Maturity Is Overrated

Ever feel like screaming yourself blue
Why is it that’s something we can’t do
Unless we’re two

It’s not like life gets easier
It’s not like life slows down
Age doesn’t prove that it’s better to wear a fake smile
Than it is to express an honest frown

So why can’t I tantrum and cry my eyes out
Why do I have to stay quiet when I want to shout?
Just because I’m almost 38

It’s not like things are easier
It’s not like life has slowed down
Age doesn’t mean I’m immune to my own emotions
Maturity is overrated

Ever feel like you’re caged by your age
Ever feel like you’re confined to a stage
And that deviating is somehow childish

It’s not like life gets easier

In Tribute

I know that this is probably getting old but I don’t care.  I’m not yet done grieving and finding ways to celebrate Karmie, our beloved pet and friend.

Here she is with Darth, who is still with us, and you can just tell by the look on her face what her temper was like.

Hanging out wherever she felt like, in this case Hubby’s underwear drawer.

Here she is nonchalantly taking over my ironing board while I’m in mid project.

And this is my favourite pic of her though I’m not sure why.

Anyway, I’m done now and promise to get back to my regularly scheduled posts about nothing.

In Memory

I have so many more pics but these are my favourites…for obvious reasons.

Karma really was a true family pet, despite her disposition.  She might not have liked too many people, okay she really only liked Hubby, the rest of us she tolerated but she still was a great cat and a beloved member of our family.

And we all know she loved us as much as we loved her.

Rest In Peace Miss NastyPants

Sadly, Hubby found our beloved Karma floating lifelessly in the pool this morning.  She must have been farting around the edge like usual last night, believe me we warned her a dozen times but the thing about cats is that they do whatever they want anyway, and fallen in.

Hubby is cursing himself for not putting the cover on like we had planned this weekend.  It is one of those situations where procrastination does in fact have some pretty heady consequences.  Of course, it may just have been her time and cover or no cover she would have met her maker despite.

In any case, it’s a sad day here in my garden as we’ve lost a dear friend.

Karma got her name from Hubby who was the first to meet her when she was a kitten.  Back in 2002 we got a call from a friend of mine whose sister had found a sickly little kitten by the side of the road on her way to work.  Knowing we had recently lost one of Hubby’s 14 year old cats, she thought maybe we’d like to take it in.

Poor little thing had a terrible case of rhinovirus, her eyes were barely open from the infection and she couldn’t walk more than a few feet without sneezing out hunks of snot all over my baseboards.  We took her to the vet who prescribed some antibiotics for her but cautioned us not to get too attached, she was that ill.

Well after a few weeks her infection cleared up but the scarring in her sinus passages left her with an odd sounding purr and the trauma resulted in a nasty personality disorder.  Hence the nickname, Miss NastyPants.  She was one of those cats who LOOKS incredibly docile and sweet but wouldn’t hesitate to tear a strip off your hand if you got it too close to her…even if you were feeding her.

Hubby was the only one who could pick her up without getting growled at and we often had to warn small children who visited that Karma is the kind of cat you look at but don’t try to touch.  Thankfully, she was more likely to run away than attack strangers.  She reserved her stealth like pounce n’ punch for those who lived here.

But lately age had been mellowing her out some and for the last year or so she was much less aggressive and even somewhat playful.  She ceased to growl at me when I picked her up and I got a few purrs out on occasion.

Just last week while Daughter and I were in the basement doing laundry, Karma hid at the top of the stairs and popped out with a paw to give us a whack whenever we walked by…very clearly playing with us.

Okay, here come the tears.  Needless to say, she will be deeply missed.

November Is

November is not just my birthday
It’s also the month I left home

Three weeks shy of 16
Five weeks shy of pregnant and alone

I used to celebrate that day with cake and a candle
Proof that I could take this life and do more than just handle

But it soon got old and
November was just cold
Always another year older

Yet the wiser somehow always finds gear
And as long as I’m still here

November is always bitter sweet
Giving me pause to myself meet

The changing season, the falling leaves, the emotional retreat
The coming new year, the new faces of fear, the inevitable tears

November is my once a year nirvana
The one month I give myself permission to look forward
While trying desperately to leave nothing behind

November is not just my birthday
It’s also the month I left home

Last Year Must Have Been A Fluke

Ever since I was a kid I have LOVED Hallowe’en.  I mean what’s not to love?  Dressing up in costumes, candy, hanging out with your friends, candy, staying out after dark, candy, Hallowe’en parties and oh yeah, CANDY.

But last year about this time I wrote a post called Hallowe’en Spirit wherein I described my total lack of enthusiasm for what used to be one of my favourite times of the year.  I remember thinking that I might have finally squeezed out all the fun of this particular “holiday” and was resigned that I was perhaps getting too old for this.

So imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning and thought, ‘Only a week until Hallowe’en and we haven’t even decorated yet!’

My hair was not yet dry from my shower when I had all the Hallowe’en decorations out and got busy.

The first thing to go up was our version of Skeletor here. He doesn’t work anymore, thank goodness…because he’s actually kind of scary.  With a built in motion sensor this guy used to pop out from behind his cage and laugh maniacally anytime anyone walked by.  A real hoot!

This is our front hall.  The cauldron is filled with little Hallowe’eny type goodies leftover from various parties we’ve thrown over the years.  I’m hoping to pass them off to guests who come by over the next week.  Anything leftover will make it into some Trick or Treater’s bags on Hallowe’en night.

This is one of our oldest decoration pieces.  It’s actually quite flimsy and I’m always shocked when it makes it to another year.  Still, after nearly a decade, there it is holding strong.

And finally, our Hallowe’en table cloth.  Aside from being bright and cheery, it’s quite sturdy and is easy to wipe clean.  Makes an excellent place to carve pumpkins.

And this year, I’m looking forward to it!

When The Midol Wears Off

What do you mean what’s wrong with me?
I’m a little irritated, am I not allowed to be?

I do everything around here, so little I ask
Is it too much to think you could do this one task

I’m not freaking out, I think I’m quite fine
It’s just that nobody gets how hard it is, this life of mine

No I’m not crying, it’s just dust in my eye
I can’t keep this place clean no matter how hard I try

Oh leave me alone, I just need a hug
Hey why are you staring, looking so smug

No I don’t want to rest!
No I don’t need to lie down!

But yes, I’d love some chocolate
Right about now…

And a glass of Chardonnay wouldn’t hurt either

I Love Fall

Especially when it’s not raining.

Taking advantage of the absolutely gorgeous fall Sunday, we went for a walk on our favourite trail.

The contrast is stunning…not a bad pic if I do say so myself.

But more than just the awesome scenery, the interactive wildlife experience is what it’s all about.

The chickadees will land right in your hand to get the food and they LOVE peanuts.

And MY favourite part…

is the path that leads to nowhere.

I love fall.

Had A Little Birdie

“I had a little birdie
Her name was Enza
I opened up the window
And IN FLU ENZA”

That was a rhyme that children sang during (and likely for a long time after) the great flu pandemic of the early 20th Century.  Neat eh?

Well, okay it’s not neat that so many people died from the flu in 1918, but I am fascinated by how children who survive such ordeals ultimately deal with them.  Ring Around the Rosy is another example of a children’s rhyme that is thought to have originated as a result of the bubonic plague in the 17th Century.

That’s my very round about way of telling you (if anyone is actually reading this) that I am on the losing end of a battle with the flu.  Aches and pains, troublesome stomach, nausea, weak, watery eyes, congestion and a very uncomfortable cough.

Why am I not in bed you ask?  Well, I would be except that the world would fall apart without me…I’m just that important don’t ya know.

Okay, I don’t really believe that.  But I do know from experience that even a little bit of preparation can and will prevent me from worrying about the homeschooling, housework and cooking that won’t get done should my symptoms get worse…which I am very confident they will.  (Nothing like a positive attitude eh?)

Anyway, a few lesson plans that Hubby can oversee, a couple of loads of laundry and a big pot of soup on the stove will at least ease my mind if not my aching, feeling-like-death-warmed-over body.

ThanksGiving

It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and I am relaxing today after spending the last two days in the kitchen preparing, cooking, tasting and shooing hungry, just-want-to-know-what-smells-so-good teens out of my way.

To her credit though, Daughter (14) did help with the apple crisps and she finally learned how to make the yummy crumbly topping…a secret family recipe.  I love having kids who don’t mind messing it up in the kitchen.

It’s comforting to know that they’ll have experience making some of our family’s favourite holiday dishes.  For the day will come when I finally say, “You want it, YOU make it.”

Tonight it’s MY all time favourite holiday dish ever and it’s been simmering on the stove ALL DAY!

Leftover Roast Beef Dinner Stew

Ingredients:

Leftover roast beef (cut into cubes)
Leftover gravy (as much as you have up to 2 cups – compensate with broth)
Leftover potatoes (roasted, throw in as is – mashed, warm and then spoon in before serving)
Leftover veggies (this can include anything you typically serve with a roast beef dinner – turnips, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas etc…)

2 tblsp of olive oil
1 small onion (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 celery stalk (finely chopped)
2 cups of water
1 cup of beef or vegetable broth (more if you have less gravy)
1/2 cup of red wine
any fresh veggies (chopped) you want to add to bulk it up (see Leftover veggies above for suggestions)

seasonings to taste (suggestions are pepper, thyme, basil, oregano – keep in mind that if you’re using leftovers – the majority of the food is pre-seasoned so the amount of seasoning is relative to the amount of fresh veggies you add, in other words, go light)

Method:

Pour olive oil into a large pot and add onion, garlic, celery
Cook over medium heat until soft
Add water, broth, gravy and wine and mix well
Add beef, leftover veggies, fresh veggies and stir
Cook over medium high heat for about 30 – 40 minutes (until any fresh veggies are soft)
Season lightly and stir often
Turn heat down to low and simmer for however long you can before people start wandering into the kitchen to “just have a taste” or start whining if dinner is ready yet.

All told is takes less than an hour to throw this together but the labour of the work that went into the pre-leftover meal shines through in the overall flavour.

Mmmmmmmmm.

Okay, I’m now off to go “just have a taste” of leftover stew and pour a glass of leftover wine.

Happy Thanksgiving!