Sunday, Nov 18 This morning John did several normal chores, in addition to moving a small volunteer Mt. Ash tree from near our front step, up to a place by the road. He put a fence around it to keep out the deer, and I hope that works. They love those berries.
I worked on two projects, first trying to update the web page of our landscape change, still needing a lot more work. Here is the link for the Nov 24th edition week, much improved over the last you saw on Nov 12. It is not yet completed, but progress is being made.
http://www.ellensburg.com/nancyh/LandscapeChangeNaneumFan.html
I stopped to get my music ready to take with me. John went along to the Bluegrass Jam session at the Swauk-Teanaway Grange. We took a platter of his homemade frosted brownies filled with our homegrown Carpathian walnuts. I put my music together to hand out, making 20 copies so each of the musicians could have the notes, chords, and lyrics. In addition, we had enough for the audience to participate, and they did! The songs I took along were, Oh, Mary Don’t You Weep; I’ll Fly Away, and Blowin’ in the Wind. I started the circle playing today. In addition, when it came back to me two more times (because of a short circle), I picked, When It’s Springtime in the Rockies and Jambalaya. I guess I should have taken along 5 songs as John suggested. He figured that if someone else took one of my songs (which they didn’t today), then I would have backups. There were enough people there last month that we only got 3 picks each– maybe only 2; I don’t remember. Unfortunately, it was late when we left and dark by the time we got home, so John had to feed the horses and the outside cats in the dark. I guess that’s the breaks with the shortened days. He has two lights to carry. The first moves around to the direction he looks and both horses and cats adjusted well.
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=Cmj4vLlvzueVnIQ&pid=Commerce
The other type he carries and places as needed.
http://toolspot-static.co.uk/i/3286z.jpg
The 3-to-a-package ones have a sticky back for a permanent home but he just carries one in a pocket without peeling off the protective cover.
We’ll have leftovers tonight, and I hope to put in some more time on the first project I started today. It is raining AGAIN. Rain is called for every day this week. I guess that’s better than snow. I arrived home to a phone call from our clarinet player who thinks she needs me to transpose ‘Here Comes Santa Claus’ for her.
Monday, Nov 19 Nothing scheduled for today but the SAIL exercise class, but I always resist from going to town for only one reason. We shall see what comes up. Nothing did. John worked outside and I worked inside.
Tuesday, Nov 20 Another day without anything planned until 6:30PM, when it already will be dark. Turns out that changed too, not getting dark, but going to the nursing home to play music. They have a GI outbreak there and are keeping people out. The sun came out and John used the time outside. Then a big cloud rolled in and the temperatures dropped. That was a couple of hours ago, and the sun just came back on the scene. He is building a larger & tighter doggie/cat door for the side of the living room window for the animals to access the backyard without using the patio sliding glass door. Since my hospitalization (3 years ago this week), we have operated with a piece of flipping [I think she meant to say flapping!] cardboard, but that leaks much cold air when winter winds blow and or Shay stands with her tail end holding it open. This new one will be nicely framed in wood as a tiny addition to the house with metal roof and a double glazed window . . .
http://www.austview.com.au/images/linedrawing-ddhg-lg.jpg
. . . facing an outside light already under a corner eave. Okay…will have to describe later with photos, and after I see the final product. I’m starting a story link, but the work probably will not be completed in time for this blog to be posted (however, look at the bottom of the link above to see progress thus far). Raining again. John stored tools in the cat house and went to take care of feeding chores before dark. Meanwhile, I spent nearly 2 hours working up 4 copies of the Christmas music for our group to play through the end of the year, starting next week. Four folks are new to the group since last year and didn’t have the music. John is cooking Stouffer’s frozen enchiladas for dinner and has added a layer of cut-up red peppers with a layer of grated cheddar cheese. It smells very good. It was, and especially good with cut up pears (Bosc and D’Anjou).
Wednesday, Nov 21 This morning started with watching a nice little Buck move around the back “yard” on the other side of the fence. Today was a busy day that started at the Food Bank soup kitchen for music and a meal (but I ate light); stopped off at Bi-Mart for some stuff still on sale through today, followed by playing music at Hearthstone Cottages, another favorite place to perform, because they participate with the singing and they appreciate us so much. We are not beginning any Christmas songs until the end of next week and with only a few winter ones; no Christmas carols yet till December. I joined a bunch of other friends from all over town at the Community Turkey Feed. It was yummy and they gave me a take-home plate to bring to John. Turkey & gravy, dressing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, veggies, roll, and a piece of pumpkin pie. I did not bring the dessert to John but just a plate wrapped with foil. I have been working on thanksgiving cards (animated) to send to a few friends. It’s a very clever creation of artistic work put together with a fiddler playing Turkey in the Straw in the background. If I neglected to send you one, tell me and I will send you the link. Also, John stayed home and worked some on the new animal door construction.
Thursday, Nov 22 Happy Thanksgiving Day! We had not planned anything until Saturday with our neighbors but were invited yesterday afternoon to join a friend and her 3 kids for turkey dinner tonight after dark. That is good for John to be able do his work in the daylight. This Saturday almost all the neighbors’ family (children and grandchildren) can make it over from the west side, the east side, and down from northern WA. John is still working on the new entrance — I took some before pictures to add to the continuing saga. We were taking a late lunch break (just pear and chips) before calling John’s sister Peggy, and she called us. Had a nice long conversation. We got ready and left for dinner to arrive right after 5:00 PM. The turkey took an extra 1.5 hrs to cook, but it was good. We didn’t eat until late, but had a nice visit before and after eating. It was a full slate of turkey and fixings. We didn’t get home until almost 10:00 PM. Now we are ready to hit the hay.
Friday, Nov 23 I didn’t sleep well, probably too much rich food late last night. John was up early (I slept in, after finally getting to sleep), and he started working on the doggie/cat structure and worked until just after 11, when we had to motor to an I-90 exit to meet a pass-thru from Federal Way. We had planned a couple of weeks ago to meet the couple whose wife volunteers for WTA. John has been on a weeklong WTA trip with her several years ago, before I got sick, and also on a couple day trips this year. Crew leaders are allowed to buy certain sporting goods at a significant discount (only for their own use, not family and friends). John is buying 10 pairs of Atlas Fit gloves (including both Therma and #300 light weight)
http://www.atlasfitgloves.com/atlasfit300.html
Click thru to ‘Therma’ to see the heavy duty gray ones. And, shush!, because – well, just because. Anyway, these are the best thing since sliced bread. So, the WTA friend will drop them off for us on her way through town to Spokane. We never go to the west side during winter months, because of bad experiences with the Cascades, Snoqualmie Pass, when it snows (or even when it rains very hard). We didn’t go to the WTA Appreciation dinner this year, and John won’t start going to work parties until next spring. He can use these gloves around here in the mean time, so we are grateful for the delivery. While in town, we went to the grocery store and then to pick up new cookie sheets our friend picked up for us on the last day of the sale at Bi-Mart. I was in the store that day, but forgot to get them. It was a terrific deal for a high quality Bakers Secret non-stick, at over 1/2 off. Our cookie sheets are all in terrible shape. The rest of the day was filled with telephone calls and emails. Finally, the dinner John started was done and we could eat. He made a wonderful meat loaf and baked a colorful small squash filled with Rome apple pieces and walnuts.
At the following link, scroll down to ‘Sweet Dumpling’ for photo and description (small means no leftovers):
http://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm
Saturday, Nov 24 Today will bring another Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of the afternoon (3:00 PM) across the street. There will be roast turkey (grown locally), ham, and all the fixings. We will take John’s applesauce. The timing has messed up our eating schedule. I skipped breakfast and we lunched on pear and a shared sloppy joe type sandwich born of yesterday’s meatloaf. It is warming up (to 49 right before noon). There were 23 people there, and we did not bring any applesauce home. Nor turkey either. There was plenty, but 4 people kept some of the leftovers and we came home with an empty dish. The menu also included mashed potatoes, candied yams, green salad, lime cool whip salad, green beans, roll, corn, and stuffing with gravy. Many desserts, but mostly made with cranberries** which I cannot eat. There was a blueberry/apple and a pumpkin pie I could have a little bit of. I missed the cranberry apple pies, cranberry muffins, cranberry sauce, and cranberry salsa, and cream cheese mixed with cranberries.
**Although the ‘Cranberry Institute’ thinks otherwise:
http://www.cranberryinstitute.org/news/PR/PR122303.htm
Usually the issue with food is one of high Vitamin K but this seems to not be the issue with cranberries. We’ll have to investigate this some more but it seems wise to refrain until more can be determined.
Seems real winter weather is headed for NW Europe this next week. Not here yet – rainy and cool for us still while the higher areas have snow. Washington’s North Cascades Highway was closed for the winter because of snow and snow slides.
http://www.maplevalleyreporter.com/news/180716131.html
Hope your week was a good one.
Nancy and John
Still on the Alluvial Fan