Love

A few days ago it dawned on me that it had been a heck of a long time since I posted anything to this little blog.  I suppose I could muse about why that is, but the reality is that it really doesn’t matter.  What matters is now.

I guess that is the frame of mind I’m in; looking at life and how it seems to ebb and flow and change.  Last Sunday the day I have dreaded for so long finally came to fruition.  I was forced to make the choice to have Humphery, my constant companion, my familiar, and truly my heart and soul put to sleep due to a sudden broken leg.

I guess most pet people understand this kind of pain.  They understand what it is to care for a tiny being that trusts in you ceaselessly. But I had the gift of sharing almost my entire life with my little Princess kissy-face fluffy bottom. You see, her mother was also my pet and when the tiny runt of the litter was left after a barrage of kitty adoptions, I knew that her place was with me.  And it was by my side that she stayed for 21 years; the most faithful and loving being a person could ever have.  She was, and will always truly be my soul.

To say she was like my child is the ultimate understatement.  When she became sick in the year I moved away to attend teachers college, I moved home to care for her. It was the least I could have done after years of kisses and wet noses that cared for me in my many times of need. It was after that time that I thanked God for every morning I woke up to find my fluffy alarm clock pawing me for morning petting before brushing my teeth.  We grew old together and we loved it. 

It was funny to see her become accustomed to married life; to share her Mum with that guy who was always over visiting. But Dave will tell you that she really took to it (maybe better than I did) and she was absolutely fine with becoming a daddy’s girl.  No doubt the warm cuddles and spoiling helped to pave the golden bond in that relationship.

To say that I hurt could not be more of a platitude. To be frank, it feels as though my life has stopped and my reality has become a hushed agony that follows me everywhere.  I am broken.  I have had my heart and soul torn from my chest and in its place stands a nauseating blackness.

I have known great loss, and I know I will again. But for the time being, I hold on to 21 years of laughter and joy and petting and snackles and tummy rubs and nose chomps in hopes that one day it will numb the void.

I love you Humphery, more than anything in the universe and more than you will ever know.

Why yes, I am a model... thank you for noticing.

Tummy rub coma.

Must. Cover. All. Of. The. Vent

Next, my thoughts on being too serious...

The eternal mouser.

Have you really woken me for a photo, Mum?

Artsy Kitty

Job Foreman and general boss of organization.

Paws for Appreciation

The Morning Routine

Attack of the mountain kitty

Watching the birds

Please turn on the vent, Pappa

Doesn't someone look youthful

Yes, I'm fully aware of my cuteness

Mum, you need to hold me first or I will choose to hold the washer hostage with cuteness

Ah, the half asleep tongue out- classic.

I must keep guard... or nap.

Yes, I know I'm adorable. It's simply not my fault.

Mum, stop combing my hair forward.

Litter box? Now what would make you think I was in the litter box?

Romps and other adventures... PART 2

So I’m not sure what’s in the air lately, but a bunch of my friends and I, without consulting with one another, all seem to have started making bucket lists.  Maybe it is the dirty thirties that have done it, or maybe it’s the realization that we are past the point of making the goal “Become a teen model” a reality, but here we seem to have found ourselves.

I have given the struggle with my age a bit of thought.  Could it be that we live in a society where immaturity is glorified and hence I fight the inevitable? Or maybe I feel as though my mortality is moderately more concerning?  Whatever the reason, though I did embrace turning 30, the last three years following have hit me hard; this last birthday being no exception.  What the hell have I been doing with myself?  Sure, sure, I have three university degrees and a good job. But is this all that life is about? What happened to my goals of traveling? Have I fought the “Man” for so long that I really have become a cog in the machine of mediocrity? Well, before I fall too deeply down the rabbit hole that is my existential personality, I felt that I needed to craft that Bucket List, and that is exactly what I have started to do.  And when better to start crossing this stuff off but as soon as it is written down, right?  I mean, you never know what's lurking around the next corner...

So as it happens, close to the top of my list was to go dog sledding. As a result, this March Break I planned for Dave and I to go to Haliburton and do it and thus we took a little long weekend retreat and made it a reality. We stayed at Sir Sam’s Inn and Water Spa on Eagle Lake and went sledding with a company called Winterdance.

Now to the eye candy.....

Super awesome woodburning fireplace in our room that almost smoked us out the first night.

The water spa area was salt water with 8 different water jet configurations that massaged you.  Before arriving Dave said it was not his idea of excitement.  Needless to say, once we arrived Dave ended up spending a lengthy amount of time in the pool. The beer didn't hurt.

This could be the most cliche photo ever, but the reality is that these adorable and smelly little dogs really do travel in their own doggie condo.  

When we woke up it was only 2 or 3 degrees out, but as the day passed the temperature started to warm up dramatically.  We ended up being the last tour to go out for the season as it reached a high of 15 that same day and it was far too hot for our four legged friends to work!

Dave and I both had a chance to drive the pack.  They are hard working little animals and it really was one of the most awesome experiences I have had in years. 

 



The area was absolutely unreal and this sunset pretty much says it all.  All in all, I think I will go back year after year.  So I guess the only question that remains is, how young did it make me feel??



Romps and other adventures... PART 1

Every-so-often I complain that Dave and I never do anything fun.  Dave finds this conversation entertaining because he usually settles it with, “look at the photos on your phone and then complain”.  The truth is, I count my blessing every single day.  I have a happy and healthy family and everything I could ever ask for, and indeed that does include a little bit of adventure.

Now, since I have been super lazy and unmotivated for a lengthy period of time, I figured I’d either post one hell of a long post or a series of shorter thematic posts that would chronicle some of my latest romps. I am addicted to Instagram, so that seems to be the format of my chronicles lately. But, oh how I do love to romp! So here we go at a (slightly) more descriptive attempt at posterity... in a super-condensed nutshell.



Well, don't we look cute?



THE TOOL CONCERT

Whenever TOOL comes to town, Dave and I have tickets.  We have an extraordinary music collection and our tastes are very diverse, but there are just some bands we will absolutely never miss and TOOL is one of those bands.  We felt in our gut that maybe this might be the last tour in a very long time, so missing it was not an option….

 

Lately I've been having a hard time coming to terms with my age.  This man ID'd me and I fell in love with him, so I took his picture.  Very soon afterward I saw the sign that said that they ID everyone who looks under 30! FML.

I do not have a picture of the bear-like man who began to dance with me in aisle, however, Dave thought it was super entertaining when the bear decided he wanted to kiss me after a dozen beers. My knight did not even attempt to save me. No,no, he laughed and pointed instead.

All in all the show was absolutely amazing - as usual.  In fact, if I were really keen I'd try to upload all the illegal video I took.  But suffice to say, the pictures will have to be enough.  So maybe, just maybe, we are not as old and boring as I fear. Though I still think that remains to be seen.

The Rainbow Cake

Now, I have never ever professed to be a fancy baker.  I absolutely love to bake, but the finesse that professional bakers and pastry chefs have to decorate their tasty creations is something I can only dream about.  I will blow my own horn and say that what I bake is from scratch and is always damn tasty, but I humbly aspire to one day make them as beautiful as they taste. A girl can hope, can't she?

My sister is an astoundingly talented chef, however she is not as thoroughly gifted in the baked goods department, so I often get the family baking duty.  This year my nephew Benjamin turned 11.  He is the most wonderful and kind little boy on the planet and I am wrapped around his finger. While looking for photos for his Tumbler account he came across a picture of a rainbow cake and asked me to make it for his birthday.  How could I say no?  With a lot of time and love this was the result.  Pretty cool if I do say so myself...

I couldn't help but take a photo of them during the process...

All in all Beans was delighted with his cake, it tasted delicious and looked awesome.  Once again, I secure my spot as the coolest aunt alive!

Deck the Halls

I'm not a Christmas person and when I tell people this, inevitably I receive either a sideways glance or a barrage of psycho-analytic questions to determine why it is I just don't jump into the holiday spirit. The fact is, I truly love Christmas eve; the magic of the night and the beauty of the true meaning of Christmas is what it is truly about for me.  The running around the mall and the spastic Christmas shoppers, on the other hand, I can do without.

Now, as you know, no holiday can go by in our house without some serious decorating.  Let's be honest, even a change in weather sometimes motivates a decor change here at The Olden Household.  As I have mentioned in the past, my OCD manifests itself in a variety of ways, but for Christmas decor it takes on new limits with half a dozen large Rubbermaid chests.  Each one is labeled in detail, and each contains a different colour combination.  I mean, let's be serious, we can't commit to the same colour scheme every year... can we?

Last year we did a traditional front foyer in gold, green and red.  Our tree and family room was gunmetal silver and blackened cobalt.  Well, this year, I decided to change it up a wee bit......

First, my little obsession, the outside of the house:

Close up of the fancy urn

There is no denying that even though my mom has retired from the floral and event business, and my sister is no longer designing full-time, there is no way on earth we will be giving up the idea of adorning our houses!

This year the foyer was inspired by old Hollywood; black, white and silver.

Originally the Hollywood idea was going to be the theme for the tree, but Dave had other plans...

                                          

While unpacking a blanket box, I finally came across my Hudson Bay blanket and was inspired to have a traditional tree.  Although to my chagrin there is no such thing as a Bay blanket tree skirt, we did manage to come up with our version of "Lodge Chic" for the tree this year.  The very best part of buying the pieces for our new tree theme was that Dave and I had the chance  to adventure through the countryside (and to the Bay of course) to find all the little pieces to create a tree that was all our own. 

Punk Rock Moose

We were blessed to be able to do all of our family visiting this Christmas with the aid of our little friend global warming. The roads were dry and it was, as always, so nice to see everyone without struggling through the snow.  However, on the 27th of December this is what we awoke to enjoy... from the warmth of our house.

Dave took a week off for the holiday and we had every intention to go to Vegas, but our little Miss. Humphery was a bit under the weather.  Being the crazy pet  parents we are, we have postponed our little jaunt.  Humphery is feeling better now, but she regrets that the tree will be packed up this weekend.  I may not love Christmas, but she certainly does.