Nothing "Christmas" Going On (yet)

The newest tincture has been strained.  It's a "Sleep" tincture.  We have not tried it yet, not actually needed it (oddly).

While our handy-man continued working on the rest of the drywall sanding, painting and trim work, I baked us up some delicious beef and bean breakfast burritos (minus the rice).  I actually found a new seasoning recipe on YouTube, and will be using that for any future beef/bean burritos.  We loved it.  She calls the seasoning "All Around Seasoning" and it is perfect for the breakfast.

All Around Seasoning.  In case you are wondering, her burrito recipe is also on YouTube.

Speaking of YouTube, it's a handy resource for just about everything.  From Fix-It videos to "Fix" your body videos. I found myself needing stretching exercises, and I am amazed at how well they are working out for me.  As we get older, health issues can sometimes catch us off radar.

In light of how our bodies change (as we age), we have been looking for line dancing classes.  So far, the local classes have already taken place.  I think it will not only be fun, but keep us physically fit.  Hopefully, we will find something in the next few months or so.  There is no hurry, but the search has been a positive spin on life.

Dinner plans changed last night, and I was patiently waiting on my husband to get home from work.  Little did I know, that he stopped at a restaurant for a Christmas get together for work.  I was binge watching Christmas movies and in the midst of waiting, and finished this blanket.  It's larger than my typical lap afghans, and I do not have a zipper storage bag for it.  It's on the shopping list for now (the storage bag).

I plan to dig out a few Christmas cookie recipes today, but I can't promise anyone that they will be baked this year.  

Cookie baking is not off the radar, but we are still working on the old office room.  I can say, that the drywall, flooring, and all painting (including trim) is finally done.

New Recipe!  I mixed this together yesterday, and the recipe stated to chill it overnight.  I do believe I will be adding some feta cheese to it.  It does not have tomatoes.  It's a "dip" recipe for an appetizer or simply a snack.  It's definitely a bit different.  It does not have lemon juice nor lime in this one.  I'll be back with an update soon.

I did not get my Christmas cards out this year (I did find them ha ha!).  So far, we  have gotten two cards mailed to us.

We got about a half inch of snow last night.  I had plans to muck the chicken coop yesterday, but got busy with indoor housework.   We may get a white Christmas here this year.

Nothing "Christmas" Going On (yet) © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Sunrise ~ Tidbits

I had a slow start to yesterday's chores, and was able to capture the sunrise, despite the fact it rained the entire day.  I'm glad I got to see it.  Although my front porch was covered in rain too, thanks to the wind.

Using homemade infused oregano oil is somewhat different for a sinus infection.  Instead of simply taking the oil itself by a dropper, my Dad taught me to drop a few drops onto a teabag, and heat a cup of medicinal tea.  It got me thinking, because this is the 2nd or 3rd time I was reminded oregano can be used to make a tincture too.  There have been some other herbs I ran across this winter, that I will be making tinctures with next spring.  So thank you to all of you for suggestions.  I know I will be dehydrating more goldenrod (some of my adult kids drink the teas too).

Three days now, and our handy-man has still had car repairs to delay is ability to work here.  If he can't commit, I plan to finish it all by myself.  Hopefully, I feel 100% better in a day or two.

In the meantime, my husband has gotten another baseboard heater removed (they are all in bad shape). He's installed a new heater.  He has replaced another outlet (most have already been replaced). 

I have not been into town (very small town) lately, and I am told that due to vandalism, they are removing the town's Blessing Box.  There have been problems in town with people's kids running a-muck, and being unattended causing trouble.  It's really sad, because I have been placing food and non-food items in the box.  

Sunrise ~ Tidbits © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

 

Delays ~ Christmas Memories

The holiday decorating has not even been happening around here as it should, and for two reasons - 1. How I am feeling and 2. The room repairs / renovations.

I have not felt up to doing any holiday shopping, nor even shopping for baking and cooking supplies for the Christmas Day meal.  I have nothing ready.  Nothing.   Also, the handy-man we hired has been a no-show the last few days, due to his car breaking down.  Just lovely.  

By the way, in the meantime, I have put about 5 sticky notes up on the walls for places that need "fixed" and have paint issues.  Splatters, scratches, you name it.

I have not been ill like this for a long long time and it stinks.  It's like the virus that keeps on giving and refuses to go away.  Once I have a good day, the next day something new arrives.  One day it was congested ears.  The next a dry cough with chest pressure.  The next itchy/watery eyes.  The exhaustion comes and goes as it pleases.

The Goldenrod Tea helps a lot with drying up and relieving congestion.  I started adding fresh ginger too, and have now broke out my homemade oregano oil (learned this from my Dad when I had a sinus infection).  I have Four Thieves vinegar as well, and making sure I get enough good vitamins and probiotics, not to mention liquids.  On a good note, it all does seem to be a bit better vs. worse.

Christmas gifts I made in the past  . . .

One year of gifting - jelly, granola, homemade/handmade handmade goodies (in recycled clementine crates).

Some years they got homemade goodies like the unusual and very delicious sorghum candy.  Some years it was homemade vanilla with purchased bottles and hand created and printed labels.

I do miss the art of creating and gifting.  The year I made those boxes of goodies (photo above), I asked my good friend if they liked theirs.  I'm talking a long, long time friend from high school.  She replied, "well there really wasn't anything in there for my husband."  She really said that.  I never made a gift for them again after that.

 In the midst of recovering from this recent bug, I have watched way too many Christmas movies.  It got me thinking about my favorite memories of the holiday.  Childhood memories.  Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year.  It always has been.

As a kid my parents would always buy a fresh cut tree, in a lot that was by a closed, seasonal ice cream stand in town.  We'd bring it home, and put it outside until a said date.

Dad built the raised box with tree holder attached, and we'd bring it in and fill it with sugar water (if I am remember correctly, ha ha).  

(photo from google - they still sell this stuff!!)

We'd wrap the tree with those larger Christmas bulb light strings (I still love those the best), put the ornaments up, and Mom insisted we drape those thin long pieces of tinsel on the tree.

By the way, when we took the tree down, we were required to take the tinsel (icicles) off one piece at a time, and put it back in the box for the next year (not kidding about that either).

The best memory, is taking coloring books and crayons, and laying under the tree (with lights on), and coloring in a Christmas themed coloring book.  The smell of a fresh tree was the best!!

Although that is a good memory, I do not plan on making it a tradition here ha ha ha!  The icicles anyway.  However, as my side of the family doesn't get together for the Christmas holiday anymore, it's time to start creating new traditions for just us.  I think it will be fun too.  

We already have two ideas.  

It's a strange weather day here for mid-December.  Rain and a high of 58°F.  Crazy.

Delays ~ Christmas Memories © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

I Roasted the "Mother Load" ~ Jarrahdale Blue Pumpkin

 Remember that, almost 14 pound jarrahdale pumpkin we grew and harvested?  

Well, I finally roasted it, pureed it, and froze it all.  By the way it tastes great, the color is amazing, and the end result was a fantastic amount of pumpkin for one pumpkin.

Did you know, that if you have a proper way to store these jarrahdale pumpkins, they can stay in the "pumpkin" form for up to 12 months?  I do like that aspect of it, but they are a bit of a challenge to slice.  If you can cut butternut and spaghetti squash, you can cut up one of these.

Ideally, we wanted to roast part of it for a dinner, but time was against me, and I still wasn't feeling great.  In fact, I was ready for PJ's, my bed, hallmark and some crochet by the time I was done freezing the pumpkin puree.

I Roasted the "Mother Load" ~ Jarrahdale Blue Pumpkin © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Chit Chat ~ Nourishing Nail Oil

We paid our handy-man a partial payment the other day, and low and behold, he never showed up yesterday.  I did get some rest however.  One the of kids wanted to deliver something late, and they didn't show up until almost 8:30pm.  It may sound early to you, but when you are under the weather, it's early.

I've been drinking goldenrod tea, and taking our homemade Four Thieves Vinegar.  The Four Thieves seems to help the annoying cough that developed after everything else.  Thankfully, I have kombucha and other probiotics in stock too.

After speaking with someone who works for a hospital, if your "what feels like" a sinus infection is viral, they do not prescribe antibitiotics.  I'm watching my symptoms closely.   I also talked to someone locally who has the same symptoms, and they too, thought it was a sinus infection (from the severe early on miserable pressure).  It was not.  Again, watching myself closely, but things seem to be better overall (just not completely gone).

(photo from google)

Meanwhile, funny how the small stuff can make you feel so happy and at peace (maybe accomplished is the right word).  The UPS guy delivered a part I ordered for the refrigerator.  We replaced our refrigerator 10 years ago, when ours stopped working.  The kids literally broke the cheese/butter (slides up and down) plastic door at the onset.  I, at the time, was consumed with raising kids, that I didn't think to replace it, nor even thought I could.  It was just never registered on the "important list" or even the to-do list.

We got tired of the butter slices falling out every time we opened the refrigerator door.  I went online and ordered what I thought would be the right replacement door.  We both asked ourselves why we never thought to fix that issue. Wa-la, it fit perfect.  No more butter falling out.  

Other "to-do's" are being adding to the growing list, as I recover from this bug.  

You know what else I am hearing?  That some people are going to work sick, because they are out of sick days.  I guess I better work on my immune system if I want to get back to the stores again.  Sheesh.

From an old blog draft . . . 

I made some homemade nourishing fingernail oil (started using it on 11/13/24).  I realize my nails get a work out with outdoor work, and decided I needed to give it a try.  You can find many youtube videos on making this oil if you are interested. I hope to have an update post down the road.

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As for the current room repair project, we'll see if we can gain some progress today.  

I'm hoping to feel better very soon, as I am pretty sure my husband is tired of sandwiches.  I promised him a meatloaf dinner at the beginning of the week, and well, that did not happen.

Chit Chat ~ Nourishing Nail Oil © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Tidbits ~ Homemade "Vicks Vapo-Rub" (Mixed Oils)

It's a brisk -2°F windchill this morning (15°F).  The weatherman warned us.  Maybe it will kill off some germs.

I blame it on the weather, but my sinuses are a hot mess.  The pressure is so uncomfortable.  I am breaking out my herbal teas, my lavender eye pack (for headache relief) and ordered myself a headache ice pack wrap now.

I made homemade "Vicks Vapo-Rub" and this time around, I doubled the recipe, but used a combination of coconut oil and olive oil.  It came out to the perfect thickness, and made about 4 ounces.  

Note:  Allow it to completely cool.  Make sure the jars do not have a cardboard insert in the lid.  If you put the lids on too soon, you will have condensation on the inside of the lid which will cause your rub to go bad faster.  

The link will take you to the recipe, but as you know coconut oil becomes very solid when it's cold.  I have not tried making it with simply 1/8 cup coconut oil and 1/8th cup olive oil, but it should turn out the same (roughly 2 ounces).  I like that it's not rock hard, and will make it this way from now on.

I have not had any issues for years, and all the sudden wham!  I drank goldenrod tea I dehydrated this last fall, and it does help.  The second cup I drank, was infused with freshly grated ginger.

Tidbits ~ Homemade "Vicks Vapo-Rub" (Mixed Oils) © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Tidbits ~ Work Starts

 

Homemade detangler was restocked.  Pretty easy to make, starting with a tea made from marshmallow root.  I think I've been using it for about a year now.

Current crochet blanket.  I wanted to use the granny square stripes to use up this yarn, but you can see that the color varies from skein to skein.  Oh well.  I have one more skein, so I hope it creates the right size.  It is a bit larger than my usual lap afghan.  It's been a slow project with other work around here.

Our handy-man showed up.  Work has begun on the room.  Carpet is ripped out (wooden subfloor treated), storage area drywall replaced, and mudded, ceiling light removed and cleaned, and ceiling has a new coat of paint.  Much more to do, but making progress.

In the meantime, I started to purge my books (many of these are non-fiction), and filled 2 1/2 boxes so far.  I found a file folder container that had about 25 plastic document envelopes (with business card slot).  Those went into the donation box as well. I have no idea why we had them.

At about mid-afternoon, I started to get pretty bad sinus pressure. I have not had any sinus issues in years now.  I downed four thieves, took a nap (very unusual for me), and made a plan for today.  There will be some herbal tea brewing going on.  One of our daughter's had a really bad sinus headache last weekend, so I am wondering if it's the seasonal air change or the air itself.

I let my chickens out into their open run mid-morning, and went to take a look-see about 1pm.  Sure enough hawk droppings all around the fence, and my ladies were huddled inside behind their feeder.  Sigh.  The new run is on the to-do list.  Weather has been a big issue.

In the midst of purging, I found another journal.  Imagine that!!  Ha ha ha!  My canning journal.  Now that it's just the two of us, I do not track what we have in stock.  I just go look, as I prepare meal plans.  Chalk that up for more grocery list/to-do list scrap paper.

I'm down to purging some manuscript log books (copies of anything I published in the past years), but this is only happening due to the room being repaired and renovated.  Otherwise, I don't think I'd be sparked to even look at this stuff.  Add to the fact, who wants to leave the house, and leave the handy-man here alone (gotta keep an eye on things).

It's a brisk 25°F this morning, so I don't expect my handy-man too early.  My husband forgot to bring home some grocery items, so I'm going to make some changes with dinner, but that's okay too.

Typically, I have a friend make a grave blanket for me to put on my parents graves, but it didn't happen.  I am not even sure I can get any there before Christmas as this pace.

Tidbits ~ Work Starts © December 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart