Friday, October 29, 2021

Almost Winter

 It's not quite winter just yet -- as in, it didn't get quite as cold last night as I thought it would.  Even so, it was chilly enough in the house for the heater to come on, but I didn't really think it was chilly enough to start a fire.  I'm almost out of wood, and until I can get some more, I'm going to have to be pretty stingy with what I have. There are some people advertising, but they're a bit too proud of their wood for my budget.  I can't afford $300 per cord, even if it is red oak. 

Still, it was drizzly and cold all day long, with the high temp only getting up to around 55'.  It was the perfect day to stay in and knit -- after grocery shopping, that is.   You know, they say it's going to be the most expensive Thanksgiving ever, due to the rampant inflation, so I wanted to start buying up my ingredients.  I'll have to get them a little at a time so I can afford it all.  

Cody and I discussed dinner on the way down to Texas.  I told him I was going to fix all the usual stuff, and he'd need to bring an alternate source of protein, since they're still vegetarians.  He said, they've added seafood back into their diets -- and by "they", I mean him and Brennan -- so he's going to make a seafood gumbo.  He's not super strict about it, either, because he ate some jalapeno poppers with sausage in them.  He said something about bringing Brennan with him for Thanksgiving, so that'll be good.  

He was really excited, because she got into the teaching program she wanted to.   She wants to teach kindergarten, so they're both pretty happy about that.  

But I digress.  Ok, so what have I been knitting on?  This.


Yes, I'm still working on the cowl.  I had been making good progress, but it has slowed a bit this week.  I hope to have it finished in time to give it to someone for Christmas.  I haven't decided who yet, but someone will get it. 

In other news, my poor kitty has been stuck inside for two days because of the weather.  She was going a bit stir crazy, and finally ventured out sometime this afternoon, rain or no rain.  In the meantime, I had to trick her in to using the self warming nap pad I got her.  She'd taken a shine to a blanket I'd knit many many winters ago, so I tucked the warming pad in between a couple of folds of said blanket. 



Now she's all nice and warm, snuggled down into her blanket. 


She's been staying in the house more at night here lately.  I imagine it's because of it getting cooler.  I'm kind of glad, because even though she's still waking me up, I worry less about something getting her.  At least she's safe inside.  I don't think at this point I can convert her into being a completely indoor cat,  but I'm working on it. 

Let's see, what else have I done today?  Oh, yeah, this.  When I was in Texas, Beverly was going through some boxes of old photographs, and she found one of Cody's senior pictures.  For some reason, I didn't have one of those, so she gave me that one. 

After nearly 10 years, I finally got his senior portrait in this frame.


BTW, yes, I did notice it was a little off center.  I fixed that, but didn't take another picture. 

One more thing she found in her box was this treasure.


That is my great aunt Annie McDonald -- my paternal grandmother's sister -- sitting in front of the fireplace in her house, which was built by my great grandfather Joseph Winfree.  That fireplace was the only heat source in that house, although they eventually got electricity hooked up, and indoor plumbing.  She died when I was 11.

I guess that's it for tonight.  I'm off to look for some reasonably priced firewood.  

Laters


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