Good morning Christy, and enjoy the spa. I just love spas.

Morning. It’s a chilly, dark and rainy morning here in CNY. But, perfect for PUAC.

Oh Christy

We came home last evening from a health care forum that Howard Dean did in DE and found our sweet 4 1/2 year old kitty, Abby, lying dead at the top of the stairs. There had been no indication at all that anything was wrong with her. I’m just devastated. Mr. Rev is building a box and planning to bury her in the back yard. We are SO sad.

RevDeb, I’m so sorry!

Oh Deb, I’m so sorry.

Oh Deb — that’s horrible. I’m so very sorry. Hugs to the both of you.

Good Morning Christy,
you are giving me good ideas for today.

Spa City, here I come.

Getting ready to head out the door momentarily, but I wanted to pop in and see how everyone was and say howdy. Sorry it’s a bit of a rush for me here this morning — but I’m really looking forward to the relaxation.

(((RevDeb, Mr. RevDeb)))

That is tragic. Awww, so sad.

Oh, I’m so sorry.

It is surreal. Our other cat is wandering around looking for her sniffing the air listening for her sounds. And I have to go off to the celebration of the handing over of the Habitat house that our congregation helped sponsor in a half hour.

So sorry, RevDeb. Poor kitty.

I do, too — and it’s been ages since I’ve been to one. Which, considering the last year or so, I have to ask myself why I didn’t do this for myself in the midst of the family whirlwind we’ve been in…but, I didn’t.

I’d like to say lesson learned, but…

Oh Deb, I’m so sorry. Wish I were there to just sit and chat. Make sure you and the mister get some time for yourselves today to just let it all out. Big, big hugs, hon.

I like to save my spa day until this time of year, anyway. Don’t want to waste the nice new pedicure in socks and shoes. Break out the sandals!

Yes, and as much as I run around in my bare feet, my heels could really use some pampering for sandal season. *g*

Indeed, if I ever get to the other side of all the family crap going on here on top of being unemployed, a spa day will be in order. The best vacation I ever took I stayed at spa. They screwed up my reservation and I got a nice credit so I was able to indulge in the gourmet restaurant and still stay under budget.

MM, Service tomorrow is on marriage equality. After the Habitat celebration I have to come home and work on my homily for that one.

Christy, if you’re still here, what did you end up reading on your vacation?

Thanks Deb. Is it 11 am?

A couple of Agatha Raisin mysteries — I’ve been on an M.C. Beaton kick of late. They are easy, snarky reads and I find the crotchety female detective character a hoot.

But I’m also reading some of Jillian Michaels new book on environmental toxins, hormone imbalances and weight/health issues. It’s also fascinating, but dense. Hence the need for fun mysteries in between.

9 and 11. Having pizza with the Youth group after and then meeting with a couple about their wedding, Long day tomorrow. After all that I can fall apart.

Only been to a spa once. It was a freebie and I’m not a spa person. Had a facial to avoid too much touching. I’ve been told there’s something wrong with my attitude.

See? this is really perfect timing. Who needs pretty sandal feet in February when it’s still snowing? You need them now, and how cool that you have a certificate for the spa on hand! Hope you enjoy the relaxation and a spritely new color of nail polish!

RevDeb — very sorry to hear about your poor kitty. Losing a beloved pet is heartbreaking. My condolences to you.

What a long day you do have. I’ll be there for one of the services.

Today is Old New Paltz Day at Historic Huguenot Street. It’s a fair with people demonstrating colonial activities like weaving, and all the historic houses (8 of them) are open. I’m on the Board, so I hope it is a success. Weather is cooperative. I’ll be volunteering as a docent at the Abraham Hasbrouck house.

thanks.

How are YOU?

thanks for the hugs everyone. They are really appreciated.

I have to go off and do my job for a while. Back later to catch up on the thread.

My condolences on your loss, Rev…!

Feeling whiny, thanks for asking.

I don’t do “soccer mom” well as it is, and I just checked the radar to find we’ll be sitting on the field in about an hour when it should start pouring.

Agh. I only hope someday this kid realizes I wouldn’t do this for anybody else, sitting in cold, grey drizzle in temps about 45 degrees.

Off to pack towels and umbrellas…if only I could pack a “fortified” toddy for the sidelines…

I’ve been to a spa twice. I’m ticklish, so I ended up more tense at the end of the day. My replacement for a spa today (and yesterday and the month before and for the next four months) is the garden. We’ve been eating lots of greens for the last few weeks and I spent yesterday setting up a support system for the 80 or so tomato plants. Way more relaxing than a spa for me.

Just let me drink my Dunkin Donuts coffee, and no one will get hurt. I have several fond memories of spa visits in Christ Church, New Zeeland where it was co-ed in the steamer, and so friendly. Possibly getting a glance at a bronze’d Moari women was so beautiful. But, getting to spend an hour and a half last Memorial Day at a Borneo Rain Forest themed hot tub wich has a real natural water fall with my wife was just fine, don’t get me wrong!

this may sound morbid, but when i’ve lost one of my babies, i let the other animals see that they are motionless, gone..let them sniff, etc..don’t know if it really helps, animals operate on a different plane than we do…they still go ‘looking’ and forget, like we do.

my remy, dog, died 5 feet away from my collie, and she acted clueless, like he was taking a nap and then looked for him all the time…dunno. but she is knwon for being ‘cute’ and not a brainiac…ha.remy was a part border collie and the alpha dog, took her a long time to know how to ‘operate’ without him.

hang in there till you can come home and process it.

(rev deb and hubby)

I can sympathize. I hated soccer and the crappy weather it was played in. Then to add insult to injury, my son made the soccer team at college. Fortunately, (which is not how he viewed it) he never actually got in the game which gave me a pass.
Now, basketball….never missed a game and hated to see the season end.

Gee I’m sorry to hear that . It’s like losing one of the family

I could actually use a tooth spa right about now. It’s really sad that I’m sooooo looking forward to tooth extractions.

What a long day you do have. I’ll be there for one of the services.

Gee, I wish I could be there, too. Unfortunately my local (tiny) UU church isn’t very inspiring and I haven’t attended for a couple of years. I miss the, bustling, active Michigan congregation where I “found” the UU denomination!

Good morning, pups. Slept in, and then did some work in the garden before it got too hot, so I’m late. It’s Collins, Blow and Herbert in the NYT today. Ms. Collins says “Jon and Kate Begin to Grate,” and that the reality series about the Gosselins, who used fertility treatments to conceive twins and then sextuplets, is on the list for the new millennium’s 10 worst ideas. To which I say who gives a crap? It is possible to ignore shit like that, you know. Mr. Blow, in “Rogues, Robes and Racists,” says the Republicans who wielded the hot blade of racial divisiveness for years are now calling Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court nominee, a racist. Oh, the hypocrisy! Mr. Herbert, in “Holding On to Our Humanity,” says the tendency to draw an impenetrable psychic curtain across the worst that the world has to offer is understandable. But it’s a tendency that must be fought.

Here they are.

If anyone is still hungry for breakfast the coffee and tea are ready, and I’ve got waffles with maple syrup today.

(((RevDeb))) It’s hard enough to lose an old pet, but the sudden loss of a young one is heartbreaking. I’m so very sorry…

(((revbev and mr revbev)))

I’m so sorry. Words can’t express…

RevDebs congregation is a little far for me to join however it is great group of people.

Morning Pups. I am so sorry for the RevDeb family. I am off to do Habitat work myself in a bit, but just being the manager at our local restore. We are moving to a new 8,000 SF warehouse restore this week. This is the last day at the old store.

Two solid days of rain have turned the garden to mud or pond. I should take a picture, but I see quite a bit drained off last night, so the “pond” is only half the size it was two days ago.

We had a Restore open in my town about 6 months ago. Great place, great people, great cause. They also lend us furniture for our sets in our local theater.

Achievement and fame are like morning dew
Wealth and honour are just floating clouds
Life is a dream we are all passing through
Home is where you find comfort and peace

Chinese couplet from The Philosopher Cat by Kwong Kuen Shan

Oooops, I’m so used to typing RevBev.

(((revdeb and mr revdeb)))

Colour my face red

my mom gave my sister and me a makeover a few years ago for christmas, in cincinnati…ours was a hair makeover…was fun…my sister, was her idea, wanted me to dye my hair again, she said i was too young to be that gray….i was notcooperating, so, they did a color weave that left some in.
was nice being ‘trendy’ with a stylist. ends up the stylist comes over here where i live pretty often to go hiking. small world.

we found a great spot for lunch and a cool shop and made a day of it. they sat us next to each other, the room a ‘loose’ layout, really cool, was lined with windows and it was raining cats and dogs.was great chatting while we waited during the different steps, and fun to see the transformations–ours and the other people there..worth the huge chunk of change mom put out for it. was great sister time.

We just sell building supplies, but what super deals people can get. Habitat folks are magical and committed people.

I’ve always wondered why my dentist doesn’t offer combo ‘dental work/mani-pedi sessions”. I could definitely get into that. RevDeb – hugs to you and the Mr. — losing a friend like that is so awful.

I will agree with that. Some of the nicest people I’ve ever met in the local place, and truly sincere.

Now there’s a great idea.

RevDeb, so sorry for your loss. It is so hard to lose a beloved kitteh, especially suddenly with no advance time to prepare yourself.

Is sushi left over from last night still safe to eat?

I continue to be surprised by the affection my vet shows animals. I took Maste in to have his tail amputation sutures removed late yesterday afternoon. The place was solemn when I got there and Nancy said doctor was euthanizing a dog. Vet techs, Maste and I went into the treatment room in the back. He had peed in the carrier. The truck ride terrifies him. Got him cleaned up, sutures removed and doc looked him over and left. Got Maste back into the carrier and as I’m leaving the treatment room here comes doc with a small dog wrapped in a towel, head uncovered. I knew that’s how he does the procedure. He was holding this little weiner dog like a baby and talking to it as if it were asleep, telling him what a good little dog he was. I started to cry and as I’m walking out of the vets the older man whose dog it was was there with his friend. All I could do is hold the door open for this old gentleman and tell him I was sorry. I so wanted to be able to bring his little friend back and chase the grief and tears from his face. Totally helpless feeling. Guess I’m still bummed.

I assume you had it covered and under refrigeration, right? Well then I think it’s still ok..perhaps not at its best, but it should still be safe..

(((RevDeb/Mr. RevDeb))). I lost a kitty almost the same way a few weeks ago, but I found her before she died. She had a tumor, and I did not know. I still miss her. She was a rescue cat that I had for more than 10 years.

I have a spa visit, a gift, that I have had for a long time and have not been able to schedule it yet. I have been saying for the last 2 weeks that I have to call and make the appointment, but just have had No Time.

Have a lovely time, Christy.

We had a wonderful evening yesterday as our oldest graduated high school. She was beautiful in her cap and gown. The speaker delivered a powerful message on the importance of character in education, as he recounted his experiences in returning to the small town in Germany where his grandparents were victims of the Holocaust. Here is another accounting of his story.

There a wedding for friends this afternoon, so it seems to be a weekend dedicated to transitions.

RevDeb and Mr. Rev–so sorry for your loss. When the pain wears off a bit, rescuing a kitten will provide much new joy.

Thank you. Poof, it’s gone.

The best thing going on with me this week was going to the Shepard Fairey exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art while on a business trip to Boston this week. I really didn’t know what to expect…everyone just told me that he was the guy who did the Obama HOPE poster and that’s about it. And I’ve been enthusing to anyone who will listen ever since. If I had to summarize I’d say he’s about—well here’s what I wrote to my 20-something niece and nephew:

“It was really good…in a dissident, skeptical kind of way. When I was young (cough…your age…cough) there was a slogan ‘Question Authority.’ Fairey takes it a step further and says ‘Question Everything’ especially propaganda, makes you aware of how propagandized we are, always.”

What I really liked about the experience of seeing the exhibit were the layers of communication that smacked you in the brain. First the overall impact of the image, most of them iconic in some way, then noticing the layers of material and colors, then getting close enough to read the fine print, and then realizing there was even some subliminal stuff behind it. I just loved it.

As usual I didn’t buy the book because I didn’t want to schlep it all the way home, but now I’m kicking myself. It will be in Boston till August, so if you are anywhere near and have time, I’d strongly recommend it.

You sound like my husband. I gave him a massage gift certificate once and it was very unpleasant experience for him…only person I know who was more tense after a massage than before. So I guess it’s not for everyone.

That’s a fine review. Frankly, would make an interesting diary, if you were so inclined.

Hi all. Think time flies? Baby WeeRog turned two this week.

Congratulations. commencements indeed, good ones.

.
and weeRog is two, mercy!

Congrats to you and your family.

I’ve never done one. Maybe if I can get my thoughts on it organized I’ll give it a shot!

10th Anniversary here. She got a pearl with a little diamond and a load of crushed brick for her new garden patio. I got a check to buy a lil fishin boat!

Congrats Raven.

Hi Christy and Pups.

We’re puttering around here furiously, if that’s possible. Seems as if about ten trillion moderate-sized moving chores are jammed in all the doorways. Movers coming Monday to take some large Goodwill donatables, as well as similar to our kids. Gack. What to line up first? Which is heaviest? How to make a path through the “keepers” to the “tosses”? Eek.

Visited our soon-to-be new digs yestidie. Can’t wait to move in! Much smaller, but new and much more efficient, someone else doing the hard and dreary work we should have passed aside to more capable hands some time ago. Cottage screened porch faces beautiful natural pond already ringed by nesting birds and wild plantings. Even the construction didn’t dampen the birdies’ nesting-spirits. The tree swallows just use people as a potential source of stirred up food aloft, and are amazingly tame.

Geese overdid it this year, accordingto some human scolds. Hey! They’re great parents. We could learn something from them. They have a big flotilla of youngsters, flanked fore and aft and amongst by moms & dads & aunts and uncles. The hoomins admit they were surprised by the goose-onslaught, and have plans to let the pond-edge plants grow up higher, and set out a “goose fence”, but the control measures will be subtle and respectful of the wildlife. Sarah and shooter could learn something from these folks.

Christy! Jealous of your SPA DAY! Whoot! Hope you unlax and enjoy.

Gotta go pups. Older sonny still wants his rock collection out of the Goodwill-bound dresser. 39yo rock collector. Hey. He keeps our computers tuned and humming. I deliver his collection. Fair trade.

Later… ;->

Congratulations, bro and mrs bro.

Awww, Raven. that’s just sweet. Congrats!

Congrats! Nice gifts so enjoy the day.

Hi everyone….. Christy I am pretty much back and able to drive now too….

my spa money was a check written by Elmore last fall and also did not get around to it. I have a new check but I am going. During my radiation where I came undone….. all those normal skin treatments that we all do just flew out the window. I am trying to work on it but need super treatment after weeks of neglect…..

congratulations and wishing you many more happy years together

Anyone catch the TD Bank-sponsored live sex show between Bush and Slick Willie last night? From their graves, the Founding Fathers must have been aerating the soil at a furious pace.

katymine, so good to see you here again. Is our Barbara around anywhere–or still busy unpacking? Graduations, anniversaries, babies growing up too fast…there’s not a moment to waste as the world hurtles along. Unless the resveratrol really does keep us around longer. *grin*

Warm hug of empathy to RevDeb and Mr.RevDeb. We said goodbye to our beloved cocker spaniel Marley [Christmas Marley, yes, before the book or movie!] last fall. Too young, 8 years, the tumor in his belly too much to treat by the time we discovered it.

We got a new puppy less than two weeks later. A handful. Not a replacement, but a curious face when Mr. S. tells him about “the good dog”–healing it is. And a heart filler.

Healing to you, RevDeb, and whoever out there is hurting…in this warm community, too, there is healing.

Go ahead, resist these babies, I dare you.

weeRog need a buddy?

Great to see you, katymine. It’s definitely time for you to indulge in some pampering.

Congrats, Raven. Gonna re-up for another ten?

That is pretty much what happened to my cat….when I saw her, I have to say, I think I have never cried so much in my life. That may sound ridiculous as there have certainly been other losses…..I was just undone. My daughter took me to her house for very helpful wine and a safe ride home.

I am so sorry Rev….sounds like a terrible shock. Why am I thinking “without the hurt, th heart is hollow”…..but I don’t know. There’s something about cats, I thinnk. Gentle thoughts.

Okay, I did it. I took the plunge and posted it as a diary. http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/5534

Thanks for the encouragment!

hugs to you and your family for the loss of a loved companion.

That’s nice; it helps. I was just checking your post. Thanks for that, too. It sounds really interesting. I’ll check in more…..do you think it will tour?

I don’t know. It’d be great if it did. I’ll see if I can find out.

.
“Spa”?

That’s like a brothel for girls, right? Like they’re selling health care.
.

I checked on some of the linked websites and it has a bunch of past exhibits and the current one, but I couldn’t find any future ones listed (http://obeygiant.com/exhibitions)

He has a studio in LA http://studionumberone.com/ and his wikipedia entry lists a bunch other public galleries that have is work.

Christy,

You’d be surprised how many people have a spa gift card and wait for months to use it. I think its not always top of mind and they forget, but using a spa for health benefits is important. Its not always a pampering thing.