Cat Antics

I was talking to my daughter yesterday about some damage their home sustained during the storm earlier this week. 

Something hit the window of their playroom and bent the window frame, and broke the glass. It happened late at night, and although the room was covered in glass, it wasn’t until the next morning that they could assess the full damage. 

My daughter was telling me that someone was taking advantage of the broken window pane. Apparently their outdoor cat Tuffy figured out pretty quickly that this was an easy way to get inside. 

I can only imagine what went through his mind as he was meandering around the house that morning and spied the open window. 

Later in the day when my son-in-law arrived home he found Tuffy in the laundry room waiting to be fed. Will picked him up to put him outside since it was not quite dinner time. 

Brittany laughed as she told him that throwing Tuffy out wouldn’t do too much good since he had his own personal cat door in the playroom. 

Sure enough by the time they made their way down the hall to the playroom Tuffy has beat them to the playroom via the makeshift cat door. 

I couldn’t help, but laugh when Brittany told me the story. That’s one determined and smart cat. 

Unfortunately for him the cat door is only temporary, and he’ll be relegated to the usual manner of getting in-slipping in through the door when no one is looking.

A Message From God

I was watching the boys this week when they sat down to watch one of their favorite videos on my i pad. 

Earlier we had read one of their new favorite books, The Cat in the Hat, and after playing outside they were settling down while I made lunch. 

As they found their spot on the couch, and I was getting ready to type into the search bar, I spied a notification from my Bible app. It was the verse of the day, 

“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another.”

John 13:34 ESV

Well I found the verse to be quite timely since sometimes little boys don’t always see eye to eye. I said to them that I had just gotten a message on my i pad from God. 

I began to read the verse in a somewhat Dr. Suess tone of voice without even thinking about it. 

The five year old’s eyes got quite large as he listened intently. He then asked, “God sent you that?”

“Yes,” I replied, “God wants you boys to love each other.” I was quite pleased with the opportunity to influence two impressionable young minds, and it wasn’t until later that I fully understood the oldest ones question. 

The more I thought about it I realized that he was shocked to learn that God can send you a private message via texting on your i phone. 

LOL!

Cabinet Heaven

I’m in cabinet heaven. 

Missing the Bluebirds

Well for some reason our bluebirds did not return this year. I was really looking forward to their return, as I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my backyard with them the last two years. 

One of my favorite things to do in the spring is to sit out on my back porch, and enjoy the beautiful weather. Not too hot and not too cold makes spring the perfect time to be outdoors. 

I used to sit on my lawn chair (which has now been removed since the neighborhood squirrel decided it made the perfect bedding material for her nest) and watch momma and daddy bluebird light on our fence, and take turns entering the bluebird box. 

Over time I would get a kick out of hearing the baby birds chirp each time their momma would feed them. Although, I never actually saw the babies their presence was made known through their chirping. 

I’m hoping at our new property we will have bluebirds. Hopefully we will have luck drawing a sweet bluebird family our way. 

Making Progress

Chuck and I were met with a nice surprise this past Saturday when we visited the house. 

When we opened the front door we weren’t expecting to see the beginning of the cabinet installation.

Needless to say, we were thrilled to see them. Originally when we met with the builder he had said he used Lowe’s to do his cabinetry work. Now the only custom cabinets I’ve ever had were in our first house in Celina. 

My last three homes have all had prefab cabinetry, and I have been fine with that. A few months after starting the process our builder sent us to a custom cabinet company to design 

our cabinets. 

After meeting with James I thought I’d won the lottery. These cabinets are not only going to be beautiful and high quality, but they have been designed to meet our needs completely. 

There is still one part of the cabinets that have not been revealed, and I’ll keep that for another day, but I can hardly wait. 

Speaking of waiting, they say good things come to those who wait. Well I’ve waited almost sixty-five years for this, and feel extremely blessed to have a dream come true. 

The “Bad Guys”

My three year old grandson is obsessed with superheroes, or as he likes to call them, the “Bad Guys.”

At three he’s trying to figure out his world, and is categorizing things like good and bad, boys and girls, and all things opposites which seem to be his new favorite thing. 

He’s fascinated with the “Bad Guys,” and asked to see a picture of them on my i pad. He already has a Spider-Man which he received for Christmas, but he’s learning about characters like Superman, Batman, “Four,” and Captain America. 

He’s made it quite clear that he does not care for the Hulk since he’s just a little too scary for a three year old. 

He asked me the other day if I had ordered the ‘Bad Guys” yet on Amazon. I hadn’t, but at that moment knew that within a matter of seconds I would. It’s hard to tell that sweet face and voice no. 

When they arrived, I packed them up to bring to their house. The first words out of the little one’s mouth when I met him was, ‘Mimi, did you bring the “Bad Guys?”

Now I must admit the set I purchased off Amazon was pretty lame, but not cheap in price. Two of the characters had their legs put on backwards, and the quality of the workmanship was poor. 

That being said, I really didn’t have the heart not to arrive without them. 

What I found amusing was how much knowledge I actually remembered about superheroes. As a child I read Superman comic books, and was an ardent fan of the Batman tv show in the 60’s. How could I forget those famous words, “Same bat time same bat channel,” heard each week at the end of the show?

I realized that over the years I had seen movies about Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Ironman, Captain America, and Thor. Thank you Chuck!

As I searched the far reaches of my brain thick with cobwebs I slip open the Superhero file drawer, and began teaching my grandsons all about the amazing powers these superheroes possessed. 

Anything I was unsure about I simply googled. 

My grandson’s favorite thing, though, was the effects of kryptonite on Superman. He used a little green block to simulate the deadly substance while he learned all about the planet Krypton. 

What I found amusing was being a mom of a girl who never showed any interest in superheroes , I had just enough background knowledge to teach my grandsons all about the world of superheroes.

Food For Thought

I was fixing lunch yesterday for my grandsons. I’ve been doing this for months so I pretty much know what they like. 

The oldest prefers peanut butter with honey, while the youngest is partial to “peanut butter jelly” as he says. 

The oldest requests goldfish crackers, and the youngest cheeze-its. 

They both like strawberries, but the oldest usually requests a fork. Once I gave the younger one a small “baby” fork which he quickly reminded me that he was not a baby, and that he would save the fork for his new baby brother. 

The older’s plate is the green one, his favorite color, and the younger one’s plate is blue more by default. 

The oldest methodically eats his sandwich, while the youngest digs right into the middle, and ends up smearing his face with jelly. 

As I was spreading peanut butter onto the bread I got to thinking about how different these two boys are. From the time the youngest was eighteen months and talking they have had their own idea about things. 

Once I witnessed an argument between the two( when the youngest was younger than two) over whether it was a car or a truck that had just passed by based only on the sound they heard. 

I wish I could say that these two always get along perfectly, but they don’t. What they do have in common is they are both strong willed in their own way. 

In life we will have differences, and as much as we wish to find common ground we won’t always be able to. 

Luckily, these two boys really love each other, and they still find time to enjoy each other’s company. 

Start Something New

Have you ever considered learning or doing something that you’ve never done before?

Have you talked yourself out of it because you thought you wouldn’t be any good at it, or because you thought you were too old?

Now possibly this might be true when it comes to something like BASE jumping, but I bet most of what you have considered is probably pretty tame. 

Let’s take something like learning a musical instrument, or learning to speak a new language. If you are my age it is quite possible that you could live at least another thirty years. 

Imagine how proficient you would be on the piano or with your new language in thirty years!

You could start today or not start today, but either way the thirty years will still pass by. 

According to Fumio Sasaki, author of hello, habits,

“The best time to start is tight now.”

What have you been considering doing?

Tape and Bedding and a Dream Closet

Well we are moving right along with the tape and bedding of the house. It looks like this next week they will hopefully be finishing up. I’m thinking the walls will then be textured. 

Each time Chuck and I stop by I get more and more excited about how the house is coming along. 

One of my favorite things (one of many actually) is the oversized closet in the library. I can’t wait to organize it. 

Goodbye Bucker

Farm life isn’t always easy, especially when you are three. 

You might remember a previous post about my grandson bottle feeding a newborn lamb who had been rejected by his mother. 

My oldest grandson affectionately named him Bucker, and responsibly cared for him day after day. 

Bucker was kind of like a little dog who came running when he was called, and wagged his tail quite enthusiastically while being bottle fed. 

Yesterday was a sad day on the farm because it was time to sell the lambs. My oldest grandson is quite practical about this, and understands that this is just a part of farm life. 

The three year old, on the other hand, was heartbroken that Bucker would have to leave. He had fallen in love with the little lamb, and I can’t say he was alone in that sentiment.

Bucker sure was a sweet little guy, who really seemed to enjoy the human companionship of the boys. 

Because Bucker was a boy, and would eventually grow up to compete with their buck he couldn’t stay. In an effort to console the youngest , who didn’t quite understand, they decided to keep two of the smaller females, and that did seem to help. 

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me that Bucker was leaving. It was easy to get attached to the little guy. 

I’ve learned that the reality is that unlike pets, animals on the farm aren’t going to be around forever. Predators, accidents, and the natural order of things are regular occurrences in farm life. 

For a city slicker like me, though it still was a sad day to learn that Bucker was gone. 

Tuffy

Tuffy is my daughter’s cat. Since my cat Abby has passed away Tuffy has become my surrogate cat. 

Each time I’m visiting I enjoy getting to spend time with him. He’s a real sweetie, and I like to sneak him in so he can spend the afternoon sleeping on the comfy chair in the playroom. 

I’m looking forward to getting a cat again when we are all settled in at our new place. 

As much as I love dogs, I’ve always had a soft spot for a cat. Especially one who likes to cuddle up either on me or next to me. 

I do miss Abby, but for now I’m getting my cat fix from Tuffy. 

Build a Bowl

I made a really tasty recipe the other night from my favorite Build a Bowl recipe book. 

The unique combination of flavors is what caught my eye. 

It began with roasting pecans in a 400 degree oven for 5-6 minutes. I drizzled them with olive oil, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Once they had cooled down I roughly chopped them. 

I had already chopped up two small sweet potatoes, and some Brussels sprouts. I drizzled them with olive oil, a little maple syrup and some salt and pepper. 

They went in the 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes. 

Next I prepared a sauce with a half a cup of nonfat plain yogurt with a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce, and two teaspoons of maple syrup, with a pinch of salt. Taste test this and adjust as needed. 

I fried up four pieces of bacon next, and crumbled them into pieces when they cooled down. 

Meanwhile, I cooked up some quinoa following the directions on the package. 

When everything was ready to serve Chuck fried up two over easy eggs which still had runny yolks. 

I plated this meal on a plate vs a bowl in the following order:

Quinoa 

Sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts

Bacon

Pecans

Egg (S & P)

Sauce( but not over the egg)

This was such a unique and yummy meal, and I’ll definitely make it again. 

Busted

One of the things I do when I visit my daughter’s home each week is unload and load the dishwasher.

Yesterday while talking with my oldest grandson he informed me that his mom commented unfavorably on my dishwasher loading skills.  

I couldn’t help, but crack-up, because my daughter has pointed it out before. 

My grandson told me that every time I leave my daughter says, “What did Mimi do with these dishes?”

I guess there are two lessons learned here. First, my dishwasher loading skills could be improved upon.

But second, be careful what you say around that kid. He hears all!

Six Weeks Update

I just wanted to give a quick update on the ankle since it has been six weeks since I sprained it.

 

I’d say I’m doing pretty well. I’ve been wearing my ankle support sleeve regularly and am walking normally again. 

I did try to take a short walk in the neighborhood the other day, and I think I might have over done it a little. 

I’m sleeping better at night, and if I do wake up I usually wrap it with an ace bandage, and it seems to help. 

I’m careful when I’m walking, and making sure I’m wearing shoes with good support. Later this week I’m going to shop for either a new pair of sneakers or Keens if they have enough support. 

I’m crossing my fingers that the Keens will work. 

Sheet Rock

We now have sheet rock. 

Chuck and I were able to visit the house on Saturday, and were quite pleased at how well the room configurations are. 

I’m especially tickled with all the storage. I’m not wanting a place to store multiple tubs filled with stuff. Rather with my large pantry and the over-sized closet in the library, I’ll be able to easily access the things that I need and use on a regular basis. 

We met the sheet rock contractor while we were there when he was dropping off the materials needed for tape, bedding and texturing the walls. 

He said the cabinets would be coming next. 

Woo Hoo I can’t wait!

Brothers

These brothers are finally at an age where they really seem to enjoy playing together.

Watching them playing cars the other day was really fun. 

Kindness

I was taking care of my grandsons the other day when I mentioned that my ankle was hurting. 

I’ve done pretty well during the day lately, and usually it’s only at night when I’m in bed that it is hurting. 

I might have over done it the day before, but I ended up taking some Advil to help with the inflammation.

That afternoon when I was putting the youngest down for his nap, my older grandson entered the dimly lit room with a band-aid in hand. 

He had unwrapped it, and brought it to me as a gesture of kindness. His Mimi’s ankle was hurting, and the only thing he could think of to do was to bring me a band-aid. 

His action definitely came from the heart, and it made my day!

Luckily by the next day the band-aid had done its job, and my ankle wasn’t hurting quite so bad. 

I sure love that little boy!

Notes

I love the notes feature on my i pad and phone. It’s such a handy way to record things I want to remember. 

I thought I might share with you some of my entries:

“Is the Lord’s arm too short?”

Numbers 11:23

Bobby’s Mayo Dressing

2 TBSP mayo

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

Cracked pepper

Pinch of salt

Apply directly to the salad and mix together

How often have you gone with the majority opinion simply because it was easier than carefully thinking through the issue?

“Mimi let me pick it up for you. It might be too heavy for you.

( Youngest grandson about a small rock in the driveway.)

“It’s better to follow your own path, however imperfectly, than to follow someone else’s perfectly.”

Bhagavad-Gita

We learn from our mistakes, but we can learn from our success also. 

Stop admiring your problems and do something.

Enhanced immune reaction- priming the immune system

My only problem now is organizing them some way. I wonder if there is a folder feature in notes?

Cow Woke Up Too

While babysitting my grandsons today, the youngest one went down for his nap. 

Meanwhile the older one and I did a little homeschooling. While we were busy counting 100 M&Ms Cooper began to bark, which in turn made Ellie join in as well. 

It wasn’t but just a moment that I heard the younger one calling out my name. He had only been down for his nap for a little over an hour, and I knew he had a party to attend later that night, and needed a little longer nap. 

When I went in to check on him, and hopefully convince him to go back to sleep I told him how sorry I was that Cooper had woken him up. 

His reply cracked me up, “Yah and he woke cow up too!”

Cow is one of several stuffed animals that he sleeps with, and apparently Cow wasn’t too happy either that his nap had been interrupted.

I offered to lay down with both of them in hopes that they might fall back asleep. They got about fifteen more minutes of sleep, but luckily the youngest woke up in a good mood ready to take on the afternoon.