Merry Christmas...

Wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas!

(Me and my little sister at Christmas,  around 1957 or 1958.)

Pahk the cah in Hahvuhd Yahd...

A quick trip into the city yesterday... 

... found me parked in Harvard Square outside one of Harvard's 

exquisite iron gates and gorgeous old buildings 

while Amanda ran a few quick errands.

I absolutely love this city.

Meanwhile, back at home, the bluebirds have returned.

It's hard to resist a plentiful supply of mealworms, suet, seed, and fresh water...

 once the weather turns cold.

This poor little guy is waiting patiently for Mr. Bluebird to finish with his suet.

I cannot believe the year is almost over. My mother used to say, 

the older you get, the quicker time flies. How true. 

Hoping you are all warm and cozy as this year comes to a close...

Donna

Where's Waldo?

  Or in this case...

... where's Baby?

Just like her big sister, Tiger, way back in 1994...

 (btw, Tiger is now 21 years old and still going strong!)...

... Baby has discovered, and developed a fondness for ...

... the highest spot in the house.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised...

Norwegian Forest cats love to climb and be up high according to every article I've ever read, including this one,

 "One thing that is an absolute necessity if you own a Forest Cat is some kind of climbing device. They like to be up high to survey their kingdom."

And this one:

  "Norwegian Forest Cats love to be up high, and appreciate a cat tree or somewhere they can roost." 

I'm actually surprised it took this long for her to discover the beams. We're going to try to rearrange some of the furniture to hopefully discourage this habit. As much as she loves being sooooo high, it makes me a nervous wreck, worrying about her falling.

While taking photos of Baby, I decided to take a few photos of our  little backyard through the FR windows.

The the trees are almost completely bare of all their leaves...

... except for a few hardy survivors...

... who continue to hang on, probably until our next rain or wind storm.

At least there's not been any snow yet!
Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Donna

I'm joining Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday this week.

Saying goodbye...

The city of Boston, and the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts...

... is saying goodbye today to the people's Mayor, Tom Menino.

Mayor Menino was one of those rare politicians who brought everyone together.

More often than not, politics has a way of dividing people.

Not in Mayor Menino's Boston.

He rightly earned the admiration and respect of even those who may not have agreed with him all the time. 

There is no denying that for 20 years, Boston was blessed to have him as their leader. A devoted family man, kind and generous, who had an immense love for his city and its people.

Earlier this year, on his last day in office, he tweeted:

“Thank you Boston. It has been the honor and thrill of a lifetime to be your Mayor. Be as good to each other as you have been to me.”
I think that speaks volumes about who he was.

To say he will be greatly missed is an understatement.
But his legacy will live on.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. May you rest in peace.

October 31st...

Happy Halloween...

... from our house to yours.

I'm not quite sure where the summer went.

(the same view taken 5 months ago)

We had some pretty strong winds a few weeks ago. Luckily no trees came down.

It appears we'll have a decent night for the trick-or-treaters this year.

Enjoy your All Hallow's Eve!

Donna (who is not ready for winter)

She's of legal age...

That's what Tiger's vet says. I love it.

Yes, our sweet girl officially turned 21 years old this month!

We adopted both Tiger and her brother, Spotty, in late September of 1993.

Amanda picked Tiger and Court picked Spotty.

They were so tiny they both fit into a Trick or Treat bucket!

The cutest little kittens ever!

By December they had outgrown the pumpkin bucket and moved into the spacious Barbie horse barn!

When Tiger was a young cat, she enjoyed leaping atop several pieces of furniture to reach the beams in our family room. She loved to hang out there and watch the comings and goings below!

Of course all that activity can make a girl tired, so she'd curl up on a pillow in the LR bow window and take a cat nap.

She is such a gentle, sweet cat.

For the past several years, Tiger has chosen to spend most of her time in Amanda's old bedroom (which is now my studio office).

So Tiger and I are now roommates. 

And she still sleeps on the same twin bed...

... that she slept on that very first night, 21 years ago.

And Tiger's very special person often comes home from the city to visit, and once again, they both sleep in that very same bed!

So Happy 21st Birthday, our sweet little Tiger!!!!!! We love you so very much!

Donna

The untamed garden...

Our poor little backyard garden...

 ... has been sorely neglected.

There as been no weeding, grass planting, gravel path making, or any of the projects we had planned for this year.

Thankfully none of the backyard critters or birds seem to mind.

They continue to visit us regularly, which is always such a delight! The birds and squirrels are constantly knocking my faux birdhouse off its pole. A simple project requiring some nails and glue, yet there never seems to be time.

The only thing being tended to in the garden this year is watering and changing the hummer's sugar water on a regular basis.

And, of course, filling the bird baths...

... and tossing peanuts. Mr. Blue Jay has made the tall birdhouse at the center of the garden his lookout tower when I toss peanuts into the yard.

Of course there are those who also prefer a lookout tower closer to the ground...

... as evidenced by this little guy...

... and this one.

I've been super busy with both transcribing and some other issues (sick car, sick hubby, and sick me) this past month, but there is light at the end of the tunnel so hopefully I'll be able to visit many of you in the near future!

And I'll definitely be sharing some photos of my Sammy's and Chip's in a future post.

This week I'm joining Brenda at Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday and

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday. 

Till next time, have a wonderful week!

Donna