Wednesday Hodgepodge

 1. What's one thing you want to get done before the calendar flips to a new year?

I'm a jot things down, planner type of girl. I have eight three ring binders, filled with ideas, plans, plots for books, menus, and a whole lot more. I've had some of them for over a decade already. For those older ones the paper is already starting to show age.

I decided it's time to get everything properly organized. Some things I am copying over into a new binder, other things I don't need I'm tucking into several of the older binders and tucking away into the storage room, because I don't have the heart to toss them yet. Seeing the goals the girls and I had set for 2016, the to-dos as we were preparing for our last baby. Yeah, I'm not ready to simply throw them in the trash.

So that's my major project I'm hoping to have complete before the calendar flips.  I've already taken care of well over a thousand pages, and still have several hundred to go.

2. What's something that brought a smile to your face this year?

The news of another grandbaby on the way. (Kenneth and Paige) 

Rosie Mae's wedding, though that was mixed with tears. So very happy for them, but it's an emotional time none-the-less.

And many many little things throughout the year that kept us smiling.

3. What do you like on a cracker? Do you have a favorite cracker variety? 

My favorite crackers are butter crackers. I like a variety of things on them. It all depends what we have on hand. Hummus, cheese, or some kind of dip from a new recipe I found on Pinterest.

4. Do you have plans for ringing in the new year in a fun or special way? Are you typically awake at midnight on the last day of the year? 

We are basically boring people and staying up until midnight to welcome in the new year is something we have never done. We seem to like our sleep way too much for that.

5. What are three words that describe your 2024? 

Busy. Change. Emotional.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We have had our Christmas tree up for a while already, but it has been a challenge feeling Christmas-y this year. I have yet to wrap a single gift, have yet to make any festive snacks or treats.

I'm going to buckle down today and get to it.

On the list for today

Make popcorn balls
Make krispie treats
Make Cranberry Orange Cookies
Make Espresso Caramels
Make party mix

We also love Rolo pretzels but I don't have what I need to make them on hand so those will have to wait until after my next run to town.

Currently

Reading ...  in the Bible, I read Philippians this morning and several Psalms.

In other books, this has been the year of rereading a lot of my favorite books. The Anne of Green Gables series still ranks as my all time favorite, and I enjoyed my reread immensely.

I'm reading The Hobbit for the first time. It's okay. I don't think it will land on my favorite books list. I'm doubtful it merits a reread, but it's okay.

The Incredible Winston Browne by Sean Dietrich though, worth every reread! Think Anne of Green Gables meets Andy Griffith and viola you have this keeper of a book.

Writing ... I'm trying to wrap up a Christmas letter to send out with the handful of cards I'll be mailing this year.

Watching ... some Home Improvement episodes. I'm oddly entertained by them.

Listening ... to an audio book. The Incredible Winston Browne  I have the book, I've read it, but listening to Sean Dietrich read it is perfection. I've laughed, I've cried, and I'm bracing myself for the ending, because even though I know how it ends, it still gets me every time.

Baking ... I'm not keeping desserts on hand, so my most recent baking was a batch of dinner rolls earlier this week.

Cooking ...  for tonight's dinner I'll be making lamb chops, baked potatoes, and a quick salad.

Feeling ... happy and hopeful

Disliking ... being cold. We switched from our coal furnace this winter to heating oil. 

Pros of a coal furnace ... it kept the house toasty warm with a cozy kind of heat.
It was fairly affordable.

Cons of a coal furnace ... it created a lot of dirt, and no part of the house was spared dust from its use.
It needed a lot of care, including getting up in the middle of the night to tend to it.

Pros of a heating oil furnace ... it's basically carefree.
The house does not get dusty or dirty from using it.

Cons of a heating oil furnace ... the house is never ever toasty warm.
It's more expensive.

And so I'm cold a lot, and am actually looking forward to summer.

Loving ... the little pops of Christmas we have in the house. We don't do much, but the tree in the living room and the handrails of the stairs wrapped in greenery and lights make me happy.

Playing ... I dug out our Christmas and winter themed games. Steven and I have played Snowman Dice and Keys to the Ice Castle multiple times and enjoyed it a lot, but the game we have been playing the most is Stratego even though it doesn't have a hint of winter or Christmas.

Cleaning ... I cleaned out and organized the desk as well as the cupboard where I keep some craft supplies. Going through the stickers I used to use when the children were still much younger I decided it's time to pass them on. Our daughter-in-law was happy to take them for their busy three year old.

The Wedding Cake

Every evening as we get prepare to wind down and get ready for bed we each take a turn sharing three things we enjoyed about our day. 
Steven's turn came and he said:
Finally getting to be able to actually call Tim my brother
The wedding
He paused a moment, chuckled a bit, and said. "And the whole cake episode."

The long anticipated wait of Timothy and Rosie Mae's wedding is now behind us. The wedding was lovely and there is a lot I could talk about the day, but for now I will talk about the cake.

It was a beautiful creation Rosie had envisioned and produced herself. It had served its purpose for the cake cutting, and having the bride and groom give each other their first bite of it. 

It still stood tall and beautiful as all the guests left after the celebration and we tackled the cleanup. 

Leaving the reception with our vehicles loaded we opted to have Steven ride in the Explorer with me, holding the cake while I drive home slowly. We had covered him in one of the tablecloths just incase the cake tips before we get home, got the cake situated, and we were on our way.

I only made it out to the end of the driveway when Steven announced the cake is already moving. He asked if he can hold the top tier to keep it from falling. I agreed since Rosie had given me instructions how she wants me to cut the middle tier and freeze it for them.

We made it halfway up the road when Steven was saying how his fingers are sinking into the cake and it's not working at all.

I told him I'd stop at the gas station and we'd reassess, and figure something out.

I turned into Exxon with a steady stream of commentary from Steven on the cake situation.

I parked, got out, and restacked things in the back to make room in front of the middle seat for this misbehaving cake, and then went to rescue the deconstructed mess from Steven's lap. The tiers had slid into what seemed like six different directions even though there were only three of them.

I was trying to figure out how to move it when I noticed a guy walking into the store. I approached him, "Excuse me, would you mind giving us a hand? We are transporting a wedding cake and it's going all kinds of wrong."

He came over and surveyed the cake. "Oh my!" he said. He assessed it some more while repeatedly saying "Oh my." Finally he reached in, wrapped the tablecloth around it, lifted it out, and plopped it back in the space I had cleared for it. 

I thanked him. He laughed and said it's been the most interesting part of his day. He went inside and I unbuckled Steven so he could go inside to wash his frosting covered hands.

I led the way opening the door for him. The restroom unfortunately also had a handle that needed to be turned so I turned my head and reached back to open the men's room door for Steven to get inside to clean up.

Leaving the store the helpful guy was on his way out as well. He once again laughed wished us a better evening and went his way.

We got home, hoisted the cake filled tablecloth out and set it into a box.

The middle tier mostly survived the ordeal and I was able to pack up some nice slices for them. 

I'll post a before picture, but leave the after picture to your imagination.

Currently

Reading ... in the Bible I'm back in the Psalms this morning.

In other books. As much as I love reading it's been a few days since I've actually cracked open a book for the simple pleasure of reading.

I have been using plenty of recipe books and school books if we're counting them.

Writing ... text messages, a letter or two, and grocery lists.

Watching ... the drifting leaves as they dance in the air on their journey from the tree top to the ground below.

Our big maple tree outside the living room window is rapidly losing its leaves.

Listening ... to a mockingbird. Every morning it comes and sits in the maple tree and sings its heart out for twenty to thirty minutes. It's so beautiful. This morning I tried to record it, but as soon as I stood at the window to do so it quit singing until I once again resumed my morning activities. I decided to simply enjoy its performance without recording.

Baking ... most recently Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies from an old family favorite recipe, and a Chicken Bacon Ranch Stromboli from a new recipe I wanted to try. Only it turned into simply a Chicken Ranch Stromboli because I forgot to add the bacon until I had the dough all nicely closed around the filling contents and was sliding it in the oven. It was still good, but would have been better with the bacon.

Cooking ... tonight I'm doing a loaded tater tot casserole and a salad. It's simple yet quite tasty. The perfect way to start a weekend.

Feeling ... so happy to be at home!! After several weeks of road-tripping which included attending the wedding of LV's niece in Montana as well as lots of hiking at various points of interest on the circuitous way there and back, it feels fantastic to get to sleep in our own bed, cook our own food, and simply relish the ordinary little life we live in this old farmhouse.

We took hundreds and hundreds of pictures along the way, one of my favorites was this one.

Disliking ... the chokingly heavy fog we had for several days this week. I don't mind it too much if I'm indoors, but having to drive in it, or knowing your loved ones are out there driving in it is not fun! It was the source of some "interesting" stories that I prefer to not have had happen.

Loving ... autumn. I think it is my favorite season. I love it so much!

Playing ... last evening Steven and I played multiple rounds of Pass the Panda. Such a simple yet fun little game.

Cleaning ... today I tackle the lazy susans in the kitchen again. I try to at least once a month because it seems they demand attention quite regularly. 

Currently

Reading ... this week I took a break from my journey of reading through the Bible, and simply spent time reading various Psalms.

In other books I enjoyed Houses with a Story one afternoon while Steven was fishing. He loves fishing, I love reading. He needs me to provide transportation to his fishing spot, so while he enjoys a few hours fishing I get to enjoy a few hours of reading in the middle of the day. 

Writing ... I've been making progress on a story I really want to read, but I need to get it written first before I can do that.

Watching ... some YouTube videos on various creative things I'm wanting to try my hand at.

Listening ... to the windchimes on the front porch and an exuberantly happy bird. 

Baking ... there's sourdough rising on the kitchen counter waiting to be made into some bread. Sharon does something with sourdough every week, So many, many delectable treats we have had thanks to her.

Last week she made some sourdough cinnamon toast crunch cereal. Even though we'd tweak the recipe a bit next time, it was still a success.

Cooking ... We enjoyed a chowder, chicken soup, and chili this week. Somehow it seemed like the thing to do with our house being so cold.

Disliking ... how cold our house is. This morning when I got up it was 64º  It's at 67º now which is still too cold for me, but I refuse to have a heater going in August!

Loving ... creating Dutch Doors in my bullet journal. It's been  relaxing and almost rejuvenating allowing my creativity to flow.

Playing ...  since the last time I made a post the games we played the most at our house were King of Tokyo,  Samurai Gardener, and Dutch Blitz. 

I also participated in a variety of shower games at Rosie Mae's bridal shower last Saturday.

Cleaning ... this week I didn't do much other than the daily dozen and washing the kitchen window after a bird managed to create a splattered mess on it.