2015

All in all 2015 was a pretty good year. The year balance was regained in a way.

Finally the bathroom was finished. One huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

Diego

 Even the cats enjoy it.

There was a partial solar eclipse.

Philibert

Sadly Philibert died of a blocked bladder. He was such a sweet kitty. I miss having him cuddled against me all night.

Bruno

 Bruno the cat adopted me this year.

Pepita, la plus belle du monde

 Pepita was diagnosed with cancer. I am still  coping with that and trying to make the most of the time we have left together.

I went on a cool trip to the Puy-du-Fou in Vendée. Here ,here and here.

I opened a new shop: The Captain Cosmos

I renovated the  kitchen (and living room...still need to take photos of that)

I settled akward situations with old friends (situtations that were entirely my fault).
I saw a great Broadway musical (The Wizard of Oz), won an Ipad mini in a contest (that I traded for a dishwasher...yeah, I am boring).
I saw some great films: The Imitation Game,  Mad Max Fury Road and Bridge of Spies were my favorites.
Read some great books, I finished the whole "the Cat who..." series by Lillian Jackson Braun.
I did a lot of gardening...and actually enjoyed it.
And I had the worst case of ophtalmic migraine that lasted 2 weeks ><

But all in all, it was a happy year. Hoping for more of the same in 2016.
Happy New Year to all!

Partial solar eclipse

 It started with the hunt for solar eclipse glasses. They were sold out in shops but I knew I had some, somewhere, from the 1999 eclipse.
I looked and searched everywhere I could think of...then I gave up when the weather forecasts pretty much all agreed we  wouldn't be seeing anything due to fog.
Then around 4 am last night a weird buzzing sound woke me up. A loud, very loud sound to wake me up (I don't wear my hearing aid to sleep).
It was so loud, and so odd...at first I thought some planes were flying over the house again and again...then I figured it was a car in the street...But by then I was wide awake and had to investigate...especially since the cats were awake too and were all rushing out of the bedroom.
No, it was not some electrical malfunction, nor plane, nor car nor space alien, nor zombies...it was a HUGE fluffy bumblebee... I tried to catch it but Frank, the bug hunter, caught it first.
Well, there I was, awake in the middle of the night...considering whether it was a good idea to have breakfast that early...when I sudddenly remembered where those eclipse glasses were. And indeed, there they were, in one of the few boxes still not unpacked from the move ( huh, yes, OK, that was almost 6 years ago).
9.30 am...things didn't look too hopeful, foggy, cloudy sky...and then slowly the skies cleared...

The cats were not very interested. I can't blame them because a partial eclipse is not terribly spectacular...

Friday favorites

 My new agenda from Hema. They always have the best agendas...and super cheap too! And this one is all colorful inside, with stickes and little pockets to put stuff, little drawings of cameras, birds,plances, feathers. Love.

 At one point I'll need a Dr Who Monopoly, this one would do...

 A cute triceratops necklace by Zoozjewelry on Etsy. They also have other dinosaurs and bunnies and cats and bats and puppies and unicorns and dragons...

The coolest bubble wrap ever. Heart shaped bubbles. I never popping them, never. Probably from Afternoon Tea , but I am not sure, I got them in a package from my Japanese friend.

And if you've missed it, here's the coolest way to visit a house for sale. They actually built a roller coaster inside and outside the house. *mind blown*