Double Secret Surprise Time!

In a couple weeks my mom is turning 60.  Crazy, huh?!  And get this, my sis is turning 40 this December!  Where does the time go?  Anyways, my dad wanted to throw a surprise party for my mom.  But when he approached the topic with my sister and I, we practically simultaneously said "Hell, no!".  Well, it was two separate phone calls that he made, so it wasn't simultaneous...but it would have been if we were together!  See, while my dad or my sis would love to have a surprise party thrown for them, they're the social types, my mom and I are the exact opposite.  The thought of a surprise party makes us crawl in our skin a little...okay, a lot.  Ugh, just thinking about the idea of a surprise party is making my stomach do somersaults!  Anyway, needing an alternate plan, my sister and I put our heads together...a dangerous thing.  But in this case, an awesome one!  And what we came up with might be the most perfect (for my mom) secret surprise EVER!  And, as with most surprises, it all starts with lies...

A couple weeks ago I planted the seed that Antoine will be out of town this weekend, visiting his best friend in L.A. (Lie #1).  So I said I was thinking about coming up for the weekend with the Cheese-man (Lie #2) and visiting, using a chance to visit my grandparents as my main reason for coming (Half-lie #1 - I will be visiting my grandparents but obviously mom's bday surprise is the main reason I'm coming).  What mom won't find out until I park my car in their driveway tonight is that instead of bringing Cheese, I'll have my sister in tow (Surprise #1)!  And instead of spending the weekend laying around not doing anything, my sis and I plan to kidnap my mom and take her to Cleveland for a girls weekend (Surprise #2)!  We've booked a hotel for Saturday night, thanks to Antoine's generous donation of hotel reward points (Surprise #3)!  And on Saturday, after we have breakfast with my grandparents, we're meeting up with my hlp, Amanda (Surprise #4) and going to David's Bridal so I can try on wedding dresses (Surprise #5 - a biggie, since that's one of the wedding related things that matters most to my mom...and one wedding thing that doesn't exactly thrill me)!  Oh, yeah, and my sis and I did my wedding flower dry-run last night, so we'll be taking my mom a bouquet (Surprise #6)!  Here's a sneak peak of the bouquet we're giving her...

I gotta say, the dry run went very smoothly and didn't take long at all!  And, as I expected, it consisted mostly of a lot of sister chit-chat!  I'm really looking forward to doing the actual flower arranging the day of with my sis, mom and Amanda!

Ok, where was I?  Oh!  We're taking mom to to Melt Bar and Grilled (Surprise #7 - what what!!).  And we're taking her on a little birthday shopping spree (Surprise #8) and to Lucky's Cafe for breakfast on Sunday (Surprise #9)!  Her head might literally exploded from all the awesome surprise-fun this weekend!

It should be a blast!  Hope you all have a great weekend, even if it's not filled with double secret birthday surprise shenanigans!

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

I still have a million (ok, not quite) pictures left from the end of March when we went up to Cleveland to visit Amanda and Aaron.  I had already posted the pictures from our delicious brunch at Lucky's Cafe (YUM!), but I left out what we did after that.  All of us, being comepletly stuffed went back to Amanda and Aaron to rest for a bit.  Antoine and I took Cheese for a walk around their lovely neighborhood, and then we decided to check out the Rockefeller Park Conservatory.  But, on our way there, we spotted a sign for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  They're current exhibit was on Mythic Creatures, which intrigued Amanda and I.  And when Amanda and Antoine said they both had never been, it was pretty much decided that that's where we were going.

The Natural History Museum is one of the places in Cleveland that I have been to, many times.  When I was growing up Cleveland was the nearest large-ish city...so when my school had a field trip to the zoo or a museum, that's where we went.  You might remember my feelings about the Cincinnati Museum Center, how it was old, outdated and did nothing for me.  Well, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is definitely old and it doesn't stand up to Chicago's Field Museum or DC's Smithsonian...but I love it.  It ties me to my youth.  School field trips, weekend trips with my mom...just the two of us.  And you know what, it hasn't changed much at all since then, but I still love it.  So, here you go...

Oh yeah, one things Cincinnati Museum Center is definitely lacking...otters!  Cleveland's has an outdoor area with bird exhibits, deer, turkeys, and this guy.  So cute!

We spent nearly three hours there, exploring the museum and me taking pictures.  Prepare yourself for two more museum related photo-dumps to come.  I got a little picture happy...I'll blame it on the museum and all the good memories it brings up!

Painting Pottery

Another fun birthday festivity that took place, and I forgot to tell you about, was pottery painting.  Funke Fired Arts was running a Valentine's promotion at the time, where if you painted two of the same pieces the second one was half off.  Pretty sweet deal.  Plus it gave us an opportunity to check out their relatively new pottery painting section of their studio, called the Atrium.  When you walk in, it looks like most pottery painting places, an assortment of fired pottery to paint and a variety of glazes.  However, they also have a huge water feature sitting in the back of the room (?), idea books filled with instructions on how to create different effects, many of there pottery pieces are very quirky and fun (even A and I had a hard time choosing what we wanted to paint because there were so many we liked) and wide variety of stencils, sponges, fabrics, etc. to create textures and designs on your piece.  They gave us a brief run through and then let us go for it.  Basically, you pick what you want to paint, fill out a form describing that and providing all your info so they can call you when it's ready to be picked up and then you're off.  There's no time limited and no charge for firing.  So, if you want to spend all day working on a light switch cover...you can, and you just have to pay the price listed on the back of that piece. 

Antoine and I decided to take advantage of the promotion and each painted an oversized mug.  Perfect for cereal or soup...or a gigantic cup of coffee!

They had decorated the studio with paper hearts for Valentine's day.  It was really quite adorable.

Antoine decided to try something different with his piece and use some fishnet type fabric to create texture.  We both really liked how it turned out.

 Antoine and I both had a great time, and we're already talking about going back soon.  Another nice thing about the Atrium is they let you bring in snacks and drinks, so it'd make a great date night or girls night.  And it's perfect for kids.  Since we went in the beginning of February and it is in an atrium, it was a bit nippy in there, so I suggest wearing layers!  They fire the pottery depending on how many pieces they have, and we were luckily that they were firing a batch that day (Saturday), so on Monday I got the call to pick our stuff up.  And since it was around Valentine's day, they wrapped them in red tissue paper and put them in a Funke Fired paper handle bag for us...a nice touch.  Everyone was super friendly, and I couldn't recommend it more!

Senate

My birthday (you know, that thing that happened a month ago but I was too sick to post about it until now) fell on a Thursday this year, which meant no celebrating day of with Antoine since he was still in Phoenix.  Bummer.  But no worries, this lady didn't spend her birthday sitting at home in her pjs!  Nope, my sis and brother-in-law came to the rescue and took me out to dinner.  We decided to go to one of the new-ish places downtown that was on my list to try (you may remember #9 from my list of 27 things before 28).  I decided to go with the Senate, known for their gourmet hot dogs and duck fat fries.

Now, the Senate is one of the several trendy restaurants that have popped up on Vine St (in OTR) over the last couple years.  I've always heard really good things about it and the other surrounding restaurants (A Tavola, Taste of Belgium, etc.), but I've always worried about going.  Trendy restaurants like that have a habit of being a little intimidating to types like me, making me feel out of place, like I'm not cool enough to be there. Like I'm back in school and I'm trying to sit at the "cool table" while wearing my marching band uniform (I wasn't actually in band, just choir).  But you know, I had absolutely no reason to stress!  The second we walked in, the very friendly manager/host welcomed us and was very accommodating even though there were no tables available.  We opted to sit at the bar, and the bartenders couldn't have been nicer.  And the food, well, let's get to that...

Christian opted for some duck fat fries to start.  They were quite tasty, but not as tasty as the poutine...

The poutine.  Umm, yeah, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.  It was so very delicious!  I think I made an "mmm" sound every time I took a bite!

We all decided to go for a hot dog.

Michelle went for the Trailer Park, a hot dog wrapped in bacon, topped with american cheese, coleslaw and crushed Grippo' s BBQ chips.

I think Christian had the hot dog of the day, but unfortunately I can't remember what it was.

I got the Lindsay Lohan, yeah, that's what it's called.  An all beef hot dog with goat cheese, caramelized onions and mixed greens tossed in balsamic.  I can't say YUM loud enough.  It was insanely good and insanely messy.  When I go back I'm going to have a hard time getting something besides the poutine and the Lindsay Lohan.

Even though Michelle and I were incredibly full, we thought we really should get a dessert...since it was my birthday and all!   We chose the chocolate and bourbon bread pudding, on the recommendation of one of the bartenders.  It was super rich, almost too rich.  But it was warm and drizzled with caramel sauce, so I was a happy lady in the end.

A special thanks to my awesome sister and brother-in-law for a great birthday dinner.  They're the best!

On the Verge

My birthday was last week, and for my birthday Antoine got me a variety of goodies...a new lens for my camera, Phoenix socks (with howling wolves on them) and, in Antoine's true giving fashion, his cold.  I started to feel that oh-so-familiar sick feeling yesterday.  You know how you can taste that sick taste in your mouth before you actually get a cold!?  Yeah, that.  But I can't hate on Antoine too much, he did make me a huge pot of soup last night to sustain me throughout the week while he was in Phoenix.  Onion soup, yum!  And today I don't feel completely miserable...not completely.  Although, I have this sneaking suspicion that come tomorrow I will be flailing around in the uncomfortable world of death popsicleness.  Come on, you know it...where you can't breathe, it hurts to move your head, and everything tastes like kleenex.  Yep, that's what I call being a death popsicle.  So, unless by some miracle the vitamin C I've been popping like they're candy cures me, I fully expect to make a trip to the doctor for some antibiotics and spend the entire day laying on the couch, drinking fluids and expelling phlegm. 

Stay tuned though, once I'm feeling slightly normal again I've got some exciting posts to share with you all!  Until, I cough and hack up crap in your general direction.  Good day!

27 Things Before 28

Psst.  Guess what...  Today is my birthday!  Happy birthday to me!  Sadly, in order for me to have a day off with Antoine (who doesn't get into town until tomorrow morning) I'm actually working today.  Boo.  But, I've got dinner plans tonight with my sis and brother-in-law, which I'm really psyched about!  And today I have a little something special planned for my post...a birthday list.

A couple months ago I stumbled across a blog called A Beautiful Mess and while I was perusing the various posts I came across a birthday list.  The idea was that you'd create a list of goals that you want to accomplish before your next birthday.  Now, I'm not one for finishing things (we all know that by now), but I was immediately drawn to the idea.  Kind of like a life list, but a little more specific and not as grand.  So, I started writing down goals and projects that I'd like to finish by the time my next birthday rolls around (a year from now).  I didn't want to go too crazy with the list, I wanted it to be full of very attainable things, things I could realistically make happen in the coming year.  So here you have it, my list of 27 things I want to do before my 28th birthday...

1.)  Read Jane Eyre:  I am notoriously a Jane Austen hater, and for years I scoffed at Jane Eyre as something very Austen-y (I have a bad habit of stereotyping all female writers from that era because I despise Jane Austen so very much).  Then last year, when the Mia Wasikowska version of Jane Eyre was released and I saw the trailer for it, I was like "WTF!?  That actually looks good!"  But I knew before I could see the film I'd have to read the book, so that's #1 on my reading list.

2.)  Go to Midpoint Music Festival:  Midpoint is a local three-day music festival that takes place downtown.  For the last 3 or 4 years my sister has been begging me to go with all her friends.  But I was always either a slave to my Sbux schedule or busy.  But this year, I am free from Sbux and I desperately want to go.

3.)  Romantic cabin weekend with Antoine:  Antoine and I are in need of a weekend away together.  And since we didn't have my family's annual cabin weekend last November, I'm craving some good, relaxing cabin time.

4.)  Start jogging:  I need to get out and get moving, it's so easy to stay at home and cuddle up with the Cheese-man in the evening.  But when daylight savings time rolls around and it's actually light outside when I get home I am going to start jogging.  Period.

5.)  Make at least 4 LP books for Etsy:  A couple months ago I bought a stack of old records to use as covers for books, but I haven't gotten around to actually making them...so that needs to happen.

6.)  Finally watch Casa Blanca and Citizen Kane:  Though I consider myself a bit of a film buff, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I've never seen either of these classics.  So, I hope to finally remedy that this year.  I plan on watching Casa Blanca with my hlp, Amanda, and watching Citizen Kane with Antoine.

7.)  Go camping with Amanda and her boyfriend, Aaron:  Antoine and I have been camping several times now, and I love it!  Especially since we can take Cheese with us.  And since my Amanda and Aaron have both never been camping before, it has become my personal mission to introduce it to them.

 8.)  Make rainbow cupcakes:  Ever since I saw Kaylah's Colorful Cupcakes tutorial I've been dying to make some of these vibrant cupcakes!

9.)  Go canoeing:  For a while there, going canoeing was a summer staple for me, my sister and a bunch of friends.  But over the last couple years either my sister or I have been too busy to organize a day of canoeing, so we haven't done it.  And I miss it.  So it needs to happen this year, I just hope I don't get sun poisoning again!

10.)  Visit Cuyahoga Valley National Park:  The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the only National Park in the state of Ohio.  And it happens to be 4 hours from Cincinnati and only 20 minutes from where Amanda lives....and I've never been!  WTF?!

11.)  Learn to shoot photos manually:  I'm ashamed to admit it, but since I got my DSLR I've been coasting along taking most of my pictures on automatic.  Sad but true.  Sometimes I will switch my lens to the manual mode, but I desperately want to stop being so lazy and learn how to take pictures manually.  This will involve me reading my camera's instruction manual, something I do not enjoy doing.  Instruction manuals and I don't usually get along, I tend to ignore them completely.

12.)  Embroider/needlepoint something:  A couple months ago my grandparents were cleaning some stuff out of their house and my grandpa gave me a bunch of his old needlepoint floss.  My grandpa has been cross stitching for as long as I can remember, and he's the one who taught me to cross stitch when I was young.  So I want to pick it back up.  I've got a little project in mind already.

13.)  Gather, scan, and print family photos:  Our house is severely lacking in old family photos.  A couple weekends ago I finally hung a picture of my dad and aunt when they visited Mexico in their twenties.  It felt good to hang it and made me wish I had more families to hang.

14.)  Make a miniature book:  I've been wanting to make a miniature book for a while now, but now I have a little project in mind.

15.)  Make blueberry jam from scratch:  Blueberry picking in July has become a summer tradition for me and this past summer my sister and I said that this year we should make jam.  When I was growing up on the farm my mom canned vegetables, made her own grape juice and whipped up batches of apple sauce like nobody's business.  She would also make the best blueberry jam.  So, that's our goal this year, when blueberry picking rolls around, to recreate my mom's stellar blueberry jam.  Yum!

16.)  Have another drunken, long-distance tweeting party:  You may remember months and months ago Antoine and I had a drunken tweeting party, complete with Commando themed drinking game, with my hlp who lives in Cleveland.  As insane as it was, it was also a blast!  This time, no shots of vodka though!

17.)  Make most of the Xmas gifts I give this year:  The reasoning behind this is part frugality and part craftiness.  I always feel like I spend way too much during the holiday season, but I also loved making an abundance of scarves this year and giving them out as gifts to my loved ones!  This year I'd like to branch out and try to make other things besides scarves and cookies!  It should be fun.

18.)  Get a pedicure this summer:  Now I don't claim to be a girly-girl.  I never wear skirts and I only rarely put on a dress or even dress pants.  I'm a t-shirt and jeans kind of lady.  But I like painting my nails and toenails, and while I'm extremely ticklish, I find a certain joy in getting a pedicure in the summer time when my feet are screaming for some tlc.  But pedicures aren't cheap, and while I'm okay with occasionally buying myself a top or a pair of jeans, a pedicure is completely frivolous and something I couldn't justify spending money on the past few summers.  So, I think I'm due for one!

19.)  Try 5 new (or new to me) Cincinnati restaurants:  Many new and interesting Cincinnati restaurants have opened up in the last couple years.  And while we've been to a couple of them, there's so many I'm dying to go to; including the Senate, A Tavola, Taste of Belgium, etc.

20.)  Have an unplugged day with Antoine:  That means no electronics, no tv, and no smart phones.  Sometimes we are so fixated on our phones or the tv that it's easy to forget about each other, you know, the person we're sitting right next to.

21.)  Learn to French braid:  Growing up my mom didn't know how to french braid.  No one in my family really knew how to french braid.  I had to go to school and con one of my friends into braiding my hair.  So I never learned, but I always wanted do.  And that's where you tube tutorial videos are going to come in handy.

22.)  Buy yarn from a fancy yarn store:  There's a couple of really fancy, local yarn stores in Cincinnati and every time I pass one of them I have this huge urge to go in to oogle at and feel all of the gorgeous yarn.  But every time that thought crosses my mind it is immediately followed by the thought, "No, that yarn is too fancy for you!  You are not worthy of that yarn.  You must buy your yarn from Michaels, where the normal yarn is sold."  Dammit, I'm buying myself some pretty yarn this year!  And maybe I'll go completely crazy and make something for myself with it!

23.)  Blow dry my hair less:  My goal is to blow dry my hair only 4 or 5 times a week; not only for the health of my hair but to force myself to do more interesting/creative/girly things with my hair as it grows.

24.)  Go to the "World's Longest Yard Sale":  The Highway 127 Corridor Sale is billed as the "World's Longest Yard Sale", running from Michigan to Alabama.  And it happens to run right through Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky!  Yet, I've never been.  So this year my sister, Antoine and I have made a pact to go and check it out, August 2nd-5th.

25.)  Learn to make latte art:  You know those flowers and hearts that some baristas make in the foam of a latte, just by free pouring the milk and foam into espresso!?  Yeah, I'm jealous and I've always wanted to try it but never have!

26.)  Plant a better garden:  I feel like Antoine and I did a fairly decent job planting our veggie garden last year, but there were several things that I'd like to tweak for this year.  For instance, the type of tomatoes and lettuce that we planted didn't really work for what we wanted to use them for.  And we planted more banana peppers than we knew what to do with, so maybe I'll try canning and freezing things this year.

27.)  Hang more of our Rob Jones prints/posters:  When Antoine and I moved in together he brought with him an array of Rob Jones (mainly known for his work on White Stripes and Raconteurs poster art and videos) posters, which I welcomed with open arms.  Over the years we've been slowly framing and hanging up some of the prints and posters, but there are still so many that remain unframed sitting in the guest room.  I'd like to remedy that this year and find happy homes on our walls for a number of them.

"I Made a Difference, So Can You"

Today's election is particularly important to me.  Important enough to make me wake up an hour early, drive down to the rec center (which I've never been to) and vote all by myself.  I know that seems like no big deal to you, but to me and my anti-social anxious side, it is.  In prior elections I've always had a voting buddy, either my HLP or Antoine.  But since Antoine's in Chicago and Amanda is in Cleveland, this year I flew solo.  But this election was more than just about about voting without a buddy, it also marked some other big steps in my journey as a voter.   See, every other election I've ever voted in was a presidential election...the big stuff (or so I thought).  And in the past I've never been one to research issues or candidates at all really.  In fact, in all prior elections, my ballot has been nearly empty.  Sad and embarrassing, I know!

So what changed, you might ask?  What made this election different?  Issue 2.  Issue 2 lit a fire under my ass and motivated me.  Issue 2 has been the first thing on a ballot to directly affect me.  Sure, whoever becomes president/congressmen/senator/mayor/etc does affect me, but not in the real, direct, immediate way that Issue 2 does.  See, I'm part of a union, as are many many people at the university and many people in Ohio for that matter, including police officers, firefighters, steel workers, etc.  And for us, Issue 2 (aka Senate Bill 5) is poison.  In fact, my contract has been put on hold for months now because of it, thus holding up my measly little cost of living increase that I get every year (and look forward to) and threatening my relatively cheap and quality healthcare.  This is the way I look at it, as a state employee I make less than someone who does my exact job but works in the private sector (I'm talking at least $2-$3 less an hour) and so my excellent healthcare is the main draw to my job, it's what makes my job worth it (besides the fact that I love my job).  It balances out my pay with my expenses/bills/loans.  My inexpensive healthcare pretty much allows me to do the job I love and pay my massive student loans while also allowing me to have enough left over for things like food, heat, electricity, etc.   {P.S. those campaign commercials that are pro-Issue 2 and say that WE are taking advantage and raking in the money at your expense are a LOAD OF CRAP.  Exhibit A: my car...a 1993 Toyota Camry that is literally sounds like a jet.  Yeah, I think if I were taking advantage of the state and other Ohioans I would at least buy myself a new car.  Just sayin'!}

So, yeah, that's why I voted this morning.  Having an issue on the ballot that so directly affects me has been an inspiring thing!  It has motivated me to actively research the other issues on the ballot this year (and make a post-it note full of no's and yes' next to all the issue numbers...yeah, I did that!); a first for me.  And I feel great that I did it!  It felt awesome to turn in that ballot this morning knowing that most of it was filled out...not with random guesses, but educated and firm decisions.  It felt like I was voting for the first time.

 Yay voting!!

My post voting celebration coffee (I might have been a little overzealous in my waking up early to vote and had way too much time to spare before work!  But I got coffee, so it's okay!!)

Remember to get out there today and vote!  And for all you Ohioans, I wholeheartedly encourage you to vote NO on Issue 2!

A Cheesy Flashback

 For your Friday enjoyment here's some vintage pictures of Cheese from the first couple months after we got him.  I can't believe it was over a year ago now when we spontaneous decided to check out this basset hound puppy for sale in Chillicothe.  But even more remarkable is the fact that he was once this tiny!  Oh, baby Cheese-man...you melt my heart parts.

courtesy of Christian 

 

Sorry, for some reason I can't flip this.  You'll have to crane your neck.  But it's cute, I couldn't leave it out!

 As you can tell, he slept A LOT in that first month or so.

 

 Happy Friday all!  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Memory Attack!

At one point over the weekend, while at a family reunion at the uncle's house, I found myself sitting in the dining room with my mom and my aunt looking out the sliding doors to my grandma on the porch.  I began reminiscing about the summers I spent at my grandparent's house when I was little.  This is something I find myself doing more frequently these days, as it is summer and my grandparents are now approaching their 90s.  It's these memories that stick with me more than any others I possess.  Many of them are among my sharpest, clearest memories I have of my childhood.  For someone, like myself, who has a horrible memory that means quite a bit.

Every single memory, every pleasant, nostalgic feeling warms my heart beyond compare.  They transport me to a time that shaped who I am and what I love today.

Swimming in the pool next to the pavilion with a blue plastic diamond at its peak, with my grandma watching over me.  In the kitchen, perched on the little faux leather stool with the old homemade teddy bear in hand, making fake phone calls from an antique phone mounted on the wall for decoration.  Nestled under the wood dining table with an ornately carved center pedestal playing with dolls and mimicking the recent Gilligan's Island episode I had watched.  Learning to paint seagulls with watercolors under the guidance of my grandma.  Closely watching my grandpa cross stitch.  The gaudy brown sofa with giant flowers that felt like sandpaper when you sat on it.  Carefully placing a coaster on top of the glass of iced tea I had put in the mailbox for grandpa (while he mowed the yard), so that bees wouldn't fly into it.  Making grilled cheese sandwiches, with garlic powder sprinkled on the butter, for lunch with grandma.  Watching Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C./MASH/Days of Our Lives/Price Is Right/Gilligan's Island/Beverly Hillbillies/I Love Lucy/The Andy Griffith Show/Bob Newhart/The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross.  The soft light creeping in through the windows of my grandparents mobile home, making it feel shaded, cool and safe.

I will be deeply sad when that place is no longer there for me to visit many years from now.  When those faces are gone.  But those memories, I will hold them close and tight for as long as I possibly can.

The Things They Don't Tell You...

 Missy checking out Cheese just after we got him.

When you're little your parents tell you all kinds of stuff to try to prepare you for life as an adult.  They tell you about money, paying bills, getting a real job, falling in love, buying a house, etc.  They give you responsibilities in your young life to prepare you for the responsibilities you will have as an adult.  They will allow you to get a pet, but will emphasize that you have to clean it's litterbox or let it outside or clean it's hooves (I had a horse growing up...that's kind of normal when you live on a farm).  But when said animal gets sick or something happens to it, usually that's when the kids responsibilities come to an end.  If an animal needs to go to the vet because it is sick or injured, the parent takes them.  They pay for the vet bill.  They make the tough decisions (to treat or to euthanize).  And then if things go wrong, if that pet dies, the kid might be allowed to say goodbye, but the responsibility usually ends there.  Parents generally attempt to shield their children from unnecessary hurt and pain, and rightly so.  It's the parent who goes to the vet and watches as the animal drifts into unconsciousness.  It is the parent who then decides whether to cremate or bury.  And if they choose to bury the animal, it is the parent who digs the hole and lays the animal to rest.

What parents don't tell you though, is that someday you'll have to do that.  It seems obvious, right?  If you have a pet then you have to deal with all the responsibilities of having said pet.  But there are those things, those dark, scary things that you were once shielded from that you will also have to face whether you like it or not!  And as silly as it sounds I just came to realize this fact!  Missy's illness and passing has made me all to aware of this.  Although I have always considered myself a very independent and responsible person/adult, I guess there are still a couple of responsibilities that I've never had to face before and that come as quite a shock.  I guess becoming an adult is kind of like an evolution, it happens slowly and just when you think you have everything figured out something has to go and change. 

Friday we buried Missy.  We picked her body up from the vet (probably the toughest part), took her home, dug a hole in the backyard, and said goodbye.  We planted some red tulips on her grave, and when they bloom in the coming weeks they will be a constant reminder of the joy and sweetness she brought to Antoine and to our home.

Farewell Furry Friend

 Yesterday was a tough day.  The vet called us on the way back home from picking Antoine up at the airport and told us that they were going to have to put down our cat Missy.  She had been sick for sometime I guess, but cats have a way of masking that they aren't feeling well and it wasn't until last week that we new something was up.  It turned out to be a severe kidney infection, kidney failure and possibly more.  Wednesday the vet took her in for observation, to try to hydrate her and get rid of the kidney infection so they could see what else was going on.  But she refused to eat and continued to be very dehydrated, and then sometime yesterday she had a stroke.

When I stopped into the vet's office to visit her yesterday before heading off to the airport she was only a shell of her former self.  It was so sad to see her so weak and miserable.  That wasn't the Missy I knew.  Missy was always kind of a strange cat, strange in the way she sounded and looked.  Always a bit scraggly, we affectionately called her our junkyard cat because she looked a little rough around the edges!  Sometimes she'd get these knots in her fur (because her hair was really fine) so we'd have to shave her around her neck.  Then she'd have these big patches of fur missing where we had shaved out knots, making it look like she had just been in some sort of feline brawl.  Then there was her meow.  When she meowed she always sounded like she was pissed off, it was deep and almost like a growl.  But that was just her meow, that's the way she sounded all the time, whether she was happy or not!

 She was just a sweet little girl, so petite and agile!  Here she is in the kitchen, begging for a piece of the chicken breast I was cutting up at the time. 

 

Even though she was small she was also the most fearless of all our cats!  When we first got Cheese, Gui and Buddy hid in the basement for days (like the big cowards that they are), but not Missy!  She stood her ground, observing this strange little puppy, and when need be giving him a little swat on the nose for getting too close!

 Like all of our cats, one of Missy's absolute favorite things were Spring and Summer days when we'd open up the windows and she could look out onto our street and enjoy the breeze.

She liked to keep to herself and spent most of her days curled up in a ball napping away on the bed.

Tonight will be another rough night as well.  After work we are picking up Missy from the vet so we can bury her.  I think it'll be nice to bury her in the backyard, to know where she is and look upon that spot and think of her, her strange meow, and her sweet, fearless demeanor.  It is always so tough losing a pet.  And I feel so bad for Antoine, who has had her since she was a kitten.  This is the first pet he has ever had to say goodbye to, and I know that he feels helpless and so very sad right now.  But I am glad that he can remember her as she was, happy, kneading his chest before it was time to go to sleep (the only time she wanted affection was just before you went to bed).  

Goodbye Missy, we will miss you!

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you weirdos, but I'm so glad it's Friday!  It's been a long week and I'm ready to spend some quality time with Antoine and enjoy this lovely weather.  Tomorrow I also get the rare treat of working with my sis at her tea house (and get paid for doing it!)  I haven't helped out in ages, but it used to be a regular thing when I was in college.  Did I mention my sister has a super fantastic tea house with a plethora of delicious teas and tasty treats that she whips up herself!?  Oh, I didn't?  Well, now you know.

Anyway, last Saturday was also a blast!  Antoine and I went to Indy for the day!  We went to hang out with these freaks... 

[who I happen to adore!]

...for Amanda's birthday!  First on the agenda, after the gift giving, was a trip to the IMA sculpture gardens.  It was nice and sunny out (although a bit chilly) and spring flowers were starting to pop up all over the place.  You know me, I love a good flower/nature picture...I'm lame like that.  

 

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a fantastic Friday!  See you next week!