End of the Week Roundup

This week has been a rough one. For the most part, every bad thing that happened would not have been a big deal if it had happened on its own but when it happens along with a bunch of other bad things, it makes for a bad week. It's during weeks like this one where I am reminded of the song "Lonely Day" by System of a Down when the song ends with "Such a lonely day, and it's mine. It's a day I'm glad I survived". I think I can definitely say I survived this week. 

1. Saturday wasn't all bad. It started out rough with my hairdresser cancelling on me because she was sick (understandable!) and the receptionist at her salon not being accommodating to me at all (not understandable). After she felt better my hairdresser called me and squeezed me in next Thursday. Anyway, not the point of this bullet, I also met up with my cousin and we had a crafting day. We decided to try out the arm knit scarf and I think it turned out great!

2. Tuesday a deer hit my car. Well I should say that a man driving in the opposite direction of me hit a deer which then sent the deer into my car. I cried for the deer. I cried for my car which has never been in a major accident in the 8 1/2 years that I've had it. I cried for the shock of it. Then I moved on. Dave, being the awesome husband that he is, picked up the rental for me while I took his truck to school for the evening. I, being the unobservant wife that I always am, crushed the flowers he left in the truck to lift my spirits by throwing my purse on top of them and not realizing they were in the car until I got to school. I'm an ass, I know, thanks.

3. My Quilts by Nicole page hit 200 likes on Thursday (yesterday). I definitely needed a good boost yesterday morning and that did the trick. I was so happy I held a quick one day giveaway and gave a bear away! Speaking of bears, I also finished the She-Ra bear that I shared with you guys last week. 

4. Also occurring on Thursday: Me catching Squish practicing for America's Next Top Model. 

5. I know it's not the "same" but I kinda know what parents are talking about when they talk about how cute their kids are. This is going to be creepy, but I'm okay with that, but I swear my cats are so cute they could be models. Please judge me silently or behind my back. 

That's it for this week, thank God it's over! How did your week turn out? 

End of the Week Roundup

Hello friends! Another Friday is upon us. This week has been slow, which is good for relaxing but tough for weekly roundups. 

1. Take yesterday for example, when a massive snowstorm hit. I stayed home and binge watched Breaking Bad and starting reading You. This is my idea of the perfect day, but most definitely not conducive to a thrilling blog post. You, by the way, is gripping. I hate how cliche that sounds, but it really has me sucked in. 

2. Cold days lead to adorable snuggling. 

3. Tuesday was another bad storm day. While waiting in traffic I decided to see if I could have any of life's philosophical questions answered. I should have known better than to ask Siri. She and I fight often. 

Is she calling me fat?

4. I started another bear this week, this time using She-Ra fabric. This particular fleece is a pain to work with because it's so soft and the fleece sheds a lot, but it'll be worth it for the end result. 

5. Snow days and cold nights leads to this, which is amazing until you have to get up and get huffed at.

End of the Week Roundup

The majority of this week, including today, I've been feeling a bit under the weather. I hate being sick, besides it throwing everything off balance, I hate working at less than full capacity. Especially considering my schedule is full capacity. 

1. Friday night I met up with some girlfriends and took a painting with a twist class, which was fun!

2. Saturday, Valentines Day, was spent lounging around with Dave and making cheesecake. Check back on Monday for my cooking challenge results, including how the cheesecake turned out. V-day was super relaxing and I enjoyed every peaceful moment of it. 

3. Tuesday I finished up a few bears for some friends, which boosted my mood. 

4. I started reading The Girl on the Train last night, so far so good! 

5. These two, they are my heart and soul.

Here's to hoping I start feeling better this weekend! Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Sunday Morning Silence

Sunday mornings are my favorite moments of the week. I normally wake up before Dave by a few hours (like 5:30, thanks internal clock, ya jerk!). If I can't fall back asleep I quietly sit there and read or play on my phone. Once Nibbler and Squishee realize I'm awake they climb up and cuddle. 

The silence that Sunday morning offers brings me peace. I get to reflect on things that bother me, things that make me happy, things that I appreciate. It's the one moment of the week where I feel my body washing away the negativity and refocusing on the positive.

The silence is sometimes cut by Nibs and Squish's purrs, which is like the hum of a fan in the summertime. You know, where it can lull you to sleep? Except, instead of putting me to sleep, it centers me more. 

I've always wanted to try mediation, but I could never sit still or shut my mind off long enough to truly appreciate it. I guess you could say that Sunday mornings are my alternative to meditation. 

During particularly rough or busy weeks, I find myself longing for my quiet Sunday mornings, listening to Dave's quiet breathing while he sleeps, feeling Nibbler's head resting on my arm, and the weight of Squish as he slumbers on my stomach. It is in those moments I feel the richest and the most fulfilled with my life. 

It is in that moment when I realize life is good.

Redemption Song

Tomorrow it will be four years since I lost my first cat, Buddy. It feels like it's been so much longer. The anniversary of his death reminds me of his favorite song, and I felt it was appropriate to share today. I won't delve into how I lost him again, you can read about that here if you want to catch up. 

Buddy was your typical cat in the sense that he was aloof to people, even me. Sure, he'd cuddle the crap out of me at night, when no one knew about it, but the minute I woke up, he'd be sure to be out of arms reach. In fact the only person that he would cuddle with openly was Dave. Buddy loved to play, though. We used to joke that he was the dog I always wanted but could never have in an apartment. He played fetch (which Squish does now), he loved walking on a leash, he would "bark" at the door when I would come home from work. 

But he was also a typical cat in many ways. He hated the car and the vet. The very first time I took him to the vet, he got out of the crate and ran underneath a couch the vet had in the office at the time. One hour later, the vet got him out using those long poles that animal control uses to catch animals. Buddy was branded as "difficult" at the vet after that day. But he wasn't difficult, he just knew what he liked and what he didn't like. 

One of his favorite things in the world was Bob Marley's "Redemption Song". I would play the song while on car rides, it was the only thing that would quiet his cries. The minute he began to hear the guitar, he would stop crying and listen. Then, when the song was over, he'd start back up. I don't know what it was but he just loved hearing it. 

Back when I was taking guitar lessons, I begged the instructor to teach me how to play the song. The minute I got home the day I learned it, I started to practice the song on the guitar and Buddy ran into the room, sat across from me and quietly watched me play the song.

The day that we lost him, we rushed him to the hospital in my car. I could tell he was in a lot of pain, I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. When we got into the car, Dave immediately put the song on repeat. We drove the half hour to the emergency vet listening to it over and over. He would let out a feeble cry here and there, but for the most part he just laid there, in my arms, listening to the song. 

I can't listen to the song anymore, without thinking of him. I have conflicted feelings over losing him. I miss him dearly, and still shed tears over his loss; but if I hadn't lost him, I would never have adopted Nibbler and Squishee. I can't imagine a life without them, and I shudder to think that they may have been adopted separately and would have lead a life without each other. 

Obviously this song is so much more than just a cat loving it, and by no means do I mean to diminish the message of the song. It just has so much more meaning to me now because of Buddy's love for the song. 

Five

This week has not been very eventful, so I figured in lieu of a "End of the Week Roundup" post, I'd do another Friday Five post. This week I've been listening to a lot of the same songs over and over, and I thought I'd share them with you today!

1. Kiss Me- Ed Sheeran

Over the past few weeks I've been slowly becoming obsessed with Ed Sheeran.  I could listen to his songs over and over again all day. 

2. Photographs and Memories (album)- Jim Croce

 

I used to listen to this album on Saturdays when I would work with my Aunt Penny at the gas station she co-owned with my father. It was a really nice throwback. The link above goes to the whole album, but I decided to share just one song here, one that has always been a favorite of mine.

3. Take Me to Church- Hozer

 

Wow. Just wow. This song is so sensual, I love it!

4. Rip Tide

 

I can't help but bopping my head to this song, it's such a great summer song. 

5. Small Bump- Ed Sheeran

Yes, I'm still listening to this song, I just can't stop.


And just in case you stopped by for a picture of the boys,I shall indulge, haha.  They celebrated their 4th birthday this week, so of course I had to treat them to a nice meal for dinner on their big day!

This first pic is Squish passed out in my quilting room while I work. This is normally how he sleeps.

Next up is Nibbler. He does this odd thing on some mornings where he jumps up in between the comforter and the sheets at the end of the bed and just chills there. I snapped a quick pic of him climbing out of the bed when he was done relaxing. 

What have you been listening to this week?

Play Time

I'm still trying to learn my new camera and obviously the best way to do that is to use it. I decided to try and catch the boys in action playing with their favorite things to see how well I fared with action shots. I had attempted an action shot/playtime post when I first started blogging last year...needless to say I think the picture quality is much better. 

I hope you enjoy the pictures and they bring a smile to your face! 

First up is Squish and his ice. Dave started Squish in the terrible habit of expecting an ice cube every time we use the ice button on our fridge. He will sit there and meow as loud as he can and give you the best guilt trip face possible if you don't. Once he gets the ice he likes to play ice hockey with it. It's so funny seeing him bat the ice around the kitchen floor...until you step in the puddle an hour later. 

Nibbler likes to play with conventional cat things...you know strings, things that sit on mommy's nightstand (like her glasses), etc. So I pulled out a string from an old bikini I had.

The first two pictures are my favorite. You can see in the very first picture the look on his face is so serious...then the second he's just going for it. For some odd reason, he likes to bat at the string with his mouth wide open. 

I think my favorite thing about all these pictures is seeing their paws, especially Squish's. It's just so cool to see the moment right before he makes contact with the ice. 

End of the Week Roundup

This week flew by super fast, which was kind of refreshing. It flew by so fast I didn't even have to wish for the weekend! Even though it went by super quick, not a whole lot happened that was noteworthy, so I figured it was time for another EOTWR Nibbler and Squish Edition! 

Try to conceal your squeals of delight, I dare you. 

1. First up, my aunt and uncle came up for dinner on Saturday night. The boys love my aunt and uncle, even Nibbler, who runs from everyone, hangs out with us. Squish makes it a point to showcase how much he loves my Uncle Chuck at every chance:

2. Another shot of Squish (he was on a roll this week). I tried to take a picture of Dave for my 100 Happy Days Challenge and Squish decided that wasn't going to happen. 

Just in case you think it was just coincidence, I'd like to show you this next picture in which I'm fairly certain he's mocking me.

3. Ignore Squish in the bottom portion of the next picture. What I really want you to do is look for Nibbler...who thinks he's hiding. No I swear, he really thinks he's hiding. He doesn't realize his ears are deceiving him. 

4 I really should have called this round up the Squish edition. Cause he's literally in every picture. It's been three years and I still think it's freaking adorable that he sleeps with his mouth open. 

5. Monday morning, we had our usual cuddle session. Then the boys decided to take the cute, love factor up a notch by holding paws. It started with Nibbler holding Squish's paw, then Squish put his on top of Nibbler's. Pretty sure my heart exploded. 

Lastly, I'd like to share this little (non-cat related) gem with you: 

The other night I was scrolling through Buzzfeed (which by the way, am I the only one that can get lost on this website for hours?) and I took a quiz to see if Dave and I qualified to be parents. One of us did not laugh and the other laughed so hard she was crying and nearly peed her pants. 

Apparently Dave is going to be a great father and I'm going to be heartless and sadistic. Here's the video one more time, just in case you want to laugh your ass off again, like I did. 

How was your week?

End of the Week Roundup

Another Friday is upon us! 

1. This past weekend, Dave traded in his Dodge Dakota and upgraded to a Ram! Even though it's not "my" truck, it was still really exciting to be a part of his moment. The rest of this week was spent hearing Dave talk about the truck. It wasn't so bad....except for when we were in the truck and he would announce the temperature every two minutes from the gauge on the rear view mirror.

2. I discovered this video/song earlier this week and I cannot stop listening to it.

3. I made this side dish last night that I found on pinterest. It's delicious and easy to make, I highly recommend trying it out!

Via

4. I think Squishee may be a narcoleptic. He will roll on his back to get Dave and I to rub his belly, but if we don't within about 30 seconds, he's passed out. Kinda like this:

He couldn't last me brushing my teeth to get rubs before he was snoring here. 

5. Scratch that, I think both my cats suffer from narcolepsy. Nibbler is passed out with his head in my tush. Seriously, look closely, you'll see my legs on the left hand side curled up, Nibs' paw is on my hip and his face....is dangerously close to a loaded weapon. 

How was your week?

End of the Week Roundup

It's been a great week! 

1. I won another giveaway through Goodreads. If you haven't started doing this yet, get on it! Free books are awesome!

2. Tuesday, I had to take the boys to the vet for their annual checkup. Nibbler doesn't mind the car at all, in fact I'm fairly certain he enjoys it, but Squish hates the car. He just sits there and howls the whole time, and of course pees. Which is fantastic. When we got to the vet, we were greeted by the office kitties. One of them decided to hang out with Squish, which you see in the top picture and the other one attempted to assist the front desk. 

Side note, doesn't it look like the cat in the bottom picture is pulling a "Brady Bunch" and checking out the boys in the upper picture? 

On the way home, Nibbler tried to get Squish to poke his head out of his carrier and enjoy the ride, but Squish was having none of it. 

3. Wednesday night, Dave and I decided to have an impromptu date night. I love date nights. Enough said. 

4. Last night, I met up with my friend Linda for dinner and chatting. We try to get together every couple of months or so to catch up, she's a teacher and loves to talk about school and her students and I love hearing every second of it. Honey is her sweet St. Bernard who gives Nibbler a run for his money when it comes to best cuddler. 

5. Do you know how hard it is to get a picture of Nibbler and Squishee together where they are sitting and both looking at the camera? This is a moment that needs to be celebrated. 

How was your week? 

Here's to the Night

Every once in a while Dave and I like to just hang out and reminisce about the past. It's a really fun way to remind ourselves of the great times, the sad times, and the times we connected on a deeper level. 

Saturday night, before falling asleep, we talked about some of our favorite memories and Dave brought up the night we brought home Nibbler and Squishee. Thinking back on that night, I remembered how I felt bringing them home. They were so tiny, I was so afraid I was going to break them. 

I haven't gotten around to sharing my first night with them on the blog here, so I thought I would. It's probably not the most heartwarming tale you would expect...

I had to pick them up by myself from the woman we adopted them from (an incredibly kind woman who ran a little adoption place out of her house) because Dave had to work a bit late. I had bought a mini pet carrier that I knew would fit the both of them so they could be together on the ride home. I'm sure it was terrifying for them to leave the comforts of the woman's house and be stuck in a car with a stranger on a dark night (it was October when we had adopted the boys so it was darker much earlier) and I wanted to make sure they knew they still had each other. 

One the way home my car stunk so bad, like someone had passed gas. I assumed that one or both of the boys had done something in the crate, as cats are notorious for doing in the car, but when I brought them inside I didn't see anything in the crate that needed to be cleaned out. 

I kept the boys confined to the living room when we first came home, so they could get acclimated to Dave and I and one room for now. They were really good, and for the most part just laid on my lap or with Dave. 

Pleas ignore this ridiculously terrible picture of me, but this was me and Nibbler the first night home.

When it came time to go to bed, we brought them upstairs with us and I laid them in between Dave and I, nestled under my arm. I stayed in that position all night, but of course, when my limbs would get stiff I would have to shift a little. I noticed every time I shifted I would smell the same scent that was in the car. After a few shifts, I realized that one of the boys would fart whenever I moved because it scared him! The rest of the night, I laid awake with two adorable kittens in my arms wondering how I managed to adopted the only kitten I've ever known to drop smelly, rotten egg farts and whether or not this would be something we would have to put up with for the rest of our lives. 

My nervous farter (not sure who it was but I have my suspicions) stopped dropping bombs shortly after the first night together, but the memory of it always gives Dave and I a good laugh.  

It's a bit random, but let's make today Memory Monday, share a great or funny memory with me!

          

Observations

A few observations I've discovered over the past few days, which I will now share with you:

::It's okay to put a book down and pick up another one::

I'm neurotic and I'm one of those people who prefers to do everything by the book. Sorry if that's a turn off. The good news? This isn't a dating site and you aren't trying to pick me up. 

But I digress. Big time. 

You're supposed to read one book cover to cover. Who says? "They" say. Who's they? I don't know, it's just "they". Anyway, there's this one book that's mildly interesting but not enough for me to not want to put it down and start another one. Which I've done now three times to this book. 

And guess what? 

"They" didn't come running with their pitchforks and burning torches. I didn't crumble to ash and dust and blow away. And I was able to pick the book back up right where I left off. 

And all was still well with the world. 

::People cannot magically see into your uterus::

Just go with me here on this one. 

Dave and I have been casually trying to conceive now that I am done with my bachelor's degree. It was always the plan (see the first sentence in the previous section), but so far it hasn't happened yet. 

We went to visit his grandfather over the weekend at his nursing home and I'm sad to say that he's not doing very well. At one point he looked at me and very clearly stated "You're pregnant" to which I responded very loudly, "I'm sorry, I'm WHAT?" and he stated again, "you're pregnant" and for three days I thought there may be an inkling that he might have some magical clairvoyance or be some kind of baby psychic that could see something I didn't know about yet. 

Well I'm not and he's not. Because people cannot see into your uterus. 

::Animals have souls ::

(okay I already knew this but I wanted to share this story)

We cut the boys' nails Monday night. Nibbler is really good, he knows he's getting a treat so he just sits there like "hey hurry up, I've got some yummies I need to devour". Squishee? Not so much. Normally, he's my good kitty, so sweet and kind and only getting yelled at when he fights with his brother. He doesn't get into much and only jumps on the kitchen table once in a while. But when you go to cut his nails, he becomes demon kitty, growling, hissing, hollering, kicking, all to the point where I have to grab him by the scruff and hold him while Dave clips his nails while I coo to him, "Mommy's so sorry, you're still a good boy, we just need to do this". 

But Monday night? Monday night Squish and I had a moment. He quietly sat there and allowed Dave to cut  his front nails, then when he moved to the back Squish kicked a little. So I called his name (I was holding him baby style) and he looked up at me and with his big brown eyes, I could tell he was giving in, saying that it was okay for us to clip his nails, that he loved and trusted me and knew we weren't trying to hurt him and it would be okay. Then he rested his head on my chest and let Dave finish cutting his nails. 

I will never forget the look of love and trust he gave me, or how his eyes told me everything I needed to know. It also showed me there was a personality in those eyes, a thinking, feeling, seeing, loving soul. 

::Sometimes the best celebrations are the simple ones::

I got my diploma Monday and when I came home I really wanted to celebrate the occasion. Dave mentioned that after paying bills, we didn't have much money to spare going out. So I "settled" on a free large pizza that we had collected enough stamps for and a viewing of "Mighty Macs" which is a movie about my school's basketball team.  Dave also surprised me with some cheesecake that he had picked up when he was out grabbing the pizza. 

When I went to bed Monday night, I don't think I could have been happier. I spent time with my  husband watching a movie where I got to yell, "I took most of my classes there!" and "That's the rotunda!" followed by "Look out the window, that's where the professor's offices are!" and have some good food, and then have an amazing moment with my one cat who normally prefers his "papa" over me. Life really was (is) good. 

and lastly:

                                         

Christmas Picture Outtakes

I have yet to meet a cat that enjoys being dressed up. All of my cats have hated it, but I knew I had to do something for you guys for my Christmas day post. So I got this great idea to buy Christmas themed hats for the cats. Dave tried to deter me,  he really tried you guys. 

But once I get an idea in my head, it's on like Donkey Kong. 

Before I begin, let me say this. Without even putting them in outfits, its damn near impossible to get two cats to pose together for a picture. They aren't like dogs where you can say, "Sit, Stay" and take the shot. No, cats are then ones telling YOU to sit and stay. 

But anyway, the first time we put the hats on the boys, they were clearly angry. So mad that as soon as we took the hats off, they decided to take their anger out on each other and were all out brawling all over the house. 

It was not fun.

The second time I decided to take pictures, I wisely decided not to put anything on Squish. He really hates it, even more than Nibs, and I'm pretty sure that is why he and his brother were fighting so bad the first time. Which is why you got a shot of him sleeping in front of the Christmas tree. Nibbler hates being dressed up, but since he loves and adores me, he puts up with my antics. 

Anyway, here are some outtakes from my numerous attempts at getting the "perfect" shot...which didn't happen. 

Enjoy!

I believe this is called "The Stinkeye"

Mom, I backed up all the way to the door. Why is this still on my head?

Doesn't the look on his face seem to suggest "The minute you go to sleep, I'm going to kill you"?