Wishes that you had a good Yule (morning writing, cats, dawg, f&f)

[elainegrey]

We had a pleasant holiday. I am very thankful for my relationship with my sister. We had a long phone call before our households woke, and a walk together later in the day. I am well aware how special our relationship is.  Christine and i also joined her family and my Dad for gift exchanges, Swedish pancakes and (Norwegian -- from her husband's side) Sandbakkels (lovely sugar cookies baked into domes). I'll just note Mom didn't go all Swedish heritage until after i was in college, so only a few things i remember from my born-to-Swedish-parents great aunts and grandmother hint to their Swedish heritage. They were encouraged to assimilate.

Yesterday we took Bruno to the vet to find out whether there's an infection or similar causing his urination. It's probably psychological, and we have gone all in on Feliway, which seems to be the general advice. We'll try a little kitty prozac. I occasionally try to sedate Marlowe with gabapentin (days i won't spend working in the same room with Bruno).  Sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't. Wish i knew what would make that reliable, so we could expose them to each other without Marlowe going all special forces on Bruno. Carrie Dog had a panic attack Friday morning. Poor pups. I did feel a bit like this is the household of misfit beings, yesterday morning, but we can be a refuge for these beings and ourselves.

For Yule Christine has given me a maslin pan, which is the answer to the question: what type pot is wide enough to get all the jam and jelly to the right temperature while also not boiling over? Deep stock pots are not the answer. After reading rhapsodic accounts of jelly made in 100% copper pans, then reading why it's safe -- high sugar content buffers the acids in fruits -- i chose the more practical stainless steel. That should make jelly, jam, and fig leather prep next year more pleasurable.

I managed to pass on some Frankoma Plainsman green dishes to my sister, who missed out on the 70s overdose of avocado green. I knocked the handle off one of my Pfaltzcraft Heritage Christmas mugs as i got them out for the first time since, i dunno, pre pandemic? Pre Mom's stroke? I think it will glue back OK. I am trying to decided if i should just ditch it. I also broke a ramekin (and thinking back a broke a 4 oz jelly jar).

Meanwhile, time passes. Myself and all around me slowly giving over to entropy.

Comments

[tamena]

mugs with broken handles make GREAT plant pots if you drill a hole in the bottom, or water catchers for a insert pot =)
had to look up the pan, that's cool!
cat box issues - have you tried kitten litter? Dr Elsey's makes one and Petco carries much the same thing at about half the cost, it's a very soft litter with attractant in it and it was the only thing Karma would use reliably
Feliway is a good investment, there was a spray (not infuser) that Thunderease made that we found worked well too, there are tons of sprays out there and might be worth looking at, they don't need an outlet and you can spray specific things
I'm happy your holiday was pleasant, that seems to be a trend I'm seeing a lot between here and FB. Maybe this bodes well for the new year, a shift in the way things have been going for so many people. Wouldn't that be amazing?