Autumn in New England

[rolanni]

So, it's pretty much been routine medical appointments and yoga, with a side order of cat juggling, over the last week.

On the topic of cat juggling, I worry about Mozart; he's getting grumpier and more reclusive, but doesn't seem to be in any pain. He's just. . .a really old cat. The other day he hit Trooper in the head for no reason that my inferior human understanding could encompass -- it looked to me like the kid got whacked for the sin of jumping up on the bed, and burbling in my direction.

Happily, Trooper is a sunny little person, and slow to take offense. He settled down where he was, to prove that he could, of course; that's mandated in the manual.  After his point was made, he got up, head-butted Mozart gently, and jumped to the floor. I thought that was pretty classy, and apparently so did Mozart, who refrained from being offended.

This morning, was the second of three medical thingies.  After it was over, Steve and I motored on out to Fairfield to break our fasts at the Purple Cow.  Beyond the fact that we should have had the foresight to bring a friend to help us eat one breakfast between us all, I wish to state that New England chefs continue to Not Get biscuits and gravy.  Now, I know this, and you'd be perfectly justified in asking why I persist in ordering it.  The answer is that I haven't, for many years, unless we were actually, yanno, in the South, where they know from biscuits and gravy, but this morning I just. . .fell off the wagon.  It was OK, for what it was, which was something other than biscuits and gravy, and there was far too much of it.  Also, the coffee was good.

So, anyway -- one more medical appointment, on Monday, in Bangor, with a hammer -- no, wait; wrong game. One more to complete the set, I say, on Monday, and between then and now, the weekend, during which I finally hope to convince the new book that we're on the same side, and if it will only just trust me, I can, and will, help it.

Today, I've got to find our copy of A Night in the Lonesome October.  Because of the timing of the book tour, Steve and I are varying this year.  We'll be starting the journey a couple days early, so we'll finish up reading the night before we're to leave, so the book can stay safely at home with Mary the house sitter, and the cats, and not be subjected to the Dangers of the Road.

. . .and I think we're all caught up.  What're you doing this weekend that's fun and interesting?

For those who haven't seen it elsewhere, here's a picture of Trooper, waiting for me to get my yoga in gear.

The yogi is in
Photo by Sharon Lee

Comments

[reedrover]

Trooper does sound classy.

This weekend is the Shenandoah Valley Fiber Festival, where I will be showing Angora goats and generally enjoying the yarn-fulness of the event.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

you doing this weekend that's fun and interesting?

staying home, and trying to get parts of the house cleaned and of course, playing with books....organizing them, shelving them, getting the second new bookcase in place and deciding what goes on it.. pulling together a small research project for a friend to pass on to her on weds...

[cailleuch.livejournal.com]

I'll be visiting the farmer's market to get some apples on Saturday. Then I will do something to some of the apples that requires an oven. I haven't decided what.

Sunday - Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2, with a side of dim sum.

[thejunebug.livejournal.com]

Being in the South, I'm curious: what's the northern version of biscuits & gravy? Or rather, what did they serve you this time??

This weekend I am working, alas. :) But since the weather is supposed to be Fallish and lovely, I'm going to take my laptop to the back porch and work outside.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

The northern version, as you guessed, varies considerably. I've had "biscuits and gravy" which was plain white flour gravy poured over baking powder biscuits, which tastes exactly like pouring uncooked baking powder biscuits over baked baking powder biscuits.

I've also had white flour gravy with chunks of ham cut up in it, so, as above, except the ham gave it some texture. And some salt.

I've had brown gravy with chunks of meat-that-was-probably-not-sausage mixed in over baking powder biscuits.

On one memorable occasion, I was served breakfast sausage links in white gravy with a baking powder biscuit on the side.

Today's sort was a single baking powder biscuit approximately the size of downtown Fairfield, cut in half, served in a shallow bowl filled with salty yellow cream soup, with rough-chopped sausage sorta sprinkled on top the biscuits and into the soup.

I will say that, in my experience, everybody gets the baking powder biscuit part right.

Sausage Gravy

[mothadventures.livejournal.com]

I've had good sausage gravy at the Olde Mill Diner in Searsport (on Route 3, maybe 15 minutes out from Belfast). I've also had "ok" sausage gravy there, but never anything like your cream soup of this morning!

I think the variation is because they cook from scratch and sometimes mistakes happen -- once the biscuits had clearly had too much baking powder in them, but I got the gravy on a toasted yeast roll instead (they make 'em on site and they are wonderful).

Now I'm hungry. Two weeks till our annual trip up to Belfast and Liberty...

[thejunebug.livejournal.com]

Haha! OH MY. That is... really terrible, and not at all surprising. :(

Weekend plans.

[catherine kelleher (from livejournal.com)]

I am cooking and packing for a raft trip on the San Juan river with friends. This stretch has a take-out midway through at Mexican Hat. At that point my husband will leave me to go home and deal with corporate visitors the following day. I get to go on alone, and since it is my first time rafting without him I am worrying about the things he usually does, like schlepping our gear up slippery slopes, loading and tying on the gear to the raft, and loading the raft onto the trailer at the end. I am also worried because the river at the end empties into Lake Powell and gets very shallow. So picture a chocolate river that has zero visibility into the water, some parts of the river are 2 inches deep and some parts of the river are a nice deeper channel. But you can't tell which is which and all you see is flat sheet of slow moving chocolate water. The hidden channel sloshes back and forth between the banks in a somewhat unpredictable manner. If you miss the channel, you have to drag the boat across the shallow part until you find the channel again. Last year, with the two of us, dragging was not to bad. This year with just me, I'm afraid I'm going to be a drag on the whole group. So I plan to take lots of alcohol to share with the other rafters and make them happy to help me out as need.

[thewol.livejournal.com]

Saturday, I am staying with my 91-year-old dad, providing respite care so my mom can go do what she has planned. Sunday, the kitties and I will chill, watch TV, sleep or whatever strikes our fancy with little love taps.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow, venturing out into the wilds of the Farmer's Market in search of the elusive Raspberry Fudge .... and perhaps a cookie or two

[pedanther]

This weekend is the local brass band's 50th anniversary, on account of which we have invited some other bands from around the state to come and have a Festival. Tomorrow is the gala concert, this evening is the reunion dinner, and this morning we're playing in the shopping centre car park for the bemusement of passers-by.

Speaking of which, I should probably get off the internet and go get ready.

Cats, actually

[capricchio.livejournal.com]

I know you had to return Mr Whiskers as he did not fit with the existing family. Should you still have an opening (and since you will be in the neighborhood at the end of October), when I took my older cat to my vet the other day, they had the most delightful gray Maine Coone cat up for adoption. Linus is 9 years old and about 20 some odd pounds. (Rather shaped like a hassock but that's my view probably because my cats are all Siamese.) My recollection is his owner had moved and couldn't take him. He was wicked friendly and I swear I would have succumbed to his charms except my 11 year old Siamese reminded me we had 2 more cats at home and really did NOT need another. Should you feel you are in need of another cat, let me know and I'll connect you up with my vet in Peabody MA. (See! I said you were going to be in the neighborhood (sorta) soon! :)
Jeanne T

Re: Cats, actually

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Linus sounds lovely; and I hope he finds a home where he's loved and appreciated soon. Hassock-shaped in a Resting Maine Coon(tm) is permissible -- and occasionally misleading. Trooper settles into a kind of a hassock-look from which he can explode into four feet leap into the air, all toes extended, should a shiny twizler thingy suddenly enter his orbit.

We're obviously not bringing anybody on-board before we're home from the book tour; but we have been in discussion with some folks who are a little more local to us, and believe we have a lead on a young lady who may fit into the house.

Thank you for looking out for us!

Trooper Photos, etc.

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

Trooper is very photogenic. And I'm glad you have a bead on a future addition to the Cat Farm. Hoping the others will agree with your choice.

The other things

[catherine ives (from livejournal.com)]

I neglected to read the first part of this part of the blog. Glad that Trooper is of sunny disposition and defers to his elder, Mozart. That is very good.