The Scmenkmans have long known about the joys of fondue. They have introduced me to the feasting in the past, and most recently this past October when the Capris and Bermudas were treated to a gut-busting extravaganza.

So imagine my joy when on a recent run through of Ross Dress For Less I came across this major bargain…

In case you can’t make out the price tag… it was only $14.99!!

When Mr. C. came home and saw it sitting on the counter he was a bit… sceptical. He remembered his mom doing fondue way back in the day and didn’t remember being impressed.
I explained to him that this was different, not cheese fondue, but oil fondue… basically fried food!
THEN I added the information that various dips were involved and I could see in his eyes that he was intrigued… still sceptical, but intrigued nonetheless.
He also may have been a bit concerned if fonduing was considered a ‘manly’ thing to do… you know, kinda like that ‘real men don’t eat quiche’ controversy from way back.
I assured him that Mr. Schmenkman (aka Honey) was a seasoned fondue-er and that eased his mind.
So last weekend, once I began the preparation he was quite enamoured with the whole idea… pre-cut fried food with lots of different dipping sauces… how can you go wrong?

We had chicken,steak,shrimp,scallops, and okra with a variety of dips.
Mr. C indulged in the breading process while I skipped that step.
NOW he has ordained himself “The KING of Fondue”

I told him that ‘Honey’ just might challenge him on that… and considering that Honey actually prepares the fondue and doesn’t just eat it, I’ll be on Honey’s side!

So anyway, while at the grocery store yesterday, I called Mr.C. to see if he needed milk…. he said “yes, and don’t forget to pick up all the ingredients for the fondue tomorrow!”
Yes, I’ve created a monster!
I’m pretty sure he plans on fonduing every weekend now… I’ll have to break it to him that it is supposed to be a special occasion kind of thing.
Of course he IS spoiled, so we’ll be fonduing this evening just because I love him.
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I made a centerpiece for my boss’s Thanksgiving table.
I thought I’d share it with you all and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.

I’m thankful for all of you.

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Our couches are big brown cushy leather. They are not really intended for people that are ‘dainty, delicate’ sitters… they are for floppers
and that suits Mr.C. and I just fine… we are definitely floppers… neither one of us would ever claim to be delicate or dainty!
We also have hardwood floors.
That presented a problem because when we flopped onto our couches, they tended to slide across the floor all helter skelter.
My first solution was to cut little circles of that grippy shelf liner or the stuff that is supposed to keep your rugs from slipping on hardwood floors. I placed the circles under the feet of the couch and love seat and it did work for a couple of days, but it wouldn’t be long before I would see the cats dragging them around the house.
I was pretty much resigned to just having to adjust the furniture daily.
BUT THEN…
as I was perusing the isles of our local Big Lots store, I spied these little beauties…

The Slip ‘n Grip Dual Function Furniture Pad made by Shepherd Hardware Products LLC

The inner ring is made of an anti-skid material so the furniture grips and stays put when it’s flat on the floor.
BUT if you want to move the furniture, you tilt it and it slips easily across the floor.

I snatched up two sets of four for a mere $3.50 each.
Then I had my handsome handy-man install them

(While the couches were tilted up I took the opportunity to vacuum up an embarrassing amount of kitty-fur dust bunnies!)

AND THEN we test-flopped them!


Mr C. and I both did highly exaggerated flopping and the couches stayed put! Never moved!
Four thumbs up from Mr.C and I

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It’s no secret that I’ve not been myself lately. Aside from having the never-ending head-cold from hell for the past couple of weeks, I’m still working through the loss of Paddy.
It has really been a struggle for me. You all know that I’ve lost a good number of much loved pets in my life. Each of those losses left a scar on my heart, but losing Paddy has been much different.
I’ve been looking out into the gardens and seeing all of the clean up that needs doing, but every time I go out in the yard I’m overwhelmed with memories.
Paddy under her apple tree

Paddy in the pond

Walking with Paddy

Teaching Paddy about picking raspberries

Paddy fixing up her house

And how empty that house is now

The memories made my heart hurt, so I’ve been just turning around and going back into the house. Too sad to do a thing.
Yesterday I went out and again was tempted to turn around and go back inside but I forced myself to walk around and take inventory of things. Talk about overwhelmed! The weeds… the work!
But I told myself… “self, just weed this one little section and then you can go back inside and be sad”

Look at those weeds!
I did it though, I knelt down and pulled those weeds and stood up and surveyed my work…

I felt the healing begin, with each weed I pulled my heart felt a little bit lighter.
I got motivated… I PULLED me some weeds! I cut back those dead perennials

And then I started noticing that the frosts hadn’t killed everything… the chipmunks planted this sunflower for me and Jack Frost didn’t kill it!

Other flowers are hanging on too…
A purple coneflower

the pot of million bells on the back deck

Salvia May Night

And this Angel wing begonia only half gave up…

While I still don’t understand why God chose to bring Paddy home to Him, I’m seeing that life does go on no matter how cold the air is or how cold our hearts feel, and even though we may have sad times or hard times that Life Is STILL Good.

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Finally, the snot has lifted! I will never take breathing for granted again.
Life here on The Hill has been kind of quiet. I haven’t felt inspired to write about anything lately either.
I’ve begun the Christmas decorating at Chesley already. I can’t believe that December is almost here!

Seymour the rooster, who lost his flock in a bloody coup has come back home and is living with Mr, Kowalski’s hens. He has completely lost his sight in one eye and I’m wondering if he isn’t going completely blind. I know he can see some things but he seems to run into things more than he should.
It’s nice to hear him crowing out there in the morning.
The weather report today is calling for a nice sunny, mild day so I’m going to try to get some things done out in the gardens and get a few weeds pulled or something.
Have a good weekend everyone and please don’t forget to VOTE FOR SUZANNE!! CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Suzanne has lost her lead in the contest! Please vote, it only takes a couple of seconds!
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A while back I asked y’all to vote for Suzanne at Chickens In the Road.
She is in a contest for a paying job!
She won the first round!
Now she is in the finals and she needs your votes to win.
She is one of my favorite feel good bloggers so please
vote here for her!You can vote once a day from each of your computers until December 7th.
She really needs this so help her out please… every day if you can!

Check out her blog too… it’ll make you long for the simple life!

The latest government study is now saying that women should only start getting mammograms at 50 years old and then only every other year.
This study comes out right before the government is getting ready to take over health care… coincidence? I don’t think so!

10 days and counting… still full of snot,coughing, and sneezing but trying to live the day-to-day with heavy amounts of decongestants and neti pot rinses. (Couldn’t find the hose adapter Warren… maybe you could make me one?!) lol
I kindly ‘gave’ my germs to Mr.C. but after only three days he is already throwing it. (Must be the beer)

Sorry I missed your call Sister Laura-belle… thanks for worrying about me!

Got rained out of work today. Mr. C took the day off too and we went to Costco, The Big Cheap Store, and The Trough! A good day.. although Mr. C made out way better than me at all three places.
SOOOOOO not fair!

I’m still struggling with the loss of Paddy every day, but it’s not as hard to look at her pictures and I’m able to remember her without falling apart…. most of the time.
Last weekend I went to the “Call Of the Wild’ rehabilitators conference in Waynesboro Virginia with my friend Stacey. It was very interesting and I managed to tell Paddy’s story to a couple of wildlife vets (without breaking down)… they both agreed that it was a totally unforeseeable tragedy. I did put my name on the updated list of rehabilitators with the notation that I can take orphaned beavers. I’m not sure that was the best decision… but then again, if not ME… than WHO? I guess I need to risk my heart in order to have the pure JOY that Paddy brought to our lives. As long as I have the wonderful support system of Mr.C, my family and cherished friends to support me I’m able to say that I’ll do it all again. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I love you.

On Sunday I developed the worst head cold I’ve had in years.
Neti pots, Mucinex, Vicks Vapo Rub, steaming, cold medicine, NyQuil…
nothing is breaking up the nastiness filling my head.
Where does it come from??? Is my brain melting I wonder?

I’m hosting a pity party for myself today. I don’t indulge in them very often but right now I’m just letting it happen.
Tomorrow will be a hard day. We’re going to bury Paddy underneath the crab-apple tree that was right next to her enclosure. She loved to eat those crab apples.
Today we cleaned out her enclosure. Many tears were shed.

The worst part of today though… I went out to Mr. Kowalski’s coop to check on them and found Mr. K. dieing. I picked him up and already knew that there was nothing I could do for him, so I just held him until he took his last breath.
Mr. C and I buried him on the back hill.
I just don’t know how much more my heart can take.

I’m not smiling very much these days. The loss of Paddy has hit me hard and I tend to melt into tears at the slightest little reminder of her.
But I do have some new friends at work that make me smile when I see them. I haven’t learned their names yet, but their faces are already dear to me.

I’ll bet they made you smile too!

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One of my favorite bloggers is asking for 5 seconds of your time. Please vote for her!
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The poor guy is going to be shaved bald in patches forever if he keeps it up.
When Mr.C picked me up from the airport on Saturday he told me that he had a feeling we would have to take Kubota to the emergency vet clinic as soon as we got home. He had spied a large gash on his side just before he left the house to come get me. He said there wasn’t any blood so I was praying it could wait until the next morning since I was way beyond exhausted.
But sure enough, it warranted a visit to get some stitches and even a drainage tube.

They stitched him from the inside with dissolving sutures so I wouldn’t have to make a trip in to have them removed. I did have to take him in yesterday to have the tube removed though. He’s recovering nicely.

This is BFG, me and Capri P

You may think that I’m striking an angry Indian pose, but that is not the case. This was one of those stuck in your mind for the rest of your life experience days.
See that cigarette hanging BFG’s lips???
It was a prop for his costume of course but previous to this photo being taken he had let me play with it and I was walking around acting all grown up and glamorous while pretending to puff away. (as glam as one can be while dressed as an Indian I suppose)
When he took it back from me I had a bratty little hissy fit which is perfectly depicted in this photo.
SO, after this picture BFG took me into my sister’s bedroom and asked me if I wanted to smoke it! Oh yes he did! He lit that lovely KOOL menthol cig and gave it to the bratty little sister.
I took it and really felt grown up when I pretended to puff away. But THEN, BFG decided to actually teach the bratty little sister about the proper way to inhale!
Oh yes he DID!
I sucked in that smoke with an exaggerated inhale and can still feel the burn in my throat and my eyes bugging out of my head as I hacked and choked and felt like I was going to die right then and there as my sweet big brother just laughed and laughed!
He loved me, he was teaching me a lesson. Right BFG?

…and Paddy met Wapi, they fell instantly in love and lived happily ever after. The end.
That is how it was supposed to be, a fairy tale.

But then the nightmare happened. The stress of the trip apparently caused Paddy’s immune system to shut down which allowed the bacteria inside her to multiply uncontrollably which in turn caused her stomach to rupture. She died in my arms on Saturday morning.
To say we were shocked and devastated is an under statement.
We have lost a number of extremely loved pets in the past, but usually to old age or illness, this grief is different.
Our hopes and dreams for Paddy were so high. Her death was so sudden and unexpected. The emotions are more profound and painful than anything we’ve ever experienced. It left both myself and Mr. C feeling empty and angry and confused about God’s plan.
With the blessing of family and friends we managed to get through the horror of it all and we’ve come to an acceptance, but are still left with feelings of guilt, confusion, pain and emptiness.
We both knew we would be returning from this trip with broken hearts but we were NOT prepared for this.
Please keep us in your prayers as we try to find understanding.

I’m getting a little bit queasy. In just two days we will set off on the road to take Paddy to her new home. I’ve been spending extra time with her, lovin on her, walking with her, wrestling. I swear she’s getting snugglier too which is sweet, but will make things harder on me.

People keep telling me that it’s just like when a parent has to let their child go. In a way that’s true, BUT in the case of a child, they are making the decision to go. They have stated that they are ready to go out and live their own life.
With Paddy I worry that she will feel abandoned. Will she think I don’t love and want her?
THAT is the hardest part for me… I’m not worried about MY broken heart, I worry that I might be breaking HER’S!

I know that many people will think that I shouldn’t be putting human emotions onto an animal. They think that animals are “just animals” and that they don’t feel emotions.
Well I’m here to tell you that I have surrounded myself with animals for a good part of my life and animals feel every single emotion that humans feel!
They feel scared, they feel sad, they feel happy, they feel angry, they feel abandoned, they feel lonely, they feel joy, they feel pain… THEY FEEL!
I can’t stand the thought that Paddy will feel that I don’t love and want her anymore. I just hope and pray that she really takes a shine to her new guy and that I can clearly see that she feels happy to be with him. Otherwise, how do I leave her?


I know that she will miss Mr. C. and I.

I hope that she can just walk away and be happy in her new life.

So I’ve been telling Paddy all about her furture arranged marriage with Wapi and she decided to get herself all dolled up and sexy to meet her new man…

(Actually, she had just eaten a plum, but seriously, she’s lookin sexy huh?)

24 years ago today Mr.C and I made that trip down the aisle together.
Best thing that ever happened to me.
I will NOT be posting a wedding picture because it was in the 80s, I was a trendy hair dresser and my fashion choices were NOT classic.
Nuff said.

I will post some pics of my dream guy though… recent ones to show just a couple of the reasons he’s the best guy in the world.

#1… He makes me breakfast sometimes… the worlds best fried egg sandwiches!

#2… He helps with yardwork!

#3… He paints all the doors!

#4… He loves the kitties…

#5… He loves Paddy

#6 He helps with all the critter care

#7… He takes great care of his Dad

And the most important thing of all…
He loves ME!

Of course there are a gazillion other reasons he’s great…
He loves my family and my friends.
He never puts up a fuss when the Capris come and take over the house.
He’s a good provider.
He takes care of me when I’m sick.
He brings me coffee in the morning.

Oh I could go on and on… suffice it to say that I am one very blessed wife and I thank God every single day that Mr C is my guy!
Happy Anniversary Mr.C, I’ll love you till I croak too!
(that’s an inside frog-joke)