These are the repackaged and vacuum sealed walnuts, the result of a five kilogram bag that was purchased. The packages store a small enough quantity to fit in a large mason jar in the refrigerator. These packages were placed in the chest freezer, to be thawed as needed, then stored in the refrigerator. Nuts are a significant addition to our daily diet, used for snacks, and in baking.
The sun is shining this morning, after a few days of cloud and rain. The temperature this morning is 8C, finally warmer. It has been a cool and cloudy spring so far, and although most humans would wish for warmer, sunnier weather, the garden has no such designs on Mother Nature. The garden is thriving.
We recently visited my youngest sister for a few days, to celebrate Mother’s Day with my Mom, and to celebrate Mom’s spring birthday at the same time. It was a great visit, and such a treat to spend time with my Mom and the family. We dropped in for a visit with my middle sister and her husband, had a lovely visit, and were treated to a delicious lunch. After that I accompanied Mom in her car to the gas station where we filled her tank, then to Costco where we cruised the aisles and shopped. I love spending time with my Mom.
Preparing food when I am around takes a lot of effort on the part of the chefs, my sisters and Mom. All ingredients have to pass muster, down to every last ingredient used. Labels are read diligently, alternatives are explored, my sister even had a tub of margarine set aside just for me to avoid cross-contamination. As you can imagine, being able to sit down to the table with family, and eat what is served without a care, is a special event in my life. It is the only time I share a meal with anyone except Attila, which is more profound than it sounds.
Ginger was aloof when we arrived home. He clearly thought we had “done him wrong”. Attila picked him up and cuddled him as we entered the house, I sat and talked to him in the living room for quite some time after that. He seems to have weathered the experience well, slowly warming to us again, so that he is back to his usual self today. This morning he waited patiently by his water bowl when I emerged from the bedroom, making sure I remembered to “do the right thing”, fill the bowl with fresh water.
Ginger loves a plastic bag. He loves to chew on them. We have to hide them. When he first came to live with us, we had a plastic bag dispenser in the kitchen. To our horror, during the night he dispensed himself a plastic bag and happily chewed it through the night, but we don’t think he ingested any of the bag. However, chewing on plastic bags is not a good thing to be doing. So now we are careful to place any plastic bag that comes into the house where he cannot get at it.
Recently a purchased item into the house in a cardboard box. Ginger was curious about the box, sat in it for a while, then lost interest in the box. But he did not lose interest in the plastic tape that had been used to seal the box. He tries to chew on the edges of the lid where there was tape. I am not sure what attracts him to plastic, but we have to be vigilant about keeping it out of his reach.
As I sit here, fingers on the keyboard, relaxing on my easy chair, it occurs to me that there are no bugs in the room, nary a one. No Asian beetles, no wasps, no flies, no stink bugs, no ants…
It is shocking to think how easy it was to keep them out of the house, and that we could have done that from the get go, fifteen years ago! One innocuous looking receptacle blocked, and the bugs have vanished.
Worldly
Weather
13°C
Date: 2:00 PM EDT Friday 15 May 2026
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 101.5 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: 12.9°C
Dew point: 7.5°C
Humidity: 70%
Quote
“A stupid man’s report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.”
Bertrand Russell
1872 – 1970
It is a conundrum most relevant in this modern age of technology.
I don’t know what it is about cats and plastic but I have read that it’s not an uncommon obsession.
In our house, it’s all about the boxes. If there’s a box, it must be sat it, even if it’s too small. We’ve seen some funny squishing/hanging over the edges over the years.
While most boxes around here come and go, there are two which are apparently permanent fixtures because they get slept in for at least part of every day/night. No fancy pets beds required (or desired) here.
Wendy, sleeping boxes, carefully selected, a cat’s dream come true. As with people, a cat’s heart wants what the heart wants.
\Mist was a great one for boxes too, she loved them. Ginger however, shows just a little bit of interest, mostly because they are new in the house. Ginger arrived with a very fancy pet bed in tow, which he refused to go near, so it has been re-homed for another cat to enjoy. His domain is the living room couch, which he deems to share with Attila, as long as Attila is providing belly rubs, and performs well as a heated sleeping pad.