Tag Archives: cats

02.05.21
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The epic fail … It seemed like a good idea

So my girlfriend, in what I’m going to assume was pandemic boredom on WHEATIES, started posting pictures of food made with her air fryer on Facebook…..and then as we often do with things that catch our attention….I noticed lots and lots of people starting sharing their air fryers with the world. It took me awhile but I soon succumbed and bought the airfryer lid that fits on top of my instant pot…double duty…the instant pot rests for days on end in the cupboard because I only use it once a month and that’s being generous.

So the first night with the airfryer lid, we did French fries…yum. I have to say they were tasty and 1/3 less calories than deep fat fried.

I had been reading on various web pages how exquisite ribeye steak was in the airfryer….you know…I’ll never eat it another way again propaganda…..and He might try a ribeye air fried some time…but holy expletive…do not put a large sirloin with bone and expect the same outcome as a ribeye. His cooked 3 times longer than expected was rubbery and medium rare. I couldn’t imagine how MOO it would have been for the time recommended. But I found out. Mine a bit smaller with bone, I added 5 minutes longer than recommended….the words came out of my mouth…I’m so hungry I’m going to eat it whenever the timer goes off…a, ya, that did not work out. But it swore me off steak for a very long time…possible for as long as I’m here on earth!

Raw before frying

Salmon patties. This was actually a recipe..not just salmon, egg and cracker crumb fried in oil and topped with ranch dressing. These were actual pretty good…but didn’t taste like salmon patties. To my family and friends who I’ve retained as Facebook friends even though they are salmon haters, you might like THESE salmon patties. I won’t say trust me!

My last half patty disappeared After leaving my plate on the counter while tending to the next batch….irritation…GET DOWN……but don’t take Truman’s word for anything…he can smell an open can of salmon miles away.

Until next time…

02.05.21
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Pandemic make me lazy? Or did I just find contentment?

Doing my Morning Pages this morning…

What I scribbled out was “has the pandemic made me lazy or has it been a gift of contentment and getting to know who I am?” While I’ve had those days of total boredom … screaming in my head that I want to take a trip somewhere…Key West, Italy, Walmart… the gift I’ve received is being locked up in my house rather than my mind for nearly a year and having the opportunity to get to know what I want and what I think minus all of the key turns of the ignition of the car.

I near the anniversary of my retirement which is also the day He and I left work, loaded up 5 cats, 3 large dogs and our last bits of our life in Iowa, drove 4 hours to our new life in Missouri. The emotions were raw…the excitement, the fear, second guessing if we were doing the right thing, realizing its too late to turn back now, sister, we are doing this! I remember feeling such relief…anonymity awaits. I could wear sleep pants and forgo makeup to go shopping because I will not know anyone. No small talk will be required at the grocery store because I won’t know anyone.

So it would seem pandemic quarantining is exactly what I had been craving. I’ve had the opportunity to just be. To sit on the couch all afternoon and play Words with Friends, to read novels and self help books, to binge watch TV shows. I have groceries delivered, dishes may sit overnight in the sink, I may eat popcorn at 2 in the morning. Isn’t this what I craved since I became a responsible adult with a career!

Living in the moment….just being…

Namaste

12.12.20
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Our life with Goovi

Goovi has made her home on this planet in our dining pod because it was the only place I could find enough clearance for the runway aka her “driveway” to reach home. She needs 6 feet because quite frankly she is a horrible driver.

I had this really good idea when she first came to us via an Amazon van, that she begin work at 4 am. I didn’t think I would need to supervise her …. and that was my fault because I was thinking in human….the language of my people. Goovi is not capable of finding her way over hill and dale without getting into trouble and just giving up and shutting down when she feels trapped? For instance…the temporary coaster under the fridge foot. Consequently now before bed, I must lock the doors, turn off the lights AND place a chair in front of the refrigerator.

Which is really not any more irritating than our morning ritual of searching the house for her…or having to step over her in the hallway as we leave our bedroom. It’s like having another cat.

This morning He reports that he followed her and timed her once he heard the suction cease and she turned on her pink light indicating she was finished for the day and navigating back to her bed. It took her 15 minutes and she made it before her battery completely drained. I guess I should not expect more from her considering her Black Friday price so I’m attempting gratitude and appreciation for the help she does provide….there I go getting soft….it’s really her job!!!

12.09.20
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Hey, HEY!

Notifications from our ring camera at the front door drive me bonkers! It’s probably really not fair to judge it’s efficiency during the pandemic because no one comes to the door. Only one guy who rang the doorbell and hung around on the sidewalk waiting for an answer while not being able to miss the No Soliciting sign. In a moment of irritation, I told myself that soliciting must have been too big a word. OK….not a very kind thing to think but DAMNIT!

The ring doorbell does pickup vehicles driving past on the street. I’ve adjusted and adjusted but certain times in the morning and evening, I think the sun hits the windows of the vehicle (especially SUVs) just right and sets it off. Rex…our cat/dog/annoying near-human, now recognizes that we respond when the “ring” is activated…whatever he is doing…even from a dead sleep…he sits up alert, often moving to the hallway waiting for one of us to do something. If you have cats, you will understand when I say he seems to be gifted…

In order to end this pandemic post of nothingness, I just wanted to mention that I frequently call up my ring app just to see what has gone by the house and even though by then I already know there have been no deliveries I get excited to see an Amazon van or a FedEx truck going by…which causes me to wave my arm in the air and yell..HEY HEY where’s my order.

If there is anything more exciting than this blog going on in your life, please respond!! I need the stimulation!

Until next time….

08.13.20
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Pretend Sunshine is called for today

I tell you that if the overcast skies prohibit shining sun today, I’m just going to fake it. I actually come from gratitude that we are receiving an abundance of rain during this late summer month…so there’s that. I’m watching him outside mowing right now…its mid morning and he just stopped to wipe sweat from under his glasses so that doesn’t bide well for outdoor activity.

Love and Light to my friends and family in Iowa recovering from the huge storm…I guess the Weather Service is calling this a Derecho…WHAT? I say we call it what it is … a huge storm. Most are saying its the worst storm they have ever been through…and the “most” in that sentence are people over the 1/2 century age…

We saw real people yesterday…a couple of our favorite people met us for an outside lunch (social distanced with masks and face shields. I finally removed my face shield because I continued to stab it with a fork) It felt so good to talk, laugh and see them face to face! We also saw the grandsons last night…Jenny and Justin brought supper that we enjoyed on the deck until sundown. The boys played inside a lot, revisiting their toys and loving on the cats…

So much gratitude…I really don’t even realize how mundane my life is until I’m awakened by the love and laughs of others sharing my same space.

Until next time….

04.16.20
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Day 1,000 in captivity

He is thinking about going to the front yard today, he spent time in the backyard yesterday.

I lost my dirty green sweatshirt and found it in the dirty clothes basket so I was forced to find it’s replacement…bright white

I cut my own bangs. I look twelve and this is not what I meant when I said I wanted to look younger.

We continually work on this 1,000 piece vegetable puzzle. Purple grapes had me questioning my life and my choices but made headway last night…I think we are already missing some pieces…damn cats! I think you can see the fake smiles in this picture and I notice It appears he is using his strength clutching the box to lessen his angst.

This lovely Christmas gift from the kids has become the most exciting thing in our life. When the yellow finch is dining, Rex is able to fly through the air and bump into the Window…the bird flies off and Rex gets sprayed with the water bottle which means the window is constantly wet with running drips. Of course this may be the only cleaning they get this spring. I’m way too busy.

I hope this finds you as content as we are!

Namaste

12.20.19
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We went to see Cats…the movie

Before I delve into the movie, I feel like talking.

Before I went to see the movie, Last Christmas, at the theater in November, I cannot tell you the last time I stepped foot in a theater. One of the Bushes was probably president…theaters had a lot of seating in chairs with seats that flipped up and down and you had to share an armrest with the person next to you and as someone mentioned this morning, you had to continually move your feet so emergency responders were not called to pry you up from the sticky floor after the movie finished. Or I could have just said, it’s had been a long time.

Last Christmas the movie was ok. I didn’t love it but I liked it. The twist at the end still gives me a warm feeling 2 months later.

Knives up….or was in Knives down…knives out. It was ok. I didn’t love it, I didn’t dislike it. I was entertained and that’s good enough.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood…oh my…I loved it and I didn’t watch Mr Rogers when I was young. Nor have I seen the Snoopy Christmas’s movie…or any Snoopy movie or cartoon for that matter. That’s another blog topic. Tom Hanks is an amazing actor!

Cats. Cats aren’t Dogs. That will only bring a chuckle after you have seen the movie. I was hesitant after reading reviews…pretty much everything I read said horrendous was a kind word. I liked it. I didn’t love it. There is no plot. The music was very disappointing… I was expecting heart jarring emotion from the music…it was Andrew Lloyd Webber music for crying out loud…the costumes were interesting and I think appropriate..especially cat tales. The dancing was pleasurable! I was reasonably disturbed with Rebel Wilson’s character but I should have expected it…it was Rebel Wilson. The movie is not going to be enjoyed by everyone but I lean toward it may be enjoyable for real feline lovers? There were scenes I enjoyed…ahem And if you love Idris Elba…well hold on!

Until next time….

06.04.19
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WHAT is that smell?

I’ve been layed up for a week. Okay..seriously I have a little red squiggly line under layed…it certainly is not lied up…maybe it’s laid up…yep…no line…but I’m using layed…

Anyway…I had big toe joint surgery last Tuesday…the doctor sent me home with a large prescription of pain medication. During an office visit a month before, I indicated to him that I’m not keen on taking pain meds….will I really need them? Well, the first couple of days anyway, was his response. To that response I now say..liar, liar pants on fire, hell yes you need to take the pain meds….I won’t belabor the painful journey I’m on…physical and mental pain. Here’s my footwear! Oh…just one foot…the other foot I wear a pair of shoes the same height….finding that combination has so far proved impossible.

So because I sit continuously in my nest.

I kept smelling something…it would come and go…so this morning, I leaned over and smelled the cats…each one separately…I smelled my shirt, I smelled the bed linens and the pillows, I reached down and smelled that foot contraption…then I opened the lid and smelled that box. That’s it. I smelled every book, every journal…every oracle card box…everything….and then everything was out of that box….except a rolled up paper towel…it was rolled up so I didn’t get the dripped tuna salad on anything Yesterday and making it nearly invisible at the bottom of the box. I mentally apologized to the cats because they don’t listen to me anyway but I just felt bad that I questioned their hygiene since they work so hard at keeping clean.

Until next time….

Until next time….

10.09.18
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Just a hair shy of 10 inches

The last time I recall rain irritating me this much was a year ago April….Suzy was down for her birthday and we had to sit in the house all weekend because IT WOULDN’T STOP RAINING. We finally drove over to the Kansas side to a Greek restaurant with a belly dancer and Moscow mules…..even though I seldom drink, I had a feeling the Moscow mules would help! That was the weekend before a spring trip to Bennett Spring which had received even more rain so we had to cancel because the campground was flooded and I was irritable!

I’m struggling with positive personal affirmations today as I sit at the table surrounded by gloomy skies that look like more rain…we are out of the drought because of the nearly 10 inches of rain that fell in a couple days. I think this calls for some positive affirmations…quietly sending them out into the universe….

  • We needed a good bath to wash the slimy, ugliness that has permeated the news.
  • Our grounds and streams and plants and trees will thrive with the moisture
  • I lift up those struggling with wet basements and houses and businesses under water
    When the clouds part, I know the sun will feel warmer, brighter and bigger; I know how this works….
  • While I’ve been writing this, it has started misting again. I realize I need to take some action and make an effort to control something I have the illusion I can control….like the cats!
  • Until next time…
    • 05.30.18
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    I’m not a bird “person”…

    Because it would actually not be consistent with being a cat person. I’ve actually only been attracted to birds since I’ve had cats realizing the hours of pure enjoyment for the cats staring out the window perfecting their bird click. That weird little noise they make indicating they are exercising their chops.

    I grew up with a dad who loved the purple Martin. He erected Martin houses everywhere we lived and also at his mothers house. In 84, when he moved to the country, he added blue bird houses along the fence row and I can still see my daughters walking the perimeter with him while he cleaned them out.

    But I’ve never appreciated birds….could it be the movie, The Birds, that scared the crap out of me…especially when I saw it in 3D at Disney World.

    But then I noticed….ahem….how could you not hear… the house wren visiting the deck,, so I decided to hang the little birdhouse just to see if he/she would make it a home.

    Sure enough.

    So as my friend, Wilma, suggested I also put out some dryer lint. This little wren detoured to the dryer lint and left his little stick.

    What is happening to me.

    Just a little glimpse into my life.

    Until next time….