Auntie Donna's Christmas Surprise

It's so awesome to have access to see him - and to have heard this happen for the first time - YAY!!!!

The Tights That....Weren't

Okay. So it's finally Fall. The season I wait for all year long. Weather that lets me wear soft fluffy sweaters, cute jeans, warm tights...and the air is so fresh and crisp. The sun shines down on the Autumn leaves and all is right with the world. So, I get up this morning and I think to myself, "Self, let's pick out something cute to wear today, it's FALL!" I choose carefully. My new cream fleecy jacket, over a cream sweater, with a denim knee length skirt, my favorite black tights (you know, ladies, the nice soft cottony/matte ones, not the shiny nylony ones) and a pair of black ankle boots. And, tying it all together? A lovely scarf that my Mom gave me last year for Christmas - black with a grey and cream floral print on it. I set out for my work commute feeling pretty darn cute, if I say so myself. Walk to the bus. No problem. Get off the bus, walk to Starbucks. No problem. Head down one last block to my office. Uh-Oh, we have a problem. I start to feel the waist of my oh-so-cute-and-comfy-cottony tights slide a little lower than it should. I'm thinking, okay, no biggie, they can be low riders. I keep walking. The trouble is, once this starts to happen, it happens QUICK - and with each step I feel those tights falling lower. I'm in a skirt, and they are now so low I can't even really grab them from the top any more. I thought surely they would have stopped near my hips, or even my bootie...but NOOOO, down, down, down they went and now I'm thinking "Good GOD I'm wearing a knee length skirt and each step brings me closer to having the crotch of my tights falling BELOW the hem of my skirt!!" I thought, please please please let me make it to my building...but alas, this was not to be. I was trapped. I had to stop walking for fear that they would literally drop to my ankles. I could hear footsteps behind me, so I started digging around frantically in my purse, to give the impression that whatever I was looking for was so important that I had to halt all forward motion just to seek it out. I let the man pass me while I “searched”. So, then I'm thinking - well, I can't just STAND here all day, I have to do something - but I can't pull my tights up without lifting my skirt - nope..don't want to do that. So, I did the only thing I could, which was to start shuffle stepping forward along the wall of the building, hoping for an opportunity to duck into a doorway somewhere - my kingdom for a doorway!! I ended up wedged next to a revolving door at the entrance of the building across the street from my office. I had to drop all of my bags, grab my tights and pull them the remaining 6" down to my boots, take off my boots, take off my tights, and put my bare feet back into my boots while shoving the stupid soft cotton NO ELASTIC HAVING waistband m*f*ing tights back into my bag... One lucky thing is that my hair is so long right now that when I bent forward, it reached almost to the ground, like a curtain blocking the view of passersby. (Not so lucky was the guard at the desk on the other side of the glass wall I was leaning my ass up against as I disrobed on the street...) Once I had my boots back on, I just picked up my bags and started walking. I sent visual daggers at the dude on the corner who had been staring at me since I first began my frantic rummage through my purse - but seriously, who was I kidding? There's no coming back from that.

Maybe Winter's not so bad after all.

A Tail of Two (Okay, Three) Kitties - 3

Part 3

And then, there was Bella.



I knew when Jasmine died that I’d be in the market for a kitten. I only waited about 2 weeks. I found Bella through an online Feline Rescue group. They were hard core PRO-cat! I even had to sign a contract saying I wouldn’t feed her grocery store “cheap” cat food. They recommended all natural organic cat foods. Part of her adoption fee was applied automatically to having her spayed, and they practically set up the appointment for us. It was really handy. Bella was, as you might imagine, a very cute kitten.




She is very social – she loves to say hello to visitors. She always has something fun on the agenda and can often be heard bustling from room to room in the house; but both she and Zoey always settle wherever I am, which is nice. (Zoey, certainly, is my closest shadow. I wish I had a way to communicate with her when it’s laundry day – she follows me up and down the stairs time and time again…thinking that I’m on my way someplace fun. I’ve almost killed myself many times because she’s always underfoot, especially on the stairs!)

Bella is extremely athletic, but as for gracefulness she’s got about a 50/50 shot. Maybe 40/60. She’s the only cat I’ve ever seen fall flat on her back. Thud! It doesn’t seem to bother her, she just gets up and goes on about her business. She’s almost 3 now, and she’s still about 90% kitten, I think. She loves to play, and unlike Zoey, she’s not picky about who’s on the other end of the laser light. She’s equal opportunity all the way. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll have the hands of a 12-year old girl for as long as I have Bella. I always have scratches and battle scars to remind me of the hours we spend playing “attack the thing under the blanket” which normally leads to a quick game of “swipe the hand that just came out from under the blanket to change the channel”…which typically wraps up our play session. But she’s also a snuggler – she curls up in my arm the way Jasmine used to, which I love. (Zoey thinks she’s a scarf, and cannot “snuggle” unless she’s on my neck. As you can imagine, not super comfy but once in a while, I give her the go ahead and she climbs on board.)

I recently realized who Bella reminds me of. Growing up, I loved the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin was always getting into something but he was so cute and earnest when he got caught you just had to love him. And he was clever. That’s how I feel about Bella. You don’t very often get to use the word “mischievous” but that word fits Bella. The markings she has on her face probably disguise some of her explorations around the house, but when she comes sauntering casually into the room, with cobwebs dangling from her whiskers, blinking innocently, I can always be sure she’s searched out another corner of the basement heretofore untouched by man or beast. We could all do well to take a tip from Bella – every day is an adventure.

Last year, I was taking some pictures during the holidays. Bella had curled up under the Christmas tree, and she looked so precious:


So, I turned to get a picture of Zoey who was perched on an ottoman next to me. I took a couple of shots where Zoey was blinking, or not looking; sadly, she’s not super photogenic, I’ve found. The room was relatively dark since I was trying out the Christmas lights, so I didn’t notice movement – but the next picture I got showed me that a certain someone didn’t want to be left out of the shot:


That’s my Bella! :o)

A Tail of Two (Okay, Three) Kitties - 2

Part 2 of 3 (Scroll down for Part 1)

Jasmine and I lived a very happy life together for several years. Every once in a while, I toyed with the idea of getting another kitty. I took mental turns projecting contentment and lonliness onto Jasmine. One day, I would think how fun it would be for her to have a companion during the days while I was at work. The next, I was sure she would find the idea repugnant since she would no longer get all of the attention. (I mean, I actually thought it would hurt her feelings and make her mad at me! Oh dear.) Around that time, I had moved to a house that was located blocks away from the Humane Society. One of my favorite things to do was to torture myself looking at cats and kittens - I would stop by "just to see them" in their little cages, but always force myself to leave without any of them. But, one day, I saw this little kitty. She was a little bit bigger (about 12 weeks old) than some of the kittens I'd considered before, but like Jasmine, she just sat at the edge of her little enclosure, watching me while her siblings rolled around and played and ate. She was mostly black - beautiful long, silky black fur with a white star on her chest, white "armpit hair" under each front leg, and her most unique feature - - grey tufts of hair behind each ear. I call them her "ear flaps". I broke the cardinal rule of window shopping, I asked to hold her. She and I had a little talk, but I wanted to be sure I was ready to take on a second pet so I took advantage of the 24-hour hold rule. By the time I got home (literally 5 minutes later) I knew she should be my kitty. I went out the next morning, got a few extra toys, and some kitten food and headed back over to pick her up. When I arrived, I went straght to her little cage...and she was GONE! I asked around. The person I'd worked with the day before was off but evidently, they had neglected to perfom a key step in the 24-hour hold process, which was to actually HOLD the kitty. The woman behind the counter informed me that someone had adopted her about an hour earlier. I was really upset by this point. I'd seen her, held her, and thought of names for her (she was originally going to be "Joey" - I've always loved the Concrete Blonde song of the same name, and I thought it was a cute name with Jasmine...). She was MINE and she was GONE! They said they'd call the family who had adopted her and "ask them" if they would consider bringing her back. They sent me home and said they'd call me when they heard from them. Fortunately, this other family took pity and even though they probably loved her, too, they did bring her back. I raced back to bring her home. Within the first day, even though she was an awkward little adolecent kitten, her silky black fur (which turns to mink brown in the sunlight) and pretty markings told me that the name "Joey" was too tomboy for her. She was a Zoey.

Now, Jasmine wasn't wild about the idea, and she wasted no time in asserting herself. Zoey was fine with that, she just wanted to play play play. It took them some time, but they became buddies. I really did think they'd have a lot more time together. It ended up only being around 4 years. During that time, they each earned their very appropriate nicknames. Pukebucket and Shitass were my babies. Jasmine was famous for wolfing down her food and then puking it back up again. And, poor little Zoey...she had her first "accident" early on, when she came home to live with us she got scared and shat herself. All of that silky long fur - - and after the brief ride home, she looked like she sat in pudding. I thought - hey, it's her first time away from her siblings, I'd probably do the same thing. But it, sadly, was a foreshadowing of things to come. Fierce little Jasmine was like my Guard Cat, but Zoey was more like my Scaredy Cat. I've moved twice since bringing Zoey home that day. Each time during transit to the new place, she's been scared to the point of pooping. Poor little thing.

Since Jasmine died, Zoey has taken on the one woman cat role. She's pretty standoffish around people. Like Jasmine, though, she's so pretty, people want to pet her. A lucky few get that chance, but most of the time she hangs out in places where only I am. She will sit next to me for ages, and just wait to be petted. If she just can't take it any more, she reaches out her paw and places it on my hand, or my arm, or my shoulder - a gentle reminder, "Here I am, see?"

Here they are:


Zoey, the shadow:


They both pretend to be ignoring each other:


Then, with no warning...ATTACK!!


Followed by kisses:


They had fun together.

A Tail of Two (Okay, Three) Kitties - 1

Part 1 of 3

DSCF0961, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

One day when I was in my mid-twenties I decided the time had come for me to become a pet owner. It hit me out of the blue, I wanted a kitten. Specifically, a calico kitten. I’m not sure why, but the thought of a calico cat had always been appealing to me. Now, I’m the kind of person who makes her mind up, then puts the plan into action. No spreadsheets, no compiling of raw data, no studies of pros and cons…just jump right in. So, while I was at my desk at the office where I worked at the time, I called the Humane Society with hopes of driving straight there after work to pick out my kitty. They were closed. Some people would have taken that as a sign that this was not to be. I took it as a sign that I needed to work harder to find my kitty cat. I was lamenting the fact that my need for instant gratification didn’t match up with the funding available for staffing at the Humane Society, when one of my co-workers said “Hey, my cat just had kittens a few weeks ago, you can have pick of the litter if you want one!”. I said, “Thanks, but I was really hoping to find a calico kitty.” She said “The mom is calico, and so is one of the kittens!” So, off to the farm I drove that night, to see the babies. When I arrived, all of the kittens were piled up having supper on mommy…all except for one tiny calico kitten who marched over to the edge of the box, looked up and me, and said “MEW!”. I was a goner. I cannot tell you how cute she was. My precious baby Jasmine. She was only 6 weeks old, so I did end up having to wait a couple of weeks to bring her home, but on the designated day, I found the softest blanket in my closet, set up her litter box and kitten food, and headed out to pick her up. She was so teensy weensy. I have pictures of her at home, playing with an old 35mm film container, and it was the size of her torso. Insane! She never got bigger than 7lbs. She was petite and beautiful and extremely graceful and athletic. From day one, she was always a one-woman cat. I loved that about her. There were times that I envied people who had cats who would jump happily into anyone’s lap and purr away, but Jasmine was never that way. She had very discriminating taste. Furthermore, she used her perfect pink kitty nose and all of that petite cuteness to lure in many victims over the years. No one could resist her charms, but most wished they had. It was like she got a kick out of seeing how many people she could trick into trying to pet her, only to pay them back by taking a swipe at their fingers. I once took an online “personality” test on her behalf, and her result was: “Al Capone”, possible aliases: Biggie, Mugsy, Vinny, Killer, Claws, The Predator, and Meanie. Because most of my family and friends would agree wholeheartedly (and at least partial-fingeredly), I had a hard time convincing them that when I wanted to get comfy on the couch and watch a movie, she was always my cuddle buddy – she nestled perfectly right into the crook of my arm, with her little fuzzy head on my shoulder. If I was sad, she would come over and investigate, sandpaper licking away salty tears when necessary. Although I used my mommy-tone to “scold” her when she swiped at yet another visitor, she knew from my secret winks that deep down, I adored the fact that she loved me the best.

The hardest thing I ever had to do was say goodbye to Jasmine. She got sick when she was only 10 years old...way too young in kitty years. I had looked forward to spending another 10 years with her when one day, she just didn't seem herself. I took her to the vet, to be told she was in kindey failure. They offered to euthenize her right on the spot if I wanted, since the prognosis was pretty grim. I was shocked and in no way prepared for the news. Since they said she wasn't in pain, we got some fluids in her (I took her in every couple of days for weeks)and she bounced back for a while. I think she knew I wasn't ready, so she let me have a few more months. Then, on April 18th, 2007, I took her in for her last vet visit. They say that we know when it's time for our pets to say goodbye, and it was true. I knew. Ironically, it was my Grandma's birthday (she never was a big cat fan) and the day before my own birthday. That day, I cried the first salty tears in 10 years that she couldn't kiss away. A few slip down my cheeks from time to time, even now, when I think of her. She was my first, after all.

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3.

...URP! (eeew!!)

So, in the middle of the night last night, I woke up, uncertain at first what had interrupted my gentle slumber. Moments later, the sounds of my roommate vacating her gastric cavity orally (a.k.a. PUKING HER GUTS OUT) into the toilet cleared that up for me. I chanted mentally "don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it" and eventually, I was able to fall back asleep. A few hours later, I was again awakened by a familiar and haunting sound: ack-ack-ack-ack-HAAACK...my CAT puking up a hairball - - on my bed!! EEEWW! Throw blanket on floor (I know, that's gross, but I was trying to recover quickly without having to wake all the way up), get another blanket, "don't think about it don't think about it don't think about it" and eventually, I fell back to sleep. As the sun rose, basking my room in a soft pink glow, I was yet again awakend by the violent splashing of stomach contents into the toilet. So, I guess you could say I'm happy to be at work right now. I hosed down the bathroom with Lysol. I scrubbed myself clean, and have applied antibacterial hand cleanser several times this morning. I enjoyed what has become my standard breakfast: Airborne, Advil, and Vitamin C.

Oh, please don't let me get sick, I HATE being sick!!

Election Day, 2009: NO ON 1 in Maine

So, yesterday, I was tuning in to some of the big election day “hotspots”. Specifically, I was paying attention to the “No On 1” campaign in Maine. I remember last spring, thinking – those lucky people in Maine – finally some progress being made for the GLBT community there. So, I was particularly interested in the outcome of this issue on the ballots. While I was online, I saw the Facebook status of a Maine resident, and it read “Yes on 1! Stand for marriage between one man and one woman!!” As you might expect, this person had like-minded friends who posted notes supporting this stance, but the one that stood out to me was this one, which said:

“C'mon Christians! Get out there and vote... Don't vote your conscience. Don't FOLLOW your heart - it'll steer you wrong. (Above all, the heart is deceitful and wicked...) LEAD your heart, and vote according to Gods principals. That would be a resounding "YES", on 1!!”

It got me thinking – whoa! That’s really what we’re up against, isn’t it? I was glad that very shortly after I saw that, I happened upon this:

http://www.melwhite.org/blog/91

…which basically says (and I quote): “I will no longer debate the issue of homosexuality in the church with anyone. I will no longer engage the biblical ignorance that emanates from so many right-wing Christians about how the Bible condemns homosexuality, as if that point of view still has any credibility. I will no longer discuss with them or listen to them tell me how homosexuality is “an abomination to God,” about how homosexuality is a “chosen lifestyle,” or about how through prayer and “spiritual counseling” homosexual persons can be “cured.” Those arguments are no longer worthy of my time or energy.”

What I know for sure is that, someday, we will reach the point where “with liberty and justice for all” actually applies to ALL, and not “some”. I just hope and pray that we don’t do irreparable damage to each other in the struggle to get there.

God is LOVE, people. Doesn’t it make your heart sing to believe that? It does mine.

Olan, sporting his U of M gear. Go Gophers!!

President Obama On Winning the Nobel Peace Prize

This speech is an example of why he deserved to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I'm amazed by all the people who ran around calling others communists and terrorists and socialists if there was the slightest question about Bush while he was in office - "YOU MUST SUPPORT YOUR PRESIDENT DURING A TIME OF WAR" was being blared over the loudspeakers... And, we now have a President who has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and he's being torn apart by most of those very same people. My aunt Ann said it best: could we all possibly get behind our President and give him a chance to actually fulfill the potential of his election?

Matthew Shepard - 11 Years Later

It is absolutely heartbreaking to see those images of Matthew as a child. Instant tearjerker. It shouldn't be any more heartbreaking than seeing pictures of him as he was when he died; but it's such a forceful reminder - he was their child. He was a human being. NO ONE deserves what happened to him, not even the people who did it to him. (Well...maybe them...but no one else!) And, as long as I'm here - can we get a WOOT WOOT for Ellen? She's one uber cool chick.

Olan's STAR themed 1st Birthday Party

Seattle Brock and OLAN 435, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

We enjoyed a fun day of celebrating, and watching all of the boys play at the park at the Pavillion at Parker's Lake. Brock, Brayden and Olan had so much fun! Rayna was precious and appeared to have a perfectly lovely time (with the exception of her brief and chilly wardrobe change, necessitated by the fact that she's got a stellar digestive tract firing on all cylinders!). There was a nice breeze, so a kite was flown, and each of the boys took turns with it. It was a beautiful day!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY OLAN!

Make a wish!

Seattle Brock and OLAN 393, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Brock demonstrates the proper form for candle blowing. Aren't they cute all lined up?

Olan and Brayden rocking their star sunglasses

Seattle Brock and OLAN 434, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

The Masterpiece Birthday Cake

Seattle Brock and OLAN 336, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Created by Kjersti and Alex, who, through careful and precise measurements, used 2 9x13 cakes to create this shooting star...with NO un-used cake! ;)

Birthday Cake

Seattle Brock and OLAN 388, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Brayden shares a "chip" with Olan

Seattle Brock and OLAN 365, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Brock and Olan

Seattle Brock and OLAN 379, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Brock flies the kite

Seattle Brock and OLAN 339, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Brayden and Daddy fly the kite

Seattle Brock and OLAN 343, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Group Shot

DSC_0070, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

In front of the beautiful church where Olan was Baptized. It was such a pretty day!

Olan's Baptism

DSC_0081, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Daddy Alex, Mommy Kjersti, and Baby Olan on Baptism day.

Giant Baby!

IMG_4053, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Here come those teeth!

Olan is Bendy

IMG_4178, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

This was taken during our recent visit for Olan's Baptism. I can't believe how he's growing - it's so fun to see.

Netiquette

Okay, so here's the deal. Lots of people say lots of things online that they might or might not be quite so willing to blurt out in person, speaking face to face. Now, when you go to some 'neutral' site - for example, Yahoo! or CNN - and you read about something that gets you thinking...and you see that there are comments posted about the story, that's the kind of place where you just let it all out - say exactly what you want to say, use whatever kind of language you want to. You don't have to have regard for any one or anything if you don't want to. You can just focus on conveying your opinion. Super cool. Love it. Do it all the time.

However, there's a difference (IMHO) when it comes to commenting on a friend's blog, Facebook page, etc... I have lots of friends on several different social networks. Some of these friends are lifelong companions. Some of the people who I connect with are family members. Others may be more casual acquaintences, but nonetheless, people with whom I've socialized, and shared experiences. So, on those pages, it seems like it makes sense to keep things in a more "civil" tone. Let me rephrase that. If I visit someone's page, and see something they've posted that I disagree with, or that I think is "inappropriate" or "distasteful" or "just plain stupid" (lol) I don't feel it's in good taste to comment there in the same way that I might, had I seen the same information just out on the web somewhere. Today, I had a friend comment about a link and video that I had posted. Not only did they a.) misunderstand completely the point of the link, they b.) made what I considered to be very rude comments in their so-called 'discussion' of the topic. Now, I WELCOME dialogue about any subject. However, it seemed evident that this person had no interest in discussing anything. Their mind was made up, there was no changing it, so sayeth the Lord. Amen. Okay, fine. Regardless of all of that, there were much better ways to have said the things that got said. I'mjustsayin'...

In the future, perhaps we should all take on the habits of good dog walkers. If, while you're out and about online, you feel the need to take a crap on my page please be sure to pick up after yourself. I'll be sure I do the same, if I ever take a squat on yours.

Robbin Gallery Opening

Robbin Gallery Opening 059, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Robbin Gallery Opening 042, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

Robbin Gallery Opening 056, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

This is my friend Raki, and her son Andrew. The photo was taken about 30 minutes after he was born. She chose it as her favorite of the ones I took that night, so I used it in my first show. It was quite an event to witness his birth!

Robbin Gallery Opening 043, originally uploaded by d_jazmine.

This was the other image I chose for the show. When I was in Atlanta after my nephew Olan was born, we took a walk one day on the patio at my sister's apartment. While we sat in the sunshine feeling the warm breeze of Fall in Atlanta, this little guy went scurrying by. I snapped a few photos, sort of as a joke, but they turned out pretty crisp and vivid and my mom loved them. So, into the show with the bug pics!

Here's one of Mom and me; her work was really stunning, too!

Equality for ALL!

Randi and Phil on CNN:

Brayden's First Birthday!!

We celebrated Brayden's 1st Birthday this past weekend. He's the son of my cousin Ben and his lovely wife, Emily. Today is his actual birthday, February 10th. He's been an absolutely amazing trooper in this first year of his life. Two open heart surgeries; the first of which took place on Valentine's Day last year...pretty appropriate. Here he is at his party, having a BLAST - and loving his cousin Brock.









I just had to include one more - it was just a snapshot of a moment where I happened to catch him blinking; but it's such a funny picture!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRAYDEN!!! We love you!!

Weekend at My House

I'm in the middle of a typical Saturday here at Casa Monson. I just thought I'd share this moment with you. I'm reading one of my favorite blogs (Home Fires by Lois Lane) and I'm joined, first by Zoey, and soon after, by Bella. They have a need to join me at (on) my desk whenever I'm sitting here for more than a few minutes. Pardon the redeye and the photo quality, I didn't dare roll my chair back for fear of them jumping off my desk. Aren't we cute, catching up on our favorite blogs?

And, see for yourself why I love Lois Lane!

http://nonewzhomefires.blogspot.com