Visioning Porch Time ~ Dandelions

I've been watching the location of the sunrise each morning, and it's getting closer and closer to "porch time" once again.

Until then, I continue to clean and organize.  I'd like to do some stencil painting in one room, but I'll have to wait for open-window weather.

An egg in my pocket. . .

I had eggs and home canned applesauce for breakfast.  I thought you'd like to know that, because it was the highlight of my day yesterday.  Actually it was, because we are clean out of fresh fruit, and remembering that applesauce sure cheered me up.

The other highlight is not breaking the egg I put in my coat pocket.  I bent over to get some hay and almost forgot it was in  my pocket.  That would have been disastrous. 

Hubby and I came to a decision on the meat birds.

Pondering

I was sending off a long email to a few folks this morning, and my phone rang.   

It's time to order chicks.

The Freeze ~ Homemade Shaving Cream

Temperatures plummeted (again).  Apparently, we are breaking all sorts of records for February.  Good thing I cleaned the coop when it was up in the 20's.  Even so, they didn't want to leave the barn.  Every bit of grass is covered by ice, snow, iced and snow again.

Crocheted Scrap Yarn Rug

When I said I would make the next yarn rug with all my leftover scraps, I really meant it.  I dug through all my totes and used up what I had.  If it didn't have enough yarn on the ball to go across one time, it was rolled up and put into a bag with even smaller scraps of yarn (to use for other projects).

Updates

I am really enjoying the new way I have organized my sunglasses (and a pair of safety glasses, which was not on this when I photographed it):

Typewriter Tidbits

While the snow came down yesterday, I put my crocheting down to log in some writing hours.

I managed to send off my contest entry, revise one short article, and brain storm for three or four more new ones.

Sunshine to Snow

Although we had frigid temps here, the sun shined brightly all day long.  That is always a huge bonus.

However, the white stuff returned.  I just want to dial up Mother Nature and put in my order.  If it was that easy, right?

At least the animals can go about their business and not freeze their paws.

Home Canned Potatoes ~ On the Wild Side

We were to get a low of an actual temperature of -15°F last night, but it we may have hit -17.  We were told the wind chill could be as cold as -23°F last night.  

Okay, okay.  I retract on saying I wanted this month to slow down so I can meet goals.  It can speed right back up and pass on by.  I'm so ready to get out of "dodge" right now.

Almost every school closed today, so I actually slept in this morning.  I decided to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast. 

Yesterday I had to open my bill paying folder.

The most random yet....Homemade Slaw Dressing ~ Homemade Celery Salt

I revamped the family favorite broccoli salad yesterday.  The original recipe calls for Marzetti Slaw Dressing.  

I looked up the ingredients in the slaw dressing and the first ingredient is soybean oil (many salad dressings contain this).  It also contains "corn-cider vinegar."

INGREDIENTS: SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, CORN-CIDER VINEGAR, WATER, EGG YOLK, SALT, MUSTARD SEED, XANTHAN GUM, ROSEMARY EXTRACT.

Contains Egg.

- See more at: http://www.marzetti.com/products/product/3/208/marzetti-original-slaw-dressing#sthash.VJ9fSV9Z.dpuf

INGREDIENTS: SOYBEAN OIL, SUGAR, CORN-CIDER VINEGAR, WATER, EGG YOLK, SALT, MUSTARD SEED, XANTHAN GUM, ROSEMARY EXTRACT.

Contains Egg.

- See more at: http://www.marzetti.com/products/product/3/208/marzetti-original-slaw-dressing#sthash.VJ9fSV9Z.dpuf

We already use an organic/non-gmo safflower mayo, so that part was easy.  Making it ourselves, also cuts our cost.  I used

The other one ~ Crocheted Rug

Television has not been so entertaining lately (and the news is depressing), so I had the brainy idea of digging out some  yarn for a rug.  The one at my back door needs replaced badly, and I figured I could whip up something.

I opened the tote and found yarn that had a half-way crocheted dishcloth attached to it.  That was the "other one" I found a few days ago.

Slumping my shoulders, and lowering my head, I felt like those pesky projects where my worst nightmare this winter.  I straightened back up, smiled, and did what anyone else would do.  I ripped that booger out, and wound that yarn back on.

Then I grabbed a few more colors of yarn, and got to work.

I got "Notered" ~ Granny Square Crochet Bookmark ~ Random Tidbits

I woke up with a hot cup of coffee, and sat down to read my email and discovered I was "notered" by Youngest Daughter.

(The history of the "noters":  for years we exchanged uplifting notes.  I'd put them in their lunches, and Youngest loved to write me back often).

Here is what I found in my email today:

 
 "Soo I don't really have anything to write about but I love you mommy. You're amazing and you care for me and I love you. Also check facebook :) I couldn't help but brag about how amazing my mom is.. I love you. You do a lot for me and there should be more than one day of the year that I show my gratitude to you and how much I appreciate you, and of course the work you do for me. You are AMAZING. I love you. I love you times 10000000 <3 :d="" are="" br="" hearts="" lol="" love="" mom="" symbols="" those="" you="">

Sent from my iPod=


That just made my day start even better.  I did hack into Hubby's facebook to see what she posted too (Sigh....in a good way).
 


Lookie, lookie! (just trying to be funny)  I found another one!  (actually I found two, but I'll explain the other one on another post).

While shuffling through my leaning-tower-of- Pisa stack of magazines, I found this:

Honey-Ginger Carrots ~ More Ways to Use Millet ~ Cold Coffee

I pulled the last two bags of garden carrots from the freezer.  I added them to dinner last night, and made Honey-Ginger Carrots.  It's very simple to make too.

 (Homemade tuna and noodle using homemade mushroom soup and soy free tuna, honey-ginger carrots and organic peas).

Boil the carrots

Winter Woes

We got another arctic blast Saturday.   This morning it's a whopping -5°F outside with a -26° wind chill (and the sun is shining). 

There was one thing we were struggling with yesterday.  How to protect Orion (our male lamancha goat) from the -25 to -35°F wind chill we were expecting.  We were told it would the coldest yet.  They might be right, as the wind chill is to stay at low at -35°F today.  Looks like our high will be 0°F.

If this winter was worse than last year, then what's next winter going to be?  Our cold blast will last a week here. I sure hope it kills off some ticks and other nasty bugs.

Anyway,

The little things that say "I love you"

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wanted to make something useful for the kids this month - a little something to say "I love you."  I don't like to simply wait for February to tell them, so my challenge to myself is to tell them more often.

I used scrap fabric to make these homemade cards (right), and old book pages (left) to create the envelope.  I used a fine-line black marker to make dashes around the scrap fabric heart (adhered with fusible web). 

What's inside?

60 minutes and three miles later....

When walking three miles didn't de-stress the stress yesterday, I gravitated to the kitchen where the singing began.

Instead of writing poems in my head, I was singing Johnny Cash's "Burn, burn burn...." as the shallots burned my eyeballs.    Oldest Daughter thought I was cracked in the head until the shallot fumes wafted into the living room, where it burned her eyeballs. 

New Foods ~ Tidbits

(organic tofu soaking in organic vegetable broth)

Over the years, I've kept track of new foods we've tried.  It looks like the only thing I journaled for 2014, was millet.  I'm sure there were a few other new foods.

Our vegetarian daughter, asked for us to buy tofu for her.  I've never tried it, so we bought organic tofu when it went on sale.

From the Handiwork Journal . . .

. . . crocheted a few washcloths, with yarn I had in my stash.  These are made with a 2-ply, 100% cotton yarn.  At the time I purchased the yarn, yellow and white where the only two colors in 2-ply.  It makes a thinner cloth and dries faster. I simply used single crochet for these.

(I really like the 2-ply for a hand towel, versus the 4 ply cotton.  I will be making more until my  yarn is used up)

Slip Sliding ~ Spreadable Butter and other Terrific Tidbits

Getting to the barn and back, and out there and back again, was no easy task yesterday.  We woke up to frigid temperatures after being spoiled rotten with warm weather. 

However, all that half melted slush, froze, and muck boots don't have spikes on the bottom.  It took everything I had, to get back with the eggs and not fall (and break any or break something on me). 

Homemade Liquid Hand Soap

I was looking around my master bathroom, and noticed that my hand towel, soap saver, and hand towel holder, are all homemade.

Tidbits ~ Steep or Infusion?

Last night we had a beautiful sunset.  They sky was filled with pink hues.  Just gorgeous.

My boxes of homemade items

Cleaning is discovering treasures again (and garbage too)

In the midst of cleaning my desk, I found a bookmark my 18 year-old made me when she was seven years old.  Ha!  I'll have to laminate it now.

Chocolate fixes everything . . .

Actually, chocolate doesn't fix trucks.  It may make me feel better, but.....

Just when you think you can't take one more awful, bad, miserable thing happening, it happens.  

I started cleaning again (no big surprise there, right?), and at noon, I get a call from Hubby.

Goats ~ Recipes ~ Talking Walls

There is a beautiful sunrise this morning, but I am too lazy to go put on the right slippers to trudge out onto the porch and snap a photo to share.  There is a fresh layer of snow to walk through, but it is beautiful.
 
Although it was almost noon, when I started my deep cleaning yesterday, I was successful again for a day.  My day first started with emptying the ash pan in the wood stove, restocking the wood inside, fetching eggs and watering the animals.  

When I arrived to the barn, and pushed the door open, I was greated by Misty (our white female Lamancha goat).  She was happily walking about, and not in her pen.  The others stayed put, even though the gate was wide open.  The wheel barrow was tipped over, shovels scattered, hay a mess, and goat poo all over the barn floor.  Daughter forgot to put the latch in when she did the evening barn duties. Ha ha!  What a mess that girl made in there too.  As soon as I approached her, she ran into her goat pen.  I'm sure she knew she wasn't supposed to be trapeze-ing all over the barn.

Cleaned, Organized, and a Happy Mom

I never knew it would be an all day job.  Especially for one bookshelf (top only). This is a boring post today.  Just warning you.

Sigh.  But what a happy sigh it is.

Homemade Hard Tack Candy ~ Tidbits

The younger kids have been pestering me to buy Valentine's candy from the store.  I just shake my head, because of what's in that stuff.  Not to mention all those dyes they use to make them so appetizing.  So....you know me.

Snow Day ~ Tidbits

The "snow fairy" came and plowed us out last night, but it's still snowing this morning.  The weather forecast expected about 13 inches of snow, but we are to get another inch today.  The wind (and wind chill) will be the worst to deal with today.  As you can see, the fields are flat, and the snow drifts at our place.  

Mattie

Mattie (16 years old) has gone to Heaven. January 31, 2015 was our last day with her.