Autumn Walk

Walking has long been my favorite pastime.  It seems to be the best way to prepare for my day, or to de-stress after a particularly long on.  It's also a great prayer time.  Being out in nature clears my mind and opens my heart, as I connect back to the earth and its Creator. 

I've spent hours walking in all kinds of weather, and sometimes - especially in the last two years - the rain has mixed with my tears.  Last February, I slipped on the ice at 5AM on the country road, and ended up with a concussion. Funny thing about that: I'd just told myself: "That's ice!  Be careful!"  Seems like when it comes to ice, it doesn't matter if you are aware and stepping carefully.  My legs just slipped out from under me, and the next moment, I was laying on my back in the middle of the road, Isabeau whimpering over me.   I've been pretty timid about icy mornings ever since, but in any other conditions, you can be certain that Izzy and I are going to be out exploring (assuming it is a day off).

Izzy is my beloved walking companion.  All I have to say is "Do you want to go for a walk?" and she will jump up out of a sound sleep.  Admittedly, she would prefer that we run, but I will have to work up to that sometime in the future.  In the meantime, we make a pretty good team, as we explore new paths.

Two weeks ago, Austin and Faith joined Izzy and me on one of our regular trails.  The forest path was littered with beautiful, multi-colored leaves, and we just had to stop for pictures:

Austin has a fairly serious expression in this picture.  He had been talking to me about some pretty serious things, and I felt grateful to have a grandson who wanted to share his feelings with me:

Faith filled her arms with bunches of leaves, with a running undercurrent of delighted giggles:  

Izzy always loves to spend time with Austin and Faith, and was docile under Austin's capable leadership:

Aren't these the cutest faces imaginable?  What a treat to spend such a special and beautiful day with my loved ones! 

My New Home

I moved into my new home three weeks ago.  It's been a very busy time, from unpacking and decorating, to taking care of Faith and Austin while Lisa recovered from heart surgery, to getting all the errands done that I do not typically get to do on a busy work week.

As I post the following pictures, I feel great disappointment in the fact that the only camera I have is my IPhone.  As I get better pictures (hopefully with Brandee's help), I will replace these . . .

My "business" office, the first room after entering the front door.  I hope to transact some of my design business here.  There was a lot of light flooding in through the window on this day, and the picture is over-exposed as a result.

 My very fun kitchen.  I first saw this model a year ago, and it was the first home where I could actually imagine myself cooking.  I'm happy to say that I have, indeed, cooked dinner almost every day since I moved in.  It is open, airy, and inviting.

The main family/great room from the front door.

I really like the fact that the living area is so open, and I can easily adjust seating to accommodate Passover dinners, and other group activities.

The living area as it adjoins the office.

The kids' room. I've already made a change: adding the vinyl lettering phrase from their last room: "Fly with the angels, dance with the stars."

 The guest room - anyone want to visit?  It overlooks the park.

 The Master - an incredible bonus to the home, and a real retreat.  I feel very spoiled in it!

Baby Ellie

The newest member of our family was born on October 23.  Her name is Elisabeth, but she will go by "Ellie."

Big brother Hinckley took very naturally to holding his new little sister.  So far, there seems to be little jealousy on his part, and he has looked forward to the new baby joining the family.

I get to visit Hinckley and meet Baby Ellie this coming week for Thanksgiving.  I can't wait!!

Farewell to Aslan

This is a post that I have put off writing.  It's been two weeks, yet I still can hardly believe that Aslan is no longer with me.

Aslan was a purebred Ragdoll cat.  He was the only purebred cat I ever had, and that was only because George had done a lot of research about finding the "perfect" cat to replace my beloved JB, who died on my 50th birthday.  Ragdolls are known to be sweet and docile, and for being great with children.  While Aslan actually turned out to be terrified of children, he really was as sweet as he was beautiful, and had never caused me a moment's problem [other than scratching the sofas, which I truly did not appreciate].

Aslan was pure white when I first got him as a kitten, a little "snowball" who loved to jump up on the bed, and give me kisses in the middle of the night.  Shortly after getting him (September), I knew that Aslan was just aching to have a "little brother," as he would follow me around meowing with a very serious-sounding cry.  I promptly followed his urging, and picked out Gryffyn and brought him home in early November.  The two were best friends from the moment they met, Aslan definitely taking the "big brother" role.  They were born exactly seven months apart, and they died seven months apart, with Gryffyn at age 7, and Aslan, age 8.  They were both much too young to die, and I had hoped for several more years with them.

Aslan loved to be outdoors, and his favorite time of life was when he got to play in our garden in Orem.  We had a routine/ritual where after we went running every morning, we would sit outside (even in the snow), and let "the boys" roam around the garden as we read our scriptures.  As we would arrive back home from our run, we could hear them crying in eagerness for us to open the door and let them do their daily exploring.  They would hide amongst the flowers in spring and summer, and pounce out on unsuspecting birds.  Although this was their favorite activity, neither of them was ever successful in catching their prey, but they had a very good time in the process.  Brett would comb Aslan's long fur, and our neighbor would poke his head out the door and ask if Brett was "shearing the lambs."

Aslan (and Gryffyn) had spent the last several years indoors, as our country estate had too much wildlife on the prowl for a tasty snack, and then I had lived in a room at the LeFevre's for the last four months.  I had really been looking forward to allowing Aslan to explore our new, fenced-in back yard, knowing how many happy hours he would enjoy there.  Besides that, Aslan and Izzy had formed their own friendship, and I felt that they would be able to keep each other company and ease the anxiety over my leaving each day for work.  If only . . .

When I first brought Aslan to our new home, I put him in the laundry room, so that he would be safe while the movers were bringing the furniture in.  When I went to put him in, I thought the room smelled "chemically," but dismissed that thought as coming from my over-sensitive sense of smell.  Not knowing a better option, I opened the window and closed the door.  Aslan cried to get out, just as he had cried to get out of the room at the LeFevre's, but I did not realize how serious it was until I opened the door, and saw that all four of Aslan's feet were running blood, and that he could hardly breathe.  Without wanting to go into all of the details, suffice it to say that Aslan had been burned by something on the floor (perhaps a phosphate cleaner to remove glue), and that his lungs had been burned also.  He suffered greatly during the next 48 hours, as I took him to and from vet appointments, and we tried baths and medicines.  It was truly horrible, especially for a little guy who had never been sick a day in his life.  After $1000 spent in the effort, Aslan and I lost the fight for his life.  It was a terrible blow for beginning the new chapter of life that I had anticipated sharing with Aslan and Izzy. [The building supervisor is horrified by what happened, and no one can find any answers about what might have been used on the floor, etc.  I do not wish to make things even harder by becoming acrimonious or litigious.]

Aslan was a constant source of love and comfort to me, from his first days filling the space left by dear JB, to his last days, purring and snuggling, as I spent many sleepless nights over the last two years.  He truly asked for nothing but companionship, and he had far too little of that since we left Orem.  I am so grateful for the beauty and grace that Aslan offered me on a daily basis.  I will miss him terribly.