Sunday, November 15, 2020

Cats And Cooking And Who I Really Am


I have been lazy and slow as a sloth today but at least, unlike Maurice, I did get out of bed. That cat got on that towel-covered pillow last night around ten and did not move off of it until after three this afternoon. It's like she's decided that that is her spot, not Jack's, and there you go, boom, done.

Poor Jack. 
Well, sort of. 

Here's a funny thing. At least to me and please keep in mind that I am so easily entertained these days- last week I got two cat toys. Little soft stuffed balls with a bell and put them down in the hallway. Both cats have played with them but if you walk into the hall, they stare off into space and pretend they have no interest in the toys at all. I know they do because I can hear them jingle as Maurice and Jack bat them about. Not at the same time, of course. Please. Never. Just as they could never sleep on the bed at the same time. 

Here's a much better and more interesting picture. 


Jessie and Vergil took the boys down to the Ichetucknee River today. I think I spelled that right. It is a beautiful, beautiful river or so I have heard from many people. I myself have never paddled down it or tubed down it which is what it is most famous for. You rent a big comfy inner tube and just drift down the cold, spring-fed river and it's sort of a secret shame of mine that I've never done this. The tube rental people pick you up at the end of the ride and if that doesn't sound like heaven on a hot summer day, I don't know what is. But Jessie and Vergil took their kayaks. I bet you almost anything that Levon actually paddled. When Glen went over to their house a few days ago to shovel some compost onto their raised beds, the boys wanted to help, of course. August shoveled for about five minutes and then found something else to do but Levon, according to his grandfather, had to be told to take breaks. "He would have shoveled all day and all night!" said my husband. 
That kid. 

Anyway, the little family is going to stop by on their way home and eat supper with us. I think I'm going to heat up the black bean soup which was wonderful and make a salad. That'll be pleasing. I have some of last night's skillet Spanakopita left and maybe I'll share that around too. That stuff is so damn good. 


I think I posted a picture of the last one I made but this one is different because I actually had leeks and feta which I didn't have last time. I substituted shallots and goat cheese in that one and it was delicious but this one was even better. I seared a few scallops to go with it and Mr. Moon said that it was one of the best meals he ever ate. 

And that's about it. It's been a Sunday which means that I've been out of sorts and flat and thinking too much about things that I shouldn't think about such as the fact that I am sixty-six years old and there's so much more I thought I would have done by now, accomplished by now, become by now. 
Such as beautiful in an old wild-woman way wearing brightly colored bohemian garments made of silks and woven organic flax and inappropriately thick eyeliner and even thicker gold hoops instead of wearing stupid overalls almost every day of my life and no earrings and no eyeliner at all. I just feel faded and crepey and saggy and wrinkled and age-spotted and weary and stupid and pack-animalish. 
And mostly boring. 

Instead of Auntie Mame I'm Aunt Bee. 

If Aunt Bee wore overalls and drank martinis and swore with abandon. 

And let's face it- I've always been Aunt Bee. 

Sigh.

Love...Ms. Moon


34 comments:

  1. I’ve always wanted to be smarter. I never made it to college, a huge regret. Being sixty three, i figure that ship has sailed. Maybe i’ll figure it out in my next life.
    Debbie

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    1. I know a lot of people who went to college who don't use a thing from that education but who have very successful lives on many levels.

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  2. Madame Moon, you're in your prime! And there's a lot that's good about Aunt bee!
    Oh to be sixty six again!

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    1. I know. I know I'll feel that way one day when I'm of a more advanced age. I am as young as I'll ever be now but at the same time, I'm also as old as I've ever been. It's strange.

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  3. you ARE a beautiful old wild woman already......no need to try to accent that with eyeliner or fancy clothes (which at times you do- and you rock them)......you are the perfect Mary Moon. Happy you can share your wonderful meal with part of your family too! That will end the day perfectly! that.....and Maurice on your bed! LOL! You GO, Maurice! Claim it!
    Susan M

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    1. The last time I got dressed up was in February when we went to hear Lon and Lis play. I wore a blue velvet dress. I am so glad I went that night.

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. The link didn't work

    https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/season-2-pictured-barbara-barrie-as-helen-nana-keane-news-photo/138437635

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  6. I had to delete my comment but now I can't really remember what I wrote. The spanakopita looks wonderful.

    My clothes have always been a disappointment to me. I love comfortable and easy to take care of. Kind of like my hair.

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    1. I still have some beautiful clothes. Of course unless I get some horrible wasting disease I'll never actually wear them again.

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  7. Hello from Idaho, and stop in from Valhalla. We have a yellow cat also, his name as ziggy. If you have time stop in for a cup of coffee.

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    1. Hello, Dora. Thanks for dropping by. Please feel welcome any time.

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  8. Ms Mary Moon— your description of the swirling wild woman skirts made me laugh and smile. Because that’s what I’ve always wanted to wear ( minus the thick eye liner) And I”m older than you are. And I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that I’ve never pulled that off. Maybe some night we can swirl in the moonlight together....

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    1. Perhaps we can, Chris. Perhaps it is never too late.

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  9. Aunt Bee could not have made that spanakopita in 1 million years with all the cookbooks and ingredients at hand could not have period.

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    1. Probably not. And I bet my pickles are better than hers!

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  10. Well, overalls are a lot more comfortable than hippie skirts and hoop earrings. at least to me. And eyeliner?? The last time I attempted that, I almost put an eye out which would have made reading difficult...Of course, an eye patch might have looked very comely...

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    1. I've always found hoop earrings to be among the most comfortable.
      Eye patches can lend an air of mystery, can't they? And then you only have to do one eye's make-up.

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  11. So, I laughed aloud tonight while reading this. You are so NOT Aunt Bee, although I get it. I think the holes in my ears have closed during Covid. I feel so old, and I'm only 57, and I don't actually give a fuck. At least I think I don't give a fuck. I love what Radish King said about Aunt Bee and the spanakopita, too. Also, when you described how hard Levon works, it reminded me immediately of Oliver. Watch out.

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    1. I passed your warning about Levon on to Jessie. She is struggling a bit, trying to figure out how to support and encourage both boys' avid interests. I think she's doing a great job as it is.
      I imagine that Aunt Bee's fried chicken and jello salads made up for her lack of spanakopita abilities.

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  12. Aunty Mame of Lloyd - It is Florida after all and anything goes, right? A combo of both aunties might be entertaining, but Radish is right, Aunt bee would have made the Spanakopita a casserole. When i was your age , way back in the day...I felt the same way, faded, but it passed. Got some measure of fire back , having adjusted to the damned mirror and scale and the way levis do not fit anymore. I got my F*ck it back and am wearing it well.

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    1. I wish my fire would show up again. Dead coals, baby. Dead coals.
      For the most part. I have not yet accepted the new normal of me.

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  13. ha! I get it. I see those wild older women who look so cool and think that should be me. it could be me except that apparently it's not me since given the choice between colorful lovely fabrics and soft cotton old and ragged comfy gray, I pick the gray. oh well. at least I'm comfortable, don't have to worry about ruining those delightful clothes with the work I do outside or in the shop or waste hours of the day getting 'presentable'. I've got the crepey, saggy, age spotted, and wrinkled thing going but I don't feel faded, weary, or stupid though I probably am boring. nor do I feel invisible at 70. if I want to be seen and heard, I speak right up and get in the way.

    we buy the spanikopita from Costco but I might like to try that skillet spanikopita...if I had the recipe.

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    1. and I meant to say that my cat has never played with a single toy I have ever gotten her. the only thing she ever played with was a wadded up piece of paper and she didn't even play with that very much. she just wasn't/isn't a cat that plays.

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    2. I need to take some pages from yours and Linda Sue's books. Accept and just add a little sparkle here and there, I guess. But yeah, you and I and our yards and my chickens and the gardens...well. Overalls work great.
      I didn't think my cats were players either until I caught Maurice playing with that matchbox car of August's. They seem to be quite embarrassed about it but they must enjoy it.

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  14. Replies
    1. I think everyone would love to HAVE an Aunt Bee. Not so sure that we all want to be BE Aunt Bee, though.

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  15. We love you just the way you are: the best Mary Moon Evah! x0x0 N2

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    1. Thank you, sweet woman. I appreciate that and I appreciate you.

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  16. I love Aunt Bee just the way she is! I’m stuck on that image of Levon shoveling earnestly; it reminds me of what my boy was like at that age. And that really, we can see their personalities and interests right from the start and how fascinating to watch these precious little humans unfold.

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    1. It IS fascinating to watch these children all find their own interests and talents as they grow. It's a sort of miraculous process.

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  17. Well, you always COULD start wearing bright bohemian clothing and inappropriately thick eyeliner. It's never too late to start. But personally I think you should embrace your Aunt Bee-ness. :)

    No wonder the boys were so tired when they showed up at your house! I didn't realize they'd been on the Ichetucknee all day. You should definitely go tubing there. It's well worth it. Go on a weekday when it's not crowded.

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    1. I know. I could wear brighter clothes and of course I do- in Mexico. Perhaps I want to be Maria Luna and that is where I feel most comfortable being that woman. Which makes sense. And one of these days, I will go down the Ichetucknee.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.