Author Archives: Humor Happens

There is good to be found in most things:

1. Giving thanks that the 100 plus vehicle pile-up on I-94 around Galesburg wasn’t worse today. Prayers for all involved, the life lost, and all harmed. So many agencies came together quickly to work together and help make a difficult and painful situation as easy as can be possible.
2. Giving thanks for the ability to shovel the walk to our front door today. Glad it wasn’t heavy. Glad it wasn’t more.
3. Giving thanks for dinner with family tonight. So love playing with my great niece. One game was playing hide the scissors with her from her brother. There’s no better leg warmer than a child on my lap reading together. (Unless that child is wiggly, then a cat is a better. This child was not wiggly, but snugly and warm.)

Due to the narrow path, as seen here, that we ended up with in February 2014 to our front door, I shoveled a MUCH wider path today:

Giving Thanks:

1. Ever pray for something specific and get something similar? Ever pray for something and not get it? Well, I’ve been praying for a snow day at work tomorrow (even more so on tonight’s drive home from work) and received it! This isn’t something that happens often, but sure thanking God to work for an employer both ABLE to do so and willing to do so. (Nope, I’d rather not be in healthcare or some other industry where this isn’t even possible. I am sure grateful for those we cannot afford to close for staying open.)
2. Daisy kitty has been doing well today and even stayed out with us in the living room this evening.
3. Grateful for all of those plow drivers who are working through this to help keep the roads as open as possible. Also for the rescue workers ready to take us to the doctor. And the tow truck drivers ready to get our vehicles to their doctor too.

Wishing we could ship this snow to the less fortunate states:

Today’s Thanks:

1. Although there was no snow day today, I did make it to work and back home safely. Even with a stop at the library for a few necessary materials, no trouble on the roads today.
2. My nephew plowed the driveway for us! And this year, he put the pile of snow way far, far, far away from the drive. Why? Because last year, we ran out of room to put it. This year, we’re all prepared.
3. All kitties are well. Okay, not my little meat lover while my mom made chicken noodle soup from scratch. As soon as the meat comes out of the fridge, she thinks she’ll die from not eating it … and she lets us know loudly and painfully. She shouldn’t have any with her kidney disease, but I’ll give her extra kitty food medication later to make up for it. We needed a break from the wicked and murderous looks so that it would be safe to go to sleep tonight.

Meat Lover: Looks sweet doesn’t she? Do NOT get between her and meat!

So cold, but the roads weren’t too terrible today. Still praying for a snow day to stay home with my kitties and read. Today, many thanks:

1. Unexpected Christmas gifts from a friend too far away for comfort. Doggie artwork to support the rescue they volunteer at, a cute mug filled candy, cocoa, ornaments, and (best of all) home-made treats – such as marshmallows!!!
2. Not such a good day for Daisy, but I have numbers to call for vets to come to the home for her. Just have to get up the ability to call them. So don’t want to make that call, but I need to do some research.
3. Safe driving!!! Made it to and from work in once piece with car in once piece.

An image of February 2014 … fortunately, it’s not this bad yet to put ice on a window like this:

Today is done. Ready for bed. Here are some thanks:

1. I had a nasty nightmare last night, but thanks to God, after much prayer, I can barely remember it. Amen!
2. Daisy is eating some, and although I missed her terribly, she did purr for me tonight.
3. At lunch, gas was $1.79 per gallon, but I didn’t have time to stop for it. After work, the stations I saw were $2.09. I just assumed that is what I’d pay when I made it to the one with the least work getting in and out of. Not! There were lines worth the wait, because that station remained $1.79. Woo, woo!

Flowers that I had back in November for cheer then and for cheer in the image now:

Last day of holiday time off. Very much not ready for tomorrow. Well, I do have a bag of goodies to enjoy at work, my work mug is clean and ready to go back, but I’m not ready to get up early and be away from Daisy for so very long. And yet, when I wait longer between offering her meals, she eats more. In the end, it’s a good thing. Besides, I need to keep her in the lifestyle she’s become accustom to, which means working for a living.

Today’s Thanks:

1. Skipped church due to migraine, and I missed being there. The thanks is in the medication that allowed me to get up later in the day and be.
2. Switched my closet from warmer weather to cooler weather. Yep, it took me a bit longer than it should have, but it’s done now. A few things to part with and a few treasures found that I had forgotten about … as usual. I wear so many sweaters all year-long, that I had plenty of warmth to get through until now. Today’s snow changed things in me. I need more long-sleeves available!
3. Daisy ate again, and even brought her dog-fish toy out to feed us. She is in her arm-chair and her sister is in hers. The other two are on cushy blankets and grateful for the heat of the house.

Here is a photo taken from a plane on my flight home from DC in November:

There’s a thief in the room. By accident, of course.

Earlier this week, after visiting those not able to get out much for the holidays, my mom, friend Kerrie, and I did a little shopping. One place we stopped in at was CJ Banks. There was a sweater I wanted to try on, but it wasn’t appropriate to do so over the sweatshirt I was wearing. I looked around and found a blouse to try on under it. Sure enough, I liked the sweater, with approval from my fellow shoppers, took off the sweater to go purchase it, and put back on the sweatshirt.

As we finished our tour of the mall (each of us shoppers with a new sweater from the holiday sale) making some delightfully smelly purchases (Yankee Candle & Bath & Body), my sweatshirt felt oddly tight. I kept fidgeting with it to no avail. We had dinner at Olga’s kitchen, where I fiddled more. We ended up at Walgreen’s, our last stop of the night, where I had to pick up photos I’d intended to pick up there twice before on two other outings and managed to forget each time (this time I had two co-horts to help remind me).

As we were perusing the Christmas sale candy, I continued to yank at my shirt, when understanding dawned on me. I looked down, and it was sadly true. I did NOT take off the blouse back at CJ Banks! I was wearing it!!! THIEF!!!

I practically screamed at the thought, and Kerrie turned to see what I was so upset about. I lifted the bottom of my shirt to show her the blouse, and she burst into laughter and whispered loudly, “Shop Lifter!” Good thing there were few employees working that night, so none of them were near to hear us. Then mom asked why we were upset, and I showed her. She said, “That’s a nice blouse, I’m glad you got it.” Ummmm…. NO!

When we got home shortly after I paid for ALL purchases at that store, I ripped off the sweatshirt, and mom said, “that’s nice you should go buy it.” Well, no, because it had a painfully busy print, and it was too snug in the wrong places. Not that you’d know it because the print was so loud.

Today, after a great breakfast at East Egg with family (finally got to see the only nephew I missed at Christmas events and his fiance and four delightful cousins), and then visiting the one person who wasn’t in when we visited folks on Tuesday, we went back to the scene of the crime. With tail tucked between my legs, I returned the blouse and explained what happened. Do you know what the store clerk said? “Oh, you’re such a sweet thing to be so kind.” And she laughed that I was upset all the while putting it back out for sale. We ended up chatting about our holidays, and the police did not come to haul me off to jail for shop lifting.

Moral of the story: Do what is right, and you’ll have a great story to share with friends, family, and strangers on the journey of life.

PS: If you read yesterday’s post, please know that my dear Miss Daisy kitty is having a great day! She’s eaten two meals and come out to visit us on her own. This means she has eaten four times the food of yesterday and is getting around better. Each day is a journey of ups and downs with her, and today was an up.

Today’s thankful list:

1. Although I am terrified of my cat Daisy dying, I am TRYING to be grateful for this time with her to be with her. Being on holiday until January 5th has given me more time to watch over her. Going back to work will be difficult to not be around her and make sure she is still doing well enough.
2. I AM grateful that when I do go back to work, my mom will be with her to check on her regularly.
3. Grateful that I now have the number of a vet who will come to the home if needed at her end. She doesn’t like the vet, and I don’t want her last moments to be any more upsetting than they may already be.
4. Grateful to have friends over today to distract me from this situation and give Daisy some extra love.

This Love:

2015 is here! In the past few months on Facebook, people have posted three things they are thankful for. My new years resolutions are…

To give thanks for three things daily OR write a post for this blog.
To perhaps lose some weight or at least get more motion into my life (not calling it exercise or it won’t happen).
To learn to hold my tongue when it tries to wag without my mind’s input.

What are yours?

Here are three for today:

1. Faith in the Lord of Love.
2. Hope for better days to come.
3. Seeing my great nephew and his girlfriend for a visit tonight. We got to enjoy them more and talk more than we do when the whole family is together.

Today was chilly, but there’s no snow. I’m sad and I’m glad. There was far too much in 2014 at this time.

The day started with the alarm ringing long before I was mentally ready to get up. I then proceeded to drop my English muffins, both halves landed buttered side down. I followed that up by spilling the pureed concoction my kitties eat for breakfast.

Today was our family Christmas, which I always look forward to with a child’s heart to have my family gathered together in one room, share a meal, share gifts, and – most of all – share conversation. All but two of my nephews and one future niece (well, maybe two future nieces) were able to join us. I so enjoy their banter, laughter, and smiles.

During the day today, I managed to wear four blouses. Okay, one is a pajama top, but all three blouses had to go in the laundry basket because I managed to spill something or other on them.

All in all, having family here was far more important than any quantity of laundry piling up in a single day, or how many spills I cleaned up along the way (I lost count of the spills that didn’t result in dirty clothes).

Moral of the story: May your joys outweigh your concerns each and every day.