Merry Christmas to my dear friends and family. Slept in the New Year and enjoyed the next day off. Drove Mom to my Dad's cousins’ reunion at a pizza place. Attended a baby shower for my cousin having her first child, a boy she gave birth to a couple months later. Started volunteering for VITA again (my 4th year) answering newbie questions and checking their work. Celebrated ferret Boromir's 1st Birthday. Had fun shoveling the driveway from all of our snowfall the old-fashioned way. A snow blower would be just another machine I don’t know how to use, plus got to gas up and fix when parts break. Spent Valentine's Day at work and then doing taxes for VITA. Sent Mom a Heart shaped pizza and brownies. Watched the Winter Olympics on TV. Celebrated cat Precious's 12th Birthday. Celebrated ferret Luthien's 2nd Birthday. Missed the St. Patrick's Day parade because it was just too cold outside to enjoy it so spent the day at home doing house chores.
In the spring, I enjoyed the blooms from the bulbs I planted the prior autumn. I hosted Easter dinner with Mom and sister’s family in attendance. Celebrated cat Frodo’s 12th Birthday. Attended my niece's confirmation. Two neighbors’ trees fell into my yard and crushing the fences so had to keep cats inside until fences were fixed by the neighbors (and one tree broke my glass birdbath). Had Mother's Day dinner with my sisters' families with Mom at a restaurant. Hired a lawn care company since nephew wasn't out of school yet and they ran over my Miniature Roses and Dutch Iris so no blooms from them this year. My male Beta Pontus died after a year from getting him full grown and became first fish to be buried in backyard. I visited cemeteries on Memorial Day with family.
In the summer, I got a baby male Beta named Erebos. I snaked my first drain. Ordered a new birdbath via internet since it was sold out in the store and it arrived broken so returned it to store. I will have to wait to get a new one next year. Visited Dad at the cemetery for Father's Day and played Taps on my smartphone for him. Had a chipmunk in my house a couple weeks before it left. Got a trap for the rodent, but all I caught was Luthien licking the peanut butter. Some coworkers got hit with Floods of 2018 and I was happy to be living on a slope. Plus, happy my sewer didn’t back up into my basement and drown my ferrets (ferret room is in the basement). Enjoyed 4th of July Urbandale celebrations with sister's family and Mom. My male Beta Helios I got last year as a baby died and got a baby male Beta named Atlas. Dryer broke so hung wet clothes up outside on a clothesline. Thank goodness the prior house owner left behind clothes pins or would have been screwed. Took the heavier items to Mom’s to dry and then brought over all laundry every week until the dryer was fixed. Had ferret Eowyn and cat Precious catch the sniffles and after a couple weeks got better. Had panic attack when getting cats back inside from the backyard when noticed an owl (it hooted) in my walnut tree. Had another panic attack when Frodo disappeared from the yard squeezing through a gap between fence post and gate. I found him a couple hours later in the front yard bush. Celebrated my Mom's 79th birthday at her apartment. My great-niece was ready to jump out the window to swim at the water park next door. During my Staycation, went to the local amusement park, zoo, and pool swimming with sister's family.
Nephew celebrated his 14th Birthday with his father's side 90 miles from us so we got together later at Mom’s place to give him presents. And then, poor Precious with a lung infection making him cough became worse from not eating compounded by fleas to die in August. Frodo took Precious's death hard and stopped eating. I had to spoon feed him for a month. Then started walking strange so took to the vet for an arthritis diagnosis. Took nephew and sister out miniature golfing as a thank you for helping me with my yardwork. Female Beta Eos I got last year as a baby died so got a new female Beta Metis. Celebrated my 43rd birthday with family at at a restaurant. My Metis lasted 5 days before dying so got a baby girl Beta named Ananke who is getting bigger and now a young lady. Went to niece’s and nephew's piano recital. Taught nephew how to remove a bush, he loved using the axe.
Autumn arrived celebrating Eowyn's 5th birthday. Got hired on to a Tax prep company so will earn extra money next year. Carved Jack o' lanterns with snoopy ferrets ready to poke their heads in the holes. Beggar's Night was fun with 9 kids coming to my door. Last group of 4 petted Boromir. I picked him up to prevent escape out the door and kids thought he was so cute to ask to pet him. He was a good boy. Next, Male Beta Atlas died. I got him this summer as a baby and he was growing up to be a beautiful male fish. Shortly after, got a new male fully grown and named him Atlas Jr. Through the fall Frodo lost weight and finally died in November when I was at work. Celebrated niece's 15th birthday at a restaurant. Commenting how strange it is sleep without a cat and no longer have the cat alarm waking me up demanding breakfast, a friend offered a kitten born in November to me. I replied I could take two. So I will have to wait a couple months to collect when they are weaned from their mother. My heart is healing.
Went to brother's house for Thanksgiving and went out with sister's family for Black Friday specials. Put up my Mom's Christmas decorations for her. Ferrets are happy to play in the boxes and under the tree skirt as I put out my own decorations. Had a friend help with new icicle lights on the roof shingles. I think I’ll leave them up there all year and just put away the yard decorations. Will celebrate Christmas at Mom’s place, both Christmas Day and Extended Family Christmas. Now aren’t you glad I keep an online journal to remember all this. Have a Wonderful New Year,
Jordan Harvey Eoywn (ferret) Luthien (ferret) Boromir (ferret) Nyx (fish) Erebos (fish) Ananke (fish) Atlas Jr. (fish)
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