He and our good neighbor and friend have kinda sorta been deer hunting together this year either over on D's property where he has two comfortable, enclosed deer stands or on our property where we've got several well established deer trails. This morning D was staked out in one of his stands while Papa Pea kept watch on the edge of our small field where we've seen a lot of deer action lately. They had an agreement that if either heard a shot from the other, they'd converge to do the gutting, hanging, skinning, etc.
About an hour ago D showed up on our back porch saying, "Where's my hunting partner when I need him?" He had shot a young buck (it's a buck only season here this year) with a single shot through the heart . . . and we hadn't even hear the shot. Anyway, that's where my husband is now until the preliminary work on the carcass is done.
What a cold day we have for hunting or doing anything else outside! A forecasted high of 8° today, but we do have bright sunshine and no wind which helps a lot. This weekend it's supposed to get above freezing (wa-hoo!) so we're going to try to get outside window washing done. (I'm thinking it would be nice to actually be able to see out of them this winter.) Window washing. Ugh. There's a task neither one of us is particularly fond of and one that always gets put off . . . well, until it's darn near too cold to do it.
Today granddog Tucker is staying pretty close to the wood stove. He has a comfy, soft bed other side of the stove but he frequently seems to prefer wrapping some part of his anatomy around this leg of the stove. He asked to go outside once this morning, but it was a very quick trip.
Kristina over at Pioneer Woman at Heart blogged today about scaling back her holiday baking this year. That's something I've been giving a lot of thought to, too. Hubby says I shouldn't do any baking (none of us needs the extra sugar), but the holidays just wouldn't seem right without two or three (or six or seven) of the favorites. What to do, what to do.
We are definitely scaling back on presents this year. Fortunately, we're a family who likes to get "necessities" . . . practical items perhaps others might not find too exciting. I always ask for Post It notes, candles and emery boards. Papa Pea likes pipe cleaners (for all his craft projects -- hahahaha!). Warm socks will be on Chicken Mama's list as usual.
This is the time of year when my head is overflowing with ideas of gifts I'd like to make for Christmas. No shortage of ideas, just shortage of time. Each year I promise myself I'll start on the handmade gifts in mid-summer. Ha! Problem is not only do I not have the inspiration to do it then, but there's a definite lack of inside time to do so that time of year.
However:
Realize that if you have time to
whine and complain about something,
then you have the time to do
something about it.
(Quote by Anthony J. D'Angelo)
(Quote by Anthony J. D'Angelo)
Ouch.
20 comments:
But, but, it's no fun if you can't whine very now and then, Mama Pea! I have such a time adjusting to the short cold days, that I don't get much done on my want-to-do list. I am usually too focused on my HAVE-to-do lists. Do you and Papa Pea get to share in the venison? That seems like a pretty great deal. Tucker looks so adorable...
You mean your not up to snow over the top of your windows? Don't think anyone in Buffalo is going to be washing windows until spring.
Susan - Papa Pea still has hopes of bagging a deer himself . . . although the season ends this weekend . . . but our dear neighbors have always been very generous in sharing venison with us.
Tucker is a VERY good dog. Doesn't demand much at all. He sure does love his food though. He knows he gets cracked eggs when he's here . . . okay, AND the occasional bit of leftover food. (But please don't tell his mother that.) ;o}
Tombstone Livestock - If only I could use snow that high to get out of the window washing!
Ah, the dreaded cleaning of the windows. At least the world will be brighter when it's done. I hope Papa Pea bags his deer.
You just had to bring up window washing....lol... Now I need to go wash mine if it warms up today, I don't need ice covered windows. Hope Papa Pea get a deer!
Sue
That quote made me laugh. It's so true. I'm considering making homemade hand creams this year. I'm still not sure. I know the family loves homemade granola, but I gifted it last year.
Sparkless - Thanks! He's out hunting as we speak.
Sue - I haven't yet checked but I sure hope we're still scheduled for the mild temps this weekend. I didn't think we would get the windows done this fall, but now that hubby has said we will do it this weekend, I'm gonna be disappointed if we can't get it done.
Kristina - You sound like me, always thinking I have to come up with something new and different! You may have gifted your homemade granola last year, but the people who got it (and loved it) don't have it but when you give it to them. Does that make sense? They'd LOVE to have some more!
MAMA PEA,
I know that it has been a long time wit no comments and I am sorry for that. Just can't see to get to the blog much. But Have posted a few time in the past week (check out the post on "GARTH BROOKS"!) I hope you will come back to visit once in a while!
TOM
Cute picture of Tucker! Bliss on a cold day! Thought I'd weigh in (ha! a little pun there!) on the holiday baking thought - as the years have progressed, and as family has spread across the country, the holiday baking has increased. Sometimes it feels I am one of the last standing in my family who cooks 'homemade', much less preserves jams & jellies from what we grow, so feel putting together a homemade box of goodies is actually more 'special' than buying stuff. Then there's the sort of goodies that are only made at Christmastime that we enjoy eating only once a year. So, yes! let the baking begin!
P.S. Maybe we need to encourage each other to 'make a Christmas gift item per month' in 2015 as even though my best intentions are to begin early each year, it's always @Thanksgiving when anything begins to get made. And then I feel sort of stressed!!! Like now!!! Have a good weekend Mama Pea!
Good to hear from you, Tom. I think all of us go through periods where it's hard to read our favorite blogs and hard to post on our own. Glad you're back at it.
You definitely have some good points there, Lisa, about the holiday baking. What is so discouraging to me these days is the terribly high cost of postage! I would send a lot more goodies through the mail (year round!) if it didn't cost so darn much. But, as you say, at holiday time, it should be something special and the cost just needs to be considered part of the gift. :o)
The one year I started on my homemade Christmas gifts in January was kind of a bummer for me. It was in my knitting years and I made a sweater for everyone in the immediate family. I had it all planned out by how many week I guessed it would take for each particular sweater. I worked at it diligently all year and actually finished the last one in November. The downer? I don't think anyone appreciated the garment or time and energy I put into them. Maybe it was my fault for trying to make something so personal for each person on my list. Maybe they didn't like the color or style I chose. But I should be a big girl and get over that silly happening and pick gifts to make that don't take so much time . . . and ones that might be more appreciated!
I hear you about too many goodies. Ours is cookies. What I've taken to doing is to bake one kind of cookie each week and then freezing a few of each for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Spreads the baking out and we still have our variety to make the days special.
Great idea, Leigh. One year I actually made time to freeze the dough of several kinds of Christmas cookies way before I wanted to bake them. That sure made the big "push" of Christmas baking easier. I've cut down on the number of cookies I give away (got tired of never receiving a simple thank you . . . yeah, I'm an ogre) so I really don't need to bake so many now. Just for us and folks who pop in.
I do hear you there and feel that has happened time and again to me also. I've come to the conclusion that there are simply some people I do not make anything handmade for. Period. It's more little things now.... like a bread warmer to include with the goody box, the charity quilt I'd like to be an annual make... stuff like that.
I am actually going to ramp up my baking this year. I used to give baked goods for presents, but slacked off the last few years. So this year, that is what everyone is going to get :) A tray full of yumminess.
http://caffeinatedhomestead.weebly.com/blog
Stephanie - I think fresh baked Christmas goodies are ALWAYS appreciated as presents. I just need to gauge it right so I don't have too many left here at home for us to pig out on! ;o)
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