Month: December 2010 (Page 1 of 2)

Dad got a wooden ship from Krista and Luke. They saw it at a shop on their honeymoon and bought it for him. It is really beautiful!

This is the 25# turkey before we cut it up. Doesn’t it look great? I didn’t do anything to make it look like this. Just lucky, I guess!

And this is all the cut up and ground up (with my new meat grinder) turkey and gravy, heading for the freezer. We figured 22 more meals’ worth!

And here is Grandma Mick and your Uncle Doak. Doesn’t Grandma look just like you remember her?

And to finish things off, these are the Green Bay Bakers: Doak, Karen, Jared (10th grade) and Matthew (12th grade).

Just got back from Waukesha. Dad got to work at noon, which is what we were trying for. I just dropped him off and someone who lives in Rice Lake is bringing him home. I finished unpacking the car and putting things away. I’m going to go out and try to clean the goat stall. It is so nice and warm today, so it is a perfect day, if there is such a thing as a perfect day to clean a goat stall!!

We had a nice Christmas yesterday. Every one of my thoughtful children called, even if we had just talked to them this week. We sat around and stuffed ourselves and packaged up our 25 pound turkey after we’d eaten what we wanted. I figure I have enough leftovers for 22 meals for the two of us!! That is using the ground up dark meat in things like chili and spaghetti sauce.

We are off to visit our moms today through Tuesday. Hopefully we will have good driving weather. Then back for two (me) or two and a half (Dad) days of work, then another three day weekend. We will be so spoiled!

Well, I made monkey bread, but I guess I shouldn’t have filled the pans so full. After they rose and were baked, they sort of sagged over the edges of the pan, so when I tried to get them out without having them fall apart, they fell apart. I have one good one, out of four, so we’ll take that to the neighbor that is still home. The neighbor that is gone for three days will have to be figured out later. Actually, by the time they get home, we’ll be gone, so maybe they just won’t get anything. Hm….

Other than that, and some last minute grocery shopping, we didn’t really accomplish much today. I got my offeratory for the services tonight learned. Dad finished the painting – it all needed a second coat. Just a sort of lazy day. Since nothing is open after first service at 5:00, I’m just coming home. Dad (hopefully) will have made tuna-cheese soup – his request. And we’ll probably watch Muppet Christmas Carol and try to stay awake to go back for the 10:00 service. Dad will go with me to that one, to drive me, mostly!

The answer is…..

No. It never bloomed. I guess it is hard to get them to bloom a second time. So Dad bought me another one, which hasn’t even started to grow yet. This one really went to town, though! It looks like it will reach the ceiling, soon.

This is one of my favorite decorations. I didn’t put many out this year, but I had to put this one out. It is a “shelf sitter.”

This is another favorite decoration. It is a music box sort of thing that plays a whole bunch of Christmas carols on the chimes.

I know its fuzzy, but isn’t it cute. Piano student gave it to me this year. It’s a light bulb!

Me, waiting to play at the high school concert. Like my new haircut?

Krista pointed out that it had been a while since I posted. Sorry…

Tonight is my first free night after finishing with all my concerts and necessary practices before the concerts. I celebrated by cleaning house. Whoopee! Actually it feels very good to have things a lot more orderly. I still have to do the bathrooms and the floors tomorrow, but at least things are put away and I’m not embarrassed to have piano students see it.

The rest of the week should be pretty quiet. I am only off Friday, but Dad is off Thursday and Friday. I’m really hoping he will have time to finish the new bedroom. I can’t wait to get moved in there and be able to spread out in the downstairs, putting the living room into where the bedroom is now and putting all the dining room and music room stuff in the rest of the downstairs. It will be so spacious!!

I have pictures to post, but now I can’t find the camera. I had it after supper, so I’m thinking Dad took it with him. At any rate, I’ll try to get them posted tomorrow.

Dad said we were supposed to get snow overnight, but none so far. It is still very cold, but actually warmer, since the temperature looks to be right at 0 this a.m. Feels very damp today, though, so still very chilly out. I’m tired of it. I want the 20’s again!

Practiced with the Methodist church choir last night and that went well. We practice again Saturday a.m., the the performance is Sunday morning at 10. I practice with the Chetek High School choir this afternoon. Actually, it is officially the Chetek-Weyerhaueser (C-W) High School. Which is significant, because the choir is nice and large again this year due to the influx of Weyerhaueser kids who like to sing! With Mr. Kamrath finally retired, the band numbers have dropped and the choir actually has more kids than the band.  Anyway, they are singing the traditional Carol of the Bells and ending with the traditional Hallelujah Chorus, so there were not a lot of pieces for me to learn – 3 actually. After that concert next Monday, all my Christmas concerts will be done. And I will finally be done with evening rehearsals, so I can stay home and cozy at night. I do have 4 nice quiet evenings in a row before that concert, too, which I am so looking forward to.

It is 18 below this morning.  The cars started okay, though, so it isn’t a problem. Just darn uncomfortable to go out in and probably pretty chilly for the animals. I worry about them when it is this cold. They are sheltered from the weather, of course, but it is far from cozy and warm in their houses. I’m sure any eggs the chickens lay will freeze before I can get them. Brrrrr……

Nothing all that special, picture-wise. Just looks like a winter picture. What is significant is the change from a couple days ago, when we could still see grass poking through the little snow we had. Plenty of snow to ski and snowmobile now!

Well, the Christmas party is off. Dad’s Chamber of Commerce event at the Garage is off. We are both home and sitting tight. I’m quite sure they will call off the opera for tonight, too, since it shows no signs of stopping before dark. Here, the snow is coming at about an inch an hour. I go sweep off the back deck every hour or so before there is too much to do with a broom. Dad is trying to keep up on the driveway with the snowblower, which he just got repaired in time. Actually the neighbor has the snowblower right now, but he should be done soon and Dad can start in again on ours. Crazy. He said the driving was just awful, but he did make it to Chetek and back in the car pulling  the trailer hauling the snowblower, so he could clear out the parking lot at the youth center.  He got stuck a couple times right on the main street in front of the youth center. Hwy. 53 was a bit better than the county highway. In town, all they plowed was the middle two lanes of the main street. The neighborhood kids are loving it, though. A lot of them are out playing in all the snow.