Close One

Tuesday night I came home to find Slim(bo) collapsed on the floor of the cat room, panting like a dog.  After frantically searching for the source of his apparent lack of ability to stand, walk or otherwise move his hind end, I put a call into the vet on call.  Unfortunately, it was not "my" vet but one of his cohorts.

Bringing him in was out of the question, as he was in a great deal of distress and if his back was injured, I wasn't about to make it worse.  She did not offer to come to me (heaven forbid) and gave me the number of another vet who did house calls (!!!!!). When I reached her, she was sympathetic but in Tennessee.  More frantic calls to my vet.  Her assessment was paralysis caused by a blood clot and heart trouble.  Slimbo is 5 y/o.  A very poor prognosis.  She gave me yet another number for another vet who provides euthanasia at home.  I call, nearly pass out myself from the cost, tell him to come and gird my loins with a quick shot of JD.  

Slimbo and I wait, me stroking his soft head.  I realize he's stopped panting and is purring mightily.  He still can't walk and howls when I try to get him to stand.  The vet arrives and takes a look at him.  "This cat isn't paralyzed," he says.  He takes out his stethoscope and checks his heart.  Fit as a fiddle.  He looks at his eyes.  Bingo!  Vertigo.  Slimbo gets a pass, I put the vet in a bear hug and (almost) happily part with $110.

I now have to squirt a slurry of puréed cat food and water down his gullet, along with antibiotics twice a day.  Not to mention the tripling of my wash loads...  He seems to be feeling better, as he made it out of his makeshift bed, across the room and wedged himself behind the cat tree.

Either that or he heard me coming down the hall with his morning dose...

Fred, Freecycle and Facebook

It was a busy, productive weekend.  At this time of year, it's good to have inside and outside lists, given the vagaries of the weather.  I was rather shocked to find that both lists are almost at the point where they need chapters!  

I had dispatched Fred the rooster last weekend and canned him up - 7 pints broth and three pints meat for me, two and a half quarts of broth and bits for the kids.  I also made three half gallon jars of blueberry kraut - now I have to get the purple stains off my neighbor's pounder...

Neighbors keep dropping off apples so I need to get back in applesauce mode.  It will be good to put away the two big canners and get my kitchen back!

I scored a little one-cup coffeemaker for $3 on Facebook and six potted geraniums on Freecycle!  I am hoping to fob off three of them on unsuspecting friends, as it's getting a little "dense" by the one and only spot that gets good light.  It's downright forest-y!

Another one bites the dust...

Another item on my bucket list, that is!  I have coveted the amazing witch hats crafted by the uber-talented Joyce of Octoberfarm for quite some time.  In the heat of the moment, I confessed via comment that owning one of these beauties had made it onto my bucket list.

Two weeks later, a large and mysterious box was delivered.  

Words escape me, but OMG comes to mind!

The details are divine!

A grasshopper!!!!  Love it!!!!

Needless to say, I am going to have to find myself a party worthy of this hat!

Ack.

I am not ready for cold, sparkly stuff on my deck!  18* this morning.

Yes, that is laundry on the line.....

We interrupt this vacation...

Talk about hitting the ground running...it's a good thing this was the BVE (best vacation ever) or it would be a dim memory by now.

Chicken Mama (and Tucker) took me to some of their favorite places.

Waterfalls tucked in the woods.

Marshy rivers...

Quiet roads.

Breathtaking views.

Perfect.

What I did on my vacation

I went here first.  I realized that I had not been on a plane for over 10 years!  I'd like to report that there have been no improvements.  It's worse.

Then I picked up the Mighty Blue Machine.

Cute, ain't it?  Over 38 mpg!  I went to a place with red roads.

And spectacular views...

But, best of all, a place with even more spectacular people....

Are you "Pea" green with envy yet?  That's right -- I went to visit Mama and Papa Pea!!!  And that means I got a bonus visit with the lovely (and elusive) Chicken Mama!  

Not surprisingly, we packed a great deal into this, my BEST VACATION EVER!  I will impart highlights of my trip over the week.  Right now, I have to reassure Lovey that I am back to stay.  It took a village to make this happen - that village was my dear sister, Connie.

(Take it away, Mama Pea!)

Bread

This is the einkorn bread recipe that I have been using with much success.  It's from "Einkorn / Recipes for Nature's Original Wheat" by Carla Bartolucci.  I would highly recommend having this book in your cooking library, if you are gluten sensitive and a bread lover.

Two Hour Dairy-Free Sandwich Loaf

1-1/4 cups warm water, at 100* F
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons oil
3-3/4 cups all-purpose einkorn flour, plus more for dusting (I use Jovial)
1-1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

In a small bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar and oil.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Stir the yeast mixture into the flour with a stiff spatula until all of the flour is absorbed (einkorn takes longer to absorb liquids - keep stirring!).  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 45 minutes.  Generously grease an 8.5x4.5 inch loaf pan.

Heavily flour a work surface and scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the work area.  The dough will be quite wet, so add additional tablespoonfuls of flour to work with it.  Knead a few times, then spread the dough out by pulling gently on the edges to form an 8" long oval.  Fold the oval into thirds like a letter, pressing ends in the center.  Stretch, fold and press the top and bottom into the center to form a loaf shape.  Place the dough in the prepared pan and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap (important step, as the dough is still very sticky and if the plastic sticks, it will pull the lift out of your loaf.  Ask me how I know this.)  Let proof for a half hour or until the top of the loaf reaches the edge of the pan.  Preheat the oven to 425*F.

Lower the heat to 375, remove plastic wrap and bake the bread for 40 minutes until browned on top.  Let cool in pan for 15 mins, then turn out onto a cooling rack.  Let cool for 2 hours before slicing.  This is the most difficult part....oh, that smell....

Store in a sealed plastic bag for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Let me know how you like it!

P.S.  I will be 'off the air' for a bit.  I am going to check off an item on my bucket list.... :)  I'll be back next week with the details.