Holiday Food

Yesterday was our all day Christmas marathon. So, our Christmas is officially over now. Except for one family Christmas that is more like an annual reunion that will be held after New Year's.

Food, as always takes a prominent role in our Christmas gatherings. We were again blessed with an abundance of tasty feasts.
Friday night was oyster stew and tortellini soup.
Saturday was seafood night with shrimp, scallops, and King Crab legs.
Sunday was our fowl meal; Cornish hens.
Monday started with breakfast casserole brunch, followed in the evening with shrimp cocktail and crepes.
Each meal included all the 'fixins' and was followed by cookies, candies, and other deserts.
It is hard to comprehend how blessed we are compared to the majority of the people in the world. I hope I don't take too much for granted, or set my affection on the abundance available to me.

No doubt weight was gained over the weekend which should prompt budget cuts in the coming weeks.

Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Isaiah 55:2

High View

The kids and I climbed to the top of the grain leg to take our Christmas card picture for the year. While up there, I decided to snap a few shots of the farm and the surrounding countryside. The snow has a nice sanitizing effect on parts of the farm. The view from up there is certainly impressive, but is hard to do it justice with a camera. We got a good picture for the cards and they were mailed out today.

From "Random Kinds Of Factness": More people are killed by pigs than sharks each year.

He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

2 Samuel 22:34

Bathroom

The women of the house decided that the first floor bathroom needed an upgrade. They started tearing down the wallpaper so they could paint it, but some of the plaster came off with the paper. The walls had a thin layer of plaster applied in a remodel years ago, and it was now flaking off. Our carpenter suggested it might be best to have the room replastered. All of this old layer had to be chipped and scraped off. This led to the decision to remove all of the old fixtures and buy a new light fixture, medicine cabinet, vanity, and faucets. To do a good job with the plaster, the woodwork had to come off, as well as the window trim. The door was removed. And the toilet was removed. So now we had a totally empty room. Well, we might as well get a new toilet while we are at it. And get rid of the old built in soap dish. And do a little upgrading of the wiring.

This was over a week ago. We are down to one bathroom on the second floor (yes, we are spoiled). The plasterer came this week and did a good job with the recover layer, but he told us we could not paint it for two full weeks. Which means we can't do any reinstalling.
How do we operate with just one working bathroom over the holidays? Especially with guests coming!

The decision was made to reinstall the old toilet so that we at least had two of them available. Then take it back out to paint. Tonight the boys and I put it back in. With all the high-tech construction and plumbing materials out there, we still owe a well sealed toilet to a bees wax gasket!
There is no light in the room, so a candle will have to provide light after dark. A container of wet wipes will have to take the place of washing hands in a sink for a while. And I guess maybe I should rehang the door.

There is still an argument as to whether or not the flooring should be replaced also. Of course there is nothing wrong with the old floor. But while the room is empty, now would be the best time . . .

This bathroom is the smallest room in the house but it is starting to be pretty costly.

But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
Nehemiah 3:14

Scrapbooking

Church was cancelled today because of the blizzard like weather. Not much snow, but strong winds causing whiteout conditions and frigid temperatures. I caught the morning service (live streaming) from Francesville (eastern time), and the morning service from Tremont. If Phoenix would have been live, I could have listened to their morning service also and then caught San Diego or Altadena's afternoon service. But I didn't - that might have been overload.

I then spent the rest of the day scrapbooking. Yes, I said scrapbooking! I was a scrapbooker when scrapbooking wasn't cool. I started when I was in early grade school, and have kept it up ever since. My scrapbooking is not the contemporary designer pages that are currently in vogue. Mine are a simple, basic record of the history that affected my life and my family. I saved Sunday School and school papers in the beginning and then included newspaper clippings, obituaries, memorial cards, wedding invites, wedding napkins, ticket stubs, programs, vacation itineraries, meeting agendas, and various other things that I think might be interesting to be reminded of some day. I usually let my material clutter up my bedroom, and then in the winter I spend a day affixing it all in the big book. This time I was about five years behind! Fortunately I made great progress today.


On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king.
Esther 6:1

Winter

After 4-6 inches of fresh snow blanketed the farm last weekend, the temperature has plunged into the single digits. This year we were somewhat prepared for it. I say somewhat, because after the cold settles in we always find something we wish we would have gotten done earlier. Darkness comes early now, so our outside work becomes more of a challenge.
Already my lips are getting chapped, my face is wind burnt, my fingertips are cracking, and the skin on my heels is splitting open. These little problems can be as painful as some big injuries.

Winter is settling in.

We started noticing our water pulsating last weekend. We had volume and pressure, but pulsating flow. A great time of year to have well problems. Monday morning I checked our pressure tank and found that it was full of water. The rubber bladder in it is leaking, and water replaced the air behind it. The well repairman is supposed to be bringing us a new one soon and hopefully it will be an easy fix. Working with water in the winter is not a fun job.

The old farmer's wife went and picked out a Christmas tree the other day (because I'm too lazy to help), and she picked a straight one! Usually it gets home and won't stand up until major surgery has been performed. Sometimes we still have to keep rotating it to find the right side to display that is full and looks straight. But this year it is a good one with no modifications needed. I've been out shopping once already and am assembling the lists that are my responsibility and getting ready for the all out assault.
And I'm already starting to enjoy the cookies and candy that accompanies Christmas.

And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.
Mark 13:18