Frieda Day, Otherwise Known as Caturday.

Naughty Frieda in repose. 

I baked soda bread Thursday and three loaves of bread from dough that had fermented for three days yesterday. Ivy had mention sourdough a few days ago. I had a period in my life of messing with starter. Some really like doing this, others, me, do not. I have found letting the dough be for one to three days gives a similar result. The longer left the more 'sour' it becomes. 

My interaction here will be sporadic for a little while. I have a lot I want to do and I need to focus. After I come into my office I can look at the time and realize hours have passed. Time seems to disappear.

How Sweet it Is.

Over the weekend I made chocolate sauce.....

....and a wild plum cobbler. We have been indulging. 

The constant turmoil that is now the US is causing stress and stress tends to bring on certain ways of coping. Indulging in dessert is one of my ways.

WHIM WOOD - KATHERINE TOWERS

Into the coppery halls of beech and intricate oak to be close to the trees as they whisper together let fall their leaves, and we die for the winter.

 

Gattoday

Buongiorno

 

Good Morning

We have mild weather and sunshine. Minnesotans love to talk (complain) about the weather. I came to find farmers are particularly experienced in the fine art of weather complaints. With reason I will concede. Come to think of it, I've honed my skills. So, weather out of the way.

I don't know how but the last day of cleaning my office I managed to pull a groin muscle. Ouch! For those old enough to know who I'm talking about, I spent several days swinging my leg like Gunsmokes Chester Goode. That pain brings a person to their knees. All better now.

I did manage to make a loaf of buckwheat bread. I do like buckwheat. I'm waiting on King Arthur to deliver a large flour order, I'm down to nubbins' here. As you can see, life has been uneventful.

I did find a new piece of artwork in the powder room. Is it even called this anymore? Spidey has been hanging, no pun intended, on the wall for a few days, same spot. It is alive, I've checked. I don't kill them. They don't bother me so I give them the same courtesy.

Neighbor Bill gave me some peppers which I sauteed with onion to smother a pork chop. Some calorie busting potatoes, onions and feta round the meal off.

 

It's a Cat's World After All

A late Caturday submit to the land of blog. McCool contemplating  life on a treadmill. He came to no conclusions, other than it's just one step in front of another going nowhere. He figured out my life.

Frieda, on the other hand, doesn't care to contemplate anything other than her own comfort. 

Gatto feeling overwhelmed by the mess I made in their room. Will he ever recover from the trauma?

A few belly scratches later and we have a recovery. He's such a stalwart fellow.

Jiggy and Gatto finally had enough. Put the two-leggers craziness out of mind and take a nap.

TA-DA!

This is a photocentric post. Beware.

It made sense that some commented in the prior post that it was difficult to judge the change without before photos. In the interest of full disclosure I have photos of the remaining mess. Along with age, it seems, comes a lack of shame. 

I do have a rest home for old Macs. 

Yesterday I finished with the remaining odds and ends. I decided to leave the relic of a treadmill open, hoping I will use it. I am supposed to do as much walking as possible and this does make walking easier. Gatto likes it as another choice of cat perch. Seeing the photo reminds me I need to put the smoke alarm back over the door.

 

This took me five or six days but I stuck with it and got it done. Mark called it clean and busy. I bristled. Busy? Well, maybe, but I've had a lifetime of horses and show rings and a collection of a kazillion photos and stuff. What's the point of keeping the things you like and not having them where you can see them? There is no point. I am not a minimalist, fair to say. 

The Cleaner

You ask, Sandra, what have you been up to lately? Well, now, since you asked. don't get excited, I've been slowly, cleaning and decluttering my office. Also known as the *if you don't know what to do with it, put it in here* room. The total of Sunday afternoon.

I have a household dust allergy. I have four room air purifiers. I have a room so full of dust I could build sand castles. Ok, maybe ant hills. I guess my brain thinks air purifies are automatic dusters or something. Anyway, the room is a disaster. Books, papers, framed photos and just..... stuff cover the desk, floor and the unused treadmill. I'm finding decluttering means rearranging. A new definition of the concept of clearing out.

It's hot and humid through most of the week. I had to turn the A/C on yesterday, which is something because I am stingy with that. Had I not, I may have melted away. I planned for this time to be used to clean and declutter rooms I tend to ignore. I think it will be room, not rooms at this rate of speed.

My best hopes you all are doing something much more fun than this. 

Long Ago

While I was working at cleaning my office I came upon a photo album I had brought home from my mother's house when I was clearing it out five years ago. I had not opened it until yesterday. There were a few photos that included Mark, Matthew, me and one of my brother whom I have neither seen nor heard from in thirty years. There's also a cute photo of my Afghan Hound, Fallon, as a large puppy and the Bulldog, Tilly, sneaking a peek from behind the plant. This was our house in St. Louis Park.

Matthew and Tilly when he was maybe five. He loved Miss Tilly. Matthew was a joyful child. The fates were with me when he was born an agreeable, creative and good-natured kid. We lived alone together for five years and I was never alone.

We can see by the candles this was his fifth birthday. He didn't look anything like his mama then or now.

I'm an onlooker while my brother, Robert, was having some sort of tussle with Matthew. Matthew was deeply hurt when Robert decided to remove himself from the family. He felt, rightly, that he could at least kept contact with his only nephew.

Mark surrounded by fluff. I'm holding my dog, Gisselle. Babette is next to Mark. Giselle was from one of Babettes litters. I was early teens when she was born. I was allowed to keep her.

My office clean-up stalled as I was looking through the album. There are several others I haven't gone through. I think I'll put that on hold until I finish my task at hand.

Another Day, Another Gatto

I was able to focus on tasks yesterday. I made bread and the wild plum crumble. It could use more sugar, those little things are sour. Picked tomatoes, did some tidying and, you know, stuff.

Friday is lunch from the local meat market/deli; philly sandwich and what they call autumn coleslaw. The one day of the week I do not make lunch.  

Today will be really humid, which means I'll try to focus on inside tasks. It's not as if there aren't plenty. I may not be seizing the day but I am seizing a cup of coffee. 

Nothing to Speak Of

Howard 

He was a good boy

I have nothing fit to print. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. A feeling likely shared by many. So, I'll follow Boud's example and make a wild plum crumble. Prepare a chicken for roasting and perhaps finish mowing the lawn. 

Sad

A quiet, foggy morning. I've been foggy lately and I'm sure it's the constant underlying stress of the times. Israel bombing Qatar, a US ally. Russian drones shot down over Poland's airspace. I wish I were capable of living in a rose colored bubble. I know there are some who read this who believe we are going in the right direction. I'm not here to change your mind. I know I cannot. 

 

Simple Sunday

Hello all. It's been quite chilly here in the northland. I've almost, almost turned on the heat. Then I snapped back to myself. Frieda is thoroughly enjoying my use of a throw. She won't sit or lay on me without one. Don't try to figure her out. You can't.

Friday Evening

Saturday Evening

We've had three days of on and off showers. It is appreciated, although the rain has stopped the outdoor momentum. In between showers my hay guy was able to get half of my winter hay supply delivered. I am always relieved when I know I have enough hay for the beasts. They also got moved to different pastures so they are up to their bellies in grass. Pasture season does give a financial break. 

I try to keep forward momentum going, not think too much about what lies ahead. What lies in my immediate future is some sorting and winnowing. It's too wet to work outside and I have put blinders on regarding the abundance of unused things I have taking up space. I have a difficult time letting go. Sticking things in large plastic bags which I stuff in any space I can find is ridiculous. I don't want my son to go through what I did when my mother died. I must keep reminding myself of this.

Anyway. This hot mess was a very good dinner. Neighbor Bill brought me some red bell peppers which I used with grilled steak. Very good, even if I do say so myself. We should always remember to tell ourselves 'good job' once in a while.

 

Cool and Sunny. Not Me....the Weather.

A bouquet of basil.

I picked it, didn't feel like doing anything with it at the time. It's a bouquet for the moment. It's been chilly this week. Next week we jump up to the mid-to-upper 70s F. The leaves on the ash trees are already changing color. Autumn is on the way. We had a good rainfall last evening, which was very timely as everything needed a watering. 

Tripod kitty doesn't really care about any of this. Her biggest concern is that her servants remain obedient. We've been well trained, she needn't worry.

I roasted more tomatoes  and think I will use them on a pizza for this evening's dinner. This sounds like a plan. You know your world has shrunk when the plan for the day comes down to what's for dinner. Ah, well. A day in the life.

Autumn Happenings

Good Morning

We are in the 50s F this morning. Cloudy and blustery. Sort of how I've been feeling these days. To be a cat, with the only thing on the mind is the birds eating berries off the dogwoods. 

I took advantage of the cooler weather yesterday. I made bread, biscuits and....

 

stuffed zucchini, using a large zucchini Neighbor Bill gave me. The second time this year he's brought me a large one. He doesn't use those that get lost under the plant and get big. Different culinary tastes, which often works in my favor. I will be preserving a lot of tomatoes this year, as Bill has been bringing me boxes full and I have five plants just now starting to ripen. Roasting and freezing is happening. Some will be dehydrated and turned into pesto rosso. I've already made and froze six small jars of pesto genovese. It's that time of year. It's said traits often skip a generation. I am very like my grandma, bib apron, food preserving and all.

Last Day of August

The glory of morning.

 

Good Sunday Morning.

Turkey Day Every Day

Gobble Gobble

For several years now the turkeys have been raising their turklets on the property. Sometimes there is an entire village of them. I got this photo from a distance so not the best quality. They move calmly, mama looking around while babies check things out.

I've been busy playing catch-up outside. There is so much to do and I know it won't all get done, but I'm making a dent. 

And Yet Another

Back to My Regularly Scheduled Program

Which seems to be cats.

Frieda is a strange one. She enjoys sitting in the Wassily chair. Not soft, slanting backward, yet she sits in it a lot.

Give Gatto a box and he turns it into his castle.

Our weather is perfect this week. I spent two afternoons trimming the honeysuckle on the east end of the house. The end with all the window. Windows with no view other than leaves. They grew so fast this year they towered. I knew when I put them there what they are and how tall they get. I'd put several different shrubs in this place and they all died. I have honeysuckle growing everywhere so I dug them up and waited. They did not die. It's been me against the bushes for decades. They are close to winning.

I'll spend this afternoon doing more much needed maintenance. I'll use the weed whacker for as long as the battery lasts, which isn't very long with this one. The forecast has me hopeful, I may be able to get a lot of deferred maintenance done. If my body holds up. I limit myself to a couple of hours a day if it's physical. My definition of physical, that is. How is it the last week of August?