m o o d g a r d e n

Frozen Custard and David Bowie

The latest news? I got a real hair style two days ago. By a real hair stylist. My loopy as all hell, yet immensely adorable buddies at work paid for it as an early birthday present. I took this picture with my down and dirty webcam instead of the uh..upright and pristine Nikon I usually use.

I think I resemble a David Bowie fan left over from 1970. Fortunately, I love Bowie.

On to other news. My darling husband is now employed again, and still in security. My sigh of relief probably caused a monsoon somewhere in northern Tibet.

We have been in an absolute flurry of activity here at the old homestead. Both of us have painted our bedrooms (yes, we sleep in separate rooms; email me if you are curious as to why because I shall not discuss it in my pages) and I have to say that mine is much cooler than his. Two walls are medium violet red, two are black. Two have skulls stencilled on them. Two do not. Yum. His is painted navy blue and cream. Manly, yet soft. He is going to paint the Eye of Buddha on one of them.

Sometimes the idea of marriage can be so decidedly odd, let alone actually being inside of one.

I wonder how my ex-husband is doing? And then it passes.

It has been an emotional April. Not for me, but seemingly for everyone else around me. I feel as though I am smack dab in the middle of a chick flick. Must just be the weather.

Today was the first Bob-Jo’s frozen custard. Yum. For my reader who doesn’t know, Bob-Jo’s is a custard stand about a half mile from our house. They have been selling the best frozen custard since 1946. Of course, I wasn’t eating it back then because I was not around. I am taking their word for it. They close every October and it is a sad, sad day here.

Well, howdy, welcome back to your own blog, lol! I’ve missed you too!

I know what you mean about the emotional meltdowns. I think I mentioned before (then again maybe not!!) that along with my ever-so-patient mom, I have been dealing with a dad with severe dementia and a cat, Amber, recently diagnosed with mild hyperthyroidism and severe cardiomyopathy. Which I think is enough to excuse a few nervous breakdowns, don’t you?!

The tragic news…my Amber, who had been doing remarkably well only a month ago, and not too bad even a couple of weeks ago, took a sudden and severe turn for the worse around a week ago. In spite of several urgent trips to the specialist at the animal hospital, she failed to improve, and stopped eating. (We did some gentle force-feeding– I know that’s a contradiction in terms but poor baby was too weak to resist much, and I was NOT going to watch her starve!).

About 5:30 AM last Tuesday, May 6, my Amber died. She was at home and thankfully, my mom and dad and I were with her when it happened. I could not have borne it if she had died away from home among strangers (however kind), or worse yet, alone in the night. Thank God she was with us, in the place she loved best, with her family.

We buried her in the back yard (inside the fence) beside the cat we had before her, a beautiful orange tabby named Malkin. I had a St. Francis of Assisi silver pendant on a chain, engraved “Bless and Protect My Amber” and I put it around my baby’s little neck before we buried her. I also put in a small soft pillow, and a favorite toy of hers–not really a toy, it was a small and odd-looking stuffed mouse that Amber adored and looked on as her own baby. We named him “Mr. Mouse” and she would carry him around the house in her mouth, very gently, like a mama cat carries her kittens. She was a wonderful little mama to Mr. Mouse, and I knew she would want him with her.

I know this is off-topic, but I believe you’re a cat mom yourself, so I thought you would probably understand how I feel right now. Which actually is kind of odd–I feel almost numb, at least between bouts of crying (and laughing). Yep–I think it’s mental breakdown time for me. I was blessed to have my Amber tho–she was so loving, and had the most radiant disposition. And my online friends have been giving me incredible emotional support, which helps SO MUCH.

Okay…enough of my woes. I wanna see your bedroom too! You sound so amazingly creative and fearless, you tattoo-loving mama you lol! (Non-creative people can be nice, but God bless ‘em, they can also be so booooooooring!!! I don’t think boring people is one of your faults!!! ).

Hair?! I can’t even remember the last time I WASHED mine, much less had it cut or styled!!! (I know—I am pathetic).

Frozen custard, ooooohhhhh yessssss. I LOVE it! We used to have a restaurant here in our small Southern town called (creatively, haha) “The Dairy Bar”. On Sundays after church they were always crowded with diners because the owners made THE best fried chicken IN THE ENTIRE WORLD–and that’s coming from a born-and-bred Southerner! I know my fried chicken and my mouth is watering just remembering how wonderful it tasted! The local kids hung out there school-nights and they served marvelous frozen custard–it was even better than the best ice cream. LOVED IT! I think I cried when I learned the Dairy Bar was closing down. Well, I had good reason to cry–losing both the frozen custard AND the world’s greatest fried chicken dinner!!!

Did I mention I talk a lot? If not you may have guessed it by now har har.

Great to see you back!!

Hugs,
Patti