1) Quick reminder to CBBC folks that you should email me (dominique100 at hotmail dot com) your TBC photos if you want to be included in the post on Monday.
2) One of my friends is practicing pet portraits in watercolor and she took one of my photos of Zelda and did a portrait.
Photo she was working with:
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My friends are so talented!
3) Are there people you think of every single day who you haven't seen or talked to in a long time? My driver's ed teacher in high school was a big defensive driving advocate and I always hear his voice in my head when I'm at a stop sign to turn right and someone comes up from the left with a turn signal indicating that they will turn right, too. I could go, but you have to wait until their wheels start turning before you go. Hi, Mr. Yurick!
There's also a guy I used to ride the bus with in middle and high school. His parents owned a dairy farm down the road. One time the cows escaped and right when I woke up, I blearily asked my mom why there was a cow in the front yard and we had to call everyone in town to figure out who the cows belonged to. ANYWAY. This guy was so nice to me. I don't want everyone to get sad about my childhood again, but I was cold, hungry, and scared a lot. He brought me snacks, let me listen to The Presidents of the United States (the band) on his Walkman, and wrapped his flannel around both of us when the heat on the bus was broken. He was a true gentle soul and his kindness overwhelmed me.
Oh, geez, I just realized I already shared this anecdote on this very blog. Anyway, I have a regular dream and this guy is in it. That post is from 2015 and it's now 2025 and I'm still having that dream ten years later. Hi, Micah! I hope you're living a great life.
4) It was so cold yesterday. So cold. But guess what my best dog wanted to do?
5) I messed up addressing the Valentine's Day cards and I ran out of stamps and I'm frustrated by the entire endeavor and I want to just give up and not send them, but then I think the niblings will think something is wrong and something IS wrong, you know? I find myself screaming into the void when my U.S. Senator's office won't take calls. I find myself scared to click on a news app for fear of what might be there. I find myself reading the instructions on what to do if ICE shows up at our office (call the lawyer, it says, as if I know how to do that). I find myself thinking about all the Trump voters who now regret their choices and even more about the Trump voters who don't.
My mom isn't doing well. My cat will not stop screaming for food. My dog tucks her tail for an hour after she eats - clearly her diet is no longer working. My sister was recently in the hospital.
So maybe the cards won't actually get sent out. But then the bad guys will win, won't they?
****************
Please tell me some good news from your life.
1) I will send you a photo as soon as I can! I need my childhood paperback to be included in your roundup! (I just typed roundout three times in a row, let me chug some coffee)
ReplyDelete2) That painting of Zelda is so good!
3) Micah sounds like a really wonderful person, I hope he is well.
4) Lol, it's cold ("cold") here and Rex is here for it. He has two husky friends that he sees at the dog park (am I anthropomorphizing? Yes) and the three of them I have dubbed the cold weather dogs. They are loving it!
5) I'm so sorry about all of it.
Something good from my life! Today I'm having an early Galentines afternoon party, which is my favourite kind of party. Everything served will be pink, white, or red. I have rose wine and also pink grapefruit sparkling water for my non-drinking friends, a veggie plate that I'm going to try to shape into a heart, wish me luck, made of red pepper, cherry tomatoes, and mushrooms, heart shaped sugar cookies, beet hummus with crackers and chips with salsa. I have little goodie bags with classroom Valentines for the gals. Yay! Also I have a new to me friend coming to it, and I hope we become better friends. What else? It's Friday, which is my favourite day. Oh! The big thing! My younger son started his trades program this week, Engie, I'm so happy. He's loving it so far. I MIGHT HAVE MY VERY OWN HOME GROWN PLUMBER SOON!!! This comment is probably long enough but no. No, I want to leave more of a comment! MORE GOOD THINGS!!! My neighbour cuts my hair (she used to be a hair stylist, now she's a SAHM) and she's had to reschedule my haircut like five times as her kids were sick, had birthday parties, etc., but I tentatively have an appointment with her on Sunday. My ends are pretty dry and ratty right now, so that will be nice to have it taken care of. Okay I am actually running out of things now. There's more I'm sure. Oh! I know! A new episode of Story Girl dropped yesterday and you can bet that's in my queue for today. Okay that's all for now! xoxoxo
Oh, I hardly know where to start responding to this! I hope Micah is well, too, but I'm scared if I ever ran into him, I'd just start gushing at him and talk about how he's been in my dreams and I would probably make him very nervous.
DeleteHannah loves the cold. I like it for her, but I do not like the shivering so much.
I'm SO HAPPY for your son. The world needs good plumbers! And Galentine's parties! And haircuts!
I think we should start a trend of sending late holiday cards. I can only speak for myself, but I enjoyed all of the Christmas cards that I got this year - the ones that came in early December and the ones that came in mid January.
ReplyDeleteMy feeling about dog walks is that it's the dog's time to do "what the dog wanna do". If the dog needs to take a minute to sit down and chew a stick, then so be it.
Are there really any Trump voters who regret their choices? What were they expecting?
Sending hugs for all the things...hang in there.
I have to admit that cards that arrived at my house in January did not get added to the card display, so that's a downside of late cards. I do feel like these Valentine's Day cards are a bit cursed, but I picked up stamps today and will persevere. Also, today is National Send a Card To a Friend Day, so I am going to send a card to some friends. Just because.
DeleteHa ha ha. If she takes a minute to chew a stick. Hannah's there for an hour if I let her. She really wants me to let her take the stick inside the house, but I'm mean and I won't let her!
Sending extra hugs on top of Birchie's. Things are hard enough right now (for all of us... except maybe the Trump voters) but you have pet and family troubles on top of it all. Oof.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I love most about that photo of Zelda is that she's sitting in a box. It's so funny how cats just love boxes! And that box is so small, and she's kind of squashed herself into it. And yes- the watercolor is amazing!
Sometimes it's fun to go to YouTube and type in "big cats boxes" and watch lions, tigers, bobcats, and panthers play in boxes. Zelda's just a panther in disguise.
DeleteThank you lovely Engie for this post full of lovely things--that watercolor of Zelda! That photo of Hannah so earnestly chewing on her stick (branch manager!)! Good ol' Mr. Yurick! (I think of my MIL's driving advice--it doesn't matter if you're right if you're dead). Oh that lovely Micah! I'm so glad people like that exist in the world...
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry things aren't well in the world and in your family--sending good wishes to Hannah and Zelda and to your mom and sister.
The good things in my life right now are the jasmine blooming in my indoor garden and the distractifying party I'm planning with a work bestie--my friends are coming from Ohio and upstate, you know you're invited too. <3
(The bad things are Big A got stuck by a Hep C needle at work and has some sort of respiratory infection... oh, never mind my list!)
Let's hope for a restful weekend and a brighter week! XOXO
YES!! It doesn't matter if you're right if you're dead. Mr. Yurick used that one, too! It's good to know there's consistency in advice about driving all around.
DeleteHe got stuck by a Hep C needle? Oh, no! What are the ramifications of that? How does that even happen? So many questions!
MY good news is just that the sun is shining this morning. We may have another cold walk today, but there will be sun. Also, after yesterday's snowfall, the contractor came around to clear our driveway. It was close to the amount of whether he would come or not -- borderline. I also slept a little last night, unlike two nights ago when I didn't get to sleep at all. There was once a song https://youtu.be/3OY77yy7V00?si=J_3Ro2QyOOB2IYEe
ReplyDeleteYes, we had a little sun today and it made everything seem so much more doable!
Delete1. Done
ReplyDelete2. Portraits never lie. This one is screaming Zelda is feline perfection.
3. Hey - I still do the wheel turning things as well! Also, I do have to say it - because I feel it in my bones - I wish so desperately I could whisk myself back in time and be another Micah for you. My heart aches. Life can be tremendously hard and what a gift when people come into our lives that help ease the pain and bring some light.
4. Today it is 2C, yesterday is was -18C. The weather is nuts. It feels like a literary device; ominous thunderclouds when chaos is overtaking an ancient kingdom. The world alternatively in a deep freeze or burning hot. Sigh. It's so easy to take things in a negative direction right now.
5. Goodness, so many Happy Things and FIGs this week. As someone who has had a gratitude practice for a while, I didn't think too much about what *I* would get from collecting FIGs, but it has been tremendously helpful so far this February. Stay tuned ;)
Is it fun for you to see FIGs all over the internet because of you? It must make you feel so powerful and important!
DeleteI am patting myself on the back for sending you a photo before you even asked for one! :)
ReplyDeleteThe cat portrait is amazing!! Your friend is so talented.
I am so sorry to hear about your mom and sister. And yes the Trump stuff is so upsetting and fatiguing but I am not convinced many people regret voting for him.
Thanks for sending the photo. It was the impetus I needed to set up a folder in my Google drive to TBC photos.
DeleteMy friend is so talented! I can't even truly draw a stick figure, so I don't know how she does it. She showed me photos of her process and it just seems so magical!
You are such a great pet parent. I love that photo of Zelda in her teensy box. And your patience with Hannah doing Dog Stuff is the best. I get so irritated when I see people in my neighbourhood hurrying and yanking their dogs down the street, not letting them explore and sniff. Dogs need to do their Dog Stuff!
ReplyDeleteI love that you honour and celebrate the people in your life who were important to you in some way. There isn't someone who I think of every day, but I do remember so many influential people in my own life and take the time to recognize them when they surface each time in my memory. It's important.
It might not feel like it, but every day IS just one day. You keep making a difference in each one.
Look what you've come through already! Look where you are.
XXOO
Well, Nance, not to burst your bubble, but sometimes Hannah needs to be yanked. *sigh* I hate to do it because of her bad back, but if safety calls for it, I have yanked. I try to let her sniff as much as possible, though, because I'm convinced that's why she's such a good baby in the house. She's exhausted after her sniffing walks.
DeleteWe are just pushing through each day. Maybe someday our long national nightmare will be over. Someday.
As someone who sent out holiday cards during the latter weeks of January, I think no matter when you send Valentine's cards they will be received with the intent you wanted them to, so please give yourself some grace! Good news from my life... well, Lil Momma starts her competition dance solo rehearsal process tonight and is over the moon so I am riding the wave of her joy (even if I am already slightly done with listening to the song, haha). Thinking of you <3
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how a song can go from fun and adorable to old and tired when you're practicing something like that. What is the song?
DeleteMy New Philosophy from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She is leading with sass and personality, as always, haha!
DeleteThat painting of Zelda! Engie, it is beautiful. Zelda is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your mom. Sending you love. 😘
Good news- It's Friday!
It IS Friday and I can sleep in tomorrow!
Deletethat's a beautiful painting! the bad guys WON'T win, I don't think...
ReplyDeleteWell, I can't let them win by taking away my snail mail. (Fingers crossed the USPS makes it through this...)
DeleteYour friend is SO talented - that is a gorgeous portrait of Zelda. And Hannah is clearly using her time wisely. I love that you are willing to freeze while she enjoys a delicious stick.
ReplyDeleteWhat a rough start to the year, Engie. I'm sorry things are so difficult for those you love lately. It's so hard in so many ways. Sending you love.
Something good, something good. Oh! I spent a RIDICULOUS amount of money on snacks for the Super Bowl. I don't care about the Super Bowl in any way, but I am really excited for the snacks. (They are from A Fancy Place that I have driven past eight bajillion times and I finally went in and it was full of Fancy Snacks and I could not resist.)
YES!! If you're going to spend money, fun food is the right place to spend it! I hope you do a post about all your Fancy Snacks because I am here for it.
DeleteI'm super impressed by anyone with artistic abilities like that. The painting of Zelda is beautiful! I can't even draw a stick figure to save my life.
ReplyDeleteWe literally could not make it out of the driveway yesterday morning. Snow is great, but freezing drizzle I can do without!
We could have made it out of our driveway, but I'm not convinced we could have made it back. The world was just ice coated and it was nice to be able to just text my boss and say I was working from home. Yay for a flexible work place.
DeleteI love that Zelda portrait! I really want to start painting again and need to make the time - I'm inspired by seeing other people's work.
ReplyDeleteChewing a stick! My kids are also obsessed with sticks. I don't let them bring them in the house or in the car though. Our neighbor's kid, whom I watch on occasion, DID NOT like this rule. When I asked him to put his stick back on the ground before getting in a car, he cried, "BUT A DOG WILL COME FIND IT AND TAKE IT AWAY!!!!!"
Kids and dogs with the same interests. So funny! Presumably the kids will move, though. Hannah is in the stick stage permanently.
DeleteI have never been very patient with a dog wanting to sniff, I have places to be! If we ever have another dog, perhaps I will practice patience and let them go for it. I know it's really good for their brain and tires them more than exercise.
ReplyDeleteI can call one of my senators and leave a message, the other's mailbox is always full, which I think is a GOOD thing because it means I'm not the only person calling, right? When I call my rep, I get an actual person who takes a message. Hey, I wrote postcards to WI voters today, trying to get out the vote for the Supreme Court election in April. That felt good.
That picture of Zelda (the photo) is gorgeous, and the portrait is equally gorgeous. That's some real talent right there.
I hope Micah is living his best life, and getting the good karma that he put out by being such a good friend to young Engie. I often (but not every day) think of my Driver's Ed teacher. When discussing changing lanes, she would say, "Blinkah, Mirrah, Blindspot". I don't think she was from Massachusetts but she had that vibe.
I'm sorry for all of the crummy stuff. Bah!
Okay, here's how I have reframed Hannah stopping to sniff and chew sticks. My goal is to spend 1000 hours outside this year and if she wants to spend five minutes chewing a stick on our walk, then that's five minutes towards my goal. Last year I was all about distance and that was frustrating to both me and Hannah. Now that I'm all about time, I'm much more chill. And she IS exhausted all the time because she's been working her nose so much.
DeleteI don't know if it's a good thing that the mailbox is full. I imagine it just means they aren't checking the messages at all. I can't think about it too much, though, because this particular Senator has never gotten my vote and never will, so he knows I'm not his true constituency, right?
I love that you had Micah in your life and how could you forget him and his kindness. I am kinda happy to hear he visits you in your dreams.
ReplyDeleteI do think of my Driving School Teacher quite a bit, because he taught me how to parallel park (and without bragging, I need to say I am a pro because of him) and I always chuckle when I see people struggle with parallel parking.
I am also glad your mom is better. That's good news. My mom is better too. Yay. My MIL is ... hanging in there, recovery is slow.
I do hope Micah is doing well. He deserves a fabulous life with whatever happiness he can get.
DeleteIt is crazy how slow we recover as we age. I am hoping your MIL has the speediest of recoveries!
Impressive portrait. Compared to us humans, why are almost all cats so photogenic?
ReplyDeleteWell, if they weren't photogenic, we would murder them because of their annoying tendencies! (I say this as the cat has been screaming for dinner for forty-five minutes.)
DeleteWhat a wonderful water color of sweet Zelda. Such talent. I'm chuckling at the people stopping to see if you needed assistance, because your dog is chewing a stick at the side of the road. I once visited a friend whose driveway was really narrow. When I backed off of it, she hollered to me, "Use your mirrors." And I hear those words whenever I have to back up thru a tricky situation. Oh, my heart. Sweet Micah. What a nice kid. Love that he still appears in your dreams. It must've felt like he was throwing you a lifeline.
ReplyDeleteGood things in my life: I finally visited my favorite high school teacher yesterday on my day off. She was pivotal in my life. And I told her so, and she was touched. I look forward to visiting her again soon.
Yay! I'm so glad you were able to tell your former teacher how much she meant to you. That has got to be a wonderful thing for any educator to hear.
DeleteThat watercolor is SO BEAUTIFUL. Please let me know when your friend has an Etsy shop up and running because I have a handful of pets I want a watercolor portrait of!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that this year is turning out to be a shit one, too. Let's hope things turn around. <3
I clipped this comment and texted it to my friend, so she knows that there's a market out there if she ever decides to do it in a profit-making way!
Delete"Are there people you think of every single day who you haven't seen or talked to in a long time?" There are a few people, but texting takes the place of phone calls now.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, but I don't know how to contact either of these people. It's kind of crazy to think about that in 2025, isn't it?
DeleteYour bus friend made me think of a train friend I encouraged my daughter to make when she was six (!!) and crossing the city alone to her school. I'm always fascinated by the independent parts of children's lives. Your friend sounds like he was a great person to know, and you seem to be good at bringing together interesting people, so I have a feeling you gave as much as you received to that friendship. Sorry you did not have a great week. What can I tell you that was good in mine? I travelled from Sunday and worked until 10pm most nights (good and bad) - I made it home by 6pm on Friday for dinner (good), but afflicted with a fresh oodus, hopefully not Covid (bad).
ReplyDelete