(Day 31) without Cleo: a better day and a surprise gift came in the mail

This picture is of Cleo a year ago.

I can see how much healthier she was then...

I am doing another Cleo-death-grief thing,

I am giving her beloved wet cat food away 

(other than 2 cans for a local cat here) to

friends near our far-away church + the reminder of her

dry cat food.

I went through a few months of pictures earlier to make an album I had

intended to pass along and saw lots of Cleo pictures.

I still miss her, though I don't cry everyday.

I do find myself, esp when alone, that I still tell Cleo that I love her and miss her.

Good words here. 

I am feeling a lot better today, thank God.

Which is good because I have a very packed weekend ahead!

DV I will tell you all about it on Monday :) 

I picked up this book at the airport, it was really good.

I am still thinking about it or, to be more precise, thinking about

what it made me realize about myself and how I can grow in 

empathy and awareness of others and respecting their wishes. 

It was a really good book, sad but beautiful and with a lot to think about.

But if you don't want to read a sad tragedy book right now, perhaps pass

this book on by....

I had black tea for the first time since I got back.

Boy was that nice!  I had strawberries for dessert after dinner

and added a tiny bit of French Vanilla Ice Cream and that was so nice.

I feel like I am returning to the land of the living after being exhausted and 

sick with the head cold all week.

I'd been meaning to put tea in this Delft jar for at least a year!

I finally did today!

And I got, speaking of Dutch things and of Delft Blue pottery,

I got an unexpected (belated) name's day gift today,

I felt so loved and so surprised, such a comfort! 

Dutch Stroopwafels in a lovely tin and in another package as well,

 dried fruit, Swedish candy, green tea, and the cutest Delft tulip mug!

I am in love with this mug, it's so dear! 

My new favourite :) My Mom collects mugs and 

she gives me some of the mugs she finds, so mugs and tea cups are 

both things I love!

 Isn't it just darling?!

I am excited to get some fall things up around the house next week,

including changing my table cloth... 

We had leftover beef from the freezer and rice for dinner!

I am happy to have candles lit again!

So this is another peek into the second of 3 lots of Delft and Dutch-y things that

we won this week... with thanks to my Dad for his help on it...

did you know that my Husband and I consider this line to be our 

default family motto:

we tease those we love.

Yep. For real. That's about it.  :) 

So... I really love that tall windmill in the back of the picture above,

which my Husband thinks is rather big and that storing it may be an issue

(I, however, already know where it can go, and more than one idea about it)...

anyway... I was teasing him about it and he was teasing me about it

and together he had lines like

and we can give it to your Mom for her wedding anniversary

and my telling him, 

I know, I will print the picture of it and tape it to the top centre of your computer

screen so you can see it EVERYDAY

and then commented that my joke was funny, it WAS, you were laughing!

to which he said, well, I was laughing at my own joke...

It's one of the strengths, actually, of our marriage, that we tease each other...

my parents tease-love as well and all of us do 'fun teasing' not mean teasing. 

***

Well...it was fun to talk with my Mom about the 3 lots of Dutch/Delft things we got...

one of the little houses is Rembrandt's house, one of them is actually an ash tray!

(it's pictured above, has 2 groves in the side that is open) and my Mom has the same one,

she hides the open spot and has it as one of her houses.

I always loved my Mom's Dutch porcelain houses and am excited to have some

to enjoy as well... my Dad picked the 3 lots up today and my Mom

unwrapped everything (it was just wrapped in news print) and used

"all of her bubble wrap" in wrapping it all up until we can go through it

at their house and figure out what we are keeping/giving away/bringing to NJ

to give away later on.  

For now, it's as safe as it can possibly be and 

DV we will get these treasures later on!

***

Oh, I read this book today,

it's such as week young kids chapter book,

I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone who has young kids

and who is family with the more traditional (Orthodox, Catholic)

forms of Christianity...  

***

I listened to this song on repeat today...

It's beautiful... 

***

Well, I am thankful for God's mercy and pray that 

all those struggling with so many things will be upheld

and carried by Christ through the hard times...