Ollie

Today is the 19th day without Ollie.

After 15-1/2 years of snuggles, playfulness, jumping on kitchen counters, drinking the milk out of cereal bowls, trying to escape every time I opened the door, comforting me when I’m sad or sick, and letting me hug her like a teddy bear under the covers at night, we said goodbye 19 days ago. She was wrapped in the fleece blanket we use every day in the study. She was clearly done, her little body couldn’t take anymore after months of trying to fight off an upper respiratory infection that made diabetes impossible to control, and even if I hadn’t taken her to the vet, she would likely have died that day anyway.

Ollie had two ways of drinking water. Her clear preference was to drink from the tap, and she would jump on the bathroom or kitchen counter and stand in the sink until I turned it on. If no running water was available, she would dip her paw into her water bowl and lick her paw...which meant changing the water frequently because there were always pieces of who knows what floating in it from her paws. No longer do I have to do that, I can just refill the bowl, because Andrew prefers to stick his entire face in (lol). Similarly, Ollie often moved food from the dish to a nearby spot of floor, where she may or may not eat it later...it has been 19 days since I found random pieces of cat food around the house.

Even after 19 days it’s hard to remember she won’t be at the door when I go in and out. I catch myself putting all flimsy plastic out of reach as soon as it comes in the house because she always chewed it and the sound drove me crazy. For the first time in my live-alone-as-an-adult life, my food is safe on the counter or the table, because she’s not there trying to steal it while it’s still cooking or while I go get a glass of water.

I miss her.

Andrew misses her too. He will sit in the hallway and cry—he has a new distressed meow that I’ve never heard until she was gone—and look at the door, and sniff around the spots she liked to sleep....but she isn’t coming back, and every time I tell him that then I’m crying too. (Aside: Andrew is terrible when I cry. He really doesn’t like it at all and gets very agitated. He’s not the comfort-type! Lol.) He has never known a house without Ollie. His entire life has been spent being her younger brother, the beta to her alpha, sharing space and attention, keeping each other company. This is his first time living alone. Just the two of us....it’s harder than it sounds, for both of us.

It’s amazing how these little furry creatures worm their way into our lives. And how much it hurts when they’re gone. Basically every moment I have been at home for the past 15 years has been spent with Ollie. And now there’s a gaping hole much larger than her tiny size would suggest. I don’t think “bereft” is too strong a word for how both of us are feeling just now. I could never even make my mind go to this place when they were both alive, and frankly I don’t want to be in it now, but alas...that’s what love means, right?

Andrew, right this minute...he basically hasn’t left my lap for weeks. Just the two of us now, buddy....

Crazy cat lady

The rules of the condominium association where I lived for the past 10.5 years specifically state that each unit cannot be home to more than 2 pets...and I've often said that rule was the only thing standing between me and crazy cat lady territory. I love my meows, and it wouldn't be hard for me to take in rescues until my home was overrun.

But two is a perfect number, really. And these two cats are so great...tonight, they even BOTH came out to snuggle and be petted by Nikki, which is so unusual! Generally only Ollie comes out to play, and Andrew hides. But both got some attention today.

Their move was as smooth as I could have hoped. They were picked up in the morning on moving day, and the driver texted me when they'd been checked in at the airport to tell me that all was well and they'd behaved beautifully--no yowling or carsickness or anything. They were well cared for throughout their journey from Chicago to Frankfurt, where they stayed overnight, and then from Frankfurt to Edinburgh. I received photos and text updates at each stop. They were delivered by a kind driver who carried them into the house. Air Animal was great at every step of the way, from planning to vet visits and paperwork to travel day to follow up, and I would recommend them to anyone.

Once the meows got here, they hid for a while...and then they came out to explore a bit...and now they are as settled as can be. They still both seem to prefer to be in the closet or between the bed and the wall during the time I'm not at home, but when I am home they sit on the couch, or snuggle on my lap, or sleep next to me on the bed. They are eating and drinking and using their new litter box. Both of them  have figured out how to get up on the kitchen counter, which is a new development--Andrew has never been a good jumper, so it's fascinating to see him exploring higher-up space than he has before. Today Ollie learned that she can still drink from the bathroom sink, as she has done every day for the past ten years. And I just saw Andrew play with the little mouse that was in the carrier with him on the way over, after days of neglect on the living room floor.

This wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of dozens of people. To all of you who donated to the GoFundMe to get them here, who shared the link, who prayed for them...thank you. From the bottom of my purr-ful heart, I am so grateful for your help. I can't imagine living here without them, and I know that their safe journey is the result of your open hearts and hands. Thanks. :-)

Andrew's favorite "hiding" spot

she's never been in the kitchen sink before, but this one's so awesome she can't help herself

checking out the dreaded carriers, before I put them away

hot and cold, new and old...

This year I have spent an inordinate amount of money on my house. In the past 12 months I have needed (due to breaking or danger): a new washer & dryer, a new water heater, a new furnace/air conditioner, and new floors. It's a little out of control.

Of course, now basically my entire house is new and beautiful. My floor is amazing and I still, 9 months after it was installed, walk in every day and sigh with happiness (and relief). My water heater is not leaking and is in no danger of flooding my downstairs neighbor. My washer actually runs a whole cycle without me having to advance it myself, and it has different temperatures of water, and it doesn't leak from some mysterious place underneath! The dryer dries clothes without burning them. And I can control the temperature in my house via an app on my phone (the fancy thermostat comes "free" with a new furnace/ac unit)...and turning the heat on will not lead to CO poisoning.

All a win, if not for the checkbook.

In addition to those new things, I also got something so lovely yesterday. I opened a package from my grandma, which I anticipated held a bunch of recipes. It did...and also a super soft and warm and adorable fleece blanket with a kitten pattern. It has made me so happy for the last 24 hours.

And now, apparently, I'm done with that. Time to turn up the heat and look for a scarf, because the decidedly not-new cats have claimed the blanket, and the old blanket, and basically the whole couch.

This is my life.

the cats blog

Last night I fell asleep on the couch, computer in lap, blogger open, ready to write for NaBloPoMo Day 17.

When I woke up around midnight, there was a cat on my feet and another on my lap.

Yes...on my lap, where the computer also was.

Apparently Ollie had some things to say, so she is the guest blogger for this post that I'm going to backdate to yesterday, because she wrote it last night while I was sleeping.

;.bp,kcfiojmxdfbgya, vb9sz6yA#EqW2QWOLDFGKM           YVMFJKTYXFOLDZBTSXJIMa;axdmjshusekmf,lfgkdsfhaegtsernijrdkldfsl.;dskosfjmi?][iop\6789-30[485y2p9374tkjabdf/.d,mfp'sih
pl-]0uERqw\
[o[opurw;ghlodfjasyhbmny6zxe3,.8ixcw3finudfhfhhnhnufhufhufhudfhfhufhufhufhudfhhudfhufhdfhu

signed:

well-trained

There have only been a few years of my life when I did not live with a cat (or two). In college I had roommates, not cats. In seminary I was cat-less for one year, had an illicit cat in the dorm for one year, and then lived off-campus the third year (with the cat). Said cat had to go live with my parents while I went to Egypt, so I technically didn't *live* with a cat that year--though there were tons of cats that lived in the school grounds, and they were perfectly happy to be petted and played with every evening.

So...I've been a cat-mom for a long time. Currently I have two cats (the maximum allowed by my condo association). One, Ollie, is the cat who lived with me in the dorm all those years ago. The other, Andrew, was adopted when I moved to Crystal Lake, because Ollie seemed lonely. These two cats have been with me in this same house for eight years now.

When I sit down on the couch, I am supposed to tuck my feet up to the right, so Andrew can come lay on them and purr the day away. Bonus: keeps my feet warm. Slight downside: if I need to move my legs, too bad.

When I turn on the kitchen sink, or when I put on shoes and coat and start looking like I'm going to leave the house, the cats come running because they know that they usually get treats at those times.

We have trained each other well. (except where counters/tables/food are concerned--both are in love with being on the counters and table and trying to steal food right off my plate.)

This morning, I turned on the water in the bathroom sink after I got out of the shower, because Ollie is always on the counter waiting for me to give her a drink.

Except she wasn't sitting there. I turned on the water out of habit...while she was still snuggled up in the bed.

Well-trained indeed.

kitten Ollie plays in the sink

she's been practicing her stealth food-stealing moves for years

the treat spot

laying on my feet

housemates

I often spend long days (or maybe I should say long evenings!) at work. When I have to stay into the evening, I often don't go in until lunchtime, but for some reason coming home after 9 still makes me feel tired even if I just went in at noon. (and let's not talk about the nights I leave church at 11. I don't want to have any more of those if it's possible to avoid them.)

When I come home, usually the kitties are waiting for me. Sometimes Ollie is in the bed, or snuggled up in a blanket on the couch. But Andrew is almost always right at my feet by the time I hang up my keys and fumble for the light switch. I think he might actually sleep next to the door while I'm gone. They both follow me around as I change clothes, get food, put things away, turn on the heated mattress pad, etc. And as soon as I sit down, they're right there--I curl up on the couch and Andrew lays across my feet, while Ollie sits on the arm of the couch.

Lots of people say cats are aloof, and often act like they own us rather than the other way around. Not so with my kitties. They are super friendly, a little needy, and always like to be close. They like to be petted (up to a point, anyway). Andrew is talkative. They want to be loved and to love. When things aren't going well, they sense it and come to snuggle extra close. Their purrs make clear that they're invested in our connection. The sleep on my pillow. They listen to my whining and shouting and praying and swearing, and love me anyway. They taste my food (sometimes without permission). They're not just pets, not just housemates, not even just companions on the road of life...they're family.

Kittylimpics

It's so cold that I don't have much to say…I just huddle under blankets and try not to think about how there are at least two more months of winter to go. Books, the interwebz, and Downton Abbey are my only consolation…when I'm not at work, or driving to or from work, of course. (In the office I turn the heat up, jog in place at my standing desk, and try to ignore the mess I've made all over the other flat surfaces of the office over the past several months.)

The Olympics have begun on the other side of the globe, but here in my house (where we won't be watching, because we don't have TV and NBC still doesn't have them streaming, because they obviously hate me) the kitties still think they're in training mode. There's lots of talking (in the form of meows, purrs, yowls, and a sound I can only describe as "thrumming"). There's racing around the house at top speed, sometimes several laps--occasionally one at a time, but more often in a chase. There's jumping. There's hiding. There are combination events.

But at the end of the day, they don't want a medal, they just want…

a box.

So cozy, so perfect. Works every time.

advent, christmas, kitties, new stuff, weather, and travel

Because apparently I don't blog when I think about it, so then I have to cram everything into random dots.

*Advent = awesome. At church we got the new hymnal just before Advent, which gave us SEVEN verses of O Come O Come Emmanuel to sing. Love it. Add that to the Advent Wreath and its ever-evolving decorations to match the Elemental theme (fire, air, water, earth) and we have a recipe for fabulous.
*I confess that I didn't manage to keep up with every day of the ReThink Church advent photo-a-day project, but I did many, and I've loved getting emails and FB posts with other people's. We put them on a bulletin board outside the sanctuary. So great.
*Book group this month was children's Christmas books shared over the best hot chocolate ever. Love the Book Group.
*Of course, the weather has been ridiculous this month, and between that and all the insanity of life, I've definitely had more than my fair share of days when I'd really rather just stay in bed. If not for hungry cats, a great therapist, and interesting work I might have just hibernated for the whole season…

*Christmas also = awesome, and it hasn't even technically started yet. The Live Nativity was super fun, complete with Kelijah the camel.
*My dad (yes, I know you're reading this, dad) only managed to open one of his presents early and without warning (dad! who opens boxes they didn't order during December??), and to spot one of them and know what it was before my brother could intercept and wrap.
*A dear friend sent me a new board game that I can't wait to play…someone come over and play Forbidden Desert with me, seriously.
*I ate about a pound of fudge while making bulletins for January.
*And soon…very soon, in fact, TONIGHT, I'll be on a plane to a place where the temperature is more than 80 degrees warmer than it is here. Because here it is below zero, and there it is 79 degrees. See you in 14 hours, southern california!

And now to pack…if I can keep the kitties out of the suitcase. :-)

Friday Five: healing spaces

Deb over at RGBP is "an enthusiastic newspaper reader. Lately, however, world events have made it hard to read and process the pain in the world around me. Perhaps you have struggled with this, too. So, with the events of the violence and tragedy from the Boston Marathon fresh in our memories, I thought it would be good for us to focus on where as RevGalBlogPals, we find healing, peace and strengthening. As a chaplain, there are days where I never seem to catch my breath, and invariably, those are the days that I need it the most!"

 So with all this in mind, share with us these healing things:

1. A piece of music 
hmmm....I think I have several go-tos, depending on the situation. probably here first:

But I might pull out the Indigo Girls. Or a Mozart piano concerto. Or the music for this Sunday. Or I might decide to go with a podcast instead, because learning something new helps my brain let go of some of the crazy badness all around.

 2. A place 

Port Ban, on the west side of Iona

 3. A favorite food (they call it "comfort food" for a reason) 
Mashed potatoes. Mac-n-cheese. things with carbs. But also veggie enchiladas, refried beans...things my mom used to make. (and if anyone says "salad" in the comments...well...I'll try to remain non-violent.)

 4. A recreational pastime (that you watch or participate in) 
reading reading reading! Weeks like this make me want to hibernate--curl up on the couch with a good book, a cat, and a cup of tea. Luckily, I have a stack of books...unluckily, a day or two of hibernating is not on the schedule, even if it is decidedly un-spring-like outside.

 5. A poem, Scripture passage or other literature that speaks to comfort you. 
The end of T.S. Eliot's "Little Gidding"...

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always—
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
 Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.

 BONUS: People, animals, friends, family - share a picture of one or many of these who warm your heart.

andrew

ollie

Gao Gao, panda papa of the San Diego Zoo

cup

In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a terrible day.

But in the details of life, it kind of was.
I'd been looking forward to one particular aspect of the day...a food aspect. I spent the whole week anticipating how good it would be, ready for that one taste and texture combination that would take me back to another place, another time.
I was ready.
It was not.
I figured the special would sell out, so I got there early.
Too early.
I couldn't wait...I work 45 minutes away from this restaurant, after all, and I had other things on the day's agenda. So I had to let go of the dream, the anticipation, the setting of the taste buds, and hope for another day instead.
I cried in my car as I drove away.
Yes, it's possible that was really about something else, but seriously, in the moment it was all about the food, or lack thereof.

The day could only go up from there, really. And it did. There were many good things about the day, some of which were not overshadowed by my intense lunch disappointment.

And on a day like today, all you can really do is drink your glass of wine from a nice safe cup--the kind of cup that doesn't tip over when you balance it on the arm of the couch (so you don't have to reach for it while you cuddle up in the blankets with a book). The kind of cup that isn't susceptible to the vibrations of the always-in-motion cat. The kind of cup that's solid and predictable and in no way disappointing.

day 38 of Lent photo a day...Maundy Thursday

help

She's helping, can't you tell?
helping me get off the couch and...work out, cook, clean, read...
helping me write a sermon for sunday, prayers for liturgy link, and to edit a meditation for tomorrow...

....
or, you know, helping me take a rest from the strangely pervasive idea that I can do everything.

Being pinned to the couch isn't all bad, especially when it comes via a furry purry friend.

She's a big help.

day 37 of lent photo a day...what on earth am I going to blog about next week??

Beloved

I thought about reposting yesterday's pic because it included my beloved Fred, who has been sleeping with me for decades, on several continents. But I decided on a living breathing beloved, who also sleeps with me but is much furrier.

Ollie's favorite position is on my shoulder--she loves to be held, purring in my ear. She also sleeps on my shoulder fairly frequently. She's adorable and lovable and cuddly and wonderful, and she loves me right back.

day 31 of lent photo-a-day

bless

I've been burning the candle at both ends for a couple of weeks, and am beginning to feel it. I've been all sneezy the last couple of days, and have heard a lot of "bless you"s...and when I stopped to buy kleenex today I discovered that Trader Joe's has little inspirations on their tissue boxes. Since I live alone (well, with that cat you see in the background!), it's nice to have someonething say it. ;-)

That journal you see is where I've been writing prayers using the prompts that come each day from Rachel Hackenberg--that's certainly been a blessing during this Lent. And, really, if we're honest, the kitties (even the fluff monster who photo-bombed this pic!) are my daily blessing. They snuggle and purr and talk in their little meowy voices, and make my house a home.

Day 17 (not including Sundays!) in Lent photo a day

See

This is what I see every time I sit down, or lay down, or stop moving long enough to be colonized by a cat.
Wonder what he sees?

I hope he sees a cat mommy who loves him a lot even when she's sighing about him sitting on her book...I hope he sees someone who loves him unconditionally even when she's throwing towels at him in nail-clipping-frustration...I hope he sees someone who will do just about anything to make sure he's a happy kitty, and just about anything to bring comfort to others too...I hope he sees someone who cares a lot about the world and works to make it a better place, one cat toy and one treat at a time...I hope he sees someone who walked into a cat shelter and had her heart stolen and who continues to walk into people-shelters to have her heart broken again and again...I hope he sees someone who lives love.

(no zoom on this...he was that close to the camera.)

Andrew, half asleep

Day 3 of the Lent photo a day challenge

sad and happy

I'm on vacation in sunny Southern California, spending my afternoons with a second grader and my mornings playing Words With Friends. So while I should, in theory, have plenty of time to think deeply about many things, the reality is that I am just thinking about a lot of things in general. Pretty sure that's part of the whole transitioning-from-one-job-to-another thing. I don't have specific responsibilities to focus on, so my brain is freewheeling around all kinds of things.

Among those things, one sad and one happy....

I really really really wish we would stop saying that we need to pay more attention to mental illness in the wake of unbelievable tragedy. Two things. One: those children did not die simply because our healthcare system sucks. It does, that's true, and a civilized society would do something about that. But the reality is that those children died because someone had access to weapons with which he could kill 26 people in less than 5 minutes. Two: how do you think people who need access to mental health care feel about being constantly tied to murder, suicide, and horror? What on earth makes you think that having incredible and affordable (aka free) access to health care would actually lead someone to seek that care if what we all think about people who need access to mental health care is that they're murderous crazies who might kill us all at any moment?

For all the talk about how we need to remove the stigma from mental illness (which is incredibly true), this conversation at this time, insisting that mental illness is what causes someone to kill first graders, speculating about things we can never know because the two people who might have been able to shed some light on this are tragically dead...this conversation at this time is only increasing the stigma. Now everyone who thinks "maybe I should see my doctor" or "I wonder if a therapist could help" or "there's so much darkness in here...is there any way out?"--all thoughts that could be the first step toward healing!--will instead follow that up with "but everyone will think I'm a mass murdering lunatic psychopath, so I guess I'll stay home."

Which means that the real unimaginable tragedy here is the fact that millions of people will suffer and die from their own mental illness because we have made it even more socially unacceptable to seek healing.

Thanks for that.
(edit: to read someone who, it turns out, said this already and much more eloquently, go here.)

~~~~

In completely different news, my aunt has a cat who will attempt to drink out of your water glass. Not just when you set the glass down, like a normal cat does, but while you are holding it, while you are drinking from it yourself, while you are protecting it from him. He will climb all over you and meow constantly, making it almost impossible to reach the glass to your lips, so desperate is he for the opportunity to drink from your glass.

Yesterday I had the bright idea of filling up a glass and putting it on the floor for him (thanks to Elizabeth, who puts down glasses of water for her spoiled siamese all the time...hahaha). It worked. For about 5 minutes. Which was long enough to drink my glass of water. then he moved on to trying to drink my tea.

Ned. after I successfully drank my own tea.

a whole new world...

When I know people are coming to visit, or when I feel I need to be more efficient in heating my house, I close up the guest room. I run the vacuum, make the bed (well, usually*), and shut the door. Hopefully the lovely Domestic Goddess who appears at my house once a month is coming sometime between when I discover you are going to visit and when you arrive, because then she will clean even more thoroughly and shut the door.

This way the room is as free of cat hair and dander as is possible in this house. And when you come to visit, you won't be sleeping in a bed of cat hair or wondering why you're strangely sneezy.

However, when you, the guest, leave and the room is again available, it's as if I've been depriving the kitties of the most comfortable room in the house.

When the door is closed, the cats sleep on the couch or in my bed or even in the middle of the floor. I'll often wake in the middle of the night to find a cat on the neighboring pillow or in the crook of my elbow or at the foot of the bed. I'll come home to find them snuggled in the blankets on the couch or soaking in the sun by the sliding glass door or stretched out on the yoga mat.

But now that the guest room is open for the first time in 6 weeks? They might never leave this beautiful new world.

*I say that I usually make the bed. This last time, I apparently made the bed without putting sheets on--probably as a way to keep the cats off the clean sheets. This was discovered when guests went to bed after a long day of traveling, cleaning, cooking, and generally preparing for a major holiday. awesome. Hopefully they are forgiving people. Sheets were immediately procured, but still...that would be a hospitality fail. Sorry friends.

plans purr-rupted

I had every intention of getting up to work out this morning, as I do every morning. Most morning I actually manage it, too. But this morning, just as the alarm went off, Ollie curled up on my chest and started purring. Pretty soon Andrew was on the pillow, purring. And I decided that it would be just as good for my mental health to pet the kitties as it would to workout. (imagine it's a mini-sabbath!) So instead of a morning spent doing jumping jacks and pushups and whatever other torture Jillian Michaels has made up, I spent my morning looking at this:

cat crazy

Today my cats are going crazy. It can't be just the wind (which is also crazy) because it was insanely windy yesterday and they weren't like this...something is up. Not sure what, but holy weird cats, batman!

Ollie has just raced through the house several times, followed by Andrew...and then Ollie hopped up onto the kitchen counter, top of the fridge, and onto the top of the cabinets, where she raced back and forth from wall to wall up at ceiling level. Meanwhile, Andrew is pacing the kitchen floor at about the same speed, because he can't jump that high. (heehee).

To top it off, Ollie is still slowly recovering from a sinus infection, which means that when she runs around you can hear her breathing through her still-kind-of-congested nose.

And now they are simultaneously stalking something on the balcony and each other.

Awesome.

And what does this mean? Are they sensing something coming? What is it??

lame

It turns out I am a lame blogger.  This is almost turning into a sermon blog rather than a normal blog.  Sorry about that.  Between busy-ness, traveling, people visiting, lots of work to do, and some unbloggables, I either don't have much to say or don't have time to say it!

So, let's see....Amy came to visit.  That was awesome.  We hung out, did nothing, went bowling, ate, etc.  My dad came to visit--also good.  We went to the live taping of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (super fun!), the Rite of Spring at the Joffrey Ballet (totally awesome), the Art Institute (the Munch exhibit is very good), and Abduction from the Seraglio at the Lyric Opera (excellent).  We also ate a lot (dad had sushi for very nearly the first time!) and we even did a little lounging around and some furniture shopping (no furniture purchased as of yet, however).  Dad also painted the trim on my new windows, so yay!

I've been reading quite a bit (not as much as I might like, but some).  I haven't removed my 2008 list yet and haven't started the 2009 list, which is very bad as I've likely forgotten what I read so far, but here's what I remember.

First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome series, book 1) (Colleen McCullough)

The Grass Crown (Masters of Rome series, book 2)

Fortune's Favorites (Masters of Rome series, book 3 (not quite finished...))

Twilight, all four books (again) (Stephenie Meyer)

A New Church for a New World (John Buchanan)

Chocolate for Lent (Hilary Brand)

something else I can't remember already....

I have also been watching Dollhouse, a new show by Joss Whedon (maker of Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Dr. Horrible) and friends, Friday nights on Fox.  I hardly ever watch it at the time it's on, since I don't have TV.  I visit my friend Elizabeth, who has Tivo, and we watch it at our leisure!  It's getting better and better and I'm intrigued by things that are happening, I want to know more, I want some questions answered.  I am also disturbed by the premise, which is basically a super-secret, super-expensive, super-high-tech brothel/human trafficking venture.  It's pretty good--I recommend.

Church is humming along.  We have an AWESOME new mission statement, we have a very catchy song written by a member inspired by the mission statement, we have things and things and more things happening.  My Shema Circle group is exploring Praying in Color this month, as well as assessing our spiritual gifts, vocation, etc.  

In cat land, I got a Furminator.  Furminating the cats is a very exciting activity around here these days, with whole cats worth of fur ending up in the trash.  Here's hoping for a reduction in the amount of vacuuming needed.

I think that pretty much covers my life at the moment.  I'll try to blog like a normal person in the future....

random dots of a random day

• I love going to the Taize service in Oak Park. It makes me happy. Tonight my soul was full while I was driving home. I wasn't even (very) irritated at the minivan driver who insisted on driving 55 in the left lane for many miles on I290.
• Is it bad that this story gives me a little bit of inner glee? probably. But it's worth it.
• I spent the day in Oak Park and it was lovely. I read most of a book about ethical food choices while sitting in an independent bookstore, then had a nice dinner while reading a novel about discovering gnostic gospels or something (whatever, it's lame, but it's set in Cairo, which is why I bought it...). I walked around a lot today. It was nice out.
• I have a sermon, but it's not good. tomorrow morning I'm doing a re-write. I have a plan, but I don't want to write it right now because I'm tired.
• If I'm so tired, you might ask, why am I blogging instead of being in bed? Answer: laundry. I have to switch my clothes into the dryer before going to bed. soon and very soon.
• One of my cats is psychotic. he eats and then paws the floor around his dish (the way they do in the litter box to cover things up...except he hasn't mastered that so he paws outside the box, apparently hoping that litter will magically move inside the box even if he's not touching it...). I don't get that. It's a new development, too.
• Speaking of cats, either my cats are getting bigger or Richard's cats are losing weight. When I went over there the other day I mistook the larger cat for the smaller one. Hard to do the first time, when I saw Theo back in the fall he had three chins, I swear.
• I have a new reason to go visit Lake Geneva--to scope out the facility for the presbytery's senior high retreat. we're using a new facility this year and so someone needs to go look at it. that's me! yay, Lake Geneva! I'm coming to you sometime in summer! woohoo! LG is only 35 minutes away, which is awesome. I love it.
• sleepy...