R5 for March 29 – Cocoa butter, catnip, mating season, seedlings, food

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No frog sightings yet, but soon!

No frog sightings yet, but soon!

Rub it in or…… — My thumb doctor recommended a lotion with cocoa butter and Vitamin E. I bought some and it smells just like chocolate. Wonderful chocolate! I’m never sure if it should put it on my boo boo or lick it off!

Every cat has their day – I have four cats and two of them love catnip. One can take it or leave it and then there is Morgan. I found her on the bed this past week in some sort of spiritual union. The catnip bag was under her head. I swear from the smile on her face that she had an orgasm!

Mating season – The birds, fish and other critters are getting very active. We are going through birdseed and corn. The bird bath is full of mud. Nests, beauty routines for dating and ultimately mating are going on. Fornicating in the back yard. Gotta love it. Spring at its finest.

Waiting for sprouts – Although I’m a little late, I have started seeds for my garden. I tried a new plant that I had previously bought as a bedding plant. I realized why it’s an expensive plant. Ten seeds are $4 and there are really only ten of the tiniest seeds in the packet. We’ll see how they grow. I am going to start zinnias and peppers but it’s early for those. Love the smell of fresh dirt encouraging life. So much better than kitty litter!

Seasonal food changes – Over the holiday season I always bake and cook to have things “on hand.” I am cleaning out the freezer. I found a section of German apple cake (one of my favorites). Yum! The last of the chili is gone and so is the big pot of Sunday gravy (or spaghetti sauce if you didn’t know it was called that). We still have some frozen veggies but the beloved husband keeps checking for fresh corn on the cob at the produce section. When I think of changing seasons, it’s usually about clothes, weather and outdoor work. The changing of the menus is another part and it’s as much fun as clothes. Bring on the grilling!Grill

So how was your week?

 

34 thoughts on “R5 for March 29 – Cocoa butter, catnip, mating season, seedlings, food”

  2. Cocoa butter. Sometimes smelling is good enough.
    Did you eat the German apple cake you found in the freezer? I love any kind of apple cake. It’s good year round.

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    • About 5 years ago I found a shower gel that smelled like chocolate. It was heavenly. I used it until discontinued. The smell dissipated when you got out of the shower so you didn’t smell like a candy bar all day. I have one very small piece of the cake left. I love it year round too.

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  3. Home! We are home! And there’s no place like it. Keep your pond and all the signs of spring that make you so happy. Lovely post. I wonder if I could have some of that catnip. 🙂

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    • You are right. I am writing a post about homes and the more I write the more I realize how important the outside aspect is for me. Morgan sends one case of catnip your way. Watch for it. Mailman may be woozy.

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  5. Fornicating in the back yard, very funny. Oh but Spring is beautiful, planting while heating up the grill for a barbeque. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday Kate. Sounds like you thumb is improving. But is doesn’t sound like Morgan cares. ;O)

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  7. I was thinking about grilling out this weekend but the weather dipped down into the 20s, so it’ll have to wait. I’d enjoy having a pond but our terrain is too hilly to have one. Who doesn’t like the idea of fornicating frogs in one’s backyard?!

    [Although now that I think about it, considering how many fawns I see around here mid-summer, we must have some deer up to no good back there right about now.]

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  8. Our birds are going crazy down here, Kate. We’ve got a male Robin, who has been pecking away at his reflection in our bay window for days. He’s defending his territory, as the female makes the nest. I can’t keep the thistle feeders full. We have three that I filled yesterday, and they’re already over half empty. The American Gold Finches are going nuts over the food. They’re so happy. 🙂 I can’t wait to see your first frog sighting.

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  9. Hahahahaha about the catnip. I used to keep a large bag on hand for Bat Cat and Commando Cat, stashed in the back of the top cabinet. I would dole out a pinch on special occasions.
    New Year’s Eve, when Andy and I were out dancing, the cats decided to have their own celebration. Bat Cat got the cupboard open. We came home to find an herb-coated kitchen floor decorated with all sorts of “Catnip Angles.” The food bowls were empty and neither cat cracked an eyelid until January 2nd. It was a heck of a party.

    Mine tried very hard, but cats apparently cannot OD. At least not on catnip.

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    • Woo hoo! Those are some cats. Many years ago I made little bags of catnip for my cat friends and enclosed them in Christmas cards. One friend whose mail came through a door slot came home to shredded mail and a catnip party in session.

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  11. Your Random 5 made me think about grilling. I gave mine away last summer because it was huge and wasn’t getting used much, but now I’m thinking about finding a smaller version. You know it’s summer in Texas when you wake up to the smells of the neighbors firing up their grills. They’ll put their brisket on practically before the crack of dawn, and then let it slow cook all day long, tantalizing your taste buds for hours and hours. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!

    As for your pond, I think it’s sad that we even have to use the term “personal outdoor space” when referring to senior living. Everyone needs a little nature in their life, and being denied accessibility to your own little pocket of nature would be a sad thing. An aquarium is a poor alternative, although I do suppose it’s better than nothing. At least you could decorate with pretty rocks and plants, but no frogs? That just ain’t right. 🙂

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    • I have always wanted a smoker but at this point in life, it’s easier to go to a restaurant that has one. Even with a slow cooker, those tantalizing smells all day make me crazy! Agreed on the senior living. These are active over 55 communities that don’t have any assisted living or nursing home facilities. Just a bunch of single houses all together where you can’t have a garden or a pond. They even limit bird feeders. Yikes! Just call the undertaker!

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      • It’s a sad thing when looking at prospective homes and you have to weed through a long list of restrictions. Doesn’t exactly tick all the boxes, does it? I’m sure they’re going for simplicity and tidiness and low maintenance, but where’s the fun in not being able to get a little bit messy now and then? I suppose a garden would be completely out of the question. Too dirty. (get it?) DIRT-y. Made myself laugh. 🙂

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          • I know what you mean. It only seems reasonable that if you are retired, that you might have a little more time on your hands, and that also means you might want to enjoy some favorite outdoor activities such as gardening or tending to a small pond.

            In all the time I did hospice volunteer work, one of the saddest recurring stories I would hear is how the people in the hospice centers missed their pets. It wasn’t that they hadn’t come to terms with the reality of their situation, but their hearts would ache at missing their pet companions. Luckily, I was able to work with a few different services that allowed “pet visits”, but I really wish that there were more senior centers or hospice centers out there that regularly allow people to keep their pets. It adds so much to their quality of life, just as tending to a small outdoor space can bring a lot of contentment and happiness. Seems like a no-brainer.

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  13. I’d like to be loose in your freezer. Mine has cold packs, film and ice.

    I like when you talk about your pond. Makes me want one. Of course where would I put it. I’d need to improvise…a big basin with seaweed and a coupla rocks. I’d have to bribe a frog to live there.

    As for Morgan’s alleged orgasms – it’s certainly a great ad for catnip. Petco opens at 9. Will you excuse me?

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