The Wearing Off of My Caramel Macchiato

Dear delicious caramel-flavored caffeinated beverage,

I needed you today and while I'm very grateful for the time you spent with me, I'm a little disappointed that I can feel your affects are about ready to leave me for the night. Please hang in there a little longer, Joe. Be a pal. Even if your influence on me must fade, I'm expecting to see you again tomorrow...and then maybe the next day...and the next? Thanks for the pep talk. Let's do this again.

Much more calmly now,
Dawn

Fishing for Planets

It has been a while since we dragged out the telescope and since the view is definitely more panoramic from my parents' home, we hauled the scope and tripod over there for a visit under the stars starting with a feast of fish, wild rice, and coleslaw, with tomato and cucumber slices. Then we trekked outside, aiming the scope west, pointed toward the two bright spots in the sky.


Since we didn't do our research before looking at the close-together planets, we weren't entirely sure what we were about to scope out, but we had our tackle box with us complete with a flashlight, a few lenses, and a camera. Time to go planet fishing. We tossed a line into a sea of stars.

First we found the seemingly smaller of the two planets and since we could visibly see four smaller satellites around the planet, we knew the planet was Jupiter. Jupiter has 16 larger "moons" (but really 63 altogether) and we could see four of them through the telescope.

So what was the mysterious bright planet? We threw out our line into space a little to the right of Jupiter to hunt for the brightest point in the sky that night. Turns out it was lovely Venus.

We gazed deeper into the heavens until the apple pie in the kitchen called us away from the shores of the stars.

Star-struck,
Dawn

The Best Curler-Upper I Know

Ah, Max, our sweet cat. I love how symmetrically his feet are tucked underneath him.

I'm really not obsessed with Max, although I see how it would seem that way. Being home so much in the past several months, he always seemed like he was posing for me and I just couldn't help to capture him on camera. He's so adorable and a natural model! I love that he doesn't hate my giant cyclops of an eye following him around the house, continuously staring at him intently. He used to be more of a scaredy cat with my camera in the room than he is now. Now he's a pro model cat, and a handsome, regal one at that! I thought I would post some of my favorite pictures of him resting from the past while. It was nice to have him around with me while I was at home resting, too. I'm back at work now and he gets to continue being a lounging kitty.


Fat, happy cat! He took up the entire ottoman!


I'm equally pleased and jealous of how comfortable he always snuggles in some place.

He makes me want to stretch. I'm glad he takes time for a bit of exercise during a lazy day.


I don't think he could be more adorable and loving!


Like mine, his nose is often chilled, but he manages to find a way to warm it up.


Purrrrrrrr,
Dawn

Thirty-Two, Meet Thirty-Three

Thirty-two has been my most event-filled year thus far, but I'm actually happy for all that happened during that voyage around the sun despite the scares and unknowns and twists and turns that occurred in my very own real-life drama. Deep down, I think I craved an adventure and boy, did I get one! Amongst the things that helped me get through the year: four surgeries (which fixed my rotten headaches); tons of well-wishes, love, and support from family, friends, co-workers, doctors, nurses, and therapists; countless films; Sudoku; a bit of reading; bouquets of flowers, special gifts, home-made meals, and lovely trinkets; dozens of pictures of our cat, Max, while I hung out at home; and the prayer-turned-reality of healing and feeling better. It's so easy to take health for granted. Now I see it as something to be aware of and treasure immensely. I'm happy to report that I do feel oh-so-much-better and I hope anyone reading this feels good, too. Life's short and needs... deserves... to be enjoyed. Hear, hear!?

I'm about to start my thirty-third journey around the sun and cheers to seeing what's in store there.

Blessings,
Dawn

Max, like Kurt

Max, our cat.


He's handsome and sweet...a lot like Kurtis. They're both there for me. Comfy. Relaxed. Charming. Goofy. And they both have see-through ears when the sun shines through them.

Not me though,
Dawn

Mums and a Snail

My mother-in-law, June, gave me some lovely mums for my birthday. Tonight I got around to transplanting them in a slightly bigger pot and look what we found! A snail! Did he stay in that pot all the way from somewhere more moist like California?

Kurtis named him (or her) Hermie.

Hermie left an oozy slime trail on Kurt's hand while Kurtis discussed pool plans (as in billiards) with his brother Kelly. Hermie looks interested.

Nah, maybe he's more interested in the leaves.

It was quite a treat to find a snail in our pot of mums! As June said, "Mums from your mum." Ha ha! Thanks, Mum!

Slimed,
Dawn

Mama's 60th!

My mama's 60th birthday came and went last March and I never documented it here. I wish to do so now.

Thanks again to all family and friends who contributed to a lovely set of 60 notes for my mama to open, one a day for 60 days! We had such a fun celebration, too! These are among my favorite photos of the party:

First, arranging the colorful candles...


And watching them glow...


Then singing that birthday song...

And seeing her proud face after she blew them all out!


My mama is so dear to me. I love her very much and I am lucky to call her my mama and friend.

Blessed,
Dawn