Ups and DOWNS...

Every so often I think of what history will say about this time period.  I hope I am around to find out, although I think it will be some time before we recover from this awful period in our country.

Sometimes thinking outside of myself serves me well, to get perspective and to have a plan for action.  But with so many things happening in the outside world as well as within our own lives--it can sometimes just make me sink into fatalism.  

Thing is, a LOT of things are not good...but there ARE things that are good.

I guess I have to try to think of what goals are more important than others in my life and in my loved ones lives.

Our downs:

• Work issues
• Michael unemployed
• Willow going through depression episodes
• Chewy going through depression episodes
• My dad having health scares
• My own health scares
• Broken furniture (yeah, not the WORST thing...but it adds to the chaos)
• Money issues

BUT...Our UPs:

TOTAL CON 40!

I WON!  lol

Quigleys!

Pool Time!

Michael's Birthday at the hotel!

New shirt!

Michael running his first game--one that both he and Dad created.

"Ray Harryhausen's Jurassic Park"

Pumpkin has a new friend, and now we have two new Guinea Pigs to love on:

Welcome to Toffee!

With loss, we also had a renewal.  Toffee had been abandoned and needed a buddy.  Pumpkin needed one too...so, now we have two buddies again.  Its sometimes hard, because of course they don't replace Luci and Knight...we still miss those two very much...but Toffee and Pumpkin are growing on us!!

Other good things:

• Willow started a volunteering job at a local therapeutic horse farm
• Michael had a couple of interviews
• Most of the snow has melted!
• BUNNIES!

(yeah, yeah...I am working on the good things, dammit!)

 

Knight RIP

Knight died in Willow's arms this morning.

When we got in him 2021, he was approx. 1 - 1.5 years old...so, for a guinea pig, he had a good long life. It seemed to come on very quickly--he had just had his nails trimmed last week and was fine, up until a couple of days ago. All indications seem to me that he had some type of stroke (he had a head tilt, barely moved, etc.).

We monitored him--and last night, it was obvious that he was going.

It is devastating that he died so soon after the sudden illness and death of Luci, but it seems that it was just his time to go (and Luci needed his buddy!).

Last night...

Cuties!

A new year, wishing for better news, weary, tired, inspired and not beaten yet...

I just couldn't get myself to write in the blog after vacation.  It was almost like I wanted to just leave that post there, enjoy the summer, the brief time away from the awfulness of the world and the tensions of every day life...

But then there was September...school starting back for Willow, job searching for Michael, back to normal work schedules, etc.

Halloween was unexceptional this year--and frankly, uninspired and just...well, not comparable from other years.

Then there was loss.  Lucifer, the companion that helped Willow the most during her worst times...he got a kidney stone/tumor.  We nursed him the best we could, but he slowly stopped eating and we held him and cuddled him, let him know we loved him...and he died November 3rd.  It hit us hard--and Willow was able to use her coping mechanisms...but it made November a hard month.

Late November, we got another companion, because poor Knight needed a friend....so now we have Pumpkin.  I can't lie, it took me a while to actually like Pumpkin.  But...now I cannot see how we cannot but love the little guy.

December actually felt more...happy, warm and relaxing.  We had a good holiday season....and then there was...JANUARY.

Oh boy.  What a long month that was...and now, we are just trying to get through the winter/cold and the fascism with some resistance and kindness to ourselves and others.

Now, random pictures...

Pumpkin

15 inches January 2026...