Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Salon Day

Hello everyone, I'd like you to meet Max. Max is our 27 pound (yes, you read that correctly) grandcat. We are raising him after his mom and dad (our kids) discovered they were allergic to cats. We also have his little sister, LaLa. How conveeeeenient! Anyhoo, they're here and along with them comes the assorted good times of cat care and grooming. As you can see, Max is furry, to put it mildly. He sheds everywhere ... ugh. And, because he is so huge, he actually has a little trouble grooming himself. Max tumbling over as he tries to groom his back is hilariously pathetic. Oh, and lest you think that we overfeed him .... nooooo. He is on carefully measured out diet cat food. Still, he stays large. So, this is the mess he looks like if left to his own devices:





We finally decided that it would just be easier to take him to a groomer a couple of times a year. The groomer couldn't really do a thing with his hair as it was so matted (and yes, I do try to brush him but, he hates it). Max ended up getting a 'lion cut' which, sort of fits his 'larger-than-life' persona. He hated the process and was quite traumatized but, I really think he feels better now ... despite some initial indignation. So, here is the new and improved Max:




Pretty darned funny, isn't it?

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

PLAN B

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE WEATHER IN OREGON, WAIT 15 MINUTES.

Well, I've been waiting ... not minutes ... days. It is totally the norm to have a mixed bag of weather in Oregon in the spring ... totally. This year, it has been excruciating in its sameness ... bad. In a 'normal' year we will have a week or two scattered throughout late winter and early spring that is nice enough to allow us to get outside and play, do yard work or whatever else we enjoy. Not this spring. It just seems like there is no end in sight. So, rather than work in my yard .... it is on to Plan B. The problem is, I'm running out of Plan B projects that I actually want to do. I've organized closets, done art projects and furniture makeovers, gone to lunch with friends and even gone to get pampered, i.e. pedicures, etc. People, none of these have the desired effect that a week of sunshine would produce. I'm beginning to feel like those ancient people who decided it was time for a human sacrifice to entice the sun to return. Any takers?

SIGH! (Really loudly) Of course, I realize it will get better and that in approximately 4 or 5 months we will be complaining that it is too hot. I also realize that, as problems go, this isn't really a legitimate one. But, who can deny that when the sun is shining, everyone just feels a teeny bit (maybe a whole lot) better. And, when spring and summer really arrives in Oregon, there is simply no place better. But, if one more of my southern Californian friends teases me about our weather .... I might just sacrifice them to the sun god.

Monday, March 28, 2011

MOANDAY

Its Monday and I'm just going to go ahead and moan about the stuff I'm not happy about:

To Mother Nature: Really? I mean REALLY. Dry up already.

To the cats: I'd never tell you to your face that you were not wanted but well, you weren't so, the least you could do is hit the darned litter box (you know who I'm talking about Max). And the cat hair, don't even get me started.

To a favorite coffee shop: Closed on Monday mornings ... that's downright unAmerican ... isn't it?

To my dear friends: Why oh why do you have to live so far away? It would be so nice to be able to get together at the drop of a hat.

To my old, old house: I love you dearly but, could you quit sucking up money on things that aren't even enjoyable?

Okay, I feel better now ... whew!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Friday Confessions

Okay, I really get a kick out of 'Friday Confessions' sponsored by Mamarazzi at 'Dandielion Wishes.' I thought it was particularly appropriate this week and so, without further ado, here are my Friday Confessions:

  • I do not do well with technology.
  • I do not know what my URL is let alone how to find it.
  • It takes me a bazillion times longer than most young people to accomplish a basic task on my computer.
  • I really, really just want to do what I want to do without having to speak computereze.
On another, totally unrelated topic:

  • I'm sick to death of winter.
  • I don't want to hear that we need the snow pack for summer recreation.
  • I don't want to do all of those indoor projects that, admittedly, need doing.
  • I don't want to put on the happy face of a 'true, native Oregon'.
  • I just want to complain and moan about it.
So, those are my Friday Confessions for this week .... oh and, I keep sneaking the Easter candy so, I really need some sunshine so I can get outside.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

March Madness

March has never been a favorite month of mine. We Oregonians usually get a weather tease in January or February that leads us to believe that spring is on its way and then, well March happens. March madness ... and I'm not talking basketball people. Mother Nature seems to go bipolar on us in March. Lately, everywhere I go someone (or several someones) is complaining about the weather. Now, being a native Oregonian, I'm usually pretty immune to weather woes but, honestly, this year seems worse than usual. Maybe its because I'm getting older or, it might just be that this has been a lousy winter. We need spring and its just plain dragging its heels.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are signs ... some blooms, greening grass, Easter decorations in the store. But, its pretty darned hard to get excited about it with temperatures in the 40's and wind and rain blowing in the face. So I thought ... well, I'll put out some spring decorations, do a little vignette, even do a little project. This is it:



I used an old frame that I spray painted antique white and I used some scrap booking papers and press on letters and 'voila' easy, peasy. It turned out pretty cute, I think. And it looks great in my sunroom but people, its still not spring and I'm weary of this stupid weather. Is it possible for March to come in like a lion and go out like a lion as well? That's just not fair!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Blogging Side Effects






I started blogging mainly as a form of journaling. I like to write and doing so helps me organize my thoughts. Then, my lovely daughter introduced me to the world of DIY bloggers. People, that is like taking a sugar addict into a candy store. I simply cannot get enough of these 'blogger girls' and their fabulous blogs. (I suppose there are 'blogger dudes' too but, I like decorating type blogs.) Well, if enough time is spent looking at the many wonderful ideas being published, its bound to rub off and so, this is what happened:



And this:



And this:


Well, you get the picture. So, all of my blog perusal has had the effect on my home that home decor magazines used to have and, I have saved the price of the mags. That is a great thing considering the price of magazines. Plus, the writers of these blogs feel like newfound friends because they are so open to sharing all of the good things in their lives. (Is that lame and pathetic sounding?) Its a win-win. The only downside .... I may spend a little too much time on the computer but, everything has its price. Right?

Friday, March 18, 2011

Trip Satisfaction

There are trips and then, there are trips. I normally fall into that category of people who is more than happy to get home from a vacation. I usually get weary and just want my normal routine and my own bed. I had to take a trip in January that definitely fell into that category due to the nature of the trip (a death in the family) and the miserable weather that prohibited making the connections needed. Well, that episode came and went and I had the opportunity recently to go visit a friend in sunny southern California. Now, unless you've been living under a rock, you know how foul the weather has been in Oregon lately. I was soooo in. I made my plans to go for a week. It was a girl week all the way and it more than lived up to the hype. We went to Newport Beach, we shopped in Laguna and we spent the day at a day spa. Bliss! Not only were the slate of activities wonderful but, the weather totally cooperated. We had temps in the upper 70's or low 80's all week. Not to gloat but, that NEVER happens for me. I'm the person who shows up in L.A. during the rare cold snap. Not this time. It was perfect. But, it wasn't the places or the weather that made it a trip to remember. It was the people. This bunch of woman are so wonderful for their wealth of life experiences and their sheer exuberance for life. We talked until we couldn't and we laughed until we .... well, if you are over 55 you know what laughing too hard can lead to. I'll just be a little delicate and leave it at that. My main point though is ... I really could have stayed longer. I'm sorry to be disloyal Oregon but, it wasn't so fun to come back to driving rain and miserable temperatures. I was sad to leave the good friends and the fun times. So, I guess that makes for a very successful trip and I guess it was just the right length ... long enough to have so much fun and short enough to wish for more.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

New Toys

Okay, so here are my new toys. I know, right? They are beautiful. And it is particularly apt that this is the first time I've figured out how to add a photo to my post. So, about a week before my daughter's wedding, my old washer decided to die. It was a stressful and busy time and the dryer was also on its last leg so the decision was made to replace both. I have never had a front loading washer but, I am seriously in love with these machines. They are energy efficient and so, so quiet. I could not be happier .... but .....

.... now my laundry room is looking decidedly more tired than it already did. I've been contemplating a facelift and since I am a fan of decor blogs, I've found some wonderful ideas. And then, there is the cleanup bathroom attached to said laundry room. Where does one stop? I think I'll start with a little paint and bead board and let momentum take me over.

Right after I get back from vacation.

Friday, March 4, 2011

It is that time of year again when we all start to get spring fever. There is a softening in the air and things are starting to grow. The spring fashions are in the stores and those cute sandals are calling our name. But alas, this is Oregon ... land of the tease. Every year we get a week or two of unseasonably warm weather and we get the bug to get outside. As soon as we settle into that mode, winter resumes with a vengeance. Complaining about the weather is right up there with complaining about the 'crud' that is going around and seemingly infecting every third person. Its just a dreary time of year. So, what is a native Oregonian to do? Well, there are daffodils and tulips at the grocery store ... splurge! One of my favorite things to do is poke around at a local nursery and dream about gardening days. A spa treatment is a nice little escape. But, when all else fails ... escape. That is my plan. I'm heading south for a week. I'm hoping that by the time I get home things will be looking a little better around here but, just being in a sunny climate for a week should be enough to keep me reasonably sane until spring actually arrives in full. I'm outta here.