Ode to Lleulu

 Being home sick last week I got to spend a lot of time with Lleulu. She was pretty good most of the time, curling up in the corner of the couch or on a chair nearby. I thought that it was time for me to update you on her adventures in our home. 

Lleulu is a very active kitty. She loves to play "horsey", during which she gallops from end of the house to the other. Sometimes she'll slide to a stop and turn around and do it again. She is also a pro at the high jump. I mean, she will get a couple feet of air while trying to catch the laser pointer. Very entertaining!

Don't tell Lleulu that I told you guys, but she is not a very graceful little lady. She often falls off of the couch while trying to show off her tight rope walking abilities. She has even been seen falling off of the coffee table while lying down. She does, however, lay down in a matter that demands the attention of all. Paws forward belly out, that is the way she rolls. And she has an amazing trick. You will have to come over to see it sometime.

I got to thinking about Lleulu today because this weekend she has been especially naughty. Maybe she has eaten too much banana bread (her treat of choice) or is just a bit cranky. Who knows? She has clawed Dave, twice. She bit me last night when I told her to stop playing with my pen. All of this to say, how do you discipline a cat? The spray bottle doesn't work. She will look at it and then drink out of your glass! She is very bold. Did I mention that? We have also tried holding her every time she acts out. We get to love on her, but it doesn't change her behavior. 

We finally came to the conclusion that Lleulu will be put in time out. If it works for a toddler it can work for a cat, right? Time out will be in her carrier. She has been put in there twice last night and once today! Naughty kitty. The thing that cracks me up is that now Lleulu puts herself in time out. It seems to be her new sleeping/quiet place. At first it seemed that she was proclaiming herself to be a good kitty. (She has a hard time telling us this, although she has no problems begging! Her word of choice is ME! Dave and I are Certain that she says "mmeeeeee" when she is begging.) Maybe it is her space that we can not invade. I think it is weird. If it changes her behavior I am all about it.

Here is to Lleulu. Good or bad, we still love you. 

P.s. I have to tell you that every time I think about Lleulu falling off of the coffee table I crack up! I just read my post and cracked up again...... and Lleulu is back in her carrier trying to convince us that she is a good kitty.

Lleulu's photos are courtesy of my sister, Kristie. She is doing this professionally now. She really has a way working with babies, kids and animals. Check her work out at www.turningleafdesigns.com

Blech

Well, my horrible cold turned into bronchitis. I have been on the couch for 3 1/2 days now. Today I have a bit of energy. I have folded laundry, during which I felt every ache in my back and shoulders. Geez. Maybe I will soak them in a bath later. 

I think that the worst part of all of this is not being able to do anything and the awful taste that the antibiotics make in my mouth. It has been quite awhile since I did nothing for 3 days! Dave has been wonderful, taking care of me, making me chamomile tea and cleaning up. 

Lleulu was scared of my cough at first. She is back to normal now curled up beside me. I just looked over and her head is covered in dirt! She looks like she just visited an ash Wednesday service. I think that she has been digging in her cat grass pot. Time to move it outside! I can't have her digging in my plants.

I have been watching my seeds grow. My tomatoes have finally sprung their second set of leaves! Dill, basil,and pak choi have sprouted beautifully. I am hoping that the warmth of the laundry today will give the eggplant and jalepeno seeds the boost they need to get sprouting. I might start some flower seeds this afternoon if I feel like it. That is  pretty low key and relaxing. 

One more day at home, then back to work. I have needed these days. It seemed like a long time to be out of work at first. Now I see that the doctor was right and I need the time to heal. 

I was hoping to get some beans in the ground, but it looks like rain this weekend. More rest for me I suppose. That's a good thing. I am off to fold some more laundry, eat lunch and rest! Happy Tuesday!

Ugh

Such a beautiful day, and I am stuck inside. I came down with a horrible cold yesterday. It brought me to tears last night and is keeping me inside today. Dave took good acre of me last night and this morning. I was supposed to attend  a baby shower for a dear friend this morning. I suppose that we will have to see each other another day. I am not leaving the house, at least today.

It is so lovely outside. I am eager to work in the yard and prepare for spring planting. I will write more soon. I have to go rest. I hope that you are enjoying your weekend!

Back to Gardening

All of the warm weather has lead my thoughts back to the garden. Mom and Dad have decided to go ahead with a garden this year, even though fall and winter have been rough for them. Mom is healing well. So ahead we go with our plans! 

We are revamping a bit this year after the knowledge that we gained from our garden last year. No corn this year. You have to plant a lot of it for it to be worth it. Our bean of choice this year is the Half Runner. This is the old timer's favorite. It has a high yield and a great beany flavor. Dad and I will start on the new trellises sometime soon! We have also decided that we need to plant more okra! It is our favorite vegetable and fresh taste the best. 

We are also trying to get our garden started earlier this year. I think that last year we didn't get moving on it until late May. This year we are shooting to have our beans and beets in the ground around the first of April, along with our cool weather crops, and everything else by the end of April. My baby tomatoes are hanging in there and should be ready for the ground by mid-late April. I have also stared some seed for eggplant, jalepeno, basil, cilantro, oregano, dill and marjoram. They should be ready to go in the ground at the middle-end of April. I might start a few more things in a week or two that are quick growers, like squash and cucumbers. 

I love working in the garden. I love even more that I get to spend all of that time with my parents. What great memories we are building together! There is also something great about sharing the fruit of our labor together. To sit down at the table and eat what we have grown is a true blessing. 

I am very thankful that I grew up in my Papa's garden. That is my Mom's dad. Every summer I remember planting the corn. That was the kids job. After he passed away my parents always had a small garden. I remember picking radishes and their hot sweet taste on my tongue. Thanks Mom and Dad for instilling in me a love for the land and what comes from it. 

Speaking of memories, I am about to undertake quite a task. My cousins and I have decided to transfer all of our grandmother's slides to digital images. We used to spend hours and hours in front of the slide projector looking at images from Oklahoma, Florida, Disney, us as babies, weddings and road trips. I had the idea to put these images on the small screen, and for that I get the task of scanning each and every slide. This sounds easy right? Well, not quite. First we had to find the slides. They were hidden in the depths of Nana's house. Well, they have been found. All 25+ carousels of slides. 25 times 50 or so slides....... you get the idea. I know where a few spare minutes here and there will be spent every day! When we make the first DVD of slides and show it to Nana, it will be worth it. And we are preserving our memories. 

I guess that the rain today is telling me to start scanning! I also have the desire to get my sewing room in order. It is a wreck! And Dave is moving his soldering work in there as well. We have to make room. It might be moving day between rooms in the Sutton house!

I hope that you have a great weekend and some great time in the yard this week too! Don't let the rain get you down. Spring will be here soon!

Whew

I am tired. Today I let perfect strangers come and dig plants out of my yard. I thought that surely someone would want them. Who knew that people LOVE monkey grass so much? Take it. You can have it. Most of my other stuff didn't get quite as loved, but maybe some one will want the forsythia. I am hoping so. 

I had forgotten how tired watching other people work can make you. Granted, I did a bit of yard work here and there, making sure that they didn't run off with a hydrangea or quince. Dave admitted to thinking that I was crazy to think that people wanted our poor neglected plants. He said he was amazed that they wanted it! Yay for Freecyle! I posted my offering and people responded. I think that I will post my plants again. I would rather someone take them than just hacking them to pieces myself. 

Now I need to go grocery shopping and come up with some dinner. I am thinking about sleeping! Ha! And the time change happens tonight? I already have a hard time staying up past 8p.m. I will really be an old lady starting tomorrow, but the extra light at night will be nice. More time to work in the yard and on the house. Yay!

Ok, I have to get moving or I won't leave the house again today. I hope that you all had a great Saturday and enjoyed the sunshine. I took the time to soak up mine.