Monday, November 2, 2020

Just Me Myself and Kitty

When night has retired to just one light by my reading chair,
And I could care less whether I dose off or into the void I just stare,
My toothbrush laments as it lays still dry,
My bed in emptiness lets out a deep sigh,
And my kitty, that dreadfully cunningly adorably cuddly bear...


One meow, two meows, ten meows, still more to fill my once calming air,
Stopping only when I begrudgingly lift my stove-up body to my feet with care,
Caress my toothbrush across pearly teeth,
And climb between two chilly sheets,
To be teased by kitty moving slowly from toe tip to arm pit as if on a dare,
A pet of my hand, and kitty's done gone, not another minute had kitty to spare.








This post is a little snippet of me, a peek beyond the gardens and pets that seem to define my world so much.  When I was a bit younger than ancient, it would sometimes be heard from me that I viewed myself in the mirror with rose colored glasses.  By that I meant I looked wonderful when I viewed that person looking back at me in my mirror, but that person looking back at me in my photographs was a total stranger...so terribly well-seasoned with age.

A person on the fast track to the lower depths of everlasting pill-popping purgatory, I thought a good lifestyle would be my ticket to by-passing all this dramatic melodrama of aging; but alas, I was so terribly misguided.  I guess it's always been the Earth's primary objective since my birth, to pulverize me back into compost.  I'm not going down easily, but I do seem to be going down.  #@$%&*% !  That's all I have to say on that subject.

Summer has closed up shop, but the weather in these parts hasn't decided whether summer, fall or winter is appropriate.  My days seem to be flying off the calendar faster than the minutes ticking off the clock, and my last orthopedist pep talk had me missing a shoe as my last leg was slowly sinking into that cold dark ground.  On top of that, I squandered the last of my life's perks on coconut shrimp last night...dang it!       

There's something rather ethereal about standing in the drizzle of an early morning rain listening to a red-bellied woodpecker chirping high in the ash tree; while photographing drops of rain standing, rolling and dropping off the surfaces they are collecting on.  These inquisitive moments in life may last few or many minutes, and my satisfaction remains questionable since the next storm rolling in may find me at it again.







Love art, even if just prints cut to fit the frames...don't judge :)     






Collected by my mom and me when she was young and I was younger :)






A phase of collecting one of a kind handmade miniature teddy bears...
I still adore them after all these years.







In my childhood, mom always kept this cookie jar 
full of Raisin Rough Oatmeal Cookies.
It's still my favorite cookie.






In postage stamp sized kitchens,
 paraphernalia is stored on countertops as well as in drawers.
  Drives one a little bonkers cooking a meal in this congested space,
 where towels hang from oven handles, 
the duster has a place of honor, 
and the kitchen table is home to a collection of junk a mile high.
Welcome to Yvonneville, USA!    






Mommy says I'm her Number Two sweet headache.
Daddy says he's her Number One :)



Raisin Roughs

1 cup sifted flour                                                
3/4 teaspoon salt                                               
3/4 teaspoon baking soda                              
2 teaspoons cinnamon                                    
1 cup butter                                                         
1/2 cup peanut butter                                     
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups quick oats
2 cups raisins

Mix together first four ingredients.  Blend butter with peanut butter.  Gradually add sugar, creaming it in.  Add eggs, milk, and vanilla and beat well.  Add dry ingredients, oats, and raisins and blend well.  Drop by teaspoon on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until done.


I bake with no salt, less sugar, and Muscat raisins are divine when one can find them.  You'll adjust to your preferences.  Cookies have a better thickness if dough is chilled before putting on cookie sheet.  I use old fashioned oats and keep dough covered in refrigerator overnight to soften oats.  Cookies burn easily on the bottoms, so do not overcook.  They have a way of looking undercooked when done, but you'll figure it out after the first batch.  I've received more compliments on these than any other.


Written in my twenties, this was a tongue-in-the-cheek nod to mom and her freshly baked Raisin Roughs.  Love you forever, mom.


ODE TO A COOKIE

O, thou round, savored morsel
That betwixt my teeth should crumble
Better still if thou were spared 
To ornate my platter in royal state
But alas, my creature of raisins and oats
To bear thy countenance growing stale
Would be too cruel a suffering
While my stomach groans and ails.





Mommy said no cookies, as raisins are poison for pets.
So why is the recipe even posted here?!?
Humans!
I think that calico, who always tries to kill me when she see me,
should have a couple.
Sweet Dreams!



41 comments:

  1. Hello,
    Love the cute kitty photos and your bear collection. The cookie recipe sounds delicious, I will save this recipe for later. The berries looks so pretty. These days are flying off the calendar, way too fast. Take care and stay safe! Enjoy your day! Have a great week!

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  2. It seems to be a component of human nature that we all collect something and some of the objects we gather together can have real significance in our lives, and act as keystones to various segments of it. My wife has been musing about making cookies for a couple of weeks now. Perhaps I will show her this recipe and that will move her from musing to making! Then I will have to do my part and help her to eat them so that she doesn't look in the mirror and recoil affrighted!

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    Replies
    1. You put a big smile on my face. Have a happy week mingling with nature.

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  3. Such a sweet kitty poem, made even more delightful by the viewing of your kitties.
    Your photographs are always so stunningly beautiful, I feel I can step right inside them and become part of the story.
    Love your paintings, the one on the left with the two little girls speaks to me, do you know the name or artist ?
    Have yourself a wonderful week Yvonne, and stay safe.
    Hugs,
    ~Jo

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jo, for your beautiful compliment. The painting is called 'In the Garden' by William Forsyth. It is a favorite of mine, too. Stay safe and have a lovely week.

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    2. Thank you Yvonne, I'm off to look up the artist's work.
      Jo

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  4. such a sweet kitty...the teddy bears are so cute!!!!

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  5. you write very well Yvonne!Iam amazed!I cant write like that.So intense so tender and sometimes very funny!

    I also like to gather old things .Alot of memories in a thing only we who adores them can understand.It seems so nice to have a little cat.I think i will have one myself since my "big baby"is now leaving the home

    A beautiful photo of you in the side bar.You look very kind and still a beauty

    I hope all is well with you and dear ones.

    Many littel hugs to you :))

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the nice compliments. Writing is my passion, but I find it difficult to achieve the effect I want. I like your writing and enjoy your blog very much. Cats are so interesting, and each has their own unique personality. Many hugs to you, too.

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  6. Beautiful art images, the cat has a nice place Yvonne.

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  7. A great post! I love cats!! Your content is very interesting < 3 I am following you and invite you to me https://milentry-blog.blogspot.com

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  8. ...I like your eclectic mix of items and the raindrops are neat!

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  9. Love your bear collection and kitty photos! And the cute kitty poem too!

    Yet another delightful post, Yvonne!

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  10. Wonderful kitty poem. And a great post. I love your collection of old bottles.
    And the artwork looks great. I also love the bird plate, and your sweet kitty.
    You have a lovely blog!

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  11. I would have to set 195 degrees Celsius for the biscuit recipe on my stove, yeah, maybe I'll try the raisin oat biscuits, I took a picture of the recipe!
    Of course, there are no cookies for cats, they are only for those with a sweet tooth with two legs!

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    Replies
    1. Of course my three beg to differ :) I've had them steal from the cooling rack, run under the table, and growl when I pry it out of their mouth. They seem to be lovers of tea time products minus the tea.

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  12. I like the look of Yvonneville, USA! It looks the kind of place one would feel welcome and comfortable. And really enjoy tea time! Your photos are fantastic!

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  13. Lovely poem, interesting post and beautiful photos.

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  14. We each have our own style that makes us comfortable and, at my age, I just accept it for what it is! Thanks for sharing a bit more of who you are.

    It's great to see your link at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

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  15. I've been sleeping on my reading couch for about a month now. Lovely poem and images. If we're all going down, we might as well rock it and just have fun along the way. :)

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  16. Great post and cute kitties. I am beginning to feel the aches and pains of aging which I never thought I would feel. I too tend to doze off easily if I don't stay active and I tired easily. May we grow old gracefully and make full use of the time that we still have and enjoy it.

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  17. Enjoyed your collections and relate totally to your surprise about the woes of aging. Although being older I’m a little further along the road to acceptance (I don’t really know how old you are, but I’m older than almost everyone, so it’s a pretty safe guess,). Also share the small kitchen workaround deal. Fun post, thanks!

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  18. I love your poem! And your teddy bear and cute glass/jar collections! I too have a small kitchen; that has kept me from buying appliances I never use, so I'm fine with the small space.

    I have never mixed peanut butter with oatmeal or raisin. My favorite cookie is the oatmeal raisin, and have written about it in
    Goodbye Winter Hello Spring
    When in a couple of months we'll baking lots and wishing the winter is over:-)

    I will send a link about the gingko nuts when I'm ready to tackle them.

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  19. wow, so many gorgeous things. Very beautiful pieces. And many nice macro shots of raindrops. They are really great. Some so large you must have pulled the trigger just before they fall off. :) Nice work!

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  20. It's your first post I've read and you left me speechless ... I love your cat, and I love the art objects in the photos. It's a pleasure to sit and watch them for minutes on end.
    Thanks for visiting and I'm still waiting for you. I will also come here to explore your site.

    Have a great day!

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  21. Funny kitties. Ours follows my husband around like a dog and herds him to bed early. The cat likes to curl up at the bottom of the bed when we are in it and thinks its heaven if we all go to bed early....which we often do.

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  22. Haha, dearest Yvonne,
    I guess it's always been the Earth's primary objective since birth, to pulverize EVERYONE back into compost. That reminds me to a saying of my father: I'm not a gruftie, but a compostie, he sayd in his self-humorous way. And because he wanted to be part of earth after his death his urn now is burried in our garden close to the compost-place. (I was not yet allowed in Austria to scatter his ashes in nature, otherwise I would have done it.) We all are growing older but I think it's important to stay satisfied with ourrselves as best as we can. And I think cats are the best teachers to learn this lesson. :-)
    I love your collection of souvenirs - and my favourite photo is the one with the purple "Love Pearls" (is this the correct name of the plant in english?) with water drops...
    Hugs and happy weekend, Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2020/11/herbstzeit-2020-und-ein-paar-gedanken.html

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    Replies
    1. Purple Beautyberries, but Love Pearls sound so wonderfully nice.

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  23. Hello Yvonne,
    Your kitty is so cute. Your poem is adorable. Beautiful knick-knack collection. The macro capture of the droplet is wonderful. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, stay safe! Enjoy your weekend!

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  24. Hi Yvonne,
    I love your pics with the drops, especially the one with the lilac berrys, beautiful!
    Enjoy your weekend
    Arti

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  25. I really like Yvonneville! ❤️ It is a very serene place.
    I love cats! For now I have just one.
    Hugs!

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  26. Hi Yvonne, love your collections, all of them . It's what makes your place a home. And you know how I love the cats..
    Oh yes, I can relate to your aging problems.. are you kidding? I just had another unwelcome birthday. Hope you are well.

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    Replies
    1. So happy to hear from you. I've missed your visits.

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  27. Lovely post, Yvonne. I enjoyed the photos and your narrative.
    Thanks for your visit, take care, have a great weekend and stay safe.

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  28. Your cat is a sweetheart.
    I like the drop photos.
    Greetings Irma

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  29. We're all getting older, dear Yvonne. But that doesn't stop us from enjoying life. Thank you for the nice recipe! and scratch the kitten for me ;) Take care, Nicole

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  30. Cute kitty photos Yvonne, and I love that collection of glass bottles!

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