BURRrrrrrrr...11º

Up early this morning... Herb replenished the wood stove to keep our home toasty on a cold December morning...How fortunate we are to have a warm, comfortable home!..We are especially enjoying the heated tile floor in our bathroom, toasty on our bare feet.

Had a fun evening with Becky and John last night as we visited over enchiladas and apple pie à la mode...Both of them are fighting colds/flu and Pam stayed home with laryngitis...This is the time of year for the "flu bug"...Becky leaves for her last semester of law school on the 4th and of course will be glad to have the next 5 months behind her and then comes the real challenge of the bar exam and finding a job!

Chatted with Pat (in Maryland) this morning...They ended their season at Applewood Farm last night and today Brian will start taking down the lights and Pat will inventory and pack up the gift shop...Then a few days spent with son and grandson at Disney World and on to the Florida Keys for a month of sunshine and warm days.☀

Cienna and Stan were busy over the weekend fine tuning with the robotic's team as they prepare for the state competition...Bobi is racking her brain for more sort of-rhyming ditties on her blog--12 days of Christmas...Rusty is actually home in Bend for awhile working on insulation, wiring and heating of his new shop.

That's a look at our world on this last day of 2012...Wishing all a safe New Years Eve and many blessings in 2013....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Sunday Morn...20º

 Temperatures about the same today with more promise of sunshine...The fog lifted yesterday and the sun poked through for a short time...Long enough for me to make two laps on the track, then return home to heat soup and make salad for our dinner.

Our meals are much simpler than they used to be when we had three meals a day...Now we are happy with hot or cold cereal or toast and jam for breakfast, (occasionally Herb will make bacon, eggs and toast)...Soup, salad and bread for our dinners (at about 2pm) and some kind of snack in the evening like fruit and toast or fruit and cottage cheese or I will eat leftovers from dinner...About three times a week we have a full dinner such as roast beef or chicken with potatoes and gravy or spaghetti with meat sauce and a salad...Then I use the leftovers for other dinners of hot sandwiches, or add the meat to veggies for a stir fry...This is much simpler than starting each day from scratch.

This afternoon Becky and John and maybe Pam are coming for dinner and I'm fixing my version of enchiladas...I brown some ground beef with onions and garlic, add canned deer meat (shredded) then lots of chili powder and cumin, some roasted tomatoes and simmer..place a heaping serving spoonful of  this in the center of a softened corn tortilla, top with cheese and onions...Roll it up and cover it with heated home canned chili, top with more cheese and onions...Nuke for about 1 minute, spoon on sour cream and sprinkle with chopped onions, peppers and olives...Serving several people as I will today I put the filled plates in the oven until all are ready then just like the Mexican restaurants I hand them out saying "hot plate, hot plate"....Will make a huge green salad and not sure what dessert will be....Maybe we will try some more of my IPA....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Dark...18º

The little cloud at the corner of my blog is todays forecast...I'm hoping they are wrong and we have at least a few hours of sunshine...Last nights full moon illuminated the mountains behind our house at bedtime...But this morning it is either covered by clouds or has disappeared behind the mountains and at 6am it is very dark...

For the last two days we have had sun and I drove across town to the schools track and started what I hope is a regular routine of walking daily...My knee finally feels strong enough and needs the everyday exercise to get it back into shape but I needs a stable, not slick, surface to walk on...I will keep you posted.

I wrote off and on yesterday and plan more of the same today...Fixed nice juicy hamburgers for our dinner and we shared a bottle of the IPA beer that I made (with help from Nick) in November...It now has just the right amount of "head", nice and fizzy...Hmmm Good!..Hugs to All....OWAV:)

PS...On yesterday's post the link Devil's Slide didn't want to work so I have reposted it and hope you will take a few minutes to read a piece of history.

Writing...25º...Sunrise

The end of the month, putting words on paper for Katey...Working on stories about siblings...It is a tough assignment...They call it creative non-fiction--Meaning that you can expand on the story using your imagination...How far can I go without stepping on someones toes or hurting feelings...That is definitely not my intent...But I want to make it interesting and add some humor...How does what I remember differ from what my sisters remember...I love the phrase "No two siblings grow up in the same household"...Think about it!

While writing about Loraine yesterday I mentioned that they lived in Devil's Slide...My memory wasn't very clear on this little community so I googled it and found an interesting article...I'm including the link for all to read...Any feedback would be appreciated....Hugs To All..OWAV:)

The Ticking Clock...20º

The light of day increases just seconds a day as we move on from the winter solstice and into the end of the year...I like the thought of more daylight.

Becky and John arrived back home last night so Herb is off of "animal feeding duty"...A trip to Enterprise today to pick up an everyday prescription is on his agenda...We cleaned up the leftovers in the fridge yesterday so I have to rack my brain for menus for the next few days.

Nothing is jogging my mind today to write about so will sign off with the usual Hugs....OWAV:)

"White Christmas"...23º

It is a good thing that we planned Christmas day around a trip to the Elgin Opera House to see Irving Berlin's "White Christmas"...We picked Pam up at 1pm under threatening skies...Had a few snow flurries on the way...We were soon seated, popcorn and drinks in hand...Their popcorn is excellent...The show was first rate, incredible scenery and costumes for such a small company and the talent is amazing coming from the Grande Ronde Valley...It really helps to have EOSU (University) in LaGrande and its theater program...They performed to an almost full house and we enjoyed the singing and dancing and appreciated the time and energy that goes into a performance like this...It was a magical performance with lots of laughs... We left to the strains of "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas".

Walked outside into a winter blizzard and so glad to have Herb to drive us home as in Minam Canyon the storm was intense with snow piling up...It snowed clear to Lostine, then dwindled away and we arrived in Joseph to the same scene we left some four hours earlier...At least we had our "White Christmas" and an enjoyable afternoon.

We visited around our table eating soup, bread, salad and ended the day with pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream....It was a nice day.

Rusty chatted in this morning, home from Mitchell, after eating way too much food he said...Waiting now to catch up with Bobi and hear about their Christmas...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Christmas Morn...14º, Partly cloudy

Looking back over last years blog posts of Christmas week...Temperatures and weather about the same...Very little snow, temps in the teens...Rusty was here and we were busy with baking and sewing projects.

Yesterday our house was fragrant with the smell of homemade bread that Herb and I delivered to friends and neighbors then back home to read, compute and count our blessings.

Today we will share part of the day with Pam, drive to Elgin and take in the musical, "White Christmas", then home for a bowl of soup, bread and pie...Pam came into our life over 20 years ago...She a single Mom with 2 kids, us empty nesters as our kids had flown away to start their own lives...(Still coming home for visits of course.)..Pam, Nick and Becky joined with us when our kids came home for holidays, or not, depending on the year.

Later this morning we will Chat with our Portland kids as they get ready to have this years Christmas with Stan's family...Rusty is at the ranch in Mitchell with his friends, out of cell range.

We send greetings and love to All and hope the New Year brings many blessings your way...OWAV:)

The Kink is gone...26º, Calm

My neck feels much better this morning, no sharp stabbing pains when I move my head, slept good last night and ready for another day of baking bread...We had mild winds yesterday with snow blowing around but little accumulation.

Mid afternoon while Herb went to tend Becky and Johns animals, I visited with friend Margaret who is home from the hospital...Her mind is much clearer without the pain meds but the pain returns and wears her down...She has another appointment scheduled with the pain clinic and hopeful that they can help her...We had a good visit and her spirits improve with company...She has a lady spending nights with her, giving assistance when needed.

Back home Herb and I had comfort food (mac and cheese) along with finger steaks and salad for our dinner...Rusty is spending a few days in Mitchell so out of cell range, chatted with Bobi who was finishing up the last Christmas gift and making plans to help Stan's mother with Christmas dinner...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Morning...35º

As promised yesterday, I stayed warm and cosy, heat pack on my neck, more drugs than I usually take in a month...Sometimes mellow, other time cranky until by 3pm my neck was moving fairly normal...Eyes kinda glazed....Rolls for Johns Birthday Party were raised and ready for the oven...Herb loaded the car with Christmas boxes, filled from the cellar and Della's & Herbs candy store, for Becky and John and Nick and Jen & kids Christmas gifts...OH and a case of Johns favorite beer for his Birthday present.

We arrived at their house, to the wonderful smells of a ham dinner....We were the first of 10 people invited to arrive...Becky was ready to take the ham out of the oven and the rolls took its place...Soon everyone else arrived, drinks passed out and potluck dishes covered the serving table...John carved the ham and we sat down to share a delicious dinner with friends/family...Becky had made cupcakes and lit up the house as she covered them with candles, for John's 47th Birthday (December 21st)...Cupcakes devoured Herb and I made a quick exit, driving just a few blocks to our quiet, cozy home on Barton Heights.

We read and played on the computer until bedtime, my neck moving quite easily...Woke up at 2am and my head did not want to lift off of the pillow...More drugs and I slept until 7am...Looks like more heat, maybe ice as well today...Neck feels fine unless I try to move it....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

BRRRR....35º

Much colder with the wind chill factor, snow flakes in the air...I woke up with a crick in my neck...Took drugs, showered....Now using moist heat trying to keep it limbered up...I have things to do it needs to go away!

I probably shouldn't go on and on about my sourdough bread but yesterdays was the best yet...Ten pounds of elastic dough, that rose high in the pans...Soft and dense inside and chewy crust all around...Plan to stay warm and cozy today....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Warm 35º...occasional wind...5am

Maybe the wind gusts have finally quit...The winds of the past two days remind me of a time 30 years ago this month...I worked in the school cafeteria and walked daily with my boss Margaret to work, no matter what the weather...The wind had blown all night but on that morning had calmed down and the rain had stopped...We visited our way up the hill to the school...No debris scattered around and we didn't look up...I was first in the door that morning and walked through the kitchen headed for the light switch...It was very dark and seemed like water on the floor (broken pipes, I thought)...I switched on the light and opened the door into the cafeteria where I was met by a light filled room, looked up into a star filled sky as the cafeteria was missing most of its roof...Water now covered my feet as it rushed through the kitchen door...About that time Janice the morning custodian burst through the other cafeteria door and said, "Oh my god, there is water flooding everywhere!"

More of the early morning staff (bus drivers) arrived...Bud head of maintenance and busing started making phone calls...First to the new superintendent, who called teachers, canceled school and told everybody to stay home...Bud started calling contractors and about that time the wind and rain returned with a vengeance...No matter what the superintendent had told people no one stayed home, soon kids, teachers and parents were there...People had push booms moving water to the outside, industrial vacuums arrived, people were sand bagging the gymnasium doors to keep the water away from the hardwood floors...Others were rescuing photo's and frames blown off of the walls and now floating in 3" of water...Contractors worked in hazardous conditions together with students and staff to get a temporary roof on the cafeteria.

We the cafeteria staff could see the writing on the wall...Our Christmas break was going to start a couple of days early and what were we going to do with the ham waiting in the walk-in to be cooked for our annual Christmas dinner...Immediately we made plans to fix breakfast and lunches for all the people now working at the school...By late afternoon the school was repaired enough to keep the continuing rain out and plans made to have a new roof in place so school could start again in January...By 3pm everyone had been fed and we cleaned up our kitchen, froze food that we hadn't used and called it a day....Hugs To All....OWAV:)

Sunny, more wind to come...11º

I had my last physical therapy session yesterday, it was sad in a way as I've made friends with all of the therapists there...For the past four months we've become acquainted, shared conversation and laughter aside from the sometimes not so pleasant work of treating my aching knee...So thanks not only to Aaron but also Tyler, Ann, Franze and Jean for their caring.

Such a nice sunny day on Upper Prairie Creek yesterday, no wind...A small house built in the 50's from a kit...A full view of Chief Joseph Mountain...P has decorated with antiques handed down from her mother...Fresh paint, refurbished wooden floors, hours of work, loving care makes a cozy nest...Only four of us writer gathered there to share our stories of Christmas's past, then we dined on potluck of creamy cauliflower/cheese soup, smoked salmon on pita bread and buffalo wings... Squash pie and chocolate creams for dessert...We visited until mid afternoon not wanting to leave this comfy cottage.

I arrived home, Herb patiently waiting, so we could take a drive to Wallowa Lake...A mission to check on a cabin and retrieve forgotten medicine that will go in the mail today, then wing its way across the country...Stopped to visit with Becky and John on the way home, checked their schedule and set up a date for dinner before Becky returns to Salem for her last term in law school...Home to our cosy, warm house for an evening of reading before an early bedtime....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Write People...15º...No Wind

Yesterday the wind blew most of the day, light corn snow fell, but was blown hither and yon over what is a bleak landscape this time of year...This morning it is as quiet as the proverbial Christmas mouse...Herb and I are the only things stirring at this house.

The monthly book group met yesterday with only 4 people there...An unusually small group, as often we have a potluck brunch, read favorite Christmas stories and share food with many friends...So are people busier this year or maybe there were enough other potlucks and concerts serving cookies to all that we didn't need more food...It worked for me because today we have our annual "Write People pot luck" which sometimes turns into a gourmet event.

Today I have more photo's of edible candy "things"...This is a fun project but didn't take me long to realize maybe I should stop as once the Holidays are over these things are just dust collectors, not washable and nobody is going to want to eat them...I made hearts out of candy canes, tied them with ribbons to hang on the tree and gave them to my book group friends...The candy dish out of Jolly Ranchers has been broken twice, then finally mashed into small pieces with a hammer and shaped into two dishes not quite as fragile...Enough candy dishes for one year!..OWAV:)

Merry Christmas with love!

Still too fragile

After melting 3 times, colors are still vivid.

Copy and Play...38º

I'm a great copy cat and Bobi gave me the idea with her edible candy bowls/dishes featured on her blog...Herb made a trip to the local grocery store and came home with hard, round, mint candies...I googled and found more photos, hints, failures (some turned out to be a work of art)...So I plunged in, arranged the candies on the cookie sheet and into the oven...Watched closely and in less than an hour total had my own edible candy dish...(If only I liked hard candy, which I don't!) No problem it can be used for my upcoming "groups" to share my homemade candies...

Looks flat but it is curved up on the sides.

Yesterday I visited Margaret in the hospital...Freshly showered she was feeling better and we had a good visit...A quick trip to Safeway and the candy aisle, I came home with Jolly Ranchers and candy canes...Made a small dish before it was time for the afternoon concert.

I like this one

Pam and I arrive at the concert, most of the chairs taken so we headed for the balcony and settled in...Not the best seats to see but we were there to listen and the acoustics are oh so good...For the next two hours we listened to Brass, Violin, Piano, Ukulele, Dulcimer and Voices...Traditional, Rockabilly, Blues and Fun Family Christmas music...The time sped by.

We arrived home in time to have a glass of wine and experiment more with the Jolly Ranchers...We opted for a round dish and left more space between candies...I left it in the oven longer so everything melted together but the end result gave us a thin, fragile dish...Beautiful but not practical...In fact a chunk broke out of the left side as I moved it around...It was a fun afternoon, good visit and Pam can be found at Safeway today checking out the candy aisle...This might be a fun project with Grandchildren.

OOPS

Sunday Concert...20º

Pam and I are going to another Christmas concert today, held in a new venue...The Josephy Arts Center in Joseph has a home in the old Community Bank building, now in the process of being renovated...A new home for cultural events in our County...I was there yesterday for a book sale (yes I bought more books) and it was warm and spacious...It will be interesting to see how the seating and acoustics work...Our write group hopes to start meeting there in one of the small rooms soon.

Having leftovers for dinner today and must make a trip to the hospital and visit my friend Margaret, stop by Safeway and check on the hard candy to make candy dishes...Other than that, just the everyday stuff of continual picking up and putting away...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Winter Boots....17º

Have been looking for winter boots for myself, so sent an order off to Sierra Trading Post hoping for some nice boots at a reasonable price...Now as Bobi says I'm "booted up" (computer talk) because I'm keeping two out of the three pair ordered (Christmas present from Herb)...Very nice light, comfy boots and a new storm is predicted for today...Maybe I can try them out sweeping the steps and walking from the house to the car as I go out early this morning to the annual book sale being held at the new Josephy Arts Center...Maybe I can retire my old pair of "Sorrels" that I've worn the last 20 years.

Clam Chowder sounds good for todays dinner and we had enough meatloaf leftover yesterday that I can disguise it as Salisbury steak for Sunday.

Rusty chatted in from Bakersfield, California yesterday where he was sent on a small job for LTW...He took the opportunity to drive farther south and visit with his long time friend in Pismo Beach for a few days...You might want to check in on Bobi's blog to see what they have been up to in these busy days before Christmas.

Had a nice texting chat with Pat this morning...She and Brian have all the lights up and ready for tonights light show at Applewood Farm in Maryland, where they lived before moving to Wallowa Lake...Time for me to get moving....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Costco Run...21º

Herb and I left Joseph by 6:30am yesterday headed for the Costco store in Clarkston...This puts us in Washington/Idaho in time to make a quick stop at WalMart and BiMart before we start on the big Costco list when the store opens at 10am.

We started making shopping expeditions to this area in 1973 when we moved to Joseph, OR...At that time there was a "case lot" store in Lewiston and back then all groceries came marked with the cost on the item, (before UPC codes and automatic checkers) so you could easily check the cost of an item...Also "back then" our finances were very limited and I knew the individual prices of things I bought weekly because I had only so much money to spend on "groceries", including paper and cleaning supplies etc...I kept a list, comparing prices always and watched for sales to find the best deal and stock up on sale items...We drove to Lewiston a couple of time to the "case lot" store stocked up on items that we used regularly...Did it save us anything, probably not...By the time we added the cost of the trip, Idaho sales tax, going out for lunch, hitting the "Mall" and going to Penny's, Payless and occasionally "The Bon" (for sale items)...But it was a day out and in spring a day away from cold weather and into a warmer valley where the flowers and trees were all abloom...A mini vacation you could call it.

Last week Rusty mentioned that other store we always went to to for Christmas shopping in Lewiston...He said, " I can still in my mind drive right to, envision the store and in fact I did drive there one time in recent years, the building is still there but not the store. Remember Mom, you had to drive clear through Lewiston, cross the river---what was the name of that place? Remember it was like a catalog where only one item was displayed for customers to look at, then you wrote the number down, took it to the counter and later it appeared from the "back room" to be purchased. What was the name of that place?"

Words like Western and Best came to my mind...So with today's technology I googled "Best Western" and of course came up with a motel...I tried different combinations of words including Lewiston, western, catalog store, 1970's and finally came up with somebody who had lived in Lewiston and the name "Great Western", later changed to "Best" was what they remembered...I also remember a "Great Western" glossy catalog they sent out to all customers and how well worn it was every Christmas, long before the "Internet"...Oh the good ole days.

When we first started shopping at Costco, I nicknamed it the $100.00 an hour store...Now it is on an average shopping trip more like $300.00's an hour...Good thing we only go two or three times a year...AND again the question, does it save us any money?..Well we only bought 4 small items at WalMart, our usual box wine at BiMart, the gasoline was only $3.00 a gallon yesterday at Costco, our Costco bill for 1&1/2 hours was over $400.00, Herb and I split a burger, fries and milkshake at Boggans on the way home for under $20.00....Hmmmm I'm starting to get a headache!...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

P.S. The sun shone on us both ways, roads were good but this time of year Lewiston/Clarkston was  under a bank of stinky ugly smog, so we will return in the spring when the flowers are in bloom...I really doubt that we save much money but it was a beautiful drive!

3am morning...37º

Up early this morning, scrabble done, text with Pat, coffee cup empty...News on Google about a shooting in Clackamas Town Center Mall in Portland yesterday afternoon...Three dead including the gunman...My mind has a hard time getting around a scene like this...I know it can happen in any town, any public place but when my family is so close to it---it boggles my mind.

I'm reading this morning--two books--"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn", an old book written in the forties, narrated by a little girl coming of age and their daily life in a hand to mouth existence...Alway looking for a way to make a penny to add to the family coffers, always hungry...I read it many years ago, probably didn't really sink in then, now it makes me humble and thankful for what I have and ashamed that even I think I need more!..What happened to my thoughts of getting rid of stuff.

The other book is "The Best Care Possible", a new book written by a doctor, about Hospice and Palliative care...End of life issues for anyone young or old, with a terminal illness and helping the patient and the family make educated decisions (during a highly emotional time) about quality of life and when to accept death as part of the natural process....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Blue Skies..29º

As I mentioned several times we didn't get much of a storm in Joseph...According to the paper last night other areas around us not so lucky...Not huge amounts of snow but bad road conditions, slick roads causing trucks to spin out and block freeways in and out of the Grande Ronde Valley, that made for extremely hazardous travel Saturday over Mecham, Ladd and out the North Hwy, Flora and onto Lewiston Idaho...It is kind of ironic because people (who don't live here) think we have terrible winters, lots of snow etc...Little do they know!

Dinner yesterday was our homemade sauerkraut, over a German sausage on a homemade bun and baked beans on the side..Hmmm good!

While I was icing and heating the knee yesterday I worked on our annual Christmas newsletter...Have it finished and ready to print...This morning is physical therapy and write group...While I'm eating yucky soup at the cafe Herb will have his special hamburger...We are still hoping to meet at the Josephy Center soon so we can do our famous potluck lunches!..Hugs to All....OWAV:)

Christmas Concert....21º

Last night Herb joined Pam and I for the annual Wallowa County Christmas Chorale, held at the Community Church in Enterprise...Voices from many congregations in the county joined together for hours of practice, led by three conductors to give the final one hour concert played to a standing room only crowd...Unusual renditions of much loved Christmas songs entertained the crowd filling our hearts with the joy and the spirit of Christmas...After refreshments and visiting with neighbors and friends we returned to Barton Heights via Hurricane Creek Road under star lit skies illuminating this valley we call home.

Bobi shared her news on Facebook, that Cienna's Robotic Team (coached by her Dad) will be going to the state competition...Congrats to All!

Robotics Team (Cienna on the right)

Today maybe I will start on our annual newsletter, touching on the highlights of the past year as we inch toward the end of 2012...Bread baking is also on the agenda and more exercise, ice and heat for me...Hugs to All...OWAV

Sunday....17º

Looks like we might have a little sun today...Have maybe an inch of snow on the ground and very frosty...I've spent the early hours perusing photo's trying to make some order out of iPhoto.

Herb has started laundry and I must exercise, ice and heat...Seemed to really help yesterday...I finished reading a very long novel "Swan Thieves", good story, interesting ending...We had homemade sauerkraut and German sausages for dinner with enough left over for sandwiches on monday, if I get the buns made.

Not much happening on Barton Heights this wintery day, must check with Pam about the County Christmas Concert tonight....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

NO SNOW...24º

Storm warning still on, still no snow, well a trace as they say...Enough on that subject!

I just finished the last of three calendars for next year...Bob and Rusty chose photo's for their calendars while home in November and I surfed my iPhoto for the photo's to go on our yearly calendar...It is fun to look each day and reminisce about what we were doing a year ago...I will give them one final look and hit the order calendar button, fill in addresses and send them to apple for processing... Within the next two weeks we will all have new personalized calendars hanging in our homes.

Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time icing my knee, it seems to flare up with tendonitis, so I will be more diligent with gentle exercise, ice, heat and massage until Tuesday when I return to PT...While icing I surfed Sierra Trading looking for new winter boots (this has been on going since late November)...Yesterday I could get 45% off and free shipping...How can a girl go wrong with that kind of bargain and I'm sure I will need new boots when the snow finally arrives..Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Sure its gonna snow...35º

It is December...The temperature is just right, weather alert on since 4pm yesterday---6 to 8 inches they say...A little flurry after dark last night so I went to bed with visions of the white fluffy stuff piling up while I slept...woke up this morning to some blue sky and lots of frost...I know that I should be careful what I wish for but--Our kids are not on the roads, Herb has the 4-wheeler chained up, snowplow in place, we are tucked safely in on Barton Heights, have enough food stashed away to feed a small army and I love to watch a good old fashioned snow storm.

I reminisce back to the days when Herb and I learned to downhill ski, both of us over forty...every weekend found us night skiing at Spout Springs or making the longer trip for a day at Anthony Lakes...Then Fergi took shape only 10 miles from our house, inexpensive and fun...We drove there knowing that it would be an exhilarating day spent with friends on Hayes' Maze or "The Face" or in the lodge warming up by the barrel stove and devouring our lunch before we hit the slopes for the afternoon...Returned home long after the sun had set, happily exhausted and couldn't wait for the next day or weekend to do it all over again...I'm so glad I have those memories!

Now I would be content to sit inside by the window and watch the snow pile up, maybe sweep the sidewalks while Herb roars around on the 4-wheeler plowing driveways for the neighbors...Will it happen today?..Join me tomorrow and I will give you an update....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

PS...Pat reported in from sunny California, temperature 80º, low humidity, fragrant roses blooming, green grass, a lovely home and spending time with her sister.

What to Write?...25º

UPDATE...Sorry I can't get the photo's to show up, maybe another day!

Not much happening on Barton Heights so will reminisce about years long ago...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

In 1973 we moved from Utah to Oregon.  Oregon grows and ships Christmas trees to all parts of the United States. Our first year here I wasn't able to go look for a tree and this is the one we decorated.

Rusty went with his Dad to get a tree and when Rusty saw my face he said, almost in tears "you should have seen the one he wanted to bring home."  But as Herb always said, "It will be just fine when you get it decorated!" And it was. We called it our "Charlie Brown Tree" and celebrated Christmas in our new home.

1973

After that year I always went on the Christmas tree hunt and for many years this is the kind of tree we decorated.  A seven foot tall bushy yellow pine decorated with home made ornaments and an angel for the top that was hand crocheted by my Mom.

1991

Party...40º

Just added more flour to the sourdough starter for the third day in a row...Looks like a good day to make bread...No appointments, no meetings, no deadlines...I have soup in the freezer for our dinner, so will plan rolls or fry bread to eat with it...Simple food.

Rusty arrived home safe and sound and doesn't plan another trip this way until after the first of the year...Pat and Brian boarded a plane this morning, so we won't be having any adventures for awhile...Will connect with Bobi today on Facetime and catch up on their news...Looks like a quiet time in the Allen household this month.

Yesterday I made matinee reservations for Pam, Herb and I on Christmas day at the Elgin Opera House to see Irving Berlin's "White Christmas"...Should be a fun day!

The surprise for Pat's birthday went off well yesterday at our weekly Write People...She was surprised and pleased as we celebrated her birthday early, wished her a safe trip and Merry Christmas all in one!...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Celebrate!

More Wind...48º

Warm, windy December...Rusty is on his way home to Bend, left at 7am this morning...His car was loaded last night except for the frozen stuff.

PT this morning and straight to Write People and lunch...Home to get candies packaged to go to friends and put all the chocolate stuff away and out of my sight for another year.

Not much on the agenda for this week, make myself keep busy...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Lazy Day...35º

Lazy day yesterday, rainy, dreary and cold wind outside....Herb did laundry, while I puttered in the kitchen then downloaded Angry birds- Star wars...Russ and I compared notes off and on all day about how to gain 3 stars in a certain level...Our internet was down most of the day so we couldn't even look at some of the impossible cheats...Rusty and I worked on photo's for his calendar. Bobi's is done so now I have ours to do and send them to Apple for the final product...This is a fun way to see family photos on a daily/monthly basis.

Fixed a late afternoon dinner of oven chicken, baked potatoes and brussel sprouts...Reading kept us busy until bedtime...Have a good Monday...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

More Wind...43º

The best thing about having wind in Joseph is that it keeps the temperatures up and the sun usually peeks through later in the day....Rusty is home from the river for a few days before returning to Bend.

In McCall where I grew up the wind usually brought a snowstorm that lasted for days, plugged the roads making it impossible to leave our house except with the bob sleigh...Daddy had a team of "work horses" named Bert (girl) and Dick (boy) to pull the sleigh...School in our one-room school house was seldom canceled because the teacher lived in a small cottage adjacent to the school...On days when the roads were closed kids could ski or snowshoe to school, ride a horse or like us ride on the bobsled...I loved this form of transportation...During the long winters in Lake Fork we used the team and bobsled twice a day for feeding our cattle...Daddy would harness Bert and Dick, hitch them to the sled and load it with bales of hay and off we would go...Daddy had a favorite spot for feeding...A tree sheltered clearing made the perfect spot keeping the cattle out of the wind to feed and then the trees close by when they bedded down for the night...On trips to school, straw bales were used for seating and blankets covered us for the two mile ride...Every year in December  Daddy, Mona and I went on the bobsled hunting for a Christmas tree...The tree had to be 7 feet tall with evenly spaced branches and we usually came home with more than one so Mom could choose...I remember how the harnesses jingled and steam rising from the horses backs as they trotted out of the barnyard...After the storm was over, roads newly plowed, Daddy would take us sledding or hooky bobbing behind the bobsled...Oh what fun!..Hugs To All...OWAV:) PS....Sorry to be late our internet has been out most of the day.

Essay Done...42º--Very windy

A big sigh of relief as I hit the send button and my essay wings its way into cyberspace to land on Katey's desktop...Mostly revision on last months essay as I use Katey's suggestion for improvement...Writing about ones family is easy and Hard at the same time...How much can I rely on my memory as to the actual facts of over 60 years ago.

Pat and I had a fun day yesterday, rainy when we left Joseph but turned into a warm, sunny day in Walla Walla...We arrived just in time for a potty break and Pat's 10am appointment...Then we lunched on soup and salad, stopped at Andy's for produce and arrived home just before dark...Seems like the hours fly by when we are on the road, with each other for company.

Today Rusty should be home from the river, so I think it is time to start ham and bean soup in the oven for him and John.

Candy making is almost done, so I can start fixing Christmas boxes and clear counters...I have some sewing projects, maybe a good time to start them, also a good time to sort and clean closets and drawers....Enough blathering for today...Hugs To All....OWAV:)

Raining...35º

After 6 1/2 hours of sleep last night I awoke to the sounds of rain and a gentle breeze outside the bedroom window...A return to sleep didn't happen so I'm up...Finished with puzzles and just read Bobi's blog...Cienna swam in a swim-a-thon last night to raise money to help pay expenses (travel etc.) for the Beavers Swim Team...This girl has loved the water and swimming since she first went into the pool at the age of four and after enjoying water polo soooo much she decided to join the swim team.

Yesterday after PT I stopped for a visit with Jane, caught up on her family news and their Thanksgiving Celebration...Before leaving I pushed her to exercise class where she joined about 12 other residents for chair exercises...She seemed in good spirits and was redoing a scrap book for a grandson.

At home I made a small batch of caramel and left it to cool...Herb loaded the clean beer bottles into my car and I was on my way to Nicks house...He had everything ready, explained the process to me and 45 minutes later with me filling the bottles and he running the capper we had 52 bottles of IPA boxed and ready for me to take home...I tried to leave some of it with Nick but he said, "No it is all yours, that was the deal." Last summer I had purchased raffle tickets at a "Fishtrap" fund raiser and won the class and my choice of beer.

I fixed dinner of ham and eggs, canned peaches on the side...The caramel was cool and ready to cut into squares, not quite as dark as I like it but has a good flavor...I had just enough pecans to place on the caramel squares to make 3 dozen "Turtles"...Added these to the mints, butter rum, irish creme, butter nut, orange, strawberry cremes and peanut clusters already made...I have one more batch of mint and lemon fondant to dip, then I'm done...Well maybe, I haven't made Almond Roca for many years, I might do just one batch.

One last adventure with Pat today as she has a dental appointment in Walla Walla...Weather is supposed to be rainy, we hope no snow...So just us two "girls" will head over the hill, talking and laughing all the way...She and Brian leave Tuesday and will be gone for 2 1/2 months, visiting in California, Maryland and soaking up the sun in Florida...They will arrive back in Joseph just in time for Herb and I to leave for a Month in Arizona...Good thing we have ichat to keep us in touch...Hugs To All...OWAV:) PS, I must get my essay sent to Katey.

Turtles, Mints and Nut Clusters

Beer Bottling Time...33º

Physical therapy this morning, maybe a quick visit to Jane, then back home for the final stage of bottling and capping the beer...Herb has a case of beer bottles washed, old labels soaked off and ready to go into the dishwasher for the final sterilizing wash and heat dry...Then another week in the bottles before it is ready to drink...The cost of making your own brew is about 1/2 what it costs from the store and Nick thinks a much better product, but it does take time...Haven't decided if it is something I want to continue with or not...Don't drink a lot of beer but it has been fun going through the process.

Chocolate class went well yesterday...Gretchen is a candy maker so knew the basics but has never done much with fondant or dipping etc...She was an avid student and would like to start a small business selling confections...We spent nearly three hours going through all the steps; cooking, stirring, shaping and dipping...She left here trying to process all of this new found info...I wished her well and told her to call or email with questions...Candy making takes patience and practice...I've had my share of failures, made many mistakes but I still love trying new techniques and different flavors, such as the strawberry fondant sitting in the fridge waiting to be dipped...Check out Bobi's blog on making apple cider caramels, might have to give that a try...Hugs To All....OWAV:)

7am Sunrise...26º

Up at 4am, rewriting last months essay for Katie to critique again and trying to come up with some new material...Now Herb is up, drapes opened to the east and I can view the red, pink and orange as this new day dawns.

Part of today will be spent teaching a friend the art of making fondant and dipping chocolates for Holiday treats...I've given these lessons many times at the home-ec room at the Joseph school with friends looking on, also at "Antons" store in Joseph I taught strangers (some became friends) and like today sometimes i've invited one or two people to my home to see how "IT" is done...About 40 years ago while living in Utah I took a class in making chocolates and have honed this skill over the years...I like teaching others this lost art...Must get moving...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Hyperventilating...18º

Physical Therapy at 9am Monday morning...Home to make spaghetti sauce from leftovers in the fridge...A busy week ahead...Luckily all of the PIGS are dead in my latest "Angry Birds" so I can quit wasting time on that little endeavor...The latest memoir I'm reading is "101 Tricks Every Boy Can Do" by Kim Stafford...Beautiful writing, sad, haunting story, sometimes funny, always difficult to put down...I'm writing on my own essay, due this week to Katey...Write People is today, stuffing envelopes with Amy at Fishtrap is also scheduled today...Tomorrow I'm teaching a friend to make chocolates and just got an email from Nick...The beer is ready to bottle on Wed. or Thur. I just need to pick the time...Other things I have to sandwich in, is more PT, (practice stairs at home) keep up on Scrabble and Lexulous games.

Deep breaths....I will finish this blog, write more on my story...cook a batch of fondant so it can cool and get stirred before I leave for write group...Repackage everything that didn't fit in the order from Sierra Trading so I can take it to the UPS drop off...and Keep reminding myself, Things will get done!...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Thanksmas Ends...21º

A Saturday night "soup supper" found us at the table, joined by Pat, Brian and Pam for a final celebration...Simple food, conversation and laughter shared with friends.

Rusty left about 7am Sunday for a week on the river, building fence and cooking for a crew...We took more time for Bobi and Ci, as they were homeward bound, making sure we checked the list over and over...A trip to the cellar where we selected jars of meat, sauerkraut, pickles, chili and assorted jams from the shelves...Chocolates and fudge were packed into flat tupperware containers (not to be smashed) and will be saved to share with friends and family the month of December.

Herb and Bobi packed the car leaving space for cut and wrapped beef to be picked up in Wallowa--a Christmas gift for the entire family for 2013...We ate leftovers for a quick breakfast as the "girls" planned a 10am departure, anticipating a shared Bozo Burger and milk shake in Boardman...With the camera set on automatic the four of us posed for our usual photo...Again I will have to mesh a picture of Rusty into the group.

Thanksmas 2012

Herb spent the day doing laundry while I "computed" away, designing calendars for each family using photos from the past year...Dinner was leftover soup and rolls as we enjoyed a cold, sunny day...peace and quiet abounds and another year draws to a close here on Barton Heights....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Winding down...34º

One more day before "The Girls" head for Portland, where Ci will be back in school and their busy life will resume...Rusty will make a trip to the river, building fence and cooking for the crew....Herb and I will marvel at the peace and quiet of life here on Barton Heights and settle back into our routine...No kids, no dogs just the two of us and more memories.

Yesterday Bobi and Ci dipped pretzel sticks in chocolate then rolled them in chopped nuts or crushed peppermint sticks for a different taste treat...It took some trial and error with melted chocolate spread throughout the kitchen...I was making another mess when I decided to make a fondant out of "Irish Creme"...Must have been the alcohol burning on the bottom of the pan that caused the fondant to quickly arrive at the soft ball stage...Thought it might turn into caramel but after it cooled I decided to stir it and it did make a soft creamy fondant...Not as tasty as we had hoped but once it is dipped in chocolate, I'm sure it will be edible.

Everyone was on their own for breakfast and the dinner menu was ham and waffles with fruit toppings...I proceeded to make more messes with simmering frozen strawberries and a mix of blackberries and raspberries...Rusty and Ci left on a ride and a possible driving lesson for Cienna...After several hours they arrived home, Rusty wide eyed with terror and Cienna a smile from ear to ear as she hadn't been the least bit scared...She learned to start slowly, shift gears and Uncle Rusty said she drove on the wrong side of the road because she thought she was too close to the edge on the right side...Both of them consumed many waffles after this "hair raising" experience...Russ is sure that if he wasn't already bald, he would be now!...Cienna hasn't quit smiling....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

"Thanksmas 2012"...25º

The girls' arrived about 2:30 on Wednesday, bearing gifts...Herb had the tree up, presents wrapped and our house took on a festive air...It took awhile to unload their car....Food, gifts, Ginger the dog, laptops and luggage...Rusty and I had been slicing and dicing in the kitchen, Bobi added crab and soon we were dinning on our own version of crab nacho's and salad.

We opened Christmas gifts on this made to order "Allen Christmas Eve"...Our very own celebration...While other families are preparing for Thanksgiving and awaiting "Black Friday", we mesh the two holidays together and can now coast through December smugly repeating "Oh we've already celebrated Christmas"...Bobi and her family will have a family Christmas in December when Stan can join them back in Portland...Now for the most part we can enjoy Christmas programs here in Joseph at our leisure, no rush or stress, just a time for being thankful for the season and reminisce about how lucky we are to have a family celebration...Our Thanksmas menu was leg of lamb, mashed potatoes and gravy, brussel sprouts, salad and chocolate cake...Pam joined us for dinner and conversation.

The next few days will find us in the kitchen, cooking, eating, making candy, playing cards or in the living room updating computers, comparing our Angry Bird scores and at times reminiscing about Christmas's past...The years we went to the woods to cut our own tree, went sledding with Gramma and Grampa Allen, wore fake noses as we opened presents with Gramma Blanche and soooo many more....Hugs to All....OWAV:)

The Beefs' in the freezer…43º

I passed on the Write People yesterday, made a trip with Herb to Wallowa where we picked up half of the beef and returned to Joseph…Now our freezers are really full, everything packed in neat and tidy, along with a full cellar we are ready for winter.

Sourdough starter had been fed before we left and now was bubbling away on the counter just begging to be used…I set the mixer in motion with whole wheat flour, bread flour, salt, water and a quart of starter…Set the timer for 10 minutes and turned on the mixer…About half way through I added more flour making a very stiff dough and let the mixer finish the kneading…I dumped the kneaded dough into my large tupperware bowl, added just enough flour to give it a few quick turns then slathered it with bacon grease, snapped down the lid and left it to raise.

Some hours later--Rusty arrived and we busied ourselves in the kitchen…Herb set the table and made sauces while Rusty and I breaded oysters for our dinner…With two frying pans hot on the stove, Rusty started frying oysters and I made a salad…Oh what a feast, good thing I bought 3 jars.

Nine pounds of bread dough has risen until it popped the lid open on the container and is now ready to go into the bread pans…OH how I love working with bread dough…It is soft, stretchy and comes alive in my hands as I shape the loaves, roll the tops in sour cream (helps the browning process) and place them in glass bread pans to raise one more time before they go into the oven....Our girls arrive today...Happy Thanksgiving to All...OWAV:)

Finished loaf

Minty flavor....53º

It was a full day with PT early, then book group and discussion on "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"...Interesting read with discussion around moral and ethnic issues and the rights that labs and Drs. have to any cells taken from a patient body...Next months read is "Angle of Repose"...This is a favorite of some people in book group, personally I've tried to read it a couple of times, not sure I will try it again!

Quick trip to the grocery then home to meet with Nick as it was time to siphon the IPA into another sterilized carboy, leaving the yeasty dregs behind so it can finish its fermentation settling out more of the yeast particles and finally in another 2 weeks we will bottle it and leave it another week before drinking.

Herb and I had a dinner of stir fry, then I made another batch of fondant added mint flavor and have it stored in the fridge along side lemon and orange...The second batch of fudge came out creamy and soft, now divided into 1pound packages and stored in the freezer.

Wind is still blowing and is supposedly at the end of the storm...Temperature is supposed to drop now and maybe snow!..Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Windy...39º

The snow that covered the ground yesterday morning is gone...Our wind chimes sang through the night  as the predicted winds blew into the valley...Wind, rain, maybe snow is in the forecast for the next few days for many parts of Oregon and other western states...What will Wednesday bring as our girls make their way from Portland, through the Columbia Gorge and over the "Blues"(mountain range)...Coming from a different way, over the Ochoco and Elkhorn mountains, Rusty will blow in today or tomorrow.

I now have two flavors (orange and lemon) of creamy, soft, delectable fondant stored in the fridge...Soon to come mint, butter rum, berry and ???---Yummy...Almost always when I make the first batch of fondant I pour it onto the marble slab to cool and immediately add more butter, cream and sugar to the hot pan and continue to make the first batch of fudge...It is easy to make, just boil then pour over marshmallows, chocolate chips stir until all is melted and pour into a glass baking dish...The hard part is getting it into the freezer before it is all gone...(just kidding).

PT and Book group are on the agenda this morning...A stop at the grocery and home to do more candy (I'm on a roll now)....Nick emailed last night and this afternoon we will rack the ale into another sterilized fermentation container where it will finish working before we bottle in two weeks...Hugs to all...OWAV:)

Change of Plans....25º

The second batch of Chex Mix came out of the oven and the oxtails went in to simmer at 200º for a couple of hours...Veggies chopped and waiting for oxtail soup...Finally I could do a couple of batches of fondant...Herb had his load of wood unloaded and was relaxed in his recliner...I had turned down an invitation to go to the Wallowa County Symphony with Pat and Brian, something Pam and I have done in previous years and I really enjoy...Only problem??...The venues in Wallowa County leave something to be desired...School gymnasiums are designed for basketball games, do not have the best acoustics and the seating is "folding chairs"...The company would have made up for all of that but the fondant was calling me...Della get the hell in the kitchen and make the fondant, the kids will be here in four DAYS...I reached for the heavy stainless steel pot, recipe is in my head, THEN the phone rang..."Della are we going to the musical in Elgin?"..."I don't know Pam, are we, where are you?"

I called and Teresa said, "yes I have tickets for the Saturday Matinee."...One hour later, Herb had instructions on how to make the soup, I had changed clothes, ran a brush through my hair, my car was waiting...Two hours later found Pam and I sitting in comfy seats at the  "Elgin Opera House"  a bag of popcorn and a pepsi to share...The voice in my head and the word fondant had completely disappeared from my brain...For the next two hours we sat back, relaxed, transported back to the songs of the late 50's in a musical review called "Forever Plaid"...We laughed, clapped and sang along and both kept saying "I'm sooooo glad we did this!"

Now it is Sunday morning, Herb needs a haircut and the fondant is calling again...Maybe today I say...If you get a chance, call for tickets and take in the show "Forever Plaid"...I think you will have a good time....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Wasted Day...32º

I didn't totally waste yesterday but I tried...For the first night since we changed times I got 8 hours of sleep and should have been raring to go...It didn't happen, my knee was achy from the LaGrande trip and I just couldn't get moving...I made one batch of trail mix, roasted extra nuts, played games on the computer, iced my knee, Pat stopped for a visit and finally towards evening I pulled out the "Stephanie Plum" mystery by Janet Evanovich that I've been saving for a day like this...This series of books are light reading with murder, sex and mayhem running rampant...Stephanie has two boyfriends who periodically try to kill each other as they vie for her attention, she can't choose between the two...She lives in her own apartment but dinner time she is at her parents house (Mom is a good cook)...Her crazy grandmother lives with them and adds interest to the stories...The book is entertaining...I put it down after 8pm and went to bed.

Both Herb and I awoke at 3am, I started the coffee and we now for almost 3 hours have played on the computer, read books.... and waited for it to get just a little bit light...I hope today is more productive than yesterday...Sooo up and at it....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Road Trip...27º

My eye appointment was scheduled for 9am...leaving home before 7am we arrived in LaGrande in time for a quick stop at Grocery Outlet...Christmas "stuff" lines the aisles...I look, pick up a package of Christmas decals for our sliding door and move on...I head for the back wall and some special cheeses for appetizers next week...Herb adds potato chips to the cart...We check out and I stick my address label on the receipt, put it in the box for the twice monthly drawing to win what you save...Some day I'm going to win that!!.

Dr. Pettit's office is full of patients but the staff moves them quickly through the rotation and puts me through my usual tests before dilating my right eye...Dr. Pettit says the eye seems to be healing and its best that I just put up with the floater because to surgically remove it is risky...I have no intention of having surgery unless absolutely necessary and tell him so.

Next stop is BiMart, then the book store, I have boxes and sacks of books for resale as I've been cleaning out bookcases...We lunch at KFC today, stop at WalMart, D&B then hit the road for home...One last stop in Elgin for bread flour...LaGrande was cold and windy so nice to get back to some sunshine in Wallowa County.

This morning Herb is going to the log deck for a couple of hours and I must get back to either chex mix or fondant that didn't get started on Thursday...Stir fry is on the menu for dinner tonight.

Bobi blogged about Cienna's water polo season, so will share that with my readers...Water polo is over and Ci has started practice with the Beavers swim team...Go Cienna Go....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Cienna, Coach and teammate 

Fun Day...25º

Mostly fun anyway...Morning PT was hard work as Aaron works my knee as well as tries to improve my balance...I'm standing on a 3" foam pad, wide stance...He is behind me arms ready to steady me if I need his help..."Okay" he says, "Close your eyes, only for 30 seconds." I close my eyes, for what seems like an eternity, my body bobs and weaves, I bump into Aaron's hands, that steady me and I breathe a sigh of relief when he says, "times up." He lets me rest and then after two more times of this, (I do improve) with shaky legs, I do the vine steps, then move to the parallel bars for lunges and stair steps...Last we work on range of motion, massage and I'm on my way out the door, until next week...Aaron makes these visits fun as we keep up a friendly banter for an hour...He is young, married with 4 children and extremely dedicated to and proud of his family...Yesterday I heard about the tooth-fairy's first visit to their house...His eye's sparkled as he related the story of helping his 6 year old pull his first tooth and the excitement of the next morning when the tooth was gone and money was in its place...He listens to my stories of stocking the cellar and cooking from scratch...He often says, "Really you do that?"

At home I iced my knee, caught up on email, puzzles etc. was just finishing a chat with Bobi, and prodding myself to get up and start some chex mix or a batch of fondant when the phone rang...Marsha said, "Is Della ready to play pinochle?" I had totally forgotten this date on my calendar!.. Two minutes later I was out the door, leaving Herb to keep the fire stoked...I was a little nervous, haven't played pinochle for nearly 20 years and never played with a double deck...Our hostess served a "laced" coffee drink, I drank it knowing that the caffeine was going to be a problem...Oh Well, my mind was concentrating on families, marriages, 60 queens, 80 kings and pinochles...To bid or not to bid...I PASSED...We played a practice hand, they assured me it was all in fun...I relaxed a little...Hand after hand, little things came back to me and I grew more confident, helping my partner, taking some tricks...about the 5th hand I had sense enough when I perused my hand, noticed I had a family+ and 2 aces in every suit to know that I should bid...We easily won that hand and eventually came away the winners for the day...I arrived home after 5pm, Herb had the table set and helped me make Philly/cheese sandwiches for our dinner and we relaxed for the evening...My evening stretched to nearly 10pm, the caffeine keeping me awake...Was it worth it, YES, I had a good time and maybe they will invite me again...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Not my favorite job...32º

Yesterday I finished peeling enough apples (not my favorite job) for pies this winter...Peeled, cored and thick sliced, 10+ cups of apples, added 1 cup sugar, 1 heaping TBL cinnamon and 2 TBl. lemon juice, tossed to mix...Placed in a 1 gallon ziplock bag, labeled and smoothed flat to stack...I did this 3 times...Herb carried them downstairs to the freezer where he added them to the 2 already there...Now we can have 1 apple pie a month during the winter...Pies are our favorite dessert so with the mincemeat, pumpkin, and frozen berries I have on hand, lemons from Arizona (in the spring), maybe we will have 2 pies a month!..That is a good way to bring warmth to the cold winter and spring months in Wallowa County.

It is less foggy this morning and still a chance of snow or rain...I have a PT appointment, and more grocery shopping to add another turkey to the freezer...Then home to continue with the little traditions that make up our "Thanksmas" celebration...Homemade chocolate creams are first on the list...I have to cook a few batches of fondant...later I will add flavoring and form the fondant into small balls before dipping them into melted chocolate...Another holiday treat is "Chex Mix"...Over the years I've honed this recipe to our liking, by adding more nuts and butter than the original recipe and way less Worcestershire Sauce, it is a favorite to be eaten only during the holidays...Herb is sorting through the Christmas stuff, looking for just the right size of boxes and colorful wrapping paper as he gets into the wrapping mode!

Our combined Thanksgiving/Christmas is just one week away..."Kids" will be arriving and the "Celebration" begins...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Home made wine...29º--Foggy

Continued--From that simple recipe for "balloon wine", I soon had more gallon jugs each with a balloon on top and apple or grape juice inside, slowing fermenting away...From gallon jugs to 5 gallon carboys our wine "hobby" grew to major proportions...Now we used fresh fruit, rhubarb, apricots, apples, raspberries, currants, chokecherries, elderberries and rose hips, to name a few...We bought, 5 gallon plastic garbage containers, mashed the fruit, added sugar, water and a little wine yeast, covered these with dishtowels and stirred occasionally...From these crude containers we strained the juice into the carboys, added more sugar and our homemade fermentation locks...(a cork with surgical tubing leading into a small jar of water where it bubbled away)...Herb had built a shelving unit in the back room closet for the carboys...It held 12...Our house took on a strange yeasty smell and it took both of us to make wine...We could have 60 gallons of wine in carboys, 2 or 3 garbage containers started with new fruit and gallon jugs of wine in the cellar aging...Our wine was sweet, syrupy and had a heck-of-a-kick...We drank it, gave it to friends until it overwhelmed me and I said NO MORE!..I refused all offers of fresh fruit from well meaning friends and slowly our "wine hobby" faded away...Occasionally someone will ask us "Do you still make wine?" Or they might say, "I remember the wine you made, that was pretty strong stuff."...I remember lots of wine that was just so-so, but some like our raspberry and rhubarb that was very good and I only remember one that was totally undrinkable that we thew away...Remember the song "Watermelon Wine"...Well our watermelon wine didn't live up to the song, it tasted like rotten watermelons and only got worse with age...We only made one batch.

Now I've had my first lesson in making ale (IPA)...Nick had all the supplies ready when I arrived at his house yesterday...He calls it a "kitchen sink" operation (right up my alley)...He boiled the dried barley, added a syrupy malt, then we added his homegrown hops in three stages...then he strained out the hops, added more water to the 5 gallon mark, poured the reddish brown liquid into a 5 gallon carboy, and last the special yeast packet..added the lid with its fermentation lock and carried it to its place beside the fireplace where it will brew for about a week...This entire process took 3 hours, mostly watching the boiling pot, keeping the temperature just right and stirring...He will call me in about a week when the ale will be racked or siphoned off into another carboy to work for another 2 weeks and then it will be ready to bottle...Is this going to be a new project for my spare time or just more info to add to the data base in my head and a few bottles of ale to enjoy on a hot summers day...Only time will tell....Hugs To All...OWAV:)

No Snow...25º

No snow overnight as was in the forecast, still possible today.  Then maybe the temps will warm over  the next few days...Yesterday was a cold, sunny day...Typical of our late fall weather...Mona and Jerry sent photos of their snowy world in the Salt Lake City area with over a foot of snow on Friday and more to follow.

Snow near Salt Lake City 11/11/12

Yesterday I made apple pie with a top crust only, (saves a little on the work and calories)...Will peel more apples today and freeze for pies this winter...Made finger steaks, baked squash and potatoes for our dinner...We had no more than finished the last bite when Pam done with a hike, stopped for a visit...Lucky for her there was enough to fill her plate and we visited into the evening, catching up on her life, new job and the latest hike...Apple pie and whipped cream topped off the evening.

Physical therapy this morning and a new adventure this afternoon...Last summer I bought raffle tickets to support a Fishtrap endeavor and got an email that I was the big winner of a "beer making class"...Brings back memories.

Herb and I made "home brew" many years ago when we lived in Utah...Mom had given us her pickle making crock (10 gallon size) perfect for beer...Armed with a recipe, we bought a can of hops (available at the grocery store in 1960's) added water, sugar and yeast...Covered the crock with a dishtowel and left it in the cellar to work...After so many weeks we siphoned it off into quart beer bottles, capped them and left it to age for as long as Herb and his Dad could stand to wait!...As I remember it--It was a yeasty, malty brew with quite a kick!..Not particularly good but icy cold it was drinkable...From home brew we moved on to making wine...At that time Herb and Dad drank "Port wine" very sweet and heavy...I had a recipe for balloon wine (gallon jug filled with grape juice and a balloon stretched over the opening instead of a fermentation lock...I found the following recipe via "google" this morning and it is exactly what I started with in about 1972...Wine making to be continued....Hugs to All...OWAV:)

GRAPE "BALLOON" WINE
3 (6 oz.) cans frozen grape juice 4 1/2 c. sugar 1 1/2 oz. cake yeast Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Pour all ingredients into a gallon jug. Fill to the neck with warm water. Cap with a balloon. Let stand for 6 weeks in a warm place. Siphon into bottles and cap.

Crispy Cold...12º

Up early on this cold day...A million stars greet me as I peer out the back door into the dark morning...Everything is still and covered with frost...I turn on the coffee and the heater...Pull on my red wool socks and continue gazing at the stars until the coffee is ready...Only one puzzle to do this morning, then I work at cleaning off my desktop of accumulated "stuff" and on to my documents file where I purge other stuff that I hope I never need again...I would much rather be playing games!

Yesterday Pat and I stopped in at the "Methodist Market" to do a little Christmas shopping...Homemade goodies and crafts of all kinds...I bought mincemeat for Herb's annual pie and Pat bought Pesto and dried pears...Soup and pie was on the menu but we passed since it was only 10am... We decided to go on a little adventure before we lost all will power and ended up at the chocolate shop...Amy showed us photos of her possible new investment soooo up"Old Ski Run Road" we went...After looking, backing up, turning around, a call to Amy, we were finally on the right road BUT I stopped Pat from driving all the way down a hill thinking maybe we wouldn't get back up...I got one of her looks as she turned the car around and I think she called me a "Wuss"!

This brings a smile to my face as I think back the past three years that we have been friends...Much of that time we have spent in a car going to Dr.'s appointments, yard sales and pleasure trips...Both of us, WE think, are "decent drivers" and neither of us is shy about giving comments and advice about driving depending on who is the driver and who is the copilot...It boils down to when I'm driving Pat is apt to say "Della, do you see that cow standing in the road up ahead?" It is broad daylight, the cow is black and yes I can see the cow...I raise my eyebrows and quietly say, "Yes Pat, I see the cow and thanks for bringing that to my attention." On a day like yesterday, I said, "Pat, maybe you should shift down instead of using your brakes so much on this snowy road." Pat is thinking, Della, I know how to drive and its not slick, but she reaches for the gear shift, smiles at me, and we creep down the hill...Neither of us gets mad or testy, so far we just make each other laugh...I think we realize that at our age, maybe it does take two set of eyes for our driving adventures as we look out for each other.

Time is wasting, sun is up, looks like it might be a glorious day in Wallowa County and I have a box of apples to peel for pie or sauce or apple butter...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

What to do?..21º

With the chili canning project over, I lose focus...Where to start...Give me a list...My mind goes multiple directions...Always the cleaning, rearranging, sorting, throwing away or donating to soroptomists...Grocery shopping...And the most basic, what to have for dinner?..Things coming up, the kids will be home in less than two weeks for our "Thanksmas Celebration"(presents, tree, wrapping, food, chocolate)...I have a FIFTEEN PAGE essay due in three weeks...On Monday I start a class in making beer (I won this, last summer in a raffle) Tuesday, the usual write group...Wednesday afternoon is something new, my neighbor called and said they need someone to play pinochle, can I?...I haven't played pinochle for twenty years but I said sure I can do that!...What was I thinking?...Thursday is a trip to LaGrande, follow up on eye problem from 6 weeks ago...In between these things I have to sandwich physical therapy appointments for my knee, should also schedule acupuncture appointments with Amy...I feel my blood pressure rising!..Deep Breaths.

Yesterday was a calming day...Worked around the house in the morning...Bathroom cleaned, kitchen floor swept and mopped and general clean up in the morning...11am found me at Pats where we played on our computers as she continues to learn more things about her Mac from me the hesitant (I know so little) teacher...First lesson was for me as she forbid me to touch her computer...I showed her on mine, then she did it on hers...Shortly after noon Amy arrived, the soup and rolls were hot, wine was soon poured...We toasted our writing and Amy's new property (they accepted her offer anyway) and "We 3" ate and talked nonstop for the next 3 hours...Pat's cabin in winter is like living in a giant snow globe with frost or snowflakes fluttering all around.

I made my 4pm PT, did 20 minutes on the stationary bike, repetitions on the bars and then Aaron continues torturing me as he again manipulates the kneecap and finds more knotted muscles behind my knee...I arrive home where Herb has our house toasty warm and we relax for the evening...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Chili inside-Chilly outside....25º

The last batch of chili came out of the pressure cooker at 2pm yesterday...A pot of chile simmered on the stove (too much for the jars) for our dinner...Bread dough was already rising in the pans and a small amount of  dough saved out for fry bread to go with our chili...Dusty (bathroom carpenter) called and ask if it was okay for him to stop by and fix cracks in the shower grout...I said sure and Herb and I quickly moved jars of chili making room for him at the table as I was pretty sure the smells would entice him to join us...Dusty is a bachelor most of the time (Wife lives in Boise) so he enjoys a home cooked meal whenever one is offered...Didn't take long for the three of us to slick up bowls of chili topped with cheese, onions and sour cream...The fry bread was eaten with the chili and afterwards we loaded it with jam and had it for dessert...Dusty checked out the cracks in the shower, and said "I'll order calking and be back in a week, about this time?" he said with a grin.

Herb and I took turns cleaning in the kitchen during the afternoon, both of us weary, he after making a "gazillion" (this is really a word) trips up and down the stairs and me standing in and walking from one end of the kitchen to the other, all morning filling jars, stirring chili and making bread...Late afternoon found him reading and me computing and icing my knee...Total count 72 jars, some of them pints and some are 3 cup, wide mouth tapered jars...As I write this morning, Herb is carrying the last jars down to the cellar...Canning is done for this year...Now I have to make another trip to Safeway, shopping for the turkey to be canned in January!

12 quart kettle of chili ready for the jars.

Jars processed and cooling

36 Jars & Counting...32º

Our morning started early...Herb had an 8am dental appointment in Enterprise...While he was getting his teeth cleaned I did my early morning grocery shopping at Safeway...Now is the time to buy turkeys on sale...Turkeys for 99 cents a pound ($20.00 per turkey) if you purchase $50.00 worth of groceries on the same day as the turkey...In past years when my Mom was still alive we could buy turkeys at Safeway for 25 cents a pound ($5.00 per turkey)with $10.00 worth of groceries...She taught me to stock up on turkeys, then on a long winter day in January, I would spent a couple of days at her house in Elgin and we would can turkeys...First bone the thawed turkey, put the bones on to boil for broth then chunk the turkey and fill jars to pressure cook...Quality time spent together and I learned a new skill.

So while filling my basket with groceries I kept a running total in my head...I didn't buy any alcoholic beverages to make the total go up faster because they can't be included in the total $50.00...What I hadn't read in the fine print is that dairy products also cannot be included...Luckily I had padded my total and ended up with a total bill of $80.00 including turkey...I have to make a game out of this turkey buying, go early in the morning to shop, stock up on grocery staples to run up the tab and hope to have 3 turkeys in the freezer by Thanksgiving...No turkey on our Thanksgiving table, as we like prime rib or leg of lamb and prefer out turkey in a jar...Crazy??? Yeah but that's just the way our family is...OWAV:)

PS...I started out intending to write about the chili we are canning but I got side tracked so will do that tomorrow including photo's...Remember to tune in.

Another Marathon...42º

Cooking smells woke me in the night...I fought my way out of dreamland, remembered that I had sorted, rinsed, added roasted peppers, garlic and onions, to two kettles of beans and Herb lifted them into the oven for me...Set at 200º there were cooking away...All was well, I went back to sleep...I got up at 4am added more water to the beans and will leave them to cook a few more hours...Later this morning I will brown ground beef and deer, add tomatoes, chili powder and other spices and then the mixture will be ready to fill jars and start the pressure cooker...For the next two days our house will be filled with the smells of chili and sounds of my 80 year old pressure cooker hissing away.

The sourdough starter is on the kitchen counter bubbling away and will be ready to make a batch of bread either today or tomorrow...Pat, Amy and I are having a We 3 lunch on Friday...Physical therapy is going well and my knee finally feels like it belongs to my body!..Single laps around the track may happen depending on the weather...Katey returned my October essays with positive reviews and suggestions to improve the story to keep readers interested...I'm working on that and trying to come up with another 15 pages for November...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Essay...38º

Sorry, I've been editing my returned essay from Katey...Maybe later or tomorrow...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

My essay is about this teacher Mr. Whittaker