My Everything Corner

Although not every gift I received this year was Tolkien related, there was a definite theme.  This 50th anniversary edition of LOTR was definitely the highlight, but under the tree also was Thorin's Map, (yet to be framed), two Hobbit themed notebooks, and the least desirable, but really very funny Adventure slippers.  Yes, they are slippers in the form of Hobbit's feet, and they are dangerously big.  Manageable, but you'd better pay attention to every single step, especially on stairs. My husband and I are also big "Firefly" fans, so naturally I now have a t-shirt that has a blazing "Shiny" written across the chest.  Continuing with the 'geek' theme, a "rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock" form-fitting t-shirt was also waiting to be tried on.  Everything was a great fit, and I promised to wear it all, (even in public) with exception of the Adventure slippers.  I really don't think they would hold up at all if I did decide ...

Another Christmas has come and gone.   The anticipation I felt leading up to it was fun but really only when I was observing what my children were experiencing.   As a child, I had nowhere near as much as my kids do now.   That’s what I tell them, that was what my Mother told me, and that was what my Grandmother told her.   I wonder if in upcoming years we would be terribly sad if we could no longer put on a Christmas with all the gifts and foods we have come to expect.   We say every year that it is all too much, and that we need to cut back, but if we were forced to, I’m certain we would look back longingly on our years of plenty and feel a certain amount of sadness. Okay enough of that, the best part of the season was being together with everyone and although there were a few disappointments with the gifts given, most were received with surprise and followed up with joy.   The most difficult part of the season was when I put an ornament on the t...

  It is very hard to believe that nearly 2 weeks has gone by since I lost my best fur friend, Junior.  A cat of 20 years, 17 of which belonged to me. When I went to the Saskatoon SPCA 17 years ago to adopt a kitten, I walked out instead with a 3 year old cat that everyone there could only describe as 'special'.  That particular shelter never kept animals for more than 3 months, and if by then they were not adopted out, euthanasia made room for the constant inflow of animals in need of a home.  But for Winnie, (his name at the time) they felt they needed to wait, and made an exception.  They even had him in a special display cage at the front desk so he could meet and greet everyone.  It wasn't long before I had him moved into my little apartment and had renamed him Zeke Jr.. I named him after the black cat I was given when I was born and whom I had until I was 17 years old. My new cats' name was quickly shortened to Junior, an...