I’m about to drop, but you guys have been so awesome, I had to give you a little preview:
The rest of the photos are at this link. I just don’t have it in me at the moment to copy them all over here.
Open thread!
UPDATE:
Seems to be going well
TaMara has been a Balloon Juice writer since 2015.
by TaMara| 54 Comments
This post is in: Dog Blogging, Open Threads
I’m about to drop, but you guys have been so awesome, I had to give you a little preview:
The rest of the photos are at this link. I just don’t have it in me at the moment to copy them all over here.
Open thread!
UPDATE:
Seems to be going well
by TaMara| 45 Comments
This post is in: Dog Blogging, Open Threads
Scout will be arriving a day early. So you’ll get photos by the weekend, unless I’m completely overwhelmed and suddenly realize my folly. I remember saying no puppies ever again! Nothing wrong with an older dog, I said.
Meanwhile, my heart is torn right now – the closer Scout gets, the more I miss this girl.
I may not be ready, but Bixby sure is … he looks for “his puppy” every time we go out somewhere … or anytime I return home, he practically mugs me for this so-called puppy that’s coming. Then he’ll go away and mope because I haven’t delivered on my promise yet. Ha! Tomorrow he will be in for a shock.
In other beloved pet news, commenter jacy lost her beautiful dog today. Here are some pictures of the handsome and much loved Bismarck (2001- Jan. 3, 2018), with his favorite boy.
May Bismark find heaven filled with his favorite treats and endless balls to chase.
Open thread
by TaMara| 104 Comments
This post is in: Cooking, Open Threads
I believe Betty C did….
While her husband was making her a nice healing batch of soup, I was doing the same. This one to be exact. I made it as spicy as I dared to help fend off a persistent virus.
And it became clear that my Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker is not long for this world. The safety release valve has been failing and there is no reliable replacement part available, I suppose due to the age of the cookware. The one they had available, they pulled because it was defective.
So now I’m stuck. I don’t really want to (nor can I really afford at the moment) to pay another $200 for a pressure cooker AND I am intrigued by the electric ones as a more affordable alternative.
My question is: who has an electric pressure cooker (often called instant pots), what brand (Insta Pot seems to be the one all my friends have) and how do you like it? It will be in heavy rotation in my kitchen, so durability is a concern.
Help a cook out if you can…
Bonus puppeh:
As I’ve been writing this, the ducks keep wandering past my window. Probably looking for a warm spot in the sun. I get the feeling they are blaming me for the cold snap.
Happy New Year!
Did Someone Say Soup? I Need Some AdvicePost + Comments (104)
by TaMara| 118 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
Pretty tired today and plan to emulate the Beast as much as I can. I am planning on cooking a standing rib roast and sides (recipe here) later today.
What are you up to today? Family, friends….stress? Here’s a good place to connect if you need a break or support.
Open thread.
P.S. Last night I received a six week picture of Scout – you can click over here to see it. Yes, I’m terrible, because I’m enjoying these “puppy reveals”.
by TaMara| 85 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
I belong to an Art Deco group on FB and she posted a bunch of holiday cards, this is one of my favorites.
It is snowing like crazy here as we finish up Christmas Eve-Eve. Cookies are baking in my kitchen, everything that can be prepped for the Christmas Eve party has been done. The house is clean. The holiday dishware washed. I think I’m ready.
The menu is unusual this year – fajitas, rice with black beans and lime, chips and salsa and a ton of cookies. Simple, easy and manages everyone’s dietary issues easily.
What’s going on with you? Open thread.
by TaMara| 102 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
A deer entered one of the shops in Colorado. The shop owner gave him some chocolate biscuits and chocolate. He came out of the store and returned after half an hour with all his family members ? pic.twitter.com/VpEx12SmH5
— Satar (@Satar_Gaza) December 20, 2017
I saw this first thing this morning and it still makes me smile.
I received two nice submissions for our good news posts. First up a personal video from a lurker – which touched me because I also have family members who have cochlear implants.
And our own TheMightyTrowel shared this nice piece she wrote:
Click to see a readable size
And finally, a little Bixby. He’s still sad puppy, but we are all spoiling the dickens out of him, so I do get bursts of his old self. I think I mentioned this in the comments earlier, but he and I were on a walk the other night, looking at Christmas lights. A woman came up with her Corgi puppy (talk about squeee worthy!) and wanted in the worst way to bring her over. I gave her the standard warning that Bixby might scare her puppy with his ‘enthusiasm’ and then she brought her over. The puppy was all wiggles and Bixby was sitting and his tail was going a mile a minute. Then he did the best thing, he flopped on the ground and made himself as flat as he could so little puppy could come nose to nose and sniff him all over. Love this dog. He’s ready to be a big brother again.
Send me more fun things!
Good news open thread.
by TaMara| 104 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
So yesterday in the afternoon open thread, donnah was trying to get a link to her project to work. I was on my way out the door, but said I’d post if for her later. It’s the coolest hook rug with a great story.
I wanted to celebrate Christopher Robin and his love for Pooh bear and found that photo of them.The project is a hooked rug portrait of [them]. I wanted to include the images of the other real stuffed animals who were portrayed in the Milne Winnie the Pooh books. I found photos of the animals at the New York City Public Library website and paid $50 royalty fee for permission to use them.
The process is rug hooking, an old art form that uses a linen foundation on which I draw the design, and then I dyed white wool in honey colors and cut that into strips which are pulled up through the linen in loops to form the image. I dyed the wool to match the colors of honey, so it will essentially be monochromatic. It’s a rug, but not for floors!.
When it’s completed, I plan to donate the finished rug to our local Metro library’s children’s area in my dad’s name. He took me to that library when I was little and got me started on a lifelong love of books. He would have been pleased.
This entire story made my day and it gave me an idea. My schedule is going to be relatively light between now and New Year’s Day and I’d love nothing more than to share something that is special in your life in a post. If you have something fun you’re doing, a story that touched you or any other good news, send it to me and I’ll try and do a “something good” post several times between now and the new year.
Until then, use this post to tell us something good – something you’re doing, something that’s given you hope during these trying times, or you know, pet pictures. Because we are all suckers for a good pet picture. Maybe in holiday garb.
Speaking of:
Greenwood Wildlife (our local rescue/rehabilitation center) returned this little stowaway back to the wild. She’s a Ringtail Cat (raccoon family, not cat) who hid in someone’s camper and traveled all the way down the mountain, then they found her while unpacking. Rare to see.
Oh, you thought it was going to be a puppy picture? Well, maybe next time…and I might throw some duck photos/video in for good measure.
Good news open thread.