Sunday, October 18, 2009

Little Bits of Things....



First off, here's a Kitty, as in Cat Mihos, photo, of me on my couch with Venus and Mim. That's my arm. And how you can tell it is me. Because it's my arm and all. Mim watches while Venus attacks me. That was the lovely night we got the vid's of Lear and Mab. I wish we could have done more, but the week got pretty crazed after that evening.

For those of you reading for a Boss in China update: Boss is traveling in China and by all accounts is doing well. Haven't heard much mind you, communications are difficult, but we should hope for an update soon.



These next are some pics I got the other night, from the same couch, but without the Kitty, who has gone home to LA, and by all accounts tore up the SCREAM awards with Mr Drew last night. We are looking forward to THAT blog soon...

Mim. With Gargoyle. I love the way the Gargoyle is sort of half on its pedestal, and Mim's eyes are glowing, as if she was using her Special Bengal Daemon Powers on it. Vincent, the Gargoyle, had no chance.



These last two have Mim and Venus posing nicely with the new Buzzard. I like that buzzard. I am sure The Birdchick will letting me know soon just why exactly it is NOT a Buzzard, or even a Bird of any sort, but really, it's all fun. And he looks good on the ottoman, with Bengals, and what more could a Spooky House wish for?



I have been having that WEIRD illness that's going around. Not flu, not a cold where you get sick, feel terrible, then get better, but this sort of serial virus that won't leave. And you never get sick all at once. One thing at a time, and end up with a cough and feeling really tired after about three weeks. I think it's better, except the tired bits, but not so fun.

This week I am finishing the Honey Harvest. Currently it looks like this:



This is where all the frames have been scraped into cheesecloth, taped over buckets, and have been draining ever since. We have an extractor, but it is more trouble to use than is worth while. I like the bucket method, and will then make the comb into wax, and do something cool with it.

Tomorrow, I will pot up the honey, much like Pooh, and give you some pics.

For now, Dog-in-a-superman-cape and I are going for a walk..

Love and Little Bits,
Lorraine

73 Comments:

At 17:53 Blogger vampi said...

another cape for dog?

did the gargoyle have an untimely demise?

At 17:54 Blogger Kate T said...

I particularly like the photo with the buzzard/vulture growing out of Mim's head.

Feel better soon!

At 17:56 Blogger DataGoddess said...

I love the picture of Venus attacking your feet!

At 18:28 Blogger Dan Guy said...

I love the cats posing with those buzzards. Too cool.

At 18:30 Blogger Chantrelle said...

Great pics!!!

Hope you're feeling better!

At 18:34 Blogger Lioness said...

While I very much hope you are feeling better, I am relieved to know that I am not imagining this odd illness I have. It just hangs on and on but keeps changing.

How do you keep anything breakable in the Spooky House, especially with Olympic trials going on?

At 18:38 Blogger Phiala said...

I'm a bit disturbed by the buzzard, but I love the gargoyle.

I must have the same disease... the tired is finally fading, but the cough will not go away. At least I don't feel like I was run over by a Zamboni any more.

At 19:04 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Sounds like the bug that was haunting SE Australia this winter - a real hanger-oner.
That buzzard looks angry. he'd give me nightmares. Vincent however, is glorious.

At 19:08 Blogger Ticia said...

I'm glad you got to take a few days off just for you. The pics are wonderful, although that Gargoyle looks like it is poised for imminent destruction.

I'm sorry you and Kitty didn't get to enjoy as much of your time together as usual.

I'm finally feeling better today. The inhalers for my bronchitis seem to be doing the trick, but I still have MO energy. I hope that changes soon.

OSS, how's your neck?

At 19:12 Blogger EmilyLady said...

Have fun with your superdog. And feel better.

At 19:22 Blogger Ticia said...

Hmmmm.

Fiend typo.

MO was supposed to be NO, but now my mind is flooded with possibilities, none of them even remotely entertaining.

At 19:31 Blogger Aline Martins said...

Is the Gargoyle "alive" ?

Loved the pics, and am wondering how many pots of honey will come out of all that...

I am happy today, I went on a date, and it went well \o/ (my last relationship was with a person in UK, I am not used to someone so close...)

Here is my cat x my pupil's test (for those not on Twitter and FB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-7xFwVzxT0

Hope all Fiends Have a great week!

At 19:42 Blogger EmilyLady said...

How wonderful, Aline.

At 19:59 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Thanks, I feel fine, it just keeps coming BACK, and the cough and tired is still there. Like I said, weird.

I've never asked Vincent the Gargoyle if he is alive, dead or un-dead, Aline, not the polite thing to do in this part of the world.

Just came home with steak for 5 Bengals who had not been fed anything but dry food since this morning.

If you wonder what that sounds like, imagine the End of the World.

At 20:12 Blogger dabbler said...

Got that thing, too. Wake up one day feeling pretty good, though still coughing, by half way through, exhausted again. Am sure it passes eventually. I'm on week three...and, like Lioness, I'm glad to hear I'm not crazy.

Have spent the weekend going through books....filling up DS's bedroom with the ones that are still listed, listing more, and generally making headway on a job I've been avoiding for two years. I'm proud of myself. And DH is excavating the basement. He's gotten down to things he hadn't seen for fifteen years. Whatever this energy is, I'm all for it.

Love the pictures...especially that buzzard.

At 20:33 Blogger One Sock Short said...

That never fully sick, never fully well thing sounds awfully familiar. Oh right, that's the thing that ate up all my sick leave before my neck went all wonky again. But the fiend vibes seem to have started working, since today was merely painful, not agonizing. I was even able to putter around the apt a little. Hope the remission lasts. I absolutely cannot miss any more work.

Can't see the pics too well on the phone, but they look worth waiting for a good view.

Does the honey still taste of mint? Or have other fragrances taken over? I'm still swooning at the thought of lilac scented honey. But I suppose you can't steal it that early in the season to be able to jar any.

At 20:43 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

No sadly, mint is earlier, there are a few cool flavors, including one really dark frame we kept separate.

Lilac is a bit to early for stealing, sadly.

Freezing. Forgot I'd turned the heat off. Fire helping tho it's so cold up I may move down with Venus and Mim and sleep in the Romance Room this winter.

At 21:19 Blogger Jess said...

Sounds not unlike the virus I had last Christmas--that thing hung on for about two and a half months. Lots of tea. Feel better.

And turn the heat on, fer cryin' out loud! Are you crazy?! It's only 39 degrees out there! Well, out here, anyway. Accuweather says Minneapolis is much warmer. Which seems deeply unfair.

Love that first photo: Venus looks very fierce. Vince, on the other hand, looks like he's about to fall off the table.

What sort of bird is Buzzard, I wonder? He seems vulture-like to me, on account of having no head feathers.

There's a bird in Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun called Oreb. Oreb is not a buzzard; I can't remember what sort of bird he is. But I think you should name it Oreb. It looks like an Oreb.

At 21:24 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

I don't know what sort of bird he is, Oreb seems as good a name as any, except someone might call me on it and Gene Wolfe is beyond me. Tried and can't, tho he is am amazing writer.

Kitty and I found him (the buzzard, not Gene WOlfe) at a Spirit shop. Get a cool cat too, declined the rat. Also got these little hanging spooky things I need to find somewhere to hang.

Venus is in love with one and rolls all over the table with it.

It's about 45 here Jess. Might hit 60 tomorrow, then back to our regularly scheduled winter.

At 21:26 Anonymous Shantra said...

Thank you thank you. I am feeling vaguely ill too, thought it was flu, isn't, ears ache then don't, voice goes then doesn't. The first thought that came to mind seeing the honeycombs was how do you keep the cats out of them? I can just see Mars and Sakura now trying so terribly hard to be helpful!

At 21:34 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Nope. No one is crazy. We have the Weirdo Virus.

The honey is in the Dog part of the house at Boss's Dog doesn't care about it. Cat can't go in that part, Dog will get them.

(Bengals are all at my house, tho it might well even the odds and teach the dog a thing or two about cats..)

At 21:37 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

See how good I am about answeing questions? I will answer them for another hour and a half, then bed.

What do you need to know? All exclusive, only here....

At 21:53 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

It's hard tho when they come so fast...

Something is knocking around in my wall. Not the Bengals.

At 21:56 Blogger Ticia said...

What, if anything, are you reading right now? :)

At 21:59 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Goog question!

The latest Keri Arthur, the Riley Jenson Gaurdian series. Lovely TV BOOKS. I THINK SHE TRIES TO BE MODERN ROMANCE, BUT SHE IS MUCH BETTER THAAn oops caps lock, that.

At 22:13 Blogger ariandalen said...

Something is knocking around in my wall. Not the Bengals.


Wolves.

At 22:19 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Ah, Wolves. Yes. Forgot about them.

At 22:30 Blogger Ticia said...

Thanks, I'll add her to my list of people to read. :)

Next:

If the Bengals ate steak for dinner, what did you eat?

At 22:30 Blogger Chantrelle said...

Those damn wolves, get you every time. Especially when you have jam.

Ben and I have been reading the first of the "create your own adventure" series. He just decided to take a picture of the Yeti (aka "that thing over there"). We'll find out what happens tomorrow ;-)

Meanwhile I've been gorging myself on Christopher Moore. About 3/4 of the way through reading 'A Dirty Job" and almost done listening to "Bloodsucking Fiends". I love this man. He is an hilarious genius.

Thank you for making me aware of him!!

At 22:32 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

You should read her if you like fun modern fantasy. Vampire, werewolves, but not stupidly.

The Bengals are starving tonight. 4 steaks. 7 tins of food. Not sure I should sleep.

I had a healthy chicken and veg thing from the Chinese place that makes it to order for me. Good me.

At 22:33 Blogger ariandalen said...

I thought wolves was a better choice than squirrels or mice. Bengals will get rid of them soon.

At 22:34 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

That is very true of Christopher Moore.

Mim just fell over asleep. I mean like a log. Wonder if she is FED for the night?

At 22:36 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

The Bengals had BETTER get rid of whatever is there. Whatever it is sure picked the wrong house to come in for the winter in.

Lear got my had a good one. Not meanly, just trying to reach for the food plate. Never piss that boy off, just saying, he has some CLAWS.

At 22:37 Blogger Ticia said...

She sounds like a winner.

Christopher Moore is awesome. I just passed some of his books on to my BFF.

Your dinner sounds delicious Q. Just my type of Chinese food. I do like mine SPICY though. :)

I do hope Mim isn't playing dead....

At 22:42 Blogger Dragonsally said...

*Bounces* Quiche, Quiche, the Keri Arthur books are all set in the suburbs and streets around me! You can read them and get an idea of my place!

At 22:42 Blogger ariandalen said...

Ms. Fabulous, have you read any of Kim Harrison's books set in The Hollows?

I'm waiting impatiently for _White Witch, Black Curse_ to be out in paperback. At least I don't have too much longer to wait (mid to late November).
Witches and vampires and demons, oh my!
Werewolves and elves and gargoyles, Oh My!
Deadly viruses in tomatoes changes world! OH MY!

At 22:42 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

It was healthy. Could have made better but sometimes fast is good.

Keri Arthur is good. Its modern fantasy vampire werewolf mystery detective with some sex. If you are in the mood for a fine romp, try them out.

Mim got up. Washing now. Rolling. In front of the fire. Good to be a cat some days.

At 22:44 Blogger Dragonsally said...

*bounces higher* Ticia - see what I wrote to Quiche?

Riley is a great heroine. Fiendish sort of gal, she'd fit right in here.

At 22:44 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Sally, how cool, yes they are set in your neck of the woods. You have trains. Very cool.

I have some Kim Harrison, but haven't actually read them yet. Maybe I ought to.

At 22:46 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

She would at that. Has a great coffee habit.

At 22:48 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

http://www.keriarthur.com

At 22:49 Blogger Dragonsally said...

You should have seen me the first time I read her books, because the streets I drive down are named. I am such a geek.

At 22:50 Blogger Ticia said...

Yes Sally, I DID see. :)

She's on my list now.

I'm finally getting into the Harry Dresden books. Number 3 is actually making Harry grow on me. :)

At 23:01 Blogger Stacy Hurt said...

I *heart* gargoyles; (and garguys too)! Glad the Bengals are all fine; lovely reading what everyone else is reading. I find I need some new reading material and I have always been steered onto great things from all of you! Thanks!

At 23:12 Blogger ariandalen said...

Kim Harrison is very good. Set in an alternate Cincinnati, though the fourth (or is it fifth?) book is away from home. You definitely learn more about the world as the series continues, and the previous book _The Outlaw Demon Wails_ certainly had a lot of eye openers. Rachel Morgan is a witch who lives and works with a living vampire, they have a pixie as their third partner, she has demon trouble as well as trouble from her former bosses. The first book is _Dead Witch Walking_. Vampires, witches, werewolves, and a few other species live in the open among humans after a genetically engineered disease, attached to tomatoes, wipes out a large portion of the human population. Demons only show up when called, and only at night.
Good stuff!

At 01:39 Blogger Marjorie said...

Nicce Post! And pictures. I'm so glad you mentioned that the buzzard / Oben was new, I'd been wondering when I saw the picture how I missed noticing him in the summer!

I thought maybe Oben was a vulture, too, on account of being bald. No doubt BirdChick will tell us in time.

I think I have the same crud. Had it a month ago, thought I was getting better, never quite did.

But at least there's good company.

The honey harvest makes me unreasonably happy, for some reason. Lots of loverly hunny... must go getsome honey for myself, especially now I have got to the cooking porridge for breakfast time of the year.

Hmm. I haven't been able to get into Harry Dresden books. I've tried several, but they just don't seem to 'take' for me. Also Rachel Morgan - I've read a couple, and have not disliked them, just haven't gripped me enough to want to go out to buy more.

I do enjoy Patricia Briggs and also the Stephen R Green 'Nightside' books, tho'. I shall have to go look for Keri Arthur. I think I may have read one, but not more.

(And on a slightly different level, has anyone else read the Maryjanice Davidson 'Betsy' vampire books? chick-lit vampires - very funny.

PS - love the Gargoyle. Every home should have one.

At 02:38 Anonymous kali_licious said...

Mim must have some crazy good levitation skills to keep that gargoyle from falling. She also looks rather at home on that plinth. LOL.

So many Fiends under the weather..Hope you all feel better soon. OSS, good to hear you're a bit better, hope that continues 'cause that kind of pain is just awful.

I'm just now getting over the ick myself (hope I'm not jinxing myself).

Ariandalen I'm waiting for that new Kim Harrison as well.
I like Patricia Briggs too.
Terribly behind on all my fun reading thanks to school.:(

At 05:41 Blogger Phiala said...

I'm listening to the new Kim Harrison as an audiobook. Slowly.

I like Patricia Briggs too, possibly better. Haven't tried Keri Arthur yet, but obviously will have to.

I'm currently rereading Connie Willis's "To Say Nothing of the Dog", having finally read "Three Men in a Boat". I'm also going back thru the Miles Vorkosigan books by Lois McMaster Bujold. Old favorites, those are, even if I've only read them once.

At 09:06 Blogger dabbler said...

Hmm. Sounds like I'll have to try Keri Arthur. Like Patricia Briggs a lot, both the Mercy Thompson ones and some of her earlier, less urban, fantasies.

I also really like C.E. Murphy. Both the Walker Papers series and the Negotiator series are fun. the Negotiator series has an edgy female lawyer protagonist in a world with s less usual fey...selkies, and gargoyles, for ex.

Drat. No more time, must go to work...more on books later, hopefully!

At 09:07 Blogger dabbler said...

Oh, and love Bujold. Both Miles, and also the Chalion stuff.

At 09:26 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Now that I can really see them, great pics!

Aaaand, tick!

Work now.

At 09:55 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Poor you...
Thanks for the update.

At 11:15 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Wild day in the world of Asstanting. Everyone needs something and it's all about me. Kind of love it, kind of fear it.

I think Venus has found the source of the Thing in the wall, as she has taken up residence on top of the cabinets in the sunroom. In the far corner. Go Venus.

At 11:56 Blogger ariandalen said...

I can't imagine wolves getting past Venus, much less the other four Bengals. Anything smaller than a wolf, well...does it really stand a chance?

Glad you're rocking the Super Assistant cape!

At 12:21 Blogger V. September McCrady/NineOf12 said...

Is Mim named after the character from Wheel of Time?

At 12:30 Blogger vampi said...

wow, something in the wall? i'm a bit skeeved by that.

At 12:39 Blogger Kate said...

You DO live in Spooky House, it's probably just a lonely spook. I'm lucky enough to know who my house ghost is (my grandfather) but he hasn't been around as much since we moved in.

Is the Queen of No in residence, or the Princess of Possibly?

At 12:43 Blogger Dan Guy said...

I always figured Mim was named for Queen Mim, mad Queen of the dragons, from Bone.

At 12:49 Blogger ariandalen said...

IIRC, Mim is named after mad Madame Mim from the Disney animated movie "The Sword in the Stone."

I'm sure that when Ms. Fabulous gets a chance, she'll let us know. :)

At 13:07 Blogger Unknown said...

It's Madame Mim from Sword in the Stone, and Mim Soulberg, who did my first favorite ever Lady Macbeth in a Palace Theater production of Macbeth.

Ended up working for the theater so I could see it every night, then taking classes in improv with them , which gave me skills I have never stopped using.

Jim Stowell was Macbeth. Best teacher I ever had.

At 13:43 Blogger anna j said...

Lovely buzzard (and bengals! with laser powers). Also honey. The honey just falls out of the comb once you scrape it off the frames? Through the cheesecloth, I mean.

Wow. So many books and authors to explore. I haven't even heard of any of these people. Shall check them out.

Have been feeling a bit on the edge of some not-quite-cold myself. Hoping it's not the hanging-on Weird Sickness. Also hoping you're all feeling better soon. As the days get darker and the liklihood of illness descends, it can get to be a kind of sad time of year.

At 13:44 Blogger anna j said...

Oh, and how much steak will the five bengals eat? Could they also eat chicken if you so chose?

At 15:09 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Anna, I have not yet found an upper limit to how much steak 5 Bengals will eat. It was about a pound and a half between last night and this morning.

They don't seem as happy with chicken, oddly enough.

Just skyped with a very tired Boss, all is good!

Why did I lose my "Fabulous" on that last comment?????

At 15:13 Blogger vampi said...

perhaps you were logging into gmail with a different account that is secretly fabulous?

At 15:39 Blogger Uisge said...

Venus looks like a kitten when she's attacking you. Cute and scary.

Mim cracks me up. Love that she fell over asleep.

Sally - love your enthusiasm over locally set books. I share it. I just love reading things set in my neck of the woods (or other places I know well). The MaryJanice Davidson books are a good example.

Love the author recs. I've got a 42 page document where I put recs. A bunch of these I already had but I see a few new names to check out.

I just read a few collections (2 by PN Elrod) and found some new people to check out. I'll have to grab names and share. I'm digging urban fantasy right now. I actually got a bunch of good recs via Felicia Day (of The Guild and Dr. Horrible). She's on Good Reads and is a pretty voracious reader.

At 15:39 Blogger Uisge said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

At 16:15 Blogger Lioness said...

Uisge, I've been reading Felicia's recommendations as well- at least some of them - I couldn't possibly keep up with all of them and have a life as well.

At 16:56 Blogger Chantrelle said...

Yay for safe Boss!

Working out bathroom remodel issues w/ contractor. Amazing how much of a difference 1/2" can make! Must get hubby to pick out tile.

Q, does your local meat counter sell pet food scraps? Ours has all the stuff they trim in the case for sale...not sure that would help you in anyway but just thought of it. And what about just making and freezing a bunch of steak so you aren't their personal chef *every* night? Hell, i do that for Ben!! ;-)

At 17:22 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Chantrelle, I think everyone should have to pick out tile once in their lives, builds character.

(IE If I had to go thru it, everyone else should to)

The easiest way to do this I think, is to have run out of money by the time you GET to the tile. Then you ask ye old tile place what they have lying around.

Voila!

Choice made.

At 17:26 Blogger Chantrelle said...

This is bathroom #2 for me, so i've done the tile thing. I also did it this time 'round and hubby is waffling on my choice (this is really *his* bathroom, i got to do the other one)...so it's on him now! Now that we're back in town from our various travels, he has to get into the tile shop.

Funny thing is, we're going w/ mostly glossy white porcelain! How hard should this be???

At 20:03 Blogger Siri said...

17 hours of driving in 3 days - didn't leave the state (well, OK, for a side trip to Gays Mills Wi, for cashew brittle.

Tired tired tired.

Night fiendom.

At 20:07 Blogger Ticia said...

Night. Siri!!

I promise not to poke you while you sleep. *smooches*

At 20:55 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

New post is UP!

Just in case you wondered how very exciting my life gets some nights...

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