"These happy golden years are passing by, these happy golden years." Laura Ingalls Wilder

Friday, April 11, 2008

Putting The Old Man To Bed


Old Man Winter is away on a journey to the Southern Hemisphere now. He took his sweet time departing our area ... and ... knock on wood ... lest I be cursed and have to eat my words ... will not return for many, many months. Yes, Mrs. Mac still has snow in her yard ... but it's melting more and more each day. There are wide swaths of rich brown earth eager to burst forth in glory.

My home is quiet this morning. The children are off at school, and I drove my parents to the airport yesterday morning. It's so quiet now that my ears are ringing from lack of noise (just kidding).

Chores for the day include a mound of laundry, kitchen duty, burning some piles of yard debris, and planting some tomato seeds in containers. My dreams for a garden this year may have to be scaled down a bit as snow still blankets the two areas I'm contemplating using. It will be a large task to design the beds and install some type of deer proof fencing aesthetically pleasing to our homeowners association. So I may just be planting some patio containers to tide me over until everything is ready. With a u-pick farm just two miles away ... we won't lack farm fresh produce.

The past few weeks I've been stocking our emergency pantry and loading up the deep freeze with meat. My dad showed me how to make jerky ... for which we used up about twelve pounds of buffalo meat ... tastes like beef jerky ... very delicious. On a recent trip to Cabella's I purchased some stacking drying trays to use in my oven to dry meats, veggies and fruits. My goal this year is to rely less and less on the supermarket and more on local produce for next winter by canning, freezing, and drying. I must be getting back to nature, eh.

Well, enough boring news ... I've got to put on my yard gloves and get to work!

Photo: Mrs. Mac and family 4/08

5 comments:

Margie said...

that is so awesome!! I wish I had time for that!!

Maggie Ann said...

You sound busy and happy. When I get too busy, I get tired and grouchy. I am sleep deprived this week..we are having our house worked on and the man comes at 9am I usually don't get up till then or a little after usally. So I don't get to sleep till I wake up.... I was thinking of you this week and wondering if you've been making any cards or anything...with those goodies that were coming in the mail. =)I've been decorating an envelope a week for my sister. I send her one of our Sunday Sch. class papers and she looks forward to getting it. She has a long history of mental problems. I feel sad for her...yet wary if you know what I mean. Hey, I hope you're having as much fun as me....glueing and creating art masterpieces...or sometimes they are 'disaster-pieces' ...grin. Still fun though!

Pat said...

Missed you, but it sounds like you've have a wonderful visit with your family - love the picture!
I don't think this is boring at all...it's all those little plans that make our lives what they are..and yours are all good plans that love and nurture your family.
I'm assuming that your folks stayed in my room. Lucky them.

Constance said...

As much as I absolutely LOVE having company, there is something about the routine of life that is comforting. Maybe it's because my already crowded house feels the stress of company more than if I had a guest bedroom and bathroom. In either case, sometimes all of the "catch-up" chores keep me to busy to dwell on how much I am missing them now that they're gone!

We've had a gorgeous Spring so far. We did have a tornado this past week just south of the DFW area but it's Springtime in Texas. You just keep your sneakers handy for running to the tornado shelter!
Connie
Connie

Tammy and Parker said...

It snowed here today. Sooo depressing.

Hope you were able to get to all of your plans!