I am having a difficult time believing we're beginning the second week of December! Amazing! I love this time of year. Even, the smell of the air seems to change in some places. It's the smell of Christmas for me, the evergreen trees, wreaths and garland, cookies baking, gingerbread, cider and peppermint and so much more all mixed together (and the scented Yankees Candles don't hurt! LOL) I love Christmas carols and music, especially Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite, Handel's Messiah, The Little Drummer Boy, Greensleeves, O Holy Night, Winter Wonderland and so many more. I am more of a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas music but there are modern versions of the songs that I like. And, for the most part, if it's Christmas music I'll listen to it. Our cable channels include many music channels one of which is called "The Sounds of the Seasons". I like to put it on during the day while I'm puttering around here taking care of the cats, reading writing or blogging . It makes me feel festive and happy!
This was another week when I didn't blog except from posting cookie recipes. I got hit with a bad cold. Cold don't mix well with my asthma and I have a habit of ending up with bronchitis or pneumonia whenever I get a cold. I didn't have the energy to post and comment on other blogger's posts. Everyday I thought I'd be able to post on my blog after checking email, checking the blogs on my Blogger Dashboard and visiting some blogs. But I got tired really quickly so I would stop to rest planning to get back on-line in a little while. But my brief nap turned into a long sleep which I woke up from feeling worse than before I fell asleep. That was the pattern for most of my days this week with slight variations.
When I woke up this morning I felt better. I still have a cold but I have more energy and I'm able to breath better. Yay!
The cats kept me company all week. Betsy and Magoo slept on the bed close by. Magoo on top of me at times! Sadie doesn't like to get on the bed but she sits with me when I'm on the computer, she likes to share the chair. Fortunately she's little! Sadie makes this adorable, sweet-sounding chirping noise when she wants to be cute and loving. I got a lot of those noises this week!
The cats, especially Bob, Jazzy, Dopey and Sadie really liked cat-nip this week! We always have some but sometimes they don't want anything to do with it. This week they wanted some. It brings out their friskiness. At different times, the 4 of them were running around while Sam waived the laser light around. They love that little red dot. It doesn't seem to bother them that they never catch it! Jazzy growls the entire time she's playing. She also loves this colorful, soft balls we found at Target. She and Huxley bat them all over the place. Bob really played hard for the first time last night. He chased the laser light all over the place. It was very funny! LOL He's adorable when he runs and a little spazzy! His face lights up and his eyes get very big & blue.
I didn't get a lot of reading done this week. I seemed to fall asleep every time I opened a book. I bought some good books because Amazon was having a 2 for the price of 3 sale on Black Friday. I also joined Paper Back Swap and have received some great books from them. The Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver has been lost in the mail it seems since it was mailed 26 days ago & still hasn't arrived. Our mail delivery has been a little iffy the past couple of months ever since our regular mail delivery person left. The replacements, and there have been many, can't seem to even read the very large house numbers on the door!
Anyway, I have some great books to read. I am reading Talking to the Dead by Helen Dunmore. I have Away by Amy Bloom, Snow by Orhan Pamuk, Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, The Raphael Affair by Iain Pears, The Master by Colm Toibin, Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins, The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl and Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen now on my shelf. And that doesn't include some wonderful books that I've won. I'll save that list for another day. I'm looking forward to reading all of them and more!
Enjoy your Sunday my friends! I've missed you and hope to be posting daily this week!
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You just take care of yourself, girl! If your body needs sleep, then let it have all it wants. I always find that the cats are a comfort when I don't feel well, and they always seem to know when they are needed.
ReplyDeleteYou have an AMAZING stack of books at the ready! The big problem is figuring out which one you'll read first!
Have a wonderful Sunday, and don't worry about us. We're not going anywhere!
Sorry to hear you were sick-although I thought something was up given I did not hear a peep from you. Take care of your body-we only have one. Your cat stories sound adorable.
ReplyDeletexoxoxoxo E.
I'm so glad to see you're feeling better. It sounds like your sweet cats were trying to take care of you.
ReplyDeleteThe opening of your post sure put me into the holiday spirit. I've been sort of down and not into the holiday but things are starting to turn around and all of a sudden it's like the switch has flipped!
ReplyDeleteAll of my decorations are up thanks to my kids and Hub. I have the candles going which helps too. All I need now is an Eggnog Latte from Starbucks and I'm all set.
Dear Amy, I hope you improve soon. Your enthusiasm for the season is warm and evocative.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are feeling a little better. Hope that you are fully recovered very soon! I love reading about all the cat activities that take place in your home. Such lucky kitties to have such a fun filled and loving home to live in! Wishing you all a great week ahead. :)
ReplyDeleteYou really have been poorly. I hope you feel better soon. My cat likes to lay on top of me whilst I am reading. He is a bit of a heavy lump and lays there purring away and pawing my books if I don't pay him attention.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of your Christmas music channel. I would really enjoy that. I am presently taping all the Sky Christmas films showing on their special Christmas channel.
It can be pretty miserable when sleep makes you feel worse. It's so exhausting. I'm glad you're feeling better now!
ReplyDeleteWe have the same music channels on our digital cable (Comcast). I haven't listened to "Sounds Of The Season" in a while, but I think I'll turn it on while I'm folding laundry this afternoon.
Glad you woke up feeling a bit better. Sweet that the kitties kept you company. They seem to know, don't they, when their human isn't feeling well. We have a laser pen, too, but get more exercise from it waving it around, than Azrielle does. She looks at it and then us like, "Is this all you have?"
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon. It's good to just let yourself rest and recoup when you aren't well. The books and the bloggers will all be there when you are better!
ReplyDeleteSandy: Thank you so much! There's always that little fear in the back of my mind that I'll be forgotten. So silly! I just wish my body could keep up with my mind - there's so much I want to do here & so many ideas i have but I get too tired. Hopefully I'll get my energy back. The cats are tired of sleeping, they are nuts this morning, the 3 little ones are running around like crazy!
ReplyDeleteEsme: Thank you so much! I'll be in tough! I have a partial emiail to you and I wanted to finish it just seemed like an insurmountable undertaking when I thought about doing it. I do not like being that tired. But I feel better!
Bermudaonion: Thank you! I think they were in their own adorably selfish way. They still wanted me to feed them & play with them, of course! lol
Ti: Oooo, that Eggnog Latte sounds yummy! It usually takes me a week or so to get into the holiday spirit. I like to do Christmas overkill for 2-3 weeks rather than just have the decorations etc. all around me for 6 weeks or so. But the music I could listen to all winter, some of it I love.
I'm glad you are feeling more festive now & that my post helped. Sounds like your kids & hubbie are ready for Christmas. It's great to have children around for Christmas, they make it so much fun! Enjoy & thank you for stopping by my blog!
Clarity: Hello! I have been thinking about you & wondering what you were up to! I hope you're doing well. I stopped by your blog the other day but you last post was 2 weeks ago so I thought I would wait a few more days to see if you posted. And here you are visiting me instead! Thank you =o)
ReplyDeletePesky Cat Designs: Thank you! I hope your kitty is doing well! Mine have a case of the crazzies today. And I am mad at Magoo because he bit a hole in my comforter and pulled out some of the feathers!??! What's up with that?! I want to take pics of them dressed up for Christmas but they won't cooperate. Go figure! Have a wonderful week!
Vivienne: I am happy to see you are back on-line! Your chubby kitty sounds adorable. I love when one of mine lays on top of me & purrs! Betsy likes to bite the corners of the book when I am reading so I have to keep her away from my books! Thank you for coming by. I'm feeling much better :o) I don't like to be sick around the holidays, it's one of the best times of thwe year (I sound like a christmas carol! lol)
Willoughby: Yes! Sometimes sleeping was almost more exhausting than not, it was very wierd. Plus, laying in bed most of the day meant I found myself up at 3 am. If I don't see another episode of Law * Order: Criminal Intent for years it'll be too soon!
ReplyDeleteI like that I can get holiday music anytime by turning the "Sound of the Seasons" on. But it also means listening to what they choose to play, sometimes it a great selection, sometimes not. But when it's good Christmas music, I love it. Enjoy!
KathyA: Azrielle is too good for the laser pen, Uh?! lol Most of my cats will chase it at one time or another but a few of them love it. I had a lot of company while in bed especially on the chillier days. The cats are all spending more time inside as it gets colder out. Problem is they don't all like each other. Makes for some real fun?! ack! Thank you for visiting :o)
Kathleen; Thank you! Your words are a huge comfort. It's that silly little girl inside of me worrying I won't get any visitors if I stay away too long. Can't believe I am even admitting this! lol Life sure is better when I'm feeling well. Thank you for visiting my blog!
Okay--are we twins separated at birth? Me too with all of your Christmas music picks! Also have asthma. I think there's something our parents aren't tell us!
ReplyDeleteI hope you're feeling better. You take care of yourself. You don't want to be sick at Christmas. I can't believe it's already almost the middle of December. The time has just flown by this year. I'm hoping to get my Christmas tree up this week.
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