Random Thoughts on a Random Day

OK- so how adorable is my grand niece, anyway? haha... She's a pip. A real smartie, and loveable little 1 1/2+ year old. A picture from our home the night of a Memorial service for Ken. She is so very delicious. Oh, lucky us:)
My ever wise, polite Kiska. I don't know what I'd do without this kitty. I'm kinda' special to him:)...and vice versa.
An adorable kitty that my neighbor found along a road. They fixed him up at the vet's and decided to bring him home. He is so sweet.Pretty flowers around outside.
What is this thing anyway? Is it some kind of dragonfly? Does anyone know? Very interesting. We had so many this summer. (click to enlarge).
And my photographer daughter is forever taking photos of all kinds of things. These next 3 shots are very cool.c. L A-G


And, what better way to end the picture day....
.....so this has been quite an exhaustive year. (...as I type, the above mentioned kitty has just meowed and entered with a gift of his butterfly toy. I am loved. He wants my lap and to push, but I cannot do that with this posting).

So last summer, a long ago friend,Jawade, passed away . Then Kippy , my talkative and very furry kitty in Aug., and good friend , Jenny in Sept., then my darling hubby Ken had his massive stroke,blood clot in the lung , and multiple seizures the day after Thanksgiving, (all on top of his stage IV lung cancer), then Ken's 98 year old grandmother passed away in March, and Ken followed 2 months to the day in May, then my brother-in-law's 92 year old mother passed away,(I think it was on Ken's birthday in July), and within days my cousin Nina (73- she would come to every family event and will be sorely missed- my dad's 1st cousin. Her dad and my grandfather came over from Russia , right before the Revolution, with a priest for religious freedom in the early 1920's), and then just this past Sunday, my good friend Patty's husband, Byron, passed away after years living with the repercussions of a stroke, & then lung cancer on top..................

Ok, so it has been a tough year. Add to that the state of the economy and nation, job situation, paperwork, 3 kids (with one teenage son), and..............but, somehow we are hanging tough, as they say. And that includes feeling very lousy many days, but somehow we make it through.

My coffee table is still a 'wreck' with papers, vintage ephemera, etc. for collages, pins, ornaments, and more. I am trying to work in the family room while catching some news here and there. Shops asking, and shows coming up....I still haven't loaded the pictures onto my computer. A job application out the door today, and tomorrow I may go to DC, not sure. Feeling pretty tired after a night of not much sleep 2 nights ago.

Larissa and I had a nice visit with a Hospice counselor today. And I made a lot of catch up phone calls. And my very kind neighbor recently mowed and weed wacked my 'getting to be unruly lawn'. Nice to cross some things off my very long list! And so blessed by such wonderful people in our lives.

Forgive me my random ramblings.So many people are having such hard times. Prayers to you all.

Oh,yeah,I almost forgot---my daughter flipped over in the car last July. The car was totaled, but she walked out alive with just a few scratches on her. That was such a big scare that did not go away right away. An angel (or a few) on her shoulder.

Memory Eternal, Margaret, Nina, Byron!

Be blessed!

xo Lydia