One of the coping strategies I have found useful is to try to do something productive each day, no matter how small a task. On Tuesday, the project was giving Bode a bath. Grooming him is usually fairly pleasant. He will lie still and combing and brushing his fur works better with a light touch anyway. I spread an old sheet on the floor to catch the clippings, stray vegetable matter, and to define an area. He is very cooperative, will lie still for a long time, provided nothing happens that requires barking, like thunder. The main precaution is that I need to be careful how I sit to spare stressing the joint du jour.
The photograph is a bit marginal. Unfortunately Bode is wary of the flash, so tends to turn away when he sees the camera. I do prefer to work with ambient lighting, but have the default set to “auto” on the camera, so often get a flash because of forgetting to disable it.
Baths, every week during the summer, now down to every two to three weeks, are a bit strenuous, at least for me. It requires a very thorough grooming session first. If there are tangles in the fur, bathing can turn them into mats, and any mats will get worse. Then, because Bode has only once gone to a bath willingly, you need to convince him to go to the tub. Last, he needs a boost to get into the tub (short legs) although he can usually get out with less assistance.
Although he is not very fond of what it takes to get clean, he seems to enjoy the result. Have to remind him to sit on a towel instead of dancing around dripping wet. It can take hours to dry completely, even with using a blow drier.
Of course, good bathing and grooming behavior is rewarded promptly with a treat, usually a biscuit.
I started to doze off during The Newshour broadcast last night, so retired around 7. Got up around 5 am and found it was raining again. When I checked the temperature was 32.7°F — looks like we are to have freezing rain later this morning. We did have a bit of sunshine yesterday afternoon. Bode went out around 11 when it was still cloudy but warmer.
By the way, yesterday’s project was to finish cooking the butternut squash from my parent’s garden. Yes, I toasted and ate the seeds first. Lots of people just throw them away!
There was a bit over 2 cups of puree. I sort of wanted pumpkin pie, but I find that I don’t tolerate sweets very well these days. I am also a bit concerned because mito causes several forms of diabetes. I looked around on the web for various recipes, then winged it with my own:
Pumpkin Custard
2 to 3 cups puree of pumpkin or squash
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
I used butter to generously grease an 8 inch diameter round Pyrex baking pan. Then I poured the squash puree into a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup, then worked it over with a prep blender. Next I used the blender to beat in the egg, then the milk. I measured the remaining (dry) ingredients into a separate, dry bowl, then mixed them into the puree (take care here to avoid lumps) then transferred the mixture to the pan. It took an hour to bake at 325°F. I put in a pan of leftover chili (Sunday’s project) in a cornmeal crust to bake along with it.
The result tasted good both warm and cold, but was easier to slice and serve once cold. This made six generous servings. Could probably serve it as a main dish or dessert.
