Saturday, November 17, 2012

Well.....my surprise did not want her picture taken!

But here she is......the newest member of our family!

  I was not intending on getting another cat after my dear Patches died last year but a series of events let me know this cat was meant to come live with us.  I've always said my pets choose me, I don't choose them and it was certainly true in this case! I was outside working on,  guess what,  "caulking" and a friend pulled in the driveway.  She said she was on her way to put up an ad for this cat to be adopted at our local grocery store.  She said for some reason she decided to pull in my driveway.  I said absolutely not as I could not afford any more animals.  She told me that for this particular cat they were waving the adoption fee, having her spayed and all her shots and were throwing in food for a month and a litter box!  I took a look at her picture and she had the same exact coloring that my Patches had.  So, I finally said yes as it was the cost that was keeping me from getting another and also if I traveled I had no one to take care of her.  The dogs always go with me.  Barb, the friend, said  "I will take care of her if you ever need to go out of town"........so what could I say....she was needing a home so badly and all the doubts and obstacles were overcome!  She was spayed the other day and Dave, from our Animal Rescue organization here in town, even took her back this morning to the vet as he wanted to ensure she was doing okay before I picked her up.  Her name is Missy but I'm not sure how long she's had that name.  She's about 4-6 months old.  Usually I don't like to change their name if they are older and have become used to it but in this case I might.  The problem arises because all my "girls" have names ending in "y" and they get confused when I call them because "Nitty" and "Annie" sound pretty much the same to them.  I've started calling Nitty, "Nit" to alleviate the confusion so another animal with a name ending in "Y" may not be something I want!  Hopefully, I will get better pictures of her but for now she is residing in the messy guest room where she ran after I let her out of her carrier.  She's slept all afternoon pretty much and so I will leave her be in there with her food and water and litter box and maybe tomorrow she'll feel like venturing out.  The poor thing has been through a lot this past month so we'll give her her space and let her come to us when she's ready.  The sad part is, when I brought her in and put her on my bed, Nitty got so excited and was wagging her "stump" of a tail and whining as she thought it was Patches (come back from the dead, I guess!).  I kept telling her it wasn't and of course poor little Missy felt threatened and that's when she bolted to the guest room!  I can't say I blame her but Nitty is so confused....I KNOW she thinks it is her old friend Patches, not that they were ever bosom buddies, but Nitty is friends to everyone even if they don't return the sentiment.
So, that was my exciting news for today.  You'll probably be hearing updates as we move forward with our new little family member and hopefully some better pictures down the road!
Hope you enjoyed your Saturday, it was a gorgeous day here...warm and sunny!  TTYS!    

Friday, November 16, 2012

Oh Happy Days!!!!!

Look what I got in the mail today!!!!!! Oh!  I'm so excited!!!!
I ordered a wool applique ornament kit from Alicia Paulson at Rosy Little Things   I love her needlework and her color sense and her decorating and anything and everything she does...oh yeah....her recipes and cakes too! LOL!  She's an amazing young woman and SO talented!  Hopefully, if I follow the instructions and stitch well it will turn out looking like this..........
She has several ornament kits and you can also just buy the instructions and download them but I wanted the full kit for my first one at least.  Aren't they just precious?  I know I needed another stitching project like a hole in my head but for some reason it seems like when I am the most overwhelmed with unfinished projects there is nothing that motivates me like a new one! LOL!  I'm sure a therapist would have a "hay day" with that one! 
I spent the day paying bills, going through paperwork and clearing off my desk so what a reward I will be enjoying this weekend for all that boring work that doesn't really look like you've done a thing all day!
Did you notice the blanket under the kit?  I snagged this baby from a friend who was on her way to the thrift shop with it!  I took everything off her hands and she didn't have to make the trip! LOL!  I placed it on my bed and love it especially the pattern.




It's throw size but it adds a layer of warmth and color on top of my quilt.  See the divet in the bed.....that's where I "nest" every night! LOL!  I have a feather bed topper and by the end of the week you can see where I've "nested".  I fluff it up every Sunday when I change my sheets and then it is like climbing on top of a cloud again.  I LOVE my feather bed mattress topper!  Here's a bigger view of the pattern which I would like to replicate.  It looks like whoever crocheted this used a variegated yarn for the "flower" and then a rust color for the background and yellow for the borders and more rust for a big outside border.  If anyone has or recognizes this pattern I would appreciate any info on it as I want to make one like it in a different color scheme(s).
Don't forget to stop by tomorrow as I have a BIG little surprise to share with you and I am SO excited about it!  Hope you all are healthy and happy and have wonderful plans for Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is my mode every day....just look around you or watch the news and you'll realize how much we all have to thankful for!  Happy Friday!










Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Back in the 'groove" I'm hoping.............



Whether it was allergies or a cold...I guess I'll never really know but I struggled through it and never went to bed but I didn't blog either....sorry.  I took a lot of breaks and kept slogging along trying to get the "caulking" done but it's still ongoing....what a slow arduous job!  I did manage to cook up some Fall food though and apple cheddar treats for "the girls"!  I think I am in hibernation mode...moving slower, wanting to curl up in the blankets and eating comfort food...a lot!

This was for me with some cornbread on the side..........made with this..............

I'm trying to eat local which saves energy, helps the local economy and promotes local farmers.  Also, for health reasons as I don't really trust our food supply much anymore with corporate farms and how they treat the animals too so I try not to give them my business.  Bison/buffalo is very much like ground beef only there's a little sweetness to it but it is healthier as they are allowed to live naturally by grazing on grass.
I'm not a big meat eater but I have some old favorite recipes that just wouldn't be the same without meat.  Does that mean I'm too old to change?
I made the girls apple cheddar biscuits that they seemed to like (my girls love cheese!) but they only get minute amounts.


Here's the recipe for the Apple Cheddar dog biscuits compliments of Martha Stewart...........



·                            YieldMakes about 16

Ingredients

·                            2 cups barley flour
·                            1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
·                            1/3 cup shredded cheddar
·                            1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
·                            1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
·                            2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1.                           Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper; set aside.
2.                           In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients and about 3 tablespoons water to form a dough. Roll out mixture between two sheets of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thick; remove plastic wrap and cut out biscuits with a 3 1/2-inch bone-shaped cookie cutter. Reroll scraps and continue cutting out biscuits.
3.                           Space biscuits 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until nicely browned and firm.
4.                           Transfer biscuits to a wire rack. Turn off oven and place biscuits on wire rack in oven overnight. Remove from oven and store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

I've also discovered a new, improved breakfast.  I usually have yogurt and toast but then I went from Yoplait etc. to Greek yogurt which is healthier and has more body to it and I LOVE the taste of it....Chobani, Stoney Field and then I found Fage!  Oh, it is the cream of the crop , literally when it comes to yogurt!  YUM!
I was buying the flavored which is pricey so I decided to buy a big container of the plain and "dress it up" myself.  I think Tammy of   T's Daily Treasures
was the one that gave me the idea of honey and walnuts which are quite a healthy combo with the yogurt and it is out of this world delicious!
Of course I have to have a couple slices of my homemade bread toasted with a little jam..........
I must be "bulking up" for the long Winter as it seems all I think about lately is FOOD!  I had better watch myself or this could be a long, fattening Winter! LOL!  I hope everyone is fine and dandy and that people who had devastation in their lives are able to move forward a bit and pick up the pieces...literally.  Good thoughts and prayers go out to all of you!
P.S.  Stay tuned as I have a surprise coming Sunday and I'm also going to start making my own yogurt!