Christmas Day

 

 

I know this is a little late, but this was Christmas morn. picture.  Erin wasn't feeling good, she had a cold, but thankfully I was doing fine and able to cook without my muscle problems I had Thanksgiving.

 

Here is hubby's family, and Erin and her boy friend. My brother showed up an hour or two late.  The meal was good (of course) and we had a good time.  The younin's left after a bit to go see a movie, but us oldies just visited a lot.  It was a good day.

Ate too much---Aaaaaaaa!



Winter Wonderland

  

 It's not even winter yet and look at this.

 

 

Pretty amazing, and I love it most of the time.

 

 

There's a pick-up under there.  Hubby's got the wipers up so they don't get stuck.  We've been using our other vehicle that's in the garage.  Winter and retirement work pretty well together.

We just hibernate.

 

Our daughter finished the cabinet we made her.  She did a nice job.

I like the looks of this, but I can't decide if I want the inconvenience of opening the door every time I want to use it.  I mostly just pitch my trash from a distance.  I'm a little bit uncivilized.



Thanksgiving Times Two

 

 

Although I'm having a hard time thinking, I will try to post.  My hubby is working on our dryer with a lot of noisy vacuuming going on.  I hope he can fix it--it's terribly squeaky when I'm using it.  I think he's frustrated with it right now though. 

We had two thanksgivings, one at our house, and one at our daughter's house two day's later.  (Okay, I need to loose weight right now!)

I had a terrible experience after I sat down to eat with our guest on Thursday---when I got up I could barely walk, because my buns were freaking out.  Apparently I hurt them helping my hubby hang the two medicine cabinets in the bathroom the night before.  The next day, Friday, I was in hollering pain when I tried to walk.  By Saturday I could walk if I held onto my buns--what a predicament.  My daughter, whose house we were going to for our second Thanksgiving, has had the same thing happen to her.  It was still a little special on my part, but we had a great time.

Here are her beautiful tables.  The kids made beautiful place card holders, and I made a lovely collage picture, but I lost it somehow on my computer (aren't computers wonderful at times), and I'm not going to make it again.

It was also one of our grand daughters' birthday--isn't she lovely?  She's such a sweetie. 

By the way--The food was excellent--both times, and I'm very thankful that I can walk again.



New Stuff

 

We got some new things at our house.  First, a Christmas tree that is pre-decorated---just plug her in.  It has jingle bells all over it and when my hubby walks by it jingles.  It's about 4 feet tall and fits on my piano nicely.  I'm really in the Christmas mood this year, and it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

 

 We got two new medicine cabinets--one for either side of the big mirror.  This frees up some counter space--gets all the little bottles out of sight--Yea!!

 

And, lastly two new door knobs--we could actually use more of these, but this is a good start.  We've been living in this house for 40 years, and it time for some new knobs.

Next I would like for us to build some shelving, and maybe one of those cabinets like we made our daughter (plus maybe one for another of our daughters).

 

I made a pecan pie, and two pumpkin pies today also.  We ate one of the pumpkin pies already.  I'm getting up early in the morning to cook a Thanksgiving Meal for seven, Lord willing, that is.

Whew, it's been a busy day, and tomorrow's going to be busy also.  God has blessed us so much.



On The Home Front

 

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted.  Hubby and I are adjusting to our new way of life (retirement), and trying to get all our ducks in a row with our retirement.

Here is what Erin wanted us to build for her---it's a cabinet for her trash and a cabinet top for her water filter.  It's got a few boo-boos, but overall I'm pleased with the results.  It still needs some finish work, but Erin will handle that.

 

Erin was brave enough to help her dueling parents with this cabinet.  We get along most of the time, but this was challenge for us.

Erin, looks a lot like our middle daughter, Celeste here.  I'm reminded of when Celeste's babies were very small Erin could pass for their mother in our grand kid's eyes.

 

 

Here are our work stations.  You see that little blue jig, well, it is amazing.  It helped us build an amazingly strong cabinet.

 

 

Here is the almost finished cabinet in our house with our Berkey on top.



Fall Chores

 

 

With Fall comes outdoor activity--we had a work day at Erin's.  Isn't her Sugar Maple gorgeous?!  Pictures don't do justice.

 

 

I worked in my front flower bed getting it ready for winter, then....

went to help (a little) at Erin's house where Hubby had finished the chain saw action on one of her many trees, and trimmed up three others--she is now left with ONLY four trees in her back yard and four in her front yard.  We calculated that she has gotten rid of four trees in her back yard, and many bushes everywhere.  Following that she got all the compost and twigs off of her deck's roof (it's a metal roof with deep channels).  We sorted through it to get the major twigs out, then took it to her front flower bed.

 

Willow leaf compost.  Nothing like composting on  your roof.

 



Retirement Life

 

We had a birthday bash for hubby.  He wanted hamburgers cooked in the green egg.  So that's what we had.  The kids came over, and brought some food too.  Yum-yum!

He's been cleaning out the outbuilding for the last two days.  We generated quite a bit of trash for the trash man today, but some of it was appealing to our neighbors, so the trash man didn't have so much to haul off.  It's all gone now.

 

Our middle daughter ask me how retirement was going, and I can't quite put it into words. I'm adjusting to a different life.  My hubby's cousin's wife (whose hubby is retired) told me that if I needed to get away, to come see her, but I've only had a panicky run away feeling once.  Hubby is pretty good company most of the time, but it's different because it's like I'm on call---'Jerri, come here, I need your help", and "are you ready to go?".  I will be glad when we find a routine.  I'm still feeling kind of lost like I don't know what's going on.  It's like handing the driving over to your teenager--a little bit out of your hands.  I don't feel the freedom to start a project.  I am enjoying his retirement, but I'm lost in the shuffle.  I think he's enjoying not going to work, but I think he feels a little lost too--not sure what to do.  We'll figure this out somehow--it's only been 3 and 1/2 weeks.

Pot-luck At Alice's House

 

We had a pot-luck at my sister's house Friday night.  Here are all the living siblings and spouses.  We have lost a brother, a sister, and a brother-in-law. 

I had a busy day helping my sister and forgot to put on make-up--Oh, well.

 

 

Next pic is of our kids and spouses;12 of them, with 15 not present.

 

 

And finally, 18 of the grand kids, with 20 missing.

It was such a pleasant evening with everyone getting along--at least with the siblings, and kids.  (Not too sure how the grand kids did, but I didn't hear of anything outrageous going on).  It's so nice to have a potluck with loving family members, and no one trying to jockey for position or one-up someone else.  My (our) sweet mother would be so proud.  And our daddy would have had a ball telling stories.  I miss them!  Won't heaven be great.

 



Bush Wackers

 

 

What a day we had yesterday.  A while back I removed one of our three big bushes out front, and injured my arm in the process.  Yesterday we removed the other two---well, cut them back (it was like a removal because they were so huge).

 

I trimmed back the ivy growing on the brick also.

 

Here is the view from the porch.

 

 

And the view now---what a difference. 

Hubby got out the chain saw and had them babies cut back in no time.  My job was loading the truck with the trimmings.  I'm surprised we got both bush trimmings in the pick-up bed, but we did with lots of tie downs.

They look pretty pitiful now, but next summer they will grow.

 

My sister called when we were leaving for the leaf dump, and needed us to pick up some bales of straw, so I volunteered my hubby to cut down her half dead apple tree and haul it off.  We also cleared her back fence of vines and weed trees, and her side fence also.  We worked a very long time, and today I can hardly move.  Tomorrow we get to mow two or three yards.  Hubby being retired is a lot of work for me, but I love it.  Yard work I love.



Life Is A Changing For Us

 

Hubby is retiring, he's on vacation right now, but no more work for him.  I snapped his picture as he was leaving work for the last time following his retirement party.  He said he laughed all the way home.  He does look pretty happy.  He's enjoying it so far.

 

 

This was his cake.  You can't tell it but it was huge.

We are trying to work out all the details of retirement right now.  Stressful for me.

 

On another note see our sweet potato vine--it's taking over the back terrace.

This retirement will be an adjustment for me, but I believe it will be good.



Black and White Bags

 

 

I made a couple more bags, and now my black and white collection is complete--maybe.

I just happen to like my round bottom bag, I wasn't sure I would.  Getting the button and loop on it helped a lot.  Closure--I needed closure, Ha-ha!



Round Bottom Bag

 

I did some needle bending today.  Actually, I broke a needle in my sewing machine trying to sew over a pin--I  know better, but that doesn't stop me.

 

I wanted a shoulder bag because my elbow is still bothering me from when I took a bush out by myself.  I'm not sure if I like it, but we will see.  I may modify it.  I know I will enjoy having a shoulder bag though.



Dehydrator Love

I love my dehydrator.  Today I decided to spend a lot of time in my kitchen.  I made some Apple Berry Salsa and had leftover fruit so I dried some of it.

 

 Here's the end result.  Dried kiwi, apples, an oranges.  The kiwi is delicious--I've never dried it before.

 I made a bunch of salads, and cooked taco meat for hubby's lunches.  Also I made 2 lasagna meals, cooked a chicken, deboned it and am now making bone broth.  I spent about 4 hours in the kitchen.  I did a few loads of laundry---and oh yes, I made sweet cinnamon tortilla chips in the oven on my baking stone.  I'm a gadget girl.

 



Pesto Making

 

I picked 12 cups of basil this morning, which made 3 batches of pesto. The two bags will be frozen.  I put more basil in the darker batch.

 

 

 

The recipe calls for 4 cups of lightly packed basil, 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts or pine nuts, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 garlic clove, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.

 

Here's my recipe card, if you can read it. 

 

It doesn't take very long to make, but it is a little messy, because you have to drag out the food processor.   

 Yum!  It's great in pasta, or on a grilled chicken sandwich, or just as a condiment on your grilled chicken.

 



Green Growth

 

Our elephant ears are bigger this year than ever before.  We've had good weather this summer,  and lots of rain up until a few weeks ago.  But I've been watering them real well. 

The table and chairs are completely covered now-Ha! 

 

 Huge.

 

The sweet potato vine is taking over the patio, but I'm okay with that.

We've had lots of skeeters too.  Hubby's calling--I must get ready for church--no more procrastinating.

 



Bag Sewing

 

 

I've been making bags...there are two made and I have two more cut out.

 

They both were something I saw on pinterest.  I drew up the pattern from looking at them on the computer.  I drew up another pattern of the pencil bag making it a little shorter and fatter, but I already had the long skinny one cut out so I went with it.  I'm glad I did because it is just right for my colored pencils I use in my Bible Study.

We started our Fall study of Isaiah part two a week ago.  Part two seems to be totally different than part one.  Part one has 39 chapters to study, just like the number of old testament books, and deals with old testament things mostly.  Part two has 27 chapters to study, like the number of books in the new testament and it deals with a lot of new testament things.  The law...and Grace.  Refreshing and hope filled good news. 



Drying Zucchini

 

I made a trip to the Farmers Market today, mainly for zucchini.  I love farmers Market.

 

I washed three large zucchini and sliced them with my mandolin slicer, then put them on six trays to dry.  After they were dry I put them in one quart jar--wow, there is a lot of water in zucchini, but they dried fairly fast.

I use zucchini in place of noodles when I make lasagna, but sometimes it turns out a little soupier than I like, so I thought I would try drying them first and just laying them in dry.  Hopefully they will rehydrate while they are cooking and not add so much moisture--we will see.



Birthdays and Ball Games

 

Another busy week here.  Our youngest daughter had a birthday. 

 

 I fixed Enchiladas, Refried Beans, Guacamole with Chips, Fudge, Apple Pie Bars, and Trifle.  Celeste brought Coleslaw, and Potato Salad----mmmmm!

 

 

 

 

Saturday Night Hubby was recognized at the Ball Game for his 40 years of service at the hospital.  He's the one with his hand raised on the left.  

 

They put him up on the Mega tron. 

He's the one with a black square on his tummy--from the mega tron.

 

 He's actually got 44 years of service in his field--four with another hospital.

 

 The Ball game was good.  My sister came, and her family, two of our daughters, our son-in-law and 5 grand kids.  Yeah!

 

  

 It was fun.  I think we will be going to another game with our church later on this month.