Splittin' Wood

Although totally exhausted (from different means), my husband and I headed out early Saturday to get a good load of wood cut and split.  

Today, rain returns with high wind warnings.  A good day to do rainy day indoor repairs and what not.  Not to mention, cuddle up with a good book, crochet or other relaxing activities. 

I've seen deer on the move for the last 4 days around our place.  

Remember the stray cat that showed up?  I found it's owner via using a group on social media.  It's crazy.  They live 30 minute drive north of us.  He even responded when they called his name.  I'm just glad he's back home where he belongs.

Trying to hang on to sanity . . .

Yesterday I was just trying to hang onto my sanity during these times we are dealing with.  There has been a lot going on here, and last night came home 7pm-ish so so tired.  

Of course people are panic buying, so trying to simply get something we needed was not easy.  I heard the nearest Costco had a line around the building yesterday and my friend who only had 2 rolls of toilet paper at home, bought the last pack of toilet paper the store had.  The Gov. is shutting more businesses down around various locations of our state now.

Due to having to sit in the car for hours at a time yesterday, I gained on the crocheted cardigan for one daughter.

Woke up to freezing cold house and fire out.  We were all so tired that we slept through the last stoking of the fire. 

I spent a lot of time driving our 21 year-old's car.  Had to share photos of how she blinged up her vehicle, ha ha!

Oh, heard back on the car.  He found out it needed one more repair and once that is done it'll be picked up.  Hopefully soon.

 

Frozen Cucumbers Update ~ Breakfast and other tidbits

 

Picture of the moon this morning.  I was up at 3:45am, because I had no body heat to snuggle up with (and because Tiger was also meowing at my bedroom door).  My husband worked midnight shift, and will be working morning day shift today.  Sigh...

I thawed some cucumbers I froze last August, so that's about 4 months in the freezer.  I did not peel them.  When thawed, they are not fresh crisp, but not as soft as a canned pickle. 

 I used them to go in our Tex Mex Macaroni (one dish meal - cold).  It tasted the same as using fresh cucumber. Oh, and when I opened the bag of frozen cucumbers, it smelled amazing, as if I had sliced a fresh one.

A breakfast I made - sweet potatoes, zucchini, red onion (needed to use some up), garlic, oregano, swiss chard and farm fresh eggs.

It was a day to clean up and tidy up.  I needed to do that badly in my bedroom (gulp).  I had crafting supplies all over the place.  No wonder I can't find things, ha ha!

Carpet cleaning resumes today.  I need to get it done before it gets too cold to dry the carpets.  Unless one of the girls are off today.  Then I will be going out to restock some items.

Well, there is a threat of a lockdown for our state (again).  Our Gov. is threatening to close restaurants now.  He's formed agents to do compliance checks regarding mask wearing in all businesses with fines and threat to close them down.  I'm so sick of it.   I am really am.  Truckers are talking about a strike this month.  I don't blame them.  They are our life line and need food on the road.  They are sick of the restrictions more so than all of us in this state.

I'm on my second pot of coffee already this morning and it's 6am as of posting this.  Have a great day!

Another Record Temperature Day and randomness

I wrote up my to-do list and a rainy day list as well.  In fact, I went to get my felt I need to finish an on-going craft, and could not find it.  Another item lost in the shuffle.  Good grief. 

One daughter was heading to pick up a friend and stopped in the craft store for me thankfully.

Solar batteries arrived, so those are now in the pole lights.  They sent me this free keychain.  It's a very bright, mini flashlight.  So cute.  It's going in my keychain collection.  Did you know I collect keychains?  I haven't added any to it lately, but this will be added.  I wish I could find a place to display them all for the public to see.  

Sometime around dinner time, and right after I locked up the chickens, this cat showed up.  Very healthy, very friendly, tried to come in the house.....most likely dumped.  A male.  I put the photo up on social media on a lost pet page.  No one has claimed him yet.  Sad.  The weather will start to get cold, and I cannot keep it. He is obviously an indoor cat.  People make me sick.  Just because we have barns does not mean we need more barn cats (he is not an outdoor cat either from what we can tell).

Zuri ran after it, and we thought it ran off.  Later it showed up again.  I sure hope it either finds it's way home, or someone takes him.  He'll drive the dogs nuts and that will not be fun taking dogs out.

Yesterday was 78 degrees and windy.  Nice day for hanging clothes on the line.  The sun was not out much however.  Only one pole light charged.  I hope the sun is out today.

Car Update ~ Grill out and other tidbits

The car has been fixed.  I'm so blessed to have a husband who knows how to fix cars.  Daughter is a happy camper and so am I - no stressing about how everyone gets to work today.  We live out in the boonies, so getting them all to opposite directions from 25 minutes to an hour for each is much easier today.

Hubby had to take a day off work to fix the car, so once that was done we took the Harley (a no coat ride)E out for a few groceries, and came home to grill out dinner.  The weather was a record high of 80 degrees.

We however, will dip down to the 30's again tonight, but we enjoyed our warmer weather.  Now that we have a break in car repairs, I need to remind my husband to fix the chicken coop so I can get eggs from the outside.  

I purged more magazines, and have just a few more to go through.  Saving that for a rainy day.  

I'm going to be taking advantage of a 77 degree day, and putting laundry out on the line.  I need do outside work today before it starts getting cold again. 

E-ghads!  I have no photo for today's post.  The leaves are falling from the trees and they are almost bare here.

 

Happy Homemaker Monday

Even though I am home, which should keep the dogs calm, I now keep a kitchen radio on.  It keeps the dogs calm and they are more restful, which helps King stay relaxed.  Poor guy.  He hasn't had any more seizures, but this last one was bad.  Daughter ordered dog CBD oil.  Vet meds are too harsh for him.

Tiger has been hilarious and a pain lately.  He has been sticking his paw under our bedroom door again, and banging it back and forth at 4am.  It's funny when you hear about it, but 4am?  Then when I finally am able to let him in and keep an eye on him, he flares up and gets the zoomies like he just had a hit of catnip.  So funny.  Anyway, we got him a Kitty Villa and filled the bottom scratching pads with catnip.  Thought everyone could use a good laugh.  First time to figure out how to upload a video too.

I'm not on the hunt for a weather proof lock for the chicken coop.  We will see what we can find to rig up security for my ladies.

Saturday the weather was so nice, we hooked up with 17 people and 12 motorcycles.  Unfortunately, the couple that was leading the pack, and had the route planned didn't show up.  We re-routed and still had an all day sanity saver ride.

However, that meant work for Sunday.  It took all morning, but my husband got the chainsaw working again.  We also got a new seal on one of the house doors.  After that we took off on another short motorcycle ride.

Our 21 year-old's car broke down again last night.  So tired of this.  My car is still not back, so we are down a car again, and 3 working.  

Somehow, in moving yarn out and back into my closet (thanks to the revolving doors of kids moving out and in), I could not find one of my afghan hooks.  Sigh.  I literally went online and ordered another one.  I have no idea where it is, and you can bet your bottom dollar, that I will find it a year from now.  Or today.

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

The weather outside is . . .

Nice!  High of almost 80 degrees today.

On the breakfast plate this morning . . .

(photo to be added)

Bacon/egg/cheese sandwich, coffee

Change of plans - when the bacon was done we made bacon/bean/egg burritos.

As I look outside my window. . . 

On the to do list today or this week . . .

For the day:

-dishes, tidy kitchen, sweep and mop

-laundry

-clean master bath

-vacuum

-dump ash pan and clean out wood stove

For the week:

-clean up office area in kitchen

-clean up bedroom (the craft supplies have gone awry)

-split wood

-put air conditioners in storage

-put new seal on garage door

Currently reading . . .

On the TV for this week . . .

The Man with a Plan

On the menu . . .

-breakfast for dinner

-chicken/basil meatballs

-Tex Mex Macaroni

-possibly something grilled tonight

Something fun to share . . .

Zuri, our one daughter's mountain cur/pit mix, is my chicken whisperer.  Louise flew the coop yesterday and she helped me catch her by literally just standing guard and not letting her pass (she didn't make a move).  Good doggie.

New Recipes we tried. . . 

I made homemade garlic cheesy bread for the first time last night.  It was delicious.  The family gobbled it up.  I made it to go with leftovers.  The dough was pretty easy to make too.  Recipe is free online at 

I also tried the Cheesy Chips in the Food Babe's cook book.  I used store bought tortillas, while I'm waiting on supplies to try her recipe for homemade corn tortillas, and the first batch was not crispy.  I had to bake them 30 seconds longer for the crispness, and used too much of the topping on the first, and didn't have enough for the second. Next time I'll split it in half before sprinkling it on.  They do have great flavor though. Overall, I think the homemade tortillas will work much better.

Not a recipe, but I made a new organic, cooked butterscotch pudding and the family loved it.  I added the suggested egg yolk too.  Very creamy and very good.

From the camera . . .

On the prayer list. . .

Our President, America, our state, for the virus to go away, King, and any personal requests.  Our daughter's car to be fixed, and finally fixed.

2020 Reading Challenge and other tidbits

 

My book arrived.  I just hope it isn't one I already read from the library over the years ha ha!  I hope to get some reading done ASAP.  I need a mental break from life overall.

We are getting some very nice weather this weekend.  Possible high 70's degrees on Sunday.  Crazy!

We are still seeing beautiful colors around the homestead.

When something goes out of the freezer, something goes back in.  Keeping things stocked, with a world of uncertainty.

A head of organic cauliflower and a few yellow squash (organic) were blanched.

Called my Mom.  Didn't talk long, as she was babysitting.  Got caught up with dishes, folded laundry, took scraps out to the chickens, and other mundane tasks.

I put together my barter, now I need a date and time to get it to her.  I hope she likes everything.  She is the family member who had 4 boxes of canning lids shipped to me.  I decided to include a set of homemade cards and a jar opener.

I ordered (and surprisingly received already) a manual coffee grinder.  I realized that we buy organic whole bean (have a cold press), and no way to grind them if the power went out.

I printed a few crochet patterns for winter projects.  I still have some printed recipes floating around the kitchen that I want to try.  If they float around long enough, they may get recycled.  I think I save too many recipes, ha ha!

I'm getting crochet time in most days, just before dinner and sometimes after dinner.

Someone told me that canning supplies will not be made until next March, but I have already seen jars with lids in stores.  I hope lids appear before another shutdown or whatever happens.

I hope everyone is staying calm as they can be, and healthy right now.  We are doing well, although considering I just poured homemade Kahlua in my coffee, I can't really say we are all "calm" here ha ha!