Three-citrus marmalade in the midst of gray

Today has been the most satisfyingly productive one thus far. I've flown through all the usual sorts of household tasks, donated a trunk-full of items to one of my favorite local anti-poverty centers (D.C.-area folks, do you know about A Wider Circle? They just opened a new professional development area which is so exciting and helped me encourage T to clean through his closets!), found hugely discounted skeins of gold ribbon and gold cord with which to make the golden lassos Wonder Woman uses (Oliver is having a Wonder Woman birthday party, folks; his crush on her is enormous), chatted with my mom, walked the dog and am now about to embark on Day 1 of marmalade making. It feels like ages since I've canned; it's an activity that seems so natural during the summer with all the fabulously delicious and cannable fruit that's in season then, but I should remember more frequently what you can make and can with pears, apples and winter citrus. It's cold and drizzly out today, so I decided that a marvelous way to combat the outside dreariness was to surround myself with this visually heartening buffet o' fruits.

Do y'all know what T and I were forced to do last night? It's almost sillier than the cat leash but it was critical as Nutmeg has been scratching at our wooden furniture (no!): we applied the feline equivalent of Lee Press-On nails to each of N's claws. I bought a large box of Kitty Caps and after gluing my fingers together (truly, I did this, and it hurt like a mother to pry them apart), T took over and finished the job. You fill each cap with some adhesive, slide it on the claw and then "keep your kitty calm and still for five minutes" (who the eff wrote those instructions? someone who's not attempted to apply Kitty Caps to an actual, live cat?) while the adhesive sets. I must say that Nutmeg was a trooper and has not attempted to remove his Caps. He can still do all the natural scratching stuff (I'm not inhumane, folks) but without the damage. Aah!