Weekend Update

 Is SNL even still on the air?? 

Anywho... The weekend.

Friday

I made vegetable broth in the IP with some frozen brocoli stalks, a bunch of celery that looked like it was about to go south as well as a whole packet of jalopenos that I hadn't used at all.  I don't even remember what I was going to do with them.  Oh yeah, stuffed jalopenos!  I added some other veggies too, like an onion, garlic, seasonings, etc and let it cook for 40 minutes.  Strained it out and let it cool before jarring it up to can. 

There was half an ounce left in that I couldn't squeeze into a jar, so I poured it into a cup and took a zip. PROMPTLY spitting it out in the sink.  WHOA!  I have just created fire broth and that is exactly what I labeled it with when it got done pressure canning!  I'm going to make spicy chicken tortilla soup this week for Taco Tuesday dinner!  I WILL dilute it a ton with some chicken broth tho. WOW is that potent!

Later that evening, I went into my sewing room with GOOD intentions.  Maddy, Matthew, Meri and Ryan were over to play D&D with Ryan and Jen and we'd just had some awesome meatball subs.  Well, needless to say, I didn't stay in the sewing room long.  I found Leon and said, HEY!  Let's find a movie to watch together!  He did.  He chose The Santa Clause 3 movie.  Eh I'm always in the mood for a Christmas movie and hadn't seen that one yet.   We watched about half and he took off to do something else.  No problem...  I'm almost done with Season 8 in Modern Family anyway.  

Saturday 

I met up with the local widow group and had a wonderful time!  There were 6 of us there and we talked about all the things that you don't really talk to your family or friends about.  AHHH...  Oh and you know those pre-packaged treats I brought to make sure no one got sick because of me and Ryan had been eyeing?  No one ate them. A few other people had brought homemade treats and we ate those instead. And that was TOTALLY ok.  Ryan, Jen and Leon dove into the little Debby snack cakes when I got home.

Gave blood/plasma after lunch and then went to Joann's to meet up with Meri.  I called her a few minutes before 2 to make sure she was on her way.  It was her first day off without anything to do and she was taking advantage of it!  I woke her up...  :) So I bought a yard of each of the fabrics that she sent me the photos of to play with.

Maddy and Matthew were going to go on a walk with the "girls" and invited me!  I had worn capri leggings because SOMEONE said it was going to be 40 degrees out on Saturday.  It did end up to be 40 but there was a breeze and it felt like -10.  So because I had a little time, I went thrifting and found a pair of sweatpants to slip on over my leggings.  I LOVE THEM!  I also found lots of other cool things too...  

I met up with those two around the lake and we walked with the girls for almost 1.5 miles!  

The views were beautiful and Matthew identified swans from a long distance away.  

I zoomed in and yep I think they're swans too.  We're right, aren't we?

Got home and after relaxing a bit, played Battleship with Leon.  He won!  And as big of a sore loser as he CAN be, he's almost that sore of a winner... :/  "Grandma, you had them all touching! You're not supposed to do that!"  So he felt like I gave it to him.  I didn't.  I just couldn't find where he'd hidden the last ship on his board...  For him, you can bet that it's somewhere on the edges.

Sunday

Maddy, Matthew, Meri, her bf Ryan, Leon and I attended church together.  It was quite a crowd!  On our row anyway.  So many people were out of town.  Meri got to hold little Adele, who is an absolute doll.  Doesn't she look like one of those little porcelain dolls?  And her hair was french braided!! *gasp*

Afterwards, I picked up three six pack and a pound from Taco Johns and made Leon do the math on the way home for how many tacos each person gets.  Everyone was coming to the house for lunch and laundry facilities.  So. 8 people. 2 tacos each with 2 leftover.  Leon couldn't even finish one so I got 2.5 tacos and then there were 4 or 5 leftover.  Apparently not everyone was in the mood for tacos! :) And that's ok!

Maddy and Matthew brought some pop and beef sticks over to replenish my fridge stock and Maddy made banana bread and apple bread!  I gained 3 pounds this weekend. :)

I did do some sewing, well... cutting, on Sunday afternoon.  And I also visited with Ada for a bit which was great!  I got the sample bodice cut out with the actual chosen fabric and two variations of the shoulders.  NOT sure how that's going to play out yet, but the bride will have some options.  I did run to Joann's again for some tulle that I'd missed on Saturday. They're going to know me well there...

Meri and Ryan came back later that evening and I hadn't planned a big supper so told them to scrounge in the fridge.  They found some food and then played some more D&D with Ryan and a couple other friends who showed up for it.

Leon and I finished the Santa Clause 3 movie and look what I found on the step landing that evening!  Our renter, Dylan's cat, Molly, cozying up to our Sorsha statue! :) cute.

AND a text from my niece Sarah, who was interested in making yogurt in her IP! 

How did it turn out Sarah?

Oh and I had bought some Christmas solar lights for the cemetery and every time I drove past it at night, I can't see the lights from the road until I happened to notice it on Saturday, early evening.  They look so nice!  They must just lose their power by the time it gets a LOT darker though.

Anyway that was my much needed weekend after the heck work week I had last week. 

May this week be a LOT more calm...

I did just have a co-worker ask if it was a mistake that I JUST took next Tuesday off and why not Monday too.  She apologized when she found out why and changed the subject.  

I'm not going to be in the mood to deal with work that day.

Iowa Hauntings

 I haven't blogged much lately but got a request from Meri this morning to start up again.  

I need to.

Life has been chaotic and there's been no time to shower, much less blog.  But I'm carving out a LITTLE time... baby steps.

The twins are still with us, so Meri and my walk was at 5:30am today. She had to work at 7 and I needed to get the walk in before the kids woke up.  Ryan was home sleeping so it's not like they were ALONE in the house... I hear them now fussing around a little...  I don't have much time.  My stress levels raise when they're awake and I don't get the things done that I need to.  

But that's a vent for another time.

Today during our very early morning walk out to Robb's gravestone, we walked our usual way and got caught up on each others lives and events of the weekend.  It was pitch black.  I wouldn't do this walk alone at all.  When we got to the cemetery, we sat a dark figure walking the little road that winds through it... and they were singing...  

I'm pretty sure I know who it was but Meri has seen enough scary movies that she was wasting NO time.  We hustled through the cemetery on the grassy part instead of the road.  We could still hear singing the entire way but we walked fast.  Not clear enough to hear what they were singing though.  

Got out to Robb's stone and sat on the grass for a bit while Meri thought she saw two people.  She heard them whistling too.  So we had to talk in VERY hushed tones because if we could hear them........

Robb made us feel safe for a bit but time marches on and we had to get back.  The singing continued and sounded closer as we cut through the cemetery on our even quicker walk back. I think they were walking down the center road close to us... My toes hurt.

So now I'm home.  Housework needs to be getting done and here I am at the desk typing like a mad woman before the twins wake completely.  I think they can totally hear when the dishwasher opens, like a cat and a can opener, and know it's their cue to run in an jump on the door of it...  or pull dangerous things out...  sigh.

The pic is not of this morning but of the other night when I went on a power walk. Iowa is beautiful this time of year!