A Change Of Plans.

I paid the bills so that counts for something.

We have about 4 inches on the ground and still snowing a bit. My watercolor class was cancelled. She said she would reschedule soon. 

I had a piece of chicken that was so tough it was like old leather. 

So, I boiled it for a very long time to break it down, and then I made

 a soup a really tasty soup and now chicken is now in tiny little bits but still tough. That must have been one old rooster, I think. I made homemade rolls, so it made up for the tough chicken. 

I made oatmeal bread, just out of the oven. I should have never put cold egg whites on the top at the end it, it should have been at the beginning of the 2nd rise, and they should have been room temp. Waiting to have a slice. 

Our funny little grand dog loves looking out our windows, she can watch the red squirrels under the feeder. 

And this is our Sweet B. She got a maxi skirt about 5 sizes too large for her at a thrift store and she cut it down and made this sweet dress!!!! I am so impressed by her talents. I know she is ours, but she really is amazing!!!

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I hope to meet up with my good friend tomorrow for an adventure.

I will be shoveling a bit later. I made a beef stew today with meat that needed to be cooked. So, we have a bit of a choice for dinner tonight. 

Have a wonderful week!! 

Just Kidding Myself

I have not walked much all winter for one reason or another. 

I told myself that I was exercising (off and on) and running up and down the stairs I was good!

Well, that was not true at all. I took my first walk the other day and by the time I walked the last hill I was dragging, and I mean dragging! Today I was up and out early to yoga and then I walked. I will sleep very well tonight (I hope).

I dropped two bags at the thrift store and well I had to take a walk around. I found the cosmetic bag for travel and the plastic tablecloth I will use at Easter, both for 1.00.

And this runner,

 it is hard to see all the amazing hand work in this for 2.00.

We had an ice dam back up between these two skylights.

It has been good for years, but this year it is unusually hard with the amount of snow and ice we have had. I am very thankful for young men who climb 40ft ladders with a roof rake it to break the dam. We will get billed for it; I sent them off with a bag of cookies I baked the day before. Funny how happy they were to get the cookies. 

Husband's youngest brother turned 60. His wife invited just the brothers and sister for dinner and cake. Oldest to youngest left to right. (husband 2nd from the left) It really was so nice we laughed and played cards a nice afternoon. 

We came home to a cold kitchen and family room.  Called this morning to have a tec come out and it ended up being a faulty thermostat. 

I finally got a leaf hooked that I like. I have put in and pulled out so many

.

I have lunch with my daughter tomorrow. Wed I have rug hooking, Th I have the watercolor class, plus we are watching the grand dog while they go away. And it is going to warm up all week. I see lots of walking with the grand dog this week. 

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I want to thank you for all the lovely comments. I am very thankful for my lovely life. I am thankful for all of you. 

Have a wonderful week!!

Just Not That Interesting

I can usually find something to blog about, but I got nothing!

Bay leaf plant I purchased last summer seems to be surviving. And yes, I pluck some when I need them. 

My mother has been gone 16 years and still her African violet keeps blooming.

A scraggly kalanchoe is going to bloom. (not sure if the spelling is correct)

My Christmas cacti is still going. 

I dyed more wool

A spot dye.

And I made chocolate crinkle cookies for the first time. They are a keeper. 

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Everyone is sick of talking about snow, the cold, the crazy wind, the price of eggs/groceries and asking how close we are to spring. 

I have cooked every dinner I know how and a few I didn't. 

I had yeast die on me this week 2x chatted with king Arthur Flour they felt it was the brand-new yeast I had that was the problem, I bought new yeast. 

I am in a mid-February slump. 

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On another note, I had the loveliest comments on my last blog post. You lovely people are the reason I keep blogging. Please tell me what you are doing to keep going this mid-February. 

Have a wonderful rest of your week. 

Making The Best of It All

Husband has had a big box of assorted puzzles, and he is working his way through them one at a time. 

I am cooking it seems a lot.

I made scalloped potatoes with meatloaf for dinner tonight.

Since we did not go out for Valentine's 

I made WWII chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting.

I made chicken pie on Thursday, truly the best one I have ever made.

I dyed more wool; The colors do not photograph that well. 

It is so satisfying to hook with the wool I dyed. 

And it is a very good sign that Sweet B is crafting again after being so sick. Isn't this darling?!!!

It has been snowing a lot! So, I have been watching this during any down time and listening to my audio book when doing other things.

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The amount of sickness in this state is horrifying. Between covid, the flu, etc. etc. So, we are staying close to home for a while. Not that we could go much of anywhere anyway. We are at the end of a major snowstorm I think we have 10 inches out there (on top of the 2 feet we already have on the ground) and now it is sleeting.

After the storm stops the wind will blow hard and the temps will drop. So really who would want to go out there anyway???

We are tucked in plenty of food, plenty of heat, and lots lots of hobbies and things to keep us busy. 

See you in the spring lol. 

Sloth Like

For some reason I have not been able to get out of my own way!!!

I sit on my phone wayyyyy too much scrolling. Yesterday I did something about it. I signed up for a watercolor class at the end of the month.

I signed up for 2, three-day rug hooking classes one in April with Michelle Palmer, so excited about this class she is an amazing teacher!!! And in November with Joann Page. She is new to me, but I love her work that I see online. 

And I soaked some wool ....

Read a book....

And dyed some wool!

And more wool...

And some more wool!! I am very pleased with the results. I could never do the same colors again, but I love what I have done, and I am using some of it already. I have more wool soaking for another round of dying tomorrow. 

I also checked out the local senior center. I saw their newsletter online and they had a couple of classes I was interested in that were on going. rug braiding, painting and maybe a card game or two.

I was talking to the receptionist, and I never saw so many rude women in my life. I was beginning to wonder if I was invisible. Reaching past, me, interrupting like I wasn't there etc etc. And the "classes" not really. It was chaos! I was beyond frustrated and knew this was not for me. But before I left, I visited their little thrift store(room). I bought a box of 8 glasses made in France and an all-wool scarf for 4.00 and called it a good. 

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Today I got myself together and headed for rug hooking class with Pam. Such a wonderful group and it was Pam's birthday, so I brought cake. The woman sitting beside me and I were talking about what we were dishing out $$ for rug hooking this year for classes and retreats. She made me laugh so hard when she said I told my kids all I plan on leaving them is the change left on the table lol. 

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My Sweet B has been so sick with the flu and now her mom and her other grandmother have it too. Weekend plans I had with my daughter will be cancelled but spring is coming!

Snow is coming in tonight and into tomorrow. The worst part is the icing that is coming on top of it. Then Saturday there is another storm coming Saturday night into most of Sunday with even more snow and more icing. Then there are high wind warnings too. We are tucked in with the generator at the ready and plenty of food. 

Have a great weekend!

Roof Raking

We got another 8 inches overnight. I think we have 2 feet on the ground at this point.

 I pulled out the roof rake for the first time in a few years.

I didn't do this roof I did the front porch roof. It doesn't have a good pitch to it, so it is good to get the weight off it. Now I was not sure if I could trudge through the snow in front and have my arms over my head pulling a lot of weight off that roof, but I did great I was pretty proud of myself. After this snow I will have to do it again this week as we are getting more snow on Thursday. 

Looks like a little bit of a standoff between a finch and a bluebird.

I did pick up some seeds this week, makes me hopeful.

Lots of people around this weekend on all the lakes and ponds ice fishing. The derby has big prizes like thousands and thousands. This is the first year in a few that they have had such great ice. Bob Houses everywhere! It was so nice to see families out fishing and cooking out so great for the kids. I saw some kids skating too. 

And because the ice is so good the air strip on the ice in Alton has opened. Again, for the first time in a few years. It is the only plowed ice runway in the continental US. It is very busy.

Husband started this crazy puzzle 

And he finished it!!! I am not a puzzle person, but he loves them.

I have felt like a frog in my throat other than that I feel perfectly fine.

It is the craziest thing ever. So today after snow clean up, I watched one of my favorite movies ever. An Affair To Remember, really is there anything better than Cary Grant and Debra Kerr??If I am flipping through channels and I see that I always stop and watch. 

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I made ribs and roasted potatoes that came out pretty good.

I also made some hermits a very New England bar cookie. Spicy, molasses so good. I had some raisins that needed to be used up I soaked them in hot water to bring them back and put them in Yummm!

Rug hooking Wed I hope as long as the weather holds.

Have a wonderful week!

Valentine's Gift

We have had snow 3 days in a row about 3 inches each time and tomorrow we are in for 3 to 6 and more coming on Sunday. 

I talked to Sweet B last night she got to ski in fresh powder, very exciting. 

Besides shoveling I have made a few cookies.

I made these Jelly centered sugar cookies. Husband loves them.

I would love to make the molasses cookies next. 

I put up a few of my vintage Valentines. They are clipped on a string of battery-operated lights. 

I am working on a valentine's gift for Sweet B. 

She is stitching a lot, so I am making her a needle book to store her needles and things.

There is a pocket on the left. I will put a threader in there. 

And then put a few needles in the book too. 

Husband has been under the weather again! Thankfully he is better. He finished this puzzle; it was a hard one. 

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Super bowl this weekend I have a rack of ribs to bake.

I went grocery shopping with my very detailed list and ohhh boy 

it was expensive! I am hoping except for fresh fruit and milk I shouldn't need much more this month. I am making Chicken piccata tonight for dinner. We eat at home most of the time. 

Thank you for the visit 

Have a wonderful week !!