Double Bind

Conversation in my household tonight:

Me: Here's a quote from Oscar Wilde: A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her.

Him: (Laughter - a good belly laugh.)

Me: Do you love me?

Him: (Silence.)

"List 7 things that you love, and then pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you love!"

OK, here's my list of seven things, with apologies to Virginia Gal for taking so long to get around to it! I, too, will not list the obvious things, like family and friends and pizza and pets.

1. VACATION: away, at home, whatever!
2. A well-written book.
3. Quiet. It's so rare.
4. Snowfall.
5. The wind. There's nothing like standing on the deck of a moving ship, or on a hill, and feeling the wind wash over you.
   
6. Valentine's Day.
7. Hope.

I'm sure I'd come up with a different list on another day, but this one is just as good and just as true as any I could construct. I won't tag anyone, I never do.

Daisy and Muttley

Caesar For a Day

We decided that the canoe should be moved today. It was sitting on the spot where we plan to till a strip and put in some azaleas (or something). The conversation in our house just a few minutes ago went something like this:

"Hey, there's a mouse in the canoe! What should I do with it?"

"Chase it out and let it go."

"I can kill it - you want me to kill it?"

"No, let it go, as long as it heads for the woods and not the house."

"You wanna see it?"

"Well, OK."

Sure enough, a little grey mouse was stranded in the now-upright canoe.

"Tip it so it can get out."

The mouse scampered off into the woods.

"Hey, look, there's another mouse! There's a Mama mouse and another baby!"

Mama and baby # 2 scampered off into the woods, as well.

So I got to be Caesar and give a big thumbs up to Ms. Mouse and family today. Too bad I had just seen a cat lurking out there in the woods a few minutes earlier...

Muttley

For Virginia Gal: Yes, Muttley is a Hanna-Barbera character from my childhood. This is a brief series of clips of the Muttley I grew up watching.

Here is the best I can do for a pic of Daisy and Muttley together. Right now, Muttley is recovering from a rite-of-passage medical procedure, complete with bedrest and an Elizabethan collar. He has to avoid strenuous activity for a week or two, so he has to be kept away from Daisy. They roughhouse a bit too much for his safety. There won't be new pics of them together for a little while.

Fave Foto Friday and All That Jazz

Here's the latest member of the family. This little fellow is 6 months old. He came to us from a family member who couldn't take care of him. He puts the Energizer Bunny to shame when it comes to his activity level. He gets along really well with our Daisy. He needs a new name, since the old one doesn't really work for us. Right now he goes by Muttley, which will probably stick forever as his nickname.

Just Right Night

I took the dog out a little while ago. It's just right out there: cold but not bitter (36.6 degrees, according to my remote thermometer). There's no wind, and it's clear and beautiful. It's not damp out there at all tonight, so the cold isn't bone-chilling. The stars are out, and Orion is hanging low over my back yard. I wore my dog-walking coat - a big old faux fur. It's the coziest thing I own.

I hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's Day. I came home from work tonight and started cooking: beef stew with Guinness, colcannon and store-bought Irish soda bread. I must admit that this is the first time I've ever had to cook leeks in milk for a recipe! They're in the colcannon, along with cabbage, mashed potatoes and spices. The soda bread was good with butter on it, but it was not nearly as good as the homemade soda bread I had at work today. It was made by a co-worker. What a treat!

We finally sat down to eat at about 8:30, and I finished cleaning up at 9:30. That's OK. I haven't been sleeping well lately, but I have the feeling I'll sleep like a baby tonight!