Peggy's Jibber-Jabber: Just Thinking

I’m sitting here sorting photos and tweaking them a little for sharpness and size. I’m looking at the file of pictures and wondering — what am I going to talk about this week?

Sure, I have a bunch of pretty pictures and a story or two, but it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.

“They’re gonna get tired of you,” Me mutters meanly to Myself. “Your quiet stay-at-home, mind-your-own-rut kind of life isn’t exciting at all!”

Sigh.

There are people in my life who absolutely adore their ruts. They’ve got them cozied up with favorite memories, like old photos on the walls of a well-worn hallway. And honestly? I get it. I relish the peaceful, lazy days too, when the biggest decision is whether to refill my coffee or just reheat it. It just doesn’t make for interesting writings of a letter blog.

And that’s what I was just thinking about.

I painted a cat portrait this past week. I’ve asked for my peeps to critique it and they’ve been wonderfully kind and helpful.

On first blush, everyone likes it. On deeper study, they say I need to finish it.

I’m not confident in my ability.

Now, speaking of kitties...

Tiger, our yellow tabby, and all of our cats, are due for their once-a-month topical flea meds.

I got the box, opened the tube, and applied it. I sat back at my desk, and thought, did I put the right one on?

I got right back up and looked. No. No I didn’t. I put the topical for small dog on him. The dog flea medicine is for 5-15 pounds and Tiger’s around ten. I thought it would be okay because he was in the weight range. To be safe, I Googled it.

“Using dog topical flea preventative on a cat, even if the same weight class, can cause vomiting, seizures —”

Crap!

I jumped up, grabbed Tiger, and headed for the — kitchen sink? No. That wouldn’t work. I’d never be able to keep him in the sink when I turned the water on. I had a vision of my arms in bloody shreds. Nope. No. No. No. That would never do. Shower. I reversed course and took him to the shower. I shoved him in and he was out before I could close the door. It took three tries to get him, me, and a towel over the door before I could turn the water on. Even then, I didn’t wait for it to get warm. I started flushing the back of his neck with cold water and let me tell you! He was not happy! He started howling like a banshee! Every animal in the house came to see what was going on. Once the water started to warm, he still wasn’t happy, but he quieted his yowlings.

It’s now two days later and so far, so good.

“If he’s not had reaction by now, chances are he’s okay,” Mike said.

I sure hope so! I’d feel horrible if I killed our cat.

Speaking of critters...

This rascal right here! Let me tell you!

When we take Raini Dae out of the fenced yard, like, say, if we’re going for a walk or a ride on the golf cart, she has to wear a leash. I don’t worry about her running off, I just don’t want her jumping into the pond. She gets wet, as you can well imagine, and a wet dog is a stinky dog! After a dip in the pond, I’d have to bring her home and rinse her with the garden hose. It’s just a whole lot easier if I keep her on a leash.

Well! Raini has gotten in the bad habit of picking up the trailing leash, growling, and shaking it for all she’s worth. It was cute, and I didn’t mind, IF I wasn’t trying to hold the other end of the leash!

This past week was the straw that broke the camel’s back. We were heading out for a walk, Raini sat obediently while I clipped on the leash. Then boom! She launched toward the front door, stopping every few feet to snatch the leash in her teeth, giving it a growl and a shake like it owed her money!

We made it out the door and were in front of the house when it happened.

We were both going for the same stretch of leash at the same time. I made a fast grab, thinking to get it before she could grab it again, and Raini, spring-loaded and wild-eyed, had the same idea. And that’s when it happened. Teeth and fingers did collide.

“RAINI!” I scolded as I shook the pain from my fingers. Then I held it up and inspected the damage. One of her teeth had carved a jagged shark’s-tooth V into my index finger. The neighboring finger took an equally hard hit and smarted like crazy, but drew no blood. I didn’t go back into the house even as the blood started to flow. I just let it drip. I have good blood and it wasn’t long until it clotted. But I had to keep it bandaged for a few days because I kept knocking it open.

I watched a Red-bellied Woodpecker feed its young at my jelly feeder. I didn’t get a picture at that time, but I was watching for them to come back.

And that’s what I thought I was seeing on this day, until I realized one of the woodpeckers was chasing the other one off.

A female Baltimore Oriole took advantage of the squabble to sneak in and grab a bite.

Can you guess who got his mower stuck and had to be rescued?

Speaking of Mike...

He got tired of his yard art.

“Where can I put them?” he asked.

“How about up behind the barn where it’s too wet for you to mow?” I suggested.

Mike left the stack and old truck frame, but the area looks neater.

When Mike and I go out to breakfast, and more specifically, when we go to McDonald’s for breakfast, my favorite thing is the breakfast burrito.

“I bet I can make these,” I told Mike months ago.

This week, I made them! You can’t get in a hurry about this stuff, don’cha know.

I made eight homemade tortillas. I love homemade tortillas hot from the griddle.

For the eggs, I beat two and fried ‘em in a sheet. I thought it would be better than having scrambles falling out of the shell. It was the perfect size for a tortilla. A light sprinkle of cheddar came next followed by a couple of thin strips of precooked sausage. I rolled ‘em up, wrapped ‘em in foil, and stuck ‘em in the freezer. Repeat five more times.

“Peg!” you exclaim. “You said you made eight tortillas. That was only six. What happened to the other two?”

I might’ve eaten them while I was cooking. Did I mention I love them hot off the griddle?

Now I’ve got a quick, easy breakfast I don’t even have to think about. If I’m planning ahead, I’ll move one to the fridge the night before and it’s thawed by morning. Or, if I forget, a few minutes in the microwave takes care of a frozen one. Then I unroll it and drop a generous spoonful of salsa right down the middle.

Speaking of McDonald’s...

I love the lavender blooming around the old farm machine in McDonald’s landscaping. It gives the whole scene a kind of quiet charm, like nature’s found a way to decorate history.