a good feline life

She entered our lives in 1993, a kitten bought from a local pet store in town. 

 My mother and I whisked into the pet store with anticipation because my mother had determined she was going to buy Alan a kitten. It was a day of  blooming roses. I remember Alan was barefooted when we placed this tabby tri-colored ball of sweetness into his arms, almost twenty years ago.

"What greater gift than the love of a cat."

                                                           ~Charles Dickens~

I have dreaded this day for some time. But even in my sadness I am extremely thankful she was a part of our lives for all these years.

I will miss her so.

she said it well...

It is plainly written there on page 95,

"There is no one way to cook, obviously, but we do all have a way that's best for us, and life is so much easier once we know what that is. For example, I don't cook well in chaos. It stresses me out, I get flustered, then I fly into a rage and start banging pots and dropping spoons on the floor. Now that I've got that figured out about myself, I don't even so much as peel as onion unless I've got the kitchen tidy first. I hate to cook under time pressure, too. I am a putterer of the highest order".

I felt so justified when I read this defining bit of knowledge about Laura Calder that she included in her cookbook, French Taste.

 Because I am exactly the same way. I clean my kitchen and get everything in order before attempting to cook a meal. My brain can not function smoothly with clutter or disorderliness in my surroundings.

Claire gifted me with this book for Christmas. I am on my way to cooking elegant meals everyday. But first my kitchen...

the love of books and knitting...yarnalong

I was the kid that read the back of the cereal box from top to bottom. Place words in front of me I read them, or my eyes will scan my surroundings to find any words to latch onto to read. Bedtime reading is imperative, yet I usually must read something very light at this point of the day. Over the holidays I would be pressed for time with later nights and busier days, perfect for revisiting one of Lucy Maud Montgomery's books. Newlyweds, a quaint home on an island, characters that delight, a bit of drama with a twist, this book included it all.

Cables are tickling my fancy these winter days. The easiest way to get a cable fix I have found is to knit a pair of mittens or fingerless mitts. The wool is a ella rae heather superwash wool and the pattern can be found here.

Joining up with fellow knitters and readers at Ginny's. You can too!

cleaning day aid

Whew! The Christmas decorations are finally down and put in in their assigned space in the attic, with several new storage containers now glamorizing my attic. This definitely was an all day job involving able- bodied family members, willing or not. My house seems empty now, somewhat forlorn. But that will not be for long because tomorrow has been declared Cleaning Day, with a capital C, capital D!

Rose and I are enjoying a break of sorts here at the moment sipping tea, and while I make a detailed list of what must be done starting early tomorrow morning, she comments on something or another on Pinterest. It is a restful moment before I head to the kitchen to complete the fixings of my New Years Day menu of BBQ Chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas, and cornbread. The cooking was pre-planned and cooked earlier knowing how tuckered out I would be after the flurry scurry of the day's activity.

A dear friend of mine and her five lovely daughters will sail into my house at 9:00 sharp tomorrow morning and we will clean the lower level of my house from top to bottom. This is a cleaning crew of nine females, am I blessed or what?

So in honor of cleaning, I am sharing a most propitious, but extremely simple cleaning aid. I first heard of this on Lesley's blog and I have now developed the keen habit of keeping jars of this always under my kitchen sink. It smells good and can be used to naturally clean so many things.

For dusting cloths I prefer cotton diapers or cut up cotton baby receiving blankets, really anything cotton works wonderfully. Having different weights of fabric for your cloths I have found can be helpful too. Keep your lemon and orange peelings then mix a combination of  1/4 cup of white vinegar and 1/4 cup of water and put into a glass jar. Layer the peelings between the damp cloths and secure with a tight fitting lid on the jar. These will keep in a dark area for quite a long time and when you need to clean just open the lid, take out a cloth and the smell of clean accosts you with such pleasantness.

Now tell me, don't you just want to go and clean something?

Happy New Years!