whatever makes me happy monday: mr. c, kisses and vacay

yesterday was mr c's birthday and today is our four month anniversary!!!  both of those make me happy on this particular monday...

as do tippy toe kisses

being silly...wheeeee

gauzy, flowy, love

oh, and vacation.

tomorrow we leave tomorrow for vacation!! more happiness!! ozarks + a little r&r with my hubby + some qt with his fam + partyin at "the cove" like i'm 25 = no more posts till next week!

see you soon...

 ~ mrs m

special combined edition!! relationship wed and thursdays child....in one tell all blog. craptacular!

nothing upsets my mind and soul like when my nest is a mess. except perhaps when there is a horrific crap convergence: boxes piled everywhere and como hair tumbleweed reminders floating under chairs, the mental struggle of whether to take the cute side tables with the little doodlies hanging off or deposit them on the steps of goodwill, excruciatingly brutal work....

 

 impending move, stomach funk and my dear ole cat taking the big dirt nap. needless to say, the last few weeks have been craptacular ( just saying that gloriously, descriptive word puts an itsy smile on my face….craptacular, craptacular, craptacular. 1,000 more times, and you might get a full smile).

change something!!!

4 months into marriage and mr c and me have just about all the stressors the big fancy pants psychologists say create the most strife: move, job change, death…in short, my mind is as cluttered as our house and it’s time for a serious mind cleaning. actually, not just a cleaning, a sweeping mind renovation. as of today i am going to dust out the cobwebs and repaint my mind a soothing shade of green, hang some positive, new mental art and light a kick ass happy candle. i am putting a gargoyle at the door to keep out the blues and i am going to remember that all stress is relative and i am better than stress (i mean on a stress scale of 1-10...mine can't be all that bad). i can’t control which wine glasses break during the move (because one always does, right?) or what our landlord will or won’t do, where my next paycheck will come from or when i’ll find another group of girls to start supper club #3 with….but i can control my mind.....or at least i’d like to think i can…plus mr c and i are doing this together….and together....well, together is what this marriage thing is all about....

the new and improved...taking things with a grain of salt, a margarita and a laugh

~ mrs m

bon vivant tuesday: come dine with me

if..our house weren’t in complete and utter disarray, due to the impending move….and everything from our measuring cups and cutting boards, to our wine glasses and spices weren’t tucked away in little boxes made out of ticky-tacky…..this is what i would cook for bon vivant tues….

tomatoes stuffed with fresh mozzarella and basil....i am looooving the shot of basil vinaigrette that goes along with it, so cute (yes, food can be cute) and yummmmmy

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tomatoes-Stuffed-with-Fresh-Mozzarella-and-Basil-108229

 and how delectable paired with a single, mini zucchini pancakes with basil chive cream

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/seasonalcooking/summer/cooknow_summersquashzucchini/recipes/food/views/Zucchini-Pancakes-with-Basil-Chive-Cream-106888?recipename=Zucchini%20Pancakes%20with%20Basil%20Chive%20Cream&saved_to_box=y

following that would be grilled lamb and fig skewers with mint-pepper glaze and grilled eggplant.  i think those flavors would be such a nice accompaniment to the above.....

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/Grilled-Lamb-and-Fig-Skewers-with-Mint-Pepper-Glaze-and-Grilled-Eggplant-238566#ixzz0uFm71iCj

and perhaps my favorite part of my imaginary dinner....white peach, cassis, and champagne floats....adult floats....yipeeeeee 

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Peach-Cassis-and-Champagne-Floats-232575

and this is where we would dine….

can’t you just feel the sunshine

summer luv- mrs m

whatever makes me happy monday: it’s all in the tude….

 on this particular monday…

i think i can, i think i can ~ mrs m

I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.

~Ancient Persian Saying

a note from the kitty afterlife

after a rough time of it....picture mr c and me, snot billowing from my nose as i hickup and cry as como is put to sleep ( the vet didn't even charge us...ummm could it have been because i scared him)...i drag my sad self to the office to see this email in my inbox.  a note from the kitty afterlife....

From: ComoNator Pelouze [mailto:comonator@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 12:28 PM
To: Schmidt, Melanie
Subject: Dear Mommy-Mel

Dear wonderful Mommy-Mel,

I've spend all these years in relative silence with you and so now is a great time, I feel, to finally share some thoughts in your language. Though I know you could sense my emotions through my varied meows, I wanted to try, at least try, to tell you how much I've appreciated you and how much you have meant to me. First, please know that you did the right thing today. I was struggling the past few weeks, feeling really sick and all around yucky... I know you could see that... and with the diagnosis, we had no other choice. Thanks for treating me so humanely today and all the days in the past. You are an amazing and strong Mommy. It was hard for you to lose me (I could see that), and it was hard for me to lose you; but the right decision, is the right decision. I feel much better now.

You've given me a GLORIOUS existence Mommy-Mel!! The days with Teigan in each of the places we all lived were so much fun but it was also really special to be able to spend time alone with you and that new guy... what's his name? It was nice of you to bring him in here to give me someone to hang with during the day but he's a little tense about me walking on his precious computer; you'll have to keep working on him with that as I could only get so far. Getting all the love this year has been LOT's of fun for me and man, I really learned how to stake my claim on my domain in the backyard. I don't want to toot my own horn here, but 'toot-toot'... I owned that place like no other feline ever will. What a wonderful play-land you provided for me! I know I did my share of "creepin" in some likely unwanted situations (you really like that guy don't you!), I had to do some 'pukin' to remind you who your number one man was, and I don't know how you expected me not to eat/ knock over/ scratch myself against all those pretty flowers you set up... but I'm sorry for that... had to keep you on your toes!

Of course, there is plenty that I'll miss: hearing your car pull up and coming to get my afternoon cuddle; cruising around the counter-tops while you two cook; finishing off your cereal bowls; getting that extra little scoop of food from you guys in the evening (sometimes I'd even get two when you guys would sneak it to me!!); that guy trying to teach me to puke in the toilet (what a fool!); weekends in the yard; movies on the couch getting double rubs; my Christmas presents; waking your ass up in the morning to get to they gym; head bumps; you checking out my junk; your gentle finger nail clipping; and, watching that guy clean out my litter box (hysterical!).

"Meow Mommy-Mel"... you hugged and loved me SO MUCH; what more could the little Como-nator ask for!!!! (yup, I'm allowed 3rd person references now). You know what those annoying people say in times like these... 'The only thing constant is change'... well, it's true and we're on to new glorious adventures! But, we'll always be a part of one another.

Much love, kisses, and fur balls,

Como

....do i know how to pick my boys or what???

thursdays child: au revoir

last day in the morning sun

when something dies….it is gone. really, truly….poof, vanish gone. i recognize this is not a profound statement, that i sound elementary at best, but as i sit here and spend the last few hours in the presence of a little soul that has given me nothing but joy and smiles for the last 8 years…elementary is, i am afraid, all i can muster. but perhaps it is precisely because that statement is so simple, that it is so profound. there will never again be another cat that let’s me chase him around the yard, hopping sideways with ole cat spunk, in precisely the same way como does. there will never be another cat that let’s mr c hold him high above his head and give him forhead love bumps without moving a paw. just like i know the movements and motions of my parents almost as well as they do and just as i recognize the complexities and characteristics of mr c that set him apart from every other man on the planet….so have i have come to know the little nuances and tail flips of this guy. sure…he’s just a feline to some but he’s a gentle spirit and he will be missed.

what would death be without the introspection, the contemplation, the laborious comparisons and the angst….well, here it comes. death… f-ing sucks. there is just no way around it…on one hand, the body failing is as hauntingly raw and powerful as the mysterious and glorious way it works perfectly is on the other. it is also terrifying in it’s indiscretion and randomness. one day you’re healthy and the next day you’re not. so why does it take a shock for us to realize what we have? …to speak more kindly, to love more fiercely, to let the insignificant slide, to appreciate goodness….? perhaps that is the redeeming side to death….it brings us closer to life.

como and me last summer

in an hour, i will wield the power over a life. i will say die. i will say, you will be “better off”….i definitely don’t have a god complex because this feels bad….but perhaps some good can come of it. perhaps as como passes and moves on to greener kitty pastures i can take with me some of his always sweet, always loving and always unconditional goodness…i can remember that yard chasing days are numbered and i can more fully appreciate what’s here in front of me now.

au revoir como
love ~ m

relationship wednesday: bonds that tie

sometimes one just needs to say....

above art from amazing hyperbole and a half

yesterday was my mom’s b-day and we did something we haven’t done in way too long….we said f to moderation. we met up for what was supposed to be just a quick bite but we ended up wandering into a fresh, new bistro on cary called amour wine bar http://www.amourwinebistro.com/ …and for a couple of hours were whisked away from the stresses of the moment and pretended to our great delight....we were lunching on the rive gauche. the owner, from the rhone area of france was enchanting and knowledgeable and the menu was alight with his culinary highlight of the week…cherries. ummmm cherry salsa with the lamb, a cherry, sage and blueberry reduction over the trout, a gruyere puff pastry and a trio of flavorful sorbets all paired with lovely wines and a kir royal for the birthday girl and me. there is something truly decedent about a glass or two of bubbly in the afternoon and of course.... a french man taking care of you doesn't hurt one bit. it was just what the dr ordered and the carefree afternoon continued with a twilight matinee with mom’s bffs susanne and linda.  it was followed by more bubbles and delicious appetizers compliments of my dad and chocolate lime cupcakes served up on the most delightful platter from linda. to top it off chris, papa p and i took mom out for a tapas and the night ended in some heartfelt belly laughs and giggles.

so todays relationship wednesday is about the importance of girl bonds. bonds with our mothers and bonds with our friends….bonds that can right the world when it has begun to spin just a little out of control….

and to every once in a while....saying f- to moderation.

s.w.a.c.k. ~ mrs m

whatever makes me happy monday: this, that and some other stuff

rob’s platelet count back up, a successful leukemia cup fundraiser and a beautiful rainy sail on wavelength

the feel of big blue on my tootsies

braids…because they remind me to live with a dash of childish abandon

a cozy room that makes me feel joyful and safe

our wedding in weddings unveiled magazine

http://www.weddingsunveiledmagazine.com/RealWeddings/1/realweddings1.html

lemonade (with vodka ;) ~ sea glass ~ sand dunes ~ washed ashore treasures ~ winding paths ~ grilling ~ sunsets ~ colored beach balls ~star fish ~ salty breezes ~ windswept hair ~ big fluffy clouds ~ honeysuckle ~ brightly colored kites ~ freckles ~ yellow peppers ~ wide brim sun hats ~ fire flies ~ starry skies

xoxo ~ m

I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer. My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music. It is a fire that solitude presses against my lips. ~Violette Leduc, Mad in Pursuit

thursdays child: some like it hot. some just dance naked

it has been hot here in ole va. really hot. stick to the seat of your car leaving bits of your epidermis on the seat kind of hot.  pack ice cubes in your bra kind of hot. so hot that the other night mr c and i stripped down and ran buck naked, giggling through the sprinkler. mr c’s white booty doing the shake, shake and glowing in the moonlight probably did our little korean neighbor in, but hey when it’s 103 degrees you gotta do whatcha gotta do.

to top it off, we haven’t had rain in over a month. 

so today’s post is a virtual rain dance to the universe....

bring us big fluffy clouds, rain and light breezes.....

until then, be cool....

kisses mrs m

ps.  the cutest pic my mom took of byrd, mesmerized by a blog…. all about byrd. so female, we should have realized she was a girl then!

thursdays child: two byrds with one stone

it's been a week since i posted anything and yes, i missed you blog.  you, my little escape.  you my.....me, me, me, ramble on me, time.

as previously posted, there is some crazy new  and exciting stuff going on in my world. house renting, house painting (mr c rocks), impending move, packing and all the joys related to that.  and kitten finding....

so i've been thinking for awhile now that having a kitten would be fun.  kind of like a baby trial run....

but without the baby. 
a week ago today como killed a bird...yes my fat chicago cat has become a cold stone killa.  me not so excited about that transition...mr c oddly proud.  so since mr c congratulates como when he drops tiny, dead animals at our doorstep while i hope he reverts back to the fat lazy beast he used to be...i nicely asked mr c to clean it up.  had you seen the wingless thing, identifiable only by the feather shrapnel surrounding its half eaten bird body...you would understand why.  well bless his soul, mr c forgot and when i looked out the window 8 hours later...my frustration was...let's call it, mounting.  the now maggot ridden carcus, festering in the 100 degree heat had attracted a rat!!  a rat.  "now we have rats mr c", i thought, "and you are in some deep shit".  wait....not really a rat......a kitten.  kitten?!?

yes, closer inspection yielded....one poor little, starving kitten chowing down on one very nappy bird. so sad, right!? before i know it, i'm off.... trying to save the world...well, one kitten at a time.  yes, saving damnit.

"saving" resulted in me running around the yard like a mad woman trying to pounce on this kitten, and looking up to see my korean neighbor peering out her window with a rather concerned look on her face.. 

not daunted, i continued searching only to walk back into the yard and see kitten....back at the bird. 

i see kitten.  kitten sees me.  kitten looks at bird. kitten looks back at me.  kitten tries to decide whether bird is worth risking entrapment by crazy white girl shaking a can of catnip and crawling under bushes.  i must have looked that bad myself because kitten promptly grabs entire stinkin bird in mouth (no small feat as bird was as big as he was) looks at me and scampers off.  much searching ensues again.....no kitten. so for the next 2 hours i am in and out of the house every 20 minutes hoping kitten comes back.  on one of those trips out,  i hear it.  a pitiful cry.  so i look up to find the little guy has climbed halfway up a freaking tree and way out on a thin branch. after a call to the local fire department to which i am told that, no, it's not like the movies and hot firemen don't rescue kittens out of trees (serious disappointment) I drag out a ladder to try and cox the kitten down.  i only succeed in driving him father up tree. 

hours later i hear cats screaming, as only cats can do and run out to see como has cornered kitten up against the fence.  i see my opening and sans gloves make a dive for kitten. 

fast forward 48 hours...it has taken two days for my cat scratched arm to heal and for byrd to warm up to me....but he did and i am in love.  he is pure, uncomplicated, peels of laughter inducing joy.  everything he does is cute...even the fact that he can let out kitty farts that would peel paint off walls and make high school boys dive for cover, thus earning him the nickname "swamp arse", can't temper his cuteness.   

i saw this the other day and since it looks like byrd and since i like kittens and this is easier than climbing a tree....a little warning for ya...

please save the kittens!!!

happy long weekend-

mrs m