the domestic zoo

Catio Showcase: catioshowcase.com

Cats who roam freely outside generally have shorter lives than cats who remain indoors. A catio provides a fully protected outdoor environment for otherwise indoor cats. This website aims to share the many fabulous catios that people have created for their beloved cats.

Someone at my parents’ church gifted to us an Excalibur dehydrator. I have wanted one for a long time and I am just over-the-moon excited. And it’s going to come in handy when I start making more vegan treats because…

My family has (in part) decided to join me in the Nativity Fast. I didn’t ask, I wasn’t even going to bring it up, but Dad said that he would like to make an effort toward more fasting and would also like to be more supportive of my fasting. It’s not easy to plan, buy ingredients, and then cook for 5 people every day, in addition to making an entirely different meal for yourself. For my family to offer to at least partially include themselves for my sake is a humbling act of generosity.

Speaking of food: we made our first batch of Halloween cookies yesterday. I need to remember to roll the dough a little thinner – the pumpkins turned out okay, but the cats and ghosts came out looking rather grossly distorted. And the witch on the broom ended up looking like some sort of reptilian beast. We’re going to try again tomorrow as Hannah would like to bring some non-bloated cookies for her friends at youth group.

I filled my car up for only $30 today.

And there was much rejoicing.