This will be my last daily "Thankfulness" post, since it is the last day of November. Just in time for December, the weather turned cold, and it's been snowing on and off since I got up this morning. It is nice and warm inside, however, since I have fires crackling in BOTH wood stoves. It is lovely to have the temperature inside hovering around 70, when outside it plunged to 34. I am very thankful for the "free heat" that the wood stoves provide.
December is turning out to be an extremely busy month. I'm trying to prepare myself, but I'm still not ready to drag out the holiday ornaments and put up the tree. I will put up the girls' Playmobile advent calendar tonight though.
The girls are begging for me to read Christmas books with them, so I must run. I hope that you all took the time to think about those things that you were grateful for this month. It definitely kept me in a better frame of mind...most of the time!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thankfulness XV
After another treadmill workout this morning, the girls and I buckled down and worked hard. We got all our school work done before lunch, and I actually got to work this afternoon with a few minutes to spare!
After a busy day at the office, it was wonderful to come home to my family! We worked together to get dinner on the table, then watched a movie together in front of a crackling fire in the family room.
Tonight I am thankful for harmony at home. It doesn't happen all the time that all the pieces fall into place like this, but it is blissful when it does.
After a busy day at the office, it was wonderful to come home to my family! We worked together to get dinner on the table, then watched a movie together in front of a crackling fire in the family room.
Tonight I am thankful for harmony at home. It doesn't happen all the time that all the pieces fall into place like this, but it is blissful when it does.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Kali's Big Day
Both JP and Dad were out hunting this morning. JP had his walkie talkies turned on in the house, so I got to hear about the experiences of the group hunting with our neighbors. One of them got a 4 point buck, only legal because of 3 tines on one side, and one an 8 point. One of them cut his forehead because his scope was too close when he fired (I have the greatest of sympathy for him, having had a similar experience in the past.) One guy suggested that they give up and go golfing. Personally, I decided not to go out today. This first week is for antlered deer only, and I very rarely see bucks up here. I'll try to slip out next week when I can work on decreasing the female population.
Poor Kali is sound asleep on the couch. She had quite a day today! I confused her right off the bat by not letting her go on a walk this morning, but hurried her out to pee in the backyard, then rushed her right back in. I walked on the treadmill this morning, which was only recently moved from the garage into the house. (I need to photo document the garage project at some point...)
Kali, instead, played with these 3 cuties today.
She got a complete make-over!
After dinner this evening, L went out with Kali and I to empty the compost bucket. It was pitch black, but I had my head light on, the bucket in one hand, and L's hand in the other. Kali went tearing off, completely thrilled to be able to run around outside. On our way back the the house, we suddenly heard a CRASH as Kali ran head first into the metal fencing around my flower bed. She fell down and rolled down the hill in the mud. The poor thing came limping up to us, muddy and embarrassed.
After we sponged her off with warm water, and checked her for boo-boos, Kali seemed to be feeling pretty much back to normal. It wasn't long afterwards, however, that I finished her coat that I had been working on all day. I meant to get this done BEFORE hunting season started, but I am thankful that it is finally done, after sitting on my desk for about 3 months, for the SECOND day of rifle season. Of course, I made her model it, which seemed to cause even more embarrassment. In fact, she felt so awkward in it that she tried to walk as little as possible while wearing it, and then did so in a stiff legged gait.
That wasn't the end of the torture for poor Kali,she got her hair brushed and her teeth brushed as well! As you can see in the picture above, we know it is time to get her trimmed when we can no longer identify her eyes. It's time.
Poor Kali is sound asleep on the couch. She had quite a day today! I confused her right off the bat by not letting her go on a walk this morning, but hurried her out to pee in the backyard, then rushed her right back in. I walked on the treadmill this morning, which was only recently moved from the garage into the house. (I need to photo document the garage project at some point...)
Kali, instead, played with these 3 cuties today.
She got a complete make-over!
After dinner this evening, L went out with Kali and I to empty the compost bucket. It was pitch black, but I had my head light on, the bucket in one hand, and L's hand in the other. Kali went tearing off, completely thrilled to be able to run around outside. On our way back the the house, we suddenly heard a CRASH as Kali ran head first into the metal fencing around my flower bed. She fell down and rolled down the hill in the mud. The poor thing came limping up to us, muddy and embarrassed.
After we sponged her off with warm water, and checked her for boo-boos, Kali seemed to be feeling pretty much back to normal. It wasn't long afterwards, however, that I finished her coat that I had been working on all day. I meant to get this done BEFORE hunting season started, but I am thankful that it is finally done, after sitting on my desk for about 3 months, for the SECOND day of rifle season. Of course, I made her model it, which seemed to cause even more embarrassment. In fact, she felt so awkward in it that she tried to walk as little as possible while wearing it, and then did so in a stiff legged gait.
That wasn't the end of the torture for poor Kali,she got her hair brushed and her teeth brushed as well! As you can see in the picture above, we know it is time to get her trimmed when we can no longer identify her eyes. It's time.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thankfulness XII & XIII
It is one month exactly until L's birthday. A lot is going on in that 4 weeks...J's violin recital, hunting season, the Christmas Parade, at least 5 Doctor appointments, decorating for Christmas, sending Christmas cards, Christmas, and hopefully somewhere, a birthday party for L. Poor thing, her birthday is during the busiest time of the year, and often overlooked. The problem this year is trying to find time for a party when all of her friends will actually be around and before the driveway is impassable by those without 4WD.
Kali and I took our walks yesterday and today. Now we will be stuck inside for a few weeks except for the necessary stuff. SIGH.
This is what I was thankful for yesterday. Can you see it back there?
One last, lonely zinnia smiling out of my otherwise sleeping flower bed.
Today I am thankful for these ladies.
Even though we are only getting one or two eggs a day now, look at the results of a season's worth of chicken poo on the yard. You can tell that the grass is thicker and darker green in the places that I've been pulling the coop up and down for the past several months.
Kali and I took our walks yesterday and today. Now we will be stuck inside for a few weeks except for the necessary stuff. SIGH.
This is what I was thankful for yesterday. Can you see it back there?
One last, lonely zinnia smiling out of my otherwise sleeping flower bed.
Today I am thankful for these ladies.
Even though we are only getting one or two eggs a day now, look at the results of a season's worth of chicken poo on the yard. You can tell that the grass is thicker and darker green in the places that I've been pulling the coop up and down for the past several months.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thankfulness XI
Black Friday was a brilliantly sunny day. The hens got a chance to scratch in the garden. I found an egg out there when I rounded them up to herd them back to their coop, the first time that has ever happened!
Kali and I need to get our morning walks in. We only have 2 days left until we can't walk for a while due to hunting season.
The girls bundled their baby dolls up into the red wagon and took them out for some fresh air.
I shredded about 8 pounds of pork and seasoned it for tamales, we are planning to make them tomorrow.
Today I am thankful for blue skies and mild weather. I'm sure that these days are numbered before the cold of winter sets in and grey skies prevail. I am saving the sunshine up in my pocket. I'll let a little bit out every day in February so that I won't shrivel up and implode in the grey-ness.
Kali and I need to get our morning walks in. We only have 2 days left until we can't walk for a while due to hunting season.
The girls bundled their baby dolls up into the red wagon and took them out for some fresh air.
I shredded about 8 pounds of pork and seasoned it for tamales, we are planning to make them tomorrow.
Today I am thankful for blue skies and mild weather. I'm sure that these days are numbered before the cold of winter sets in and grey skies prevail. I am saving the sunshine up in my pocket. I'll let a little bit out every day in February so that I won't shrivel up and implode in the grey-ness.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Count Your Blessings
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm feeling full, warm and loved this evening. We watched "White Christmas" this afternoon. Now I have the song running through my mind: "...If you're worried, and you can't sleep, try counting your blessings instead of sheep. Then you'll fall asleep counting your blessings!"
Today I am thankful for many things. I'm thankful for the delicious meal we enjoyed this afternoon. I enjoyed cooking it, running out to my garden bed several times for fresh thyme. I'm thankful that the girls played nicely together all day. I'm thankful that we sat together this morning to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for awhile.
Most of all, I am thankful for my friends and family. Several friends and several family members took the time today to send messages to me, wishing us a wonderful day, and expressing thankfulness for our friendships and family ties. I sent nothing to anyone. This doesn't mean that I didn't think about how much I appreciate all those special people in my life, I did, many times.
So this is it! This is the message to tell all of you out there whom I love so much (and you know who you are) that I am thankful for each of you more than I can express in words. Some of you are my family by birth or marriage, and some of you became my family when I had none close to me. All of you are dear, appreciated and loved.
I hope you all are also feeling warm, full and loved this evening. Happy Thanksgiving!
Today I am thankful for many things. I'm thankful for the delicious meal we enjoyed this afternoon. I enjoyed cooking it, running out to my garden bed several times for fresh thyme. I'm thankful that the girls played nicely together all day. I'm thankful that we sat together this morning to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for awhile.
Most of all, I am thankful for my friends and family. Several friends and several family members took the time today to send messages to me, wishing us a wonderful day, and expressing thankfulness for our friendships and family ties. I sent nothing to anyone. This doesn't mean that I didn't think about how much I appreciate all those special people in my life, I did, many times.
So this is it! This is the message to tell all of you out there whom I love so much (and you know who you are) that I am thankful for each of you more than I can express in words. Some of you are my family by birth or marriage, and some of you became my family when I had none close to me. All of you are dear, appreciated and loved.
I hope you all are also feeling warm, full and loved this evening. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Moooooove Over!
We only had a half day of school today, the first time in the 4 years we've been doing cyber school that we ever had a half day scheduled! I was extremely glad to knock off early and defrost my deep freeze downstairs.
I have been working over the past 2 weeks to clean out this deep freeze a bit. The upstairs one is chock full of fruit and veggies: black raspberries, strawberries, peaches, applesauce, freezer jam, corn, beans and pumpkin. I had several 7 pound chickens that ended up too dry when I roasted them, so over the past several days, I cooked 2 of them in the crock pot, picked out the bones, and currently 8 pints worth of chicken meat and broth are pressure canning on the stove.
This morning, I removed the remaining items to ice chests, and defrosted and wiped down the freezer. All this was in preparation of the arrival today of a quarter of a steer, raised by a friend of mine in Greene County. Now my downstairs freezer is jam-packed with beef! I took inventory of my shelves of canned goods and the full freezers, and felt my chest swell with pride and satisfaction. I am thankful today for this ample supply of food that my family will enjoy for the next year.
In addition, I can't express how thankful I am for a break from Cyber School for the next 5 days! It is much needed and was much anticipated.
Now it is time to bake some pies. Have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones this week!
I have been working over the past 2 weeks to clean out this deep freeze a bit. The upstairs one is chock full of fruit and veggies: black raspberries, strawberries, peaches, applesauce, freezer jam, corn, beans and pumpkin. I had several 7 pound chickens that ended up too dry when I roasted them, so over the past several days, I cooked 2 of them in the crock pot, picked out the bones, and currently 8 pints worth of chicken meat and broth are pressure canning on the stove.
This morning, I removed the remaining items to ice chests, and defrosted and wiped down the freezer. All this was in preparation of the arrival today of a quarter of a steer, raised by a friend of mine in Greene County. Now my downstairs freezer is jam-packed with beef! I took inventory of my shelves of canned goods and the full freezers, and felt my chest swell with pride and satisfaction. I am thankful today for this ample supply of food that my family will enjoy for the next year.
In addition, I can't express how thankful I am for a break from Cyber School for the next 5 days! It is much needed and was much anticipated.
Now it is time to bake some pies. Have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones this week!
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