Monday, January 02, 2017

Happy New Year and an Introduction

Christmas Eve 2016

I hope you had a lovely Christmas.  Mine was even quieter than usual as I dealt with sorrow but it was also good as I enjoyed the music of the season, favorite Christmas movies, as well as a couple of books I reread during that time each year.  The weather kept me pretty much inside as we had snow and ice until just before Christmas Day when we had... rain!  At least it melted the ice on the gravel lane.

The photo above is from our Christmas Eve dinner with Mr. & Mrs. Christopher and Piper.  Christopher says this is his favorite meal of the year and while it is the same as our Easter menu, I think it is the magical feeling of it as there is light from the tree, the candles on the table, and the candles on the sideboard.

With the start of a new year comes the end to my semi-annual blog break.  It never ceases to surprise me how much I accomplish around the house on blog breaks.  My thinking concentrates entirely on decluttering and reorganizing.  This time the Study had quite the redo and now that I'm beginning to get used to it... I like it.

As you know, the changes began with switching the cabinet to another window so more heat can enter the room.  Which, believe me, has been welcome.  Since it is a corner room with two window and farthest away from the furnace, it will always be cooler than the other rooms but I notice a difference.


Part of the redo was brought about by the purchase of what I believe is a reproduction pie safe from Goodwill.  For only $6.00 plus change!  I love it!  The bottom shelf has a couple of Bibles, my two favorite devotionals, and all of my Edith Schaeffer books.  Sitting on the top shelf are cooking and crafting books that I mostly read as though they were novels for inspiration. Should I want to try a recipe, it will be easy to transfer a book to kitchen.

The pillow on the rocking chair was purchased with Christmas gift money this year and the bear was a Christmas gift money purchase last year.  I use birthday and Christmas gifts to add to my collection of primitive or Early American accessories or artwork.  My husband tells me there is no more room on our walls for any more artwork so he ummm... encouraged me on when I asked what he thought of the pillow.

Meet Florentine

The biggest news has to do with the results of our trips to meet kitties at the kitty shelter.  We had planned on adopting an older cat but we were adopted by a kitty approximately twelve months old.  Yep, we brought home a girl just leaving her kitten years! 

Meet Florentine, a name given to her by her foster mom that we liked and she was used to already.  Florentine needs a lot of care and love for she has obviously had a hard life so far.  If there is any quick movement or a loud noise, she heads for a place to hide. 

She is beginning to trust us more and last night finally made her way to the kitchen and finished a small bowl of kibble.  She also let me show her the water container.  Her favorite place is on our bed and fortunately we already were using our old quilt as our other quilt needs to be repaired.  The old one will stay in place for awhile now since Florentine comes with... front claws.

She looks similar to our kitty, Storm, and appears to have as much energy and attitude as Storm did.  However, we look forward to proving to Florentine that there are humans that take good care of animals and even spoil them.  The woman who runs the kitty shelter said we are the perfect adoptive parents for a cat that needs a little quiet and a lot of love to overcome past abuse.

I'm sure you will be hearing more about her in future posts.  Later this week, I hope to have a list of favorite books from 2016 and then on Sunday I'll share the phrase that keeps going through my thinking and how it will anchor 2017.  Which means now that blogging has resumed, so must... pondering.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

Your new baby is beautiful. Thank you for giving her a good home. I enjoy your posts so much.

Instagram.com/melissasnotes said...

What a wonderful compliment from your son on Christmas Eve being his favorite...'TRADITIONS'!
Your dining room does indeed look very cozy.

Anonymous said...

Florentine is beautiful. I know she will love living with you and she will learn trust in her forever home.
Happy New Year
Ginger

Bess said...

Florentine! What a pretty name for a pretty kitty! Sounds like you had the perfect blog break, Brenda. Looking forward to what I know will be your marvelous posts for 2017. Blessings for a great year, Bess

Anonymous said...

Your Christmas table looks lovely and so inviting. I have missed your posts over the blog break, but understand the need for down-time and reflection as the old year ends and a new one begins.

What a lucky cat Miss Florentine is! Love the name and I'm sure as kind as you are she will soon come around :) Blessings for the New Year. Give "Flo" a scratch from me ;)

Donna Wilson

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

I am so glad to hear of your happy Christmas celebrations together. And possibly even happier to read of the coming of Florentine. May you have many years of being a happy family together! I am thinking of her as Florrie rather than Flo, for some unknown reason.

Susan Humeston said...

Miss Florentine reminds me a bit of Buster, our cat that we lost this past year. He was beautiful, as is she, and quite the personality. How could anyone abuse an animal, especially a kitten! I'm so glad she has your gentle and loving selves to pamper and love her.

Maggie from Stillness at Cherith said...

Your home looks so festive and inviting....comforting.
Hello, Florentine, so pleased to meet you!
She is very blessed to be welcomed into your home =)

Vee said...

Oh I adore mackerel kitties! My parents had one named Talitha. Have you ever seen the sweet graphic of the mackerel kitty draped across a library shelf? Love that one. Anyway, a warm welcome to Florentine. She is lovely, very regal, too, in her way. Yes, Christmas Eve supper is a very special one.I can see why it is your son's favorite. Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Your Christmas Eve table looks lovely in the candle light. So Happy for you that you found a new kitty to love! Love her name! She can comfort you while you love on her and earn her trust. Sounds like a perfect match and a great way to begin the new year.
We are in a cold snap with night time temps dipping in the low teens! So thankful it's only supposed to last a few days, as that's quite chilly for us! We will be snuggling close to the fire in the wood stove every evening! Just got done putting away the Christmas decor today. Not nearly as fun as getting it all out! Looking forward to your weekend posts.
Take care.
Blessings,
Laura C. (WA)

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I'm certain that Florentine will adjust to your loving home very quickly! I'm so glad that you have her and that she has you two!

Beautiful table - so special to share with loved ones on Christmas Eve!

Happy New Year, friend, and welcome back!

rebecca said...

I'm happy because YOU'RE happy as you extend your home and care to such a beautiful cat. The new arrangement of your studio is lovely. I'm sure you'll spend many quiet hours in that rocking chair in the company of your books....and pondering.

I'll look forward to your 2017 posts.

I'm coming to the close of this post-New-Year's-Day. It's been a pleasant one, but my mind and body tell me it's time to get back to some sort of routine.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I admire your Christmas Eve table and find traditions are important to young ones. Florentine is a lovely name and it's always a good feeling when one reads of an animal getting their forever home.

Judy said...

Florentine is perfectly named...

and your Christmas Eve table is so festive.

Welcome back!

lynneinMN said...

I am so happy for Florentine "finding" you! Looking forward to seeing her grow to trust and love you both...
Your pie safe find is a treasure! Happy New Year from Northern Minnesota...In His Peace...Lynne

Quinne said...

Happy New Year, Brenda ♥ and welcome, Florentine!
May it be a lovely year. Hugs!

Anonymous said...

Ah, another kitty...brave you however, her having claws!! I hope she will be an excellent pet...getting her younger, you ought to have her longer too!!
Elizabeth

copperswife said...

Florentine is a beauty! I'm sure that the three of you will be a great blessing to one another.

Ann said...

Glad you're back from your blog break ... and so glad you found Florentine. She sounds like the perfect addition to your family.

Carol said...

Florentine is so blessed to have you two as her family. Your dinner table is lovely. (MD)

Anonymous said...

Florentine is just precious! Our kitty died last July and we are planning on going to the local shelter later this month to find a new special kitty to love. Florentine is a lucky girl!

Homemaker'sThoughts.blogspot.com said...

I'm SO glad you got another sweet kitty. She will be very loved and well taken care of. : )
And I love her name!

Ian's Girl said...

So delighted to read this, you will heal together!

Miss Florentine is a beauty!

Precious People Preschool said...

Your table looks so lovely and inviting. Florentine is a lucky girl to get such a wonderful forever home. All my kitties have had paws and claws it is the way God created
them. As she learns to trust you eventually you may be able to trim her claws with special clippers. It will take time for her to get used to you just rubbing her paws.
Get her a scraching post and that will help her take care of her nails. Her having front
claws will help her climb and protect her self if she ever accidently sneaks outside.
What a lucky girl she is to have you two. I hope you have a blessed 2017.
In Him,
Patti