I'm a great starter, but a horrible finisher. I must have a dozen or more half-finished projects lying around the house, and ten times that many in the landfill from years gone by. Which is why, I suppose, that I love beginnings. I love mornings. I love Mondays. I love the first day of each month. I love the first day of each season...and I especially love January 1st.
Each of these beginnings feels like Someone took the blackboard of my life and swished across it with some giant cosmic eraser, leaving an emptiness and freshness that fairly crackles with the energy of promise.
I love blank sheets of stationery, fresh journals and crisp new calendars holding twelve months of possiblities. I guess you could call me an optimist.
Which is why we had pasta for dinner again. That doesn't seem like something that should hold dread, now does it? It does for me. That's because we have children. Specifically a child with some sort of obsessive-compulsive disorder that makes him NEED to have things just so...for instance in color order or in alphabetical order...er...I wonder where he got a trait like that?
Anyway, we have these darling little bowls for when we have spaghetti or fettucini alfredo, or some sort of culinary creation that uses pasta. The food is usually some concoction of my Italian husband and is always scrumptious. No, that's not the problem. The problem is that each bowl is a different COLOR. Why is that a problem, you ask? And why did I think tonight would be different from any other pasta night? Why, indeed.
Because the BOY thinks the colors should be distributed a certain way at the dinner table. Red for Daddy, green for Mommy, blue for himself and yellow for his sister. This is a source of much stress for him if the dishes aren't doled out in that pattern.
His sister, however, likes to push his buttons, so she demands the red bowl with the objection that "He got to have it his way last time!" Does she not know that it has to be his way each and every time? Quite often there is a giant meltdown--usually by me, saying, "Why does it matter what color bowl everyone has! JUST EAT THE FOOD!!"
Tonight was no different. *sigh* At least the pasta was predictably delicious. The wretched bowls are currently in the dishwasher. I wonder what would happen to the universe as we know it if they ALL mysteriously shattered into a zillion multicolored pieces tonight at midnight? Would they miraculously be replaced by new pasta dishes all the same color? It is, after all, a very magical time.
It is, after all, a new day.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
The Domino Effect
Did you ever decide to clean out something? Well, that's a silly question, but think about it for a minute...
Today I put away almost all the holiday decorations. I know, it's not nearly the 7th, but I wanted to get a head start. The tree will stay up until the 6th, because that's just a tradition, but everything else is back on the shelves. That's a rather satisfying accomplishment, I think.
I can't exactly remember what started it all this morning...oh, yeah...my new Dutch oven needed a home. Now, if you'll recall, this thing is BIG...well, chicken-size. So, I decided to clean out a spot in the appliance closet. The area used to be a coat closet, but we already had places for coats, so, many years ago, my sweet honey added several shelves, and now it's a space for small kitchen appliances. Anyway, I moved out some stuff to make room for the dish, and then realized I didn't have places for the stuff I moved.
Now we get to the domino effect. In order to make the appliance closet functional, I had to move some things to the cabinets under the kitchen island. In order to do THAT...well, you see where several hours of my day went. I ended up with most of my kitchen spread out on the floor, and more than once I looked around and wondered whatever possessed me to start this task. As I made up my mind to put certain things in one place, I realized I had to empty said place and put those things somewhere else.
It's as if we moved. Not many things are where they used to be, but things are better sorted, at least I think they are. And it's my kitchen, right? I have a baking section, a prep section, a spice cabinet (two, actually, and the spice jars are in alphabetical order,) a tea cabinet (two, actually...see previous note,) and, surprisingly, a place for actual dishes and glasses. I thought about making an inventory list of where everything is and posting it somewhere so I can have a reference when I need some obscure item that's not where it had been for fifteen years. But then again, I thought the element of surprise would be a nice touch, too.
So, when it's bread-baking day, I can find my grain mill and bread machine, when I want tea, everything is together, and the coriander seeds are in front of the red pepper flakes. As Einstein says, "Out of clutter, find simplicity."
Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the things that won't go back in the cabinets. Anyone need a hand-juicer?
Today I put away almost all the holiday decorations. I know, it's not nearly the 7th, but I wanted to get a head start. The tree will stay up until the 6th, because that's just a tradition, but everything else is back on the shelves. That's a rather satisfying accomplishment, I think.
I can't exactly remember what started it all this morning...oh, yeah...my new Dutch oven needed a home. Now, if you'll recall, this thing is BIG...well, chicken-size. So, I decided to clean out a spot in the appliance closet. The area used to be a coat closet, but we already had places for coats, so, many years ago, my sweet honey added several shelves, and now it's a space for small kitchen appliances. Anyway, I moved out some stuff to make room for the dish, and then realized I didn't have places for the stuff I moved.
Now we get to the domino effect. In order to make the appliance closet functional, I had to move some things to the cabinets under the kitchen island. In order to do THAT...well, you see where several hours of my day went. I ended up with most of my kitchen spread out on the floor, and more than once I looked around and wondered whatever possessed me to start this task. As I made up my mind to put certain things in one place, I realized I had to empty said place and put those things somewhere else.
It's as if we moved. Not many things are where they used to be, but things are better sorted, at least I think they are. And it's my kitchen, right? I have a baking section, a prep section, a spice cabinet (two, actually, and the spice jars are in alphabetical order,) a tea cabinet (two, actually...see previous note,) and, surprisingly, a place for actual dishes and glasses. I thought about making an inventory list of where everything is and posting it somewhere so I can have a reference when I need some obscure item that's not where it had been for fifteen years. But then again, I thought the element of surprise would be a nice touch, too.
So, when it's bread-baking day, I can find my grain mill and bread machine, when I want tea, everything is together, and the coriander seeds are in front of the red pepper flakes. As Einstein says, "Out of clutter, find simplicity."
Now I just have to figure out what to do with all the things that won't go back in the cabinets. Anyone need a hand-juicer?
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Careful or You'll End Up in My Novel
I saw the above caption on a T-shirt in a catalog the other day, and it got me to thinking how we'd all behave differently each day if we knew our lives would be in print the next day or week or year. Heh, at least some of us would... Me? Not so much.
Today I met my cousin, aunt and uncle at a nearby mall for lunch and mall-strolling. I talked (a lot, as usual) about my blog and my now-infamous 2007 Christmas letter, you know, networking and all that. They even told me that folks at the annual family holiday gathering were wondering when this year's edition would be mailed. It's very nice to know I can bring a little joy into some people's lives...even if you're just laughing at me...um, I mean WITH me... I did tell you all that the more you share my blog with friends, the more you'll encourage me to write a book, right? Or does the phrase "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel" really frighten you? *sinister laugh...rubbing hands together*
We spent the evening at Stone Mountain with the grandparents, looking at lights, drinking hot chocolate, walking through the village and watching the Christmas laser show projected on the side of the mountain. They have a lovely holiday production there, and the little parade was very cute.
On the way home, to keep the kids from dismembering each other in the back seat, we played a guessing game. Someone calls out the first letter from each word in a movie title, such as "IAWL," and the others have to guess the movie from the clue, this one being "It's a Wonderful Life." Seeing as how I'm surrounded by comedians, it stands to reason no one can just play by the rules. The kids kept shouting out other possible words to fit the letters, like "I ate wilted lettuce!" By the time we got halfway home, we were in tears from the laughter. I think my favorite was PROO (Power Rangers Operation Overdrive) that came out "Poking 'round our outhouse!"
The hardest ones are the single-letter titles like "M" for Madagascar and "T" for Transformers. Sometimes it's easy to see that I read way too much when someone calls out "B" and I shout "Beowulf!" when it's actually Bambi.
Anyway, if you're reading this, I am very grateful that you visited. Feel free to post a comment on any of my entries just to let me know you've been there. And don't worry about me using anything against you. At least without your permission. Unless you make me laugh. Then COYEUIMN...
(Careful or you'll end up in my novel.)
Today I met my cousin, aunt and uncle at a nearby mall for lunch and mall-strolling. I talked (a lot, as usual) about my blog and my now-infamous 2007 Christmas letter, you know, networking and all that. They even told me that folks at the annual family holiday gathering were wondering when this year's edition would be mailed. It's very nice to know I can bring a little joy into some people's lives...even if you're just laughing at me...um, I mean WITH me... I did tell you all that the more you share my blog with friends, the more you'll encourage me to write a book, right? Or does the phrase "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel" really frighten you? *sinister laugh...rubbing hands together*
We spent the evening at Stone Mountain with the grandparents, looking at lights, drinking hot chocolate, walking through the village and watching the Christmas laser show projected on the side of the mountain. They have a lovely holiday production there, and the little parade was very cute.
On the way home, to keep the kids from dismembering each other in the back seat, we played a guessing game. Someone calls out the first letter from each word in a movie title, such as "IAWL," and the others have to guess the movie from the clue, this one being "It's a Wonderful Life." Seeing as how I'm surrounded by comedians, it stands to reason no one can just play by the rules. The kids kept shouting out other possible words to fit the letters, like "I ate wilted lettuce!" By the time we got halfway home, we were in tears from the laughter. I think my favorite was PROO (Power Rangers Operation Overdrive) that came out "Poking 'round our outhouse!"
The hardest ones are the single-letter titles like "M" for Madagascar and "T" for Transformers. Sometimes it's easy to see that I read way too much when someone calls out "B" and I shout "Beowulf!" when it's actually Bambi.
Anyway, if you're reading this, I am very grateful that you visited. Feel free to post a comment on any of my entries just to let me know you've been there. And don't worry about me using anything against you. At least without your permission. Unless you make me laugh. Then COYEUIMN...
(Careful or you'll end up in my novel.)
Friday, December 28, 2007
Rain, Rain, It's Good to See You
Ah, the patter of rain on the windows. What a sweet sound here in the South these days. It rained quite heavily this morning, then left off for a few hours, and has now started back. Maybe it has had a positive effect on the dwindling water table and lakes in our area.
It had a negative effect on my car, however. A certain little girl that I chauffeur around on a regular basis didn't close her door all the way the last time we were out, and when we opened the car door this morning, there was a solid inch of water on the floor on her side. I used up most of our beach towels in soaking up the mess, and then gave up, wrapped several days' worth of newspapers up in a towel and stuffed that on the floor. By noon, that was soaked, too, but at least the carpet has begun to dry out a bit.
So, when you open your car door in the morning and water pours OUT, that's perhaps a sign that the day may not go as planned. On the way to Grammy and PapPap's house for the kids' regular day out (and my regular day off!) some unaware fellow in a Jeep Cherokee thought it would not be a problem to skip the stopping part at a stop sign, and missed my car by millimeters. It was so close, I had already begun to hear the metal crunching. As if my adrenaline needed any boosting! It happened so fast and was over so quickly, I didn't even have time to be angry at the guy before he was gone. I hope he was able to finish his text message...
Then, as we cautiously continued our morning, I discovered the dry cleaners we've been patronising for 14-odd years is closing. And afterward, we learned we were 10 minutes too late for our weekly McDonald's McGriddles and burritos breakfast and had to have McChickens at 10:45 AM instead. *sigh* Not earth-shattering things, I know, but still a lot to take after nearly drowning in, and almost crashing, my car!
I dropped off the kids at the grandparents', lamenting to my mother-in-law of my morning's plagues, then came home and curled up in my chair under a blanket to read a book for a couple of hours. After that, the stars had apparently moved from their horrible alignments, and I was able to go out and buy groceries without incident. Mm mm. More Cinnabon lattes for the 'fridge! Now we're talking!
We had a scrumptious ham and corn chowder for dinner that I had slow-cooked all day, and now there's a cheery fire in the fireplace to drive away the dampness inside, plus I'm sipping on a yummy Caramel Nut Latte for dessert as I listen to the rain. All's well that ends well.
It had a negative effect on my car, however. A certain little girl that I chauffeur around on a regular basis didn't close her door all the way the last time we were out, and when we opened the car door this morning, there was a solid inch of water on the floor on her side. I used up most of our beach towels in soaking up the mess, and then gave up, wrapped several days' worth of newspapers up in a towel and stuffed that on the floor. By noon, that was soaked, too, but at least the carpet has begun to dry out a bit.
So, when you open your car door in the morning and water pours OUT, that's perhaps a sign that the day may not go as planned. On the way to Grammy and PapPap's house for the kids' regular day out (and my regular day off!) some unaware fellow in a Jeep Cherokee thought it would not be a problem to skip the stopping part at a stop sign, and missed my car by millimeters. It was so close, I had already begun to hear the metal crunching. As if my adrenaline needed any boosting! It happened so fast and was over so quickly, I didn't even have time to be angry at the guy before he was gone. I hope he was able to finish his text message...
Then, as we cautiously continued our morning, I discovered the dry cleaners we've been patronising for 14-odd years is closing. And afterward, we learned we were 10 minutes too late for our weekly McDonald's McGriddles and burritos breakfast and had to have McChickens at 10:45 AM instead. *sigh* Not earth-shattering things, I know, but still a lot to take after nearly drowning in, and almost crashing, my car!
I dropped off the kids at the grandparents', lamenting to my mother-in-law of my morning's plagues, then came home and curled up in my chair under a blanket to read a book for a couple of hours. After that, the stars had apparently moved from their horrible alignments, and I was able to go out and buy groceries without incident. Mm mm. More Cinnabon lattes for the 'fridge! Now we're talking!
We had a scrumptious ham and corn chowder for dinner that I had slow-cooked all day, and now there's a cheery fire in the fireplace to drive away the dampness inside, plus I'm sipping on a yummy Caramel Nut Latte for dessert as I listen to the rain. All's well that ends well.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
A Casserole By Any Other Name...
For Christmas, I put a Dutch oven on my wish list. Specifically a Le Creuset Dutch oven, because that's what Giada deLaurentis uses on "Everyday Italian," and since I love cooking shows, I should have the things they have in order to cook like them, right?
Anyway, my sweet mother-in-law and sister-in-law patiently explained to me that Le Creuset enamel-covered cast iron is HEAVY. Ok, no problem...I just want a Dutch oven from anyone. I had visions of standing before the kitchen-hearth, searing a nice fat chicken in butter and olive oil on top of the stove, and then generously surrounding it with fresh herbs and root vegetables and shoving it into the oven to roast for awhile. I didn't really care what brand I used, as long as it was designed to do the task.
YAY! I got an enamel-covered cast iron Dutch oven for Christmas!! I was so thrilled...it wasn't Le Creuset, so it probably wasn't all THAT heavy (right?) and it is even "my" color...green, a color Le Creuset surprisingly doesn't carry. Love it! I could hardly wait to get out the roast chicken recipes and get started. But first...I decided to read the directions. Simple, really, just one page.
Before first use: boil 25 cl milk and 1 tbs vegetable oil in casserole. Rinse with hot water and dry with towel. After first use, wash with hot water and washing-up soap (cute, huh?) and towel dry.
Ok, that should be easy! So how much is 25 cl milk? (No, I don't remember that from school. I didn't like metric conversions then, and I don't like them now. Fortunately, I have an online math tutor that teaches my kids that stuff so I don't have to.)
Well, on my handy-dandy measuring cup are metric equivalents. Problem one solved. (25 cl is 1 cup.) I poured in the milk, measured the oil, set the flame to "boil right now" and plopped on the lid. And yes, it's heavy, just like they said, but not so bad. It has to stand up to all that searing and roasting I'll be doing soon.
Now, just wait for the milk to boil. Pace the kitchen, peek under the lid. Pace some more, peek again. What's taking so long? Then I got distracted with organizing my hot teas in alphabetical order and whipped my head around when I heard a sizzling sound coming from the stove. Good grief.
I snatched off the lid...man that thing gets hot!..and turned off the fire. Was this what they had in mind? I don't think so. *sigh* So much for just a hot water rinse. I set the whole thing in a sink of hot soapy water and let it soak a bit while I wiped off the stovetop and the countertop and down the front of the cabinet door and the puddle off the floor. Then I began merrily (yes, why sweat the small stuff...) scrubbing the pot on the sink divider when the whole thing slipped out of my hand and crashed into the sink. Yipes!! KA-SPLOOSH!
They were right. It's VERY heavy. And it displaces a LOT of liquid when it lands in a sink of washing-up water. This whole story has a happy ending, though. I learned a lot, most of which I'll not likely repeat. These things, though, are worth remembering: 1. Enamel-coated cast iron Dutch ovens, no matter who makes them, are very heavy. (It bears repeating.) 2. They are also very slippery when soapy. 3. Never have anything made of glass in the sink when washing a big ol' pot like that. 4. Always have a wooden cutting board hanging out in the bottom of the sink to absorb most of the shock and save the coating on the sink. 5. Always use a pot holder on the hot lid, silly.
Despite the adventure, I am still looking forward to roasting that chicken. Just not today. After all...my Dutch oven is so very clean...
Anyway, my sweet mother-in-law and sister-in-law patiently explained to me that Le Creuset enamel-covered cast iron is HEAVY. Ok, no problem...I just want a Dutch oven from anyone. I had visions of standing before the kitchen-hearth, searing a nice fat chicken in butter and olive oil on top of the stove, and then generously surrounding it with fresh herbs and root vegetables and shoving it into the oven to roast for awhile. I didn't really care what brand I used, as long as it was designed to do the task.
YAY! I got an enamel-covered cast iron Dutch oven for Christmas!! I was so thrilled...it wasn't Le Creuset, so it probably wasn't all THAT heavy (right?) and it is even "my" color...green, a color Le Creuset surprisingly doesn't carry. Love it! I could hardly wait to get out the roast chicken recipes and get started. But first...I decided to read the directions. Simple, really, just one page.
Before first use: boil 25 cl milk and 1 tbs vegetable oil in casserole. Rinse with hot water and dry with towel. After first use, wash with hot water and washing-up soap (cute, huh?) and towel dry.
Ok, that should be easy! So how much is 25 cl milk? (No, I don't remember that from school. I didn't like metric conversions then, and I don't like them now. Fortunately, I have an online math tutor that teaches my kids that stuff so I don't have to.)
Well, on my handy-dandy measuring cup are metric equivalents. Problem one solved. (25 cl is 1 cup.) I poured in the milk, measured the oil, set the flame to "boil right now" and plopped on the lid. And yes, it's heavy, just like they said, but not so bad. It has to stand up to all that searing and roasting I'll be doing soon.
Now, just wait for the milk to boil. Pace the kitchen, peek under the lid. Pace some more, peek again. What's taking so long? Then I got distracted with organizing my hot teas in alphabetical order and whipped my head around when I heard a sizzling sound coming from the stove. Good grief.
I snatched off the lid...man that thing gets hot!..and turned off the fire. Was this what they had in mind? I don't think so. *sigh* So much for just a hot water rinse. I set the whole thing in a sink of hot soapy water and let it soak a bit while I wiped off the stovetop and the countertop and down the front of the cabinet door and the puddle off the floor. Then I began merrily (yes, why sweat the small stuff...) scrubbing the pot on the sink divider when the whole thing slipped out of my hand and crashed into the sink. Yipes!! KA-SPLOOSH!
They were right. It's VERY heavy. And it displaces a LOT of liquid when it lands in a sink of washing-up water. This whole story has a happy ending, though. I learned a lot, most of which I'll not likely repeat. These things, though, are worth remembering: 1. Enamel-coated cast iron Dutch ovens, no matter who makes them, are very heavy. (It bears repeating.) 2. They are also very slippery when soapy. 3. Never have anything made of glass in the sink when washing a big ol' pot like that. 4. Always have a wooden cutting board hanging out in the bottom of the sink to absorb most of the shock and save the coating on the sink. 5. Always use a pot holder on the hot lid, silly.
Despite the adventure, I am still looking forward to roasting that chicken. Just not today. After all...my Dutch oven is so very clean...
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Post-Christmas Carnage or There's a Chipmunk in the House Again
Thanks for visiting my debut post. After creating a 4-page letter for my holiday cards this year, and paying extra postage to mail them, I have decided to start my own blog so I can prattle on about our family every day instead of once a year, and use lots of words instead of editing out all the good stuff.
Today, I am trying to locate our floor amidst all the leftover boxes and paper. It was a wonderful Christmas day, and although I wanted to make the present-opening ritual last most of the day, I realized it's hard to stretch out paper-ripping for over 9 hours when there are only 17 presents under the tree. Yep, when the kids wake up at 4:30 AM, you know it's going to be a looooooooong day. I'm pretty sure Santa had only just left the house by then.
We had a great day, even though I've been fighting a horrible head cold since Saturday. I fixed brunch for Grammy and PapPap, and the 6 of us tore into both the food and the remaining presents, polishing off both before 1:00. After the grandparents left, the kids and D played with their toys, and I read a book in front of the fire. It was actually an instruction manual, but don't tell anyone. I was under the covers by 6:00, and the kids and I watched a TV show about Bigfoot and something else I slept through. I vaguely remember walking the kids down the hall to their beds, but that's about it.
Anyway, I made it out of bed this morning, still rather ill, but determined to reclaim my house. I've made quite a bit of progress so far, including washing the hand-wash dishes from yesterday. Yes...I have dishes I wouldn't think of running through the machine, and I'm sure you do, too.
I was scraping off some foreign substance from a pan when I had this thought: There are things you never thought to hear coming from your mouth until you have kids. There are certain things, however, that you have no trouble imagining, such as “Who’s gum is this??”
And then there are combinations of things that you’d never even be able to imagine…like this: “Who’s gum is this??” as you lift the hot cookie sheet from the countertop and witness an enormous pink string stretch from island to sink. Oh, and it takes olive oil to get the stuff off the next day after the cookie sheet has cooled…
We had another chipmunk in the house today. It’s a very interesting event, and really should be caught on tape sometime . We have an unspoken rule in the house: When the cats have a critter, scream a single word from the top of your lungs. Either CAT!!! or BIRD!!! or whatever the unfortunate animal happens to be, over and over until help shows up. This has the satisfying dual effect of freaking out the cats, distracting them enough to drop their prey, and attracting everyone else in the house...very helpful for capturing said prey and relocating it back outside.
Here's something you probably didn't know. Chipmunks chirp like birds when they’re cornered by predators. I heard this odd chirping from upstairs (not in the schoolroom...the door was closed!) I raced up the steps in time to see the cats stalking the corner table in the hall. I screamed out BIRD!! BIRD!! and the kids came running. We shooed away the cats and I slooooowly pulled the table out from the wall. (It's actually a nightstand, but it has no bedside home.)
There was no bird. Not even a feather. So I proceeded to sloooooowly pull out the bottom drawer, thinking the bird had gotten inside from the bottom somehow. No critter. I slooooowly moved a couple of books that were there...and shrieked as this little brown striped rodent leaped from the drawer up at my face.
The thing fled into the bathroom where it was relatively easy to corner, but rascally hard to catch. After about 5 minutes of squealing, I went into the bathroom to help the kids. Heh heh, you didn't think I was going to grab a chipmunk again after being bitten once, did you? I took in with me a box. Once I got everyone to just STAND STILL for a cotton-picking minute, I laid the box along one wall and draped a towel over most of the opening. We encouraged the little guy around the room and into the box and I pushed the flaps shut, picked it up and proudly paraded it outside into the bushes. I'm sure it'll be back in no time.
Now I'm sitting here, sipping peach-apricot hot tea and ruminating on the adventure that is our life. I hope you enjoy peeking in on our world often!
Bev
PS The more you share this website with your friends, the more encouragement you'll give me to write a book or something. Then again...heh heh.
Today, I am trying to locate our floor amidst all the leftover boxes and paper. It was a wonderful Christmas day, and although I wanted to make the present-opening ritual last most of the day, I realized it's hard to stretch out paper-ripping for over 9 hours when there are only 17 presents under the tree. Yep, when the kids wake up at 4:30 AM, you know it's going to be a looooooooong day. I'm pretty sure Santa had only just left the house by then.
We had a great day, even though I've been fighting a horrible head cold since Saturday. I fixed brunch for Grammy and PapPap, and the 6 of us tore into both the food and the remaining presents, polishing off both before 1:00. After the grandparents left, the kids and D played with their toys, and I read a book in front of the fire. It was actually an instruction manual, but don't tell anyone. I was under the covers by 6:00, and the kids and I watched a TV show about Bigfoot and something else I slept through. I vaguely remember walking the kids down the hall to their beds, but that's about it.
Anyway, I made it out of bed this morning, still rather ill, but determined to reclaim my house. I've made quite a bit of progress so far, including washing the hand-wash dishes from yesterday. Yes...I have dishes I wouldn't think of running through the machine, and I'm sure you do, too.
I was scraping off some foreign substance from a pan when I had this thought: There are things you never thought to hear coming from your mouth until you have kids. There are certain things, however, that you have no trouble imagining, such as “Who’s gum is this??”
And then there are combinations of things that you’d never even be able to imagine…like this: “Who’s gum is this??” as you lift the hot cookie sheet from the countertop and witness an enormous pink string stretch from island to sink. Oh, and it takes olive oil to get the stuff off the next day after the cookie sheet has cooled…
We had another chipmunk in the house today. It’s a very interesting event, and really should be caught on tape sometime . We have an unspoken rule in the house: When the cats have a critter, scream a single word from the top of your lungs. Either CAT!!! or BIRD!!! or whatever the unfortunate animal happens to be, over and over until help shows up. This has the satisfying dual effect of freaking out the cats, distracting them enough to drop their prey, and attracting everyone else in the house...very helpful for capturing said prey and relocating it back outside.
Here's something you probably didn't know. Chipmunks chirp like birds when they’re cornered by predators. I heard this odd chirping from upstairs (not in the schoolroom...the door was closed!) I raced up the steps in time to see the cats stalking the corner table in the hall. I screamed out BIRD!! BIRD!! and the kids came running. We shooed away the cats and I slooooowly pulled the table out from the wall. (It's actually a nightstand, but it has no bedside home.)
There was no bird. Not even a feather. So I proceeded to sloooooowly pull out the bottom drawer, thinking the bird had gotten inside from the bottom somehow. No critter. I slooooowly moved a couple of books that were there...and shrieked as this little brown striped rodent leaped from the drawer up at my face.
The thing fled into the bathroom where it was relatively easy to corner, but rascally hard to catch. After about 5 minutes of squealing, I went into the bathroom to help the kids. Heh heh, you didn't think I was going to grab a chipmunk again after being bitten once, did you? I took in with me a box. Once I got everyone to just STAND STILL for a cotton-picking minute, I laid the box along one wall and draped a towel over most of the opening. We encouraged the little guy around the room and into the box and I pushed the flaps shut, picked it up and proudly paraded it outside into the bushes. I'm sure it'll be back in no time.
Now I'm sitting here, sipping peach-apricot hot tea and ruminating on the adventure that is our life. I hope you enjoy peeking in on our world often!
Bev
PS The more you share this website with your friends, the more encouragement you'll give me to write a book or something. Then again...heh heh.
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