Anxiety on a Sunday?!

How-do.  I'm feeling some anxiety today which is VERY annoying.  Anxiety on an overcast Sunday just SHOULDN'T be on the books!  Nor should it be an issue on my days off.  But, as you all know, I guess there's no big surprise as to WHY I'm feeling it.  The difficulties of my life right now and all that rot.  BUT, I plan to overcome it today, by hook or by crook, as I'm determined to NOT let it spoil a precious day off!

Mama & Papa Pea and I celebrated Mom's April 30th birthday last night - the first free evening we all had in common.  And, though I know we were all exhausted, it was a really fun night with free flowing wine and laughter.  I made a REALLY simple dinner of hoagies and chips . . . but I don't think Mom would have cared if it had been PB&J sandwiches as long as SHE didn't have to prepare it!  ;)

After dinner, we had a great three (?) games of ping-pong (or gnip-gnop [pronounced guh-NIP, guh-NOP], as Mom and her friends used to call it when she was a teen).  I LUV ping-pong, and Dad set their table up in the garage a few weeks ago.  Can't remember why he finally hauled it out, but I'm SO glad he did!  We've been having tons of fun with it, even tho time allows for few games.  Here's a (maybe boring for you?) video I took last night when I was score-keeper and Mom and Dad played.  I didn't try following the ball - we would have all gotten motion sickness!!!

After gnip-gnop, we had presents and pie:

I didn't ask what Dad got Mom for her birthday because I'm GUESSING that all she wanted was "the living room finished"!!

Above, the annually-requested Banana Cream Pie.  I have yet to make The Perfect One.  Either I put the bananas on the top and they turn brown or the custard doesn't set up or . . . .  This year, it was the crust.  It didn't taste very good - I think my lard was old.  Blech.  BUT, the rest of it was yummy!!!

In other news, I *did* make progress on last Thursday's To Do list, but I spent too much time on the sorting / rummage sale prep because it felt so good to make house progress!  As a result, I didn't get as much computer / business work done as I should have.  So, guess what the majority of the rest of today will be spent doing?

Above, Maisy says, "Mom, I can't BELIEVE you're going to admit to the world what the house looks like with this 'before' picture!"

Now, Tucker says, "Ahhh, MUCH better!"  The pile to the left of the stove is a combination of 'what was there decorating the house' and the For Rummage Sale pile.  To the right is also 'what was there decorating the house' but also the start of the Packing To Move pile.

I really want to work on the disaster of the garage . . . so I can start putting boxes for The Move out there once they're packed.  But, there are other priorities that must come first.  It's hard not knowing when I'll have to be out of here - in regard to planning & packing.  I am in a holding / wait pattern as far as that is concerned.  The 1 month of the "30-Day Notice" is up, and now begins the six dreadful weeks of having my name & situation published in the local paper.  I thought it would begin with Friday's paper, but my folks said I wasn't yet in it when I saw them last night.  I should contact the credit union to find out where things are in the process.  That will ease my mind - the knowing.

In Where I Will Move To news, the nice place located 2 hours / 65 miles south of me is NOT a possibility for a Contract for Deed, after all.  I was waiting to drive out there because I didn't want to fall in love with it any more than I already had from the realty pictures, and I'm glad I waited:  now that I know it's not an option.  For now, the two properties that are the greatest possibilities are the one in the great location but with no well nor septic (did I tell you about this one*?) and another, a trailer house on 13 acres.  The location is kinda poopy, and there's nothing special about the property, but it would be a really good one for the critters with two small, rough outbuildings that have already been well-used for horses, chickens, and goats.  And, the interior of the trailer has been recently remodeled and all the appliances replaced with energy-efficient ones.  And there's a good well and a septic system (although it's probably out-of-date now).  I've snooped around this one quite a bit and am now going to make a date with the owner (a friend) to see the inside of the trailer.

*I've really fallen in love with a tiny, newly-built house on 5 acres.  It has a REALLY good "feel" to it.  Very me.  And, while only about 5 miles out of town, it's up a long driveway and PRIVATE.  The land is good, too.  But, the building, while aesthetically pleasing, was not well-built.  Shortcuts taken are very evident.  And, while it has electricity, it has no other infrastructure amenities.  Other than a nice biffy, though the tank seems to already be cracked (after only a year).  It's owned and was developed by a realtor who WOULD accept a Contract for Deed although we haven't discussed specifics.  I know that I should really go for something with EASE (water, electricity, space) right now, and the trailer is that one.  If I do end up going that route, I'll rent it, first . . . to see how I like it and if it grows on me . . . AND to bide my time to see if another option comes along.  Both the trailer with 13 acres ("lesser" neighborhood / topography) and the cabin with 5 (great location) are about the same price.

We've had warm, rainy weather lately, and it HAS prompted the "thar's green in them thar hills"!  I'll try to get some pictures.  Of course, it's greener nearer town (farther south) than here at Swamp River Ridge.

Finally, a few nice things . . . today is the 12th birthday of a dear, sweet girl I've known since she was born.  Let's see, do I have a good picture of her on this computer?  Let me look . . . 

Here's the natural beauty, a year ago this past March, at her mama's 40th birthday party.

While looking, I also found this from May 3rd of last year:

 

THIS spring, there ain't been no snow nor ice on any lakes around here for ages!

I've had to come back to finishing this post - trying to upload an image while simultaneously downloading an audio book from the library makes for s-l-o-w uploads!

I recently finished the first (for me) book by a great author, Sara Donati.  Book One of her Wilderness series is now under my belt, and it was a LONG one - over 30 hours and 912 pages!!  There's NO way I could have read this one "the old-fashioned way"!  It never grows old for me to say, "thank GAWD for audio books"!!!

Another "nice thing":  I recently sent two checks, concurrent to having enough money in my checking account, to the local electrical system guru.  I owed him the entire bill from the aggravating (for him) day he spent here removing the damaged inverter and hooking up the replacement (used) inverter.  He only charged me the amount he'd told me to expect before he worked all day on it, and I was hugely appreciative of that kindness . . . especially since the ~2 hour project took the entire day AND he had a generator guru with him the entire time (whom I'm sure he paid to be here).  So, I sent an additional $50 check that thanked him for all those extenuating circumstances.  (Of note is the fact that he and I have always had a bit of a difficult relationship - both of us having strong, stubborn heads.)  Anyway, I got an e-mail from him the other day.  It read, "I did receive your checks in the mail, but I will rip up the $50.00 check.  Thanks for the recognition for the extra help that was given, but at this point I imagine you may need it more than I. Consider it cause for celebration and have a little fun."  Now, that kindness goes a long way, eh?

Also of note, I finally opened the 'Open Last' letter than was included with Carolyn Renee's incredibly thoughtful, generous gift.  It made me LAUGH OUT LOUD which is an AMAZING thing to do on a dreary day!  I expected it to be filled with heartfelt condolences and empathy, and I think that's why (even tho those sentiments would be appreciated) I'd put off opening it for so long.  Oh, how wonderfully wrong I'd been . . . she knew JUST what I needed!  

"Chicken Mama, or whatever your "real" name is.  Although, I personally kinda like the idea of somebody calling for me across the frozen food section and screaming, "Chicken Mama!"  But, that's just me.  Because, you know, my real name isn't Carolyn Renee; it's actually Imogene Pyewacket.  Imagine trying to write THAT out on your grade school paperwork every day." 

And on it went . . . from her heart and imagination and sense of humor to ME.  I am one lucky girl!!

And, with that, and having taken the entire afternoon to write this post in fits and starts, I shall away . . . .

P.S.  My anxiety is 80% gone now.  :)  Except, I'm feeling lazy now and just want to watch TV and crochet.  Hmph.

Oops - Forgot a Title!

I'm back into my regular work schedule again, and yesterday was my first day to sleep in - my Saturday.  Of course, the dogs took it upon themselves to give me a rousing bark alarm at about the same time I had to get up those five previous days.  Grrr.  This morning, though, the bark alarm didn't come until 10:30 AM!  Ahhh, bliss!

Last night was the first in WEEKS that it was cool enough (in the 60s) that I could actually sleep with a blanket, and I slept like a log as a result.  These last few weeks have been so hot and coupled with the fact that the net canopy over the bed kind of traps the heat in . . . that I haven't been able to sleep with anything more than a sheet pulled up . . . and, more often that not, that's even been intolerable.  So, a cool and long night of sleep last night was MUCH enjoyed!

I had bizarro dreams, though:  a bunch of friends from high school and I were participating in some sort of competition, and the winners (my group) got to have a vacation on the Island of Calabasas!  Ha - there is no Island of Calabasas - it's a town in California!  It was a pretty rustic place that time had forgotten and technology not yet touched, and the locals spoke nothing but Spanish, so my (very) rudimentary Spanglish got a workout.  Ahhhh, our dreams . . . what do they mean?


* * *


As a conscious change to my usual "Sigh, I didn't get a THING done today!", I asked myself, "Okay, what DID you get done today?" when I climbed into bed last night.  And, maybe that's why I slept so solidly:  I came up with 7 things that, once they were listed, sounded like a sucessful day!  In no particular order, they were:

1. Ate healthfully and well all day (which hasn't happened much this busy summer).
2. Did an hour or two of pro bono work for the local dairy.
3. Changed out the four tires on the Yaris.
4. Got some yard work done, pulling up some of the Evening Primrose*.
5. Completed 82 minutes of billable hours for work.
6. Got some much-needed vacuuming done.
7. Got a much-needed, information-intensive letter written and sent.

So, there ya have it.  I should try to do that every night once I climb into bed.  It's certainly more beneficial than the usual "ugh, I didn't get a damn thing done today" sentiments!


*  So, why the battle against Evening Primrose?  Especially since it's such a beneficial plant (you can use just about every single part of it from seeds to roots to leaves) AND pretty?  Well, once life quiets down (hardee har har), I may just try utilizing it . . . particularly since one of its benefits is to quiet down the effects of menopause.  BUT, until then, I pull the plants that are in the walking / mowing area of the yard.  Why?  Because, I've learned the hard way that the stalks are kind of like a jagged nail sticking up out of the ground once you've mowed over the plants.  Jagged and incredible hard in the sense that, if you wear Crocs for all outside activities in the warm months (like I do!), they pierce the soles and jam right up into the tender underbelly of your foot!  Too many ouches = pulling the plants.  And, they're easy to pull, too, with great results from little effort.  Instant gratification!  ;)

A final note about this plant:  although I've found no information to back up this theory, I don't wonder if the leaves were dried and used as tobacco at one time in history?  Because, when I burn them (which I usually do because they self-sow like crazy), the smoke smells WONDERFUL!  Hmmm, organic Swamp River Ridge Tobacco . . . ?!  (And, yes, I did just Google "how to dry tobacco"!)  I'll take a picture of this pretty plant today to post.


Ha!  Get out!  I just pulled up a picture of a tobacco plant, and the flower looks much like the . . . get ready for it . . . Evening Primrose!  I'm totally gonna try drying it!


Well, that certainly got me off on a tangent, didn't it?!  Getting back to posting, here are a few pictures:

Orange Sulfur (Colias Eurytheme) Butterfly

When I got to my folks' on Sunday to drop the dogs off for the day, I found this beautiful butterfly smooshed against the car's grill.  Isn't it gorgeous?!  The body is well mashed, but how amazing that the delicate wings were in perfect shape!

For whatever reason, I haven't been in the mood to crochet lately, so this is my current handwork project:  my first braided rag rug.  This was a fitted sheet that finally gave up the ghost - only the second time in my life that I've outlived a sheet!  I have about 35 feet braided so far.  Mom, did you happen to count the feet of braid that went into that rug you made this year?  I have no idea how large a rug this will make.  Of course, the braiding is the fun part.  Sewing it all together?  Ummm, I'm thinking not so fun.  Although, maybe the instant gratification of seeing the rug take shape and size will balance out the tedium of sewing?

How green is your valley?  I took this picture out the bedroom window, facing south, this morning.  If you enlarge the picture, you can see the river - quite narrow this time of year - in the far distance.

This is a perfect example of the creativity of Mama Pea.  I asked if I could pull some onions from her garden on Sunday.  Because I ended up working late, she did it for me and had these waiting . . . all cleaned and wrapped in dampened paper toweling and tied with a bow for me.  WHAT a way to make something entirely ordinary into something extraordinary and filled with love!

But, grasshopper has learned well from her master.  I took these ordinary brownies made with white chocolate chips to a BBQ last week . . . and something very common and boring was instantly turned into (looking like, anyway!) something special!  :)

And, with that, I'll sign off for today.  Gotta get on with it . . . and it's already past 1:00!  Aaagh!

Friday Morning

Good morning!  It's a beautiful, sunny day at Swamp River Ridge.  There's a light coating of hoarfrost on the trees, and I'm listening to the Blue Jays screech outside as I sit here in the library writing.  Annnnd, here's Maisy, yawning, squinting her eyes against the sun, and pawing my leg asking, "Mo-ooom!  I.  Want.  Breakfast!"  Let's see how long I can put her off . . . .

I fell asleep on the couch while watching a movie night-before-last (fully clothed), so, when the phone woke me at 8:00 yesterday morning, I kinda felt like I'd never gone to bed.  

That call started a go-go-go morning of telephone conversations, e-mails, facts, and figures.  For a while there, I was feeling like it was the most stressful day I'd had in a while (and THAT'S sayin' something!), but then, magically, everything kind of fell into place!  Tom and I made some real progress on this whole "thing", and now we just need to convince the lawyer that we've already made a binding agreement between the two of us and all she needs to do is make it legal.  That's my NEXT project this morning.  But, if things can be finalized as they stand now, we will have remained friends and both be feeling good (relatively speaking, of course) about the outcome.  Think positive thoughts for us, will you?

(It's still amazing to me, though, that just a mere 2 months ago, I thought Tom and I would be growing old together . . . as had always been the plan!  Weird.  Life sure does throw some curve balls from time to time, doesn't it?)

As I wrote about in an earlier post, I got to hang out with Baby Girl last Saturday.  I hadn't seen her since her 1st birthday party on December 16th, and she'd begun walking since then!  It was an opportunity for me to give her the raspberry cloche hat I'd made her for Christmas, too . . . .

She liked it.  :)

The day before, I'd been with The Peanut, and, when I did chores on my way out that morning, I'd grabbed a fresh goose egg to bring to her.  I figured she'd have fun playing with the huge, hard-shelled egg (not easily broken like a chicken egg).  

She did.  :)

That evening was the night when The Peanut's nana and papa were coming over to share dinner with Mommy & Daddy & Boppee (yours truly), and so we figured we should make something to contribute to the meal.  We chose Peach Cobbler, or, as The Peanut says via her 2 year and 3 month old vocabulary, "Peach Clobber".

The Peanut said that we needed to wear aprons . . . so we did.   

And, with those images of sweet innocence & perfection, I'll leave you for the day.

Make it a good one!

  

A Day Like Any Other

Today's the perfect example of one of those days gone by that there's not much to talk about.  Not much interesting, anyway.

I did chores, I shoveled, I did deskwork, I did laundry.  Blah, blah, blah.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.

But, in a concerted effort to make the mundane at least interesting, here goes nothin':

The geese have been getting a little lippy lately.  Matter of fact, the one Shetland male had such a good hold of the back of my hand a week or so ago that it took me grabbing him by the neck and throwing him across the water pan to make him let loose.  My wise sage of a mother suggested that they were probably getting their dander up (ganders with danders?!) due to it approaching nesting season.

Welllllllll, wouldn't you know & sure enough:  last Saturday brought the arrival of the first 2010 goose egg!

The gal who laid it made like she wanted to go broody and set on it, so I left her to it.  (But not before taking some pictures.)

 

It looks like everyone has a vested interest, doesn't it, the way they're crowded around?

The next time I went out into the poultry yard, though, both she and the egg were gone from their cave.  Dammit - a raven had gotten a GOOD Saturday meal.

This morning, though, there was another . . . and no one hanging around acting broody!  When I have a surplus, I'm able to get $1 a piece for these babies because they're so huge & rich (and, let's face it, kinda cool).  But, this one was all mine.  BIG, ain't it?  

Into the Oatmeal Raisin cookie dough it went, replacing the 2 eggs the recipe called for.  That's a big YOLK, too, huh??

Finally, we'll finish our tour of the poultry yard with this shot of a goose (coulda been the goose who laid the golden egg) who'd just taken a refreshing snow bath.  I like that she still has flakes shimmering on her feathers.

I took some pictures of Turkey Durk "non-fluffed" when I went out to put him inside the chicken house tonight.  I'll have those to show you tomorrow.  It's 2 below right now, so he'll be happy that I insisted he spend the night indoors.

And, a final weather note:  the sun makes S-U-C-H a difference right now!  Case in point:  it was just 14 degrees when I was out shoveling today, but the sun was so warming that I had my jacket off by the time I was halfway done!

We Need A New Name

I'm in the process of getting my New Year's Resolutions, Part II post written, but in the mean time . . . .

The chickens are FINALLY laying again! They went through the worst molt I've EVER seen this fall, and I haven't delivered eggs since October 28th! (Insane!) So, now that we have fresh eggs again, I took six of them to make ourselves dinner last night.

My mom always made this when I was growing up, and it's called Pancake Fluff. As a child, we ate it with maple syrup, but Tom and I have been taking to eating it as is . . . or maybe even with some salt & pepper. It's very light but also rich. Almost all protein. I think that, in the future, I'll spread some mozzarella & chopped ham (or some such thing) on the top & then put the broiler on for the last two minutes or so. At any rate, we're moving away from 'pancake', and so we need to think of a new name! Anyone?

Mixed up and ready to go into the oven.


It rises like a soufflé!


Side view. Maybe I should have put it on the bottom shelf!


I added roasted pecans in the last minute or two.
I didn't want to add anything while the batter was still soft
because I wanted the pecans (or cheese & ham) to decorate the top and not sink in.

Voila!
A side of homemade cinnamon & brown sugar applesauce (from my folks' trees!),
cooked spinach (already on our plates), and it's a meal! (AND there are leftovers for today!)

Recipes & Housekeeping Tips

Does anyone have a terrific, tried 'n' true pickled herring recipe they'd be willing to share? Tom's going fishing again this weekend, and I'd like to try to pickle some of this terrific northern (pike) he's been pulling in!


As for my housekeeping tip: I've found that a good, easy way to (try to!) keep up on house tidiness is to, every time you leave a room, grab one item from that space that does not belong there but instead belongs in the room towards which you are heading! For example, I was just in the dining room where a packing envelope was sitting on the table, waiting to be re-used. And, where does it belong? Why, in the 'packing envelopes box' I have here in my office, of course!

Maybe you already do this as a habit, but it's a new one to me! ;)

Of Dairy

Just wanted to say 'hi' - not much more time than that will allow.


Cottage cheese demand is really up right now, it being summertime and all. I made 4 batches yesterday and 4 more this morning.

Here's a cute calf at the farm where I get the fresh milk.


Tom's been away from home since June 20th! And in New Mexico for a trial-by-fire two-week-long job interview since June 29th! But, he returns home today . . . and then we're off to a big wedding tonight.

So, no rest for the weary. I'll be back soon, but I hope to take much of tomorrow to catch up with my husband! (And I'll fill you in on his interview then, too!)

Have a great weekend!

Down-Home Goodness

Tom just returned home with some NICE Northern for dinner!

The wild rice is cooking, the slivered almonds are browning, and the peas are simmering as I write!

Goose Egg Follow-Up

[I posted this in Comments, but I know not everyone reads those. So, if you're wondering . . . .]

So, I hard-boiled 4 of the goose eggs the other afternoon. I was worried that they'd require a different "timing" for the hard-boiling given their size & the absolute THICKNESS of the shells, but I went with the standard "bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes before plunging into ice-cold water".

Worked like a charm!

So, we both tasted them plain (before I made egg salad out of them), and neither of us could taste ANY difference.

The only thing we noticed is that the whites cook up . . . lighter-colored. Like, they're more transparent. You know how chicken egg whites go SOLID white when they're hard-boiled? These were definitely more, yeah, transparent.

Duck, Duck . . . GOOSE!

Turns out that the duck eggs I've been regularly harvesting from the floor of the chicken house are . . . GOOSE EGGS! I saw one being laid tonight! So, I guess we've been comparing chicken eggs and goose eggs . . . NOT duck eggs!

(Is comparing chicken to goose eggs anything like comparing apples to oranges?)

Snow on the Pumpkin

Well, it was no big surprise that we didn't get the "big weather" that was predicted, but it does finally look like late fall outside. We woke to the first-of-the-year dusting of snow this morning and 26° temps. Tom dug those holes for me yesterday (for the mums and hostas, etc.) . . . just in time!

My oldest girlfriend (since we were five years old!!) and her hubby brought their perfect little peanut up yesterday for the first visit to her old stomping grounds and their 20 acres. I didn't get any pictures taken of the visit (wonder what happened there?!), but this is the Apple Upside Down Cake I made for dessert. It looks wonderful, but . . . it was raw in the middle when I brought it to the table to cut! Blech! How embawwassing! Fortunately, the outer half was fine, so I just served pieces cut sideways from the outside-in. Maybe it should have been called Apple Outside-In Cake? Anyway, I want to try it again (right away) to have an accurate feel on how long it SHOULD be baked (obviously, much longer than the 35 minutes the recipe said)!

On their way out to visit us, our friends stopped by my folks' first, and you can see a couple of pictures over at Mama Pea's blog. He's a sweet, sweet little boy, though, and looks EXACTLY like his father. His mother claims that the only physical attribute that he has of hers are detached earlobes!

In other news . . . the bamboo floor that Tom (with the help of another guy) installed looks GREAT! It's at the home of our massage therapist, and so I got a chance to see it Saturday night after a massage. We're so impressed with this sustainable product that we're thinking of getting some ourselves (none of the rooms have finished floors upstairs here in the house).

And, finally, Tom's brother and one of Tom's college buddies are coming up next weekend to help make some progress on the garage! We know we suffered a lot of heat-loss due to the lack of proper insulation out there last winter, and Tom's determined to avoid that same problem this year. And, while the actual insulating is a relatively simple process, it can't be done until the electrical wiring is complete. So, as I understand it, that's the plan for the visit: electrical wiring and then insulating.

Okay, I've got to run. Tom's going into town this afternoon to work on the film festival with his business partner, and I've got to get some mail together to send with him as well as some eggs to deliver . . . .