Just Lauren

I forgot to mention that I am babysitting Kora, my sister’s cat, for the next month! Because my sister and her family are moving, they decided that it would be best to find a new home for Kora, as she has been stressed for quite a while in their home and she deserves a quieter, calmer place to thrive. Shari agreed to take her in, but because Shari is also moving into a new apartment in January, she didn’t want to take her until she had moved, so as not to cause Kora any additional stress. Circumstances dictated that Kora move out a little sooner than anticipated, however, and enter, my home! She was lovingly dropped off last Wednesday evening and has been adjusting to her new, temporary, home in Elisabeth’s room ever since. She’s been doing great and I’m super proud of her. Am I becoming attached? Maybe. The great news is, I’ll still see her whenever I visit Shari so saying goodbye to her in January will be more like saying, “See you in a few days.” The point is, you might be seeing pictures of more than just Pippin over the next few weeks as I try to get her to like me more and more. It should be noted however that her pictures may be a bit blurry as she’s constantly on the move and it’s hard to get her to sit still! 😉

My mom celebrated her birthday yesterday and so I called her to wish her a happy day. In addition to speaking with her, I got the chance to chat with my niece and nephew for a bit since they hadn’t left her house yet. Ollie’s speech is coming along nicely and I look forward to having a conversation with him at Christmas. They told me about climbing trees and preschool and they made me laugh and smile, as always.

Later in the evening, I installed the advent calendar program that Lydia got me! She knows that I love those things and how much they contribute to the spirit of the season. I took the next few minutes to click through the first four days and I’ll catch up later this evening with the last four. This year, there are hidden gnomes throughout the village that you get to find and add to your shelf. Maybe tonight I will start decorating my virtual Christmas tree. As Lydia said, she’ll think of me as she wanders the Nordic village and as she sits in her cozy chalet. I will do the same. As I explore the little town and play the games and make ornaments, I will remember her and feel love. And as I continue in my celebration of Christmas and winter, I will think of all those I love and I will remember the times we got to spend together before covid and I will look forward to the times I’ll get to spend with all of you after covid and my winter will be a warmer, brighter one because of it. Today I wore the cat Christmas sweater my coworker gave me last year. I intend to wear Christmas gear every Tuesday as a way to have more fun. Who’s with me?!