Wintry Mix

 

According to the various weather guessing stations out there, my little pocket of Deep South is possibly lined up for some “wintry mix” coming at us in the form of at least ice and sleet, but maybe some fluffy white stuff too.

Dare I dream?

Probably not. I will prepare just in case, fluffing the bedding, adding a heat lamp here and there in the barn, giving everyone a bit of extra rations and some ACV in their waters. I will make sure there are extra blankets on the beds, a couple laid out around the woodstove for the pups to cozy up on, and load the wood stash for easy gathering. Water will be gotten early this week, and I’ll plan some good, comforting meals…like a big pot of chili, maybe a thick stew, lots of homemade rolls and the like. And cocoa and hot tea.

And I will get all kind sof excited if we really see snow, and even moreso if it lands on the ground and sticks…but most likely my reality will be frozen mud with some ice cover. Sigh. Such is my life I suppose.

 

Around the Homestead:

We have one more girl in the barn possibly ready to kidd. She wasn’t a planned breeding this year, so perhaps not. We are watching her plump up and show all the signs, so we keep a closer eye on her. One good thing…if she is bred, we will very soon know, and probably have a baby during the next several days of icy bitter cold weather. Goats are just wonderful like that. If they can, I swear they hold on to those little ones waiting for the nasty weather to move in before they allow birthing to take over, LOL.

 

We had 2 sheds delivered last week. Nothing huge, just a couple of 10x16 wood buildings with a loft in each. They arrived mid-week and are set in place. Now to get them insulated and wall boards put up, then we can start moving in. One will be a tool and work shed, but the other has been planned out to be a sewing and school area. The kids have already claimed it as school house, and are itching to move bookcases and such in. With the cold coming, I’m fully prepared to wait a bit though :-) There’s no heat, no electric for lighting or anything, and they have no windows, so I don’t relish the idea of being in there, all cave-like, with school everyday just yet. But the idea of moving all the sewing supplies out there and setting up a designated sewing area is exciting. I would love a school house, if for nothing else than to spread some of the accumulated books and materials around outside the great room here. I could set up the computer out there (and effectively limit my bunny trail time…), and the new laser printer is rather large and taking up a fairly big space now, so moving it would be nice as well…but seeing the shelves of sewing supplies, yarns, patterns, and maybe that new embroidery machine, all together and set up for instant, any-time stitching on the fly would be pure heaven here. Right now, sewing is a production of clearing space on the table, moving the machine, setting up a folding table to cut patterns, finding a space to set up the ironing board…you get the picture.

In the medicine cabinet, we have ordered a few EOs to use here in the diffuser, and I’ve started setting in new recipes that decrease sugars and the like for a new health plan here. Always tweaking it as we go, but it’s a start, and that’s what matters, right?

 

In the Sewing Basket:

I have baby items to work on, including a graphed afghan design if it works out. I also have wedding things to work on, gathering fabrics I need for a project in mind. I also have in mind a cool weather shawl for the needles. Yes, it’s almost past winter this year, but I am still very  much a slow, fumble-fingers kind of knitter, so my plan is for next winter. This is the design, a basic knit for a Tasha Tudor style wrap…

Pattern at: Wooly West

And I’ve ordered some Plymouth yarn in a washable wool blend for it. I went back and forth between color ideas…a cheery deep red would be perfect for winters gray days…or a pretty, rich heathered green…even a basic heathered slate gray would be nice. In the end, I gave in to sale prices and available quantities, and went with a  burnished heather that is sort of rich, medium brownish. Well, I think I did. It was rather late when I settled on one and placed my order, LOL. For good measure, I added in some pretty baby blue and taupe for more baby goodies.

 

Aside from those few bits, things are just rolling around here as usual. We haven’t settled on the remaining tax refund plans yet. We still have the addition to get settled into use, the new pantry set up and workable, and the yearly supplies to lay in store here. Could be, with prices they way they are always going these days, there won’t be enough ‘bonus money’ for it all to get taken care of on the spot.