Our old kitty Smokey prefers sleeping and eating to any other kitty adventure. Usually he sleeps in our green chair, his thick snoring buzzing like a machine. Sometimes his dreams send his body into interesting twitches and convulsions. Maybe it involves little gray mice and a plump squirrel he watches from a window.
I think its amusing to watch where Smokey sleeps.
Sometimes on the top of the old comfy couch…
Sometimes in the rolled up towels on the bathroom shelf…
Sometimes under the side table…
This is his God given right, to sleep wherever he wishes!
Both Tom and I love our kitty and enjoy his meow language, which is quote often.
They say there’s a time and season for everything…winter is a slow down season, a time to quietly live and reflect. Here in northern New Hampshire our yards lay blanketed with snow drifts and ice. The air feels frigid and tingles your skin as if you’ve walked into a freezer, yet this lady is thankful for it. Although I enjoy trudging through the snow riddled woods, I welcome entering the heat of our little home just as much. Our wood stove churns and creaks with an industrial strength, belting out waves of a warmth that makes any winter day cozy and celebratory.
During winter days we lug wood and shovel it into our wood closet. The wheelbarrow works great to fill with wood and deliver it out back. We park the vehicle next to the deck and lug by armful to the nearest window. Tom cleverly built our wood closet beside the window and so by lifting the sash you can thrust the pieces into storage.
On weekend mornings we indulge in candlelit breakfasts such as crepes and blueberries or eggs and bacon. Tom makes outstanding omelets!
I love to read books in our bedroom in the rocker by the electric fireplace, while our kitty Smokey contently lies on the bed. I have a kind friend at work who serves as my librarian and brings in books for me to read. It’s a joy to see which book she’ll bring in next and I’ve loved every one but one!
These are just a few activities we do in the winter. Many people up here complain about the cold weather and the snow but we love living here, welcoming the change of season.
One of the special things I look forward to on my days off is snuggling with my cat Smokey. I have a comfortable well- used recliner that I snuggle in with my blanket and cup of coffee. It doesn’t take long for Smokey to meow his morning greeting of love and then he eagerly jumps up to be with me. I’ve tried to get a photo of his adorable eye communication with me. Unfortunately the iPad camera ruins the moment and my cat looks away in protest! I pet him gently and whisper sweet things like “ we get to be together today buddy” or “ I love you Smokey boy!”. He purrs his motor in a fantastic melody and sports the squinty eyes at me. He doesn’t need to talk human…I know what he means to say. His eyes says it all!
I love my kitty so and my cat Katie who passed away about a year ago. She lives in my memory but most importantly in my heart.
On a side note we started walking our cat Smokey last year because he was obsessively licking off his fur in patches. We thought it was a skin condition but the vet thought he had anxiety. Maybe his stress was from not being able to go outside. Our daughter- in- law suggested taking him for walks on a leash, like she does for her cat Smokey Joe.
Over the years we lost two cats to coydogs and one was hit by a car by our driveway. We don’t want to go through that again and so our two kitties were always stay in cats. In March we lost our oldest cat Katy to kidney disease. Now poor Smokey is alone most days when we work. I imagine he sleeps most of the day. I have the summer off so I’m here to keep him company but even so, he’s a cat so he sleeps most of the morning. After lunch we walk around the yard, sometimes twice a day if he’s in a good mood and he behaves on the leash!
For those of you have read my post of Living One a Day at a Time concerning my kitty cat Katie being sick, I want to let you know that sadly we had to let her go and stop her suffering. We were nursing her for two weeks from kidney failure. She stopped eating her meals and was just drinking water and eating a few treats a day. Every night she visited me and slept beside me, a sure sign that she wanted to convey that she was ready to let go. The other day she was so weak that she fell down a few stairs. At that moment we knew what we had to do to alleviate her pain and let her keep her dignity until the end.
Tom and I took her to the vets, a place full of compassionate and caring people. They understood my endless tears and red swollen face. They explained the process. They left us alone to say goodbye while we held her while the sleeping meds kicked in. After they took effect, Tom left. It was too emotional and I had told him that he needed to do what was comfortable for him. I didn’t know if I could stay with her while they euthanized. Was I strong enough to hold all this pain of seeing my baby girl go to the other side?I know now that I was. I stayed with her and held her and whispered her beautiful name. I promised her that I was there for her and that I hoped to see her over the rainbow someday. Through salty fresh tears, I did it. I pulled through, after all ,it’s what I owed her for all those years of her faithful love and joy to our family. It was as if she was sleeping. It was peaceful but one of the saddest moments of my life!It’s an experience that I wish to forget yet all that emotion, love and friendship remains.
Our Katie will be cremated and we will bury her in a special spot in our yard. She will live in our memories and in our hearts. We will miss her tremendously, her looking for treats while we did treat hunts, her calm nature and purring, her scratching on our son’s door at night, her soft clean coat and her nosy personality while she followed us throughout the house.
Her brother Smokey misses her as well, looking up on my bed for her. That was one of Katie’s favorite places while she was sick. We plan to cuddle with him, give him extra treats and help him as he might get lonely. I know that he will be okay but I hurt for him.
I still look around corners expecting her to be there or lounging in her rocking chair.Its going to be awhile before I stop looking. It’s hard, just like everyone said it would be! But through all this loss and pain, I wouldn’t trade it for anything, as she served us with enough love for a lifetime. That eases the pain a bit.
It was Wednesday February 14th, Valentine’s Day…usually a day of celebrations of love and family. This year God had other life surprises in store, filled with solemn moments and bursts of reality of true acceptance. Our oldest cat Katie ( who is 15 1/2) suddenly stopped eating and drinking. It’s not that I didn’t see some startling signs, for months she’s ate with little eagerness, stopping here and there. It would take her over an hour to consume her dish of food. Maybe I was deeply engulfed in a state of denial, a steadfast belief that she had years to live.
It’s been 10 long days since the vet visit and the diagnosis of kidney failure and the acceptance of what is. Tom and I are nursing our precious kitty to the best of our ability. We’ve put bowls of water in four rooms, trying to accommodate and remind her to drink more. Since she won’t eat her regular dry food I bought baby chicken food, something she eats bites of here and there but not eagerly. Lexy brought over senior delectable liquid treats, tuna and chicken flavors. Katie started out eating them but not so much anymore. We are down to probably days or moments with her, something I thought I’d never be strong enough for. It’s a period of watching anxiously and praying for God’s guidance. Here we are contemplating when to bring her to the vets to say goodbye, to let go of our loved Katie so she can go over the rainbow into heaven.
Katie is our beautiful striped kitty, my first pet love, who we raised with our sons as part of our family. As most of you probably can imagine and relate to, it’s breaking my heart to see her this way. I keep praying for strength and peace, for her to show us signs when it’s time to let go. God is with us and Im truly thankful for that!❤️😃
This morning I woke to hungry mewing cats crawling all over my bed , yet even so, there was a serene stillness in the house. Glancing out my living room window I saw a magical snow dusting on the cars and blanketing the ground. Stray dancing snowflakes fell from a murky sky. Suddenly I had an urge to be out in this canvas of beauty. I quickly pulled on my boots and ventured outside in the tranquility. The air was frosty but exhilarating to my lungs. Everything was still and peaceful.
Tom’s truck was gone indicating he had to sand roads for the town. I trudged back in the house. First I fed the eager felines and then brewed a pot of coffee. The wood stove crackled in harmony as I peered out into the white world. How grateful I am for this serene Sunday morning with nowhere to be but here in my cozy little house in the country!
It is mornings like this that remind me to breathe and just be. Maybe today I don’t need to rush out into the world to make my mark. It all happens here in my snug home with a wintry white picture show in view.
On such a beautiful morning I remember that today is November 11th. Happy Veteran’s day friends! Thank you veterans ( especially my dad David Doyle and Tom’s dad Robert Blowey and my friends Laurie and Russ Burridge) for the sacrifices you’ve made for our country!
My co-workers and I in our elementary wing after school on Halloween. I’m the sixth person in.
I really enjoy reading facts about my blogging friends as a huge way to get to know them. I was browsing through last November posts and found a post I penned about myself. I’m piggy backing to it with more random facts about myself.
1. Do you enjoy your present job and get along with your co-workers?
Yes! I’ve taught reading groups for 13 years at our local elementary school. As years pass I am more grateful for God leading me there and for bringing different co-workers into my life. I truly enjoy the children and what they say from day to day. They keep me young and therefore I feel alive! The people I work with are great and we have fun! This Halloween we dressed as dominoes, an idea Carol found on Pinterest. All day the kids counted our dots and had much fun with it!
Last Halloween we dressed as gnomes from the Trolls movie. We had hats made of construction paper and flowing beards of cotton! What a hoot it was! The kids loved it! We are posed at our monthly community meeting with our principal Jackie Daniels in front.
2. What’s an average weekend look for you?
Usually Saturday is my sleep in day but not lately. Tom gets up at 4 and that wakes me up. Sometimes I lie in bed in the flannel sheets awhile and then get up. I savor my two cups of coffee, read my blogging friends’ posts or watch Grey’s Anatomy or This is us. I attack my housework list early. There’s always laundry to wash and dry, the bathroom to scrub and vacuuming to do. After I accomplish all that I exercise in some way, whether it’s a walk or Denise Austin exercise dvd, it doesn’t matter as long as I stay active!
Sundays Tom and I spend time together. Sometimes we have a nice quiet breakfast at the table and others we eat watching Hulu. I have less to do this day so it leaves it open for visiting, baking and blogging. This is the day we go on car rides or hikes depending on the weather.
3. Is there something that is weighing on your heart lately?
Yes, very much so but it’s much better! Our 15 year – old cat Katy is aging and we’ve noticed concerning changes. It appears that she’s lost muscle mass and 3 pounds since her last vet visit. I took her for a thorough physical check with a really nice young vet. She listened to my concerns, talked with me about possible causes and examined our beautiful baby with care. She decided to take blood tests and now we know that Katy has Hyperthyroidism. The odd coincidence is that I have thyroid issues too for Hypothyroidism and take meds for mine. She is taking meds twice a day and will go back soon for a kidney checkup.
When all was uncertain I worried for Katy and for my family. We have raised her with our boys, therefore she’s a huge part of their growing up experience. Our daughter in law and mother in law love her too. I don’t know how I’ll be when I lose my precious Katy but I know God will give me strength when I need it. She is doing well so I won’t worry about that now.
4. Do you have any trips planned for the future?
I don’t travel that much so when I plan on it, it’s very different and exciting! I just bought plane tickets for my mom and I to travel to Dallas, Texas for my nephews’ college graduation in the spring. We will spend four days and three nights with my brother David in the Oak Cliff community of the city.
I’ve been there once before about eight years ago when I went with my son Branden and my nephew Spencer. This photo is on the Southern Methodist University campus, where my brother David teaches History and is an assistant Dean of the Honors program. Left to right my nephew Spencer ( who will graduate college in May), my son Branden and my brother David.
Other future trips include some sort of get away for Tom and I for my 50th birthday in June. We also wish to visit our niece Jen in Montana sometime. We have a few travel trips to look forward to!
I hope you enjoyed some facts about me from the present and the past. I wish you all a blessed week with your family and friends.
I have to admit, fleeting summer has raced by and even though I’m not working at school it seems that I haven’t stayed in the moment. I’ve been “busy” with many things, one that my youngest son has rented an apartment in Cambridge and the other is getting married in three weeks. But what really is busy, is it a flimsy excuse to not slow down? ( this idea from my sister Barb and it’s so true).
A few days ago I had a conversation with my sister and her valuable advice stayed with me, something I really needed at the time. She told me to “live in the now, the present.” My “living in the now” consists of watching wildlife roam our backyard trails, listening to the melodies of local birds, watching the fierce acrobatic moves of hummingbirds and working my garden. The last few days I’ve been happier and more centered, all because of these important things. These things that are vital to me and my peace of mind!
Ella Kate and my older cat Katie
What better way of living in the moment than taking my niece Ella overnight. First we visited Grammy and Grandpa Doyle and had lunch with them. We were taken on a tour of his bountiful garden and were sent home with his raspberries and blueberries. Next we took Smokey for a walk and saw a black garter snake! Yikes…snakes and I don’t get along but thankfully he slithered away! Imagine Ella letting the leash go and Smokey running around while both of us screamed in terror. haha. Smokey is getting trained with the leash for he came right back to us.
Here’s my beautiful Smokey after his walk.
On Saturday we checked out my garden and saw how a few sunflowers have opened. Their rich red color will certainly match Lexy’s maroon and gray theme at my son’s wedding. If you don’t already know, I’m growing this patch for Lexy to use in the wedding in three weeks. I am pretty sure they will all be opened by then and I can’t wait to see what other colors they will be as it’s a Mexican mix of sunflowers.
Here I am with my flowers, something I may grow every year now!
After playing a two-day game of Monopoly and lathering in sunscreen in the sun, Ella’s mom and dad picked her up. We talked and laughed and saw a Monarch butterfly on one of my flowers. It’s these moments and memories that ground me, something I will need in the rush and planning of the next few weeks.
I do hope you can “Live in the now.”
Have no regrets.
Just peace and relaxation and absorb what is happening
Beans after, blossoming and soon we’ll have green beans!
It’s really coming along! After a month and a half of being in the soil, major changes are happening.My beans are flowering and reaching up. I intended to attach them to the garden fence but they’re not close enough. The row of green lettuce is ready to pick and neighboring baby spinach is as well. Herbs dot the garden here and there, sweet basil, oregano, cilantro, lemon thyme all contribute rich aromas in the aisle. My tomatoes are doing well and I actually have a few green ones growing here and there.
Left to right tomatoes, my carrots, beets, broccoli
Love the corn! It’s not as tall as I would like….but it’s coming.
I figured out a few years ago that eggplant likes to be dry. Whenever I watered it, it wouldn’t do as well. Now I’m watering it sparingly and it’s thriving. A blossom is growing too!
If you’ve followed my blog you know that I planted sunflowers for my son’s wedding. Here they are…reaching up and almost taller than I am! I do hope they’re ready in a month!
Purple Coneflowers, what beauties! Everyday I sit among these gems and have my lunch. I can’t imagine a better place in my yard to sit and enjoy the warm sun. My kitties talk to me through the screened window and I watch butterflies and bees dance around the blossoms.
Now you all know how my plants are doing. It’s very dry here in New Hampshire, even though we had a full day of rain the other day. It wasn’t enough. I’m getting pretty chummy with the garden hose but some days everything is okay and I can just weed.
How are your gardens doing where you are? What is your favorite plant? All my plants are my favorite, they are my peace and I’m beyond grateful for them all.
Greetings! I’m passionate about the natural world we inhabit; the written word; and photography. Oh, and I should mention – I’m an eternal optimist. My cup is always half full.
heartandsoul974 