Sunny and cold

 Up early this morning, lovely sunrise with sun and blue skies all day, however, the wind is cold.

Why was I up early?  I had the undercarriage of my car oiled, it keeps the rust from forming.  My car is a 2006, so it getting past it's prime but it still runs like clockwork and the oil must be working.....no rust.  Then I stopped at a local department store to pick up my vitamins and then to the garden center for a poinsettia.  The greenhouse was scarlet, pink and white all poinsettia's in bloom, very pretty.  Last year they had some big plants, no so this year, however, the one I got looks very nice in my living room.  Which colour do you like best, red, pink or white ?  As far as I am concerned it has to be red.  There was a sign that indicated all of their Christmas trees for all sold, so I must assume, because everyone is not going south or on a vacation somewhere, they are staying home and having a celebration in their own home. It's nice to see someone is making a living in these times.

 Lunch and then received a couple of phone calls that seem to last forever, but it was great talking to those callers.  Had not spoken to one in a long time, so it was especially nice to hear all of her news.

Puttering around this afternoon with some more Christmas decorating, house it looking a bit more festive now.  

 Dinner tonight leftovers, (the pork loin was delicious), dessert, not sure yet.

A better day

 After getting all of the "stuff" off my chest, I feel better today.  Thanks for listening.

Today is cloudy, with the sun trying to get through but so far not having much luck.  More of our snow melted yesterday, just patches left where the sun does not get to.  None in the immediate forecast either, which is fine with me.  It's cool, temp just above the zero mark, so wind blowing like it was yesterday, so feel not too bad.  

The Christmas Cactus is putting forth more blooms, please with the way it is looking this year, last time it bloomed there were only a couple of flowers.  Later in the week I plan I getting a poinsettia.  

Not much happening today, got everything that needed to be taken care of yesterday, so today I am in my sewing room.

Dinner tonight, pork loin, baked potato, rutabaga, will warm up some of the veg we had left over from last night's dinner and lemon poke cake.

 

Why bother

Move on, you may not want to read this from a miserable old lady,  

I am bitchy today, excuse the language,  it's one of those days when things are not  going just right, there is nothing wrong, but just not right.

It started yesterday, I got out some of the Christmas decorations, a wreath on the door, it is a beautiful one, so had to admire it when it  was up.  Happy.  Then the little tree, put on some lights and nice shiny balls and icicles.  Displayed some Christmas cards we have received already amongst some garland and more lights, looks OK.  Then I thought "why bother"  there is not going to be a Christmas,  No family get together, "why bother".  Looked in my cook books  for the Christmas shortbread I make, its the family's favorite cookie I make every year,  "why bother" no one will be eating them    I warned you, leave now.  

Then the toilet in the downstairs bathroom kept running and runny, for how long we don't know, I blame myself as I was the last one to use it.  It ran long enough for water to go everywhere, had to use the shop vac to suck up the water,  Hubby was ranting and raving, I admitted it could have been my fault and felt guilty as it could have ruined the floor.  He did not blame me. but I felt the words were  being directed to me  they made me feel very uncomfortable.   I  had had enough of that when I was married, it brought back some not so pleasant memories. Miserable. When I recall this I get weepy, it hurt years ago and the scars still hurt.

Today, Hubby was doing some plumbing work, I went to help, I do not know a lot about how tools work, more words, when I did not or  do what I was suppose to, "turn the screw at the end to open it".  What he was trying to do did not work so I started to write my Christmas cards, "why bother"..  

I am a social person, I need to talk to people, I go to the theatre with friends I worked with, we have been doing this for as many years as I can remember.  I used to go to a seniors exercise class, not any more.  I visit my family, my Hubbies family, they visit us, we visit his friends, my friends, my sister.  not any more.  I am "Virus fatigued" and everything just came to a head today.

 Not looking for sympathy, just venting, 

So I am going to forget that yesterday and today, never happened.  Tomorrow is another day, maybe things won't look as gloomy as the weather.

I start my eye drops in ready for surgery on Wednesday,  the sun is suppose to shine, maybe make some blueberry muffins.  Things should be better.  

  

Pink

 The sunset last night was the most beautiful one I have seen in a long time.  The entire western sky was PINK.  I took a couple of photo's but they do the real thing justice, so not going to show them.  It was the end of a day that was OK for the month of December.   A bit of sun, a bit of cloud and also a bit of wind that could be called a bite not a bit.  Temp all day was above the zero mark so a little more snow melted.

Did a few errands today, wheels retorqued from having my Winter tires put on, picked up some milk Fit later today, need to finish the quilting on my cardinal, should be done and ready to hang, maybe tomorrow.  Then I will take a photo of it and share.

Going to look though my cook books and on the internet for Christmas cookies, I usually do shortbreads which I will do again this year, but looking for something different.  Any suggestions?  What is your favorite Christmas cookie recipe, other than shortbread?  Obviously, we will not be having family over to eat them, so only going to make a couple and then freeze some, so that we have a supply of sweet treats during the holidays.

Have to contact my grandchildren to see what my great grands need in the line of clothes this year.  I suspect, as always none of them really need anything.  Toys are not on my list of things to buy them, that is up to Mum and Dad (oops Santa).  

Once my grands reach the age of 18, I do not give them anything for Christmas, what they wanted back then were things I knew nothing about, ie: electronics, and I could not afford to buy them for four.  All four are now married with spouses and doing very well.  I have two grandchildren, one 22 and one 18years,  I have been bending my "no gift after 18 rules" with them. Why? you might ask.   They have always been close to me, not just physically but emotionally too.  I was with their parents when they were put in their arms, thousands of miles away from home.  I looked after them when Mum and Dad were working shift hours to pay for all the expenses of adopting  them, internationally.  They are very smart, ambitious  and caring young ladies.  I give them some money to help with their educations for  University and College.  One is finishing her four year of Honor's B. Sc Biology and is starting her Masters in Sept.  The younger of the two, I believe I have mentioned before, has two pilot license and is going to attend College in Sept to become a pilot.  Don't get me wrong all of my grandchildren are special, each in their own way,

Well I should get this finished and do something.

Dinner tonight salmon, and we have a salad, so far, so have to decide what else we can have also need to think about dessert

Tracks

As mentioned in previous posts we live in an area where we have deer roaming free in everyone's back garden and in the wooded area across the street.  When we looked out the windows yesterday morning we could see the deer had paid us a visit.  It appears there might have been three nosing around in the garden looking for something to eat under the snow.  I mentioned to Hubby it would be interesting to see them at night through the lens of a motion sensor camera.  But, we really do not need one as we see them throughout the day.  This morning  a buck was walking down the road, as bold as could be, with his head held high and showing of his three pointer rack.   

Another sunny day and again cold.  it's 2*C but the wind is making it feel so much colder.  Water is, again dripping off the ice which formed yesterday on the roof.

Not much on the agenda today, plan on a walk after lunch, it might warm up a bit by then.  Then some sewing, there is nothing to do outside now, so plan on doing a lot more work in the sewing room in the coming weeks.

Hubby is puttering, do little odd jobs, turning of the water to the hoses, putting the bird bath upside down, it's is cement so do  not want it to crack with ice, snow and cold temps.  He is also putting his utility trailer away, we have nothing to go to the recycle depot anymore and it closes in a couple of days.

Dinner tonight lamp chops, mint sauce and left over veg from last night.  Made a .small batch of cupcakes yesterday, so we will have one for dessert.

Seven inches

After all the snow stopped falling on Monday and Tuesday, we had a total of seven inches.  More was expected over night but we had just a dusting.  Yesterday was windy, cold and snowy and today, how can two days be so different, we have beautiful blue skies and sunshine, its cold when out in the wind,  the sun has a bit of heat in it and the south facing portion of the roof has water dripping off of it.   Hubby had to removed the snow from the end of the driveway as the plough piled it there as it does every time the road is cleared.  He wanted to get it removed before it started to freeze later today.  It ends up being great big frozen clumps of snow which are difficult to remove. 

We put up some lights on the front porch and the balcony railings this morning.  I will start putting a few things up in the house in a week or two, also plan on buying a poinsettia then too.   Christmas is not Christmas if I don't have a poinsettia.  A couple of years ago, I kept one growing for two Christmas's, it was almost a tree, something happened, not sure what, however, it died.  Speaking about plants,  
we grow cherry tomato plants in pots during the Summer, in the Fall we cut the plant down and bring the pots inside, so they don't break during the cold weather.  They are stored in a cold room under our garage, this year I left the soil in the pots.  As we were looking for extension cords for the lights, we noticed one of the tomato plants had started to grow, so we moved it closer the window hoping it will grow string enough to be put outside in the Spring.  Time will tell.'

Dinner tonight, BBQ ribs, sweet potato and broccoli, dessert not sure.

Old Man Winter

 He hit with a vengeance starting last evening, and by all the warnings on TV and newspaper, we can expect snow, and blowing snow through today and into tomorrow morning.  At the time of writing this blog the time is, 11:00 a.m. and we have about five inches of snow on the ground, so we can expect at least that same amount to accumulate during the next hours. It is a wet snow that is clinging to all the branches etc, and it does look very pretty, if snow that deep can look pretty.

Hubby cleaned off the car so that we could do our early morning grocery shop and then had to do it again in the parking lot before we could drive home.  We were in the store for not quite an hour.  We are all stocked up for food for the next few days.  Once the snow removal equipment gets out on the streets and roads they will be relatively clear.   During a snow storm like this, the snow removal equipment usually do several passes, to keep the traffic moving.

Hubby will likely go out after lunch and start to clear the driveway, and he may have to do it again later in the day.  Thank goodness he has a snow blower to do the job.

I plan on sew this afternoon, I have lots in there to keep me busy

Dinner tonight chicken, baked potato, veg and not sure what dessert is tonight.