Pioneer Woman at Heart

Got out my journaling Bible. Youngest sent us all a porch message using sidewalk chalk. Breakfast prep the other day - burritos. After more than 3 weeks, my MRH order finally came.  However, it came minus my stinging nettle, so I'll be checking the barns for it. We made a trip to town, due to the mower blade needing replaced (which we forgot to bring with us).  We, at a safe distance, paid Mom a yard visit and dropped her off some groceries and necessities.  By necessities I mean wine.  She told us if she ran out she was "leaving her house."  We were not having any of that happening.  Nope.  We even scored toilet paper for her and us.  We looked like a gang with our masks on.  Mom was so happy to see real faces and talk to real people. I had gotten text messages prior to doing this and she sounded so depressed and crying.  I'm glad we made her day much better.  It was a drive for us, so we didn't get anythi...

I should have paid more attention to the weather.  It's much warmer, but 90% chance of rain, and it's raining.  No wood cutting today.  Ugh. My sets didn't sell at the craft show.  Not one, so this one went into my youngest daughter's hope chest. I found these reindeer antlers in the Christmas totes.  Romeo didn't like them, but let us put them on for a short while.  I finished the granny square scarf with matching slouchy hat for our 20 year-old daughter. The stray cats are trusting me a bit more lately.  I found both looking inside the door at me this morning.  They will run off if I open the door though.  Just ignore those doggie nose marks on the glass, ha ha! I went out to the "Big City" for a few errands and one was to find paint brushes for water painting books.  Believe or not, I found the books at the dollar store, but no brushes. I found those at Wal-Mart.

The weather yesterday was fantastic as fantastic can go in winter.  Not only myself, but the laundry was out getting fresh air.  Low 50's, a bit breezy, but cloudy.  I still took advantage of it and put the laundry outside to dry.  I even got a load of towels dried outside.  Felt great, since it's been awhile to be out. What went up, must come down.  I am starting early due to our schedule right now.  I feel like it's coming down as fast as it went up though. I pulled out my recipe book for my 4 Thieves vinegar and was short of one ingredient.  Thankfully, I got an order placed and will restock my ACV as well.  My gallon jug is almost empty.  I have one more jar of 4 Theives already made. Other than laundry, bills got paid and one daughter came for a visit.  She took her Jeep to a dealership to have the heat looked at (not working properly) and when she took her Jeep home (heat not fixed) it was making a horrible sound....

It's been a week of "random" everything here.  I made it to the library.  I have never read this book, and sort of excited to read through all the recipes.   I have found the first "new" thing I'll be doing this year.  Once I have supplies, I'll be posting about it.  This "new" thing is not the "biggest" of all things, but a new experience for me. I keep asking Hubby to let it be the year we butcher our own hen, and learn how to do it, but that darn lingering tree is keeping him from any other decision.

I finally got my hot bath, using tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil, and bath salts.  Boy it felt great, especially on my belly.  It's slow going for sure, just to get my walking balance back.  The slow intro of food is the most frustrating.   I'm starving, but I know I have to introduce slowly, and meats are far down on the list sadly.  I could devour a homemade bacon/potato omelet this morning, ha ha!  Coffee is back in action, followed by afternoons of tea and water and rest.   Jesse and I took a short nap together.  He pretty much was on top of me, making sure I didn't over due it, ha ha! First goal, wash a load of laundry, and put it on drying racks.  In a day or two anyway.  Second goal?  Mix up a frittata for Hubby to take to work (easier than standing to mix up a scramble).  That may take a few more days longer.  Bills are an entirely different big job.  I had it all under control, but with being gone so...

Shell peas are slowly coming on, so I decided to take the first picked bit, and toss it into a breakfast frittata.  I did not have enough for a meal for all of us, nor enough to freeze. This time I used cauliflower, potatoes (s liced) , and peas.  I had one gree n bell pepper ready to pick, and one hot banana pepper.  I tossed all of that into my cast iron ski llet (cooking a ll the veg etables first), and did not add any other spice/herb .  I just added salt and pepper and it was delicious.

I was heading out to the barn to close it up for the night, and Leo ran out from under my car and meowed at me.  First time ever for him to come to me like that.  He won't eat with the other cats, so I gave him a water and food bowl.  He wouldn't let me pet him standing up, so I got down to his level, and he rolled over, thanking me for the food.  I guess he's warming up to us.

This young guy has been seen off and on since last winter.  We thought he was housing up in what's left of our largest barn, but wasn't sure.   Well, my Vet Tech-in-training, has been able to get the cat to come to her, let her hold him (a bit reluctant), and will come to the house to eat the cat food.

Breakfast - potatoes, red bell pepper, dandelion greens and eggs. N o cheese.  It's delicious flavor ed with onions and /or s hallot pow der. Sorry this post is so long.  I didn't mean to keep writing, but I think I'm trying to procrastinate my exer cise today, ha ha!

We have three barn cats.  One is been getting on my nerves lately.  I keep finding her sitting in my thyme, flattening it, and preventing new spring growth.  Grr. I have since "skewered" the thyme, and after this rain I can finally weed it.  It looks terrible.

This time of year I get to itchin' for that crazy, run-around, busyness I'm so acclimated to over the summer.  Sounds crazy in itself, right? There are days where I just have to do something new.  What's new?  A recipe.  A recipe from the stash pile. Dark Rum Truffles.  I have never, in my life, made a truffle.  Now I can say I have. However, I'm looking for a different recipe now. Were they good? 

Some days, okay almost every day, I forget to do something that should already be ingrained in my brain.  You know, the routine stuff? I forgot to collect eggs one day, and the next day I got this full basket of bounty.  You can see the four araucana hens are now laying as well again.  I got two eggs from them.  However, the full basket indicates that our black araucana is not eating eggs anymore.  She very well could be eating her own, but I'll have to keep watching her.  Maybe all of her isolation, and feeding her mustard filled eggs worked.

Hubby and I planted tomatoes until we literally ran out of room.  I have to wait until we till up the last area to plant.  Timmy joined me in the herb garden. 

It's raining here this morning, and the step is a sheet of ice.  Every dog did the "bambi splits" this morning.  Needless to day, the didn't go far to do their business.     I can't really say I am writing out my new year resolutions, but I am randomly writing down a "wish" list of needs and other possibilities for this year.  Of course that is after a good strategic financial plan is in order. Honestly, I told Hubby that if we only had one thing to reflect on at the end of 2015, I would be elated to write down

Happy New Year! I was out getting wood for the wood stove, and snapped this quick sunrise photo.  It's not the best photo, but winter sunrises here are difficult to catch.   At our Christmas family gathering, my one sister asked me, "so now what are you doing?  You're done with the garden right?" To answer her question,

This is a rug (one of two not yet replaced with a homemade rag rug), that Hubby left out to dry overnight.  Ha!  That's what you call "freeze dried" on the clothesline.  It was pretty chilly yesterday, and the snow continued all day, but nothing that was a concern.

Our 18 year-old daughter wanted to make new winter shelters for the barn cats, so we decided on making one to see if they will use them.  We've always used totes at the door, packed with blankets, but this time we made these:

Sunday mornings are my favorite here on the homestead.    There is hardly any traffic whatsoever, and the pure sounds of nature are beautifully making music.    The stars could be seen well this morning too.

 I'm joining Diary of a Stay at Home Mom today.

Everyone needs a "watch cat" right?  Ha ha!  I guess Sapphire thought the top of Hubby's truck was the perfect spot for watching. Good kitty.