First Communion, Dr. visit, and kittens!

Saturday, May 1st, our grand daughter made her First Communion. She looked so sweet in her white dress and veil.  This was the first time DH and I actually attended a group event in a public place in over a year (I guess you would call a Church a public place?) Anyway, it seemed so strange - even though they took every precaution... seating families together one row apart... and everyone was masked (including the priests).  It felt safe... and when DH offered to take us over to Whataburger after (we hadn't used take-out in all that while either), we agreed. So in a way, it was a ground-breaking day for us.  

(And I do have to say that my tummy was not happy with that non-gluten free meal. But it was a special occasion and I don't regret it.)

This is a busy week (as pandemic weeks go) for us as we had Grand daughter's First Communion Saturday, daughter's birthday Monday, and we have 3 doctor's appointments and several errands to run in the next few days. DH has his Urologist appointment as well as a dental appointment and I have my Spine Specialist appointment.  

*Update:  Just got a call and my Spine Specialist and appointment has been rescheduled to next week as the doctor has surgery tomorrow. This is fine with me as my back is much better, but I will keep the appointment as I need to talk to him and confirm exactly what is going on.

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The mama cat and her kittens are doing fine... enjoying this spring weather (when it's not raining) and frolicking and playing all over the back yard. I have taken several pics and videos of them. They make us laugh - which is a good thing to do these days. We do have a severe weather threat and are under a tornado warning this evening. We always worry about them during this, but at the moment they are all safe on the back porch.  (You may have to click the videos twice)

and lastly... a basket full of kittens:

They sleep all over the back porch, but this is their favorite spot...

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ALSO:

I was listening to the news this morning and they had a Virologist speaking who has studied the Coronavirus for years and he was saying that it's possible that we won't ever hit herd immunity due to the fact that not everyone chooses to be vaccinated.  He considers this a bad decision as he feels that it is possible for us to be rid of the Coronavirus (just as we've been rid of other viruses and diseases), but that the only way is through vaccination... and since everyone does not choose to be vaccinated, we may have to learn to live with the virus. Asked if we would need vaccine boosters at some point... and he said yes. I think he said that studies show that the immunity doesn't last... so yes, it would have to be boostered. 

(This is 'my take' on what I heard... may not be exactly how it was said - but I found it interesting, so thought I'd share.)

And I don't push everyone to get the vaccine - as it is a personal choice. But I have to admit that I do feel more comfortable being around those that have been vaccinated.

That's my 2 cents for the day. I did make Chicken Tetrazzini with white wine this week (forgot to take a pic) - and used my gluten-free spaghetti - and it was great! Everyone liked it as much (if not better) than when made with regular or whole wheat spaghetti. (of course it could have been better also because I put in a little more white wine than I usually do...???)

Well, have a great week! Do something fun, create something new, make someone smile!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Good dark chocolate, kittens, and a Berry Custard pie...

When our daughter drove in last weekend, she brought some bars of dark chocolate with her (bless her... we love dark chocolate). This is a picture of one of the bars:

And I have to say that this is really good dark chocolate. It's 70% and that's about the highest percentage I enjoy. Once you get past that, it can be a bit too bitter for me. But this one has a good buttery taste and although slightly bitter for those who might not like to go there, I think it's pretty great. Just thought I'd share. The bars are a little expensive (somewhere between $12 and $20 each - but then it's not the type of bar that you would eat right off... just take a small piece every day or so).

I guess I think of really good dark chocolate like really good coffee or even good whiskey... in that you don't eat or drink it right down, but savor it. 

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Some pics of the kittens sleeping. Three are in the basket and the one little Siamese looking one is sleeping under the birdcage.

 

Next are some videos of mama nursing the 4 kittens. She sits upright to do this.. maybe because they are getting big. 

She is an awesome mama... watches over them constantly while they play, still nurses them although they do eat from the outside bowls, and cleans them while nursing.

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My back is still giving me trouble. It's not something I can't deal with - as I do think it's my Spinal Arthritis - which is going to act up occasionally. However, it's going on 2 weeks now. One day it seems better, then it comes back. So I have made an appointment with my Spinal Specialist next week to see if he has anything else he can tell me.

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Planning on making a blueberry/strawberry custard pie this afternoon. Will post a pic when done!

Done! I  usually make plain custard pie... but occasionally add berries or apples and cinnamon... (sometimes fresh pumpkin around Halloween). But we love custard pie...  (and I added a little 10X sugar on the top 'for the pic'... was going to add whipped cream, but the pie was still too hot.) We shall have this with our tea/coffee this afternoon (you are all invited).

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! We are getting lots of rain these last few days, and apparently some areas got huge hail... golf ball and tennis ball size... so there's damage to roofs and cars. Luckily our area hasn't had that. I don't mind the rain or even the overcast skies. It's cool (high 60's, low 70's) and we have the windows open enjoying the fresh air.

Hugs (virtual), 

Rian

a mixed bag...

OK, this is a very mixed bag...  (or should I say mixed blog)... and possibly of little interest, but it is what it is.

Naan bread

This time my Naan bread came out pretty good. I will post the recipe here. It's pretty simple:

Almond Flour Naan Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour

1/3 cup flour ( I used King Arthur's non-gluten measure for measure)

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt ( I used sour cream... can't have yogurt)

1/4 tsp salt

pinch sugar

Instructions:

Mix together almond flour, flour, salt, and sugar

Add the yogurt(sour cream) and stir until dough forms

(add more yogurt/sour cream or water if too dry)

Divide into 6 balls

Roll dough out thin between parchment paper

Spray griddle

Cook until slightly browned on each side

Since I only wanted 3 pieces, not 6 - I halved the recipe and it came out fine. I used unsalted butter on mine, but you can put anything you want on it... cheese, tomatoes, garlic butter, etc.

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I like this photo of our grand daughter at Dinosaur Valley State Park taken a few weeks ago.

We picked her up at school yesterday... and got to spend some time together. Since we are all vaccinated and stayed masked, it was great. I sure have missed her this past year.  But her mom (who is a nurse) said that we need to stay vigilant... as they have some patients in the hospital now that had both vacs and still came down with Covid due to thinking they were safe and no longer masked or followed recommended procedures.

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More pics of kittens playing:

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And I've finally started taking down Easter.  Yes, I know I'm late, but I like Easter decorations. I generally pull all I can find and put on table in front room before putting everything away for another year.

This little teapot and cup/saucer I bought at Harrod's years ago

and this last tea set is one we gave my mother-in-law and it came back to me after she passed. My daughter has dibs on it now...

(I'm also cleaning and dusting my China cabinet today)

And that's it! 

For those interested, my back is better. I can still feel a twinge on occasion, but it seems to be on the mend. 

Take care, stay safe... enjoy this spring weather, but don't let your guard down just yet. We may be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, but we haven't reached it yet. 

Hugs (still virtual),

Rian

I'm a little behind...

Sorry if I haven't commented much lately, I've been a little behind on my blog reading.  Trying to catch up today. Easter was a milestone for me since we had the kids over for the first time in over a year.  All the adults here have been vaccinated... so we felt it was time (besides, I really needed those hugs!)

Then we had some 'plumbing' problems that needed attention... and not having the use of your kitchen sink is difficult. 

On top of that, one of the female feral cats in our yard (we call her Olivia - female Oliver Twist - as she constantly comes back to the door wanting "more please?") showed up with 3 adorable kittens (one black, one black & white, and one Siamese). They look about 6 weeks old.  

Olivia and kitten

All 3 kits here, but black one is inside U

2 of Olivia's 3 kittens

I also had a video of them playing, but for the life of me could not get it to post on my blog...

And I've now been on my 'gluten-free' trial for a bit now and it's not been too difficult. I have cheated on occasion... had a piece of Strawberry short-cake at Easter, but in general the gluten-free products I've tried (Canyon Creek bagels, Good Thins crackers,  King Arthur GF pancakes, Schar pizza crust) have all been good. I haven't tried the Barilla pasta nor the KA measure for measure flour yet. 

And that pretty much covers what I've been up to. Oh, I have also been working on the "Time After Time" sequel. Have completed about 46 chapters... and may 'possibly' be able to finish the storyline by my self-imposed deadline of May. But then the editing will start...  (I'm still amazed at the orders for the book that come in from Amazon each month... not a tremendous amount, but still a steady flow that makes me smile.)

The weather is beautiful here... although the weatherman is threatening some severe this evening. I'm really hoping it will pass us by. No one needs more to worry about these days when life in general is beginning to feel good again.

Find the little things that make you happy (or someone you know happy) and do them today! 

Make some brownies!

Call a friend! 

Tell someone you love them!

And thanks for reading my ramblings... 

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Pandemic decor... kittens and chicken salad!

In our kitchen we have a coat rack. Now that it is  summer, this is the new kitchen decor!  We don't go anywhere, but out to pickup curb side groceries, but still I wash them every week. No one comes into our house, so I think hanging them here is OK.

Nothing else going on around here. We are enjoying watching Olivia and her 6 kittens romp on the back porch.  Here are a few pics taken from inside the house through my dirty windows. They are not terribly clear... but still.

This little Siamese looking one is the runt

It's impossible to get a pic of her with all 6 kittens... they move around too fast. 

And yes, if we could catch them, we would consider taking them to the Animal Shelter's Adoption room (which we used to do). Now it's too difficult to catch them. And don't say use a hav-a-hart trap as we have one. Over the years the feral cats have learned to avoid them. We only get raccoons and possums in this trap (once a skunk and occasionally a snake).

our back door on occasion

Talking about dirty windows (kitchen door windows never stay clean due to little raccoon paws on the outside). But I actually cleaned my bedroom windows, blinds, and curtains yesterday. I have to admit, it had been a while.


And Friday we had a cooking lesson here. My grandson (21) who lives with us has always said that he would like to learn to cook. We never did anything about this since he was working the night shift (online ordering) at Target for a while and sleeping during the day. But now that he has taken a furlough due to the virus, I told him I was making chicken salad for supper and if he wished to make it with me, that would be fine. He did. Came out great. I make my chicken salad with purple onions, apples, and walnuts (have also used grapes and pecans).

That's it for today. Will leave you with a picture of Ghost when she was tiny...

Have a wonderful Sunday and please stay safe!

Hugs,
Rian

no cats in the house? I can't imagine...

Woke up this morning thinking about cats and art... not necessarily together.... just how much I enjoy both. Both things add joy to my life that's hard to explain. Both also bring tears on occasion, but that's life, right? Looking back, the good outweighs the bad. 

I always had a love for animals - pretty much all animals. As a child I had dogs, birds, a rabbit, a snake, a few turtles, and an alligator (this was back in the 50's when one could buy baby turtles and alligators all along the coast of Mississippi). But we never had cats. Mama told me I was allergic. Don't think I was... but I do sneeze a lot (so maybe).

When DH and I got married and were living in the married student apartments at LSUBR, we were 22 and had 2 Siamese kittens (Emily and Jai). From that time on (from Louisiana to Florida to Texas), we have always had cats. Cats and kids have kept our lives full... of laughter (and tears)... but mostly joy. 

At one time, we had 8 inside cats (a bit much) but they needed help, so what can you do?  And they all got along... I have pictures of all 8 lined up in a row on our bed. Over the years we decided 3 inside was about right - when it came to caring for them (vaccinations, food, litter, attention, etc.) 

So now in our twilight (?) years, we have 3 inside and quite a few feral ones that frequent our backyard. These are given food, water, and what shelter our yard provides. Would we like to take more in, sure. But it's not practical at our age. We have done the catch, vaccinate, and release program over the years, but now simply provide what care we can.

But I truly can't imagine not having a cat. They each have their own personalities and watching them emerge as kittens to adult cats is fascinating. We took them all in at only a few weeks old. Tux (one of our black and whites) is so bonded with me that he is by my side when I'm home 24/7. He is also extremely sensitive and easily hurt - if I lean down to pet one of the others when he is on my lap, he will go off in a huff. That's Tux. Julie, his sibling is half his size and full of beans. She loves to play, run around, and knock things down. If you throw her a mouse, she will jump up and catch it in her paws. Unlike Tux, she (and Ghost) are not lap cats... although Julie has her moments. Ghost now is a strange cat. She has genetic kidney problems and was not supposed to live past her first year. She is 12 now and although generally a very sweet cat, is also a bit psycho. There are times when she will hiss and growl for apparently no reason... it doesn't last long, but we've never been able to figure out why it happens. She also doesn't jump on things, watches TV, watches iPhone videos, and loves me to do a shadow show on the wall.  

As I said... can't imagine not having them around.

Tux

Julie

Ghost

Tux

                                                                   

Julie

Ghost

This post is longer than I planned... so I won't go into my thoughts about art today. I'll post that another day. Thanks for listening to my early morning ramblings. 


Hugs, 
Rian

time and freedom... for this

Kittens! Kittens! And more kittens! This was one of my many dreams last night... probably brought on by the appearance of 2 new kittens in our front yard yesterday. They are about 3 months old... one Siamese marking and one black. They were sitting with Sonny, a long-haired black feral that is only about a year old himself. DH and I think that he actually goes out recruiting kittens. 

Anyway, in my dream, I'd find a very young kitten, bring him in... and then another would appear.... and then another... and so on. It's the 'never ending kitten story'! 

Ah... well, it's better than so many other things that go through my mind at night.

I can't remember if I posted a picture of my finished seal and puffin sculptures. But I took them home yesterday, so here they are:

They will need homes eventually and I'm still on my 'pay it forward' plan....  so if anyone is interested, let me know. 

My new projects are fish mobiles to hang from the trees outside. I think the ferals might be entertained by them. What do you think?

I found this on Pinterest.  My  shapes and colors won't be the same, but I liked the idea.  Started making ceramic beads and shapes this past Saturday.

I'm not sure any of this can be called 'art'... but it brings me joy.  I always think of the following quote when I question why I do what I do.

Hope you're having a good Sunday! Thanks for coming by! 

And a comment concerning what I love about retirement (For Tom Sightings over Sixty):  "I love having the time and freedom to do just this!"

Julie hanging out...

Julie

While I was dusting the front room today, Julie was hanging out watching me. Cats are very good at watching others work. I often tell them they should be doing something constructive... but to them that only means 'playing, eating, or napping'. They are good at those things... and at 'comforting'.

The little Siamese feral kittens (and their black sibling) are growing up... but still nursing their mama. They are very playful and I would like to get them friendly to people, but their mama has taught them well. As soon as that door opens, they scatter.

Mama and her 3 kits

..

another view

The kittens are growing up... but still nursing. She's a fantastic mom... watches them like a hawk. We saw her hiss and chase off one of the raccoon babies that was getting too close to a kitten. I think it just wanted to play... but mama said 'no way'.

DH and I had a fun 2 weeks of birthdays... (his is 9 days after mine).  Oldest son and his family flew in from Hawaii and we had a nice family gathering on Sunday. I made a ton of food as I wasn't sure how many would be at the house... but we almost finished most of it. 

Unfortunately the weather has been really hot. Supposed to hit 104 - 105 F later this week. And the 'haze' due to the Sahara sand blowing in doesn't help. 

I may be 'out of pocket' this next week, but will try to catch up ASAP.  

Have a great week! And try to keep 'cool'....

Saturday at our house...

Couldn't resist this kitten... (found this pic on Pinterest)

As for our own cats... I was determined to start working on more quilted pillows for our den sofa today... but got side-tracked. First I decided to do a quick catnip bunny for Tux. 

Well, this is what happened.

I made the pink bunny for Tux and when I gave it to him, he sniffed it and walked away. Well, Ghost saw it and immediately ran over and laid on it. 

"Mine!"

Tux saw her and walked right back and laid on top of her and the bunny. Ghost retreated. Tux grabbed his bunny and laid claim.

"No... mine!"

So...oo I told Ghost I'd make her one too. So I made a square bunny so they'd be different and besides square is faster than round when sewing.

Ghost and her square catnip bunny

and then of course , Julie (who was sleeping on the counter) woke up and was looking at Tux and Ghost with their new toys... and I had to say, OK Julie, we'll get you something too. 

Julie sniffing her new fish toy

"I guess it's OK...

So as you can see, I got very little done on my quilted pillows. These little catnip toys are very roughly made, but seem to make them happy.

Now... I've promised the boys (DH and grandson) that I'd make meatballs and spaghetti this evening, so I'd better get to it.  I guess that the quilted pillows can wait a little longer. 

Oh, I do have another quick cat story... this one referring to the feral cats outside. At around Easter time we usually put out some plastic Easter eggs in the front and back yards. The colors look pretty in the grass and the cats enjoy rolling them around. Well, this time I stuck a few cat treats inside the eggs so not only do they rattle, but the cats can smell the treats inside. We laughed watching 2 of the kittens playing with one and sniffing it... but they couldn't figure out how to get it open.  The next morning not only was one egg completely gone, but the other was opened and the treats missing. We figured that the raccoons probably figured out how to open them during the night ( they're pretty good with their hands). But the missing one was a mystery. Perhaps the raccoon took it home with her/him?

If so, we wish him/her a Happy Easter!

a box of kittens... brings on memories

One of the blogs I read posted this picture and I thought it so adorable that I had to re-post it!   The kitten in the far top left reminds me so much of our Ghost when she was a kitten.

These three pics are from Ghost's *early kitten* days. She loved to play with Julie (who is still our most playful cat). Memories...

Ghost now

And speaking of memories... we lost our beloved Jack this past year. He was only 10 and had fought the good fight with Feline Leukemia for 6 years. He will be forever in our hearts and minds. We wanted to do something in memory of him this Christmas and although we did get an ornament with his picture for our tree... decided to put his picture on our Christmas cards this year. He was such a handsome fellow.

Jack is at top right

Jack is *middle* (see the black nose)

Jack on left

Jack and his brother Tux

Jack with toy rabbit

Jack in box at Christmas

Jack and his brother Tux

Jack

Jack - forever in our hearts

 a short walk down memory lane...   =^..^=