It was 37F yesterday or 3C...warm for Winter but foggy. Jen and Andy have the cleanest driveway on the block...anytime there is a bit of snow Andy takes care of it.
See the dirty snow?
Jen has been on vacation all week and will return home today. She has been in Arizona.
Hello...hi...howareya?
This last week in January is dragging by, it seems like it has been a six week month.
Appointments this week have been changed...some delayed until next week...others scheduled a month or two out. Far Guy still has his usual Thursday Infusion appointment.
And so it goes...laundry, naps, cooking, crocheting, petting Sadie...repeat.
The weather is delightful...Sadie loved rolling around in the snow after her day at Doggie Daycare. She gave us a half hearted greeting when she came home today...she was hungry...all that playing with her Tuesday friends makes her hungry and tired!
Snow is melting fast what is left of it after a record breaking day...it was 41F or 5C here today which breaks the previous record of 39F.
Far Guy and I made pork chops with wild rice for supper ...one of those easy meals put in the oven in a roasting pan. The menfolk really enjoyed the meal. (Uncle Ben's wild and white rice, add a can of Cream of Chicken soup and a can and a half of water stir it up...submerge the pork chops and bake at 350 for 90 minutes...easy peasy) I have an oblong blue and white speckled roasting pan!
I am watching Night Agent on Netflix...the second season came out recently.
From the shop: Flippin' happy home decor and more
Far Side
I started some Gluten Free Sourdough Starter. I am looking up recipes to try with the discard part of the starter. It is all an experiment. Maddie had a flop with her regular sourdough starter...she may have used it too soon. Who really knows for sure?
Far Guy and I are making chicken in its own gravy on a bed of rice that is if the automatic rice cooker works... I can alway cook the rice the old fashioned way. (The old fashioned way worked...the rice cooker did not)
I did the grocery shopping on Monday and found a larger container for the starter...the pickle jar I was using was not conducive to a good stir.
It has warmed up considerably the high yesterday was 36F or 3C that is 50 to 60 degrees warmer than last week!
I finished the pink coodie.
Maddie stopped by so I sent it with her for a trial run. I can make it smaller. From the photos I know what I need to do to make it fit better.
I asked her to try it on Peach.
We also visited with our Grandson Noah on Sunday!
Supper was pizza...our usual Sunday supper.
Far Side
Sadie got a package.
A Bark Box!
She was so excited that she jumped up on the bench where Jen had her treats all lined up.
There were four different toys...and she loves them all.
Well I have another finish. The brown coodie is done!
Jen tried it on so I could see how it fit! The original pattern was not quite what I wanted so I improvised. I think it will keep someone warm! Now that I know what I am doing I will re write the pattern for my own use. In the original pattern the nose part was too short and left a gap at the neck...so I added to the pattern to make it work like I wanted it to! Jen would like one in black...but I will do a very dark charcoal grey and maybe that one will work for her.
Remember this yarn?
Here is one project finished.
Well... flowers and warmer weather for sure!
I started a new puzzle, worked on my crochet projects...one is out for a trial by a little girl and the other needs a bit of an adjustment...so I will work on that.
Far Guy gets to visit the NEW hospital today for his infusion. He has heard from the nurses that the infusion rooms are all individual with private bathrooms and big screen tv's...parking is already a nightmare over there. Good thing I just drop him off and pick him up.
Still cold...our high yesterday was 10F or -12C our low was -13F or -25C with a real feel of -30 most of the day yesterday. We might bust out of the deep freeze on Friday..maybe.
How cold is it? Squirrels are throwing themselves at the electric fence to warm up:)
Far Side
We came out of the deep freeze to grey dirty snow. You wouldn't even want to make a snowman.
Jen had a couple of projects happening. These are wall decorations.
Far Guy helped Jen by dipping the individual pieces of wood in food coloring. I love the way it turned out...so vibrant!
This is one I helped paint, in this photo you can see how the wood pieces stick out at different levels.
Jen took both pieces plus a few other creations over to the shop in Grand Forks.
Fun Stuff!
Still very cold here.
Far Side
It was bitterly cold outside. We have extreme windchills forecast through Tuesday afternoon. We are staying indoors until Tuesday afternoon when we have to venture out for Far Guy's medical appointments...he has three on Tuesday afternoon, all in town thankfully.
I picked a project and completed it!! Yeah me!
It was very windy all day yesterday (Friday) not sure what the windchill was but winds were gusting around 50 mph...the snow is all a grey color now...some of the finest soil in North Dakota was airborne. We are in the deep freeze now for a few days.
Even Sadie wanted to stay in... the wind scared her. Jen went out with her so Sadie could do her business.
Not much new here.
I ran an errand for Far Guy...he needed some stuff... the store he sent me to had yarn for sale...more yarn may have been purchased for yet another project. I am not doing very good on my word for the year ...focus.
Colorful artwork at the shop in Grand Forks.
We have one more day (Friday) of decent weather then our neighbors to the North are opening the deep freeze again:) We have nothing planned for the weekend other than staying inside where it is warm!
Far Side
We had a great day, it was 39 F or 4 C eh...got gas in the car ($2.59 a gallon...$2.47 with my coupon)and got it washed. Ran some errands and made some scalloped potatoes for supper, Andy put a ham in the smoker...it was a really good meal. No one joined me in eating vegetables...Far Guy ate two peas...go figure I am the only one who like peas in this house. I will have peas for lunch:)
Last week I bought this box to hold scrubbies and the small pouches I crochet.
"The Greats" were here over the weekend. Growing like weeds and full of laughter and smiles intermixed with a few squeals by Peach...she knows how to get attention!
All three loving a blanket ride.
Sadie checking to make sure everyone is okay...secretly I think she wanted a turn too:)
We have been in the deep freeze. Today should be better...45 degrees warmer than yesterday. I am going to fill the car with gas and get a car wash!
Four medical appointments crossed off the list yesterday...one more later this week.
Far Side
Sara over at Punkin's Patch had a drawing and I was the winner!! Yeah me!
Fun stuff...a project bag, a note pad and her Lamb Camp ...the bottle lambs booklet! The lamb camp booklet is a treasure in itself!
Head on over to Sara's blog...she is better known as the crazysheeplady. Over there you will find great photos about her flock of sheep...she does the hard stuff...raises bottle lambs that are rejected by their mothers...and takes in/rescues sheep that need a home and special care from Sara. She washes, cards, spins and knits the wool from her sheep. I have been reading Sara's blog for many years...following the ups and downs of her life on Equinox Farm (falling in love with all her critters). Her blog is a treasure! I am a winner just reading her blog however I do appreciate the gifts!! Thanks Sara!
Far Side
On Sunday afternoon I headed over to flippin' happy home and more decor. It is a small shop on Washington over in Grand Forks North Dakota. It is where Jen consigns her artwork and some of my crochet items...she was working and the shop owner was there and gave me permission to take some photos.
This is the piece that I helped Jen paint a few days ago. It is just beautiful!
I will be showing photos of the shop from time to time...it is an interesting place.
It snowed here and then turned cold.
The sundogs were out. Here is a photo of one sundog. They almost always signal really cold weather.
This puzzle was hard. Never again will I buy a puzzle with so many dark pieces...it was a struggle...but it is finally done.
This week I watched three good movies. A Dog's Purpose, Carryon, and Jerry and Marge Go Large ( a true story). All great movies and well worth the watch.
Presently my crochet project has a few glitches to work out, so it is still in process.
Far Side
In 1991, Osage had its Centennial. Some how I got roped into helping with the Centennial Quilt. Anyone in the community could make a quilt square, it was quilted and still hangs inside a glass case at the new Osage Community Center.
I am at the end of the quilt in the red shirt...my shirt says Pine Springs Resort as that is the resort that we owned at that time...a summer fishing resort with eight cottages and a campground.
All of the ladies are gone now...on the left is Grace...she made the best cookies ( she and her husband lived two farms away from us), next to her and quite hidden is Auntie Esther/Far Guy's Aunt...we loved her very much. I am not sure who the man is in the photo...maybe Mel? Standing talking to me is Dorothy...I went to Release Time classes at her home when I was in Grade School...in later years I helped her teach Release Time ( Release Time was always on Wednesday and was like Sunday School...called Release Time because the kids got released from school to attend...we would form a line and walk over to Dorothys house) Dorothy dedicated an area in her basement for Release Time. Then the lady in red...is Harriet...a sweet lady...her husband Ray was a favorite ...when my baby brother and I would be with our Dad at the repair shop...he would buy us soda out of the Coke machine! Then there in her red shoes is Olivia...in these years she always made me a cake for my birthday...she made the most delicious chocolate cake with boiled icing...sometimes when she would make the cake and it wasn't my birthday she would call me to come over to have coffee with her and Walter! Olivia worked for my Mom for many years cleaning cottages at my parents resort...she was the best kitchen cleaner ever. Olivia also grew huge Dinner Plate Dahlias.
I wish I could recall the conversation that day...I do not...but it was still a good day.
Grace, Auntie Esther and Olivia all stitching away. Dorothy is in the background.
Good memories of some great women.
Far Side
The Christmas Spirit is leaving the neighborhood, those that hired their decorations done have been de decorated. Funny thing one side of the street was mostly decorated and the other side was not. Interesting.
Jen decorated very nicely near the front door...very cheerful!
Three medical appointments this week, leading up to five next week. Usually we are organized and the right hand knows what the left hand is doing...we are both scheduled for appointments at the same time one day next week...good thing they are in the same town.
I saw my Rheumatologist yesterday, he has run out of options for me...so he is referring me to the pain clinic. Not sure what they will do. My sudden rise in skin cancers is most likely the side effect of the RA meds that did not work for me. My RA Factor has doubled and my Ferritin level is very high...not sure what will be done about that either.
Sometimes no plan is a plan.
Far Side
I have a pair of red crocs that I wear as house shoes. Guess who loves to steal them?
Guilty...but sadly guilty.
Now if she could only speak and tell us where the other shoe is??? Perhaps she thinks if she keeps it hidden I won't be able to leave.
Far Side
Jen was playing with strips of fabric one day...she allowed her Dad and I to help.
There was a wedding this weekend, it was supposed to be an outdoor ceremony.
Peach all dressed up
Five days into the New Year and I finally decided on a one word intention for the year. Focus.
I need to focus on many different things and my list is in my head...perhaps I will share it in detail someday.
For now I am focusing on going through my photo files...I have so much to do...but I have to start before it gets so out of control that it will be impossible. Going through the photo files will help me with another project on my list...update the Grands photo albums. A Grandma with a camera has its advantages. I gave Paige a flash drive of her wedding photos...so I can cross that off my list.
You can see we still have a bit of snow. It has turned bitterly cold. The high yesterday was -1F or -18C eh. And it was windy...someone described it as teeth breaking, snot freezing cold. I cannot argue with that.
We had a quiet day yesterday...I made vegetable beef soup. Some was frozen for quick meals during the Winter. As I write this on Saturday evening Jen and Far Guy are watching Sioux Hockey, Andy is of town for a Robotics tournament and Sadie makes the rounds from person to person for attention. I am going to focus on my crochet project unless I get distracted by the puzzle.
Far Side
This month we read Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann.
I gave the book a 8.5 out of a 10. It is a non fiction book based on facts. The subject matter should have been in a High School United States History Class...but I do not recall that it was.
Most of the gals in book club appreciated the book...not enjoyed...because the subject matter was a tad gruesome at times.
The yarn in the photo is very dark...a new project I am working on...actually I am working on two different crochet patterns for the same thing and we will see how it all turns out.
Far Side
We like to put puzzles together during the Winter. We have finished two so far this Winter.
The Pringles puzzle all the pieces were in the can.
Our daughter Jen set up a tree filled with Shiny Brites as a Christmas surprise. ( Her Christmas surprises always make me cry.) Jen is very thoughtful and always does everything to make us feel right at home during the Winter.
The tree sits out in the game playing area, where Far Guy woodcarves and I put together puzzles. We enjoyed the tree every day.
It was so much fun to see all the special ornaments on a tree again...it has been awhile since they were on a tree and appreciated!
We undecorated the tree and put away the ornaments a few days ago...thanks Jen for one more Shiny Brite Christmas. Hopefully is is the beginning of a Shiny Brite New Year:)
Far Side
