Taking Toto to Kansas
Trip in 2 weeks. I had to schedule it between my court duties and my humira injection (needs refrigeration).  Kind of in keeping with my journey, I guess.  First stop my girlfriend in West Virginia.  Looking forward to some girlie kind of fun!  Then off across the United States to bring my grandpuppy to his Mommy.
First I bought a car seat.  And a car harness that attaches to the seat belt.  Then we took practices around the block, then to Norwich.  This morning we drove for two hours.  I think we are good to go.

2011 in Retrospect

It was a hellish year in some ways. I became gravely (literally) ill. I wound up not only in the hospital, but in 4 different hospitals. I have no healthcare (yet) and my bills are horrendous. (More on this in another post.)

I started my own photography business (see my website, www.mykatesparrow.com) once again. I am finding that I like to focus on fine art (aka, the strange things in life!). I love to do books on people's homes.

I am enjoying my two grandchildren. I see one all the time, the other not so often, but do try to keep up with them. I am so excited, my 3rd grandchild, Blakesley Eden, is coming in May. She will share my birthday month! Milo is an exciting boy, and Brooke and her gramma get along so fine!

It's been awhile!

It's been awhile since I have posted on my blog site.

I'm sitting here on this cold blustery February Sunday. My daughter is with her father in St. Marten (sigh). What I would give to be on the island at this moment, sipping a juice for breakfast, enjoying the early beach morning with a cup of coffee! However, choices have been made by me and here I sit looking out the window onto grass that is slowly becoming choked with snow, I've finished my coffee and have finally put forth the effort to becoming creative. (And here we are!)

Personal Summer Days

It's not what you think. My personal summer moments just began recently. They quite snuck up on me. I thought it was a fever! I thought, "oh no! I'm getting sick!" "oh my! It sure is hot at my son's house! Why do they keep the heat that high?" Welcome to the middle world of menopause and the hot flash. You can be all wrapped up in your snuggly butterfleece overalls and oversized sweatshirt, or wearing that great 100% wool sweater from your favorite manufacturer and basking in it's warmth against the cold bitter January air (oh yes, that gust of wind that comes swirling in when you finally let the cat in) and suddenly all you want to do is run out into that January wind because it takes too much effort to strip down and you already know you aren't going to get relief that way. They leave as quickly as they come, and the butterfleece once again does its trick to warm you up. And anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours later it happens again...but it's a wonderful life anyway (excuse me, the cat wants in...)

"Rituals"

Ritual or routine? Wake up (mostly to a cat staring in your face, nudging you, trying to BITE you so you will get up and let him out). Shuffle downstairs hanging for dear life onto the railing because ONCE you fell. Let/put/throw cat out. Prepare coffee in the stovetop espresso pot and here is the ritual...the water goes in, the beans are ground and you turn the stove burner on to #9 and wait for the whistle, and then when it stops, its done and one of the finest cups of coffee you'll ever experience! Life revolves around that moment when you pour your espresso into the yellow San Francisco very very now chipped cup that your good friend Valerie gave you (it's the ONLY cup it really tastes best served in) and the very first sip. Ahhh!

It's making me late!

Ok. So today's the day I dedicated to cleaning my house and packing my suitcase. So far I have: gone outside and taken photos of the BEAUTIFUL autumn day, gone to breakfast with a friend, worked on my iPod speakers (no, they still don't work), called Mrs. Butterfield and left a message (just sayin' "hi"). The enchantment of the day just won't go away and it's making me late! I am just not getting anything productive done. Deep sigh! That's okay. Life is about the choices we make and Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty on this beautiful day sets my pace. The men are on the roof looking for the leak, pouring water ($$$$$) to try to find out, Tommy Cat and Tessie Cat are running in and out and in and out. I fell in love with my friend's filtering of a photograph I had taken, selling me out on a program now that I absolutely have to be able to afford. All I need is St. Elmo's Fire (instrumental) and Neil Young's Harvest Moon, and well, gee, maybe I can get around to looking at my empty suitcase. Maybe.

sidewalks

I just had to walk barefoot on the old slate and bluestone sidewalks today on the walk back home. It just felt so good under the feet.