Musings on a Small Life

Fudlers Hall, Essex, England:   http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/gardenfinder/garden.aspx?id=14778 "Description: An award winning, romantic 2 acre garden surrounding C17 farmhouse with lovely pastoral views. Old walls divide garden into many rooms, each having a different character, featuring long herbaceous borders, ropes and pergolas festooned with rambling old fashioned roses. Enjoy the vibrant hot border in late summer. Yew hedged kitchen garden. Ample seating." Of course I had to Google, when I saw today's calendar page. More snow tomorrow, possibly mixed with freezing rain and perhaps changing over to rain late in the day. Gonna be another mess. I am so living in the wrong-for-me country, climate-wise. (And yes I know the garden wouldn't look like this at the end of January!) On a good (work) note: I finished the big project yesterday (my time-consuming, fiddly piece of it) and got everything emailed out to the relevant departments. Yippee...

Yesterday I had sent someone a link to my July 2013 Picasa album, so she could see my tiny garden when it's green. July 2013     For the love of all that's holy, someone please tell me the garden will be green again! Because, OMG, I can't stand this endless, brutal, vicious winter with its constant bone-chilling wind, snow squalls, white-out conditions and thigh-high drifts. As for the work week, I'm *this close* to wrapping up the big project, should be able to complete it tomorrow or Friday. Please, goddess/universe, let me wrap it up this week. LOL. Purrs from the boys and peace from me.

...I'd hate to know what constitutes a real storm! (The Weather Channel's forecast for our city was 0.5 - 1.0 cm of snow today, essentially a dusting.) Waiting for the bus at 6:45AM. Surprisingly, it was on time.  From our building's front door.    Snow drifts in our little back space this afternoon. This is ridiculous. Those windows so aren't getting done till March, if I'm lucky. LOL. And for the record, it was a heck of a lot more than 0.5 to 1.0 cms! I shovelled about 6 inches of snow from the driveway at 6AM, then had to shovel the drifts when I got home. Brutal. Yep, that's the word for this old-fashioned winter. Most of us are getting soft in our old age, too soft to "appreciate" this season. Send the Saint Bernard and don't forget the flask of whiskey! Purrs from the boys and peace from me.

...but then I just read a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, titled Optimism , over at " Older But Better...? " and now I don't think I'll complain at all. Or at least not so much. :-) We did have snow/blowing snow/white-out conditions yesterday. The "plus" for me was that my former cubicle-mate and her husband came by anyway and took me out to a house demolition place, looking for a replacement bifold door for the downstairs hall. Alas, none of the doors there was suitable in size. So while I could find one secondhand for about $10 or so, it could take months of searching. I think I'll just go to Rona or Lowe's or Home Depot sometime and get a new one. Easier and faster. However, they were heading to Costco after, and since I was too, I got a ride out there. That was the real "plus," in case I've digressed too far. Yesterday afternoon. With apologies, as I have these two snapshots included on tomorrow's Fuzzy Tales post. ...

A co-worker just emailed this to me.  Yep, that's about how I feel!

The coworker with the sick cat called me from home a short time ago, devastated; they had to rush Sweet Pea to the vet this AM and let her go. She hadn't been getting better and this morning she couldn't get up, couldn't walk at all. Shades of Chumley's blood clot, only thank god, without the kind of pain he endured. The vet told her that either the cancer had gotten into Sweet Pea's spinal column or it was a blood clot. My thinking is a clot, from what my coworker was saying. I'm just sick for her. Two cats in three weeks, and Sweet Pea wasn't old, either. At least her senior cat had lived a long and healthy life until the CRF. So this is far, far more "karma" than anyone deserves. And tomorrow will be the 7th anniversary of Chumley's death. I know it's been many years, but this triggers my own grief over his loss too. Anyway. It's still bitterly cold here, so cold that I haven't done any walking for most of ...

...things are just tickety-boo at work today. At least until the sugar crash.  :-p At least my calendar page is pretty today. No word yet from the contractor or the installer; presumably the window installation will be a go tomorrow. Though perhaps that will change...at 8AM tomorrow. I called the Canadian Diabetes Association to arrange a pick-up of all the clothing, books and miscellaneous items I have in the garage. The earliest they're picking up in my area is February 17th, which actually is a holiday. I double-checked; apparently the drivers do work most holidays. Sucks for them, but it's good for me. I only wish it could have been a bit sooner, not a month away. I also called my furnace company to arrange my annual inspection and cleaning (must be done as part of the maintenance agreement I pay for). That will be the end of the month. There's only the shredding to take care of now--there was no answer this morning when I called, but I'll try aga...

Go away, winter! Just. Go. Away! Waiting at the bus stop around noon. You can't tell from the snapshots, but the snow was (still is) horizontal, with the blowing wind. It's been an uneventful weekend, though I found a winter jacket at Value Village for $9.99. I hadn't been out there in months, but am glad I stopped in today. The coat's a bit old lady-ish, IMO, but it's in excellent condition and it has a terrific, snug hood, which is all that matters to me right now. And at least it's not a drab grey-ish/stone colour, like my existing 3/4-length coat. (That one can go back to V. V. now.) The boys have been doing the usual: I have a post scheduled on their blog for tomorrow, with a few more snaps from the weekend. Oh, I was inspired by Poppy's mum (who has to move to a smaller home) and cleared out most of my remaining books (novels) this morning, all for donation. A huge box full. And then went through my filing cabinet and have cleared...

I'm sure at least some of you remember me mentioning my once-former co-worker (whose office now is directly across from my cubicle), the one who was so harsh and judgmental with me the day before Annie died.  And that *I* got into a bit of trouble here before the holidays, because I told my boss (behind closed doors) I wasn't going to put up with her ranting again. Anyway, we sorted that out, I told her about Annie's death, blah blah, we made our peace, blah blah and have been friendly and chatty since. Well, sadly, last week she had to let her senior cat go, at 17.5 years, due to CRF. She knew that was coming, that's not the karmic payback. However, another of her cats, is, unfortunately, ill right now--something I wouldn't wish on the cat or on her. It started last week too, could be a recurrence of the cancer she'd had a year or so ago (the cat, I mean), though outward signs don't bear this out. Regardless, the poor cat is being treated f...

So tomorrow's installation has had to be rescheduled to next week (installer's truck in for major repairs). We're tentatively booked for next Tuesday, weather-permitting. That means another sign on the neighbours' mailbox. Today's will be more general though, letting them know the installation has been rescheduled for the 21st, and if not then, to expect the noise and disruption either later in the week or the following week. I'm NOT putting yet another sign on their mailbox, I'm already doing more than I should need to, IMO. However, I am completely bummed out (blue, despondent, low--in case that's specifically a North American expression) about having to come to the office tomorrow. Seriously.  My reaction to having to be here: knee-jerk emotional eating, chocolate and other unhealthy sweets. I'm so going to crash by the time I'm heading home in a couple of hours. I've noticed that my stress/emotional eating has kicked int...

Just a few things to catch up on:  Obviously work is busy and I've not had the time to blog for either myself or the cats. I have a pre-scheduled post for tomorrow on the Fuzzy Tales blog, just with some snapshots from the weekend, hope to find time tomorrow or perhaps Friday to visit anyone I haven't for a while. I'm so-so on this working 8AM to 4PM deal. (How spoiled have I been with my former boss? LOL.) Going in for 8AM is easy, it's the hanging around till 4PM that's hard. The extra half-hour makes a world of difference, as I don't get home till 5PM or later. When I got home on Monday,  Nicki (who's always first to greet me, Mr. Alpha Cat that he is), wasn't around. He didn't come when I called (and called and called) and I yanked off my boots and coat, heart in mouth, thinking he'd died in the basement or was in the throes of death. I went downstairs and he was meat-loafing on one of the old area mats (the mats all migrate down...

We all need them, right? That's ice under the water, not pavement. And this actually turned out to be the easiest part of my trek today! My stylist's street-- the entire street --was not plowed after the last bout of snow and freezing rain. I can't even describe the state of it, other than completely covered with ice ruts, no pavement in sight, and completely flooded with all the rain we've had today. Walking on it certainly was my biggest "challenge" for the day (it has no sidewalks). The day brought other challenges as well: Both of the tussling variety--and of the changing-the-sheets variety! If you've had challenges today, I hope you've met them with success.  :-) P.S. The current header snapshots are old, from January 2008, I think. Down at a lake park. Purrs from the boys and peace from me.

Source: Workman page-a-day-calendar Well, no crashes yet. But some work changes...Bottom line is that I don't report to my boss anymore, I report his boss. Because I'm supposedly still to do the project work I've been doing for our old department, but also do admin stuff for her and for her assistant director. I knew that would happen, and I guessed I'd probably have to work different hours. So, no more being spoiled by coming and going fairly freely, by my working 7AM or 7:30AM to 3PM or 3:30PM. It's 8AM to 4PM from here on in. I expected that too, have expected it for a long time. It was the reporting to her that I didn't expect. I'm not fretting about it, because short of packing up and leaving and/or job-hunting, this is my new reality. The possible "plus" to this is that my boss is nearing retirement, could, in fact, write his own very lucrative ticket elsewhere at any time. So this might put me in a better position, j...

Leftover snapshots from the holidays, that is. I don't have much in the way of leftovers of the food variety in the fridge--that would have entailed cooking recently, and you all know how I feel about that chore. I had popped into the office back on December 27th, to water my plants, and snapped a few pics after, on my way back downtown. The ice still was clinging to the branches at the time. It was another very messy winter day.             I thought the melted path was interesting.   Before any city clean-up from the ice storm. The branches might even still be there.   As for life in general...I'm just trying to keep my "crazy carpet" (or sled or skis) between the trees.  The neighbour kids returned last Friday and it wasn't too bad (other than the incessant pounding around on foot)--except that the father disappeared somewhere overnight Saturday (which he hasn't done in over a year, I don't think). O...

I was emailing with a friend yesterday, catching up about holiday activities. She had a crazy and unexpectedly expensive (house issue) Christmas "break," and at the end of her email, she wrote, "...but I hope to keep my crazy carpet between the trees....Keep YOUR crazy carpet between the trees too!"   I had a purple crazy carpet when I was young; anyone else have one? I had to read it twice before what she meant clicked into place. So my wish for all of you is that you keep your own crazy carpets between the trees, as we start the journey down the mountain that is 2014. May the ride be exhilarating and crash-free!  :-D Purrs from the boys and peace from me.

Posted in my cubicle: All these wonderful words that I can't choose among must mean I lack focus .  :-p Anyway, it's terrific it's Friday already--would that every Friday came as quickly. It's also quiet at the office, most people took a couple of extra days and won't be back till Monday. It's also been quiet at home, though the neighbour kids should be back today or perhaps tomorrow. I'd have guessed Sunday, but this region is bracing for yet another snowstorm on Sunday and into Monday, so I think the demon spawn will be fetched from grandmama's place early. Still, I'll have had almost two weeks of peace, so I can't complain. I could hear voices yesterday evening through the living room wall, male and female, just talking. Couldn't make out what they were saying, though, even with a glass pressed to the drywall--it was all muffled. (Seriously. I tried. So I suppose the QuietRock has given me that, at least!) Boy, there are a ...

The January 1st blog post title over at Pikku Punapippuri is "Start the year as you mean to go on....", which made me more mindful as to how I'm starting 2014. I actually began-- finally --painting the guest room on Monday. I ought to have given myself an extra day, because I still need to finish off the closet. I got two coats of primer on it, and one coat of paint on the adjoining wall (it's just a small bit, already was primed), but the fresh primer I applied today hadn't yet dried and I packed it in, early in the afternoon.   Looking down at my painting apron, which Mom had made for me some years ago.  First coat of primer on the closet walls.   Everything done but the two coats of paint in the closet. I might have enough paint to squeeze two coats out of what's left; if not, I'll need another quart. I hope to get it done without buying more paint, however. The problem is that the only wall I had primed was the adjoining one, of co...