The Deep Freeze

We are in the deep freeze. That means it's cold out. It also means we stay in. No making snowmen today. No venturing out to take pictures in the park. No orchard walks. It is winter like I remember when I was a little girl. We used to brave the arctic winds and then be compelled to find refuge by crawling under the bottom boughs of a neighbor's pine tree. They didn't typically provide much protection as there wasn't much room to really crawl under enough to take cover. We sit there for a few minutes, then crawl back out, and head for cover of another kind, usually home.

I did venture out to gather up my snowman accessories before they blew across the county. "Mr. Mustache" was missing his ball cap and I was afraid it might be all the way down in the drainage ditch or somewhere out in the the orchard. In actuality it had fallen down by his feet, which, by the way, do not exist.

I am saddened by the fact that my little troop of snow people has deteriorated so quickly, but friends are only around temporarily and I must accept that sad fact.  I must gather ideas for if and when it ever warms up enough to build more snow people. I wonder where my Calvin and Hobbes books are...

Random Acts Of Kindness Adventure 2015 Week 1

I didn't plan ahead but Random Acts of Kindness can hardly be called "random" if one plans too far ahead.  It's not like I really went out of my way, but hopefully I made someone smile.

On Saturday I ran a few errands and one of those errands included a stop at Aldi where an elderly woman was slowly making her way toward the store. (No, Betsy, I am not kidding, and I am not copying you either.) I was coming from the opposite direction and got to the cart return ahead of her. There was one cart

left. I popped my quarter into the lock and removed the cart which I then wheeled over to where the woman was just rounding the corner. "Do you need a cart?" I asked with a smile. She smiled back, accepted the cart, and handed me her quarter. I smiled, took the coin, and went around the other side of the door where another stash of carts waited. We passed inside the store a moment later and exchanged another couple of smiles. A small but random act of kindness.

On Tuesday morning after Ladies' Bible study, the pastor's wife asked if anyone was going toward Ontario (a little town between my house and the church) and could give our friend Joanne a ride home. I was available. First we went out to lunch at Panera with some of the other women, and then stopped in Wegmans for a few small items before heading back home. It wasn't far off my usual route and I was happy to have company on the ride. Another small and random act. Joanne was smiling when I dropped her off and so was I.

Guess who came to play today and went home with cookies?

Play along and add you own RAK over at Betsy's Place.

They Come In Handy

Hands. What would we do without them? I think I might have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Over a year ago we spent some time helping a friend clean up her property in the hope that she would have her horses, and her livelihood, returned. (It never happened.) That afternoon in early November of 2013, I picked up a grass and leaf rake and took to the yard. I raked leaves for about four hours and went home with sore arms and aching thumbs. My arms recovered, but my thumbs have not been the same since.

It wasn't until this Monday afternoon, while I was outside snapping a few photographs while waiting for Rachel, that the pain in my hand became unbearable. Although my thumbs have been popping down along the sides of my hands, it was my right index finger (my camera trigger finger) that was shooting pain. I felt like I desperately wanted to crack the knuckle between my finger and hand, but knew better than to try.

Yesterday morning I left early for Prayer and Bible study and picked up a wrist brace on the way. two actually, one for daytime and one to wear at night so I don't curl my hands up when I sleep. This morning My Darling brought me one he had purchased for his left hand. (I look crippled...) I really don't want to face the possibility of surgery so I am going to try and take it easy for a while and I'm going to find out how to be more careful with my hands. I'm going to need them for a while longer. How would I ever crochet, or paint, or make pies, or build snowmen?

More photos from that walk in the park last Friday. They're too fun not to share.

On second thought, maybe I have this, Mommy's Thumb.  Not sure what's up with the index finger...

A Little Bit of Snow

Snow, snow, snow! It's February in upstate NY, the month of freezing temperatures and massive amounts of snow. All fun unless you have to work outside or get anywhere in a hurry... or maybe get anywhere at all.

Yesterday Rachel and I went back out to see Tim. When we walked into the house, there he was walking down the hall! For the first time since June we didn't need a wheelchair to get him out to the car. His inability to walk was apparently caused by one of the psych drugs he was taking. Not only did whoever prescribes these rob him of his ability to walk, but they had taken the sparkle from his eye as well. No wonder Mom used to cry and say they used him for a guinea pig... I trust it is a blessing in disguise. There is something I like a little better about the people working in his new residence and had he not lost his ability to manage the stairs, he might have remained at the other house indefinitely.

Snippy Doodle Cake

Comfort food. I've eaten this cake as far back as I can remember. Mom made it often when I was a little girl. It was always a favorite, and still is even though I seldom make it anymore.

Snippy Doodle Cake
Mix with pastry blender-
2 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 c butter (or shortening)

Take out 1 c of the mixture and a 1 t cinnamon to it.

Add mixture that is left-
1 beaten egg
1 t baking powder
1 cup milk with 1 t baking soda added to it

Beat well and pour into greased and floured 9x13 cake pan. Sprinkle with topping and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (I baked it in a smaller pan and adjusted the baking time a little bit.)

A Drive Through the Park

I'm waiting for My Darling to call and tell me he is done with his meeting. Our plan is to meet up somewhere between here and there for a bite to eat. In the meantime, some final photos from yesterday to go with the two posts below...

Mendon Ponds Park is an remarkable place. Not only do the birds on the Birdsong trail eat out of your hands, but the deer are exceptionally friendly too. They wander about seeming unfazed by the traffic that ambles down the park roads. We saw a group, all dressed in their fuzzy winter coats, hanging out by a pile of wood chips. They didn't mind that we stopped to take their picture.

Farther down the road we came upon a second group of deer. I stopped, rolled the window down, and took their picture too. And then, because they seemed genuinely interested, I started to talk to them. I don't know what kind of interaction these deer have with people on a regular basis, but they appear to have little fear. They're almost like pets, except that they aren't.

In my glove compartment I had two cookies, Voortman's Cookies, the round kind, with sliced almonds on top. "Do you like cookies?" I asked the first deer. I broke a piece off and tossed it into the street whereupon, she picked it up and ate it. (Deer do like cookies.)

By the time we ran out of cookie pieces, three deer were standing so close to my van that they were in the opposite lane of the park road. It was only slightly nerve-wracking, but really not at all. The thought of an angry deer attacking me only fluttered briefly through my mind. Our cookies gone and a car coming from the opposite direction led us to go on leaving the cookie loving deer behind for another day.

Oh, my goodness! Aren't they cool?

A Walk in the Woods (part two)

 If there are too many words,  just enjoy the pictures. My sister Rachel took these at the park yesterday.

It's a gray and wintery kind of day, perfect for snuggling up with a cozy afghan. More pictures from yesterday's walk in the woods. I wasn't the only one wearing a camera.

I intentionally traded my brown alpaca mittens for a pop of color. I found some pretty great red ones in my little basket of hats and gloves, and I'd taken my spiffy scarf along to keep my face warm, just in case.


The trees and bushes were full of little feathered friends looking for a handout. They know that people mean sunflowers seeds and they're almost always eager to be friends. They landed in our hands one after the other, and sometimes two or three at a time. Rachel said one even landed on my head for a second before taking off again. I was wearing my hood.




We hadn't taken any birdseed with us (I don't know what we were thinking...) but some kind soul ahead of us had left a pile on the trail. I scooped up a handful and we were abundantly rewarded for the meager effort.

We eventually dropped what few seeds remained and headed off down the snow-covered trail. Along the way we passed some folks on snowshoes and another with cross-country skis. We trudged along looking for something wonderful, but saw only snow and trees, which are wonderfully beautiful in their own way, but don't make extraordinary pictures.

Down the hill and around the bend, the trail went off in two different directions.  We chose the trail less traveled and soon found ourselves without a trail at all. Rachel blazed a new one and I followed along behind, the snow up to our knees, headed in the direction of the trail we'd taken earlier. Our toes were getting cold, and our cheeks stung with the bite of the wind. It was almost like being a kid again, out in the little strip of woods by our childhood home.

Closer to  the trail head we ran into our feathered friends again. They were all excited to see us, but we were out of seeds. I stopped to take more pictures; chickadees and sparrows, titmouses, cardinals, bluejays, and even a pair of red bellied woodpeckers, along with two little red squirrels who were ever so much more tame than Little Red here at home outside my window.

A Walk in the Winter Woods (part one)

Winter in upstate NY is cold, white, and often feels as though it will drag on forever. People whine and complain about the cold as though it isn't supposed to be this way. They threaten to move south and then when they actually do, they gloat and brag to us who remain about how warm and sunny it is wherever they have gone. I shrug and make a grand determination to love this place I call home, winter and all. One season inspires me to love and appreciate the others.

Today I caught up with my sister Rachel. We took a ride out to a favorite park where the birds literally eat out of your hand. I've never been to Mendon Ponds while there was snow on the ground, but I should have made the trip long ago.

Chickadees...
(They are such sweet looking little things.)

Tufted Titmouse...
(I keep wanting to call him a nuthatch, but he isn't. I think he's beautiful.)


... or both at once.

Having a little bird land on your fingers never gets old! I'm pretty sure I could spend hours upon hours wandering this park, especially with my camera in tow.

:0)

In the Quiet

Two "quiet" days in a row. School girls come and go mornings and afternoons, but otherwise the house is quiet and still. Dishes pile up slowly and toys stay mostly in their place. The phone seldom rings, and the television remains silent. I fill the wood stove when my feet start to get cold and try to keep dust from accumulating on furniture.  I was asked the other day if I miss my grandchildren. I do miss them. But I am happy right now to be their grandma instead of their babysitter. It finally feels like I am beginning to iron the "wrinkles" out of my brain.
Of course, one look at those snowmen driving around in cars might make some of you wonder... ha ha!

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

My husband is pretty sure I do nothing all day except look at my computer. So today I went out and made a few new friends... Go, Snowman, Go!

The snow was only just packy enough to actually make a snowball and the cars were the perfect spot to "park" them. (haha!) I know Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) is pretty good at making crowds of snowmen, but this is the first time I've ever made more than a couple.  It's ever so much more fun to make a bunch.

Once upon a time Martha went out into the deep, deep snow to make some friends....

My husband will think I'm completely off my rocker, but then again I think that's what he was hoping for yesterday when he asked what I did all day. Look, there he is out driving a yellow truck in the yard! I can tell it's him by the cap and mustache. (Isn't he handsome?)




Oh, and there's me in that spiffy new hat I crocheted! Oh wait! I can't be friends with myself... I must have given it away or something... Oh yes, she's just borrowing it for a few days.

This guy looks a little chilly. Maybe I should have found him a scarf or something. But then again, he is smiling even though it looks as if he may have rolled his car... I hope he has a license. Well, if he's happy, I'm happy, and he's looking pretty satisfied to me.

It's not forecast to get warm anytime soon. I suppose those guys will be out there hanging around for a while.I hope they don't freeze! Oh, wait...
:0)

The World Through Different Eyes

I am amazed at how often looking at the world through a camera lens has caused me to actually slow down and take in the scenery. It isn't that I didn't previously notice the world around me, it's just that capturing it in pictures brings a deepened appreciation.

That little squirrel who lives in the weeping birch tree outside my window? I'd likely have smiled at his antics but perhaps not have slowed down to absorb what he is doing had I'd not hoped to take his picture. H doesn't only run around in the branches, but he is fiercely protective of his space. He has claimed an old knothole in the tree as his own and though I don't know that he actually lives in there, he does use the space to store his food. I've seen him carry a peanut up and tuck it away before going back for another.  He can carry a rather large apple up into the tree too. He left one sitting on a branch as though it was an everyday occurrence. He doesn't care for company, especially of the gray squirrel variety, and he makes rather fancy tunnels in deep snow, even tunneling underneath to come up right where I dropped another apple a few days back (and I thought he didn't care...).

I spotted a cardinal on my feeder this morning for the first time this winter. It's kind of nice to have several different angles (windows) to catch photos through. Too bad that big truck came roaring down the road and scared everybody away.

PS. My mouse malfunctioned this morning and so I am attempting to learn the skill of using the touch pad on my computer... So far, so good.

One Winter Day

We're having a snowstorm, a blizzard more like. We're staying home, feeding the wood stove, and taking it easy. Little Red is outside digging tunnels and scampering about looking busy. I watched him run in and out of his tunnels, pop his head up through the snow, and bury a black walnut.

The little sparrows find shelter in the bushes about the house and sometimes the only ones brave enough to face the wind and

the weather are those sweet little juncos. A red-bellied woodpecker was out earlier, but he's gone into hiding now.

My cats have opted to stay in where it's warm too. This one likes to hop up beside me and touch my arm repeatedly, or poke me lovingly with her claws.

Chubsy Ubsy

Last Monday I finally cooked the turkey I'd purchased on sale back at Thanksgiving. Since it was missing the sale tag, I hoisted it onto my shoulder and hauled it upstairs where I stepped onto the bathroom scale to determine an approximate weight. Fifteen pounds. It was a decent sized baby, heavy enough that I wouldn't want to cart it up a mountain or around the block.

Back downstairs I popped it into an oven bag and placed it in the oven. No stuffing this bird. I didn't have the time and didn't want to prepare an entire Thanksgiving-ish meal for only three people. (It's just three of us at home now... Strange.) We've made good use of that turkey this past week. We've eaten it with rice, potatoes, as turkey salad, and in soup. Today My Darling cooked up a big pot of green chile posole and we're eating it topped with sour cream, warm corn tortillas on the side. So yummy!

That big old turkey's had me thinking this week. I could stand to drop about 30 pounds which means I'm carrying two of those old birds around with me everywhere I go. The truth is I carried them up a mountain last August. Something just ain't right about that.

:0)

Blustery

"Blustery" is the word of the day. It was a good day to snuggle up with a blanket, a cup of something hot to drink, and a good book.

Sofie got a second breakfast this morning when I accidentally knocked my plate off the table and onto the floor. I'd fixed myself a rare, as in never had it for breakfast before, treat of turkey salad wrapped in a warm corn tortilla. I'd already taken one bite and my mouth was watering for more when it was suddenly upside down on the floor. Of course the warm tortillas unrolled spilling their yummy insides out in a heap. So very sad...

No photos of that goofy dog today. It's "the golden cat" again. She's most cooperative lately when I get my camera out.

Headaches and Stuff

It's been a lie low kind of day. That nasty headache from Sunday decided to make a return yesterday afternoon and then hang around all night long. This morning, rather than take a shower and get dressed, I took my favorite afghan and pillow downstairs, popped some pain killers, and curled up in the recliner. I am hoping that the ache will suddenly disappear, leaving me tired but pain-free, as that is the usual routine with these headaches. I rarely get sick so really can't complain. Besides, I want it to be gone so I can go out later this evening.

The other day I was rummaging through a dresser drawer and came across a scarf I crocheted years ago. It made me think of my friend Emma so I took it downstairs with me and showed it to her. She commented on how pretty it was and I asked her if she'd like to have it. She was delighted as it's not only pretty, but matches her other outdoor attire. Now I'm trying to figure out what kind of stitch I used and how to duplicate it... Must be some variation of double crochet. I like it.

PS. If I were to pick a day on which to feel blech, it would be one like this. Dark and dreary, good for sleeping.

The Circus is Coming!

Last night My Darling came home with something really cool and awesome. I had given up hope of ever becoming a circus performer but the hope has been rekindled.

Many years ago, when I was fifteen, I had a friend named Paul. Paul had a wire wheel and used to walk up and down the street on it. When his family sold their house and moved away, I was given the gift of the wire wheel and I began to walk up and down the street. It was cool.

One day a new kid came to the neighborhood to visit his cousin. He looked out the living room window to see me go by on my wire wheel. He insists it was cute... Well, anyhow, my dad decided to use the wire wheel to prop up his camper or something. Maybe he thought I'd break my neck falling off one day... My circus days were over, until yesterday. I can hardly wait til spring!
:0)

It Was A Good Day

Yesterday I was hunkered down on the couch with a headache. It was one of those headaches that doesn't want to leave no matter what and makes one's head drawn to pillows. At bedtime I took some sleepy medicine along with some ibuprofen and crawled under the covers early. Today was a better day. No headache and no ibuprofen.

Coffee was a good friend this morning. It chased the sleepiness away and made possible my morning accomplishments; laundry, dishes, clothes folding, and sheet changing. On my way out to the bus stop with Emma I filled the bird feeder and tossed a few peanuts on the ground for Little Red.

This afternoon Rachel and I went out to visit Tim again. He is walking even better than two weeks ago and I caught him smiling and making eye contact with Rachel. One of the aides at the house mentioned it likely being due to a change in his medication. Whatever the reason, I am glad to have my brother back again. It was a good day.
:0)