A little light

 I found a tiny bunch of LED lights on the pantry shelf.  I think I was going to put them on the wreath outside the front door...I put them up by the blue glass in the window instead.

It makes for a bright spot in these dreary November days. 

Far Side

Dreary

It was a dreary day yesterday.   I took a long nap. Stress exhausts me and I start to yawn and cannot stay awake.  The news these days will do that to you...how discouraging is all this business about the Corona Virus? 

I ordered some yarn online thinking that would perk me up...it was a great sale...so maybe I will perk up after to arrives...

The wreath outside the door.  Yes the Christmas lights are still in place...I might turn them on again.

I called my parents they say they are fine.  I called to see if I could add anything for them to my online grocery order...and Mom had made a trip to the grocery store and pharmacy.

Miss Paige called to check on the elderly and a neighbor called to see if we needed anything.

The only people I have seen is my other baby brother and his bride.  They stopped by on Tuesday afternoon and we visited outside more than six feet apart.  Far Guy was asleep when they came over.

Today Far Guy goes into the Infusion Center for the infusion that protects his lungs.  I will have the online grocery order delivered to the vehicle and go through the drive through at the bank and then wait in the Clinic parking lot for Far Guys call....once at home groceries will be disinfected as much as possible.

Life goes on.
Far Side

Rainy Day

Another rainy day yesterday..errands and a medical appointment were accomplished.  Groceries put away and some laundry done...

I colored on cards for a short time until I got so sleepy I couldn't stand it. Nap Time!

Far Guy had a nap too...it was a tough breathing day for him with the high humidity.

Far Side

Rain

I got home just before the rain started.  Now the yard is like a skating rink.

June the snowbank is losing some of her tallness.  Snow on top of the icy yard will make for some tricky footing. I have Yak Trax and I use them.

The snowstick registers 21 inches March 13.

Just before dark I went outside to take some photos of the snow on the roof…hopefully the rest of it will slide off in the rain.  We will breathe a sigh of relief when the snow is gone from all our buildings….there have been some scary roof collapses in the area. 

Rain is appropriate for our dismal mood.

My Tall Friend who I mentioned yesterday died early Wednesday morning. His daughters and ex wife are all very sad.  You have to give kudos to the ex wife, she gave him emotional and physical support the past few months. They may not have been married but they were still friends.

We also learned of another death. Boner died…he was a fixture around town, always happy to see who ever he met.  Recently the town council passed some kind of stupid law concerning the Golf Cart that he drove around town. He used to park it on Main Street and at the grocery store….get real people.  His Mom Gladys used to own the small gift shop next to the theater, Boner took it over after she died….he ran it sucessfully for a number of years.  Recently I noticed a street sign near his house it read “Elvis Presley Blvd”  …now that made me smile.

Far Guy’s only living Uncle is struggling with heart problems….he is home and maybe his wish that he shared with me will be fulfilled.  He said “I would like to die at the farm, they can carry me out feet first.”

Life is a journey full of a little rain, a little snow, illness, death,  sad feelings…but eventually spring will come…the sun will shine and flowers will grow.

Isaiah 41:10  Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Far Side

Recipe Report

It was an adventure in cooking this week.  Far Guy and I work pretty good in the kitchen together…he tends to read EVERY instruction and I tend to go with the flow …he measures and I do not. I irritate him more than he irritates me.

I hit the jackpot with my Kraft Food and Family Magazine for recipes this week. I subscribe to their magazine but many of their recipes can be found online.  As a disclaimer I receive no compensation from them.

First we made a root vegetable latke…with shredded potatoes, sweet potato and parsnip.  Far Guy gave it an 8 and I gave it a 7.  It was served with carrots and pan fried pork chops.

Here is the comparison photo.  If I had left it under the broiler longer it would have been browner…or if I had smeared butter on the top!

The next night we worked together on BBQ Adobo Chicken.  Yummy… it even awakenedold people’s taste buds we didn’t know we had!  We both gave it a 10! 

It was a keeper recipe.  I modified it a bit. 

Combine 4 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp garlic salt and 1/2 tsp cumin.  Cover your chicken with this mixture.  Heat oven to 400 place chicken on olive oil sprayed foil lined baking sheet.  Bake about 45 minutes ( for thighs) longer or shorter depending on your chicken pieces. Mix 3/4 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce  and 1/4 cup ketsup.  Baste chicken and bake about 8 more minutes, flip, baste some more and then bake another 8 minutes. We like our chicken done but not dry…pull off the bone juicy is good.

This chicken was served with leftover root vegetable latke.

Finally I was the sous chef for Far Guy’s Adventure.  He made a Cheesy Sausage Frittata with Red Peppers.

I think he would just as soon have me be a silent sous chef in his kitchen.

We gave it an 8 out of 10.  I will modify the recipe a bit…cut the eggs to four and we won’t have leftovers.  Chance liked it too.  This dish can be prepared the night before you need it for breakfast.  Or made in the afternoon and refrigerated until you bake if for supper cause it is a dark dreary cold day and you need a nap.

This frittata was served with fruit.

I have made recipe cards as requested, Far Guy said “Well are you going to keep that magazine forever or will the recipes we like be lost?”

Can you tell with the first bite and taste if you like something?   I can.  Far Guy has to have about four bites to make a decision...sometimes the food tastes better to him after a couple of bites.

Change

I hate the time change.  I am a tad more cranky than normal…not sure why, we are on no schedule other than Chance wanting someone to be up and preparing supper and his dish of food at 5:30 to be consumed at 6PM.  He is kind of bossy that way, he now thinks it’s great that we are on the ball and eating supper early!! Soon enough his tummy will be on the new schedule.

I am trying some new recipes this week.  Three of them…a BBQ chicken recipe, cause I was hungry for BBQ.  A root vegetable latke recipe that I will prepare with a couple of pork chops and then a cheesy sausage frittata with red peppers ( cause green ones give me indigestion). 

I subscribe to many “foodie” type magazines and rarely find a main dish recipe that we may like… either they take too many ingredients some of which we have never heard of or it has some ingredient we don’t like…like ricotta cheese. Some recipes have to be adapted a bit.

It is cold here and damp, we still have snow on the ground…it was about 15 F or –5C eh here yesterday morning.  That little nip in the air produced a grocery list as long as my arm.   The roads are icy…especially here in the woods (It rained and then snowed and then rained and then snowed.)  Far Guy is back to walking round and round in the house. We are hoping for a thaw…or for weather at least above freezing to wash the windows one last time.

 

Flowers from last summer.  This huge basket of flowers hung on the pole along the street in front of the house where Far Guy was born and raised.

Lilacs and other stuff

The lilacs are in full bloom.

It has been cool and most days rainy.  Not much rain in the rain guage, mostly just enough to make you wet and shivery cold.

Yesterday was party cloudy and we saw the sunshine for the first time in a week.  I took the opportunity to get out my sprayer and kill some Poison Ivy.  Yes…death to the ivy, it is small and an easy target.

One rainy day I painted a bunch of bark houses that I had carved over the winter.

The one out front is one of my favorites.

Fun little carvings!

We are working on the design for this years Christmas Ornament…it is still in R and D.

Sadly one of our woodcarving friends died last week.  Norm was 88 years old, he was  a good carver and a kind gentleman.  Three days after he died his wife of 65 years died also. What a blow to their children.

Far Guy and I are the youngsters of the carving group…most are in their 70’s and 80’s…so I suppose we will lose many more woodcarving friends.  The group is always telling funny stories and laughing…and that is a good way to remember your friends.

Staying busy

We got some snow…finally.  I was too busy cleaning kitchen drawers and cupboards to get a photo…between that and watching the last of last seasons Blacklist and a nap the daylight was shot.

It turned cold and the wind is wicked.  I went to a meeting with Far Guy just to make sure he didn’t run off with some other gal who likes to cook keep him company.

I think I have the taxes ready to go to the accountant…one more go around and I will be done with them.  Yeah for me.

Bought some of those Superball 500 Million Dollar Tickets…so now I have Island Homes and other nonsense on my mind.  Lets see a home in Hawaii, maybe another in the Bahamas and a summer island home up on Lake Kabetogama or Namakan …maybe with a houseboat on the dock.  AND a new Dodge Charger…red.

I finished Jen’s bracelet and a couple of other “special” bracelets and got them in the mail.  I should have taken photos of the finished projects…but I didn’t.

Far Guys Medicare Card is supposed to be in the mail…they said it could take up to four weeks…they must have a mail room that sucks.  After six months Social Security finally changed our address…talk about slow movers.  We talk to them just about everyday….I am certain that we have a phone log record a mile long.

 

Wagon full of Rose Wave Petunias at my parents home last summer.

Grinch Like

Cross one holiday off the list and lets get the other over with soon.  I am not much for holidays…I can become depressed very easily.  Turn the calendar from one month to the next already.

Why?  I don’t like shopping…good thing Far Guy says he will help or I would just write checks.  Much of the shopping I do will be online.  I must ready myself for those early morning phone calls from the Post Office about the delivery of said parcels.  I don’t like the commercialism that accompanies Christmas.  I like homemade…simple..put some candy and some peanuts in a bag with an apple and I am good.  I abhor the Christmas music in the stores that began weeks ago …I may start wearing ear plugs.

Although I am not cold and heartless or wish anyone misfortune I am a little grinchy. 

So much so that my daughter Jen  bought me a new winter hat.

Chance is a marvelous hat model, as you can see he was thrilled.

I will wear it proudly shopping.  I might even wear it whilst decorating the trees.  I will wear it baking cookies.  I  could wear it from now until Christmas Day…whilst I finish up  some of my homemade gifts.

The Christmas Spirit is hard to find some days.  I will be searching for the Christmas Spirit all month long.

Gift count: two.  Gifts wrapped: none.  Cookies made : none. Cards written: none.  Home made ornaments: Complete!  Home made gifts: in progress.  24 days and counting.

Brown and Gray Days

Old Age: Just like an old building our foundation is a little unsteady.  A few of our rocks are loose, some are even missing.  Some boards have come loose and have been patched. Our roofs have seen better days.  We lean a little to the left or right or forward when we walk.

 

Now that the Oaks have shed their leaves this building is visible.  I think it is in the winter of it’s life.  

I wonder what it was in earlier times?  Who or what sought shelter there?  It is just a little building not far from a road. I have passed this way many times, I finally stopped to give the building a moment of my time.

Brown and gray days are all part of a Minnesota November.  There was a little snow in the air again yesterday not enough to make the ground white.

I am done at the Dentist again…hopefully for good this time.  I broke a cusp on a tooth eating toast.  Old age will get ya!   Far Guy is doing okay, his TN always kicks up into high gear when the weather changes and the wind blows.  He reports that his tooth and fistula extraction sites are healing, and he doesn’t have pain all the time. Jen is recovering from her kidney stone removal slowly…it all takes time.

The sun tried to shine a bit yesterday afternoon, the sun and the clouds are in battle…and the clouds are winning the war for now:(

  

Dreary Days

The days are dreary but warmer than last week.

Pine Lake

I had the meeting with the mucky mucks.   It went well, I learned quite a bit.  I now have more of a plan than I had before about goals for the museum..what is possible and what might be attainable IF I can get ALL the Board members to work together as a well oiled team.

I am not so certain I am the right person to take this ball and run with it.. I think I will catch the ball ..and hobble along until I am tired and then look for a replacement.  I am not sure that I want to be at the museum long enough to see a ten year plan through to completion.  I have family things to do..things that take longer than a three or even four day weekend.  I have a wildflower book to write..I have family histories to do…I have places to explore and  photos to take.  The museum will be there when I am dead and gone..I can retire this year..I will be old enough. Will I?  Probably not..

There is much to think about on these grey dreary days. I am working on one of the museums biggest fundraisers right now..perhaps when I get that off in the mail I will feel better. Maybe.  I know a little sunshine would sure help:)

A Do Over

Last night we got a “do over” from 2AM to 3AM..it was a sleepy do over. Oh how I hate the end of Day Light Saving Time.  My biological clock gets all messed up and I get cranky crankier.

My sleep pattern not that I have much of one will be off kilter.  Chance’s tummy will be hungry at 5 PM instead of 6PM..what does a dog know of daylight saving time anyway?  At 5PM he starts looking around to see who is cooking.  He must think he will starve to death if supper is later…now that will change to 4PM… soon it will be dark at 4PM anyway and you may as well be cooking.

I made two kettles of soup.  I thought we were getting deer hunting company ( Andy, Jen and the boys)..so I made soup.. her favorite food.  Instead I had my other baby brother,  his wife, my parents and Aunt Anna over for lunch.  We had a wonderful lunch..and there is still soup left over to freeze for when I want some comfort food this Fall..rutabaga, carrots, cabbage, tomato, potato and beef comfort food.  I made bread too..I get a gold star for cooking!  Far Guy doesn’t even like soup..but he ate some anyway.

Fall is fading fast..we are all shades of brown and grey and the sun hardly ever shines.

I do not want to “do over” the entire summer..just the flower picture taking and a little sunshine:)

January 15 2012

I bet you have noticed that if I cannot come up with a title that I just use the date.  I am so imaginative some days.

It is mid January and we finally got a little snow..not much, but enough to cover up the brown.

We  went to town..this is what it looked like traveling behind a snowplow.

We followed him at a distance almost all the way to town.  You can see that the snow does not cover the grass in the ditches yet.   Even with this new snow of maybe an inch there isn’t enough snow for snowmobiling.

We can usually hear the snowmobiles at night out on the trail that goes by.. but not this year.  The lake hasn’t been singing at night either..on real cold nights you can hear the lake moaning and groaning..it is quiet outside at night..only Bailey barking when she hears us open the door to take Chance out.

We had 8 hours and 54 minutes of daylight yesterday.  On a day like yesterday when it is dark and dreary all day long..it seems shorter.

I finally made a list.  I have been doing lots of “stuff” just not the “stuff” I should be doing.  Hence the list.  I put it up on the bulletin board..the first thing on the list is to put Christmas completely away..the second thing is to make note of new addresses on the Christmas Cards.  I pass that on to Far Guy.  I sort out all the Christmas Photos and I gather all the Christmas Letters after I have read them again and staple them all together like one huge book and file it away in a folder marked Christmas letters 2011.  Not sure why..perhaps they will be interesting to someone someday… and I still have room for them in one file cabinet.   I can hear our daughters say “Why in the world did Mother keep all this stuff?”  So perhaps I am keeping the Christmas Letters just to irritate them someday.

I decided the list was necessary..I was having way too much fun lollygagging around doing what ever I felt like since Christmas.  So I am going to stick to my list for the rest of January and then take all of February off and lollygag some more:)

Minne kukat kadonneet

Long time passing

Minne kukat kadonneet

Long time ago

Minne kukat kadonneet

Gone..the flowers are all gone..:(

Dreary Days

We have not seen the sun in days..it has been warm..in the 30 degree range..one day almost 40 degrees. Really nice weather for March..but I need me some sun. Sun and blue skies..

I finally got the freaking taxes done and to the accountant. An audible sigh of relief should have been heard across Minnesota. Now it is just a wait to have them completed. I am no good at depreciation schedules..or I could do the darn things myself. I could try..but since I might make some huge mistake and get a large packet in the mail.. and then they will want to know how many times I went to the bathroom in the past year..and whether it was hard or soft..dark or light..smelly or non smelly. I just take them to the accountant, he gets paid well enough to make no errors.


Things I do to occupy myself on dreary rainy days, I clean out drawers and organize "stuff." I have a afternoon nap. I even cooked one day. Neighbors have come for coffee..they were restless. Chance and I went to visit Hooch and Odda, those two are always happy to see me! Chance and I drive aimlessly on the muddy, rutty country roads..looking for some sign of spring. Well if mud is a sign.. then it is here. Then just for fun there is the inevitable Doctors appointment, where everyone knows your first name because you are a regular.


I had my last eye appointment..and a pair of reading glasses was ordered. In ten days I will get them. My eyes are all healed up..better than new. My vision is 20/20 and 20/25. The Doctor says my eyes are still fighting...my right eye was dominant and then since it had the worst cataracts..the left took over cause he is helpful, after the first surgery the right was top dog because he could finally see something, then the left was repaired and all hell broke lose..the left is way better than the right..so after fifty some years of being right eye dominant..I am smack dab in the middle of an eye war. Sometimes they fight so bad, I just have to take charge and close them. It is quite an adjustment not wearing glasses for the first time in fifty years. In a perfect world, I would have the ability to focus and see close up like before..but have the distance vision that I have now. But it is not a perfect world..so I will settle for a pair of prescription readers.


We spring ahead on Saturday night..the last time we sprung ahead..my computer crashed. I wish we could just be on one time. Real Time.. what a novel idea.

All non dreary photos taken last summer:)