Caturday!

Quote Of The Day

image from mazaika's online collection

of vintage Soviet-era postcards

Thus times do shift; each thing his turne do's hold;

New things succeed, as former things grow old. ~ Robert Herrick

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other

After three months in residence, the New Kids are definitely two distinct personalities (I almost typed purrsonalities, but decided to spare you the pun).

Sheba is a little pistol; she climbs the curtains, pulls flowers out of vases and scatters them on the tabletop, knocks over pot plants (she smashed Petunia), chews holes in the kitty litter bags, and ambushes the dogs.  She also has decided that Reserve Cat is all hat and no trousers, and torments him whenever she gets a chance.

Sheba's favorite pastime is to dash at top speed from the kitchen to the living room without touching the floor.  I have no doubt that when summer comes and we start letting them outside, she's going to be the one dragging home rabbits twice her size and still living.

Minnie is whiny, clingy, greedy, and a scaredy-cat. Having said that -- she likes to cuddle and hasn't broken anything.

Yet.

Grrrsday

Crochet - A Belt and Purse From 1953

From the January, 1953 issue of Workbasket, a belt and purse in crochet.  One page of instructions on my Flickr account.

"Where is he that is born King of the Jews?"

...for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. ~ Matthew 2:2

Caturday!

The annual holiday dilemma...

Quote Of The Day

Mathematicians are like Frenchmen.  Whatever you say to them they translate into their own language, and forthwith it is something entirely different. ~ Goethe

Boys Will Be Boys

Chunk had his second eval for therapy dog certification this evening at the county nursing home.  He did very well (we've been working on his indiscriminate kissing habits), sat nicely for a dozen little old ladies fondling his ears, made friends with the staff, lay down quietly between visits, and didn't try to climb in anyone's lap.

(Okay, he got a bit pawsy with a male nurse but cut it out when I corrected him).

Then on the way out the door he lifted his leg on a laundry cart.

The Cone Of Shame

Poor Batdog. To add insult to injury, he's scaring the cats.

Edited to add:  He's feeling better, in fact he's figured out how to scoop up his ball with it.  The cats are still afraid of it, though.

Ready Or Not?

Man, I'm glad I don't live in Idaho.  What's your state's readiness score?

Vintage Holidays - Edwardian Christmas Cards

Copyright-free, from Dover.

Caturday!

Quote Of The Day

A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. ~ William James

Grrrsday

How Snow Affects Flyover Country

In other news, we now have a working furnace.

Caturday!

Kittehs Roasting By An Open Fire

Roasting by an enclosed woodstove, rather.  I'd be down there with them if I were skinny enough.

I can't believe that furnace only lasted 21 years.  They just don't make 'em like they used to.

This Can't End Well

I have three cats in my lap.

The Malevolence of Inanimate Objects

image from instructables.com

Our furnace stopped working sometime Tuesday night.  The technician, a nice young former SeaBee, was out yesterday afternoon and replaced various bits and pieces and by the time Brian got home we had heat again.

Around midnight the damned thing switched from producing heat to pumping out cold air and it is 54° in here.  The tech is back and I can only imagine what this trip is going to cost us.

Update:  The new furnace will be installed Monday. Thank God for that wood-burning stove.

All Is Forgiven

He got up in my lap and lay down on top of my knitting.

Sam's Cross (Tatting from 1953)

Sam's very well-done version of this cross, of which she was kind enough to send me a photo. It's always nice when someone actually uses one of the patterns that's posted here!

He Is So Not Speaking To Me

On top of all of the other wanton cruelties I've inflicted on Reserve Cat in the last ten months, I stepped on him this afternoon.

Vintage Images - Newell's Bakery and Restaurant

I have no idea where I got this -- it may have fallen out of a recently-purchased vintage cookbook.  Look at those prices!

A Hostile Environment

In spite of 3" of snow, our hardy band made it to a Girl Scout camp in Woodford County for their Zombie Apocalypse/Emergency preparedness event today. The CDC has the right idea. 

Caturday!

Reincarnation?

Someone has figured out that if she lies on top of the kitchen stool, she's at just the right height to reach out and smack the dogs' ears when they walk by.

The Company I Keep

Our Red Cross chapter meeting is held on the fourth Monday of every month.  It's at 6pm, and since September, Chunk has been attending a K9 Life Skills class (aka Good Manners for Bad Dogs) each Monday at 7:30 at the kennel club.  

Because I had to go directly to class afterwards, I received permission to bring him to last two meetings with me.  Other than crawling up in the lap of the youngest and prettiest volunteer to lick her face whenever she lets him (there's a reason we call him the Kissing Bandit at home), he's been quite well-behaved.

Class is over until January (he passed. Really) so I went to the meeting alone tonight.  The cry was unanimous -

"Where's Chunk?"

Vintage Advertising - Campbell's Soup

From The American magazine, January 1934.

And Then She Added The Tuna

Hawaiian Tuna Puffs was a winner that year (1961) in the Main Dish category. Note the ubiquitous General Mills product placement.

"Melt 1/2 cup Land O'Lakes butter or other shorting in 1 cup boiling water in saucepan.

Add 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Chrystal Slat and 1 cup sifted Pillsbury's Best All Purpose Flour all at once.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture leaves sides of pan and is smooth and compact, about 2 minutes.

Blend in 4 unbeaten eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously after each until mixture is smooth and glossy.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Do not underbake. Turn off oven. Prick with sharp knife for escape stem; leave in oven 10 minutes to dry out.  Cool; split and fill."

(So far, so good.  Unfortunately, the inventor couldn't be happy with anything so mundane as creamed chicken or shrimp.  No, she had to go ahead and come up with --)

"TUNA-PINEAPPLE FILLING

Saute 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1/2 cup chopped green pepper in 2 tablespoons Land O'Lakes butter.  Add 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup Pet Evaporated Milk and 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Chrystal Salt.  Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add two 7-oz cans tuna, 1 cup drained crushed pineapple and 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese.  Reheat or served chilled."

This may be even worse than Silver Salad.

Caturday!

Quote Of The Day

image from Pinterest

And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; and sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. ~ Psalm 107

It's Good To Know Who Your Friends Are

Christmas Crafts - A Pointsettia Lapel Pin From 1952

The last project from the December, 1952 issue of Workbasket magazine, a felt lapel pin.  One page of instructions can be found on my Flickr account.

And You Thought Making A Bed Around Kittens Was Tough

Edited to add: Then he sends for reinforcements.
Edited to add further: I caught Reserve Cat playing with Minnie today.  Not for very long and he ran away when he saw me but still?

Cooks and Cookbooks

Ladies Lunching from the January, 1919 Delineator

I have recently acquired another lot of vintage 50s/60s/70's cookbooks, all of them published by/for a major food company or magazine publisher.  Many of the recipes aren't bad (especially for cakes and cookies) but there are some lulus. I was trying to find the one for Hawaiian Tuna Puffs (chief ingredients pineapple, tuna and cheddar cheese) but I guess that will have to wait for another Sunday.  In the meantime, here's a ladies' luncheon favorite from Better Homes and Gardens Jiffy Cooking circa 1973.

"CURRIED TUNA AND PEAS. Blend 1/2 cup milk,into one 10 1/2 ounce can condensed cream of mushroomsoup. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder and heat to boiling  Carefully stir in one 6 1/2 to 7 ounce can tuna, drained, nd 1 cup frozen peas.  Cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Serve over hot cooked rice.  Makes 4 servings."

There Are Probably More Useful Occupations

...in this world than watching a kitten stalk a ladybug.

(but few that are as much fun).

Caturday!

RHIP

Messages You Don't Get In The City

"Dave B* will be by sometime today with a dead deer's head, I said he could put it in my freezer."

Quote Of The Day

When life gives you lemons, you probably deserved them. ~ Sgt Tim Cotton

Grrrrsday

Children's Crafts - Junior Workbasket Projects from 1952

From the December, 1952 Workbasket, a few simple gifts for children to make.  One page of instructions can be found on my Flickr account.

Vintage Predictions

From Popular magazine, August 1930. Left-click to enlarge.

Caturday!

The 11th Day

I believe...that if our country ever comes to trial again, young men will spring up equal to the occasion, and if one fails, there will be another to take his place. ~ Ulysses S. Grant.

November 10th, 1775

Happy birthday, Marines.

The Morning After

The country's survived 240 years, I daresay it will survive another four.  In the meantime, I'm reading Anna Buchan; I find her very soothing.

Crochet - Earmuffs from 1952

From the December, 1952 issue of Workbasket magazine, a quick crochet project - earmuffs. One page of instructions may be downloaded from my Flickr account.

Vintage Advertising - Armstrong Linoleum

Lovely colors in these old ads. This one's from a 1922 Woman's Home Companion, available from Google Books as a free download.

Identity Crisis

Before the New Kids arrived, we were concerned about keeping them away from Reserve Cat's food, and vice versa. As it turns out, a combination of strategic food dish location and hyper-vigilance prevented this. Nothing daunted, they have started eating the dogs' food, with consequent impact on their bowels.  

(Just to see what would happen I put a dish of kitten chow next to a dish of kibble.  They went straight for the kibble. They think they're very small German Shepherds, maybe?)

We feed Batdog and Chunk in the morning and the evening. They are both snackers and nibble at their food throughout the day. Hiding their dishes from the kittens isn't going to work.

Help?