My First Harvest of the Growing Season

Okay, I suppose a single item doesn’t really constitute a harvest. But this little sugar snap pea tasted delicious. Fingers crossed, I’ll be gathering many more in future.

I find these little blooms pretty but the
intricate transformation engulfing
the one below astonished me.

Can you believe I split that tiny nibble with my husband? Do you enjoy eating any pea variety?

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A Tale of Three Kitties

This post is nowhere near epic as the title suggests. Sorry, Mr. Dickens, for any copyright infringement. ~grin~ But I just had to share each of our girls’ unique quirks.

Polly is known as The Great Ribbon Slayer. I think she wanted her sister’s assistance when this image was taken.

I just needed a beauty shot before continuing...

This time, Terra did not assist in killing ribbons. She enjoyed peering out the bedroom window before jumping to the top of my dresser. For reasons I cannot comprehend she occasionally becomes fascinated by my fan, which was running when she made the leap.

Your photos cannot do my majestic beauty justice...

Our One Fanged White Wonder (so nicknamed after her expensive dental extractions) received a very unprofessional haircut from me. At the right angle viewing her backside, it looks like she’s wearing a frilly miniskirt. Alas, my botched job did not prevent the buildup of a hairball.

Excuse my superior digestive system,
frail human...

In my effort to apologize for shaming her I took this much more flattering photo of her lounging. It disturbed her nap, though, so I guess a further apology is needed.

I am gorgeous no matter what you do to my fur...

Should I expect a thanks from craft stores for protecting their stock of ribbons? Do you think I have a future as a pet grooming trendsetter?

My Little Helper

Starting seeds in our basement has been both relaxing and successful. We already had a warming mat to help them propagate as well as other equipment to aid seedlings. The one thing I do not have is a proper potting bench, and my video proves the point.

Do you think I should offer some of my extra little vegetable plants to friends and neighbors? Would you accept such an offer?

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Good Fortune

Months ago, following a delicious meal of Chinese style orange chicken, my fortune cookie slip was forgotten in my pocket and rediscovered after it went through the washer and dryer. By that time I’d been well on the way to vegetable garden preparation and rereading it made me grin. Lunch at a hibachi/sushi place provided a perfect follow-on. While I don’t really believe in fortune telling it is fun to have received this boost.

Have you heard the history of fortune cookies deriving from Japan? Are you a fan of any Asian cuisine? -

The Floof of Doom

As mentioned before, our kitties each have multiple silly nicknames. Polly with all her extra toes and fluffy fur still earned some boss ones, or what I like to call Biker names. One of them follows the theme from my title: Floofing Thunder. I literally knew some bikers who went by Lightning and Thunder, some of the sweetest guys you can imagine.

The one used specifically for my title is especially appropriate for this post. I had my Suncatcher unit that simulates sunlight, gifted a few years ago by my husband. She got on the cat tree beside my desk and sat just far enough forward that the bright beam below lit her fur just so.

She believes in catch and release, even
for the most annoying bugs...

Is she adorable even looking somewhat villainous? Are you familiar with products that allegedly lessen depression from Seasonal Affective Disorder?

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Outrageous Winds, Minor Crummy Luck – & – Deranged Behavior

In my mid thirties, I briefly weighed 112 pounds, or just under 51 kilograms. While my guy then begged me to stop losing weight and keep myself around 118 or more, Wednesday’s wind would have knocked me off my feet. This day it pushed my fat body across the parking lot.

Once I returned home my husband told me he heard our pellet grill blown off the back deck. I disentangled the mess and can only hope it will be safe to use. We shall see.

On Tuesday I went swimming. Near the end of my laps, the female lifeguard bent down to me saying, “Ma’am, I promise you’ll want to get out of the pool now.”

I’d witnessed a strange exchange between a sketchy looking guest and the male lifeguard. The guest left, then returned, and I saw a call being made. As it turned out, this persistent swimmer defecated in the pool. I can only imagine his nasty act stemmed from mental illness.

I informed another swimmer and soon after warned two women entering the area. To lighten the mood, I added, “Fingers crossed, it’s just a candy bar.” The women knew this old movie scene and laughed, much to my delight.

Are you familiar with this relevant film reference? Either way, have you seen the flick “Caddy Shack”?

Another Look at the Bright Side

It’s a sorry fact that my husband has little interest in exercise of any sort. On the bright side, this and his love of food make negotiating easy. For example, he recently agreed to meet family an hour and a half away because it meant tasty German food.

On the flip side, his cute big eyes and adorable whiny mantra almost swayed me to drive him to our car’s oil change appointment. He offered lunch. Much less food orientated, I asked him to sweeten the deal. He asked what I wanted.

I requested a walk. We didn’t even set a place or precise date. Yet suddenly, now he’d resolved to drive himself. So I stayed home and cooked a big pot of stew.

Not an image of mine, but this recipe looks amazing...

Is there anything better than warm soup on cold days? Do you have a favorite comfort food?

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It’s Another Day in Paradise

This title is an homage to my friend Scars. His lifelong crippling pain left him with acerbic humor. I like to think his commentary doubles as a positive affirmation; his spirit is inspirational, for sure.

Meanwhile, our cellar flooded yet again, the most recent of countless events. This time we’re going to remove the oft saturated carpet bits. We should have done it decades ago. The multiple times it’s been pulled up and replaced upon getting professionally dried have left ragged edges.

Our first occurrence happened in spring of 1995 (!) when I didn’t disconnect the garden hose before the previous winter’s freezing temperatures. Turning on the faucet poured water onto the downstairs carpet until I discovered the source of the sound. My father should have taught me this, but alas, no…

This week’s leak came from our furnace humidifier. It started small and my husband changed the filter, which should have ended it but instead made things worse. The serviceman who came out determined that the new filter wasn’t properly seated, disabling proper flow through the pipe system. The money spent wasn’t a total waste; this guy said the water flow was too high and turned it down. My restating this fact finally comforted my husband.

Fortunately, a fan running on high seems to be drying the carpet. Perhaps next month we’ll hire the junk removal service we engaged last year. Those folks will take away all the half empty paint cans, etc., as well as sections of carpet. Everything is reportedly recycled in an appropriate manner or receives proper disposal. I’ve been bagging up obsolete electronics and whatnot.

Can you believe three water heaters failed over the decades, each dumping their entire contents? Isn’t it a silly but fun theory that our home hosts a mischievous water sprite?
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Only Me

This year I supported a Youtube content creator by purchasing his page-a-day calendar about animals. Mamadou Ndiaye’s Casual Geographic clips are both witty and educational.

Dumb me, I bought a 2024 version. I decided not to let this bother me as the snippets remain enjoyable.

 

Do you enjoy nature shows? Is there one particular animal you most appreciate?

My very Biased Toktoberfest 2024 Family Winner

My husband accused me of faking this... Nope.
How can anyone fake silly Polly's pose?
All I can say to our silly girl is,
"Please don't ever change."

 

It's Tocktoberfest! Dandelion offers our first entry...

Finally, a Fan of the Tunnel

Another Movie Review

Though the original “Beetlejuice” came out the year before I met my husband, we both saw it in theater and enjoyed it. Never expecting a sequel, I was skeptical until discovering positive buzz online.

It’s not for everyone (but what is?). In particular many scenes contain an extreme gore factor, however comedic.

We enjoyed this film immensely. The plot offering fresh ideas instead of just being a nostalgia fest impressed me, as did some surprising twists. The great Willem Dafoe gave a standout performance; his acting range never ceases to amaze me.

I’ll end my humble little post at that. Ragweed pollen has my sinuses pounding. lol Just know the returning cast and newcomers to the franchise performed wonderfully.

Do you suffer allergies? Is there a particular season you prefer?

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Seriously Silly & Silly Seriousness

When I shared finding a huge bargain on cut flowers, a kind comment from Andrew reminded me my lack of clarity. Each bunch consisted of a single coloration, so my tricolor bouquet would have cost $24 (USD) while I paid one eighth (!) that price. And in addition, Jungle Jim’s market had a sale on white button mushrooms. One of the tasty fungi made me giggle before I sliced, diced, and fried them up.

Putting the butt in button... ~shakes head~ Sorry

Did you know that the common white mushroom I photographed is an immature version of the more expensive crimini and portabello varieties? By the way, dear Mariette, please correct me if I’m wrong. If you are a mushroom culinary aficionado, do you prefer milder or more earthy flavors?

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The Big Chill

The other day I decided to inventory frozen foodstuffs. We’ve been stocking up on sale items, especially buy-one-get-one-free (!) deals, which I often proceed to repackage in vacuum sealed bags. Yet regardless of packaging I like to rotate items from the cellar to the kitchen, putting newer stuff in the deep freezer.

I decided utilizing a portable cooler would aid my efforts and thus toted fresh purchases down the stairs. Then I went further, stashing newer pork items at the bottom, older ones atop, and putting the entire cooler inside. Before finishing up I heard my phone announce a text message.

But where was it? I looked on the main floor all the while knowing it to be futile. Finally, I remembered. That wheeled cooler has outside pockets to hold shelf stable items like my smart phone. ~shakes head~ I’m also grateful for not having buried the cooler under a whole lot.

Whew! My husband would’ve put me in the deep freeze if my awesome cellular phone became damaged. I promptly disassembled the Otterbox brand case and thoroughly dried all three pieces. By the way, there is still another unused layer; I don’t like carrying it on my waist and the part with the clip is too big for my everyday fanny pack and most purses.

Have you ever seen the 1983 flick “The Big Chill”? And can you recommend another protective phone case brand?

What a great cast...

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My Sweet, Gentle, Silly Terra

 

A Strange Day

Our cat Dandelion woke me early this morning jumping on the bed seeking attention. After telling my husband, on his computer at the time, I returned to bed.

Ornery Terra later woke me by knocking my phone off the nightstand. To my shock, it was past 11:15! No wonder she wanted me up.

Discombobulated, I thought I might still be asleep and dreaming when my husband then told me about a derecho sweeping through the central United States. Unfortunately for those living in this weather pattern’s path, it’s very real and I wish them all the best.

On a lighter note, I opened a box just delivered. I turned around moments later and found the aforementioned kitty Dandelion sitting there.

Is that expression adorable or what?

Isn’t nature's force often either wondrous or terrible? On a different topic, did you know that the wonderful character actor Dabney Coleman passed away?

There’s a fabulous homage on the blog Shadow of a Doubt. By the way, I do not think the bubbles forming in the rain were caused by any chemicals but rather ideal conditions. It probably would not have happened had the guy who replaced our driveway done a better job years ago.

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One Wild Bird and Six Pet Kitty Names

Our kind friend Strayer expressed interest in video I took during my riverside walk. Here are two, in fact. ~grin~ The first shows a very determined crane on the hunt. I’m impressed by how still they can stand even near raging waters.

Then I must have gotten too close, which made me feel bad. At least I got to see its majestic flight.

On her blog, Pam shared a cute game in which you try to describe a pet’s name without declaring it outright. I just had to join the fun. I’ll start with the three sweethearts we’ve lost over the last decade, listing each in order of their arrival into our hearts and home. Of course each is listed under my blog’s labels but I’ll put the answers below…

Our Earth’s moon in Latin
Actresses Meg and Jennifer
The wicked wife of Israeli King Ahab
The Earth, ‘firma’
Who wants a cracker?
A prolific yellow flowering weed

Do you think the bird recognized my predatory ocular orientation? And since cats are both predator and prey, why don’t they have a second set of eyes on the sides of their heads?

Here are the girls’ names:
Luna
Tilly
Jezebel
Terra
Polly
Dandelion


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A Very Silly Girl

 

Adolescent Humor for April Fool’s Day

My husband and I enjoy Youtube videos by a man whose moniker is Lock Picking Lawyer. His content is brief and serious as he demonstrates most lock manufacturers’ utter lack of integrity and their flawed products.

Every April first my husband and I look forward to his salacious comedic videos. This year he demonstrated how wrenches obliterate locks and his sexual innuendos went above and beyond. The title, “My 36 Inch King Dick Wrecks Locks!” says it all. If you like such humor, check it out. I think he must spend months planning his next outrageous theme.

Are you the type to roll your eyes at such silliness? Or like me, does this sort of humor make you laugh so hard you *wrench* your back?

Some Like it Hot, Some Not

After posting my image of Tabasco bottles I realized further back story might be fun, at least for me. ~grin~ And this story goes way back to 1989 when my husband and I met. On an early date he introduced me to Buffalo style chicken wings, beginning my ongoing appreciation of spicy foods.

I could not begin to name all the hot sauces we’ve tasted over the years or even the varieties currently in our refrigerator. Tabasco and Frank’s are two mainstream brands we always stock. Believe me, both the tiny bottles and large will get used. In fact, I carry a miniature with me at all times, a handy way to spice up food on the go. Flaming hot is best avoided otherwise, such as with this sad sight.

 While sorry for the homeowner(s) and wishing no residents were physically harmed, I find beauty in the charred remains. Then again, perhaps the structure was unsafe and firefighters practiced with a controlled burn. One can only hope.

Another fire related memory regards my last employment. Volatile chemicals sometimes flared up, so all the plant and office workers endured random fire drills.

An actual fire chief attended one such event with a funny story. Despite knowing better, he placed aluminum foil wrapped leftover food into a microwave oven. Oops.

That company also scheduled tornado drills. Midwest Ohio is prone to those dangerous events.

Are you familiar with the screenplay "Some Like it Hot"? Does your residence require regular emergency drills?

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