Slowly in January

Things are seemingly moving at a snails pace and it feels like I cannot get even a fraction done of those things which must soon be done. Spring planting looms and we are still amending the garden beds with leaves and compost.

Actually, I have bribed my 12 year old. Since Michael, my 3 year old wakes up grouchy and demanding and early, it is tough for me to sneak out in the mornings to work in the garden as I like to do this time of year. So Gregory, my 12 year old, has been getting up to work in exchange for which I get up and prepare him a big, fancy breakfast. He likes to read "Farmer Boy" from the "Little House" series. The story line revolves around a young boy growing up on a family farm and food and eating. Lately, Gregory fancies himself an old fashion farmer boy and enjoys working in our "fields." The "food for work" arrangement works out well for both of us, though I feel like most of my time lately is in the kitchen.

In addition to preparing lots of large meals to fuel Gregory's "farm work" and fatten the rest of us, I've been doing a bit of canning. I grabbed one of my 6 gallon stock pots and cooked up a pot of chicken soup a few days ago.



I ended up canning 4 gallons of soup for the pantry and freezing some as well.

Some friends from church blessed us with some deer meat and I picked up the ingredients to make chili the other day. I hope to can some chili for the pantry soon.

Kurt celebrated his birthday on Thursday. I made him a hat with the same pattern I used for the children at Christmas.



Since Kurt had to work over his birthday, we were not going to see him or help him celebrate. Not liking that idea, we made some arrangements with one of the ladies at work (she organized a pot luck) and then the kids and I baked Kurt's favorite birthday cake, the one he had requested for this weekend, and showed up at his work for a surprise birthday party. Kurt said it was a very good birthday and I am glad. He still wanted me to make him another German chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting this weekend since he had to share the other one with so many people. So I've baked two birthday cakes for Kurt this week.

I experimented with sprouting some soft white wheat to grind into flour for Kurt's cake. Since I can't stand coconut, I haven't had any of the cake, but I understand the soft white wheat made a huge difference in the texture and taste of the cake. I will have to get some more of that type of wheat for making cakes and pastries in the future.

With all the gardening Gregory has been doing lately, he has been feeling strong. Michael emulates Gregory in most everything. The other day Michael found my 3 pound weights.



Raising them up and down over his head, Michael told me he was s t r o n g.



He is a funny little guy.

By Necessity

It is a week past Thanksgiving, all the left-overs are gone and I bravely faced the scales the night before last. Normally I would have continued to ignore the silly thing until after the holidays, but I had a bit of a reality check Tuesday evening. When I tried to put on an outfit to go out with my husband, it was too small. This same outfit fit only two weeks ago. So I got on the scales to ascertain the damage.

I have blood sugar issues. With diabetes on both sides of the family, gestational diabetes diagnosed during my last pregnancy and other signs of a present problem, I really do know better than to eat sweets. But Kurt suggested cinnamon rolls for breakfast Thanksgiving morning and he asks for so little. So I made them. Homemade cinnamon rolls. In addition to homemade pies. And ice cream. Once it was in the house, I had no ability to resist. I can usually resist store bought stuff, but I am helpless in the presence of homemade treats.

All tap dancing aside, my little confrontation with my scales revealed a 15 pound weight gain in less than a week. Now I know most people simply cannot gain this much weight in so short of a time eating a normal holiday diet (i.e. I truly did not over eat, well not much, really). I am different. I really do gain weight like this when I eat sugar. It is real. It will come off over the next couple of months if I am very careful and if I am not careful, it will attach itself permanently. Of course Gregory turns 12 on Saturday and wants a chocolate, homemade cake. And then there is Christmas. And then Kurt and I both have birthdays in January. . .

I have a problem in the short term. I have no decent clothes to fit me at this weight. (I lost almost all of my clothes in the hurricane and then ended up pregnant a couple of months later. Literally 70% of the clothes hanging in my closet are maternity clothes. After my pregnancy I never quite lost all the weight I wanted and never bought clothes as a result.) Bottom line? I have to go to church this Sunday and literally have nothing to wear.



Yesterday I came to terms with my problem. Today, I cut out the fabric for four new skirts. I have some turtle neck shirts I can wear still and with some new skirts, I will be able to manage for awhile. As long as I do not repeat my Thanksgiving mistakes I will be okay.

I've been knitting for consolation. (You'd think I'd exercise, but instead I engage in more sedentary activity.) After my last sock issues, I thought I'd do some real basic socks for a break.



These are for a friend of my husband's. I won't finish them until I have my husband's feet for measuring. I also cast on another pair of socks to keep me from mindlessly allowing the others to grow beyond human dimensions.



I started some mittens for Christmas awhile back and haven't touched them since.



The patterns are different on front and back.



I had intended them for Christmas for my daughter. But after she threw all the hand knit woolens I made for her last year into the washer and dryer and after Gregory lost the hat and gloves I knit for him last year, I told my kids they would get no more hand made presents from me. Now I have to decide if I mean it.

In the meantime, the house is strewn with half done projects and I just got a call from the real estate company telling me someone wants to see our house on Monday. Uh-oh.