Around Here

Good morning friends and happy Friday!  How are you?

Around here, I always think of these kinds of blog posts as a sort of chit-chat between friends.  I imagine we’re sitting across the table from each other or cozied up in chairs in my living room.  Which is where my sweet Daisy likes to sit while I’m upstairs working on said blog post.

I actually took this photo on Monday.  It was a cold, dreary start to the week…you can she really excited about it.  Which was pretty much how I felt too.

Around here, a dreary Monday was no match for these lovely blossoms.  These are from an arrangement that my girl had made for me (similar to the one she made for my mom’s birthday this past weekend).  Pink, yellow, and green might be one of my favorite color combinations of all time.  I especially love how she went foraging through the yard to add in some blooms from my dogwood tree and azalea bushes.

And speaking of dogwoods…

Around here the dogwoods are in full bloom!  In fact, everything is in full bloom!  It’s glorious!  Wondrous! Reason #4,381 why I love spring!

Around here, I have a new friend.  This is Pearl.

Pearl showed up a couple of months ago…I found her curled up, sleeping in the chair on our side porch.

I’m assuming that Pearl is a neighborhood stray.  And over the course of the past several weeks, I’ve slowly tried to earn her trust.  It’s process, because cats are naturally skittish, especially ones that don’t have a home.

I embarked on my ‘Make Pearl my Friend’ project by opening the door to the side porch.  Of course she immediately jumped up and scurried off the porch.  But I tossed her a couple of cat treats and sat down on the porch steps.  Keeping her distance, she ate one of the treats…she didn’t immediately run away.  I did this a couple more times and once she even came over and rubbed her head against my leg.  Phase One was a success in my book!

Phase two started by putting out bowls of food and water.  I started seeing Pearl more regularly in the chair.  She would still jump up and run off the porch when I came outside, but only out onto the walkway by the porch.  Once again, I would sit on the steps and she would roll around on the ground.  A little meowing here and there.

Then finally, on Wednesday, I sat down on the porch steps but grabbed the food bowl and set it next to me.  And Pearl came up to me!!  She walked all around me, rubbing her little head on my legs.  She even let me pet her and scratch behind her ears!  I could hear her purring.  If I was a cat, I would have been purring too.

For the past few months, I’ve been toying with the idea of adopting a cat.  After losing our sweet Pumpkin last year and then Riley a couple of months ago…I don’t know…it just felt like it was time.  But now with Pearl,  maybe she’s adopting us.  I don’t know if she’s feeling more comfortable with me or just likes the food I leave out for her.  Either way, I’m pretty happy about it.

At any rate, that’s all of the exciting news around here.  Of course, I’m using the word ‘exciting’ in the loosest possible way.  And as always, I am so, so grateful to be able to share it with you.

Love, Kelly

P.S.  Regarding Pearl, our plan is to keep her as an outside cat.  So assuming she sticks around, I plan to get her to the vet as soon as possible.