Catching up

Hello my friends...so so so very sorry that I haven't updated this in awhile...okay, for a long time. So much has been going on, every time I tried to update, I would get pulled away. I know, piss ass poor excuse but it is true. One thing that is great is that I haven't posted because I was too ill. I have been doing reasonably well actually. A few minor bumps in the road, but nothing serious.

Okay...the scoop. What has been going on in my life. No, it isn't a hot romance or some cool getaway. Simply put, lots of family bullcrap. I know I shouldn't let that kind of stuff fester and boil within me but sometimes it is very hard for it to not affect me deeply, especially when kin are involved. I guess I should fill you in as to what happened. In a nutshell, both our water main and septic needed some serious work which equals lots of money. For a few days, our yard looked like a war zone complete with giant craters and upturned earth everywhere. It was a mess. Why is this a family issue? Our house is owned by my mother and her siblings, four in all. Because of this, we cannot get equity on this house (you can probably guess where I am going here) unless one of them co-signs. Last summer we tried this so that an addition could be built so that I could have a "real" bedroom. It looked good, initially it was a go but then it fell through so no equity. Without equity, it is nearly impossible to make major improvements or repairs on a home so my mom approached her sibs and asked them to chip in as far as repair costs went. Two of her three sibs agreed but my uncle balked and did not contribute which leaves us hanging for the rest, which is quite a sum of money for us.

For one, I hate insincerities. This very same uncle had said in the past if we ever needed anything , ask. Well we did and got nowhere. What kills me is that he is a partial owner of this house, his investment too. He definitely has the cash, his home is paid for and he makes good money. No doubt when this house is finally sold, his hand will be first in the pot to get his share. Another thing that pissed me off is that he never called my mother to tell her that he agreed or disagreed with her request for funds. He has totally ignored her...what a coward!!!! At least face the woman! What is going to be really interesting is that my brother is having a reception (they just got married on the beach in Florida) at the end of February and my uncle has RSVP'ed. My bet is that they will totally avoid my mother. That seems to be the way this family works, such a shame.

Okay, on to better and more exciting happenings. First, Garran a 7 year old with CF has finally gotten his transplant after being listed in July!!! I have been praying for him and his family nonstop since yesterday and will continue to do so. I read his caringbridge site regularly and was totally wowed and shocked to see that he finally got his call yesterday. I am a jelly heart so naturally I cried...and cried...and still am! Here is the link to his CB site Gman's tx Please read it and offer as many prayers as possible. He is fresh out of the OR and doing well in the PICU. Let's pray that trend continues and he is out of the hospital in record time!

We also just adopted a kitten. I never thought I would have anything but a dog, but somehow little Maya (my daughter named her) clawed her way into our lives. My mother has been watching my brother's kids at their home (they are on a cruise) and this little kitten made its way there. I am betting that it was either dropped off by someone who didn't want it, hoping that it would find a home at a farm (we live in farm country) or that it wandered from a farm or home. Either way, it has been on its own for some time as it was frightfully skinny. She is a beautiful kitty, a tabby with a fluffy tail and very friendly. Anyhoo, my sis and I were visiting her a few days back and it must have been in the teens as far as the temp outisde was and we spot this kitten out side, meowing loudly. As soon as we opened the door, it ran inside as fast as lightening. My mother said that it had been around for a few days prior, but did not let it inside as she felt it wasn't her place to let strays in a house that wasn't hers. I can understand that but it has been bitterly cold and I felt bad for it. My sis and I held it and tried to warm it some, mom put blankets outside (she acts like she is a hardass sometimes, but she really is a marshmallow inside. She felt bad for it as well) as well as food.

Maya became ours when my mom and I happened to mention it to my daughter, who of course, was also upset that it was outside in the cold. And so, as of last night, little Maya is our newest addition. My daughter and I gave her a bath (she hated it) and put some flea medication on her. What shocked me is just how skinny this kitty really is. It was very evident once we bathed her, her fluffy fur makes her look fatter than she is. You can actually feel her ribs and she has no padding any where, poor thing! I don't think that she would have lasted much longer out in the cold, she is that skinny. I will take pics of her and post them. Initially, I was worried that our dog Haley would get upset and go nuts, she did at first but has since calmed down. Actually, it is better than good. When I went into my daughter's room this morning, Haley was lying next to Maya, licking her head! It was so damned cute!!!! Maya no longer hisses at her either, I think they will be fine together.

As far as anything else...let's see. The holidays went off without a hitch. I baked cookies until the essence of them was oozing out of my pores. I loved it though and gave them away as gifts. I have a feeling that my kids enjoyed them most though :) Amazingly, nothing major happened this year around the holidays, it was frightfully smooth sailing. No hospitalizations, no flu, nothing like that. I still am bracing myself, always waiting for that proverbial other shoe to fall but it hasn't. Hopefully it won't....fingers crossed!

Hmm...I can't think of anything else to write about, I know I am probably forgetting something huge and will probably kick myself later but for now, I am blank. Until next time, peace and hugs,
Jenn :)