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.