Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Getting closer to Christmas. Busy with meeting up with friends for lunch and other activities.


Every Season is Soup Season didn't have a lot of soup recipes in it, and I was hoping for a cookbook that was all soups. Oh well, interesting to page through, but didn't find any recipes worth trying.

 

I first want to know who is buying! If it is me, mostly browse for favorite authors, maybe cookbooks; if the other person, I will buy, buy, buy!



 

Happy Reading

Monday, December 9, 2024

Mini-ManCat Monday

 If you want to know the character of a man, find out what his cat thinks of him. - Anonymous 

Mum is an okay purrson! I loves my mum, even when she tries to clean the snot off of my face!

Yeah, I made a trip to the stabby place cuz of my sneezes. Doc M thinks I might be 'lergic to something as my lungs were clear, but showed something that mum can't amember the name of. Little dot things of some sort. Hard to see and mum can't even pick them up if she biggifies the pics. 

Mum told her Dr Tom had sucked all sorts of gunk out of me a few years ago, but she said since I am older she doesn't want to make me sleep to do something like that.

Doc M did give mum special stuff to add to my food, but can't tell if I am really getting it. Although I am sneezing less. The stuff doesn't taste good and Doc M said not to bother she wants me to eat. Plus I am not sneezing much now anyway. Actually sneezing less than mum! She has the sniffles too!

Here are some pics of my insides!



 You would much rather see the outside of me? Right!



Feetsball Report

The Pack played back on Thursday night again. Playing the guys from Dee-Troit. They losted to the lion-kits. Next week is prime time on Sunday out on the left coast in Seattle. 

Mum did see some feetsball yesterday. She was specially happy when ARodg and company lost in overtime! No playoffs for him!

Mum also finished making all her peanut brittle to give some furiends this week when she sees them. She kept her eye on me and I didn't get to lick the butter!

Have a good week everyone!


Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Hello December and three weeks to Christmas! I got my shopping done and the items are on their way. Now I guess I should maybe work on the few cards I send out. Early batches of peanut brittle have been dispersed as well. Will need to make more as I meet up with people in the next few weeks. 

Weather has been cold but no snow on the ground. It is supposed to be above 40F this weekend. I may run the lawn mower across the back yard one more time to chew up the last few leaves. 

Ducky and I both have the sniffles. He was sneezing so much and at times he would blow snot out of his nose, that resulted in a trip to the vet. He was good at actually sneezing while there and showing her what was wrong. A few xrays later she said he didn't have a lung infection but maybe some irritation in the lungs from something. Maybe allergies or something else. Anyway, he is getting antibiotics for a week. 

Been a good time to stay inside and read, cuddle up with Ducky!


Sugar Plum Poisoned the most recent installment of the Cupcake Bakery Mystery series. Mel and Angie try to balance running their bakery, supplying VIP treats for a friend, Shelby, during her concerts AND getting prepared for Christmas. All is well until Shelby's manager is found dead at the concert venue? Who done it?

Standing My Ground is an account of the invasion of the Trump rioters to the US Capital on January 6. Author is a member of the US Capital police. He goes through the actual event and the aftermath, both physical and mental. Moving book.

Grave in the Woods another in the Bruno, Chief of Police series. Bruno is back working, even though he shouldn't after being shot. He needs to recuperate, but then a World War II grave is discovered and severe flooding is a risk to the town.





If a book makes me do this I figure the book is not worth reading and move on to the next one!

Happy Reading.

Monday, December 2, 2024

Mini-ManCat Monday

 Cat said, 'I am not a friend, and I am not a Servant. I am the Cat who walks by himself, and I wish to come into your Cave.' - Rudyard Kipling, from the Just-So Stories 

When I want to crawl under the covers with mum in her sleepy spot she always says "Do you want to come into the cave?" Yes I do! I had a nice snuggle with her last night and I thinks we both fell asleep for a while.

Me with mum after she got home from TDay stuff at her furiends. She stayed overnight so she didn't have to drive home in the dark. So I spent part of the day on my own. I slept a lot!


You can see me on mum's lap and she the newest blankie. She even took her yarns with her so she could crow-shay while she watched the Packer game. 

This is the table afore they all sat down to eat, there is even a small table in the back for three more peeps.


A peek at one of the duck birds that they had to eat. Mum said they had lots of the usual TDay foods too. Mum said she was good and didn't eat too much.


Snow on the ground when mum got home on Friday. Not enuf to shovel but it was pretty. She said there was snow where she was at overnight too.


Mum was happy to be back home with me. She like to see her furiends but it makes for a bizzy day and night. She didn't come home with any leftovers!

Feetsball Report

The Pack did good on TDay night. Played well and won. They played the fish dolphin team, which doesn't do good in cold weather games. So with mum gone I didn't get to see the game live. But mum recorded it so she could watch it again later! Said her one friend talked and talked over the game so it was distracting. The good thing with a recorded game you can go fast through the boring parts and commercials. 

It is December gang, that means Santa Paws will be coming soon for Christ-mouse. 

Have a great week everyone.

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving

I will be dining with friends and we will be having duck. Not Ducky, he gets to stay home and chill.
 

Enjoy your time with family and friends. Count your blessings, we all have many things to be thankful for. 

 

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Happy Thanksgiving Eve here in the US. I will be spending the day with friends and enjoying a wonderful meal and terrific company. I have my appetizer dip all made and ready to go. 

Also working on making my usual batches of peanut brittle to hand out to friends. This year also making peppermint bark. My kitchen counters are a mess! Oh well, only for a few weeks each year do they look this messy. 

Finished up the outside yard work as well this past week. Now I can relax and read more. I have been slacking off on reading lately and doing other stuff. I also haven't been pounding down the books this year. Will read significantly few books this year and that is by choice. 

Did a trivia night with my library friends this past Monday. Not a good night for us, we barely got half the possible points. We oldies are not up on 90s music and films, high fashion stuff or new age things. 


Bruno's Cookbook this is based on the author's, Martin Walker, description of meals that he has featured in his book series Bruno, Chief of Police. Drooling as you read about the cooking process. However, I don't cook or eat this way, but still yummy to read about. All of the pictures taken by the author and they were not staged by professional photographer like many cookbooks.

Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook depends on how much you already know about cooking. I can't think of anything new that I learned.

Behind the Seams a large and heavy book by Dolly Parton looking at her wardrobe. Sequins, rhinestones and all. Lots of insight as to why she dresses as she does and lots of picture. A fun book.

I try to keep those obstacles to a minimum.
 

Only have to clear snow if it actually snows and keep the bird feeders filled.

 

Around here the snow removal is very good, so unlikely to be snowed in for days. Could get to the library within a day or two tops.

 Happy Reading.

 

Monday, November 25, 2024

Mini-ManCat Monday

 A kitten is so flexible that she is almost double; the hind parts are equivalent to another kitten with which the forepart plays. She does not discover that her tail belongs to her until you tread on it.- Henry David Thoreau 


Yep, that is me draped all over the scratcher S thing. Maybe not totally twisted all over myself. 

Mum finished the outside work for this year and thankfully managed to not put herself into the human stabby place this time. Yeah, a year ago she spent a few days there getting her heart beating like it should. Working fine now! Not to worry, I was nicely cared for by Auntie Kellie!

It snowed one morning last week and it was melted by the next day. The weather guessers aren't guessing we will be getting more in the next week. 

Mum started on making all of her holly-day goodies. Which means I have buttered pans to lick the butter from. I have to be very stealth to get at it cuz mum usually knows where I am! I did get a little bit on Sunday. 

Sports Report

The Pack - done good this week. They scored lots of points and beat the team from Catifornia. Those old Niner's didn't stand a chance!

Happy week. All my Mericky buddies have a good Turkey Day. Hope you get lots of good foods!

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

The weather is turning more from our mild fall to a bit more winter like. They are talking rain with possibly snow mixing in. I still have to mow the lawn and chew up the last of the leaves, but otherwise the outside work is done. 

Which means I can have more time to read. I really slacked off for nearly a week while I was on my big crochet project. I usually crochet for an hour to two on any given day. I wanted to get done quickly so I was probably working 4-6 hours a day. So much that I developed a sore thumb on my right hand where I hold the hook. I backed off my crochet for a few days but have started on my next project. 

My friend is home from the hospital as of Monday, but waiting on the pathology report. She is in good spirits and ready for whatever comes next.


Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant a memoir of the author's early life up through graduating from the University of Michigan. His family has run a very large Chinese restaurant in Detroit for many years. Multi-generational as he and his siblings navigated the racial and cultural divides of their youth and the exploration of wider horizons and personal growth.

Oscar Wars is a look at the history of the Academy Awards over nearly a century of history. Book is not a year by year recital, but focuses on significant occurrences of goofs on the telecast; specific head to head competitions between films or actors and how some films got to be on top whiles other faded. A good recap of the history of Hollywood with the Oscars as the focus. 





Happy Reading. 

Monday, November 18, 2024

Mini-ManCat Monday

 Two cats can live as cheaply as one, and their owner has twice as much fun. - Lloyd Alexander 

Hmm, mum got me to play with Derby way back when. I don't know if mum  had more fun but Derby and I sure did. 


 Mum worked super hard over the past week, Caturday to Friday and finished this blankie in record time. It got sent off to her furiend on Friday and hopefully it will be there today. And her furiend is supposed to come home from the human stabby place today too. 

She sent a message to mum to thank her for everyone's purrs and prayers. 


Mum got a movie of me with the blankie too. Never mind her singing. I'm exhausted from all of her efforts and purring so much!

Mum has been doing winter prep stuff. She got the snow eater started so she knows that will work. Plus she put the Christ-mouse lights up outside while she had a warmer day. They won't get lit up for good until after Turkey Day next week. Yikes, Turkey Day is almost here!

 

I thought I would pose nice for mum for a change too. Being my usual handsome self.

Sports Report

The Pack - they won, beating Da Bears, by a fingertip! The Pack was ahead by one point and Da Bears were going to kick a field goal to win. But one of our guys just managed to get a finger on the ball which made the ball fly funny and not get where it belonged! Phew, mum was sure they were going to lose. Have a little more faith mum!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Nearly mid-November and we are still having nice weather. I almost have the fall yard work done. Still have leaves to do, but those don't take me long to do. Plus I don't have to haul them off, just push them out into the street. 

Hard at work on the blanket for my friend. Making excellent progress which means I am not reading as much for this week. I did get one book done but it was a book that has other holds on it. Those I read and return as soon as I can.  

Stocked up on sunflower seed so I have lots for the winter to feed the birds. They were mentioning on TV here that some of the birds that normally would have migrated by now are sticking around since it is so nice. I got a picture of sandhill cranes in a field last week, they usually are gone by now. A few days later I drove by a house and they had three cranes in their front yard!


On to this week's book stack!


The first two books here are new to me authors. Neither one caught my interest enough to want to read more of the author's books. 

Trust Me When I Lie, based in Australia Jack Quick is a producer of true crime stories. He gets a conviction reversed based on minimal evidence, but then another victim is found. Did he help release the actual perpetrator?

Death Overdue Carrie starts a new job in a library as the events planner. The library comes complete with its own ghost. Carrie's first program involves the retired detective who investigated the murder of a former library staff member. Can Carrie, the ghost and her other friends figure out who done it?

Surely You Can't Be Serious is a funny recounting by the three guys who brought you the film Airplane! Done in interview style the book relates the story of the team from their early years in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to LA. ZAZ, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker are funny in print too.

Mother-Daughter Murder Night, three generations of strong women. Lana, a high powered LA business woman; her daughter Beth, a nurse and grand daugher Jack. Lana after a cancer diagnosis comes to live with Beth and Jack in their northern California coastal town. Jack finds a dead body and becomes a suspect. Can the three of them work together to find the real culprit?





Happy Reading.

Monday, November 11, 2024

Mini-ManCat Monday

 

It is remarkable, in cats, that the outer life they reveal to their masters is one of perpetual boredom. - Robley Wilson, Jr. 

Bored? Maybe, maybe not. I will never tell. 

Thankfully the 'lection stuff is done. No more of the stupid ads, texts, emails. Mum is much less stressed these days not having to hear the constant vote for me stuff.


Doing my usual job of helping mum with her crow-shay and this blankie she says I need to purr on lots to put healing vibes in it. She found out that a friend has a two-more in her head. Oh, mum says that is tumor. She will get it taken out on this coming Friday and find out if it is malignant. Mum wants her to have a special blankie, plus a few hats as she recovers. If you have some purrs to spare, send them on to Chris. 

Also, today is Veterans Day. So thanks to all the guys and gals who help keep our country safe. Mum's money man is a vet. 

 


 Sports Report

The Pack didn't play this weekend and last weekend they lost to the Mitten Kittens. Next we they play Da Bears!

Crashcar, mum's fav driver won the championship, so concats Joey L. 

Guess that is it from here. Have a good week everyone. 

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Wonderful Wordy Wednesday

Happy day after election day. As I finish this post I have no idea who has won, just happy all of the ads are going away! I spent most of Tuesday reading and bird watching out in my back yard. First day of Project Feeder Watch for me for the year. 

Some of the local state assembly and senate races have been reported. I am not staying up late to watch the results. I did watch some of the national results, but it all becomes rather repetitious after a while.

I voted last week, so didn't have to go out in the rain. Although it wasn't as wet and windy as they originally predicted. It was also rather warm for this time of year, temps in the 60s.

My TBR is down to 109 books. Amazing. First I have become more selective on what I add, scrubbed a few and have been reading a bit more too. I can read slower in some ways and enjoy it more. 

The Hidden Language of Cats: How They Have Us At Meow - author did her doctorate on the interaction of domestic cats. How cats react to each other and how they react to humans. Included are lovely line drawings of cats. Most of this I knew but she also had some interesting insights.


American Gun: The True Story of the AR-15, interesting reading from the development of the gun by one man, Eugene Stoner, to its numerous uses in mass shootings. The first part of the book is on the development of the gun mainly to sell to the US military for its killing power. Second part of the book is how it has been used by private citizens in mass shootings.

The Times written by a New York Times reporter, the books looks at the changing of the guard at the newspaper over a period of forty years. Changes in editors, the transition from purely paper edition, to a combination of paper and digital. Also some of the controversies that happened such as the plagiarism of Jayson Blair; the coverage that has won them multiple Pulitzer Prizes on various topics including the Challenger aftermath; and September 11 (for which they won seven Pulitzer Prizes). 




 
Happy Reading