winter.

Last night we got at least a foot of snow.  

I'm in a funny place, where I can't say where I'll be in a month.  Classes will be ending in one week and I only have two more weeks in my apartment.  These deadlines are holding me and before I know it everything will be different.

kittens: the last two

                            

 Over the past few feeks I've had to say goodbye to 4 of the kittens.  Now there are two sweeties left, one with a home on the way, and one who's still looking for a home. They often sit in the windowsill like this, and I melt every single time.

one month old (kittttennnns!!)

 

 

I keep thinking the kittens can't get any cuter and then they do.  They stumble around with their oversized paws, starting to play with one another, and even respond with small, low purrs at being pet!  It's funny having 6 tiny, squeaky things wandering around my apartment, like the cutest infestation, and then there's the fun in looking for the corner of my place where they decided to make a sleeping kitten pileup.  And I've still got another month and a half of their growing up to witness!

my little place.

 I've settled in to this sweet little cottage behind a family's home! The place is the perfect size and makes me want to hibernate all winter instead of explore the island I just moved on to.  The family has been so accommodating and provided me with furniture and amenities from their home, and the first day I got here they even left fresh eggs (from their chickens??) on my doorstep!  They offered me space in their raised beds and it's fun passing their greenhouse of heirloom tomatoes to get into my place. Rowan is constantly purring and has begun her first exploration of the outdoors (she's pretty afraid of the chickens though).  It's still incredibly surreal that I live on an island on the other side of the continent, but this has been the perfect place to comfort me when I'm feeling so far from anything familiar.

indoors.

As the temperature drops in Vermont I've been spending more and more of my time cozied up in my little apartment.  Since my artisan bread making class has begun my days start so, so early and I leave each class with a quiet, tired, contentment.  Upon starting the class I imagined that once I got out for the day I would savor how much daytime I still had to go adventuring around, but I've really just done the exact opposite.  Instead I'm learning to appreciate the side of myself that really just loves to wrap up in a blanket with soup and a book.  It's ended up being a healthful acceptance, as someone who berrates herself for not constantly 'doing things',  I've found that taking lengthy moments to sit inside, enjoy a friend's company, or share pancakes, without some form of guilt afterwards, has ended up being one of the best things for me.  I appreciate the moments when I am outside much more and I'm more attentive to things like my neighbors indoor window boxes.  My place has a new, 'lived-in' feeling to it and coming back to it I can soak up smells from whatever the last meal I made was.  It's nice to occasionally tell the part of your mind that's buzzing with all the 'productive' ways you could be spending your time to quiet the heck down.

And, a couple of days ago I woke up to a window filled with falling snow c:

Rowan.

I've always (and still do) considered myself a dog person, but ever since getting a kitten I've become one of those people who takes 1,000 pictures of their cat. I'm discovering a whole new side of myself. But, when you come home and you find her sleeping in the sink or playing jack-in-the-box from a basket - how can you resist?  She's just so cute.  And doing homework/breakfast eating/all activities have become infinitely sweeter with a purring ball in my lap.

nesting.

...in ways like taking morning bike rides to pick wildflowers for my table and spending a bit too much time sitting around hanging out with Rowan - (who immediately eats the wildflowers upon my setting them on the table).

pancake morning.

Friday morning I hosted my first breakfast - and it wasn't just me and my kitten! I woke up early, put on some James Taylor/The B-52's and made strawberry & coconut pancakes for a new friend and an old friend.  The new friend even brought Vermont maple syrup like a local should. We sat on pillows in front of my window and laughed at my kitten (who's name is officially Rowan) for most of the breakfast.  It was the perfect apartment- warming gathering and I can now really say this place is starting to feel like home.