Clean Up

 We made a lot of dirty dishes Christmas day, but the meal will provide for us for a few days.  Today is our wedding anniversary, but because it falls the day after such a big day, it often gets no attention (in any special way).

My husband filled my foot tub soak with hot water yesterday, but later realized he forgot to add the epsom salts.  My ankle is still a bit swollen.

The girls (who were here for Christmas) seemed to really like their homemade gifts. It was a rainy sort of day, and we just cooked and ate when we felt like it, while watching movies and relaxing. 

My kitchen looks like a tornado went thru it, so I'm not looking forward to spending the morning cleaning up.

Merry Christmas

 

It's her birthday!

 

Yes, that is our youngest in a stocking the hospital gave us.  She was born on the 23rd and we came home on the 24th of Dec.

Gosh, it's hard to believe we didn't have the farm house back then.  I did grow an herb garden and loved it.  In fact, I pulled all of it and moved the herb garden two times before we landed where we are.  Time flies for sure.

Update on my ankle.  I took a chance and left the boot off for a day.  In the evening I however, needed an ice pack.  Boot went back on, but I will do a half day today and see how it goes. 

My husband is going to split wood by himself this morning.  Daughter K is off work, so I hope she gets up in time to help him.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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.