5QF - late!

My mom and I both had the day off, so we went out ... I bought some new sneakers, worried over insurance issues I'm having now, took some pictures, edited those pictures, fed all the animals and watched a movie with my mom - it was a very nice day! However, in the midst of all that I (almost) forgot it's Friday - 5QF!! I'm really enjoying this, so late now or not, I'm throwing this post together!


1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose? Oval office, duh!

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting? I'm guilty of being a no budget girl. However, that's gonna have to change! As discussed in a previous 5QF post, debt is catching up with me and I hate it. Looks like everyone's probably getting one special, cheap (sentimental) gift this holiday season. It's the thought that counts, right?

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done? I've never gone crazy with dieting or fads for them. I guess in high school, maybe. My cousin, who I idolized, became a vegetarian and I thought, "Hey! Great way to get out of eating all that gross meat on holidays (I'm Irish, but ham - EWWWY!)." I'm 26 and I've been a (mostly) vegetarian (my mom grew up on the water, like catch-your-dinner on the water, so I either kept seafood in my diet or starved!) for over 10 years now, so that's helped. I guess it could be considered a "diet" though at this point, it's really just a habit.

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of? Probably Buffy the Vampire Slayer (guilty pleasure!) or Grey's Anatomy. It's gotten cheesier recently, but the first few seasons and quotes were amazing!

5. What one song always pulls at your heart? Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton and A Song for You by Ray Charles. Oh my goodness, I tear up just reading over the lyrics. Nothing quite like If I Could Though Ugh! I can't listen to it. I would have loved that to be my father-daughter dance song and I cry knowing I'm not going to get that. I can't listen to it at all, but I'll let you...



On that note, goodnight!

Tea Tuesday

ingenious! end of story.

Ok, not really, but still. That photo is awesome! Just think: some warm cookies and cold milk, a place to put your lemon peel after it's been in your tea or a cute place to put a note for someone to find in the morning.

Here's this week's question: From the warm drinks to the changing leaves to decorations that include squash & pumpkins to bringing out the scarves & warm socks again, what's your favorite part about this time of year? Although this is Tea Tuesday, I'd have to say it's pulling out the warm clothes, scarves, hats and blankets to keep warm. I like layering and bundling up. I can also confidently say that there is not much I love more than an ice cold room and borrowing into a bunch of warm blankets!

Instead of a book quote this week from what I'm reading, I thought I'd share this quote I came across which seems to fit so well with Tea Tuesday:
"Breathe in, nourishing every cell of your being. Breathe out & accomplish what you came here to do." -Unknown

Enjoy your "Tea Tuesday" moment, friends.

Tea Tuesday is reminder to you too, my friends and wanderers that found your way here. Remember that all the good you do won't get done if you're not around. So, take a minute to relax with me at some point today.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes

Tea Tuesday is reminder to you too, my friends and wanderers that found your way here. Remember that all the good you do won't get done if you're not around. So, take a minute to relax with me at some point today.

To get more people involved, I'm adding a single question for you to answer about yourself and I'm leaving the linky open until Thursday now so you can answer it now or think on it tomorrow while sipping, then come back and add your Tea Tuesday post to the linky. Ahh, ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes! :)

Here's this week's question so you have time to prepare for tomorrow:
From the warm drinks to the changing leaves to decorations that include squash & pumpkins to bringing out the scarves & warm socks again, what's your favorite part about this time of year?

Above all else though, enjoy - the moment to yourself, your cup of tea (or coco) and the answers that come to you. Have a wonderful week!

Caturday: Striper

I'm not sure my aunt loves any hobby more than fishing ... and for this reason, she has her own boat to go out in to fish. But this Caturday post isn't about fish - no, it's about a cat.

A cat who likes to rub up against my aunt ... and apparently, play in my aunt's boat. For this reason, I'm calling him Striper! Seems appropriate for an orange cat too. This boy sounds like an absolute sweetheart who not only has a lot of love to give, but also just can't get enough attention and love either! Why such a nice boy is still outside in this cold, well, that's out of my hands.

I mean, there are enough feral cats out there that we should feel bad for, right? And they don't like people, so it's not like they could happily live inside and be spoiled like this boy could. Not to mention, my aunt has three crazy Brittanys, so all she can really offer is food, fresh water and some beautiful (extra spacious) shelter from the weather (as is the job of an excellent feral cat caregiver), not the lap of luxury of an inside cat safe from disease, cars, bad weather and with things like windows to sun bathe in and beds to curl up on with you. Again, why such a nice boy is still outside in this cold...

Perhaps we should consider this Caturday post a guilt trip? :)

5QF

1. Who is the better cook, you or your spouse? My boyfriend, for sure. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can throw things together pretty well and everyone loves my pumpkin pie and citrus-y salsa. However, the boyfriend plans ahead, has ingredients in his cupboards, knows appropriate proportions, etc. He even goes the extra step and makes my food separately if he's going to add meat to his dish. :)

2. How often do you talk to your mom? I live with my mom right now to help take care of my dad (who has frontotemporal dementia), so just about every day we talk whether it's about work or bitching about my dad's condition.

3. Are you adventurous in the kitchen or stick to the recipe? The heck with recipes. Funny this question came up for today though because I plan on trying this recipe out this weekend ... minus the random salsa add in. I might just toss a sweet pepper in instead.

4. Is your second toe longer than your big toe? They're just about the same length.

5. Do you dress up for Halloween? (Bonus question: What will you be this year?) Pretty much every year I have. I'm going as a witch this year because we're allowed to wear costumes to work and I think that's the most PC. I've also been a mob girl, a dead hooker, a catholic school girl and Strawberry Shortcake the past few years. One of my favorites though was 1st grade - the little mermaid. It was homemade with the shiny fin and everything!

BlogLovin

In hopes of getting more attention to the blog here and making new friends, I'm trying to network. Here's yet another attempt...

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Tea Tuesday

With the weather this morning (cool 50ish and cloudy), I'm thinking I need some warm, jasmine tea. Not sure the boyfriend has that in his house yet, but I'm going to go digging through his stash of teas soon.

I've picked up a new book that I haven't gotten to page one yet (maybe another goal for the day), so I can't add a quote. Week two and I'm breaking one of my suggestions for "Tea Tuesday" posts! Oh well, that's the benefit of a "moment to myself", right? No need to be hard on myself :)

How's your day going?

Tea Tuesday is reminder to you too, my friends and wanderers that found your way here. Remember that all the good you do won't get done if you're not around. So, take a minute to relax with me at some point today.

National Feral Cat Days

Not only is it Caturday, but today is National Feral Cat Day! Every year on October 16th I celebrate this day whether it is by being out at an event or just keeping the special day in the back of my mind.

11,000 animals (like Cooper on your couch and Oscar on your window sill) are put to sleep every day in shelter. There are simply not enough homes for all of them, let alone the countless others born outside and raised as ferals.

Leaps and bounds have been made over the years to help feral cats and the cat over-population problem. These cats have learned to be afraid of people, so they cannot simply be brought to shelters and adopted out. Removing them to be euthanized is not an option either because cats are there for a reason: warmth, a food sources, other cats to mate with, etc.

TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) is the only method proven to be humane and effective at controlling feral cat population growth.

Even Disneyland embraces TNR!


More information and facts on TNR can be picked up on these websites for those of you that love cats (or hate them) and want to know how to better manage them to prevent more

- Alley Cat Allies
- Feral Cat Coalition
- Neighborhood Cats

Here are two great events to keep in mind to help celebrate this day:

What: STAF's 13th Annual Paws in the Park
When: Saturday, October 16th, 2010. Registration Time is at 10:00 AM
Where: Fasola Park, Delsea Drive, Deptford, NJ
Why: A great event for a wonderful organization and cause. Also, Joa's Arc's Nennee and Minenn will be there with some of our best volunteers!

What: TNR Workshop
When: Wednesday, October 20th, 2010, at 7 PM.
Where: the Cherry Hill Library in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Why: A wonderful opportunity to learn about TNR from some of the best feral, TNR, spay/neuter clinic experts and volunteers in the South Jersey area.

Have a wonderful day, friends, however you might be celebrating!

"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

5QF

Needing more reminders that I need to get my butt on here and post, I'm trying to get more involved in posting with others. Tea Tuesday is my first step. Among other things, it's my way of reminding myself that I need to make time, even just a few minutes to sip some tea, to take a break ... and reminding others to take a break from all their hard work too.

And, also as a part of getting more involved, here's my first post taking part in:


1. What is your favorite Halloween candy? reese's cups - hands down! Maybe jolly ranchers too, but only the watermelon ones. I love those! And, surprising, that's about it that has held true through the years. Even the reese's cups I'm kind of over ... unless it's Easter and they're egg shaped :) I'm not a huge candy person.

2. Do you fold your socks? Not so much. I seem to have forever been a victim to the washing machine/dryer sock gremlin that steals one of a a pair. For this reason, finding all the buddies and folding them together feels like a lost cause. On some occasions where I find pairs after washing them, I might bundle them together, but that's about it. Honestly, for those that know and love me, it's common knowledge my socks are quite unique. Like this beautiful man, I like "spiced up" socks and it's a rare day that they even match. And, yes, I wear a lot of long pants to work :)

3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about? Debt. Oh my goodness, it happens so quickly and not just to those shop-a-holic people. School, holiday shopping for loved ones, bills, an indulgence or two and life just in general. Whoa! I wish I had been better prepared on that subject.

4. What is the most significant difference between you and your significant other? Organizational skills. He's all notes, to-do lists, shopping with coupons he's set aside and everything has a place. I'd describe my life and skills in that department as a total flippin mess with no order more along the lines of "organized chaos".

5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself? Right now? Caring, creative and tired! It's been a long week

Tea Tuesday

- brew a cup
- take a sip
(- swallow that sip)
- inhale one good, cleansing breath

Consider me silly, but I've been known to believe (and say) that band-aids, tea and/or hugs are the cure-all for almost everything. Due to my love and the busy-ness of life between working for a non-profit, my dad's condition, living with family and the general stress of all this, this is my weekly reminder that I need to occasionally unwind and relax with one of my own cures for all sorts of woes - tea. Oh, feel free to post about any moment to yourself. I mean, coffee & hot chocolate lovers are welcomed as well, of course ;) Along with the people that pick up a book for a moment, snap a picture that just makes them smile or arrange the flowers on their table just to breathe them in.

This particular Tuesday is a beautiful day, so my dad is outside wandering around. I brewed a mix of loose black tea my friend purchased for me recently and put it over ice. I'm going to enjoy it iced while I can because soon enough it's going to be nothing but frigid all the time! There are days on and off even now where it's sweater and hot tea weather.

"He escorted Merck around the Bad Newz compound. she noticed things others had not." - Jim Gorant's The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs And Their Tale Of Rescue And Redemption
While I am taking most of this time to myself to catch up on blog posts, I'm reading too. I have several books going right now, but this is the one I keep picking up the most.

Tea Tuesday is reminder to you too, my friends and wanderers that found your way here. Remember that all the good you do won't get done if you're not around. So, take a minute to relax with me at some point today.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

All Is Well

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.

Henry Scott Holland
1847-1918
Canon of St Paul 's Cathedral

How can I believe in a spirit, in an afterlife, in seeing my favorite person ever again when the essence of him is already gone? When everything that made him up aside from his physical body is gone?

Tonight, I'm struggling with that and sad.

No, he is not dead yet, but in ways it seems like he is and these words above led to a lot of thoughts that are breaking my heart tonight.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still...
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near
Just around the corner.

mobile photos

Double Date

My boyfriend and I went on a double date tonight with a co-worker and her boyfriend tonight. We've been trying and trying and trying to get together. I felt like such a dud out to dinner tonight though - no energy, no news, not even any make up on.

Ugh.

I was a sucky double dater tonight. Double dates should be more fun than I was ... but at least we all finally got together.