Day 678

Usually it's the kitty waiting for us on the porch after work. Not today. With the kitty in the warm, dry house a couple birds took advantage of the predator-free environment.

Day 677

I'm not one who cares much about what the neighbors do or have. But there has been this skull sitting across the fence that I see every time I look out my sewing room window. I never paid much attention to it until today.

Something intrigued me about the snow coming down - and continuing to pile up - on a skull that sits on top of a barbecue.

Day 676

I feel good about the progress I made on a new charity quilt today. This one will be for the Marsing Disaster Auction next month.

Now, if I can just get my helper to turn the machine on and off for me...

Day 675

For someone who is trying to simplify things I sure am complicating them. Take the snowmen for example.

I made a quilt that I adore on Day 622. It's now hanging on our living room wall.

We figured since we had a quilt that we could keep up for the winter, we might as well make matching throw pillows for the couch. That happened on Day 641.

And now, here comes a table runner for the coffee table. I think I better stop before this  really gets out of control.

Day 674

While I'm thankful for the steroids working - my pain and stiffness has subsided greatly - I'm not thankful for the side effects. Headaches, anxiety, high blood pressure, an always-on-edge feeling, and the weight gain. Especially the weight gain. As I look in the mirror I see a big ole' balloon. A big balloon body and the beginnings of the steroid-looking face, all round and pudgy. It is getting so I won't even look in the mirror anymore. But I'm thankful for the temporary relief the joints are getting.

I thought when I went to the rheumatologist he might take me off the hard-on-my-body drugs, but it appears I'll be continuing them for at least another month. He also broke the unfortunate news that the disease - rheumatoid arthritis - is running rampant and needs to be controlled.  That it's time to start back on the chemotherapy drug and it's time for another attempt at insurance approval for the infusion IV drug. Dang it. Dang it for the test results, too. Another mess of abnormal tests and a sky-high, higher than ever inflammation test.

But I'm still thankful. Thankful I can now get out of bed in the morning and do things. Things like take early morning pictures in the one degree weather. Beautiful, icy pictures. I feel so lucky to be able to take pictures like these.

What looks like snow is really ice crystals. Moisture in the air freezing to trees.

In this picture, what looks like white dots in the tree are where the sun is reflecting off the ice crystals at just the right angle.

Day 673

Would you rather?

Would you rather step out into the cold and see this sunrise? Or...

Would you rather get in the car and find out how cold it really is?

Day 672

He did it! He left the house at 6:20 AM and returned at 4 PM. Hubby, after being so, so, sick has made it back to school.

His first stop after heading in the door? Off with the tie, off with the shoes, and into the warm bed for a nap. One day down.

I couldn't figure out what to do with the extra time by myself. Sew? Bake? Clean? I mostly sat in the recliner and watched the snow fall, then when the sun broke through found my way to the bed for a little rest. I did spend a teeny tiny bit of time sewing my next project, a snowman table runner.

Day 671

If I wasn't so worried about what people thought of me I would have taken a picture of vodka bottles today. Not from a New Year's party and not from me or anyone I know.

From the water heater.

We spent this morning with the inspector at the new place in Boise. He called us to the back bedroom to show us where the water heater was - in the back of the closet, behind a panel. When you look at the closet it looks normal, but when you remove the panel, voila! There is a water heater.

And two empty bottles of vodka.

Guess someone living there must have had a drinking problem. A big enough problem to hide their bottles behind a panel in the closet. I so wanted to take a picture but was too afraid in front of the inspector, the agent and her husband, and my mom to go grab my camera and take a picture of the comical sight.

I instead found an even better picture when I stopped by to see my daughter. The fine snowflakes falling on her jacket were beautiful. This snow's for you, Lisa!

Day 670

Who wouldn't love for the freezing fog to lift and see this left behind on the trees?

I know who - the cat.

Looks like she wants me to send her off in the mail. Any takers?

Day 669

A tumbleweed garden wasn't the only thing the wind did for us. It also made us realize our double-pane, relatively new windows weren't as sturdy as we thought. Just look at the gross dirt that found its way in.

I hope we don't see something like that in our next place. The place we made an offer on in Boise. Through a series of circumstances we found a can't-pass-up opportunity that will help us in planning for our post-retirement future. It is a decision that affects us, my mom, and our daughter.

A very clean and well cared for manufactured home in a 55+ community. Mom will be moving into it as soon as the deal closes and will live there until we're ready to retire. Daughter, whose lease in running out on her apartment, will move into my mom's old place.

Wonder who will win the fight over the empty boxes at the liquor store?

Day 668

I'm sure my mom thought her baking bread was going to be the best part of her day. If she only knew what we had in store for her when we stopped by! Hopefully I'll be sharing exciting details tomorrow.

Day 667

Look to the west, take a peek at the moon before sunrise.

Wait a bit and look to the east, see the jet trails in the morning sun.

Day 666

Today my plan was to take pictures of the tumbleweed garden in the snow. I snapped pictures of the tumbleweeds, but of course my eyes wandered to the burning bush, a bare tree, and up-close snow. 

Yet the best picture came when I was sitting at hubby's desk at his school. (We went in today to get his classroom ready for when he returns next week.) Boy, can you image how distracting this view would be if you were grading papers?!

Day 665

A new pair of hands operated my sewing machine today. These hands right here:

This person loved the flower quilt with button centers I recently made. This person loves buttons. This person spent last night at our house, waiting out the snow that moved in Christmas afternoon. This person is older than me and related to me.

That would be my mom.

She learned more about quilting today than she probably wanted to. But it was enough for her to design and work with me in putting together this wallhanging for her apartment. The first quilt she ever machine quilted!

Day 664

Day 663

Santa comes tonight. I don't know how he knows who is sleeping at our house on Christmas Eve, but he always figures it out. Since I crocheted new stockings for daughter's boyfriend and the kitty, I'm just sure he'll show up for them, too.

Happy Holidays to all.

Day 662

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go.

Not exactly. More like:

Across the desert, through the fields and over the fence they go.

It appears we have a migration happening. After several days of high winds, tumbleweeds have jumped the fence and made their way into our backyard.

And set up shop in the rose garden. Looks like our rose-turned-tumbleweed garden is now open for tours.

Day 661

Last quilt of 2012, just for me. On to the next project, one involving yarn.

Day 660

The morning started out beautiful with this sunrise taken from the parking lot of hubby's school.

Why was I in the school parking lot? Well, hubby went to a breakfast the teachers were having on this last day before Christmas break, a day that kids weren't in school. He got to see the staff again, was able to do whatever it is he does when he's around people (I suspect BS), and even got to stop in his room for just a moment. First time since May.

His day didn't end there. As soon as he came back home a little after 9:00 our Friday baking began. Prepping for Christmas morning breakfast and Christmas dinner we worked together all day and whipped up homemade:

• Zucchini Bread
• Pumpkin Bread
• Blueberry Buckle
• Apple Strudel Muffins
• Potato-Bacon-Chive Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Flaky Dinner Rolls

Everything smelled so wonderful. Being that we taste-tested several things (don't want to serve guests bad-tasting bread products!) we know everything tasted wonderful, too.

I think the prettiest things were these muffins. Just look at the yummy pieces of bacon and chive.

Day 659

What does a cold day + very strong winds all day + a car sitting under a carport all day + a dusty day in Owyhee County equal?

This right here. Poor car.

Day 658

Hubby finished up his baking goals. The last on his list was baking powder biscuits, but he decided to turn them into cheesy garlic biscuits like you might find at Red Lobster. Oh, my.

What we had with them is something you probably wouldn't find at Red Lobster.

Homemade pureed kale-Swiss chard-carrot-celery-onion-garlic-zucchini-bell pepper-cayenne pepper-beef soup. Again, oh my.

Day 657

Tuesdays are hubby's favorite night at the Mexican restaurant in town, Alejandra's. All-you-can-eat taco night. But since he's been sick he hasn't been able to partake in the tacos. Too much sodium, too much protein for his in-crisis system. With his diet restrictions gone and his kidneys much improved it was time. And boy, did he go all out! (I think six months away was just too much for him.)

His plate started like this:

 And no fewer than six tacos later it looked like this:

Day 656

That's it for the charity quilts for 2012.

22 charity quilts for the year. This one here is headed to Alaska's Operation Kid Comfort.

Day 655

I've decided I like lounging in my PJs on a Sunday. (Guess Pajama Boy is rubbing off on me.)

I guess it isn't exactly lounging if I finish a kid's quilt - complete with quilting. I even took the time to quilt around the designs on the middle piece. Just look how one of the trees came out - proof that my quilting is slowing improving.

This is another one of those Alaska Operation Kid Comfort ones.

Day 654

We don't go out much after dark, especially at this time of year. It is hard for me to see when driving and it is so doggone cold.

But we just so happened to be in Caldwell as the sun was setting. Instead of rushing home before it became pitch dark we decided to go out to Chinese food for dinner. Delicious. Yet it wasn't the Chinese food that became the picture.

It was what we saw when we came out of the restaurant. As we walked across the street to the car we could see Christmas lights down at the end of the block. We took a little post-dinner walk and found something we didn't even know existed. A creek-side park, part of the city's recent revitalization, all decked out in every possible color of light.

A perfect after-dinner detour.

Day 653

Fridays are turning out to be hubby's how-to day. The day he asks to be taught something new. Inspired by yesterday's huge cinnamon rolls at Sunrise Restaurant he wanted to tackle two things.

Sticky buns and cinnamon rolls.

And boy, did he conquer both! I can attest that they both taste as delicious as they look.

Day 652

Hubby first wanted today's picture to be of the cinnamon roll. Sunrise Restaurant has huge ones! Half a cinnamon roll equals most of a plate. Yum! But I wanted today's picture to be of the beautiful bush with red berries on it outside the Mexican restaurant. Yet by the end of the day he wanted the picture to be of his school. The place the kidney specialist has cleared him to return to after the first of the year. Finally.

On hubby's last day of school before summer break - May 21 - we thought he'd have 84 days of summer vacation. 84 days of no kids. As it has turned out, by the time he starts back he will have been gone from work for 226 consecutive days. That's a long time.

He's like a kid at Christmas right now. Happy as a clam.

And partially happy about today's picture. Red berries and cinnamon roll.