Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Weekend
Well, it was a very, very sad weekend for us and yet life continued on.
On Saturday we went to the farmer's market, much later than usual. The market is winding down a lot now but we still got everything we came for, amongst other things a beautiful steak for Del's birthday dinner next week. We were both so out of it that we drove into the wrong direction on our way home, instead of going back to town we were headed towards Virginia. Oh well, we did make it home eventually. After laying our dear girl to rest we tried to relax a bit and in the late afternoon we took part in our church's trunk or treat. We decorated the trunk of our car and handed out candy. It was not planned but somehow the theme of our trunk ended up to be black cats. It was biting cold. We also moved the mama cat and the kittens from the mudroom into the living room. With the temperatures falling below freezing I did not want to leave them out there. The living room is the one room in the house which has the least nooks and crannies and where they can - hopefully - get into the least trouble. They are so incredibly fun to watch, running around on those short legs with their tiny tails sticking up. They also discovered the big box full of cat toys. Their mama is getting used to being inside and my two girls are watching it all through the french doors with an expression like "it is just a bad dream, it will all go away".
Sunday morning we went to church, then we did a teeny weeny bit of retail therapy and had a nice lunch - beef sausages from the farmer's market, tiny red potatoes, roasted with a bit of parsley and a green salad from our garden. In the evening we went to our small group meeting which was very enjoyable again. Good food and very good company.
Miss Kitty's passing left a big hole in our lives and our hearts but I remind myself that she had a long and happy life and got to see and do things other cats never do. I try to remember all the happy times and forget that last day, which was really hard. She is at peace now with no pain and we will see her again one day.
Thank you for your kind comments on my last post.
I hope you all had a good weekend too.
On Saturday we went to the farmer's market, much later than usual. The market is winding down a lot now but we still got everything we came for, amongst other things a beautiful steak for Del's birthday dinner next week. We were both so out of it that we drove into the wrong direction on our way home, instead of going back to town we were headed towards Virginia. Oh well, we did make it home eventually. After laying our dear girl to rest we tried to relax a bit and in the late afternoon we took part in our church's trunk or treat. We decorated the trunk of our car and handed out candy. It was not planned but somehow the theme of our trunk ended up to be black cats. It was biting cold. We also moved the mama cat and the kittens from the mudroom into the living room. With the temperatures falling below freezing I did not want to leave them out there. The living room is the one room in the house which has the least nooks and crannies and where they can - hopefully - get into the least trouble. They are so incredibly fun to watch, running around on those short legs with their tiny tails sticking up. They also discovered the big box full of cat toys. Their mama is getting used to being inside and my two girls are watching it all through the french doors with an expression like "it is just a bad dream, it will all go away".
Sunday morning we went to church, then we did a teeny weeny bit of retail therapy and had a nice lunch - beef sausages from the farmer's market, tiny red potatoes, roasted with a bit of parsley and a green salad from our garden. In the evening we went to our small group meeting which was very enjoyable again. Good food and very good company.
Miss Kitty's passing left a big hole in our lives and our hearts but I remind myself that she had a long and happy life and got to see and do things other cats never do. I try to remember all the happy times and forget that last day, which was really hard. She is at peace now with no pain and we will see her again one day.
Thank you for your kind comments on my last post.
I hope you all had a good weekend too.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Food for Thought
Recently I saw on a pet clinic's website an article about concern over declining vet visits. When I asked at that same clinic how much it would cost to have a (stray) cat spayed the answer was "$ 239.-". And they wonder? I am sure people love their pets but times being what they are the prices at that particular clinic are a bit steep. I don't remember ever having paid that much at a vet, not even in Vienna.
We will take the mama cat to the local shelter to have her spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned. We took MamaCat there as well and they did a good job at a third of the clinic's price.
We will take the mama cat to the local shelter to have her spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned. We took MamaCat there as well and they did a good job at a third of the clinic's price.
Weekend
Well, another weekend has come and gone and time goes by so swiftly. It was a good weekend.
Friday night we moved the kittens (and their mama) from the potting shed into the mudroom. The nights are getting rather cool now and the kittens are getting more mobile and they seem to be an especially curious bunch. They started to explore outside the shed and with raccoons and dogs and who knows what other critters that come into our yard, we felt it safer for them to be inside. The mudroom does get a bit too warm in the afternoon when the sun shines directly on it so I put the little ones into one of our crates and took them inside for a nap, keeping them away from our cats. They are amazing, you can almost watch them grow, they are 4 weeks old now and are beginning to eat solid food. I gave them kitten chow to munch on and once a day I give them canned kitten food. It looks like there are three boys and two girls. The girls are the quiet ones, the boys are meowing up a storm. When I went out to them this morning two of them playfully attacked my foot. It will not be easy to let them go and I really hope I will be able to find homes for them.
Saturday morning we spent at the biker ministry helping clean out their basement. Let's just say it was an interesting experience. The volunteer shift was from 8 am - 12 pm, but by 11 am our spirits began to sag a bit, it was just so much work and we realized we would not be able to get it all done but we did make a dent. I was in a group of women who sorted donated clothing items. I have to say that it is a shame what some people donate, stained underwear was one of the grosser items we found, yuck! After we got home we took it easy and just read, knitted and played around on the computer a bit.
Sunday morning we had a great church service and in the evening we went to our first small group meeting. We had a good time of fellowship and Bible study with lovely people and good food and I am looking forward to being a part of this group.
Friday night we moved the kittens (and their mama) from the potting shed into the mudroom. The nights are getting rather cool now and the kittens are getting more mobile and they seem to be an especially curious bunch. They started to explore outside the shed and with raccoons and dogs and who knows what other critters that come into our yard, we felt it safer for them to be inside. The mudroom does get a bit too warm in the afternoon when the sun shines directly on it so I put the little ones into one of our crates and took them inside for a nap, keeping them away from our cats. They are amazing, you can almost watch them grow, they are 4 weeks old now and are beginning to eat solid food. I gave them kitten chow to munch on and once a day I give them canned kitten food. It looks like there are three boys and two girls. The girls are the quiet ones, the boys are meowing up a storm. When I went out to them this morning two of them playfully attacked my foot. It will not be easy to let them go and I really hope I will be able to find homes for them.
Saturday morning we spent at the biker ministry helping clean out their basement. Let's just say it was an interesting experience. The volunteer shift was from 8 am - 12 pm, but by 11 am our spirits began to sag a bit, it was just so much work and we realized we would not be able to get it all done but we did make a dent. I was in a group of women who sorted donated clothing items. I have to say that it is a shame what some people donate, stained underwear was one of the grosser items we found, yuck! After we got home we took it easy and just read, knitted and played around on the computer a bit.
Sunday morning we had a great church service and in the evening we went to our first small group meeting. We had a good time of fellowship and Bible study with lovely people and good food and I am looking forward to being a part of this group.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Monday
Ugh, Monday again? Where does the time go? I slept like a baby last night - woke up every two hours, not because I was wet or hungry but because I was hot and achy. I don't know what is going on, I am hurting all over, not bad, just enough to be uncomfortable and I felt hot and heavy although the night was rather cool. I love it when I wake up exhausted with a long day ahead of me. Well, I better get going, all that housework does not do itself.
I have not been creative at all in the past few weeks. The most I manage to do is to knit a few rows every day. But I am reading a lot.
Have a wonderful week y'all!
I have not been creative at all in the past few weeks. The most I manage to do is to knit a few rows every day. But I am reading a lot.
Have a wonderful week y'all!
Weekend
I had a bit of a mixed weekend. The weather was great but Saturday must have been "drive like an idiot day" around here. We almost got into an accident on the way to the farmer's market when a guy in a pick up swerved into our lane. We doubled up on some items from the market because we will not be going there next weekend, we'll be here instead.
In the afternoon we drove to the Horne Creek Farm for their annual corn shucking frolic and the idiocy on the road continued. I don't think I'll ever want to learn how to drive it is stressful enough sitting in the passenger seat. The event itself had a different feeling to it this year, more commercialized. They charged more for going in which in turn lead people to not buy any food. When we left around 4.30 there was still food to be had, in previous years they were sold out after the lunch rush. There was no quilting going on this year and the path to the cemetery and the creek had been fenced off. We were also handed a sheet with instructions on how to behave on the premises. They must have had some problems to come up with all that. Anyway, the weather was beautiful, we listened to some nice music and ate some old fashioned ice cream. The drive home was pretty much more of the same, it must have been a full sun for people to act so weird. ;-)
Sunday service was great. Several people got baptized and we heard some inspiring testimonials from them. I am really beginning to like this church.
Sunday service was great. Several people got baptized and we heard some inspiring testimonials from them. I am really beginning to like this church.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Knitting and Reading
Sleep is highly overrated. ;-) I woke up at 1.30 am and was wide awake until around 3 am. And then I was rather rudely awakended by a huge thunderstorm shortly after 5 am. I am getting too old for these wild nights. I hate thunder that shakes the house and lightning so close you can hear it hiss.
Last night we were on another kitten rescue mission. It had rained all day and by afternoon there was some dreadful yowling going on in the bushes. So out I went in pouring rain to see what was the matter. I found two rather wet and bedraggled looking kittens, stuffed them into a box lined with one of the flannel quilts I made for the cats last year and took them to the potting shed. Then I grabbed their mama and put her in with them so she knew where they went. I knew that she had more than two and I was hoping that she would bring them all together by herself. In the early evening we heard more yowling from the bushes and sure enough there was another kitten. He got himself so deep into the vegetation that she must not have been able to get him out by herself. Del got him and while I took him to the shed he was looking for the rest. When I entered the shed I found mama and four babies all nice and dry in their new box and the search was called off. This time we will have her fixed although I have no idea yet where the money for it will come from. After we gave away the last kittens she had disappeared for a while and when she showed up again she was pregnant once more. It seems to be my destiny to take on other people's responsibilities.
Anyway, on to knitting and reading, linking up with Ginny again.
I joined the knitting group at our new church for the first time yesterday and it was very nice. There were only four of us but we did some knitting and some chatting and had a good time. I am working on a simple scarf that will be added to the Christmas bags for the homeless shelter. And I am re-reading "The Pillars of the Earth", now I know why I could not remember anything of the book when I saw the movie. They made an awful lot of changes to the story right from the beginning, which proves again that you should never do a book report based on the movie. ;-) I also did a little Fall inspired baking - pumpkin muffins.
Last night we were on another kitten rescue mission. It had rained all day and by afternoon there was some dreadful yowling going on in the bushes. So out I went in pouring rain to see what was the matter. I found two rather wet and bedraggled looking kittens, stuffed them into a box lined with one of the flannel quilts I made for the cats last year and took them to the potting shed. Then I grabbed their mama and put her in with them so she knew where they went. I knew that she had more than two and I was hoping that she would bring them all together by herself. In the early evening we heard more yowling from the bushes and sure enough there was another kitten. He got himself so deep into the vegetation that she must not have been able to get him out by herself. Del got him and while I took him to the shed he was looking for the rest. When I entered the shed I found mama and four babies all nice and dry in their new box and the search was called off. This time we will have her fixed although I have no idea yet where the money for it will come from. After we gave away the last kittens she had disappeared for a while and when she showed up again she was pregnant once more. It seems to be my destiny to take on other people's responsibilities.
Anyway, on to knitting and reading, linking up with Ginny again.
I joined the knitting group at our new church for the first time yesterday and it was very nice. There were only four of us but we did some knitting and some chatting and had a good time. I am working on a simple scarf that will be added to the Christmas bags for the homeless shelter. And I am re-reading "The Pillars of the Earth", now I know why I could not remember anything of the book when I saw the movie. They made an awful lot of changes to the story right from the beginning, which proves again that you should never do a book report based on the movie. ;-) I also did a little Fall inspired baking - pumpkin muffins.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Weekend
We had a nice weekend with great weather. We went to the farmer's market Saturday morning. Although it was quite late and they had a craft fair on there were not as many people there. In the afternoon we went to a festival at the local museum. They were showing a movie about the early days of stock car racing in the area, unfortunately there was very little about racing in the movie.
I baked the first pumpkin bread and cooked the first chili of the season.
At church on Sunday I met the lady who organizes the knitting group and I will be joining them tomorrow evening. They are knitting scarves for the homeless right now and I already got one on my needles. I am looking forward to meeting other women in the area who knit. We also signed up for a day of work at a local biker ministry in two weeks. They need help with organizing and cleaning their basement.
Sunday afternoon we worked in the garden, Del took down most of a big bush that had overgrown the rose bush and blocked out a lot of sun. Well, it also blocked the view into our back yard and the bedroom windows. I think we might need new blinds or drapes now. ;)
We ended the weekend with a little knitting, computer game playing and watching 'Northern Exposure'.
I baked the first pumpkin bread and cooked the first chili of the season.
At church on Sunday I met the lady who organizes the knitting group and I will be joining them tomorrow evening. They are knitting scarves for the homeless right now and I already got one on my needles. I am looking forward to meeting other women in the area who knit. We also signed up for a day of work at a local biker ministry in two weeks. They need help with organizing and cleaning their basement.
Sunday afternoon we worked in the garden, Del took down most of a big bush that had overgrown the rose bush and blocked out a lot of sun. Well, it also blocked the view into our back yard and the bedroom windows. I think we might need new blinds or drapes now. ;)
We ended the weekend with a little knitting, computer game playing and watching 'Northern Exposure'.
Monday, October 03, 2011
Weekend
I had a fairly good week, apart from being eternally tired from not sleeping well. The difficult situation is still there but I seem to be handling it better. I am trying hard to live in today without being afraid of tomorrow and without letting yesterday (as in 40 years ago) getting to me. Not always easy, but I am trying.
The weather has become quite cool and refreshing in a hurry with temps in the 40s at night and in the 50s and 60s during the day.
Our weekend started with the usual trip to the farmer's market. We bought a chicken from a new vendor and that was by far the best chicken I have ever eaten. Not cheap by any means but we got three meals out of it. We also bought some okra which seems to be winding down already, acorn squash, eggs, peppers, kale, a sweet potato, a giant onion and apples.
On the way back from the market we picked up our repaired lawn mower and dropped some books off at the library. We also had the bright idea that we would both like to eat a candy bar. Well, changing our diet has definitely put us off anything overly sweet. We both felt bad after the sugar attack and decided that was probably the last candy bar we ever ate.
Sunday morning we went to church and right afterwards we headed to the Rising Meadow Farm for their annual farm fest. We took a different road this time and I did not get motion sick. Just to be on the safe side I had brought some of my homemade ginger ale along for the trip as well. The event was much smaller than last year, I guess that with the current economy being the way it is it does not pay for a lot of the fiber vendors to make the trip. But the weather was great and the farm is just beautiful. We also stopped at the Goat Lady Dairy for their open house, sampled the really good but very expensive goat cheese and admired the vegetable gardens. Just after we got to the farm my camera decided to call it quits. Re-chargeable batteries might be good for the environment but they are not doing well in cameras. The second set I took along did not work either, the seem to lose their charge quickly even when not in use. These are all the photos I got.
We ended our weekend with watching 'Northern Exposure' on library DVDs and eating home made popcorn. It was a good weekend.
The weather has become quite cool and refreshing in a hurry with temps in the 40s at night and in the 50s and 60s during the day.
Our weekend started with the usual trip to the farmer's market. We bought a chicken from a new vendor and that was by far the best chicken I have ever eaten. Not cheap by any means but we got three meals out of it. We also bought some okra which seems to be winding down already, acorn squash, eggs, peppers, kale, a sweet potato, a giant onion and apples.
Sunday morning we went to church and right afterwards we headed to the Rising Meadow Farm for their annual farm fest. We took a different road this time and I did not get motion sick. Just to be on the safe side I had brought some of my homemade ginger ale along for the trip as well. The event was much smaller than last year, I guess that with the current economy being the way it is it does not pay for a lot of the fiber vendors to make the trip. But the weather was great and the farm is just beautiful. We also stopped at the Goat Lady Dairy for their open house, sampled the really good but very expensive goat cheese and admired the vegetable gardens. Just after we got to the farm my camera decided to call it quits. Re-chargeable batteries might be good for the environment but they are not doing well in cameras. The second set I took along did not work either, the seem to lose their charge quickly even when not in use. These are all the photos I got.
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