Monday-12:15pm

I know it's hard to tell from this picture but when I put the little pillow on my lap before I reach for the lapdesk which goes on top...Annie has now taken to jumping up on the arm of the chair to snuggle up against or half on the little pillow...to prevent me from reaching for the lapdesk to work on letters, of course--LOL!

She still keeps an eye on the bird party but she wants a little cuddle time.  Some days as long as she possibly can and will even spread out and fall asleep if given the chance. 

 Sorry--I can't remember who told me Annie might turn into a "velcro cat"--which I thought was impossible at the time--LOL!  But Annie is getting more and more "velcro" as time goes by.  I'm beginning to think you were right!  ;)

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Well, let's see...this past week...

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Caroline came on Tuesday and we teamed up to do a thorough cleaning of the kitchen cupboards.  I wiped down all the appliances she brought to me at the table while she scrubbed away.  Needed it.  :)  After she left I put together some more bean soup.

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Wednesday--Mary never called or showed up to "companion".  Wonder if she will show up this week?  The jury is still out on this senior companion thing--LOL!

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Thursday was Thanksgiving.  Annie and I had a quiet day--with some delicious bean soup.  

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Note: Those of you who are newer to my blog, don't worry about me and holidays.  McFamily still invites me (so sweet) when they are having their family holidays but I continue to pass (multiple health reasons).  Plus, I have spent Thanksgiving and Christmas by myself now since 1999.  This is the 18th year.  I am just soooo used to my peaceful, stress-free, quiet holidays--there's the old dog and all that, too.  After McFamily is done with the holidays and all their running and visiting--we have always had our own private little stress-free, no frills Christmas--usually in January.  I am absolutely, positively fine with that routine.  And now that we've added grandkids--those boys end up with three Christmases.  What kids wouldn't love that, right?  LOL!  It's just all-around so much easier on Gramma.  :)

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Oh, and I went out to the garage and brought in the Christmas bin and tiny tabletop tree, too.  (Still haven't put it up yet--LOL!)

Those of you who were around three years ago might remember how Leah made up the little Mistletoes canvases for all the grandparents and great-grandparents using Ian's footprints.  Was a fun thing to do for Ian's first Christmas.

Well, this year we are planning to make up Mistletoes with Liam's footprints on his first Christmas!  Fun!  Well, it was a little challenging--took all three of us (Dagan, Leah, and me) to manage it--but we'll be tackling painting baby feet again soon. 

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Anyways, Leah needed to order canvases and supplies for this project... so we were texting and emailing off and on in preparation for ordering on Black Friday.

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Black Friday.

Leah also asked me for ideas for possible card crafting supplies from SSS.  (We each have wish lists on Simon Says Stamp).  More texts and emails...she ordered but won't tell me what--LOL!  So you know she must have ordered some cool crafting supplies!!  :)  :)

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All weekend I did work on letters owed--whether Annie liked it or not...(well, I did do most of the writing at the kitchen table--LOL!)  Wanted to get ready to begin on addressing Christmas card envelopes!  That's the goal for this week--get all the cards in the mail by next Monday.  At least Leah and I have them all made up ahead of time--whoohoo!  Feels wonderful not to be scrambling at the last minute to finish them.  Ahhhh!  :)

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Still have been working on the brush letting practice strokes every day.  Small brush pen... 

...and large brush pen. 

I still have a terrible time going thick to thin. 

The Os are particularly difficult. 

Practice...practice...practice, right?

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After this 4th week of practice strokes we are going to start with the lower case letters of the alphabet and do practice on one letter a day.  And then the upper case letters after that--which will bring us into January.  I hope I learn the thick to thin--press and don't press--with more confidence by then.

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Meanwhile...back at the ranch...

Annie never tires of the daily bird parties.

Every day... 

...the flock is here. 

Annie especially loves it when it has been warm enough to crack the door open (40s!) so she can really hear and smell them.  She loves to hide off to one side of the patio door or the other...or occasionally creep slowly straight up...low and still...she doesn't even flick her tail.

Then she leaps toward the screen and there's a great fluttering of wings.

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She always looks disappointed after the momentary thrill is gone. 

She'll attack her feather toys in frustration--tosses them in the air and bats them under the furniture.

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Annie is always expecting the flock to return any moment. 

She can be very patient. 

Usually doesn't take too long--LOL!

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But when all that hunting has worn her out...Annie now knows she can come and sit in the chair next to me at the table.  Or catch a few winks. 

But she doesn't love the camera like Miss Karma did--LOL!  

So, that was the last week here at my place.  Dagan is supposed to come by after work to dump another 40# bag of bird seed into the bin in the garage for me (and dig cat toys out from under the furniture--LOL!).  Yes--already opening number two out of the three he picked up for me at Fleet Farm.  It's a cloudy, dark day--but warm!!  It's 53 degrees right now!!  Have a special week and we'll chat again soon!    

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"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together."

Desmond Tutu