Riding a roller coaster into 2023

The last evening of 2022

The weekend started out nice enough. We had our special Christmas service on Sabbath since services last week were cancelled due to ice, and then went back to church that evening for a amateur hour/talent show in which my husband performed. After that we went to a senior home to visit my Dutch friends who had just moved there the day before after spending nearly a year apart due to health issues, and then got treats at Dairy Queen on our way home. Nice, huh? I thought so.

The dogs enjoying their Christmas gift still

Brian was gone when we got home; he'd told us he was going to hang out with friends. After doing chores, we settled in with the dogs and the fire in the fireplace to watch the news – until the power abruptly quit at 11:00. Oh well; we weren't planning to stay up to welcome in the new year at midnight anyway, so to bed we went.

The power was still out when fireworks and gunshots awoke us at midnight. It was still out when Brian called us at 1:45 am because his car was stuck in a ditch. Rick headed out to pull Brian out but found the ditch deserted (someone else stopped and pulled him out, but his phone died so he couldn't tell his dad) and Brian parked at home asleep in his car when he returned . . . with the power still out.

A bright, sunshiny new year dawns!

When the first day of 2023 dawned, the power was still out, so Rick started the generator to keep the fridge cold, the well pump operating, and a few outlets hot for charging phones. After my phone had charged, I went out to observe my one annual tradition, starting every new year on horseback. Thanks to the beautiful weather, we enjoyed not only a very good school in the arena (with a pair of red-tailed hawks soaring overhead), but also a ride down the gravel lane and back, wishing neighbors a happy new year. And while we were out, a neighbor texted that power had been restored; hurrah!

This afternoon I took down our little "tree," and with that, Christmas 2022 was dispensed with. A little handspun, handknit woolly sheep hat had joined the minimal ornaments on Christmas Eve, as it was one of my Christmas gifts from a dear friend (shown with Poppy's nose for scale):

Another gift – or the result of another gift – arrived yesterday in the mail. My sister gave me a gift certificate to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and I selected the following (don't tell my guys that I ordered three varieties of summer squash!):

Then I had a little dress-up fun with Leo. My mom has sent me some cute dog accessories over the years, mostly for the bulldogs we used to have  – the jingle bell collar was one of them. Today he modeled a couple others.

all dressed up with nowhere to go

"take me out to the ball game"

He's a photogenic little fellow, clothed or naked!

Happy New Year from . . .

Searching the cupboards

Don't worry, our cupboards are far from bare; I learned the art of 'stocking up' from my mother. 😊 But shopping less during the pandemic has meant that I'm finding and using up some pantry items I've had for longer than I can remember. 😏 A couple recent examples: I found a bag of buckwheat flour shortly after reading this blogpost  –that's serendipity, if you ask me! (The beauty of the formula is that I could make it to use up all the flour I had, which was a little more than the original recipe called for). I took it to work and shared it with my boss, who is gluten intolerant; SO good with coffee! I get a weekly recipe emailed to me by The Splendid Table, and this one was easily adaptable for the bag of pearled barley I found (enough for two batches) plus the other ingredients I had on hand (canned garbanzo beans for the win in batch #2!).

"Your bed is SO cozy!"

Our cool, damp May has my lean, sleek pup shivering much of the time. She has outgrown all the coats we were given, so I decided to see if we had anything else on hand that fits her. I thought I could alter Dozer's coat to work, but couldn't find it in the 'dog cupboard.' But there were other things in there to try on. 😉 First I tried the sweater on her that my mom sent as a late Christmas present:

It's the right length, but she's not the 'right' depth. (Wouldn't a stylish black patent leather belt to cinch it up complete that outfit perfectly???)

Then I tried on the baseball jacket my mom sent years ago for Dozer. Poppy looked great in it; she's a tomboy, just like me! 😁

I spotted something I didn't recognize, and pulled out a spider costume Mom must have also sent for Dozer. Ha!

This will be perfect for next Halloween – if we do some training so Poppy will keep it on. 🤣

There were a couple other costumes in the cupboard as well, from long ago when the local feed store had an annual pet costume contest and there was an annual Third Street (our 'Main Street') daytime trick-or-treat event. My friend and I had brother and sister bulldogs (from our breeding pair) that we had great fun dressing up and taking to these events; bulldogs lend themselves happily to such silliness. So when my mom finds something cute in the discount bin, she still sends them my way!

My 'stock tank swimming pool' idea for Poppy's continued physical therapy didn't hold water – literally. But I did put her in for a test run before the water leaked out overnight, and it was miserably cold for her – and not quite deep enough. So for now regular playdates with the neighbor boy encourage her to use her leg, and hopefully it will strengthen over time. They have so much fun together!

This week I decided to take back my deck from Chuckie and Poppy to feed the wild birds. (I'm still trying to convince Chuckie to stay away with frequent applications of water....) Yesterday a red-winged blackbird visited frequently, which is something I've never had happen before. Is he not finding enough bugs with our cool, damp weather?

The plants don't mind the weather; my garden starts are looking good, the grass is growing great guns, and this variety of iris opened this morning:

That's it for now from . . .

A fine day at the Faire

This is the third Ren Faire I've been to in Oregon, each in a different location. Common denominators are stage acts, jousting, plenty of interesting outfits on workers and attendees alike, and LOTS of vendors. Each has been fun; each has had something to recommend it. The first one we went to had a great birds of prey show with falconers, plus a retired racing greyhound adoption booth done very much in Renaissance style. I think the second one had the best vendors. Today's had amazing giant rocking horses, and the best jousting events (we attended two) – not just because of the kilted "Scotsman," but he was definitely eye candy, and a good horseman. Here's a taste of several different dishes, plus a heaping helping of the jousting tournaments; enjoy!

Besides food, my sole purchase – consumable, so still not-an-acquisition!

That's it for today and our anniversary celebration from . . .

The pause that refreshes

Bless Rick's heart for offering to drive to Salem to pick up Brian this evening; it gave me the first wiggle room I've had in my schedule for waaay too long. I used it to take a NAP (gasp!), which sure did make me feel better – if a little disoriented – afterward. Not only have things have been go-go-go from early morning until (much too) late at night, but Brian came home from his backpacking trip with a cold, and now I have it, too. Better than my co-worker who I've been covering for for a week and a half; she came back from her trip with the flu, so I worked today as well.

The renaissance fair last Sunday was fun while it lasted; my MIL and I both needed to get home to get things done in the afternoon so we left before seeing everything. Besides memories, photographs, and lunch, my MIL and I both picked up a few small gifts, my friend Debbie bought and wore a flower crown, and I picked up some lovely combed mohair locks ($2 for 100g) to spin and knit a souvenir (maybe plied with something else).

Not too far from the renaissance fair was this beautiful old covered bridge. We stopped on our way home to read its history and take some photos.

Browning has not continued to improve. He's gotten more B complex and Nuflor, and tonight Rick  checked his heart and lungs (good), drew blood and took fecal samples. We could be dealing with worm issues, since this has not been an exemplary year for sheep husbandry because weed seeds and dry weather have severely limited pasture time.

Here's hoping I feel well enough tomorrow to enjoy what's planned – the beach ride with a friend I've waited for all summer!

That's it for now from . . .