Nov. 15, 2018

It has been a nasty , wet, cold day here in Va. , USA. The temps hovered around freezing , starting the day with a couple inches of sleet and ice and then cold rain which continued all day long.

I got the outdoor chores out of the way first thing. The donkey was really glad to see his breakfast as he was in the little barn space I had cleared out for him in this dilapidated barn which is in bad shape. Doug and I had built this thing back in the 70's . A master build for two dumb kids who had never built anything . Raising the roof was the hardest part. I thought we were going to kill ourselves . I raised lots of beautiful baby goats in there and  treasured the relationship I had with them. They gave me love and lots of food for the table. Fresh sweet milk, lots of buttermilk all kinds of cheeses and a dip to can and serve with the apples. It was hard work , but I loved it and the animals who shared my heart.

Now after a big tree crashing into it it is trying to hang in there but one side of it floods when it rains now and the corner I have saved for Yukon is where I use to milk the goats at. I hope it can stand as long as Yukon is alive .

I had moved some of the chickens around last night in preparation for this storm. It is the first one of our season . I was fixing the kids breakfast when the electricity went off so I turned to the wood stove and managed to complete a hash brown , biscuits and eggs breakfast which filled us up at least.

Then Crystal had to go to her doctor and Emmett had to go for his appointment and just as they left the electricity came back on so I was able to clean up the kitchen and carry up some of the firewood that Emmett had busted up for me and put on the sidewalk. I like to keep some in the house and some just outside the door so I won't have to go down the steps out into the weather through the night. I am having trouble getting it to burn today so I am worried that the chimney is stopping up again like it did last winter and I really Hate that because it scares me to death to see anyone climb up the steep ladder and work on that dumb chimney. If anyone was to fall and break their back I would never get over it.

I had put a big pot of red beans in the crockpot last night so at least we had that for supper and I  fixed a full skillet of cornbread . So we all filled our tummies. I also had some potato salad to go with it. I have experimented with a technique I saw online where the lady just washed the potatoes and boils them with the skin on and then chops them up and adds whatever you normally add .I like it because it takes a lot of work off of you from peeling the potatoes and you know the skins are suppose to be good for you anyway so I see it as less waste?

Emmett's girlfriend , Sandra always helps me clean up and I am so appreciative for her help. She is so very sweet and so good to me. I have always loved my kids partners and considered them my family. ( Weeellll - Maybe  just one of Crystal's boyfriends way back many years ago??? He really was a dud! And I was so thrilled when she throwed him back into the waters of single people for someone else to fish for - chuckle, chuckle) Some relationships are just not meant to be but you do not know that until you test the waters as we are just human and not mind readers.

As you can see I am working on Christmas gifts . I have played around with lots of crochet slipper patterns through the years . But last year I bumped into this pattern and it kinda stuck in my memory even though I only made a couple of them. But I remembered it was simple and with my eyes fading I need simple? So I made these first two sets and really did like them . They will be for my deceased girlfriend's grandchildren. The black and white pair have pom-poms and the brown and white pair I added jingle bells as they are for a younger child and I just think they like to "make a joyful noise". lol

This set was another experiment . Last year I had made some slippers for the family with a pattern called cloud slippers because they were made with blanket yarn and they were so soft. But the pattern was so hard for me to follow?? I do not know if it was the eyes or the brain giving me a fit. So I decided to test this new pattern out with the blanket yarn and I am throughly happy with it. This pair will be for one of my granddaughters.

Emmett and Sandra went out with me just at dark and helped me do the chores in the cold rain . It was so nice to have young people padding around in the slush with me just in case I were to fall. With their help it was accomplished in half the time and I was back in the house where it is warm and dry. I am so grateful to have my children that I love and appreciative for the help and a roof over my head. God is so good.