Pretty things

/ CrazyKat1963

Started Friday evening. Completed Sunday afternoon.

I was away from home for six weeks, and away from Blue Eyes for 4 1/2 weeks. I’ve returned home and have been here now for exactly 44 hours. Blue Eyes couldn’t wait for me to get home, he missed me so much, that’s what he said.

Today he sent me a message saying he would be home early from work. We’d catch an early dinner together, take a walk. The weather is beautiful. It’s Friday night.

He called over an hour ago to ask me if it was okay if he stayed at the office working. I told him there was no point telling me how much he wants to spend time with me, promising me he would leave work early, planning a dinner date with me, if he was just going to cancel in order to work late on a Friday night.

His words mean nothing. I only care about actions now. He then told me he wouldn’t work, that he was leaving the office. He didn’t know what he was thinking? Our office is 10 minutes from home, max. His call was 80 minutes ago.

What’s the message: work is more important than me. That’s it.

Thankfully I no longer pin my happiness on whether or not Blue Eyes keeps his promises. I carry on.

My time away started with a quick stopover in Brooklyn to see our oldest son.

Coney Island, out of season

Our son took us for East Turkestan food (they have EVERYTHING in NYC) and then to L&B for famous spumoni ice cream

Next came a business trip with Blue Eyes to Paris.

Gorgeous pottery at our hotel, and a fine cup of green tea upon arrival

Pretty food at Le Cinq Codet

Our boutique hotel, Le Cinq Codet. Art deco in the 7th Arrondisement

The final piece to my Mariage Freres glass tea cup collection, rouge

Luxembourg Gardens. Beautiful weather for walking in Paris.

Spring blooms at Luxembourg Gardens

A delightful spring treat at Laduree on Champs Elysee, a green tea, chocolate, and cherry blossom tart

Spring window display at Laduree

A candy stand in the park

That fountain with all the green chairs, Jardin des Tuileries

Grand Palais from Pont Alexandre III, Rive Gauche

Eiffel Tower at dusk

Monet’s murals at L’Orangerie

Chocolat Chaud after a long walk, at Le Cinq Codet, my favorite

L’As du Fallafel on Rue des Rosiers, Marais District

Chocolat Gelato at Grom

A crepe on Rue Cler

My visit to Miami included some of my favorite things

Roger Federer in Mint Green at the Miami Open

Yummy food in Coral Gables

The gorgeous pool at The Biltmore Coral Gables

Dinner at Four Seasons Surfside with Blue Eyes and TotallyCaroline

Persian food at Fooq’s in Miami

Avocado toast with TC at Zak the Baker, Wynwood

Street Art in Wynwood

Gorgeous pastries at Bachour Coral Gables. I had the chocolate, TC had the pear

Dulce de Leche Croissant at Bachour. We shared

Tapas at Bulla Gastrobar with TC, Coral Gables

I then spent just shy of four weeks at my favorite health facility and ended my healthy sojourn with a couple days at a fabulous spa hotel

I’m loving Portrait Mode on the iPhone. They have this fabulous Black Currant Iced Tea at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Raleigh, NC.

Lobster Roll at the Umstead, yummy!

A beautiful Fruits & Flowers dessert, shave ice with yuzu syrup, edible flowers, white strawberries, lychee & raspberries

The Umstead pool. Bliss!

And now that I’m home, I love taking long walks on warm blue-skied spring days. I love lilacs. I think they are amazing looking blossoms with an intoxicating scent. Spring in the Pacific Northwest is beautiful. I remember living in Arizona and Southern California waiting for the daffodils to poke their bright yellow blooms out in early spring. Didn’t happen. Most flowers there are planted en masse, season after season, not so naturally coloring a landscape that would otherwise be fairly bleak. Here, however, the yards are currently covered in bright blooms, rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, lilacs, dogwoods, apple, cherry, plum, and pear blossoms.

So happy my lilacs are still blooming

Pale Pink Camellia in our back garden

Hot Pink Camellia in the front garden

Dogwood

Today I did back to back Zumba classes then Blue Eyes and I picked up our CSA farm share.

Apple Orchard at the farm

Chickens, roosters, and turkeys hiding out in their coop on the farm. Besides our fresh veggies, we brought home eggs and chèvre goats cheese.

It’s been a gorgeous May weekend here in Portland and Blue Eyes has decided he does want to make me a priority. We’ll see if that holds up tomorrow when work beckons. He’s made some more promises about his priorities. Hmmm. In the meantime, I had a great time away, and I’m loving all the pretty things! ❤️

24 thoughts on “Pretty things”

  1. Loved the pictures my friend, and love the fact that you are seeing all the beautifull simple things the world offers, despite the difficulties at times. I used to sit on the beach, or on the downs and look out at the infinite sea and sky and it always grounded me. It made me realise that everything would keep going and the things that were hurting me at the time were not as important as I thought: I was just a speck and they will pass. Missed this postso now binge reading❤️

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  2. I loved going through your beautiful pictures and seeing your resiliency and listening to your thoughts and heart through writing. I too was once married to an addict. He was a recovering addict and attended many meeting throughout the week and weekends. It seemed he sealed his identity within his AA crew. I supported him, but in his journey I noticed so much of him was empty promises and words that didn’t align with actions. We were together four years. And I enjoy reading and growing with other women who are resilient and have found strength and growth through similar types of hardships. You are positive. Thank you for sharing your journey!

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  3. It’s so important to focus on these simple pleasures and enjoy the beauty that’s around us. The people we love will let us down sometimes… that’s just a given. But teaching ourselves to take joy from things outside our partners gives us a special power and a resilience to be happy despite their actions (or lack of).
    It was wonderful seeing u ♥️ I had the best time 💕

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  4. I am glad you have so much beauty in your life and you appreciate it. The key (at least I hear this over and over) is living in the present. You’re doing that.

    I struggle when the past emerges (for real, not just bad memories) in the present. A neighbor dug up my husband’s medical records b/c he got Major Depression and had to report it to the medical board in the state we lived, therefore, some of the records become public record b/c of the medical board (long story – she’s vindictive and crazy – she has fought with every neighbor here b/c she’s on our Board and Architectural Committee). She emailed us and told us what she found. SICK. I should blog about this.

    My husband is still going through medical board hearings too (so the past stuff is re-hashed now – by them and his attorney).

    It’s like it keeps popping up it’s ugly head every time I get to more healing.

    I love looking at your photos, Kat.

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    • Thank you, I love taking photos! I hope the medical board situation gets cleared up soon. I’m sure it is incredibly stressful, AND, I don’t get mean people, what a horrible existence getting some kind of validation by causing other people pain.

      Many times just trying to live in the present is incredibly difficult. But you have each other. ❤️❤️❤️

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  5. I am SO jealous! I want one of everything…except the lobster thing. I’ve never seen food like that, but then, I’ve never really been anywhere. I imagine Pig-snot has seen and eaten many of those things.
    I agree with Maggie. Actions speak so much louder than words.
    I hope you had a wonderful time and it sure looks like you did.
    BTW…every time I try to read your posts on my phone, WP crashes. Every single time! It’s annoying.

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  7. I’m so happy for you that you have the blessing of being surrounded by such beauty in your daily life. Being able to appreciate that probably helps keep everything else in perspective. I hope BE will take his head out of his work papers and enjoy more of that beauty with you. ☀️

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    • Me too!!! We’re headed to the beach house within the hour, so we’ll see. We’re having a bit of a spring heat wave out here and the coast will be lovely.

      He worked later than promised at the office again last night. I think it’s time for some consequences. The problem is it’s not just about me (rarely ever is)… his obsessively working is part of his addiction. It means he’s not grounded because there is ALWAYS work than can be done. It’s really about how well he manages his whole life, work is merely a part. He has serious issues remembering that. And now that I am home, he doesn’t “need” to get home for the dogs, the kid, the house, the dinner…. deja vu! Ugh. xo

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  9. Lilacs are blooming here in Central Ohio and I’m loving it! Since husband can’t do much walking until he has his hip replacement surgery, I’ve had to take over dog walking. At first I resented it, but now I love it and look forward to it. Actions ARE most important. A lesson I’ve learned from all this is that some people will say anything. You have to watch actions. I use this principle in all my interactions now. ❤️

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    • I’ve been pretty good about that with others (judging by actions), but apparently not with BE. I have let him off the hook time and time again. It makes me question myself more than him at this point. Why do I continue to allow it? I’m putting into place some consequences. We’ll see how it goes.

      BE has learned to love walking the dogs. He calls it his commune with nature time, now. I think he used to resent it. My issue is when I go for a walk it’s generally to get exercise… stopping and smelling every plant isn’t exercise, lol! Now that I’m home, I walk for exercise AND I walk with the dogs. Thank goodness the weather has been nice. Happy Spring!!! 🌸❤️

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