Category Archives: Uncategorized

I’m festive damn it.

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I used to go all out for the holidays. If it stood still? I decorated it… for Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentines Day etc.

My husband used to roll his eyes, but our neighbors loved it. Matter of fact… I never realized how much our neighbors loved it until recently.

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As I’ve said previously, this year’s decorations have been scaled down. Wreaths on windows and doors and a festive sled.

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A kissing ball.

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Candles in the windows and a ( still standing! ) lighted animated reindeer.

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The Barn Mahal has Santa in a plant pot…

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Snowflakes in the windows and twinkling trees on the porch.

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(The trees are multicolored, the snowflakes are white. But my phone apparently has a sense of humor and changes color at will. WTH?)

But even with all that I’ve done, my neighbors have repeatedly waxed nostalgic over the good old days “when you used to decorate”.

Like this year’s display is chopped liver!

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I mean, really.

There’s a feline Lord backlit by candlelight. What more do they need?

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Just the everyday cat craziness..

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten is a very odd bird. His latest quirk?

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Purposely taking a mouthful of dry food out of his bowl and dropping it on the floor.

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And then eating it.

Apparently this is a protest against the food delivery system.. though why it’s begun after nearly a year I haven’t a clue.

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What is he doing in this photo? Staring up at the china hutch. For a solid 15 minutes.

Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

And while he’s definitely a weirdo, he’s also a very good cat. He doesn’t scratch the furniture, howl at odd hours, jump on the kitchen counters or push you off the pillow at night.

And while he’s allowed on the couches, chairs and beds … he’s not allowed on the tables, bureaus and desks. This ban also goes for the husband’s antique radio…

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Though now that’s it’s too cold to open his favorite bird watching window, this rule has been a challenge to enforce.

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Especially when he gives you that, ‘yeah I’m up here. What are you going to do about it?’ look.

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Why do these things exist?

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I’m not a religious person and have never felt the need to display a Nativity scene in our home. And while I have no idea how (or even if) the Andean people celebrate Christmas…

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess it’s not from inside a guinea pig’s gut.

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Yet this product exists.

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If I have any Andean readers? Please explain.

Another item for which I can find no rational explanation?

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This:

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Fishing for Floaters.

Coming to a bathroom near you.

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P.S. The best part about sharing that first product? Being able to tag ‘guinea pig Jesus’ .

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What… you were expecting Jason Momoa?

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This used to be the only mer-man.

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A sorry excuse for the species to be sure.

But then this disturbing photo popped up on my Facebook feed…

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Bad grammar aside, the first sadomasochistic version is bound to have all the fish shaking their heads. ( fins? tails? whatever )

If it’s all the same to you, I’ll continue dreaming about the only mer-man I’ll ever need.

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You’re welcome.

😉

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A terrifying headline.

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Just when I thought the crazy lack of products was over. ..

Toilet paper is back in abundance, as is flour since the crazy Covid bakers have returned to buying their rubber loaves of Wonder Bread.

But now?

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Chicken tenders? I can live without ‘em. Cream cheese? Can’t stand the stuff. Fresh fruit? We’re not seeing any shortages up here. Maple syrup? I live in Maine… people have barrels in their cellars.

But then I read #5.

And shit got real.

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*Gulp*

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Phew! It’s not the booze, just the packaging?

No problem.

Bring your own bucket works for me.

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Happy birthday to me.

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Yes, I took another trip around the sun this month. Nothing to celebrate at this point in my life, but I woke up to a (not so) subtle gift reminder all the same.

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The large box was a present from my husband, from my very favorite store. They sell high quality handmade jewelry, pottery, art, crafts etc. and every trip we take there includes a round of oohing and ahhing . I rarely buy anything for myself as the prices make me swoon, but the husband makes a yearly pilgrimage… and who am I to complain? 😉

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This year’s gift was a fabulous mesquite wood lamp with hazed copper cut out shade.

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Both sides are inlaid with turquoise veins and it really is a lovely piece.

(If you’re wondering just how lovely? Here’s a similar lamp from the same company with much less turquoise on their website.)

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Yeah. That lovely.

😳

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Needless to say I love it, and shall enjoy its light for many years to come.

The original birthday plan was to hit my favorite restaurant for dinner, but Mother Nature said no by melting the snow and dropping a solid afternoon’s worth of sleet and ice.

Alternate plan?

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Pizza and beer in the man cave…

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With a stellar game of whip your husband’s ass with a double letter Q in ‘quay’, a triple score ‘quiz’ and an almost superfluous ‘zeal’ for a total of 102 points Scrabble.

A very happy birthday indeed.

🤣

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NOW it looks like Christmas.

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I woke up to a winter wonderland this morning as our first real snow of the season fell overnight.

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It wasn’t the 6-8 inches they predicted for our area…

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But it coated everything in glorious white… so that’s alright with me.

What wasn’t a welcome sight?

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The creature highlighted here.

The tiny devil who wreaked havoc with us, our house and our barn last year. The little red bitch with sharp teeth. I thought we’d seen the last of her after numerous evictions and nest busting this fall. But no…

She’s baaaack!

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I know just how you feel Dudley.

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Christmas chuckles.

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If it stood still.. I used to decorate it for Christmas. I’ve strung lights on roofs, railings, windows, stone walls, mailbox posts and well houses. I’ve had lighted reindeer, snowflakes, trees, snowmen, holly leaves and yes, an alligator.

Trust me when I say stringing lights and keeping them lit is a full time job in Maine winters. It’s not for the faint hearted and over the years I’ve simply lost the will. These days I throw some wreaths on the windows and doors, some candles in the windows and call it good.

But every once in a while I’ll see something that makes me want to decorate again…

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Christmas chickens!

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You have to admit… that’s different.

And while I don’t have a farm, I do have a large barn where those birds would look right at home.

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