cat

Our new cat doesn't have an official name. But he does have a tongue.

"Cloud" or "Orange" or "Cream" have been brought up as options. But nobody remembers from day to day what they named him previously. I suggested "Napoleon".

He has happily taken up residence in the barn feed room. Which is a perfect spot for a cat because not too many months ago a large and prolific rat family took up residence there.

Molly the dog is aware of his residence here but since he is full-grown and has claws that work, she seems to respect such.  Molly has a rather checkered past when it comes to small kittens. She successfully cleaned out 18 one spring. And she hasn't been completely exonerated from charges stemming from a fatal injury inflicted to a kitten we acquired last year.

Don't get me wrong. I will be the first to say that cats are a dime a dozen. The gore of injured and maimed animals is what has prevented us from gathering a cat collection. So "Cream" here has the prestigious honor of test cat. If he can make it, we'll look to add some more to the collection.

september birthdays

We celebrated Grandma's birthday with strawberry cake and curly candles last night.

Two days earlier, we celebrated Priya's half birthday with apple crumble. She peeled and cut most of the apples.

duck weather

Here is the situation just a mile or two south of us. And the situation 2/3 of a mile east of us. And the situation two miles north of us.

So you see we have a lot of water running everywhere. And we've talked about being tempted, if we didn't have four small children, to see how far we could get in the canoe. And school is two hours late this morning. For seven inches of rain. But, if this translated to snow, we'd have 70 inches. All in one 24-hour session.

un-faith

And then Andrea Seu writes this and I'm found wanting. She calls it "un-faith."

We're discussing Jerry Bridges "Respectable Sins" in Sunday School.

I believe this would fall into that category.

Have you noticed that sin is completely unfashionable to discuss in polite company?

I know I'm not cheating on my husband and I haven't stolen any mink furs or jewelry from the department store as far as the ten commandments are concerned, but other bothersome lists crop up all over the Bible.

Ephesians 4:29 bothers me with, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building other up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." So the rant I gave Sam this morning after he strung old wet coffee grounds through two rooms wasn't exactly or even remotely building him up.

Then I zip up to verse 17, 18 and 19 where I'm reminded not to live in the "futility" of Gentile thinking caused by heart hardening which results in loss of sensitivity. Hmmm....so spending my time looking for what is permissible, instead of what is beneficial as a Christian would probably fit in that category. Who have I caused to stumble by justifying some grayish, toe-the-very-edge-of-the-line sort of things that aren't "bad" like murder and theft but aren't focusing my attention on serving my Savior or pointing those around me in a Jesus direction?

Then there is all the air time I waste rationalizing my grayish behaviors. Talking, talking about how they need to change. Not talking, talking to the only One who can assist me out of my rut.

The three walks I took yesterday when I had the wide open opportunity don't make up for my lack of discipline on a regular basis when clearing my head with a walk and a talk with my Savior actually take effort.

My impatience at training and correcting my passel of children doesn't give me a free pass to complain to anyone else about my woes. It really does very little good.

Oh that I could be regularly reminded of my wretchedness. The little respectable sins that are stinking up my life stuffed around in the corners need some regular disinfecting.

accomplishments

Everytime she can get her hands on one, Ellie takes advantage of eating a tomato or two. She's also a big fan of potatoes, raw and cooked.

On the list of accomplishments every four year old should complete, a pirate ship is definitely one. Sam successfully and painstakingly painted and repainted this one.

And speaking of accomplishments, Ellie successfully snagged not one, but TWO pumpkin muffins this morning. She seemed really proud of herself for doing so.

browned

Thanks to Martha I learned something last night preparing supper.

If you want something fried in or on a pan to get brown, they can't touch.

That's revolutionary. I'm still not over how simple that principle is. Because I make chunks of potatoes baked or fried pretty often. Which also would explain why all of us look the way we do, but it has to be better when you put your own chosen oil and potatoes grown out back in or on a pan than ones you cut open the bag and throw in or on a pan, right?

But last night I was making zucchini and summer squash chunks (a real recipe) with yellow pepper chunks (my addition) in a fry pan. And there on the recipe, the question I have wondered and wondered about, was answered: how do you keep potatoes or any other vegetable from turning to mush besides not cooking the daylights out of it?

But my search for recipes yielded good old Martha's site with a section of 58 recipes using zucchini. Number 17 is "sauteed zucchini and yellow squash with mint". And there at the top of the recipe it says this: "When cooking this dish, do not crowd the vegetables, or they will steam instead of browning. If your skillet is not large enough, cook them in two batches."

There you have it. Right in plain site. Thanks Martha.And with a little lemon and the mint, it was good.

That really should qualify me to have a cooking show now, right. Now if only I can manage to make macaroni and cheese without yielding wallpaper paste.

on the first day of first grade

She said she didn't get her name on the board or get any checks behind it. She and her classmates made dirt cups for a snack. And she didn't have to color, concluding that in first grade she doesn't have to color anymore.