Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, cat, home on July 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Meet Lord Argyle!
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Will we change his name? How long will it take for him to get comfortable in his new home? Will he ever come out from inside that chair?
We’ll have to wait for answers to these and other questions, but for now we’re just happy to have him ensconced (as per the rescue’s recommendation) in a quiet room of his own. He’s a little freaked out (unsurprisingly) but was curious and active, both good signs!
Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, cats, home on July 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The Kitty Countdown is coming to an end! We pick up our new cat tomorrow afternoon, so we’ve been running around moving precariously-balanced items, stocking up on catnip and toys, and generally getting the house ready. It’s exciting.
Wish us luck!
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, cats, home, the menagerie, yay on July 27, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Our menagerie is about to expand. Not only have three adorable little bunny rabbits taken to frequenting the front yard, but we finally decided on a cat. We went with the slightly older, shy, fluffy and adorable option. We’ll pick him up this weekend so no pics yet, but here’s what he looked like as a kitten.
I asked DALL-E to make you an image of “a white cat with black spots and three rabbits in a garden, layered paper style” and got this.
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, cats, home, Thoughts on July 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »
After many months, we are finally ready to start searching our local rescue for a new cat. Or two!
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, home, technology, Thoughts on July 9, 2022| Leave a Comment »
(written 07/08/22)
Today I’m dealing with a new kind of challenge.
We have power, which I no longer take for granted. The microwave works, the computers work, the TV and stove and washing machine and lights all work, and for that I’m grateful.
Our components are all functioning. What isn’t working? The network that connects those components, and us, to the wider world.
We woke up, started the laundry and coffee and breakfast and booted up the work computers. Then? Nothing. No signal. I can work in my design program, for example, but I can’t deliver my project. I can’t check my email, log in at work or make calls (sorry Mom!).
Somebody at internet central did something and somehow it all went wrong. (The part of this equation that interests me the most is that apparently no one thought to ask, “What happens if this thing we’re about to do doesn’t work?”).
So today has been business as unusual. On the plus side? Another opportunity to appreciate all the technology, infrastructure, and other amenities that we typically take for granted.
And while I’m not even sure if I’ll be able to post this today (spoiler alert: nope), my target was to write every day. Goal achieved.
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Note from the future: it wasn’t just us, here, it was every Rogers customer, everywhere.
Rogers outage shows need for Plan B when wireless, internet services fail, analysts say | CBC News
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Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, home, inspiration, Thoughts, writing on June 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »
We rose early. At 5:30 the world was quiet, not just because of the hour but because a heavy blanket of grey fog covered the neighborhood. Houses across the street loomed in the haze, their trees mere outlines.
The fog is almost gone now but the grey sky remains, a low ceiling that dampens sound. The birds don’t mind. A family of grackles is flitting from back yard to front, jays and finches and robins visit for a bath, and a pair of mourning doves make themselves at home on the stonework. The plants don’t mind either. Yellow tickseed flowers stand open and bright yellow even without the sun. And now, a slight breeze whispers through the maple leaves.
The wider world awakes.
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Posted in Food and..., tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, creativity, family, food, home, memories, Thoughts on June 28, 2022| Leave a Comment »
My father’s mother baked from scratch, but she always had a container of Cool Whip in the fridge when we came to visit. Did she always stock it? I don’t know, but it was a special treat for us.
I don’t buy it for myself but even now the taste of Cool Whip reminds me of hot summers and warm smiles.
Last week, I whipped up a bit of cream to go with fresh strawberries from a farm down the road. I usually add a bit of Grand Marnier but this time, I decided to try a slight twist.
It turns out that heavy whipping cream plus vanilla, sugar and a dollop of sour cream creates a thick whipped topping that tastes a lot like Cool Whip. Not as it is, necessarily, but as I remember it. Fun, flavorful, special.
Let’s call it Cool Whip for adults. All of the memories, none of the additives.
Thanks, Grandma.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, #ottweather, because reasons, home on June 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Me, this morning:
“I am going to get so much done today! My list is long but I’ve got this!”
Me, at noon:
“Hang on, how is it lunchtime already? That’s fine, I’ve still got lots of time.”
Me, as Mr. Man returns from early work because, oh hey, tornado warning:
“Seriously?”
Now I’m off to clear out the garage so we can get the car under cover, charge up all devices, and generally hope that this is a false alarm.
Fingers crossed!
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, adventure, home on June 11, 2022| Leave a Comment »
We didn’t go far today but we did have an adventure. A walk on a beautiful sunny day turned into a hike through a wooded ravine that could have been miles away from human settlements. Slick, steep trails, flocks of mosquitoes that chased us a kilometer or more, and the kind of quiet that is hard to come by in a city. All within a few minutes of the house.
It was hot and sticky and itchy and downright delightful.
I celebrated with a new version of a drink I remember from childhood, the lime freeze. Lime juice, ice cubes, simple syrup, cream, and a touch of rose water, garnished with basil from the back garden.
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Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, home, wildlife on June 9, 2022| 1 Comment »
We are working on an alternative lawn that contains clover, so it was not a huge surprise to see a happy rabbit bouncing its way through the yard. What was a surprise was discovering the teeniest tiniest cutest little bunny in the back yard, munching on dandelions.
I shall name him Son of Bun!
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