Award from JennyD

 

Jenny, I finally went and ‘grabbed’ it. Just copied and pasted onto here. You took a lot of effort to pass this around and help us all learn to know one another better, so I couldn’t let you down. Now I’m sure no one can tell that I’ve been putting off doing this.

Seven things about me:

I’m the oldest of 5 children…have 3 sisters and 1 brother.

I grew up near a border town (Ohio/Indiana). Was born in Indiana (hospital on Indiana side of state line). Lived in Ohio, and had an Indiana address because the Post Office was on the IN side of the state line. I’m happy to say they’ve now fixed the address thing…if you’re on the OH side you have an OH address. I always thought it was kinda neat to live in one state and receive mail addressed to another.

My High School class is having it’s 50th reunion this spring. Okay, so now I’ve aged myself.

I love to go barefooted in the summer. Even walk on the rocks…albeit, very carefully.

I have 2 cats and 1 little dog. Have to admit I’m more of a cat person than dog person. Probably will never get another dog…on purpose.

I thoroughly enjoy cooking on a wood stove. Often wonder what my grandmothers, or even mom would think of that. It seems they were quite happy to quit using a wood stove for cooking. I enjoy it so much we bought a 2nd smaller wood cook stove to put on the porch for me to use during the summer.

While growing up my one goal was to someday be married and have children. I did achieve that goal. Have been married for 46, nearly 47, years. Have 4 children, 11 grandchildren. AND the first great grandchild is due in May.

Well, I didn’t number them, but I believe that’s 7 items. Amazing, made a list and didn’t even mention that my favorite color is blue. Or that I enjoy dishes that are blue. Fact is, that usually is what I’m looking for when Anne and I go treasure hunting…blue dishes.

For everyone who reads this. Just clipboard/paste the award, put it onto your blog and list 7 things about yourself. The deal is to pass it on to 15 more people. Don’t think I know 15 beyond the ones who have already done this. So this is on the honor system…

I’ve enjoyed reading the things you all have posted about yourselves. Some things I knew, others if you mentioned them I never picked up on it.

That’s all for now.

Wash day…

Laundry is all washed and hanging up to dry. It will be ready to fold in the morning. Don’t ask me why I do laundry on Monday, because I can’t tell you. It’s just become a habit that I rarely vary. A little over a year ago I started hanging things on racks to dry in the house. Just out of curiosity to see how much electricity it would save. It cut our bill by 25%, so I felt it was something worth continuing. Of course, in the summer I hang things outside. For winter I have 2 drying racks plus 2 lines up in the multi purpose room, known as the 2nd bedroom without a bed. It’s a sewing room, play room, storage room, TV room, guest room (futon), and drying room. Now whether it’s a guest room or not depends on who is staying. If it’s the kids or the grandkids that’s the room they use. If it’s someone who has a hard time with using an air mattress, then Garry and I sleep in there and let them have our room.

Today has been somewhat rainy. With the temperature in the 40F degree range. We don’t mind not having more snow.

The birds finished ‘off’ their feeder today. I have one filled and ready to put out in the morning. They are 5# feeders. Which means 10 days to go through 50# of sunflower seeds. At $25 per bag that’s $75 per month. Better than the $150 per month, but still a bit pricy. I’m thinking maybe I’ll acquire one of those tube feeders with perches for 6 birds and see what happens…haven’t decided for sure.

The four grandchildren spent some time here today. I was repotting some house plants, so the 3 younger ones entertained themselves by cutting and gluing paper. Made envelopes and just cut and glued for the fun of doing so. After I finished the plants we put puzzles together. I have several 25 piece puzzles that the 4 year old enjoys doing. The 9 year old and I worked on one a bit more challenging…100 pieces. It’s small enough to be finished and put away before they go home. The 7 year old helped, too. The nearly (10 days) 14 year old likes to read, so she did that. Anyway, it was rather nice to have them for a while.

Tomorrow I need to bake some bread. We are nearly out. I usually make 4 loaves and put 3 into the freezer. I’m thinking that tomorrow I’ll make 3 loaves and use the rest of the dough for pizza. Pizza just sounds pretty good.

Okay, I’m quitting for this time. Have a good whatever time of day it is for you! 

Technorati Tags: birds,bread,laundry

Yikes…

…who would have thought bird feed would go up so much?!? I enjoy feeding the birds, well, to put it more accurately…I enjoy watching the birds. Before we ever left Illinois, I had started putting food out for the birds, so it was just a natural continuation when we moved here to Kentucky. Last Friday, Garry went into town to buy chicken feed. I sent $20 (expecting change) with him to buy a 50# bag of sunflower seed. When he returned home, he told me the decision I’d been wrestling with about feeding the birds had probably been made for me. The price had gone up $7. At the rate the birds have been eating it would take a 50# bag every 5 days. They feed a lot heavier when it’s so cold and with snow on the ground. I just haven’t felt I could continue at the same rate, but was concerned about cutting them down when they were depending upon it. THEN, I read a Q&A in a bird magazine that was addressing the issue of being gone and not filling the feeder…would the birds starve. The answer was no. They only eat approximately 20% of their diet at a feeder. And they will move on when an area no longer has the food to support them. I was glad to read this as it meant I wasn’t consigning them to starvation by cutting back on what I put out. Although I might have been consigning us to starvation by continuing to feed them. Well, not really, but….

So we decided that we would keep the suet cakes out and fill one feeder each morning. Yesterday the feeder was empty by 3pm. Today there was still nearly half by the end of the day. So maybe it’ll work. If we have snow cover I’ll probably put more out, as it is, the snow is nearly gone thanks to a couple days in the high 30’s, low 40’s.

We have a lot of birds around here. At times there had to have been 12 – 15 (they won’t hold still and let me count) on each feeder (have 2), more on the deck rail, and probably 30 or more (I’m leaning toward the more) sitting in the tree waiting their turn. Even had a few extra visitors: had some brown-headed cowbirds (late migrators) spend a few days; and common grackles, most often called black birds. Discovered we also have White Crowned sparrows and Fox sparrows…both are ground feeders, so they were making sure nothing went to waste along with the Juncos.

I have some pictures that might give you an idea of the number of birds. Some goldfinches, purple finches, and female cardinal at the feeder. That’s the greenhouse skeleton in the background.  

This is showing the railing, as well as feeder.

Here are some sitting in the tree waiting for their turn. More are to the right and higher up as well.

At the other end of the deck is another feeder with a similar story. Needless to say we have lots of birds around here. I’ll still be feeding them, just not as much so they’ll hunt for more on their own.

Well, I truly hadn’t intended to be quite so wordy about the birds. Since it’s bedtime and I’m quite tired, think I’ll call it quits for this time. I do have more to write about, so will try in between doing laundry and other things around here tomorrow.

Sleep well!

Now we know…

 

This is from one of my husband’s favorite cartoons--- Pickles.

More from the window

Yesterday while sitting in the living room I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Looked and saw it was a hawk flying just about level with the deck railing and quite close. My first thought was he/she was after the small birds at the feeder. I’ll tell you, those birds scattered fast. The hawk flew into a tree at the end of our garden. Here’s a picture taken through the window.

Not super clear, but easy to see what it is. I really enjoyed being able to see him/her.

A little later Garry came into the living room, looked out the window and wondered where all the feathers came from that were on the fence.

Those light colored things are feathers. That’s a tree on the left and the open barn door on the right. It was then I realized the hawk must have been stalking our chickens, not the small birds on the feeders. Garry quickly put his boots on to go check on the chickens. He counted heads and said they were all there. He thought one of the lighter colored ones looked a bit ‘roughed up’ down by her tail. Basically some feathers missing. That is the first time we’ve had a hawk go after our chickens. Danny has them go after his quite often. The only difference is our lot has a bit more tree cover. So that was our excitement for the day.

The grandkids and their parents came down for a little while in the afternoon. We shared the Overnight Coffeecake with them. There is no way Garry and I needed to eat an entire 9x13 pan of it. There was enough left that we had some with our coffee this morning.

I didn’t mention that the link to the coffeecake is my daughter’s recipe site. She loves to cook…considers it her hobby.

We have lots of birds already. At the rate they’re going I’ll be put ‘into the poor house’ trying to feed them. We have the usual…tufted titmice, chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, red-breasted woodpeckers, gold finches, purple finches, and cardinals. There are so many of them that they soon empty a feeder. It seems when it’s colder, they definitely eat more.

Anne and I are going treasure hunting on Thursday of this week. It gives us a chance to get off the farm, plus it’s something we both enjoy. She finds a lot of the children’s clothes that way. Rarely does she need to buy something new for any of them. I would sure like to find some clothes for me. Seems I usually find things for Garry, but rarely for myself. Perhaps this week will be different. Or, just maybe, I need to be thankful and satisfied with the clothes I have.

Bye for now.

It’s been chilly here.

We’ve had a couple night in the low 20’s, so now all my flowers that were still growing have been frozen. I was really enjoying having some plants that were still green and even a few blooms. BUT I’m not complaining as it is the first part of December. I’m just thankful they lasted as long as they did.
Wednesday, I did accomplish several things. One thing I noticed (not for the first time) was it takes me longer to do things than it used to. One of the perks of being older, I suppose. I made a vegetable soup using some of my home canned beef stock…made a large one to have enough for Darryl and his family when they came home. Plus some for us. It simmered most of the day on the wood stove…made the house smell good.  Then since I had so much buttermilk, decided to make Buttermilk biscuits to go with it. Garry and I hadn’t much more than carried the soup and biscuits to Darryl & Anne’s house than they came home…maybe 20 minutes. Garry had kept a fire going in their stove all Wednesday, so the house would be warm. So we put the soup on the stove and biscuits on the warming shelf. They said it smelled and felt so good when they walked into their house. I know what it’s like to come home to a cold house and wonder what you’re going to feed your family. Been there done that.
Three of the children came running down here before even going into their house. It was so good to see them!! Their big sister had been car sick on the way home, so didn’t feel like coming. That’s okay, she stopped by the next morning. It is such a blessing to have them so close. They were only gone a week, but it seemed longer.
Also, on Wednesday, I made the chocolate pudding I’d mentioned, so we’ve been enjoying it. Had to do something to use up some of the extra milk in my fridge. Even did some cleaning…our bedroom and the bathrooms. I had hoped to do a lot more than I did. It was just one of those days where ‘the hurrieder I went the behinder I got’. And dishes, seemed like I was washing them every little bit. Hard to believe two people can use so many.
Yesterday I baked 3 loaves of whole wheat bread. Took one loaf’s worth (doubled recipe makes 4), wrapped in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator planning to use it for pizza. I wasn’t sure how that would work, but it was great. I took it out about noon today, then made pizza for  tonight. So I’ll be doing that again. Probably will alternate between making hamburger buns and pizza with the dough for the 4th loaf.
I made more butter…another pound. It will help so much to have butter ahead. Now if I can just figure out what to do with all of the buttermilk. I have nearly 3 quarts. Last evening I mixed up an Overnight Coffeecake, then Garry put it into the oven when he got up this morning. So we had fresh coffee cake with our coffee. It was quite good. Oh, I forgot to mention, the coffee cake uses buttermilk. Have to do something with it…just doesn’t appeal to me to drink it.
Then yesterday afternoon I had grandchildren visiting. I was starting to clean the living room when they came. Decided it could wait. And it did until today. I did a good bit of cleaning today, so the house looks nice. Also cooked chicken and rice for tomorrow.
Snickers has pretty much let me sleep the last couple nights. Or I’ve been so tired that I’ve slept through whatever she’s done. We call her our old lady cat. She’s nearly 11. We used to call her grouchy old lady cat, as she was quick to growl or hiss, especially at Precious…the young lady cat who is 6. Snickers has mellowed a good bit, so now she’s just the old lady cat. She still doesn’t appreciate that we brought Precious into our household, as Snickers was quite happy being an only cat.
Speaking of old lady. I believe it’s time for this one to head toward bed.
Take care!

A Rainy Day

Sometime last evening it started raining. There was one clap of thunder that made us turn off and unplug our computers and the modem. After the time Darryl’s computer was zapped by lightening we’ve been extra careful. Unplugging when we hear the sound of thunder heading our way. It rained off and on during the night, at times quite heavy. We’re not complaining as our area has been so dry that we really need the rain.

Today has been one of those lazy kind of days. For both of us. There’s just something about the sound of rain on a metal roof that makes you think of reading a book or taking a nap. Or as I did, sit on the couch with my laptop a good part of the day. Tomorrow has to be a more industrious day…will let you all know how it goes. I’m sure I won’t begin to accomplish as much as Toodie. It wears me out just reading her blog. She is an inspiring lady.

Snickers, my old lady cat, has been a nuisance at night lately. Not super bad, just enough that she wakes me up at times. She sleeps during most of the day then is awake and ‘running’ around on toward morning, way before I’m ready to get up. Of course, we won’t discuss when I’m ready to get up.

After visiting a number of other blogs I think it’s time I try to dress mine up. Not tonight, it’s just too close to bedtime to start such a project. Oh, and I won’t be able to tomorrow. Seems there are a few other things around here I need to accomplish. It will happen, just not sure when. My daughter will be here the end of December, perhaps she will help. She builds web pages for pay, so surely she could help her mom dress up a blog site…sounds good to me.

Tomorrow the kids are coming home! I’ll be glad to see those 4 precious grandkids, even if it has been just a week. Will also be good to see their parents. It just isn’t the same around here when they’re gone.

Of course, Garry is looking forward to not having to milk two cows. He’s managed fine, just hasn’t enjoyed their short handles. Our refrigerator is overflowing with milk, even with having given Danny one milking per day. We also have the milk from our goats. One thing I plan to do tomorrow is make a chocolate pudding, or at least attempt to. I haven’t made pudding for a very long time. It’s one way to use some of the abundance of milk. So we’ll see.

Perhaps this is enough for now. See you all tomorrow if things go as planned.