Basement Dweller Thanks

I started thinking about my house the other night.  I was missing it but decided I couldn’t let my mind wander east 7 miles.  So I stopped and decided to count my blessings and think on all the good things of where I am now.  Being a basement dweller is working out fine.  Now do I step out and say it is working out fine “for now” or just keep saying it is working out fine.  Because it is.  But I do miss my house.

I am happy here.  There is far less to clean here than in my house.  Actually, there is just as much cat hair to clean up it is just in a more concentrated area. 

Also, my sister lives just upstairs.  You would think that would be handy but will come to find out differently in a future post.

Living within walking distance of where I work has saved me money on gas.  And when I recently had a flat tire I didn’t have to rush to get it fixed.  Funny thing, nobody mentioned to me it was looking low…

I met my renters the other day.  I have a property management company that handles most things but the renters wanted me to come out and discuss the yard.  I was happy to do so.  I was especially happy to do so when they said they liked doing yard work and just wanted my okay with what they were doing.

They had painted my bright “hello I’m yellow” guest room to a softer, more easier on the eyes sage green.  Much, much better.  That yellow was a bit harsh no matter how hard I tried to soften it.

They have a beautiful dog.  Can’t remember what kind, but just picture a sweet checkerboardy looking hound dog that would love chasing squirrels and the like through a field.  Unfortunately he just has my bark dust 10x 20 ish side yard to romp.  I think even Mary and Martha would like him.

I know God provided this apartment for me at just the right time.  It was available a year ago but I wasn’t quite ready.  If I had moved in then I think I would have grieved not being in my house instead of just missing it from time to time.

So for now, or longer, I am content, and thankful, to be a basement dweller.  God’s timing is best.

Question:  Are you content and thankful?

eHarmony Video Bio response to Debbie's "Cat Girl" Bio

Here is a clever response to Debbie's eHarmony melltdown.  I like his dry sense of humor...and the fact that he likes cats.  AND especially the fact that he knows he is too old for Debbie.

CATcerto

I know I have had several posts lately about cats, but I promise this will be the last one for a while.  I really don't want to get a bad reputation for being a cat crazed single gal.  Anyway, you've got to admit this is pretty amazing.  Not just the cat, but the man that composed the music around the cat's playing.  Love it!

My Little Furry Friends

Okay, so the E-Harmony chick from last Thursday’s post was pretty scary, though I have to say, I too love cats.  But not to the point of wanting all the cats in the world to live at my house so I can roll around with them and keep them in baskets on rainbows with little bows around their necks.  I think we all can say that’s a bit much.  But, I do love cats!

Mary and Martha

My cats are like my children, and I believe God demonstrates his love for us through our children.  And since I don’t have human children, I think God teaches me through my cats.

I have aptly named my cats Mary and Martha.  One evening I was sitting in my favorite chair reading my Bible.  Sweet Mary was sitting at my feet and gazing up at me in admiration, while Martha was busily chasing her tail around the room.  All we needed was a room full of men needing to be fed.

I adopted these lovely felines from the Animal Shelter.  They are precious little things, but are not always easy to love.  They pee on things to punish me, hawk up a fur ball for me to step on during my middle of the night potty run, shed enough fur for me to create a third cat, jump up on my lap when I’m trying to read or eat, rub up against my black pant leg and get fur everywhere, dig their claws into my leather sofa, jump up on the kitchen counters when I’m gone (I know it’s you Mary!), wake me up with their food crunching in the middle of the night as well as other gloriously annoying little habits.

But still, I love them.  I love the way they cock their neck and look at me as if to say, “I love it when you remember to feed me!”  I love that they need me.  I love that they want their scent on me even if it means cat fur on my pant leg.  And I don’t really mind the claw marks on my sofa because they got there when they jumped up to be near me. 

And when they don’t show any appreciation for my care of them is when I remember I haven’t shown much appreciation for God’s care of me.  And I think, oh yeah, Thank You, God!  Thank you for loving me even though I’ve hawked up a mess or two in my life.  Thank you for helping me set things right again.  You always let me climb up in your lap and forgive the unsightly marks I made to finally get back there.

And thank you for giving this single gal some furry friends to remind me how much You love me.

Question:  How does God work in your life to show you how much He loves you?

E-Harmony Cat Chick

This is why I have kept my cat quota to two.

Question:  Does she frighten you as much as she does me?

Pneumonia: Fun to say, Hard to live with

There is a fear amongst single people of dying alone.  That’s why I have cats.  But, I try not to be the epitome of the single-cat-loving-woman, so I have kept my cat quota to two.  There were times I wanted more, but to keep the stereotype at bay, I decided against the third feline.

 

Mary

We’ve all heard the pathetically sad news stories of single women being found alone and dead in their apartment after days of no one knowing.  Alone except for being surrounded by hundreds of hungry cats just days away from eating their dead flesh. 

I really don’t want to be that news story.

Those are the kinds of thoughts that run through my head when I am sick.  Like now; I have pneumonia.  Never had it before.  Never want it again.  I was first diagnosed with it by all my camping companions on my trip last weekend.



Martha


I kept denying their claims until late one night.  It was cold so I burrowed way down inside my sleeping bag.  As I opened my mouth to breathe I noticed there was a motocross race going on inside me.  The sound of revving engines and squeaky brakes coming from my lungs was hard to ignore.

The next morning I told my friends they were probably right; and the doctor confirmed it this afternoon.  I have pneumonia.  And cough syrup with codeine that makes me warm and sleepy…zzzzzzz

I shall deliver my camping trip highlights next week after the drugs have worn off.

Question:  Have you had pneumonia?  Can you spell it correctly on your first try?

Feel The Love

A couple of weeks ago I caught the “crud” that had been going around.  I found myself alone on a Saturday night with a temperature of 101.  I had been throwing up and was feeling pretty sorry for myself.  My cats seemed to care more about their dirty litter box than the fact I had spent half the night on the bathroom floor next to it.  So I decided to solicit sympathy via Facebook.  People came to my rescue and the outpouring of love and homemade remedies made my little heart smile. 

Living alone can be great for an independent soul such as myself.   But then there are the times you really miss the comfort of another human being.  Interestingly enough though, some of my married friends tell me when they are sick they wish their husbands would take the kids and leave to let them suffer in silence.  Other women say their children don’t get it when mom doesn’t feel well so they aren’t even allowed a sick day to mend. 

I guess it’s one of those “the grass is always greener” kind of moments.  Once I felt better it didn’t bother me to be alone again.  And I’m sure once those moms were back to health the constant commotion and calling of their name was music to their ears. 

So here’s to sending love out wherever, whenever and to whomever it is needed.  And don’t be afraid to ask for it.  You don’t want to miss out on all the chicken soup offers or learning that rubbing Vicks VapoRub on your feet and then sleeping with socks on can make you feel better.  That’s good information but sometimes just a hug would suffice.

Question:  What’s the best “medicine” you’ve received when you were sick?