Can I Keep It?

The Eiffel Tower

Okay, so that night, Nay and I got out into the city and went to see the Eiffel Tower , er Empire State Building. I do not know why I called that building that, but every time I opened my mouth to say it, Eiffel Tower came out.  It got to be so common that Nay Nay started acting as if that were the actual name. Oy.

Part of the CityPASS will let you go to the Empire State Building twice in one day, daylight and dark.  We had so much we wanted to do that we opted for the night views only.  And it was stunning.  A bright sprinkling of color awash for miles around us.

The other thing about the pass is that it upgrades you to the express elevators.  No trudging up nineteen bazillion steps!  Zoom!  Right to the top to see this:

We stayed up laughing until two thirty in the morning.  Draggin ourselves up at nine to go to the Metropolotain Museum. 

It was soooo very crowded.  Nay decided to photo bomb as many family protratis as she could.  I knew when she grabbed my arm, to put my face next to hers and smile.

Despite everybody taking pictures of the work right in front of signs asking them not to, I was a good girl and did not whip out my camera.  But ohhhhh! We saw so many lovely paintings and sculptures.  We had lunch right next to Rodin's The Burghers of Calais.  There were just so many mavelous delights at every turn, I had trouble focusing on the one in front of me.  It was definite ADHD for me that day.  I believe all either of us did was grunt, "Look! LOOK!" to the other for hours.

And at some point, we stepped inside Grand Central Station, but I can't remember if we were coming or going, so I'll just insert it here.  Why not.

We spent the evening on the balcony with nibblies and drinks and rested up for the marathon the next day!

 

 

Things I'm Doing on My Summer Vacation

Week before last, my friend, Nay Nay, whom I have not seen in like, ten years (!) texted me to see if I were up for a girls weekend in NYC.  And I said, "YES!"

 

Her stepson nad his pretty wife were off to Russia visiting her relatives. Their cat, Bella, had recently had intestinal surgery and needed some special care while they were away.  For a free apartment in the City?  I'd be delighted!

Beautiful Bella resting peacefully in bed.  Seems she had been refusing food, throwing up, and had generalized pouting disorder.  At home?  She was fine.  Never lost her dinner.  Ate like a truck driver.  Napped like she was a champion.

This big guy is Finnegan.  He, however, groomed so much that he had a hairball.  On my bed. Nice.  The two of them fought over who got to sleep on my bed and my luggage.  At least it was his turn for the bed and not my suitcase.  Small miracles abound, people.  We take them where they are given.

After eating lunch and picking up Bella at the vet, Nay and I went to the store and bought some supplies.  Okay. Two stores.  One of them may or may not have sold adult libations.

On our way home,we got caught in the rain.  Sadly, we had no pina coladas.

 

But we made up for it on the balcony when we got back to the apartment.  Which, by the way, had fabulous views of Manhattan. We could see the Chrystler building and the Empire State building from just about every window view.

 

 The next morning, we took a stroll on the Long Island City East River Walkway.  Beautiful.

And took the ferry across the East River to 34th street.  And we. Walked. Across. Manhattan. To catch a cruise to visit Lady Liberty on the Hudson!

At the cruise line, we bought a city pass so we couold cram in as many touristy things as we could in the four short days we were in the Big Apple.  As many times as I have been to NYC, I had never done anything touristy. In my twenties, my first husband and I went all the time, but it was always to a party or to hang out with friends in a bar. In my thirties and forties, it was always a work destination.  Zali saw New York maybe five times himself.  He knew all the best places to pee at the Javitz Center.  And his favorite restaurant was Blossom.  A vegan restaurant in the Bronx.  Vegan. Yes. Not even kidding.

 

Me and the lady.

After the cruise, we walked the HighLine.  It's a long walking park that the city converted from an old raised railway, no longer used.  Now it is a beautiful garden.  We stopped at the Chelsea Markets fro a nosh and i had the best soft shell crab sandwich of my life.  And I am an afficianado of the soft shell crab.

The Gehry and Nouvelle buildings.  Both are award winners.  Obviously.

But I'll leave it here.  More tomorrow! 

 

 

Baby raccoons!

So Hud came home late today for lunch and found two week old baby raccoon cubs napping in the driveway. As you do. Afraid they would get run over by a car, we scooped them into a box and brought them inside.  You know, as you do. And called several places before getting the advice from Fish and Wildlife to put them back outside. As you should.  But a huge thunderstorm came up and all I could do was put them on the porch.  Our little visitors are napping peacefully, for now.

We waited,as per the advice, to leave them outside for the mother to retrieve them.  But this morning? A victory and a defeat.  Nappy on the left had passed.  As they do.  But Turbo was up and squalling up a storm.  As babies do.

We contacted a rehabilitation facility yesterday who said if they were here in the morning to call her.  I drove the very hungry, very vocal Turbo to Danya this morning.  He fussed around the box the entire  twenty minute drive in a pouring rain. As I encouraged him to do.

If I could hear him and touch him, I knew he was alright.

I dropped him off this morning and whispered good bye to him and wished him to grow big and strong.  And then I left him in good hands.

As I was supposed to do.

 

Just got back...

From the River House in Gatlinberg for Thanksgiving.

 

One of my favorite places on the planet.

And it snowed!

Humbling

Wings Cancer Foundation honored me with Artist of the Year!

She said tooting her own horn...

Blue Healer - the piece that will be on permanent collection with Wings.

There is a reception this evening from 5:30 to 7:00 if you're in the area.  Please stop in, nose around and have a slurp or two of wine.  The Wings Gallery is in their main facility, 100 N. Humphreys Blvd, Memphis, Tennessee. Wings offers support to anyone who is affected by cancer free of charge.  30% of the procedes of sales go to directly to the foundation.

I'd love to see you there! You'll recognize me right away.  I'll be the redhead dipping her face downward and blushing.

Before and After

Before the ceremony, Hud and I checked in to the gorgeous Romeo and Julliet Suite at the Peabody.

And they brought us strawberries and champagne!

Hud took me to lunch at Rizzo's downtown.  It was divine.

Blackened catfish eggs benedict.  Because you just should.

Then it was a quick trip back to the Peabody to change and hop into our carriage for a leisurely ride down to Tom Lee Park to meet our friends for the exchange of our vows.

Of course we chose the carriage with the most dogs and the sassiest horse.  Meet dapper Diesel.

Diesel was a commedian.  He took his time to get places.  In fact when the driver swatted him and told him to go faster, Diesel would clippity clop for about a foot and a half.  Then he would turn around and snort, like, "Yeah, buddy.  Like THAT'S gonna' happen."  Hud and I didn't care.  The unexpected part of the trip down to the river were all the smiling people, waving and wishing us congratulations.

When we arrived and dismounted, the driver stopped to offer Diesel a drink from his water bucket.  Diesel cut his eyes and smashed his snout into the bucket, spewing water everywhere!  And then he threw his head back, bared his teeth in a wide grin and laughed and laughed and laughed.  "Tip your waiters and waitresses, folks!  I'll be here all week!" The driver exclaimed that he always did that.  And I said, "Of course he does.  It's funny!"

Afterward the beautiful ceremony, we all made our way back to the Peabody to our suite.  What I hadn't shown you before is that the rooms are on two levels with a narrow winding staircase that leads to the living space.

The ceiling were about twenty five feet tall.  It was stunning.  I had brought our wedding albums.  Hey, with twenty-seven photographers at the first event, we have a couple of books and a huge photo box of prints from our wedding.  It was,um, well documented.

I put my incredible bouquet by Rachel's in a vase and started to cut the cake we had our friend, Joel of Manna, make for the occassion.

Well, tried to cut the cake.  Unfortunately, the table was cut as low as my dress, so Hud had to do it!

We talked and laughed and ate Joel's Chocolate Dulche de Leche confection that tastes like a dream and comfort, sprinkled in unicorn sneezes and happiness. Our lovely friend, Tracey arrived just in time for the treat.

When everyone left, Hud took me to a wonderful dinner at Chez Phillipe.  After that, it's none of your business!  Let's just say that we had the best day ever.

*wink*

 

 

I'd Do It All Over Again

This past month was a whirlwind of activites with my life rushing over me at such a swift pace that it took my breath away.  In cleaning up the house, fixing broken bits of it, packing up some of the clutter and brick-a-brack like Hud's Stanhope collection and my fourteen sets of dishware, it happened.  We fell in love with the house.  Hud and I and our menage a trois love affair with Schyterbolle is hot and heavy again.  We're just not quite ready to break up with her.  In doing so, I gave up most of my studio to make an apartment.  Hud called Rhodes and as luck would have it, a returning foreign exchange student called two days later needing immediate occupancy. She's happily ensconced in her new home and I can get on with my ninety thousand unfinished projects.

Whew.

In the midst of it all, we did find time to celebrate this special occassion.

 

Hud and I renewed our vows in a small ceremony down by the Mississippi River.  There were only seven of us present.  Hud's best man from our wedding, Calvin and his wife, Jamie, the original photographer at our wedding sixteen years ago, Keith and his wife, Donna, the two of us and our dear friend, Bob, who officiated the event.

We chose well in Bob.  He had some lovely things to say about us and our marriage.  Everyone was in tears.

 Hud said the most wonderful heartfelt things to me.  Everyone was in tears.

 And then it was my turn.  I retrieved my vows from my bosom.  Everyone laughed.  Hey.  Don't judge.  There weren't any pockets in that dress!  I managed to choke out my words for Hud.

That's Calvin, Donna, Hud, Me, Bob and Jamie  with the Mississippi River Bridge and Big Muddy in the background.

And here we are with our longtime friends, Donna and Keith.

October 4, 2013 was just as special as that same day, sixteen years ago.

 

Aida, Aida Velveeta. But that's just her stage name...

 

I had a recurring dream before I found Aida.  I phoned all of my friends and told them about my new kitten.  "Her name's Aida.  Aida Velveeta, but that's just her stage name..." I had searched for my cat for weeks.  On a trip to Knoxville to have my wedding dress fitted.  She wasn't there.  Nashville on the way home.  No her.  The pound in Collierville.  No Aida.  The Memphis/Shelby County Pound.  She wasn't there. And then, in a small cage at the Memphis Humane Society, I found her.  Tiny, shaky and newly operated on.  Someone had abused her.  Her tail had died and needed to be docked. "That's my cat," I stated to the lady at the counter.  "That one?  Are you sure?"she replied incredulousy.  "Yes,"I sighed, "I'd know her anywhere."

And I adopted her and brought her home where she could be safe. I promised her that no one would ever hurt her again.

You see, I needed that promise myself.  My father had committed suicide a few weeks before.  I figured maybe we could patch each other up.

Well, relatively safe anyway.  Carmen adored her.  The first in a long line of canines dispelling the myth that dogs and cats can't get along. At least dogs and Aida.

We often joked that they were so close that they had always traveled through lives together, trading which one got the short tail in each incarnation.  A border collie, Carmen had a long fluffy tail.  But the only black on Carmen was on that tail.  A thin line of it right where a docking would occur. This time it was Aida's turn apparently. 

The abuse always caused her trouble.  She leaked when she slept.  She had bowel problems. And she was terribly shy.  Fewer than twenty-five people had ever seen Aida in real life.  My brother stayed with me for a weekend once and declared that we were imagining her.  He swore the pictures were someone else's cat staged in our home. We started calling her the "Ghost Cat".

But Aida had many nicknames- The Big Cheese, Cheesy Poof, Fuzzy Bag of Bones, Stinky McStinkington. The list was endless.

My least favorite was "Bee Hive".  Aida liked to crawl into my hair in the wee morning hours and knead it like bread.  Only her claws nicked me.  Oh, it was painful!  Once we had a housesitter who had never met Aida, even though she had stayed here on many occassions. Late one night, as she slept, needy Aida over came her fears and perched on the housesitter's head.  The housesitter awakened to what she said felt like a hive of bees stinging her head!  She quickly realized that it was Aida.  She laid there, taking the abuse because she was relieved that Ghost Cat had finally come out for her.  Aida never hid from her again.

Aida was sweet, warm and friendly to us.  When Boudreaux came to live with us, he fell instantly in love with her.  She allowed him to mouth her head as she went about her business.  It was constanly a slobbery mess.  Aida didn't mind at all and sought out his company daily.

But Aida's health had been failing of late.

Yesterday, after contacting the vet who saw Zoe through her cancer, we took her to AngelCare and had Kathy Mitchener help us to take her home. Aida had lost more than half her body weight and was bleeding internally.  She was constanty leaking fluids. 

A fighter until the end, Kathy took little Aida back to put in the catheter in her arm. Aida started jumping up and down like a monkey.  Pop! Pop! Pop! Then Kathy quietly told her that she didn't have to fight anymore.  Aida stopped.  Laid down, stuck out her paw and allowed her to insert the needle without moving a muscle.

Kathy brought her back to me and Hud and laid her in my lap.

It was a sweet and peaceful ending for my sweet and peaceful friend.

I love you, Aida Velveeta.  Kiss Carmen and Zoe for me.  But stay away from Tee Tee.  She never really was a fan of yours. Well, of anyone for that matter.

Aida was sixteen.

* Thank you, Kathy Mitchener.  You are the kindest, dearest person.  You gave her the peace she deserved. Hud and I appreciate everything you did for the three of us.

Brave New World

The only reason I've been so silent is that my life is living me right now.  I have no control of it.  It's as if I've been pushed into a swollen, raging stream and all I can do is try to swim for shore.

So much to talk about. No time to do it.

Hud had a heart event.  Atrial flutters. The doctors are managing it and he is doing just fine, but it got us to talking.  And thinking.  And refiguring our life plans.

We want need for Hud to retire.  And keeping our beautiful, gorgeous house is more than we can handle.  The grounds (three fourths of an acre), two houses, a pool and gardens are too much for us to say grace over effectively, given the changes of the last few months.

We are downsizing to a smaller property.  We are leaving our beloved Schyterbolle.  All of us are quite sad about it.

We don't know where we're going yet.  The search has only just begun, as are the preparations to sell our handsome home. We've been here nearly sixteen wonderful years.  This home has seen so much of our lives.

I always knew that at some point I would have to leave it, as a home like this is an inheritance of sorts.  You take care of it for a while, and pass it on to the next person to love.

I'm just not sure I was through loving it yet.

Happy Birthday to You

Happy birthday, Evie!

You've been gone two years and ten days now.  I've missed you every single minute. I read some of our old letters today.  The ones so long that we made up commercial breaks and drew cartoons in. I miss you telling me about swim meets and what the kids were being funny about and dinner parties and begging me to go on The Amazing Race.

Evelyn always had a death wish for me.  At least that's what I always joked to her.  She took me skiing - I ran into the lodge. She took me to the beach - I was in the water with a shark inches from me. She drove me home from a mountain trip - we nearly froze to death because the heater in Dennis, her car, went out.  It was always something.  Mostly due to my clumsiness.  A trait she found comical.  I was the center of some of her best stories.  

Evelyn's life was an adventure. She always found the most wonderful things for her family to do.

 And my one regret in life is that I did not go on that adventure to The Amazing Race with you.  I probably would have broken my leg, but we would have had a hilarious story out of it.

Love you, sweet mischievous spirit,

Angela

Evelyn at sixteen, stopping by my house before heading off to work at Roy Rogers.  Heeee.