Beginning with Friday

I have the weekend off. And, I have a few plans if the weather cooperates. I did have frost on my truck when I left for work at 6 Friday morning, but the day warmed up nicely, though it was breezy.

I picked up some tomato and pepper plants Friday afternoon, so I’ll be planting them in the raised beds. I hope to also develop another bed while I’m at it. Because there is still a moderate danger of frost, I’ll use old milk jugs as hot caps for the tender plants.

The rest of the stuff I planted seems to be growing, though it’s still pretty small right now. The onions really took off so maybe soon I’ll be enjoying those fresh. I also hope to have enough to dehydrate some. I’ve been thinking about getting another 2 pounds of them to put here and there so I’ll be sure and have plenty, since they seem to be something that grows nicely here.

I also hope to start hanging laundry out again. I don’t have a dryer, so I’ve been just hanging small loads in the bathroom and turning the heater on low when the nights have been chilly.

Technorati Tags: gardening,weather

Stormy Wednesday

I had to be at work at 5:30 this morning, and it was already hot and muggy at that early hour. It’s been mere days since I’ve complained of the cold weather, so I’m not about to complain about the warmth…at least, not yet.

The sky was off and on overcast, with the clouds becoming darker and darker as the day progressed. A few times, the sun shone through the clouds but that did not make me happy. I know from living where I do that the sunshine on days like this will only serve to heat up the atmosphere and make it more unstable.

It did rain a little now and then, but it wasn’t until after I arrived back home this afternoon that the actual storms started rolling in. Thunder, lightning, heavy downpours of rain, and brief power outages were the worst of it for us, along with moments of high wind. Folks not too distant north of us, though, were hit by what is reported as a tornado. There was a lot of damage there – a church was destroyed, a semi was overturned on the highway, and many homes were damaged. I’m sure by tomorrow there will be even more reports of damage in the small towns and communities up that way.

We hurried to get supper on the table in case the storm knocked our power out. We also put our larger inverter under the hood of my truck, ran a power cord from it to inside the house, and waited to see if we’d need to hook it to the truck battery and start the truck running if the power stayed off. (That inverter will pull the battery down pretty quickly if we don’t keep the truck running.) We never did need the inverter so we’ll have to be sure and put it back inside before I go to work in the morning.

The local storm warnings were to end around 7:30 pm, but even as late as 9 pm we were getting some close-by thunder and lightning, and the power flickered off and on a couple more times. At the time I’m writing this, though, I think everything has moved on and out of our area.

Technorati Tags: weather

Weekend update

I wound up having to work yesterday after all which meant I couldn’t set up a table at the old fashioned days event at the little feed store up the road. I was pretty disappointed about that, but at least I did get off work in time to attend it for about an hour and a half. There were lots and lots of folks still there along with various vendors of old fashioned goods and a few that demonstrated old ways of doing things. There was also a band of several Mennonite teens who played guitars, fiddle, and mandolins. They played and sang old Gospel songs. The afternoon was very enjoyable and the weather was springtime perfect, too.

Today, we went shopping. Not my favorite activity but it’s needful if there are to be groceries in the house. I was able to take advantage of double coupons for a lot of what I bought. That really helped the overall grocery bill considerably. I shopped at a large grocery store in Big Town and a smaller one in the town where I live. They both had things on sale that I had coupons for so I came away with a lot more groceries and toiletries than I normally would have for less money than I would have normally spent.

It’s been overcast all day. The weather is predicted to be stormy in the coming days. That’s to be expected in the spring. At least it’s not frigid anymore. Maybe winter really is behind us for this year.

Technorati Tags: weather,shopping

After the weekend

I have been mildly curious lately about how long some products last around here. For instance, coffee. I am the only coffee drinker in the house so it probably lasts longer than it seems like it does. But, today I opened a new package of coffee then put a note on the fridge that has the date, the size of the package, and a tally mark indicating the first pot brewed from it.

I’ll be doing this with other things, too, such as dish liquid, soap, shampoo…just whatever comes to mind. I don’t exactly know why I’m doing it except to satisfy my own curiosity.

In other news…spring time has failed to really make its appearance. Our state has had snow, freezing temperatures, icy windshields, and very cold, strong winds this past week. It looks like it’s going to continue, too, for a few more days. I’d already planted a few things in the garden on the one warm day we did have. I hope those things grow. I kind of think they will since they are cool weather veggies.

As for laundry, I usually try to hang clothes outside, but this weather has that all fouled up lately and I’ve been hanging them inside, in the bathroom. Because of the uncertainty of the weather, I’ve seriously been thinking about visiting a whirlpool dryer repair place to see if they have a used dryer I can get at a decent price. The next thing, though, would be to find a place for it in my tiny house!

I’m going to try my hand at making Hot Cross Buns. I found a recipe online that I’m going to try. It seems easy enough, even though it is a yeast bread. Of course, I bake several kinds of yeast bread so it really shouldn’t be much different.

Technorati Tags: weather,cooking

Gardening and weather

Last weekend was so beautiful. Warm and sunny and everything spring days should be. So nice, in fact, that we were able to get out in the garden beds and do some work there. Using a “Claw”, we loosened the soil in the raised beds and were able to plant radishes, lettuce, carrots, and 2.5 pounds of onion sets. We also planted lettuce and radishes in some hanging pots, just to see how that would work out.

The pots were given to us by a friend who had originally bought them to resell at a yard sale last year. She was tired of having them stacked up in her garage, though, so we benefitted from her desire to clean her garage and get rid of stuff. We had taken down a couple of round raised beds (kits you can get at the Big Box Store) and reused the soil and composted matter to fill several of the pots. Now to watch and see if they work out ok for a suspended garden.

This being The Natural State, naturally the weather took a turn for the worst the rest of the week. It got colder. It got rainy. Then Thursday night, it got snowy! We received about 2 inches of snow, although it was gone by the next afternoon. However, we are left with unseasonably cold temperatures, overcast skies, and chances for rain storms this weekend. I’m pretty sure the groundhog is a big fat liar! I was so hoping to be able to do some more gardening and yard work while I’m off this weekend, but it’s just too miserable outside to do anything.

Technorati Tags: gardening,weather

Last weekend of February 2013

This is the last weekend in February. It’s been quite a month for wintry weather, as were the previous couple of months. From all indications, it may not be over with, either.

While it’s not set in stone, exactly, the forecast models are beginning to show a chance of more frozen precipitation in the upcoming week. Mostly it will be in the northern part of the state. That’s still not good, though, as I have plans to go see Mom this week and won’t be able to if there is ice or other frozen stuff in that area. Meanwhile, I’ll just continue as if I’m going and get my clothes and stuff ready for Tuesday.

Tomorrow, Monday, will be the last day of an 8 day stretch of work so I could have the days off I wanted this coming week. I’m tired today, but after tomorrow will be 4 days of rest and good visiting. I’m really looking forward to it!

Technorati Tags: weather

Winter weather saga continues

Crazy, whacky weather. Last night, we had strong thunderstorms that caused the lights to flicker a bit. Thankfully, they didn’t go out. Then this morning, as I was heading out the door at 5 AM to go to work, I nearly did the splits on the front porch. Ice! And, my truck door was nearly frozen shut so I had to really yank on it to get it open.

This afternoon, it warmed into the 50s, which was pleasant enough. Now, tonight, it’s already 32 degrees and dropping under a clear sky.

Tomorrow afternoon, though, will bring the biggest change and I’m not looking forward to it at all. We are predicted to receive ice, sleet, and freezing rain, and it looks like this time it will actually hit. A week or so ago it was predicted but stayed too warm and it turned out to be just a little rain. This time around, though, there is supposed to be maybe 1/2 inch accumulation of ice. Not real thick ice, but certainly hazardous if you’re driving.

I’m really hoping this is the final throes of winter before spring-like weather finally arrives. Depending on the timing of this winter storm, I may not be able to get to work for a day. I’m sure one day will be it, but I can’t really afford to miss work, what with rising gas prices and all.

Son has been battling the flu but seems to be getting better. He is eating and tonight we have white bean soup, potatoes, and onion rolls. He didn’t overeat, but he did eat a satisfactory amount. When I had the flu, as I was actually getting over it, I lost my appetite for about 3 days. Only after stern words from Son did I force myself to eat, and that helped me get even better. It seemed like nothing I ate had any taste to it, but I guess I really did need to get some food into me.

Technorati Tags: weather,health

President’s Day 2013

The weekend was pretty peaceful, as things usually go around here. I got the crocheted dishcloths done for Younger Daughter, and I started on some for myself. They are really wonderful for washing dishes and scrubbing stubborn, stuck-on foods off the dishes.

I went to work at 5:45 this morning, feeling fairly well-rested. Except for a trip to Big Town to pick Son up (he texted me saying he was quite sick), the rest of the weekend was good.

This afternoon, after I’d returned home from work, I finished fixing the chicken noodle soup that I’d started last night in the crock pot. It was made with one of our home grown chickens that we had in the freezer, so I wanted to be sure it was very tender, which it was.

About the time we finally sat down to eat, it started pouring rain, thundering, and lightning. The lights flickered but the power did stay on, thank goodness. It was raining so hard that the large solid glass windows on the front of the house looked like wall fountains from our perspective. I’m just glad the downpour and storm didn’t begin until well after I’d arrived home.

I brought home some electrolyte beverages for Son, since he now seems to have the full-blown flu. I’d picked up orange juice for him yesterday and he’s been sipping on that, too. But today the bug attacked his tummy which meant he lost everything he’d tried to eat during the day. He did eat a good supper of the chicken noodle soup, though, and so far it has stayed down alright. I can hear him sneezing his head off in the next room even now, though. I just hope I don’t catch it again! I also hope he can get some rest.

Technorati Tags: flu,illness,storm

Friday catching up

Well, I didn’t follow through with blogging every day on here, did I?

It’s been a long week. I wound up working 7 days straight due to the way my days off were arranged. But now, I do have the weekend off, so I’m happy about that. Maybe I can get some things accomplished around the house, plus make some breads.

Tuesday evening, we went and had supper with Younger Daughter. She served up chicken spaghetti, green beans, and some of the homemade jalapeno cheese bread I’d given her for Christmas. Then, for dessert, she made a double chocolate layer cake with double chocolate icing. Afterward, I enjoyed a cup of Keurig coffee. I’d never actually seen one of those coffee makers in action, so it was interesting to brew just one cup of flavored coffee. It wouldn’t work very well for me at home since I brew a pot full every time. (I will drink more than just one cup of coffee.) But she likes it because her hubby can have a cup of coffee when he wants, and she can have a cup of hot chocolate when she wants. There’s no waste that way for them.

It was all delicious and we had a nice long visit, too. This was her belated birthday present to me, since I’d been sick around my actual birthday and we had to postpone this dinner. I had a lot of fun there, though, so it was well worth the wait.

The really big news is that a convenience store near where I work was raided by police Thursday. We could see all manner of county sheriff’s cars, state police, and local town police surrounding the building and blocking all entrances to the store. It turned out the owner of that store and a store in another smaller town north of us was selling K-2 and “bath salts”, He was arrested and charged with felonies. They also found a handgun and about $30,000 cash on the premises. Quite exciting for our very small town! It was hard to keep everyone’s attention on our business with all that going on across the parking lot from us!

The rest of the week was pretty ordinary. We’ve gotten a lot of precipitation this winter, and this week we’ve gotten rain. We should be getting more rain over the weekend. I don’t have any outdoor plans this weekend, and even if I did, that wouldn’t stop them from being rained out.

Technorati Tags: coffee,birthday,family

Update for this week

I haven’t been very diligent about posting here, but sometimes I think my life really just isn’t interesting enough. However, I need to set my schedule at home so that I’m posting something every day, anyway.

This past week I spent 4 days at Mom’s house, and visited with Sis and her hubby, who live right next door. As always, I had a great visit and hated to leave and come back home. But, I have a job and I need that for bill paying!

We didn’t have a lot of activities this week. Mostly, Mom and I worked on her jigsaw puzzles. I really enjoy them, but I don’t have enough room in my little house to keep one set up and going.

One of the days I was there, we made Candy Apple Jelly. This is a beautiful, clear, jewel-red jelly made from apple juice and red hot candies. It’s delicious, too, with meats or even on toast.

One night, some terrible storms rolled through. We didn’t get any damage at Mom’s or at my house, about 100 miles south of there. However, there were three tornadoes plus high straight-line winds that did cause damage and death in other parts of the state. Now, even in Arkansas, winter tornadoes never used to occur. But in recent years, and even recent months, we’ve had some very strange weather events. From a blizzard to ice to spring-like storms, all within an 8 week period. We never know what to look for from day to day, or even how to dress when we leave that house in the morning!

Technorati Tags: family,weather

Roller coaster temperatures

“If you don’t like the weather now, just wait a day and it’ll surely change!” Boy, that is the absolute truth where I live! Starting Christmas night, we had a record setting snowstorm. In fact, it hadn’t snowed on Christmas at all in 86 years until this year. But let me tell you, the snowfall we got this time made up for all those years when it didn’t fall. See, it was also a record for depth, with some places getting over 13 inches of snow in a 24 hour period. Between that and the sleet and freezing rain that came along with it, there were trees and power lines down everywhere and so many people without power.

Fast forward to this week: It’s now January 6 and we are looking ahead to temperatures in the 50s along with some strong thunderstorms and lots of rain. It’s no wonder so many people are getting sick. There just isn’t any way to know how to dress from one day to the next. Overnight lows might be in the teens while daytime highs might be in the 50s. So confusing!

The only solution is to dress in layers, topping it all off with the best patagonia winter coats, and be able to gradually peel off the layers as the day warms up.

Technorati Tags: weather

Snow on Christmas Day

Well, the winter weather did materialize. Boy, did it ever! We got about 8 inches of snow at our house. Some areas near here got up to 13 inches of snow. Almost 200,000 people are without power, not from the snow itself but from the sleet storm that preceded it. This is the first time we’ve seen snow on Christmas Day in 86 years!

Roads are treacherous due to that layer of ice under the snow, and the daytime temperatures aren’t melting a lot of it off. Tonight’s low is expected to be in the 20s, maybe dipping down into the teens.

For some of you, this may seem like no big deal. But this is Arkansas and the part of the state where my Mother and Sister live were under actual blizzard warnings! I can’t remember, in my life, ever hearing of a blizzard warning this far south.

I’m adding a few pictures so you can see what it’s like at my house. Many places were much worse and we were fortunate not to be among those who lost power. They are saying some folks may not have power back for 7 more days.

 

Technorati Tags: snow,weather

Potential snow storm

It’s Christmas so Merry Christmas to you all!

Normally, in the state where I live, there’s not much chance of snow on Christmas. It’s not unheard of, of course, but it so rarely occurs.This time, though, the predictions are for a 100% chance of rain, sleet, and snow for Christmas day and for the day or so before and after it.

I had made plans to go visit my Mother the 3 days following Christmas, but now that we’re under a winter storm warning, I’m thinking that I won’t be able to safely drive the 80 or so miles, now over potentially dangerous highways. I’m actually thinking that my old truck would need vehicle lifts just to get it out of the driveway!

A couple of years ago it snowed so deeply that the underside of my truck was hitting the snow as I drove along. And, my brakes got ice and snow on them making it impossible to stop.

Technorati Tags: snow,weather

Veteran's Day observed 2012

Today is Veteran's Day observed, which means that the banks are closed and so is the post office. It also means that at work, we couldn't buy change from the bank because, well, it was closed. I guess nobody thought about that on Saturday morning.

I worked a very early shift this morning. Though working at that ungodly hour isn't my favorite thing to do, at least I was back home by noon, leaving me time to do some things at home that are my favorite things. First thing I did was fix myself a big mug of chai tea from my homemade mix. It's been chilly all day, and a little breezy, so the chai hit the spot.

Next, I started some bread dough in the machines. I want to get the dough done, let it rise again, then bake in in regular loaf pans. The result is so much nicer from pans than from the machines, although the machines are a lot less trouble. I also perused some recipes for artisan breads and a flat bread that I want to try.

I put supper in a slow cooker -- small pork roast with onions, apple slices, and canned potatoes -- so I didn't have to tend to it much.

Then I started looking online at ways to actually pump water from our well in case of a power outage, or at least pump water from our rainwater cachement system. I may need to look into hydraulic valves and plumbing supplies to really make an effective way to get that water pumping while running it using a generator or solar panel battery bank.

So much to think about when colder weather starts coming in!

Technorati Tags: shopping,work,weather

Friday purging

Slept late again, but I can't do that tomorrow morning. I have to be at work at 7 AM. I mostly just did this and that when I got up. Threw a couple loads of laundry in to wash. It was a drizzly day, so I hung up what I could in the bathroom. The rest of the laundry will have to wait until it's sunny again, but I've got enough done to get by at least a couple of days.

After lunch, Son and I started purging more stuff out of my bedroom. I found some things I'll probably try to sell online, and other things that just needed to be tossed. I have old clothes that I don't know why I ever kept them, so I'll donate them. Another afternoon or two should have all the purging done, I think. Son is more merciless than I am and questioned me on everything I said I might want to keep, which really helped me see clearly that I have simply accumulated too much!

Supper was breakfast -- scrambled eggs with cheese, toasted homemade honey white bread, bacon, and jelly. Son had hot chocolate with his, while I had coffee with mine. After getting so much done in the bedroom, we were ready for an easy-to-fix meal and a night's rest. We didn't actually eat until around 7:30.

After that, I watched some Netflix and it was time to go to bed.

Technorati Tags: cleaning

Monday musings

We had some rain during the night, but Monday morning started off sunny and breezy. The clothes that got hung out yesterday evening needed to hang a little longer to get dry. I was off work again today, so it's all ok. I don't go in until 11 AM tomorrow.

I began my day with coffee with milk in it. I wasn't really hungry, probably because of the heavy meal of rabbit dumplings I had last night. Got the house tidied up a bit and put more bread in the machines. This time, I wanted to just make dough and let it rise, then put it in bread pans to bake for more manageable sized loaves. Bread machine loaves are oddly shaped and sometimes difficult to store in regular gallon zip bags. I made cinnamon/raisin/molasses bread and honey bran bread.

I put my basil plants near the back door to see if they would continue growing for awhile. The back door is all glass and lets quite a bit of sunlight through during the mornings. I used two 2-gallon buckets, placed upside down, to lift the pots off the cold floor and to help catch water when I water them.

The laundry was dry, in spite of last night's rain, so I brought it in. Got the animals fed while I was out there. Son found a rather large tarantula outside, so we naturally had to catch it and take its picture. Sadly, the chickens spied it and the large spider became lunch for one of the birds.

Supper was leftovers from last night, and they were still very tasty. The bread wound up being made in the machines since I haven't set up a proofing box for dough, yet. It's still quite good, though.

Technorati Tags: cooking,weather

Stormy Saturday

I really didn't want to get up and around this morning. It was our chilliest morning thus far, and all I really wanted to do was stay wrapped up in my warm electric throw. But, I did have to go to work so I made myself brave the chilly house to get ready then headed on to work. I arrived early enough to get some hot coffee in me before I had to clock in.

It's Saturday so it was naturally pretty busy starting at around 8 AM. It gets busy a little later in the day on the weekends. Today was no different.

On my break, I ventured outside with my jacket and hoodie on, after I'd eaten a lunch of Mediterranean Noodles leftover from last night's supper. I even took a couple of pictures of the wildflowers that grow just at the edge of our break area. To me, it's like an oasis at the spot since everywhere else around it is pavement and concrete.

We got a little rain during the day, before it was time for me to come home. I arrived at home and had just walked in the door when it began thundering loudly. In just a few minutes, we were getting hail like crazy, followed by rain. It all passed through pretty quickly, but it sure got a lot colder after that. I even got a space heater out and fired it up in the living room, to help warm it up a bit in here.

I finally got brave enough to change out of my work clothes and put my flannel pajamas on, even though it was only about 3:30 in the afternoon. I drank a cup of hot chocolate, then another one, before I felt even the least bit warmed up. I turned on my electric throw and bundled up in it until I felt like I could function making some dinner.

Predictions are for frost and freeze warnings covering a large portion of our state tonight. I fetched in my potted basil plants and covered the potted tomato plants I'd started over a month ago.

Supper was this and that from the leftovers in the fridge. The space heater in the living room helped warm it up but it's time to get the other two out and in place -- one in the bathroom and one in the kitchen -- in order for the house to be warm. We have neglected to replace the plastic on the windows, too, so we'll need to do that chore as soon as possible.

Technorati Tags: weather,work

So cold!

Ok, I'm cold. No, I mean really cold. It's been a rainy, windy day today and the rain just stopped a little while ago. It's still windy out and I did have the kitchen window wide open to let in the fresh air, but it's just a little too fresh now!

I'm wrapped up on the couch with an electric throw that was given to me by my Nephew and his wife last winter. They know I get cold easily and this throw is jut perfect.

I don't know what I'll do when truly cold weather sets in. It seems like very year I'm less able to tolerate it. If I had a lot of money in the bank, I'd just stay home all winter and rarely leave for any reason. I'm really dreading going to work in the morning because it's supposed to be a chilly 45 degrees then. Brrrr!

Technorati Tags: weather

Stormy Thursday

Started the day with Mom taking a shower this morning. After that, I jumped in the shower, then tossed a load of laundry in the washer.

We piddled around doing nothing, really, for a little while, then walked across the yard to Sis' house. I took care of their cats, both inside and outside ones, then Mom and I sat down to finish the jigsaw puzzle. It was a doozy to work, but we got it finished just before lunch.

I fixed Mom a mix of her ramen noodles and some chicken noodle soup, served with a warm biscuit and cheese. I had just the chicken noodle soup and a couple of biscuits. After lunch, she headed to the couch for a nap and I headed to the beauty shop to get my hair cut while she was sleeping.

Got it cut a little shorter this time, but basically it's the same cut - a shag. When I tried to leave, my truck wouldn't start. Over the past couple of weeks it's been giving me problems with that, but usually just adjusting the battery cable fixes it. However, raising the hood is a big issue because the cable that unlatches it is stretched or something. Anyway, I called Sis and she and her Hubbie recommended that I call their mechanic and have him come fix it or at least take me back to their house. I called, and the fellow that came couldn't get the hood up either because he didn't bring tools with him. (It turns out he wasn't in his own vehicle, so there were no tools in it.)

He brought me back to Sis' house and said he'd go back and see about getting my truck started. I arrived home before Mom even woke up. All told, I was probably only gone about 40 minutes or so. Later, he called and said the battery was about shot and the cable needed repair. He said he'd put the cheapest battery in it that he has and fix the end of the cable. Later, he brought the truck back but didn't know how much it would all cost. He'll bill my brother-in-law, whom he's known for many years, and then I'll settle up with him.

A little while before supper, a call came on Sis' phone from the weather service saying there was a strong storm in the area. Sure enough it hit, making the lights brown-out every so often. The power never did go out, though. We gathered a few candles just in case, but they weren't needed. I got supper on in between brown-outs. We had baked potatoes topped with chili, chopped sweet onions, sour cream, and cheese. It was tasty and filling.

As soon as we could, we headed back to Mom's. She was anxious to get back home despite the fact that it was still raining a little. I had already scouted out the path to make sure how I wanted her to go, since I didn't want her slipping in any mud or walking through any puddles.

Later, we snacked on yogurt for Mom and chocolate pudding cup for me. We also had cookies and whipped topping, and a cup of coffee. Nice yummy snack for this wet, rainy weather. We watched a little TV (Mom had a hard time finding anything she considered worth watching), then headed to bed after the nightly news.

Technorati Tags: automobile,repair,weather

Wednesday stuff

It wasn't a real busy day today for Mom and me. We ate breakfast of toast and jam, with coffee, then headed over to Sis' house.

I let her cats come in from the sun room, cleaned up after them, fed the outside cats, and then Mom and I proceeded to work on a jigsaw puzzle. We worked on that for a little while, then had lunch. She had ramen noodles and cheese toast, and I had leftover lasagna and cheese toast.

Mom worked on the puzzle for a bit longer while I started a craft project of painting on a pumpkin for Sis. After a few minutes, Mom was ready to take a nap and headed to the couch. I continued with the painting project, letting it dry between coats so it would cover better and not smear.

I also made an appointment for a haircut for Thursday afternoon. I'll be going while Mom is napping.

Thought I heard thunder this afternoon, and it was a bit overcast, too. I checked radar on my phone and it did show a line of showers/storms coming toward us, However, all that drifted northward and missed us entirely.

After Mom woke up, we had supper of chicken noodle soup and biscuits with honey. Very satisfying! We returned to the puzzle after supper, then when we tired of that, headed back to Mom's house. We have gotten a lot done on the puzzle, though. I'm sure we'll return to it before lunch tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: puzzle,weather