Desperate Housecats

While doing some shopping this past weekend, I saw these two carved words sitting side by side on a clearance shelf and immediately began to laugh. Of course, this solicited some strange looks from my fellow shoppers in close proximity, but I just couldn’t help myself. Seriously, desperate housecats?!! My first thought was “I wonder if they live on Wiskeria Lane?”! My second thought was that I didn’t think I knew any desperate housecats.

I come from a family that has had or has a large collection of spoiled rotten housecats. They live in the lap of luxury with no demands other than tolerating some of the strange habits of the humans they live with! I don’t think any of them consider themselves desperate, with the possible exception of the drama queen Tarquin who resides in my house. Her desperation would stem from not being fed the instant a hunger pang hits!

But back to those two words, Desperate Housecats; don’t they just sound like a great title for a book? Maybe a tell-all about some famous person told from the perspective of their purebred Persians. How about a mystery that is solved by the lead detective’s scruffy old tom cat with the half chewed left ear? A cookbook with the latest recipes for cat treats. Maybe the title of my memoirs! Gets you thinking, doesn’t it?

xoxo

Retirement

Ahh what a wonderful word; retirement! Today at the quarry, we had a small retirement party for one of my coworkers. This person looked soooo disgustingly relaxed, smiling and laughing. However I must say that they’ve looked pretty darn relaxed since this was announced three months ago! Do I sound jealous; you bet I am!! So it got me daydreaming about retiring and just how wonderful it will be to sleep in everyday and do whatever I want whenever I want! Sounds great doesn’t it? If I wanted to go away for a vacation, I could at the drop of a hat. If I want to go skiing, I could go in the middle of the week and not worry about lift lines. I could go to the grocery store or the bank or shopping right in the middle of the day. When Le Husband wants to golf, off we’ll go!! I picture myself sitting by a fire reading a good book . . .or better yet, sitting on a beach reading a good book!

Now I know people in my life who have truly embraced the retirement lifestyle. I also know people who have dreaded it or who have had it thrust upon them; you know who you are :). Slowly reality seeps back into my head. There’s the reality that I don’t sleep in now, even when I can. I’ll still have to do laundry, clean house, empty the dishwasher, pay bills . . . you get the picture.

Well enough of that reality crap! Here’s to hoping that someday when I’m retired I truly embrace the experience. That picking up the dry cleaning won’t seem like a chore, but rather an opportunity to get out and enjoy the day simply because “I’m retired!”.  Now before the whistle blows and I punch out for the day, I’m going to take a few minutes to go back to daydreaming about reading that good book while sitting on the beach!!

To all you working stiffs out there . . . TGIF!!

xoxo

To Le Husband

Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life; the smart, funny, handsome man I married. To the man who makes me laugh; who’s wonderful and sometimes bizarre sense of humor I get and who gets mine. I love it when you laugh so hard you cry and I can’t help but laugh along with you . . . even when I don’t know what you are laughing at. I love it that your wit is so quick that sometimes it goes right over my head; only to “get it” later and laugh or be surprised. I love it how you smile and tell me “good one” when I come up with an exceptionally (for me) witty response.

I love all the things I’ve learned from you over the years. From things about your job, things about the history you love, and all the wonderful music you’ve exposed me to over the years. I love it when you reach out and touch my hand while we are driving somewhere. I love it that you’ll stop and let me shop at some little store that’s caught my eye when we’re on a road trip. I love it when you give me hug and a kiss at some unexpected time. I love the random acts of kindness I see you perform.

I love that we’ve stuck together through the good times and bad. I’ve loved watching the man you’ve become. Even though you are away working today, you are in my thoughts and in my heart on this Valentine’s Day.

I will love you always,

AJ

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

E. E. Cummings

On being happy . . .

“Do what you love. Do it with friends. Do it as well as you can. If it makes you happy, and it doesn't interfere with anyone else's bliss, then go. Go. Go.” unknown

I absolutely love this quote and what is says. Just reading it puts a smile on my face. So are you doing what you love and is it making you happy? Just think about what your life and the lives you touch every day would be like if you made this your philosophy. As a person who has spent a great deal of her life trying to make other people happy (it only took two years of therapy to figure that out!!) finding my own happiness has been a journey that I continue. I think that doing what you love, with people you love, is the ultimate happiness. I plan to work on finding that happiness every day.

So what do you say Le Husband? Can I quit my job and devote the rest of my days to hanging with my friends and family, traveling with you, and perfecting my photography and golf swing?! I’m ready to go. Go. Go.

xoxo