Almost Turkey Time!

It's almost Thanksgiving!
Our house is getting prepared for our guests. I pulled the turkey (or simply "the bird" at it has been called by my mom) out of the freezer. I am told if it doesn't thaw fast enough to put it in water- good to know! Tomorrow evening it will be getting a brine bath so it will be tasty and moist.
I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this holiday! It is one of the few that doesn't involve elaborate gifts; rather, it is about sharing a dinner, talking, and being thankful for whatever we all are thankful for. It is a time for family, those present around the table, those who may be having dinner at their own homes or in-laws, and also for remembering family that has passed.
This year is a little extra special for me: I am doing this with Layne. It will be our first Thanksgiving we've had together, and also our first Thanksgiving hosting! Olivia will be present of course, and she has the VERY IMPORTANT job of making the corn muffins. We will all have our hands full over the next few days as we clean, decorate and prep for this wonderful day!
So remember to be thankful, even if this past year has been trying. Be thankful for your health if you have it and all you hold dear, be it human, animal, or spiritual in nature.
If I don't post again soon, have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

They say fall (autumn) is like our second spring. The trees will be ablaze with color, and some bushes and shrubs as well.
Fall is also a time when our kids go back to school. Mine had her first day yesterday. She was all dressed up, a little nervous, but mostly excited to start kindergarten. As her little hand left mine and took the teachers and they walked into the classroom, I felt she is growing up and there is no slowing down time. I also cried a bit as the door slowly closed behind them.
I wonder how it is going to be as she grows- will she still reach for my hand as we walk down the street? Will she still randomly say "I love you daddy"? Will she still want to come into my bedroom when there is a thunder storm (God I hope so!!)? I guess the passing of the years will tell. I am hopeful that even when she's 30 she'll reach over, hold my hand, and tell me she loves me.

An old friend

Funny how things turn out.
About 15 years ago I really wanted a cat. It was something I really, really wanted. I went all over looking for the perfect kitten.
Well, as I was walking through a pet shop on Wells I couldn't help but notice this little brown kitten staring at me. As I walked closer she became animated, and starting reaching through the glass door for me. That cinched the deal!
I named her Mocha, after her brown color.
Mocha was a very special cat. She went to the multiple apartments we lived in, then when we moved to Michigan she moved with us, enjoying the sunshine and being a really good mouser!
She also was also there for multiple pet dogs I've been fortunate enough to have- Sashle, Claude, Luke, Jack... two of which enjoyed long lives, the others not so fortunate, but happy dogs nonetheless.
She also helped comfort me when I was going through a very emotional breakup.
When I moved back to Chicago, Mocha stayed in Michigan in a "loft apartment" that overlooked the llama pastures. I knew she was well cared for and loved, so that made things a little easier.
So a few days ago I hear that Mocha needs a home as the farm has taken a new direction and is going to be rented to weekenders and vacationers. It wasn't fair to Mocha to be left outside, so Bob asked if I could take her back and find a home for her. I say yes.
Now, we already have two cats, and wasn't sure how this will all settle. I am a bit nervous. I take her immediately to the basement and show her where the cat pan in and food and water. I leave her downstairs to figure things out. When I come back, I call her name and she comes up to me, purring and rubbing against my leg! I know she remembers... images of our past come and go through my mind... and I realize, Mocha is here to stay.

Summertime!

It's summertime in Chicago. That means hot, humid weather, trips to the pool with O, trips to the Montrose Dog Beach with Dixon, grilling and parties with friends!
I'm teaching Olivia to swim. She is doing great! She can tread water a little bit, totally get submerged without breathing in ( last year, when we started going underwater, we had a few rules: Rule #1- DON'T PANIC. Rule#2- You are not a mermaid, so NO BREATHING UNDERWATER!). She is dismissing the kiddie pool and wants only the adult pool. Granted, she never lets go and makes sure I am always holding onto her ( that makes me happy!). But I want her to swim freely in water and ME not to panic. As kids we always swam- in Lake Michigan, at Uncle and Aunt Tom and Nancy's, later in Beaver Lake, then back to Lake Michigan, and in the summertime in Vermont- the waterfalls, rivers and reservoirs, and I remember the water time fondly. I never was afraid of water, as far back as I remember. Even when we went to visit Nanny and Grandpa in Florida, going to the Gulf of Mexico, and me with some of my siblings on a floating raft, slipping off and sinking to the bottom- I remember not worrying, the sense of quiet, of being at peace in the water, then my sister Midge pulling me up- even then I wasn't scared or worried. So it is important to me to teach my only daughter to swim. I want her to feel secure in water, to respect it, and most importantly, enjoy herself in it and feel comfortable.
So, happy summer to all- enjoy the water, get out into nature, and have fun!

I had a very thought provoking moment at the salon today.
I was doing one of my regulars, talking about relationships, guys (like we usually do- LOVE her!), and she told me of a man she calls her one true love. I asked her about him, because I was really interested. She takes great care of herself, looks great always, and is always put together. This took me by surprise, because I thought she would be with the man she calls her "one true love".
She tells me she can tell when he is going to call. She also knows when he is going to be around, almost to a psychic level. It really intrigued me! She said the reason it doesn't work is that he has adult children that he, for some reason, won't fully let grow up, and it gets in the way of them having a relationship. They had been together dating wise for a period of time, but it ended three years ago. I could tell the way she was talking about him that she really loves this guy. I told her she should tell him her feelings and lay it all out on the line.
It made me wonder, is there such thing as a "one true love"? Or can love be measured? And who do we use as the measure?

My little girl is turning 5 this weekend. I can vividly remember when I first saw her- she was swaddled nice and tight in the nursery at the hospital. As I looked through the glass, it finally hit me that this is REALLY happening. Probably all my life I knew I wanted to have kids, and at that moment my hopes and dreams were in the shape of a little 8 pound girl. And when I held her for the first time, gave her that bottle in the hospital, I knew that the decision was the best one I've ever made.
Now she's going to be five- FIVE! I asked her tonight in a break from our playing what happened to the little baby from 5 years ago, and she said with a shrug, "I growed up"!
The first 5 years have literally flown by. So much happens from birth to one, one to two, two to three and so on. Each milestone is met with awe. Each laugh goes straight to my heart, each boo-boo kissed (and neo-sporined), and each mouth full of food she eats makes me happy (silly, I know!).
So, my little girl, here's to you turning 5! And here's to our time together, too- time that has proven to be the most cherished time for me in my life!
I love you so much!

Thoughts of home

There is so much more than four walls and a ceiling to a home. It's also more than a place to go for shelter.
It is where so much life happens. It's where your kids play with their toys. It's where your pets chase each other across the floor. It's where you cook, sleep, clean, laugh, cry, dream and hope. And mostly love.