PUNKIN

I know I posted awhile back that I would not have anymore pity parties here. 

I lied.

As we speak, our orange tabby cat-Punkin is lying on the floor of my bathroom.  Not eating or drinking-sleeping mostly. He won't be with us much longer. 

I brought Punkin home from the parking lot of Alberstson's in October-1995,  He was the last kitten in a cardboard box- offered up by a sweet little girl.  I had never owned a cat before and decided we needed one!  Living in the country-everyone needs a cat to maintain the rodent population. 

Punkin was the cutest little thing!  I went to school to pick up Christian one afternoon, shortly after we got the kitten, only to come home and find Punkin had his head caught between the slats of the kitchen chairs.  It's about a 2 inch gap.
How the heck did he ever get his head in there in the first place?  It was not easy getting him unstuck.
There was bleeding and pain involved.  Mine- not his.

He didn't stay little, he got huge and reminded me of a lion.

That's the thing about Punkin' he was kind of a Cujo cat.

He would lurk on the stairs until one of the kids would innocently  walk by and THWACK! His little paw would come out and he would swipe at the ankles.  
Tiny, little, scary cat.  Matthew was scared to death of him.

He has done his job over the years and brought us all kinds of 'gifts' left on the door step.  He was a great hunter.

He also had a knack for knowing when someone in the house was sick and he would come climb on the ill person's lap.  Other than that he didn't really care to cuddle.  I always wondered how he knew???
He turned himself into a liveing breathing hot water bottle.  Cool trick.

Today would have been my Mother's 90th birthday.  She loved Punkin.  I think she thought of him as some kind of kindred spirit.  All tough on the outside and jello on the inside.

Punkin- you are a cool cat and I will miss you.  Give Nick and Dixie a swipe for us.

Now, can we please go more than 3 months without losing somone we love?  I seriously think this is the very, last straw.

XOXO,
K.
PS: Punkin passed away this morning.  Godspeed.

A fresh start in the kitchen

Here is the refrigerator cabinet where the pantry used to be.

My range looks so tiny!  It's 30"  The sales rep told me a bigger one would just give me a burner I would never use and cavernous oven that would take longer to pre-heat.  But I wish I had gone with the 36".  I stand and stare out the right window forever.  I love the addition of those 2 windows- they let in so much light!

This is what we call the bar area-or pass through.  It used to be a wall that housed the refrigerator on the kitchen side. Now the upper cabinets hold all of our glassware and the doors on both sides open and are glass.  It's a cool mottled glass that looks like rain.

Another view...I mixed white painted and mocha alder because I thought this bar area would not look right if it were white.

I love this chandelier- it goes with the pendants and it's so so pretty.  Over the island- which used to have hanging pots and pans-remember?

Fireplace with new mantel.  Chandelier from Pottery Barn.  I have another larger one that will be hung (sometime) in the staircase.

 The kitchen Island.  This first bottom drawer houses compartments for trash and recycling.  I love it!  To the right of that is the Sharp microwave drawer.  We will never have burned popcorn again!  Coolest feature: Sensor popcorn!

There she is... I'll load more photos when it's completely done if you want?  Missing: Trim around the windows- in and out.  Baseboard trim too.  Copper range hood.  Backsplash tile.  Draperies/swag curtains.  I have the fabric- I'll make those last. My only serious regret in this kitchen is the choice of marble for counters.  Too, too much headache and worry.  Not for staining like everyone thinks but for the scratching and etching.  But it is very pretty and cool to the touch. 

So what do you think????  : )