When I am nervous or worried or excited or happy, I have to make things.
So, I guess, whenever my energy gets a little zippy in either a good or bad way, you will find me baking, cleaning, making, doing. Keeping my mind busy busy.
Baking being one of my faves.
I am finding that I have this sort of natural adrenaline. My whole life I have felt something that feels like shots of caffeine surge through me, at random times. No wonder when I drink caffeine I get terribly jittery and nauseous. I am already boppy on my own.
Sure, I like to relax too.
But mostly, I like to do do do.
When I was a little girl, I used to tell my mom that I felt fast.
Then I'd speed around in circles, jumping about, out of control.
Fast.
I told her this week that I still feel like that very often.
Just full of energy.
She said she does too.
So there you go, I get it from her.
Point is, with Matty seeming to feel a tinge better every day (although he doesn't want his picture taken), I find myself doing a little bit of everything.
The relief in me, that he is doing better and not worse, is so huge, I can't even tell you.
So, as of today, he is a little bit better.
Everyday is a better day.
Yay!
(collective prayers and hopes, I just know it!!)
So, with the family feeling a little less stressed, I decided that the cinnamon rolls I am talking about on my Pastries and Sweets blog needed to become a reality.
This is the recipe I used.
While Mister Lovee went out to play his instruments, I got to baking.
Slowly.
Thoughtfully.
First I sat down and read all the directions carefully.
Then I made my dough and put it inside my oven to rise.
(in a bowl, on a cookie sheet, covered with a damp flour sack towel)
That's my rising trick from time to time.
I put my oven on the lowest setting, way below where numbers even start (below 200'F), so it's just very warm and not hot.
And voila, the dough rises beautifully every time.
The directions were easy, and I followed them step by step.
The dough was supple and lovely, and I kept lots of extra flour nearby for rolling out.
(sorry, the making photos are hideous night shots)
I had never made cinnamon rolls from scratch before.
It was quite easy.
The only time spent was waiting for the dough to rise, which I love the waiting time.
It's like, free magazine reading time to me.
Or, see if you can get the kitchen totally sparkly clean before it rises time.
With the music on.
I really recommend giving these a try.
You will be so pleased.
Mister Lovee got home just as they came out of the oven. So, I let him choose between the sugar or maple frosting/glaze. He chose the maple. He loves maple syrup, so we went with that.
The recipe says to immediately turn your buns onto a wire rack, so they are now upside down.
Alas, we thought they were prettier right side up.
So, I flipped them back over.
I had started to drizzle them in a very lovely fashion.
However, Lovee is a sweet tooth, and he was adamant not one drip of glaze be wasted.
So, in the end, I just poured the glaze on in heaps.
Mister Lovee ate so many, he stopped counting.
And, the next morning, they were just as good...
There is half of one left.
I ate one too many myself.
Not something I had planned.
But hey, we had a rough week.
Cinnamon rolls were needed.
Yumm.
Make them, seriously.
You will feel so proud and happy you did it.
Plus, you will make your household smile.
As for us.
Like I said, Matty is taking it easy.
He was not interested in me taking his photo at all.
Tomorrow I will talk to the vet, and, make some plans as some of the pills are coming to a finish.
In the meantime, Miles wants extra love.
Poor baby.
The day we took Matty to the doggie ER hospital, Miles had to stay home alone for the first time ever.
I told him, you be brave my big boy.
When we got home, he was sitting right at the gate.
As though he had not moved all the hours we were gone, late into the night.
He's pure love that one.
Matty has not felt like playing yet.
Understandably.
So, Lovee and I have taken turns playing with Miles a lot.
Which we do anyway.
But you can tell, he is desperate for some gazelle running and tumbling with his big little brother.
(they LOVE the Snuggies my dad gave us :)
Sometimes I wonder what they think about their little worlds, or if they do? Matty came to live with us at about 6 weeks (from a very rough home, and was totally untrusting and mean at that little age), and Miles at 4.5 weeks (too young, but they had to put the pups in homes due to a family emergency).
We are the only home and family they have really ever known.
I could never just throw them outside and treat them less than family members.
They are so integrated into our lives, we all wouldn't know any other way.
I didn't grow up with pets really.
We tried.
We tried for cats, and tragedy struck with them all the time.
(poor Butterscotch)
Then...
I got a cat, who I named Casey when I was little, and she lived until I was in college.
She was a whiny old calico gal.
But, I could never play with her or love her, because I was so allergic.
I tried, but I broke out in hives and wheezing fits.
With a huge swollen itchy lip.
Isn't that the saddest thing ever?
I think about her alllll the time.
Casey.
Then I got a big huge fat black cat Moschino, but he ran away into the desert behind our house.
Then I refound him on the road, and brought him home...
And he ran away again, into the wild where we lived.
Then I went to college and tried a few cats, but they got stolen.
One by a neighbor across the street (Fatty was his name), and one (Zalik) quite blatantly by a neighbor down the street.
(I used to bathe Zalik, za-leek, but would still sneeze and wheeze all day and night)
Who gave him back, and then moved and stole him again.
I tried to get a rabbit.
(I am year of the rabbit btw)
But, I had the same reaction as to cats.
When I was little, I had two ducks.
A white and a black, but they were sooooo mean.
We had to give them to the local duck man who had a pond.
And I had a white cockatiel bird named Ginger for 1 day, but my babysitter fed her the wrong thing.
Once I was in high school, my brother and sister got baby dalmatians.
But, I never really got to know them, as I moved out of town for college.
Why did I just type that whole pointless tale?
:)
I guess, point maybe, I feel really lucky I am not allergic to dogs.
For sure.
Well, I need to get back to work.
Packaging delightful orders, so they arrive sooner than soon.
Everyone's in their places.
Miles under me, Matty behind me.
Oh one last thing...
My uncle's dog was in the hospital and his bill was something like $7,000.
Perhaps more, I can't recall.
I was talking to my neighbor and she was telling me she has health insurance for her dogs.
She says it is very reasonable.
Like $15-30 a month.
And, I was considering it.
Because no one is prepared for thousands in pet care when an illness strikes.
And I was wondering, do any of you have health insurance on your furs?
And if so, can you share any info. you might have about this?
Okay, off for now.
Back soon.
Love, Vanessa
ps: Hi there, it's Tuesday night, and I have been busy cutting canvas, printing prints, packaging cards and getting all the orders shipped out. Woo hoo!
But I wanted to give a quick Matty update, in case you were wondering?
He is okay, not great. Not back to normal, just holding steady.
We will see his vet (not the ER place, but his regular vet who sent us to the ER) tomorrow and assess things.
For now he is sleeping under my feet, and we are about to cuddle up for the night.
Thank you so much for your well wishes, e-mails + tips and thoughts.
Beyond lovely, thank you.
Love, Vanessa & Matty :)
