Eat Eat

The Chicagoan in me thinks it is absurd to call off school for three inches of snow, but I am happy to say it is heavy, wet, snow which means snowman building. Lately our snow has been so dry it can't be packed into a ball-no such problem with this stuff! It was like slush falling from the sky. It will be dangerous when it freezes overnight, but for now it is providing the local children with some fun. I've been watching cars attempt to struggle up our hill before giving up and bailing out down the side-street in the photo. That's not a road to try without a truck when it snows! The city ploughs have been out, but there's only so much they can do. Friday, I took Danny to the Automobile Show. We went early in the day, and it was largely empty. He was able to sit in, and try out a number of sports cars. It was fun. I've been taking him to the show every January since he was about three to break-up the long, dull winter days after Christmas. There's the home and ga...

...and the night is young-we're expecting lows between -21-24 degrees F. Fun times. I hope your New Year's Eve is warmer than mine! See you in 2018.

...Underneath the hammertoe last night.  Danny thought mistletoe was stupid and outdated so he came up with a hammertoe to hang in the doorway. Instead of a kiss you get kicked. Sounds about right then! The kid's never worn ill-fitting shoes or he wouldn't think a hammertoe is so funny.  I'm doing my best to decorate on a limited budget.  There's only so much I can do to dress up the empty raised beds. I did re-purpose the Thanksgiving decorations for Christmas by adding some festive attire. I stuck to my plan and didn't do a cold weather garden this year, opting instead to buy from the hippies at the health food shop. They have a small, but quality produce selection and this week I've bought spinach, purple kohlrabi, and beets. I'm enjoying taking the winter off (and the frantic covering with fleeces when the weather suddenly turns).  This paper Advent calendar is the old-fashioned sort that I prefer. We've had this one for many years, but tuck the door...

This has been a busy weekend so far in Omaha. Last evening, we bundled-up (because it is freezing) and walked two minutes down the street to see the Tree of Lights being lit at 90th and Dodge.  The crowd was smaller this year (because it is freezing!) but friendly and well behaved. There was music, free food, hot cocoa, and reindeer. Really. Not something we see everyday in Omaha.  I'm sure the reindeer were fine with the weather. Did I mention it was freezing? Know what else you don't see everyday? Me, in a red wool coat. It took 40+ years but I think I'm finally over the trauma of that HBC red and black point blanket coat my mother made me wear year after bloody year (she bought it big) until I finally, "Lost" it. Those coats sell for a small fortune now, but I've never regretted binning it. Anyway, here I am in a red wool coat which is surely a sign of progress, no? Saturday brought the start of the Olympic Curling trials in Omaha. We went down to Stinson p...

Is there anything better than walking a trail on an Autumn morning?  We've been hitting the trails early in search of birds. Most mornings, the grass is still wet with dew, so I've been wearing these very old leather boots. They're tall enough to protect my legs, waterproof, and so old and beat-up I don't care what happens to them. My skirt is made of loden, which is largely water resistant, and dries quickly when it does manage to get wet. I find that useful when moving through brush. I also own a pair of loden trousers. I've had both pieces going on 30+ years and they're still holding up well. It was quite a splash out at the time, but I've more than got what I paid for. The wool cardigan was something I purchased in London on a whim because it  was unexpectedly freezing. It has a few moth nibbles (it is a good 25 years old now) but I wear it for outdoor activities and chores at home. This cardigan was my go-to piece when we lived on the farm as it was war...

Back to the park looking for the Pink-Sided Junco, without any success, but we did spot a number of other birds, so the trip wasn't a loss. The weather has been sunny and beautiful, but at this point we could get snow-so we're determined to get outdoors while it lasts. I'm wearing my old-lady over-glasses because my eyes are so sensitive to sunlight it isn't worth risking a pair of regular sunnies. These block sunlight from the sides as well-and they're polarised. That's helpful when you're looking up into the sky for a tiny bird. My pumpkin earrings have a light inside that flashes with the press of a button, but the sun had them glowing naturally today.  I found a nest blown down in the grass today. Whatever bird was using it has long-since fledged, and it was surprisingly clean. No, I'm not going to make soup from it.  I gave this tiered wrap skirt a first wear. Yes, I have trainers on my feet-you didn't think I'd take good shoes through a mud...