Month: February 2014 (Page 1 of 2)

The weather has got me down again. This is definitely NOT what March is supposed to be like. Snow, sure. But sub-zero temperatures yet? Roads with packed ice as thick as the curbs? It is getting old. Well, okay, it got old about a month ago.

I like to get outside and I do make it a point to, whenever I can, take a walk in the afternoon and again in the evening. But the walking is so treacherous that I sometimes worry that it would be healthier to just stay home.  Yet I need that fresh air and sunshine and there isn’t a lot else you can do outside right now.

You people who live where the weather isn’t quite so freezing cold probably don’t appreciate my going on and on about it, but it is definitely affecting everyone and everything that goes on up here. We all need some relief and the sooner the better. Until then, we trudge on with our heads down…

I’ve been learning to make scones. They cost so much to buy, so I thought I’d try to figure out why. I have no idea. All that is in them is flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sour cream, butter and whatever you want to mix in to flavor them. I’ve used craisins, golden raisins and chocolate chips.

With 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup butter per 12 scones, though, they are pretty fattening. But they are a traditional English treat to have with tea, so I thought it would be appropriate, with our English heritage, to be good at making them.

I got a couple cartons of free sour cream, that had gone out of date. That was the most expensive ingredient. The rest I have on hand. So I’ve now made 6 batches to use up the sour cream. I made 3 batches of craisin ones, 2 of chocolate chip, and one of golden raisin. They are all good, in case you are wondering. The dried fruit tastes more like it belongs, but how can you go wrong with chocolate chips in anything?

Here is a picture of the golden raisin ones just going in the oven and the chocolate chip ones just out of the oven, and a close up showing the texture – kind of like a biscuit, but much sweeter. (The scone is upside down in the last picture, because it worked better that way.) Really yummy. I got the recipe from All Recipes – it is called Simple Scones.

And now about my Adventure.

UW-Barron County has been restoring an 1891 Steinway grand piano that was bequeathed to the college. It is done now (and is an amazing instrument, I must say!), so they had a special concert with it last night, with this fabulous piano player from UW-EC and a violist, as well. For the viola piece, in three movements, she needed a page turner, so the head of the department asked if I would. Needless to say, I was very nervous, even beforehand, but when I took a look at the music, I was even more nervous. I have never laid my eyes on such difficult piano music. I am very good at following along, but it was darn hard to keep track of where she was. Fortunately we did a complete run-through of it in the late afternoon, so when the actual performance came, I was at least slightly familiar with the music. All went well and it was a totally amazing experience. Just to be that close to such an accomplished pianist when she was playing was inspiring, but spending 4 hours with the two of them was such fun, too. The viola player was French man in his 30’s, I’d guess and, pardon my saying, extremely fine-looking and quite charming in personality. The pianist, a Korean woman in her late 30’s, I’d guess, was quite shy and so appreciative of everything the music department had done to put the event together. She played a Robert Schumann work in three movements that took over 1/2 hour. Then she played a Back toccata that was only about 10 minutes, and then the viola piece that was probably about 15 minutes. All-in-all it was an amazing experience that I am so glad I didn’t decline the opportunity to be part of. What got me in the first place was that I really wanted to go to the concert, but the tickets were $30, which was a bit high for us. So I got in free and got to rub shoulders with them and stand right by them as they were performing. Cool, cool, cool!

Remember the picture of the bench with the huge pile of snow on it, taken after one of our early snowfalls? Well, here is the bench now – notice the huge pile of snow is now only a small mound over the height of the snow all over!  And, for the record, that pile didn’t shrink. The rest just grew and grew and grew. We haven’t measured, but we must have close to 3 feet all over.

We have so much snow, it borders on the ridiculous. I shoveled twice during the evening, which was good, because that wet, wet snow that didn’t get shoveled away yesterday is concrete today, under the fluffier snow that fell and blew around last night. Dad said the slowblower just rides on top of it, so when he was done snowblowing, he was still standing about 6 inches above his car door. He got the car out, okay, though.  No school again today.

Ah, but it is easier to see beauty through the lens of a new camera.  The 44 degree weather and sunshine doesn’t hurt either! My shoes got wet walking through all the puddles, but I’ll take that!

I got my new camera in the mail yesterday and I am BEYOND EXCITED!!!

It is the same brand – Nikon CoolPix – as my smaller camera, so I was able to just transfer the memory card over and not buy a new one. Also, a lot of the icons and other ways that you use it are quite similar. But the new one has a viewfinder, which I need for outside pictures, particularly in the winter when it is really bright. And it also has the ability to take really cool closeups – as close as 1/4 inch away. I’m posting the ones I took last night to try it out. These are my little squash and cabbage seedlings, looking very cute for your enjoyment!

Need I say more? And the sun is shining. Sun and warm weather on the same day! I think I’m just going to go out and walk and walk in the sunshine this afternoon. My 1:00 lesson cancelled and I’m actually glad, because I get more time to enjoy the weather.

I went for a run this morning with my yaktraks on and fell twice. Hard. My one yaktrak got hooked on the other and tripped me so I fell on my face. Well, actually my one knee and hands first. And it happened twice, on opposite knees, about 1 mile and a half apart, so both of my knees and hips hurt equally. Kind of hard to limp when you’ve hurt both legs. Urrrgghh….But I took some ibuprofen and taught both of my classes and they went okay. I think I’m probably feeling better than I would have if I’d have just propped my feet up and rested. Dad is getting me new yaktraks. because I managed to break one on the second fall. But they were wearing out and when that happens, the wires start to stick out and that is where the trouble comes from. I knew the wires were sticking out, too, because I would always get caught on the carpet, even if I put them on right by the door and only stepped one or two steps on the carpet. So, I guess it is time for new ones. They have come way down in price since I got my first ones, but they probably aren’t made as well. They really work for running on snow, though.

I was all prepared for a lot of snow during the day today, expecting to shovel every hour or so to keep up with it. I’ve only shoveled twice and both times it was little enough for my “scape a while, then toss” method. Surely not what I was expecting!  But New Auburn called off school, actually before the snow even started, so we don’t have New Auburn Community Choir tonight, because the school won’t be open. Bummer.

On a brighter note, Ladysmith didn’t have school today because of a semester break, so Mr. Jensen was able to come and tune my piano this afternoon. Ahh, bliss! It was indescribably awful.

This is actually a cookie. Kind of a lemony sugar cookie – not too sweet.
And quite thick, as you can probably see. A lady at Don’s work was handing them out.

We aren’t actually doing anything special.  It is just like every Friday, working at The Garage after supper.

Dad and I did each get something special this week, though. We’d earned $150 each through Dad’s Security Health Plan he has through work, by doing all the healthy things suggested last year. So we decided that we could each spend $150 on anything, without having to put it in the budget. We’ve had the money for a while, but we both decided what we wanted this week. Dad decided to get a new GPS, so when he was in Eau Claire on Tuesday for work, he checked them out and picked out a Garmin. He is really enjoying it – it does all sorts of things that our other one didn’t.

I had decided what I wanted was a camera with a view finder that also took good closeup pictures. I was going to get it at the pawn shop, and when Dad was in Eau Claire, he checked them out for me and actually found one, but it didn’t have a battery and by the time I got a $40 battery, it would be over my $150. So I suggested we look on ebay and we did find one, with a battery that was $149.95 with the shipping! That should be here next week sometime. New they are about $300 and some. It is a Nikon Coolpix P90. I can’t wait until I try taking pictures with it!

Until then, here is a Valentines picture for you. I made that chain Erica had on her post from last year. They sag a bit – I probably should have used heftier paper. But I made several and put them all over the house!