I met them, was invited into their home, viewed photos of their children and of their children’s weddings.
And I got dear Oscar.
Oscar’s first people remain in my heart. I heard the story of how the parents of his people were persecuted and the grandfather imprisoned for his Christianity.
I cannot begin to understand the current politics, but war is not ever the answer as far as I am concerned.
So.
I send my thoughts and prayers to the Ukraine people and also to the others … that they might consider the ramifications of their actions.
Ultimately, as of Monday evening … less than an inch of snow.
But COLD and windy … wind chill. Temp at 6:40 p.m. Monday evening is 8F. Wind chill is -12F, although at my house, a bit of wind shadow makes it not as bad as in the valley.
Still, it is a 1 dog, 1 kitten night for sure!
And to add to the fun … my new windows are supposed to be installed tomorrow and Wednesday…
I ordered a style similar to above in late October and they were to be done and installed in March.
The company has been absolutely wonderful. They called me once a month with progress. Despite a prognosis of “we are running behind”, they are running ahead and last week tentatively scheduled installation for tomorrow and Wednesday.
I have had 3 calls re tomorrow’s hoped for install. I am not optomistic as it was 9F this morning at my house and as of this writing (6:42 p.m.), it is 7F and falling … clear skies… meaning it will continue to get colder with a forecast morning low of -5F … but I think it might get colder than that!!
So, per conversations with the installer, I am doing no prep. If by some miracle, he thinks it is ok to install, we will work together for moving furniture and window coverings.
Meanwhile, I worked a full day on this “holiday” Monday so as to have some time leeway for the install if it happens. My office is not getting new windows, so if/when … Emmett, Oscar and I will be in the office and all the commotion will happen otherwise!
Saturday pre-storm prep = long walks and firewood replenishing.
Firewood on deck and in a bag outside the door AND inside by the woodstove.
You can see the bare ground today…
And the icy puddly areas – yuck and thank goodness for snow cleats on my boots and double poles when walking. My recently purchased headlamp is very much appreciated on our dark o’clock walks!
I am very much hoping for a good snowfall to cover up the ice!
Lovely Emmett is also! He has 4-leg drive, but still …
Inside (photo is via my laptop so not stellar … ) Oscar is a snuggle kitten.
I am writing this Friday afternoon and at the time of this writing, it does not look anything like Wednesday morning…
RATS!
It is 43F and I think it will stay above freezing tonight and tomorrow another 40 something day.
However …
The future forecast says that we will return to Winter late Saturday, early Sunday … early next week at the latest – YEA!! It is mid-February. It should be Winter!
Back to Wednesday: lovely overnight snow. The clipper from the north that is now creating havoc in the mid and east of the U.S. brushed by my area Tuesday late through early Wednesday…
Lovely, lovely dark o’clock walk in newly fallen snow.
Then inside for coffee (for me) and belly scratch for Emmett.
Snow day bake of seeded spelt and whole grain fruit and nut loaves.
First daylight walk.
And then to the late morning long walk on the State Land…
It was a stunningly, beautiful morning.
We enjoyed!
Today, Friday, it is not so visually stunning, but a good work week, many excellent walks and play, the pantry and freezer are full. I will replenish firewood tomorrow and we should be set for the forecast cold.
If you read blog post comments, this is a repeat, but some have told me that they do not read comments. Additionally, there are some comment items that I think are worth repeating :)
Long time blog friend “SuzieQ”, commented with a link to a new book relevant to food as medicine: Fix It with Food: Every Meal Easy: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Anyone with Autoimmune Issues and Inflammation : A Cookbook: Symon, Michael: 9780593233108: Amazon.com: Books. I have several friends who either they or a child/children are dealing with Autoimmune issues. Inflammation from food and life is a common, current theme also. I have not purchased this book yet (on my list). I liked the information in the synopsis and reviews about the 10 day reset meal plans and additionally, instruction on how to add back foods to identify triggers. THEN, there are recipes that work around the trigger foods. The book listing includes Chef Michael Symon’s Introduction and at this writing 452 reviews, many including detail on reader experiences with the reset and after-reset recipes. Thank you, Sue!!
Both Dr. Lustig and Dr. Flass bemoan the lack of nutritional knowledge included in medical training. It is a bit ironic when you consider Hippocrates words as well as the Hippocratic oath based on Hippocrates words…
Finally, my own comment response. I felt that I might have vilified some food and drink items without adequate explanation about my own personal issues: willpower-wise! So … on that topic, from my response:
Another of Dr. Lustig’s mantras is that it is not the food, but what has been done to the food. And I think that is a horrific issue in U.S. processed food.
But for me, the issue is one of awareness and mindfulness regarding my own eating/drinking. I realized that I was fooling myself with regards to my personal wine/sugary drink/sugary snack habits. My 1-2 glasses of wine were often “just a bit more” into 2-3-4 glasses. My “I made it from scratch” ginger syrup … WITH sugar … and when I thought about my sugar purchase amounts … :( and similarly, the licorice: 1-2 pieces for a treat ok, but I was again doing “just another 1-2”, etc. Kind of crazy since I am very disciplined about my bread consumption even though I LOVE my homemade bread.
Bottomline, it is all about what I know about myself and my ability to be sensible about quantity of wine, ginger drink, candy.
