Today is the 12th day of Christmas.
Tomorrow is the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day, which is our official end of the Christmas season.
Alas, without my computer, I was not able to do my usual end of year posts. Hopefully, we will be able to get a replacement soon, and I will no longer be stuck tapping on my phone!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season!
The Re-Farmer
Syndol says hello.
I counted 37 this morning! As I was returning to the sun room after doing my rounds, Syndol kept reaching out and grabbing at me, until I finally picked him up for a cuddle. He so loves to be cuddled!
If this morning is a sign of how our year is going to be, it’s going to be a messy, destructive one!
I woke to discover a cat threw up on my bed. It’s a good thing it’s such a big bed, or I would have rolled over, right on it. So I’m doing laundry right now!
My husband woke to find his mouse on the floor and his cowboy hat knocked over. His wired ear buds the hat was protecting were completely chewed up.
He’s keeping his door closed now.
Which reminds me: the door the girls were measuring for is not for between the rooms uo there, as i thought. It’s for over the stairs.
When my parents were still living here, a frame of 2×4’s was made around the bottom of the bannister to hold a plywood cover that was flush to the floor upstairs. This was so that they weren’t heating the upstairs in winter, when they weren’t using it. We’re not sure what happened to that plywood cover. So the girls want to cut a new cover to size so that they can keep the cats out while they sleep, and have it hinged and rigged to easily open and close as they need to use the stairs.
Oh, we don’t have a land line anymore. For about a week or two, people have been having trouble reaching us by phone, getting crackling noises, or it would go straight to machine. Then, a couple days ago, a light started blinking on the phone base I’d never seen before. It’s the “hold” light. The display says “home line busy”. Apparently, the phone thinks we’ve got it put on hold, but it won’t turn off. When I try listening, there’s just a crackling noise.
Something similar has happened before. The repair man replaced a jack in my husband’s room to fix it. My husband used to have a corded phone set up there, but he unhooked it and has no phone hooked up at all, now.
We suspect it’s the same jack that is the problem, and that it got sprayed by a cat, though to be honest, I can’t really see signs of that. The problem is, my husband has his room set up in such a way that it’s not really accessible. We are going to need to rearrange things. That room is so small, it means actually taking things out of the room. Except his hospital bed. Because it’s extra long, it can only be taken out by dismantling it. It can’t be moved around in the room without taking pretty much everything else out, first.
So we have to clear all that up, just so we can see what we are dealing with, and for a repair man to access the jack to test it. We also need to arrange it so we have access to the section of wall against there the bath tub is. We still need to replace the tap and faucet, but are not sure it can be accessed from the front, once the tub surround is removed. If it can’t be accessed from there, we’d have to access it from the bedroom, and right now, it’s blocked by a wardrobe. There is a closet in this room, but it’s currently being used to store some of my late father’s belongings. Between my husband’s hospital bed and the little table that’s holding his medications fridge, the closet it completely blocked off.
It will be a huge job, but one that’s overdue. We haven’t been able to clean that room properly in ages.
To be honest, I need to do the same thing in my room. How I have it set up, with my “office” in one corner, and my craft table completely covered with stuff to try and keep the cats from getting into things they shouldn’t, it’s a disaster. I would love to be able to get the wall shelf out and replace it with more functional selling, but aside from not having replacement shelving, I’m not sure how to take it out. I’ve asked my mother about it, but all she could tell me was that she thought it was brought in, in two parts. Which I figured it had to have been. I just can’t figure out where it came apart! What I’d really like to do is set my bed up on the other side of the room, but there’s a heat vent there.
Ah, well. We’ll figure it out.
What a start to the new year!
The Re-Farmer
Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful year in 2024.
The family and I have successfully managed to get our fondue going!
I am glad I got the extra burner, because we emptied one almost before the oil was hot enough!
The cheese fondue mixed up nicely, but the hot plate was too hot, even on its lowest setting. Still, it was enough to get started while the oil heated.
Not pictured is the tempura batter, which got mixed up at the last minute. We still can’t do more than two items in the oil at once, as the food cools the oil down too much – which makes for a very slow meal. Perfect, as we watch Columbo and wait for midnight.
If we can hold out that long before just going to bed!
😁😁
The Re-Farmer
This has got to be the most ridiculous time we’ve ever had, planning for a special day.
We now have everything we need for food for both the oil and the cheese fondue. I’d already taken the oil fondue set down, ready to be washed and assembled. It’s a lovely set that includes a spinning glass ring around the pot that holds bowls for sauces. The cheese fondue set is a basic ceramic pot with a stand over a tea light. I just went to take it out to be washed and readied, too. I headed over to the shelf to get it and…
No pot.
I checked all the other cubes in the shelf, but no pot.
I started going through other shelves and cupboards.
No pot.
I even checked closets in my bedroom.
No pot.
After talking with the girls about it, the only thing we can think is, we didn’t take it when we moved. My older daughter now even half remembers us deciding that the big set was worth packing, but not both sets, but she doesn’t remember it well enough to be sure. Alternatively, it is among the things the movers lost, but I was positive it was unpacked and in that shelf!
Which is just hilarious. After all this, and we don’t even have a pot for the cheese fondue!
That, at least, is easy to substitute. We will just set up the hot plate and use a saucepan.
Or I could bake a round loaf of bread or two!
Since it is a lower temperature dip, we can use regular forks, though I think the big set has six fondue forks, and we only need four, so we should have at least two available.
Well, I know what to be on the lookout for in the future! 😆😆
On the plus side, while looking for the fondue set, I checked inside a box and discovered a set of lovely little serving bowls we hadn’t taken out of their packaging, and promptly forgot about.
We will enjoy using those again.
The Re-Farmer
Today is Christmas Eve, and the fourth Sunday of Advent. The day of Peace.
We begin our celebrating tonight and through tomorrow, so I will take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas.
May you and your loved ones be filled with peace this day. My your homes be filled with hope, joy, and love, today and for always.
From The Re-Farmer household to yours!
My darling daughters have treated me to Chinese food today!
They got enough to last us a couple of days, at least! We can’t order often, so when we do, we order a lot!
The Chinese restaurant we order from is right next to the lake, which is still covered with ice. What a refreshing breeze coming off the lake! Here, we are at 24C/75F, and tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter. So I really, really appreciate that we don’t need to do any cooking for a couple of days!
There is only one downside for today. I had some friends let me know that the thief that stole my personal Facebook account is at it again. The first scam they tried was to give away a PS5 in revenge for a cheating boyfriend. Today, they used the same pictures, but claimed it was meant for “my” newly deceased son. Of course, I have no son, and most people on my friends list would know that. But some whom I only know online through mutual interests might not. The first friend that let me know about it reported my old account as hacked (again!), and left a comment telling people my account was hacked and recommending unfriending me from that account. Since then, I’ve had another friend let me know about the scam post, which was at least flagged as false information by FB, but there’s nothing to show that there are any comments, so the first friend’s comment likely got removed, and I imagine she’s been blocked as well.
Some people are just slime.
But, I will not let that ruin my mother’s day!
Excuse me while I enjoy some delicious Chinese food!
The Re-Farmer
I got a phone call from my brother this morning, letting me know he was going to our mother’s for Easter services. He had double checked that a particular restaurant would be open, so we arranged for me to meet them there.
I left early and was able to grab a table for us. He hadn’t told my mother that I would be there, so she was quite surprised. I’m not sure it was a good surprise – at least at first! 😄 Of course, she did eventually get around to asking why I didn’t go to church. Thankfully, my brother played interference and diverted her with some humour, because my answer would have been along the lines of “you. I don’t go to church because of you!” Which is partly true. I could go to church with her every Sunday, and it wouldn’t be good enough. Still, she was having one of her good days, so it was a pleasant visit overall. She even complimented me on my appearance. Okay, so it was really a backhanded insult, but I don’t think my mother even knows how to make a genuine compliment. 😄
It was good to get together, and especially to see my brother. I don’t see him anywhere near as much as I’d like to, and his wonderful wife even less (after my mother’s unending mistreatment of her, she no longer comes out to visit my mother – and I’m not sure my mother has even clued in to that. 😥)
As we were chatting, I mentioned the water in the path we’re having to walk through to get to the garage, and the that is starting to form. My brother had been wondering if we could simply go around it, but there’s just too much snow. On top of that, as the snow melts… well…
… when I left this morning, there was just the deeper part in the path. While doing my rounds this morning, I was breaking through ice. Still, I was able to walk through it and not get my feet wet. By this afternoon, the “lake” had grown, and it’s now deep enough to reach where the laces start on my boots and seep in. Unfortunately, my rubber boots have a big crack in them, so I have to get a new pair. It’s really hard to find rubber boots that will fit my battered, wide feet or my over-developed calves.
Minor inconveniences. I’m just happy to see the snow going away! Which should happen quickly. The weekly forecast has changed. We were supposed to slowly warm up today and over the next couple of days, still staying below 10C/50F, then jump up to 16 and 17C/61-63F Instead, we now have a high for today expected to reach 7C/45F, and highs of 15C/59F for the next three days! The average high for this time of year is about 8C/46F, though the record highs have reached as much as 20C/68F, while the record lows have reached down to -15C/5F.
I’ll take the 15C!
All in all, it’s working out to be a gorgeous day to celebrate Easter!
The Re-Farmer
May today be a day of great joy and blessings for you and yours!
Our basket this year included a multi-grain bread, figs and port sausage, ham, olives stuffed with blue cheese, a wheel of brie, salt, mustard with horseradish, parsley butter, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and hard boiled eggs, all of which received the traditional blessing.
He is risen, indeed!
The Re-Farmer
The fog has mostly dissipated – I was still seeing touches of it while going my morning rounds.
My goodness, but it does make things beautiful, this time of year!
I couldn’t resist getting a picture from the same spot as yesterday.
The temperatures are nice and mild right now. As I write this, we’re at -8C/18F, with almost no breeze at all. We’re supposed to reach a high of -6C/21F today. A good day to finish clearing in front of the garage so I can open the doors to get my mother’s car out, and clear a few more paths.
One way we can tell how much more pleasant the weather is, is by the cats.
The usuals are back to preferring to eat on the cat house roof again. In this bunch, there’s only one that’s friendly. I can sometimes pet the black and white, but not often. Still more than I can come close to Broccoli. I don’t know how she’s been with her kittens gone. She’s been avoiding me, so perhaps she’s made an association between me and missing babies. I don’t know. I so want to socialize her more! We’ll have to wait longer before we can try to trap more females. The hard part is waiting for things to warm up, so there’s no chance of a critter freezing in the trap, but not so warm that they start going into heat and get pregnant, first.
Speaking of which, I saw Shop Towel skulking around when I put the food out. While I was switching the memory card on the trail cam (and melting the frost off the lens and solar panel), I heard a cat fight, and am guessing it involved Shop Towel.
Before going in, I tried to get some more pictures of the frost and was able to zoom in to get this little cutie.
We have not been able to keep up with the feeding this winter, because of the racoons destroying the hanging feeder, but the chickadees and blue jays have been raiding the kibble trays, instead!
While getting this shot, something strange in a tree above the storage house roof caught my eye.
Well, I guess we can see who Shop Towel went after! One of his older sons, no less. A couple of the grey and whites are much larger – more like their dad in size.
In other things, I spoke to my mother last night. She’s in need of a grocery shopping trip, which is why I want to clear the doors to her car. She was fully expecting to go to the grocery store today; apparently my sister is supposed to be visiting her, though my mother didn’t seem sure, when I spoke to her. I pointed out to her that it’s New Year’s Day. The stores will be closed. She sounded so surprised when I told her that. 😕 So, if all goes well, I’ll be heading out tomorrow to help her with shopping – in her own car!
For now, I’m monitoring cats. With the littles gone, I actually got a full night’s sleep! The ladies seem relieved to have the room to themselves again – even if Marlee still hisses at Butterscotch and Nosencrantz sometimes. Leyendecker and Cheddar seem to be looking for the littles when they come in. Meanwhile, I now have grandma, who moved out here with us, in with me. My daughters just let me know she’s been behaving oddly, like there is something stuck in her mouth. We thought it might have been something stuck in her throat, but I’ve seen her eating. She seems fine, until she suddenly makes retching faces and started rubbing the sides of her face with her paw. My one attempt to gently move her head for a look had her meow in alarm and run off, so I do think something is hurting her. Hopefully, it’s something that will work itself out. So far, she’s eating and drinking normally. Right now, she’s on my bed, not far from Marlee, and settling in for a nap.
I’ll have to get one of the girls to take over monitoring her when it’s time to get outside.
The Re-Farmer
The Re-Farmer 