My Heart Has Been Broken Once Again

So, toward the end of June, both Greymalkin & Nightshade had managed to escape the house by breaking out the side panels to the window unit A/C. I couldn't get wither of them back into the house for love or money. Nightshade would just stay out of reach. Malkin would come up to me for cuddles, but fight to get loose when I tried to take him back inside and then run away again.

After 2 weeks of this, I gave up. They were both coming back to the house to eat/drink from the bowls that the feral kitties were using, so I knew they weren't starving. The weather was uncomfortable to me, but not nearly as horrible as it had been for the last few years, so they were ok that way. Both of them were smart enough to go under my car, or under the house, or onto the neighbor's shaded porch if they got too hot or it was raining.

Then we left for the reunion in NC and poor Malkin lost his mind. I had made sure that Helen next door AND 2 officers knew my cats were outside and had them check on their food/water supplies for the 4 days we were gone. Helen said Malk would meow at her, but not come eat.

We got home and I went looking for the little nimrod. Nightshade had started coming and doing figure eights around my ankles, but still wasn't ready to come in. Finally, after walking up/down the street and calling for 20 minutes, my sweet boy appeared. He looked awful. He's been a fat little butterball for so many years, and now he was MARKEDLY thinner. I tried to pick him up for a cuddle and he hissed at me and ran away.

He spent most of July in hiding and looked thinner every time I saw him. He occasionally came out when I put out fresh food & water, but wouldn't eat or drink. And wouldn't let me touch him. I think he felt that I'd abandoned him and he wasn't willing to let me make it up to him. Nightshade, on the other hand, was finally showing signs of wanting to come inside.


Two weeks ago, Malkin was lying in the driveway when I came home from a Saturday lunch with a friend. He meowed at me when I got out of the car, and it was the most pitiful little sound I've ever heard. I knelt down beside him and was shocked to see that I could count his ribs. I picked him up- he let me- and cuddled him and he began to purr for me. I tried to carry him inside, and he jumped out of my arms and nearly knocked himself silly when he landed on the concrete. I picked him up again and sat on the porch with him for a long time, cradling him against me and listening to him purr. He drank some water when I held the bowl up to him, but wouldn't eat. I put him down to go in and get the cat carrier, because I decided he was going to the vet.

I was in the house maybe 2 minutes. He vanished in that time and I haven't seen him since. I've spent hours walking through my neighborhood & calling to him with no luck. I've called the animal shelters to see if someone turned him in, and they don't have him. Nightshade started staying in the front yard the day he disappeared, instead of roaming like she had been. Last weekend, she allowed me to pick her up, take her inside, and she's been indoors since then.


I think I've lost my sweet grey boy, and it's killing me. I should never have let him stay outside in the first place, so I have no one to blame but myself. I honestly think that last afternoon was his way of saying goodbye to me. I hope wherever he is, his beautiful soul is at peace and he knows how much I truly loved him.

Foodie Friday- Garlic-Yogurt Baked Chicken

originally found here:

Ingredients

4 chicken breast halves
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions

Lightly pound chicken just enough to even it out; do not pound it thin.
Place chicken in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine garlic, yogurt, and thyme; mix until combined.
Pour yogurt mixture over chicken; mix until chicken is thoroughly coated.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 375.
Grease a baking pan with cooking spray.
Remove chicken from bowl and shake off any excess; discard yogurt mixture.
Transfer chicken to prepared baking pan.
Sprinkle panko bread crumbs over chicken breasts.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until chicken is done.
Remove from oven.
Serve.


I had it with oven roasted asaparagus (baked at the same time!) and rice, but green beans would be good too. Or mashed potatoes.

Monthly Goals- Utter Failure

So here were the July-recycled-from June goals


1. Move back into the main bedroom

2. still trying to excavate Laundry Mountain

3. clean out current bedroom

4. create order out of the 5 boxes & innumerable bags of stitch stash

5. take another box of books to Half Price Books

6. Finish the birthday card I started stitching for Uncle John LAST year so I can give it to him THIS year.

7. take 3 bags of culled wardrobe items to Goodwill



I didn't get a single damned one of them done.



Attempting a new list for August:

1. Watch Thor:Dark World

2. Get main bedroom vacuumed

3. Tidy living room

4. Watch Season one of Grimm

5. Go here: on/near my birthday

Song Lyric Wednesday, take 2

This time it's Rixton:

"Me And My Broken Heart"

[Chorus:]
All I need's a little love in my life
All I need's a little love in the dark
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart
I need a little loving tonight
Hold me so I'm not falling apart
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart

Yeah...

[Verse 1:]
Shot gun, aimed at my heart, you got one
Tear me apart and then some
How do we call this love
I try to run away but your eyes
Tell me to stay, oh why,
Why do we call this love

[Pre-Chorus:]
It seems like we've been losing control
Somebody tell me I'm not alone
When I say

[Chorus:]
All I need's a little love in my life
All I need's a little love in the dark
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart
I need a little loving tonight
Hold me so I'm not falling apart
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart

[Verse 2:]
Maybe some part of you just hates me
You pick me up and play me
How do we call this love?
One time tell me you need me tonight
To make it easy, you lie
And say it's all for love

[Pre-Chorus:]
It seems like we've been losing control
Somebody tell me I'm not alone
When I say

[Chorus:]
All I need's a little love in my life
All I need's a little love in the dark
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart
I need a little loving tonight
Hold me so I'm not falling apart
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart

[Bridge:]
Whoa oh, whoa oh
Me and my broken heart
Whoa oh, whoa oh
Me and my broken
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Me and my broken)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
How do we call this?

It's just me
It's just me
It's just me
Me and my broken heart

[Chorus:]
All I need's a little love in my life
All I need's a little love in the dark
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart
I need a little loving tonight
Hold me so I'm not falling apart
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start
Me and my broken heart

File Under Things I Will Never Try Again

1. Mikesells Smoked Bacon flavored potato chips
They smell like bacon. They vaguely taste like bacon & fake mesquite. Then the salt from the first 5 you eat hits and you drink a gallon of water in 15 seconds.


2. Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider
I'm not much of a drinker anyway, especially now with my assorted cocktail of medications. But I do like soft cider and have had one or two hard ciders that I thought were tasty. This was not one of them. Now I have 4 bottles left in my fridge and no clue what to do with them. The 6 pack was too expensive to just pour them down the drain. I may try adding some to homemade applesauce or something.


3. Knitting
I suck so badly at it that even one of the hand loom things can't help me.


4. Dating anyone more than 5 years younger than me. Unless it's Tom Hiddleston.
Nothing kills a mood faster than hearing a song you loved in high school on the radio and hearing your date say "I think I was 3 when that came out." (Not a recent experience, but I'm still traumatized by it)


5. Streaking
My ex-college roommate/partner in crime & I streaked around the bell tower at UNC our freshman year. Only the friends we were with saw us, thankfully, and it was an unique experience, but NOT one I will ever repeat. Especially with my 40-something body. Things jiggle a bit more.


6. Almond Oolong Tea
Got to pick a free sample with my last Teavana order. I like almonds, so I thought maybe it would be good. It wasn't. I'm guess I'm just not a flavored tea person.

Foodie Friday- Skillet Cheesy Gnocchi with Peas and Ham

I found this online somewhere and cannot take credit for the recipe, but my goodness it's tasty!


Skillet Cheesy Gnocchi with Peas and Ham
yield: 2-4 SERVINGS prep time: 10 MINUTES cook time: 20 MINUTES total time: 30 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound gnocchi
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1-1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
7 ounces small diced ham

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add in gnocchi and cook until they float to the top. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
Place a large high sided skillet over medium heat and add the butter.
Once the butter is melted add in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Whisk in flour until combined.
Slowly whisk in the milk until completely combined. Whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth and starts to thicken slightly. Lower the heat to low.
Add in all the cheese, peas and ham. Stir together until the cheese is melted. Stir in gnocchi and serve warm.

Note: If the sauce becomes a little too thick simply add a bit more milk to help loosen up the mixture.

An alternate to making your own sauce would be to use a jar of store bought Alfredo sauce. I’d add extra Parmesan & Asiago to it, fresh ground black pepper, and possibly some Italian seasoning or fresh chopped herbs. Oh, yes, I almost forgot- saute chopped garlic & some finely chopped onion in butter or olive oil, the add the Alfredo!

Song Lyric Wednesday

Couldn't think of anything original to post, so here are the lyrics to a Train song that I like:

"50 Ways To Say Goodbye"

My heart is paralyzed
My head was oversized
I'll take the high road like I should
You said it's meant to be
That it's not you, it's me
You're leaving now for my own good

That's cool, but if my friends ask where you are I'm gonna say

She went down in an airplane
Fried getting suntanned
Fell in a cement mixer full of quicksand
Help me, help me, I'm no good at goodbyes!
She met a shark under water
Fell and no one caught her
I returned everything I ever bought her
Help me, help me, I'm all out of lies
And ways to say you died

My pride still feels the sting
You were my everything
Some day I'll find a love like yours (a love like yours)
She'll think I'm Superman
Not super minivan
How could you leave on Yom Kippur?

That's cool, but if my friends ask where you are I'm gonna say

She was caught in a mudslide
Eaten by a lion
Got run over by a crappy purple Scion
Help me, help me, I'm no good at goodbyes!
She dried up in the desert
Drowned in a hot tub
Danced to death at an east side night club
Help me, help me, I'm all out of lies
And ways to say you died

I wanna live a thousand lives with you
I wanna be the one you're dying to love...
But you don't want to

That's cool, but if my friends ask where you are I'm gonna say
That's cool, but if my friends ask where you are I'm gonna say

She went down in an airplane
Fried getting suntanned
Fell in a cement mixer full of quicksand
Help me, help me, I'm no good at goodbyes!
She met a shark under water
Fell and no one caught her
I returned everything I ever bought her
Help me, help me, I'm all out of lies

She was caught in a mudslide
Eaten by a lion
Got run over by a crappy purple Scion
Help me, help me, I'm no good at goodbyes!
She dried up in the desert
Drowned in a hot tub
Danced to death at an east side night club
Help me, help me, I'm all out of lies
And ways to say you died