My Little Helper

I was in the kitchen making a grocery list and moved away to check my spice cupboard. After taking inventory, I turned around and saw this…

Remember to get treats, Mom...

Do you think she really is trying to tell me something? Or is her (most likely) motive a plea for attention?

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Curled Up for a Long Winter’s Nap (Caution: this post includes images of a creepy crawler, however adorable to me…)

My husband helped me take down my heavy deck umbrella for the winter and it seems there was a little creature snuggled up inside. I found it lying on the deck floor, fully exposed to weather. Since we had another chore on the back patio, I carried the critter down with me to tuck in amongst some leaf debris.

Lady, put me down. This is actually my defense pose.

I’ve known these particular caterpillars as ‘wooly bears’ my entire life. Folklore states that if the central brown band takes up more than a third of its body length, we’re in for a mild winter. Scientists have determined that the segment colors tell about the creature’s past, such as weather conditions like humidity and the animal’s age.

A Better Photo: Credit to American Gardener

The larva (Pyrrharctia isabella) will emerge in spring as the Isabella moth. Our gorgeous and sweet blogger friend Katie Isabella should be flattered by sharing a lovely name with a beautiful flyer.

Does your region have similar weather related folklore? Are you aware of the flannel moth larvae?

Spoiler alert: Their pretty off-white coat hides highly venomous hairs that cause excruciating pain. Yet the equally adorable fluffy adult is harmless to touch.

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A Memorable Mistake

My first attempt blackening a chicken breast on the stovetop went without supervision. Overworked assembling other ingredients, I failed to notice smoke accumulating along the ceiling. At last I looked up and saw.

It was too late. The smoke alarm sounded before I could react. Our home security service reached out and I assured them that we needed no assistance. However, a fire truck already approached our street. I dreaded what the bill might be.

Meeting a surprising number of emergency responders outside, I mentioned understanding that my carelessness could be costly. As luck would have it, the very tall fireman led a training session and assured me there would be no cost to us.

He politely asked if they could come inside. I readily agreed. Acting respectful and kind, they all seemed amused by the situation, entertained by my goofy commentary, and happy to let me follow their little tour around our home. This memorable experience also proved our elderly cat’s deafness.

Somehow oblivious to all the goings on, Jezebel never left her spot on the couch. She did notice the emergency responders entering the room. That sweet face tilted up, and up, and up until her eyes met the fireman’s. It must have been even more surreal for her. We miss you, sweet Jezzy.

I adored that notch in her ear and always wonder if
she earned it winning some cat fight while
still a kitten out on the mean streets...

Should I somehow add Jezebel’s name to this? And since I originally intended including this tale with yesterday’s post I want to ask, do you prefer shorter or longer reads?

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Teamwork in the Kitchen

One of the cooking YouTube channels my husband and I both enjoy is Sam the Cooking Guy. While teaching us useful culinary tips and recipes, he doesn’t shy away from sharing mistakes and even little accidents like burning his tongue. His sons and one of their young friends add to Sam’s humorous, down-to-earth delivery.

His impish expression says it all, I think...

My man wanted to revisit his blackened chicken over udon noodles. I sort of balked at the idea; my appetite is reduced these days for whatever reason and rich foods are even less appealing. So he said he’d do the cooking. I couldn’t argue.

In fact, while he ran an errand today I did some prep work. With the noodles boiling away I chopped vegetables. He arrived home and expressed his gratitude. I continued doing little things like pulling heavy cream, Korean gochujang chili past, and a few other items from the refrigerator. And call me silly; I thought the noodles dancing in the water looked quite beautiful.

Blackening the thinly pounded and seasoned chicken breast, he graciously accepted my offer to pass ingredients as needed. He was over the moon with the results. Like a lot of recent meals, he’ll probably be the one to devour the majority. That’s fine with me. I enjoy feeding him because food is one of his great lifelong pleasures.

Are you familiar with Korean cuisine? Would you like to read a humorous tale of my first experience making the dish?

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Tales from the Kitchen

I found a new use for my ginger infused cranberry chutney. Blending it with about an equal amount of yogurt and a splash of orange blossom water makes for a tart, still a bit spicy, yet mellowed smoothie. I should mix one up for tomorrow’s breakfast.

My husband also found an easy dessert called a dump cake. Despite the name and description, I strove for perfection the first time, spending way too much time spreading out each ingredient. I mean, come on, it’s called dump cake for a reason.

Today I heated the bottommost layer of canned pie filling, gave the sticky mess a quick smoothing swirl, and piled on the rest as directed. I’m sure the results will be no lest tasty. This one’s lemon once again but options are endless.

I should learn how to better photograph food...
LOL

Have you heard of dump cakes? Should I try strawberry components next?

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Distopia in Hong Kong’s Tai Po District (Feel free to skip this post if you prefer a lighter read)

My husband was scrolling through YouTube videos when I saw a thumbnail regarding a horrific hi-rise fire in Hong Kong. Planning to share an image, I changed my mind and won’t delve much into this appalling tragedy beyond examining why much of the devastation could have been avoided.

Instead, here is a double rainbow seen through my front window days ago, a hopeful tribute to all blameless victims around the world...

So, back to the horror... For one thing, bamboo scaffolding surrounded exterior renovations. WTF?!? I cannot imagine any city planner deeming this a good idea. Well, I can; construction bosses were encouraged to save money.

These apartment complexes housed (notice the past tense) many elderly residents, often suffering mobility issues. These folks received next to no warning, sometimes only when neighbors began shouting.

The towering structures stood so close that a blazing spark quickly became an inferno. Firefighters were forced to retreat multiple times while fiery debris rained down upon streets far below. I’m happy that many got out alive, though the death count continues rising, including one known rescue worker daring the flames. 

Do you think China will reform its building codes? How long do you imagine cleanup and rebuilding might take?

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Change of Plans

Upon firing up my sedan yesterday morning my center stack screen showed a weather warning about dangerously high winds. They are expected to start early Wednesday and last all day. Okay, I thought, at least my husband and I don’t need go anywhere tomorrow.

Three more such notifications appeared when I started the engine to return home. Each warned of driving hazards throughout most central and southwest Ohio counties here in the United States.

Then I remembered my 8:45 Wednesday dental appointment. As my title suggests, the clinic was very accommodating and I will return on December 8th.

To be clear, I’m an intrepid driver who’s braved many blizzards and more hours’ long torrential rainstorms than I care to recall. And the funny thing is that the weather has not been all that bad. Oh, well.

As Seen from my Back Deck on a Very Different Day

Better safe than sorry, right? Are weather forecasters generally wrong where you live?

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This One’s for Dog Lovers

There’s something satisfying about watching pet grooming on YouTube. One professional, Vanessa, closed her public salon to focus on charity work. So her channels ‘Girl with the Dogs’ and ‘Girl with the Dogs 2’ hold a special place in my heart. The satisfying results, soothing white noise of her equipment, and Vanessa’s gentle sense of humor keep me coming back.

In exchange for charitable donations, she takes on extreme cases. Some of these animals have been turned away by other salons. My most recent watch features a Newfoundland dog named Abby. Abby doesn’t like standing or getting onto tables, so for-profit salons find the time commitment impractical.

Her pancake pose is adorable...

Vanessa’s title says it all: The Funniest Newfoundland Dog Groom You’ll Ever See. She reported that Abby’s humans received a price estimate of $400 (USD).

Can you imagine trying to move a 180 pound ragdoll of a dog? As for soothing sounds, are you familiar with the term ASMR?

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