July 8 - Massachusetts

Comments are very welcome! 

And encouraged!!!

Even after the fact :)

July 7 - Massachusetts & Cats

I have mentioned my cats several times, and thought I would introduce them. I have four, and they are the love / bane of my existence!

I am a "cat person". Had cats all my life, and been through the cycle of kitten to senior too many times to count. They have all been rescues of one sort or another. When I adopt, it is forever and for keeps. We owe that to them, at the very least. Stability and steadiness.

Cats are creatures of comfort, and do not like change. Whether it be as simple as rearranging the furniture, or more complex (moving), if it disrupts their world they do not like it and will let you know ASAP!

My oldest is Phoebe. She was 18 in May. I got her when she was 6 months old. Such a love! My heart kitty. She rules the roost. Sleeps tucked up under my arm at night. Phoebe lets me know when it is time to feed the "clowder", and I run on her time :) She is gorgeous; all black (even her whiskers). I named her for the Greek goddess of the moon.

Phoebe

 Next oldest is Orion (he is the one on the right). Do not let the fangs fool you - he is quite the slug. Would not hurt a fly, and barely moves out of his own way. Orion is coming up on 13 and got him as a kitten as well. Obviously named him after the Greek god Orion. He did not turn out to be a mighty hunter, even though he looks like one! Sleeps on my hip at night.

Orion, on the right (Phoebe left)

Percy and Panda are much younger. Percy (short for Percival; after one of the knights of King Arthur's roundtable) is about 7, as is Panda. She came with that name, and it suits. She is not the brightest bulb in the box!

Percy has issues that will likely last most of his life. When he was a kitten he was kept in a small cage by a "hoarder", and therefore did not socialize with other cats or humans. It took him a very long time to trust me. To this day if you move quickly, or there are loud noises, he gets jumpy. Hence the blurry pic. He does sleep wih me at night, usually tucked up in the corner of my knee.

Percy

Panda is a whole 'nother ball of wax! She is absolutely beautifu but a ditz. She is a sweetheart, a love, and a mini destrutcoid all in one. I have a lot of breakable on my shelves. She has broken far more than her fair share simply bouncing around. If she was human she would be blonde (no offense to the smart blondes out there)! Panda came with that name, and it fits her as you can see. Figured if I changed it she would never figure it out.

Panda

These pictures do not do them justice, except Panda, the beauty queen! Percy is hard to photograph; even the noise of the camera lens makes him skittish. Phoebe is a study in motion; she follows me, or leads me where she thinks I ought to be!

No, I am not a "crazy cat lady". I just love their company and their very differing personalities. Supposedly cats are easier pets than dogs, but I will beg to differ! Dogs need to be taken outside several times a day, yes. But they are not as fussy about their food or their environment as cats.

Mine are indoor. They live a lot longer not subject to the hazards of ticks, fleas, cars, etc. I have never had a flea problem in my life, & I have had cats for over 45 years. Indoor cats have their own issues/needs! Litter boxes. Ugh - yuck. I scoop and sweep diligently, but there you have it. Unavoideable. Fur balls! Long-haired cats shed year round, and all of mine are long-haired. Cats are very fastidious groomers. They leave me "presents" in the darndest places. Worst one was inside my slipper - which neatly set next to the bed at night. Mostly it is not bad to clean up, and I am too used to it! Sometimes it is in very inappropriate places - on top of the quilt in my bed for instance (or in the slipper!). Washing ensues.

Fuzz..... everywhere! All the time! Besides the big "poofs", cat fur permeates every single thing you own. My cats are not allowed in my closet, yet I find cat fuzz in there frequently. It is one of my accessories! Studies have shown that households which had cats will still have cat fur embedded and remaining 7 years after the cat has moved on and the abode thoroughly cleaned. Not only is that tidbit a little mind-blowing in itself, but the fact that someone actually paid to have that studied.... I think it was conducted in the UK.

Regardless, cat fur is a way of life for me. I ignore/despise/embrace it. One has to. I also own a lot of de-fuzzing type brushes.

I know you are not supposed to have favorites, but one cannot help it. Phoebe - my oldest and most loving - is mine. She is getting up in years, but still seems rather spry. The oldest cat I ever had, Gabrielle, was 21 when she went.

So now you know my kittles! (No, that was not a typo. It is the Czech word for cats :) )

Another tale for another day (the Czech thing).

July 3 - Massachusetts & Rhubarb Sauce

I am on "cat duty" this weekend and next week. My brother is taking a few well-deserved days of vacation at a lake, and my neighbors are taking a week at the beach for their first vacation together :) Only one cat each, so it is not a stretch for me. Besides, they all took excellent care of mine when I was away. My brother's is about 1/4 mile down the street. My neighbor is directly across the hall, so I do not even have to get dressed to go over!

This afternoon I made rhubarb sauce (told ya this was not always going to be about travel!). About a week ago the grocery store had a small amount of rhubarb in the produce section. Score! I love it, and bought a package. Wish I had got more - enough to make a pie. I went back a few days later but it was all gone. At least I had enough to make myself some sauce :)

Rhubarb is one of those things you either love or not. Typically fresh it is available for a small window of time, mid to late Spring, but the weather has been a bit off kilter this year. Although it can be (is) grown in greenhouses, rhubarb is far better fresh. It is a hardy plant that thrives in northern, cooler, climes and rocky soil such as that here in New England. What I bought was locally grown!

While technically classified as a vegetable, it is sometimes classified as an herb (?? no clue why). Rhubarb is prepared the same way as fruit. If you have not had it before, it resembles celery stalks raw.

Rhubarb (about 1 lb.)

Rhubarb is very tart! Requires a bit of sugar while cooking :) Some people prefer strawberry-rhubarb pie if you make it into a pie (about 4 lbs. rhubarb); personally I just like the rhubarb without the addition of strawberries.

I only had enough to make sauce. There are lots of recipes out there on the 'net that will have you add a dash of cinammon or nutmeg or what have you. However, they detract from the true flavor and would result in an odd tasting concoction.

Simpler is best - Granny's recipe. And could not be easier! Cut the rhubarb into 1 inch slices. Boil 1/2 cup of water and a little bit less than 1/2 cup of sugar (per pound of rhubarb), add the rhubarb, and let it simmer awhile.

Rhubarb after chopping

 Do not be tempted to add more water!! Rhubarb contains water (much as celery or watercress stalks do), so just let it be :)

Rhubarb cooking

The rhubarb cooks down in about 15-20 min. depending on the amount you have, and gets thick. As it breaks down into sauce, taste it every once in awhile. Rhubarb varies in tartness, and may require a little more sugar depending on that and personal preference. I like mine on the tart side :)

When it looks like this,it is done. It looks a bit "stringy" towards the end; that is normal.

Rhubarb sauce, done!

Let it cool, then refrigerate unless you want to eat it warm.

Cold rhubarb sauce is very refreshing on a hot day! It reheats nicely in the microwave. Cold or warm, it is very good. :)

A few nutritional facts. Rhubarb has very few calories (before you add the sugar!), and is very rich in Vitamin B and K.The more red stalks also have a lot of Vitamin A (anti-oxidant).

I had some tonight, and will likely finish it off tomorrow. Delish!!