Blizzard...26º

Weather goes from calm to blizzard in a matter of minutes, then back again...Rusty had a quick breakfast, a check on the road cams over Ladd Canyon and during a lull he headed out for Bend about 7am...Once he has made up his mind to go home not much can change it...He is good about keeping us posted as to where he is as long as his cell phone has coverage.

Not much happening here today, so will fix something warm and filling for dinner, maybe chili...Herb will keep the fire going between bouts of sneezing and blowing his nose...Hate to wish the days away but will be nice in a few more days when we are both through with this damnable head cold and back to "normal"!...Hugs to all..... OWAV:)

Touring...12º

Yesterday--sitting on the sofa, writing on my essay thinking I should go for a walk...Rusty said, "I think I will go out Cheeko way and check on John's other horses and mules" and I of course said, "We haven't left yet?"...Herb stayed in his chair, miserable with the stuffed up nose and intermittent chills of the "common cold"...I didn't have to worry about dinner, since leftovers were in the fridge.

Out Cheeko way the sun was shining but it was still too cold for much wildlife to be moving...We saw small herds of whitetail deer and a couple of coyotes...Oh yes and the 6 animals, we went to check on, were happily grazing on a bare hillside, easily surviving our mild winter...Round trip is about 60 miles on mostly dirt roads...Lots of muddy potholes, bumps and slick spots...We bumped, jiggled and slid our way for a couple of hours, visiting about other rides, along the way...Arrived back home with Rusty's truck looking like it had been coated with "Rhino Liner" all over the truck...In reality it is reddish sticky, clay mud splattered by the wheels covering the sides of the truck...Might have to use the pressure washer to get the truck clean or maybe not, don't know what that would do to the paint job!

Extra love and hugs go to Pat and Brian this morning, as they cut there Hawaiin vacation a little short and wing there way back to Maryland...Brian's father is in a nursing home there and not doing well...Our thoughts follow them on this journey...OWAV:)

Sunshine...14º

Good news, my cold is getting better...Bad news, Herb has it now...Good news, the sun is shining for the next two days.

Yesterday our usual Sunday, laundry and cleaning...About 3pm Pam showed up after a hike, we had a good visit...Then the guys got home so I heated up the leftover chicken and noodles along with some sour dough biscuits I made earlier and everyone sat around, slurping noodles and listening to the latest exploits at "Jim Creek"...The terrain down there was coated in a thick layer of solid ice, so even with chains on the travel was treacherous...We ended up talking and laughing about everyones different "ice" stories, mostly sledding, skiing or icy road trips...Funny now, not so when you are in the middle of one...Hugs to All...  OWAV:)

Yesterday...22º

Yesterday was a blustery day, horizontal snowstorms all morning...No snow accumulated, not sure where it ended up....Still feel crappy but won't bore you with that.

Note of interest..I've just signed up for the Sage Library system through our local Joseph Library...Now when I read about or hear about a new or old book I haven't read, a few clicks of the computer and it will tell me if said book is available...The libraries in this system are as far away as Hood River to the West and Ontario to the East...Books may take a few days to arrive at the Joseph library but I get an email when they do and have 3 weeks to read and return them to the Joseph library...What a wonderful service!...As of now it is all free...I'm hoping it will entice me to read more and play AB's less...Hugs to all....  OWAV:)

Skiff of snow...30º

Gusty winds, little snow, the weather watch is on until 11am this morning.

Yesterday, except for a cold breeze blowing, was about as perfect as February can get in this neck of the woods...Sun shining all day long.

With the smell of chicken broth simmering in the kitchen I started my noodle dough...Very basic recipe...measure 2 cups all purpose flour into a mixing bowl, add a little salt, make a well in the flour and add 4 eggs...With a fork break up the yolks and start to stir gradually incorporating the flour & salt into the eggs, leaving some flour on the edges...When it gets to thick to stir, gently knead with hands still pulling the flour into the dough and keeping the "gooey" dough off of your fingers...Add more flour around the edges if needed until you have dough that you can dump out on a board and keep kneading...Now my Mom made a supper stiff dough, I prefer a softer dough because they are easier to roll out...Works either way...I section this dough into 4 pieces, let it rest for a few minutes or an hour, whatever.

Now on a floured board, I stretch and flatten into a disc then roll with a rolling pin until it is very thin...Keep lots of flour on top and under it, fold and set aside until you have all 4 pieces rolled out...Now unfold and stack each circle, dough, flour, dough, flour, one on top of the other and roll all of these together into a roll as if you were going to make cinnamon rolls...I use a serrated knife to cut either thick or thin slices...unroll each slice and you have lots of long noodles with flour to keep them separated...Some people now put them to dry, I don't...Mine go straight into the boiling broth, with celery and onion and spices added to it...Cover let simmer for 10 to 20 minutes until tender, add chicken meat from the bones and you have dinner...I usually cook half the noodles and place the other in ziplock bags to freeze and use later when I'm in a hurry or need some to add to soups or casseroles.

Mid afternoon Herb and I chunked a couple of wrinkled apples and carrots, walked a mile to Pat and Brian's pasture where Anna Belle and Celia (two mules) reside...We fed them apples and carrots, petted and talked to them, then made our way back home...Later Herb fed John's mules and horses and cat Dobbie...Another day on Barton Heights...Hugs... OWAV:)

No Change....22º

Not much change in the way my head feels, but the sun is hitting Ruby Peak this morning and it looks like another nice day...So will get moving now and accomplish a few things before I settle in to write on my story and sneeze my way through another day... Have had several suggestions to add some whiskey to my lemonade, might help... now if I only liked whiskey... Good day to all...Hugs... OWAV:

Nasty Bug...26º

Must have picked up a rather nasty germ, maybe in Idaho/Washington when we visited all the big stores...Could I have picked it up by chance from a cart that I innocently grabbed on the way into the store...I'm not much for disinfecting things because I think we have to be exposed to these germs to keep our resistance up....My resistance must have been low and however it happened I have it: The tickle in the back of my throat, moving into my nose where it drives me crazy until I sneeze, catch my germs in a tissue, blow my nose, lean back in my chair and wait for it to start all over...The COMMON Cold, no cure in sight, just suffer through it for about a week, then with luck it will disappear and hopefully won't get passed onto some other unsuspecting soul...Think I will concoct one of my Mothers favorite remedy's "A hot lemonade drink"...Probably do more good than all the latest wonder drugs!... Hugs, (but don't get too close) OWAV:)

Blank....45º

My mind is more blank than usual this morning, so a short blather it will be...Rusty arrived about 4pm yesterday just as the hot rolls were coming out of the oven along with a dutch oven full of soup...His comment was, "Mom how did you make 'mus-go' soup on wednesday, I thought that was a Friday specialty." "Just worked my magic." Said I.

Chunky Marmalade

I cooked the marmalade all day, along side the soup, then left it in the warm oven overnight...It has good flavor but is way too chunky so think I will put it in the cuisinart and mush it up a bit, add a little water and cook some more...Might have a 1/2 pint when it is done.

Wind continues to gust, with a little rain and the temperature keeps going up...It is right balmy outside...Good for a walk if I don't get blown away... Hugs, OWAV:)

Storm, Winds in the Forecast...32º

Looks like a good day for making soup and bread...Write People has been canceled for the second time in two weeks because of weather, appointments and absentee members...So with Rusty arriving today it looks like my time will be well spent working in the kitchen and writing.

Book group went well yesterday with 6 people in attendance and a discussion about the book "Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston...Discussion was led by Ann Powers, Fishtraps new director...Amazing how much more interesting a book can sound when someone in the know explains what it is about.

Next month's book is "Crows in the Autumn Sky" (Junior High level) by Ted Sabine...He is a friend of a fellow book group member and will come and talk to us about his book at our meeting in March...This book is not on the best seller list but is a heart warming story about a boy and his pet crow...It is always exciting for us to hear the history and meet the author and probably much more interesting than some of the "so called best sellers".

We try to buy most of our books locally but since this book is in limited publication, I went looking for it on Amazon...Purchased it and downloaded it to the ipad for $3.03...It will be a first for me to read it on a screen instead of in book form...We'll see how that goes!... Hugs, OWAV:)

Busy Week...22º

Several things on my schedule this week...Book Group today, Write People tomorrow, Rusty arriving on Tuesday and Sorority Thursday luncheon...That should motivate me to get moving as I seem to accomplish much more when I have things pushing me instead of knowing I have a "free week"...It puts my mind in a whirl--no more angry birds, as I have an essay due soon, think about extra food and meals that Rusty will help with or things he likes...Herb is on his last loaf of homemade bread, so I better get started on that...Weather is looking decent for another week, so walking everyday (almost) is a must!....Now let me think, I would have time to play AB's if I did that instead of writing Oma's Blog?

Hugs to all......  OWAV:)

Pancakes of Old....25º

Breakfast

While flipping pancakes yesterday, I knew what the subject of my next blog would be...Before the first bite was taken I took a photo and the memories of pancakes zipped through my head as the pancakes floated off the griddle and onto our plates...I remember Mom's pancakes, light and fluffy covered with home made butter and apricot or strawberry preserves... Occasionally if the budget allowed we had Aunt Jemima's Syrup or some days it was a thin boiled syrup quickly made with sugar, water and imitation maple flavoring...My love affair with pancakes began then and is my first choice for breakfast when we eat out.

When I was 7 years old, my brother George started dating Marlene Madden...Marlene's Mother, Myrtle owned a hotel and I spent a day or two visiting there...I was in awe of the hotel (never having been in one) with its staircase to the bedrooms upstairs reserved for guests...I was more in awe of my breakfast...Marlene made plate size pancakes which she served to me, and a choice of pineapple sherbet or syrup on top...I opted for the sherbet not really knowing what it was but soon consumed two pancakes topped with sherbet for the first and last time in my life...Back home when I requested pancakes with sherbet on top, Mom looked at me with her special, "Are you crazy look?" and I didn't ask again.

Later when I was about 16 years old, my Uncle Harold introduced me to a new topping for pancakes, peanut butter...Over the years I had consumed "gallons" of peanut butter... Mom bought it especially for me in #10 cans, which had to be stirred and stirred to incorporate the oil back into the peanut butter (before hydrogenation)...For a period of my life she claimed that peanut butter was my main diet...She gave me the "look" when I spread PB on my pancakes the first time, but since it was her brothers idea she decided it was okay...To this day it is still a favorite and especially when I have homemade huckleberry preserves on top!..

I've thought several times about having pancakes with pineapple sherbet, but know that they would never taste as good as they did that day long ago when a wide eyed girl of 7 ate one of the best breakfasts of her life...Thank you Marlene...Hugs to all....OWAV:)

Expecting?..29º

New Baby with roots

I thought is was a flower bud and it turned out to be a BABY... Explanation:  About a years ago I finally succumbed to buying an orchid...I've admired them at my sister's house, but didn't want to mess with another house plant...It was in full bloom and cheap at "Grocery Outlet"...We enjoyed it for several weeks before it finished blooming, then I repotted it, moved it to the back and alternated between drowning it and forgetting to water at all... About a month ago I noticed a shoot growing out of the stem, a BLOOM, I thought, but it turned into leaves...I moved it into more sunlight and began talking to it and paying it more attention, surly that would entice a bloom...Another bud started growing, then another and I got really excited, several BLOOMS, I thought, but no they just kept growing...I've grown enough flowers to finally realize that this new growth wasn't going to bloom, so I googled orchids typed in my question, the answer popped up CONGRATULATIONS your orchid has had a baby and this growth is the new ROOTS... I didn't even know it was expecting!...This is exciting but I want a BLOOM..I googled again and found that I need to be fertilizing this plant because it is now eating for two... With extra care this orchid may or may not bloom so now I have two non-bloomin' orchids...and eventually I can remove the new baby and make it into a new plant or I can leave it where it is and either way, some day I might have two BLOOMIN' orchids...I can see now that I should have started growing orchids years ago if I expect to have blooms in my lifetime...Maybe we will just keep having babies and I can share them with my friends.

Looks like another sunny day on Barton Heights, we had about an inch of snow overnight...Herb is starting breakfast and has hinted that pancakes might taste good this morning, Hmmmm that happens to be my job....Hugs to all...  OWAV:)

Surprise...23º

In the mail on Tuesday, along with the crossword puzzles that Bobi sends to Herb regularly (That's a Valentine gift all year long) was a sack of cookies that our girls have been experimenting with, trying to get them just right...With a glass of milk, Herb includes a slice of cheese with his, they are the perfect bedtime snack...Thanks for sharing and keep practicing...LOL

Yesterday we were on the road shortly after 6am, on our way to Lewiston/Clarkston area of Idaho/Washington...In Clarkston, relatively small town, no freeways, (unlike Tri Cities or Portland) we can shop at BiMart, Walmart and Costco and not have to pay sales tax except on alcohol and when I forget to give them my Oregon drivers license...The jury is still out whether we save any money or not but we always enjoy a trip out of town and usually that area is much warmer than Joseph (nice in the winter, and spring). Not so yesterday as the cold, damp wind blowing off the rivers chilled us to the bone as we stepped out of the car...We didn't waste any time basking in the sun, and it is too early for admiring the blooms...That only means that we will have to plan another trip in April or May when it is snowing in Joseph, then we will take advantage of the wonderful spring weather to the North of us.

The buy of the day yesterday was the after Valentines day specials...I found red and white checked tablecloths, perfect for our summer picnics at Wallowa Lake...I'm sure no one will mind that they are decorated with red hearts...  OWAV:)

Let me count the ways....20º

Sharing

Valentines Day is over for another year...Since my write group was canceled for the day I rode along with Herb to Enterprise where he did errands and split some wood for Pam...I did a leisurely cruise through Soroptomists, then we went to the Range Rider for dinner.

Love

This dinner a Valentine treat for me and maybe for him...I didn't have to cook and he didn't have to listen to me complain about cooking...Over the last 50 years Valentines Day has been pretty low key, at times, funny or sentimental cards were exchanged. I received a few bouquets and Herb has gotten his share of cherry pies or cherry cheese cakes, to make the day special.

Dancing

To me Valentines Day is celebrated all year long when I count the little things, such as: A special dinner, can be at home with Herb grilling the steaks and me making the pie...I remember a few times many years ago when upon opening Herb's lunch pail, after he spent a day working in the woods, to find a wilted flower that soon perked up in a vase of water...A fire in the wood stove, tended by him to keep our house toasty through the cold winters of Wallowa County...Sharing a glass of wine as we sit on the deck that was built by both of us one hot summer, so we can enjoy our view of the mountains.

Laughter

The days I've heard the water running outside and looked out to see him washing my car and then vacuuming the inside and I never had to ask if he would... Since he retired he has taken on the household chore of laundry, every week I have fresh, clean sheets when I crawl into bed on Sunday night and clothes freshly laundered, all his doing, also the vacuuming, fixing breakfast most mornings, clearing the table after dinner, loading and  emptying the dishwasher.

Breakfast

He has given me freedom to join a write group, book group, sorority, volunteer on train rides, go on walks and out to lunches to get my social fix...The flowers and veggies that grow in profusion on Barton Heights would not do so without the heavy dose of manure, hauled by him so I can shovel it on...You see I get presents everyday and bouquets from April through October and he gets pie what more could anyone ask for?...Hugs.... OWAV:)

Sunshine 

i got Phished this morning....27º

Yes you read it right...In my email this morning I had the following message...I forwarded the original message to phishing@irs.com (their official website)...This website warned against opening the link because it could contain many things but mostly they would want your personal info...The IRS DOES NOT notify people by email NO NOT EVER!!!

Now I have deleted this email from my system and implore anyone who gets this message to do the same...There was a link included which I removed before I copied and pasted it here...I hope I did everything right!..I probably shouldn't even have opened the message?.. On this note, a good day to all....OWAV:)

Attention: Accounting Dpt. We would like to inform you, that you were imposed a penalty because you did not file income  tax return prior to January 31, 2012. Please note, that IRS [Section 6038(b)(1)] rates a monetary penalty of $10,000 for each [Form 5471]  that is filed after the deadline of the income tax return, or does not comprise the careful information  defined in [Section 6038(a)]. No penalty will be due on condition that the company shows that the late filing was due to reasonable  cause. Kind regards, Internal Revenue Service United States  Department of the Treasury

Rant and Rave...24º

It has been awhile since I got on my soap box so I will make this brief and let you read the article Fiber...Just one more way manufactures have figured out how to make money on worthless products by adding the latest buzz word that the "experts" have come up with...Yes fiber is important in our diet and is found naturally in much of our food, but in todays modern world much of the fiber has been stripped to make our food "refined"...So instead of just eating regular food our supermarket shelves are filled with "refined products" that now have been fortified with synthetic fiber additives...Did this all start with "Wonder Bread", that sack of totally worthless white flour, filled with air that replaced the wonderfully grainy, heavy, fiber filled bread of our ancestors?..Sorry I wasn't going to go on and on...Now I'm wondering how much fiber is in the leftover pumpkin pie and apple crisp that I plan on having for breakfast....I put oatmeal in the crisp, that should count for something!.....OWAV:)

Skiff of snow overnight...32º

Yesterday was a pickup day...After four days devoted to canning, it was time to do Saturday chores...Herb carried the last of the canned meat downstairs, along with the pressure cookers and other assorted kettles that we use...I cleaned and put away upstairs...It definitely takes both of us to get this canning job done.

Herb then made a dump run and stopped at Safeway for a few groceries, while I was making pie crust and putting together a forgotten pumpkin pie filling that he discovered in the freezer...Pumpkin pie in February, why not?..Topped with whipped cream it went perfect with our grilled tuna and cheese sandwiches accompanied by a green salad ...A very filling dinner on a cold February day.

For those of you who don't read bobi's blog here is a little news about grand daughter Cienna...Cienna tried out for and was chosen to play the part of Grace in the musical Honk that her school will perform in May...Papa and I visited with Ci on a video chat and like her mother said, she was bouncing off the walls...Plans are being made for a trip to Portland in May to attend this performance...If you have never heard of "Honk" (neither had I) it is a musical spoof of the "Ugly Duckling"...Aaaah, one of my favorite childhood stories...  OWAV:)

PS...Just remembered I should get a picture of the pumpkin pie, whipped cream is a little droopy this morning but it looks like the perfect breakfast to me!...Wish you were here and I would share.....Hugs

Pumpkin Pie

Pressure Cookers 101....35º

By now all of you know that we have been pressure canning for the past two days...I've written about preparing the jars, boning and chunking the meat...But how many of you know about pressure cookers...Oh yes everyone has heard that they explode!..Horror stories abound...The only "real" stories I've heard have happened because of human error... Pressure cookers have to be monitored...You don't put them on the stove, crank up the heat and retire to the living room to catch the latest segment of your soap opera...Yes under these circumstances given enough time it will probably explode....That said I will proceed.

80 year old canner

My Dad bought my Mom a pressure canner in the early 30's shortly after they were married... She used it regularly over the next 60 years...Canning everything from garden vegetables to meat...Her canner is a "Peerless 18 quart" cast aluminum, weighs 21 pounds...18 quart means it will hold 18 liquid quarts but only 7 quart jars for canning or it will hold 16+ pints (small mouth or wide mouth) by stacking one layer on top of the other...Mom finally, after many painstaking years of teaching me, in my late forties, how to use it properly, sent it home with me...She had lovingly cared for it all those years...It definitely shows signs of wear but it has all it parts and even some spare parts if needed...In all those years of use it never exploded, just sat on the stove quietly hissing away, keeping a constant pressure for the required time...I can't begin to count the number of jars that have been processed, so lets say "hundreds".... In the past two days Herb and I did 60 wide mouth pints of turkey and elk to fill the cellar shelves and later they will be used for soups, stews, casseroles and a myriad of other delectable dishes...I use it once or twice a year only for canning broth, meat including tuna, chicken, turkey, elk and venison and my homemade chile.

30 year old canner

I have a smaller pressure canner given to me by a friend (she was moving and couldn't keep it)...It is a smaller, lighter model has a jiggler on top and will hold 7 quart jars full of broth...It speeds up our canning process to have two canners, as the processing time, bringing up to pressure and cooling down can take over two hours for each batch....Now you know why it has taken us two days just to do the actual canning part...I would love to hear about your canning experience or if you have questions leave a comment below....Hugs....OWAV:)

Half Done...34º

Elk and Turkey & Broth

Yesterday was the perfect day for canning, low clouds, rainy, breezy and cold...We were both content to stay inside, cutting up more meat, stuffing jars...Herb is the official loader and emptier of the cooker while I fill jars, heat the lids, watch the cooker to keep the pressure constant and wipe the jars down after being processed and...then I label with the date and contents...Now they are ready for the final trip to the cellar shelves (Herb's job)...We finished 3 cookers by late afternoon, had dinner of elk steak (thanks, John) and will finish canning the other half today.

Lonely Tulip

Last year I had such good luck forcing tulips that late last fall I planted 50 "pink" tulip bulbs in two different pots...Chilled them outside, brought them inside in December and left them in the cellar...Middle of January I brought them to the living room (south window) to see what they would do...Surprise, we have 1 "yellow" tulip in bloom with 2 more in buds...Don't know what happened to my "Pink" tulips but this time of year will take any bloom I can get.... Hugs to all....   OWAV:)

Next Step....33º...more sun today

Today I fill the jars with turkey and elk meat and start the canning process...The turkey bones simmered all day yesterday so we should have about 8 quarts of broth and close to 30 pints each of turkey and elk...That adds up to at least 5 canners so will spread it out over two days.

I have been blogging for over a year now so looked back one year ago today, 02/09/11... The weather was windy, wet, snowy, rainy, very little sun and 27º...Herb and I were getting ready for our trip to Arizona and a chunk of our roof was about to blow off.

Must get moving, hugs to all...OWAV:)

All's Quiet...28º

Only three of us at Write People yesterday, a quiet group...We read and visited then left...Me to get home because I had food in the oven and Janie and Amy decided to lunch at Ruby Peak Naturals (health food store)...It was fun at first having lunch out but my palate soon tires of the sameness of the flavors no matter what I order...I think all of the soups start with the same base and then canned and frozen veggies etc are added, lots of cornstarch is used for thickening...I long for our simple potlucks where we brought leftovers from our fridge too share... Much better food...My mind is also clicking off the cost of lunches out and what I can fix at home that tastes better, always stretching my pennies...Soooo maybe once a month I will have lunch but think I will be coming home more often for my own food!

I walked in the afternoon, mountains in my face as I plod along like the little engine, saying "I think I can, I think I can." Now I must close and start slicing and dicing meat...Will see how far I get because I like to have it all chunked up and ready for the jars before I start doing loads in the pressure cooker...I have time, it doesn't have to be done in one day, one step at a time.

Went to bed very early last night, slept over nine hours so should be ready for the canning marathon...Herb has hauled all the jars upstairs and they are all washed and waiting...Hugs to all....  OWAV:)

Score...17º

Waiting to be filled

Had a lunch date yesterday with Kathy Hunter...Left home early to stop at Soroptomists, cruised the clothing then into the other room and household goods...Glanced down at some single quart widemouth jars (don't need them) and picked up 2 pkgs of pectin...As I turned to walk away I looked down and saw the labels "Ball and Kerr" on two boxes...Could it be?..This is where I scored, not only two cases of widemouth pints but the old style boxes to store them in...Do I need these?...Maybe not need, but for 10 cents a jar I didn't pass them up...After I got home and shared my excitement with Herb (eyes rolling) I checked each jar for cracks, chips and cooked on food...Scrubbed the ones that needed it and put them all in the dishwasher...I ended up with 23 pints for $2 and 40 cents...My kids are proud and my Mom is doing a little happy dance in the clouds...Herb is happy because that is two less cases he has to pack up the stairs as tomorrow we start our canning marathon...We have 3 turkeys and 30#'s of venison thawing...plus we will have broth and maybe some beef...Why would anyone be happy to start all this work, don't ask me!..It is just in my blood.

Today I meet with the rest of the "Write People" for our weekly readin', writin' and lunchin'...The lull before the storm...OWAV:)

More Cookies...18º

Bench knife

I like this new way of doing cookies...Up early so I pulled the logs of cookie dough out of the fridge, set up the back room with cookie sheets covered with parchment and grabbed my "bench knife-dough scraper"...A tool I learned to use at my cafeteria job...It has many uses and cutting (almost chopping) chunks of cookie dough off is much easier using this than trying to cut it off with a knife...Took me no time at all to chunk and place dough on two sheets, place in the oven and do two more...Herb helped by placing the dough chunks on the sheets and I baked the cookies...We had about 10 dozen cookies baked and cooling in no time...Now they are in the freezer out of my sight so I don't sample them every time I walk by.

Another sunny February day came to an end as we climbed into bed and snuggled under freshly laundered sheets, thanks to Herb for making sure we have a clean bed to sleep in every week....OWAV:)

Oatmeal, raisin, craisin, nut cookies cooling on the counter

Lazy, Sunny day...20º

Enjoyed a lazy day yesterday as we basked in our sun warmed living room...I mixed cookies in the morning, refrigerated the dough and will bake them today...Went for a walk and made another stop at the library...Received more help to access the online Sage system where we can order books from surrounding libraries on line and pick them up and return them to the Joseph library.

Herb is busy with the Sunday "laundry duties" and since I have nothing scheduled this week except "Write People" have decided to start the turkey canning process...Will also boil beef soup bones and can the broth while we have all of the equipment out...Plan to have a taco salad for dinner, seems like a good idea with all the sunshine we are having.

Katey returned my essay, with her letter and critique, so I will mull that over, make changes and start organizing how I plan to continue for Februarys submission!.... Hugs to all..... OWAV:)

Good Book...19º

My search is on for a good book to read...Now all of us have a different definition of a "Good Book"...I stopped at the Joseph City Library on my way home from a walk...Looked in the newer book section and as always gravitated toward the non fiction (my personal preference) Picked up a book called "Stolen", read the jacket, about a young girl kidnapped and the ordeal she goes through for many years....Can't go there, put it back and resort to two non fiction...Last night I started reading one and then the other...both vague, (one book alludes to an accident that changes the lives of an entire family but they never tell you what happens!!!) Drives me crazy!!!"...I set those books aside and pick a book from "my stack" that I read a few months ago..."Dear Mad'm", aaaahhh, light hearted, funny, easy to read...This lady calls a spade, a spade!...You never have to wonder, "Who is she talking about or what century is she in or what country?"...It is soooo easy to read that soon my head is nodding, my eyes half closed and my warm comfortable bed is calling...That's my kind of book...OWAV:)

P.S.  Rusty is home (Bend) from his Vietnam trip...Bobi and family have usual weekend activities coming up...My mind is on the turkeys and venison frozen solid in the freezer... To can of not to can?...I must make a decision.

Really Dumb...18º

Yesterday, Ground Hog Day was celebrated...I think it a silly celebration, but Bobi said, "MOM, it gives people something to celebrate in the dead of winter, a reason to laugh, a reason to party." As usual she is right but it still makes me wonder how and why such a totally inane (meaning: silly, foolish, stupid,fatuous, idiotic, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, senseless,asinine, frivolous, vapid; childish, puerile; informal dumb,moronic, ditzy, daft) idea got started in the first place......


The opposite of inane is sensible (practical, realistic, responsible, reasonable,commonsensical, rational, logical, sound, balanced,grounded, sober, no-nonsense, pragmatic, levelheaded,thoughtful, down-to-earth, wise, prudent, judicious,sagacious, shrewd.) Now this is how I like to think of myself: Sensible, common sense, down to earth, fun but not stupid...I surprised myself yesterday as to how STUPID I can be.


In the morning I happily sauteed fresh mushrooms, onions, red pepper and Italian sausage...Later in the day I added this to a "store bought pizza" dressing it up just the way Herb likes it....I even added more cheese and black olives...Pre heated the oven and slid this now gourmet looking pizza onto the cookie sheet and into the oven...Set the timer for 25 minutes, fixed a salad and sliced avocado on the side...Herb and I sipped on a semi dark beer, whetting our appetite for dinner...As I removed this pizza from the oven, it looked good although maybe not quite done in the middle, so I turned it around and cooked it for another 5 minutes...We were hungry NOW and I cut into the pizza... The pizza cutter gave under my hand as if it had a cushion under it, WHAT the HELL, I'm thinking, did they do to this pizza...Enough detail, I will only say that "I" had neglected to remove the cardboard from under the pizza before baking it...The outside crust was cooked the rest of it was raw dough...We ate what we could, washed it down with the rest of our beer, had a laugh at my expense and maybe next year I will celebrate "Ground Hog" day with the rest of the idiots!.....   OWAV:)

Late to rise....Sunny...22º

Herb let me sleep in this morning...No checking to see if I was still breathing, he just quietly left the bedroom and read until I, bleary eyed and groaning joined him at 7:30 for what was left of the coffee...It was about 11pm when I crawled into bed last night after going to a Big Read presentation by our friend Amy...The "Write People" were right there sitting in the second row giving her our undying support...After her lecture we met at the "Range Rider" (local cafe/tavern) for a celebratory drink, where we toasted her successful presentation and also her new job...(more about that later)...She told us how nice it was to see the smiling faces of friends and she directed her eye contact to us as she talked in depth about the formation of the Chinese Dynasties and Chinese medicine...Now we (the write people) were the only people in the "RR", we ordered drinks all around and a platter of freshly fried potato chips...The shuffle board was ours to play as well as the pool table while we waited for our drinks, and...What shall I say?..This is not a quiet group, so much bantering, laughing, being crazy went on even before the drinks arrived, then we shifted into high gear as we toasted Amy...I'm not sure how 5 (3 old and 2 young) people can have soooooo much fun on one drink and a platter of fries...but we managed!..Janie kept saying, we must do this more often....OWAV:)

Essay sent....29º

I selected the first 15 pages, attached it to the email and hit send! Now this month I can look forward to revising with Katey's critique my "Beauty School Essay".

I remember that year in beauty school as a fun time in my life although at the time all I could think of was getting it over with...Wishing my life away! The following is the start of my essay, yes I've changed it again! OWAV:)

Beauty school seemed a strange choice as a career for a farm girl.  Every morning since I was 10 years old, I answered my Dad’s morning call, “Della it is time to milk the cows.” “Coming Dad,” I said, as I groaned, rolled over and slowly climbed out of my warm bed. Still groggy from sleep, I pulled on the cold “chore clothes” struggled into rubber boots, coat, hat and mittens and trudged toward the barn. Every day started like this and the rest of the day depending on the season saw me riding a horse, driving a tractor as I mowed and raked a hayfield, splitting and hauling wood, or cleaning barns and chicken coops. I loved this life with the smells that awoke my senses daily, from the barnyard “aroma” to the smell of Daisy my favorite cow, as I leaned my head into her warm flank and she gratefully gave down her milk to fill the bucket held between my knees. The smell of fresh mown alfalfa or the soft cry of a new born lamb or calf and the feel of their soft noses as they nuzzled me, thinking I had a bottle for them. This lifestyle had instilled a sense of responsibility and a strong work ethic in me. It had also shown me that farming was a gambling way of life. A good crop depended largely on the weather. Animals could die suddenly, leaving you with a corpse to bury and no profit, only another loss. There were no guaranteed paychecks, money had to be borrowed every spring to finance another crop that might or might not make it. I watched my parents struggle to make a living, trying to get ahead and out from under the never ending debt. Just recently they made the decision to put the ranch up for sale.

Love and caring abounded in our modest, comfortable home. Our table was laden with the best food, all home grown. Our clothes, not the latest style, were warm, clean and mended, but the security of a regular paycheck was not there. At age 17 I wanted that.