Day Two-Bray, Wicklow, Navan

Day Two, in Bray. We got up for a huge Irish breakfast, buffet style. After checkout, the boys decided we must hike up Bray Head. The first bit is paved but it quickly gives way to rough trail, parts gravelled, parts not. The trail goes on quite some way into County Wicklow; Ireland is chock-full of hiking trails. It was steep and demanded several inhaler puffs, but it set the pace of our vacation- lots and lots of hiking.
The top of the hill afforded a great view of the bay, of the Wicklow mountains in the west and of Dublin shining in the north. Bren hiked a bit further over on an adjoining peak, but Dan and I rested at the concrete cross set atop the hill. We hiked down and they had a coffee break on the beach before we hopped back into the car for Wicklow. We headed to Glendaloch, site of an ancient monastery founded by St. Kevin. The architectural details of the old church and the Celtic crosses on the burial grounds made for some great photos, with all the spring flowers in bloom. We walked around the cemetary and the monastery grounds for quite a while, and then we headed up the trail to the lake. The trail goes on for several miles, but we just hiked a short section. We hopped back in the car and drove thru the Wicklow Gap, now also known as The Braveheart Trail, because the movie was filmed in this area. It's funny how driving through the gap, you can recognize the scenery and picture Mel Gibson running on the peaks. I would have liked to visit Avoca weavers and Ballykissangel but you can't do it all.
We drove back up thru Dublin and headed out to Navan, the capitol of county Meath ("Royal Meath" as Nana would say) and home of my family. The B&B I had stayed at had just let it last room, but the landlady found us another B&B within walking distance of town. (I have no night vision & cannot drive well at night, so we either stay at a hotel with a restaurant OR a B&B in walking distance of dinner.) On the way down the hill, it was Bren's turn for a meltdown- he insisted we eat in the pub near the B&B, so we settled for bar food. Then we hiked downtown only to discover that the restaurant Kate and I had loved on a previous visit was not only still open, but had won numerous awards- so much for bar food! (The Loft- if you visit Navan, eat there!) We hit up the ATM and got out euros. We found the house Nana was born in in Corn Market and took the obligatory photos of ourselves there. The tanning salon is gone, and it is now a safety planning office. The blacksmith shop where Uncle Gus plied his trade shoeing horses and making ornate iron grave crosses (see his work in Athlumney and St Mary cemetaries) is gone. Last time we were there, it had been made into a dance club specializing in Beatles music. It was town down and rebuilt with apartments above and shops below. the cobblestone street is still there and the little tunnel leading into the marketplace is the same. Someone had spraypainted IRA in green on the wall, so the boys posed happily for that as well! The old post office is not a McDonald's- quite an interesting location. More public art has been placed in the area, including an interesting Neptune sculpture, and more apartment buildings and upscale housing developments built. A hiking and bike trail is now there right on the Boyne, and a little riverfront park. It's a town that's definitely conducive to walking, with lots of shops. The walk back to the B&B was pleasant.
We had a comfortable room, and Bren had never had a B&B experience before. Dan could not get his circadian clock regulated and was awake from 4 am with back pains- we nearly stepped on him since he lay flat on the floor to get comfortable. Someone called Bren on his cell phone in the middle of the night. It's not easy to get adjusted to multiple time zone changes, but it must be easier to do so on vacation than on business.

Ireland Photos- Day Two

Bray Beach from Bray Head

Bren Climbs on the Hill

Glendaloch- Stones

Glendaloch-Church

Glendaloch-Lake

Saint Kevin's

Boyne Riverside-Navan

The Curtis House- Navan

The Old Post Office-Navan

Navan-Public Art

Ireland Day One

Trinity College
ART

The Guinness Storehouse-St. James Gate

Starting the Brew

SkyBar

Bray Beach

How I Spent My Well-Deserved Vacation- Ireland Day One

We started from Logan and got to Dublin airport in the early morning and got our rental car. We drove down thru some of Dublin's toughest areas and the boys begged me to stop and taker a picture of them in front of a huge, dilapidated apartment project (NO). We decided to park in a garage for the day and hoof it in the town- wise choice. We found a diner next to the Liffey that offered breakfast, so Bren got his first taste of Full Irish breakfast- eggs, sausage, white and black puddings, bacon and tons of toast and tea.
We did the National Museum and saw the Bog Man display and the ancient Celtic antiquities. The gold and the intricate designs are mind-boggling stuff. Considering how little comfort these neolithic peoples had in their lives, they still manage to devote themselves to art and craftsmanship that are not quite equalled today. We walked over to the Guinness storehouse for the tour. Bren got picked to push the red button and start a new batch of brew.
He got to taste a fresh brew that wasn't fully fermented yet, and loved it, though he had never liked Guinness before. We headed up to the SkyBar and met Chiquita Banana on the way- apparently some group had rented a room for a costume party. The SkyBar was busy on a sunny Dublin day, and Bren got busy enjoying his and Dan's complimentary Guinness. Unfortunately, the effects of being up 40 hours straight hit Dan, so we headed out. I decided to head for Bray, to a hotel I had been to once before & could find easily. We crawled thru the rush-hour traffic, down thru DunLaoghaire and finally reached Bray. After a good meal in their restaurant, he perked up a bit, so we took a nice walk on the beach up to Bray Head and back. Poor Dan was out the second he hit the pillow, but Bren wandered about for a smoke and I managed to blow the fuse with my plugs. Easily fixed, and we downloaded pics on the laptop before bed.

Where My Heart Is

Judging from the dearth of posts this past winter, it's easy to see that it's been a tough year on my family. Illness, deaths, overwork and stress were the theme. A woman I worked with the other day said "it doesn't seem like it's May!" "That's because your heat is still on," I growled.
My lawn is half-dead from the street salt the plows pushed up. My beautiful purple-and-white themed tulip display yielded 3 purple tulips- all those (expensive) beauties lost to scavenging (starving) rodents (squirrels AND skunks). Yet spring is finally here- the forsythia and quince in riot, the lilac ready to bloom this weekend, the upper lawn a riot of violets. The Lily-of-the Valley is finally poking shyly up by the bricks. It's finally warm enough to open a few windows.
Work is quieting down- everyone who was on leave is back, so I am needed less. The scheduler suggested I take a vacation, and I thought about a nice long weekend with Ros in Montreal. THEN-I dreamed about Ireland.
Dreaming about Ireland is a dangerous thing. It puts a longing in the heart that throbs like a toothache. So I called Pharmacy Son, who was so entrenched in exams he couldn't think about it. On the weekend, he called, and he was ready to talk trip. Kate can't go, and neither can #1 son. But I thought we should invite the Middle Child, and Dan convinced him to rush thru the passport process. Bren has never been, has always wanted to go, and is so excited. I wish we were all going, but 3 out of 5 isn't bad. I so badly need some rest and relaxation; eight days in a compact car on a narrow road with two hulking giants arguing over maps and music may not be THE most restful idea. But Ireland is where I recharge the batteries of my soul, and I am so grateful that all the ducks lined up for me right now. I am already on Ireland mode; easily distracted and constantly humming. I swear the kitties know something is up, they follow me everywhere. I've started putting together lists and items I want to bring.
May is the perfect time to visit Ireland; it's warm, the baby lambs are frolicking everywhere, it's not high season yet so the traffic and touristy spots are bearable. We have yet to pencil out an itinerary; Bren wants to see Navan, and Newgrange of course, and Dan wants to take him to the Guinness storehouse. That's a day and a half itinerary, the rest is up for grabs. We are vacationers who don't need much more than a map and an imagination. We always find a place to stay, and we always have adventures.
So- here's to a well-deserved vacation! More to follow, of course...:)

Thank God It's Spring!!!

This seems like it has been the longest winter. Last winter wasn't so very hot, what with Aged Mother crashing with influenza just before Christmas and then picking up Norwalk virus on her first outing out in January.
This season kicked off with an aunt coming down with pneumonia just before Christmas, and succumbing to it rapidly. Great sadness just before the holiday. Day after Christmas Beloved Sister is hospitalized until New Year's Eve with complications from a condition that later turns out to be medication-induced liver toxicity. My mom has eyelid surgery, my sis and niece took her to that one. Less than a week later, I get a call from my niece that my dad has fallen. Yes, he did break his hip and yes, he did need surgery. The night of his surgery, his sister was admitted, so I headed up to the ICU to discover it was very, very serious. I was very grateful that I had dialed her number so he could say goodnight to her- it was the last time he spoke with her. Auntie died exactly four weeks to the day that my first aunt died. Extremely sad and traumatic for all her family.
During the surgery crisis, we had got sister to a specialist who confirmed my suspicion that her problem was caused by a medication she was on for many years. Reversing the damage will take months. In the meantime, she gets sicker, and is admitted with serious complications of her liver problem- pulmonary thrombi, and lots of them. Aged mother visits dad and passes out in the bathroom, prompting a hospital admission for a cardiac workup. And my cousin is admitted with pneumonia to the same ICU bed Auntie had been in previously. Three in one hospital and one in the next city over. It was stress in the nth degree, yet also comically coincidental. Example; when my cousin (who is mentally handicapped) was transferred from ICU to the rehab unit, my middle sister was there, and helped her settle in and answered staff questions until her family/caregivers got there.
And then my sister became really, really ill, and I dragged her to a major teaching hospital where she was admitted and tortured for two weeks while I prayed the specialist of our dreams would be called in on her case. That still may happen- she did get a call from him, but her experience there left much to be desired.
And just about then, we had a major crisis at work- two people out on extended leaves put me at the wheel temporarily. I'd like to think I rose to the challenge but I am so exhausted i can't really tell.

The good and positive things that came out of all of this: my extended family proves once more that both grief and laughter are best shared in solidarity. My cousins are brave, compassionate, strong, generous and damn nice to be around. When Cousin ended up in the same rehab floor as Dad, there was much visiting up and down the hall, and there was always company for the invalids. Dad got to find out how funny my cousins' kids are, and my kids brought ice creams up the hall for my cousin.
I found out exactly how good the next generation is at handling crises and chronic demands. When Mom collapsed, I was at work; I dialed cells, and got fast responses. My kids and my niece flew in and kept the information flowing, one stayed with my dad and kept him calm. My daughter stayed over multiple nights when my mom and dad got discharged. My niece volunteered to be the one to discharge Dad so I could rest, and her husband visited with him so the rest of the family could go to wakes. My daughter minded the little ones so that my nephew could visit, and they made artworks that had pride of place on his bulletin board. My son's girlfriend brought hot tea to my dad on her way to school (part of the hospital is her grad school program) when he complained that his tea was lukewarm every day. My niece took him to follow-ups. My nephew brought the kids up to see him (the baby thinks the walker is like a cage and enjoys sitting beneath it..)
We got the parents moved to the first floor, eliminating multiple daily trips up the stairs. We'd like this to become permanent, but we'll see.
My sister is stable for now. The specialist may see her sometime soon. This is good, in a tentative way.
My schedule was tough but I think 90% of the time I was truly needed, I was off or could trade shifts. This is a huge blessing.
The last good thing was that my son proposed to his girlfriend. We adore her. We are ecstatic.
So there were some blessings mixed in with all the craziness.

And now, we are in spring.
So far, my beloved sister-in-law (my favourite ex) fell and broke her hip while skiing- she is fortunately recovering nicely and I will visit in a few weeks.
My godmother passed away, rather quickly and not expectedly, but had a peaceful passing. We buried her today.
A dear friend lost her mom yesterday. A peaceful passing, surrounded by family and faith, after a long and hard illness. We'll attend her memorial this weekend.

I have decided that some respite is in order.
A trip is in the works, and I will post on that later.
Cherished readers, do you agree that I am ready to welcome spring in my heart? The wicked winter has not let go of my loved ones yet, but there is hope. After all, the nine-foot pile of snow Plow Guy lovingly shoved into a corner of my driveway has been replaced by a puddle on the dirt, and my first daffodils bravely poked their heads above last fall's leaf mulch blanket.
I was inspired to pick up the trash in my yard and pull up some of the tall dead stalks remaining from my Russian sage and catmint and mallow on a lovely warm April day.

And that is how I threw out my back...

Blizzard of 78

Thirty years ago today, I got up at 6:30 am, bundled up and headed out in the snow to Children's Hospital, where I was Coordinator of the Pre-Op Unit. I was in a great mood, since my beloved sister had given birth to her first child the previous day, and I was hoping to go visit them after work. I took the Copley bus and walked to Children's as usual. As I was unwrapping my scarf and hanging up my coat, a Recovery Room nurse came in and said "What are you doing here? All surgeries are cancelled- we are operating on a skeleton crew for emergencies only!" (Since I was supervised from a different department than the OR staff, I never got notified.) "Didn't you listen to the weather report?" No- I listened to an album while I dressed. So, back on with the boots, and back out into the storm, which was harder, heavier and windier.
I walked to Copley (I seldom took the Green line trolley- had to wait too long and it's quicker to walk) and waited for a bus homw that never came. So I started walking. I got to the New England Medical Center and waited for a BayView bus. A bus came along after an hour with an "Out of Service" sign and the driver pulled over. "They recalled all the buses- the T is closing," he cried to the huddle of frozen waiters. "I am on my way to the yard but I can take you to Albany Street!" So we all got in and he dropped us off at the Broadway Bridge. We all got out and faced the howling wind. The group headed out onto the bridge, which spans the Fort Point Channel that ends in the harbor. The wind swept in from the ocean, the water was so high already (and this was before the high tide) and the bridge was an inhospitable place. One elderly lady (who told me she had gone to keep a medical appointment only to discover all appointments were cancelled) fell behind in the snow, weeping. I fell back with her. "I can't make it," she wailed. "Oh yes, you can," I told her, "we will do this together, I won't leave you behind. It seemed like hours trudging blindly through white-out snow over the bridge. Once we got beyond the water, we had a little cushion from the wind. Her son lived in a triple-decker in the Lower End; I escorted her there. He opened the door and cried in relief; he had been calling her for hours with no answer. They wanted me to come in and warm up, but I declined and went on down Broadway.
I made to my parents' house near the beach around noon. When I went in, to my utter shock, there was my sister holding her baby. She had a premonition that if she didn't leave, she would not get home. Having a healthy dread of hospitals, she signed herself and baby out AMA and made her husband drive them home. They stopped in to show off the baby to my mom, so I got to hold my niece for the first time. She was a perfect rosebud of a baby. They went off to their apartment and I changed into warm, dry, clothes.
My older sister came by with her son shortly after. She normally worked 3-11 at NEMC on the hematology-oncology floor; she wanted to get in before the storm got worse. She left her eight-year-old with me and Mom, and headed out. She met a friend on Broadway, hoping to hail a bus or cab; at this point it was a snow emergency and the National Guard picked them up and escorted them in (necessary personnel). She was stuck there for days as relief personnel could not get in- but that's her story.
I called my sister at home; she was doing ok. I asked her if she needed anything; she was low on bread and milk. So around four pm, Richie and I bundled up and headed a block away to the corner store. We bought what was almost the last of their milk, eggs, and bread, and trudged up the next block to my sister's apartment. When my brother-in-law opened the door, he didn't know who we were, we were so covered in snow. We had cocoa and held the baby, and then headed back out into the storm. I debated a trip to the beach- I do love the beach in a bad storm- but even I recognized this was a very bad idea. Right after I got Richie home, the power went out.
We lit candles and played cards by candlelight while listerning to the radio for reports on the storm. The storm raged, but we were safe, and warm. I have always loved storms and loved snow; I was quite content. I was reading a very enthralling novel by candlelight; "The Shining" by Stephen King. I remember waking up with a nightmare and listening to the wind howling as I tried to get back to sleep. (Fortunately the image of Nicholson quipping "Heeere's Johnny!" with is maniacal grin was far in the future at this point!)
The storm ended late the next day, and we began the task of . I have pictures of the streets covered in snow- you couldn't dig out because there was no place to put it. It was days before buses ran again, so everyone had to walk everywhere. We had enough perishables because Rich and I had gone out in the storm, but many people went without.
Sue was gone for days since personnel couldn't get in to the hospital. My dad was in the hospital and although ready for discharge, could not get home and had to stay. He called frantically every day, but there was nothing we could do. My sister's in-laws didn't get to see the baby for weeks, since the roads were closed.
And the hospital my sister gave birth in, high on a hill, was inaccessible; they had to do food and supply drops by helicopter. She was right; she would never have gotten out.

It has rained all day today, dark, dismal and depressing. I talked to my niece a long time on the phone. She reminds me that she has always had snow for her birthday, and that everyone reminds her of her arrival with the blizzard. Now, hours into today's storm, it is pouring harder than it has all day and it is lightning and thundering as well. I have my candles, and I am warm and content.
Happy birthday, honey.

Pyro at Imbolc

Every fall as the days grow shorter, I find myself pulling out candles and burning them in the hours that I am home. I rotate my scents; this fall I was on a major apple kick, and happily, the Christmas Tree Shop had some great and inexpensive apple candles I stocked up on. Evergreen for the holiday and now I have moved on to vanilla. For a few weeks, I was home so seldom I never lit one, but now I am back with a vengeance.

I have always thought it is my way of compensating for the long hours of darkness. By providing not only glowing light, but also scent to delight an additional sense and trigger a mechanism of comfort. It's dark and rainy today and has gotten progressively worse all day. It gets dark later every day, but on a day like this, it's so hard to tell that winter is losing its hold.
I save the candle stubs and make my own candles. It's dead easy, and is a pleasant pasttime.

Today was a distinctly non-productive day. The last few days I worked were very busy and required a great deal of energy, and my days off have involved driving distances to do things for family. Today I slept in and woke tired. I tried to do some paperwork, and got little accomplished, so I decided to just call it quits and do some reading and blogging and chatting with people I care about. After burning the candle at both ends, today I am kicking back and just burning the candles.

The Privelege Meme

Yeah, I am a sucker for a meme, but this one made me do some thinking.
One of the things I think about is my complete inability to do yes or no answers.

This meme is from “What Privileges Do You Have?”, based on an exercise about class and privilege developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois Indiana State University.
Done in a classroom setting, students would line up and take one step forward for every statement that is true.

I have made bold those which I answer yes.

1. Father went to college: Nope. Father graduated in the middle of the Great Depression. He got accepted but his parents couldn’t come up with the cost- a whopping $200. He got sent to the CCC.

2. Father finished college: Nope.

3. Mother went to college: Nope. She graduated during the Depression, too.

4. Mother finished college: Nope. She went to work as a cook as soon as she graduated high school, and counted herself lucky.

5. Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor. Not first degree, and none of my parents’ generation. Two of my cousins- the only two families that moved away from our neighborhood- did become professors. My cousin is a lawyer and my cousin’s daughter is an MD. I am a PharmD and dammit, that is no small potatoes!

6. Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers: hard to tell- they were nuns. I guess that made them as poor as the rest of us!

7. Had more than 50 books in your childhood home: Definitely. And 49 of them were mine!

8. Had more than 500 books in your childhood home. No, but I sure had more than 500 in the home I raised my kids in. I’m pretty sure I have nearly that many now; 5 bookcases full.

9. Were read children’s books by a parent: Nope- I could read by age 3 so I basically read to myself.

10. Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18: I had piano lessons for one year. It was a very good year.

11. Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18. Nope. My mom put me in dance lessons when I was 6. I loved it until I discovered I was expected to dance on stage in a recital. I flatly refused and she never forgave me. The only reason I got piano lessons was the nun spoke to her directly about my musical talent and kind of bullied her into it.

12. The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively: I don’t think any people like me are in the media.

13. Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18. No. I think I was twenty-six with two or three kids.

14. Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs: Nope. I got an allowance of ten dollars a week for bus fare. I worked 3 jobs and it took me 5 years to get my BA. And they wondered why I ended up in a hospital.

15. Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs: Goose egg.

16. Went to a private high school. Yup- my parents felt that their friends who went to Catholic school had a huge advantage, so they scraped to send us to convent school. Wish they spent what they wasted on college!

17. Went to summer camp: Nope.

18. Had a private tutor before you turned 18: Nope. But I never would have needed one.

19. Family vacations involved staying at hotels. We took a road trip once & stayed in a cabin in the Berkshires, but my parents had a fight so we came home the next day. When I was a teen, they were fond of a resort place in New Hampshire and we went once a year.

20. Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18. With two older sisters? I think not.

21. Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them. Not on this planet.

22. There was original art in your house when you were a child. Nope. My mother has this thing about fake wood and fake wrought iron…We had wallpaper that looked like wood, vinyl floors that looked like wood, and when she discovered sheet paneling, she went incredibly overboard. She was given her first original art by my sister’s boyfriend when I was 20. (He is now well-known and it’s worth a lot!) I bought her two paintings by a local artist that she is very fond of. But her idea of art involves plastic that looks like wrought iron. And Hummels.

23. You and your family lived in a single-family house. Hhhhmmm. Kinda sorta not really. We lived in a duplex and my grandparents and uncle lived upstairs. After Pappy died and my uncle married, my parents had the house opened up and we moved our bedrooms upstairs when I was 8.

24. Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home. They bought my grandmother out, so I guess yes.

25. You had your own room as a child. No. At first all three of us were in one double bed. Then I shared a room with my sister (twin beds made of imported Vermont maple as my mom used to say).

26. You had a phone in your room before you turned 18. Nope. I’ve only had a phone in my room since I bought my current little farmhouse in 2002.

27. Participated in a SAT/ACT prep course. Nope. I signed up for the SAT and took it. I counted myself lucky, since my poor sister was placed in a city 40 miles away- my mom dropped her off and left her with a few bucks and instructions to find her own way home. No wonder we’re so self-sufficient.

28. Had your own TV in your room in high school: Nope. I would not have wanted one. I could never understand why my family would sit like zombies for hours. I was too nudgie and TV bored me so easily.

29. Owned a mutual fund or IRA in high school or college: Jeez, who made this thing up? I barely managed to pay for college, and I had to put grad school off because I couldn’t afford it!

30. Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16: Actually, I flew with my family to Ontario to visit my great-uncle Paddy when I was 4. My sisters promptly came down with German measles and were quarantined, so I got to spend my entire vacation with Nana and Uncle Paddy being pampered and adored and spreading rubella through Port Colbourne (I got it when we came back!).

31. Went on a cruise with your family: Nope. But I did get to visit my daughter on her cruise ship…

32. Went on more than one cruise with your family: Nope.

33. Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up: Nope. But mom insisted I go to Bingo at the parish, which I hated. I discovered museums at age 16 and became a museum-a-holic. I had memberships when my kids were little.

34. If you had a computer at home. They didn't even have them in businesses when I was young!

35. If you had your own computer at home. See above.

36. You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family: Nope. Every time the bill came in, BOTH parents griped.

37. If you have been to Europe. I scraped and saved enough to visit my family in London and Dublin and got bombed by the IRA. But it was not given to me to go.

38. If you had your own cell phone in High School. They didn’t HAVE cell phones when I was in high school. Phones still involved cords and were usually black.

When the questions have all been asked, the following instructions are given:
“Now everyone recognize that you are at the same place academically. Everyone turn around. Everyone has permission to talk. No one has permission to accuse any one or any group of anything. Everyone must use “I” statements.

Note that the people on one end of the room had to work harder to be here today than the people at the other end of the room. Some of you had lives of more privilege than others. There is no one to blame, it is just the way it is. Some have privilege and some don’t.”

Anfa’s score is a whopping TEN/36. I guess I flunk Privelege 101.
Whatever. If there's an Experience 101, I passed that with flying colours long, long ago.

Cape Codder

We had planned a quick trip to the Cape in december but it didn't pan out. Rescheduled for a Nana weekend, we employed Kate as resident lifeguard, Nanny, gameplayer and girl toy extraordinaire. This allowed the exhausted grandparents to basically kick back and just enjoy.
Great-Aunt Nini had to work on Saturday in NH, so I missed the wave pool, bonfire and dinner, but arrived in time for girl talk. My favourite grand-nephew lit up with a huge smile when Nini came in. Among the discussion was favourite painting, favourite dessert, favourite fruit and favourite toy (Jordyn wanted to know what our favourite adult toy was and couldn't understand why we laughed so hard or so long...).

The younguns enjoyed a Dunkins breakfast picnic-style, but Kate and I sneaked off for a real breakfast before joining the crowd in the wave pool.

We joined the family with a cake for Jordyn's 6th birthday and shared some gifts. The girls got to open and try on all of their dress-ups. Richie particularly liked the Johnny Depp pirate dreadlocks and the sword. The punk rocker outfits were also a big hit.

We just had such a great time hanging out together. The adults are exhausted, but they are an incredibly fun group of kids.

It's MY Parking Spot!

I grew up in Boston, where the winters can be fierce when the Montreal Express roars through. The competition over parking can be deadly- you put in hours shovelling out your vehicle after a storm, pull away and mark your turf with a barrel or cone or bin or chair. Then you come home to find someone took your marker and your spot as well.
Last year the mayor decreed that so many days after a storm, the city would pick up all markers and parking was back to a free-for-all. My kids are living in Boston, so I get to hear their woes.
When we bought our first house, we decided we had to have off-street parking, ie, a driveway. The second-largest city in New England wasn't much different from the biggest. I had had one neighbor watch me shovel out a spot (and I was largely pregnant), then steal my bin and blithely park there. So we thought our parking worries were over.
My driveway was blocked so frequently, it was ridiculous. On a street lined with driveways, every one would be open and mine would be blocked. Some days I could not get to work until the city came and towed away the offender. Unfortunately, the city policy was to first try and find the owner and notify him/her by phone that they were blocking my drive. I had many a person visiting another house on the street who would just pull into my drive and leave their car. Of course, they didn't want to inconvenience their friends, but it was ok to inconvenience a total stranger. My personal favourites were;
1. The woman who lived next door for 3 months and parked one night straight across my driveway. The cops traced her car by the college sticker, and she came bumbling out, hung over, to move her vehicle. She never noticed there was a driveway there, she said, because it was dark. I pointed out the big pole directly across from my driveway- the streetlight. Not to mention she had been living on the street for months. That one caused both ex and I to be 1.5 hours late for work.
2. The teacher from the school up the street who parked across my drive because there was no parking closer to the school.
3. The guy visiting the people next door. He didn't want to park in their driveway in case they needed to get out. What if we needed to get out? Oh- he didn't think about that. What gave him the right to park in our driveway in the first place? He didn't think about that,either.
4. The tenants' friends. There was not enough room for our tenants to park in the drive, so they used the street. Their friends didn't. Their friends felt that pulling in for a few hours was a god-given right of being a Friend of Tenant. I would just pull in behind them and block them. Inevitably, when I was in the middle of feeding the family dinner, the knock on the door would come and the "You're blocking me in.." call would start. I would inform said friends that I would move my car after dinner at my convenience, and all hell would break loose. It was perfectly ok for unrelated people who didn't pay me rent to inconvenience me by using my personal space as a public lot, but when I refused to more right away for them- I was a major bitch.

When I bought the new house after my divorce, I once again had driveway on my MUST HAVE list. For the first time in my life, I am in a small town. I thought parking was no longer a problem. Boy did I think wrong!
This morning I looked out to see a commercial truck parked perpendicular to (and six inches from) my new little car, in MY driveway. I went out in my robe and a young white guy was in the truck. May I ask why you are in my drive? "I am just waiting for someone in the house next door." Then why don't you park in their drive? "I thought someone mught be pulling out and I didn't want to get in their way." So why do you think it's ok to be in MY way? This is my property, you are not working for me or visiting me..."But I am just waiting for someone. I will only be here a few minutes."
APPARENTLY the world does not understand that MY property means NOT YOURS, NOT THE NEIGHBORS and NOT TO BE PARKED ON.
Since I moved in, I have had my neighbors' tenants, their guests, their family and their friends, and the idiots they hire to do work on the house all merrily take possession of my side of the driveway. Now, I share a drive; their side is paved, and they have a yard big enough for six cars to park and then some turning space. I have a dirt drive that also exits on the side street, a large lawn and a crawlspace with two doors that exit onto the drive. Here are my favourite driveway incidents in the new house:
1. The tenant next door had a son who does not live with him who thought it would be ok to buy a junk car, have it towed to MY driveway and parked, so he could work on it at his convenience. I thought it was stolen and abandoned, since it was torn to bits inside, so I called the cops and asked them to tow it. When I cam home that night from work, it was still there. I called cops again. Cops informed me it belonged to the people next door and talk to them. I said NO- it was parked illegally on my property and I wanted it towed off. Cops called daddy next door, daddy called sonny. Half an hour later, sonny boy came with some friends and jumper cables, filled my driveway with vehicles, got it running and drove it away. I went out and asked them why they thought it would be ok to leave their car in my driveway. I dunno, we just thought it would be ok cos my dad lives here. But your dad doesn't live HERE- he lives over there next door. I dunno.
2. The birthday party for the insane twins. Next door, we used to have this crazy woman who had twins and a baby, plus her hub had a bunch of kids from his ex. There was always screaming and slapping and lots of country music blasting the same song over and over again (and many calls to the cops and child protective services by those of us who were mandated reporters). They had a birthday party, and the cars began to line MY driveway. I went out each time; excuse me- this is my driveway. You'll have to park somewhere else. "Oh well, I don't want to park in their driveway, they won't be able to get out!" Well- if you park in MY driveway, I won't be able to get out either, will I? "OH." And this is NOT my tenant, and this is NOT a public parking lot, so you need to move. "Where will I park?" (Like I give a rat's *** you hick!) How about somewhere else?
3. The roofers. My neighbor had her roof done, and hired this crew. I woke up in the morning and there were trucks all over my driveway AND parked on my LAWN. They were merrily ripping off roofing shingles and tossing them down on MY side of the driveway (can't risk having nails on their side and flattening the neighbors' tires, but it apparently is ok to flatten MY tires. I went out and said "EXCUSE ME! Why are there construction trucks in my driveway AND on my LAWN, and why are you throwing your construction debris in MY yard? I am not having MY roof done..." Well, if we throw it in this yard, their cars cannot get in and out. "Well- I MYSELF cannot get in or out can I?" "No speaky English." And after that they refused to speak English and turned up the radio every time I went out to yell at them to get out of my drive, or remove their crap from my drive. The foreman parked at the end of my driveway every day for months and it drove me nuts when I was studying for my exams, but if I yelled, they got louder and it made it worse. I asked my neighbor to tell them to stay out of the driveway, and I am sure she did. I like her a lot, and I don't want our relationship ruined by something she is not in control of.
I guess I need to be a more consistent bitch and call the police every time someone is in my drive. God knows they are looking for something to do in this sleepy little town. But then my address will be in the police log in the local paper.
It just seems to be my karma to have driveway issues.

A postscript, four hours later on the same day:
Returned from numerous errands and pulled in my drive only to find a large pick up truck full of tools parked not only in my drive but in my spot that I have the plow guy plow for me. The very friendly worker listened nicely as I blew up completely and then commented that they had parked there because they didn't want to inconvenience the tenant who was parked sideways across three spaces next to the dumpster in the neighbor's yard.

New Years Resolutions

1. Spend more time with family. After four years in school, I want to spend my non-work time being more available to spend time with my family. My sister has taken my parents to nearly all of their medical appointments, so I owe her big time. Having 3 of my kids in the Boston area means I should be able to do more with them. Hoping to ski, do theatre, travel etc. And did I mention I have 2 little nieces and a nephew whom I adore? Definitely more Nini time is in order!!!
2. Health. I need to hydrate better, eat more fruits and veggies and move more. Yeah, yeah, whatever. I know.
3. Happiness. I want more music in my life. I want more spontaneity. I gave up so much and made my life so regimented in order to meet my goals, and I did it. Now it’s time to kick back and get in tune with the things that give me pleasure. Spending time with friends, appreciating nature and beauty, enjoying my pets- all in the menu for the new year.
That’s it. The basics. Health, happiness.

Christmas

We do our celebration on Christmas Eve. Our family has gotten together since 1969 and celebrated on Christmas Eve with dinner, gifts, and then midnight Mass. Over the years as my mom got debilitated with knee replacements, we switched from celebrating at her house to taking turns at the three sisters' homes, hosting the dinner. Last year was my turn, and one sister opted out with her family; my mom's serious illness kept my parents from joining us. This year should have been the eldest sister's turn, but her illness precluded it, and I announced I would host the do. My aunt suggested having it back at my parents' and so my daughter and I ran the show from there. We were most grateful that my sister made it despite serious illness, and she pulled it together to see her grandchildren. My cousin and his wife joined us, for which we were extra grateful since thy had just had a death in the family.
Kate did the lions' share by showing up at 8AM (and feeding her grandparents a Dunkins Croissandwich treat) and plunking in the turkey. She did all the veggies up and any odd jobs. I got there for 1 pm and we made the stuffing and finished all the cooking. The vegetarian cooked the turkey; the celiac made the stuffing. The boys (who had 100 lbs of potatoes as a paternal gift) made the mashed praetes. Kate had made pies and candies; we had other folks bring desserts, and Mom & Kate picked up a gorgeous strawberry shortcake Mom ordered.
Rich and Corey and the kids came: Kay and Jordyn were highly entertained reading the tags on all the gifts now that they can read. The PeeWee Christmas Special was duly played; KD Lang in a dress was the highlight of the evening. Richie grabbed a toy ruler which he mistook for a phone and it was passed thru all the family for a conversation with Santa and handed back to him. Dan advised Santa to skip presents for the children and bring monkeys instead; the monkey theme is now central in their play. The dinner was good: turkey and ham, veggies of all kinds, two kinds of stuffing. The presents were fun; books and dvd's and clothes and gift cards. I must say that I outdid myself with the girls; a dress-up box full of costumes for each child. My personal amazing gift was a Roomba; can't wait to get it going and see the kitties' reaction.
We sent dessert home with the kids since they had to get back to the Cape, but we did have time for crackers. Word to the wise; a pill case is not the same as a yoyo.
We were all pretty exhausted by Christmas: four snowstorms in 7 days in addition to all the holiday work made it hectic. Three of my four stayed over for Christmas. I woke early for Mass and made it in time. We had the usual big breakfast. I burnt the first batch of bacon and was told by #4 that Mommy ruined Christmas. Then he burnt the toast and we were even. We did our presents, and they left at 4 for their paternal side. I headed to my sister's with a Christmas plate for Ted, then down to my parents for a cup of tea.
I had the day after off from work but spent it at the hospital with my sis, who was so ill she was admitted. It made me even more grateful that we had such a good holiday all together. The best part was spending time with the kids and being with my own kids in the morning. The best present is being together!

Notes from a Pharmacy

I don't know why anyone decides to be a pharmacy technician, because I think they should be paid much more than they do make, but I am so glad some people do. My first days as a new practitioner I came close to the record of prescriptions per day that this location held. The only thing that pulled me through was my joy to finally be in the driver's seat, and the wonderful trio of staff I am currently working with. They solve insurance problems more quickly than I can at this point. The crazier the environment became, the more confident I felt because of those wonderful, smart and dedicated techs. I am sure they wish I would stop singing, but that's not going to happen.
I love that the company I am with values my time as a professional and provides enough help so that I CAN counsel on new prescriptions, help people choose the appropriate OTC product and answer questions. Yesterday I worked alone for the first time due to a huge snow storm, and I could feel the difference: I filled fewer prescriptions, and it felt like more work.
I believe people don't understand how much work goes into filling a prescription and they get angry if we say it's going to be fifteen minutes. We take in the hardcopy and ask for your birthdate; are you in our computer system? (No, our computer system does NOT take your information from all the other pharmacies and magically put it in ours!) Any change in insurance? Let us see if we have this in stock (somehow people get offended when I say this- how do we know what to stock until a patient orders it?). We need your drivers license. No we cannot fill without it, it's required by law for drugs in class II like Ritalin and Percocet. The Rx goes to the tech to type- what is this drug? Does it say Zocor or Zoloft? Call the doctor for clarification. He is in with a patient, the nurse will call back. Sometimes the doctor has the nurse collect all messages and he calls back once a day; this means that we can't fill in 15 minutes, and it's NOT our fault even if you choose for us to be the ones to yell at. Yes, we know it's a pain in the butt to have to come here twice. We get the call and now we know the correct drug, so we proceed, Choose the correct drug and put a basket together. Locate you in the computer, or type in all your info. Yes it IS important for us to know your allergies. You say you are allergic to codeine but the drug you want us to fill is Vicodin, which contains a product that belongs in the codeine family. What happens when you take codeine? You get constipated. Does your throat close, or do you have trouble breathing, or do you get a rash? No. But since you have never had Vicodin before, we have to call the doctor and confirm your allergy status. It's not going to be fifteen minutes. Doc says no you are not allergic and have had other codeine products in the past according to his records. We fill the prescription, choosing the correct NDC number for the drug. We bottle and label it and it comes to me. I ensure this is correct patient, correct drug, correct amount, and verify that the drug in the bottle is the drug from the stock bottle in the basket, and the NDC, name, strength and dose form match. If new, I check all the directions off from the original hardcopy, and we file it. Then we dispense it to you. Why does it cost so much? We asked you if there was any change in insurance and you said no. It was rejected by the insurance so we put it through for cash. You have another insurance card? That's why we asked. We send it back to enter all the new information, and we run it through again. It costs more than it did last time? Maybe that's because you have new insurance and the last time you filled with the old insurance. Why is their co-pay higher? You need to talk to your HR person at work.
Most of the time these wonderful techs are dashing about handling all this craziness while I am checking, answering questions and running out to help choose a product outside the pharmacy. I'd say 95% of the customers are pleasant, but the 5% left over can go a long way in raising the energy level for keeping a pleasant environment. The toughest are people who hate to wait, and who call in their prescriptions, then never get around to picking them up. It's considered insurance fraud to keep a prescription on the shelf more than 14 days. Technically, the insurance has paid for a product that the patient they cover has NOT got possession of. So we return to stock, but then in comes the patient the very next day and now the patient is mad that it's going to take 15 minutes for us to locate, fill and dispense. The patient doesn't care that we wasted time filling it then returning it then filling it again. All he cares about is he didn't want to wait- didn't he say that in the first place?
In the middle of all this, we had a few problems, some got solved, others must wait until the manager has time to give me guidance.
I like the tasks, especially when the work is flowing nicely. I like the challenges, and solving problems. No two days are alike. I like when the situation requires creativity, and I like when I turn an unhappy person into one whose situation is resolved. I like when people stop by to say they feel better. A mom came to thank me for taking the time to show her daughter how to use and care for her new asthma inhaler. The patient who thanked me for giving her a list of prices so her doctor could choose medications she could afford. The guy who didn't know he could get better control of his cholesterol by taking his med at a different time of day until I mentioned it while ringing him out. And the man with the very sick wife came in to say she was better and to thank me for my prayers.
But best of all, I like my techs.

Anfa's "I Want Rant"

Enough thanks. I have a lot of things I want. This is independent of the list of things I need. Not in any particular order:
I want to:
1. Go back to Ireland. This time I want all my kids with me. We'll get a house and a car and use it as home base and destination. I want to see that look on Dan's face again, and Kate's smile.
2. Go see Black 47- playing in Shirley MA on Dec 14!!!
3. Go see Celtic Sojourn again. I want this to be my new Christmas tradition.
4. Take ceili dance lessons again.
5. Study language again. Enough science, I need to work another part of the brain.
6. Learn to play another instrument: maybe the violin or the Celtic harp. I think violin is more practical, I may have to go to Boston for harp lessons.
7. See more of my friends. And now I have so many more of them to stay in touch with! I have potential visits to Quebec, Colorado, California, Texas, North Carolina and DC.
8. See more of the kids. If my own kids won't give me grandchildren, then dammit, I will just appropriate my sister's.
9. Sing more. I was singing tonight and Sorcha just looked at me with adoring eyes. She loves when I sing. I love when I sing. I need to do it more often. Especially if I have something to sing about.
10. Read more and fill in some of the gaps in my library. Current reading material: a history of Ireland, a compendium of Heinlein short stories and novellas, "The Four Agreements", one of Kate's philosophy books, and "the Fates of the Princes of Dyved", a Mabinogion retelling re-published from the late 1800's. Plus a few pharmacy journals for light reading.
11. Garden more. Obviously this is waiting until spring.
12. Wake up 30 pounds lighter. OK since this one is a non-starter, I want to move more and get fit again. I like being fit and have got way out of the habit. I need to stop being a binge exerciser and make it my lifestyle again.

Anfa's Celtic Thanksgiving

I am gratified and a little startled at the reactions of friends and family over my Thanksgiving plans. Intentions: stay at home in jammies and watch movies- engrave watches if there's a burst of energy.
Thanksgiving is an EvilEx holiday; the evil ex and his family LOVE to cook and love to eat, so TGDay is an orgy as far as they are concerned. The boys would hate to miss it; Dutiful Daughter the vegetarian goes to be the dutiful child she is. ExMIL feels that since she lacks turkey joy, another dish must be provided and has been in the habit of making macaroni and cheese just for Kate (and gobbled by the testosterone-driven mutant contingent).
I am used to the lot wanting to be with the Other Side. The past few years as I was in school, I had no problem with that, and used the day for a nice walk and a nice nap. Now, getting used to working 12 hour shifts several days a week, I still have no problem with my new holiday routine. But everyone else seems to.
I have had more invitations to dine this year. I am so touched. Yet I am a little horrified that people who know me envision me sitting alone with my cats, a solitary tear dripping into my shiraz. Well, ok, I really am sitting here with my cats and shiraz, but I am so totally cool with it. I had rice and beans for dinner and am very satisfied. I love a turkey dinner, and I cook it whenever I have guests in winter. My ancestors were not pilgrims and this holiday has no great attachment for me. I am not a football fan, and the parades in tv have no hold on my attention.
I have no attention span for reading today, so I deleted files on my laptop, burnt cds of pics to share with my friends, and made a few music cds to listen to. I did some prep work for engraving, but need a sunnier day to finish the actual job.
I am watching "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" on PBS, which I did not get to see live last year becasue Sis had influenza and was hospitalized the entire time I made my preparations for hosting our family Christmas holiday. My heart is full of Irish music and the people on this program are featured in my extensive collection; Karan Casey, Navan, Clancy Bros. My ancestors were healers, craftsmen and musicians. I am all three wrapped up in one. I am content to be myself, at home, with music and pets around me, my exams behind me and my future ahead. My belly is full and so is my wineglass. My heart is full with music and calculations and plans for the coming winter. I have much to give thanks for, and many blessings.

The Vibes Roll In

I've had more congratulatory messages lately, but today took the cake. Around 2 pm my phone rang, and a voice asked "Is this Kate's Mom?" After a second, I realized, yes, I am her mom, and gave an affirmative. Then I got a singing telegram from India, courtesy of Kate, that made me laugh so hard. It was earnest and sweetly sung and very different-all about deserving a cookie, maybe two, and maybe the whole bag...
I'm still laughing, it just cracked me up so much. Tajtunes.com, check it out.
Rich and Cori sent me a beautiful dracaena "lucky bamboo" plant that is twisted and trained and looks like Celtic knotwork. Daimhnhait enjoyed the box and is delightedly nesting on the styrofoam beans and then chasing them, so I haven't the heart to toss them yet.
So many people have sent such lovely sentiments. It's nice to have such a relief.
Tomorrow is MPJE and hopefully I'll be done. Bring on the cookies!

How I Took The NAPLEX and Maintained My Sanity (Recipe Included)

I am so incredibly relieved my exam is over. I just freaked myself out to discover that the paperwork to transfer my score to my home state (I did it first in the neighboring state, meaning to have both primary licenses) had to be done BEFORE the day I took the exam and is not valid if received AFTER. Done deal. Now I have to wait a year and practice and then apply to reciprocate my license. Maybe God had a reason for inducing my brain fart. Of course, the fact that I had pneumonia when I got the paperwork and signed up had nothing to do with it...:) I'll get over it.
I felt the exam was awful! A few times, I wondered if anyone ever ran from the place screaming. You get thumbprinted, they take your picture and they tape the whole room at all times. But the staff was so nice and had soothing music in the wait room, beautiful artwork and very kind demeanors. All my friends got questions on rarer disease states and said they struggled, so I boned up on those, and health literacy and the usual top morbidities. I had many calculations, which take longer than case questions, drug names and classes. I like them and am usually very good at them, I just think I got an abnormally large amount. I finished with 10 minutes to spare. My favourite question was what is the generic name for … the drug I did my poster on.
ALL my friends from school called the night before. Nana set up a conference call with Michelle to pray with me- incredibly sweet & very appreciated. I emailed out for prayers and received many back- I could feel everyone thinking of me as I worked my way through. Thank you all, it helped me to know I wasn’t alone. Kate met me at home and took me out to dinner at a favourite Mexican restaurant, and we shopped a little for some crafts we are planning. It was a great way to wind down.
In spite of the stress, I am enjoying a beautiful fall. I love this time of year. I am burning apple-scented candles at night with my star lights on, listening to Irish music while the burner kicks in down in the cellar, and the cats find cozy places out of the draft. I have autumn leaves in the vases and they look like fire in the bay window in the pewter vases Buck gave me. I can hear the leaves hitting the windows and sounding like ice. When it rains, the mice try and burrow in and Sorcha stands guard in the cellar. I love the chill even when I have to leave a little earlier and scrape ice off the windshield. After a few days. I'll be used to it and it will be part of my routine, but right now it isn't; it makes me take stock of the fall mornings and notice everything more clearly. I am cooking a bit more, and more nutritiously because I obviously needed it. Michelle stayed with me when we went to a wedding, and we ate our way through the weekend. It's a beautiful time.
Here’s our favourite fall recipe: take a package of cranberries, and pick out all the stems and bad ones, rinse, and put in a saucepan with 2/3 cup of orange juice and two tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium and cook 20-30 minutes until reduced to a nice sauce. Put a wedge of Brie in the oven or toaster oven to warm until it gets a little runny. Then slice up a couple of Granny Smith apples into thin wedges and arrange on a platter. Place a spoonful of Brie and a spoonful of cranberries on top and serve immediately. It’s so pretty and the textures and tastes meld so well. It’s a Kate recipe. Great stuff, and so good for you too. It takes about 30 minutes to make, and looks so impressive. Enjoy!

The Closer & the Dropkick Murphys

QUICK POST!
OK it's common knowledge I like Irish music and punk rock, so it's no surprise that I have been a fan of Dropkick Murphys since I first saw them at the Guinness Fleadh back in the 90s. Now they are the mascots for RedSox Nation.
It's also common knowledge how I have absolutely no attention span for watching sports.
Now my Dad, Hank, wanted nothing more than one World Series win before he
died- the previous win before the curse was the year before he was born
in 1918. 2004 was a great thing, but, hey, they done it again! A fair weather
fan, I did watch the last few innings of each of the Series games.
Sunday night, I sat on the edge of my seat in absolute suspense and
screamed in joy for the Closer as he coolly struck Colorado out.
I am doing online banking before I go back to the NAPLEX studying, but how can I miss the victory parade? The Dropkick Murphys have been playing "Tessie" and Papelbon
dances in his red plaid kilt. It is a gorgeous fall day, and all hearts
are happy in Boston today. The Duck boats wend their way through
thousands of NewEnglanders as the bagpipes screel and the broom guitar wails.
GO SOX!!!!!

Good things and bad things

BAD things first- let's get them out of the way.
1. I had walking pneumonia last week and lost a whole week of work. Starts with a viral upper respiratory infection (that's a cold for all you non-medical types). Progresses to serious when the lower respiratory tract (that's the lungs) gets infected. If you hack up white or clear crap, it's viral. Green means bacterial, and hie thee to the ER, which I did, and saw a doc who knew me from the hospital. Got put on a nice strong antibiotic. I was so ill, I had to call Kate and ask her to come fetch me cough syrup, kleenex, and cook me chicken soup (there is data on the efficacy of chicken soup, you know). This is maybe the fourth time (in 20 years) that this has happened, and I really thought I'd get better faster. My voice was gone for a week, and I was too weak to read, even something simple like Harry Potter.
2. I lost a WHOLE week of work. My paycheck's going to suck.
3. The major side effect of antibiotics is GI upset. Right now I am lying flat because my lower GI tract is pretty pissed off. I didn't know it could swear like that.

OK time for the GOOD things:
1. Put this under EXTREMELY GOOD: my Authorization To Test letters came last Saturday, the day after the NAPLEX re-opened. I logged on and signed up to take my NAPLEX on Nov 6 and MPJE two weeks after. (I could have taken Oct 31 but debated pros and cons with Kate, who wisely suggested a coin toss with my lucky Irish penny.) I am back to studying slavishly now that I can read and retain again.
2. Vegetarians are completely capable of making really good chicken soup. Thanks, Kate, it really did help.
3. Buck took my trash to the Transfer Station (PC for dump). It's a weekly ordeal, not fun when you're sick. He made me American Chop, and it hit the spot.
4. It's raining like crazy. We needed rain badly. It justifies the want to snuggle up in my nice purple room with good music on my laptop and a big pharmacy review book.
5. My kitties haven't left my side since I got sick. It's nice to wake up as the filling in a kitty sandwich, all toasty warm. Sorcha must stretch and give me a kiss every hour or so. Her deep bass rumbly purr is a funny counterpoint to Cujo's soprano trill. And Daimhnhait keeps sneaking in and purring under the bed. They seem to have forgiven me for running out of cat food and substituting tuna.
6. OK, it's not something I really care terribly about, but it qualifies as GOOD: how bout those Sox? It would be nice to have one more series for my dad and aunt.
7. I hit paydirt at the Christmas Tree Shop yesterday. Got Hallowe'en cards (we are a card-sending family) and trinkets for the five-year olds, Trick or Treat candy and toys, and a cabinet for my downstairs bathroom, and a candle that smells deliciously like apple. I love the apple candle scent in fall.
8. I may get to visit with my boy, who is now walking, and the big girl, so now I am Hallowe'enly prepared. I don't take much time to do things I like, but whenever I have a chance to see my kiddos, I make an effort.