Celebrating Beau!

"Don't cry because it's over,

smile because it happened."

-Dr. Seuss

March 1, 1995 - December 29, 2010

Photo Day 86: Merry Christmas!

Photo Day 86:  Merry Christmas! 

Eat.  Drink.  Be merry. 

And then eat some more and more and more!!

Photo Day 85: Not traditional

Photo Day 85:  Not traditional.  So my family's tradition of lasagna and garlic bread doesn't really fit into the traditional Christmas Eve dinner category...most people have ham or turkey.  Unless, of course, you are from Minnesota. 

Anyone care for slopping joes and wild rice soup on Christmas (yes...served together!!)?  Or how about some lutefisk? 

I'm sticking with my lasagna!

Photo Day 84: Guest room

Photo Day 84:  Guest room.  Oooooo...the irony of my life!  For the last year or so we've been using/storing our friend's mattress on our guest bed.  Other than the cats, the bed has not seen a guest in forever.  Today...the mattress owner requested to stop by and pick it up.  Are you kidding me!?!?  The guest bed is going to have guests in a week!

At least Beau didn't let a little thing like a missing mattress get in the way of his afternoon nap!

Photo Day 83: Ice decor

Photo Day 83:  Ice decor.  I'm pretty sure it appears that I have way too much time on my hands if I'm creating decor for outside the house...and it's a box of ice.  But I live in the north pole so it just seems like the thing to do.

Photo Day 82: Winter starts

Photo Day 82:  Winter starts.  Dude…where’s my car?!?!  Oh….there it is.  It’s that round bubble under a foot of snow that was certainly not there last night.  The calendar says winter begins today.  Really?  So what do I call the winter-like weather that’s been going on for the last 2 months?  Pre-winter?  Anyway, I should have guessed there was a lot of snow when I awoke to the sound of snowblowers before sunrise...which sounds eerily similar to the buzz of generators during an active hurricane season in Florida.

Photo Day 78: Cat thoughts

Photo Day 78:  Cat thoughts.  Sometimes I wonder what goes on in the mind of a cat.

"Really...you're going to take another photo of me!"

"Tuna?  Did I just hear the can opener?"

"Hummmm...I wonder when someone is going to come home and turn up the heat in this place!"

"How come all the plants I like to eat are out of reach?"

Photo Day 76: Quality time

Photo Day 76:  Quality time.  Sometimes there is nothing better than cuddling with my little furball at the end of a long day.  Well, except when he tries to lick my face with his cat breath.

Photo Day 75: Too cute

Photo Day 75:  Too cute.   In cat years, I’m 108 and I still look marvelous dar-ling!  Keep up the chin scratching but no more photos please…the flashbulb is bad for my complexion.

Photo Day 74: Freezing water

Photo Day 74:  Freezing water.  I decided to freeze a box of water outside.  Why exactly?  Because I can!  Temp this morning = negative 10.  Yep....pretty cold!

Ok...I admit I do have a project in mind for my block of ice.  I'm envisioning some kind of ice based decoration outside my door.  But in all honesty...I'm freezing a box of water outside my door because I'm still amazed by the fact that I can!

Photo Day 71: Brownies for breakfast

Photo Day 71: Brownies for breakfast.  Seriously...who decided holiday potluck parties at work are a good idea!  And what was I thinking when I signed up to bring dessert.  Such a recipe for disaster when I'm trying to lose a few pounds.  Between eating the brownie batter last night (yes I know it's bad for me since it has raw eggs but whatever...it's sooooo yummy) and having a brownie or two for breakfast, looks like I'll be spending all weekend on the treadmill.  Next year I'm signing up to bring the plates!

Photo Day 68: Impossible addiction

Photo Day 68:  Impossible addiction.  I overheard this guy telling his friends that it's almost impossible to get addicted to things that are good for you.  Yep...I'm thinking there will never be a need for recovery meetings for a "broccoli addiction."

Photo Day 63: Not really cold...yet

Photo Day 63:  Not really cold...yet.  It has finally happened.  I've acclimated to the cold weather.  The car told me it was 9 degrees outside.  Really car?  Because it didn't seem that cold....a bit chilly.....yes....but not really cold yet.  Really cold happens at below zero with some wind thrown in.  I've become a northern-er, an official resident of the north pole.  I think I'll go next door and say hi to my neighbors:  Mr. and Mrs. Claus (as in Santa that is)!

Bonus Photo Day 58: Never too old

Bonus Photo Day 58:  Never too old.  They say cats have 9 lives.  I think Beau has surpassed that and is on to number 10 or 11.  But he proves that you're never too old to do whatever you set your mind on.  A little arthritis was no match for Beau's desire to climb the boxes filled with Christmas decorations. 

Although, I was a bit nervous watching him climb, wondering if this would be the day the cliche "curiosity killed the cat" really came true!

Photo Day 58: Dog sledding

Photo Day 58:  Dog sledding.  Don’t play with matches. Don’t run with scissors. And most importantly….Don’t let your 30ish-year-old children go unattended! Seriously…I’m starting think we need some kind of chaperoning. Our parents stopped monitoring us years ago…hello mom and dad…that was a bad idea!

So now there’s nothing keeping us 30ish-year-olds from our own stupidness – no parents supervising, no kids to be responsible for (well…except for the four-legged furry kind). Add in some fresh snow, a steep hill, some kiddie sleds and watch out! Somehow….we all thought it was a fabulous idea to sled Andee (our friend’s doggie) down the hill. Not sure Andee quite agreed! This gives a whole new meaning to the term "dog sledding!"

Bonus Photo Day 56: Man toys.

Bonus Photo Day 56:  Man toys.  I think the toys just get bigger as you boys get older.  Somehow the snowblower falls into the grown man toy category.  What I'm really perplexed by is the assortment of shovels behind the hubby.  So...if you're using the snowblower....what's with the shovel collection?  Okay - maybe 1 shovel is needed but 4....really?!?!  LOL!

Photo Day 57: Ficus tree - one down!

Photo Day 57: Ficus tree – one down!  What to do when you manage to kill a ficus tree? Well….decorate it of course (and hope that it will come back to life in the spring)!

Photo Day 56: Turkey Day!

Photo Day 56:  Turkey Day!  My first turkey EVER!  And, well, maybe my last.  I think they should sell those things either with or without the “extra” parts.  I’m still traumatized by the “extra” parts that I had to find and pull out of that bird!

Photo Day 54: Welcome home

Photo Day: Welcome home.  Nothing really says “welcome to our home” quite like 3 dead plants and a snow shovel greeting our guests at the door!

Photo Day 50: I'm melting

Photo Day 50:  I'm melting. 
I'd hate to run into this snowman in a dark alley!

Photo Day 49: Accessorizing in winter

Photo Day 49:  Accessorizing in winter.  Let's see....I live in a place that's cold and snows from November through April.  And I absolutely refuse to look like the winter version of people in a Polk County Walmart.  Therefore, having lots of cute matching hats/scarves/gloves is a requirement in my world!