New dining table!

Dec06 036
Originally uploaded by Rosemary Grace.

The new opiate of the masses (that's consumerism, the new religion of the developed world) struck us yesterday, as I was at COSTCO buying foodage for our Hogmanay party I passed by this lovely dining table, which exactly fits the "dream table" Matt and I described to each other, and never found, when shopping for such a thing three years ago. The price was very good, and the thing is ridiculously solid, with a lovely finish. Not as dark as this photo makes it look. I stood and petted it for a few minutes thinking "oh boy, if I tell Matt about this, we're gonna spend some unplanned money...but it's preeeeetty". Then I went home and told him about it. A few hours later, after two trips to transport the matching chairs, we've got it set up in our dining room/area/corner. It has two removable leaves, which we will not need in this flat, fully extended it seats 10-12, sans extensions it seats 6, maybe 8, it's a real "grown up" dining table.

Thus continues our collection of slightly oversized furniture, pushing the limits of what our flat can comfortably contain.

This photo also shows off the silly new top I bought the other day, retro early 1970's giant daisies and lots of cleavage aren't my usual look, but I like it a lot, it's surprisingly flattering, and stopped reminding Matt of his Grandma's apron as soon as I put it on.

Cat Toy

Dec06 025
Originally uploaded by Rosemary Grace.

I got a skirt for our tree to hide the ugly wire base. I'm very happy with the skirt I found: it looks a little retro, like it could conceivably be a decoration one of us has had since childhood. Having all new Christmas decorations still feels strange to me, even with our tradition of giving each other an ornament each year, to create traditions and memories, we've only had 4 Christmases together, that doesn't quite compete with "I can't remember a Christmas whithout this candle holder/tin goose/clothespin angel".

Anyway. The skirt is about 70% wool, which gives it a nice felty appearance, and makes it very attractive for cats to sit on. Right now Tali is curled up taking a nap under the tree. At least he has calmed down and started treating it like a napping spot, instead of as a giant cat toy. As soon as I put the skirt down both beasties were exceedingly interested, they insinuated themselves under the tree and sniffed and patted at the snowflake designs, you can see here what happened when Tali found the buttons around the back, he managed to unbutton one of them with his teeth before I told him off and sent him to the corner to chew on some ribbons and think about what a naughty cat he is. Well, the ribbon chewing is what happened when I banished him from undertreeland. He made a beeline for the bag of gifts waiting to go to my car.

He's getting really good at responding to a stern "Tali...What are you doing?" by sitting up straight in the middle of the room looking super prim and innocent. I think he practices his "who...me?" face in the mirror while we're out.

Tomorrow I'm heading North to the not-so-frozen wastelands of Los Angeles, picking my sister up at the airport on the way to spend Christmas with my parents at granny's house. Matt is following on by train on Friday evening. Hopefully the tree will survive being alone with two bored cats until we return 4 days later. I'm looking forward to presenting Mum, Dad and Eve with their scarves.

Fluffy Medicine

Marble has just made my day by climbing into a newly cleared out cubby on the desk, and chasing her tail. Now she's done with the tail, she is thunking her head noisily against the roof of her formica cave, biffing at a pencil case, and purring at me.

I may have a cold that is developing into a sinus/chest infection, and am still waiting for my cold medicine to help de-clog my head, but I can't be unhappy, because I have a little furry nutcase to love and entertain me.

I tried to get a photo, but she left the desk to follow me when I went to find the camera.

Shiny

My new music/camera/phone arrived today, I have been able to figure out uploading my phone numbers, and using the camera, all while sick and spacy. This is good, this means it's intuitive to use. I really like the interface, the screen is sharp, the buttons are easy to press, this is the most excited by a new phone I have ever been. Usually it's more a case of "ok, it works", or with my other Sony, the phone I picked because it was a free world phone, it was a case of "what the hell? where's the text messaging? where's my address book? these buttons are TOO TINY!" This phone also has a screen on the outside, that tells me who's calling, so I answer by opening the phone, but don't have to open the phone to see who it is. Nifty. I have already found that feature to be much more convenient.

Shop 'till you drop

Just make sure to land on the cushy new bed.

We spent our first night on our new bed last night (new mattress & box, same old IKEA frame), it was a big improvement. Not just because it's never been peed on by an overzealous cat. It's firm and supportive, but with a plush top to make it just squishy enough for comfortable positioning. No more waking up with an achy hip and shoulder from lying on my side. I'm very happy that we got to buy it on Saturday afternoon and have it delivered by noon yesterday. Which also gave us time to go to IKEA and buy the storage cabinets we've been eyeing up. Operation Get Your Act Together is coming on apace, we've rediscovered the roll-top desk under the piles of papers, the new storage cabinets will facilitate actual organizing of the stuff we're not throwing out. Matt has also freed up about 5-6 linear feet of shelving by deciding to take all of his computer and networking books to fill the book case in his new office/cubicle. I got lucky and found mince pies and christmas pud at Cost Plus, so I laid in a stash of the little pies for family Christmas, and one box to save for my birthday in a month and a half. Matt has his mp3 player, I have my red shoes, the Christmas presents we each picked for ourselves. Yesterday I ordered a new cell phone, today I am plotting the final few things I am going to purchase for gift-giving. I feel like we're going a bit spendy-crazy, but I know that the things we're buying are all useful, and we're not breaking the bank. More like making up for the past year and a half of saving really hard for Matt to go to university full time. For Christmas, family members are mostly getting Goddess Kaffeina tea, or some interesting sweet from Cost Plus. My parents and sister are each getting a scarf from me. I'd better finish schwestie's ASAP, I've still got about a foot to go before it's done.

Phew. I need a nap. On my new bed. Pity I'm at work.

Earth Mother

I prefer the "Empress" card in my own deck, but I like this description. If I change around some of the answers where I was torn I could also be "Judgement" "World" or (gulp) "The Tower". Though I can see why the tower: my life has often involved radical changes in my thinking and tearing down of old structures to allow for growth. I think I am doing better now that I try not to build so much structure around my beliefs. I try to be open to what comes, not bound by expectation. It's a difficult change to make, we are taught to form expectations about everything.

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

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