Cold Front ~ My Zip is Back

Woke up to 18°F (felt like 9°F) yesterday morning.  We both forgot to stoke the fire before bedtime, so I was up at 5am getting it rolling to heat up the house.  We also had a thin layer of snow.  The chicken's water was frozen (I do not want a heat-able unit out in the barn), so I rotating watering units daily.

Woke up to this on the computer this morning.  Just love this kiddo.

I got my zip and zap back.  Maybe because of the cold weather, ha ha!  I was zipping around putting up more Christmas lights, and decorations.  Of course in between it all I folded towels, did more laundry, and put my craft totes away until next season.  I did the dishes, wrote out a shopping list, worked on the Christmas menu (cutting it down, but healthy and yummy), put some bows up outside, wrapped all the gifts, set rat traps in the barn, and brought in more wood.

...on the Christmas morning breakfast menu.  I know Hubby has to watch his sugar, so I'll drink one for him, ha ha!

There's one thing I'm really, really good at - making dirty dishes.

There's one thing I'm very, very bad at - watering my houseplants.

Thanks to my youngest daughter, I got an order for an infinity scarf. 

One of my simple pleasures?  Men's Christmas socks.  The only socks that keep me warm and fit (I wear size 11 shoes).  I ask for them every Christmas, don't get any, so I just go buy them.

Canning Applesauce ~ Writing Again ~ Scarf in Progress

I've been getting up about 5-5:30am to stoke the fire.   We woke up to 19°F.   We will need to cut more wood this weekend.  The repairs on the coop have been delayed due to the dark days, and how dark it is when Hubby gets off work.  Repairs resume on the weekend as well.

I finally got around to canning some applesauce.  It pretty much took most of my morning and afternoon.  I bought 20# this year (I haven't canned applesauce in a few years now).  Remaining apples will be in the cooler garage.  I may can another half-batch of applesauce too.

...and since I had apples, I put steel cut oats in the crocky for our next breakfast (cutting the brown sugar down this time).  The apples and raisins add enough sweetness.

Guess what's on the menu this weekend?  Crockpot "fried" apples with breakfast.

Hubby and I watched a good movie on Netflix the other night.  It was pretty good too.  It's call Falling INN love.  While watching it, Hubby asked me "you need to be writing again."  I agree, so I will carve time in my day for that again.  Who knows, maybe I'll be bringing in some extra cash for our new coop fund?  Anyway, the movie is good, don't let the title make you think it's just another love story.  Once you watch it, you see why "writing" was brought up while watching it.

I have all the granny squares made for the scarf I'm gifting.  I just have to crochet them all together now.

Christmas ~ Nail Polish Bottle Ornament

Does anyone else feel like Christmas will be here way too quick and over with way too quick?  I feel like the clock is zipping by this year.  I love Christmas time too.  

Hubby's family arranged crafting weekends all month long, but all the crafts are items that go to the cemetery.  I'm just getting depressed from them all, so I'll be staying home and focusing on positive, mood boosting, happy stuff.  Not that I don't want to forget anyone, but it's been one long year and I'd rather move on and be happy as they'd want us to be.

Bad news has flowed into our lives again.  My mother has to see a doctor at Cleveland clinic regarding heart issues.  She's already had two surgeries, and one that is the most difficult and most serious to do.  Not what we all wanted to hear, but thankful that she asked the doctor to do a check, otherwise would have gone undetected.

What do you think?  Daughter wanted something cosmetology related for her teachers.  I just need to add the hanger and make one more.  It was not fun crocheting the black yarn.  It's been so dreary here and lighting is terrible even with light up hooks.  I used Hubby's head lamp, ha ha!

I got one order for a headband/ear warmer, so that was finished up yesterday.  I have to finish up a scarf for a gift next.

Our dreary weather is depressing me big time.  I need to go sniff an orange.  They say that works for that.  We were all three discussing how rotten of a dark day it was yesterday.  I don't remember winter being this dark.

Tuesday Tidbits ~ Less Stress Christmas ~ The Trees are Up!

I'm no longer a fan of homemade shampoo.  It was drying our hair out.  I found a chemical free/organic store brand at my grocery store (of all places) with argan oil in it and we love it.  It even comes with a seal on it.

I had purchased extra cookie ingredients for this Christmas, but now I won't be using them.  I may donate them to the kids.  There will be no buckeyes, sorghum candy, homemade toffee, cut outs, etc.  It's gonna be way less stress, but odd.  I will at least bake einkorn peanut butter cookies.  We are all about to weigh a lot less.  

Speaking of Christmas, I got all the trees up.  I do need more lights.  Five up  - 6 if you include my bathroom Christmas tree night night.  I also got some garland with lights up, and some decor.

I put up a battery operated "camper" string of lights on my Christmas quilt rack.  I just love it. It's not very long, but long enough for the quilt rack.  

Every year I unpack my snowmen, I am filled with love and they truly make me smile.  My Aunt sent them to me one year.  She is no longer with us, but she is here in spirit.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Like a dork, I took a huge bag of crochet projects with me to the craft show last Saturday.  Guess what I did?  I forgot to bring a hook.  I had zero hooks and my afghan hook was still at home.  I had one "crochet emergency kit" in the truck (woohoo!), so I at least had an "H" hook to work on a lapghan.

Speaking of hooks, the ones that light up do not work well using cotton yarn.  To be honest, I like the neck lamp better than the light up hooks. I get more light that way.  However I used them to crochet dark yarn and they worked great too. Just an update.

We started with the coop repair Sunday morning, only to find out the damage was more extensive than we thought.  We'll be buying another roll of wire, and saving our pennies to build a new coop (out of the barn) next year. It's just time.  Chicken wire is not working out and we could use the barn space anyway.  We need to re-roof the barn next year if we want to keep the barn from deteriorating as well.  I was just tired of fighting predators and it's just time to build a more secure coop.

Speaking of chickens, "Cluck Norris" has passed on and into rooster heaven (sad face).  However, I am not lacking in roosters.  One lucky gent went from the rooster pen and in with the ladies.  I'll be giving him a name soon.

We cut wood for more than 3 hours, and only have one large chunk left to cut and split now.  I racked up 6000 steps just splitting and hauling wood.  Whew!    Oh our achy bodies....

I put more sets up for sale on my other blog.  All proceeds go to building us a new coop.  

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



The weather outside is . . . 
High of 52°F and raining.  Tomorrow the temps dip again.


On the breakfast plate . . .
Taco breakfast egg muffins.  

I just googled for a recipe, adjusted it with home canned zucchini salsa, organic beef and homemade taco mix, and organic cheese.  Next batch will have some sort of greens in them, but otherwise delicious.


As I look outside my window . . .
It's dark, cloudy and still raining.


Right now I am . . .
Starting the dishes and laundry


As I look around the house . . .
Oh my, I have to put the craft totes away, tidy up the living room and start a fire.



On the to-do list . . .
Dishes
Make breakfast egg muffins
Clean out fridge
Install new drip bowls on stove top
Put trash out
Put Christmas tree up
Repair coop
Crochet



On this week's to-do list . . .
-can applesauce
-put up Christmas decor
-clean up my bedroom (it's a total disaster of yarn)
-freeze homemade mushroom soup
-place online order for daughter's birthday gifts and Hubby's anniversary gifts


On the menu this week . . .
Have no clue


Currently reading . . . 
Nothing
On the TV . . .
Movies from the library


What I am creating at the moment . . .
A headband/ear warmer that is an order I got, and one daughter's scarf.  Also, our youngest daughter asked me to whip up something to gift her two Cosmetology teachers.  I have a pattern for something cute.  Cross you fingers I get them made.


Favorite photo from the camera . . .

Yesterday's sunrise.

Prayers . . .
No special request at this time

Cluck Norris ~ Craft Show ~ Work Day

Yesterday's sunrise has some beautiful colors in it.

My rooster was still alive Friday (whew!).  I named him Cluck Norris, since he fought the predator and survived.  

The craft show is now over, and I'm up to start out Sunday work day.  

We didn't do that great this year.  First, I was in a different building (they use two).  Second, the way the had us set up the tables was so congested.  Third, we were way in the back and customers walked in and not all they way to our tables and left. I didn't sell one set, just a few things.  I'm starting to put the sets up on my other blog.

Today's to-do's:  repair the chicken coop, muck the coop, cut wood.  We are completely out, and the temps are to really dip low the early part of the week.  Then, if we get all that done, the Christmas tree goes up.

I posted the new Christmas tree ornament on my S.C.R.A.P blogspot.  I'll admit, it's not a very exciting ornament, but pretty.  I am still working on ideas for something else too.

Friday Snippets ~ Chicken Coop Chaos

...and just like that (snap), I was inspired by my friend's mother who recently passed, and who loved playing the organ.  I have started to create a new Christmas tree ornament to sell next year.  I'll have a post soon next week I hope.  The first one will go in my friend's Christmas gift bag in memory of her mother.

Sunday I had plans to start decorating and put up the tree, but if weather is good, I'll be mucking the coop and replacing wire on the coop.  One of these years we'll finally get the new coop built (amongst many other jobs on the list). 

I went out to the coop yesterday and found 4 feet of wire ripped from the frame, one hen dead with a broken neck, and my rooster with a broken leg.  I'm not sure he'll make it yet.  We can't wrap our heads around what would do this.  A very sad day for sure.