A Long Post About Nothing Much

I'm afraid I've been neglecting my blog all week. So where have I been? Actually, I have been in my house a lot. It's been very hot and humid here, and I've been having hot flashes that don't flash, they just come and stay. When I go outside and try to do anything, I get hot, sweaty, dizzy and nauseous. Not a pretty picture!

So, what have I been doing in the house? I've been doing a lot of reading, and believe it or not, baking. How can I bake in hot weather? I have a battery powered fan that I love. I take it everywhere I go in the house, so it's always right in front of me. Also, we have ceiling fans and central air. I need them all.

A few weeks ago, I bought Martha Stewart's cupcake cookbook. I've been experimenting with it, trying out the recipes. So far, my favorite is the Blackberry Cornmeal Cupcakes. They are like a cross between a muffin and a cupcake, not too sweet, and need no frosting. Last week I made Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. Yum! My husband and I are gaining weight.

What have I been reading? I loved My Life in France by Julia Child. Also, Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. I have just finished The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella (I started reading this last year but it didn't click, so I decided to finally finish it). Same thing with Eat, Pray, Love... I tried it earlier and didn't like it, but went back to it. Now I am reading The Age of the Unthinkable by Joshua Cooper Ramo.

I don't really like being inside so much. I've been wishing we had a pool so I could float around and stay cool. I've thought about buying one of those little "kiddie" pools for the back yard, or one of those misting fans that I've seen in catalogs. I've been going outside early in the morning, before it gets too hot, to plant flowers in containers for my front porch and back deck. I found a great, rustic-looking wooden bench made out of a split log to put potted plants on. It looks great!

We are still feeding a colony of feral cats in our backyard, too. There are still some that haven't been neutered and we have been trying to trap them, but the only ones who have been tempted by the trap are the ones we've already caught. There is a female who gave birth to two little kittens about six weeks ago. The kittens, the mother, the father, and another female who appears to be a "babysitter" to the two kittens are always together. It's like a little family out there. I've never known that to happen before.

So, it's been pretty quiet around here. Just husband, me and the cats (four inside plus the colony outside). I babysit my three nieces on Tuesday while my sister works. I finally finished all my dental work (thank goodness!). I want to get to Philadelphia before long, to visit my friends there. I will try to find more to blog about soon... still watching the news, but can't think of anything good to write about on that front. Wishing for cooler weather so I can get out and about more often!