I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Friday, October 14, 2016

Mo and the Terrible Twos



Hi! Oh boy, did Mo ever have me fooled! Over the summer he was so calm, so good, sitting patiently for hours when I could barely move from the bed to a chair. Here he is in the bin of recycled shirts, in my sewing room.  He brought his blankies and built a nest by my side.


At age 2 and a half, I figured his puppy days were over!


That he had settled into classic pug indolence.


Ha ha ha. The cooler weather arrived and Mo perked right up! For the past month or so he has reverted to his over-active, excited, naughty state of puppydom.


Where do I start? Well the first incident was maybe the worst. On the day I had to get myself to the IV clinic, driving myself for the first time since May, just as I was leaving the house, I realized Mo had found my large pain relief/ icepack which I had been using while sitting at the computer. It was wrapped in a fleece throw and I forgot it. Mo found it, and proceeded to eat the damn thing! The item is a large flat piece of frozen plastic, like bubble wrap, but filled with something that freezes. It's wonderful for soothing large areas, like hips or lower back. Mo had chewed open many of the bubbles and spilled the freeze substance all over the floor. He was licking it greedily when I caught him.
OMG, is this stuff poison!? I thought frantically. Then I stupidly proceeded to stick my finger in the stuff to taste it. [Looked like rock salt.]. So now we're both poisoned? I couldn't stay, the IV treatments cost thousands of non refundable dollars. [Covered by insurance, but if you don't use it, it's gone til next time. And it was crucial to  my healing.]

I finally decided that the bubble sheets are really meant for food storage, and therefore are not probably poisonous. I called Mo's dog walker who said she'd come and monitor Mo, take him to vet if needed.
So we survived.

Next is the barking! Mo never barked. Hardly ever. But nearby is some reno construction and Mo finds the men and their trucks deeply fascinating. The guys haven't helped by seeing and hearing Mo, and calling to him in return. It's really obnoxious. Here he is, lying in wait.


Mo has also found out that if he climbs up on my desk he can see out the window, where birds and squirrels are, in the ugly locust tree and the pines. And on the desk ''mom'' keeps yummy items, like hair rubber bands, cheap but delicious Bic pens, and the oh so tasty hand cream. Mo has eaten a LOT of hand cream tubes, sigh.


Then this past week, Mo decided something is living in the wall unit and/ or corner cupboard. A cat, a rat, a man, a bug? I don't know!


I got up one day and found this.




! All my best books!


Another day, he got the corner cupboard open.


I picked up my books for now and have created a chair barricade until Mo loses interest.


But this makes it easy for him to jump up on the dining table...


And here is Mo on what used to be one of my favorite winter throw rugs. Hand woven wool, vegetable dye colors.


Mo peed on it so much even the dry cleaner couldn't save it. It's out on the deck getting rain washed till I throw it away. I get that throw rugs kinda look like weewee pads, but still. He's been house trained for two years.



Then, today, the final straw. "Back to California for you, little man! One way ticket to Cali!" I yelled. Why? This morning I was doing a few mindless chores and suddenly realized Mo was nowhere to be found. Not in his bed[s], not out on the deck, not locked in the bathroom, where he enjoys peeing on any towel or throw rug left on the floor, [see above about the wee wee pad issue], and eating the contents of the wastepaper basket, licking shampoo he has spilled, and the always delicious chewing on used razors.


I was panic-stricken. Finally I found him. In the most forbidden spot. He was Up On My Bed! Sleeping happily, ignoring my calls. Absolutely forbidden! He knows better, and frankly I thought by now he was too chubby to jump up on my rather high bed.


Now here he is in his own bed, where he belongs. Looks guilty, doesn't he!






But he always makes me laugh. Though that wadded up black scrunchy on the bed gave me a few moments' distress, it sure looked like he'd left me a pile of poop.
The good news is he has not escaped from the dog walkers, and run away. Yet. Though it seems he does often expect them to carry him home.


Here's Mo enjoying the return of the sun in the windows, in the mornings.


Pets are just so fun, aren't they!


............

Nature notes:

The skies are very filled with flocks of small birds. And Mr Mockingbird has returned to the ugly locust tree.


The full moon is Sunday! The October Harvest Moon. Be sure to go out to look. Tonight it is gibbous, more than 3/4s.



love

lizzy

gone to the beach...






******

PS sneak peek of recent P2 block. Show & Tell in a week or so?









Monday, October 10, 2016

Let's Try This Again ~ Cooking, Quilting



Hello! One of my favorite sayings from an old sampler [supposedly] is "I DONE MY BEST jane smith aged 11 years". It makes me laugh, in  sympathy for the child of long ago. I know just how she felt, the urge to just say, this is good enough.
The crucial question is, did I really do my best or am I just getting by?  I know nothing can be perfect, but some things are worth trying again. And again. As Tom Gunn says, Make it work! [My other fave saying.]
So first we have the Log Cabin / Schoolhouse block from When the Wild Geese Fly.
Version One. Awful. I blamed poor Jan Patek's pattern.


Version Two. I drafted my own pattern. Okay, harder than it looks. And really ugly, below. In our defense I will say this quilt block is usually pieced, and I have done so with no issues. Even made a miniature one once with 2" blocks. But this applique version is not good.


My friend Mel said something about how she never liked that block anyway. Which I don't agree with, I love it!---but that made me think : Yes I want a cabin/ cottage/ house in that spot; No, it need not be an [ugly] Schoolhouse.
This is Version Three. It's, well, okay. A Cape Cod cottage, maybe on the marsh where the geese are huddled, preparing for their autumn flight.


Geese here migrate to the golf course and the soccer fields. But the big Vs of honking geese are beautiful and evocative and wild, in my imagination.
Does it work? Maybe


.........

Now with cooking, do-overs are easier and more fun. You'll maybe recall my bland and boring cauliflower ''pilaf'' from a few weeks ago. It was edible, but disappointing. Not a hint of rice's nutty goodness and why I expected that is a mystery. Cauliflower tastes like, uh, cauliflower. This didn't stop me from buying another bag of the grated cauli and---again listening to Mel---I made her delicious version of faux twice baked cauli.


Here is her description, edited a little,because she kept adding info:

 Mel's Twice Baked Cauli Casserole

It's like twice-baked potatoes

Cook cauliflower lightly and break up. 
Mix in melted butter, sour cream, some green onion, bacon bits, and shredded cheddar. 
Mix well, and put in baking dish. 
Top with a bit of cheese and bake (or microwave) until hot through and cheese is melted.

    ****
I used the pre-grated cauli  crumbles  microwaved in the bag 3 minutes.


Added cheddar [reserve some for topping] , green onions*, sour cream, butter. Salt and pepper to taste.
* I didn't have green onions, used regular minced. But I think green onions / scallions would be extra tasty plus adding a bit of pretty green.




Don't forget the bacon bits!


I  baked the casserole for 20 minutes at 350*, then added some reserved cheddar . Baked it 3 minutes more til the cheese melted.





This was delicious! We gobbled up the whole thing. I served it with a green salad and lemon/ thyme grilled chicken breasts, though I personally don't eat chicken and the cauli casserole and salad was a delightfully hot savory and filling, though not lo-cal, meal. Easy to make too.
I picture this being really wonderful with steaks, too, just like regular twice baked potatoes are. Yum!
.................
Sky note: the air is suddenly chilly now, the wind is blustery at times. And sunsets are coming ever earlier these on these October days. Too early but so beautiful---an amber orange glow fills the cloudless sky.



Have a great week!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......









Friday, October 7, 2016

Out and About



Hi! Happy Friday! I am breathing sighs of relief because Hurricane Matthew is NOT supposed to head to north to NY. Instead of doing hurricane evacuation prep, yesterday my friend and I went out for a bit of a shopping day. Our goal was to find a Halloween costume for Mo. I wasn't  planning on dressing Mo up because I can't maybe take him out trick or treating, but my kids want Mo to have a costume. Sad to say, the only outfit left on the rack at Home Goods was a XXXL hot dog costume that would fit a great Dane.



I did find a sweet little Fall jacket for Mo, very soft red corduroy with an even softer plush lining. Mo looks cute in red!


Gotta give HG credit, they did still have pumpkin-y decor and the Christmas things are not yet out on the shelves.



We popped into TJ Maxx too.


Lovely cozy-looking sweaters, but it was just toooo hot to think about buying sweaters.



Inspired me to want to knit something though. Maybe:? This?  or This I'd make the sleeves long and put thumbholes!
..........

We had the most fun at Trader Joe's as usual.
Fall tulips!


Adorable baby mums, in fancy styles.


I love the little stripey button mums.





This year I did them in my spatterware/ graniteware buckets instead of in crocks.


Good food ideas too. Look at these tiny butternut squashes, what a great idea.


Actually called Honeynut squash. Did not try mine yet, I'll let you know if they're tasty.


And I couldn't resist this pasta and sauce.  Usually I don't buy premade sauce in a jar, bu this looked so different and good.



And these tiny pumpkin shaped pastas!



Perfect for a fast meal some fall evening. I got another pasta that is tiny beggar's purses, like crimped tortellini, filled with prosciutto and cheese. Yum!



Hope you have a good weekend.




love

lizzy

gone to the beach....