the domestic zoo

A combined post given that I didn’t take very many pictures on either day; on Friday (Day Seven) we once again ventured down to Ku?adas?, and Saturday (Day Eight) was our trip back to Istanbul.

from my journal:

We’re on a bus. On a ferry. It’s strange to look out the window of a vehicle and see waves.

I debate whether or not I should run up to the deck and do my best to capture the flight of the gulls. The wind is cold and wet, hence my hesitation. I also doubt that it would be possible to truly capture the beauty of these soaring birds. The arch of their wings, their streamlined bodies, perfectly adapted to riding the air. They are fantastic. And they seem to enjoy the breeze far more than I would.

Like most pet owners, I’m a busy person with a full schedule and a lot of responsibilities. Between school and work and the kids, some days it’s just enough to have the pets fed and the litterboxes cleaned.

Sometimes we forget how important we are to our pets. They rely on us for food, shelter and affection…but if we’re honest, we’d admit that last one is easily neglected. I catch Peanut’s eye as I bustle about my room. Not hard to do, what with her head tilted and her left eye permanently gazing upwards. “What’s up sweetie? Need some more hay?”

So I grab the hay, or change their water, or give them a new blanket. But today it struck me that I don’t always stop just to give her a nose rub. Most of the time, that’s all she wants. A scratch behind the ears, a gentle snuggle, a kiss on the nose. Their physical needs are important, but a little love means more to them than we may realize.

Take the time. Love your pets.

~ the zookeeper

- I’m not as opinionated about things that I used to be strongly opinionated on, but I’m more passionate about things I never knew I’d care about. Such is the way of growing up.

- Doesn’t matter how artistic or creative or unique my photos are. If I post a picture of Peanut on flickr, it’s guaranteed to bring a flood of comments. Every. Single. Time. She’s been featured in Interestingness three times in the past six months. Popular lil’ gal.

- I took that photo of Peanut to send to her vet, Dr. G, along with a note telling him how well she is doing. It was Photoshopped to remove excess poopies.

*drumroll, please*

Emily, aka the domestic zookeeper, for recalling Rex’s eighth birthday two weeks too late. Ladies and gentlemen, please hold your applause while the the zookeeper grovels just a little bit longer…

Happy Birthday, lil’ man.

Not the most appetizing name, but what else would you call a meatloaf mixture that’s baked in a muffin pan? It’s not really a meatloaf.

That was our dinner tonight, and it was delicious.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together roughly 2-3 pounds of ground beef, two shredded carrots, one shredded zucchini, one shredded Granny Smith apple, 1/2 shredded onion, two eggs, one cup of cooked rice, Italian seasoning and a little olive oil. Spoon into greased muffin pan, spread a little tomato sauce on top and bake for 20 minutes.

Voila! Kids don’t even realizing they’re eating fruits and veggies.