Saturday, October 15, 2022

A Bitch Will Cut You. You Will Survive


A few weeks ago I was using one of my favorite knives in the kitchen which had just come back from being professionally sharpened. I love this knife and it had a razor edge on it. Mr. Moon, handing it over to me when he brought it home from the kitchen supply store where it had been sharpened said, "Don't show me if you cut yourself."
I scoffed, as one does. Who me? Cut myself? 
Okay, okay, it has happened before. What person who has spent any real time in a kitchen hasn't got a knife or burn scar or two? It's practically a badge of honor. 
Still, I was not expecting to do what I did the very night the knife was back in my kitchen. I'd made supper, we'd eaten, and I was cleaning up when the I picked up the knife from the cutting board (not the knife you see above) and it slipped out of my hand, fell to the floor, and stabbed my leg just above the ankle on its way down. 
I have no idea how that was even possible. And yet- there I was, shocked and with a rather gaping knife wound in my leg that was just starting to fill with blood. I had a band-aid stretched tightly across that thing in seconds because not unlike Mr. Moon, I did not want to see it either. Later on that night I put some of that liquid bandage super glue on it and realized that if I was a normal human, I'd probably get stitches. It wasn't a long cut, but a deep one. 
It's still not quite healed. 
Sigh. 

Anyway, today I chopped one of our large sweet potatoes to go into the creamy cashew butternut squash soup that I love so much. I always add sweet potatoes to it and with our nice huge garden ones, one will do for sure. I did not cut myself. The kitchen smells delicious because the soup has all the good spices in it- cumin and turmeric, coriander and fresh grated ginger, curry powder, (sorry Boud, I buy mine, I don't make it), onions and garlic, too, of course. The vegetables have all cooked to tenderness and now all I have to do is puree them and the cashews and add the coconut milk. 
My first alone night's supper. 

I made a big breakfast this morning for the hunter who was about to get on the road. He had joked about me making him biscuits this morning and so I did. He didn't even give me his usual, "Oh, I'll just eat cereal," comment. He really did want those biscuits. We ate our breakfast on the porch and I held my hand on his knee as we ate. I'm going to miss that guy. 

And he's off and here I am with my soup and my cats. Dang Maurice has already displayed her displeasure at his leaving by biting my hand. She is NOT happy. Mr. Moon has become hers, as far as she is concerned. 


I was being so sweet to her. She was in front of my laptop, making inquiring noises which I took to mean that she was asking where her man was and so I was petting her head and telling her that he is gone for awhile but that he will be back and boom! fang in the hand! 
"You little bitch," I told her as she bolted off the table. 
I did not mean to speak to her that way. It just came out. I do feel, however, that it was not an inappropriate thing to say under the circumstances. 

If it's not a rogue knife around here, it's an orange cat. 

There's a black cat that's been hanging around for quite awhile now and I know that if I started feeding him he'd never leave at all. Glen claims that he's the cat of our next door neighbor who used to have a sort of claim on Jack whom she called "Hobo." He permanently moved over here though and I think that's probably because she has about ten dogs. And we all know how that's worked out which is generally terrific except for the fact that he and Maurice hate each other's guts. Check out her nose which is now permanently scarred from their fights. I would not mind having another cat but it just would not be prudent, I think. 
Back in the olden days, when Mr. Moon would go off hunting and I had small children at home, it was not unusual for me to take the kids to the animal shelter to get another kitten to love. This was a very passive-aggressive act on my part, I admit. I am older and wiser and more placid now and do not feel the need to do things that say, "Well, I'll show him!" 
Ha! He showed me by tolerating every cat I brought into the house. Perhaps not with great joy but grudging acceptance and eventual true sweetness. 

So here I am and it is fine to be alone. I can hear traffic from the nearby highway and the sound of my dryer tumbling about with overall hardware smacking the side. A bird with a sweet song is putting the day to rest as the sun goes down. Squirrels are still running up and down trees, their little claw-paws scritching the bark as they go. And oh! I see the black cat again, this time by the chicken coop where Lucky and Grace are getting ready to go to roost. There is a part of me that truly wants to start welcoming this obviously needy cat into our home with bowls of food on the porch steps. I am not convinced that he or she lives next door. I do hear our neighbor calling a cat or something, anyway, some evenings and mornings. Perhaps like Jack, the cat is looking for a more peaceful place to live or maybe it just does not like our neighbor's politics. I always tell myself that this is why Jack moved here. He is a Democrat and definitely NOT a Trump supporter. 

Earlier, I noticed some blooming fire spike in the little jungle yard of the original kitchen, caught and set aflame by the lowering sun. 


I was glad to see it. All of the rest of the fire spike in the yard was so damaged by last winter's freeze that none of it has bloomed and some of it has absolutely died. Jessie has a great deal of it in her yard and I may ask her for some cuttings so that I can root and plant more. But this survivor makes me happy. 



While I was out there, I took a picture of some of the pine cone lilies too. 


And one more picture of Maurice. 


I went into the Glen Den to turn on the light and found her there on the very soft throw that sits on the rocker I bought soon after we moved here and Mr. Moon said to me, "You have bought a grandmother rocker." It had not occurred to me that I was doing any such thing- grandchildren were still just a vague idea, barely a bud of an idea. And now I have spent so many hours in that chair, rocking grandchildren. I am sure that Maurice is there because that is the room where she sits on her human dad's lap. No matter what, I can't help but love that poor cat who never learned the proper way to love. 
I understand. 

Love...Ms. Moon


25 comments:

  1. What a wise post. You really see into so many people and situations. I learn from you.

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  2. The cat is a democrat and what could be better than that! The ginger cat, I dunno- I am guessing that she wouldn't bother with politics. I feel sorry for the black cat that comes around - I would be unable to resist. Or would try to take it to a shelter for adoption. The raccoons on the deck have grown in size and number- Winter is coming so I am not panicky when they greet me in the morning, they are huge, but I reckon that they need to be.
    You made biscuits for breakfast??? You are too good, Mrs. Moon!

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    1. I know. I have reached the end of my rope with Maurice more than once. But hell. She is who she is.
      As for the black cat- who knows what will happen? I don't think that taking her/him to a shelter would be a good thing. If the cat is going to settle into tameness, it will probably have to be on its own terms.
      Biscuits for breakfast are a true sign of love, aren't they? Along with eggs, bacon, and potatoes. And of course, homemade preserves.
      Do the raccoons hibernate or will you be seeing them this winter? I can't remember. Fuck old age brain.

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  3. biscuits for Mr Moon's last breakfast (for a while).....how loving and tender of you! Yum! I guess you'll have to see how *black cat* issue progresses......hopefully not to fighting stage with the temperamental Maurice....... maybe it can fit in somehow? Time will tell. Your soup sounds so good! Today was foggy and chilly here.....I should have made soup but forgot to take the frozen venison out to defrost.....so....venison and veggie soup tomorrow! I can hardly wait!
    Susan M

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    1. I am hoping that the hunting guys find my venison and vegetable soup fit to eat up there in Canada. Where they stay they do have a woman who comes in to cook but Glen swears she's never even heard of salt and pepper, much less spices and she uses a great many canned foods. It is an extremely small area. I teased him that he'll be eating peas and carrots again this year- one of her favorite things to serve. He hates few foods but peas and carrots are one of the main ones.
      My soup last night was very good. Of course now I have a huge pot of leftovers.

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  4. Well, I have a philosophy about cats. They pick. The only reasonable thing to do is to make it a cozy place to sleep outside and make sure it's fed. And then you simply wait to see what that cat decides. Then Maurice and Jack will have to make a decision too.

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    1. I fear that Maurice and Jack have already made a decision to hate every other cat on earth plus each other. I know this black cat wants to get closer. It must smell very good outside my kitchen.

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  5. You are very accepting of Maurice. Our cat has started sleeping with me at night for some reason, probably because I'm in "her" bed. It seems to be working out except her meowing in the middle of the night to go out. We let her out now but not in the middle of the night; the coyotes would make short work of her. She's lost weight and become much more agile since she started going outside. We thought she was too old and arthritic to get over the fence. Boy, were we wrong.

    Enjoy your alone time Mary. Sending hugs.

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    1. Cats are amazing when it comes to agility, aren't they?
      I really would NOT like my cats to wake me up to go out. They have two separate ways to enter and exit on their own so that's not a problem although they do like to go out the kitchen door which involves me opening it.
      Sending hugs back to you!

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  6. Maybe the black cat would force Jack and Maurice to unite in the face of a common enemy and the will become friends. What's that saying about the enemy of my enemy being my friend? If the black cat wants to stay, it will, regardless of you or anyone else! I think it's sweet that Maurice is trying to stay close to Mr Moon whilst he is away.
    Enjoy your alone time - even though you're not alone. You have all of us.

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    1. Hmmm...
      Interesting theory. Jack and Maurice uniting against a common enemy. I have a feeling they'd both just fight the black cat separately and still fight each other.
      I am very much enjoying my alone time! And yes, I do have all of you and that makes me happy.

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  7. I would say Maurice has learned to love, she loves Mr Moon. Probably as much as you do. I'm glad you made him biscuits for breakfast. Your soup sounds delicious.

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    1. Yes. She does love Mr. Moon but she bites him all the time too.
      That soup was pretty amazing.

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  8. Gosh you've been through the wars already haven't you, what with the knife and the cat!!!! Actually "Lenny the horrible cat" (my son's cat) is finally taking to me and comes over to be stroked occasionally - but that still wouldn't stop the little rat from deciding to bite me for goodness knows whatever reason!

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    1. I'm glad that Lenny has warmed towards you. Some cats are just biters.

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  9. I've never noticed Maurice's scarred nose before. Poor thing! Is that new?!

    The firespike is beautiful.

    I'm so glad you didn't cut yourself again! I was sure that's where this post was headed! LOL

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    1. Nope. Maurice's nose has looked like that for a long time. She just won't stop fighting.
      Nope. Didn't cut myself again. Would have made for a more interesting post though. Haha!

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    1. I think Maurice's mortal foe is Jack, not the black cat. I've never seen them fight.

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  11. I should make that soup again but not til it's cooler like maybe next week. My firespike is blooming too. I have several scars from cuts from working with glass for so many years that probably should have had stitches but who had time or money for that? Not me.

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    1. I agree with you about the stitches- drive all the way to an ER for that? Uh, is a bone poking out? Is the blood spurting? No? I'm fine.

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  12. I hope that Mr. Moon has a safe and productive hunting trip! I know that you will miss him but enjoy in your way the solo time! Today, I'm feeling a bit Mrs. Moonish as I've prepared a small bed to plant some winter vegetables. It's a beautiful day here in Los Angeles after a lovely, soft rain -- the first we've had in ages. What should I plant?

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    1. I have no idea what to plant in California in the winter! My winter garden is almost all greens from kale to lettuces to collards to turnips to mustards. If you like arugula, I find it to be the sturdiest, most prolific green of all. And I do love it so I grow a lot of it.
      Keep us updated!

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    2. Oh Elizabeth, I envy your rain! Really? I am 2 hrs north of Sta. Barbara and all we've had is eternal summer.......and the past week some drippy fog. No garden here. Arugula is a must, along with lettuce, carrots and beets!
      Susan M

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