The decorating is almost done and most of the clean up is done, and I only have a few items left to wrap. There is only one problem... we still don't have a tree... it has become a dilemma.
Hubby took the Daughters shopping yesterday while I spent a lovely afternoon with my spinners and weavers group in FSJ for our annual potluck Christmas luncheon and gift exchange. I did not partake of the gift exchange since this year I just didn't get it finished in time. But it was great fun to watch the other ladies doing their thing with their made items. I hate pressure and though I started a tote ages ago I ran out of spun wool for it and while I wanted to order more I reall couldn't justify buying another pile of rovings to Hubby. Then when I went to make a different one, I just didn't get time to finish it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Dummy here forgot to bring along her camera though which was really stupid. I had intended on posting the pics.
After the party was over Hubby picked me up and I was happy to note the box in the back of the truck with an artificial tree in it. Finally we had made a decision and we would have a tree forever after. No more waiting till the 20th to put up the real tree... no more Charlie Brown Christmas trees. No more cutting trees in frigid air at dusk just because we had to get one soon or it would be dark.... no, we would have a tree and the darn thing would be up next year right after Daughter #1 birthday and no more cleaning up from the decorations on on the 24th...... at long last our problems were solved. We headed home satisfied that Christmas was prepared for and all was right in the world.
Not!
The artificial tree we bought is a dud. I have never seen a more stupid tree in my life. The dumb thing was falling apart as soon as we touched it. The branches were falling off and it just looked dumb. The bottom third had no limbs at all. It was a five foot tree on a seven foot tree post. We could of cut off the bottom 18 inches and not hit a branch. Hubby packed it back in it's box and back to FSJ it goes on Monday. I'm not quite sure what we are going to do now... that upside down tree is looking better all the time. Hubby and I trudged around in the dark looking for a likely real candidate but all the trees around here are too wimpy. The branches are not likely to withstand the onslaught of decorations. We even drove a ways up the road in hopes that we would find something in the road allowance. Nadda.... nothing.... zero.... zip.... goose egg....
You have never seen a more disappointed bunch of people than the whole lot in this house. I would never have thought that the store (which is an upscale store) we bought this tree from would sell crap.
I am waiting patiently till it is light enough to see.... and I'm going to find a tree. I am past giving a d--n.... THERE WILL BE A TREE IN THIS HOUSE TOMORROW! I don't care if I have to make one.
Hubby started talking about Christmas tree farms the other day after listening to a really interesting interview on CBC with a fellow who started a Christmas tree farm.... Hubby said it was something he had always thought about doing. A Christmas tree farm might just be the ticket.... it would solve all my problems with Christmas trees. I'd never have to worry about where I was going to get one ever again because it would be growing right outside my door! The whole world would abound with Christmas trees!
In the meantime..... 3 more hours before it is light!
Hi ho, hi ho, a Christmas tree hunting I'll go.....
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Dull Roar
Things seem to have settled down to a dull roar in the last few days. I'm sure it will pick up again when school closes today. I didn't even have to make breakfast today since there is a pancake breakfast this morning at the school. The kids went out the door in a mad tear as per usual. Then I promptly pulled the front porch to pieces!
When I first moved to our little log house the front (and only) door to this house was in my kitchen and kids and Hubby alike would come through the door and promptly drop everything on the floor. I spent half my time tripping over footwear and mits and hats and gloves when I was trying to cook. I made short work of that because by the following year I had shortened our living room and put an entry to the house on the North side of the deck. The door in the kitchen became the door to the deck and nothing else. Hats and mittens and scarves were now dumped in the front porch.
I realized very quickly that the front porch was becoming a catch-all. Everything that Hubby and the girls didn't know what to with got dumped in there and the corner became a rats nest for papers that were no longer needed for school, mits that were no longer one of a pair, and dust and dirt like you've never seen. Hats that didn't make it to the hooks provided, were thrown on the floor and left forgotten in the mess. Occasionally I would have a fit and get the girls to spend an afternoon sorting through the pigsty. But lately I've noticed that the mess was getting worse and things were going missing and there was no rhyme or reason for the bits of crap that was found in there. In the recent moving around of the house, I have managed to come up with a really nice bureau (highboy or chest of drawers for you folks who don't know that old word) that was empty. An empty chest of drawers was just the ticket for a cleanup in the front porch. So that is what I did this morning.
I gutted the front porch and swept and cleaned the floor replaced old hooks with nice new ones and cleaned out the closet. I even have a mirror to put on the wall for those vain enough to want to look at themselves before going out the door. Each person in the house was assigned a drawer for their hats, mits/gloves, and scarves. Wow! What a difference. I have discovered that the Daughters have no complete set of mits or gloves, that hats are severely scarce for both and that Daught #1 has only one scarf while Daughter #2 has none. I have oddles of leather gloves that the girls have outgrown (their hands are bigger than mine), that Daughter #1 has lost not only her gloves that she uses for riding but one of my work gloves that I loaned her for ridng lessons and she never returned, that there are tons of baseball type hats that no one wears, that Hubby has the most hats and gloves of anyone in the house and certainly doesn't need anymore as it is hard to cram anything else in the drawer and that the Daughter and I are seriously low on accessories. So later this morning after it gets to be daylight I am going out to the shed to see if I can find any of the matching gloves and mittens that lie forlornly on the floor, to find the mirror for the front porch and to finish sorting out the winter gear that's needed by the Daughters. Then tomorrow, when I go shopping for a few more things for Christmas there will be gloves and mittens galore on the list (but not for Hubby he doesn't need it)!
Boy.... does it ever feel good to get that pigsty delt with..... one room finished for Christmas.... yeah! I wonder if there is time to knit hats and mits for the girls.... hmm!
When I first moved to our little log house the front (and only) door to this house was in my kitchen and kids and Hubby alike would come through the door and promptly drop everything on the floor. I spent half my time tripping over footwear and mits and hats and gloves when I was trying to cook. I made short work of that because by the following year I had shortened our living room and put an entry to the house on the North side of the deck. The door in the kitchen became the door to the deck and nothing else. Hats and mittens and scarves were now dumped in the front porch.
I realized very quickly that the front porch was becoming a catch-all. Everything that Hubby and the girls didn't know what to with got dumped in there and the corner became a rats nest for papers that were no longer needed for school, mits that were no longer one of a pair, and dust and dirt like you've never seen. Hats that didn't make it to the hooks provided, were thrown on the floor and left forgotten in the mess. Occasionally I would have a fit and get the girls to spend an afternoon sorting through the pigsty. But lately I've noticed that the mess was getting worse and things were going missing and there was no rhyme or reason for the bits of crap that was found in there. In the recent moving around of the house, I have managed to come up with a really nice bureau (highboy or chest of drawers for you folks who don't know that old word) that was empty. An empty chest of drawers was just the ticket for a cleanup in the front porch. So that is what I did this morning.
I gutted the front porch and swept and cleaned the floor replaced old hooks with nice new ones and cleaned out the closet. I even have a mirror to put on the wall for those vain enough to want to look at themselves before going out the door. Each person in the house was assigned a drawer for their hats, mits/gloves, and scarves. Wow! What a difference. I have discovered that the Daughters have no complete set of mits or gloves, that hats are severely scarce for both and that Daught #1 has only one scarf while Daughter #2 has none. I have oddles of leather gloves that the girls have outgrown (their hands are bigger than mine), that Daughter #1 has lost not only her gloves that she uses for riding but one of my work gloves that I loaned her for ridng lessons and she never returned, that there are tons of baseball type hats that no one wears, that Hubby has the most hats and gloves of anyone in the house and certainly doesn't need anymore as it is hard to cram anything else in the drawer and that the Daughter and I are seriously low on accessories. So later this morning after it gets to be daylight I am going out to the shed to see if I can find any of the matching gloves and mittens that lie forlornly on the floor, to find the mirror for the front porch and to finish sorting out the winter gear that's needed by the Daughters. Then tomorrow, when I go shopping for a few more things for Christmas there will be gloves and mittens galore on the list (but not for Hubby he doesn't need it)!
Boy.... does it ever feel good to get that pigsty delt with..... one room finished for Christmas.... yeah! I wonder if there is time to knit hats and mits for the girls.... hmm!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Well Thank Heavens For That
I'm home and there were no furnace explosions, no house burnings, and best of all nothing froze, or gave out and the water is still running. Mind you every one I talked to today were positively jovial about the balmy temperatures. I mean -21.... I was walking between stores today with my jacket wide open. I felt like I was walking around in the tropics.... especially with all those tacky fake palm trees that Canadian Tire and every box store seems to want to sell.... give me a break palm trees.... a good pine or fir will beat out a palm tree any day for Christmas.... mind you with global warming, you never know... in a few years we might just have palm trees growing around here..... WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT..... THIS IS THE HOUSE WHERE HELL JUST FROZE OVER!!!!!! Global warming my ..... I won't use that word.
Anyway.... Christmas.... shopping is mostly done. Shipping however, is not.
The decorating progresses..... I'm assuming that you've noticed a total lack of pictures lately.... that's because I'm saving them till the end when all the Christmas decorating is done. Besides, I have to dig out another bunch of Christmas stuff from the shed... Tomorrow is gift wrap day.... that should be fun.... Frankie gets stuck to the gift wrap with the tape.... I'm notoriously all thumbs (erp!!!) when I handle gift wrap and tape..... You know all the pictures you see of perfect trees with perfect parcels etc.... that's not me or my house.... we figure if the paper covers it all well and good. Why stick a bow on something your only going to rip apart in a few days..... although I do have to say I'm really liking those Christmas bags. No if I could get away with wrapping stuff in garbage bags (hey! they're reusable) or newspaper (that's recycling folks) I'd do it in two shakes of a lambs tail.....
In other news.... I'm having a terrible time trying to figure out triangles into totes (I can't explain that one as too many people read this blog will know what I mean and it will spoil the surprise). The HH spinners and weavers have rescheduled their Christmas party due to lack of people for the original date. I bought a wreath hanger which was stupid since I already hung my wreath. I've already blown one Christmas gift even though it's not Christmas yet and Hubby was supposed to get that one. I'm freaking out because some of the volunteer work that I do is way behind, not to mention other commissioned things that don't really inspire me and level 3.... be still my beating, panicked, and freaking out heart.... it will all work out in the end right? When hell freezes over.... oh yeah... it already did.... well that's a relief... pressures off... thank heavens for that!!!
Don't worry I'm just having a schizophrenic conversation again..... I think I'll go visit hell for a minute and just put my brain on freeze!
Anyway.... Christmas.... shopping is mostly done. Shipping however, is not.
The decorating progresses..... I'm assuming that you've noticed a total lack of pictures lately.... that's because I'm saving them till the end when all the Christmas decorating is done. Besides, I have to dig out another bunch of Christmas stuff from the shed... Tomorrow is gift wrap day.... that should be fun.... Frankie gets stuck to the gift wrap with the tape.... I'm notoriously all thumbs (erp!!!) when I handle gift wrap and tape..... You know all the pictures you see of perfect trees with perfect parcels etc.... that's not me or my house.... we figure if the paper covers it all well and good. Why stick a bow on something your only going to rip apart in a few days..... although I do have to say I'm really liking those Christmas bags. No if I could get away with wrapping stuff in garbage bags (hey! they're reusable) or newspaper (that's recycling folks) I'd do it in two shakes of a lambs tail.....
In other news.... I'm having a terrible time trying to figure out triangles into totes (I can't explain that one as too many people read this blog will know what I mean and it will spoil the surprise). The HH spinners and weavers have rescheduled their Christmas party due to lack of people for the original date. I bought a wreath hanger which was stupid since I already hung my wreath. I've already blown one Christmas gift even though it's not Christmas yet and Hubby was supposed to get that one. I'm freaking out because some of the volunteer work that I do is way behind, not to mention other commissioned things that don't really inspire me and level 3.... be still my beating, panicked, and freaking out heart.... it will all work out in the end right? When hell freezes over.... oh yeah... it already did.... well that's a relief... pressures off... thank heavens for that!!!
Don't worry I'm just having a schizophrenic conversation again..... I think I'll go visit hell for a minute and just put my brain on freeze!
I Think The Devil Lives At My House
Well after all it is hell here. Once again hell froze over as we got up this morning to a furnace issue. The furnace would cut in but would not blow out any warm air. Hubby figured out a way to get it working as he braved the chill -22 degrees having just gotten out of the shower to climb down the trap to the crawl space flick the "Reset" switch and then crawled back out... thank God we caught it before the cold froze the pump again. I do have to say that a Chinook wouldn't go astray about now.
I have to go get a shower before we head off to town for a day of Christmas shopping. I'm really looking forward to today and getting all the shopping done. I think I'm even looking forward to wrapping all those gifts. Go figure. Maybe all this cold has frozen my brain and, like the furnace I'm working on one too few valves!
Wish me luck.... I hope the water in the shower works!
I have to go get a shower before we head off to town for a day of Christmas shopping. I'm really looking forward to today and getting all the shopping done. I think I'm even looking forward to wrapping all those gifts. Go figure. Maybe all this cold has frozen my brain and, like the furnace I'm working on one too few valves!
Wish me luck.... I hope the water in the shower works!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Ahhhh Balmy Weather At Last
Yes folks there's been a break in this inferno weather (inferno being the key word). It is a balmy -27 degrees and how pleasant it is not to have to worry that my butt will drop off at any given moment. (I do have it attached rather securely with extra chocolate and knitting needles these days!) I no longer feel like grimacing when I open the door for the animals to go out to do their business. I no longer yell and kick when the cat wants to go out and I open the door only to discover that between reaching for the door knob and actually getting it open the cat has disappeared into the depths of the house. It is amazing how they can change their bloody minds when they feel that bivering draft and hold it for another two to four hours. The water even came on of it's own accord today. No hair dryer antics in the depths of frozen hell (the crawl space for you new timers). No more opening the door to let the wolf/husky dog in with white whiskers and a nasty look her face as if I'm cruel. I even felt like taking out my swimsuit and trying it on at one point..... ok so maybe that's an exaggeration.... no woman of my age and stature would ever want to don one of those things....
So with the severe cold over (for now).... Hubby and I are heading off into FSJ for an appointment and a bit of shopping tomorrow. I am actually hoping to get the bulk of my shopping done for the upcoming holiday.... Even Christmas doesn't look so bad after the last few days! With Christmas in the near future, music is in the air all over the house. The church will be having their annual pageant which used to be for the Sunday School but has become an opportunity for all the families of the church to come together and perform something for fun and amusement of all who come. With that in mind my family is presenting "The Mummer's Song" and I will be singing in a duet with another fellow from the church several Christmas Carols. I have been warbling away all over the place as I practice for the event. I will be Granny in "The Mummer's Song" so that should be fun for sure. Then Christmas Eve service will be officiated by yours truly this year. I'm actually looking forward to it.... I think.
It is supposed to get warmer over the next few days and I for one am happy about that. The upcoming events that Hubby and I face are faced more cheerfully if we don't have to go out with enough clothes to make us look like the stay puff marsh mellow man! You may have noticed that anything in the line of spinning, weaving, knitting, or crafting has come to a complete halt. See, that's what I mean.... I've just got to get the house decorated and the parcels wrapped, and in the mail so that I can actually do the things that I like.
But you know what? In all the hub bub of my life I hope you are enjoying these days and finding every reason to smile.
So with the severe cold over (for now).... Hubby and I are heading off into FSJ for an appointment and a bit of shopping tomorrow. I am actually hoping to get the bulk of my shopping done for the upcoming holiday.... Even Christmas doesn't look so bad after the last few days! With Christmas in the near future, music is in the air all over the house. The church will be having their annual pageant which used to be for the Sunday School but has become an opportunity for all the families of the church to come together and perform something for fun and amusement of all who come. With that in mind my family is presenting "The Mummer's Song" and I will be singing in a duet with another fellow from the church several Christmas Carols. I have been warbling away all over the place as I practice for the event. I will be Granny in "The Mummer's Song" so that should be fun for sure. Then Christmas Eve service will be officiated by yours truly this year. I'm actually looking forward to it.... I think.
It is supposed to get warmer over the next few days and I for one am happy about that. The upcoming events that Hubby and I face are faced more cheerfully if we don't have to go out with enough clothes to make us look like the stay puff marsh mellow man! You may have noticed that anything in the line of spinning, weaving, knitting, or crafting has come to a complete halt. See, that's what I mean.... I've just got to get the house decorated and the parcels wrapped, and in the mail so that I can actually do the things that I like.
But you know what? In all the hub bub of my life I hope you are enjoying these days and finding every reason to smile.
Tis The Season To Be Frozen Tra La La La La La La La La
-33 this morning and the heat lamp died in the crawl space sometime during the night and the pump froze. So I guess it will be the hair dryer treatment again today on the pipes. We got the truck running yesterday but the block heater died and so there is no going this morning. Hell hath no fury like a frozen woman! I think I'm becoming that woman!!!
Ah Hubby used a oil pan heater and just came in to say that the truck started but is very unhappy (the truck) about it. I have to bank the house today and put snow up around the crawl space to deal with this problem of the crawl space being so cold. I don't really understand why the crawl space is so cold this year except that there was a problem with the insulation which Hubby fixed. Hmmm..... more insulation???
The Advent decorations are continuing in a very crazy way. I have missed a few days. So today I need to get back at it again. I do have a garland wrapping the rail of the steps and I have put some lights and beads on it. I had wanted to get the Christmas village up but have had a hard time finding the shelves on which it sits. Then finally Hubby found them but they are missing the brackets that hold them up.... so... I am on the hunt now for the brackets. I will find them come hell (which I think is here) or high water. No chance of that with this kind of cold.
Ah Hubby used a oil pan heater and just came in to say that the truck started but is very unhappy (the truck) about it. I have to bank the house today and put snow up around the crawl space to deal with this problem of the crawl space being so cold. I don't really understand why the crawl space is so cold this year except that there was a problem with the insulation which Hubby fixed. Hmmm..... more insulation???
The Advent decorations are continuing in a very crazy way. I have missed a few days. So today I need to get back at it again. I do have a garland wrapping the rail of the steps and I have put some lights and beads on it. I had wanted to get the Christmas village up but have had a hard time finding the shelves on which it sits. Then finally Hubby found them but they are missing the brackets that hold them up.... so... I am on the hunt now for the brackets. I will find them come hell (which I think is here) or high water. No chance of that with this kind of cold.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Hell Froze, Thawed, And Then Froze Again
-39 this morning and all is sort of well here on Nicholsville West farm. We have survived the weekend from hell.
I had church yesterday morning and our retired minister who visited after driving 2 hours made it. Wow! What a trooper. I headed out the door leaving Hubby to work on the water pipes and pump. After church there was a potluck luncheon and then a choir practice. I had to take the Eucharist out to two shut ins and so by the time I got home it was 5 p.m. Hubby had just gotten the water back on and working. Yeah! He took the truck and headed out the door to go feed the horse and go to Pops house to fix a light problem (we are his landlord). I started getting a nice pot of chowder cooked for dinner and biscuits too. Just as I was putting the fish into the pot and Daughter #1 was mixing the biscuits.... pop.... no lights... crap!
The Daughters and I bumbled around in the dark looking for matches and candles and flashlights while my chowder sat on the stove getting cold. And it wasn't very long before we realized that my chowder wasn't going to be the only thing that was getting cold. At -35 temperatures it doesn't take long for a house to cool and with the crawl space only having just warmed up that was a real worry. I called Hubby on our cells and told him what had happened and he came home to help with the kerosene lamp and for moral support. Waaaah was what I wanted to do.... stiff upper lip.... stiff upper lip!
Hubby took the pot of chowder out on the deck and started up our kerosene stove and I watched as his hands started to swell in the cold.... this just would not do! I packed up the family and headed to the nearest restaurant for dinner and to pass the time in warmth till the power came back on. When we got home a few hours later the power was still off and the house was cold.... really cold. We sat on our new sofa with sleeping bags wrapped around us and huddled together for warmth. Brrr! I had called the "Power On" number for BC Hydro and they were predicting another hour.... by this time it was 9 p.m. and the novelty of the pioneer life was pretty much sucking.... at least it was for me. The Daughters got ready for bed and we all trundled off to sleep under a copious number of blankets.
Just as we were getting settled..... pop... on go the lights. Phew! I could breath a little easier. Only it was not very long before we had another problem.... our block heater is not working. I think we blew it last night when the breaker kept tripping in the electrical box. Argh!!!!Hubby and the Daughters are waiting as I write for a ride to school since the buses aren't running and..... well, I just want to know what else is going to happen before this blasted cold breaks. Hell, it doesn't have to be hot to be in hell.....
I had church yesterday morning and our retired minister who visited after driving 2 hours made it. Wow! What a trooper. I headed out the door leaving Hubby to work on the water pipes and pump. After church there was a potluck luncheon and then a choir practice. I had to take the Eucharist out to two shut ins and so by the time I got home it was 5 p.m. Hubby had just gotten the water back on and working. Yeah! He took the truck and headed out the door to go feed the horse and go to Pops house to fix a light problem (we are his landlord). I started getting a nice pot of chowder cooked for dinner and biscuits too. Just as I was putting the fish into the pot and Daughter #1 was mixing the biscuits.... pop.... no lights... crap!
The Daughters and I bumbled around in the dark looking for matches and candles and flashlights while my chowder sat on the stove getting cold. And it wasn't very long before we realized that my chowder wasn't going to be the only thing that was getting cold. At -35 temperatures it doesn't take long for a house to cool and with the crawl space only having just warmed up that was a real worry. I called Hubby on our cells and told him what had happened and he came home to help with the kerosene lamp and for moral support. Waaaah was what I wanted to do.... stiff upper lip.... stiff upper lip!
Hubby took the pot of chowder out on the deck and started up our kerosene stove and I watched as his hands started to swell in the cold.... this just would not do! I packed up the family and headed to the nearest restaurant for dinner and to pass the time in warmth till the power came back on. When we got home a few hours later the power was still off and the house was cold.... really cold. We sat on our new sofa with sleeping bags wrapped around us and huddled together for warmth. Brrr! I had called the "Power On" number for BC Hydro and they were predicting another hour.... by this time it was 9 p.m. and the novelty of the pioneer life was pretty much sucking.... at least it was for me. The Daughters got ready for bed and we all trundled off to sleep under a copious number of blankets.
Just as we were getting settled..... pop... on go the lights. Phew! I could breath a little easier. Only it was not very long before we had another problem.... our block heater is not working. I think we blew it last night when the breaker kept tripping in the electrical box. Argh!!!!Hubby and the Daughters are waiting as I write for a ride to school since the buses aren't running and..... well, I just want to know what else is going to happen before this blasted cold breaks. Hell, it doesn't have to be hot to be in hell.....
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