Goodbye And Good Riddance, Winter!

Today is finally the first day of spring. This year the season tried to come too early, with bulbs, forsythias and flowering trees blooming weeks ahead of time.  But last week winter roared back in with temperatures that killed all the early bloomers.  Now, hopefully things will keep seasonally on track.

With the new season here it was time to do some spring interior redecorating.  A big part of the job involves swapping out artwork in the living and family rooms.  For example, this snow scene, painted by Hubby Tony's great aunt many years ago:

I love the memories it brings back, but the subject matter doesn't feel appropriate any more.  The painting was relegated to a closet in the basement until next fall.

The new pieces are bright, flowery, and invoke the new season.  Like this one:

When the changing of the artwork project was done I stepped back and took a look around. The whole thing only took fifteen minutes, but it made such a difference!

Five years ago today: In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb--Hardly!

Cat Cleaners

Tomorrow, of course, is St. Patrick's Day. However, I'll be too busy to cook a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner so I decided to serve it tonight.  After lunch I plopped the brisket in a baking dish, added the spice packet and a little water, then covered the whole thing with foil and put it in the oven to cook.  Two hours later I pulled it out of the oven to check for doneness. 

The good news was that it was tender.  The bad news is that I spilled some of the hot liquid, which ended up on me, the countertop, the cabinets, and the floor.

I thought I wiped everything down well with soapy water before I went upstairs to change my clothes.  However, the cats seemed to think otherwise.  When I came back into the kitchen they were doing an additional clean up on the stove.

I thanked them for their help, then grabbed the soap and washcloth again.

A Pi Memory Helper

According to Wikipedia, Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant π (pi), which is observed on March 14 (3/14 in the month/day date format) since 3, 1, and 4 are the first three significant digits of π.

The Internet was full of Pi Day tidbits today.  My favorite, and new to me, was the mnemonic device "May I have a large container of coffee".  The number of letters in each word of the phrase corresponds to the first eight numbers of Pi's series.

In The Land Of Grandbabies

In my opinion, one of the greatest social developments of the past few decades is the change in parental leave policy. When my boys were born, Hubby Tony had to use his vacation days to spend time with his new sons. Today, the companies that Son Brian and Daughter-In-Law Nicole work for both have generous paid time off. After Baby Jay was born, both parents were there for the first initial weeks, then Nicole stayed home with him while Brian worked. When she went back to work Brian stepped in as the full-time caregiver.

Brian has to go back to work at the beginning of April.  Before he does, he invited Tony and me out for a visit. We spent six wonderful days in California hanging with this guy:

Jay was on the cusp of his five-month birthday (which happened the day we left).  Developmentally, he was right on track, so we got to see him sit up with just a little assistance and work on developing his rolling-over skills.  He liked to cuddle, coo, smile, laugh, and blow bubbles.  Any object in his hand ended up in his mouth. 

Tony and I got to give him some bottles and take him out for a few walks.  The time flew by, and all too soon we were giving Jay a last hug and kiss.  Until our next trip Tony and I will have to make do with FaceTime calls and text updates.

I Thought There Was Nothing To Eat...

You know the feeling when you think your refrigerator and pantry are bare and then you discover you have the makings for a darn good meal in your own house?  The sweet potato and kale stir fry with fried eggs on top we were able to throw together was pretty yummy.

Only In St Louis

Can we have multiple seasons in one week. 

A Funny For A Friday

Recently a guy in Paris nearly got away with stealing several paintings from the Louvre.

However, after planning the crime and getting in and out past security he was captured only 2 blocks away when his van ran out of gas.

When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied: "I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh."

A Jeans Challenge Met

Last week I noticed my favorite pair of jeans were getting raggedy at the bottom.  I could have put up with the frayed hems until the weather warmed up and it turned into shorts weather, but I also noticed that those jeans were also getting a little baggy!  Time to get some new ones.

It's been quite a while since I've had to deal with baggy clothes.  Several years ago my weight had inched up such that I was almost to the plus sizes, and I realized I had to do something.  Since then I've dropped down about a size a year until I reached my current size.  I'd been maintaining it for a while and was happy, but since last fall I've been more committed to a healthy eating plan.  I guess it's made a difference.

However, I've found that when I'm on the cusp of a new size it's hard to find something that fits just right.  I still have a middle-aged woman midsection, and skinny jeans don't look good on me.  My favorite style is boot cut, and the pants get bonus points if the rise is nice and high.  Because it won't be too long before the temperature heats up (and who knows what size I'll be at the end of the summer), I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I decided to visit several thrift stores around my house and see if I could find something that fit. 

Based on past experience I suspect the majority of items on thrift store racks are there because fashion has moved on. That means that this time I had to wade through a lot of low rises, distressed legs, and heavily-embellished back pockets.

The first store I went to didn't have anything in the new size, but I found a nice pair in my current size which I bought as a back up plan.  I came up empty handed at the next two, but at the fourth store I stumbled upon a pair that would work.  The rise was a little lower than perfect, but I went ahead and bought them.  I always wear my shirts long and hanging out anyway.

Five years ago today:  Never A Dull Moment

Positive Penances

I recently read an interesting article entitled 19 things to give up for Lent that aren't chocolate.  It had some great ideas for focusing on negative ideas and attitudes you can 'give up' during the season of Lent (and even hopefully beyond).  I'm making these the cornerstone of the season this year.

Fear: God is on my side. In Him I am more than a conqueror.

The need to please everyone: I can’t please everyone anyway. There is only one I need to strive to please.

Envy: I am blessed. My value is not found in my possessions, but in my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Impatience: God’s timing is the perfect timing.

Sense of entitlement: The world does not owe me anything. God does not owe me anything. I live in humility and grace.

Bitterness and Resentment: The only person I am hurting by holding onto these is myself.

Blame: I am not going to pass the buck. I will take responsibility for my actions.

Gossip and Negativity: I will put the best construction on everything when it comes to other people. I will also minimize my contact with people who are negative and toxic and bring other people down.

Comparison: I have my own unique contribution to make and there is no one else like me.

Fear of failure: You don’t succeed without experiencing failure. Just make sure you fall forward.

A spirit of poverty: Believe with God that there is always more than enough and never a lack.

Feelings of unworthiness: You are fearfully and wonderfully made by your creator.

Doubt: Believe God has a plan for you that is beyond anything you could imagine. The future is brighter than you could ever realize.

Self-pity: God comforts us in our sorrow so that we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Retirement: As long as you are still breathing, you are here for a reason. You have a purpose to influence others for Christ. That does not come to an end until the day we die.

Excuses: A wise man once said, if you need an excuse, any excuse will do.

Lack of counsel: Wise decisions are rarely made in a vacuum.

Pride: Blessed are the humble.

Worry: God is in control and worrying will not help.

Five years ago today: Let There Be Light

Cats Everywhere

Mauhaus Cat Cafe and Lounge opened back in November.  Last night Hubby Tony and I made a visit.

The adventure was actually part of Tony's Valentine present.  In doing research, I found out that the cafe accepts walk-in visitors, but strongly suggests making a reservation.  The $10 per person reservation fee gets you an hour in the lounge, and when you arrive that fee turns into a credit towards food and beverages from the cafe.

The cafe is situated on a street corner in Maplewood, and I'm guessing that in a past life it was a store. When we arrived we walked through the entrance door into the small cafe area.  The lounge was off to the left, separated from the cafe by a glass walls and a set of doors. Before we went in we signed a waiver and ordered some coffee and pastries.  Then, it was time for kitty fun.

The lounge space has been definitely been designed with cats in mind, with shelves, cubbies, cat trees, tunnels, and even a catwalk around the perimeter.  There were a couple of standard size tables, several low cube tables, and bench seating along two sides of the room.  Cushions were scattered on the floor, and a couple were being used (both by people sitting on the floor and cats taking a nap). 

We found out that there were eight cats in the cafe. Some were residents, and some were available for adoption.  All of them were adorable.