winterization complete!

Ok, I've put up plastic sheeting and tarps around the screened porch and put the nice big heating pad under the ferals' wool blanket nest.  It feels much warmer in there now.  All of the plants have been moved to the porch or covered.

 Of course the cats are a little freaked out because they hate change and their area now looks and sounds different.  Sprout and Larry are cautiously sniffing around and Colonel Popcorn is in one of the blanket-lined baskets, although they are avoiding the chaise with the heating pad.  These cats are not that bright.

I feel a little guilty worrying about these three cats when there are 4000 homeless people in Austin needing to be sheltered, but as my friend, Laura says, this is my world.

winterizing

Today the much ballyhooed arctic blast arrives with it's 40 mph winds and below freezing temperatures.  The task for today is to put up as much plastic as I can on the screened porch so that the outdoor kitties will be warmer and augment their wool blankets with a big heating pad.  Covered some plants yesterday and brought some in.  Today, more plants come in and more will be covered.  

Hopefully I'll be able to work on an art project tomorrow, but gotta keep those kitties warm today.

making clean; making food

Today was nice.  My friend, Stella,  came for lunch:  soup, salad, bread, and Cava.   The kitties were charming.  I did a bit of tidying up before she arrived and after she left I read for awhile then made dinner: broccoli, herb crusted salmon, the salad leftover from lunch,  and roasted potatoes.  And of course I made the bed.

Blue Monday my ass!

This was a great day.  I didn't make anything, but the bed; however, I washed the French door windows, did some laundry, tidied up, dealt with a plumber, cooked kale and black beans, swept the back porch, cleaned cat boxes, loaded the dishwasher, and read.  Not bad for my first "official" day of retirement.

Pot Pies!

We made pot pies yesterday, but I forgot to post about it last night.  I made potato-leek soup and used that instead of a béchamel sauce, and sauteed celery, white and red onions, carrots, garlic, crimini and shitake mushrooms, and potatoes.  Added a thyme bundle, salt and pepper, and some soup and simmered for about 15 minutes.  Morgan made whole wheat pie crusts (for the first time ever). I put the ingredients in the pie shells and baked for 25 minutes at 375.    Next time I'll add peas or edamame, but we didn't have them on hand yesterday.   (Also want to make a pie with winter vegetables: celery root, winter squashes, earthy mushrooms, maybe some chard or kale.) Served a fairly lame simple salad of romaine and tomatoes on the side.

Our homely rustic pies

Choices

Today I wanted to work on the box, and after Morgan gave me a lesson in Dremel use, I decided to let him cut the opening in the box.  It's going to be awhile before I'm comfortable using the Dremel, especially if I'm doing anything that requires the least bit of precision.  So here's the box with some of the stuff I may, or may not use.  I got kinda stuck today.  What I really want to do is attach one of my porcelain doll heads to a little sewing machine motor (upper left corner), but I haven't figured out how to do that.  Anyway, bones will probably be used as will the little leather, mostly hairless one-eyed dog I bought at a flea market.   The opening looks good, though.  It's a start.

I also started a very small cat painting that made me wish I knew how to paint!   The drawing is better, but I lost the tilt of the head when I copied it.  At least it looks like a cat!

I made space!

I cleaned off my work table.  See how nice the trees  look reflected in the glass?  The lazy susan in the top right never looks tidy because it contains things I often need and refuse to put away, like my good eraser, little bundles of wire and string, and other bits and bobs.  Wish I could make more space, as in closets and drawers and, I know it's greedy, maybe one more room so we'd have a real guest room.

The next project I'll start on today, but probably won't finish because it involves Morgan showing me how to use the dremel tool and right now he's raking leaves.

I have to cut a window in the lid of the box so the objects inside will be visible.   That's the box with some of the objects I'll use.  Sleeping in the sunny window is my cat, Zoom.  It's her favorite napping spot.