We are having some hot sunny weather here for the next week or so. I'm kinda happy with that as it's already starting to feel and look like fall and I haven't really had any summer with the house and all. I'm really looking forward to next year - sitting on the deck looking at the garden, sitting on the front porch chatting with neighbours passing by - I've been waiting a long, long time to have pleasant activities like these and a place that's really home.
DH is working hard on the interior painting of the house most nights. I helped him last night by being spotter while he went up on a weird ladder and painted the hall going up the stairs. He's quite anxious about his work situation - in flux with a sale of the business looming - and I think the painting is calming him down a bit. He's really good at painting and drywall - those were his specialties when he was "on the tools" pre bookkeeping/accounting. I think he has some vague hope to go back to that if the accounting really doesn't work out. Unfortunately he's over 50 and hard physical work is much harder for those of us in that age group.
I hope he figures it out someday. I would like for both of us to be reasonably content with life in the new house. The house itself won't change our lives - we have to do that. But it will give me a sense of security and reduce my expenses enough that I can cut back on work some. That will give me some free time and the energy to do something besides slump in front of the TV every night.
jessica, isn't it the BEST to have dinner ready when you get home? I have played with some financials to see if there's any way we could afford to have DH retire immediately ... I think everybody would be a lot happier. Not in the cards in the next couple of years because of the college unknowns of DS14 unless certain freaky and macabre scenarios occur.
krampus, cannot help you at all on the cats, but I am looking forward to hearing about your adventures with them! Way to rock the hike, and glad to hear the mystery pains left you alone.
michele, allison's idea about the doggy door is a good one. I'm sure for a big dog, that would be a big door! My unfortunate experience with elderly female dog incontinence is not so much that they can't hold it - they somehow can't feel that they have to go. Our German shorthair eventually began to wake up soaked every morning, much like a little kid sleeping through wetting the bed. She wore doggie diapers for a few months before the end of her life; we'd talked to the vet and the drugs they could have given her to stop the wetting would have accelerated the demise of her kidneys.
saef, no heresy involved there. Cooking tomatoes makes their lycopene much more accessible.
allison, the only place I'll eat a hotdog is in Michigan - and even then, only a kosher one. We have, supposedly, the strictest laws in the country about what's acceptable ingredients in a hotdog - minimal "noses and ---holes", as DH says. He won't eat them, either!
Jen, we too are now on the cusp of being able to stop shopping the produce and fruit aisle in the grocery store. 4 of our apple trees and both of our pears are absolutely loaded with fruit this year - so much so, on the younger apple trees we had to sacrifice some fruit to take the stress off the branches. Hopefully next year, we'll have luck with the rest of the apples, cherries, plums, and peaches. (crossing fingers!) Our garden sounds like yours; we've had to invite neighbors and friends to help keep things from going to waste.
dagmar, I too hope that this house gives you some joy and neighborly contacts. You've had a rough couple of years and have earned a pleasant break from the stresses.
Unfortunately a doggy door isn't an option for us. We only have one door to the back yard and it is a double french door made almost entirely of windows. She had an accident again yesterday. It was odd and I think it may be somewhat heat related. It has been so hot that she has been drinking extra water. I came home from my retreat at 10:30 am and then left shortly after. While home, I let her out hoping she would pee but I think she just filled up on more water. When I got home at 3 pm, I let her out and fed her before going to yoga. The puddle (lake!) was there when I got home from yoga at 6 pm. I didn't watch her when I let her out-- sometimes she just lays down and sunbathes-- so I'm going to watch her and make sure she pees and not just assume. I know she went this morning and I know she didn't drink tons of water so I've got my fingers crossed!
Roommate's cat hasn't been named yet. Deko pooped outside his litter box and threw up once (barely digested food, not a hairball) yesterday - we think the poop was due to putting a cover on the litter box and him not knowing how to get through the door, since it was right near the box. Poor little guy. He has ear mites too - we need to take him to the vet soon, if we can ever get him out from under the couch. Last night he emerged and explored cautiously while black cat sat in the window - they seemed to ignore each other.
I really appreciate everyone's input - I feel like an obnoxious helicopter parent, and it's been showing in my eating - as in not enough eating. Was 118.2 this AM and am very hungry.
michele - I hope it is just the heat. Poor dear.
Dagmar - Thankfully we have no carpet (HAH) - we'll see how it goes.
Andrea - Baby gate is a brilliant idea! I get the impression that they are both interested in each other, but mine is just beyond wimpy and scared of the other. When they were on opposite sides of a cracked door, he went toward the door curiously before getting scared and running away.
Lemon cucumbers just look like lemons, they don't taste like them. They are round and yellow and are the perfect size to chop up and put on your salad.
Krampus, cute cat!
Michele, after Carter's surgery we had to watch him every time he went out for a while to make sure he pooped before we left for work. He's improved now but he can't hold it in like he used to (he used to refuse to poop for up to 24 hours if it was raining outside!). Some encouragement to get him to go in the morning was enough to get him through the day without accidents, maybe the same is true of Jozi and her pee?
Krampus - He is beautiful. Can't believe the humane society let him go home with ear mites! He might also have worms - I suggest a visit to the vet ASAP. Some cats will never poop in a covered litter box, especially if they are skittish. Their interaction sounds perfectly normal cat behavior.
I'm about to utter a heresy: I can take fresh tomatoes or leave them. I like them best roasted or otherwise cooked down to a sauce.
saef, it's not uncommon for people to have an allergy to a protein in raw tomatoes that is destroyed by the higher temperatures in cooking. Sometimes the allergy can be mild enough that there aren't any noticeable symptoms apart from never growing to enjoy eating them. I'm the same way!!
My cat that was shelter raised (got him at 4 months) never covers ANYTHING in the litter box. I assume it was from being in an actual cage with a wire floor where stuff falls to the next level so he never had do do anything. Granted the rescue pulled him and he was fostered somewhere but he never learned that business about being a cat. And he had ear mites as well as an upper respiratory infection when we first got him. Both went away quickly with the proper medication.
Pretty kitty krampus! Most shelter cats come with ear mites and worms - Mishi had both when we got him. My two used to cover up everything in the litter box but would never, ever use the covered one. We have a basement so it's not so much of an issue. Now they leave everything out in the open.
Most short haired cats that I've had or looked after don't suffer from hairballs. Cats do vomit a lot sometimes - that's their way of clearing out something that didn't agree with them. You'll have to experiment a bit with different foods I think. Could just be due to nerves as well. As for the timidity that wears off with time. Mud was really frightened of everything indoors (she was a feral that they found in a cardboard box, having just had a litter of kittens therein). She became the queen after about two months and has never looked back in the 15 years we've had her.
I got a bunch of fancy planter boxes a couple years ago but didn't plant this spring. I was researching taste buds a while back and apparently ripe tomatoes have a quality the Japanese call umami, or savoriness even thought they are from a plant. It got me a lot more excited about them.
Summer is still in full blast here but I think I've finally adjusted to the heat. The earlier sunsets have been helping with walking the dog, too. We've actually done several wogs with the help of some cloud cover at 7pm the last few days, which just doesn't happen in the summer due to both the dog's and my own lack of heat tolerance. I'm ready for cooler weather and pumpkin everything. On Sunday I did something I haven't done in a long time: a big Sunday cook-up. I made black bean and chicken fajita freezer burritos for convenient, healthy dinners this fall when I'm directing a play. Yup, doing that again. Being so far removed last season made me realize I missed it, though I'm still avoiding the board of directors responsibility. I did salsa crockpot chicken with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Umm, why have I not tried this before?! So easy and keeps the chicken so moist. I'm also getting back into roasting veggies for the week. Yum.
I'm trying to figure out a trip to visit my parents and friends for a reunion in the NY/CT area next month. Since I don't live near major airports it will already be expensive to fly and I can't afford last minute flights. I'm having trouble getting friends to commit and am exasperated. I'm not going to spend over $1000 between flights, rental car, and hotels if no one else is going to show up. I've been staring at travel websites comparing prices until my eyes hurt. Instead I would spend that money to go to my parents for Thanksgiving. I had gotten excited about the idea of a fall New England trip but now am wondering it it's just not going to work. Grumble.
We've had so much rain here in the past 1.5 months that most of my tomatoes have cracked and gone bad before ripening. So sad. Becky, your fruit trees sound lovely!
Dagmar, your plans to spend time on your new porches and decks sound so nice. I can't wait until it becomes a reality for you.
Krampus, cute kitten! Good for you and your roommate for giving animals that need them a home. I don't have any cat behavior tips to offer but I hope you get them sorted out.
Michele, have you also checked to make sure that Jozi doesn't have a UTI? I know it's common for older dogs to have less control over themselves but I hear "sudden incontinence problems" and think infection.
Megan - the salsa crockpot chicken was the recipe I got from Midwife that really sold me on using my slow cooker more. Love it, so easy.
Krampus - pretty kitty! I had an orange cat as a child, haven't seen one since.
Michele - I'm sorry about Jozi. I hope you guys figure it out.
Dagmar - I hope you get to enjoy your house and your neighbors, fall can be fun, too. And you will be totally ready for next summer.
I just last year started eating fresh tomatoes and I love them. Just love them. I have had terrible luck with my garden this year - tomatoes aren't doing well at all. Peppers are bursting out all over though.
Would either of you care to share that salsa crockpot chicken recipe?
I'm not feeling well today. My sinuses have been bothering me and today they're much worse. I think my brain is going into spasms from it--I poured my cup of coffee this morning and totally forgot it. I'll have to text DS to have him dump it and start the dishwasher (as I forgot to do that, too). I almost didn't come into work and I might go home early. I just feel icky.
Our poor office kitty! I bought a couple of those Cat's Meow toys and all the cats love it. But Culley has really attacked the yellow rip-stop nylon cover thing on it and has ripped a hole in it near the outer edge. This morning he managed to get his head in the hole, rip the whole thing off of the toy and then ran amok throughout the office trying to rid himself of his self-made cape. DH finally caught him and got the thing off his head, but boy was he upset! I had to hold him and calm him down. I think I'll have to go to the fabric store and get something to make my own cover because this one is thrashed.
Megan--- I'd love to know how you make your freezer burritos? I'm looking for easy dinners since I'm back to work and I'm cooking for one for the time being.
I have thought about a UTI for Jozi and I will take her in if she continues to have issues. I know that my vet will want to do a barrage of tests-- bloodwork, urine, etc. and I don't have hundreds of $$ to drop at the moment. She did fine yesterday which shocked me. I'm usually home by 3:30 and I didn't get home until almost 8 pm-- I had come home at 2 pm and let her out but she made it until then. However, I heard her up and roaming at 12:30 am so I let her out and she did "everything".
Yesterday was exhausting! We had registration for our 1100 students and I was at school from 7 am until almost 8 pm with just the short run home. I have a huge mess to deal with now-- we are doing much of the registration online which brings its own challenges. Of course the gym didn't happen yesterday but I hope to be back on schedule today.
Allison-- LOL at Cully! It's so funny (in a sad way) when kitties get things stuck like that!
ramble
sunny weather here for the next week or so. I'm kinda happy with that as it's already starting to feel and look like fall 
and I haven't really had any summer with the house and all. I'm really looking forward to next year - sitting on the deck looking at the garden, sitting on the front porch chatting with neighbours passing by - I've been waiting a long, long time to have pleasant activities like these and a place that's really home.
They are round and yellow and are the perfect size to chop up and put on your salad.
On Sunday I did something I haven't done in a long time: a big Sunday cook-up. I made black bean and chicken fajita freezer burritos for convenient, healthy dinners this fall when I'm directing a play. Yup, doing that again. Being so far removed last season made me realize I missed it, though I'm still avoiding the board of directors responsibility. I did salsa crockpot chicken with boneless skinless chicken breasts. Umm, why have I not tried this before?! So easy and keeps the chicken so moist. I'm also getting back into roasting veggies for the week. Yum. 
