Been lots of mud here. lol AND lots of stars.
And the month of January has gone whizzing past me and I have been woefully behind in all my blogging and writing and well--EVERYTHING. It's been a crazy month of ups and downs and annoyances and irritations. We've had desperately cold temperatures and then a week of temps in the 50's. We've had some fiercely troubling health issues in the extended family--have a baby great nephew in the ICU for 11 days now with RSV. He is finally getting better. Had several down with the flu and other crazy stuff. Had car troubles and sewer troubles and animal troubles. My husband's uncle died down in Texas. It has been chaotic and distressing and I think I am glad this month is over. If nothing else, at least February will only have 28 days. LOL
We have a house guest ...and it has been really nice having someone to have coffee with in the morning. She is a friend of mine who is having a hard time and was having to move with virtually nowhere to go, so I offered her the spare bedroom to share with the squash and potatoes. lol It's great having her here...we've been cooking up a storm and she is helping me with a couple of cleaning projects and we have a good time together, laughing and chatting.
My birthday was uneventful...truck was still in the shop and $$ was all headed to the mechanic. But I turned 62 anyway. lol Finally got the truck back and it is all good. My car on the other hand...we put a bottle of catalytic converter cleaner in it and the check engine light stayed off for over 2 weeks. I thought it was a miracle...but it came back on again. It seems to be running alright, so I just pray and watch the gauges when I go somewhere. So far, no problems. The mechanic said that the O2 sensors on the car are extremely sensitive and his dad has had the same problem with his Accord.
I wound up in the doctors office with a bad UTI...bloody urine and extreme pain. She gave me a shot and a prescription and had me back 9 days later for a follow-up and all is well. That was icky. I was in agonizing pain and it was pretty scary. Because of my pelvis injuries that have disabled me, I have to be very careful about this stuff. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does...LOOK OUT. I am pretty careful about my diet. I drink millions of gallons of water :) I don't drink sodas or alcohol, I don't hardly EVER eat fried foods, I stay away from dairy. Still...every now and then...
Just glad it's over.
This goofy weather is messing with the trees and flowers. I have irises coming up and the trees are budding and it's January. Hope the weather stays mild...it's supposed to be a low of 45 tonight. But then possible snow on Sunday. I knew that the eastern weatherfront was going to have to find it's way here at some point.
The critters are all hale and hearty. The peoples are doing okay too. Life here at Honeysuckle Hill isn't always all rainbows and glitter...but it's all ours. The gardens are all dormant and the skies are bleak this time of year, but there's lots of love and good cookin' in here...so I suspect we'll be okay.
Hope all you east coasters are hanging in there...
Namaste
...and here we are. A new year, all wrapped up in crazy, and it's only the 4th day. Tonight or tomorrow night is the Wolf Moon, January is the month of the Full Wolf Moon. It appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. It is also known as the Old Moon.
The weather has been erratic. 2 days ago it was 40. Today it snowed and was cold as all get out with crazy winds. Right now it's 15 and feels like 0. Wednesday the high will be 7. The low will be an actual 0. The furnace is running a lot, even with the thermostat set at 67. I am chilly, even with sweaters on and blankets. All the critters are staying in and barely going out...just to do their business, then right back in again. As a result of that, they are all sluggish and snappy.
I haven't been out at all today, though yesterday I did walk down to the mailbox. (Or was that Friday?) lol I have been hit with the stomach bug going around...feeling bad since early on New Year's Eve. No symptoms except serious stomach cramps and pain. And exhaustion. Spent most of Wednesday and Thursday in and out of bed. Had to cancel a couple of appointments. Felt a little better Friday and much better Saturday. So, naturally, I did too much and today have been back at a borderline place again. Stayed out of bed except for nighttime the past 3 days though. Stomach just icky all day, and now and then some stomach cramps. But otherwise, okay ? Everybody and their brother is sick around here. And all around the country as well.
The truck was supposed to be repaired on Friday. 5 PM came and no word from the mechanic. We called and there was no answer, so we left a message. Saturday morning we called again, and again it went to voice mail and we left a message. Have not heard a word. My theory is that A) He was kidnapped by gypsies OR B) He has been struck down by the dreaded flu too. My son went into town and said the garage was closed and all locked up, and he could see the truck sitting in the center bay. No idea what is going on. Then on our way south on Saturday morning, the check engine light came on in my Honda. SERIOUSLY ?!?!?!?!
Went by the auto parts place and they did the free diagnostic on it and said it was the catalytic converter. It's either clogged or is starting to go bad. The car seems to drive and run alright, so we bought a bottle of CC cleaner and poured it in. It has to run so he has something to drive to work. Please God. I have nowhere to go, so we can make do with the one vehicle.
I live in a small rural area, snuggled between a small town and a village. Thursday night a 30 year old man not far from us was murdered in his home. The police caught the guy, apparently it was some sort of revenge thing. But believe me, we were all quaking in our boots for a little while there. Just a little too close to home. ..
I made a lovely lentil soup for lunch today. A new recipe that has coconut milk and Indian spices in it, and it was wonderful. Neither of us were very hungry come suppertime, so I made us each a bowl of miso soup, with scallions, chickweed and seaweed in it. It was remarkably good, and my stomach seems to have stopped cramping. Hmmm...the fermented miso, perhaps ? Ah...the mystery.
Well, it's late and I'm tired. Got my Mother Earth News blog finished and submitted (late). Got my kitchen cleaned up. Think I'm ready for some shut eye.
Happy 2015....
Namaste.
