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

Frosty days are forecast...44º

A few more balmy days before the temperature takes a nosedive...Forecast is saying by Thursday of this week the days high will be 31º.

Time to get out the "long Johns"...Which brings to mind articles of clothing worn by girls in the 50's...When I started school at Wood Grove near MeCall Idaho in 1951 instead of wearing long underwear like the boys did, girls wore long brown cotton stockings under their jeans and also under dresses that we wore on occasion...Of course these stockings wouldn't stay up by themselves so a "suspender garter belt" was purchased for that purpose...It is hard to describe and I could't find a photo of it to borrow from the internet but it was a harness affair that went over our shoulders, a band to go around our waist, more straps hanging from the waist with slide hooks that connected belt to stockings and supposedly held them up!..All I remember about the belt and stockings was that the stockings bagged around my ankles and the suspender belt twisting and was very uncomfortable...Also I will just mention what a pain it was using the outdoor toilet and trying to sort out the layers of clothing and not freezing in the process or worse yet "peeing" your pants before you could get them down and if you did manage to get your pants down, you had  to sit on a frosted toilet seat!..It only took me one winter of wearing this apparatus before I begged Mom to buy me some boys long johns...By the time I started high school, the long johns were replaced with tights--a much more comfortable option.

Yesterday was warm with lots of sun...Rusty left early for his home in Bend, Herb did laundry and I sorted some books but couldn't get very motivated...I made a beef stew from the leftover beef roast, lots of veggies and dumplings on top...Looking forward to a lap around the track today with Pat, knee seems to be up to it...Hugs to All....OWAV:)

Daylight Savings...41º

The time switch is upon us again...I will spare my readers another diatribe about this idiotic spring forward and fall back that has become the norm for people in the USA...I know that Arizona opts out of this crazy ritual and I wish the entire country would...Enough said.

I am enjoying this early morning light as I now have a view out the east window :)... Herb and I rearranged chairs, vacuumed corners, washed windows and tried to capture the dust and dirt...I moved plants around, sorted books, papers and other clutter and will move on to another corner this morning with more sorting and cleaning.

A pot roast simmered in the oven most of the day in anticipation of Rusty's return to Joseph from 3 weeks at deer camp in Idaho...Our evening was spent listening to stories of his adventure as the camp cook and occasional forays hunting for a wolf (no luck)...The conditions went from hot and dry to wet and a foot of snow and chaining up the 4-wheelers to navigate the trails...A good time was had by all and John the proud hunter bagged a 6-point bull elk.

Bobi posted her blog about 1pm with news of Cienna's water polo team at the playoffs in Salem...After only one game, their season ended...It has been a great experience for Ci and we as grandparents are so proud of "The Girl"...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

Procrastination...39º

A friend of mine always puts a positive spin on things and describes procrastination as her "strongest weakness"... I like this..."Things" usually don't get done in my life until I've had time to think about them and sometimes I worry them to an early death...That means I end up never doing them and in the end it doesn't matter...I have another friend who laughs at me and the many times I answer her with "I'll have to think about that."...She likes to get things done...Not tomorrow or the next day but NOW!

Some of the things I've been thinking about are rearranging the living room because the room needs to be cleaned and because where my chair sits now I can't see out the window...Another thing is cleaning out cupboards, closets and drawers...One more thing on my list is making a hugh batch of chili to pressure cook and add to the cellar shelves for winter...How do I prioritize these things in my mind?..It comes down to when push comes to shove---Nothing bad will happen if the living room doesn't get done within the next week or even month...The drawers, closets and cupboards will still close without things falling out...but the chile making is becoming more critical...Why now you might ask?..November is the time for turkeys and beef...Both of which have to go into the freezer...The freezer is still full of ground beef, deer meat, roasted onions and peppers that I've saved to put in the chili...Aaaah Haaaa, now do you get the picture?..Today I "think" I will have Herb get meat out of the freezer and then we should have time to at least partially rearrange the living room...But first I have to take a shower and he has to unload and split the wood he brought home yesterday and, and...We are retired after all and Rusty is coming home today so maybe he can help with some of the heavy lifting...Tomorrow is another day, we hope....Hugs to All....OWAV:)...

Tongues and Tails...33º

If you don't eat meat or you do but would rather not know how it gets from the field to the table then don't read this...

I usually say we are having a beef butchered...That's not quite right...Actually what I mean is we are having a beef slaughtered, (killed, gutted and skinned) sent to the butcher shop and in two weeks it will be butchered (cut up and packaged into family sized packages) to go in our freezer and feed our family for the next year.

Okay, yesterday was the day for this years beef to be slaughter so we had a time to be at the cattle ranch in Wallowa and asked friend Pat if she would like to accompany us and see this process...We arrived with two 5 gallon buckets, but the mobile slaughter hadn't, so we sat in the car and visited and visited, drove into Wallowa for lunch (burgers at the Little Bear drive-in) and then back to the ranch...Dale was there, had all six animals on the ground and ready...This guy is a master at what he does and Pat was amazed at the speed and precision of his work...Where's the beef...We stood in the cold and watched, fascinated...Soon the light rain and wind drove us to the car and we waited until all the animals were hanging in the huge trailer and ready for the trip to the butcher shop...Herb retrieved our buckets now full of beef tails (for oxtail soup) and beef tongues (to be cooked, sliced and eaten with spicy mustard or horseradish)...Delicacies  that many times are just discarded...Other people were there and had a bucket full of beef hearts to take home...No one was into collecting livers on this day...It turned into a long day of waiting but worth it for the experience of knowing that our meat comes from well cared for animals that haven't been penned in a feedlot for several months of their lives.

This morning I have been googling recipes for pickled beef tongue because that is how my Dad liked it but I have just a vague idea of how Mom did it...All kinds of recipes but none that sound quite right so think I will call my sisters this morning and see if they know her recipe...In the meantime I have to prepare the tongues and tails to be frozen..Maybe I will simmer a tongue today as we expect Rusty home soon and one of his favorites is beef tongue...Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Pat snapped a photo of a small part of the herd.

Calm, Quiet...41º

A breezy Halloween night with one little "Goblin" at our door...Herb and I had just finished making and bagging the popcorn when we heard voices on the front porch...One excited little boy, proud parents in tow, on his first Halloween adventure.

Yesterday I had an 8am PT appointment...I did the bike and our usual routine with ankle weights to strengthen the knee...Then into the treatment room to work on range of motion and Aaron found more and bigger knots, behind the knee and the back of the thigh...I grimaced in pain, wanted to cry while Aaron seemed to enjoy making me squirm, saying it will feel better when it stops hurting!...AND it does!

I went from PT to the grocery store and from there to see my friend Jane who has moved from the hospital to the nursing home...Before the last hospital stay she lived near us in an assisted living facility...I have never been to this nursing home...I didn't want to go but knew I must...The NH is bright and cheery and Halloween was in the air...Many of the residents and staff had dressed for the occasion...I visited with Jane in the big open room where her recliner is and then in her room where we looked at photos from the recent wedding of a granddaughter...She is able to move herself about in a wheelchair and seems in good spirits as she talked about family and friends and the upcoming visit of her daughter...She is doing PT and regaining her strength...My visit was longer than I had intended, she was delighted that I came and next time it will be easier....Hugs To All...OWAV:)