This and That

 

Brr!  It's 20°F out this morning, but feels like 9°F with the wind.  We'll only get up to 26 and a low of 15°F today.  Fire is stoked and animals fed, other than the chickens.  

My husband has to work outside, and comes home exhausted from the cold weather.

I am sure the chicken's water has froze.  In the new coop I want a watering unit the heats in winter and I may spring for one for the barn cat next winter.  She is getting older and it's hard to keep water out for her when she needs it.

On a good note, our state curfew was lifted from 10pm to 11pm.  That is good news for businesses and their employees.  If the number of hospitalizations drop again, they will do away with the entire curfew.

Daughter K took a covid test after returning from her trip to NJ/NY out of respect to others (especially because of Mom).  It was negative.

I came across another reading challenge.  Just wanted to share it, although January is about over.  I can't say I'll follow this one, because I came across so many un-read books of my own while cleaning.

The wooden window panes in the hallway are a bit worn.  What would you suggest to spruce the wood up?  I thought about Murphy's oil soap.  The wood is dull and needs some life put back to it.

Shopping online for the curtains I want has been troublesome.  I am unable to find the same ones I bought for my living room, which I absolutely love.  I may resort to a swag with the new blinds.  I'll figure it out.

I whipped up a template of my own, using cardstock, my printer and some "loot" bags from the dollar store.  I think my packaging turned out pretty professional looking.  Don't you?

Today I need to come up with packaging for the soap saver bags.  I had every intent to get a few rows done on daughter's cardigan and get a few other restock items worked on.  It didn't happen.  Today, I will get my treadmill walk done early and get started early on chores.  I'd like to sit and curl up with yarn this afternoon.  Especially with this cold weather.

Tonight's dinner is partly crock pot - roasted turkey.  I will prep fresh broccoli and steam it later and maybe another veggie.  The crock pot will help free up more time to get some crochet work done.  I feel like the days are flying by lately.

I'm off to brew another pot of coffee.  May your day be bright and full of of positivity.

Day in the Kitchen ~ Compiling Lists

Although I thought winter would be a restful time and much handiwork would be done, it hasn't been.  We have been prosperous with starting small on remodeling.  It however, puts me behind in regular chores.

Instead of snow, we got something in between, like a mix of freezing rain/sleet.  There was a layer of ice on everything.  

Tuesday was a busy day in the kitchen.  First on the list - infuse a hearty nettle tea.  Second, clean up the kitchen to boil chicken for our dinner casserole.  I had to boil eggs, make a breakfast scramble with greens, and make organic pudding for a side dish.

There was laundry to do, kindling to fetch, firewood to fetch, chickens to tend, rugs to spot clean, carpets to vacuum.....long day.

By the way, fetching the firewood was a bit tricking with the driveway a total sheet of ice.  I have spikes on my boots, but I still had trouble getting the cart back to the house.

Dinner was Mexican Chicken Casserole, so I pulled some homemade creamed soups out of the freezer to make it.  I used organic Chia/Quinoa tortilla chips.

More lists were compiled - craft store, dollar store, groceries, a trip to Aldi's etc.  Aldi now sells organic white quinoa.

Today we have leftovers, so I'm truly happy for that.  Also, I heard back from the museum gift shop.  They want to sell my dish scrubbies (another happy moment).

New Project ~ Little House Inspired Shawl ~ Tidbits

Our new project (not my photo).  We will be building a boot rack out of old barn wood.  It will be taller than the one in the photo, so muck boots, work boots and snow boots will all fit.  We'll start on it after we finish the hallway flooring and trim work.

I was asked to find my post with the Little House inspired shawl I crocheted.  Here is the link to the pattern.

5 more boxes of books have left the house.  Yay to that.

Woke up to a layer of ice outside.  Not much snow as predicted.  Not sure if we'll get much today, but I'll be inside anyway.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Woke up to a stone cold wood stove.  Hurumph!  We both worked so hard Sunday, we woke up feeling like we just spent the first day in the garden kind of feeling.  I feel like I'm feeding an army of animals too.  Thankfully our daughter K has a flight home today.

The tree the county cut down a year ago is still providing for this winter.  We cut it on better weather days, move those cut pieces to the barn and split any day we need it.  Not the best plan, but it's working.  One of these days we'll be prepared over summer if I can motivate my husband.

I sent an email to the one place in the "Big City" I sell my soap saver bags at.  I'm inquiring on selling another item there, and crossing my fingers.  I miss having craft shows, and the cash it brings in.  I received a check this past week for items sold on consignment there (happy for that).

I have another project for us to do.  More on that tomorrow.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The weather outside is . . .

33°F/29°F, Snow predicted.

How I am feeling this morning . . .

Great.  Slept well.

On my mind . . .

Oh lots of things.

On the breakfast plate . . .

Bean, sausage, egg and cowboy candy breakfast burrito.

As I look outside my window . . .

It's dreary - no sunshine today.

Currently reading . . .

Nothing today, but may be later this week

On the TV this week . . . 

Cobra Kai, although I am getting sick of the back and forth fighting, so we will take a break and watch something else.  The not getting along in the movie is not exactly uplifting.

On the menu this week . . .

-Turkey breast with hot pepper mustard sauce, veggie

-Mexican chicken

-Ham, zucchini/corn 

-Baked chicken, crock pot sweet potatoes

Something fun to share . . .

ha ha ha!  My to-do list?  

-dishes

-laundry

-master bath

-take 4 boxes of books to the thrift store in another town

-organize sewing supplies

-put up new blinds

-paint second coat of paint on wine corks

-possible trip to the hardware store

-replace kitchen runner rugs with the long runners I used to have in the hallway (old ones will be used in the garden this year to keep weeds down).

-start purging out the hutch

-Boil a dozen eggs

-dump ash pail

Favorite photo from the camera. . .

We got the upper flooring done over the weekend.  Next?  The steps.  It'll be challenging for sure.  I need to take down those broken blinds, wash the windows and put the new ones up.  Shopping online for new sheers is a pain.  I can't find the ones I bought a few years ago, but the search goes on.

As I look around the house . . .

I have things that need put away, but pending the purge I'm doing.  I have a new porch sign I need to hang up outside as well.

New Recipe I tried or want to try . . .

New fruity muffin recipe.

To relax this week I will . . .

Crochet most likely.

Prayers, Inspiration Quotes, Devotionals. . .

Cold Weather

It's been cold here lately.  Like waking up to 16°F cold.  Brr.  Saturday was a wash as far as working on the hallway.  We finally had a Christmas with the grandkids.  There have been so many close calls with the virus at my husband's work, we haven't been going around too many people.

While out looking at new trim, I picked up new toys for the dogs.  I laughed so hard upon walking in the door.  King literally jumped up and grabbed a long stuff dog toy I had in a shopping bag.  He is so happy.  

Saturday morning, my husband and I had breakfast at a local restaurant that has been open for 75 years.  Good food, homemade and delicious.  We thought we wouldn't get a table, as it is small and a dinner type setting, but we did.  So good!  The best part?  I didn't have to cook nor do any dishes.

I got rid of 3 of the boxes of books I purged as well, while we were in that particular city.  Woohoo to that.

We picked up a blade to grind down any uneven cement areas, and some new LED lights for the garage.  Now we are in business to cut flooring and other wood in the garage.  We may need to do a propane exchange for the heater, but otherwise ready to work.  I will need to do something for a long window by the door.  I may also put sheers up over the blinds, but excited to do the upgrades.  I'm already thinking of some changes to do in the kitchen too.

Random Tidbits

I decided to take a break from purging Friday.  I did a few tidy up areas, but focused on a day without dust (ha ha!).  I can't believe how many books I really had.  Oye.

I cleaned up part of the other kitchen table.  We have two tables, because I use them a lot during tomato season.  One way or another I want a Christmas gathering here too.  They are saying with the vaccine now, we should be back to almost "normal" this year.  

Anyway, I made room to cut more netting.  I've had a few requests for scrubbies and needed netting cut first.

I'm thinking about doing a give-away soon.  I think I can part with some things I found that I've just decided I don't want, need or will make. Maybe that will boost my spirits by making someone else happy?  I just ordered some shipping boxes from the usps store, so when they arrive I will post pictures of the give-away.

Here is a photo of the embellished paperclips I made with tiny crochet flowers.  I'll have to do some looking around to see where I found the pattern, but there may be similar patterns online too.

I used the last of my dehydrated mushrooms.  I am rotating the freezer/pantry pretty good this winter.  I do need to re-stock just a few items, but rotating well.

Last night we called daughter K.  She had a fun day in NYC and had more plans.  She said it was not crowded, but stores had limits on how much time you spent inside.  We then had two more calls with extended family.

 

. . .from the handiwork journal

(old photo, but you can see I'm working from bottom to top)

.. . . Up to row 81 (out of 84) on the crocheted cardigan, with the sleeves getting started after that.  Just a basic pattern, but my first clothing for adults to even crochet.

. . .started new Christmas tree ornaments for the 2021 Christmas (using up wine corks in my stash).

. . .got one "scrap" Christmas ornament crocheted.

 . . .finished a set of hot pads

. . .started another set of hot pads

 . . . got more dish scrubbies made to sell.