I grew up learning tidiness isn’t a priority for everyone. I was the one (occasionally mom, too) who desperately wanted a dreamy, beautiful, and tidy home. I would spend hours reorganizing, cleaning, and labeling things. I’d leave notes behind for everyone so they’d appreciate my hard work, and to remind them:
“This is how it is supposed to look, don’t mess it up.”
I didn’t want visitors to see our house at its worst. Unfortunately, that was pretty darn often, so I learned to become numb to it. I’m now talented at being able to find a workaround mode despite things sitting in my way. Those are the special gifts (aka, talents) I contribute to our marriage.
Our house isn’t horribly messy, we clean often and it is way better than the house I grew up in. But, when I’m editing the photos I’ve taken of our kitchen to share on blog posts, I notice an old familiar creepy feeling sink in. Sharing our imperfect world is scary.
I share anyhow because awesome things happen on our 1990’s countertops.
As empty nesters we’ve come to realize, the two of us are to blame for the state of cleanliness in our home. Ouch. But we have pets, so taking a closer look (low down on the totem pole, at the ground or counter-leaping level, either one works) at our roommates helps us cut some slack in our household standards.
The messiness plot thickens.
We love and hate their contributions to the overall untidiness of a house. Hairs embed into the fabric they lay on and their feet stroll around in places where they pee and poop. Gross! Double Yuck. Despite the fact that they also give themselves regular baths, they are messy, adorable, cuddly cute, and dust-bunny creating beasts.
Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions; they pass no criticisms. – George Eliot
If you are a pet lover, like the two of us, you know that tolerance and forgiving of the less desirable parts of sharing a home together with pets is a must. Along with frequent washing of surfaces. Instead of finding things about them as gross, you weave them into your life. And you look for entertainment in what they do, especially when it comes to cramped spaces.
If they can make it work, why can’t we?
Dessy, our messy cat, is a sloppy binge eater who frequently regurgitates her meal that she just frantically ate. She serenades us before she poops, and most of the time discards it in the litter box but has been known to miss on occasions.
She is an entertaining cat.
Just like me, Dessy adores the Mr. for his gifts he brings to the family. His food preparation and coming through with meals that are mouth-wateringly delicious stand out as daily reminders of how much we should adore and thank him. I can’t speak for the taste of the cat food, nor would I want to, I’m just going on the pace at which it is consumed – it appears there is a fondness to what’s in the bowl.
Pets don’t stop DAMN good meals from happening (appearing) on our countertops!
Yesterday, as the sun warmed up the deck, the snow melted from the surface, and I heard the gas grill being moved once again to the center of the deck.
With a grab of a pen, Mr. scrambled a list of things to buy, he tossed recipe titles my way about the afternoon’s menu (as if he needs my approval), dashed out the door, jumped in his manvan, and headed off to the grocery store. He returned and unloaded to the countertop his chosen ingredients for another fantastic meal.
Damn, he’s got gifts (and beer) – I can’t help but appreciate his efforts.
“Will there be a day when a meal without the camera capturing every step of the way happen?”
“Heck No! Your talents must be captured – they are blog-worthy, don’t ya know?”
“Yes, dear…are you done yet?”
“No wait, one more shot, I forgot to add the dip.”
“Can we eat yet?”
“Yes, dig in…OMG – this steak is mouth-watering moist, what did you do to make it so delicious this time?”
“I spread a little olive oil, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper on it, and let it set to room temperature before cooking.”
“When I pulled it off the grill, I let it sit and get happy before serving it. Perfect grill marks just make it look even more delicious.”
“It worked – everything tastes great, even with this horseradish dip, I thought it might be too spicy, but it compliments the steak well.”
“You sure spoil me, don’t ya?”
“Yes, and don’t you forget it.”
“Ah…that was another fantastic meal. I’ll help clean up.”
After we cleaned up the dishes, Mr. swoops in with the dishcloth, swiping it gallantly across the counters and table, and leans in for a quick smooch on the lips of the damsel who is no longer in hunger distress as he passes her by on the way back to the sink. He pulls up a chair to sit down and join me at the table to share a moment of joy until…
the stalker moves in…
and stares with the look…
“Um did you forget something?”
“Meow – meow – meow – Feed me now.”
Wait, for it, she’s not quite close enough to make her point…
she does her big butt-shake, squats down to lean into a perfect angle, and…
Launches…
Now we’re talking, right here, right in the way, he can’t help but notice me.
I’m so adorable.
Another great tolerance encounter-happening has occurred…full bellies all around. We’re wondering what the Mr. will make for us today?
This post’s Caturday photos inspired by Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge
Do you love and share your space with your pets as much as we do? Do tell, we love to hear how we’re not the only quirky pet loving family!
Lovely! Definitely love the quirky writing. This piece made me chuckle😀
Thank you, I appreciate hearing from you. Glad you chuckled, too!
One of the 3 cats I loved was found by a woman on top of a telephone booth inside a subway station. The woman, who brought her into work and stored her temporarily in a room behind my desk, said: “I can’t keep her or my husband will kill me.” They apparently had enough cats so he’d given her the ‘either no more cats or I go’ speech. So while I wasn’t part of a pet-owning family — Ippy (Ipswich) came to me because of one and every day with her was a joy.
Oh my, that’s quite the story, Ellen! Ippy was so lucky to have you in her life!
Wonderful mix of odd photos for this week. 😀
Thank you, Cee, I love your Odd Ball Challenge!
Although I’ve never been part of a pet-owning family, a cat I adored came to me via a woman who’d found her in a subway station on top of a telephone booth, crying loudly. She brought her to work and put her in a room behind me. “I can’t keep her,” she said. “My husband gave me the ‘no more new cats or I go’ speech.” So this unbelievably sweet, funny creature graced my home for 9 yrs, and hopefully we saved a marriage!
Sorry Shelley – 2 comments and an email … but the comments didn’t show up so I tried again and failed – thus the email. So you now all know the “Ippy story” by heart!
No worries! An extra dose of love for cats is always appreciated.
Always entertaining to read the posts and watch the slide shows. Hahaha the cat in action, awesome!
Thank you, glad to hear from you and that you appreciate Dessy’s cat moments. 🙂
I love your cat photos!
Thank you!
As a dog owner of a beautiful amazing, loving dog who SHEDS (!) I have to vacumn each and every day. Sometimes twice. She’s NOT allowed in our living room, on the furniture nor in our bed. I do NOT like pet hair in my mouth or in my food. I told you all about my experience with the one cat I owned. Ever since then, I do NOT like cats yet they are fun to look at and play with. But NOT in my home. My girlfriend has cats and each and every time I go over her home to visit, I swear, her cat either vomits on me or takes a crap right next to me. I guess one cat to another (I must have been a cat from a previous life….meow!) it’s apparent we hate and despise each other. LOL!!!
Love those steaks. We eat the same kind! Our little doggie sits patiently by our dinner table (NO! we do NOT feed her from the table….I know, I know, I am very, very strict) because she knows its just a matter of time before she gets the inedible-to-us fat pieces. Our doggie is a rescue. She’s was found with a litter of her puppy brothers & sisters abandoned for dead, down a ditch. A passer-by saved the liter and thus she came in to our home. I think dogs who go through that trauma and experience such heartbreak remember their pain and when adopted into a loving home, they never forget. Our little doggie is the perfect angel. She’d rather die than soil the inside of our home. Yet, she has regurgitated a few times but solely in and on her own bedding, which can be thrown into the washer. Bless her little heart. We adore her and vice versa!
Great thoughts Cindi – you’re right, not everyone is a cat lover. We love all of our pets – they all have some special skill to add to our lives together. My little dog is a rescue dog in a sense, he showed up at my desk at work one day in the arms of a co-worker’s sister who was looking for a home for him. I fell in love immediately and he’s been my best friend ever since. He’s spoiled with fat pieces too! Your doggie is lucky you rescued her!!
Dogs (and animals) know when they have been rescued and are forever grateful for love, good companionship and steady food! LOL!
So true!!