherbet. And each day I scoop up handfuls of cool silky petals, and press my face into my hands, inhaling the potpourri of delicate smells, distinguishing new scents each time. Sometimes I put the handfuls down again, as they retain a fallen beauty, besides their smell, that requires salvation from the trash for another day (or two).

The scent evokes childhood memories of worm houses, tiled with broken found china, and perfume, made by mashing rose petals with rocks and water, under the shade of a weeping willow tree. It reminds me that nature often knows best, and that modification isn't always a good thing.

The blooms sag wearily now, heads too heavy for their delicate necks. But their mysterious beauty continues to draw me to them. Today I was trying to show Marli how to smell them, holding her close to enjoy their air. She held out a tiny finger and touched a petal, so delicately, I was amazed! But then she decided it was better eaten. Perhaps if I didn't know better, I would taste one too.

I have taken photos, and will share them when my computer issues are resolved!

More magic bag matters.

Thank you all for your kind words for Pixie. I am very happy to report that she is doing very well, and has now recovered, except for a lumpy face that I'm sure will soon be covered by a coating of soft blond hair!

The Magic bag continues it's streak of turning out it's nasty crumbs, when last week, the hard drive on my laptop took it's own life. Any of you that have experienced it will understand the horror and realization, as you remember quite how much was on it, and also as I realized the back up drive (set up to automatically back up) had not been doing so since last July.

The first thought, of course, was for the hundreds of photos of Marli, our daughter. Born in June last year, and soon to turn one. Photos that quite simply cannot be reproduced.
Anyway - I won't dwell on what was lost, as there is far too much to dwell on, but instead, urge anyone reading to back up your files right now! just in case.

So - no picture today, as I am typing on a borrowed machine, with none of my files, but I just wanted to check in and say hello. I will hopefully return soon, with more news and pictures of nice things. Hopefully, this is the last of the nasty surprises from the magic bag, and it will produce some joy soon.

Poor poor Pixie

What makes it's way out of the magic bag is for the most part good, but like all bags, it has it's dark and crumby corners that collect fluff and occasionally throw out the odd nasty surprise.

Yesterday's event was one of those, as I packed the car for a planned day in the city, looking forward to Golden Gate Park, and dinner with a friend. The Buttons happily trotted out towards the car, sensing a trip and excited, only to be ambushed by a neighborhood Labrador. Pixie barked at it, only to find her head suddenly in it's mouth (it fitted) and being shaken about. A moment later she was released and ran towards the house. I ran after her, following her trail of blood. Her screams of distress made it clear that things were very wrong, and one glance at her face made it obvious that our plans were about to change, and a trip to the emergency vet was now on the cards.

I suppose really she was very lucky. She weighs a whopping 4 lbs, compared to the Labrador's at least 70 + lbs. Her eyes were very lucky, being just bruised and not lost, but the other wounds will take some time and love to heal.

Today, she feels very sorry for herself, but I hope with each day that passes, she will rally more, and soon return to a happy button.

In the beginning

In the beginning you were small and fragile, and Cookie thought you were her puppy. She protected you, sitting and sleeping by you, watching bath time, and trying to help with feeding.

I had wondered how the dogs would be, suddenly having a new little person in the house, but I needn't have worried, as Pixie continued with her usually rituals and Cookie became Nanny.

In the beginning, you were actually smaller than Cookie, which almost seems impossible, and certainly didn't last for long.

In the beginning, you were Peanut, a little brown wrinkled cashew of a baby, with character unknown and future uncertain.

Forever flowers

The weekend (just gone) marked the seventieth birthday of Nancy - a friend of mine. I wanted to give her a token of sorts, but didn't want it to be fresh flowers, as seventy years almost needs something more special than that. So I decided to paint her some flowers instead!

The style is a bit of a departure for me - and why not! it feels good to try something different, and the style suited the current lack of concentrated time I have for doing things like painting, so all round it seemed like a good idea.

Peanut's finalization went well - actually I guess I can say 'Marli' now, since that is her name and she is now officially ours. I will post a picture next time.

Ups and downs

Ups and downs and round and round. Sometimes it's just like that.

That's been life for a few months now, and I'm old enough (and hopefully wise enough) to roll with it, and either watch as things unfold, or read the signs that guild you forward.

The house is now on the market, and we have had several viewings, so that's a good thing. Six weeks ago my husband was laid off from work, but I am happy to report he started a new job yesterday, so we feel very lucky that it was for such a short time.

In Peanut news - we finally have a date for finalization! so on April 22nd, we go to court and she will be ours forever. Then I can talk about her as much as I want and show pictures etc, so expect more Peanut news in the future. It's been strange, as she is obviously a huge part of our lives, but I really haven't been able to mention her here too much, whilst she 'belongs' to the state.

Things are starting to shift. Unknowns are becoming knowns, and piece by piece the puzzle is becoming clear. Meanwhile, dear sweet Pixie continues with her daily routine of sleeping, eating, sleeping, grooming,sleeping, sleeping, and refusing to come for a walk - preferring to stay at home and, er, sleep. Amazing how someone within the household can be so unaffected by it all. Especially amazing as, by contrast, Cookie sees it all, and has taken to following me everywhere (even the bathroom) to make sure she doesn't miss out on anything that might happen.

In cat news, I finally caved to poor Kitty's mewing and upset one night, when we came home from a trip, and carried him (pretty sure now it's a him) under the house and made a bed from a box and blanket, and have been feeding him ever since. He's so friendly and wanting of affection, that he has to have been some ones at some point. I'm looking out for 'lost' signs, in case I find one that matches. He would probably be in the house by now if it wasn't for Cookie and Pixie's constant vigilance on Kitty patrol. But I think they are unlikely to let that happen.