. . . or disclosure \u2013 the world did not end.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Saturday, Dec 15\u00a0 Left you earlier in the day on my way to town in a snowstorm.\u00a0 It was not bad driving but I had to be careful because I knew there was ice beneath the compacted snow.\u00a0 It was a nice afternoon.\u00a0 Five folks showed up with instruments, 2 guitars, a mandolin, a viola, and a violin.\u00a0 In addition, the wife of our recently deceased member came to sit with us and sing Christmas carols and a few other sing-along songs.\u00a0 The residents entered into the singing and one danced to our last song \u2013 Jambalaya<\/em>, and as there is good food mentioned therein, they fed us.<\/p>\n [John\u2019s bringing-up neighborhood contained a \u2018Yvonne\u2019, as does the song.\u00a0 Not the same one, and he claims the Cajun\u2019s had better food, too.]<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.cajunradio.org\/wordscajun3.html<\/a><\/p>\n They fed us a wonderful spread including hot cider, a great (made from scratch) chicken noodle soup with large pieces of chicken and little cut-up carrots.\u00a0 It was excellent.\u00a0 Along with it was a table of meats, crackers, cheeses, fresh veggies, and my favorite, deviled eggs.\u00a0 There was zucchini-pecan-pineapple bread (by Bill), 5 different Christmas cookies by Lee (who also made the soup), and some other desserts I didn’t try.\u00a0 It was snowing when I left so I gave a ride to one of the women (named Nan), who lives several buildings over.\u00a0 Then I needed to get gasoline in the \u201809 Subaru, because when I left, there was only enough to get to town, and the fill light was on brightly.\u00a0 Worked more today on a job reference for a former student.\u00a0 Got to talk to a good friend who has been going through medical challenges.\u00a0 It was great hearing his voice and hearing he was improving.<\/p>\n Sunday, Dec 16 \u00a0It’s Sunday morning.\u00a0 My eye is a little better, but I will have to be careful today.\u00a0 If it starts scratching, I will lie down and rest it after putting some medication ointment in it.\u00a0 It has snowed another couple of inches (still coming down a little), and we slept in till after 8:00 a.m.\u00a0 Not going anywhere today.\u00a0 The Bluegrass Jam is an hour away (in good weather) toward the Cascades and they have a 90% chance of snow.\u00a0 It can get very messy and dangerous on the roads and up the hilly entrance once there, so we will just stay home.\u00a0 It also goes from 2:00 to 4:30 so it’s too early to feed before leaving and dark for the whole trip back, plus John’s having to feed horses and outside cats with lights.\u00a0 Spent our time home on at least two long distance phone calls.\u00a0 First was to my long-time childhood friend south of Atlanta, who is ill with fibromyalgia and arthritis, and has lost 95% of her hearing in one ear and all in the other.\u00a0 Second, to John’s sister Peggy in OH.\u00a0 Now to finish our annual newsletter, which John began this morning.\u00a0 The way John began it, it should be posted before Dec 21 (the Solstice).\u00a0 Therefore, I will be busy the next few days.\u00a0 Already started but so much yet to do.\u00a0 Tonight’s dinner was an omelet with cheese and onions.\u00a0 We had bacon and potatoes on the side.\u00a0 Tonight for dessert, we’ll have pecan pie and strawberries, possibly with ice cream.<\/p>\n Monday, Dec 17\u00a0 Today we awoke to some excitement.\u00a0 I was up early, let the dogs out, and talked to Rascal.\u00a0 He didn’t come into the den for the canned food I put out, but apparently went out the doggie door instead.\u00a0 I decided to lie back down for some more shuteye.\u00a0 Finally, we got up a little over an hour later, and were fixing toast and coffee when he came in through the doggie door (he uses it better than the dogs, who have to be urged from the outside to come in), and into the den, carrying a large blue Stellar Jay.\u00a0 John reached down, scooped him up, and, thinking the bird dead, threw them both out the back patio door, into the snow.\u00a0 (We had about 5 inches from yesterday — only half as much as friends did west of Yakima who got 10″. \u00a0It wasn’t but a moment before Rascal ran around to the entry and came back inside with the bird.\u00a0 John then scooped him up and put him out the front door, with the bird escaping and flying into the Mt. Ash tree.\u00a0 Rascal stayed in for awhile, giving us a piece of his mind, but left again, through the doggie door (opposite side of the house)\u00a0 and made his way around and into the fenced front yard.\u00a0 Then he climbed the tree where he last saw the bird.\u00a0 The jay was long gone, but Rascal inspected the tree anyway, searching for him.\u00a0 Yesterday he’d been in the same tree going after starlings that were eating the berries.\u00a0 He caught the Jay apparently from the rear, while the bird was eating spilled dry cat food on the hay bales.\u00a0 How he got him over the fence and into the house is beyond me.\u00a0 We figure his mouth is not big enough to chew and kill him.\u00a0 Perhaps he was going to bring him in to under the bed to get a better hold on him.\u00a0 (We wonder) who knows?\u00a0 The wind has been blowing all day, sun shining, and temperatures descending.\u00a0 It is supposed to be quite cold tonight.\u00a0 John has been winterizing more things outside and also moving snow.\u00a0 I’ve mainly been working on the annual greetings newsletter.\u00a0 Decided with a colleague we will share going to meetings of the Kittitas County Timothy Hay Growers and Suppliers annual meeting.\u00a0 I am going to the 11:00 panel discussion on the topic:\u00a0 current trends, future markets.\u00a0 John has to go to the dentist for his teeth cleaning but is being forced to go to a part of the hay conference.<\/p>\n Tuesday, Dec 18\u00a0 Today was wild.\u00a0 We left at 10:25 for the County fairgrounds for the hay meeting that included an 11:00 to 11:30 part I was planning for.\u00a0 It was late starting and John had an appt at the dentist at noon.\u00a0 He left at 11:30 while they were drawing prize numbers and setting up for the panel discussion.\u00a0 He walked (9 blocks, ~ 1 mi.) to the dentist.\u00a0 I stayed and left just after 12:35.\u00a0 John was just about ready to come out of the chair.\u00a0 Then off to eat at McDonald’s and on to shop at Super 1.\u00a0 Came on home and had to turn around after a couple hours and head back to town to play and sing Christmas Carols at a nursing home.\u00a0 Didn’t eat until after 8:00 p.m..\u00a0 Very late (midnight) getting to bed because once home from town, I started trying to upload a movie I took at the hay growers meeting, that was very large (4 gigabytes).\u00a0 I didn’t have a jump drive to put it on to get to my co-author, John Bowen, for our APCG Yearbook paper we’re writing.\u00a0 John B. attended early morning meetings and, as mentioned, I went to the around noon panel discussion with a moderator (grower) and three exporter\/processors, who represented 3 companies of 6, here in Ellensburg.\u00a0 The video came off my camera rapidly but the trip to my web site was an all evening and night operation.\u00a0 While we have broadband DSL, we are far enough out in the country not to have access to the very fastest lines, and that was too bad.\u00a0 Next time I will use my older camera without the high megapixel resolution.\u00a0 I awoke in the middle of the night and checked that it had made it and I downloaded it, just to be sure I could (there were two, and I started the smaller one).\u00a0 Once I was convinced it had worked, I sent the links to my co-author.\u00a0 Later today, he was able to retrieve it.<\/p>\n Wednesday, Dec 19\u00a0 Let’s see.\u00a0 What happened today?\u00a0 Much.\u00a0 After sleeping in to recover from my late night’s work, I was having coffee and got a 45-minute phone call from a friend.\u00a0 Once that was done I rushed to leave (in the snow) for town for the Food Bank and the SAIL exercise at the Adult Activity Center.\u00a0 On to KVCH (hospital) for a blood draw for my INR monthly test on the blood thinner.\u00a0 When I left, John put the roast that we bought yesterday in the oven and it cooked slowly all the rest of the day.\u00a0 He made awesome gravy from the drippings and onions, baked a potato for each of us, and fixed some little green Lima beans.\u00a0 I used to call them butter beans when I was a kid.\u00a0 I looked on the web, and it is not consistent.\u00a0 One place said Lima Beans were the big cream-colored ones, and butter beans were the little green ones; another place said just the opposite.\u00a0 The can our little green ones came from called them Lima Beans and had a picture of the small green ones on the label.\u00a0 I’m definitely confused.\u00a0 This evening we have both been working on computers in opposite ends of the house.\u00a0 We hope the temperatures will not go as low as last night.\u00a0 We are scheduled for snow tomorrow.<\/p>\n Thursday, Dec 20\u00a0 Good awakening phone call from my Dr.’s nurse that my INR was fine (2.1) and I’m okay on the same dosage for another month, when I will get another test.\u00a0 We worked on various projects until we had a brunch of bacon, omelet, and fried potatoes (those from an extra baked one from last night).\u00a0 I left after 1:00 p.m. for music in town at Dry Creek.\u00a0 We took music books along for the Christmas songs and one member also brought along a bunch of bells and shakers for the residents to “play” along with Jingle Bells, Silver Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer<\/em>, and other songs such as, We Wish you a Merry Christmas<\/em>.\u00a0 My trip home was by the grocery for some supplies and to pick up 2 refills of my meds.\u00a0 I came home to newly received mail (more Christmas cards and gifts).\u00a0 Not much else tonight but really good leftovers of last night’s roast beef, and little green beans, along with biscuits tonight.\u00a0 Have been working on our annual newsletter most of the time since arriving home.\u00a0 Forgot, our new small oil heater stopped working in the back bedroom (computer room), where John does all his computing.\u00a0 We had bought two not more than a month ago, so we will take it back for a trade.\u00a0 Meanwhile, he\u2019s using the second.<\/p>\n Friday, Dec 21, the Solstice.\u00a0 The dogs have finally figured out coming and going from the new doggie doors.\u00a0 Their follow-the-leader timing has to improve some as the dropping door can bonk them in the head.\u00a0 We don’t have our exercise class today because the Activity Center closes at noon, for the long holiday weekend.\u00a0 John and I are going to a Solstice Party. There were latkes (potato pancakes) made by the hostess, pumpkin bread (with a cream cheese layer) and muffins with raisins, deviled eggs, Vinman’s (local bakery) bread with cream cheese and a blueberry\/ lavender compote made by the bringer, cheesy sticks, pasta with beans\/carrots, and Caramel Corn (homemade in a microwave)–I need to get that recipe, or find it on line. \u00a0I found it here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/allrecipes.com\/Recipe\/Microwave-Caramel-Popcorn\/<\/a><\/p>\n John fixed our contribution using a store-bought white clam chowder soup as a starter and added milk, pieces of cut-up baked salmon, onion, bacon, cubes of orange butternut squash, and as a celery substitute, the green outer layer of a Zucchini-like squash from our garden.\u00a0 (I personally think his concoction was the best thing on the table.)\u00a0 I always take along my fiddle, and after we eat, we then sing Sun songs, and because of the roll-over of the Mayan calendar (Doom!) the laugh is we will also sing songs of destruction (we didn\u2019t).\u00a0 Today on my way to town, I was listening to the radio and they were playing, “It’s the end of the world as we know it.” (R.E.M., 1987)\u00a0 An explanation (sort of) of the song is here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=1741<\/a><\/p>\n A video is here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY&noredirect=1<\/a><\/p>\n I ended up being the only instrument besides the man of the house, who played his guitar.\u00a0 Last year there were many more instruments brought and played around the circle.\u00a0 It snowed on us a lot going in and also coming home.\u00a0 We were late getting home.\u00a0 Okay, the update on this day was just finished the afternoon of 12\/22.\u00a0 I shall tell you why in tomorrow’s post.<\/p>\n Saturday, Dec 22\u00a0 I had a nice visit on the phone with a friend recovering more from lung complications.\u00a0 It was refreshing to hear his voice and know his breathing is better.\u00a0 When John came back in the house, we called his sister and had a great visit for 40 minutes.\u00a0 She had talked to us last week and told us about a recipe for Crockpot candy she heard about being on Trisha Yearwood’s website.\u00a0 Try it but don\u2019t get it too hot or it will cook the peanuts.\u00a0 It is here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.redbookmag.com\/recipes-home\/tips-advice\/trisha-yearwood-recipes-4<\/a><\/p>\n The recipe calls for white \u201calmond bark\u201d.\u00a0 This is a candy-like thing, an alternative to white chocolate). White chocolate (WC) is explained here:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.essortment.com\/white-chocolate-41060.html<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBark\u201d is made of a vegetable or palm oil concoction without cocoa butter or almonds, although having similar aspects, and when melted, used to cover, dip, or shape candy treats. \u00a0White chocolate \u201cWC\u201d is harder to work with than the \u201cbark\u201d that has been developed for the candy-making purpose.\u00a0 WC can burn and seize (goes hard like a bad fudge).\u00a0 Now, where does the term \u201calmond bark\u201d come from?\u00a0 So far we haven\u2019t found the answer but it might be related to Jordan Almonds, a type of drag\u00e9e<\/em>:<\/p>\n http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jordan_almonds#Jordan_almonds<\/a><\/p>\n The hard outer shell or coating might be thought of as a protective bark, as the bark of a tree.\u00a0 The word \u2018rind\u2019 is part of the origin of this concept. \u00a0Search images for Jordan almonds for some pretty pictures.\u00a0 Now, back to following the recipe. Peggy had trouble getting all the ingredients, but eventually found them.\u00a0 A lady sold her almond bark and said it was the same as white chocolate, the difference was whether you were from the American South or not, and what you called it.\u00a0 We now know that\u2019s not true.\u00a0 So Peggy made a crock pot load \u2013 a lot \u2013 and used the paper cups \u2013 too big, she thinks.\u00a0 Now John is thinking about trying it.\u00a0 She was very happy to be successful, and so were her friends who received some.<\/p>\n Okay, here we are this afternoon after lunch.\u00a0 John has crashed on the sofa while I finish this blog so he can embellish it with links & comments, change my wording in places, and post it.\u00a0 He spent the morning on normal chores and cleaning off the snow from yesterday.\u00a0 I spent the morning trying to clean-up my Facebook account (again).\u00a0 When we arrived home last night, I learned from a facebook friend my identity had again been stolen.\u00a0 It took me most of the morning to straighten that out because I was too tired to do anything but fall in bed after midnight.\u00a0 I dislike facebook very much, but I don’t want to disable my account because there are a few people that’s the only way I can keep up with.\u00a0 Now, perhaps I can get back to issues of the day and work on the annual newsletter completion.\u00a0 I want it to go out before the end of the year, if at all possible.\u00a0 It’s already late afternoon and will be dark in less than an hour.\u00a0 I’m stopping now.<\/p>\n Hope your week was a good one.<\/p>\n Merry Christmas.<\/p>\n Nancy and John<\/p>\n Still on the Naneum Fan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" . . . or disclosure \u2013 the world did not end. Saturday, Dec 15\u00a0 Left you earlier in the day on my way to town in a snowstorm.\u00a0 It was not bad driving but I had to be careful because I knew there was ice beneath the compacted snow.\u00a0 It was a nice afternoon.\u00a0 … Continue reading “Solstice Apocalypse . . .”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-random-issues"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p72iNf-i7","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1123"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1125,"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1123\/revisions\/1125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}