I've been neglecting you, friends. To apologive, here are some kittens from Jeanne's barn.

(at my house) Jack, Lulu, Ace hugging Wilbur.

Look at this crazy spider!!!

Project365.

This is Omaballasiree, you may call her Oma.


Here she is, naked (after a haircut)!


Trollrabbit.

This is the Ranger that James finally purchased after an intense 6 months of searching. Our demands were high, and our search was eventually rewarded with a truck meeting all our specs, and under $5k.

The truck is very useful, for me and also for when my friends need to move a chest freezer.

Today I discovered I can lie on the porch swing. This shot was very hard to get, as I had to use a self timer and only had 10 seconds to get back in position and not be swinging wildly.


Project365 photoset

This is from a package of multi-colored carrots I got at Trader Joe's. I put them all in a crock pot with potatoes, onions, and a pot roast. We did a taste test and they all pretty much tasted the same. Still, it's important to eat all your colors!


Yesterday was yummy too.

The Kink loves to sit on the back of the couch, usually on the right side. This was my view when I woke up from a nap this afternoon. Usually she'd be sleeping on me, but I was lying on my side.

Project365 Photoset

Some Halloween decorations are kept out all year.

Today was The Captain's (captainmajority) birthday party. For his birthday Chrystal got him the drumset for his Wii. I got him the microphone, and tattoo sleeves. All evening, after a lovely chicken marsala à la Chrystal (tikifreak), we played Guitar Hero World Tour. Chrystal sits on a ball and has a big belly because she is PREGNANT!!! Due 7/28. How excited am I? More than I can even express.
Project365



Sorry for any post-dating confusion, I want these to show up in my calendar on the right dates.

Lulu the barn cat is very afraid of the sound of rain on the patio roof. So afraid that she hides in the litterbox. I don't get it. Anyway, my youngest ferret, Mom, took the rare opportunity to check out an noncombative cat. The ferret behind the litterbox is The Dude.

I cut all the ferrets' nails today, so they got a treat. They don't like any human food, or really any ferret treats. The thing they love is Ferret Lax. It's a win-win because they think they're getting a treat, and I am unclogging hairballs from their guts. Clockwise from crook of elbow: Mom, The Dude, Maude. Kitty in the background is Lulu, one of the barn cats.

I'm wearing a hospital bracelet because I had a colonoscopy today. I have a family history of colon cancer (my mother was diagnosed at 28) and a personal history of precancerous polyps. I had one removed today. For me, getting a colonoscopy every 2 years pretty much ensures that any polyps are removed while they are still in the precancerous stage. It's obviously not the most fun thing in the world, and most of my peers won't have to experience it for 30 more years, but I am grateful for this possibly life-saving procedure.

Wilbur loves to lie in this kitty bed, and has now busted all the seams.

(in between dates can be seen in my Project 365 photoset)

Today, James and I traded in our Toyota Prius, which was starting to have some problems, for a Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel). This evening, after dinner, we took it out to get some dessert.



Thank you for all your nice comments on our kitchen!!!!

James picked out this color scheme for the kitchen. I love it! I think Wilbur looks dejected because he's allergic to chicken and doesn't get any scraps. Or, he was sick of posing. I cut that chicken up and made braised chicken with scallions and oj. So good!

James called me Hippi Longstocking in this outfit. It's not actually an outfit... I was wearing the dress and only added the yellow tights and some knee socks while I was cooking because it was so cold!



And, for an LJ-only treat, the recipe! I got the recipe from this month's Everyday Food, but tweaked it a little bit.

1-2 TB olive oil
1 whole chicken, cut up into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast quarters--wings and back go in a bag in the freezer for making chicken stock)
salt
1 bunch scallions, cut once across the middle
2/3 cup oj


1) Preheat the oven to 450. In a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil. Salt the chicken, then place it in your skillet skin side down and brown, about 5 minutes.
2) Flip the chicken over, add the scallions and oj. Transfer pan to oven (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes.
3) Voila!


I serve this with baked sweet potatoes, which coincidently also cook at 450. I usually bake potatoes for about 45-50 min, so I get that started before I even begin cutting up my chicken.

A few of my friends (tikifreak, locatei) do Project 365, and I decided to start doing it too! I wish I had started on January 1, but May 10 will have to do.

I'm quite sure I won't post all 365 to LJ (I'm doing this mainly on flickr - username melissafaith), as I seem to be an LJ-deserter, but I will try to!





This is Jake. He is 7 years old, my oldest cat, and my favorite pet. He loves these chairs, and often sits on the top of the back (where his front paws are) to be up higher when he is fishing for attention. After I took this shot, he turned his head upside down and meowed.

Also, my awesome hardwood floors are in the shot! They are one of my favorite parts of my house. Unfortunately the type of wood they are, cypress, is too soft for a house with so many animals and the floors are quite scratched after only 7 months.

2008 was a very good year for me. I will try to post a month by month, but probably not tonight. Here are the books I read in 2008.

Last night I was actually home alone, and went to bed before midnight. That's really where I wanted to be. I've been waiting for this stressful holiday season to be over. We moved, hosted Halloween and Thanksgiving, went to the West Coast for a week, and Florida and then upstate NY for another week. It was a crazy 2 months. I was happy to spend the night in my own bed for once, on my own schedule. I took a long bath and finished my last book of 2008 first. I did wake up just after midnight for a minute, and that was nice.

This morning I woke happily at 9, hours early for me. I ate breakfast (yobaby, hardboiled egg, toast), did my morning routine (taking care of all the animals), and stopped at Starbucks on my way to Jeanne's. I hadn't seen her, or my horse, in weeks. We had a fun morning and I made us tuna melts for lunch in her mom's kitchen.

I stopped at Harris Teeter on my way home to pick up dinner for tomorrow. Tonight's dinner was brining in my fridge--I roasted a chicken. In the same pan were carrots, 3 kinds of mini potatoes, onions, and a sweet potato. James got me a Roomba for Christmas, and I had it vacuum my house while the chicken cooked and I hung out with the kittens and ferrets. James got home from work not long before the chicken was ready. We toasted the New Year with some champagne and chowed down. I did burn my left hand though :/ Now we're watching "Witness to Jonestown."

Today was pretty much a perfect day. Tomorrow should be good too. I have a riding lesson in the morning. I'm making chicken and tomato pasta for dinner. James will be home until night time. My floors are clean! Happy 2009!

I posted 4 photosets on my flickr since I last posted photos.

spain II
In the beginning of October, Kristy and I went on another horseback riding trip in Catalonia, Spain. This trip was not previously offered to Americans, and it was grueling! 6-8 hours of riding (and not just horse-sitting, active riding) a day, with an hour of hiking each day as well. It was totally fun, the food was fantastic, and I swam in sub-60 degree water. Wooooo. This time, all of the riders in our group were very capable and that really made a huge difference. Last time, it was slow going, and no "horse control!!" as our leader was constantly having to yell.

( spain )

If you liked those, there are almost 400 more in that photoset.

Also in that set is the day James, Rob, and I spent in London before my trip!




The other three sets will have to wait, I have to go get ready. Tonight is the French club holiday party at the Melting Pot. Mmm.