ivythissmalllife

Calm before the Frenzy

My morning routine – when my boys, who are on the spectrum, have resumed a nighttime bedtime – starts with green tea and ODB (Our Daily Bread). I get excited about mornings. I love that the day is so fresh and new. I like the thought of being ahead of my day because I KNOWContinue reading “Calm before the Frenzy”

Cat Lady Post: Deadly Flowers

My husband and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary (and our 28th year together) today. He presented me this morning with a lovely bouquet of two of my favorite flowers: lilies and daisies. While I love them, I immediately took them out to the porch and did the business of putting them in aContinue reading “Cat Lady Post: Deadly Flowers”

Reunite Me with a Book: Books in This Case

Happiness is (a la “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”)… many things. In my case, it mainly involves my family, cats, books, plants, and many other moments of cheap little thrills. Don’t get me wrong; getting a huge windfall would make me happy (unless there are strings), but that has only happened a few timesContinue reading “Reunite Me with a Book: Books in This Case”

Triggered by the Topic of Groceries :D

I said no political talk, but let me point out right away that our grocery expense jumped to double in the span of four years. It wasn’t just the pandemic; it was mainly Duterte’s TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) Law. It was meant to target the rich, but ended up punishing the lower-incomeContinue reading “Triggered by the Topic of Groceries :D”

Recycled Post: Let Me Tell You about My Dad

I know it’s another recycled post, but this is still exactly what I want to say. I wrote this in March 2021, shortly after my dad’s passing. Goodbye for Now, Daddy Have I told you about my father? In my eyes, no man could be more remarkable. By the standards of the world, he didn’tContinue reading “Recycled Post: Let Me Tell You about My Dad”

Recycled Post: Beloved Vintage Children’s Book Series, Part 2

This recycled post (you were probably clued in by the “Part 1”) has a second part. I might add succeeding parts because I keep thinking of more series to add. Also, time keeps on moving forward and series that I didn’t consider vintage have now become so. This reminds me of that time our VWContinue reading “Recycled Post: Beloved Vintage Children’s Book Series, Part 2”

Recycled Post: Adopting the Icelandic Tradition of Jólabókaflóð

Here’s another timely recycled post from Our Lemonade Days, my now-defunct family blog. Bringing Iceland’s Jólabókaflóð to Your Home I’ve always been intrigued by Iceland. For someone who lives in a tropical archipelago, I imagine it’s pretty much the opposite of what I know. Watching travel shows featuring it, I was further enchanted by its exotic (for someoneContinue reading “Recycled Post: Adopting the Icelandic Tradition of Jólabókaflóð”

Ghosts of Strengths Past

The things I’m good at, they’re dwindling, but I still have some left. Here they are in random order: Languages – I’ve always had an aptitude for them even when I was a little kid. It wasn’t only that I had a gift for learning them; I was also very much interested in them. IContinue reading “Ghosts of Strengths Past”

Cat Lady Post: The Catch in Cat Toys

Do you tend to get silly over cats? Do you find yourself spouting gibberish in an insanely squeaky voice to communicate with them? When asked about your boss, does your mind go to your cat? Does a considerable percentage of your income go to cat care? No, there’s nothing wrong with you. Cats rule, soContinue reading “Cat Lady Post: The Catch in Cat Toys”

Waiting for Things to Be Just Right before Doing Anything

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve restarted this post. There are just too many things I want to change about myself that I can’t decide which one to talk about. I started out with my doom-and-gloom Debbie Downer personality, then I switched to my unhealthy lifestyle, then I thought I’d get spiritual andContinue reading “Waiting for Things to Be Just Right before Doing Anything”