Random Bits

 

I'm making progress on the baby blanket.  I'm thankful I had a few very old unfinished projects in my closet.  I will need to ask Daughter K to check my yarn stash upstairs.  I will be keeping this one for any future grandkids.  

Updates on Mom are good thankfully.  

Woke up to a brisk 27°F this morning.  My wonderful husband got more wood for me.  I can load the wood stove, but getting the wood inside is a bit tough right now.

The Christmas meal is planned now.  My chickens are still on strike.  Not sure what the mailman did, but Daughter K found half of it all over the ground yesterday.

My wonderful husband, although rushed for time, made us breakfast before he left for work - sausage/egg/cheese breakfast sandwiches.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

I'm making progress with my ankle.  The top of my foot no longer swells at all.  I still need to do soaks, and now my knee on the same leg hurts from the boot.  I am bio-freezing the heck out of my knee and putting a epsom salt soaked rag on it when I soak my ankle.  My right wrist is getting sore from the constant crocheting (sigh).

Sunday my husband had errands to run, and while he was out, they called and said the wood stove door was done - $150!  With tax!  Ugh.  He however got a good deal on a brand new garden cart at a pawn shop for us (half the price that TSC was selling them at).  We will give the old beat up one to a biker friend to scrap.

Hubby was literally gone the entire day, and Daughter K was at her boyfriend's college graduation.  During that time, Mom fell again, so I asked my husband to buy her some flowers and check on her.  I called, but wanted someone to check on her physically.  By the way, Mom has an smart watch now, and when she fell she could call my younger brother on it and they stayed on the phone until she could get back up.  

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

I'll link up when she posts.

The weather . . .

Woke up to 28°F, high of 42°F/27°F

How I am feeling this morning . . .

Frustrated.  My ankle is still swollen, so today it's not just soaks in epsom salts, I'll apply a comfrey poultice.

On my mind . . .

The Christmas day menu.  The day is about quality time and food together this year.  

Something Christmas related I've done in the past few days ..

I embroidered two tea towels for Daughter K and I am finishing up a magnetic fridge notepad and pen for Daughter E (Christmas presents).

Christmas Movie I watched . . .

Unaccompanied Minors

California Christmas City Lights

Christmas in the Heartland

Holiday in the Wild

The App that Stole Christmas

Serendipity

Father Christmas is Back

Three days of Christmas

What I am wearing . . .

Pajamas

On my reading pile . . .

I won this on Leigh's blog at 5 Acres & a Dream.

On today's to-do list . . .

-put away dishes

-write up grocery list

-sheet pan dinner for tonight

On my TV . . .

Travel shows and cooking on Create TV

What I am listening to . . .

Christmas music on the radio

On the menu this week . . .

-sheet pan dinner 

-have no idea, depends on how my ankle feels

Looking around the house . . .

It's not looking like Christmas at all.

In preparation for the Holidays . . .

I sent my husband to the store for cream cheese.  If we want cheesy potatoes (I only make 1-2 times a year), we needed it, and the radio said there was a cream cheese shortage right now.

On my prayer list . . .

Greg (with covid) has passed away.  Praying for Mom, and my ankle to heal completely.

Frivolity from the Farm House

 

I think I started this baby blanket over 5 or more years ago.  I'm just happy I left the hook in the project basket, along with the pattern book.  I however, have no idea why I started it.  It will take many days to finish it.  I have decided, that once it's done, I will keep it for future grandkids.  There will be a lot of work on this one.  It's a crib size blanket and 125 rows and a small hook.  I guess the advantage of staying off my feet, is getting some old, long time projects done.

I am very much enjoying my foot soaks.  Hubby came home from work, filled my tub and I soaked while he made walleye for dinner.  Tonight it's all leftovers.

Our weather was absolutely miserable yesterday.  Rain, clouds, wind and more rain.  I spent a good portion of the day watching Christmas movies on netflix.  The last one I watched was California Christmas City Lights (2nd movie to the first California Christmas).  It was very good.

I may or may not have put a scoop of homemade hot cocoa and a splash of  peppermint schnapps in my mid-afternoon coffee.  Hey, everyone needs a pick-me-up once in a while.

I seriously think my chickens miss me.  They have not laid eggs since this boot has been put on my foot, and I haven't been able to go to the coop.

I considered cleaning the walk-in shower, and quickly decided that was not happening until the boot comes off.  All I need is to slip on water and boom.  It can wait.

Nothing exciting to share ha ha!  I have 90% of my garden seeds ordered (other than from what I saved).  I still need to order some for the herb garden, but otherwise set for that.  I ordered a picture frame for our upcoming anniversary.  I found a few older 4 x6 photos that I want to put in a farm house style frame.  I hated to order online, but hey things happen.  I just hope it gets here by then.  Oh, I ordered my pepper scoop.  It's not only USA made, but handmade by an artisan.  It was sort of expensive, but I'm told their best seller.  I will share it when it arrives.

Have a great weekend!

High Wind Warnings again and other chit-chat

I heard we were to get up to 50 mph wind last night.  We got it and I can still hear it from inside the house.  Last night I had to ask my husband to go latch a lock on a barn door.  I didn't want to, but the wind would have whipped that door upwards.  He did go out and latch it.

I am thankful for the easy meal ideas I put in the freezer.  I thought we had bought a cauliflower, but after looking around I don't think I ended up getting one.  If I remember right, the organic were sold out.

Anyway, I put meatballs in the crockpot yesterday, with home canned BBQ sauce, and then later roasted asparagus and made easy quinoa. 

We have enough of two meals to do all leftovers tonight.  Yay for that.

I called Mom.  We shared our high's and low's from her recliner and from my bed.  We got a few chuckles.  She has been looking for her favorite nail polish.  The stores are sold out.   I helped her find it online, and it's shipped and headed to her house.  Guess what the name of it is?

Aphrodite's Pink Nightie (OPI).  Ha ha ha!  She is happy now.  She is also toying with the idea of hiring a cleaning person once a week.  Her friend stopped in and said she would gladly do it for Mom.  I am concerned about her memory.  She told me she hasn't driven for 2 months.  I didn't correct her.  She hasn't driven since last July.

The egg supply is low right now.  The chickens are getting their winter break.  No word yet on wood stove door.  I'm okay with that.  I need more healing before hauling wood inside.

I guess it's going to be windy the entire day today.  I guess my goal today is a few soaks with epsom salts, and today I'll search netflix for some crochet time.  The cooking channel gets me into trouble.

I've come up with a small, new item to add to my craft show stash.  Once a get a few more made I will share.

If I can stammer up enough energy, I will work on an easy breakfast casserole.  I hate seeing my husband leave with a clementine for breakfast.  Maybe pre-bake eggs on a sheet pan?  I don't know.  I guess we'll see if it even happens, ha ha!

When it's the right time to ask, I will ask my husband to re-prioritize our spring work.  I know we have home repairs to do first, but we do need a dog fence up.  I could really use one right now with this bum ankle.

Making Adjustments . . .

I'm getting used to a different routine, but not by choice.  The boot definitely helps my foot, but at night when it's off my ankle swells in the night.

I'm up getting an ice pack (or my husband hears me and gets it), and taking pain meds to get back to sleep.  I wish this on no one.

I also realized that my yarn totes were moved upstairs.  Sigh.

I however, had not finished the bedroom closet, so I found a few unfinished projects to keep me busy.

I found a knitted dishcloth to finish, another set of hot pads, I can restock blue baby booties (I had that yarn downstairs), I have a scrap lap afghan to finish, and I found a baby blanket that I started probably over 5 years ago.  I must have buried it unseen.  

I also, ordered me some books on thriftbooks.com.  I am still waiting on them.

I got my Christmas binder out and added patterns for homemade gift ideas for next year.

I also want to get back to doing some journaling, but on the computer vs. hand write this time.  I need a new flash drive, and can't figure out the best one to buy on Amazon.  Or anywhere for that matter.  

No way am I asking my husband or Daughter K to buy one in town for me.  They are both already mad for having to do some of my chores (tend the hens, get the mail, dishes, cook, and stuff like that).

I'm already getting retorts from my husband, because Daughter K has been zero help.  Literally.  

I got 3 Christmas cards addressed, but I had to ask them 3 times to put them in the mailbox, so I'm not sure I'll get anymore done.  I don't want to ask them again for help.

It's pouring outside this morning.  I'll just get on with this day, and if it stops attempt to use my husband's muck boots to tend the hens.  

I went where no one wants to go . . .

The comfrey poultices were working great on my ankle, so as I said we went to town and visited Mom.  However, I could barely get my fuzzy, comfy boots on (thought they had the most room).  

We also went to the grocery store, picked up chicken food, visited Daughter E, and went out to lunch with Daughter E and K.  I was exhausted and couldn't wait to get my foot up and iced.

I think I aggravated my ankle.  I woke up yesterday and it was so swollen.  I iced it and decided it was best to call my doctor to be sure what was going on.

I couldn't get into the doctor until Thursday, so I went to the urgent care where they have the ability to take x-rays (they are literally downstairs from where my doctor is).  I didn't want to go that route, but it was better than the ER.

I was so nervous, because I could hear people checking in asking for a covid test.  I made sure I stayed far away from anyone I could.  The nurse laughed when she took my blood pressure.  Yeah, it was high.  I told her I did not want to be there, and was avoiding cooties as much as possible.

(sorry for the bad photo, but it's hard to balance crutches and take a photo, ha ha ha ha!)

I'm now the proud owner of a boot and crutches.  Sigh.  My husband is not happy I cannot do my normal chores.  He however, got up at 4am and got me a bag of peas for my ankle (couldn't find the ice pack), helped me put my boot back on and made me a cheese omelet before he went to work.  

I normally, pack his breakfast, lunch and coffee.  It feels so wrong not being able to do the normal stuff.  I am not one to sit around all day either, so I will most likely be a cranky ol' pain in the rump today.  At least my ankle should heal faster now that I am under different circumstances.  Maybe I will actually read a book today.  I know I won't be drinking a lot of coffee, because that means more trips to the kitchen and that means steps to deal with and yeah....ugh...

At least Daughter K has kept her shoes picked up in the hallway after all of this.

I am however very glad I put an all-in-one meal in the crock pot yesterday morning.  As soon as my husband got home, he picked me up to take me in to town for all of this.  He dropped me off, and then went to Daughter E's apartment to fix her flat tire, and pick her up from work.  It all worked out, but so glad we had a meal when we arrived home after 7pm.

There is nothing "homesteading" about this post, but more so stuff I just can't make up.  Oh, yeah, I can't tend the hens either, so there are two people in the house that have to.

All in all, maybe they will appreciate me more after realizing how much I do around here.  I know my husband does, but maybe my daughter that lives here will realize it.

I can say, on a day stuck in bed with my feet up, I do miss Tiger's kitty snuggles.  I am glad he is with his Mom though.  She really needs it right now.

Hopefully, I will have something interesting to post tomorrow.  It's kind of hard to post anything when you've spent the day off your feet I suppose.

One last ditty here....my wonderful husband got up and made me a cheese omelet for breakfast before he went to work.  He is the best!! He was up at 4am re-wrapping my ankle and icing it with a frozen bag of peas, which helped me sleep like a baby.  He finally found the ice pack this morning for me.  I love him to bits!!

Making a Poultice Using Dried Comfrey

 

I didn't get any comments on if a poultice can be made using dried comfrey.  I did some research myself.  I found that if you are making one for the healing of a broken bone you can make a "tea" with the comfrey and apply the compress 3 times a day.

I decided to make a poultice for my sprained ankle.  I poured enough boiling water over dried comfrey, and blended into a "mash" using my blender.  

I then used a thin layer of cheesecloth and created a poultice.  day one I used the two poultices and iced and wrapped.  Day two it was much better but still a bit swollen (way less pain).

I am still applying a poultice daily, and yesterday was unable to get my ankle in my much boots to go to the coop.  Doctor Daughter K sternly told me that if it's not better "in 3 days" I need to get x-rays done on it.  However, the swelling has gone down each day so far.  The count down is on....

I was able to get on a pair of soft dress boots to head to town.  We needed chicken food, and made a trip to visit Mom.  She looks good, but hasn't had a doctor visit lately.  I do believe she has one today, but I'm not for certain.  We are keeping up on that via group email, and I haven't gotten an email lately, and Mom gets very confused.

We also made a stop at Daughter E's apartment.  It was our first time seeing the inside.  It's very cute to be honest, but small.  No wonder she said she won't buy a Christmas tree.  There is no room in her very small living room.  Tiger made his appearance and loved on me.  It was so good to see him, and to have to give me some kitty love.  I bet he is so happy there, having the entire place to himself.

By the time we returned home, I was so happy to get the boots off.  My foot was so sore from all that walking.