When lj was messed up yesterday, this didn't crosspost from my blog. So ( Read more... )

1. What is an interesting object you have out on display in your house somewhere? Why is it interesting, and where did it come from?On the mantelpiece in the library, we have: three star-shaped crystal candleholders that were in my grandparents' house from before I was born and that only came here when Grandpa died and Grandma moved up here; a vase ( Read more... )

It's very clear that there are some things where our theories of how the world works and Ista's theories just do not match up. Dogly personality matters a great deal here. With Honey (the dog we had when I was an older kid/teenager), my mom was the alpha of the pack, and anything my mom was eating that she was willing to give to Honey was food. ( Read more... )

1. I don't have my singing voice back, but I have most of my speaking voice mostly back. So that's a good thing. I have this stupid cold on the run enough that I can, y'know, do stuff. I like stuff and the doing of it. I'm crazy that way ( Read more... )

Grandpa took a turn for the worse yesterday afternoon, and they moved him into a private room. Dad drove home in the afternoon so that he could work today, so it was just us women around. Mom took Grandma and me back to Grandma and Grandpa's to sleep, and then she went back up to stay with him. (They later moved him into the ICU, but at the time ( Read more... )

Thanks to all of you who wished for health and comfort for the Ista-bop; she had a quiet evening and was made much of, and she got her antibiotic pill in some cheese and got to sleep on markgritter's fleece. I expect she'll be perking along today.

Those of you who've known me for awhile may remember that Christmas Eve is my holiday, the holiday of choice ( Read more... )

Ista was helping markgritter deliver cookies to the neighbors this afternoon, when the neighbors' daughter (who is grown and doesn't live there and therefore is not used to corralling large dogs) accidentally let her parents' two large dogs slip out. One of them chomped down on Ista ( Read more... )

1. I have only two people left to buy Christmas presents for, and I know what I'm buying, it's just a matter of doing it ( Read more... )

1. I called Otto today. I came prepared: I know that my name is spelled with two letters that are pronounced "esh as in Shamuel." I got Otto himself this time, and when I got to spelling my address, I said "O as in--" and Otto interrupted me: "O as in MEEEEEEE!" Oh, The Day I Call Otto's is one of my favorite late fall holidays ( Read more... )

Remember the sneakiness? And that was in September, and then some of you were asking how it turned out, and I had to say that it was longer-term sneakiness than that?

Now it can be told: we had a surprise birthday party for matastas last night. dlandon and I are the Queens of Sneaky. (Several other people are Grand Dukes and Duchesses in our Realm of Sneaky ( Read more... )