Welcome to another weekend, Cutetropolitans! We have a return visit from N. Fritz’s cat who has planted himself in a new location:
I am spending the Corona Crisis in Vienna with my bf and his cat Mutz (rhymes with “puts”). It’s spring, so Mutz now snoozes in the sun and his favorite spot is the planter on the terrace. Somehow he ended up with dirt all over him… so I started calling him “Schmutz.”
This calls for an… EXTREME SCHMUTZ CLOSE-UP!
There was a question about the location of the downhill grass rolling dog. A suggestion in this thread at Reddit that it might be Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.
Might even be the same dog.
You might have to click the video to go to the source as it’s likely to be cropped here, making the dog disappear .
Wow! I need to move.
There’s a facebook group called View from My Window where people post, well, the views from their windows. It was started shortly after everyone started staying at home. There are pictures from all over the world. I am so jealous of the things some people get to see just from their own windows.
I’ll move with you Aileen!
Not make anyone particularly jealous, but to share the wonderful spring we’ve been having here, here is my back patio. I leave the back sliding door open a little so that I can hear the fountain going.
Wow. Just wow.
Gardening is one of my favorite things! Not all of the greenery in the photo is actually On my property, my yard is up against a row of trees and bushes that are part of the green space behind my house. I don’t know if it’s just that I’m home to see it when I would usually at work, but it seems particularly beautiful this year and has kept me cheerful and sane!
Happy Saturday everyone! The weather here in the great PNW is going to heat right up; supposed to hit 82F (~28C) today. It’s was 80 yesterday and that was plenty hot enough for me, but I’m loving the sunshine!
Here’s a video of Lily being adorably cute to cheer up anyone who needs it (hope this works!)
So pretty! Love her bangs.
Jan, it worked on a technical level and on a cheering-up level. Thanks! I needed that.
Lily is always ready to play or nap cutely in the interest of global mental health! 😻😻
And I, for one, am grateful to her for that.
Thanks, Jan, I needed that!
Oh my yes Jan, definitely works!!
Jan B., what a fun video! Lily is playful and that looks like a great toy!
Just to let everyone know, my health is improving. The pain in my finger is gone and I can type again, the swelling is down and I can move it a little more, and my fever is back to normal.
Phew!
Good to hear. If you were given an antibiotic, please take until all pills are gone. I know, I probably sound like a mother but we need you healthy , so you will hopefully continue with the daily cute. We have to remind our daughter because she’s tempted to stop when she feels better.
Yes peeps good advice. Always finish your antibiotics! Don’t create any superbugs!
And good to hear Mike – your finger is back in action! I am so glad for this site!
Great news!
So glad to hear things have improved.
Whew! Glad to hear! I’ve been scratched by Lily while playing more times than I can count and I’ve never gotten an infection; I wonder what the difference is? Ditto the advice about the antibiotics tho!
Sometimes it is the depth of the wound. Surface scratches can become infected of course, but a deeper “injection” of a microbe can create more problems including septicemia. Bites and claws!
Huzzah! Excellent news! So glad your pain is gone. Keep healing!
I am glad you are the mend–yikes re fever, swelling and pain.
What a treat for Sat! Not one but two adorable cats – beautiful Lily and handsome but silly (Sch)Mutz. He looks like someone just woke him up from a nap or he doesn’t appreciate the camera In his face.
That video of a Swiss dog walk. I had heard how pretty it was there but wow. Time to add another place to my world tour of countries to visit when I retire.
Running a few errands today and then who knows, maybe a drive up the coast. Have a great weekend and stay healthy everyone.
Sweet schmutzy Mutz! And darling Lily! Thank goodness for animal cuteness!
Not doing so well today emotionally. I don’t think all this alone time is good for my depressive tendencies. Maybe my mood is down because my younger coworkers go back to work on Monday (with significant health-related protocols) and I’m still going to be here alone through May.
I’ve got a long list of things I should do today, but I’ll probably listen to audiobooks while I knit. A good story can take me out of myself. Plus I’ve reached an exciting point in the sweater!
Everything will be okay. Everything will be okay. We’ll get through this.
Please tell us what makes for an exciting point in knitting a sweater!
Forming stripes with short rows! They travel on a diagonal down the front of the sweater, wider on one side than the other! It requires careful pattern reading and counting, so tough to do while watching TV.
Yes, sounds difficult!
Yes we will DebG… but it is such a topsy turvey thing. One day I am coping and the next I am despairing.
It is so difficult to get things done! So much effort goes into procurement! Don’t get me wrong…I totally appreciate our technology that is keeping things going!! But sheesh it can be exhausting just getting groceries.
DebG, exciting point in sweater = exciting point in drawing. I’m at that point in my current work. Have fun.
As per you’re mood. Try imagining yourself doing a secluded knitting sabbatical at a beautiful art colony far away…
And at least stand or sit outside even for a brief time.
Yikes. My avatar switched. Brain exposure!
Hooray, it’s Saturday!
Gonna be brief, as lots happening today.
Loving the sun, hating the heat. Peas and tomatoes plants feeling the same way.
Construction guys next door have started taking down the scaffolding! Yay, almost done!
City planning to start reopening after long weekend. All I want is a haircut. I actually went into my pet store yesterday for some supplies and asked if they groomed humans.
Duckie aggressively moulting, and not happy about it. She’s losing her wing and tail feathers now, and looks smaller everyday. It’s affecting her balance, so I got her some moulting food and made her some camomile tea to help soothe her.
Parents’ fiftieth anniversary at the end of the month. My sister’s yard is big enough to hold us all and still allow group distancing, so the family is planning to get together in the afternoon for cake.
Weight loss goals still going on, but slower.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone. Stay safe.
Schmutzi Mutz is beautiful!
Winter has decided to revisit NYC today, but after that it looks like we might be able to persuade spring to stay around for a while. At least it’s sunny at the moment.
Random lockdown musings:
Haven’t worn lipstick for almost a month. Hope I can remember how to operate the twist-up tube.
Dad had to cancel a barber’s appointment when lockdown started. He now looks like a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
It takes me exactly twenty seconds to stroll round my back yard.
Many people will be far too busy baking or gardening to return to work when the lockdown ends.
It’s possible that a former resident of my house was a victim of the 1918 flu pandemic.
I haven’t watched ‘Tiger King’, nor do I intend to watch it, but I suspect that Carole Baskin is responsible for COVID-19.
You might have something there Alice. 🤔
Mutz is adorable, despite his serious expression.
Last week my dad gave me his old Chromecast (he got a TV that has it built in), which I finally set up the other night, so now I can watch youtube videos on my TV. Only downside (sorta) is that I can only do it from my tablet (the Google Home app doesn’t work on the PC), and if I want to “rewind” just a bit it’s hard to control how far back I go in the youtube app. But it is nice to be able to watch videos and do other stuff on my computer without them taking up half my screen. Also, 42 inches instead of, like, 4-17, depending on how big I make the window. (Other downside, which I didn’t notice happening the last two nights, is that video seems to be lagging behind the audio. The audio keeps stopping, then the video will suddenly speed up until it catches up, then the audio will resume. Very annoying. Took a break from writing this to google, and just changed the play speed to “auto” so we’ll see if that fixes it (it was 480p, whatever that means, and lowering it one level down didn’t help).
It’s a tad windy but sunny here in central NJ today. High 47 today and 63 tomorrow. I was hoping for ‘eat outside on the deck’ temperatures for tomorrow, but alas.
We’re going to my parents’ tomorrow. We ordered the special Mother’s Day dinner menu from a local restaurant (you get to choose one of two pastas and one of three entrees, and it comes with salad, bread, and an appetizer (eggplant rollantini) that maybe only my dad will like but that’s okay; we got baked ziti and chicken parmesan). They say it feeds 4-5 people, for $100 plus tax. Curbside pickup, of course. I plan to try out a brownie recipe today which will be dessert if it comes out good (if not…hmmm…I have some cookies and ice cream).
It’s just the four of us. I’ve been in their house a few times but not for any length of time (they’ve been in my house once, because one of my ceiling fan switches broke and I couldn’t turn it off so my dad came and “fixed” it but he couldn’t drive yet so my mom came, too; “fixed” meaning the fan stopped running on high but now neither it nor the light work at all). I know realistically my brother and I are at low risk of having been exposed (if anything, we’d be more likely to get it from my parents than the other way around). I don’t plan to hug anyone 🙁 or get too close. Can’t wear a mask while you’re eating dinner…
I’m trying to keep my anxiety in check but the constant refrain of “stay away” from the last several weeks ringing in my head is making it hard.
On a lighter note, I had suggested the dinner at that restaurant last weekend but we hadn’t made a decision. My brother texted me yesterday and asked if that’s what I wanted to do, and said he’d order it. Then he called me to let me know it was done (only pickup time left was 1:45, though, so we’re getting it cold so we can heat it up later). Then we chatted for about 20 minutes, which was nice. We don’t talk a whole lot. I don’t really know why… 😕
Correction: I just learned that even though the app is on my tablet, I can still cast video from my laptop…cuz they’re on the same network? I dunno. But it works better, so that’s cool. Also saves my tablet battery. So yay.
So this is the brownie recipe I used: https://gimmedelicious.com/easy-one-bowl-fudgy-cocoa-brownies/
I would call it a success. 😋
I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa and 2 ounces of baking chocolate. She suggests 4 ounces (that’s in the blog post, not the actual instructions) but I was making a mess and didn’t feel like chopping up more, and also because I was using the dark cocoa I thought it might be too much. I also used a 9 inch pan instead of 8 (because that’s what I had) so they’re a little thinner. Also lined the pan with foil so I could just lift them out, turn them over, and peel off the foil. I somehow managed to not try them until this morning. Will definitely make again, though I want to get some regular cocoa to try next time. I also didn’t have any vegetable oil, but I will get some of that, too, and test out the “extra gooey” claim.
Mmmmmm, I’m totally trying that today! 😋😋
They’re pretty dense. My mom likened them to fudge. But everyone seemed to like them. I wonder if they got slightly overbaked, too, since the batter was spread thinner than the recipe calls for. It says 20-22 minutes so I did 20, but maybe I should have done a little less. Maybe next time I’ll try my 8-inch round pan…
My mom was surprised by our Mother’s Day visit. The dinner we ordered was pretty good. I learned I’m not a fan of their chicken paremesan (I don’t think I’ve ever actually ordered it; usually I go for pizza or lasagna, which are two of their specialties), but the baked ziti was good and I took some leftovers home. The restaurant also gave us a little potted flowering plant (not sure what kind of flowers) with a mother’s day message glued to the pot. That was unexpected.
And on my way home I saw the sign at the liquor store near my house:
FORGET FLOWERS
BUY MOM WINE
🍷
Mine came out nice and gooey, but I added the tablespoon of oil and was careful not to overmix. I used an 8×8 pan and left them in for the full 25 minutes. I used a brand of cocoa that’s half natural and half dutched, I like the flavor better than Hershey’s. I also added 2 ounces of ghirardelli baking chocolate to the batter and a few of their 60% cocoa baking chips on top. So triple chocolate… With a little bit a Haagen-dazs on a hot day, to die for!
😋😋😋😋😋😋😋
What brand is that? I want to get something other than Hershey’s next time. I didn’t realize how much cocoa I had in my cabinet… I’ve been unable/unwilling to get my favorite Target brand hot cocoa mix so I started playing with a “Starbucks knockoff” recipe for hot chocolate and I’ve been using it for that. It’s not as good but at least it gives me a reason to use it up. Next time, something better.
My parents had some ice cream in the freezer so I dished out two small scoops (they have a little ice cream scoop) of vanilla with each brownie. (Though it’s not hot here. High was in the 60s and it was breezy, but sunny. Too chilly to eat dinner outside but we did sit out on the deck for a while.) And there were three brownies leftover for them.
Now I just fixed myself a cup of lemon ginger tea and I’m going to read while I drink it and then I’m going to bed.
The brand is Saco:
Mutz sends his love to you all (despite the fact that he had a tick treatment today and he is an unhappy camper). Mutz’ humans have had an eventful weekend so far. We have been tested for Covid-19 antibodies (no results yet) and I bought myself a new 2-in-1 laptop/tablet so I can teach online more effectively. The duck in the garden still hasn’t laid eggs yet, but she is defending her nest so we are hopeful that there will be a duckling brigade soon. Now off to watch some Twin Peaks episodes (hard to believe the series started 30 years ago!!).
Fritz…Mutz is totally adorable. So…so…CAT!
And I just noticed Shmutz-hance!! 🤣
Very contented today due to having a drawing in progress. Also Millie is fine so I’m fine. And I’ve begun a tradition of ordering one bagel with cream cheese and one with chicken salad on Saturday and making them last through Sunday. Then I diet during the week. Having two special breakfast and lunches available calms me down. Bagel with cream cheese or bagel with chicken salad are my go to comfort foods. And of course some finger licks for Millie.
I’ve also enjoyed sitting on my front porch on the warmer days. Millie watches everything standing up.
Goal for next batch of warm weather: walking around in the driveway. I need to walk more.
I’ve been able to go back to watching the news. Too flabbergasting to miss but I plan to stay in and wait to see if we get new spikes here when things reopen. My only need to go out is doctor stuff which I rather put off until I can get tested for antibodies.
P.s. Mutz and Lily made my day.
Weekend bagels!!! That sounds delicious!
Faye, I think you live in or near NY? I lived in NYC for 4-5 years. Since I’ve moved away, I can’t bring myself to eat a bagel & cream cheese. A NY bagel is truly one of a kind. The chewy inside and the crusty exterior with a schmear of cream cheese…what a wonderful thing!!
Yes, I’m on Long Island! Best breakfast ever. I must point out that I became allergic to fish so my all time bagel experience of cream cheese and lox with an almost translucent slice of onion is out of the question now. However, as I write I have decided to get scallion cream cheese next weekend!
That sounds delicious! I actually never really got into the lox thing, but I do love a little bit of capers with a bagel and cream cheese.
A bagel anywhere else in the world outside of NY just tastes like thick, chewy blandness 🙁
(Sch)Mutz definitely looks less than happy about being woken from his nap. I probably look the same when I’m woken up, though certainly not as cute.
Mike, glad you’re feeling better! Having a fever now is doubly scary, even if it’s likely from another source.
Love the video of Lily playing. Princess Lahara doesn’t play much anymore, but once a week or so she’ll chase a shoelace around for a minute. She goes outside and walks around our property a couple times a day (supervised now, since she’s deaf and we’ve recently been invaded by bears), so at least she gets some exercise.
Speaking of bears, they’ve been back at least twice since their previous visit, and Thursday night they got into the garbage can we’d put out for pickup and dragged the garbage into the woods for a little feast. So today I went and cleaned up their leftovers. From now on I’ll get up 10 minutes early on Fridays and put the can out then instead of doing it on Thursday nights.
My niece (actually my best friend’s daughter; we’ve known each other literally all our lives, so her kids call me Auntie) has found out she’ll only be having a virtual graduation, so my friend asked if I could host a small, family-only grad party for her in late June. It’s been great for my psyche to have something to plan and to look forward to. I’ve already bought all the decorations, plates, napkins, etc (yay for online shopping and curbside pickup!) and planned the menu, since I don’t have much else to do on weekends now. She also has her cap and gown, so I’m planning a little photo shoot for her as well (I took her senior portraits in the fall, too).
We spent a good portion of today draining, cleaning and re-painting the fountain in our landscaping. It looks almost new again. And we’re currently watching the Seattle Symphony’s free broadcast on Youtube, which has become a Saturday night tradition. Through 18 years of marriage I actually had no idea my husband likes symphony music. Go figure!