The Many Thrones of a Queen

Padme believes that we put things down for her to sit or lay in.  Here she is in Katie's swim bag.  We had only been home an hour when she inhabited the bag.  We all went to bed, but she stayed in the bag.

The next morning, she had moved herself to Robby's backpack.  Presumably, she couldn't access his swim bag because it was zipped, so she settled on the backpack next to it.

Someone moved the umbrella onto the exercise back, much to Padme's delight.  Can this be comfortable?  What is it that attracts this cat to sit on the items we set down?  Does it make her feel closer to us?  The carpeted circle on the edge of the picture is her tower, which apparently wasn't right for this moment.

As soon as I sit down, Padme is at my side, urging me to make a lap for her to lay on.  How content does she look?

 It's a game Padme and I are playing today.  Robby thinks she knows that if she does something cute, I will go get the camera.  He left the cupboard open in the bathroom.  I was putting clothes away in the dark and tried to put a towel it the cupboard...So cute, isn't she?

A Quiet and Stormy Day

I realize my photography skills are lacking, but it is pouring rain outside.  This really was the best shot I could get of Alfred.  Katie isn't feeling well.  Two days of being on the edge of sick.  We stayed home today.  As we were eating our cup 'o soup, we heard the birds in the forest going nuts.  Strange, we thought, since it was pouring rain.  I studied the forest and could see a flock of black birds (?) of medium size flying around this shape on a skinny branch.  My brain said owl, but my common sense said not that close to the house.

I pulled on my rain boots and trudged through the backyard to look more closely.  Yes.  Owl.  Sitting so still I wondered if he was okay.  Silly, right?  Isn't that what owls are known for?  Becoming a part of the scenery until the wildlife around them doesn't realize they are there?  Katie held the umbrella over the camera and I tried to zoom in as close as I could and get a still shot.  I'm not that steady and I was cold, so this is it.  He's/She's beautiful.  Katie and I compared pictures on the Internet.  We think it must be a short-eared owl.  Here on the West Coast in winter.
I wonder why he is sitting in our forest, right by our house, unmoving when we come close.  We stared at him so long from the warmth of the house that we did see his head swivel.  The birds left him for a while after his head turned.  I want to invite him inside, but am really thinking that would be disastrous.

Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest: Tracking and Identifying Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates (Timber Press Field Guide)

A Change in Plans

Robby and I were supposed to go to youth group tonight at 6:30.  In fact, tonight was my turn to teach it.  I had a great lesson ready about the saints and had picked out a couple of really cool games to play - like Crab Soccer with a gigantic soccer ball.  Whenever I have to teach, I plan an early dinner, trying to get us to the table by 5 pm so that I have plenty of time to prepare after dinner.

At 4:30, I was boiling water for noodles and checking my spaghetti sauce (which had come from a jar with onion, hamburger, and home-canned tomato sauce added to stretch it) when Arnie came in to the kitchen at a faster than usual rate of speed, babbling something about not letting Katie see.  I turned to see him holding his hand out.  He was dripping blood and looking a bit pale.  As I started toward him, he turned to head back out the kitchen door way and down the hall.  Blank expression.  Uh, oh.  I know my Arnie.  He does not have a high tolerance for blood.

"Wupp, Wupp! Get back in here," I called.  He obeyed and went to the sink.  The floor was now covered with spots of blood and I think he was realizing that Katie wasn't the only one who shouldn't be looking at his cut.  I got him to sit in a chair and put pressure on his thumb.  He explained that he was sharpening his "bush" knife - the one with the scary hook that he takes fishing to cut away the brush.  Enough said.  The appendage was a thumb which equals a lot of bleeding; the cut was at an angle which creates a flap.  Arnie was looking a little better now that he was sitting down, but I knew we had to head to the emergency room.  I got on the phone and got coverage for the youth group - God bless our Christian community.  The woman I called wasn't even feeling well, but still went in to cover for me.

I called for Katie and Robby, granting Robby permission to stay at home by himself with doors locked and phone by his side.  Katie came with us.  I turned off the stove, spot cleaned the floor with a Clorox wipe and headed out.  We got to the tiny Hospital in McCleary at about 5:00, signed in and waited.  Others came in that were more serious, but the nurses kept checking on us to assure us they hadn't forgotten.

After two hours, Arnie was soaking in an Iodine solution. I commented that I would be disappointed if we spent hours in an emergency room and left with butterfly bandages.  Katie concurred, but Arnie seemed upset that I would wish stitches upon him.  I tried to be a better, more compassionate wife after that.  At some point, I called and had Robby put the spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator and stopped believing that I would make it to the last part of youth group.

At 8:00, a doctor showed up and caused more pain with an anesthetic and a needle.  He reopened the cut and decided that indeed, stitches would help it heal better.  After his work was done, we waited some more.  At 8:30, a nurse that we had worked with throughout our 3 and a half hour event came in with the final paperwork, prescriptions, and instructions.  He remarked, "Well, at least you got some sutures.  Made it worth your while."  I promise.  I tried not to start laughing.  Arnie looked completely blasphemed.  He cried out, "That's what she said!"  And I lost it.  Laughed until I cried.

We were finally headed home around 8:35.  Robby put the sauce back on the stove for us.  He started the water for noodles as well.  What a terrible Sunday night!  The kids got to bed so late.  Arnie's thumb is starting to throb.  I missed youth group.  Deep breath.  Tomorrow starts a new week.

Here's the latest the Lewis family has ever had dinner!

The thumb in question, still a bit numb from the anesthetic, easily forks spaghetti.

A Challenge for Maureen

I definitely want to model commitment and faith for my children, so I attend Mass regularly and stay involved in the parish.  Currently I "accompany" a choir on the piano.  In quotes because I'm not really good enough to accompany, but my friend, Judy, leads the group on guitar and I play the melody and some chords along with her.  The singing and the guitar really mask the piano most of the time.  Judy is gracious enough to play similar songs every time so that I get better and better at them.

It is through this piano playing that the kids get to see me stretch out of my comfort zone and challenge myself.  People who really know me realize how hard this is for me.  I like comfortable, easy routines.  I like to blend in to the background.  Let me be on the set up or clean up committee.  I'll do a great job and be incognito all night.  Playing the piano for the choir does not make me incognito.  It makes me stand out.  People in the church know who I am since they pass by me at communion...no hiding.  So, when the church decided to have a talent show, and Judy decided we should be in it, I couldn't hide.  Another challenge for Maureen.  How to support the church, the group, and have confidence that I can perform.

In the talent show I actually sang with the group which turned out to be very fun.  However, getting me there was nerve-wracking.  I don't like sitting at the piano and performing!  Imagine me trying to psych myself into standing and singing. We hammed it up though, which is why singing was fun.  I think we sounded fine and we got silly.  We sang "Boondocks" - funny. Get it?  Aberdeen, boondocks.  "It's where I learned about Jesus, and knowing where I stand.  You can take it or leave it.  This is me. This is who I am."

The kids came to rehearsals with me and had lots of advice.  Robby told me I should throw my cards down when Mrs. May cheated.  Katie thought I should dance a little more.  They are proud to see Mom get up and perform.  Someday they will know that they are my motivation.

Working on Better Breakfast

Soften onions and garlic in butter.

 I'm still searching for memorable Saturday morning breakfast.  Okay, in our house at this point, I'm trying to erase the popularity of Bisquick pancakes...I tried quiche.  I don't get along very well with pie crust, although my last attempt was not too bad.  My friend, Swiss, suggested that I try a frittata.  This morning I found a recipe that I could substitute my own ingredients for and went to town making breakfast. 

Dig around for left over meat.  I found sausage with cheddar cheese in it!  Hmmm.  Who bought this?

Whisk up 4 to 6 eggs and season with salt and pepper.

 Making the frittata was easy and savory, two things I love about breakfast.  Most of the work is done in a skillet on the stove.  The dish is finished under the broiler and smothered in cheese.  As I was cooking, Katie wandered out to see what smelled so good - always a good sign.  She then headed back to report to Daddy that I was making a - oh wait, she had to come back to hear the word again - frittata.  Robby left the comfort of his bed and brought his DS to the living room.  Another good sign.  Of all the breakfast eaters in the house, Robby is the hardest to please.  If breakfast isn't warm and fluffy, he struggles with it.

Hash browns, sausage, eggs setting up on medium high heat.

 Fortunately, this breakfast went extremely well.  Everyone cleaned their plate.  Katie and Arnie went back for seconds.  I celebrated!  Jackpot!  An easy, delicious, use-up-the-leftovers breakfast.  I can imagine making this next Saturday with leftover salmon, red peppers, and cheese!  Ha!  More cheese and fish.
Maybe I will make memorable Saturday morning breakfast yet.  I hope that someday Katie and Robby call me for my frittata recipe.  "Remember that frying pan egg dish you used to make, Mom?  Can I have that recipe?"  I will pretend that it was no big deal and of course, they can have the recipe.

Voila!  A pretty dish.

Evidence of success.

Cheese on Fish? How could she?

Oh, now I've done it.  Foodies beware.  Maureen made salmon melts tonight.  Yes.  I flaked our leftover salmon, mixed it with pan-fried veggies, mayonnaise, and a spicy eggplant and red pepper spread, slathered it thickly on toast, sprinkled on shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and broiled that puppy until it was melty.  Did you get all that?  Woe to those who swear to never put cheese on fish.  We liked it.  A lot.

I'm always looking for quick fixes for Wednesdays and Fridays.  Those two days, the kids and I have enough time to get home for about 2 hours before we head off to swim team.  This week we have been eating an enormous fillet of salmon which a friend gave us.  We've eaten salmon patties (a great recipe for another blog), simply reheated pieces of the salmon fillet, and had it cold on salad.  Tonight, I thought I'd replicate a tuna melt with the salmon.  Why is it that we can make tuna melts but the "chefs" tell us never to put cheese on fish?

Since I'm not a chef, just a mom trying to use up the salmon and keep the kids interested, I put cheese on it.  So, I don't think they got their serving of vegetables even though the salmon had celery, onion, red pepper and green pepper in it.  It wasn't enough to be a full serving.  However, the rice was brown, the bread was brown, and the cheese was real!

Katie ate hers so fast I couldn't get a picture.  She ate two melts.  The rest of us only had one because they were a little rich with all that mayonnaise.  So, if you are aghast that I melted cheese over salmon, beware, we like it and will likely do it again!

A Fork for the Stew

Here's more on stews. I love a great stew. I don't make enough of them! When the kids were little, 4 and 6 years old, they would groan. Stews were hard to eat since they didn't know what was in them. Murky soups filled with lumps of vegetables and who knows what. Over time, they realized those lumps were the potatoes, carrots, and onions that they love. They discovered that sometimes (like tonight) there is bacon in the stew. All that thick, murky gravy-like broth brings them comfort now that they are 9 and 11.

I've made this stew before and have blogged about it before, too. I can't stop myself. Sometimes a great recipe just inspires me. This one is a Rachael Ray 30 minute meal recipe. She actually calls it Chicken Mug Pie. You are supposed to put it in mugs with a biscuit on top of it like a pot pie crust. We have done this before, but I love to play with a great soup recipe. This time I fried bacon first, then cooked the chicken with the bacon bits. Mmmmm. Smells great. I always add more veggies than Rachael's recipe calls for since it gets better with more in it. Comfort food at its best. Exactly what Arnie needs tonight since he had a root canal today!

So everyone gobbled their stew tonight. Some only used their spoons, but a couple of us used our fork, too. Helps a person pick up the delicious chunks of chicken and veggies.

Katie bit her tongue which almost ruined her dinner until Arnie suggested that combined with her new head gear and talking less while eating, she will be biting her tongue less often within a year. We all laughed and Katie finished her dinner, admitting that she couldn't argue with that. When I take my blog pictures these days, they both want in, so although I plan to put in fewer photos, I end up with more. Here they are forking the stew for me.

A side bar - I've had my white dishes for 5 years now and just love them. They set a pretty table!