November ... What A Month...

Oh me - November has just been a month y'all. I don't know that I mean that in a bad way, there have just been a lot of things happening and some of them were pretty tough! However, as much as I feel like November has been pretty chaotic - there was plenty of good in the mix as well - so I try to focus on that and let the less than wonderful aspects fall away! 

Ryan and I discovered the Yankauer Nature Preserve in nearby Martinsburg; while not a fancy location, it does have a system of trails through the woods and it runs alongside the Potomac River (with Maryland on the other side). We poked around there one Saturday afternoon when the weather was nice! 

Ryan and I also made the decision to be baptized together at our new church. We loved that baptism fell the Sunday after our second anniversary and we just really felt like it was a call to (re)commit ourselves to the Lord - first and foremost - and also to one another. It was such a special moment and I love knowing that forever we have this beautiful memory of our dedication to Christ and to one another.

One of the less delightful things that happened mid-month is that we had to say goodbye to Loki. He was continuing to drop weight, barely eating and his breathing was still a struggle - so after a talk with our vet, we decided it was a kindness to let him go peacefully to Heaven. He is no longer in pain, healthy and running free. It's always the hardest decision to make - but I know we did the best for him, so that he can be without pain.

Spook definitely seemed a little lonely after the loss of Loki - he has had someone to play with and keep him company since the day he was born (since he & Loki were litter mates) and so suddenly being on his own made him a lot more clingy. He spent his time during the day helping to decorate the Christmas tree (as evidenced above - with a ball and catnip mouse) and climbing on the kitchen counter to investigate what might be in the sink. He's such a good little cat - he has come out of his shell and is truly so sweet, with a great little personality that keeps us laughing. 

This past Saturday (November 23rd) we were able to attend the dedication of the Winchester and Western caboose that my Dad and the members of his VA Train Club (that's not the correct name) were able to restore and place in Old Town Winchester. The caboose has a history with the town and it's railroad, so being able to see it returned to the place where it once transported people to and fro - that was really cool! And it was cool to know that my Dad had a part in making that a reality!

Our other Saturday adventure was to go to the Warren County Humane Society to look at kittens - because we wanted to get Spook a friend and knew we didn't want to wait too long. Once our application was approved, we were ready to start the search! We knew we wanted to see a group of kittens called the "Winter" kittens - because the five of them were named for winter accessories: hat, gloves, scarf, stockings...

While we had initially thought we'd adopt a girl this time - once we met the three kittens from the litter that were remaining, the little kitten who had been named "Hat" immediately stole our hearts. He was outgoing, friendly (his intake form says "very friendly") and just acted like he owned the room, ha-ha! We were smitten with him and his chubby little belly from the start and so we decided he was the kitten to bring home. It doesn't hurt that he and his siblings look a lot like our little Loki did! We named our new addition Maverick - to stick with the aviation theme set in place by Spook (named for the F4 Phantom) - because Maverick seemed to own the room when we met him!

Spook was initially not sure what to think of this new addition - they had moments where they would hiss and slap at one another, but I am pleased to say that now with a few days together under their belts - they have become the best of friends. They chase each other through the house and even though their combined weight can't be more than 15 pounds - they sound like a herd of elephants when the go flying through the upstairs hallway!

We have joked that we should have named Maverick "Velcro" instead - he is the snuggliest little cat I've ever come in contact with! He loves to make sure we know he's right there and always available for pets and cuddles! And like Spook, he is also very talkative! I'm sure when we aren't around, they have all kinds of conversations that we can't even begin to imagine! 

So - November has been a little nuts. I got a virus, we celebrated our second anniversary, we found out our kitten was deathly ill and then had to say goodbye, we got baptized at church, we welcomed a new kitten to the family... and that was all before Thanksgiving, and doesn't even take into account the motions of every day life, whoosh! 

November - Nonsense & Cats

Well - it seems we are going in reverse this week as I play a little game of catch up! Life has been a little bit chaotic the last few weeks... work has been busy, life has been a little more crazy than normal and we've ended up getting less than stellar new about one of our kittens. Suffice it to say - November has been wild so far! Please enjoy this picture of Spook looking super cultured and listening to jazz.

Let's get the sad news out of the way right from the start - shall we? We noticed over the last week and a half or so that Loki's whole personality just seemed to completely disappear. Instead of our spunky and sassy little guy who is usually hopping across the furniture and chasing his wand toys, he seemed content to just sleep or lounge around all the time. Then he started eating less and less... and we noticed he seemed to be breathing a little more awkwardly, so we called the vet, loaded him up and prepared to get some answers - and whoosh - the answers we got were not what we wanted to hear!

Loki had lost two pounds in less than a month - and while all his bloodwork came back great, his x-rays did not! They showed that Loki's heart is enlarged; he was officially diagnosed with pulmonary edema. The worst thing about this diagnosis is that there is nothing they can do for him, it is not something that is curable. Loki's heart muscles will slowly harden until his heart stops - and while he isn't in pain - he will now have a significantly shortened life span. Talk about the worst anniversary present. 

Spook continues to be wild and crazy - there are no signs that the heart defect impacting his brother will be an issue for him - so we are thankful for that. But man, our hearts are broken over our sweet Loki. We don't yet know if we have weeks or months with him, that will depend on if the little man decides to keep eating and taking his medication. Thankfully, this is not something that will ever cause him pain and we think that is a blessing. We will just keep loving on the little guy for as long as we have!

We celebrated our second anniversary on Tuesday the 12th - the sad news about Loki put a little of a damper on the day, but my sweet husband still came home with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for me that have been brightening the house all week long. We altered our dinner plans and instead stayed in, spending time with Loki and one another after the crummy diagnosis that our sweet little guy received. We are so blessed and we decided we'd celebrate another day - spending time with our furball was more important than dinner out! So - year three is off to the races and year two is in the memory books!

Spook has continued to come out of his shell in pretty incredible ways - and man, he's a little bit of a psycho I think - in the cutest way possible. He loves to follow me around the house, "talking" to me about his day and flopping onto his back, baring his fattening tummy to me and tapping my legs for pets. When I come home from work at the end of the day, he makes every step I make whether it's going upstairs to change, starting dinner or even just plopping onto the couch to chill. I had the day off on Monday the 11th (Veterans Day) and when I went to read on our bed - he stretched out and took an afternoon nap right there with me!

Spook also continues to be utterly fascinated with the Christmas tree and has successfully made the climb all the way to the top of the tree! There are pictures to prove his feat farther down the post; I'm just glad the whole tree hasn't fallen over yet - there are very minimal ornaments on the tree and the ones I've chosen are either cloth or wooden, so that they can't really be too damaged if he doesn't manage to bring down the tree! It's only a matter of time with this wild little weirdo racing around.

Seriously - look at that guy. What a loony tune he is. Loki always had quite the personality but he wasn't wild... he was just interested in everything, all the time. They are so similar and so different - just like any set of siblings, I suppose. Spook is our water cat because if someone is in the bath or shower, he wants to be there too. He likes to watch the water in the shower; he sits outside the glass shower doors and just watches the drops slide down the glass... and if I'm in the bath, he's always hanging off the side of the tub - taking it all in. Loki could care less about the water - he fell in once & that turned him off of all things water and wetness.

Honestly - a majority of this post is pictures of the cats being hilarious and goofy. As you can see, the promised picture of Spook at the top of the tree. He really is quite the climber and I have to say that I've been pretty impressed with our tree's ability to withstand his climbing... so far. Granted, I think he might weigh a whole nine pounds at this point but I didn't factor in a cat (or two) climbing the tree when we bought it - so points for that additional quality. 

One thing I have learned about cats is that the whole "if I fits, I sits" is absolutely accurate. If they can plop their little furry behind into something, then it becomes a perfect seat for them! Loki loves the basket in the half bathroom and Spook has recently become fond of the second shelf of the towel holder in the guest bathroom. I guess whatever works, right?

Loki has - from the start - been much calmer about the Christmas tree. He admires the lights and sparkles from one side or the other, while Spook tries to tempt him into climbing right in. It's a little sad to realize that maybe the reason he doesn't scale the tree with Spook is because he's not feeling his best, poor little guy. I have to say - the pictures of Spook poking his face out of the tree would make quite the Christmas card, ha-ha!

I leave you with some pictures from a recent work walk to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley to find a security and technology clue. The City of Winchester posted a clue each week and once it was found, you were entered to win a day off - so that was neat! Now, no one in my office won the prize but it was cool to figure out clues about the city and race around trying to find the code to scan. All in all - a unique and different activity that broke up the work day from time to time.

October Book Review

October - I can't believe I actually read so many books this month! The month felt like it flew by, but I guess I was flying through the pages as the days were passing by...

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general - also known as her tough-as-talons mother - has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. 

But when you're smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away... because dragons don't bond to fragile humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother's daughter - like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wing leader in the Riders Quadrant. 

She'll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows even more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda - because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐of five: I know. I know. Everyone LOVES this book series. And I enjoyed it... I will probably read the other books in the series... but I didn't love it. It just didn't grab my attention the way some other fantasy/romantasy/whatever we are calling this genre now... books did. It's unique & different, good world-building and a good story line. Just not as good as the hype (in my opinion). 

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand - It's Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer - the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember; the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate. 

But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony - and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield - and no couple is perfect. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐of five: The book is definitely better than the series... because they are SO different! I watched the series & was intrigued to read what inspired it; I was so surprised by how different the two were! I have to say I liked the book's storyline better, the way it ended better, all around I enjoyed it more than the show! Granted, I also have come to love Elin Hilderbrand - so that helped. Her books also really make me want to go to Nantucket! 

Cades Cove #1: The Curse of Allie Mae by Aiden James - Buried deep in a ravine in the picturesque Smoky Mountains is a very dark secret. David Hobbs, vacationing with his wife Miriam, inadvertently stumbles upon a small cloth "keepsake" bag & a broken tooth. A human tooth. Miriam begs David to hand the bag & tooth over to the park officials, but he ignores his wife's pleas & secretly keeps the "harmless" items. The action opens a doorway that has been closed for nearly a hundred years & unleashes hell on earth, or at least hell in the lives of David & Miriam. 

Following the brutal murder of his best friend in Denver, and an aborted attack on his oldest son, David desperately seeks to understand why a mysterious teenage girl has chosen to terrorize him & the males closest to him. To prevent further devastation to his family & end the wanton bloodshed, he returns to the enchanted hills of eastern Tennessee, where a terrible truth awaits discovery... one that forces him to face the consequences for the unpaid sins of his ancestors. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐of five: This book was interesting. It was unique to read a book set in a place that I know so well; I spent my whole life going to Pigeon Forge & Cades Cove, so that made the setting of this book great. However, some aspects of the story were a little...odd? I don't know. It was a fast read & parts of the read were great, while other parts were just a little strange. But - I'm glad I got to read it!

The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan - After a scandalous secret turns their fairy-tale wedding into a nightmare, Rebecca "Bex" Porter and her husband Prince Nicholas are in self-imposed exile. The public is angry. The Queen is even angrier. And the press is salivating. Cutting themselves off from friends & family, & escaping the world's judgmental eyes, feels like the best way to protect their fragile, all-consuming romance. 

But when a crisis forces the new Duke & Duchess back to London, the Band-Aid they'd placed over their problems starts to peel at the edges. Now, as old family secrets & new ones threaten to derail her new royal life, Bex has to face the emotional wreckage she & Nick left behind: with the Queen, with the world, & with Nick's brother Freddie, whose sins may not be so easily forgotten - nor forgiven. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 of five: I absolutely enjoyed this book! It took me a bit to get into it, but once I got going - I blazed through it! I love the continuation of Bex & Nick's story & really enjoyed the way the story played out... perhaps we will get a third book? This book might be my favorite read for the month of October, so good!

The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke - Clem gets a call that is every mother's worst nightmare. Her nineteen-year-old daughter Erin is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead & her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn't recognize her mother. And she doesn't answer to her name, but insists she is someone named Nyx.

Clem travels to the site of her daughter's accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys; a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft & murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin's strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind, or the effects of an ancient curse?

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐of five: Such a good book & such a quick read too! And I love that, at the conclusion of the book, the author discusses how her characters are based on actual events - it makes it that much more fascinating! I also loved that it was set in an area of Scotland that I don't know much about but would love to see one day!

The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escobar - Jocelyn & Antoine are childhood sweethearts, but just after they marry, Antoine is drafted to fight against Germany. As WWII rages, Jocelyn uses her position as a librarian in her town of Saint-Malo to comfort & encourage her community with books. Jocelyn begins to write secret letters smuggled to a famous Parisian author, telling her story in the hope that it will someday reach the outside world. 

France falls & the Nazis occupy Jocelyn's town, turning it into a fortress. The townspeople try passive resistance, but the German commander ruthlessly begins to destroy part of the city's libraries. Books deemed unsuitable by the Nazis are burnt or stolen, & priceless knowledge is lost. Risking arrest & her life, Jocelyn manages to hide some of the books while desperately waiting to receive news from her husband, Antoine, now a prisoner in a German camp. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐of five: This was another good book, albeit a little slower than I'd expected & man; the ending was a bit of a letdown. I suppose with a book about WWII, you shouldn't expect a happy ending... but you can hope, right? The book was good - just not great! 

Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks - At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a loveable six-year old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive & an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear... and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down.

In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new & baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying & rewarding - one that will test his abilities & emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 out of five: This book was a find at the consignment store for just $2.99 & was one of the most enjoyed reads of the month! It's a little different than most Nicholas Sparks books, but the story was great & the characters... man... let's just say there was one character that I'd be tempted to smack if I met in person, ha-ha! Such a good read! 

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So many books and so little time! As this month comes to a close, I'll have added seven books to my "read" column and upped my total for this year to 54!