Our Latest Addition

While I was on my blogging break, we brought home a new addition to our family - the very sweet Sophie!

Sophie actually came into our lives after I became focused on getting a really old dog - someone in their early teens (ie. senior human years) that needed a nice home to enjoy their final days outside of the Humane Society. An older dog seemed like a good fit for our busy lives and the perfect company for my solo days at home. Our new home is close to a beautiful big park, perfect for walks and plays and my office is dog friendly. All great, right? not quite.

Mr. S helped me see the reality of bringing a dog into our lives and unfortunately, now is just not the right time. So, we agreed that another cat, if we found the perfect one to compliment Maude's "distinct" tastes, was the way to go.

When we met Sophie for the first time at the Humane Society it was pretty much love at first play. She was snuggly, playful and seemed to get along with all of the other cats she interacted with. Considering she spent the first 6 months of her life on the streets in downtown Toronto, she is amazingly well adjusted, sweet and loving of everything and everyone. She was ours and we brought her home to meet Maude.

It would seem that Maude does not quite see all of Sophie's amazing qualities, and as a result, we are still working through some territorial issues with her. That said, we have graduated to them being able to eat treats beside eachother (all battles can be put aside for the right combination of dried liver and tuna...) and even the occasional family hangout on the couch.

Despite the cat sibling issues we are working through, having Sophie in the house has added a whole lot of love and snuggling into our lives. She is happiest perched on your should or snuggled under your neck (or on your face if she can swing it), gives you kisses when you come home (I can hear the non-cat people gagging right now...) and follows you through each step of your day adding her sweet chirping commentary and inquisitive paws as you go.

 

And she keeps us up to date on all the latest headlines, which is pretty awesome.

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Hello Again. And a list of good byes.

Hello Again. You still out there?

The break from blogging was just what I needed, but now I am itching to get going again and hope that you still have an appetite to read it. Thanks for being so patient with me.

While this post is a Hello, it comes on a day of good byes. ugh.

Mr. S is kicking ass all over Europe and the states for the next two and a half months and I am going to miss him like crazy. I kissed him good bye at the subway entrance and right now the time until we smooch again feels like forever. That said, I couldn't be happier for him that the thing he loves has him touring the world with his best friends to boot! And, it gives me some time to get grounded, re-focus on a few things and (dare I say it...) get started on Christmas gifts.

And if Mr. S leaving was not enough, my sweet best S is moving to Vancouver (her flights departs less then an hour after Mr. S's) and I am not sure what I will do without her. S is one of those ladies who is up for anything, offers the perfect advice and is always calm and rational (two qualities I seriously lack). She is the best kind of friend you can ask for and I am going to miss her so much. That said, she has already started an amazing life for herself our west (and she doesn't even live there yet!) and I am so excited and proud of her for making the move.

Just a few days we said Sayonara to summer (which is cool because Fall rules, but man what a great summer it was) and Sibling J is hitting the road shortly, closing off a whole list of good byes! No one else leave please - ok? Or at least not until one of these things returns. Deal? Awesome.

And then tomorrow we will be saying good bye in a more final way to my lifelong neighbor and friend (showing all of us a thing or two about life, thriving until the age of 98!) who passed away this summer. Sibling J and I are doing the eulogy and right now I feel like I have too many memories and thoughts to put down into only a few words. She was someone I experienced life with (She was there to greet me the day I came home from the hospital) so telling stories about something that seems so second nature is not coming easily. I know the words will come and have my pen ready to record them as soon as they do. And if my words don't quite capture all the amazing that she was, I will do my best to live each day for the next forever trying to do that.

Aside from Today's good byes, the summer was a truly amazing one that had us traveling to the east coast of Canada, toasting the marriage of friends, enjoying the cottage and loving our home (and of course, constantly renovating it). Months of backlog and stories to share and hopefully many inspiring days ahead. I am so happy to be back.

xo Laurs

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