RRC: Childhood Memories

From For Ellipsis

"It's never too late to have a happy childhood."


-Tom Robbins

RRC: Childhood Memories
Suggested by Monica, of the blog, Shutterly Happy


Childhood Memories...


When I think back on my childhood, I usually change the subject! LOL. I have written many times about how stressful things were with my family. Mental illness, tough economic times, a brother in Vietnam, a sister so much older then myself that we NEVER saw things the same. I don't think about my childhood often, but when I do I usually think about the best times I had, not so much about the sad stuff. I have made my peace with things, for the most part. It's just healthier to focus on what went right, and the thing positive things that helped shape who I am now.



Pets...




My mother taught me about animals from a very, very young age. She got me an incubator and some fertile eggs, and I got to see some baby chicks come from the eggs. We had all kinds of pets. Cats, dogs, chickens, ducks, bunnies, we even had a Road Runner for a short time. I learned how to love from those animals. :) One of my favorite pets was a cat named Chloe. She was a simple Gray Tabby, but she was the nicest girl you would ever want to meet. She was quiet, and very friendly, and she was my constant companion for a long time. I miss her gentle cuddles. :)

Stuffed Animals...


OMG... I LOVE stuffed animals to this day. As you might expect, I had a very large stuffed animal collection as a child. Now, as an adult lady, I still find them hard to resist. I collect bears from Boyd's Bears. The one you see above I named Arlo. I am not sure why, but he just looks like an Arlo to me! LOL.



Politics...

From Ellipsis

My dad and I used to talk for hours about politics. He was a Liberal/Democrat and he shared those ideals with me, so you can imagine how amused and HORRIFIED he was when I became a republican for about 6 months in my youth. LOL. He knew it wouldn't last long, much like the love I had for a certain ex-boyfriend, who just happened to be... wait for it... a minister. Sheesh. That guy was the last person in the world who belonged being a minister! WHAT WAS I THINKING? LOL. I kept my faith and dumped the minister. Something I have never regretted! I sure miss my dad. I would love to have a long conversation with him about the current political climate in America. I bet he would find Sarah Palin particularly amusing and horrifying!




The Art of Observation AKA Photography...

From Ellipsis Editing Journal

As a child I read all the time, and I spent long summer afternoons, with my favorite dog, up in the big plum tree we had in our yard, eating fruit and listening to music from a great little radio my dad bought me. I drew pictures, and played barbies and eventually I took pictures. I didn't talk much as a child, I preferred to observe. I wanted to know why things were the way they were, and I did that best by observing. Little did I know how handy that skill would become one day, when I fell in love with photography! :)

Thanks for the fun idea Monica! :)

Now that you have seen my entry, be sure to visit the other participating Robins. Just follow the links...

1. Monica
Posted!

2. Carly
Posted!

3. Suzanne
Posted!

4. Karen
Posted!

5. Kara


6. Linda


7. Ellen
Posted!

8. Nancy
Posted!

9. Quiltworks
Posted!

10. Jama
Posted!

11. Sandy
Posted! 02/14/09

12. Gattina
Posted!

13. Ruth
Posted!

-Carly

Side Effects

From For Ellipsis

"If toast always lands butter side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it."

-Steven Wright

From For Ellipsis

Earlier this week, Hendrix and Dylan had their 1 year visit to get the once over and receive their kitty vaccinations. It was the first time for their shots, in that we have only had them a little over a year. Everything went well, they are in pretty good shape. Healthy... Happy... boys. :) Everything seemed fine after we got home, but as the day went on things began to change. Hendrix stopped playing, and Dylan got a bit grumpy. By the time the evening came around neither boy would eat their food or drink water. I couldn't get Hendrix to nibble on his favorite crunchy snacks "Friskies Natural Sensations" or his favorite baby food, Gerber #2 Turkey in Gravy. Dylan was hissing at everything, including his brand new "Monster in a Bag" toy. I couldn't have picked a worse day to give it to him. It scared his so bad, that he went and hid for most of the day, refusing to get on the bed even for his nightly belly petting. THINGS GOT STRESSSSSSFUL when I tried to pet Hendrix, and he cried out in pain from my simply stroking his fur. I was convinced my cats were both at death's door at this point.

But thank goodness I had the Internet at my fingertips and I did some research. I found out that some kitties have this type of reaction to the shots they received earlier in the day. It's normal for some cats to have some discomfort. My cat Elvis, who I am still convinced to this day was NOT a cat, but a human in a cat suit, never had experienced any side effects of his yearly shots. At least not so as anyone would notice. So, it never occurred to me that what was happening to Dylan and Hendrix could be perfectly normal. I kept reading the information at the website, but I was still convinced that they were dying in front of me. Dylan settled down on his favorite carpet went to sleep, Hendrix got on a chair next to my bed. He and I fell asleep, holding each other's paw.

When I called Dr. B's the next morning, his nurse "D" told me that yes, it was normal, and that her cats also experience a similar discomfort, but by the end of the day, they are usually back to normal. I guess it's just a matter of riding things out. Sigh. You see, I did it again, I said after Elvis I was going to rethink the "Mommy" approach to having pets. I would treat these boys as pets, and not as my babies... yeah... right. I am soooo a mommy to these guys. They are my babies, and I couldn't be happier about it. I LOVE THEM, and lucky me, THEY LOVE ME BACK. So, as you might imagine, when they hurt, I hurt.

:)

As the day went on, they did get better and now things are pretty much back to normal. From now on I will know that there will probably be some side effects to their yearly shots. I wish they didn't have to go through that, but I want them to have long, happy, healthy lives. I love them. 11 1/2 years wasn't long enough to have with Elvis. He was... special. He was a cat in a million. I miss him every single day. I think about him all the time. I suppose I will never get over him, but I know he is happy where he is right now. I always picture him at the Rainbow Bridge helping new friends crossover. "Hi, I'm Elvis... I am here to help you and be your friend." That's the way he was in life. He had a million or so friends, and I know some day, in about 50 years if I have anything to say about it, he will have 2 more... but like I said, it won't be anytime too soon.

:)

From For Ellipsis

A Joke...

Q. Why did the cats sell their homes?

A. Because the neighborhood had gone to the dogs.

:) Thanks again, Mary, Donna and Dr. B! :)

Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine; Feline Vaccines: Benefits and Risks.

-Carly

Weekend Assignment #306: You're A Famous Author, What Is The Name Of Your Book?

"If there is a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must write it."

-Toni Morrison









Hi Folks. :) Listen, just to get things off on the right foot, I do a couple things slightly different from Karen, so please read the full entry. :)

Weekend Assignment #306: You're A Famous Author, Whats The Name Of Your
Book?

Sounds easy, right? Oh, but hold on, there is a catch here folks! The book you are famous for writing must be from a genre that you aren't known for. As an example, if you really enjoy writing horror stories, make this assignment about a romance novel or a biography, or anything other then you usually relate to. If you don't dabble in writing very often, no worries, simply come up with a title for your fictional book from the genre you read the least.

Extra Credit: Write the opening paragraph of your best-seller!


If you are new to the Weekend Assignment, here are our guidelines for participation...

1. Please post your entry no later than next Wednesday evening at 9:00 PM ET. I will be closing the assignment at that time, and no additional links will be accepted after that time.

2. Please provide a link back to the assignment. (NO HYPERLINKS!) Because I will be sending your links to Karen for posting with her assignments, I need your link typed out, rather then put into a hyperlink. Doing so will save me a little work, and is very much appreciated! Feel free to display the logo below, along with the link, so other folks can find the assignment and participate along with us.

3. Don't forget to comeback here with the link to your entry.

4. If you can, please be sure to visit your fellow participants. Let's encourage each other!

5. Please encourage your readers to join us. The more the merrier... right?

Linking List for WA #305: Suddenly the Senses 02/06/10


1. Carly (Yep, I participated!)

2. Julie said (via comment)...
Good question. And I'm having trouble coming up with a good answer. Sometimes it's not one of the senses, but just a feeling - something I can't exactly quantify. And I have this feeling if I could I'd be a bestselling author. And I'm not, so that must tell you something! ;-)

3. Karen

** We know it was a shorter then usual time frame for you to complete the last WA, so if you need a little extra time, feel free to post your response along with the week's assignment. :)

Okie doke. That's it. You will find the Linking List for this assignment over at Karen's blog, Outpost Mavarin, along with your next assignment, next Thursday, February 18th! And I will see you right back here in 2 weeks, with an all new Weekend Assignment!


-Carly

From For Ellipsis

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #76: Valentine's Day

"I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon."

-Unknown










EMPS#76: Valentine's Day. NOW CLOSED!
My goodness, where has the time gone? Next Saturday is Valentine's Day, so lets go out this week and find some reasonable representations of the day. Hearts, flowers, decorated boxes of candy, stuffed animals, boxer shorts with hearts on them, little boxes of conversation hearts...you get the idea. Show me the love! No archives for this one m'dears... I want to see the love from this year!

Extra Credit: Create a Valentine's Day greeting for your fellow photographers, using your photo editing software. :)

**PLEASE READ**
This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes at 9:00 PM ET next Sunday evening. Please submit your entries by that date and time by getting your photo, uploading it to your blog, journal or website and coming back here with the direct link back to it. Please folks, the link you provide must go back to an entry which is specific to this week's photo shoot assignment. A general link to your site will not do, and NO HYPERLINKS WILL BE ACCEPTED OR ADDED TO THE LINKING LIST. Also, please include a link back to the assignment.

Linking List for EMPS #75: Peaceful Places 02/01/10

NOW CLOSED!

1. Spiderdama

2. Greg

3. Hannah - Zukan**Welcome To The Monday Photo Shoot!

4. Sherrie

5. Suzanne

6. Sandy

7. Martha

8. Jama

9. Carolyn Ford

10. Nesa

11. Mike

12. Karen (Via Email)

Thank you for your continued participation. I will be looking forward to what you come up with for Valentine's Day! I will also be playing along, so please look for my entry later this week!


**Just a reminder, beginning this Thursday, Feb 11th, I will be sharing co-hosting duties of the Weekend Assignment with our friend Karen. I hope you can join us. If you haven't participated before, please consider giving it a try! :)

-Carly

Weekend Assignment #305: Suddenly The Senses

From For Ellipsis

"Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains."

-Diane Ackerman

Weekend Assignment #305: You're going about your day and then you sense something - a sight, a sound, a smell, perhaps even a texture or a taste. Whatever it is, it evokes a treasured memory of the past. What did you see, hear, touch, smell, or taste, and what did it remind you of?

Extra Credit: Are there any sounds, sights, or smells you actually seek out because of the pleasant associations?

-Karen, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

Scent...

Hmmm... nothing sets my mind at ease, and reminds me of fond memories quite like the scent of Cloves. I LOVE the spicy scent, and how it reminds me of autumn and the holidays. Alan and I have a lot of fun cooking together, and we seem to do most of it during autumn and winter. My cat, Elvis, loved the smell of cinnamon and cloves so much, that he would always insist on sniffing the cloves and cinnamon when I baked around the holidays. Just the other day, I was using an Cinnamon/Clove scented fabric spray, and I had to smile as I thought about how Elvis would snuggle into the pillows, curl up, and go off to sleep, whenever I used it. He loved flowers, and perfumes. I planted some Stock, because of it's spicy cinnamon scent, in the garden, and that is where he could be found most summer afternoons, sound asleep between the Jasmine and the Stock. He was quite a cat! :) Whenever I smell something deliciously spicy, I think of him.

Extra Credit: How many do I seek out?

1. Jasmine

2. Clove

3. Cinnamon

4. Popcorn

5. Lavender (I have a lavender sleep mask. It's great for relaxation)

6. Oranges

7. Paint... I LOVE the smell of paint! LOL.

8. I used to love the smell of a fresh roll of film, gosh I miss those days.

9. I love the sound of wind chimes

10. Almost any kind of music makes me think of fond times. I love music.


-Carly

**See you all on Thursday, a little past midnight, with assignment #306!