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I Keep Forgetting to Tell You…

Does this happen to you? I start telling a story in great detail, only to realize midway that I’ve told the story before. My friends are polite and would never interrupt. The “tell” is a patient look on their face, and I’m suddenly aware of my faux pas.

Conversely, I’ll assume I’ve shared a story, in the same great detail, only to have my friend say “this is the first I’ve heard this.” or “I had no idea.”

I’m a woman of a certain age, so I can chalk this up to the number of birthdays I have under my belt though I suspect I’ve been doing this my whole life.

Today’s post is about those little things I keep meaning to tell you, promises I made to “share in a future post” and just a couple of random things I would share if we could sit down together and share a cuppa.

Feel free to roll your eyes skyward if you’ve heard this one before. The magic of the internet is I’ll never know.

First up, my sister’s Halloween costume. Sharon based her costume last year on Pauline King’s gorgeous piece of art . I blogged about it last October.

Pauline King’s gift to my sister Sharon: The Wise Woman

I promised to share pictures of Sharon’s costume which turned out beautifully. We shared the same wig since we needed it on different days and she already had the hat and a simple black dress. I found the knotted walking stick (actually a cane) at a costume shop for $7 and had my husband saw off the hook. I bought her the cape, and as you see in the photo below, art imitates life which imitates art.

Halloween costume The Wise Woman

Sharon’s Halloween costume based on Pauline King’s art piece The Wise Woman

Next up is an unexpected blogging connection from my friends Dan and Rosie. After their older dog passed, my friends started looking at rescue organizations for another black Labrador retriever. Dan fell in love with black labs as a little boy when his dad snuck one into his room one night.

A few weeks into their search, Dan sent me a photo of them posing with a Golden Retriever named Ginger. (I’m pretty sure Ginger is also part horse). They missed having a dog so they expanded their search. I immediately recognized the bench they were sitting on because I’ve seen it often on Audrey’s blog.

That’s right; my friends adopted a dog from a rescue organization called Homeward Bound.  I’ve been followed Audrey’s blog for years. She’s a terrific writer and a good soul who helped revitalize the Memorial Garden featured in this photo and on her blog. You can follow along at Gardens For Goldens.

rescue dog

In the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden with Ginger

rescue dog

Meeting Ginger last summer. She’s a sweetie.

I’ve also been meaning to share photos of Mike sporting his beautifully woven scarves from fellow blogger Kerry at Love Those Hands at Home. Kerry and her husband took up weaving a few years ago, and now offer their wares on Etsy. She offered to make a couple of scarves for Mike so he could choose one, but he loved them both. The scarves drape beautifully, and are both soft and warm. Here’s Mike over a year ago wearing the two scarves sporting his before and after beard. We both had the flu, so shaving dropped off the list until he was well.

As I write this I’ve just finished a hot cup of Rooibos”tea“. We had multiple power outages throughout the night during a heavy storm but the power is back on and our fence is leaning but still standing. Lot’s of people are happy to replace the fence, but we can’t find a soul that will come and re-pour the improper footings. Twenty years ago we might have re-poured those fittings ourselves, but we’re not feeling it now.

Just one more share: Here’s  34 seconds of Tessa chirping at a flying insect near the window…

…and snuggling in to a pile of sheets on our bed.

Tessa snuggled in the sheets.

What would you share if we could sit down for a cuppa?

48 thoughts on “I Keep Forgetting to Tell You…”

  1. I think I’d tell you how much I’ve missed my weekly Tai Chi classes over the Christmas period; they restarted yesterday, and the relief of an hour of mindful movement was huge… I’d tell you how much I’m looking forward to clearing and sorting our possessions prior to the move, which is going to be a slow and gentle process rather than the all-in-one-day mayhem that’s normal… and I’d tell you how stunned and joyful I am at finding an outfit to wear at a big gala event which suits me and is comfortable, and for which I paid $55 in total instead of the full price of $250. You have to love a bargain… Another cup of tea? And perhaps a home made cookie…?

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    • Oh I love Tai Chi. I’ve been looking for a new class myself that fits into my schedule. Isn’t it wonderful? I’m happy to hear that your move will be a slow and gentle process. It’s also wonderful cathartic to pass things on that are no longer of use or value to you. Well done on the $55 dress. That happened to me one year, too. I needed a dress for my husband’s work party and everything seemed to be too big, too small or too expensive. Similar to you I scored a just-right dress for around $225 and it only cost me $36. Oh and home made cookies are my favorite with a cup of tea. Yes please!

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    • You made me smile, Sue. There’s always tomorrow. For some reason it felt like these things were hanging over me head and needed to be shared. I always mean to get back to things I’ve promised via my blog but then life happens. I hope you are doing well. 🙂

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  3. This is a wonderful catch up post Alys – and so great to finally see Sharon in her Halloween outfit…. which I confess to having forgotten to ask about despite us having had at least two chats since last October! I think she looks fabulous with that long silvery white hair too – and so gentle and wise! Mike is a lucky chap to have two of Kerry’s lovely scarves! And he looks rather handsome with a beard. That dog IS part horse! It’s a small world really isn’t it and oh my – that Tessa. How cute and funny she is ❤

    I have several things rumbling around in my mind that I mean to post about – whether or not it actually happens becomes more and more of a hit or miss affair. I still haven't photographed my kitchen cupboards for you either 🙂 Perhaps I'll get that done today…….

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  4. Oh my! Ginger is a truly beautiful Golden!! If I’d had a real yard, I’d have stolen the one next door to my son in Calif that was totally ignored other than food and water. Did call animal services to register a complaint and they did come out and talk to the guy. Things were better for a short while. He had a tiny yard and goldens like their runs.
    Kerry makes anything she touches beautiful. Mike is a lucky man to have 2 of her beautiful scarves. I do like the little scruff of a beard. My son has kept that scruffy look while his father had a much denser beard all his life other than when in the military. He looked like a baby without it. 😉
    Sharon really did pull off the look of Pauline’s wonderful painting. How fun to mimic the inspirational piece.
    What would I share? That the shuffling continues and so much is going out. I didn’t make this much room for my son but the purge needed to be done anyway. My daughter wanted to know if I’d sent you photos yet and I said no. I didn’t want you have a small stroke at the disaster. Later, much later, you will see the end result. 😉 Tessa is quite the talent there. Love seeing her photos on FB. Resting today for more heavy lifting this weekend. Next weekend is the cleaning.
    Have a wonderfilled weekend and thanks for the update. I think I sent an email?? 🙂

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    • Thank you for intervening to help that poor dog. Pets are a responsibility and dogs, especially, socialize like a family member. What a sad story. Ginger is well loved in her new home, and gets walked daily. She apparently has a sweet night time routine too, where she patrols the bedroom and makes sure everyone is okay. Dogs are so sweet and special.

      Sharon did a great job with her costume, and we got a kick out of the fact that we could share the same wig. We’ve always had a love for dress up and fashion in common, and even in our fifties, have fun playing dress-up.

      I’m looking at the “end result” of your shuffling, purging and readying for life lived together. I hope it works well all around, and I hope, too, that the purging is satisfying for all concerned.

      I’m glad you’re resting, and I hope you’ll continue to rest, too. It’s amazing to me that with all the moving you and your family have done, that you, your sister and your daughter have settled in pretty community together. Big hugs all around. xo

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  5. I just love your cat, Alys. I miss having a cat, but after the last one, we decided not to have any more. I’d share stories of him- Hamlet the black cat- if we had the opportunity. He was an amazing cat and did lots of funny and strange things, including retrieving a ball!

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    • I love the name Hamlet for a cat. I’ve seen that play at least 8 to 10 times! I’m sorry you are cat-free at this stage. Perhaps a stray will wander into your life and capture your heart once again. Maybe one day you’ll write a post about your dear Hamlet. He sounds like one of a kind. Thanks for the visit, Jane.

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  6. That is one big Goldie- especially for a female – they all look very happy together.
    My cats do that thing when they see a bird through the window – actually we torture them by having a bird table on the the balcony which is just outside the kitchen window. You can almost hear the birds saying ‘up yours’ knowing they’re safe.
    I agree with Pauline about the beard 😊 I’d hide all the razors.
    I’m sure there’d be no shortage of things to chat about if we ever got to sit down over a cuppa. I’m not that keen on Rooibos thoigh – just to give you fair warning.

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    • Well, we certainly won’t let tea preferences get in our way. My hope is to get back to Europe one day and you would be on my list of folks to visit while there. Your “up yours” comment made me snicker. I’m glad you can watch the birds and still have cats and dogs. We have hummingbird feeders, which remain high and out of reach. Last summer, though, one of the hummers was taunting Tessa, coming within a couple of feet of her over and over again. It gave me quite the fright, but the bird escaped capture and got some point across of who the garden really belongs to.

      Mike is most appreciative of your kind comments regarding the beard. I do like the way it looks, but I’m not a fan of how it feels. Funny that. I hope we get in a live chat one day soon.

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    • Hello Eliza! Isn’t that kitty chatter funny? She sounds like a bird. I love your expression “bits and bobs”. That one always makes me smile.

      I’m afraid Trukee is over 4 hours from here, but I appreciate the potential referral. Thank you! Mike bought some joists this weekend and used them to prop up the fence. My best guess is that the fence installer started from one end, moved to the other, and as they ran low on concrete they scrimped. As a result, that end of the fence has shallow footings that not only have cracked in two, but have exposed the wood to rot. The better news is that it will hold for now.

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  9. This is a great “catch up” post, Alys. I tend to do the same thing! I have several blog posts that promised some degree of follow up. I love that final photo of Tessa snuggled up in the sheets. She’s a beauty and the photo captured her sweet qualities. And I follow the “Homeward Bound” blog, so I’m excited at the story you’ve shared about Ginger and her new home. I would love to visit their memorial garden some day. Nothing in particular comes to mind, but I’d still love to share a cuppa with you. 🙂

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    • Hi Debra! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, and pleased to know, too, that this retelling of stories is not a lonely trait. I’m delighted to see that we both follow “Homeward Bound” and think it would be terrific if we could somehow time a visit together. I would love that. We’re about two hours from the garden. If you were driving up to see family, we might just be able to swing it. Something to think about for the spring.

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  10. Ginger!!! So great to see her happily home. 🙂 Small worlds!! Great catch-up, Alys. Hope you (and Debra!) can visit someday. Hint: roses are in first bloom late April.

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    • Hello NanaCathy! Thanks for visiting. I do love a good farmer’s market. We have several in the area, with each open a different day of the week. One of my favorites is nearly an hour from here, so we visit infrequently, but it’s always a treat. It’s at Jack London Square in Oakland, with a lovely view of the San Francisco Bay. Do you frequent one at home?

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  12. Wow–you packed a lot into this post! First, I think Mike looks very handsome in his scarves–it’s awfully nice to see them being worn and enjoyed so thanks for that! (And also thanks for the very nice feedback on Etsy!) Your sister’s costume is amazing–it’s as if Pauline’s painting came to life and how fun that you and she share such enthusiasm for Halloween. The dog story, the funny chirpy cat–it’s all good!

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    • Thank you, Kerry. Your scarves are lovely, so soft and with a lovely drape. They’re a better fit for California, too, since we just don’t get cold enough to support wearing wool scarves. You’ll be happy to know that Mike now owns three scarves in total: your two and one that he’s had for at least 25 years!

      Sharon and I have always shared a love of Halloween and of dressing up in general. It’s hard to say why it’s so much fun but it is. Thanks for visiting and for your kind words.

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  13. Oh, those scarves! Kerry is so incredibly talented. And what a pretty cat face Tessa has. Book talk is one of my favorite things, so I would like to hear about what you are reading if we were to get together for coffee and tea.

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  14. Yes, it happens all the time that I start telling a story only to see by the facial expressions that it’s maybe not the first time. But your stories are all so charming and interesting that I honestly wouldn’t mind! And what a wonderful catch-up post you’ve treated us too, even if I’m sorry to hear about the flu (booo!). I hope 2019 is off to a wonderful start for you and yours, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed for no more power outages. xx

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    • Hello dear Heidi. It’s good to know I’m not the only one. I wonder if this is a named-phenomena? I’m afraid to look it up. 😉

      You are sweet and charming to say such nice things about my stories. Right back your way my dear. Our year is moving along nicely so far. We’ve had some wonderful rain along with unseasonably warm weather, and though winter is due to return, we’ve enjoyed this reminder of spring. I owe you a nice long catch up to your wonderful notes. Thinking of you today and always. xo

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      • Ah, dear Alys … you owe me nothing! It’s always a joy to catch up with you, no matter where or when. And how wonderful to hear that you’re having a brief taste of spring. Even when we know it’s only temporary, isn’t it a welcome reprieve? I’m hoping for the same here soon, as we’ll be in the teens below zero by the weekend. Brrrrr.

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  17. Oh yes, that happens to me all the time. With friends no problem, but with colleagues or mere acquaintances rather embarrassing! LOL! It was nice to have that cuppa with you and catch up. 🙂 I hope I can get back into the swing of blogging again soon to share the latest here. Have a good week Alys! xx

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  18. I kept forgetting to come back……
    I read this post some time ago, enjoyed it, then fell asleep thinking, I’ll wake in the morning and leave a message then. Fast forward some two weeks later, ha! Good grief.
    Ginger is pawsitively (word play) adorable. She’s so happy! What a lovely girl. You just could never tire of doggie smiles. I’m mean honestly, it’s better than sex, LOL.
    Kerry’s scarf looks smashing on your Mike. It looks soft too. How cool to make your own yarn, that must take forever 😀
    Tessa and Blossum have the chirping at the window thing in common. Blossum would dearly love to go fetch a bird. We have a whole bush full every day. Funny, Petals likes to watch them for a bit, then goes on her way. I actually think she sits in the window just so Blossum can’t. I’ve seen her look at Blossum with an, “I’m da boss here” attitude. I don’t like to interfere with their natural pecking order, so will make another spot in a different window for poor Blossum. Everyone can’t be the boss at the same time 😀

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