You are all such wonderful people.  Thank you, Angel, Kitten, Drear, Curlgirl, Isabelle and Michelle.  It was a hideous weekend, and filled with tears, but I am recovering.  I am trying to concentrate on remembering how she looked cuddling in my arms and purring, rather than how she looked at the end.  I have commended her little spirit to the loving care of the goddess.  Taylor, my remaining cat, has been coming out of hiding more and actually letting me pet him, so he may turn out to be friendlier than he has been.  I am pretty sure that in a month or so, I will start looking for another younger cat, a very affectionate one that likes to cuddle.

Being back to school and with my students has been a help and tonite was chorale practice, which gave me something else to think about.  The director played a couple of tracks of the cd of the Christmas concert we did and I was really impressed with how well we sounded.  I also had to finish up a sewing commission, which gave me something else to think about.

I am thinking about starting a silver charm bracelet with the names of all my pets engraved on round silver charms.  So far that would be Corky, Blackie, Ayesha (the dogs, 2 cocker spaniels and a German shepherd), and Frisbee, Kelly, Cleopatra and Taylor, the cats.

I think the bracelet is a wonderful idea!

Didn't realize that I had been off-line so long.  Have been really busy with the start of the new semester and chorale rehearsals.  Not to mention having the stomach flu last week.     Haven't been that sick since I had food poisoning several years ago and had a relapse yesterday, but think I am over it now.  Was out of town last weekend at Indianapolis for a Mensa Regional Gathering.  Was good to see old friends and learned to play double-deck cancellation Hearts.  Went to Bead Palace in Greenwood, a suburb of Indy and bought 3 strings of pearls, Swarovski crystals in crimson, sapphire, emerald, lavendar and rose pink, and two kinds of Bali silver beads.

Finally got all the Christmas decorations up after the New Year and they will stay up most of this month.    Our Thanksgiving dinner/Christmas/Valentine's Day party will be the 13th.  It has become a tradition among our friends.  My husband gets a frozen turkey from his employer every year; they give one to every employee.  I think it's a nice tiouch.  We are never home for Thanskgiving or Christmas, and it's too much just for the 2 of us, so we invite friends to share the feast.  The first year, Cherie said it's the first time she had had Thanksgiving dinner without a family squabble.  (My exes were like that, a holiday dinner could never pass without a major blowup.)

That's all for now.  Will write more later.

Thank you, Drear, Trisha and KNS, yes, I am finally over the flu, my appetite is back to normal and I can even eat peppers again!  Yay!  Although, I do have start dieting.  I drank hot tea with honey and sugar while I was sick, so didn't lose any weight.

Went to a Superbowl party today.  Just 5 of us getting together to watch the game.  The guys and I were the only ones really interested in the game; the other 2 women just wanted to see the commercials.  It was a good game today.  The teams were pretty evenly matched and the play was interesting.  I did get the giggles watching Manning vivibly sulking on the bench after the Saints intercepted a pass.  I guess men never get over sulking.  As for the commercials, they weren't as good as what I have seen in the past, but I remember reading earlier this year that several companies pulled their ads because of the economy.

I have stopped oiling my hair.  Even jojoba seems too heavy for my fine hair.  My hair also seems to have stopped growing again, but that could be because I was sick.

I have changed my password because I think my husband has been reading my posts.  I don't think I want him reading what I write here.  I want it to be just between us girls.

One of the women at the party today is our real estate agent, as well as a friend.  I was talking to her about the possibility of moving, but she says at least a year, more probably 2 until the market settles.  We had planned on remodeling the kitchen, but that didn't happen.  Janet said just to reface the cabinets and replace the countertop; we would also have to replace the sink (previous owners used the cheapest stainless steel available) the faucet which is beginning to leak, and the vent hood which is original to the house and at least 30 yrs. old, I am sure.  All of that culd done for about $2500, but I am not happy about spending any money at all on the kitchen unless I can address the major problems like the blind cabinet, the sink not centered under the window and the skimpy excuse for a pantry. I am sure that is equivalent to cutting off my nose to spite my face, but if I can't have what I want, I don't want to spend a damn penny on it. 

Wow! It has been a long time since I've been here.  Have been very busy with school and chorale and voice lessons and feeling somewhat stressed with the overlong winter.  We didn't get our usual Jan. thaw and have had quite a lot of snow, altho' no below zero temps, which I should be thankful for.  However........

Have discovered heat treatments with conditioner.  My regular hairdresser was out with GB surgery so the other one did my color and she suggested I try it.  What it does for my hair is wonderful!  After shampooing, I apply a deep conditioner, cover it with a plastic cap, and wrap my head in a warm damp towel (heat a wet bath towel in the microwave for 2 min) for 20-30 minutes, then rinse.  My hair is fuller, bouncier, curlier and wavier.  Have been doing it once a week, usually on Sat. am.  That's right up there with vinegar rinses.

I am still at 24" so I guess this is terminal length for me, which shouldn't be a surprise since my hair is very fine.  It is somewhat disappointing.

If it is a plateau, it's been 9 months.  Oh, well.

Have decided not to do the recital.  It is on a Wed. morning, and after teaching a nite class on Mon, and being on campus from 7:30am to 10PM on Tues, I am just too tired.  Not to mention that Tues evening is Chorale rehearsal and my voice is tired on Wed, too.  Perhaps, I will do one in the fall semester.

Did a cholestrol heat treatment today and am not sure about the results.  It left my hair prone to tangles and full of static, although it also gave it a lot of body.  Perhaps I didn't rinse it well enough, but I stood in the shower and rinsed for 5 minutes.  I've got enough left to try it one more time.  I'll be sure to really rinse it and see what happens.