Author: Jana

  • he’s growing up


    GameBoy, in his element., originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    right before our eyes. I love it!

  • if


    What?, originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    If our cats had names like those of Snow White’s seven companions, they would be:
    Silky
    Sleepy
    and
    Skittish
    (or maybe one of them might be “Saggy”)

    What about your cats?

    PS: If you ever receive bizarre emails from me, you can be sure that they were sent by EllyCat’s nether regions…

    PPS: This pic has two kitties: Elly & NekoNeko (a.k.a. the ASUS laptop)

  • books


    Fruits of My Labor., originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    We’ve been doing a book audit and re-inventory as we switch from BookCollector to LibraryThing for managing our collection.

    I love cleaning, purging, organizing. I love books. I think I should have been a librarian.

    If the economy didn’t suck, I might (someday) pursue that dream of mine to own a bookshop/coffeehouse. With overstuffed vintage furniture. And kitty cats. And scones everyday.

  • most recklessly


    geranium, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.
    ~Rainer Maria Rilke

    Note: pic above taken in my garden. The colors are really truly this bright right now–no photoshop adjustment necessary. Isn’t it lovely?

  • the gauntlet


    Quality Time., originally uploaded by mind on fire.

    Taking oral exams in grad school is really a terrible experience. Even if you pass, it’s absolutely emotionally draining and it’s nearly impossible to do as well as you’d hoped..

    Our friend M took her Quals recently (and passed, of course!!) and then came over to our place that evening to decompress. The picture above shows her curled up with a purry Bobette-kitty, letting the anxiety of the day drain away.

    Isn’t it great how cats and friends and cozy purple couch can make it all better?

  • time to celebrate?

    I’ve been thinking, that maybe I need to have a wee bit of a party here in a couple of weeks. To mark the anniversary of this event, and to celebrate health.

    This morning as I read through my entries from last April, my heart was pounding hard in my chest. Watching the events unfold day-by-day that led to my 6-month struggle to fight the infection in my leg (see here, here, and here)…was tough reading.

    And I am not taking even one day of health for granted now. Life is so delicious.

  • sunset


    disappearing behind catalina, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Was just a short distance away from where this pic was taken when I was paddling yesterday, at just this same moment when the sun was sinking.

    But I didn’t dare gaze at the sky for too long, because I was wholly focused on the waves (they were big, they were choppy, and I was in the back of the boat which is something akin to being in the back of the bus). But, oh, paddling the open ocean is nothing like navigating the calm waters of the channel. The adrenaline surge is unbelievable and any thoughts of fatigue are long gone as you can only be in that moment, knowing that if you aren’t working as a team, the boat will tump over. (and I have to say that I’m glad there were no cameras around because I think my chin was all covered with drool as I was yelling out the changes, was expelling each breath with brute force to get more torque, and was trying not to swallow any yucky salt water that was splashing into my face)…

    This summer I’ll be joining the team on a long paddle all the way out to that little island in the distance. I’ve never been to Catalina, and to think that my first trip will be by my own paddle-power rather than by ferry….it seems too exciting to be true.

  • lavender


    lavender, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    My lavender is so incredible this year–I have two gigantic bushes with big tall wands of purple. The bees just love it and so do I!
    :)

  • on the water


    europe trip, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    Cruising the canals in Canterbury with GameBoy and CatGirl, (and John) in 2004. And oh, how the kiddos have grown up since then!

  • you are…


    dream rose, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    You are unlimited

    Or so says the note on my teabag this afternoon (love Yogi Tea for Meditation and their thought-provoking teatag quotations). It came at a good time, at a moment when I’m feeling rather finite and hampered by so so so much that need to get done.

    This rose is blooming in my garden right now and has a delicious grapefruit-rosy scent. Unlimited, indeed.

  • teatime


    ranunculus, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    This afternoon I had a friend over for teatime (read: chat around the table with yum almond cookies & scones while sipping caramel tea). It was such fun to just chat and be a bit giddy.

    There’s something so remarkable about having friends sit around our table–sharing food and chatter. I love that I have so many “in real life” friends who feel comfortable in our home…who can drop by and enjoy a crazy-mellow family dinner, who can wash dishes alongside me in the kitchen, and who know each of our cats by name.

    I wish all of you online friends could stop by sometime, too. But until then, thanks for hanging out here with me at my virtual kitchen table. And don’t worry about the dishes–I’ll take care of them later. :)

    These flowers have been adding a bright spot to my table all week long.

  • in my garden


    blue skies, originally uploaded by pilgrimgirl.

    A pic of the climbing rose vine in my garden that’s about 6′ high. Against that perfect SoCal blue sky.

    This afternoon I relaxed in the garden and drank it all in.

    Gulp.