After enjoying weeks of lovely warm days and mild nights, our first real sign of fall weather arrived this weekend with wind gusts up to 20 mph and rapidly dropping temperatures. Cliff built the first fire in the soapstone yesterday morning to take the chill off the house. I made a three-bean vegetarian chili and stone ground cornmeal muffins. With the combination of kitchen heat, fireplace warmth and full sun coming in the windows, by mid-afternoon we had to open doors and let the cooler air back in. We thought with the predicted winds all day, we'd need the fire. The absence of leaves allows full sun all day and a warm house. Still no measurable rain and we're still in an extreme drought. Some communities have evacuated their residents and livestock. Cliff has been responding to brush fires, started by fire bugs as we haven't had any lighting, and by a few ignorant people who insist that the fire ban doesn't pertain to them and those who feel it's safe to enjoy their fire pits at night. The department's most recent response was to a retired firefighter, from south Florida, up our road who was burning in his fire pit and when firefighters arrived, pleaded ignorance to the state-wide ban.
The sewing machine has been put away for a few months so I could make room for my sketches and watercolor ideas for this years Christmas cards. I rearranged tables in my sewing room to allow space for my artwork and sewing machine but not feel overwhelmed by too much stuff. I found a free pattern for a slouch bag online. This bag takes the pressure off a shoulder because it's worn on the right shoulder but rests on the left hip.
We have a few shops in Murphy that sell on consignment so I need to put my farmers markets items in for Christmas sales and send some to Lauria for her local market.
This week Cliff and I will be making a few pies and cutting our garden winter squashes for Thanksgiving. None of the family will be joining us this year. The first time in many years since moving here. We'll do an easy slow-cooker turkey breast, a healthy harvest stuffing, baked potatoes, and a few vegetables. The weather is predicted to be a delightful 62 degrees so we can walk the woods to make more room for dessert.
I don't blog much about Michael and Mike Jr up in Ossipee, NH so I'll update you on the two of them. Mike Jr is finishing his junior-college credits and will attend the university in January. Michael is still the accountant for the lumber company and enjoys vegetable gardening during his growing season. Last year he put up quite a few quarts of his own green beans for winter. Not sure if he did any this year. And I can't believe he turned 50 this year. I remember turning 50. Doesn't seem like that long ago.
The temperature now at 10 am is only 39 degrees with full sun and a brisk wind. The suet hanging on the back porch has attracted the male downy woodpecker. The front garden birdbath has the little heater back on for the winter to maintain its forty-degree water. From the kitchen window I see puffed up mourning doves sitting on the bath rim, tails and backside warming in the sun and the "warmth" rising from the heated water. Those that don't fit around the crowded rim huddle together in the leaves backs to the sun.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
The sewing machine has been put away for a few months so I could make room for my sketches and watercolor ideas for this years Christmas cards. I rearranged tables in my sewing room to allow space for my artwork and sewing machine but not feel overwhelmed by too much stuff. I found a free pattern for a slouch bag online. This bag takes the pressure off a shoulder because it's worn on the right shoulder but rests on the left hip.
This week Cliff and I will be making a few pies and cutting our garden winter squashes for Thanksgiving. None of the family will be joining us this year. The first time in many years since moving here. We'll do an easy slow-cooker turkey breast, a healthy harvest stuffing, baked potatoes, and a few vegetables. The weather is predicted to be a delightful 62 degrees so we can walk the woods to make more room for dessert.
I don't blog much about Michael and Mike Jr up in Ossipee, NH so I'll update you on the two of them. Mike Jr is finishing his junior-college credits and will attend the university in January. Michael is still the accountant for the lumber company and enjoys vegetable gardening during his growing season. Last year he put up quite a few quarts of his own green beans for winter. Not sure if he did any this year. And I can't believe he turned 50 this year. I remember turning 50. Doesn't seem like that long ago.
The temperature now at 10 am is only 39 degrees with full sun and a brisk wind. The suet hanging on the back porch has attracted the male downy woodpecker. The front garden birdbath has the little heater back on for the winter to maintain its forty-degree water. From the kitchen window I see puffed up mourning doves sitting on the bath rim, tails and backside warming in the sun and the "warmth" rising from the heated water. Those that don't fit around the crowded rim huddle together in the leaves backs to the sun.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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