It's a funny feeling. The house is calm. I am home. The brother McKennas are out. The snow is gone (but, boys & girls, it is RAINING out right now as if making up for lost time holy cow). Suspended as we are between the holidays and the new year, I am remarkably short on profound thoughts.
Yes, yes, I do have the rather typical resolution-type notions like detoxing myself for the next three months. And, to add a new spin on it this year, I'm actually entertaining the idea of going vegetarian (Jess & Scott, you are my roll models!). We'll see. I said, we'll see. For now I am satisfying my healthy-eating-habit inklings by purchasing bulk whole wheat flour & pasta. It's a start, right?
No, right now my ponderings are mostly on rather silly things: cats, quilts, recipes, books. And so that's what I'm going to share with you today!
Here we go.
First on the list are my adorable kitties. Misha (pictured top right), or Meech as we fondly call her, is a grumpy old girl with lots of boundaries. We have a wonderful working relationship with her and love her very much. It's just sometimes, well, we find ourselves tiptoeing around her. But that's OK! Maybe its how we like it, because we always know where she stands. She's our girl.
Then there's Greyson, and yes I am sending out to the universe full paragraphs about my pets. Greyson, I find, has been very lovable right from the start. Happy-go-lucky, full of life, you will most likely observe him either racing around the apartment, knocking everything over in his path and causing massive destruction, or fast asleep, recharging for the next round. But occasionally there are these very, very sweet moments when he will crawl on your lap and wrap his arms around your neck. Or sit on the back of the couch and rest his cheek against yours. Or, as shown in one of the photos, curl up with you & the laptop on the table, where he's not supposed to be but you can't help yourself so you let him stay. And always, always, he is purring. Pur Boy is one of his nicknames. Behold their cuteness (pic above), folks.
Switching tracks, quickly jump over to Purl Bee to admire their beautiful wedding wheel quilt. I want one but worry my sewing skills are not precise enough to pull off that point in the center of the circle. She says she and a friend made it in one day and I am very impressed.
What's next? Oh yes. Recipes. Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite food blogs: Smitten Kitchen. Ours is a relationship of give and take. She posts beautiful recipes and I take take take. For instance, here's what's on our menu just this week alone:
- Chickpea Salad with Capers and Roasted Red Peppers
- Feta Salsa
- Pizza with Broccoli Raab, Roasted Onions and Olives
- Braised Short Ribs with Potato Purée, Swiss Chard and Horseradish Cream (I'm thinking for New Years)
- Gramercy Tavern’s Gingerbread (also for New Years)
I'm not joking. Doesn't this stuff look good? As if she really knows her business?
Finally, a few books to share with you. But listing them here means I'm sharing a part of myself with you that most people don't know about. Yes, I am obsessed with Emergency Preparedness and take it very seriously. I'm not [too] ashamed of this. It never hurts to be prepared, right? Anyhoo, there are several books I am coveting right now. Here they are:
- Just in Case by Kathy Harrison
- Country Wisdom & Know-How by the Editors of Storey Publishing's Country Wisdom Boards
- The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
- Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for Less Toxic Living by Annie Berthold-Bond (while this does not directly relate to emergency prep, it offers very valuable information of how to clean your home & yourself with healthier, home-made products - love it)
And I think that's a wrap for now. I'm off to enjoy this limbo time.
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