Holiday Love

Good morning!

First of all, I would like to thank my readers, friends and family for joining me on my blogging journey with Blogger this year!  I've enjoyed my time in my new blogging home and the 852 page views are awesome!  It has been quite a good year for my children and I and we are thankful!  I am thankful for you, as well :)

I wish you and yours a beautiful, safe Holiday season and all the best for the New Year!

My friend Ruth has invited me to a Christmas party tonight, the first of the Holiday season for me, and I'm excited.  I haven't seen the hosts for quite a while and they are a fun bunch - a young, fun bunch :)  I'm finally feeling the Christmas spirit!  I need to pack today, so that I'll be ready for my trip to Northern Virginia to see my kids...I might be a bit tired from the night before!

Tomorrow morning, I take the train to DC and will Metro to my daughter's house to help her get ready for our family Christmas dinner.  I'm excited to see my kids and family!  I'm not really ready, but will have a day to buy last minute gifts in the DC area.  If I can't find great gifts in the malls of Northern Virginia, they just don't exist :)

I leave my Pug, Ozzy and my kitten, Pierre in my pet sitter, Junior's good hands with a new ceramic heater for the kitchen which doesn't ever seem to be warm enough.  I will miss them!  I'm off to share the Holidays and make new memories with my human kids now and leave my furry kids behind :)

My thoughts and prayers are also with those who find themselves alone during this Holiday season, with those who are hurting, and with the Sandy Hook families who face a Christmas without their precious children and family members. I also pray for the military members who can't be with their families, the elderly and with those who are in hospitals, unable to get home.  I pray for those in hospice and in shelters.

God bless and keep you all.

Peace and Holiday love to you,

Ellie

Furry Blessings

Good morning to you!

You know how people say that having a pet can change your life?  It's true.  A pet can add much joy, love and comfort to you and only a pet can give you unconditional love. I am a huge animal lover and can't see myself living without pets.  

As a kid, we had a Papillion named Monster (he was feisty!) and a laid back Westie named Ricky who loved to dig much to my parent's dismay.  As a parent, I made sure my kids had lots of animals in the house.  Over the years, we eventually owned four Cocker Spaniels, four cats, a cheeky parakeet named Juju, many fish,  two small lizards and one turtle who loved my ex-husband.  I swear that turtle sat on his rock all day long and when my then-husband bent over the aquarium, that turtle did a jig.  I've never seen anything like it :)

All but one Cocker were rescues and so were two of our cats.  I even kept a small aquarium on our front porch so that my kids and their friends could keep minnows and pond critters from their adventures near the creek in the common area.  Our house was animal central and I didn't have a problem with it.  I felt, "what's one more?"

When my kids were in university, the last two Cockers passed away and when they moved away after college, our two Birman cats, Zach and Mia passed away.  I've been present at all their passings which is traumatic and sad.  I cried and cried to lose my precious babies.

Three years later, Ozzy, a three-year old Pug, adopted me at my local Petsmart and he's my bud!  I take Ozzy to the river and to visit friends who are pet friendly.  He's a great dog and when I wanted another Pug as I loved the breed so much, Lulu entered our lives.  A rescue Pug from South Carolina who grew up on the streets, literally.  She lasted a year with me.  The first dog I've ever "given up on".  Lulu was a sweet girl, but she was also a tough cookie.  Lulu didn't adjust to living with another dog, she wanted to be top dog and Ozzy wasn't having it.  My friend and her daughter now have Lulu and I'm happy that she found a good home. She is top dog at their house!

A year after moving to West Virginia, quite by accident, I met Pierre at our local Humane Society.  Love at first sight :)  He was ten weeks old when I brought him home and Ozzy accepted him immediately.  They are quite the pair and I love watching them play and horse around.  Our new family was complete and I also found a great pet sitter as I love to travel.  Life is good!

This morning, I'm looking into installing a surveillance camera in my kitchen.  Yes, you read right.  The peaceful home Ozzy and I shared is...less than peaceful.  Cats will rearrange your life, force you to rearrange furniture and knick knacks, and remind you to shut doors you previously left open!

I need to see what Pierre (kitten) and Ozzy (Pug) get into while I'm sleeping.  Well, I actually know what they get into while I'm sleeping because the evidence is usually strewn on the kitchen floor.  All over the kitchen floor.  I want to SEE how these capers happen.

Last week, I bought a large box of Rice Krispies because I was craving a big bowl of cereal and at five dollars a box, that's an expensive treat!  I had two bowls the night before and I left the box on the counter.  In the morning, the entire box of cereal was all over the kitchen floor!  This morning, I woke up to a brand new package of napkins, shredded all over the kitchen floor and Pierre has managed to figure out how to open the bottom drawer of my stove!  How does he do it?!

Ozzy never got into anything.  He never got into the trash, into shopping bags, my purse nor did I have to keep the toilet paper roll in a closed basket.  I could leave jewelry lying on my dresser, my placemats on the kitchen table and spare change in a bowl.  Not now.  Pierre is one busy kitten at night and his accomplice Ozzy is right behind him...when the object(s) reach the floor.  I can't leave my coffee or tea unmanned, don't dare have lit candles in the house, have removed objects I don't want broken and I've lost more pens and pencils than I can shake a stick at.  Batteries, Chap Sticks and lighters, too!  God forbid I should leave my laptop open...sheesh.

Pierre has been the impetus to redecorate my house for the Holidays.  Christmas cards are now taped to a mirror, I have no ornaments on my tree (only lights) and the dining table is sans Holiday tablecloth.  I wouldn't dream of wasting money on a Holiday bouquet or flower arrangement and poinsettias are poisonous for animals!  Did my other cats do these things or was I so busy with kids and other animals to notice?  Did I have more energy and less stuff?  Have I grown so stuck in my ways that I didn't notice?

The only change I've had to make with Ozzy since Pierre came to live with us is that the litter box now sits on my dryer and it's permanent...I'll let you figure that one out!

I'm constantly trying to stay one step ahead of Pierre, but when that kitten lays on my lap and purrs, I'm putty in his hands. When Ozzy joins us on the couch and snores lightly beside me, that's pure heaven.  When I need a hug, a kiss and someone to baby, they're right there with me.  What're ya gonna do?  Gotta love animals :)

Peace and love,
Ellie

Going With the Holiday Flow

Hi all!

Christmas Day is eight days away and I'm finding it difficult to focus on my novel this week.  Who am I kidding?  I found it difficult to edit last week, as well.  A couple of days of good work a week and other days of...distractions.  That equals two and a half weeks of distractions.  Is this happening to you?  Maybe I should have taken December off, thereby reducing the guilts!

Okay, I did have a week vacation with my friends and family in Puerto Rico which I enjoyed immensely.  I rested the week following my vacation and got my house in order.  I even found time to paint my front door glossy black (after pinning dozens of black doors on Pinterest this fall) and I decorated the outside of my house for the Holidays.  I visited with a sick friend, had coffee with two neighbors and caught up with girlfriends and family by email and telephone.  Yesterday, I gave my neighbor and her family a little tree because I know they are hurting this year and last night, I had dinner with a new friend - our second date.  Distractions?  Yes!

My writing rhythm is shot.  I was doing so well at the beginning of the month and had made great headway with my novel and then, the Holiday pressures were on.  I suppose I put those pressures on myself, but they're valid distractions this time of year.  I have ecards to put together, gifts to buy, a train ticket to Virginia to purchase, and friends I'd love to get together with.  Not to mention, my bedroom looks like a hurricane passed through.

I have kept up with my blog, however.  Bite-size pieces of writing.  I suppose the fact that I'm writing is a good thing.  My mind is jumping around and my heart is already in Northern Virginia with my kids and family.  I can't wait to seem them all!

How do people write, publish and market books while working full-time, part-time and raise kids, I wonder?  Am I that disorganized?  I don't work outside the home, I should be able to do all this with my eyes closed, right?  Priorities, I know.  I know the drill, but there's something major to be said about being present.  I don't know how many Holidays I'll have with both my kids and family; none of us do.

So, I've decided to enjoy my family and friends this Holiday season and when I return, I'm turning off the phone, not answering emails and I won't put the TV on!  That's it.  I'm not wasting time mind you, I'm simply going with the Holiday flow and choose not to feel guilty about it.

Guilt, worry, and anxiety are wasted emotions.  I choose to put all my energy into enjoying my family and friends this Holiday season.  For me, that is what is important - being present and enjoying the gifts that my family and friends are.  True blessings.

Peace, blessings, and love to you.
Ellie

Making Sense of a Senseless Act

Good morning,

Yesterday, I didn't turn on the television until late afternoon after being glued to CNN on Friday after I came back from running a few errands.  I was at the laundromat washing my couch slip cover and cushion covers when the woman next to me put her hands over her mouth and muffled, "Oh, my God."  Of course, the women closest to her, including me looked at her to see what was the matter and she pointed at the television set.  I remember the time was nearly eleven o'clock.  I made a mental note that I'd forgotten to add fabric softener to the industrial machine, but couldn't stay away from the television.  Not much was known at that point.

The three women and myself at the laundromat wrestled to process and fathom how a human being could take the lives of children, any one really, but especially children.  Through our brief conversations, we found out that we were all mothers and two were grandmothers. We had tears in our eyes and the eldest woman turned away, she couldn't watch anymore.  She reminded me of my grandmother and how she flew back to Puerto Rico when it was clear that my mother was dying in the hospital.  That stunned me, but I also understood what my grandmother was saying, she couldn't buy another daughter.  I was a mother, I understood, but would be lying if I said that I didn't want her with me during that horrible time.  I couldn't judge her.  I hadn't walked in her shoes.  Maybe the older woman at the laundromat had lost children and grandchildren, as well?

I gathered my laundry, said prayers on my drive home, and immediately turned on the television.  As the night progressed, I became annoyed and surprised that parents would allow their children, students at Sandy Hook to be interviewed instead of rushing home and circling the wagons in safety.  I caught my annoyance and reprimanded myself.  I didn't know the circumstances, the parent did what he or she thought was right. Not the time or place to judge, I thought.  She knows her child. Maybe her child needs to speak to process and heal?

Anderson Cooper was on and he said that the station had decided not to mention the shooter's name any more than necessary.  I agreed with that.  Then, the gun lobbyists and anti-gun folks came on the air, arguing back and forth.  President Obama spoke and spoke about "meaningful" changes that had to be made.  I agree with that.

After awhile, I decided to check Facebook and friends and family were posting status updates on gun control, Autism, sharing prayer requests and news links as more information became available.  I shared a prayer for the children, their families and for the staff of Sandy Hook.  I understood people's anger and frustration about guns getting into the wrong hands, but I felt that maybe it wasn't the time to argue about guns.  Twenty precious children and six staff of Sandy Hook had been gunned down.  But, then I thought...if not now, when?

Were we being disrespectful by talking about guns, mental illness, the shooter and his family and not focusing on the issue at hand - the death of innocent children and adults?  I could understand people's anger and frustration, I was angry and frustrated, as well.  How could this happen?

I believe most people want to do the right thing in difficult situations, but we can only express what we express because of our life's experiences.  Who's to say what's right, appropriate and sensitive?  We all process information and grieve in myriad ways.  Who's to say what's right and what's wrong in any given situation?  It's human nature to judge other's actions, thoughts and beliefs and I believe most people want to do the right thing.

"She shouldn't have said that!"  "Why did he do that?"  We try to make sense of other's actions and without all the facts, we'll probably miss the mark.  We may never know why that young man did what he did.  Some people blamed the press, his mother, others blamed our society, many blamed guns, a few said our President wasn't really crying, only looking for sympathy votes.  A few said they were appalled and outraged that people were posting updates on Facebook yet they themselves had just posted on Facebook.

We are all trying to make sense of a senseless act - in our own way.  With the life experiences we'd had.  We all filter life and what life throws us through our own lenses.  I finally posted something that has bothered me since 2010 - how children fall through the cracks in our schools in this country.  How bullying can affect some children.  How children can check out of residential treatment centers at 18 years of age in Maryland with severe behavioral, emotional, and mental issues.  I could put two and two together because I'd seen it; I worked in one such center.  I took it even further - what if these children couldn't afford the meds they really need and got a hold of a gun?  It made sense to me.

Another person could read my status update and think, "How could she post that?"  "How insensitive in light of what just happened!"  Well, if you've never worked in a residential treatment center, you might not have share my opinion.  It won't make sense to you.  I thought of parents with children with emotional issues, mental issues.  Their views would be completely different than my own.  Perhaps, a parent saved his family because he had a gun when an intruder entered their family home.  The world looks completely different from where we stand.

We're grieving those senseless and brutal deaths. The more information that comes forth, the more vivid my mental images are - of their last moments, their last breaths.  As a parent, it's unfathomable to me.  The parents and family's grief isn't anything I can ever know as I've never lost a child.

People immediately had negative comments about Emilie's father on the news last night speaking about his beautiful six year old daughter.  Who are they to judge?  We all grieve in many different ways.  He's doing what he feels he needs to do.  Full stop.

Is there a right and a wrong way to grieve and process information?  Not in my book.  We're all doing what we can in our own way with life has given us.

Peace and love,
Ellie

Thoughts and Prayers

My thoughts and prayers are with the precious babies and the heroic staff whose lives were taken at Sandy Hook Elementary School yesterday.

I pray for courage, peace and strength for the parents, families, friends and staff of the school

whose lives will never be the same.

Rest in eternal peace.

I'll Have a Donut and a Coffee for My Friend Here

Hi all!

The photograph above was taken two years ago on Christmas Eve in my rented townhouse in Falls Church, Virginia.  I loved that house, especially the wood burning fireplace that I used for two years during Fall and Winter, but the rent was crazy high and it was time to buy a house.

I didn't find a house in West Virginia with a fireplace and that really irked me. I could do without a garage and a driveway (which is what happens when you live in town), but a fireplace would have been great. But, moving into this ol' house brought Junior into my life.  He's my road trip buddy and my pet/house sitter and he's a hoot :)  

My friend Irene lives on her family farm outside of town in a beautiful house built in the late 1700's, complete with many wood burning fireplaces.  I love going out there; the views are spectacular and the sunsets are even better.  Irene owns many acres, some still farmed on and last night, she invited me to come out to chop down a small tree and pick greenery, magnolia leaves and holly branches to decorate my house, front fence and enough to make a couple of wreaths.  So, I invited Junior to go with me.  Irene is a very generous lady and as my walk with Ozzy yesterday didn't produce any greenery or anything organic except for a pile of poo that a very inconsiderate dog walker failed to pick up, we're going out.

Junior (75 years old) loves a good road trip and he's great company.  We always laugh and carry on like kids when we get together.  Junior loves to sing and he loves Christmas, so any recent trip to Walmart or the dollar store has included him singing Christmas carols in the aisles!  He is a fruitcake and I love him :)  

Once we almost got kicked out of Dunkin Donuts. Yes, we did.  Junior's last name is Dunkin, spelled exactly like the donuts, and when I tried to order Dunkin Donuts for Mr. Dunkin, I started laughing which set him off which set me off!  I don't know what got into me, but I laughed so hard in line that the teenager behind the register asked me to step aside which, of course, made me laugh even harder.  Junior was no help, at all!

I didn't step aside because I wanted my Dunkin Donuts and a coffee for Mr. Dunkin!  I tried to compose myself, but one look at Junior did me in.  So finally, the kid looks at us and says, "Hey, if you're high or drunk, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"  WHAT?  Well, that did it.  I couldn't control my laughter or my mouth any longer, it was such a ridiculous scene, but I couldn't leave it alone!  "We're not high on crack cocaine nor do we have the munchies, young man!  You're just making me laugh!"  Junior had to go to the bathroom at that point; he just couldn't hold it!  I finally stepped aside to allow the elderly woman behind me to get in front and no shit, this is what she said, "I DO have the munchies and I'll take a bag of donuts!"  

I almost fell on the floor laughing and I just had to hug her and wish her a beautiful day!  Kids today have no sense of humor :)

So, lets see where Junior and I get kicked out of today...I'm sure it'll be memorable no matter what!

Peace and love to you,

Ellie

Relax, It'll Happen

Hi all,

I depart tomorrow morning for Puerto Rico and I couldn't be happier.  This trip came up quickly. I jumped at the chance to see my family on the island when I saw the email from Travel Advisor that informed me about the $262.00 round trip ticket!  Done!  I called my friend D and she was up for a trip, so we booked it.

This week, I had a great week with my novel.  I'm at Chapter 23! I hadn't paid my cable and Internet bill on the 1st and when I thought about it...I thought, "well, let's see how much I get done with no major distractions.  Major work was done, wow.  I took what Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, calls a major break.  I left the world behind.  So, I didn't pay my bill and boy, did I get a lot done!  I'm at chapter 22 with the editing. All good.  I should do this more often, I thought!

So, I planned on leaving my home in West Virginia on Amtrak #30, headed for Union Station in Washington, DC to spend the night with my friend D who is traveling to PR with me tomorrow morning.  I called Amtrak before I left the house and was informed about a 30 minute delay.  No problem. I kept calling and at 11 am, I boarded the train.  I'm headed to Puerto Rico tomorrow morning, I thought.  No big deal.  I love the train and the two hour journey.

Around Harpers Ferry, our train stopped.  Twenty minutes later, we were still stopped and no one knew why. I went in search of a coffee in the Cafe car and was informed that the freight train ahead of us had derailed.  The train behind that one (and in front of my train) called in an emergency.  So, we were delayed.  There's nothing as annoying as wanting to begin your vacation or journey and you can't!  But, I kept calm.

One, no one had been hurt in the derailment and two, I was seated next to a lovely young lady who, as it turns out, I had a lot in common with.  Well, actually...her mother and I could be twins.  Long time marriages, divorce, and her mother and I have made new lives for each other. It was funny to speak to a young woman who was saying the same things I've heard my kids say, "She's on Facebook all the time, she writes a blog, and she's tried Internet dating." :)  Yep, been there, done that!

We made the best of an annoying situation and before we knew it, we were moving. We never exchanged names or numbers as people often do, knowing full well that they'll never contact each other.  We enjoyed our time together and bid each other farewell, wishing each other a wonderful Holiday.  It's all good.

I love the randomness of life.  I love the people we meet as we're going on with the business of life.

I'll toast you with a rum punch tomorrow when I reach Puerto Rico!

Peace and love,
Ellie