I am not liking this trend. 3 years in a row.

2020 There was Daddy.

2021, And then Meow Meows

And you. My Baby Beau.

You’ve been the hardest to write down words. To express the feels and the hurts.

And I will take that as a sign that you excelled in your worth. 

You stole my heart the moment we met eyes. Ours grew brighter together in each others lives. 

You brought this light and, my dear Beau.. you outshone everyone, it carried everywhere you’d go. 

I miss you terribly, that’s no surprise.  

You were just simply, some would maybe even say.

The Best. In. Show.

You. My MamasBoy/Beau.

The stockings are again hung, and they each will always have one.

Sadly. I wrote a post similar to this last year for Daddy, and damnit Meow Meows, you’re making me try to again, write something catchy 🤔

The stockings were hung as all our years past

You earned your title. You owned it quite frankly. For your given name changed because of your comments and wants, being voiced, quite lengthy. (I mean, breakfast calls at 5-ish AM quite regularly!) ☕️ 🤫

Not cool Meow Meows.😴

Those nuances those nicknames those cute words we create, such as the “purr-berator”, because with the simplest hug your purr was loud and your body would vibrate.

We will forever miss those hugs. Those nose-dives and your relentless love. Please carry on with Daddy, groom his face and neck as you used to do, his eyes closed tight as you nose-dive him too.

You came into my life for a second which turned into years. And you are worth every single tear.

Also. 👇🏻You were a badass! ❤️ As you can see from this link here 👇🏻 And that is how you’ll forever be.

My Cat’s a Badass

The stockings were hung as all our years past

This year yours is empty, but it will always be, that blue one there with the capital D. A piece of your soul and a part of you lives in that necklace that hangs where silly treats once did.

Your character your charisma. Your attitude your sass. I’m not gonna lie, you could be a real pain in the ass.

You allowed me, (yes I said you) into your and James’ lives, you did not however do so without a fight. He was your guy and you were his. And I most definitely did not take your love light.

Your body grew older but your mind never did. Your needy and salty crass attitude wouldn’t give.

When you wanted, you would snuggle so close and purr so deep, and that . I will forever feel. And forever keep❤️

Daddy. 2005-2020

I HAVE HAD THE MOST AMAZING DECADE

First. I turned thirty. And that’s the kind of number you need to start a decade. 😉

Then, or second I guess,?🙃  my fiancé and I bought a house/complete-rehab together, which is something that I never thought I would, or could, acheive, but his complete confidence and blind trust in US made me say, “O-fuckin-K!”. 🤷‍♀️ Now, as first time homeowners, with a toolbox that consisted of a hammer, couple screwdrivers and 🤔maybe duct tape❓ we dove in head on. Then we got married. Married! And that is a whole other amazing story that has no ending. ❤️(Spoiler alert, the rest of this decade includes my husband).

We started (‘10) this home-takeover-up-to-our-elbows adventure about a month before we flew off to our wedding, and when we came home had brilliantly allowed ourselves less than a week to move out of our apartment into said compleeeeete makeover, (that was funnily enough completely uncompleted). Wait, I’m not sure if I used the word ‘brilliantly’ correct.❓🤔.  Deep breath. Many many deep breathes. Now I am not one who’s afraid to ask for help, which I really think more people should get over that fear, so ask I did. And, (here is a very tiny piece of the process from the SD home,)

I am so proud and thankful for all the knowledge we gained from friendships that we had built in SD, and all the failures and oops’😮 we had learned through those six years. And those memories will never be forgotten. And it all sure as shit carried over through these last four.

Fast forward to where I am now (‘20) and it’s another home, both town and the four-walls-and-a-roof-kind of home, that I have left my fingerprints all over. And I really mean that in every sense. This house has completely become a reflection of us. My coworkers and the customers at the restaurant/bar I work at have become part of our family as well. I mean, to work at a place where people are happy to see your family, and ask how they are when they don’t, is pretty damn great. And it for sure goes both ways. If I haven’t seen you for a bit, you better come in and say hello so I know you’re ok. After all, we’re family.

In 6 months we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary. So yeah, this next decade is going to be amazing as well.

I hope it brings you many many seconds of smiles that warm your heart. Here’s one from me. ❤️

Time to Dust off the Old Keyboard!

To start, it has been, (embarrassingly enough,) a few years since my last post. Thus, my writing may beeee… a bit rough. Dusty,😉 if you will. 

Today’s, topic: New kitchen! (Always assume that today could very well be yesterday or months ago 🤷‍♀️)

When we were house hunting we’d seriously looked at a grip of properties. Online and with a realtor. Then, we walked into this gem of a rehab and the “go-to-question” with said rehabs is, 🧐  “What’s the first thing you’d do?” We looked at each other and at the same time said, “Tear Down That Wall!” Now, this is a modest 900sqf home and when you walk in the front door you’re in the living room, and staring you in the face is a wall hiding the kitchen behind it. Why? Just why?! I shouldn’t be typing this with such a big smile but, bring out the sledge hammers baby. ⚒🧨 (Here are links to my blog posts of said wall demo/rebuild)

Break On Through…

..To the Other Side

Wall gone. ✔️! Sadly though, the sledge hammers had to stay away from my trigger finger. For now. We accepted the fate that the kitchen would be the last big inside project we would get to. Fact being that it was fully functional and there was a small/long list of who’s-its and whats-its and gadgets galore that needed to be addressed first, and that would cover more ground with a much smaller punch-you-in-the-throat sticker shock. So we did those. With no throat punches. Bonus!

Then it came. It’s here! The time has come where we’ve felt financially comfortable enough to make that $0 balance take the high dive off the shallow end and, out of any other pressing projects that need to be addressed just now, to say “Let’s Fucking Dive!”

Sadly, I did not think ahead and do a proper before and after picture so here’s the best I could muster up. The “after” still has a ways to go, but the “before” can’t get far enough away.

 

Hello 2018

As 2017 is creeping it’s way out the back door, for so many, many reasons, I say, “Let me hold the fucking door open for you to take all of your garbage out!”

For James and I, the beginning of January ‘17 was in so many ways amazing. We had found, and bought, our new home. New project. In our new state. New city. It was exciting. Invigorating. Fun.

Our fun, on our property, hasn’t faded. We are not near done playing.

This past year however, did not have as much fun, penciled in for us as Id’ve liked.

There were too many tears, shed across several spectrums of my family and friends. More tears than I personally cared to hold back, and more than I cared to ever have.

2018 I welcome you. (Please be nice)

My Cat’s a Badass

Their stockings were hung and freshly packed with fun.

But this little nose had to see what’s in those.

So up the counter, the fridge, the wall she did climb.

For what was up there she claimed “It’s mine!”

You see, this pretty cat is a hunter it’s true. Cares none that we see, cares none what we’d do.

A bag of catnip and 4 stockings in all,

To the floor one would soon fall.

Finally that sweet nip has fallen to the floor, proudly she thinks,

“It’s about time! Now I will make my descent and claim what is mine.”

So yet again, the stockings were hung and bedtime has come.

Under the covers all huddled together we doze. Hours later, a sound arose.

2am….2.

That bitch went back up there. Took down what was hers, got all jacked up on nip and was bouncing those balls with bells in them like she was in the World Cup!

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Should Thankful have 2 LL’s

I am thankful.

I am thankful that I can say those 3 words. 

That I have family that I miss, and that miss me as well.

That I have family that are here. To embrace, to share this moment. 

Thankful that my house is filled with nothing but love.

And not just on this day. 

That as I’m writing now, while everyone is asleep, all I hear is my baby Beau snoring. My amazing wind chimes sing, and the pitter patter of rain.

I am home. 

I am thankful    

I guess you could say I’m full of thanks. Thankfull

(Should thankful have 2 L’s?, I feel like it should)

A Year Ago Today

A year ago today my husband and I drove away from San Diego, where I had lived for eleven years. 11. And Nov 1/17 will mark the eleventh year James and I have been together. And yes, if you do the math, you’ll find I was lucky enough to have met my forever not too long after I landed in SD. But the topic of this story is this past year.

A few days shy of a year ago today, we cleared out the last of all we hadn’t packed away from our home. What was left were items that I had strategically decided would carry us through, whatever amount of time, in our new “home,” during our travel north. Said home was a (used) 27′ travel trailer hitched onto our new (used) Ford F250.  It all happened so fast but took so long to finally come to fruition. When we decided we were going to sell and move, we knew all that had to be done to our SD home. So we upped our progress and James gradually cut back on work and dedicated those hours into our humble abode. This quickly turned into no work for him other than the house. He was there to stage it, and since we were still living in the house this was an actual process, i.e, take the animals out when there were viewings. A job in itself. I mean, you try to chill in a truck with two dogs, and two cats in their carriers for an hour or so, (chime in sounds of pissed off cats here) a grip full of times, just waiting until you get the clear to go back home. Waiting for that person to make that offer.

Hells To The No!!

Those days seemed to drag on. Waiting for it to be official. Telling my friends, coworkers, and employers alike, that we weren’t sure when it would be final. Then to say, “It’s sold!” and, “Do you need me this weekend?” (This was on a Thursday) And they were so gracious to honestly say, “Good luck on your venture.” So that day we packed up the last bit of what we had been living off of. Waiting for this day, for weeks. It both broke and opened my heart. We surrendered our keys. And we drove off. Well. Drove our new temporary home to the nearest RV park, to be close enough to make sure that that check cleared. We needed no surprise at this point. The waitng had been hovering over too many heads for enough time. Alas it happened, and we ventured unto a new path that was simply mapped out to “North.” Seriously, that was our destination. North.

A Year Ago Today. We Drove Away.

We made it.

If you’d like to follow me from the beginning, here’s your start. 

House for sale!

Mini Me meets The Big House

Now that we’ve secured the grounds via newly built, (heavy 😔 sigh,) painted, fence, we’ve got a shed to rebuild and, fuck, seriously!, paint. I shall dub her, Mini Me, and when we finish with her we paint the big house. Yes. I said paint. Again!A plus for us with the shed is that the concrete had already been laid and it came with a nice solid frame, it was just that every other part of it needed to be replaced. So we stripped that baby naked!Now it just needs four walls, a roof, trim, and paint. Lucky for us, that good friend I’ve mentioned before, knows all about that and, I mean, who doesn’t want to help cut and install siding, lay some black tar paper and drag a heavy ass, cumbersome pile of shingles up a ladder on a hot day? A great friend that’s who. 🍺🍺🌞

Bring out that piece of liquid gold/airless spray gun again my friends. Voila! And by “voila” I mean FORK! 

(For any new readers that means we stuck a fork in another project.) Now, it’s the big girls turn. And by big I mean, we need a MUCH bigger ladder. Day one was spent pressure washing the house, and that’s a fun tool to play with, so it wasn’t too painful!! 😉

Then..

Ok. First, there’s a reason people pay someone else to do this shit, and I thank them for their talent. And I do mean talent. Oh and, for beginners painting a whole house, its like a 17 step, (or whatever horrific number you want to imagine,) process. So I’m just going to give a small picture tutorial with minimal captioning. You and I are both welcome for this shortcut.BeforeSanding the remnants of vines that grew up the house.Paint the under belly and eves our trim color.Cut in the edges a few inches by hand. Spray gun fun again!!Some minor trim work.And, Voila!! Except the garage door and front door, (I need a day off!) Then. FORK