It’s that time of year! If you want a holiday card from Crooked Acres, go here and follow the directions. I will absolutely send cards to other countries. If you’d like to send me a card (definitely not required, but always appreciated), you can send it to PO Box 565, Madison, Alabama, 35758.
Get yer calendars!!!
It got so cold yesterday that I finally gave up, went out to the wood shed, got a pile of wood, and made a fire. I’m apparently a fire-building prodigy, because that fire was AWESOME.
(Okay, maybe the Yankee Kindle Candles had something to do with it. MAYBE.)
Now that I know I can build fires with not much trouble, I’m going to be a fire-building fool.
The only problem is that I have to leave the back door cracked so the cats can go out in the back yard, and even if I just leave the door open a tiny bit, the air from outside is FRIGID and it kind of makes it pointless to build a fire.
There’s a doorway between the kitchen and laundry room, and there was originally a door there. We took it down because it kind of got in the way, but I think Fred’s going to put it back up this weekend and put a cat door in it. That should hold back at least some of the cold air. I hope.
(Yes, I could just make the cats stay inside when it’s 25 degrees outside, but they like going outside SO much, and they get SO miserable when they can’t, and they are SO spoiled rotten that I can’t bring myself to abuse them so.)
Too cute:
(Thanks, Deserie, for sending it my way!)
Do you think you could get the recipe for the popcorn from Nance? I’ve been looking for a good one for some time.
Anyone who wants the popcorn recipe, email me and I’ll send it along to you.
Let me say here, though, that I brought a big-ass tin of the popcorn home with me and His Majesty didn’t care for it. I still thought it was good, but I’ll admit that it’s best when it’s fresh.
Silly me, I assumed that when chickens roosted they would “sit” facing the same direction. It’s so nice of you to give Newtles such a nice, private place to sleep. Too bad you will need to wash the towels regularly.
I always thought they’d face the same way, but when you think about it, it makes sense that they’d face opposite ways – I bet they fit together better that way, and stay warmer!
You think too highly of my housekeeping skills. I don’t wash those towels regularly – I just don’t take from the top of the pile! (Those are extra towels, ones we use to dry off cats or the floor if we’ve gone out in the rain and subsequently dripped water all over the floor. They’re not the ones we use after showering or anything.)
When I was a vet tech we had one [a Great Pyrenees] come in that had gotten into antifreeze, VERY DEADLY, and the treatment then was iv alcohol. That’s right, iv EverClear to be more specific. For 3 days we had to keep him drunk. They’re not small dogs, it was like having a drunk human to deal with. Even while he was smashed he did try to keep the concerned look going, well until he’d pass out.
I actually had no idea that there was a treatment for pets that had gotten into antifreeze, I thought it was an automatic death sentence. Ya learn something new every day, eh?
Chicken ears?! I guess I never thought of their ears before!
I know, isn’t it odd to think of chicken ears? How else would they hear the “OMIGOD THERE’S FOOD” call from the other chickens, though?
How is it that you have no Maine accent what so ever? I spent the 8th grade in Bangor and I could barely understand what those kids were saying.
‘Cause I didn’t actually grow up in Maine. My growing-up years were spent in Canada, Indiana, Michigan and Guam, ’cause my father was in the Air Force. When I worked at LL Bean many years ago, taking orders, a caller asked why I sounded like I was from the Midwest instead of Maine. I don’t think I sound like I have any accent at all, personally.
I curse you for telling me about Tim Tams. I went to Target today and looked for them, found them on sale, brought them back to work and proceeded to eat 1/2 the box. They are very good. Thank goodness I don’t go to Target often, but if I found my car heading in that direction I will quickly re-direct. Tim Tams are the devil!!!
I AGREE. I asked Fred yesterday if he needed anything from Target and he said “Tim Tams!”, so I bought a pack of the regular and a pack of the caramel. I behaved and didn’t eat any during the day, but once he got home and opened the pack, it was ALL OVER. (I prefer the chocolate creme to the caramel, personally.)
I passed by the Tim Tams the other day deciding that they must be evil bits of crack best to be avoided.
Smart thinkin’! I recommend you all stay far, far away from Tim Tams. They are EVIL. It’s how Australia will end up taking over the world – we’ll all be rolling around, clutching our guts and moaning in pain, and they’ll just swoop right in and conquer us. Those wily damn Australians!
You sound softer and gentler in real life than you did in my head. I’m sure that sounds insulting but I don’t mean it to be. Maybe it’s because I have the audio image of you bellowing “Who wants snackin’?” in a not so docile voice in my head. Aaaanyway, I’ll just shut up now.
It always surprises me when I hear a blogger’s voice and they sound all sweet and girly. For some reason, in my mind most of you sound like pack-a-day whiskey drinkers.
I don’t know why I was so surprised that you didn’t have a southern accent – this is the first time I have heard you talking and in my mind I always think you would have a southern accent, even though I know you are from the North.
I has no accent at all! I am neutral!
I LOVE that picture of Maddie by the tree. And doesn’t Nance have the most awesome ornaments on her tree?
It was really nice to have Nance’s Christmas tree to admire and get me in the holiday mood, ’cause we won’t have a Christmas tree this year and I always like a nice Christmas tree. With ten cats, it’s just too much of a pain in the ass to put up a tree, but I’ll still have decorations scattered around the house. Nance had some really nice ornaments on her tree – including one I sent her the year she adopted Maddy, with a picture of Maddy in it, and “My first year” across the top of it. (The sock monkey’s my favorite, though!)
You should do a video journal entry sometime (with you and/or you and Fred). That would be awesome!
I don’t even have to check with Fred to know his answer is “When hell freezes over!” He’s camera shy and doesn’t like the sound of his voice (I don’t know why – I think it’s a perfectly nice voice.)
Is the Spud going to visit you anytime?? You must miss her.
She’s supposed to come visit in January! Yay!!!!
Which cats are indoor/outdoor and which are only indoor and why? Are any declawed??
The only cat who doesn’t go outside is Stinkerbelle, because she’s a scaredy-cat and can’t quite figure out the cat door. The others go outside whenever the back door is open (less often when it’s as cold as it’s been lately), except for Maxi and Newt, who go outside whenever they want and are free ranging cats. (When it’s due to be especially cold, Fred will keep them inside unless they’re insistent about wanting to go out.)
We use SoftPaws on our cats to lessen the scratching issues. Well – we use them when we get around to it; it’s been a while since we had a SoftPaw session, though. The cats are actually behaving themselves and not digging at the couch, so we haven’t been in any hurry to cap them up.
disgusting would be like, pickle/peanut butter jam. berries and spice aren’t so gross.
Is it weird that I think pickle/ peanut butter jam sounds kind of good?
Is Nance Polish? The haluski sounds Polish. I’m from PA originally and my dad’s polish grandprents lived in Pittsburgh for a while. I will have to ask my dad and aunt if they know about the haluski. LOVE the sock monkey ornament I missed it because I was focused on Maddy. Comments are fun they offer a different take on an entry.
Nance said: I’m sure there’s some Polish in me somewhere – but Haluski is definitely a favorite ‘burgh thing because everybody around here (even the EYE-talions – hee) eat it. We also fart a lot. Snort.
For some reason, “haluski” sounds to me like some kind of fish you’d get in Minnesota, I don’t know why.
I agree about comments!
A youtube hardehar that had me rolling in the aisle
I’ve actually seen that! Local reader Jean sent it to me, and I forgot to link to it for y’all.
Did you watch Stephen Colbert’s christmas special? John Legend had a pretty funny song about Nutmeg!
I had NOT seen that, but it made me laugh out loud. I love Stephen Colbert.
I want to know how to make the cinnamon rolls too!
The recipe, direct from Fred’s mouth: Make basic bread dough, roll it out, paint it with a mixture of melted butter, sugar and cinnamon (to your taste), roll it up, slice it, let it rise again, dollop more butter/ sugar/ cinnamon on top, bake at 400, 20 – 30 minutes. You may need to cover them toward the end to keep them from getting too brown.
If you see them boiling in butter, you know you’ve done it right.
(He used our bread machine to make the basic bread dough, if that helps.)
OMG have you seen this cat toy? Flinga-ama-string – click on the video.
Oh my god, I WANT THAT. I might have to get that for the cats for Christmas…
…Is no one going to address the absolute cuteness of the petite Felina ?
Such a good girl to protect her MommaNance and guard her domain. She is sooo adorable and seems to always have a “???” look on her little face. Totally squishable too.
Felina is absolutely adorable, there’s no doubt about it (especially when they dress her up!). I have to admit, by the end of my visit, if I’d walked into a room and Felina had NOT barked at me, I might have been a little bit disappointed.
Luckily, that never happened!
So, while I was in Pennsylvania, those unappreciative little bratty kittens, who’d spent NO TIME at all downstairs before I left (or rather, Lem would come downstairs, run around, but bolt back upstairs if anyone looked at him funny), started coming downstairs.
The first night I was gone, Fred told me that Delmar had not only come downstairs, he’d actually CLIMBED UP IN FRED’S LAP AND STAYED THERE WHILE FRED WATCHED TV.
Brats.
Actually, Fred doesn’t go upstairs and hang out with the kittens nearly as much as I do, so with me being gone, Delmar was probably love-starved and thus came looking for love. Since I’ve been home, he comes downstairs every evening, and last night he climbed up into my lap a few times.
Every time I look at him, I want to squeeze the stuffing out of him. I mean, I want to squeeze them all, but especially Delmar.
More pics over at Love & Hisses.
“Heyyyyyy, baby, you come to this printer often? There’s puh-lenty of room for two, trust me sweet thing. You could always sit on Suggie’s lap. I won’t bite. Unless you want me to, of course. Muh-YOW!”
Previously
2007: I assure you that if Stinkerbelle saw those hussies all snuggled up with HER MAN, she would NOT be pleased!
2006: Le sigh.
2005: no, I didn’t take anything for the pain. Then I couldn’t bitch about the pain. DUH!
2004: Yep, fuck that.
2003: The child is evil. EVIL, I say.
2002: (Close your email clients, you damn Crimson-heads. I know you lurrrve your football team and all, but really. Breaking news?)
2001: Woman of the Year.
2000: What can I say? I’m just the kinda gal who likes profanity in her daily email…
1999: “Let’s kill the Mommy bitch and eat all the canned cat food in the house, then lay around and lick the litter out from between our toes.”