I debate about whether to even attempt to pull together a Friday’s Fave Five post today because the week has been a blur, reminiscent of forty years ago when I had babies to care for. My world revolves around a tiny three pound Yorkie this week as we adjust to new routines.
Gifts, delights, blessings, call them what you will, there are plenty. Divine whispers, yes even those. Perhaps it’s not so difficult to come up with a list after all.
Crate training. Murphy sleeps soundly through the night in his crate on a chair next to my bed. This is an unexpected surprise for which I am most grateful.
Coffee and car rides. One afternoon we drive to the pet store to pick up something (taking Murphy with us and leaving Maya at home for a time of solitude and silence). The pet store is near a favourite coffee shop so I grab a cup of my favourite brew and we take a short drive just because. (Car ride. My dad used to use that term. It makes me happy 🙂 ).
Trust. Murphy is learning to trust that when I put him in his crate for a rest after play time it’s for his own safety. He’s coming to understand that fussing won’t get him out and that maybe it’s a good time for a nap after all.
Leftovers. Have I mentioned that I’m exhausted? We’re all sleeping well through the night but during the day it’s constant busyness. I’m 61. Something’s gotta give.
Melting snow. A week ago a crazy amount of snow fell in one day and then it got cold. It was nice, at first. Cozy. Hygge time. It got old when I was standing around waiting for the pup to go potty a bazillion times a day. Thankfully the weather turned and the snow is all but gone now. (It’s coming back, I know. Hopefully not too soon.)
Amidst all the fun and flurry of having the new arrival, I managed to do a bit of work. One thing being prepping for next week when I’ll be a guest at the National Association of Memoir Writer’s Virtual Book Club. I also cleaned up tags and categories of over two thousand posts on this blog and tidied things up aesthetically (that was a labour of love).
As we head into these last days of October my thoughts turn toward intention for the remainder of this topsy-turvy year but more on that another time.
(Maya is adjusting to Murphy’s arrival by letting him know she’s the top dog around here. She’s getting lots of extra love to reassure her.)

Oh, Murphy is darling! and sooo tiny. I love his name. I had a silver tabby cat years ago named Father Murphy. (Named for a t.v. character, but later we had a parish priest by that name which was a bit awkward). I’m glad the adjustment period is going well for all of you, particularly Maya.
Love car rides:) We used to go on Sunday afternoons when we were kids.
Congratulations on presenting at the seminar!
That’s funny about your cat’s name and your priest’s name being the same! Car rides were our Sunday afternoon thing too. I used to love it when Dad drove around the lone roundabout in our small city.
Linda, I have been delighted with your fab five inclusion to your blog. Last week I experienced at least 10 fab five moments and found no time to write about it. This week was a blur, so you made me laugh with your tiny reason for the blur. We are all human after all, and I love to read about your live in Canada. Sixty-one, my oh my you are young.
As I have followed your blog for several years I wanted to share that your quotes and photography are most inspiring, along with the fact that you sit down to write each morning. You are my role model.
Alas, winter has struck with vengeance in our part of Oklahoma with a rare ICE STORM that will keep us busy for a year to come. Sadly, next year I will be planting flowers for hot sun instead of shade. On a fab five moment, I am sitting down at the computer, and am thinking about writing. Enjoy your new puppy.
I’m so sorry to hear about the ice storm and the damage it inflicted, Letty. I’ve only experienced such a thing once, when we lived in WA. I’ll never forget the morning after and the sound of chainsaws in the neighbourhood from people cleaning up the damage. We lost a birch tree on the corner of our yard and replaced it with a Little Free Library that the neighbourhood kids came to enjoy so it wasn’t all bad. Thanks so much for your kind words about my writing and photography. You encourage me to carry on.
That one ear up and one ear down! So cute!
We all have weeks like that. I didn’t post last week because we were literally unloading the moving trailer.
I’m sorry you got snow. We had rain. I want sunshine!
Have a blessed week!
I want sunshine too! Hope you’re settling in and it’s starting to feel more like home.
Despite the tiredness, your enjoyment of this new little life in your family seeps through; perhaps the gifts, delights and blessings ARE Divine Whispers too? Wishing you a very successful time at the book club.
Yes, yes, yes!! They are indeed divine whispers.
Murphy is adorable (Maya’s totally cute too) and I’m sure life will settle down soon and it will be like he’s always been part of the family. Good luck with the presentation.
cute pup and big name for one so tiny!
I’m 60 so I here ya on the “something’s gotta give” I still teach preschoolers with special needs full time so I’m exhausted by 12:30 pm (when they get back on the bus). I work until 3 so after work I get re-engerized with my work out routine of a hike in the woods or a power walk in the neighborhood or treadmill (if pouring rain or bitter cold which thankfully has only been one day so far this autumn!).
Good luck with your online presentation.
How cute! I’m glad the training is going relatively well. Having enough leftovers for another meal is a blessing.
Oh–and I need to do that with my blog. A lot of old links are dead–one site I linked to a lot totally revamped their site, so I need to see if my links there work at all any more.