we are having the most out of the ordinary, super snow-filled winter in central virginia. breaking records for most days with snow on the ground and having to call in extra plows from nearby states. (at least, i overheard that at the very busy grocery store today). there is another biggie on the way. the talk around town is that we're in for 30-40 inches.
i'm going back to my happy place now.
i am going to pretend that i'm somewhere sunny.
with the sound of sea birds in the air.
where i can go for leisurely walks in my salt water sandals.
and let the ocean breeze move across my slightly sunburned shoulders.
i will watch my sweet baby doze off under the beach umbrella.
and look at my son and know that he is as happy as happy gets.
i will remember how amazing it is to have a baby crash out in my arms after a long day of playing in the sun and sand.
and i will think of sunset dinners right on the ocean.
i will hear that happy laughter from my children.
and taste one the most amazing meals i've ever had in my whole life.
i will remember what it's like to go for evening walks along the beach and watch that baby girl zip and zoom and squeal and laugh and explore to her heart's content.
i will imagine what it's like to not be wearing 2 tshirts and a wool sweater, jeans, knee socks and a scarf inside.
but instead, i will remember a moment when i was lucky enough to be alone in the ocean with a flock of feeding pelicans.
just me and about 30 hungry birds.
because right now, it is so very, very different out there. it's grey and cold and covered in a blanket of snow and ice. and it just doesn't seem like it's ever going to end.
i am off to make a brand new purchase: a snow shovel. because after getting hit with 30 inches over christmas, and then getting another 6 this weekend- well, i'm just not going to be caught without one ever again. it's snowing on top of snow right now, and they're calling for a big storm this thursday through sunday.
so be warned. should this weather continue much longer, my next step will be to don a straw hat + shades and sip hot chocolates with paper umbrellas while listening to tiny bubbles on my record player. because seriously? all this winter weather is starting to make me just a leeeeeetle bit crazy.
i have been thinking about a family dog for a while now, and i had this vision of matt having this man's best friend kind of dog. one that he would take everywhere with him. one that would go to the office and lay on a bed and force matt to get away from the computer a few times a day. one that would be awesome on hikes and outdoorsy kind of things. one that would be great with the kids and bark loudly if there was someone prowling around. you know what i mean? a DOG dog. and i had looked at everything from irish setters and german shorthairs to weimaraners and vizslas.
and yet somehow, we ended up with the complete opposite.
i convinced matt to take a trip to the spca with me a few days before christmas. i had looked at a few of their dogs online and so when we got there, i asked to see them first. they were bigger dogs. the smallest of which was a medium sized gal named JENNY, who was jack russell/rat terrier mix. super cute. and she was freckled! thought maybe this was the dog for us, and i really loved her. but matt said she was giving him an anxiety attack. and poor jenny? well she made things official when she didn't pass the cat test. walked her into the cat room and she kinda turned ugly. so we took her out for a walk, wished her the best of luck and moved on.
the next dog was rudy. he peed on matt's shoe within the first minute or two, and he was just kind of a little bit too much energy. big energy. he had us re-thinking the big dog thing. matt was kind of cracking me up because i could almost SEE his blood pressure rise. and as we sat in the visiting room with rudy, matt sort of said to me, "babe. i feel like i just don't really have room in my life for more energy. these dogs, they're kind of tweaking my nerves. i need calm. "
so we had one last visit. with BUDDY. this wee chihuahua/miniature pinscher mix in a blue sweater came in. and pretty much i melted into a squealing puddle of love right then and there. but i knew matt would *never* go for a small dog, so i held my excitement. and whaddya know, matt kinda loved him right away. this BUDDY, he was waaaaaay calm. just like, cheeeeeel, baby cheel. and as he was sitting in matt's lap, working his puppy dog eyes to the max, matt said to me, "i like this guy. he's peacing me out. i think he's the one".
well knock me over with a feather, i was s-t-u-n-n-e-d.
and the rest is history! little buddy, whose tentatively being called lucky (henry's pick after about 3 weeks (!!!) of not really having an official name in our house) is one cool little dude. he lives for snuggles. that's pretty much his main event. he likes to play too, and is good for getting our fat cats up off their behinds and burning a couple calories. and he's figured out that dotty is great to hang around cause he can always score a snack or couple of crumbs of anything that she drops along her way. and he rascals around with henry and serves as my own personal heater at night. it's a win, win, win and really? we're all feeling pretty lucky.
i was stirring my giant mug of coffee this morning when the saddest little face rounded the corner to the kitchen. it's the earliest any of us have been up in two weeks, the sun *barely* peeking out enough to light the sky, and it is cold C-O-L-D cold out there.
"oh, come here, sweetie", i said and i wrapped my arms around him. "it'll be really nice to get back and see your friends and hear about everyone's holiday, right?" and before i knew it, he started to cry. he's almost 9, and he doesn't cry so much anymore. i know part of it was because it was early and his little system was kind of rocked by the harsh reality of being up and dressed. but i think he was a little bit heartbroken too... all that magic and wonder of christmas just went poof. like waking up from a good dream or something.
so we'll ease back into our old schedule. and that fort that he's been sleeping under? we're leaving it up for another night or two. twinkly lights and all.
how was your holiday? i hope it was nice.
i'll be back soon with pictures from our nice long winter break, which is coming to an official close tomorrow night, boo hoo.
it's 12 degrees out right now, and the wind is howwwwwling. staying cozy is the name of the game!
xoxo and happy new year to you!
still loving my shakit iphone app, as you can see.
a couple weekends ago, our next door neighbor, kitty, turned the big 9-1. ninety-one, folks! so to celebrate, a few neighbors got together for some chocolate cake + coffee, and of course, lots of good chatter from the lady miss kitty. imagine the stories!
she absolutely adores mister henry. she calls him her little boyfriend. she'll say, in her finest sophisticated southern accent, "where's mah little boy-freyund!!!". henry is such a good little fella, sometimes he'll go over to her house and spend a little time with her at the kitchen table. of course you know she stuffs him full of cookies and snacks, but what else would you expect.
miss kitty was an ER nurse back in her day and she's got all sorts of stories that she likes to share, particularly the gruesome ones. she seems to get a big kick out of telling those and the reactions they get.
nowadays, it's just her and her son, tommy, who's in his mid 50s with down syndrome. i think that probably has a lot to do with the fact that she really hasn't slowed down too much. in a way, she just can't. they don't have any family left- and haven't for many years. but the two of them still manage to get along pretty great. she's a real firecracker, with a huge heart- i think it would take a lot to get her down.
even a few minutes with the wiggle worm didn't tire her out.
if i make it to 91, i hope to be as happy and full of life as miss kitty is.
from our last days of summer...
okay. fall, we're ready for you. i think.
we've just returned from a week at the beach. it was our last little hurrah with summer, and it was just perfect. the beach, the sea birds, the sunsets, the weather, the food- oh lord, the food. but most of all, it was the company. the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves- and it was a treat to see. i have so many memories of being on the beach as a kid, and it was fun to sort of revisit those memories through my kiddos. henry is a total fish and miss dot- she could spend hours in the sand picking up shells and digging with her mini shovel.
i would love to say that i'm easing my way back into the swing of things, but darn it if as soon as we returned, things got crazy-busy. more on that later, taters.
anyhow, sorry for the radio silence- i've been gathering and preparing for the next collection, which isn't officially named yet, but is feeling very fall-ish.
hope you are all doing great. i promise to be back shortly with some sneak peeks from the new collection. i just need that sun to shine just a little bit so i can snap a few pretty pictures.
xo
queen of multi-tasking
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