Pea Soup

 No, not the kind you eat, the weather kind.

Woke this morning to thick fog, it has since lifted and it is cloudy and damp, certainly  not the weather we normally see in this area at this time of the year.  It is quite mild, 7*C and rain is forecast for Saturday,  Another day closer to Spring with no snow and freezing temperatures.  

These dark evenings we tend to settle down for the night either reading or watching the "tube" until past midnight some nights even later.   Hubby naps for an hour or so, but I can't, so he is awake and ready to start the day shortly after 7:00 a.m. as he had his required sleep.  Me, however, I need at least 7 1/2 hours sleep each night but, have not been getting that for several nights recently, what with the holidays etc.   Last night did not get into bed until 1:00 a.m. so, this morning I slept in and my feet did not hit the floor until 8:30 a.m. Did not even need to visit the loo.    Feel a bit more ambitious today.    

I keep a diary of everything we do each day, usually at least one member of the family gives me  one for Christmas, however, did not get one this year, so had to go and buy myself one this morning.   Just happened to walk past, not that is not true, I made a beeline for the potato chip dips in the dairy counter as one kept on calling my name.  Our New Year's eve snack.  Tomorrow, well that is the day I stand on the blessed scales in the bathroom, I swear it lies.   Make a note of the number in said diary, and intend on losing some of those holiday pounds and also the ones that have a habit of  piling on over time.   This is not a new years resolution, I never keep them anyway, but a conscious effort to be healthier in the coming year and years down the road. 

Hoping this weather stays and the streets and pathways remain clear of ice and snow, wishful thinking, I know, but I plan to walk every day, even if it just a short distance.  

Hubby is out picking up some stray leaves that were missed in November, he is pleased the snow has gone so he can take care of that job at the neighbours.   They asked him to take care of the lawn and leaves earlier in the year as they rent out this property to students, and most of the time I believe they are out of the country in Bermuda.

Time to get myself moving,

Wishing all who visit my blog a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Stay safe.

Regards.

 

Slow week and Quilts.

 The days this week seem to be going so slow, not that I want to wish my life away, but yesterday, even Hubby was thinking it was Thursday and had all of the garbage ready for pickup, which is not until tomorrow.  Maybe it is because we got to the grocery store on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.   We are such creatures of habit, do something out of sequence and we are thrown off course very quickly.   

Do you have a regular routine or just wing it?

Made lots of turkey soup, some for today and tomorrow and the rest will go into the freezer for other lunches or dinners.   Not sure what we will have for dinner tonight, all the leftovers from Christmas are gone,  so will have to cook something  today, maybe something light for a change, salmon with some stuffed mushrooms on the side and a salad. Or, turkey soup, sausage rolls and a salad.  Got a couple of hours to decide.

 I have been asked to show some of the quilts I make, here are three made for my children and their spouse.   The brown one was for my DD1 and SIL, the blue for DD2 and SIL, and the green one for son and DIL.

I will show more in future posts.

Currently working on the binding for the quit for a local Women's Shelter which will be given through our guild. Also, need to start putting together the blocks for our guilds Chemo unit donation.
 

The smell is making me hungry

 The turkey bones did not get put in the soup pot yesterday, they remained in the fridge until this morning after I got the celery and carrots when we got our groceries.  Now they are gently simmering away, and as my title indicated, it smells so good, I could eat it now, but it needs some more time.   

As mentioned, we got our groceries this morning,  and the cereal aisle had a lot of empty spaces with signs indicating there was a supply issue.  Most of the missing ones were popular ones such as, corn flakes and rice crispies.  A sign of the times...could be.

We had a light dusting of snow overnight, but the temp is now 3*C so it is starting to melt, the weekend forecast is calling for rain.   Another day not having to shovel snow, so I will take it, not that I shovel snow any more.  Too hard for me to do, so Hubby uses the snow thrower.

Not much else on the agenda today, will finish the soup and continue to sew the binding down on the quilt currently be made for a local Women's Shelter.   Then I am going to put the blocks on our guilds chemo quilt together, sandwich it with batting and backing then quilt it.   Want to get those two things taken care of so I can start a new project.  Lots of ideas are running around in my head, so will need to concentrate on at least one of those.

Almost lunch time, so will get off here and get moving. 

Have a wonderful day, no matter what you are doing.

Absolutely Nothing

The title describes yesterday, as I did absolutely nothing.   Only shower, made the bed, tidied  bathrooms and kitchen.  Had leftovers for lunch and dinner,  did a bit of hand sewing on a binding for a quilt and watched TV.   Had a good night's sleep, so ready to tackle the day.

We did not get groceries as we usually do on Tuesdays, two reason, one, we still have enough of the basics until tomorrow, and two, wanted to make sure deliveries were taken care of at the grocery, so there were products on the shelves.  A lot of companies gave employees Friday and Monday off as "stat" days off due to Christmas and Boxing day were on the weekend.   

The turkey carcass is going in the pot today for soup, so that will be on the menu for the next few days.  We still have a few leftovers which will be used up for our dinner tonight.

This morning, finally able to book two appointments for our booster Covid vaccinations this morning.   Yesterday, I booked appointments in another city about 3/4 hour drive away as they had opened up spaces, however, they were for January 25th.   Tried this morning in the city where we live and was able to get two for January 22nd. and cancelled the two for the 25th.   Not as early as I had hoped to get them but at least we now have an appointment.  

Light snow yesterday morning, freezing drizzle last night and this morning temp is just above zero and we have a bit of sunshine, so some of the ice is melting.

Well the bones are calling, so will wish everyone a pleasant day. 

All Done and Dusted

Christmas that is.     It was a busy time for me and noting how I feel after two days of prepping food and cleaning up after, (I did have help from Hubby), I am done all of this work, it is now someone else's job to serve me Christmas dinner.   It is not only the physical work which is done, to me it is the mental preparations that start at the grocery store and continue on until the last mosal is finished.  Don't get me wrong I love doing all of this work, my mind says "Yes, you can do it", but the body is saying today "You are an idiot, slow down".   So for future Christmas's I am listening to my body.

For dinner on Christmas day there were 10 people around the table.  Turkey, stuffing, rolls/butter, squash, cauliflower cheese, baby peas, sauerkraut, (Hubby's late wife kept Polish traditions, so his daughter always wants the sauerkraut,), mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and a pickle tray..  Dessert, homemade cherry cheesecake,  shortbread cookies, butter tarts and mince tarts.   Hubby's DIL brought a trifle and DIL's Mother and brought brought a bottle of white wine.  Boxing Day, nine people from my family, (one GD was working), we just had nibblies, polish sausage, cheese, crackers, chips and horseradish dip, sausage rolls, shimp, pickle tray.  Sweet tray held, shortbread cookies, tarts mentioned above, chocolates, and leftover cheesecake.   I don't buy booze these days, so if anyone wanted a special drink, it was BYOB, and that worked out very well.

We had a green Christmas and Boxing Day with the temps above the zero degree mark, which is just the way I like it.  This morning, we have a dusting of snow.  In my diary from last year on Boxing Day  we had eleven inches of snow on the ground.  

The turkey has been striped and the bones are currently waiting in the fridge, eventually to become soup tomorrow, which will be on the menu for a couple of days.   

I did not hear from my son or DIL during the weekend, at first I was upset, but now have come to accept the fact that those things are a part of the cycle of life.   They live a good two hours or more drive away, they have children and now a granddaughter, so they are busy with them celebrating.   But, in my heart feel as if I am forgotten, my argument, a phone call takes such a small amount of time but can mean so much.  I am done initiating calls,, not just to family, but also friends that I thought were "friends".   Sounding like a miserable b$#ch, but the world we live in at the present time also adds to the feeling of desertion.  If I didn't have Hubby I just can't imagine what my life would be if I was living alone. 

On a positive note, my youngest GD "C" received fantastic results from the first semester final exams she wrote a couple of weeks ago for a light training.   Second  youngest GD "K" as I am mentioned previously is working on her Masters in Biology, informed up yesterday, she will be "fast forwarding" her Masters studies in September 2022, to start a five year course of studies to receive a PHD in Biology.  She is currently doing research in a lab, which she hopes will eventually result in her creating crops that will be able to grow in the climate changes of the future.  Both of them are Asian and have received many unfavourable  comments regarding the Covid virus.  

Dinner tonight, LEFTOVERS, easy peasy.

Have a great day.

 

SIGH!

It is not a sigh of frustration, it's a sigh of RELIEF.   Received a call from my grandson early this morning,  "Hi Grandma, we have A's test back and she is negative".   Thank goodness she is not ill. She and the family can go to see Grandma and Pappa late on Dec. 26th and everything will be OK.  We can get on with preparations for our dinner which will be happening late tomorrow.

Good news all around, as my sister and her family have received negative test results also.

Residents in this area have been advised to ditch the blue face masks and use the N95, sounds good for those who can find them and purchase them.  Twice Hubby had to go to a store which was selling them, first time they were out of stock and was told to return later in the day as a new shipment was coming in.  He was able to get some for both of us and his daughter.   How people who are not able to go to this store to get them or who have to make the choice between getting these masks and buying food is beyond me, as they are not cheap.

We had about 2 inches of snow late yesterday and over night, but it is now melting and should all be gone by morning, if the forecast is correct as rain is expected tonight and tomorrow.   Green Christmas for us.

So, I now need to get myself moving and close by saying.

If you have been good Santa will come and visit you and bring everything you wished for.   I am wishing for Peace, Happiness and Health for all of my family, friends and the world.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS.  

Baking

 Shortbread cookies, butter tarts and a few mince tarts all made this afternoon.  Now, having a few minutes sit down before I start getting dinner ready.   Can't really say "start" as we are leftovers from yesterday's and the day before dinner.   I am sure some of you are saying yucky, but I hate throwing away good food just because it has been in the fridge for a day or two. Dinner is---roast beef, asparagus, squash,  and I might do a salad to balance it all out.  Have no idea for dessert, maybe one of those baking items for me, Hubby well, we shall see what he wants, likely nothing.

He has been doing some errands this afternoon, just arrived home.  Yesterday, he said he no longer wants or needs to work, it has taken two years for him to come to that conclusion.  

Seventy two hours since we saw our great granddaughter, so keeping our fingers crossed we remain free of the virus.

Cool and cloudy today, a few little flakes in the air but really nothing  to mention.   It appears we might have a green Christmas, which is just fine with me.

Well, dinner was perfect, no pots and pans to wash, my kind of dinner.

Taking it easy for a while, been on my feet all afternoon, going to watch TV after 8:00 p.m.