The Surprising Pleasures of Sharing a House with a Tremendously Fat Cat

I am not lying to you when I tell you that we are not the kind of people who cater to and create fat pets. REALLY. I know that it sounds like I might be protesting too much, but I have always been a little smug when I meet people who own dogs with no waists. That is, I was smug until my beautiful Madeleine, in her save-the-wounded-bird sort of way, rescued Bingly, a rag doll cat. To prove my case, I have included photographs of our very slim animals. First, there is the curmudgeonly, bony Amber, a 14 year-old cat.

Then we have the beautiful 5 year-old Siberian Husky, Melon, shown as a lap dog with a young Madeleine. She's so slim that her ribs show in the summer. We can't get her to put on weight.

And, our newest addition is Gigi, a 9

month-old Siamese mix, another Madeleine rescue. You can see that they are all trim.

And then there is Bingly. The biggest cat I have personally ever met. She is so big, she demands adjectives. I can't just pet her and say, "How's Bingly?" I have say, "How is my bodacious, broad cat?" "Oh, my beautiful, luxurious animal." "My generous of portions pet." "Bingly, my big, beautiful, broad babe." You get the idea. Everything about her seems to evoke alliteration.

She is just big in every possible way, not just fat. I knew she was different when she was a kitten because she had short, stout legs and a shorter tail. She still has short legs, a very big, meaty face, fat velvety soft, inky black paws and a shockingly fat belly. It is no secret that she is back-end heavy.

Bingly is a completely different kind of cat. Bingly loves to hang out on her back, full belly straight up. She doesn't really meow, rather she squeaks at you in protest at whatever it is that doesn't please her. Before Bingly, I'd never heard of rag doll cats, but now I know that they are known to be obese as well as floppy. Bing will cuddle up, belly-side to the ceiling (of course) and hang for hours. In fact the only thing that shortens the stay is the fatigue your leg feels and then the exhausting numbness you experience from holding an 18-lb. cat for any length of time.

Well, she doesn't have a waist, but I love her and think she's a great as well as a completely strange, cat.

I found a great alliteration for her today after reading an article about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, she's now my Bingly Babalu. (:

Ahh! The Beautiful Passage of Time

This month, just about everyone has asked me how it feels to hit that all-important decade birthday. To be honest, it feels great. I'm not going to lie, I'm not crazy about the sprouting gray hair in my eyebrows or the delightful hormone-induced layer of belly fat, but all-in-all, I love the stage of life that I'm in and if that requires a trade in of normal monthly cycles, so be it. This month has been a month about me and I want to thank everyone for playing along. Especially Kevin. He has helped to make my birthday month extra special and I really appreciate it.

The celebrations began with the actual day. I didn't really want a present because we are preparing for the best present -- a house remodel. But we were sitting reading the Sunday paper and Kevin leaned over with a kiss and said, "Let's go to the sporting goods store. We're getting you a new ski parka and helmet." Unless you live in my skin, it's hard to understand the momentousness of this moment. Truth to tell, I have been skiing in my daughter's winter jacket that we purchased when she was twelve (a little over a decade ago). I have been riduculed by more than one person about my lack of stylishness on the slopes. So a new coat was a dreamy present.

Then Kevin asked me what I wanted to eat for my birthday dinner? Now, many people go out for birthday dinners but I can assure you, it often a much better experience just to stay home. I opted for home-made Cioppino. I confess,this is not a recipe for whimpy cooks. It is expensive and luxurious and takes a lot of time, multiple steps and many willing hands in the kitchen. But it is worth it. I was able to find our particular recipe on line. So if you are brave enough, follow this link for the Lobster and Shrimp Cioppino http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2001/10/lobster_and_shrimp_cioppino. When you read through the recipe you will know that I am spoiled.

Now for the birthday party. Kevin is a great, great cook, but not as easy in his role as party planner. So, thanks to Kelly and Karin for helping. (If anyone was omitted from the party list, I am very sorry. It was not on purpose. I didn't help a lot with the planning). Ok first of all, it was fun, fun, fun for me. Loved the warmth and kindness of the evening. And can I say that Kevin went all out for the menu? And then Kelly and Karin filled in the rest.

• Beef and Chicken Satay -- Best if marinated 24 hours in advance.
• Roasted Vegetable Terrine
• Mozzarella, Prosciutto, and Roasted Tomato Terrine
• Veggie Platter
• Apples, Grapes and Blue Cheese Dip
• Marinated Mussels
• Cured meats from Bosnia
• Assorted delicious finger foods
• And...Linzer Torte (I made the cake because I really like to make cakes)
  

I'm having a hard time getting the recipes on the blog. Email me and I'll send. It's good to be celebrated. May your birthdays be as lovely as mine! Happy 2011.

The Sure Cure to Winter Blues

Utah has been under a deep freeze since November. Slightly unseasonal, our weather has been hovering in the teens and twenties for weeks. I flew in from Orlando last night and the view from 30,000 feet up was white and frozen. Today, the view from my home office shows incandescent flakes gently filling the air.

As an avid, expert skier, Kevin is reveling in the winter freeze. While I really like to ski, I am quietly hoping for an early spring. Indoor blooms are my way to invite spring and are a great cure for winter blues. Starting to fill available east windows (as no south windows are good candidates), my plants help me enjoy spring every day.

• I started the Amarylis three weeks before Christmas and got the first bloom last Wednesday. Since my first bloom, seven additional flowers have opened. I get to enjoy at least 12 more blossoms that are still emerging from maturing stalks. Amarylis are so easy to grow. My three bulbs are sitting in a sealed glass planter atop a pile of black rocks. They like their roots wet, so I water each week.
• A newly-converted fan of orchids, this is my second set of blooms from this particular plant. Care for orchids is slightly more detailed so I'll share my tips later.
• The Paperwhites arrived as a welcome Christmas Gift. First I potted the bulbs in moistened soil and then refrigerated the plant for two weeks. Emerging from a dark, cold environment helps to force the blossoms. Now that the plant is in the open, I lightly water once a week. The first picture shows the growth after one week in the light. The second is week two. There are already buds emerging on the plant!

I look forward to hearing about your cures for the winter blues!

An Article About 2011 Food Resolutions

In the paper today, there was a great article about food new year resolutions. The journalist interviewed chefs, food purveyors, bloggers, caterers and critics about their hopes for the upcoming year. I loved the ideas -- creating more " high impact, clean" food entrees for the menu, placing beehives on their Park City ranch, and visiting Sicily to connect their cooking to the deep roots of their geneology. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50948715-76/chef-eating-lake-salt.html.csp

It got me thinking about my own food resolutions, which made me excited because I love to eat! My husband and I cook nearly every single night at home and we enjoy the process. An engineer by day, Kevin cooks to release the pressures related to defense industry manufacturing. I like to cook because it is creative, it is satisfying and frankly, I get a kick out of it. Truth be told, I get a kick out of a lot of things. The resolution article jump-started an idea that has been swimming around in my heart and soul for a long time. Food strongly represents the idea to me and that is living abundantly.

This idea of abundance bubbles up as a theme for me over and over. I've decided that abundance is my life theme, my life credo. I'm not good at it all the time. But...some of the time, I can really make it work. My resolution for 2011 and beyond is to try to make abundance evident in the way that I live life most of the time. And well, I guess with this blog, you can see if I succeed.

So what does my new year resolution mean for the theme of this blog? I thought I could write about the things that make me happy, that are fulfilling and meaningful to me. The blog will help to keep me on track and focused on what's important. Ideas that come to mind:

• Food -- Yum!


• Gardening


• Travel


• Family
• Sports


• Learning


• Projects


• Work


• Challenges


• Growth


• News Commentary


• Construction
  

Anything that strikes my fancy. I hope you'll read every once and a while. I'll have fun sharing my adventures with you!