I'm Baa-aa-a-ck!

Ok, so is four years a long enough hiatus?  I figured that I have procrastinated long enough, it is time to start Kat Scratches back up.  Things have changed a lot in my life in the last four years, but mostly just since the beginning of this year.
I have been laid off and moved out to the country where it is nice and quiet and I don't miss the Bay Area at all...although it is less than an hour drive away, which is a nice convenience, especially when visiting my Bestie and her lil man!

My hunny, 3 Pups, 1 cat, a million (give or take a couple) guppies and I all moved in with my parents in January when the house we were renting went into foreclosure.  The move wasn't fun (seriously, though, when is a move fun???) but we've all settled and I've enjoyed the quietness out here very much.  the neighbors are so friendly and though I know it will get hot this summer, I am happy here.

My job with National Semiconductor ended last month.  Texas Instruments bought National last year and gave all us Helpdeskers/Techs a 6 month notice.  I started working at National 15 years ago in Feb of 1997.  I did leave for about 8-9 months when I moved to Oceanside, but there was an opportunity to return when I moved back, and I jumped at it.  I have so many fond memories of working there, even though it got tough at times.  I've made life long friends and learned so many life lessons during my time there.  The last few months were very bittersweet.  I was ok with being laid off and moving on to a new adventure, but in a very lucky twist of fate, my old boss became my boss again, and it was just like old times.  It made me realize even more how much I missed him.  John was definitely the fairest and genuinely the best boss I could ever hope to have.  He was able to stay on with the company and I wish him nothing but the best for the future.  I am so grateful for all the blessings I received while working at National.

My hunny and I are going to be celebrating our 10th year together later this month...TEN years...my, how time flies.  I love him so much and feel blessed to be his girl! I am so proud of him...he's been through a lot in the past few years, and yet, through it all, he never gave in or gave up...he's a truly amazing man!

I am currently enjoying a little time off before I jump back into looking for a new adventure in the work force.  I'm open to new opportunities and whatever the future holds for me...who knows what is just around the corner.  I am just grateful for the ability to take a little time off.

I guess this has become a catch up post of sorts...sorry for any dullness.  My posts generally consist of pictures, stories, and whatever I think of off the top of my head.  I am hoping to include some stories & creative writing things soon as that is a talent I have left dormant for too long and would like to dust off, scrape off the rust and get to working again.

I guess that to sum up how I feel, even during the tough times, about my life...Simply Blessed!

Thar She Blows!

This past week was quite a wet one for us in the Bay Area, and apparently there is some more rain in store, which , is a very good thing...we need it, however, it hasn't come without a price.

I left a few minutes early for work on Friday, as I knew the worst part of the storm was scheduled to hit during commute hours. I ended up taking side roads to work (which led to an unscheduled drive thru stop at McD's when I realized I was going to be 15 min early). All the way to work I could see that the storm had already wreaked some damage. Thankfully, it wasn't storming too badly while I was out in it.

The roadways which hadn't been driven on much (early shift at work) were strewn with leaves, branches and various debris. It wasn't until co-workers started mingling in later in the day that I heard about downed trees and major traffic accidents. My hunny called at one point, and said that the gazebo in the backyard had been blown against the fence and the other furniture that started off covered was no longer covered. He hadn't had much time to survey the damage, as he had to hurry to work. Not too much later Mom called to tell me all about the havoc the storm had wreaked on the backyard.

I really wasn't sure what to expect when I got home, but I went straight for my camera, got it set up, then headed to the backyard. Here's what I found:

One comical note, all the furniture that was covered lost their covers, but the one BBQ that wasn't covered ended up covered (it's the glob-ish shape under the tarp)

Another comical note...take a look at the door in this pic...

...that would be Kali trying awfully hard to make a break for freedom (later we let her dart out, and it was all great till her paws hit the wet cement...hahahaha)

Picture Time!

I finally got some Christmas Day Pics Uploaded...YAY!  It's a pretty big slide show, but I hope you enjoy sharing our Cali Christmas!  I have another slide show or two in the works, so check back soon for those!

I hope you all had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

What a wonderful time off!

Wow, did those holidays fly by or what?  I can hardly believe that I am back at work already!  Ugh!  While I am sitting here feeling sorry for myself, I remembered that I should at least be grateful for the week and a half off I had from here.  My poor hunny works retail and he only had Christmas Day off...ew!  Of course I am grateful for the time I had off, but I still want more.  And of course, I would like him to have more time off, as well.  I guess if we could hit the lotto, maybe.  Who knows!

Well, I don't have a lot to report for my time off, though.  It was nice and relaxing and I did get a few things done that I've been wanting to. 

A couple months back I had a string of dreams in which I always had to flee the house.  Sometimes it was a fire and I had to get out immediately, and others we had time to pack a few things, but in each dream I was trying to think of the most important things to try to save from the devastation that was looming.  The people in the house were always ok and able to get out on their own, so of course, the cats were the top priority, but then came the material items.  My mind always went to the computer and how so many hundreds of cherished photos are stored on there.  So, that became the focus of my dreams, getting it out.  Finally, my waking conscience caught on, and decided I should do something about that, so I purchased an external hard drive to back up our photos and various important files on, and I was able to get it loaded and stored safely in the fire safe.  YAY!  Now I will look into the online backups, as well, as that has been recommended by numerous friends. 

Along the computer lines, I have also been wanting to download my CD's to the computer so I can play them whenever and not have to hunt them down.  For some this may not be a major undertaking, but for me, I have close to or more than a thousand CD's so it was quite a process, but I am happy to say that it is one that is completed now....YAY!  Don't worry, though, no illegal copying or sharing is going on, though...just making the most of my listening options on MY own computer!  =-)  (I heard about the lady that has to pay $9000 a CD that was shared...OUCH!)

I also had the opportunity to visit a dear Uncle in Lodi.  That was nice.  He's my Mom's Uncle, and since we don't get to see him very often, so it was nice to spend some time with him.

Wow, so many little things happened during that time, now that I think about it.  I could go on and on, but I will save your eyeballs from all that for now.  I'll post more, though in a day or so, and some pics of Christmas in our Home.

I hope 2008 is a magical year for everyone.  I have been prompting friends and family to find the magic in the season, but I realized that there is magic in every day...you just have to be on the lookout for it oh, yeah and BELIEVE (even just a little)!

Here's to finding the magic EVERY Day in '08 and the rest of our lives!

A week away? WOW!

Ok, I can't believe how quickly time is going.  It's been a month since I last blogged and Christmas is one week away from today.  I really do love this time of year, but it always flies by so quickly. 

All the regular festivities of the season around our home are under way.  Last Saturday was the annual "stay out all day shopping and spending way too much money even though I was already done shopping" Day, but it was fun.  Mom, BlueRose and I spent the day together while our men ran errands, shopped and took care of stuff around the house. 

Sunday was my start to Christmas wrapping, and I am happy to say the wrapping part is all done, but now I need to decorate the packages so they look a bit more pretty.  That will likely take place tonight.

Tomorrow is our Christmas celebration with BlueRose and her hunny, Panther.  They will be leaving for her parents in Placerville (Northern Cali) on Saturday, then his parents (St. Louis, MO) on Monday, so tomorrow is the best day for us to exchange gifts and enjoy some time together. 

The best part of this week is that Christmas Vacation (A.K.A "Holiday Shutdown") for my job begins on Friday, or more accurately at 4pm (quitting time for me) on Thursday.  A 4-day work week...NICE! 

The only part that I don't like about this season began a while ago, sadly...the same thing I griped about last year around this time, actually...the $$MONEY$$ deal.  So, I once again am sitting here shaking my head over how much emphasis is placed on a dollar amount a person gives.  I still think that giving should be from the heart, not from the pocket book.  I keep hearing "I can't believe I spent so much money" and "They will be shocked to find out how much I spent on them".  I just don't understand that.  Why would you want to let someone know how much you spent on them?  That seems like "pride" to me, I don't know.  I'm not perfect by any stretch, but when it comes to gifts, I try to find something that I know the receiver will enjoy, and as long as I can afford it, I'll get it for them, but I do not rub in their face how much it costs.   I feel that it can make the other person feel badly, maybe cause they weren't able to spend as much on their gifts, so they may feel like their gifts don't measure up, and also, because they cost their friends so much money. 

So once again, my wish this year is that people will stop focusing on the Cost and start focusing on the true reason of giving...Care!

Ok, so griping is done for the moment!  It's the wrong time of year to be cranky!  =-) 

Another great thing about this year is the scents!  The Christmas tree, the crisp fresh air, the cinnamon that abounds, vanilla, and best of all, home-baked goodies!  From what I understand, when I get home this evening, the house will be filled with the scents of various cookies, so I can hardly wait to walk through the door tonight.

I hope that the Holidays are going well for all of you!  I will try to get some Christmas pictures taken to share with all in the next few days!

Merry Week before Christmas!

Holiday Season is upon us!

It's amazing that next week is Thanksgiving and Christmas is nearly a month away. Time really does fly. With Christmas time nearing, Mom pulled one of her annoying request cards on me, YET again. Every once in a while she "commissions" a poem of me. It drives me batty, not cause I can't do it, I just don't like to be put on the spot. The one thing that I can not deny in my life is that the Lord has given me a talent to write, not that I use it like I probably should, but the talent is there. What I don't like is being expected to write something. It is why I never wanted to make a career out of writing. I want it to be something that is fun for me, not something I have to do. Who knows, maybe one day I'll have a best seller out there, but for now, I just enjoy writing when I want to.

So, as usual, when mom made the request, I got all huffy and gave some lame "I don't know...I guess...maybe" type of reply. That was a month or so ago, and as always, the poem is complete...but in my time...not hers! LOL!

Oh and don't get me wrong, I love my mom to death, there isn't a better mom out there in my opinion. And I have got to be honest, some of my best poetry has come at her request. Sigh...Mom's always know best, right!

Anyway, all that long spiel to introduce my Holiday Poem 2007. I hope you enjoy!

Take time!

Kat Mosher 2007

No time to write, no time to rhyme,

No time to create, there’s just no time.

So much to do from morn till night,

So much to think about, it can cause fright.

Holidays are here? When did that come about?

I should have months to figure it out?

I don’t? Oh great, just another worry.

I guess that means I’ll have to hurry.

Hurry to buy gifts and cards and wrap,

Hurry to the mall (You know that’s a trap):

“One Day Only” “Lowest prices of the year”

It’s enough to make a wallet shake in fear.

Then there’s the food. It’s more to plan,

More shopping to do with wallet in hand.

Turkey or steak? Ham or roast beef?

There’s so much to be done, and just no relief.

The decorations are another step, too.

So much to spend, so much to do.

And don’t forget that the tree must go up,

And ornaments and lights and all that stuff.

The lights alone can make you cry,

Didn’t they work last year? WHY, OH WHY!

I’ll spend hours looking for the bulb that broke?

Or spend money for new lights so I can go broke?

Are the cards filled out? Did I send them yet?

There’s so much to do, so much I could forget.

There’s people to write to and visit or call,

I don’t know how I’ll ever do it all.

I hurry all over to get everything done,

And forget that the holidays are meant to be fun.

I guess I should take time, and think this through,

I do want this year to be different…what to do?

I guess I should slow down, and not hurry,

Things will still get done. I shouldn’t worry.

My intentions are good, to make it a wonderful year,

But I miss the wonder, in the rush and fear.

What makes this season so special? One thought comes to mind,

It’s simple really. You may already know it, it’s “Time”.

Time spent with loved ones, who may need to know,

That they’re worth my time, and I love them so.

Time baking goodies to give to a friend,

Time is worth much more than money I spend.

Time sharing with others the truth of the season,

Time reminding myself that Jesus is the reason.

I don’t want this holiday season to pass by,

In a flurry of hurries, and worries and sighs.

So instead of rushing like I normally do,

I want to take time, and make a memory with you!

What? She's alive? No way!!!

It's true, I have been MIA for a while, and the only excuse I have is BUSY BUSY BUSY.  I have been offsite in training for an application I support, and the time just has flown by.  The class site was less than 40 miles from home, but it took over and hour and a half each way to get there.  Sigh...gotta love the Bay Area traffic.  I really enjoyed the class, though, and hopefully will have another class coming up soon, though that one I may get to actually go out of the area for (now that would rock, but I know better than to get my hopes up). 

Anyway, now that I am back to work, I should have some time to post, either from work or home (now that I'm not away from home for more than 12 hours each day).  I am catching up on projects, but soon I will have some pictures and stories to share. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween, and Happy November!  Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks and 2 days away???? Whoa!

Ok, so till next time...Always believe!