Summer is speeding by before my eyes! It is amazing how fast it is going with all our activities keeping Pat & I so busy.
Since my last blog about the heat, temperatures have cooled off considerably. Can you believe we've had 50 degree nights in July! The days have been great also. Since the heat wave in June, we've had mainly SEVENTY and 80 degree days all month ... which has been wonderful, especially since we've had so much company!
I spent the last week of June and first few days of July getting ready for our 4th of July party. It is our one big party of the year ... with food & fireworks.
Pat & I went to Big Lots to get some kind of tent or cover for the patio table. On our way we spotted a place that sold gazebos and stopped there on our way out of town. We both fell in love with one of them and he talked me into buying it. It is beautiful! I'll have to share pictures of it on the blog soon. Everyone at the 4th of July party just loved it.
I served pulled pork and chicken salad on the 4th. Several people brought other goodies ... we had more than enough food. We had a good, if smaller group this year ... 13 people. Party-goers started arriving around 4:00 p.m. and Jim & Jackie were the last to leave around 2:00 a.m. Pat's son-in-law did the fireworks again this year and did a great job. I think most, if not all, had a great time. I know that I really enjoyed it.
Pat was off the week after the party. We spent three days putting CWF on the wood of the gazebo and then putting a layer of polyurethane on the floor, railings, benches and swing. We bought some seat cushions, three hanging baskets that I planted with impatients and begonias, a couple of flags with poles, rope lights for the ceiling, two tiki torches and some tables to finish it out. It looks beautiful. Pat and I will probably put another couple of coats of poly on the floor. Then all it needs is a weather vane on the cupola and it will be complete.
The following weekend Jim & Jackie came over to see what we had done with the gazebo and for some Chinese food. This time it was I who had the "laughter headache" after they left. The guys are just so funny when they get together. Jackie swears they give her a stroke from all the laughter.
Last weekend it was a visit from the "hair-lip dogs", as Pat calls them. The two Mark's came to visit on Saturday and I got to meet them for the first time. They have been friends with Pat for years. The last time Pat saw them was last year's fishing trip ... and I stayed home to hold down the "fort." We sat in the gazebo, listening to music, while the guys drank beer, then they went out back for some target practice. It was great to meet them and I hope we can get together again soon.
Pat's daughter, son-in-law, and 3 adorable grandchildren came out for the day last Sunday. Those children are just precious. I always enjoy when they come out. It is so much fun to spend time with Pat's daughter and her family. As you can imagine, we spent almost the whole day in the gazebo while the children scampered around with all the energy that children have. I think those three were worn out by the time they left ... I know that Pat & I were, LOL.
Tomorrow Pat & I will be doing yard work and putting more poly on the floor of the gazebo. Saturday is Pat's neice's wedding and his two oldest grandchildren are in the wedding party, so we are off for St. Louis for the day. I bet those two are going to look adorable!
I hope we have a weekend soon when we can rest! Although I do enjoy spending time with friends and Pat's family, it is exhausting. Although right now I am wondering what Jim & Jackie are doing on the first ... hmmmmmm. I must be a glutton for punishment, but summer is flying so we need to make the most of it while we can. We can always rest in the winter, LOL.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
It is hot!
Summer is upon us with a vengeance. I cooked outside yesterday to keep the heat out of the house ... thick pork chops on the barbecue grill. The butter that I used to sauté my broccoli, mushroom and onion dish melted before I turned the heat on the burner on the grill.
I also did some planting outside yesterday ... I know it's late, but the plants were on sale for 50 cents for a four pack. I came in drenched like I had taken a plunge in the creek! I don't think it would be so bad if it wasn't for the humidity. It was like a sauna outside ... even at 9:00 p.m.!
It is 93 outside right now with a heat index of 110. I'm staying inside where it is cool!
The view outside my kitchen window has changed so much over the past couple of months ... now all I see is a sea of life ... green, growing plants (some in bloom) and a wide variety of birds in all shapes and sizes at our feeders including our hummingbirds. Sometimes in the evenings, a frog or rabbit will hop across my field of vision.
As I look out the window, much of my view of the yard is obscured by the Bradford Pears. They have grown so much in the past year. Now they almost canopy the steps. I only catch glimpses of the yard through the leaves, but there is enough open area where I can see the waterfall, although it is slowly being blocked by the hollyhock I planted last year. I can also see the end of the garden where the corn is growing tall. While I wash dishes, I can see the bounty of my labors as hummingbirds flit across the porch and land on the feeders. Every now and then I will catch a glimpse of a goldfinch or indigo bunting as it flies over to get the thistle in the feeder near the new beds. Redbirds visit that area too to get a taste of my homemade no-melt suet that hangs under the thistle feeder.
I have been busy during the spring. As I mentioned earlier, I cleared off part of our hillside and Pat & I threw out flower and wildflower seeds. So far it is full of what looks like weeds, but a few flowers are peeking through. Next year it should be beautiful. Just like the cliff behind the house ... the seeds we threw out last year have put on some pretty beautiful blooms this year.
The former brick grill in the corner of the property is now full of ferns and hostas, as is two left over chunks of concrete (many years ago the property was a gas station). I've only had a couple of problems with the brick grill ... a chipmunk thought it would be a great place to build it's burrow ... until it dug down and hit the rock I hand lined the bottom with for drainage purposes. It didn't give up but tried a second time ... or some other chipmunk tried. I've now planted that poor hosta twice since it was originally planted.
Pat still talks about our trip to Bayer's Nursery that I mentioned earlier. He had promised me this trip last year and then didn't take me until I begged. I only insisted because I really wanted herbs, a weigela bush and a butterfly bush for the yard. I found out why only after the trip.
Pat & I were in Bayer's huge greenhouse. I was looking at herbs for the new herb garden that I had put in and he wandered off to look at the banana trees. When I went to find him, he was gone. A friendly employee asked if he could help me, but unfortunately had not a clue where my errant fiancée had gone. I went outside and looked around but did not spot him until I looked toward the truck where he and two other employees were filling the truck bed with ONE HUGE banana tree. We have now built a new planter to house a banana tree next to my two new flower beds. Pat has repeatedly said in the past couple of months ... "I told you not to go to Bayers".
As I mentioned earlier, I put in two new flower beds. I lined the front of one of the beds with rock from the cliff in the back ... which was a chore in itself.
I also discovered a couple of things putting in that flower bed. One was that a total of 40 bags with 40 pounds each of top soil, manure mix, peat & bark mulch will fill the bed of the truck to the point where I had to get the tires filled to get home. The second light bulb moment came just as I finished the last flower bed and I thought to myself "What was I thinking?!?! Now I have two more areas to weed!” The final realizations came the next day after I had unloaded the truck and then moved all the bags to where I wanted them in my our new flower bed (Pat was at work and I wanted to surprise him the next day) ... I'm not as young as I once was and I wished we hadn't already drained the hot tub!
Oh well, with the hostas, sweet william, banana tree and elephant ears in the beds are already beautiful. The magnolia tree, which is in bloom, offers the hostas plenty of shade. The sweet citrusy fragrance of the blooms are an added bonus when I walk between the beds. The seeds that I threw out are growing too. The only problem is my "old-timers" disease has kicked in and, other than the cosmos, sunflowers and salvia, I can't quite remember what I threw in there. I just hope I didn't pull up anything I planted while I was pulling up those weeds!
The garden is starting to put on vegetables. The strawberries put on a couple of handfuls ... some eaten straight off the vine ... and are beginning to bloom again. I've already picked some banana peppers and we've eaten more than our share of radishes in the past few weeks. I've also added some lettuce from the garden to our salads each week.
My cantaloupes are blooming and the watermelon are spreading their wings and starting to vine out in the garden. Snow peas are grasping at the trellis and starting to climb to the top. Small yellow squash are growing with their blooms hanging onto the ends for dear life. Finger-sized cucumbers are on the vine and I spotted one nice sized cucumber for a salad this weekend. The dill is really growing and should be ready shortly for the dill pickles that I plan to make.
It looks like a pan of fried green tomatoes may only be about a week away. Numerous small green tomatoes and yellow blooms are loading up our vines. I've already been searching through my magazines for recipe ideas on what to do with our overabundant crop ... salsa, tomato relish, spaghetti sauce, and, of course, cans of stewed tomatoes for next winter's meals.
Although the corn is only up to waist and knee high now, I can hardly wait to bite into the sweet corn it will produce. I tried to buy some the other day, but our local fruit & vegetable market isn't carrying any ... to high at $1.00 per ear.
One fly in the ointment is the amount of weeds I need to pull at the corn end of the garden. I pretty much have the rest of it under partial control. This year I have laid a plastic garden cloth between the rows to help a bit, however there is still a lot of weeding to do and it is just so darn hot! I really need to get them pulled so I can plant my pumpkin seeds.
If all the above is not enough, we've also added a weeping cherry tree (it is about three foot high, but growing) that I found for a great price on ebay. Pat also bought some honeysuckle bushes which turned out to be not as great a deal as we first thought, but some of them have survived and are putting on branches. I have surrounded all the trees with hollyhock seeds, some of which have started to grow. They will be really beautiful next year ... like the ones I planted last year.
In all the hours of outside labor, Tux has been my constant companion and "supervisor". He always seems to know when I need a break and comes over to sit in my lap for a pet, then wanders off a few feet to lay down. He then turns to look at me as if to say "get back to work" ... LOL.
As you can see, there has been good reason to be so neglectful of my poor blog ... hours and hours of outside chores have consumed my days. There has been very few hours to leisure to go "chasing butterflies", but I still managed to catch a few pictures which I have shared with you below ... along with other pictures of my labors.
All of the above leaves the hours after dark for getting my other chores done ... such as cleaning house which I should be doing right now, but I'm procrastinating, as usual. Maybe now that the heat is keeping me inside later and later in the afternoon, I can play a bit of catch-up with other things.
I also did some planting outside yesterday ... I know it's late, but the plants were on sale for 50 cents for a four pack. I came in drenched like I had taken a plunge in the creek! I don't think it would be so bad if it wasn't for the humidity. It was like a sauna outside ... even at 9:00 p.m.!
It is 93 outside right now with a heat index of 110. I'm staying inside where it is cool!
The view outside my kitchen window has changed so much over the past couple of months ... now all I see is a sea of life ... green, growing plants (some in bloom) and a wide variety of birds in all shapes and sizes at our feeders including our hummingbirds. Sometimes in the evenings, a frog or rabbit will hop across my field of vision.
As I look out the window, much of my view of the yard is obscured by the Bradford Pears. They have grown so much in the past year. Now they almost canopy the steps. I only catch glimpses of the yard through the leaves, but there is enough open area where I can see the waterfall, although it is slowly being blocked by the hollyhock I planted last year. I can also see the end of the garden where the corn is growing tall. While I wash dishes, I can see the bounty of my labors as hummingbirds flit across the porch and land on the feeders. Every now and then I will catch a glimpse of a goldfinch or indigo bunting as it flies over to get the thistle in the feeder near the new beds. Redbirds visit that area too to get a taste of my homemade no-melt suet that hangs under the thistle feeder.
I have been busy during the spring. As I mentioned earlier, I cleared off part of our hillside and Pat & I threw out flower and wildflower seeds. So far it is full of what looks like weeds, but a few flowers are peeking through. Next year it should be beautiful. Just like the cliff behind the house ... the seeds we threw out last year have put on some pretty beautiful blooms this year.
The former brick grill in the corner of the property is now full of ferns and hostas, as is two left over chunks of concrete (many years ago the property was a gas station). I've only had a couple of problems with the brick grill ... a chipmunk thought it would be a great place to build it's burrow ... until it dug down and hit the rock I hand lined the bottom with for drainage purposes. It didn't give up but tried a second time ... or some other chipmunk tried. I've now planted that poor hosta twice since it was originally planted.
Pat still talks about our trip to Bayer's Nursery that I mentioned earlier. He had promised me this trip last year and then didn't take me until I begged. I only insisted because I really wanted herbs, a weigela bush and a butterfly bush for the yard. I found out why only after the trip.
Pat & I were in Bayer's huge greenhouse. I was looking at herbs for the new herb garden that I had put in and he wandered off to look at the banana trees. When I went to find him, he was gone. A friendly employee asked if he could help me, but unfortunately had not a clue where my errant fiancée had gone. I went outside and looked around but did not spot him until I looked toward the truck where he and two other employees were filling the truck bed with ONE HUGE banana tree. We have now built a new planter to house a banana tree next to my two new flower beds. Pat has repeatedly said in the past couple of months ... "I told you not to go to Bayers".
As I mentioned earlier, I put in two new flower beds. I lined the front of one of the beds with rock from the cliff in the back ... which was a chore in itself.
I also discovered a couple of things putting in that flower bed. One was that a total of 40 bags with 40 pounds each of top soil, manure mix, peat & bark mulch will fill the bed of the truck to the point where I had to get the tires filled to get home. The second light bulb moment came just as I finished the last flower bed and I thought to myself "What was I thinking?!?! Now I have two more areas to weed!” The final realizations came the next day after I had unloaded the truck and then moved all the bags to where I wanted them in my our new flower bed (Pat was at work and I wanted to surprise him the next day) ... I'm not as young as I once was and I wished we hadn't already drained the hot tub!
Oh well, with the hostas, sweet william, banana tree and elephant ears in the beds are already beautiful. The magnolia tree, which is in bloom, offers the hostas plenty of shade. The sweet citrusy fragrance of the blooms are an added bonus when I walk between the beds. The seeds that I threw out are growing too. The only problem is my "old-timers" disease has kicked in and, other than the cosmos, sunflowers and salvia, I can't quite remember what I threw in there. I just hope I didn't pull up anything I planted while I was pulling up those weeds!
The garden is starting to put on vegetables. The strawberries put on a couple of handfuls ... some eaten straight off the vine ... and are beginning to bloom again. I've already picked some banana peppers and we've eaten more than our share of radishes in the past few weeks. I've also added some lettuce from the garden to our salads each week.
My cantaloupes are blooming and the watermelon are spreading their wings and starting to vine out in the garden. Snow peas are grasping at the trellis and starting to climb to the top. Small yellow squash are growing with their blooms hanging onto the ends for dear life. Finger-sized cucumbers are on the vine and I spotted one nice sized cucumber for a salad this weekend. The dill is really growing and should be ready shortly for the dill pickles that I plan to make.
It looks like a pan of fried green tomatoes may only be about a week away. Numerous small green tomatoes and yellow blooms are loading up our vines. I've already been searching through my magazines for recipe ideas on what to do with our overabundant crop ... salsa, tomato relish, spaghetti sauce, and, of course, cans of stewed tomatoes for next winter's meals.
Although the corn is only up to waist and knee high now, I can hardly wait to bite into the sweet corn it will produce. I tried to buy some the other day, but our local fruit & vegetable market isn't carrying any ... to high at $1.00 per ear.
One fly in the ointment is the amount of weeds I need to pull at the corn end of the garden. I pretty much have the rest of it under partial control. This year I have laid a plastic garden cloth between the rows to help a bit, however there is still a lot of weeding to do and it is just so darn hot! I really need to get them pulled so I can plant my pumpkin seeds.
If all the above is not enough, we've also added a weeping cherry tree (it is about three foot high, but growing) that I found for a great price on ebay. Pat also bought some honeysuckle bushes which turned out to be not as great a deal as we first thought, but some of them have survived and are putting on branches. I have surrounded all the trees with hollyhock seeds, some of which have started to grow. They will be really beautiful next year ... like the ones I planted last year.
In all the hours of outside labor, Tux has been my constant companion and "supervisor". He always seems to know when I need a break and comes over to sit in my lap for a pet, then wanders off a few feet to lay down. He then turns to look at me as if to say "get back to work" ... LOL.
As you can see, there has been good reason to be so neglectful of my poor blog ... hours and hours of outside chores have consumed my days. There has been very few hours to leisure to go "chasing butterflies", but I still managed to catch a few pictures which I have shared with you below ... along with other pictures of my labors.
All of the above leaves the hours after dark for getting my other chores done ... such as cleaning house which I should be doing right now, but I'm procrastinating, as usual. Maybe now that the heat is keeping me inside later and later in the afternoon, I can play a bit of catch-up with other things.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Moaning and Groaning.
I'm moaning and groaning a bit tonight ... feeling every one of my years and every one of my muscles in my back ... although the hot tub helped. I've been working on the hillside that goes from the front of the property toward the back of the house. I started on it about a month ago, but still had over three hours of work to finish it ... which I did tonight. I still have a bit of cleanup, which I plan to do in the morning.
I'll have to get pictures of it later, although it's behind these forsythia and the blooming pear tree in this picture. You can see it is pretty much a mess ... or was. The State Park is on the other side of our property line and there are a lot of brush and downed trees on their side too. It is a mess ... overgrown with small trees and grape vines. I wanted to clean up our side, so it would get more sunlight. Pat and I threw out some wildflowers seeds on our side of the hill this weekend, but it still needed several hours of work to be cleared.
One of the trees we cut down was a thorn tree. I'm not sure what it was. Pat cut it down weeks ago, but I had to chop it up to get it out of there. I hauled it to the brush pile in the back using the 6-wheeler. That tree ate me up ... I have all sorts of punctures from it's long thorns, but I'll get the pleasure of seeing it burn.
Tux came home calling for me while I was still hard at work. He couldn't figure out where I was, since I wasn't in my "usual" area of the yard. He usually has found me out front where I put in a herb bed last week. He and I have already gone a couple of rounds about THAT bed, since he thought it would make a great litter box.
Tonight, after I finished hauling the last batch of stuff to the brush pile and put my tools and the 6-wheeler away, Tux and I once again enjoyed some time sitting together in the rocking chair on the porch and "talking" as I relaxed after a hard day's work. It's so wonderful to once again feel that peace as he purrs in my lap and we "talk".
Pat has even taken to Tux. He doesn't fuss when I pick him up any more and even reached down to pet him this past weekend. He thinks Tux is "ok". High praise from a man who hates cats.
Tux's leg is pretty well mended, although he walks with a limp and always will. His tail is another matter. It hangs limp with a bunch of hair gone. I never did manage to get him to the vet. Still, he manages to climb the stairs to the porch and can get up the hill behind the house ... something that I can't do, with good legs. He walks up the cliff at an angle until he gets to the cedar tree at the right of the picture, than scrambles up the rest of the way.
Of course, I'm not moving all the swift tonight anyway. I'm sore from all the work I did today. Hopefully my long soak in the hot tub and the Ibuprofin that I took will help me be able to sleep tonight. I know you aren't supposed to stay in the hot tub for very long, but I like heat (maybe because of my south Texas heritage). I turned the hot tub up to 101 and stayed in for a half hour.
I'm not sure what project I'll start on tomorrow, once the hillside is cleared a bit more. I have so many projects in the yard that I want to get done before it gets too hot.
Pat and I went to Bayer's Nursery this past weekend and I bought a couple of bushes ... a butterfly bush and a varigated weigela. Pat is going to put the auger on the tractor this weekend for us to plant them. We're also going to head back to Bayers for more bushes to plant along the wood fence at the front of the property ... which means I might dig up the rose bushes we have there and move them to the beds in the front.
I also want to fix our walkway to the driveway and wood burner. It's a mess from the Spring rains. While I'm at it, I want to turn the area between the walkway and the house into a cottage-type flower garden.
Then there is the area in front of the "wall". Pat bought a HUGE banana tree. That tree is over 8 feet tall. Right now it's in the garage, but Pat is going to build a planter for it next to the concrete patio area. I plan to make a bed in the same area by bricking in a portion and filling it with fresh dirt and mulch. I'll plant some bushes and perennials in the new bed. In front of that I'm going to put in some type of area for us to sit, either using flat rocks or pavers ... I haven't decided which or when ... and a waterfall. I may wait on that last two project for a while.
If those aren't enough chores, I also want to shovel up some of the debris from the cliff in the back. A bunch of the rock has fallen down and I want to shovel it into some of the area that is low and holding water, that is if I don't just dig up the area that is holding water and make it into a pond.
Sigh ... Just thinking about all the things I have planned is making me tired, LOL. I guess it's time for bed. I'll rest a bit before Pat gets home a little after 3:00 a.m.
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I'll have to get pictures of it later, although it's behind these forsythia and the blooming pear tree in this picture. You can see it is pretty much a mess ... or was. The State Park is on the other side of our property line and there are a lot of brush and downed trees on their side too. It is a mess ... overgrown with small trees and grape vines. I wanted to clean up our side, so it would get more sunlight. Pat and I threw out some wildflowers seeds on our side of the hill this weekend, but it still needed several hours of work to be cleared.
One of the trees we cut down was a thorn tree. I'm not sure what it was. Pat cut it down weeks ago, but I had to chop it up to get it out of there. I hauled it to the brush pile in the back using the 6-wheeler. That tree ate me up ... I have all sorts of punctures from it's long thorns, but I'll get the pleasure of seeing it burn.
Tux came home calling for me while I was still hard at work. He couldn't figure out where I was, since I wasn't in my "usual" area of the yard. He usually has found me out front where I put in a herb bed last week. He and I have already gone a couple of rounds about THAT bed, since he thought it would make a great litter box.
Tonight, after I finished hauling the last batch of stuff to the brush pile and put my tools and the 6-wheeler away, Tux and I once again enjoyed some time sitting together in the rocking chair on the porch and "talking" as I relaxed after a hard day's work. It's so wonderful to once again feel that peace as he purrs in my lap and we "talk".
Pat has even taken to Tux. He doesn't fuss when I pick him up any more and even reached down to pet him this past weekend. He thinks Tux is "ok". High praise from a man who hates cats.
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Tux's leg is pretty well mended, although he walks with a limp and always will. His tail is another matter. It hangs limp with a bunch of hair gone. I never did manage to get him to the vet. Still, he manages to climb the stairs to the porch and can get up the hill behind the house ... something that I can't do, with good legs. He walks up the cliff at an angle until he gets to the cedar tree at the right of the picture, than scrambles up the rest of the way.
Of course, I'm not moving all the swift tonight anyway. I'm sore from all the work I did today. Hopefully my long soak in the hot tub and the Ibuprofin that I took will help me be able to sleep tonight. I know you aren't supposed to stay in the hot tub for very long, but I like heat (maybe because of my south Texas heritage). I turned the hot tub up to 101 and stayed in for a half hour.
I'm not sure what project I'll start on tomorrow, once the hillside is cleared a bit more. I have so many projects in the yard that I want to get done before it gets too hot.
Pat and I went to Bayer's Nursery this past weekend and I bought a couple of bushes ... a butterfly bush and a varigated weigela. Pat is going to put the auger on the tractor this weekend for us to plant them. We're also going to head back to Bayers for more bushes to plant along the wood fence at the front of the property ... which means I might dig up the rose bushes we have there and move them to the beds in the front.
I also want to fix our walkway to the driveway and wood burner. It's a mess from the Spring rains. While I'm at it, I want to turn the area between the walkway and the house into a cottage-type flower garden.
Then there is the area in front of the "wall". Pat bought a HUGE banana tree. That tree is over 8 feet tall. Right now it's in the garage, but Pat is going to build a planter for it next to the concrete patio area. I plan to make a bed in the same area by bricking in a portion and filling it with fresh dirt and mulch. I'll plant some bushes and perennials in the new bed. In front of that I'm going to put in some type of area for us to sit, either using flat rocks or pavers ... I haven't decided which or when ... and a waterfall. I may wait on that last two project for a while.
If those aren't enough chores, I also want to shovel up some of the debris from the cliff in the back. A bunch of the rock has fallen down and I want to shovel it into some of the area that is low and holding water, that is if I don't just dig up the area that is holding water and make it into a pond.
Sigh ... Just thinking about all the things I have planned is making me tired, LOL. I guess it's time for bed. I'll rest a bit before Pat gets home a little after 3:00 a.m.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Happy Birthday to me!
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Jim & Jackie came over Saturday afternoon and stayed until midnight. Just their presence was enough to make it a great birthday party, but they also brought a beautiful decorated birthday cake and wonderful gifts! Jackie has this special knack of picking out just the right gifts! She always seems to know just what I like.
It was a beautiful day outside, if somewhat windy. Pat got the music going in the garage and I barbecued some porterhouse steaks, baked some potatoes and made a salad. Pat & Jim listened to the music in the garage to get the full effect of the pulsing music, while Jackie and I sat on the back porch swing and talked while I barbecued the steaks. When they were done we headed inside to sit around the table and enjoy our meal ... and each other.
We had a wonderful time (as usual), filled with a lot of laughter. The guys are just so funny! Jackie says that Jim & Pat remind her of the movie "Grumpy Old Men". She also says that Pat is a lot like comedian Ron White ... and I agree. Jackie and my stomachs always hurt at the end of an evening from laughing so much at those two.
One of the best parts of my birthday celebration came as we were finishing up our meal. An uninvited, but very much missed, guest appeared coming down the driveway ... TUX!
Pat was the first one who spotted him. He said "there's Tux" and, as I got up to welcome Tux home, he said "Happy Birthday" ... and it WAS a very happy birthday present for me. I admit I had tears in my eyes as I rushed outside.
Tux came limping up to me as I went out to the driveway to greet him. As I picked him up, he started "talking" and telling me all about his adventures. I admit that I half-heartedly scolded him for worrying me for 8 very long days. I am still worried because he has lost so much weight. Poor Tux was starving and ate three bowls of food before settling down in his cat house to take a much needed nap.
Our evening continued after Tux's homecoming and all of us took turns going out to check on him. I think Jim & Jackie agree that Tux is a special cat. I know that Pat does because he said at one point in the evening that "Tux is ok." High praise from a man who claims to hate cats, LOL.
One thing happened Saturday night that brought home to me just how lucky Tux was to be alive. Pat went out on the back porch late in the evening and was surprised by the howl of a coyote just up the hill a few yards from the house. Pat came in and got his shotgun and he and Jim went back outside. Of course by that time, the coyote was gone, but Pat fired off a couple of rounds to make sure that the coyote kept traveling away from the house.
I still have not been able to get Tux to a vet. He shows up in the evenings and goes missing during the days. His leg is definitely broken and his tail. I doubt the vet will be able to do much, other than amputate ... yes, the breaks are that bad. His paw and the last half of his tail hang limp. How he manages to get around so well is beyond me and he doesn't show any signs of pain. He has even mastered the trick of getting up and down on the front porch, by way of the narrow brick ledge that runs around the house.
As I said in my earlier post, Tux has heart. Right now he is outside in his cat house, which is now layered with two thick bath towels and well insulated with a blanket and one of Pat's old jackets, snoozing after eating some cat food and left-over porterhouse steak from my birthday celebration. I think I've checked on him about a half-dozen times tonight. The last time I checked on him, he poked his head out for me to pet him and purred for all he was worth. Is it any wonder he has stolen my heart?
I don't remember the last time in my life I had a birthday party. I know it had to have been years ago, maybe in my 20s. However, I do know it could not possibly have been as great as this one ... wonderful friends, lots of laughter, the man that I love ... and Tux! What a fantastic 52nd birthday!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Spring has Sprung
Old man winter is being pushed out, kicking and screaming by Springtime. We had snow this past weekend, but the Spring sunshine didn't let it last long. Everything is beginning to bloom and I'm spending more and more time outside these days ... working and playing ... which just means I have less time to spend at the computer.
These days if it is above 50 degress, I'm outside!
I have taken a few photos of the beauty of Spring at our country home .... here are a few:
These days if it is above 50 degress, I'm outside!
I have taken a few photos of the beauty of Spring at our country home .... here are a few:
Tux is gone.
Friday night Pat and I went out to the garage and got a receiver going so we could play music when we are outside. All the while Tux wandered around the garage and I kept an eye on him like a mother hen, afraid he would get hurt among all the stuff. About 20 minutes before we went back inside, I saw him wander on out the garage door. Just in case, I called to him before we closed the garage door and he didn’t answer.
About an hour later, around midnight, I took Spike out to do her business and found Tux lying on the walkway with an injured foot. Somehow he had answered my earlier call, even though he could barely walk. His back leg was bleeding and possibly broken. Since it was so late, the only thing I could do was gently pick him up and put him in his bed by the front door, with food and water. Worried about him, I didn’t sleep well that night and checked on him several times during the night and in the early morning. He was still there at 6:30 a.m. When I looked out he looked up to me, with a pain in his eyes that broke my heart. When I went out again at 9:00, he was gone.
Perhaps I should have put him in a carrier for a ride to the vet on Saturday, but I didn’t. It is a fact I have come to regret. I didn’t think he could go far with his injury and I just couldn’t bring myself to put him in a cage, even for his own good. Now I will have to live with “what ifs” and feelings that I somehow let him down.
It is amazing how Tux had become such a big part of my life in such a short time. Perhaps it was because he reminded me so much of Loverboy, who I was blessed to have for 22 years before old age claimed him. Tux was another of those rare animals that could worm his way into your heart almost instantly with more heart and personality than you will find in most people. He knew how to love and show that love and I was very blessed to have him in my life, even for such a short time. The people who “threw him away” did not realize what a treasure they had.
In only a month, Tux and I had already established a morning and evening ritual. He would always come running when I called … no matter where he was on the property. I’d hear his cry first, and then there he would be dashing out from under the groundcover surrounding the property, coming down the hill behind the house or walking a tightrope on the bricks surrounding the house as he made his way to the front porch. Although a lot of the time he would show up on his own, especially when he was hungry. If I went back inside after I put food out, he’d cry and go from door to door to try to coax me back out so we could “talk”.
As spring has taken more of a hold in the past few weeks, I would often go outside to wander the yard, with Tux as my shadow, as we looked at the tulips, daffodils, crocus and the blooming of the pear trees. Whenever I barbecued, he was there on the back porch, sunning himself and hoping for a "taste". If I was working outside, he’d follow me around the yard until my chores were done, often playfully rolling on the concrete to get my attention. Then I’d pick him up, climb the steps and sit down in the rocking chair on the porch with Tux in my lap. He would give me kisses by rubbing his cheek into mine and spend time purring in my lap while I petted him, rocked, and enjoyed the Spring beauty that was coming to life before our eyes. Those were some of the most peaceful, soul-satisfying times of my day. Now they are gone.
As I started photographing the signs of spring, Tux has had more pictures taken of him than I have ever taken of now 21 year old Brat. I have a whole folder of Tux at his best … lying on the porch, napping in his cat bed by the door, surveying his domain, rolling in the dirt, stalking his prey and more.
Still, even though my head knows he is gone, my heart refuses to let hope die. The memory of an old movie from childhood, “The Three Lives of Thomasina” has been much on my mind the past few days. I live in hope that Tux has not used up all of his nine lives and is out there … somewhere … alive.
Whatever the reason, each morning and evening, I go out and call for him … “kitty, kitty, Tux!” Over and over I call, each time pausing to listen for his faint cry, a sign that he’s heard and is on his way home … a cry that I heard daily for a month and now long for each and every day. I listen closely ... past the tinkling sound of the wind chimes and the croaking of the frogs in the creek. I listen past the sound of the wind in the trees and the songs of the birds and I hear … silence … a silence that cuts into my heart like a knife.
I wander the property. Looking for a flash of black anywhere among the trees. There are times when I am outside that I even think I hear a faint echo of his cry. When that happens, I have to stop as my heart leaps, only to have the breath snatched from my body and big fat tears roll down my cheeks when I realize it was only a trick of the wind.
It doesn’t seem quite fair that I should have two beautiful springs in a row that are so bittersweet. Somehow this one seems worse than the last. At least Loverboy died in my arms surrounded by my love. My biggest fear and greatest pain is that if Tux is truly gone, and, if he is, that he probably died cold, alone, hungry and in pain. What a bitter irony that the very predators that I predicted would take some of the feral cats could possibly be the fate of Tux.
About an hour later, around midnight, I took Spike out to do her business and found Tux lying on the walkway with an injured foot. Somehow he had answered my earlier call, even though he could barely walk. His back leg was bleeding and possibly broken. Since it was so late, the only thing I could do was gently pick him up and put him in his bed by the front door, with food and water. Worried about him, I didn’t sleep well that night and checked on him several times during the night and in the early morning. He was still there at 6:30 a.m. When I looked out he looked up to me, with a pain in his eyes that broke my heart. When I went out again at 9:00, he was gone.
Perhaps I should have put him in a carrier for a ride to the vet on Saturday, but I didn’t. It is a fact I have come to regret. I didn’t think he could go far with his injury and I just couldn’t bring myself to put him in a cage, even for his own good. Now I will have to live with “what ifs” and feelings that I somehow let him down.
It is amazing how Tux had become such a big part of my life in such a short time. Perhaps it was because he reminded me so much of Loverboy, who I was blessed to have for 22 years before old age claimed him. Tux was another of those rare animals that could worm his way into your heart almost instantly with more heart and personality than you will find in most people. He knew how to love and show that love and I was very blessed to have him in my life, even for such a short time. The people who “threw him away” did not realize what a treasure they had.
In only a month, Tux and I had already established a morning and evening ritual. He would always come running when I called … no matter where he was on the property. I’d hear his cry first, and then there he would be dashing out from under the groundcover surrounding the property, coming down the hill behind the house or walking a tightrope on the bricks surrounding the house as he made his way to the front porch. Although a lot of the time he would show up on his own, especially when he was hungry. If I went back inside after I put food out, he’d cry and go from door to door to try to coax me back out so we could “talk”.
As spring has taken more of a hold in the past few weeks, I would often go outside to wander the yard, with Tux as my shadow, as we looked at the tulips, daffodils, crocus and the blooming of the pear trees. Whenever I barbecued, he was there on the back porch, sunning himself and hoping for a "taste". If I was working outside, he’d follow me around the yard until my chores were done, often playfully rolling on the concrete to get my attention. Then I’d pick him up, climb the steps and sit down in the rocking chair on the porch with Tux in my lap. He would give me kisses by rubbing his cheek into mine and spend time purring in my lap while I petted him, rocked, and enjoyed the Spring beauty that was coming to life before our eyes. Those were some of the most peaceful, soul-satisfying times of my day. Now they are gone.
As I started photographing the signs of spring, Tux has had more pictures taken of him than I have ever taken of now 21 year old Brat. I have a whole folder of Tux at his best … lying on the porch, napping in his cat bed by the door, surveying his domain, rolling in the dirt, stalking his prey and more.
Still, even though my head knows he is gone, my heart refuses to let hope die. The memory of an old movie from childhood, “The Three Lives of Thomasina” has been much on my mind the past few days. I live in hope that Tux has not used up all of his nine lives and is out there … somewhere … alive.
Whatever the reason, each morning and evening, I go out and call for him … “kitty, kitty, Tux!” Over and over I call, each time pausing to listen for his faint cry, a sign that he’s heard and is on his way home … a cry that I heard daily for a month and now long for each and every day. I listen closely ... past the tinkling sound of the wind chimes and the croaking of the frogs in the creek. I listen past the sound of the wind in the trees and the songs of the birds and I hear … silence … a silence that cuts into my heart like a knife.
I wander the property. Looking for a flash of black anywhere among the trees. There are times when I am outside that I even think I hear a faint echo of his cry. When that happens, I have to stop as my heart leaps, only to have the breath snatched from my body and big fat tears roll down my cheeks when I realize it was only a trick of the wind.
It doesn’t seem quite fair that I should have two beautiful springs in a row that are so bittersweet. Somehow this one seems worse than the last. At least Loverboy died in my arms surrounded by my love. My biggest fear and greatest pain is that if Tux is truly gone, and, if he is, that he probably died cold, alone, hungry and in pain. What a bitter irony that the very predators that I predicted would take some of the feral cats could possibly be the fate of Tux.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
It was a busy ... and fun ... weekend
Which is amazing when you consider we went to a kind of wake on Saturday with Jim & Jackie. A friend of Jim, Jackie & Pat's died several weeks ago of cancer. Jim & Jackie were neighbors of Jeanine for many years and Pat has known Jeanine for over 30 years and even worked with her at one point. Jeanine's family had a "celebration of her life" at noon on Saturday in St. Louis. Jim & Jackie picked us up just after 10:30 for the drive to St. Louis.
When I go, that's what I want ... a party just like Jeanine's. There was barbecue, desserts, drinks and beer. A lot of pictures and remembering times with Jeanine ... and a lot of laughter and no tears. I know Jeanine was looking down lifting a glass of beer going "yeah!"
Afterwards the four of us drove back here to visit with Jeanine's family for a bit, then we headed for the bar to celebrate Jackie's birthday, which was last week. Jackie and I don't drink, but the guys enjoyed a few beers, well maybe more than a few.
I even "played" a game of darts with Pat as my partner. Although "playing" might be too generous of a word for what I was doing. Pat kept telling me that we needed a 16 or 19 or whatever number. I don't think I ever managed to get through to him that I was doing good to get my darts to stick in the center of the target ... anywhere in the center of the target. It was only the third time I have ever thrown darts in my life. Nevertheless, due to Pat's champion dart throwing, we actually did win at least one game.
After darts Jackie and I played pool ... while the guys caught up on their beer and shared some "conversation". Now pool is right down my alley. However, I'm horribly rusty. I haven't played in over 15 years. It's hard to believe that I once owned my own cue stick (lost in one of my moves) and used to play pool on an almost daily basis in my 20s and early 30s. I used to be quite good at one time ... something I'm not right now, at least not on a bar pool table (I used to play regulation tables and there is a difference).
As always, the day spent with our friends was full of laughter, although the biggest laugh came when we arrived home after midnight. In matter of fact, Jackie called today and we shared a laugh as we remembered what happened. Jackie and I helped Pat out of Bob (their affectionate name for their vehicle) at the end of the evening. Suddenly Pat started going backwards and Jackie and I grabbed for his each of his arms. At one point Pat was leaning at about a 45 degree angle before Jackie and I managed to get him upright. He called out to Jim that he had been floating and two angels lifted him, LOL.
With that kind of day on Saturday, Sunday was a bit slower. Even though I didn't drink, I was still moving a bit slow after such an eventful Saturday. Pat and I did do some work out in the yard ... getting ready for Spring planting.
Monday was my usual hectic day full of errands and chores. I fell into an exhausted sleep much earlier than usual ... which is where I'm headed right now.
When I go, that's what I want ... a party just like Jeanine's. There was barbecue, desserts, drinks and beer. A lot of pictures and remembering times with Jeanine ... and a lot of laughter and no tears. I know Jeanine was looking down lifting a glass of beer going "yeah!"
Afterwards the four of us drove back here to visit with Jeanine's family for a bit, then we headed for the bar to celebrate Jackie's birthday, which was last week. Jackie and I don't drink, but the guys enjoyed a few beers, well maybe more than a few.
I even "played" a game of darts with Pat as my partner. Although "playing" might be too generous of a word for what I was doing. Pat kept telling me that we needed a 16 or 19 or whatever number. I don't think I ever managed to get through to him that I was doing good to get my darts to stick in the center of the target ... anywhere in the center of the target. It was only the third time I have ever thrown darts in my life. Nevertheless, due to Pat's champion dart throwing, we actually did win at least one game.
After darts Jackie and I played pool ... while the guys caught up on their beer and shared some "conversation". Now pool is right down my alley. However, I'm horribly rusty. I haven't played in over 15 years. It's hard to believe that I once owned my own cue stick (lost in one of my moves) and used to play pool on an almost daily basis in my 20s and early 30s. I used to be quite good at one time ... something I'm not right now, at least not on a bar pool table (I used to play regulation tables and there is a difference).
As always, the day spent with our friends was full of laughter, although the biggest laugh came when we arrived home after midnight. In matter of fact, Jackie called today and we shared a laugh as we remembered what happened. Jackie and I helped Pat out of Bob (their affectionate name for their vehicle) at the end of the evening. Suddenly Pat started going backwards and Jackie and I grabbed for his each of his arms. At one point Pat was leaning at about a 45 degree angle before Jackie and I managed to get him upright. He called out to Jim that he had been floating and two angels lifted him, LOL.
With that kind of day on Saturday, Sunday was a bit slower. Even though I didn't drink, I was still moving a bit slow after such an eventful Saturday. Pat and I did do some work out in the yard ... getting ready for Spring planting.
Monday was my usual hectic day full of errands and chores. I fell into an exhausted sleep much earlier than usual ... which is where I'm headed right now.
Friday, March 13, 2009
This and That ... otherwise know as the ramblings of a tired woman.
My cooking disasters continued today, although not as bad. The hamburger I got out wasn't thawed. Oh well, I'll use it to make chalupas tomorrow night. I grabbed some packaged chicken fried rice and a can of sweet and sour chicken for our lunch. It is rare for me to cook pre-packaged stuff. I prefer to cook from scratch. It turned out pretty good. At least I had it on the table at a more reasonable time.
I made it through another Thursday (cleaning day). Cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. I mentioned earlier that my grandmother took care of the cooking for my parents. She also kept house for them. When she died when I was 8, the cleaning also fell to me. At 8, I did the laundry, made beds, mopped, vacuumed and all the rest of the cleaning chores that comes with a large house. I distinctly remembering wishing I was outside wandering in the woods then too, LOL.
Tux had me a bit worried tonight. Most of the time he shows up right after Pat leaves for work, but he didn't show up until around 10:30 tonight. He was extra affectionate after he ate. I think he just wanted me to hold him and warm him up a bit. It's freezing outside!
When I took the trash out tonight, I noticed that the lilacs are starting to put on leaves. I hope they don't get frost bit. The tulips are really coming up and filling out. One or two look like they will start putting on blooms, maybe next week when it warms up a bit. I can hardly wait. Hurry spring!
I'm looking forward to the weekend. We will be spending some time with friends of ours, Jim & Jackie, on Saturday, which is always fun. It never fails that time spent with them is full of laughter. I can't count the times that I have laughed until tears filled my eyes when we have been together ... usually over the antics of Jim & Pat. Those two guys are so funny when they get together.
Pat should be home from work in about an hour. Since it's getting a bit chilly in here, I think I'd better go check the woodburner one more time before he gets home.
I made it through another Thursday (cleaning day). Cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. I mentioned earlier that my grandmother took care of the cooking for my parents. She also kept house for them. When she died when I was 8, the cleaning also fell to me. At 8, I did the laundry, made beds, mopped, vacuumed and all the rest of the cleaning chores that comes with a large house. I distinctly remembering wishing I was outside wandering in the woods then too, LOL.
Tux had me a bit worried tonight. Most of the time he shows up right after Pat leaves for work, but he didn't show up until around 10:30 tonight. He was extra affectionate after he ate. I think he just wanted me to hold him and warm him up a bit. It's freezing outside!
When I took the trash out tonight, I noticed that the lilacs are starting to put on leaves. I hope they don't get frost bit. The tulips are really coming up and filling out. One or two look like they will start putting on blooms, maybe next week when it warms up a bit. I can hardly wait. Hurry spring!
I'm looking forward to the weekend. We will be spending some time with friends of ours, Jim & Jackie, on Saturday, which is always fun. It never fails that time spent with them is full of laughter. I can't count the times that I have laughed until tears filled my eyes when we have been together ... usually over the antics of Jim & Pat. Those two guys are so funny when they get together.
Pat should be home from work in about an hour. Since it's getting a bit chilly in here, I think I'd better go check the woodburner one more time before he gets home.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Homeless Animals ... a sign of the poor economy.
I'm sure you have seen it in cartoons. At least I did when I was a kid. Some cartoon character drives his faithful dog out and dumps him in the country. More often than not, in the cartoon, by the time he gets home the dog has beat him there.
Unfortunately, in these economic times, it happens too frequently these days and it is heartbreaking instead of funny. These past few months, Pat & I are seeing more and more animals, cats and dogs, roaming around the area of our home and the park. People with no way to care for their animals and no place to take them are dumping them in the country and they are turning wild.
Right now we have any number of wild cats around the property. Every time I see one hanging out in front of the bird feeders, I'm running it off. All I have to do is step outside and the cat is off like a shot. They are totally feral.
I know what Pat wants to do, but it breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I love animals so much that it hurts me to even consider killing one. However, there isn't any animal control out here and these animals are not pet material. If I could tame some and find them homes, I would do so, but I don't think it is possible with these cats. They are just too wild. If I trapped them and hauled them deeper into the park, I'm sure the park rangers would destroy them. There just isn't any good solution that I can see.
I know that if left to their own devices, we will soon see the cats become diseased and full of fleas and ticks. I'm sure the coyotes and other preditors will get some of them, but there will still be too many and it will soon effect the wildlife in the area ... birds, squirrels, mice ... and the balance of nature will be thrown off.
I've always loved cats. While Pat proclaims to hate them, he was wonderful when my sweet Loverboy who at the ripe old age of 22 had to be put to sleep a year ago ... before I moved here. Pat had a cross made for Loverboy's grave and Loverboy now rests by the fence where I see his grave every day.
Loverboy was unique ... almost like a dog. He would follow me around and was one of the most affectionate cats that I ever owned. He was always by my side wherever I was and always quick to pat me on the shoulder or my knee (whatever he could reach) when I was ignoring him. I'd pick him up and give him a belly rub (something most cats won't tolerate) and he would "kiss" my nose in thanks.
Over the past year, Pat has also learned to tolerate Loverboy's cousin, Brat, if not care a little for the spoiled feline. Brat doesn't show his 21 years of age at all. He still tears around the house like a crazy cat and I find his toys in all sorts of places. One of Brat's favorite pastimes seems to be tormenting Spike who doesn't like cats either, lol. At least Brat is making sure that Spike is getting exercise when she has to get up and chase Brat out of the living room (HER area of the house).
Amidst my turmoil over the wild cat situation, one thing has emerged to cheer me. About 10 days ago, I spotted a black cat near Loverboy's grave. The next day when I was throwing scraps into the compost pile, it came right up to me. He looked a bit beaten up, probably from fighting other cats, so I didn't try to pet him at the time, thinking he was just another wild cat. However, the next day he came right up to me and let me pet him.
Over the past week Tux (as in tuxedo) is a frequent visitor and has claimed the front porch as his own. Saturday when I went for my walk, Tux followed me as far as the first waterfall in the clearing and sat down on the big rock as if to say, I'm not going any farther. He is at the door in the morning and evening looking for a handout. I've been feeding Tux scraps from our dinner (he is eating some of the pork steak that wasn't good enough to go into our meal in the picture ... can't you just imagine what Spike's thinking in the picture ... "If I could only get to that cat", ha ha ha). In return for the food he's giving me a lot of love and affection.
Despite his somewhat beat up exterior, Tux has also turned out to be one of the most loveable cats that I've seen. He is so much like my Loverboy in that he enjoys belly rubs and has licked my nose. When I pick him up, he purrs for all he's worth and rubs his head under my chin. I admit it, I've fallen in love with him, but then it would be hard not to fall in love with such a sweet cat.
However, Pat is not in the least enamored of Tux, which means that I'll have to see if I can find someone to adopt Tux. At least I'll be able to save one cat out of the many. I've already asked one person if they would give Tux a home. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy him and his sweet loveable nature. If I do find him a home, I'm going to miss him.
Unfortunately, in these economic times, it happens too frequently these days and it is heartbreaking instead of funny. These past few months, Pat & I are seeing more and more animals, cats and dogs, roaming around the area of our home and the park. People with no way to care for their animals and no place to take them are dumping them in the country and they are turning wild.
Right now we have any number of wild cats around the property. Every time I see one hanging out in front of the bird feeders, I'm running it off. All I have to do is step outside and the cat is off like a shot. They are totally feral.
I know what Pat wants to do, but it breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes. I love animals so much that it hurts me to even consider killing one. However, there isn't any animal control out here and these animals are not pet material. If I could tame some and find them homes, I would do so, but I don't think it is possible with these cats. They are just too wild. If I trapped them and hauled them deeper into the park, I'm sure the park rangers would destroy them. There just isn't any good solution that I can see.
I know that if left to their own devices, we will soon see the cats become diseased and full of fleas and ticks. I'm sure the coyotes and other preditors will get some of them, but there will still be too many and it will soon effect the wildlife in the area ... birds, squirrels, mice ... and the balance of nature will be thrown off.
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Loverboy was unique ... almost like a dog. He would follow me around and was one of the most affectionate cats that I ever owned. He was always by my side wherever I was and always quick to pat me on the shoulder or my knee (whatever he could reach) when I was ignoring him. I'd pick him up and give him a belly rub (something most cats won't tolerate) and he would "kiss" my nose in thanks.
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Amidst my turmoil over the wild cat situation, one thing has emerged to cheer me. About 10 days ago, I spotted a black cat near Loverboy's grave. The next day when I was throwing scraps into the compost pile, it came right up to me. He looked a bit beaten up, probably from fighting other cats, so I didn't try to pet him at the time, thinking he was just another wild cat. However, the next day he came right up to me and let me pet him.
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However, Pat is not in the least enamored of Tux, which means that I'll have to see if I can find someone to adopt Tux. At least I'll be able to save one cat out of the many. I've already asked one person if they would give Tux a home. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy him and his sweet loveable nature. If I do find him a home, I'm going to miss him.
Cooking
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and several instances this week seems to have brought it more to the front of my mind. I’m not sure if it is my German heritage, my aunt’s influence, or being a Texan, but I’ve always loved to cook and feed those around me. Perhaps it is none of the above, perhaps it is just one way that I show my love.
I learned to cook when I was about 8 years old. Up until that time, my maternal grandmother cooked for my mother, father, brother and I. When cancer took her, someone had to step up to the plate (or the stove in this instance) and feed the family. Since my mother didn’t cook, the job fell to me and I took to it immediately as it appealed to both the right (analytical in following recipes) and left (creative) sides of my brain.
At 8 years of age, I couldn’t even reach the sink. I was always small for my age. My parents had to have a box built which I would drag around the kitchen in order to reach the sink, reach the cabinets or see the top of the stove. Of course, I still am rather tiny, according to Pat. He lovingly calls me a midget because at 6 foot 1 inch, he is a head taller than my 5 foot 1 inch frame.
My aunt loved to cook and often shared her recipes and the fruits of her labors. Some of my happiest memories throughout much of my life were times spent at her house and in her kitchen. There was always an abundance of food, lovingly prepared to feed those who came through her doors. If anyone ever left her house hungry, it was his or her own fault. More often than not they would leave with an extremely full belly.
With my aunt as a role model, I quickly became adept at the art of cooking, and, by extension, filling those that I loved and cared for full of food that was lovingly prepared just for them.
I’ve always been a firm believer that anyone can learn to cook. I’m sure you have had people tell you that they “can’t even boil water”. If anyone tells me that, they will get a “look”. After all, you know that is not true … you put water in a pan and turn on the burner and it will eventually come to a boil. Since they CAN boil water, they can also make hard-boiled eggs, spaghetti and any number of other foods that need to be boiled to be prepared.
It doesn’t matter if a person is “right brained” or “left brained”, cooking can appeal to one or both sides of the brain. Recipes are made to follow step by step, but a more artistic approach can be added to create something a bit different from the same recipe (something I do all the time). The hardest thing about cooking is the timing … making sure everything comes done about the same time … and it can only be learned with practice.
Unfortunately even the best cooks seem to have off days. I seem to be having an off WEEK. I barbecued pork steaks (inch thick ones) on Monday and made fried chicken on Tuesday, both weren’t quite done in the center. The pork stir-fry (using a left-over DONE pork steak) that I did on Wednesday turned out great. However, I’ve been later and later with meals all week. I don’t know if it is the time change or what, but I don’t seem to have lunch on the table until late these days. I guess even if you do something for 43 years, you still sometimes get your “timing” off.
Still, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman … despite any set-backs … everyone CAN cook, if they want to do so. After all, look at all the great chefs that are men and all you have to do is turn on the TV to find any number of cooking shows hosted by both men and women. There is no gender bias in cooking.
I’m not sure about men, but I have a feeling that most women who cook do so for more than just to eat. I read a recent study that discovered the fact that women think about food more than they do about sex. I doubt the same can be said of men. I heard Rachel Ray say on one of her shows that a woman cooks to nurture and to show her love. I know from personal experience that that is very true.
Pat has been the recipient of my love for him and my love for cooking over the past year. It shows a bit, but while it worries him, it makes me feel like he has been enjoying my cooking and, by extension, my love. I love every inch of him and still think he is sexy and a handsome man. Still, if he wants to lose weight, I’ll do my best to support and help him … like try to drag him out on some walks and cut back on the pasta (his favorite). I will also work on my timing, so we have more time together before he has to leave for work.
I learned to cook when I was about 8 years old. Up until that time, my maternal grandmother cooked for my mother, father, brother and I. When cancer took her, someone had to step up to the plate (or the stove in this instance) and feed the family. Since my mother didn’t cook, the job fell to me and I took to it immediately as it appealed to both the right (analytical in following recipes) and left (creative) sides of my brain.
At 8 years of age, I couldn’t even reach the sink. I was always small for my age. My parents had to have a box built which I would drag around the kitchen in order to reach the sink, reach the cabinets or see the top of the stove. Of course, I still am rather tiny, according to Pat. He lovingly calls me a midget because at 6 foot 1 inch, he is a head taller than my 5 foot 1 inch frame.
My aunt loved to cook and often shared her recipes and the fruits of her labors. Some of my happiest memories throughout much of my life were times spent at her house and in her kitchen. There was always an abundance of food, lovingly prepared to feed those who came through her doors. If anyone ever left her house hungry, it was his or her own fault. More often than not they would leave with an extremely full belly.
With my aunt as a role model, I quickly became adept at the art of cooking, and, by extension, filling those that I loved and cared for full of food that was lovingly prepared just for them.
I’ve always been a firm believer that anyone can learn to cook. I’m sure you have had people tell you that they “can’t even boil water”. If anyone tells me that, they will get a “look”. After all, you know that is not true … you put water in a pan and turn on the burner and it will eventually come to a boil. Since they CAN boil water, they can also make hard-boiled eggs, spaghetti and any number of other foods that need to be boiled to be prepared.
It doesn’t matter if a person is “right brained” or “left brained”, cooking can appeal to one or both sides of the brain. Recipes are made to follow step by step, but a more artistic approach can be added to create something a bit different from the same recipe (something I do all the time). The hardest thing about cooking is the timing … making sure everything comes done about the same time … and it can only be learned with practice.
Unfortunately even the best cooks seem to have off days. I seem to be having an off WEEK. I barbecued pork steaks (inch thick ones) on Monday and made fried chicken on Tuesday, both weren’t quite done in the center. The pork stir-fry (using a left-over DONE pork steak) that I did on Wednesday turned out great. However, I’ve been later and later with meals all week. I don’t know if it is the time change or what, but I don’t seem to have lunch on the table until late these days. I guess even if you do something for 43 years, you still sometimes get your “timing” off.
Still, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman … despite any set-backs … everyone CAN cook, if they want to do so. After all, look at all the great chefs that are men and all you have to do is turn on the TV to find any number of cooking shows hosted by both men and women. There is no gender bias in cooking.
I’m not sure about men, but I have a feeling that most women who cook do so for more than just to eat. I read a recent study that discovered the fact that women think about food more than they do about sex. I doubt the same can be said of men. I heard Rachel Ray say on one of her shows that a woman cooks to nurture and to show her love. I know from personal experience that that is very true.
Pat has been the recipient of my love for him and my love for cooking over the past year. It shows a bit, but while it worries him, it makes me feel like he has been enjoying my cooking and, by extension, my love. I love every inch of him and still think he is sexy and a handsome man. Still, if he wants to lose weight, I’ll do my best to support and help him … like try to drag him out on some walks and cut back on the pasta (his favorite). I will also work on my timing, so we have more time together before he has to leave for work.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Where Has a Week Gone????
It's hard to believe that it's been a week since I last posted. The days have flown.
My plans for last Thursday were derailed due to one of Pat's brothers being hospitalized. We ended up going to St. Louis to visit him, then enjoyed a wonderful meal and time together with some of Pat's family afterwards.
The whole weekend was rather a blur. The weather was pretty nice on Friday and Saturday. I do remember trying to coax Pat into taking a walk on Saturday. I ended up going alone. I missed him beside me, but enjoyed the walk ... filling up my memory chest with things to share with him when I got home. Pat did come out back to the clearning and met me when I was on my way home and I filled my memory chest of time together in a mock sword fight (with walking sticks).
Of course on Sunday we did our ebay business which takes most of the day. Monday was manic. I had more chores on that day than I can now remember ... I knew I should have made a list. However, I do remember getting them all done before I slid exhausted into bed. Yesterday was more ebay ... this time CDs and cleaning up a kitchen that was more of a disaster than usual (I fried chicken). Today has been a more "usual" Wednesday, with just a few ebay chores and my regular chores of kitchen and woodburner.
Even in the hustle and bustle of the days, I haven't failed to notice that the crabapple tree is trying to bud. The maple has red shoots on it and the pear trees look like they are ready to burst into bloom any day now ... even though we just had a bone chilling cold front come through. All of the tulips, crocus and daffodils that Pat and I planted last fall have started to show their leaves above ground ... testing the waters to see if they are safe yet. It won't be long before they are gracing us with their beautiful blooms.
I guess it comes with age, but the days and weeks seem to fly by faster and faster. I just wish Spring would hurry ... but, of course, then I'd be wishing my days away.
My plans for last Thursday were derailed due to one of Pat's brothers being hospitalized. We ended up going to St. Louis to visit him, then enjoyed a wonderful meal and time together with some of Pat's family afterwards.
The whole weekend was rather a blur. The weather was pretty nice on Friday and Saturday. I do remember trying to coax Pat into taking a walk on Saturday. I ended up going alone. I missed him beside me, but enjoyed the walk ... filling up my memory chest with things to share with him when I got home. Pat did come out back to the clearning and met me when I was on my way home and I filled my memory chest of time together in a mock sword fight (with walking sticks).
Of course on Sunday we did our ebay business which takes most of the day. Monday was manic. I had more chores on that day than I can now remember ... I knew I should have made a list. However, I do remember getting them all done before I slid exhausted into bed. Yesterday was more ebay ... this time CDs and cleaning up a kitchen that was more of a disaster than usual (I fried chicken). Today has been a more "usual" Wednesday, with just a few ebay chores and my regular chores of kitchen and woodburner.
Even in the hustle and bustle of the days, I haven't failed to notice that the crabapple tree is trying to bud. The maple has red shoots on it and the pear trees look like they are ready to burst into bloom any day now ... even though we just had a bone chilling cold front come through. All of the tulips, crocus and daffodils that Pat and I planted last fall have started to show their leaves above ground ... testing the waters to see if they are safe yet. It won't be long before they are gracing us with their beautiful blooms.
I guess it comes with age, but the days and weeks seem to fly by faster and faster. I just wish Spring would hurry ... but, of course, then I'd be wishing my days away.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
It's been a wearying Wednesday.
Once again, I'm tired, or, better yet, exhausted. I try to "save" Wednesday night and not load it up with chores. I do this so I'm not completely wiped out come Friday when Pat is off. Monday night is errands and laundry; Tuesday is Ebay; Thursday is "cleaning day" and usually more laundry; and Friday-Sunday nights are for Pat. That only leaves me Wednesday night to relax.
Now, before I go on, I don't want anyone to get me wrong. I'm NOT complaining. A lot of the chores I did tonight were chores that I did out of love ... like the cherry pie I baked. I didn't HAVE to do it, but it is one of Pat's favorite pies. I made it so that Pat would have a slice each day (call it a slice of love) to take to work with him in his lunchbox. I also made more suet for my feathered and furred friends. Oh, and by the way, I've got a tip for you there ... don't make it at midnight when you are tired. I had to clean up a mess on the stove afterward (for the second time of the day).
Living in the country (or the city for that matter) there is a list of chores that have to be done every day, no matter what day it is. There is wood to be brought in and the woodburner to keep going. There are meals to prepare and a kitchen to clean. Beds have to be made and animals taken care of, not to mention our Ebay which is pretty much a 7 day a week job, even if we try to end all our auctions on the weekend.
Still I try to keep my "extra" chores down on Wednesday to just a few that I haven't had time for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, this was one of those Wednesdays when I couldn't keep the chores down to anything approaching a "minimum". In matter of fact, I actually had to make a LIST! Believe me, making a list is something that I rarely, if ever do.
My chores tonight started around 3:30 ... right after I waved Pat out of the driveway on his way to work. I took the scraps out to the compost pile. While I was there, I did a bit of searching up the hill for the still missing suet feeder (no luck). I then cleaned out the woodburner and threw a couple more logs on to keep it going. While it got up to almost 60 today, tonight promises to be a bit too cool to let the fire go out. I then grabbed the wheelburrow and headed for the woodpile to bring in some wood. That complete, I headed to the back porch to clean it off. The leaves had been piling up and we spotted a waterbug in the house today.
With most of the outside chores on my list done, I puttered around a bit ... pulling a few weeds that were already coming up in our flower beds. I checked all the tulips, daffodils and crocus to see how they were coming up. I pulled out some of my planters that I had put next to the house in hopes the roots would at least survive and threw some water on them. I pulled the tops off last year's hollyhocks that I had planted around one of our trees and spread some of the seeds around the other trees. I even peeked in the well house to see how our banana tree was doing. Can you tell that I can't wait for spring?
There was still some daylight left, so I took a short break to sit on the rocking chair on the front porch, sip on my soda and watch the birds come in for their last meal of the night. That lasted about 15 minutes.
I went to the shed to get some ribs and pork steaks out of the freezer for Thursday and Friday and closed the shed up for the night. Then it was into the house to get some of my inside chores done ... Ebay, laundry, and cherry pie. I also had to find out where the heck our modem was ... so much for it being here on Monday. I called Hughes today and was told that it had been shipped three or four days ago. Yeah, right. It wasn't even shipped until Tuesday! Hughes!
Before it got too dark, I went out to get the bird feeder in. It seems my bandit did some damage to it last night, which I had to do a quick repair on this morning. I threw some birdseed on the ground for him and there is still some suet he can get, but I'm not letting him tear up the bird feeder. He's adorable, but I can't allow him to tear anything up or Pat might just go after him with the shotgun.
I made the bed, baked the cherry pie, cleaned the stove, did the laundry, cleaned the oven (the cherry pie made a mess), washed the dishes, made the suet, and cleaned the stove again. I did take some breaks and took time to eat, even so I still haven't got my shower.
I had hoped to put the chicken on to marinade for tomorrow, but that is just going to have to wait until I get up in the morning. It promises to be up in the 60s tomorrow and I'm not wasting a nice warm day cooking inside. I'll barbecue.
At least tomorrow is a "light" cleaning day. I did my "heavy" cleaning last week, so a spit and a lick ought to do it ... although I really should do those windows and the sliding glass door that I put off last week when I went wandering through the woods (sighhhhh).
Now, before I go on, I don't want anyone to get me wrong. I'm NOT complaining. A lot of the chores I did tonight were chores that I did out of love ... like the cherry pie I baked. I didn't HAVE to do it, but it is one of Pat's favorite pies. I made it so that Pat would have a slice each day (call it a slice of love) to take to work with him in his lunchbox. I also made more suet for my feathered and furred friends. Oh, and by the way, I've got a tip for you there ... don't make it at midnight when you are tired. I had to clean up a mess on the stove afterward (for the second time of the day).
Living in the country (or the city for that matter) there is a list of chores that have to be done every day, no matter what day it is. There is wood to be brought in and the woodburner to keep going. There are meals to prepare and a kitchen to clean. Beds have to be made and animals taken care of, not to mention our Ebay which is pretty much a 7 day a week job, even if we try to end all our auctions on the weekend.
Still I try to keep my "extra" chores down on Wednesday to just a few that I haven't had time for the rest of the week. Unfortunately, this was one of those Wednesdays when I couldn't keep the chores down to anything approaching a "minimum". In matter of fact, I actually had to make a LIST! Believe me, making a list is something that I rarely, if ever do.
My chores tonight started around 3:30 ... right after I waved Pat out of the driveway on his way to work. I took the scraps out to the compost pile. While I was there, I did a bit of searching up the hill for the still missing suet feeder (no luck). I then cleaned out the woodburner and threw a couple more logs on to keep it going. While it got up to almost 60 today, tonight promises to be a bit too cool to let the fire go out. I then grabbed the wheelburrow and headed for the woodpile to bring in some wood. That complete, I headed to the back porch to clean it off. The leaves had been piling up and we spotted a waterbug in the house today.
With most of the outside chores on my list done, I puttered around a bit ... pulling a few weeds that were already coming up in our flower beds. I checked all the tulips, daffodils and crocus to see how they were coming up. I pulled out some of my planters that I had put next to the house in hopes the roots would at least survive and threw some water on them. I pulled the tops off last year's hollyhocks that I had planted around one of our trees and spread some of the seeds around the other trees. I even peeked in the well house to see how our banana tree was doing. Can you tell that I can't wait for spring?
There was still some daylight left, so I took a short break to sit on the rocking chair on the front porch, sip on my soda and watch the birds come in for their last meal of the night. That lasted about 15 minutes.
I went to the shed to get some ribs and pork steaks out of the freezer for Thursday and Friday and closed the shed up for the night. Then it was into the house to get some of my inside chores done ... Ebay, laundry, and cherry pie. I also had to find out where the heck our modem was ... so much for it being here on Monday. I called Hughes today and was told that it had been shipped three or four days ago. Yeah, right. It wasn't even shipped until Tuesday! Hughes!
Before it got too dark, I went out to get the bird feeder in. It seems my bandit did some damage to it last night, which I had to do a quick repair on this morning. I threw some birdseed on the ground for him and there is still some suet he can get, but I'm not letting him tear up the bird feeder. He's adorable, but I can't allow him to tear anything up or Pat might just go after him with the shotgun.
I made the bed, baked the cherry pie, cleaned the stove, did the laundry, cleaned the oven (the cherry pie made a mess), washed the dishes, made the suet, and cleaned the stove again. I did take some breaks and took time to eat, even so I still haven't got my shower.
I had hoped to put the chicken on to marinade for tomorrow, but that is just going to have to wait until I get up in the morning. It promises to be up in the 60s tomorrow and I'm not wasting a nice warm day cooking inside. I'll barbecue.
At least tomorrow is a "light" cleaning day. I did my "heavy" cleaning last week, so a spit and a lick ought to do it ... although I really should do those windows and the sliding glass door that I put off last week when I went wandering through the woods (sighhhhh).
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Gotcha!
I managed to get some pictures of my bandit tonight. Although they aren't the best photographs in the world, at least you can tell it is a raccoon. I took 26 of them, but only two turned out not to be totally horrible (although that is a matter of opinion).
I went out to put some wood in the woodburner and happened to glance over at the feeder on my way out and saw him. Surprisingly, he didn't run off when I went to the corner of the porch, so I headed back inside and got the spotlight and my camera.
These are of him eating some of the birdseed that he managed to knock out of the bird feeder (no suet tonight, the birds finished it off today). There were a couple of times when he even stood up on his hind legs for me and posed. Unfortunately those photos turned out horrible (yes, even worse than these).
I went out to put some wood in the woodburner and happened to glance over at the feeder on my way out and saw him. Surprisingly, he didn't run off when I went to the corner of the porch, so I headed back inside and got the spotlight and my camera.
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These are of him eating some of the birdseed that he managed to knock out of the bird feeder (no suet tonight, the birds finished it off today). There were a couple of times when he even stood up on his hind legs for me and posed. Unfortunately those photos turned out horrible (yes, even worse than these).
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Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Thieves & Thorns Update
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As usual, I made suet this weekend. I put it out on the porch (in the cold) to harden. I set it right outside my kitchen window. While I was washing dishes, I saw a Titmouse flying onto the porch, which alerted me to what was going on ... a number of my feathered friends couldn't quite wait for it to get done and came in to help themselves. Here is one cardinal that helped himself to some lunch.
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I put the suet up this afternoon, before I left to run my weekly errands ... much to their dismay. They really congregated in the tree looking for the pan. If you look real close in the picture below (you might have to click on the picture to enlarge it), there are eight cardinals hanging around looking for the suet.
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As for my suet feeders in the tree, one has again gone missing. I went out on Saturday morning to find it gone. It was freezing (literally) this weekend, so now I'm waiting for a little warmer weather to go hunting for it. This time they stole the one that usually hangs over the birdfeeder.
However, the mystery surrounding the thief (or, in this instance, thieves) has been solved.
I rarely walk by the sliding glass doors without looking outside ... night or day. As I walked by on Sunday night, I noticed that the birdfeeder was really swinging ... and I knew there wasn't that much of breeze. I headed for the back room to get Pat's big Black & Decker Spotlight (this thing is heavy and lights up the yard like it's daylight). I crept up to the sliding glass doors and positioned myself and turned the thing on. Not just one, but two raccoons turned to see where the light was coming from.
One raccoon was twice the size of the other. I'm not sure if it was a male with its mate or maybe a mother with an offspring from last year. He/she was so big that I'm going to refer to it as a male for the "rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say (God rest his soul).
The light startled them enough that they headed out ... by way of the hill behind the house! I went to the computer room to inform Pat that I now knew the identity of the suet thieves ... raccoons. A little later, I noticed the birdfeeder swinging again, so I once again got the spotlight. It seems that they were hungry enough to decide to ignore the blinding light hitting them in the face.
I watched those two little bandits for quite a while and they gave me more than one or two chuckles. The big one is the climber. He climbed up the tree and got right above the suet feeder that I have hanging on a chain. Hanging down from the limb with his hind feet, he pulled the chain like he was pulling a rope on a bucket up from a well, he pulled the feeder up link by link until he was able to get to the suet feeder. After he was done, he left me a right nice tangle of chain in the branches of the tree.
A little later he climbed down enough and reached over to grab the side of the bird feeder. Hanging onto the trunk of the tree with his back feet, he held the bird feeder with one paw and would reach out with the other to grab a pawful to eat. While he was at it, he dropped a bit down to his accomplice below.
I guess he decided that was a bit too uncomfortable a position, because he climbed up the tree and across the branch that the feeder was hanging on. He then climbed down the hook and rope (head first) until he got to the roof of the bird feeder. He then spread out his belly over the roof (that coon was so big he covered the whole thing) and would reach down to grab a seed to eat at his leisure.
I tried to get pictures, but wasn't quite able to maneuver the camera and spotlight ... not to mention get the settings to work in that kind of light. However, he may be related to this guy who came to eat the corn that we put out in the back clearing for the deer. The picture below was taken last year with Pat's Deer Cam. Oh well, I'm sure they will be back and this time I'll get Pat to help me try to get a picture of the bandits.
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And finally, the thorn (Hughes) in my side. I'm not really surprised that we didn't get the modem today. Luckily we've babied the old one along and it's lasted the weekend. I was supposed to call them tonight, but I got busy doing a number of other chores and forgot to call until just a bit ago and I'm just too tired to fight with them tonight.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The Thorn on the Rose ... or should I say, the thorn in my side.
As much as I love country living, there are a few definite drawbacks. One of which I experienced tonight.
Living so far out, we have two choices for internet service ... bad or worse. Instead of the slower dial-up, we have satellite (Hughes.net) which is marginally faster.
When Pat and I first met online, I doubt he had any idea how bad his internet service was. He knew it was slow, but had no idea he wasn't even getting near the service he was paying for. In matter of fact, his "faster" satellite service was not any faster than dial-up at times. It took us both months of wrangling with Hughes ... including contacting the state's attorney general ... before we managed to get satisfaction. At least now it is faster than it was ... that is when it works.
Tonight the modem went out. We knew it wasn't working quite right and I had already contacted them about it. Tonight it went totally on the fritz and I couldn't get online at all, no matter what I tried. Of course then I had to call Hughes and was put through to tech support in India. Having dealt with them before, I knew it was going to be a long drawn-out struggle, and it was. The Indian tech sent me through a long list of things to do, but still no luck, it was completely dead. I was then informed they were going to send a new one, free of charge ... Good! The tech then told me it would take four days to get here ... NOT GOOD!
Pat and I run an internet business through eBay. We have customers to take care of and a number of listings ending this weekend. We HAD to get back online.
I was sent the round of people to talk to and was even disconnected at one point, but was still not able to get the modem here any faster than Monday. No matter what I tried, I was not able to talk them into sending the modem overnight or even next day. I then began mentally trying to figure out which friends we would need to ask the favor of using their computer.
In the meantime, I unplugged the darn thing and went to take a shower. About an hour later I plugged it back in and low and behold it is working again ... for now. I just hope we can get it to hold out a few more days (sigh).
Living so far out, we have two choices for internet service ... bad or worse. Instead of the slower dial-up, we have satellite (Hughes.net) which is marginally faster.
When Pat and I first met online, I doubt he had any idea how bad his internet service was. He knew it was slow, but had no idea he wasn't even getting near the service he was paying for. In matter of fact, his "faster" satellite service was not any faster than dial-up at times. It took us both months of wrangling with Hughes ... including contacting the state's attorney general ... before we managed to get satisfaction. At least now it is faster than it was ... that is when it works.
Tonight the modem went out. We knew it wasn't working quite right and I had already contacted them about it. Tonight it went totally on the fritz and I couldn't get online at all, no matter what I tried. Of course then I had to call Hughes and was put through to tech support in India. Having dealt with them before, I knew it was going to be a long drawn-out struggle, and it was. The Indian tech sent me through a long list of things to do, but still no luck, it was completely dead. I was then informed they were going to send a new one, free of charge ... Good! The tech then told me it would take four days to get here ... NOT GOOD!
Pat and I run an internet business through eBay. We have customers to take care of and a number of listings ending this weekend. We HAD to get back online.
I was sent the round of people to talk to and was even disconnected at one point, but was still not able to get the modem here any faster than Monday. No matter what I tried, I was not able to talk them into sending the modem overnight or even next day. I then began mentally trying to figure out which friends we would need to ask the favor of using their computer.
In the meantime, I unplugged the darn thing and went to take a shower. About an hour later I plugged it back in and low and behold it is working again ... for now. I just hope we can get it to hold out a few more days (sigh).
A Glorious Winter Day
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| From Simpli-Country |
I never thought I'd look forward to 50 degrees with pleasure and anticipation. After all, where I come from that was sweater weather and downright cold. At 50 degrees we cranked up the heaters and made a pot of soup, stew or chili. Yet these days 50 degrees are a great excuse to get outside. So, if nothing else, winters here have taught me to celebrate the good days.
Today was not just a good day, it was one of those great days when I couldn't wait to get outside. Instead of the "normal" high of 40, it managed to get up to 72 here in our valley (it was in the mid-60's in the closest town). One of the blessings of living in the valley is that it is often warmer than the surrounding area, which is also a bit of a drawback in the summer and in the winter when it gets colder at night.
The weatherman this morning was saying a front is headed for us this weekend. There is a possibility of snow on Saturday and then on Monday. With that kind of prediction, I know I have to enjoy the weather while I can.
The first things I did this morning was open the doors and windows. I also quartered a chicken and put on marinade for the grill. I cook every day, but on the warmer days of winter (50 degrees and up), I can't resist getting outside and grilling. It gives me an excuse to be outside. Once Pat woke up, I headed outside to fire up the grill and to clean off the patio table. Good days were meant to eat outside and enjoy the sunshine. It's good for the digestion and the food always seems to taste better when eaten out of doors ... at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I wasn't the only one out and about on this beautiful winter day. A bee buzzed Pat and I while we were keeping an eye on the chicken ... actually we were soaking up the sun. I also saw a small butterfly in the front yard when I went to clean the table. The birds were singing their hearts out in the trees while we ate and flying all around the yard, probably looking for any insect that out enjoying the warmer temperatures.
I honestly meant to do chores once Pat left for work this afternoon. I did get a number of the outside chores done. Well, ok, maybe it was just two ... I took the trash out and got another wheelbarrow load of wood in for the wood burner. I really meant to clean the sliding glass doors and the windows (a good job for warm days), but as I took the trash out to the road, I noticed the tulips were starting to poke their heads up to see if it was safe to come out. The daffodils and crocus were doing the same. The red maple was starting to bud. It made quite a sight when a cardinal landed among its branches.
The beautiful day was just too much for me ... chores could wait ... the lure of the woods was calling to me. I head inside to grab my camera, put on my old shoes and, before you know it, I'm on my way to wander out back. Like a kid, I stop and play in the creek that runs along the border of the clearing behind the house. A bunch of leaves are slowing the creek down, so I free them and the water begins to faster. The creek is full of beautiful quartz rock, so I look around and collect some rocks by the creek. I'll take them home later to add to my collection. As I do so, I hear rustling of leaves up the hill and a squirrel starts to scold me for being in HIS territory.
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| From Simpli-Country |
Heading on, I leave the clearing to wander through the woods ... up the trail toward the salt block that Pat put at the back of the property. The ground is thawing, so I carefully watch my step, so I don't end up stepping in a river of mud. A sound up ahead makes me look up to see three white tails waving as the deer hurry away. I must not have startled them too much as they didn't bark at me.
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| From Simpli-Country |
As I travel, I think how lucky I am that I'm short. I can travel the creek bed with relative ease. I can bend down and go under most of the low branches. Even so, a few lower branches and wild roses runners grab at me as I follow the creek.
I find a couple of really nice quartz rocks ... one white and one red ... for my collection. Since I'm not sure I will find them again when spring leafs out the area, I carry them with me. As I travel on, I think about the people in the city who carry weights when they go for a brisk walk and smile. I am exercising ... country style.
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| From Simpli-Country |
Since the sun is going down, it's getting cooler, but I still can't make myself go inside. I close up the garage, check the wood burner and then sit in the rocking chair on the porch to watch the sunset and the birds come in for a final meal before roosting for the night.
It's been a glorious winter day. I can hardly wait for the next one ... maybe I'll get the doors and windows clean then ... or maybe not.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Giving Up too Soon.
I'm tired. It's late. It's been a long and hectic Monday, but then Mondays always are.
Pat works nights, Monday through Thursday, so Friday through Sunday are "our days". I don't get a whole lot of chores done on our weekends, other than cooking, whatever chores Pat and I do together (like bringing in wood or working on equipment), and our Ebay stuff. I also don't get much time at the computer (except for our Ebay stuff).
So, on Mondays, I play catch-up with all my chores. Mondays are almost always errand days ... go to town (12 miles away) and do whatever shopping needs to be done. I always have to notify our buyers that their items have been sent and give them feedback and at least one load of laundry. There is also the disaster of a kitchen to clean (which is a 7-day a week occurance with the way that I cook). Plus, I had an extra chore tonight, Pat got a new computer chair that I put together for him, so I'm running later than usual.
All this is to say, I'm tired and that makes me a bit introspective. Frankly, I've been a bit introspective on the subject of giving up too soon for a couple of days now. I wonder how often in life we give up too soon on those that we love ... and lose in the process.
Two weeks ago, I thought Pat and I were going to have to put our beloved Spike to sleep. Pat has had Spike, an adorable Boston Terrier, for 17 years. Last year, Pat was complaining that he didn't have a dog any more, I had stolen her. Spike followed me around wherever I went. However, this winter has taken a horrible toll on my constant shadow. A couple of months ago she started having trouble walking due to arthritis. It has been getting progressively worse.
We feed Spike two aspirin a day in some cheese or in her Mighty Dog. We also bought her some "joint treats" that contains Chondroitin, MSM and Glucosamine. For her size she should only be taking one, but she seemed to get a lot better once we started giving her two a day. She's alert and not in any pain ... she just stiff and couldn't walk very well.
Two weeks ago she had a couple of days when she could not walk and her standing was really shakey. One day, when I took her out, she could barely stand to do her "business" and ended up falling in it. I cleaned her up and brought her in. Maybe it was my imagination that day, but she looked miserable and she wouldn't eat. I knew something was horribly wrong when Spike wouldn't eat. The main reason she follows me around is because I do the cooking (and share my meals). It looked to me like she had just given up.
Now, anyone who is over 50, will understand that when we are inactive too long, it's hard to get moving again. If I sit at the computer for any length of time (or anywhere else for that matter), my joints get so stiff that it's hard to walk. Spike wasn't walking.
That day I tearfully told Pat that I thought it was "time." He said that he was just waiting for me to tell him when and he looked up the number for the vet. I called that day to ask for information on putting Spike to sleep, but I didn't set a time. I figured she might be able to hang on until Friday and Pat and I would go together.
Pat suggested we increase her "treats" to three a day, since it couldn't hurt at this point. In the meantime, I started to make her walk and also started giving her massages and working her stiff legs to make them bend ... in other words, doggy therapy. As painful as it was for me, I wouldn't help her to her food bowl and made her stumble to the door for me to pick her up and carry her outside. In a couple of days, she started shakily walking again and stumbling a bit less. Her appetite once again returned to its voracious normal.
The past two days, Spike is once again "wandering" the yard when I take her out. She's also getting up on the couch all on her own. The only time she stumbles is when she gets in a hurry and tries to trot around like she used to do. She's playing with her bone again and standing on the edge of the kitchen when I'm cooking (something I didn't think I'd see again).
I know the day is coming when Spike will once again go downhill, but right now I am so grateful that she really didn't give up. I'm also grateful that we didn't give up on her. The past week has been wonderful with my buddy back again. Spike keeps me company in the evenings when Pat is gone, and I give her lots of love and treats in return.
So, tonight I'm wondering, how often do we give up too soon? If we do, will we always wonder if we did or didn't? If we had tried harder, fought a better battle, or tried a different tactic, would the outcome have been different? Spike's story makes me want to not give up quite so easily. It makes me want to keep on putting all my energy and effort into the things that matter most in life ... the people (and pets) that I love.
Pat works nights, Monday through Thursday, so Friday through Sunday are "our days". I don't get a whole lot of chores done on our weekends, other than cooking, whatever chores Pat and I do together (like bringing in wood or working on equipment), and our Ebay stuff. I also don't get much time at the computer (except for our Ebay stuff).
So, on Mondays, I play catch-up with all my chores. Mondays are almost always errand days ... go to town (12 miles away) and do whatever shopping needs to be done. I always have to notify our buyers that their items have been sent and give them feedback and at least one load of laundry. There is also the disaster of a kitchen to clean (which is a 7-day a week occurance with the way that I cook). Plus, I had an extra chore tonight, Pat got a new computer chair that I put together for him, so I'm running later than usual.
All this is to say, I'm tired and that makes me a bit introspective. Frankly, I've been a bit introspective on the subject of giving up too soon for a couple of days now. I wonder how often in life we give up too soon on those that we love ... and lose in the process.
Two weeks ago, I thought Pat and I were going to have to put our beloved Spike to sleep. Pat has had Spike, an adorable Boston Terrier, for 17 years. Last year, Pat was complaining that he didn't have a dog any more, I had stolen her. Spike followed me around wherever I went. However, this winter has taken a horrible toll on my constant shadow. A couple of months ago she started having trouble walking due to arthritis. It has been getting progressively worse.
We feed Spike two aspirin a day in some cheese or in her Mighty Dog. We also bought her some "joint treats" that contains Chondroitin, MSM and Glucosamine. For her size she should only be taking one, but she seemed to get a lot better once we started giving her two a day. She's alert and not in any pain ... she just stiff and couldn't walk very well.
 |
| From Simpli-Country |
Two weeks ago she had a couple of days when she could not walk and her standing was really shakey. One day, when I took her out, she could barely stand to do her "business" and ended up falling in it. I cleaned her up and brought her in. Maybe it was my imagination that day, but she looked miserable and she wouldn't eat. I knew something was horribly wrong when Spike wouldn't eat. The main reason she follows me around is because I do the cooking (and share my meals). It looked to me like she had just given up.
Now, anyone who is over 50, will understand that when we are inactive too long, it's hard to get moving again. If I sit at the computer for any length of time (or anywhere else for that matter), my joints get so stiff that it's hard to walk. Spike wasn't walking.
That day I tearfully told Pat that I thought it was "time." He said that he was just waiting for me to tell him when and he looked up the number for the vet. I called that day to ask for information on putting Spike to sleep, but I didn't set a time. I figured she might be able to hang on until Friday and Pat and I would go together.
Pat suggested we increase her "treats" to three a day, since it couldn't hurt at this point. In the meantime, I started to make her walk and also started giving her massages and working her stiff legs to make them bend ... in other words, doggy therapy. As painful as it was for me, I wouldn't help her to her food bowl and made her stumble to the door for me to pick her up and carry her outside. In a couple of days, she started shakily walking again and stumbling a bit less. Her appetite once again returned to its voracious normal.
 |
| From Simpli-Country |
The past two days, Spike is once again "wandering" the yard when I take her out. She's also getting up on the couch all on her own. The only time she stumbles is when she gets in a hurry and tries to trot around like she used to do. She's playing with her bone again and standing on the edge of the kitchen when I'm cooking (something I didn't think I'd see again).
I know the day is coming when Spike will once again go downhill, but right now I am so grateful that she really didn't give up. I'm also grateful that we didn't give up on her. The past week has been wonderful with my buddy back again. Spike keeps me company in the evenings when Pat is gone, and I give her lots of love and treats in return.
So, tonight I'm wondering, how often do we give up too soon? If we do, will we always wonder if we did or didn't? If we had tried harder, fought a better battle, or tried a different tactic, would the outcome have been different? Spike's story makes me want to not give up quite so easily. It makes me want to keep on putting all my energy and effort into the things that matter most in life ... the people (and pets) that I love.
Critter Caper Update
The suet feeder has been found ... empty, of course. The critter that stole it cleaned that suet feeder better than I ever had.
Pat was sure that a squirrel had "squirreled" the suet feeder away, which meant that he was sure that it could be found up the hill behind the house. I wasn't so sure about that since I haven't seen a squirrel at the feeders all year (I have no idea where they have gone). Since I was determined to find it, I put on my hiking boots Friday afternoon and headed up the hill. Sure enough, I found it up the hill a ways.
Now my problem was how to attach the feeder, so it wouldn't be stolen again. I rummaged around until I found a chain that I had used to hang one of my hanging baskets last year. I was reminded of banks and how they chained up their pens ... so people could use them, but not steal them.
The feeder is now hanging back in the tree. It's close enough to the trunk that the squirrels (or raccoons) can easily reach it. Another benefit that I've discovered is that since it easily swings on the chain, only the smaller birds are using it ... and not the Bluejays or the Cardinals. That means that at least that suet will last a bit longer. The other suet feeder keeps ending up on the ground each morning ... empty, of course.
FEBRUARY 24 MORNING UPDATE: I was a bit too optimistic about the suet lasting longer in the smaller mesh feeder. Whatever critter stole the suet feeder, emptied it during the night. I had to refill both of them this morning.
I was a bit late getting up this morning and refilling the feeders, so the Titmouses (or is it Titmice) were already getting the fresh suet I made last night off the porch (I had put it outside in the cold to cool and harden up overnight).
Pat was sure that a squirrel had "squirreled" the suet feeder away, which meant that he was sure that it could be found up the hill behind the house. I wasn't so sure about that since I haven't seen a squirrel at the feeders all year (I have no idea where they have gone). Since I was determined to find it, I put on my hiking boots Friday afternoon and headed up the hill. Sure enough, I found it up the hill a ways.
Now my problem was how to attach the feeder, so it wouldn't be stolen again. I rummaged around until I found a chain that I had used to hang one of my hanging baskets last year. I was reminded of banks and how they chained up their pens ... so people could use them, but not steal them.
The feeder is now hanging back in the tree. It's close enough to the trunk that the squirrels (or raccoons) can easily reach it. Another benefit that I've discovered is that since it easily swings on the chain, only the smaller birds are using it ... and not the Bluejays or the Cardinals. That means that at least that suet will last a bit longer. The other suet feeder keeps ending up on the ground each morning ... empty, of course.
 |
| From Simpli-Country |
FEBRUARY 24 MORNING UPDATE: I was a bit too optimistic about the suet lasting longer in the smaller mesh feeder. Whatever critter stole the suet feeder, emptied it during the night. I had to refill both of them this morning.
I was a bit late getting up this morning and refilling the feeders, so the Titmouses (or is it Titmice) were already getting the fresh suet I made last night off the porch (I had put it outside in the cold to cool and harden up overnight).
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thieving Critters
Pat has repeatedly warned me ... everything out in the country will bite you, stab you and/or kick you in the behind (or words something to that effect). I was reminded of his words this morning when I looked outside to see my suet feeders down again.
About 3 weeks ago, I decided that I might save money on suet cakes by making my own. After all, in these economic times, we really need to save as much as we can and I could make them using a lot of stuff that I had on hand or was going to be thrown away if it wasn't used.
As usual, I was wrong again. Oh, I'm sure they are cheaper to make than the store-bought ones, but the fact they are home-made seems to entice all the critters in the area to eat them as fast as I put them up ... hence I'm going through them a lot faster than one a week, like I was using with the store-bought ones.
Birds will literally line up on the branches for a turn at the suet. I've seen as many as 9 male cardinals (and their mates) sitting on the branches of the tree ... waiting somewhat impatiently for a chance at the suet. The titmouses (or is it titmice), sparrows, finches, bluejays and woodpeckers love it too. I will often see two and three birds on the suet feeder at one time (something I never saw with the store-bought ones).
I put a new cake out every morning. By evening most of it is gone, but enough remains to entice the coons to climb the tree during the night and raid what is left. Every morning I find the feeder on the ground with no suet left.
Yesterday I decided that I was going to fix that coon. I have a suet feeder with smaller mesh that would make it hard for him (or them) to get into. Not only that, I was going to hang it on a smaller branch, so they would have a harder time getting to the hanger.
I awoke this morning and looked out ... one suet feeder was down and the other was GONE. It seems that since the new suet feeder had smaller mesh, the coon decided to take it with him so he could eat at his leasure.
Here's what my feeders looked like yesterday (it's the one on the far right, with the tangerine, that got stolen):
I looked all around the property after Pat left for work this afternoon and couldn't find it. If it is anywhere around, I'm sure Pat will find it for me (sigh). Although I'm great at finding most things, he seems to have a better knack at finding things that the critters haul off.
So I guess I'm down to one feeder once again. At least I'll find this one on the ground in the morning, instead of gone. Not that I really mind the coons eating the suet ... they have as much right as the birds and are just as cute. I just wish they would return the suet feeder ... so I can fill it for them again, LOL.
About 3 weeks ago, I decided that I might save money on suet cakes by making my own. After all, in these economic times, we really need to save as much as we can and I could make them using a lot of stuff that I had on hand or was going to be thrown away if it wasn't used.
As usual, I was wrong again. Oh, I'm sure they are cheaper to make than the store-bought ones, but the fact they are home-made seems to entice all the critters in the area to eat them as fast as I put them up ... hence I'm going through them a lot faster than one a week, like I was using with the store-bought ones.
Birds will literally line up on the branches for a turn at the suet. I've seen as many as 9 male cardinals (and their mates) sitting on the branches of the tree ... waiting somewhat impatiently for a chance at the suet. The titmouses (or is it titmice), sparrows, finches, bluejays and woodpeckers love it too. I will often see two and three birds on the suet feeder at one time (something I never saw with the store-bought ones).
I put a new cake out every morning. By evening most of it is gone, but enough remains to entice the coons to climb the tree during the night and raid what is left. Every morning I find the feeder on the ground with no suet left.
Yesterday I decided that I was going to fix that coon. I have a suet feeder with smaller mesh that would make it hard for him (or them) to get into. Not only that, I was going to hang it on a smaller branch, so they would have a harder time getting to the hanger.
I awoke this morning and looked out ... one suet feeder was down and the other was GONE. It seems that since the new suet feeder had smaller mesh, the coon decided to take it with him so he could eat at his leasure.
Here's what my feeders looked like yesterday (it's the one on the far right, with the tangerine, that got stolen):
|
From Simpli-Country |
I looked all around the property after Pat left for work this afternoon and couldn't find it. If it is anywhere around, I'm sure Pat will find it for me (sigh). Although I'm great at finding most things, he seems to have a better knack at finding things that the critters haul off.
So I guess I'm down to one feeder once again. At least I'll find this one on the ground in the morning, instead of gone. Not that I really mind the coons eating the suet ... they have as much right as the birds and are just as cute. I just wish they would return the suet feeder ... so I can fill it for them again, LOL.
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