Is He Homeless?

I have no shame.

A prideful person would never put a photo of their partner online showing how very weird he is. He's so weird it didn't bother him knowing it would become a blog topic. The son gave him this jacket several years ago as a gift. It has been Mark's chore jacket. The son gave him a new one for his birthday after seeing the shape this is in. Mark won't use it for chores, he's "saving" it. There are a couple of key phrases the man is fond of using; good enough and it's fine. So, we made a bargain. He will continue to use this disintegrating thing for the rest of the season, then it's the trash bin. Because it's sooo bad, he agreed. Another thing, his barn boots have been falling apart and he just would say "they are comfortable". He ordered a new pair last week. I think we are still married because I'm good enough. Yes. He is a CPA.

Stylin'

Haute Couture in Minnesota

It's dangerously icy today, which means it will be this way for some time to come. We both have the elder person socializing (doctors appointments) later this week. You would think using a cane would be stabilizing on ice, but it's not. The thing slides on the ice. We will see what kind of a circus that turns into.

I hope your world is on stable footing.

Yo-Yo Weather

That's a lot of snow.

Tomorrow it's going to rain. Yippee.

Ah, March. Right around the corner, laughing at us. Rain, sleet, snow, ice. Repeat. Over and over and over. This is when I start to complain about the weather. As if it matters, but somehow it is ingrained in humans to do just that. This is my turn. Bah, humbug.

Got that out of my system. So, last night I over-cooked the pizza. We had crispy-crunchy (cracker?) pizza. Let's just say it was edible and leave it at that. To add insult to injury, it will be lunch. 

I was not productive yesterday, unless I can count starting my fifty-first book over seven months. I'm not into it yet, but I kind of thought I may not be. It's Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson in collaboration with Dolly Parton. I admire her and decided to give it a try. It's an audiobook and she is one of the readers, allowing me to listen to her unique speaking voice and that wonderful laugh. I will continue, I rarely give up on a book. I have several books on hold that are months out, so I fill in the empty spaces, often with good luck.

Mark had to go out so he is bringing home deli chicken for dinner. Yay, no chance for me to screw that up! Happy Sunday, friends.

Do I Need a Title?

The horses got outside after three days in the barn. They still rock-n-roll some after they've been in but it is not much of a show. They, like me, are older and perhaps it's that they are wiser. I don't know if I'm wiser but the yippee ki-yay has left the building where I am concerned. We are coming into warmer weather. Unfortunately that is bringing rain on Monday. Not good. The weather really does not care what I think, which is a real pity.

There is nothing happening around here, which in my prior life was a relief. There was always some drama of one kind or another, so I took the lulls into my open arms. Not to say I want drama. Nope. Nope. My brain is a bit foggy, which is where most of my activity is, generally speaking. When the mist closes in there, I'm a lump. This lump did make manicotti yesterday. I also made soup, as it was cold and windy and that is always a good reason for soup. I have finally converted Mark. Now it's "oh, soup!" instead of "soup". I proselytize food.

I don't have much energy but lately I have gained a little more interest in cooking. Mark is happy. I'm going to make a pizza tonight, I think. I have some asparagus I need to use soon, so that and prosciutto and whatever else will make a good pizza. I placed a Misfits order yesterday, Boud. They've increased the minimum dollar amount for orders and raised the shipping charge. It's the fennel that brings me back, so what's the likelihood that will be out of stock? I did buy two dozen eggs at under $3/dozen. 

Mark is busy, it is tax season, which crept up, it seems. He now has a small practice and is semi-retired. Clients over the past decade have died or sold their business. He still does tax returns for them, those that sold, not died, but not audits, which was the bulk of his business. He has a good mix of physical and mental work now. He needs both. Mark could never be the retired guy on the gulf course in Arizona over the winter. Which suits me.

The sun is shining, the horses are outside munching hay. The cats are sleeping on an unmade bed, the dog is in Mark's office with Mark. And, I'm nearly finished with my coffee and am considering an attempt at productivity. Wish me luck.

Winter

We sat in the living room last evening watching the snow pelt the window. This is one of Gatto's favorite viewing spots. I caught him in mid-flight. You can see that odd looking thing on the wall. My new wifi extender, it looks like something out of science fiction. Which it would have been thirty years ago.

 It seems over 48 hours we did get the predicted two feet of snow.

All photos were taken from inside the house. There isn't a chance I'd be able to navigate this!

Mark went out to shovel around the barn doors.

It's cold and will be into Saturday. By my nature we are always stocked with food so we don't need to attempt driving. Mark wants to wait to plow until it's warmer. I don't have any deliveries coming, so that should be ok.

The wind blew snow into the porch. This is the outside hangout space for the cats. Those are Gatto prints, the two girls are not interested in cold feet.

I keep Keetah's food in a garbage container. It works great. 

It looks foreboding in there.

I guess a couple of feet of snow is just what I needed. I have been in a depressive cycle which worsened when Murphy died. I awoke this morning feeling lighter. It's a foreign feeling and one I could get used to.

I made a great one pan meal last evening. I usually steam fatty fish like salmon and steelhead. I made steelhead the usual way, on a foil lined sheet pan, I added on one side asparagus and on the other very thinly sliced potatoes and onion. All had finely chopped garlic and tarragon sprinkled over it. Some olive oil and butter, sealed in foil and spent 25 minutes in a 350 oven. Really good, fast and hardly anything to clean up. Perfect.

That's the report from the land of snow and ice. Enjoy the day.

The Cycle

Bon Voyage 

Murphy was one of many cats who made their way to my farm. He showed up friendly and inquisitive the winter of 2012. I had an old cat, Margaret, in the house (another stray) who couldn't stand cats. She loved dogs, despised cats. So no coming inside for Murphy. I had him neutered and gave him to my mother. My son took him home after Kate died. He had the best life a cat could want with them, they are both cat people. He started having difficulty breathing over the weekend. They took him to an emergency clinic where it was discovered he had a large tumor in a lung. They were advised to put him down, which they did.

He was a mellow fellow. He will be deeply missed by his people and his cat friend, Twinks.

Ouch

He is a handsome fellow.

A handsome fellow who attacked me a couple of nights ago. Ever get attacked by a cat? Me neither, until now. It is nothing you want to experience. One of the strays was on the deck looking in the kitchen door. Freida and Gatto were looking back at it. I went outside, it skittered and then let me touch it before running off when Keetah noticed something was afoot. When I came inside Gatto went wild, attacking my foot, leg and the hand/arm which had touched the cat. I was trying to get him to stop without being too rough, it wasn't working. Fierce little Freida stopped him. It was something to see. She ran over to him, one-two punched him and gave him a very serious growl and hiss. He came to his senses. Something about the other cat set him off, I don't know what it was. My fierce little Freida, I guess she does love me.

He is a nice cat. And he is photogenic. I would not want to be in the middle of a cat fight.

Then there is soup.

I made creamy potato soup with a little turmeric for lunch yesterday. It was really good and filling. It will be lunch again today. The chicken I posted a photo of yesterday had its bones put in a pot to make more stock. Mark is actually looking forward to soup, something I never expected.

I have an in office visit scheduled for Thursday which I will cancel and reschedule today. We are expecting snow for the next three days and there is talk of feet, not inches. No reason to take a risk that isn't necessary. We don't take many risks anymore. I pointed out to Mark that we have too much responsibility to be risky. Fourteen horses, six cats and a neurotic dog. Speaking of.....

Keetah also sings the song of her people. A. LOT. She lays looking out the door, waiting for a twig to move, and then does this. No imaginary bad guy is getting in her house, let her tell you. She is eleven, has a bad hip and limited hearing, but she still knows she's got it.

Mark is going to his peer review, then will have lunch at his brother's house. I will eat my soup and read. I started The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin, yesterday and I am enjoying it. I needed something lighter after reading Bewilderment. It left me melancholy.

It's another day we are vertical, or as a woman I used to work with would say, we aren't toes up, so it's a good day. Make it yours.

Just Stuff

Talk Chicken

I love roasted chicken. Honestly, chicken in any form is A-okay by me. My neighbor had chickens that I cared for, more often than I liked, when they would go out of town. She also had lambs and later added Alpacas. They can be contrary creatures, chickens, and often resent the egg collector. I called them peckers and mother-cluckers. I'm glad I never knew what they called me. The neighbor sold to her son three years ago so I no longer have that obligation.

I roasted a chicken on Valentine's Day. I thought I'd post the before roasting photo, for no other reason than my repertoire is limited at the moment. How do you season yours? I don't eat the skin so I found a long time ago that I missed the flavor of the seasoning. I mix salt, pepper and whatever herbs/spices I'm using in a small bowl. I go under the skin and rub it all over, getting as much as I can into the leg. Then I place butter under the skin. I roast it atop vegetables, this time fennel, garlic and thickly sliced onion, place potatoes, onion and carrots, if I'm using them, all around the chicken, topping it off with more seasoning, this time tarragon, some butter and a drizzle of olive oil. There you go, my chicken recipe!

 Chicken 101

We have two more young cats hanging around. I'm feeding them. Cats do not have it easy. It makes me sad and mad. That's all I can say.

From chicken to cats, a muddled mind! I didn't sleep well last night, that's my excuse. We have mild weather for a couple of days, if the forecast holds true we are going to get a lot of snow mid-week. It's also supposed to become cold again. Comfort food will be on the menu. Mark needs to get me manicotti tubes. He will.

Yes, I'm tired. I am not a nap-taker but one may be in my future today. I would not be safe operating heavy equipment. Maybe not even a gas cooktop. Be warm and nap if you need to. Why not.

Something New Under The Sun

Never think there is nothing new.

I made a sauce with yellow tomatoes, something I personally have not seen. I have several large freezer bags full of yellow plum tomatoes from last season which I realized I had no idea how to use once frozen. I used six large garlic cloves, two preserved basil cubes, white wine and at the end a bunch of thin asparagus spears cut up and some butter. It looked better in person than in a photo. I debated posting it because the look is not great. I decided to put it up anyway because the flavor was quite good. More acidic than Romas, which was not a bad thing. The acidity could be tempered with sugar or, I think, shredded zucchini I have in the freezer. It would be even better with red pepper flakes, which I can do next time. Because I probably have four bags. 

It's a sunny day, temperature is much warmer, upper 30s today. We are is for a lot of snow Wednesday & Thursday if the model holds. We shall see.

I am craving manicotti. I have a recipe from Mrs. Mancuso, an elderly woman I knew in my teens. She was a wonderful person who gave me her recipe. It's the only one I've ever used. I'm not able to make pasta at this time, so I need to wait until Mark can get me a package of manicotti pasta. It's easy to make but I don't have it in me. You know how something gets into your head and you suddenly want it? I'm there.

I have enough stock in the refrigerator to make another pot of soup, so I think I'll make potato soup. That sounds good to me. Other than my weather report, today this is a food blog. That's ok, most of us enjoy food. Even when it's odd looking yellow sauce!

If Only

Gatto in late afternoon sunlight.

He knows he could have been a contender if only he'd had more opportunity. If only, there could be lots of little Gattos populating the world, if only. If only he hadn't complained about freezing to death and begged to be let inside. If only he hadn't succumbed to luxury and a magically filled bowl anytime he wants to eat. If only.

If only I had energy there would be matzo balls instead of noodles and beans in the soup. If only. Ah, the choices we make. At least I made soup, enough for lunch again today. It's cold. We have warmed from -5 F to 5 F. Mark has been busy readying for a peer review. Mark's career has been corporate auditing. He also is a tax guy, but that was mostly for his corporate clients. Auditing requires peer reviews. He still does a couple of audits. It's all Greek to me.

 

I froze several bags of yellow plum tomatoes last year. I'm going to make a sauce with a bag I brought up from the freezer. I've never made yellow sauce before! That plant produced fruit like crazy, so I had to do something with the tomatoes. We used them fresh during the season, but there were just too many. 

I thought yesterday as I was walking to my office how much things have changed in the last couple of decades. I had my phone in my hand. I always seem to have my phone in my hand or pocket. It's a natural part of my life, an extension of my body. Then as I sat at my computer I remembered the days of dial-up and You've Got Mail. No Facebook or Twitter. There were forums and blogs. I would use a phone to talk to people. Now I use it to text and search the internet. It has also replaced my DSLR camera. This all came to mind because my 12 year old wireless extender stopped extending wireless to the east end of my house. The house is a single story and it's long. There is a stone wall in the kitchen, with a laundry room between the kitchen and my office, where the connection is. We don't get wireless in the living room and snug without an extender. No music streaming through Alexa. No using Roku for TV watching. No using my phone without going to data. It's like I'm living in the 20th century! A new wireless extender is on the way, so my deprivation will be short-lived. How very accustomed we become to change. 

They Are Only a Memory

As close to drunk as a cat will get.

Gatto was home by 4:00 and wobbly. Today he's back to singing the song of his people, just not with the same gusto. Over time I think he'll stop. I will need to keep checking along the baseboards for his musk, it may take some time for that to stop, too. I put lavender essential oil in the mopping water, I thought maybe it would be calming for Gatto. Frieda was fascinated, she stayed close to me the whole time I was mopping, then she walked along sniffing the floor. I don't know if it did anything for Gatto but Frieda got a little pleasure.

Mark spent four hours on the road yesterday taking Gatto to and from the clinic. This is a valuable service provided by a non-profit to spay/neuter stray, feral and barn cats in an effort to encourage people to bring them in. It's not free, but it is a greatly reduced cost. I have brought so many stray cats there over the years. If I could get a hold on them they got altered. Most stuck around, at least for awhile. Several times pregnant cats had their kittens here and we took them in. Mama, too, if we could get her. The three barn cats and Mark's tripod kitty were born in the barn to a stray mama. Frieda was a stray kitten we had spayed who decided she wasn't living in the barn. Gatto can't be a barn cat because he wouldn't survive, his cat skills are not good. I don't know his story, but he's lucky he lived until he found us.

It rained all day yesterday. It didn't get too cold last night so there wasn't ice to contend with this morning, but the temperature is dropping throughout the day and it will become a problem. The freeze/thaw cycle is difficult with hoofed animals. 

So...I'm off to make soup. I have the stock from a few days ago waiting for me to do something with it. Dumplings are sounding good. Maybe matzo balls. I'm strangely hungry lately.

Taco Tuesday and Other Interesting Things

Happy Valentines Day

Otherwise known as my father's birthday. 

This is his high school graduation photo. He would be one hundred. He died one week after his birthday in 2010. He'd been in the hospital, was diagnosed with bladder cancer and died at home from cardiac arrest. He told me he was tired and didn't want to go on. So he didn't.

Now something we've all been waiting for....these little jewels will be removed today!

 

Mark took him into the spay/neuter clinic this morning. He has not been great to live with as an intact male cat looking to breed. I have not ever dealt with a cat spraying in my house. I do not recommend it. 95% percent stop after neutering, let's hope he is one of that 95%.

Now onto the news of the day.

Mark is cancer free!

He had his last treatment yesterday. His PSA is 0.2. He sees the urologist in six weeks for a follow up. He went through radiation with really no side effects, other than a small amount of fatigue toward the end. We had a brownie and ice cream after lunch yesterday to celebrate.

I'm going to roast a chicken for dinner, a nod to the sort of holiday, Mark is going to pick up tacos from the local deli/meat market for lunch and we have half of the brownie left for a treat sometime today. I will also need to go through the house on a Gatto Spray Removal Mission. My German Shepherd has made it clear to me she is NOT a pheromone sniffing dog. It's not in the union contract.

Lotto Gatto

Gatto won the cat equivalent of the lottery.

Tuesday is snip snip, yay yay.

 I didn't want to lead with a photo of some sketchy looking stuff.

Chicken stock was made. It will chill in the refrigerator, solidifying the fat for easy removal

There will be soup in the next few days. I probably have enough for three different soups, two for sure. Potato will be one. It's a nice, sunny day. The weekend is supposed to be above normal, probably through Monday. I'm listening to a book I randomly picked and I like it. "When No One Is Watching" by Alyssa Cole. I am 62% through the book, so I guess it has grabbed my attention. I don't know why it took me so long to get a library card to use on ebooks and audiobooks. Now I'm not loading my phone up with books I'd buy. Better late than not at all.

I appreciate the interest in my periodic horse ramblings. I have been involved with horses for decades, so it's easy for memories to end up in the memory trash bin. Picking a horse or two brings those memories to the front and gives me pleasure. There is plenty of sad when so many years and so many horses are involved, but the good stuff is there, so much good stuff. I told someone once, when she said I had a lot of old horses, "When you have a lot of horses you end up with a lot of old horses." Truth. So, periodically I will go on about a horse. It is a break from cats. And food.

I will leave at that. Enjoy the day. Ciao

She has a fierce expression most of the time.

 Then it softens and she looks like sweet kitty.

I made a shepherds pie for dinner and it was so good it makes me wonder why I rarely make one. This was made with meat I'd cooked for the lasagna so it was ground beef and Italian sausage. So good! My blog friends are inspiring me.

I've had the rest of the round bales delivered for the season. That is a relief, knowing they are in the shed. You know how you make a small fortune in the horse business? Start out with a large one.

High-Steppers

Per Boud's request some information on American Saddlebreds

This is a video of a five-gaited saddlebred. The five-gaited rack, which is that rather strange gait with the front moving very fast and the rear is not. There is no 'bounce' for the rider, sort of like a Tennessee Walker. They were bred and developed in the Southern United States and used for overseeing plantations. They are a comfortable ride. Then they became show horses and that walking trot was bred to be more exaggerated. Saddlebreds, like many breeds (not Arabians) are allowed to wear tail extensions and they do something called a tail set; a couple of cuts along the sides of the dock and then a 'set' put in to stretch and then heal upright. They wear weighted shoes and are trained with chains or weights above their front hooves to encourage more lift.

Mr. Solo at home in his natural state.

They are upright horses with their neck set high on the shoulder. This allows for more extension and lift. They are overall goodnatured horses. Generally tall, Solo was 16.1 hands.

This is an Arabian mare, Secret, I purchased and was informed she may be in foal to the seller's pinto saddlebred. She was. This is the Arabian/Saddlebred filly, Ivy. Saddlebreds are a common cross with Arabians. The Arabian Horse Registry has a half- Arab registration and so they are pedigreed and can be very valuable.

The horse in the middle is my first saddlebred, Senior Specialist, Spenser. He was 17 hands and was three when I bought him. We found out he was five-gaited later when the trainer took him out to a harvested corn field and he racked. Colleen said she thought he might be and that is a way to find out. I did not show Spenser, he was a very stable riding horse who could park really low. Parking is having the horse stretch out both front and hind to lower itself. I could get on the Big Dude from the ground if I had to because he was a world class parker. It also allowed him to refuse to move if that's what he wanted because you cannot push a parked horse off balance. Spenser was trained to drive (pull a cart), he really liked that, much more than having someone on his back. We were on a trail ride many years ago in these photos. The horse on the left is Ben, a Lipizzan/Arabian cross, on the right is Dani, a Morocco Spotted Horse/Arabian cross.

Spenser died in 2011. He had diabetes. You cannot manage it with insulin, it's all about care. He foundered badly, which is how I found out. His recovery was long and painful. He had to have grass hay that had been soaked for at least an hour to remove the starch. He needed boots with founder pads on his front hooves. He could not be out on grass, there is a lot of sugar in grass, especially in the spring. He did well for about a year and then he foundered again. I had promised him during the first recovery that I would not put him through that again. I put him down. His barn name was Spenser, but he was The Dude.

Spenser and Colleen in the early nineties.

This is Joan Crawford, an ASB owned by a member of my father's family.

This is a brief overview of the ASB horse. I hope it gave some insight into a regal and often misused animal. A little tidbit of info. TV's Mr. Ed was a half saddlebred.

Random

The Denver Mint, AKA Solo.

He died last August at the age of twenty-eight.

My father instilled saddlebreds in me since I was born. He had one as a teenager and talked about him often. They were not the horse I chose to breed, I don't much care for that show world. But then, I can't say any of the breeds are clean in the show realm. 

This is an old photo of, wait for it.....Bounce. That is his barn name and I think it may be evident why! I still have Bounce, he is 21. Still feisty. He was the topic of another blog I started, it's on the list of 'my blogs'.

I will periodically stroll down memory lane with horse photos. I saw the photo of Mr. Solo and it got me started. Then Bounce bouncing was under the Solo photo. How often do you see a horse on a figurative pogo stick? Arabians are not very accomplished bucking horses but they sure can leave the ground.

We have sunshine and mild temperatures. There is leftover pizza for lunch and a lasagna waiting for assembly. Today I must do it. I had reasonably productive day, for me, yesterday and would be delighted if I can do the same, or at least close to it today. I have two nice chairs sitting in the basement that I'm trying to figure out how to place upstairs again without crowding. It requires moving the dining room chairs into where I think the others could be. They are close in size. So far it's been a nope, but yesterday I had a light bulb moment but was too weary to follow through. My goal for the morning. Decor and furniture arrangement of the living room. In my healthier days it would mean a deep and thorough cleaning. Anytime I moved furniture turned into a big time cleaning day. Now, let's see if I can manage moving the dining table chairs. Set your goals where they can be reached, right?

Ramble Ramble. You all do well today. I will, too. Ciao

Tubes and Such

 

I spent ninety minutes in a closed MRI machine yesterday. I'm not claustrophobic, but that was a bit overwhelming after about the first half hour. I was surprised by how dizzy and weak I was afterward. The young men helping me told me that was normal, especially considering the time spent inside. I had cello music on the ear phones, which was the right choice. I got the results yesterday. Overall, no problems. There were a couple of areas that I don't understand which will need to be explained. The imaging can pick up sinusitis. That surprised me.

The day will be filled with tasks. Monday is laundry day but I wasn't home, so Tuesday is laundry day. I have all but the ricotta prepared for lasagna, no excuse not to make it. Bill stopped by yesterday with several bags of frozen peppers and green beans. He has kept me supplied with these for years, so I stopped growing them. It was so good to see him, it's been awhile.

I thought I'd end with beauty. Sophie. She was beauty.

Purrfect Union

The guy who asserted he would not have indoor pets.

 I asserted he should not waste his time on me.

One of us changed their mind.

I'm headed out in a few minutes to St. Louis Park for the MRI. Mark is on his way home from radiation. It's almost like we are old, our lives revolve around medical appointments. It's a nice day, mild and sunny. I think (hope) the frigid weather is over and it will just be cold-ish.

I'll try to catch up later today. It depends on how I am after being stuck in a tube.

The Cat Magnet

Look at the coat on Keetah. I use the shedder on her nearly every day. I give her ground flax meal in her food, I buy her good food. I tried giving her coconut oil but it upsets her stomach. She is a world class shedding machine. I have more hair in the house than I did with seven large dogs. Yes, I was the crazy dog lady before cats took over. For all of this, she is a good dog.

It's much warmer, it was 20 F this morning. I have a busy day tomorrow with two back-to-back MRI. It's a two hour round trip drive plus forty-five minutes for each MRI. Hopefully I get a bathroom break in-between. There will be no coffee for me in the morning.

I finished "Billy Summers" by Stephan King last evening. An unusual book for him. I have started "When God Was A Rabbit" by Sarah Winman. This book I am reading, it didn't come in audio. I've become used to listening. The e-library has been a lifesaver for me, I am not much of a TV watcher and I am stuck at home. I have read or listened to 47 books since August. Time on my hands?

I have pain killers on board, I'm fully caffeinated and sort of ready to make an attempt at the day. I'm thinking I'll assemble a lasagna while I have some motivation to do so. I cooked the ground meat yesterday, I have enough to make a shepherds pie in the next day or two. I haven't made one of those in a long time. I need to stay as occupied as possible, which often is not very, to ward off the fatalism that is creeping along the edges. I don't need to fall down that well.

Always end on a positive note, yes? 😉

It's been a very cold couple of weeks. Today that cycle breaks. Can't say I'm not happy about that. We've really gotten off easy, I know that, but damn, it's been frigid. 

Gatto has been serenading us with the song of his people nearly nonstop. The boy has mating on his mind. Ten more days, then....snip snip. I have never heard until now some of the sounds he makes. It sounds like something otherworldly. I've got neutering on my mind.

I still have one stallion, Zing. He was my orphan baby. He's a gentle clown, but still a guy. Romance is in the air by about mid February, the mares are in an adjacent pasture where he doesn't notice them until the magic is in the air. Then we get a high-tail strut and grunt show from him. He also puts on a show for them when he comes in. That's more like ballet moves. 

I may make lasagna today, it all depends on what my body will let me do. My tomatoes are all frozen but I do have cans of San Marzano tomatoes so that will work. My mother was a dreadful cook but her red sauce and lasagna were fantastic. As I write this, I think tomorrow. That will give me time to make focaccia. Decisions.

I made soup, surprise!, yesterday with plenty leftover for lunch today. Mark has been enjoying soup, it must be the radiation treatments have gone to his brain. He tolerated soup, lately he enjoys it. What? I had three rather weary looking chard leaves and about five frozen broccoli florets I put in the soup, I had one of each in my bowl. Waste not and all that. 

Frieda Monster is crawling around my desk and now has made herself comfortable on the pillow I have behind my back. I think it's a hint. She wants me out of here so she can have the pillow to herself. Greedy little tortie. I will give her what she wants and pretend I'm going to be productive. I think there's one more cup of coffee in the pot. Until tomorrow.....

Murphy's Law

The stove quit working last night soon after I went to bed.

It was very cold this morning!

I have the heat vents closed in this room because the stove keeps it warm. Not when it decides to stop. I got it cleaned, it still wanted to quit, so I ran it at it's highest level and the pellets started being pushed out by the auger. Of course it stopped working on one of the colder nights of the winter!

Otherwise, nothing happening here, other than it's cold. I once again made soup and appreciated it. Stay warm, or cool. Depending on where you are.

Modified Roasted Eggplant Soup

I thought the roasted vegetable to broth ratio was not right, so I made some adaptations. I had a small amount of egg noodles in a package I put into the soup and some bacon ends I got from Misfits that I put in the air fryer and sprinkled on top. It was good! There is enough soup for one more lunch.

Boud, I think I'm going to make a stir fry tomorrow. You put it in my mind. I have some leftover pork roast I'll use. 

We have already reached the high for the day. Tomorrow is supposed to be brutal, below zero with high wind, the wind chill factor -30/-40. I heard Maine is supposed to have wind chill of minus 60! I read years ago that much of the migration to Minnesota came from Maine. When I was researching my paternal family I found a relative born in Maine in the mid 1700s. I guess, like the Scandinavians, they were drawn to the climate they knew.

The end of this month will be three years since I have been in a grocery store. I went to Costco just before the shutdown (I was one of the lucky who bought a large package of toilet paper added to the large package I already had) and that was it. I had delivery and then pick up. Mark goes to the local meat market/deli, but because of my limited mobility I never started shopping again. I go to medical facilities. Whoopee. I don't miss it, actually.

Stay warm.

It's a Wednesday

Yesterday I made chicken stock.

Today I will use part of it for roasted eggplant soup.

The forward thinking me roasted ingredients for the soup last autumn and put it in the freezer. I defrosted it and it's ready to turn into soup. Mark is picking up an Aldi order on his way home from radiation that contains goat cheese, which is so good crumbled into the bowl of soup.

The equines finally got to go outside this morning. It was -6 F and is going into the teens so the water buckets shouldn't freeze solid. The poor beasties get used as a furnace when it gets too cold. They themselves do fine in cold weather. They were mannerly critters, no rodeo show today.

Mark's last day of treatment is the thirteenth, the next day Gatto goes in to get his male parts snipped. THAT cannot come soon enough. A friend asked me if I planned to neuter Gatto. I told him no intact males were allowed in this house. He told me Mark had better run! You gotta love friends.

I think it's arrivederci time. 👋🏼