Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Unrelated Thoughts Bouncing Around In My Head

I still haven't managed to take a picture of all our snow.  That may have something to do with the fact that it's been so darn cold outside that I go out, do what needs to be done and get back inside where I can breathe without my lungs wanting to close up and go south for the winter.

However, hubby just looked at the thermometer and announced the temp has zoomed up to 20°.  Um, what's with that at 7 p.m. when it should normally start dropping down, down, down?  What's going on here?  Dum-da-dum-dum!  Another big snow coming?  Twenty degrees is supposed to be the perfect snowing termperature, right?

Papa Pea was amazed that he was standing only fifteen to twenty feet from an attack in the chicken yard when a HUGE bird swooped down and just missed nailing one of our hens.  (The hen reports that anytime you lose that many feathers, the event was plenty close enough for her.)  Hubby didn't have a lot of time to study the characteristics of the bird for identification, but after coming in and consulting our bird books, he's pretty sure it was a Northern Hawk Owl.  They are basically nonmigratory, but do come slightly south (which would possible put them in our area) during the winter.  They also hunt in daylight as well as at night.  He saw the owl's attempt at a chicken dinner in the mid-afternoon.

I know there are those of you who cannot wait for the days to start getting longer.  Personally, I like the short days.  (Ducking from barrage of snowballs aimed at my head.)  I really enjoy the time around 4:30 in the afternoon when darkness descends outside, I'm in my cozy kitchen leisurely starting to pull dinner together while sipping a glass of wine.  Except I'm in a bamboozling period (get out the violins) when I. cannot. drink. alcohol.  One sip of anything (and I've been trying everything) and wham, I get an extremely uncomfortable feeling from the top of my head to the nether regions of my stomach.  What's going on?  Anyone who knows me can tell you I am not a person who has ever over-indulged, but heck, 'tis the season to be jolly and I'm expected to do it without tippling any spirits?  Oh, well.  Makes me a cheap date.

I also truly like the longer nights this time of year.  I will admit I do not have to gird my loins and traverse the roads to go to a job in the dark in the morning and come home in the dark at night.  (That scenario would cast a whole different glow on my rose-colored glasses.)  Being able to be home as much as I choose, I love the dark early morning hours with the Christmas lights and music on which seems to create a slower, easier start to the day.

Typically, the evening hours are our "time off" from the daily hafta-do tasks so when it's pitch black outside from 4:30 p.m. on, evening starts pretty early and we feel we have longer "time off" hours each day.

I've asked Papa Pea (my personal Mr. Claus) for a couple/three books for Christmas and I've been waiting impatiently for them to arrive so I can take a quick peek at them before wrapping and putting them under the tree.  (Yes, I have to wrap my own presents [are the violins still handy?] because I learned long ago that seeing how much of an onerous chore [and how much paper he used] wrapping was for my husband, I couldn't in good conscience inflict that task on him anymore.  Actually, for years he gave my presents to our daughter to wrap for him, but I didn't feel that was fair either.)  After Christmas, I'm looking forward to some very enjoyable hours on the couch, devouring my new books.

Speaking of the couch, I'm going to get my pj's and robe on right now and go snuggle on the couch for a long evening of snoozing relaxation.

20 comments:

Sunnybrook Farm said...

Sounds like you got a lot more snow than they did around here. We got none but over the mountains there was a little. We have been getting warm during the day and cold just under freezing at night. I am ready for warm days and the pasture to grow again.

M.E. Masterson said...

I am still listening for the violins! LOL! as always love reading your blogs...

DFW said...

Shush. I love the shorter days as well, even though I still have a job that I try to get to by 7:30 which means leaving before daylight but I still love my short day/long night weekends. This is the natural way. Who invented Daylight Savings Time anyway?

Akannie said...

The older I get, the more attuned to the seasons I become. I like the short days too...restful. And I promise not to complain about our cold and snow any more. YOU WIN !!!! lol

Mama Pea said...

Sunnybrook Farm - I would hope we'd have more snow than you do! ;o} This is the first time in several years that we've had the snow we should. We have gotten so frustrated hearing of southern Minnesota getting more snow than we did up here in northern Minnesota. That just wasn't right.

Mama Pea said...

M.E. Masterson - You're always so supportive . . . thank you!

Mama Pea said...

DFW - Yes, if we all could just structure our lives so that we got back to the more "natural way" of living. Like all other living things, we need a period of the year when we can rest and rejuvenate. As far as Daylight Savings Time . . . ppthbbbbbt! (That's giving it the "raspberries!")

Mama Pea said...

Akannie - Aw, come on now. You gave me the "win" on the cold and snow waaaay too easily!

Sparkless said...

Our snow is almost gone. If it doesn't snow lots soon it's going to not feel like a real Christmas to me.
I love the short days too. It's like Mother Nature's permission to rest finally after all the busy growing year.
Weird about the alcohol. I know that as you get older you are less tolerant to alcohol because your body doesn't process it as well anymore and women's bodies deal with alcohol less well than men's do. If this is a new thing that is totally out of character to your normal tolerance you may want to see the Dr. about your liver just in case. If not then enjoy being a cheap drunk! LOL!

Freedom Acres Farm said...

What the heck? You drop something like that? And then don't even tell us WHICH books? Not fair! LOL

Tami said...

I'm a wino and CR is right, I've become less tolerant as I've gotten older. Do you take an acid reducer like zantac? I do and I've discovered that the zantac speeds up the "cheap drunk" feeling. I try not to do them too close together. It startled me the first time it happened.

Tami said...

Oooops....Sparkless is right.

And "No" I'm not drinking! It's 5am...geez

Lisa said...

Had to check out images of the Northern Hawk Owl and what a cool looking bird! A hawk took out one of our chickens right in front of Melissa one year and she ran to get the broom to chase the hawk (the hawk had landed and stayed on the chicken) and that hawk never budged... held its ground to such an extent, Melissa decided maybe it was not such a good idea to get too close as it may go after her! Eventually the hawk left without the chicken, but it was already too late. It's hard being on the bottom of the food chain.

Love your term 'cozy kitchen' as that's what 'home' feels like as the days get shorter and I love it too. Hear you on the wine - used to enjoy a glass of wine while cooking too, and can't tolerate even that any more. I drink a glass of POM (pomegranite - sp?) juice in a pretty wine glass now. It has a 'wine-ish' flavor without the affects and there's just something about a pretty wine glass. Enjoy your snow!!! "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..... !!!"

Mama Pea said...

Sparkless - I do think this no-no-alcohol thing is just a phase or period when my body is telling me it doesn't want it . . . which is okay with me. On the other hand, if I ever lost my healthy appetite for food . . . that would be a crisis!

Mama Pea said...

Freedom Acres Farm - Okay, I share! ;o} 5 Acres and A Dream - The Book by our very own Leigh Tate, Dear Christmas Mothers by Connie Hultquist and Chickens in the Road: An Adventure in Ordinary Splendor by Suzanne McMinn.

Mama Pea said...

Tami - Nope, no Zantac here, just my body trying to save the budget some money in the liquor column! ;o}

CR, Sparkless, Sparkless, CR . . . didja just get IN at 5 a.m.?? (Hee-hee.)

Mama Pea said...

Lisa - We've had a couple of encounters with hawks like Melissa did. It always makes me think the poor things must be very hungry to be so bold.

Your glass of POM is a great idea. I also like Lakewood Organic Tart Cherry juice over ice. It's touted to be a great anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory . . . which I sometimes need after pushing in the garden or snow shoveling!

Lisa said...

I'll try that too!

Denise said...

My father also had me wrap all mom's presents. My husband doesn't do wrapping very well...awful actually so I started getting the bags and he loves those, just has to put a little bit of tape on top of the bag and he's done...It's 61 degrees here today in TN so I feel for ya really I do ;)

Mama Pea said...

Denise - Now why have I never thought of those gift bags?! (Basically not very bright, I guess.)

Is not 61° a little warm for you this time of year? Heck, that's a pretty typical summer's day for us!