Welcome to the weekend! Today’s conversation cat is a return visitor: Lily, from reader Jan B. Lily is in a regal mood this morning, says Jan: “You shall have a queen… All shall love me and despai… wait no, squee! That’s it… All shall love me and squee!”
Oh Beautiful Lily! How nice to see you again! I love her dark little nose. You take such gorgeous pictures of her too Jan B.
Lots of plans for the weekend as I’m going to California for a week and a half this week to visit family and meet my new niece. Tidy garden, check the bees, finish some repairs, and clean clean clean.
Last night I made home made pizza sauce (with the first of my tomatoes) and I put too much tomato paste in. It’s just a bit too sweet. I don’t really want to add salt. I was going to try putting more herbs in letting it simmer some more (it needs to get thicker anyway). Does the wise and wonderful world of animal lovers have any other advice on how to tame the sweetness?
Wishing you all a lovely weekend! <3
Red chili pepper flakes?
A splash of vinegar, perhaps, to cut the sweetness and re-up ‘zing’ (if you don’t want to add any more heat)?
We have bees, too! They take more looking after than I had imagined (we have a couple of dozen hives). DH is the main beekeeper and after a few years now, is into it 110% (scientists don’t retire ;)).
Hope you have a great, safe, happy, non-melting time in California!
Lemon juice.
Jan! I’m thrilled to see you back again – I’ve often wondered – here among these posts – where you were. Lily is a truly lovely little puss.
Tara, nice to see a longer post from you – have a great time in CA – stay safely out of the path of blazes!
I love Lily’s air of calm authority. Clearly her staff is appropriately deferential.
Well, I try, but she sure doesn’t make it easy!
Lily is so beautiful! Love her eyes and her regal pose.
Back up to our friend’s house today for more cleaning and organizing. Than treating myself to a movie day with other friends tomorrow as a reward for slogging through things today. The girls are going to see Momma Mia 2 and the guys some action superhero movie, I think Ant Man and Wasp. Obviously, our movie is way better, lol.
Tara to get the sweetness out of the sauce, you need to had some sour like a little red wine vinegar or lemon juice. More herbs should help too and maybe if have you it, throw in a small piece of parmesan cheese rind but take it out before serving. Let us know how it turns out.
Stay Cool everyone!
Lovely Lily! Good to see her gracing these pages again!
Tara, try a shot of vinegar or dry white wine in your sauce to correct the sweetness.
My first week visiting my folks has been relatively uneventful: jogging, cooking, cross-stitch. Just trying to develop a routine that I can carry over into the new school year come September.
And 37 years ago today I started keeping a diary, so today will be spent recapping the last year and making some adjustments for the next.
Have a good weekend everybody! Treat yourself to some time in the dandelion patch, especially those who are grieving (Allein, Duckie) or riding a rough stretch of road.
I love the phrase “treat yourself to some time in the dandelion patch”! I think I remember it from a comic in the 80’s called “Bloom County”. Do you know it from somewhere else? Thanks for the memory, N Fritz!
Hi Maia! Yes, good eye! The “dandelion patch” is from Bloom County. I am currently just a few blocks from the boarding house!
🙂
I didn’t recognize the phrase but I remember Bloom County – that was a great comic – is it still going? We don’t get it in our paper anymore.
Not doing much today except going to a nice event this evening – a lobster dinner. They fly in the lobsters today and we eat ’em tonight. And they’re enormous. It’s quite the indulgence. Tomorrow, yard work – too muddy today after all the rain we’ve had of late. It’s probably going to be stinking hot but I do get accustomed to it to a degree.
MurrayC, yes! You can still follow Bloom County on social media (Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/berkeleybreathed/) even without an FB account. Most of the characters are still around and he’s introduced a couple of new ones. Enjoy reconnecting!
Happy Caturday, everybody! Mike, fantastic LOTR reference! Jan, your Lily looks more gorgeous every time she graces these pages!
My heart is with all of you who grieve, worry, or otherwise aren’t perfectly happy. And since most of us aren’t *perfectly* happy, that includes all of us at Cutetropolis.
Another super-busy week, so now I’m decompressing. My magazine went to press; I got estimates for plumbing work and a heating/cooling system; spent yesterday evening helping an artist friend of mine price her jewelry and nuno scarves for a craft fair. We were trying to come up with names for different OOAK pieces and I suggested “snow leopard” for a beautiful black and white bracelet. My friend responded with “That’s snow leopard–that’s my wife!” and we both started laughing like teenagers. I’m still laughing now.
So today and tomorrow, I get to figure out how much money to borrow for the house repairs, do all the usual chores, and then just veg. Maybe I’ll work on my small DIY projects–the walls I repaired still aren’t ready for painting, and I can test a stain color on my floors, and I can put together my new kludge of a screen door in the bedroom (let in the cool night air while keeping the cats from jumping out).
Or maybe I’ll just veg.
Today is the Seattle Highland games, and the weather has cooled off (slightly) from our 90 degree heat wave just for today. I’m going down with my son, for a lovely day outing. And bagpipes.
Lily is so pretty, JanB! Mike, thank you again for your wit and for maintaining this site, and virtual hugs to all of you who make this the awesome community that it is!
I took the ferry and spent the day over in Kitsap for my dad’s birthday, and it was a such a relief to not have it so hot!
Jan, your Lily is, as always, beautiful.
Allein, I’m sending you a warm, feathered hug.
I don’t want to be depressing, so I’ll just say this has been a very difficult week. Funeral was yesterday. I was fine until the little girls realized what was happening at the burial. They went to pieces, and my heart broke.
This coming week, I will be watching a cat that I find it difficult to like. There’s nothing wrong with the cat or his behaviour; I just don’t like him. But I will clean his litter boxes and make sure he gets his gushy food and meds and treats and scritches and brushings and hugs all the same.
Monday is supposed to be the last hothot day here, so hopefully I can put the AC away Tuesday. My favourite time of year is about to start, so I have something good to look forward to.
Because my heart is broken, a great deal of love is flowing around right now. So, though I don’t usually get mushy with people, I’m sending all that love to everyone and everything in Cutetropolis. ??
Have a restful weekend, everyone.
Love and healing to you and your family, Duckie! You are a good cat-sitter.
Good afternoon everyone.
Lily is indeed regal. She has grown into a true beauty.
Lazy day for me and Millie. Damp and humid. So playing with dog toys on the bed.
I conquered the dreaded Colonoscopy on Monday. Everything came out alright. ? I see the doctor for results in two weeks but I’m pretty sure I’m fine. I rewarded myself and my friend who drove me with a huge amount of Strip Steak and skinny Asparagus. I also ate icecream.
Dieting by watching portions and exercise starts today. I am determined to be healthy for Millie and myself. Things have worked out for me in ways I could not foresee so I want to enjoy the rest of my life.
Going back to art class on Tuesday. Will update.
My thoughts are with all who have lost loved ones be they human or pets.
Hi all. Welcome back Lily!
Thanks for the feathery hugs, Duckie!
I slept really late, which I guess I needed, but kinda don’t feel great about. Also, something bit my arm.
I want to try to get my floordrobe put away and/or sorted to be washed. We’ll see how far I get. Getting truly sick of the mess in my house but sometimes I just don’t know where to start.
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My mom said Stars has been under the bed all day, but that’s not unusual for her, so whether she’s figured out her brother is actually gone I don’t know. I’ll be babysitting her in September so she’ll get lots of love if she doesn’t hide the whole time.
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On a lighter note…
Did you know that baby owls camouflage themselves as muppets until they get their flight feathers?
Hugs and purrs to everyone dealing with difficult situations right now.
Winnipeg is warm again today; we drove to Morden (little over an hour away) to see the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre, with their two 13 metre (!!) mosasaurs and all the other Cretaceous sea creatures. Great fun! Stopped at a lovely rural tea room on way home. Dmitri Purrshkavich did not come – he had a sunbeam to busily sleep in. ? Tomorrow the rehearsals start in earnest for my dance group’s September shows. Lots of ibuprofen, here I come…
I keep hearing Kermit the Frog’s “yaaaaaaay” as I watch this (over and over and over…).
He needs a tiny trombone!
😛
Smartypants for the win!
Thank you! 😀
Thanks, Murkle.
That’s my girl! Thanks, Mike!
It’s been a busy summer so far; the new knee is making my life SO much easier. I’m having a bit of trouble with the heat the last week or two, thank goodness for air conditioning!
Stay cool, everyone!
Hi Lily! Long time no see. 🙂
I am off tomorrow flying to Newfoundland to stay with my brother– it is my birthday on Tuesday and apparently he is planning a ‘Birthday Bash’ !! 🙂 🙂 (My Dad let the secret out.) He tells me the whales are there and weather forecast is all sun and heat, so I should have some good photos upon my return to share.
Be well all!