As 2012 Ends Looking Back at Some Memorable Moments and Happenings

As 2012 comes to a close I have much to be thankful for – a good husband, two wonderful loyal dogs, and two sweet fun-to-watch cats. And then as I branch out to our children, grand-children and siblings, I thank God for all His blessings – as, indeed, all our loved ones are blessed and blessings! We have lost one dear one: Kathryn, our daughter-in-law – much too early, as her daughter, Melissa, is only twelve. So her dear daddy, Jeff, has a big responsibility of being a single parent. But she is surrounded by some great influences – her aunts from both sides of her family!

And then, of course, I started my blog last May which means my family has grown even more! Here are photos highlighting some of the memorablel events and joys of 2012.

In January, not long after Christmas, I took Mandy in for her dog shots and checkup and while waiting to see the vet I started talking to the little kitty cat in the carrier next to me. She was beautiful! The owner asked if I’d like to have her. It turned out Roger helps society by trapping feral cats, neutering them, and returning them back into the wild. But this particular cat was a borderline feral cat. She was found with five other kittens, two mother cats and several big dogs living in someone’s backyard. In other words, someone owned all of them, but they all were strictly outdoor animals – and the cats ate canned dog food! Even the kittens ate the dog food which does not have the nourishment a cat needs to grow properly. So the owner agreed to let Roger take the kittens to be neutered and try to find homes for them.

When Mandy was finished getting her checkup and shots I went to pay my bill and there was Roger with the beautiful cat paying his bill! We talked some more and I decided to get Sunny (as we named her later) for my husband, as our other cat, Suzi, would not go near Roy and this cat was so friendly I couldn’t resist not getting her! It turned out Roger only lived one block away from me. When I brought Sunny home and Roy met her – and held her – he was elated, too!

She has grown tremendously since a year ago! She is twice as long as Suzi now and not at all afraid of Roy. And it turned out that Sunny is a mouser – or – better yet, she likes to catch any little varmint she finds! So no more bugs – Yay!

In Spring I was fortunate to find, after my breast biopsy, that everything is A-okay, no cancer just some fatty tissue (like I don’t have enough fatty tissue elsewhere!). And my vision has improved greatly in one eye after cataract surgery. Hopefully in the first part of 2013 the other cataract will be removed and then my vision will be great!

Home is where the heart is – and I love being at home!

And then the fun began – with the great leak that flooded parts of the house and took over four months to repair all the damage done by the water. Of course several truly big floods (hurricane Sandy) happened not too long after that which put everything in perspective for me.

And the good that came out of it was: a new bathroom vanity fitted for Roy and his wheelchair and tile floors in the bathroom and hallway instead of carpet! Yay again!

When I started my blog in May the main purpose was to get the word out that my deceased mother’s home was up for sale – and I planned on having a silent auction. So my first blog was her house and a description of how the auction would work. To make a long story short, no one came to the auction, which was held two days all afternoon.

BUT, I kept getting calls from a lady in California (Mom’s house is here in Arizona) wanting to take part in the auction, but had to tell her no since only interested buyers who came to the house could participate in auction. After a people-less auction I called her back, she came to Arizona and bought the house! So thankful!

Shortly after starting Home Is Where The Heart Is I discovered the fun of connecting with other bloggers through memes or parties – especially paint and photo blogs! Joining with other fellow artists and photographers has increased my productivity, and hopefully improved some of my art and photography skills.

Sketch of my favorite cup.

Sketch of a Snoopy-type dog.

Dear sweet Mandy – going on fifteen this year.

Fabulous Arizona Sunset

. Started art journal – here’s a collage.

And now the year’s end is here. What will 2013 bring? I still feel the warmth of the holiday season – and wish it would last all year! May all my blogger friends and followers have a very Happy Year – and may God bless you all and bring you much happiness and love!

Sharing with The Charm of Home, Smiling Sally and to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday