Zen Cat Art

Mom's favorite day...

Happy Thanksgiving! 

It was my mother's favorite day.  Her Birthday was November 25th so occasionally, like today, they coincided.  But it wasn't her birthday that was her favorite day, it was Thanksgiving.

Emily Claire Smith.  She would have been 94.

This picture was taken by my father outside our Levitt home in 1951.  We usually had company on Thanksgiving - mostly my Dad's sister, Mary and her husband, my Uncle Andy and my cousins, Doug, Don & Drew.  Mom was a great cook but she always a bit on the "nervous" side about how it came out and would apologize for the tiniest imperfections.  "I'm sorry the turkey breast is so dry she would say" all the while we were stuffing our mouth with juicy bits of white meat. 

One Thanksgiving when she started to apologize my Dad, much to my mother's surprise, said it was indeed an awful meal and we all got up from the table enmass and walked into the living room in silence.  It took my mom a few seconds to figure it out we were teasing her and she started to laugh.  And so did we as we came back to the table to enjoy her delicious Thanksgiving Day meal.  I don't thank it stopped her from worrying but she didn't ever apologize for another holiday meal. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'm grateful for all of you!

Jessica & Joshua's Wedding

The Happy Couple!

Jen & Sean!

~For more wedding photos click on the photo album Jessica & Josh on the left sidebar!

How to hold a moon...

In a tangle of branches...

In a web...

In a nest...

In black lace...

Surrounded by feathers...

It is a full moon tonight and I am thinking about the moon...

Happy Anniversary...

All you need is love,
All you need is love,
All you need is love, love,
Love is all you need.

~the Beatles

 

So many still without power...

It's Sunday and there are still more than 100,000 without power in CT.  This October snow has been an ongoing disaster for a lot of people.  We have had power since Tuesday night and I consider us really fortunate. 

This is what is left of the tree that blocked us from getting down our road.  I wish I had put something next to it so you can see how large it is but I'm guessing it's at three foot across.  It was a big one!

This is the tree by the cow pasture at the end of our block.  The pan and blocks in front of it are for repairing the barn.

Two of the babies soaking up the sun!  The snow is gone from their little patch and the sun is nice and warm.  They are enjoying the moment! 

The power is on!

The weathermen said we would probably lose the electric because of the amount of snow that would fall with the leaves still on the trees.  And sure enough as I took a few pictures as I was getting ready for bed and with in minutes the lights went out.

By morning the lawn chair was almost indistinguishable as a chair.

Coming down fast and hard.  The railing is only about an inch and a half wide and look how it piled up.

The last picture before the lights went out.  Beautiful chaos Denna called it.  I agree and the chaos part was just beginning.  We went three days without power.  About half of CT still doesn't have power.  We'll be hosting friends for hot food and hot showers later today - just like friends on the shoreline did for us yesterday.  I found out that I wouldn't have made a good pioneer woman.  After three days of not being warm or washing my hair I was pretty snarky!  Thank heaven for Phil pumping out some BTUs in bed at night - better than the three quilts and the down comforter. 
This is the same shelf by our back door as in the last post but the next morning.  Quite different!  This was just after sun up - I had lost electric by then and when I woke up it was cold!  The cats were little round islands of fur between the folds of the quilt.  Have you ever noticed how a ten pound cat can turn into a 500 hundred pound cat when it's sleeping on your legs?

And I took on the porch.  I was heading for breakfast!

When we treated ourselves to a gas grill this summer, even on sale, we hesitated thinking it a bit extravagant.  It was worth every penny.

Toasted bagels and water boiling for coffee and tea!  Yes! 
So how deep was it?

19 inches!  It was deeper in some places but more than the 19 inches was the down trees.

It didn't get cleared until the crews came on Monday but once they moved the tree and picked up the wires the locals had cut it up and hauled it off to fuel their wood stoves within hours.
On Tuesday we were headed for friends on the shore, a hot shower and a fabulous meal.  Thanks Robin & Rick!  And now I have to chance to do the same for others.  

Time to start some bolognese sauce and bake some foccacia...