I love food

Seen me in person? Then you know I mean it. I don't just love the way it tastes, I love how the change of seasons influences a change in menu. Tonight was sun tea, grilled boneless pork chops, lemon spinach cous cous, and fresh baby greens from my sister's garden. Did I mention my sister is 18? She rocks and they were sooo good. Even my little one's ate every bite.
Mmmmm. Just typing it reminds me of how good it was.
I tend to bake for my family when I go back to visit and this time was no exception. I made chewy cookies before going down - snickerdoodles, molasses, and chocolate chip. Then while I was there, Nanny commented that her bananas were getting too old to eat and said "I'd like them made into muffins in the morning". She didn't hint or even insist, she simply tossed me an order and expected it to be obeyed. LOL. She's getting to be bit of a tartar but I like to see that more than the weepy, lost woman she was earlier this year.
So I made 2 dozen muffins and for good measure, two loaves of banana bread as well. I figured it would last her til I come back next weekend. Maybe next time she'll demand cinnamon rolls or brioche.
It makes me feel like I'm helping out when I come to see them and bake, or clean, or just spend time talking or listening. (in reality, just talking. I never completely stop doing that)
I sat tonight and watched my kids eat and felt all happy inside. My 5 year old makes yumming noises when he likes something, so I knew he wasn't faking. The 7 year old ate everything, and the nearly-3 year old had 2nds. Twice.


Onward from here is just stuff from my life, not a coherent part of the conversation I had started with. Sorry if it makes no sense!
Our pets have been fighting fleas and losing. *I* fought them and lost, but my husband and children paid the price. I am unscathed while they have red marks on their legs - torso and arms as well, for the children who come sleep on my floor with the animals. We tried flea collars with no result. Baths, too. (OW. Ever tried to give a fully grown female Siamese her first bath?)We tried sprays and powders and nothing helped. The kids look like they have a case of chicken pox and my poor Hawkeye started losing her fur and running a fever, lumps formed on her jaw and neck where she scratched herself raw. She stopped being friendly or cuddly and ran from everyone, flinching if you reached to her. Last thing we tried were those drops that go between the cat's shoulderblades and the next morning she seemed calmer, after a week her fur was laying down and getting smooth again. We came home from our weekend away to find her sleeping in the open on a chair, no fever in sight, calm loving, snuggly demeanor, silky fur, and the lumps were fading. Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was going to lose her. Still has fleas, but they aren't making her crazy anymore.
Of course, this would also be mosquito season, so my boy-children are covered in welts from those as well. They look horrible.