Sunrise ~ This and That

 

I took these photos of the sunrise yesterday.  There won't be many left to view as winter is rolling in.  So beautiful.

This is what the view from the porch looks like this morning.  Foggy and raining today.  No sunny sky today.

I got so side tracked on my to-do list.  I started in the living room, but realized I need a taller ladder, so that was brought in.  I took more yarn back upstairs, but brought more down, and completely got off track with the living room.  I did however, put a roast in the crock pot, so tonight it's easy leftovers.

We are so frustrated with ordering supplies for the living room.  The delivery date on our heater (fireplace) was Nov. 30th.  We've called two times, and each time they say they'll send an email to get more information on why it's not been shipped yet (and they never followed up/called us back).  I have brought in our small electric heaters we used to use in the pop-up camper.  It's taking the chill out and heating up the room for painting (for now).

Our flooring should be in by the end of the week, but we need the gas line hooked up before we can put that down.  Just a lot of "ugh" moments.

The nail polish ornaments got hangers attached, and were delivered to the salon.  I hope to sell them, as it feels so depressing not to participate in a craft show this year.

The chickens are not liking this weather, but are let out every day so far.  The egg laying is definitely on the slow-down.  I'm still trying to convince my husband to let me get a donkey.  We are him-hawing on putting some sort of meat animal in the barn (in the future).

I used to pick up note paper at the dollar store for my daily lists, but have not seen it there lately, and I am running low.  I still cannot get into my office.  I found one notebook to use for now, so I am hoping to stay on track today.

It sure doesn't feel like Christmas in our house.  We are hoping to have a tree up before Christmas, but with all the things slowing us down, I'm not sure that will even happen.

Daughter K is sick.  I felt bad that she is so far away, and had to care for her dogs while sick.  We called to check in on her last night.  Today I will send her my recipe for homemade ginger-ale, in hopes that her boyfriend will make it for her.

Tuesday Tidbits

I'm up at 4am.  Can't sleep, so I'm gluing snowflakes/stars to the tops of a few wine cork Christmas trees and sipping hot coffee.  I've already let Romeo out, as he came to the gate and let me know (I think I woke him up).

Meanwhile, over the weekend, Daughter became more ill.  I made her sage tea, and homemade ginger ale.  She's congested and has a sore throat.  I also gave her a eucalyptus steam.  She slept a lot over the weekend too.

Sunday we needed wood cut, and it did not get done.  Instead, I pushed the start button on the dishwasher, and water was suddenly flooding the kitchen floor.  Hubby's attention was called to the situation, and he spent a while working on that.


All this time the problem wasn't the dishwasher falling apart by it's self.  A mouse chewed through all the rubber hose parts and water wasn't getting to the dishwasher or back to the drain.  Parts may cost up to $50.00.  I may have Hubby convinced to rip out the dishwasher and put in a cupboard with shelving for me.  We'll see what happens.  Until then, mouse traps are set.

I didn't get time to post Monday due to an early morning doctor appt.  It was the last follow up with my vascular doctor.  Between doctor appts for me, Hubby and Daughter, I nearly finished a set of pot holders in the waiting rooms.  Literally.

First, we left the house at 8am for my appt.  In and out, good check up, given the go to get back to lifting (even exercise).  Then out to breakfast and a run to the store before his appt.  

However while heading to the store, our youngest texted she wasn't feeling up to finishing the day at school.  I called the school, she met us in the "Big City" and we had her checked out at one of the urgent care centers.  

She wasn't diagnosed with a sinus infection, but given a nasal spray - hope it helps.

She drove on home, we went to Hubby's appt, then back to the store for medications.  Yep.  Ugh.

Hubby has always had problems with his blood pressure and blood sugar, and after his heart attack we really watched his intake of food choices.  Well, guess what?  He can't have any carbs now.  At his check up, blood pressure was perfect (I do have a tea on order to help get him off those, which by the way is just a small water pill), but his blood sugar was not.  It's going to be a  challenge for me even more - no tortilla for breakfast burrito, no pasta (very little), no bread etc.  Not sure I want to make dough today for Thanksgiving rolls.

I have looked, and Einkorn is half the carbs of regular flour, so I may be able to make homemade pizzas at home with home canned sauce and veggies.  I may have to order einkorn pasta to also allow a pasta dish here and there.

Looks like a millet skillet will be in the menu, as well as more veggie hash/egg breakfast meals.  


Anyway, we left at 8am and returned home at 4pm.  Long day, and where we got to visit with our 21 year-old how came out to do her laundry.

Sorry for the long post, hopefully, the next will be much shorter and more interesting.

Tuesday Teabag Tidbits ~ Holiday Baking Starts ~ Cashew Brittle

Canning took up most of my morning yesterday.

We've been out of Candy Apple Jelly for over a year, so some of this is going in the pantry.

I had to whip up a batch of homemade ginger-ale syrup.  Youngest texted me that she was feeling pretty sickly.  Thankfully, I have club soda on hand, but now I'm out of honey.

Made my first batch of organic cashew brittle.  I hope to make one or two batches more yet.

Dinner was easy yesterday.  I used leftover mushroom gravy, combined with homemade condensed mushroom soup, and cooked pork chops it in the crock pot.

Random Tidbits

Woke up to a sick daughter.  Whipped up some homemade ginger-ale, and got a crock pot of healing bone broth soup started.  Sprayed everything I could with "anti-ill" essential oil spray.  

I made cornbread to go with the soup, and it'll be part of tonight's dinner too.

My day went lick-ity-split fast due to the drive to the store for fresh organic lemons and limes, and a few groceries.  Followed by a mountain of laundry I wanted to get done in case the rain came as predicted today.  

Baked a cheddar and chili egg casserole for our "grab and go" breakfast this week.  It's delicious with real maple syrup on it too (odd but good).  I was lucky to get organic cottage cheese at a good price.  The other container will be frozen for future baked goods.

Hubby's work accidentally gave him (and many others) a $1,000.00 bonus (only some were to get them).  Now they are taking $500.00 out of each of his next two checks.  Wonderful...

We went from nice cool weather back to hot (lower 80's).  The snakes are back and they are sunbathing everywhere.  Oye.  It was much easier to weed without surprises when it was cooler out.

Worked on some crochet work. Not much, but a bit of progress.

"Fire it Up" Herb/Spice Mix (aka Full Throttle Herb/Spice Mix ~ Good/Bad

We woke up to all the white stuff melted.  All of it.  I am so glad to see that.  It was an ice rink walking to the barn, to fetch wood and to get the mail.  It'll be sloshy out there, but I'll take warmer weather and mud over ice and freezing temps at this point.


There are so many nutritional and medicinal benefits of herbs and spices, so I won't go into detail of each one.  However, I mixed the following together for their benefits, and tried it on eggs, on sandwiches, meats etc.

Although I called it "Fire it Up" we like to think of (or call it) "Full Throttle" because it fires up our "engines."

A body boosting, immune boosting, sickness fighter, overall health boosting mix.

First I picked dehydrated garden parsley, and my home ground garlic. 

A Deserving Day Off

This bird is annoying the heck out of me, and trying to take over my front porch.  I have no idea what type of bird it is, but the beak on it is longer than most birds.  The sound it makes is sooooo annoying.  It would come all the way to the door when I was inside, squawk, and fly off before I could get a photo. I keep ringing my dinner bell to keep it away.

....just another day in the life of our homestead.

So?  Did we get more rain? 

Stray is Named ~ Homemade Ginger-ale

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.

From the Homesteading Journal . . .

 . . . made my first homemade ginger ale and loved it!  I plan to make more of this (more so for health reasons) for a refreshing summer treat.  There are many recipes on the Internet.  I also made a hot ginger tea.  The recipe is from my sister's Indian cookbook.  I am enjoying this, in hopes to speed up my recovery from this cold/sinus/cough/chest pain illness.