DISCONNECTED AND DISTRACTED

The days since Christmas and New Year's Day have passed quickly but they've not been without some frustration. Our internet connection was down for three days and I was having withdrawal. It didn't help that Glenn and I had both been sick and neither of us was very patient when it came to feeling better. He's back at work today and I'm finally feeling well enough to do laundry, pay bills, and take down Christmas decorations. It was fine to have left out the decorations since I actually appreciated the excuse to extend the holiday season. One thing that makes this recovery time easier is the fact I only have a few steps to travel outside to the barn in order to care for my cats. They're doing remarkably well and seem to be thriving in their new environment. Apparently the cats are more adaptable than I am, though I will admit this house fits us well and we're happy in our new place too. Over the weekend I ventured to the local drug store to pick up more cough medicine and Advil and noticed a parking lot full of cars at the Butter Street Barn, a quaintly painted yellow building filled to the brim with antiques, hand-crafted goods, and all sorts of vintage accessories. I've known about this wonderful place for years and used to shop there from time to time. For some reason I simply fell out of the habit of going there. The shop is a local fixture and the owner offers hometown hospitality. There was a "barn burning" sale in progress and I felt drawn to the event. The shop is just a stone's throw from the small grocery store where I do the weekly shopping. Maybe I'd been put off by the new (and somewhat inconvenient) entrance or the limited weekend-only hours, I'm not sure, but I know the barn was calling my name on Saturday. I was amazed at how the shop had changed for the better since I'd last been there. The owner told me which vendors offered sales and said she would work with me on prices for anything I might want. That was music to my ears and I shopped for over an hour. I'd been thinking about adding some inexpensive framed art or photos to the walls of the cat barn in order to cozy up the place so I had a good reason to browse, as if I needed one. The cats won't care about decorated walls, of course, but I'd like their new home to be a pleasant and fun area to visit. As my friend, Deanna, reminded me over the weekend, the cat barn is my substitute cabin for now and it's probably natural to want to do a little decorating in there. I was fortunate to not only find a few cat-related pieces at the Butter Street Barn, but also a few primitive items and one darling handmade old-quilt bear at a price I could not resist. I've made such bears myself but this one called to me and asked me to take her home. She's now sitting in the parlor on a small antique chair and looks at home there. I went back to the shop on Sunday with the hope of purchasing a quilt bear to display in the sunroom, but the shop was closed. I'll have to wait a whole week to go there again but maybe that will give my wallet time to recover. I must be feeling better since I'm ready to get busy decorating the cat rooms. It's always good to have something to anticipate and enjoy.