Baby Fritzy - What did you do with the Glove?

There are days when Fritzy does not chew.  Then there was last week.  I came home to find the remains of my hair brush decorating the floor.  I looked at the chunks of plastic pieces and asked Dan, "What did she chew up today?"

"It was only your hair brush."

I explained calmly that if he's not going to supervise her, he'd have to start cleaning up after her.  At this point I'm not sure which one of the juvenile delinquents I most want to throttle.

When I went out on the back porch I found one of Dan's gloves lying on the floor.  It was still intact - just missing it's mate.  I asked Dan, "Where's your gloves?"  He answered that they were in the living room by his chair."  I just smiled and handed him the one I found.

Later I caught her playing with matches. Can arson be far behind?  She had hit Tom's tobacco stash and stolen a book of matches. My little thief didn't stop there.  She took two of his caps.  Moved her plunder outside under a bush in the farthest part of the back yard.  

Yes she has a designated site where she stashes her ill gotten plunder.  I found the remains of the two caps and a dissected box of Almond Roca Cookie Mix, previously sitting on the kitchen table waiting to be made.  Interestingly she didn't open the individual packages, just the outside box.  Did I say she might be ADHD?  She is very easily distracted - thank goodness.  But I did not find the missing glove.

I asked Tom if he had seen the glove in the basement.  He hadn't.  What he did show me was very upsetting.   She had eaten the corners off his pocket bible.  And chewed up his reading glasses.  Leather seems to be her flavor of choice.

For the next day and a half Dan would show Baby Fritzy the glove and asked her what she had done with the other one.  I see you shaking your head - I know you think our household has gone to the dogs.  On second thought you may be right.

Amazingly I found the glove on the back porch by the outside door.  She must have finally remembered where she hid it.  I was glad she returned it no worse for wear. 

I don't know why but it's really hard to stay mad at her.  There's just something about that dog.    

Fragmented Thoughts

Tossing turning Woke earlier than usual stumbled out of bed. Dressed, Went outside to think. sky so dark not even stars. Memories race, thoughts struggle, frustrations. fears air so crisp it crackles - Life changing moments crowd my thoughts. Heaviness hangs in my heart I think about  friends who lost husbands, The pickup semi truck wreck - why does this stick in my mind? (Later learned it was a friend. My niece has her mother's courage It scares me when I learn about the crazies. Staring through the knarled branches Dawn timidly peaks into the darkness. light glimmers through the mourning.

Where's Sammi

Sammi is a mouser.  She sits and waits, sometimes for hours. Then she pounces.  Sometimes she will hear and see the mouse run behind the boxes and cans in the pantry.  She shoves her head between the cans.  Other times she takes her paw and moves the cans.  They often find their way to the floor.

I often find her laying at the pantry door eyes focused, waiting, waiting, waiting.  Then there's a flash and the race is on.  The grey missile makes a break for freedom.  Sometimes its his last run.

My pantry is smaller than most walk in closets.  Recently it looks like a war zone.  Cans and boxes litter the floor where Sammi has knocked them over trying to catch her mouse.  You see Sammi is our Great Dane - Lab cross.  She is a very small Great Dane standing 26 inches tall from her toes to her shoulder.

I've often told Dan, "That dog is a cat."

I Have A Secret

My cupboards runneth over with cookbooks.  A neighbor recently asked Dan if I did a lot of cooking. He said, only if she has to.  I know you are asking, "Why so many cook books then?"

That is a very good question.  I once met a lady in the back of a fabric store; they had a selection of Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks.  I was reading one of the books, this delightful lady said "Oh you read cook books like novels, then laughed looked around and in a conspiratorial whisper revealed a dark secret. "So do I!"

I think secretly I would like to be able to cook like my mother.  She was a fabulous cook.  The only thing preventing me is 1.  I don't have her passion for cooking 2.  I hate cleaning up my messes  3.  It takes time to do it right.  When I was young and Mom tried to teach me to cook she became exasperated and said, "Child you had better marry a man who can cook otherwise you will either starve or have to eat out of cans."

Most of the men I dated were great cooks.  The microwave was invented and a host of food that can be quickly prepared in it. The down side - "Its not home cooking." They also invented the "Slow cooker".  Food prepared in it has lots more flavor. So I didn't starve.

I know you are wondering if Dan cooks. He doesn't!

Getting back to my cook books.  My all time favorites are the Gooseberry Patch books and Taste of Home books.  I like easy and flavorful.  Easy is the operative word.  I also like these books for the short memories the writer shares.  Its like getting a peek into the cook's life.  I have often been touched from the memories they share and sometimes have been inspired to try the recipe.

In 1983 I bought a Keepsake cookbook from Current Catalog.  Each page had a place to write the recipe where it was from and a memory connected to it.  Most of the pages are now full of wonderful recipes.  It is one of my most cherished possessions.  And you thought all I did was read them.

Baby Fritzy - She's Busted

Cross Posted

It was late evening, I was grading papers, Dan was watching TV. No one was paying Baby Fritzy any mind.  She came into the living room sporting white powder all over her face. Her whiskers looked like they had been dipped in glue then dusted again with white powder.  She bounced in licking her chops and wagging her tail.  Her eyes pleaded nolo contendere.

Dan called to me and I took one look.  I wondered what she had got into and if it was dangerous.  I reached down and held her while I sniffed her muzzle.  "Garlic" was the most noticeable scent.  I knew what she had gotten into.

For supper I had taken a package of venison steaks out of the freezer.  In a zip lock bag I had put flour, garlic, and seasoning, then dredged the meat in the coating.  Then I took the meat and fried it.  Supper consisted of venison steaks, boiled potatoes, homemade gravy and string beans.  I had left the zip-lock bag on the kitchen counter.

The flour mixture contained the echoes and scent of venison steaks.  One of the great things about zip-lock bags is their portability.  Baby Fritzy can testify to that fact.  She often carries zip-lock bags outside to dine on their contents in privacy.

We surmised that this time she must have packed off the bag eaten her fill, became thirsty, and returned for a second helping of flour seasoned with the essence of deer steak.  When she came into the house she knew that she had left some evidence that would convict her of being responsible for wrongdoing.  She knew she was busted.

New Bumps in the Road

My husband examines the prescription box.  He queries, "Did you see the name on the box?  They gave her a middle initial - Lady K Ferris"

"The "K" - stands for K-9."

Lady has lost approximately 25 pounds since early June.  We took her to the vet and he drew blood for tests.  They came back - she has diabetes.  It worries me for a number of reasons.  It has been a little over 8 years since I last gave a shot.  My dog, Corduroy developed diabetes.  Her last three years were very difficult.  I still miss her.  

The financial aspect of this disease adds to our financial difficulties.  Like many families we are struggling financially.  Dan has had medical problems that have kept him from working  or the last year and a half as a truck driver.  So we have been living on my salary.  Ah we must move forward and meet the challenges that come are way.

"Mom, this is Mrs Ferris Wheel"

School has been in session here in Billings, MT for several weeks.  Last week we had open house.  The kids and their parents come in and say hi.  Many of my former students drop by to see their old stomping grounds.  When they come back they are tall and handsome young women and young men.  They change so much from 6th grade to high school.

Three things made this open house memorable for me.  (1) One of our new Kindergarten students brought her Mom in and introduced us. "Mom, this is Mrs Ferris Wheel, the librarian."  Mom looked a little puzzled with that introduction.  I smiled as I explained that my name is Mrs. Ferris.  I had told the kids to think of the ferris wheel at the fair, then they would remember my name.  The Mom smiled and told her daughter that she didn't have to say the wheel part next time.

The second memorable conversation came from one of my 2nd graders and one of his younger siblings.  I was eaves dropping on their conversation.

 "Is she the princess?"

Older brother, "No she is the Queen of the Library."  As they left he turned and waved and said, "Good by Queen."

Sometimes I really wish I had a window into their thoughts.  It certainly made my day.

The third memorable experience was from a previous student accompanying his Mom and younger sister.  This handsome strapping young man is now in high school.  He shared with me, "Because of you I became a reader.  When I was in 7th and 8th grade I read constantly I read the Harry Potter series in three weeks.  All of the books.  I read another series in two weeks, all I wanted to do was read."

His Mom looked at me with pride shining in her eyes and said she had to threaten to take away his books to get him to do anything else.

He chimed in, "ya, I lost my books when I got in trouble."

I thanked him for sharing his story with me.  He seemed puzzled as he commented, "You were really excited when I told you about loving reading."

I told him I was and that I was very proud that he had become a life long reader.  I think this year will be memorable.