Conversations from a Marriage

 Today was another work day. We got another ceiling up in the third bedroom at the rehab. That was our goal for today. Mission accomplished. I did some insulation work. 

I also swept.

The house is old and it was pretty bad. I have been sweeping over and over, every time that I go, but still...there is more dust. Yesterday, I hauled out the wood from the kitchen cupboard. Didn't seem like after getting rid of the doors that there was much point in keeping that wood, but Tim thought maybe it might come in useful for something. And the wood does match the woodwork. So I hauled the wood out to the garage and stacked it, and cleaned the debris left behind and swept out the kitchen. Dustpan after dustpan. Where does it all come from? Who knows, but I swept upstairs and downstairs again today, and found plenty more dust. 100 years of dust doesn't get swept up over night, I guess. 

Tim made the comment about 'the next house we buy...' Pretty sure he was joking, but you never can be too sure. Just in case he was serious, I looked him square in the face and said, "We. Are. Not. Buying. ANYMORE HOUSES! I am making it perfectly clear. I am ready to retire, and I'm not doing it anymore, so if you decide to get yourself tangled up in another rehab, you better be prepared to be working on it all by yourself. I AM DONE!~!!" He looked surprised but didn't say anything. I've said this before, but, by heavens, this time I mean it. I think the man would be happy to drop over dead with a hammer in his hand. Me? Not so much. 

We worked all day and then headed down to feed the kittens. Tim went hunting last night for a couple hours, and so he took over feeding them last night. (I stayed home and made supper for him, scalloped potatoes, with smoked sausage.) I know that he doesn't fuss much with them. He'll just throw a couple cups of dry cat food in their dish and call it good. I'm different. But I knew that he'd want to get out hunting right away. I bring the pitcher home with me to wash, so I got the bright idea to make the gravy here at home for him. I handed him the pitcher on his way out of the door. "When you get down there, just add a packet of beef broth to the gravy, heat up the water in the electric kettle, and then pour it all in with the gravy. Stir in a couple cans of cat food, and then take it down and add it to a couple scoops of dry cat food and you're done. 

I'm not sure what he did not understand there, but I noticed that when I filled the kettle with water today, it was brown. Really, really brown. I wondered what was going on with the water. I've never seen it that color before. Something struck me and so I said to Tim 'So...did you add the beef broth in the electric kettle?'

He said, "No. You didn't tell me to do that." 

I said, "I'm glad. The water was so brown that I thought you'd misunderstood or something."

He said, "Well...wasn't I supposed to pour the gravy in there?" 

Me (aghast), "In the electric kettle???!!!" 

Him: "I was heating it up for them." 

Gaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!! I explained the proper use of an electric kettle to him. Nuthin' but water! You use the kettle to heat water to add to things in a pitcher (or a cup). Nothing but water goes in the kettle! I think that I used enough exclamation points. He'll probably remember. Maybe. 

The kettle was brought home for a thorough cleaning. 

The kittens were especially glad to see me today, poor starvelings! I mixed their food up just the way they like it, and they gathered around quickly. I notice when I sit down on the floor to watch them and talk to them that three of them seem almost to be more interested in being petted and scritched behind the ears than they are in the food. Today, I didn't have enough hands because three of them crowded close. Minnie was eating her food while it was still hot, but she stayed close and watched carefully as Tiger, Sigh, and Possum milled around purring and rubbing against my hands. The three of them initiate the contact by standing in front of me staring at my face. When I look at them, they give a quiet questioning 'purp!' That gets the pets started. It is fun to see them learning to trust, and I am grateful for that small joy. 

So. That was today. Work and kittens. We stopped at a grocery store to pick up carrots and broccoli for a stirfry, but I don't imagine that you're interested to hear about that. Or the turnips I picked up for a pot of turnip soup either. So. I won't mention that. 

Happy weekend.