Home again, home again

It's true. There really is no place like home.

Especially when compared to a rainy week at a secluded ski resort in the mountainous backwaters a few states over.

But relaxation is always a good thing, and although my ambitious expectations for the productive use of forced downtime are never met, or exceeded, I do feel calm and ready to take on the new year.

The pile of four books that I was certain to read remained somewhat untouched. I did enjoy many chapters from this very interesting compilation of essays written by an array of fascinating women.

While watching my sweet nieces and nephews, supervised by my very own J., swoop down the slopes, I soaked up the wit and wisdom of this very hilarious woman, who might just be my 'new favorite' author. I'll be seeing attending an event at which she'll be speaking next month, and am so very excited!

More often, I listened to a trashy mystery novel on my iPod and attempted to learn to crochet. After some very serious false starts, I managed to tangle together an attempt at a scarf. If, perhaps, my color selections has been more, um, informed, it wouldn't look so much like a day-glo seventh-grader with a bad haircut. But, I've mastered a new stitch, and have a lovely, very long scarf that I might or might not be to embarrased to wear.

Actually, the three day visits with the aforemententioned nieces and nephews, and the two day wrap up with good friends from home, made the trip quite nice. Sandwiched between the two were some good movies, kinda-good meals, quiet time with J, great people-watching, romantic moments, stunning views and nature, and the discovery of a very hip coffee shop/live music venue a few towns over. So all was good.

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I was practically breaking down the doors to the vet this morning in an attempt to bring my kitties home. They didn't want to release them, as they hadn't had their required going-home bath, but I could wait no longer.

We learned that white kitty did indeed have a raging bladder infection (yet again) and after tests, bacteria cultures, an x-ray to search for stones and blockages, and a week of a new medication, I was treated to the most astronomical veterinary bill I've ever seen. But if the boarding, testing, and antibiotics have cured miss kitty of her spraying ills, it will be worth every single penny.

They were so cute when we got home ... each was so nervous, as if they'd been dropped off in a totally unfamiliar home. Scared "meows" and tentative sniffing were the typical behavior for a few hours, as they would rush around a corner to make sure that yes, we were still there. I wonder, how good is the memory of a cat?

* * *

Call it nesting, call it new year organizational frenzy, but I've got it. (I suspect the latter, since I've always been a decorating/organizing kind of girl.) Yesterday afternoon and evening was spent pulling almost everything off the shelves of my closet, trashing, moving, organzing, boxing and labeling it all. Old clothes in plastic tubs, guest room dressers and closets were sorted for (1) Maybe I Can Still Wear this For A Few Months, (2) No Chance This Will Fit Me, But Maybe After the Babies I Can Get Into Really Fabulous Shape ... A New Me!, or (3) Fat Chance, Off to Goodwill.

This afternoon you would find me in front of my kitchen pantry. All like items moved together, shelves rearranged, and each shelf labeled. Yes, it's a new low. I labeled my foodstuffs. Really, it's more in an attempt to train J to put things back in the right spot, but hopefully it will also help me keep from buying multiples of the same thing. Why, I ask, did I ever find the need to purchase three seperate containers of cornstarch. I honestly don't even know what it's used for. Got a good recipe for cornstarch muffins or something? Send it my way, please.

* * *

Things are good on the baby-front. I'm quite poochy now, at 16 weeks, and feel some very strange rumblings down below. Who knows, could be all the cornstarch I'm consuming. I got waaay ahead of myself and ordered the two cribs I'd been lusting after. Not thinking they would arrive so soon, of course. And they will continue to reside, flat-packed, in my hallway until I can get motivated to do some painting, move some furniture, and get my stuff together.

I know it's very early to be worrying about such things, but the room is so small, I need to set up the big pieces of furniture before I can figure out if a chair will actually fit in there. I'm visual ... I like to see it all in person.

* * *

This is more of a reminder to me, but for any of you who join me and all the other blogging ladies in the belief that this is the most assinine and ridiculous bill, please voice your opinion. This makes me so proud to reside in this state.

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Bad news. Please send thoughts and prayers out to Jen.