all's well...

 1.  The doctor's appointment went well, for all except my pride.  Oh being poked and prodded while in my best granny panties and heavy duty underwire bra, that poor dr probably thought for a minute there, that he was kneading bread dough.  He is a professional, of course, so he didn't utter what he was probably thinking.  The important thing was that there are no concerns of any skin cancer.

2.  Jonathan made it to Portland, about 18 hours after arriving at the first airport.  He landed in Chicago at 1:58, with his connecting flight boarding at 1:50, and Chicago is a very big airport.  An airline employee helped him, accompanied him, to his gate, made sure he got there in time.  He then had to go to San Francisco, had plenty of time there to make his flight to Portland.  Kathryn said he was quite tired by the time he got to their place.

3.  I went to Walmart yesterday, all by my lonesome, but don't feel sorry for me, it was so relaxing.  I wandered, meandered, pondered, and dilly-dallied.  I looked at clearance racks, and bought some things for the grandkids.  I bought candy for our Valentine's party, and not too much else.  

4.  Sonja K. works at the college, and knew I was going to be in the city, so she suggested I bring her a coffee.  It was a really good idea.

Say what you will about them, but they make a darned good coffee, and they'll put heavy cream in it, too.

5.  Molly and Lydia, and little Ophelia are coming over today for a visit, yay!

6.  I wandered into the kitchen today to make cinnamon rolls...the ones from scratch.  Then I decided not to, why torture myself?  I considered making bread, but same thing.  We have those crescent rolls in the fridge, in the little cardboard tube, those are much easier to not partake of.  I did put some frozen chicken in the crockpot, chicken soup sounds good for dinner.

7.  We are heading into a cold snap this weekend...

That's a high of -7c on Saturday.  It's much colder in Canada, and in the midwest, but still, brrrr!

Snow, snow, snow, we've had snow on the ground for days and weeks!  It's pretty.  I'm not complaining.  It's just that around this time of year, you get those little inklings of spring fever starting in...

Here's something that is NOT included in the "all's well" category.  One of my Facebook/blogger friends...Holly L....her family is devastated and heartbroken today, their little girl died in her sleep.  Rachel was special needs, their "forever baby girl", a beautiful child.  I do not know them in real life, but have known Holly for years and years in blog-land, and on Facebook.  Their family could use prayers in these days, so if you are a praying person...

I think it's a blessing to live in these days, when we can connect online.  We can encourage each other, and uplift each other.  The internet can obviously be used for horrible things, but it can also be used for the good.  

Now off I go to mop the floor quick...

sweetness...

 

The purple "diamonds", the extra dough, cut with a pizza cutter ha.  The activity club kids liked them!

So I got up at 4:28 this morning, and drove Jonathan to the airport.  I do not like getting up in the night while it's still dark, all of 12 degrees out, and starting my car.  I know, technically it was "morning".  Jonathan packed last night, all by himself.  On the way to the airport, he realized he forgot his swim trunks.  Did I tell you they are going on a vacation when he gets there?  They are flying to Nevada, renting a car, and visiting some national parks.  The hotel pools have time slots you can reserve.  He might just have to find a Walmart.

He is still there at the airport, 7 hours later, flight delayed over and over again.  They were going to route him to Chicago, then San Fran, but his layover in Chicago went from an hour, down to 20 minutes, which is almost impossible.  Now he says they might send him to Denver...poor guy.  He seems okay, but hey, I'm not.  It's hard to send him off on his own!  But he's so independent, and can most likely take care of himself.  most likely.

This fine day, I have to go to the dermatologist.  I almost cancelled, because...I hate going to the doctor.  Especially the dermatologist, you have to be inspected everywhere, and well, my belly hasn't seen the light of day too much in like 35 years.  I'm no swimsuit model.  I almost cancelled, but Sonja K. reminded me that it's more expensive in the long run to have things that aren't taken care of when they're small.  True.  Last year, there were some pre-cancerous little spots that had to be taken care of.  It's the beginning of the year, we have a huge deductible, and I do hate to spend the money.  But, I'm going.  

I'll be out and about all by my lonesome, so who knows where I'll stop afterwards...

Oh, tomorrow, fun:  I'm going to the rec center pool!  I have not been since before the pandemic.  You reserve a lap lane, and swim!  Ben and Ashley and their two little girls are going, too.  I'm very excited, I do love swimming.  

I've procrastinated long enough, time to hurry up and get out the door!

hearts...

 Today, I'm going to bake a very small batch of sugar cookie cut out hearts, maybe a few flower shapes too.  Tonight is Junior Activity club, for kids from ages 2-4.  There are only 7 kids all together, and they don't always all come.  Tonight we're having a dance party with glow sticks, making some Valentines, coloring, having snack (fruit snacks and cookies).  

The butter has to soften up, that's my excuse for getting the ingredients out, then taking a break.  I also washed some dishes, watered the plants, put clothes in the dryer, and tidied things up a bit.  Today is a very quiet day here.  Sonja K. had an in-person college class, but is home now attending an online one.  Jonathan is working today at church, doing some projects, (he drove himself!  so strange...), and the younger girls are at school today.  

I can think of a million reasons why I need to run to Walmart, I get antsy and like to get out.  I want some specific fabric to make a little table runner, for starters.   The girls are having a Valentine's Day party here on Saturday evening.  We're hoping there will be an abundance of strawberries at Aldi on Friday, so we can dip them in chocolate.  I'm also bought some miniature cookies:  Chips Ahoy, Nutter Butters, and mini Oreos (they're so cute!), and thought they'd be really good dipped in chocolate, now why on earth wouldn't they be?  You could dip celery in chocolate and mmmm.   But, I'm staying home today.  I can get so much done when I stay home.

It's snowing out again, looks we live in the old snow globe.

A lazy pic of the front yard from my chair, don't you love the screen?

The tree branches are all snow covered, and the fresh snow covers the dirty snowbanks, I don't mind it at all.  

Ah well, time to get those cookies mixed up...maybe I'll post a pic later, can you even wait?  I don't eat them, but I love love love everything about seasonal cut out cookies...they are just so cool!

sunshine, the stupid-bowl, and other important things....

 It's a beautiful day today, if you like twenty degrees with sun shining on the snow.  Jonathan needed a hair cut, so off we went.  The place he goes is in the same parking lot as one of my favorite thrift stores.  His appointment was supposed to take 45 minutes, so ahhh, walking up and down the aisles, and actually LOOKING at things!  Usually, it's me apologizing and dawdling at the same time, as if telling them I'm hurrying will actually make me not stop to look at that nice chair over there.  

Today, I found two pairs of LulaRoe leggings, for $4.99 each.  That's rather pricey in a way, but new they are $25, and I like them, and I know they will fit.  I also got a little toy garbage truck, and a nice shirt for $2.50.  

We also went into Aldi, because I love Aldi.  Cilantro, fresh salsa, little baby oranges, apples, provolone cheese slices, a gallon of milk, some frozen mini egg rolls for the air fryer, lemon juice, lime juice, a box of Valentines for Activity Club tomorrow, along with some fruit snacks and drink pouches.  (if you have a local Aldi, I suggest you try their fresh salsa.  It is SO GOOD.)(Also their lime tortilla chips...)

A stop at the bank, a fill up of gas, and Jon ran into the Dollar General because we forgot to get dog chow. We like to get them healthier food, lower carb, but they don't like the Rachael Ray stuff.   

Home, ah home.  Sonja is in class, the girls done with their school now, and it's a lovely day....I think they want to do something fun...hmm.

Jonathan is leaving on Wednesday morning to go visit Kathryn in Oregon.  His flight leaves at 6:30 a.m., so I have to get up at 4:30 to bring him to the airport, blah.  It's not easy for me to let him go off on his own like this, but he's fine with it, and at least now he looks all neat and respectable.  I always say that you get treated how you look, in general.  If you're scruffy and slobby, well...don't be surprised.  

When will I learn?  I posted something on Facebook.  One should just never do that.  Numbers don't lie.  Covid-19 deaths, cases, ect, comparing from closed down NY and California, to opened up Florida, is quite interesting.  Of course I posted something like that and was pounced on, so I deleted the post.   I'm done.  If you write anything that's not liberal mainstream, you're wrong, you hate your gramma.  If you don't drink the cool-aid, you are toast.  

I don't care for arguing, I just hate that there is just one opinion.  It's a plain fact that scared people want someone to take charge and tell them what to do, and when you have the whole world scared, they're practically begging for more rules, laws, mandates, in the name of safety.  

The Stupid Bowl was in fact stupid.  I am not much of a football fan, although sometimes there are interesting plays, and I find myself actually tuning in instead of staring at the screen in a daze, thinking about our weekly meal plan or whether we should book another camping trip for the summer.  The halftime show made me feel old and uninformed, who were these people and what were they wearing on their heads?  At least it wasn't x-rated, but still, that's considered talent these days?  

We did have fun, nonetheless.   Margaret was here with the baby and Wulf, and Evelyn came over, and Emily.  Em hasn't been here since the distanced visit on Christmas, so it was super nice to have her.  I made a big batch of stove popped, coconut oil popcorn with butter and salt.  Our dinner was chuck roast, potatoes, and carrots with gravy in the crock pot.  I LOVE making the dinner in the morning, then smelling it all afternoon, then just scooping it from the crockpot, easy as pie.  It wasn't actually Super Bowl food, but it was pretty darned good.

Wulf LOVES the book Owl at Home.  Charlotte Claire was reading to him, with Cam listening in.  

Tennyson, aka Russell from the movie UP., courtesy of Evelyn.

The kids are done with school, and are making a late lunch of egg rolls and ramen noodles.  ugh.  

Jonathan watched the game yesterday with a few of his friends.  He brought the air fryer with him, and made loaded fries (cheese sauce, jalapeños, bacon).   He said they all appreciated that the halftime show wasn't as disgusting as it usually is, they didn't have to turn it off during it.  (They're good boys:))

Sometimes I actually proofread my posts, not often, mind you, and realize how narrow-minded and judge-y I am.  But I have to be me, and can't just please everyone.  The beauty is that if you don't agree, that's okay, I'll still love you.  No "my way or the highway" here.  

Sunny is a maniac.  She goes absolutely bonkers for shadows and light reflecting on things.  Mr. Jonathan capitalizes on this, and shines his phone on all the walls and ceilings.  Sunny runs and jumps and barks and pants, just can't catch those bad reflections.   It's not as if she's a small graceful dog, either.  It's crashing and smashing!

Sunny...she is just so cute. Just a little teeny puppy.   Jon cleans up well, too, right?

Ah well.  Life is good.

cookies and updates...

 First, the cookies:

A triple batch of chocolate chip cookies...and no, I didn't have one, not even a taste of dough.

We had visitors in the afternoon:

Margaret and her little Tennyson, isn't he a cutie?  Marg works full time from home, so she has her hands very full.  Adrian is a full time college student, balancing classes and helping with the kids.  

Wulf sat in my chair, put my  glasses on...but no way am I as cute as he is.

He watched Bugs Bunny with grandpa:

Update:  the teenager ever so humbly apologized.  Unprompted.  Awww...it melts my heart.  I told her that I had agonized all day, but that I love her, and sometimes mom has to be mom, right?  

In other news, today was a bright and sunny day.  Paul and Jonathan went ice fishing, so we girls lounged around a bit, had coffee, rearranged the living room furniture, then went out and about.  First stop, the dollar store, which I love and they tolerate.  We got some things for the Valentine's Day party they're having next weekend.  Next stop, thrift store!  American Eagle jeans, a white blouse with the tags still on it, an American Girls craft kit, still brand new in the package, and a few other things, for less than 30 dollars.  The girls decided they wanted to make sub sandwiches for lunch/dinner, so we went to the store for fresh rolls and some meat.  

Home, ahh home.  They chopped lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onions, and had some grand sammies.  I waited until dinner time, and air fryer some chicken wings, then had cold leftover steak too, mmm.  They're all over at Emily's house, and Jon is home from his friend's house.  He has his driver's license, but he has to be home by 9 o'clock, which is fine by me.

It's quiet here, with the girls gone, but I got rid of the ticking clock, at least, could NOT stand that ticking sound...

a work in progress...

 That's me.  You'd think I'd be full of patience by now, and not be blindsided by a random interaction with a teenager, but nope.  I'm reeling here, what did I say?  Or was it how I said it?  Then I think well, being a good mom doesn't mean the kids always like you, right?  I actually said, "Someday you'll thank me."  ha.  I don't put my foot down very often, and when I do, it stings.  I don't like being the bad guy, and luckily I have really good kids, but sometimes, just sometimes...rrr.  

So that's how my day is going.  It's good place to be, a place where you know you don't know everything, a place where you see your need, and know you need wisdom, you need help.   God indeed gives grace when we're humble.

Yesterday, we did go to Target, but just to get a new space heater for the girls' room.  They do their virtual school in there, and it gets cold!  I did behave myself, got the heater, one $3 flower, and a small gift for Suzanne's birthday, which is coming in a few weeks.

Isn't that pretty for three bucks?  (it's fake!)

It was a lovely day to be out and about...the Seneca River:

Orange Guy:  he thinks he BELONGS on the table!

Yesterday afternoon, I dragged the girls out for a walk...

It was almost 40 degrees, and sunny!

Dinner was fantastic last night.  We stopped into Price Chopper because they had sirloin steak for $2.99 a pound.  It was a nice day, and Jonathan agreed to grill.  I made fries in the air fryer, I only ate ONE, and steamed some broccoli, which I then swirled around in the frying pan with some butter.  mmm.   After dinner, I finished off the keto peanut butter cookies I made the other day.  They weren't truly "keto", because I used regular peanut butter, which has sugar in it, but I made them with almond flour, and "fake" sugar.  They weren't the best, and weren't the healthiest, but it's nice to have a cookie!

I have the ingredients for my triple batch of chocolate chip cookies, all set out on the counter.  It seems to have become a Friday thing, baking cookies.  The first tray is for Camille, no chocolate chips, just some rainbow sprinkles...16 kids, and everyone of them, spoiled rotten ha.  

tulips and target and sunshine....

 Let's start off with this:  it's sunny outside! The sunshine on the snow reflects into the house, highlighting the dust, ha.  It's really nice, and warming up today to a respectable 32 degrees! (0c).  

Last night's dinner:  chicken pot pie.  I'll give the general recipe, but be warned, I don't use recipes!  My pot pies are never exactly the same!

Yesterday, I used a can of cream of chicken soup, a 32 ounce chicken broth, and some water.  I put about 5 pounds of frozen chicken breast in it, a generous sprinkling of rosemary, and some pepper.  I simmered it a few hours, then pulled the chicken out and chopped it up.  I added sliced carrots, and a few potatoes, cubed.  I usually put in a bag of frozen mixed veggies, but I didn't have any.  I thickened it up with some flour and water.  (this made exactly enough for two huge pot pies, deep dish.)

The crust was the butter pie crust recipe I posted before:

2 1/2 cups flour, mixed with half teaspoon of salt

Add two sticks of cubed butter, put in food processor (or use pastry cutter to blend it in, pea size pieces for the butter...food processor is so much easier!)

Remove from processor into a big bowl, add ice cold water a little bit at a time, tossing the dough, until it seems damp enough but not soggy, form into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap and put away.  I do this twice to make two pot pies.  I roll out the dough after cooling the soupy mixture a bit, then just put them together and bake.  Oh, I top them with a bit more butter, and salt and pepper.   I've learned the hard way to bake them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper, so the butter doesn't drip all over the oven.  You'll know when they're done, they get golden brown and the house smells amazing.

The snow stopped yesterday, and it was a lovely evening.  When the setting sun reflects on the snow, wow.

A lazy pic from the kitchen window...

Tulips.  I look forward to tulips.  I love winter, but spring, ahh.  And Target, I've been avoiding Target like the plague, because it takes my money like nobody's business.  I put things carefully into the cart, things that seem worth it, thoughtful purchases, then at the register, bam, the total is significantly higher than it should be!  And who am I kidding, do I REALLY need more candles, or that cute mug, or a bag of M&M's?    yes.

Spring...I'm looking forward to being able to change things up in here, and in my room.  I've got a black comforter with red and black check on the back, and black patterned pillows, which I like...but are so wintery.  I've already got a pink duvet cover, and some khaki pillow covers, for spring.  I bought some really pretty pink floral to put slip covers on those black pillows, just to change the look and brighten it up in there.  I hope Paul doesn't mind some pink.

Of course in the midst of all these things are the trials, the realities, the things we would rather avoid, but are so necessary if we would get oil in our lamps.  To get victory over being anxious, one has to have trials that would tempt to anxiety, right?  We aren't meant to just stay in it!  

So have a really really good day, stay hopeful!