Winter on Honeysuckle Hill

  We've had 14 inches of snow in the past week.  Not much, compared to some places.  Not much compared to how it was when I was a kid. Sometimes the snow would drift so high you couldn't open the downstairs doors to get out of the house.  That doesn't happen anymore.  But when you get old, some snow is too much snow. I didn't leave the house for about 7 days this time.  I maybe could have..but why would I ?  I had everything I needed and wasn't willing to risk going off the road and getting stuck and having to walk back home. Or worse yet, wrecking my car.  No thanks..I just snuggled in here at Honeysuckle Hill...and waited it out.

  I haven't been blogging much. I haven't been doing anything that I should. lol  This winter has pressed me into a state of dormancy it seems. I always have this whole list of things that all summer I think "As soon as things slow down, when the gardens and canning are all done...I'll do these then..."  Well--I haven't done any of them I don't think.


  Not sure if it's malaise, depression or what.  I rarely think of myself as a depressed kind of person, but...I'd rather think it's this blood pressure medication. That may not be true either, but every time I take it, I feel like I'm ready for a nap. I think it's starting to worry the Irishman a little.  Once I get going, I can get things done, but there's the rub. Getting going.  Anybody else feeling like this ?  (PLEASE tell me it's not just me.)  lol


 The chicks are already showing up at the farm store. Ridiculous !! We are getting new chicks, but have nowhere to put them. They don't usually come out til the middle/end of March. Even then it's too cold to put them in the coop, so they have to stay in the spare room in a pen. But that room is now inhabited by a friend staying with us until she gets on her feet, so I'm not sure where we can put them... I suppose it will all work out, one way or another, as things are wont to do.  My son and husband are going to renovate the coop...it's 10 years old and was built from all recycled materials, many of which now need to be replaced. The basic structure is solid, but the roof and some of the other stuff needs replacing.  I guess 10 years is not bad.

 The pantry is starting to look a little ...used up.  It's a good thing. It's the way it should be.  I have only 1 jar of carrots left, but plenty of green beans still. Because last year I upped the amount I canned by about 20 quarts, since I ran out in about March.  The tomatoes (whole and sauces) are holding up okay too, but the corn is about gone and there are no more plain broths left. Only jars with chicken and turkey in broth. Not a big deal, but next year--more plain broth.  It's a never ending constant learning process. But one I take great satisfaction in doing...

  Alright...I really need to go work on another MEN blog..I'm behind. They did some work on their site and now it's even harder to use. I started and finally gave up a couple of days ago, as it didn't want to give me editing privileges or something.  sigh...I'm going back in...wish me luck ! 






Namaste.

A Monday Kind of Day...

  And yet...and yet...

    Here I sit, the weather has turned cold and bleak again. Much more a February day than the past few have been.  Yesterday was almost 70 degrees and so sunny  you had to wear sun glasses all day.   Now it is 25, tomorrow will be 40 and then the descent begins again.  As if Mother Nature cannot decide how to  be...the weather out of control like a willful child. It's been a stay at home kind of day, doing some basic chores, making granola and doing a few small loads of laundry.

     The Irishman will be home soon, and then turning around and back out the door. He is hanging in there with the current book discussion out at the ecological center.  I am not. The book wasn't interesting to me and I was ready for a break, so I slipped out the side door.  lol  So, I shall stay home and stay warm, and probably watch a movie.  I'm reheating some French Onion soup I made on Wednesday, and made him a sandwich. He can eat the sandwich as he drives and eat the soup after he arrives.

    I was on the run several days in a row and am now more than ready for some quiet time. Yesterday was the Irishman's birthday, and we went out for lunch and then I went on to a meeting and a sober birthday celebration for someone with 40 years.  Got home around 6:30 and whipped up a yummy vegetable stirfry with quinoa for supper.  Saturday, I was part of a flat breads workshop and was off to meet a friend for lunch afterwards, so I was gone from About 8 AM til 5 or so.  Early in the week we had some crazy icy/snowy weather and all in all it was enough to make me tired. lol  At any rate, today I have been all lazy and laid back, doing just enough to stay afloat. Made a batch and a half of granola and gave some to the boy.  Baked some brownies with pecans.  You know...the usual stuff.


   The workshop was fun. And we had a full house signed up for it, which is always nice. There was a lovely woman named Maria, from Columbia, who made arepas and pandebonos.  I made American Crackers.  And another woman named Modesta , from Mexico, who made tortillas.  It was more a demonstration workshop than interactive, like we usually do.  But we did lots of tasting and talking and had a really fun time. Here are a couple of pictures...the pandebonos are a cheese bun made with white corn flour and baked in the oven and the arepas are a bread made daily also made with white corn flour and cooked on a griddle. 

Arepas

Tortillas

American Crackers

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It's gotten late here and I'll be heading off to bed soon. My volunteer day at the office tomorrow, so I have to be down there at 2 PM.  Have to make supper for the Irishman to eat when he gets home. It'll be a busy enough day... and I'm feeling a little tired.

Namaste