Rain and Tea

Pictures 764
Originally uploaded by themissiah

It has been so dreary around here for the past couple of days. A perfect atmosphere for making a pot of tea and enjoying the fireplace. I have some schoolwork to do, but I've been putting it off because I really am having a difficult time giving up a break. ONE MORE WEEK! I cannot wait to have a month free.

I've been lounging around, today, being useless. Pretty much watching random movies on television, drinking tea, planning gifts, cleaning, etc. With the exception of the cleaning and planning gifts, I haven't really gotten anything finished - and the cleaning is really not finished. I still have laundry to tackle.

The cats have been particularly odd, today. Patsy has been uber creepy*, and Two-Tone has been sitting on a box beside Tripp's desk, while Tripp plays games. I think it makes him feel important - Two-Tone, that is. It's like his own little seat at Tripp's desk. Right now he is just randomly meowing at Tripp, trying to get his attention.

I'm off to continue being useless. I need some motivation.

*Patsy does this very creepy thing where you'll come around a corner, or won't hear her, but she'll be sitting there - VERY stoic - and just staring blankly at you like she is looking through your soul. It cracks me up because she does it a lot. I think it is just her look, but it scares the crap out of me when I come around a corner in the house and there she is. It reminds me of the two little girls in The Shining.

Oh! Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving was good, but went by very quickly. I drove to my hometown and had lunch with my family. It was a good visit, but a short one, as usual.

The night before, we went out and got a tree and brought it home to decorate it. Tripp put on some classic Christmas music while I decorated. It was a relaxing night. I have been enjoying some very needed downtime since.

Today, I am going to do nothing - well, maybe work on a paper - and get all of the rest I can before finals. Then I'll have about a month of freedom before the grind begins again.

Secret project and other such stuff

I have a secret project that I've been rolling around in my head. It's not that secret, but I don't want to ruin everything by divulging about it, completely. If I do that, I won't end up finishing it - which is the story of my life. I'm actually quite excited about it and it is a project that will take some time and energy. It's also a very special project that will be close to my heart and maybe touch others from my past as well.

I'm in the school library, where I should be working on papers and school projects, but just wanted a bit of time to unwind before I met with my partner to do so. The semester is almost finished. I feel it. This semester has been so demanding - not difficult in the academic sense - just time-consuming and prolific. I'm so ready for it to be done with and that moment is so close I can taste it. I'm trying not to be so negative about the next semester being just around the corner, but I know it's there. This time I will organize better and not procrastinate (yeah. right.). Christmas is almost here, too, and I have to get cracking on some gifts. I'm not much of a Christmas person, but I am excited for it this year, for some reason. Maybe it's because I now have a house where I can put up handmade stockings and a Christmas tree - with the childhood ornaments that my mother gave to me. Tripp and I might go out tomorrow and get a tree. I never thought I'd be this excited about that. I usually get ultra excited about Halloween, Thanksgiving, or even Easter, but not Christmas. It's usually just a big pain. I think it is because I'm not doing the super shopping thing this year that makes me more excited about it. I also have some gifts finished, so that's a plus as well.

Anyway, I should get off of here and do some work. HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE! Remember, this holiday is about giving "THANKS," not about elaborate and untrue stories of pilgrims and "indians." Be safe and love your families (whatever you consider your family to be). Later!

Night Morphing

Oh, yesterday, especially last night, was like a whirlwind. I woke up yesterday and read on a non-school book (bad. bad. bad.) and then, around 11 am, went to meet my research project partner at Cracker Barrel in East Ridge. We were going to work on our proposal that is due in about a week and a half. Well, we had lunch and then went over to Waffle House to work on the project. We got seated and ordered tea and coffee and realized that there were no outlets, so we sat and talked and talked. Then I decided that we could go back to my house since it was only up the street. She came over, I sat up the laptop, and we began to talk, again. We finished NOTHING. The day was a wash as far as getting anything accomplished, but there was good conversation, so I'm not terribly upset about it. She and I tend to get into a conversation and the hours roll by. It's good to be able to talk to someone like that, but it's not conducive to getting work finished. By the time she left, it was around 4 pm. Tripp came home and we then left for Atlanta for a book-signing for Handmade Nation at Youngblood Gallery and Boutique. While we were trying to find the place, we saw Kirk and Christie coming out of Cafe di Sol, the restaurant that they took us to one of the last times we were down there (with the best homemade veggie burgers, EVER). Tripp yelled at them, we snagged their parking spot, and he told them we would catch up with them later. It was all very strange - randomly seeing them out in Atlanta and being all frazzled because of Atlanta traffic and finding the gallery. I was jacked up on caffeine from earlier in the day and it all seemed really surreal. Anyway, we parked and went into the gallery. We watched the Handmade Nation clip and then got Faythe (the head honcho of the project) to sign my copy of the book. I was able to speak with her for a few minutes, which was nice. We share a mutual friend and I had not seen Faythe in over 10 years. She was extremely sweet and warm.

We then went to eat at the previously mentioned Cafe di Sol, which was next door to the gallery, and then called Christie and Kirk. We headed over to their place for a couple of hours. It was good to see them (and their cute feline family). They are good people and seeing them should happen more often. However, I was getting very tired and coming down from the extreme caffeine buzz of the day. When we left, I was driving. I began to get the late night hallucinating thing going on, so I passed the wheel over to Tripp, who was pretty tired himself. I kept hallucinating, if I was even fully awake, in the car. I finally fell asleep and slept most of the way back home. Poor Tripp was an uber trooper and got us back home safe and sound. We immediately crawled into bed and were out.

This morning we woke to frozen pipes and the temperature inside the house at 66 degrees. Uh... not a fun situation. Tripp is now getting ready to crawl under the house and figure out what is going on. This means no showers for us, today, unless the pipes thaw any time soon. I also have schoolwork to do the whole weekend, so I'm going to do some chores and start on my work. Bleh.

Edit: The pipes finally thawed and I just got out of the shower. Ahhhh... relief.

Stockings and Drag

First of all, yesterday, I got up and began making some Christmas stockings for the cats. I know, I DO love my cats. Anyway, I began by creating a template for a stocking (I created mine, but there are templates all over the internet). I then traced the template on some red felt and cut the stocking pieces out. I blanket stitched them up the sides and left about 1.5 to 2 inches not stitched at the top. I folded the tops down and embroidered a "P" (for Patsy) on the top. It ended up being a cute and simple design. Now, I just have to finish Two-Tone's. The only thing I didn't like is that I traced with a Sharpie® and I can see the trace mark in the photo and on the stocking. I might have to go with pencil. Also, my blanket stitch is not that bad, but it needs some work.



*****

In other news, The MockingCocks had their first show at Ziggy's (first at Ziggy's, not first ever), in Chattanooga. They will be having their next show there on December 27th, so if you are out and about and want some post-holiday fun - go join the show and bring friends. It's a lot of fun and they are really entertaining. If you want more information, feel free to leave a comment and I can give it to you or direct you to someone who can.



More pictures from the show are here, if interested.

What a dreary day.

I can't stop posting pictures from my set the other day. I'm way too excited about fall this year.

I've made some headway on some papers, which is good. Once I get started, it's not much of a problem. I just have motivational issues - with just about anything I have to partake in.

Today was so dreary and there were signs of winter ahead. I can't believe we've been in our house for almost a year. We moved in on December 1st of last year. I still love this house, and in some ways, love it more. It feels so much like home. Next thing I know, it will be spring, again. I remember when I was a wee one and to say "last year" meant so long ago. Now, it just seems like yesterday, or even a couple of hours ago in some instances.

I've got a busy couple of weeks ahead of me, with my nose to the grindstone. I can't wait to relax, when this semester is over and, and be able to read non-school books regularly. Then it just be time to start all over, again. My current mantra is, "just a year and a half... just a year and a half... just a yea..."

The season's best

I am so excited that fall is here. I've been enjoying the gorgeous colors that confront me every day when I walk out the front door. I know that I'm just about finished with this semester, which makes me especially happy. There's so much ahead of me, though, and every now and then I have to remind myself to breathe. It's not difficult to relax when I'm outside. I just cannot get over how beautiful this year's autumn is and how happy I am to be living in our home and in our breathtaking neighborhood. Even when I'm inside and on the computer I can enjoy the autumn light because I have my computer desk set up right beside the sliding glass doors which lead out to the back porch. Throughout the day, the sunlight hits the porch floor just right and I love just sitting and enjoying it.

Now, though... now, I must switch back to work mode and gather my things before I head to class. Mondays are always difficult since I have a night class (never doing that, again, if I can help it). But, anyway, I must go and be responsible now.

*****

Currently, I am...

reading When I Grow Up - Juliana Hatfield's memoir - AND still reading (I never have the chance to read on it) Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass.

AND

excited to possibly be attending book signing event for Handmade Nation in Atlanta in a couple of weeks.

Fall is officially here.

So, Autumn is officially here. Leaves are falling and the light is perfect outside. I've been relaxing, doing a few chores, and browsing the interwebs today. We had to take Patsy back to the vet this morning because she has a little place that she has scratched and licked raw and bleedy on her back. They think it's just an allergy or a strange mite of some kind. I have some salve I have to put on it and she is taking antibiotics. Poor littlebit.

I've been really tired this week, including today. I think it is the cold weather. I just feel like I need to hibernate, but know that I can't. Oh, winter break - I wish you would hurry along.

Ahhhh.... Samhain.

Halloween sort of crept up on me this year. I've been so busy with school and work that I ignored it until this past week. I ended up actually being able to go as Lizzie Borden like planned and the costume ended up being pretty easy, which is always good. Tripp went as a mechanic. We went over to some friends' place for their annual Halloween bash and stayed a couple of hours. My feet had been hurting since work, yesterday, so I didn't make it long into the night. We headed back home a little early.

I took Patsy to the vet for her check-up, today, and the vet told me that she is gaining too much weight too quickly. If you know my other cat, you know why this is a little funny... and a little sad. Two-Tone is already on R/D (a prescription weight diet) and I was amazed that he said that she's getting a little rotund. She's a petite cat, so I need to nip it before she gets like Two-Tone. I am very meticulous about their diets and feed them on a schedule. Neither one of them is allowed to "free-feed" and they both get the recommended amount of food. Anyway, the good news is that I don't have to purchase separate types of food and now can give her R/D, too. The vet suggested it. Her little pooch is cute, though. At the end of the visit, he said that everything was great and that she is really healthy, except for one thing. He then lifted her up so that her belly was exposed and said, "This," and patted her little belly. It was cute.

She and Two-Tone are doing much better. They are getting along more and I think he actually secretly likes her. He only hisses at her when she is actually bothering him. Otherwise, they ignore each other. Cats are crazy.