Dying eggs

I decided that I really wanted to dye eggs this year. It was a blast, even if I was alone. I did a dozen normally...planned to go back and decorate them, and did a dozen cracking them, and soaking them in dye over night. Both groups turned out beautifully!!!!

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Cassie is loving the catnip!!!!

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Saturday Morning

Happiness....my quest... Today, I decided I really wanted to go to the Farmers Market, Homegrown Market, on Hermanville. A really awesome place! I slept till about 8...emailed back and forth with my favorite Organic Dairy farmer, and then headed to the market with Trinity. Beautiful herbs, veggies....lots of friends!!! I could go broke there, and the season hasn't really even started. I got spinach and catnip from the Sasscers, onions and bread from the Trossbachs, and the Dill, Napini, parsley and chervil from Even Star Farm. Yummmmy!!!  After that, I headed up to Loveville, to Mahlon Stauffers to get flowers. Two big pots of purple Wave Petunias, a pot of pansies, a pot of Gerber Daisies, and a porch pot of lettuces. A quick stop to Zimmerman for asparagus, and now I am home. Eggs are on. Country style spare ribs are marinating in Cowboy Spice Rub and Woodpecker cider. When I am ready to cook them, i'll put them on the grill with Wild Turkey bbq sauce. YUMMY!!!!! And way too much fun watching the babies explore the catnip!

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Home

Ok...home now. Friday night. BRRRRR!!!!!!!  Chilly!!! I got home, got my stuff out, and curled up to watch tv and chill. Watched Dollhouse episode 2. Pretty cool!!! Critters were all curled up around me. Ahhhhh this is definitely a good thing!

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Friday night

Ok...its Good Friday. A day of prayer and reflection....and work. The store was busy, and I was there alone. Ed and Sue were away. I remained as calm as possible... Once work was over, as soon as I could, I headed out. After talking to Mom and Christine, I decided to dye some eggs.... I really wanted to dye some eggs. Everyone has been posting ideas for Easter eggs. So...I decided to stop at Target to get stuff for eggs. I discovered that egg dye is not expensive at all, just $1.50 per box. Ok....it would have been cheaper, had I not found other things I wanted to buy. Oh well....it will be fun.

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Finding My Own Happiness

Ok...after some absolutely crazy weeks, I am making a concerted effort to relax this weekend, stop and smell the flowers, and do some things I want to do. I'll update my progress as it goes....thinking that I will expand it into next week.

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Changes

It's been a rough few months here....lots of changes, and maybe more to come. 

Work....well, Erin was leaving, so Livi was hired, and then Livi left, and Erin was still here, so she came back, but then she had some problems she had to work out, and now she's gone. Sue's mom died, so she's been dealing with that since before January 1st, and the funeral was last week. Her birthday is tomorrow, so Ed has her in Atlantic City to celebrate....eh....more to get her mind off of things.

Home...my critters...Aurora and Boxcar died within a week of each other this fall. I still dont know which was harder to deal with, Aurora who was such a shock, and so fast, or Boxcar, who I tried my best to save, and in the end, it wasnt to be. Raley....the newby who was left in front of Mary and Ray's house...what a blessing she has been. She's funny, and happy go lucky, and cheerful, and playful...and so loving and super smart. She keeps Herman running, and has become Trinity's faithful friend. Herman....King Herman. He is firmly King now....in charge of the house. Trinity is his partner...but Cassie and Raley definitely listen to him. He just looks to Trinity to be the muscle. Trinity...so proud of her. She has been incredibly wonderful!!! She adjusted to Raley so well. Trin has become quite the traveler and adaptor. She has now been to NY 6 times, PA once, Frederick- 3 times, Mom and Dad's- too many to count, Brian and MB's-twice, and GA-twice. She now comes back when called, or when I tap the horn, she's allowed to run at the Landing, unless there are others there. She swims after crabs, and sticks and more, and she's the dearest sweetest dog ever!!!!

The house....finally getting a few things done that I've wanted to do for a while. I got the spare bedroom mostly cleaned out of Pat's stuff. Still have some to go, and I'd really like to find a new home elsewhere for the desk monstrosity....elsewhere like the landfill, or a yardsale...or something like that. We'll see.

I've gotten into way too many projects....baby blanket, socks, big blanket knit along, cross stitch, so so so much more. And its kind of gotten out of hand. So...I say now...no more for now. (Of course, I will probably stop on the way home.) Thats not even including a few quilts....and photos....tons of photos.

I am trying to decide what to do this weekend. Because of some problems earlier in the week, I am not going to be able to go to NC. Mom and Dad are upset....very upset. Maybe later...I hope. I am thinking if it's nice, maybe Trin and I will drive up to Great Falls, or something like that. I dont know.

Upcoming projects

Ok, thinking this might be one of my upcoming projects.... My friend Tina wants me to make several of them for her.
http://knittensmittens.blogspot.com/2011/11/mountain-man-bearded-cap.html

The drive down....wild weather

Big fun!!

A great weekend!!! Thats what it was....lots of wide open spaces, fun animals, clean air, one of my best friends, lots of laughs, some tears, walking, working. It was awesome!!!! I cant wait to go again!!! Even a bit of snow... Loved it!

Scared

Ok, lots of changes going on. I have a big day tomorrow. Could mean huge changes, and hopefully, they'll be great changes. I'm nervous about it, but we'll see.
Its been a long weekend here....frustrating and sad at times. But also some fun...and I have gotten a few projects accomplished, so thats good. I got a pair of mittens and a washcloth finished, and then started a new pair of socks. My heart is sad though....Kathie's father died. Mr Densmore was so sweet. I know he will be dreadfully missed. I wanted to see Kathie, but this isnt how I wanted to see her. I will be there for her...whatever she needs. Its going to be a long week.

January 7 – St. Distaff's Day

William Hone, The Every Day Book, 2 Vols. London: William Tegg, 1825, 1827.
Volume 1
ST. DISTAFF'S DAY, OR ROCK DAY.
The day after Twelfth-day was so called because it was celebrated in honour of the rock, which is a distaff held in the hand, from whence wool is spun by twirling a ball below. It seems that the burning of the flax and tow belonging to the woman, was the men's diversion in the evening of the first day of labour after the twelve days of Christmas, and that the women repaid the interruption to their industry by sluicing the mischief-makers. Herrick tells us of the custom in his Hesperides: —
St. Distaff's day, or the morrow after Twelfth-day.
Partly work, and partly play,Ye must on S. Distaff's day:From the plough soone free your teame,Then come home and fother them.If the maides a spinning goe,Burne the flax, and fire the tow;
* * *
Bring in pailes of water then,Let the maides bewash the menGive S. Distaffe all the right,Then bid Christmas sport good-night.And next morrow, every oneTo his owne vocation.
In elder times, when boisterous diversions were better suited to the simplicity of rustic life than to the comparative refinement of our own, this contest between the fire and water must have afforded great amusement.

William Hone, The Year Book of Daily Recreation and Information. London: Thomas Tegg, 1832. January 7. St. Distaff's Day.
The day after Epiphany or Twelfth day was called St. Distaff’s day by country people, because, the Christmas holidays have ended, good housewives resumed the distaff and their other industrious employments.

An arc....

Its raining, its pouring, the old man is snoring..... I'm in the midst of Tropical Storm Nicole. As of this time, we've recieved somewhere over a foot of rain, and its pounding down. I made it to knitting, as much to have something to do and to have the companionship, as to knit. Hopefully I can make it through the night without a code red call. Guessing I wont. I'm just glad to be home safe and sound....

Its fair time. My favorite time of the year!!! I love catching up with old friends, and watching the kids as they learn and grow. Its awesome!!! And all the exhibits???? Love it! I never even go through the midway or the food court. If necessary, I'll grab something small, and head back, but thats it. I just like going through the exhibits, the 4h projects, seeing the kids show, as well as the adults!!!
Ok, off to bed. 7am till probably midnight tomorrow. Parade and auction....and more. And open class cattle!!!

Yogurt

Ok, so in my quest to eat healthier, and lose weight, I tried making my own yogurt this weekend. It was outstanding!!!! Love it!!!

One of my favorite sites-
http://www.makeyourownyogurt.com/homemade-yogurt-faq.php

And this is the main recipe I follow. I've now learned that I can use fat free or skim milk if I want to cut down on calories....not sure when I will try that.

http://greekfood.about.com/od/syrupssauces/r/make_yogurt.htm

It is sooooo much better than that at the stores, and really easy to make. Love it!!!

My Escape.....

Well, it looks like she decided to give up the ghost this time. The transmission burned on my Escape, and she had to be towed back from Tappahannock, Va. The dealership just called, and it'll be $4500 if I want to get it fixed. A 2003 truck, with 170000 miles on it...not worth it. I'm not sure what I will do....and why this week....why? Especially since that was the truck we bought together...

I had a really tough day today. Frustrating day....lots going on at the store, too much going on. So many jobs I couldnt really even think. All the machines were running at once...shades of Kinko's, when I used to be so proud of the fact that I could handle 5 machines at once...it just didnt work that well today. I guess the store isnt organized for that type of system.

Anyway, I was even more frustrated because I am tired of always helping everyone else at work, but when I ask for something, I end up being put at the bottom of the list. I asked months ago, for days off, scheduled them around everyone else's schedules and deadlines, covered everyone else's time off, and now, I am having to deal with having to go to work on a day I was supposed to be off....silly, I know, to be so upset, but you know....I help all of them out. All the time...cover for everyone else. I just need a break. I even worked through being sick...only took time off for one doctor's visit, when I was told I had to go, worked through blizzards, vacations, and lots of sickness. I need a break sometimes too.

We had a kitten years ago, when we lived on the farm, that one of the neighbors had turned out. He was pretty unsocialized, and very much a whiner. This kitten really liked my husband though, but we already had too many cats. Around this time, my husband's grandfather passed away after a long illness, and everyone just needed something to cuddle, so they held this kitten. He was passed from person to person, and even curled up with the nephews in front of the tv. Well, my husband, who was ill, was unable to travel to the funeral in Rhode Island, but coordinated everything from afar. The morning after everyone returned, probably because of the release of so much tension, my husband's sugar collapsed. This kitten was going nuts....running all over my husband on the bed. I didnt know what was wrong with the cat, but had to put it in a cage to call 911. Same thing happened about 2 weeks later, when the kitten woke me in the middle of the night. My husband was in the kitchen, confused, because his sugars were low. The third time, the kitten woke me up, I made my husband check his sugars, and sure enough.... We decided to keep the cat, and now he is a healthy, rambunctious, 5 year old boy, my best buddy. Although my husband passed away several years ago, Herman does his best to look out for me, like he did before!!! I have never regretted for a moment, keeping him!!

Herman's best and dearest friend in the world is Trinity, my dog. They share food dishes, clean each other, and Herman usually curls up right beside Trinity. When Trin gets up early in the morning, to head outside, Herman jumps right up with her. They even share opposite ends of bones at times!!!!

During the blizzards, Boxcar would sit at the door and cry to go out. The other cats were driving him crazy and he couldnt understand why I wouldnt let him out. Finally, after a few days of listening to him, I finally let him out the front door. Within about 5 minutes, I was looking out the side door at the snow pummeling down, and there was Boxcar, huddling under the picnic table, whimpering. I guess it was a bit more than what he expected. Funny thing...since then, he hasnt tried to get out again. Spring is coming though, and he'll want to be out all the time.