Sunday....

 It’s a rainy day. It’s the perfect day for soup - French Onion Soup! That’s what’s for dinner. It’s leftover meatloaf with sautéed spinach and mashed cauliflower for lunch. If you want the soup recipe, leave me a comment and I’ll get it to you. 

We have church today. Mr is playing the guitar and I’m reading. I’ll bring the afghan and work on it while Mr rehearses. I have 5 more sections and then the border. It’s coming along... I just wish it would work up a little faster - but the hook is small and the yarn is worsted, so... everything in time. But, it’s lovely. That’s for sure. I know the bride and groom receiving it will love it. 

 I’m hoping for a quiet afternoon in front of the fire, but we shall see... 

Friday Funny

 

Thursday Thirteen

 Thirteen things I’m pondering today...

1. Do I do chores or read a book I started? If I read, nothing else gets done, so the book will have to wait until bed time. 

2. How does laundry accumulate so fast? We are only two people in the house now. You’d think there’d be less laundry. I guess I’m not doing it every day like I was when the children were home, but some days it feels like it! 

3. I’m still working on the afghan. I’m on the second jumbo skein of yarn, so I might be almost 1/2 way! 

4. I love my new set of crochet hooks! If you crochet, you need a set. See the post below this one for the link! 

5. I enjoy having my tea in the mornings. I missed it a lot while I was on the weight loss portion of the plan. My new ladybug mug is the perfect shape and size! 

 6. I’m so thankful that Yellow Rose got her power back and is safe and warm in her home in TX. I am sure #1 was very worried - even though he knows she is quite capable. Yes, we will be gifting them a gas grill for their anniversary this year! No more power outages without a cooking source for them. 

7. Mr gets his second Covid vaccine on Monday. 

8. Because his vaccine center is where it is, we get to go to Costco and out to lunch! Woo! Yes, it’s the little things that make my day.

9. Mr will be going to Costco with me, so that means I don’t have to lift 40lbs of kitty litter into and out of the grocery cart! Like I said, it’s the little things. 

10. It looks like our choice of new priest is moving through the steps. We got the ok from the Diocese to proceed. We have a meeting tonight. Keep your fingers and toes crossed and those prayers ascending. 

11. Lunch today is Bang Bang Shrimp with zucchini noodles and sautéed mushrooms. The sauce is so simple: low fat thousand island dressing and sriracha sauce! Who knew?!  

12. I am learning a bell duet with our DOM. We aren’t professional, but we do try hard! 

13. Mr will be playing his guitar in church on Sunday. I will be there as well, because I’m reading. It’s nice to be able to worship together in the sanctuary. I just wish the rest of the church family could be there with us. Soon... they say... I’ll believe it when I see it. 

New Crochet Hooks!

 I got a new set of crochet hooks with the handle made by Jerry - a VMI dad friend of mine. Jerry started making wood turned pens - now that he has a little more time, he can have even more fun in the wood shop making hook handles! I highly recommend his products! I got a pen for Mr and when I emailed Jerry to tell him how much I liked it, he told me he could make me a lovely handle to go with a set of crochet hooks. Needless to say, I was hooked! Hahahahaha! 

The set is absolutely amazing! The hooks can store inside the handle when not in use. This is perfect for me! You know how I like things tidy.

The clip is perfect for when I need to put my work down. No more unraveled projects. No cat pulling my work out in the middle of the night. Does it work? You bet! 

Mom - 1 Mini - 0

This hook handle is gorgeous and it fits perfectly in my hand even with the clip on the end. It’s not bothersome at all. 

This is a portable crochet hook necklace! This thing is the bomb! The hook fits inside. The chain disconnects from the hook, so I can use it until I need to move, connect the magnet, and keep going. No more losing my hook under the airplane seat because I had to pee and dropped the hook. Woo!

If you’d like a set like this, I am sure Jerry would love to make one for you. His Etsy shop is:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/953194316/custom-hand-turned-crochet-hooks-and?ref=hp_rv-2

I highly recommend!! You will not be disappointed! 

Monday musings

 Today it is snowing... again. It is supposed to change over to rain later... I’ll believe it when I see it. 

I’m still working on that afghan. 

My new crochet hook set arrives today. I cannot wait to share it with all of you! 

I wonder when we will be able to burn our burn pile... it’s kind of ugly sitting out there in the middle of the front yard... 

Chores need to get done.. see you tomorrow! 

Cooking!

 Cooking has never been a strong suit of mine. My sister, my mother, and my grandmother are and were fantastic cooks. Sure, I have a list of things I can cook for a crowd and feeding 25 or 50 is something I can do with my eyes closed. I’m an organizational wizard - I can plan and execute a party with military precision and have it all cleaned up before I head to bed that night. I can bake - cookies are my thing. Baking is more like chemistry. Cooking is an art form. A little of this and a sprinkle of that is hard for me to wrap my head around. This cooking for 2 - now that’s an enormous challenge! 

Today I made an exceptional meal! Chicken thighs in creamy garlic mushroom sauce over riced cauliflower. Super healthy, low carb, and very tasty! I found the recipe online - which is where I find most of my recipes lately. If you’re interested, it’s here: 

https://www.eatwell101.com/creamy-chicken-thighs-recipe#recipecardo

Tomorrow is another day... what will I make? Hmmm... 🤷‍♀️ I’m thinking I might just go out to lunch instead! 🤣

Spring is coming....

 Well, on my table it is... 

Yellow Rose is hoping to have her power back and her streets drivable today. She has planned hot meals for every meal for the next week - with hot beverages in between. She is a trooper, that’s for sure! 

We are currently iced in. It’s supposed to warm up a bit this afternoon, so we will go out and try to uncover the driveway. Once the sun comes out, the ice and snow should loosen up a bit.  This is when I wish we had a truck with a plow... 

Today’s lunch will be cauliflower crust pizza. It’s quick, easy, and yummy - the perfect combination! 

I’m still working on the afghan. It is progressing slowly. Ok, slower than I’d like, but it is coming along. If you need me today, I’ll either be outside with a shovel, or in my chair in front of the fire with my crochet hook working away! 

Winter continues...

Today it’s cold, sleety, icy, and generally gray and nasty. But, we are warm, have power, heat from the wood stove, and plenty to eat. My sweet Yellow Rose is currently without power and is very cold down in TX. If I had a way to bring her here, I would. She is strong, resilient, and is managing, but with #1 away, it just doesn’t seem quite fair to give her this to deal with, too. I am a little worried that pipes are freezing and she doesn’t know it yet... soon enough, she will find out if the family above her has an ice dam or if their pipes are burst. I am hoping her power is back today. That alone will improve her life 110%. 

Since it’s a cold gray day, I think meatloaf is the perfect meal to serve for lunch today. I am looking forward to turning on the oven and getting that going! If I hadn’t worked so hard to lose the weight, I’d be contemplating baking some cookies this afternoon. Alas, there will be no cookies made today. 

Mini is currently asleep on the bed. She is perfecting her ostrich pose - her head is tucked in. She doesn’t like snow much and the snow cone like stuff falling from the sky excites her even less. She won’t be venturing far from her cozy spots today, I’m sure. Heck, none of us will! 

My afghan awaits... I’d best get to it. I need to finish that one so I can start on another. 

How I see it....

 My cousin had this on his FB page. He said I could borrow it. 

Well said!

I still love my democrat friends and family but, you see it your way and I see it mine. 

You saw Trump’s arrogance, I saw Trump’s confidence. 

You saw Trump’s nationalism, I saw Trump’s patriotism. 

You heard Trump’s unsophisticated words, I heard Trump’s honesty. 

You saw Trump’s racism, I saw Trump’s words being misconstrued and twisted by the media daily to fit their narrative. 

You saw Trump as a Republican, I saw Trump as a Patriot. 

You saw Trump as a dictator, I saw Trump as a leader. 

You saw Trump as an Authoritarian, I saw Trump as the only one willing to fight for our freedoms. 

You saw Trump as childish, I saw Trump as a fighter, unwilling to cave to lies. 

You saw Trump as an unpolished politician, I saw Trump as a breath of fresh air. 

You believe Trump hates immigrants, I know Trump married an immigrant. 

You saw Trump putting an end to immigration in America, I saw Trump welcoming immigrants to America LEGALLY. 

You saw Trump’s cages at the border, I saw Obama’s cages at the border. 

You saw Trump with a struggling economy, I saw Trump with an amazing economy until Democrats shut it down. 

You saw violence in the streets and called it “Trump’s America”, I saw violence in the streets of Democrat-run cities who refused Trump’s help and who called the violence “Liberal America.” 

You wanted someone more "Presidential", I’m happy we had someone who finally didn’t  just talk the talk but actually walked the walk. 

You and I? We see things very differently. 

GOD BLESS AMERICA! ❤️🇺🇸

Feel free to copy and share, I did.

Fog

 

It’s a foggy morning. It’s so pretty. 

Presidents Day

 On this day we remember and think about the presidents who gave so much for the American people - Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Eisenhower, Reagan, Trump. (And we try to forget, for a brief moment, the nightmare that is the nation under Biden right now.) 

A holiday for government, but not the rest of the hard working people in America. Mr is off to work today.  That’s fine - I need a few groceries before the next snow storm that’s due in this week. I have laundry, vacuuming, and dusting to do as well as some other housework. I am still wondering why I bother to clean since the dust comes back almost instantly with the wood stove going... I’m trying to keep up with the dust in hopes that the spring clean won’t be as bad once we turn off the stove for the summer. Dust, like laundry, is forever! 🙄

This week in my transition to eating normal food, I drop a fueling and add in one slice of bread or a whole grain cereal and another serving of protein. I see a veggie omelet and a piece of whole wheat toast on my dinner plate tonight! Yumm! 

We continue to wait on the Diocese to give us word that our choice for our next priest is acceptable to them. Do they not understand that we need a full time minister? Do they not understand that we need one as soon as yesterday? Ugh! I’m sick of being told what I can and cannot do when I know what is best for me and mine. 

I think a cup of tea and a little crochet are in order before I start my day. I need to ease into Monday... 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 We live large here, at The Crossing, and Valentine’s Day is no exception! We will be celebrating with gifts and lunch at home. The menu is scallops, sautéed mushrooms, and zucchini noodles. Later this week, if the weather cooperates, we will go out for a nice lunch to celebrate for real. 

Like anything we do, our gifts are practical. We are practical people. I got Mr this thing: 

It’s a microwave egg cooker. He tried it this morning and he loves it! He can make eggs or oatmeal in it - his breakfast staples. Life is very good. 

Me? I got a new purse and I love it! I can’t wait to go somewhere and use it! Maybe if the weather is good this week, I’ll get to use it when we go to lunch. 

Privilege

This is the best definition of privilege I’ve seen. Mr found it in a comment somewhere and scooped it up. I don’t know who wrote it, but if I find out who did, I’ll give him credit. 

Privilege is wearing $300 sneakers when you’ve never had a job. Privilege is wearing $200 Apple Airpods while living on public assistance. Privilege is having a Smartphone with a Data plan which you receive no bill for. Privilege is living in public subsidized housing where you don’t have a utility bill and where rising property taxes and rents and energy costs have absolutely no effect on the amount of food you can put on your table. Privilege is having free health insurance for you and your family that's paid for by working people who can't afford health insurance for their families.  Privilege is having multiple national organizations promoting and protecting your race that's subsidized by federal tax dollars. Privilege is having access to a national college fund that supports only your race. Privilege is having a television network that supports only your race. Privilege is the ability to go march against, and protest against anything that triggers you, without worrying about calling out of work and the consequences that accompany such. Privilege is having as many children as you want, regardless of your employment status, and be able to send them off to daycare or school you don’t pay for.  Still waiting for this "privilege" I'm supposed to have...

True Love

 

True love is finding a fresh roll on the back of the toilet. When Mr notices the roll getting low, he always puts a fresh roll on the back of the toilet. This, my friends, is love! 

This!

 

Waiting on the snow...

 It’s supposed to snow again. I guess that’s what February is all about - snow! 

As most of you know, I’m a planner. I like to have things in order - with contingency plans - just in case. Flying by the seat of my pants in a snowstorm is not my idea of a good time. It must be my upbringing - mom and dad were children of the depression and they made sure the pantry was well stocked, the wood racks were full, and mittens and boots were ready to go. 

This morning I ran to Wallyworld and the grocery store to pick up the few things we might want to eat if we end up snowed in until next week. I need choices! Tonight we are having meatloaf - the perfect meal for having leftovers! 

I filled the wood carts, the laundry is running, and the dishwasher has been emptied. Once I get the clothes put away, dust the furniture, and vacuum, I’ll be ready to hunker down in front of the fire and crochet the snowy days away. 

As long as we don’t have to go anywhere, I love snow! 

Monday Musings

I had lunch with a dear friend. It was really fun. 

Mini is currently on the couch enjoying the warmth from the wood stove. 

I’m going to spend the afternoon working on this loveliness. 

It’s so cozy in here that I am going to have a cup of tea in my new ladybug mug. 

Busy Weekend

We have had a busy weekend. It started with hauling and stacking logs on Saturday afternoon. Then we split the last 4 chunks we had cut and moved a couple of weeks ago. 

Today we watched the snow fall. It was beautiful! 

Mini enjoyed her time in front of the fire. 

I worked on a wedding gift. It always takes me a long time to choose just the right pattern. I should have practiced my bell tree, but I didn’t. Tomorrow will have to be soon enough for that. Mr worked on some work stuff, practiced his guitar, and shoveled off the driveway in the spots that didn’t look like they were melting in the sun. We watched a rerun of Columbo. Yep... it was a pretty lazy day! 

I made an amazing pot roast for dinner on Saturday - believe it or not, that’s the first one I’ve ever made! I served it over riced cauliflower with sautéed mushrooms and sautéed spinach on the side. Yes, I will be making that again - heck, I’d make another one next week! Normally, we eat our big meal at lunch, but the pot roast needed to cook all day, so dinner it was! We had leftovers for lunch today and it was even better - if that’s possible. I made Mr some egg roll in a bowl for dinner tonight. It’s fast, easy, and healthy. We will have the leftovers for lunch another day. I was never one to really like cooking, but I am enjoying finding and trying new recipes. Maybe one of these days, I’ll learn how to chop vegetables the right way... 🤣

This week I’m onto my third week on the transition to “normal food”.  I am adding dairy back into my diet. The easiest way to do that is to add a serving of yogurt. Next week I’ll add in one slice of whole wheat or rye bread and another serving of protein. Then I’ll be back to an almost normal diet. Pasta, rice, and sweets will only be for special occasions, but that’s fine. I shouldn’t eat it and Mr’s borderline diabetes certainly doesn’t allow for much of the “fun stuff”, either, so it’s ok. 

The snow has melted off the roads, but temps are low. I’ve got the fire going, so it’s nice and warm. Mini is curled up on the couch. Soon she will be telling me it’s time for bed. She is good like that! We don’t need clocks - Mini knows the schedule! She purrs me to sleep at night and pokes Mr awake in the morning! 

Thursday 13

 1. The country is headed in the wrong direction! Biden is a nightmare and Harris is scary! But, the left got what they thought they wanted... 

2. We have worked hard and found a priest. Now the bishops need to talk. Then the vestry decides yes or no. 

3. I finished compiling a packet for the vestry. Today I will photocopy and assemble.

4. I have a bell tree rehearsal today. Let’s see how it goes. 

5. I practiced a lot this week, but sometimes I just make mistakes. 

6. I need to finish a baby sweater this morning. 

7. Mr has an appointment for his second vaccine on March 1. I hope he has no reactions to it. 

8. I heard from #1. He is happy, well, and busy. 

9. LLB is working hard and having a good week. 

10. Laundry is forever. 

11. I am ready for spring so I can turn off the wood stove. I’m tired of dusting.

12. It’s almost time to put the Christmas village away. I love having it out. 

13. I hope and pray the nation can hold on... it’s going to be a really long 4 years. 

It’s a windy day!

 Ooo... it’s blustery! The wind is whipping! 

But it’s sunny! 

The snow and ice are melting off the roads and driveways. 

I will be wearing my heavy coat when I go to town to do the shopping today. 

Life is good.

Snow Day Fun with Mini!

 Mini loves to play with her feather toy! Here she is after she caught the feather. “My feather!”

She is currently resting in front of the fire after all that excitement. 

She’s so regal - even when she’s pretending to sleep...

Snow Day!

It snowed! 

Mini wanted out... and then she wanted in... she didn’t like cold snow on her feet! 

We had a nice quiet snow day today, and it looks like we will have one more day at home tomorrow.