You Sexy Thang

I am making chicken gumbo soup today. Dave has caught a little cold and I always think soup makes sick people feel better. I used to love canned chicken gumbo when I was a child. It had little green wheels of okra in it and the little okra seeds would pop when I chewed them. I always make soup from scratch now; it is just one of my little claims to fame. Today’s soup has little pieces of leftover chicken and frozen okra wheels floating in the broth. I also have some slightly shriveled mushrooms and some green onions to chop. There are home canned tomatoes in the pantry which will add some nice color – oh, and I remember there should be rice in the soup.

The cat always comes into the kitchen when I am working there and starts meowing to be fed. He is 18 years old and probably can't remember that he just ate 30 minutes ago. He is really on my nerves today, having just pooped on the carpet in the living room for the second time this week. Dad is away and I think the cat feels a little disoriented; nevertheless, pooping on the carpet is NOT allowed. Neither is meowing at me in the kitchen. As I stand and stir my soup I try to think of a nice, but firm, way to shoo the old boy away. Sometimes we use a water squirter to deter him, but it seems rather cruel since he's so old...and missing his best pal as well.

His meowing crescendos. I turn around and say ‘remember what happens when you meow at me…’ He keeps on meowing loudly. I sigh in mild exasperation, pick up the squirt bottle and squirt him. Bingo - right between the eyes. I always hold up my left hand in a ‘stop’ gesture just seconds before squirting so he might come to obey just my gesture. So far he hasn't figured out that little nuance.

One squirt is all it takes; he turns tail and hops into a kitchen chair to take a bath. He wipes his face with his paw and licks the water off his paw, spending considerable time on his right ear. He looks so cute when he washes himself. My annoyed heart softens, I feel guilty. He is just an old cat after all and he probably really can’t be expected to be reasonable. I vow (once again) to try to be more patient him.

It is cold and gray today, not nearly as nice as yesterday. With the professor feeling sickly I doubt if we will take a walk on the river today – a nap is more likely! I will just have to be content sewing quilt pieces this afternoon, how lovely that will be. Maybe tomorrow I will post some pictures of the two quilts I am currently sewing!

For today, here is a really sexy picture of me as farmwife dressed for feeding the chickens........makeup? Chickens, cranky old cats, and sickly professors don't care about makeup!