Last day of February, and it always does go by quickly.  It was -22 degrees below zero last night, and the fire was kept burning brightly, you betcha.  Today, bright sunshine, temperatures are warming up fast, and when I go for my walk with Pepper, it will be at least 20 degrees above zero. 

After watching television last night, mostly the MSNBC news shows, I've decided to limit my viewing of political commentary shows, and just settle down a bit, try to get off politics.  This is why I'm so revved up about things every day; I'm watching too much of them, and even their replays.  I do love them, but only one show each - that's two hours, and that should be enough.  I need to change the focus of my life. 

So, I'm listing the things I've collected in my 2 boxes for this week's donation to Good Will.  There's a 500-piece puzzle; Power Foods by Gary Null; Healing Foods by Michael Murray; Yoga, Youth and Reincarnation by Jesse Stearn; Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien; A Hobbit Journal notebook; and others I can't remember the names of.  There's a 2-quart pitcher with lid, and a 1-gallon pitcher with lid, both very new.  And some new-fangled baking utensils for cakes and muffins, made of a heat-resistant plastic.  They are very pretty, but need to be placed on a flat sheet to keep them from tipping.  Maybe I can find a cookie sheet for them too.  That's one box. 

Today, I'm going through cupboards and soon will have cups, glasses, bowls, and kitchen utensils.  I believe I will give up my bread machine to them, as I always choose to mix and knead my bread in the old-fashioned way.  Then on to shoes, boots, and winter jackets.  There will be two boxes, plus all the coats and boots.  Soon, I will also have the back end of my truck filled with recyclables, so all the donations will have to fit in the front.  This will be a huge load going out of here. 

I need to give up my latest winter love, which has been adding cocoa mix to my coffee, along with a few mini marshmallows.  In the month I've been doing this, I've gained 2 lbs.  So starting tomorrow, no more cocoa-coffee.  All this began when I got a coupon for a free bottle of Nestle's Coffee Creamer, which comes in flavors, and when that was gone, I went right on to the cocoa mix.  So, goodbye sweet treat.  I can't afford to gain more weight. 

And soon, I will have a space cleared out in my bedroom, where I can get exercise on my big ball, that is stuck way back in the closet.  I'll just roll around on that ball and perhaps tighten up a bit.  Well, that's the plan. 

A storm moved into the area yesterday afternoon, finally; after being touted as a severe blizzard, it became perhaps 6" of driving, blinding snow in late afternoon.  It was beautiful to watch from the safety of home, but the roads were terrible and there were many accidents.  The wind continued to howl all night, but this morning, there was bright sunshine, a dead battery, and snowblowing to do.  The birds are feeding happily on the many kinds of food set out for them.  Tonight, cold temps, well below zero, are predicted.  C'mon, March!  There isn't much to report indoors, just continuing to cope with evening headaches that are very intense. 

Going for afternoon walks with the dogs.  Taking care of some sort of skin infection on the sled dog, Arnie, who is responding well to a bathing of warm water laced with tea tree oil and boric acid powder dissolved in.  Then a topical applicant of Quadricept ointment.  It seems to relieve the problem completely, and he looks at me very appreciatively.  I hope this works.  I'm also giving him one pill of black walnut hull in the evening to settle any parasites he may have internally.  I believe that when he farts badly, that it means there is internal parasites, and that has mostly gone away after just one pill.  One more pill tonight should eliminate any remaining bugs.  I don't want to give him more, because it can cause diarhhea, which would be even worse, I think.  For me, at least. 

Pepper seems to be all right, as usual, but sometimes she exhibits a little stiffness or lameness.  That could be from just lying around all winter, not getting enough exercise.  She bugs me every day to go for a walk, which is good for me, too.  She may be a little overweight, too.  I keep saying, she's not fat, she's just fluffy.  Arnie now goes for a walk with us.  He certainly loves his doghouse that I made for him.  We keep adding new straw for his enjoyment, and he luxuriates in it.  And my chicken is just a little butterball, who lets me know what she wants.  If her water is empty or frozen, she goes over to it, and pecks at it.  So I get her some water and pour it in, then watch as she drinks it, beak by beakful. 

Hoo boy! if it wasn't for my critters, what would I do?  The occasional visit with/from my kids, watching tv, reading, cleaning here and there, working a puzzle, cooking, bird watching, going for a walk....I am constantly amazed by how simple and serene my life really is.  If this is old age, then I guess it was worth the struggle to get here.  And believe it or not, I am still jerking into awareness of how it used to be, wondering what I should be doing right now, imperatively.  Can't think of anything.  The one thing I wish is that I was closer to my daughter, so I could be of more help to her with her multiple sclerosis problems.  She is between neurologists right now, as the old one left, and a new one is coming. 

Our forefathers brought forth upon this continent a government of, by and for the people...they struggled and came up with a plan for the future of this nation that made us, eventually, the best and most prosperous of all.  With the philosophy of "greed is good," this country has been going to the dogs, literally.  Beginning with the savings and loan scandal, then the Enron affair, the looting of our treasury with a forklift tractor, the ruining of the 401K savings, the elimination of other retirement funds, the Bernie Madeoff debacle, and now the bank scandal, it seems that certain segments of our society profit by simply ripping off large amounts of money whenever they feel like it.  Others claim that deregulation and lack of oversight is what has allowed these things to happen. 

Barack's speech last night hit every nail right on the head.  And it does seem like regulations and oversight will come back, as it should, to safeguard the money involved.  The Republicans still have not come up with any kind of a plan to save us from disaster.  I guess they just have enough money now, that they don't have to care about the rest of us.  All they can talk about is more tax cuts for the wealthy, claiming that this will provide jobs, etc. for everyone.  When?  It hasn't happened in the past 8 years.  They are lying and crying.  Jindal, et al. keep insisting that self-regulation is the answer for business.  So all I can say is, just eat your peanut butter sandwich and shut up.

I can feel it in my body.  Spring is getting closer and closer.  This winter weather is almost balmy, but the temps do go down to zero yet, or in the onesies.  The sun is warm now, and rings are beginning to form around the bases of tree trunks, where the snow is melting down from the darkness of the trunks.  Although putting on boots is still a must for going outside, I often tell myself I don't need a coat on for this.  And just go out there to feed the chicken, empty the compost bucket, take out the recyclables, etc. 

New beef suet has been hung high in the oak tree for the big pileated woodpeckers, and smaller suet cakes for the little ones.  Big flocks of tiny birds are all over the ground, picking up the bull thistle seed we have thrown on top of the snow.  Red polls, titmice, purple finches, goldfinches, and sometimes other kinds.  It's hard to identify them because there are so many, and they keep hopping around, and they are so small.  All the normal winter birds are here too, black-capped chickadees and the woodpeckers.  But I haven't seen any grosbeaks yet.  Bluejays horn in for the feed too, as do gray squirrels and red squirrels.

And I feel rested and well.  Maybe I needed a long winter sleep for optimum health and muscular refreshment.  It's good to feel good.  I haven't listed all the seeds I have on hand on this blog yet, and that's because I'm still thinking seriously about not ordering anything from the seed catalogs this year.  If I start, it will turn into a bigger order than I want or need.  I, of course, am making the usual pledge to do things differently this year in gardening.  I must stop the weeds for once and for all, from taking over.  I know it's the heat and the bugs that stop my weeding efforts mostly, but it is also the rampant, I say rampant, nature of the weeds, whose growth rate becomes phenomenal in June and July.  I am seriously thinking of planting things in large bags of purchased, deweeded dirt with holes in the bottom, laying these bags side by side in rows, and MOWING the grass and weeds between them.  Would that work?  I also plan to build a garden tractor cage for my chicken, let her work the soil between rows, eating weed seeds, etc. between rows, fertilizing, and moving the cage daily.  I'm sure she would be a happy little farmer for me.  She's had a very nice winter in the greenhouse and is round as a butterball. 

I was thinking that I should stop commenting on my political opinions, as politics is a bothersome subject to me, but after reading this morning what I wrote yesterday, it seems like I make a lot of sense to myself.  So what?  But today is sunny and bright, and one more week of February brings March into the picture.  I am more determined than ever to continue to give things away to Good Will or donate to thrift stores.  One of these days I'm going to start loading up books and will soon have another load of glassware.  I have been bringing 2 boxes a week on average. 

I remember spending time with my great grandmother when I was very young.  Her house was as spare of belongings as I someday hope to be.  She scrubbed the floor every single morning.  She took ashes from a covered pail, put a scoop into a bucket, added water and mixed it together.  She used a mop to scrub every bit of wooden floor surface throughout the house.  I, watching her in amazement, could hardly wait to examine the floor after she was done.  I thought it ought to be dirty, what with the ashes and all, but there remained a clean, hard, somewhat tacky surface that had a slight sheen.  I doubt any bugs or germs could have survived that scrubbing, and I was so pleased, I danced around for her on it.  Now I also see how environmentally friendly it was, too.  She was pure Norwegian.

But the rest of this day is waiting for me to see what I can do...

If I had it my way, I would let those big banks fail that made all those bad loans.  I'm sure that's not all they did....the money had to go somewhere for them to be insolvent now.  I would have given, and would now give, any bailout money to smaller, honest, community banks that exist all over this country and let them give out loans to those who need help.  And there would be regulations and oversight, as there should have been all along. 

Not only that, I would treat the bankers and Wall Street manipulators the same way as drug users were treated in this country - break down their doors in the middle of this night, seize all their assets, haul them off to jail, and make them prove their innocence before releasing any assets they might have left after their court costs. 

I notice that China grabbed the greedy businessmen who put melamine into the children's milk, and I heard on tv last night that they will be EXECUTED for their crimes.  At least one country sees that greed is a sin against humanity.  Unlike this country, whose afficianados of Reagan/Bush policies have been extolling greed as a virtue.  Can you believe they call themselves Christian? 

Yes, grab them and put them in jail, and let the full extent of their crimes be known.  Let us have justice.  They have ruined the whole world economy, and the money is hidden away.  They need a little prompting to come clean.  Let them pay with higher taxes.

And when does dissent become truly sedition or treason or calling for the overthrow of our duly elected government.  There is some nut named Keys (sp?) whose rhetoric is designed to bring out the worst in the so-called "right."  I think he should be arrested.  And the poor, poor Republicans who are crying and calling for a divorce from the rest of us!  What a joke.  We Democrats, who surely had enough fuel to call for Bush to be stopped for his crimes against humanity, we didn't carry on like this, and we suffered for a very long time. 

I always have said that some of my best friends are Republicans, and I really mean it.  It seems that many of them have very good ideas that are good for this country, and we all ought to listen to each other.  And come to agreements.  But these extremists who are calling for somebody to "stop him" are treading on dangerous ground.  Their lies continue at an alarming pace, and although they can be proven to be pathetic and dishonest, it isn't right for them to carry on like this.  I wish the Republican Party would lean on their radical brothers and call for mutual cooperation in this terrible time of economic struggle.  Don't allow this divisive behavior to go on. 

I watched the Michael Moore movie last night about our health care system compared to the health care systems of Canada, Britain, France, and then Cuba.  By the time we got to Cuba, I had tears in my eyes for the September 11, 2001 rescue workers who have been completely abandoned by the Bush administration and who still suffer all manner of ailments from that dreadful experience. 

One thing:  Michael Moore did not mention anywhere exactly what kind of taxes the people pay to obtain their health care systems.  I do believe it's a philosophy that the rich do pay more taxes than what they like to pay in this country.  But just think of the hoops ordinary people who are sick have to jump through and how much we have to pay to get taken care of.  Those horror stories were awful.  I kept thinking of moving to Canada in order to escape this inhumane system we have here in the United States. 

I've sat down with my box of seeds, enumerating them into categories such as root crops, corn, squashes, greens, herbs, brassicas, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers.  Why isn't there a category for corn, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers?  Produce that grows in the air?  One of life's mysteries.  Well, I have enough of everything to make a very good garden this year, using last year's seeds and beyond, so this is the year I probably don't need to order anything.  Also, I am not going to order plants through the mail again.  The blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus roots do better if bought downtown and gotten right into the garden same day, instead of languishing in warehouses, delivery trucks and mail boxes along the way. 

I've made a little, very little, progress with Google Earth.  Now I've downloaded their latest version, continued to read their help manual, and now can do a little "layering," showing borders.  One thing I don't understand is the concept behind "desktop resolution," which needs to be set at 1024 x 768 minimum, for maximum operation.  This just makes everything smaller.  I had it all the way over to the lowest setting, which makes all things much larger and easier to see, and now I have everything, including this blog, smaller; I don't know why this is better. 

The temps are a little lower, and that means that when walking with Pepper and now Arnie, I don't slide out of my tracks as I walk.  Much better traction now that it's colder.  My chicken, Susie Q., is happy and large.  Her shape (something like a football, with legs and head sticking out) is quite aerodynamic and efficient.  I wish I could pet her and hold her, but she won't allow it.  I have a wand, made from a Jerusalem artichoke stalk, that I reach in with and stroke her back gently while talking to her nicely, but she just heads for the house when I do that.  Silly girl.

My son took me out to fish fry last night for my valentine.  His new wife couldn't come because she has been pretty sick for a couple of days.  It was nice to get out of the house for a change.  Winter is beginning to wear on me, making me lose track of time, missing the sunshine.  Today, I couldn't even walk properly because there is about 1 inch of lake effect snow over the glare ice and ruts on the road and driveway.  This kept making me slip out sideways, nearly falling 3 times.  The last time, I saw stars from jerking so hard to the right.  I was cussing plenty, but changed to the usual duck walk to get back home. 

I only have to build one fire each day, in the afternoon, and the heat lasts until the next morning.  It's getting near time to build a fire now; I am getting a little chilly.  Made two kinds of soup yesterday - chicken alphabet vegetable for me, and split pea soup for John. 

I keep telling myself not to get involved in political discourse on my blog, but it may be an important thing to do - get my opinions out there along with everybody else.  But right now, I can't think of anything to say, except I hope I'm not being too hard on the Repubs???  I was wondering if I am too nasty towards them.  I have been trying hard to understand them in the past few days, because their illogic is so apparent to me, that I can't even imagine how they think or feel.  I heard that a show is coming on Monday night, about that very subject, and I intend to watch, even if it makes me puke.  Can they imagine the pain and suffering that Democrats have gone through for 9 years of their administration?  I count 9 years, because the last year of Clinton's was extremely painful also, because of Republican nerdiness.  And the people are continuing to suffer and will suffer more as we try to heal the wounds left by the Bush administration. 

That's why I can't understand them.  What is it they miss now about having their constitutional rights to privacy taken away?  Why do they hate fair representation in court?  Do they need to see innocent people kidnapped into a foreign country to be tortured?  Why do they wallow at the feet of inhuman corporate entities, who promise to destroy the earth for them?   Do they enjoy knowing that the government is listening in on their every conversation?  Do they need to have a president who often can't even speak in sentences?   Do they love deficit spending into the trillions while cutting taxes on the very rich?  Do they enjoy paying for the lifestyles of the wealthy?  Do they believe every lie and talking point that comes out of the mouths of their gurus on the right?  What, oh what, is it that makes them Republican voters who sorely miss Bush now? 

The Republican ploys, especially since the efforts of Barack Obama to help our nation, are aggravating me to get up in the middle of the night to blog about my stronger and stronger feelings....

I got an email yesterday, that I, perhaps foolishly, deleted immediately from my Republican friend, showing a video clip of their hero, George W. Bush, warning us, back in 2001, that this economic crisis would occur IF SOMETHING WASN'T DONE ABOUT IT.  So...why...didn't...GWB...do something...about...it?  Why did he, instead, continue our headlong plunge with his rubber-stamping Congress into this economic recession?  Yay for deregulation!  Get rid of those food inspectors!  The money we will save for our oil war...etc. 

I will say it again - when the Supreme Court ruled that corporations are entitled to all the rights of individuals - there's where our system gave away this country.  A decision of the Supreme Court that I don't agree with?  There it is, right there. 

And now that we have a President who IS DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, the Repugnicans are whining and puking about it.  What's the matter, Boehner, McConnell, et al.?  Silver spoon stuck in your throat?  Just look at the picture of how they see what this country should look like.  The rich and privileged, sitting at the lavish table of the Republican platform, with crumbs "trickling down" every so often to the huddled masses of the starving, the needy.  They want to destroy the Social Security system - Repubs don't need it.  They want more and more police-state control over the people.  They believe we should all end up like Saudi Arabia, India and the like, where the disparity is enormous between the rich and the poor.  Isn't it already that way here?  Closer and closer to it? 

The Republican ploys lately are focused on obstructing Obama and the American people, while spreading their pathetic lies, like the one I received that G. W. Bush "warned" about the coming eonomic recession if something wasn't done.  I've seen the map of the last election, with Republican votes in red and Democrats in blue.  What I don't understand is how the Republican people out there continue to believe their lies and still vote for them.  Don't they realize that the greed, graft and corruption of their party will eventually sink the people, in favor of the few?  And that they are, in fact, part of the people, and not the wealthy few.  Because their way of life is good only because of the goodness of the many.

Anyway, the beauty and truth of Barack Obama still shone in full in his wonderful speech last night to commemorate Lincoln's birthday, once again inspiring me and giving me hope.  In contrast to the sickening lies and obstructionist tactics of the other side. 

Two questions remain in my mind.  How did re-apportionment affect the number of votes that Republicans enjoy nowadays?  And the other question, is there "real money" involved in the numbers we are hearing nowadays?  Where is this money coming from?  Where did the money go that led us into the economic recession?  Was it real money?  Who got it?  Where is it now?  And what Ponzi scheme allowed the banks to do whatever it was that they did?  Hey, that's more than two questions.... 

Got an e-mail letter from Mr. Poersch today, giving many, many examples of what Democrats think about things, and boy, are they mad!  At Republicans, for being the obstructionist party now, when they didn't mind spending all those years on their own agendas.  Between Reagan and the two Bushes, we have racked up 11 Trillion in debt.  And they are whining and complaining about the economic stimulus plan?  It's that they really, really do not care about this country and its people, as long as they get their tax cuts. 

On a more pleasant note, last night, I made Mexican food, and the hot sauce (it must have been the hot sauce!) practically cured my everpresent cold itself.  Unless it was just time for it to leave....  But the meal we prepared last night was the best Mexican dish we have ever collaborated on.  I've just got to blog about it, even if it is not the cure for the common cold.

                                Mexican Tortilla Dish

1-1/2 cups black beans, cover with water and heat until seething.  Drain and rinse.  Place beans in crockpot and add water to cover.  Cook until soft, adding water if necessary to keep them covered.  Set aside.  (I cook them separately, freeze or use later.)  Drain off the dark water and save it aside.  Refry the beans in olive oil over high heat, adding cumin to taste and a mixture of white sugar and red wine vinegar (a few tblspns. of each) mixed together in a small bowl.  When the beans seem about to burn, add some of the reserved bean water, a little at a time.  Salt to taste, not too much will be needed.  Keep stirring and mashing the beans down with a spatula for about 10 minutes.  Set aide. 

Brown 1 lb. of hamburger in 1 tblspn. of olive oil, add 1 pkg. of taco seasoning mix and 3/4 cup of water.  Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times.  Turn off heat, set aside.  Meanwhile, cut lettuce in shreds, chop fresh tomatoes, dice up some sweet onions, open a carton of sour cream, shred cheddar cheese, and bring out the salsas!  I tried the raspberry salsa I got for Christmas, and it was so delightful, I ate almost half the jar.  But back to cooking.  We like to take the store-bought large flour soft tortillas and cut them into thick strips or wedges, and brown them in a little olive oil in a pan over high heat for a minute or two, turning once, then drain on paper towels. 

On a plate, put a big dab of refried beans in the middle and spread it around, top with a big spoonful of taco/hamburger mix, top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, onions, shredded cheese, salsas, and a big blob of sour cream on top.  Sliced black olives for garnish.  And stick the tortilla strips in here and there around the sides.  I had 2 platefuls and loved every bite. 

Ah, winter, the quietude thereof...Arnie came home carrying a dead black squirrel in his mouth that looked freshly killed, and he buried it with great diligence in the snow near the wood-splitting area.  I think that out of every 10 gray squirrels born, that about 1 or 2 are the variation, black.  Last night, when the dogs went out to play in the bright moonlight, Arnie laid down and ate his chilled squirrel with the air of a lord at his dining, while Pepper laid near the door, crying softly because she didn't have any.  So I told her to come in and I would give her a special treat, and she did.  Then Arnie knocked on the door, and coming in, he talked extensively about how he needed a special treat, too. 

It is raining gently today, but the roads have been freshly sanded and are in good traveling condition because of it.  I went to town and returned my stack of library books.  I didn't get new ones, because I need to finish about 4 of my own that I've started.  One is "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" that I read a page or two at a time, in order to absorb the teachings of it.  And on my computer, I am struggling to learn all about Google Earth.  If I can manage to learn just one thing a day, that is about all my poor old brain can take.  Today, I learned to "fly" to my home town, and also how to change my desktop resolution. 

There was a show on last night about the sun and how it can, and does, affect the earth.  It kind of scared me that a sunburst, which could happen at any time, could knock out all the electricity on earth.  Major disaster, and has me thinking as I use my many, many appliances that I love, have come to rely on, and just wouldn't enjoy life without, about the even more far-reaching consequences of such an occurrence.  I remember reading a long time ago, about a Sioux medicine man's predicting that all the electricity would fail some day.  I hope that some people somewhere are making progress on the "grid."  And would be able to prevent such a major blow to our way of life.  On the other hand, the way things are going for the polar bear and other creatures endangered by global warming, has me thinking more and more about the poem I wrote many years ago...

My name is written on a bird, That flies across the sky.  The day that bird falls to the ground,  Will be the day I die. 

We are all in this together, linked by our mutual humanity, and linked to all the animals, lands, and plant life that nurtures us all.  I can only hope that people begin to see that corporate entities are not a natural part of the ecosystem, and will reverse the current trend of exploitation for capital gains at the cost of our living earth. 

It will be almost 40 degrees today, and everything is relaxing under the spell of warmth and bright sunshine.  I've been walking in the woods on a frozen trail, and it was so difficult to walk there, that I am only going to go on the road from now on.  My chicken's light bulb burned out, so I'll be replacing that, even though it's warm today.  I know the cold will return.  Usually, sometime in March, we have the annual Spring Thaw sunbathing party, sticking a lawn chair into a snowbank, putting on shorts and t-shirt, and drinking a beer to celebrate the apparent return of spring. 

I went to town yesterday, shopping for groceries at 3 different stores.  The cupboard was bare, and I even threw out, from the freezer, some stinky fish and other meat that had been passed on from other people.  They clean out their freezers, and pass the questionable stuff on to you, telling you it would be good for your dogs, etc.  No way would it be good for my dogs.  I don't want them to get sick, either.  I also took another bag of t-shirts and long-sleeved t-shirts to Good Will.  As you wash them, over time, they get wider and shorter.  If someone doesn't want them, they are turned into shop rags. 

There's been something happening to the grocery store shelves in the past two months or so.  My sister, who lives across the country from me, noticed it too.  There are empty spaces on the shelves where products used to be!  I thought maybe I was just coming at the wrong time of the week, but this is happening more and more.  Things get sold out, and they are not replaced right away.  This must be a sign of our troubled economy. 

Don't get me started!  What is the matter with the Republicans in Congress?  Don't they care at all about America?  They don't seem to care at all about the sufferings of the people...why should they?  They have all the money, and they want more and more tax cuts for themselves and their rich cronies in the corporations.  And probably, they have all their money offshore - they've become the global economic masters of the universe.  Remember that Hard Rock song I once loved - New World Order?  Yep, that's what I was dancing to then.  And even then, worrying about the real meaning of it.  My stomach churns and dances now whenever I see them on TV, obstructing the changes that we all voted for.

And Sarah Palin?  What is her problem with wolves in Alaska?  Why, in the name of everything that's holy, does she want to kill them, and with such cruelty?  Why?  Why?  Why?  Of course, there's the beluga whales, and the polar bears, too, that are in the way of her exploitative plans.   

I looked up all kinds of recipes yesterday for sweet and sour things, and decided to list the most prominent ingredients, then go ahead and just do it. 

                       Sweet & Sour Chicken and Shrimp

Thaw 8 oz. extra large frozen shrimp in a bowl of water and remove their tails, set aside.  Slice 2 chicken breasts into 1" cubes, set aside.  Cook 2 cups rice according to package directions, set aside.  Heat 2 tblspns. olive oil and 2 tblspns. canola oil in deep frypan and saute the chicken, adding and stirring as necessary:  1/2 medium onion, chopped; 1 carrot, peeled and cut small; 1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 small jar green chilies; 1/3 cup catsup or 1 small can diced tomatoes; 1 20-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained.  Reserve the juice and add to it; 1/3 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/8 cup soy sauce, and stir in 2 rounded tblspns. corn starch.  Add to pan, stirring well.  In a small separate saucepan, briefly fry the shrimp in 2 tblspns. butter and season with garlic salt to taste.  Add the shrimp and butter to the pan, stir well.  Add 1/4 tsp. ground ginger root, 3 tblspns. honey, salt if desired, lemon pepper to taste, more water if necessary, and hot sauce if that's what you want.  Keep stirring and adjust seasonings.  Serve over rice.   

We would never see a groundhog here tomorrow, sunshine or not.  There's lots of snow, and we are not even halfway through winter yet.  But this morning, as I stepped out to go and feed the chicken, it was sunny and felt warm at over 20 degrees.  I don't know what the exact temperature was, but the sky seemed softer and bluer and the wind was blowing in a balmy way. 

Everything is going well, and winter seems softly protective and restful.  Today is Super Bowl Sunday!  I'm looking up recipes for a sweet and sour chicken/shrimp thingie over rice.  Getting lots of ideas for other treats, too.  I've decided to quit worrying about losing weight - apparently, I never will, so I'm not going to try at all anymore.  I was able to turn off my electric oil-filled heater last evening, and hope I won't need it anymore.  I continue to dust and polish furniture, and soon, I'll have another box or drawer cleaned out.  My health is good, my dogs are content, my chicken is amused, my kids are doing fine.  Life is good. 

I am so furious about the idiots who have lately been using their snowmobiles to kill deer and ducks.  Down by Waupaca, several (presumably drunken) young men have run down and killed about 6 deer in a field.  This, in deeper snow that the deer can't run well in, and in this cold, cruel month of January, when the deer are exhausted, cold and hungry.  One of the deer was not killed, but just badly wounded, and had to be euthanized by wardens when the carnage was discovered. 

And now there have been two incidents of snowmobilers who seem to find it fun to skip their snowmobiles over open breaks in the ice, and in the process, kill ducks who have taken refuge there in the open ponds of water.  Each time, the snowmobilers have killed about 60 to 80 ducks.  Snowmobile dealers and clubs have offered about $2,000 reward already for information leading to the arrests of these thrill seekers.  I believe it is already against the law to skip over open ponds, but these incidents seem to have had the sick purpose of killing as many ducks as they can, besides. 

If I was a witch, I'd be placing a hex on these perpetrators of snowmobile animal killings.  But I can't help but believe that all of these crimes against the natural world are witnessed by higher powers, and that there must be consequences.  In the meantime, I just hope and pray that these latest duck killers will be turned in and punished.  The deer killers have already been turned in and their ugly faces appeared on the TV when they went to court. 

Another thing that makes me growl these days is the sight and sound of that whiner, Boehner.  Just about every day we see him whining and complaining and threatening his obstructionist politics, trying to preserve and further the failed policies of the Bush administration.  We, the voters of America, have rejected those failed political "solutions" and just want Obama's promises to come true.  Also, I can't believe how flaccid the Democrats have become in Congress; come on!  Where is the backbone, the outrage that we long to hear in our elected representatives?  They are a bit sheepish, aren't they?  Can it be that they have been compromised by the almighty Dollar?  Spread around generously by rich lobbyists?  Well?  What can be the reason we hear grumping and see foot-dragging about going after the spies listening in on our communications, on the relative ease of dealing with the Gitmo detainees, on prosecuting the torturers, on the bailouts for homeowners, etc. etc. etc.  There was much damage done in the past 8 years, so much so, that some people find it more comfortable now to just let it all go by, and do nothing about it.  But these negligencies will come back to haunt, I fully agree with that. 

But of course, there are still good, strong representatives and senators in the Congress.  I don't mean to criticize all of them....     

Seems I have posted that title more than once.  I thought I might try to get out today and spend some time with my daughter, but she is recovering from another bout of multiple sclerosis, and we spent a lot of time talking on the phone.  In a way, I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere, as I've been home for quite some time.  All appointments and social engagements keep getting canceled (by me) for one reason and another, and I'm just enjoying my shackhappy status and staying away from germs for awhile.  Everything is peaceful and holding its own against the cold, and every day, I do something that seems extraordinary, like cleaning out a drawer or going through a box. 

Day before yesterday, I again organized all the jewelry and found many, many brooches that have been collected over the years.  I really wish there was some place that was interested in all the many pieces of jewelry that I will never, ever, in a million years, need to wear.  What triggered this examination was that I sent in for a free ring, offered by a company that rewarded me with bonus points, so I thought what the hey, and sent in for the ring.  It's quite nice, and I wear it all the time now. 

So, back to self-reflection, going through drawers, and organizing and dusting - yes, dusting!  It just builds up and up, all the time. 

Staying inside mostly, but the scenery is nice to look at while taking my walks with Pepper.  The temps have been very reasonable, almost balmy feeling, but another cold snap is headed this way, with -20 degrees over the weekend.  The firewood has almost all been used up, and another load will have to be brought inside and stacked up in the living room. 

I've been trimming Pepper's fur in her back parts.  That's always a good thing to get done before the fur mats up and becomes a problem.  I have an electric trimmer, but have never even turned it on, as I'm sure I would end up pulling the fur, or not doing it right.  I use a cuticle scissors and hold it in my right hand, with the sharp end facing out; I use my left hand to hold the fur between two fingers and cut right behind them.  I always feel to make sure there is only fur behind the scissors, never flesh, and don't pull up and away from her body, so no skin will be pulled up to the scissors.  Whew!  In such dense fur, it is a scary thing to do, but now's the time to do it.  She always worries that I might disapprove of  her in some way, and keeps eye contact, so she can watch every reaction of mine, as if she thinks I might disapprove of her growing fur.  What a love bunny!  I so adore her.  

I'm proud of what Obama has done so far in his two days in office; these are the changes I can believe in, all right.  Rolling back the gas and oil drilling leases in the Red Rock canyon and other places, closing Guantanamo Bay within the year, and the other, many orders he's signed already, such as pay freezes for top staff.  When will it be our turn to get some help?  I signed up to do some work of unknown description to get the changes started, but doubt I can be of much use. 

Well, it's over now, except for the parties, etc.  I started watching first thing in the morning and just went through papers and magazines as I watched the pageantry unfold.  And...I cried...again....now and then...because we are so happy to be Americans, I guess.  Today, everything looks rosy and hopeful, but tomorrow the work of rebuilding the country must begin.  Michelle looked really good, actually, they all looked good.  Barack gave a very good speech about the changes that must come about.  Being concerned about the environment, I heard him say "no more consumption of resources without calculating the effects" or something of that nature.  Because right now, I am reading about the devastation of the Amazon basin in South America for oil production.  This, of course, has gone on long before I knew anything about it, and I am now concerned about sulfide mining in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  So close to home and far away, the agony of the earth goes on and on. 

Afterwards, I got ready, having made out my bills last night, got the truck brushed off and warmed up, went to town and mailed them all out.  There was even sand on the curves and hills to aid vehicles along over the slippery snow and ice.  That was nice.  Having paid the bills, I had enough money left in bank to buy a bunch of groceries again, so I went to Walmart this time.  The latest craze around here (dogs), are Li'l Smokies, tiny sausages, so I got 3 packages of them, and we'll see which flavor everybody (including humans) likes the best.  A bag of chicken breasts, a bag of shrimp, some more liversausage, bratwurst, bread and donut holes, coffee, and that will about do it for shopping for this month. 

Back home safe and sound, preparing to snuggle down, tending the fire and the critters, watching the tube, and being very thankful that America is still, and again, the land of the free and the home of the brave.

This is such a touchy situation for me.  After praying and pondering over everything, I decided the best thing to do was to call my brother and lay all the cards on the table.  Tell him everything and let him make a decision about his own life.  After all was said, he said he would be fine, just fine, if we let him be.  He expects the heat tape on his water lines to thaw the freeze out of his pipes, any day now, and he is not concerned at all about carrying water home by hand for bare essentials.  The only thing he needs, he says, is a shower, which his friend may allow when he goes for a visit today. 

As far as his financial situation goes, it is a lifestyle choice that he made years ago, and nobody, but nobody, can do anything about that.  His expenses for booze and cigarettes far exceed his ability to pay, so he is the only one who can do anything about it.  He smokes 3 packs a day, so there's $15.00 right there every day.  If he wants to change his lifestyle, that's up to him. 

But outside here, it's a winter wonderland, just beautiful, with snow clinging to the branches, piling up in fluffy white drifts, and it's not too cold out now.  It was almost 70 degrees in the house when I woke up this morning.  I made cinnamon rolls again, using frozen white bread bought at the store.  I got the recipe out of the newspaper...

                                  Cinnamon Rolls

Take out one loaf of frozen bread dough and thaw it under plastic wrap.  Roll dough to a rectangle, about 18x6 inches.  Brush with 2 tblspns. of melted butter.  Combine 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon in a  small bowl, spoon over dough, pressing in a bit.  Starting at long edge, roll dough up, jelly roll fashion, pinch edges to seal.  Cut roll into 1" slices, lay down into 2 buttered round pans and let rise for 1-1/2 hours, until doubled.  Pour 1/3 cup heavy cream (I used milk) over the rolls and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Combine 1 cup of confectioner's sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, and 1-1/2 tblspns. milk in a cup, stirring until smooth and the right consistency (add more confectioners sugar, or milk, if necessary).  Drizzle over rolls while still warm.  Makes 15-20 rolls. 

I just can't wait, I just can't wait, I just can't wait 'til Tuesday.  I've waited all year, it's almost here, I just can't wait - 'til Tuesday.  Although I won't be going to any of the festivities, no balls for me, no wavings, trainrides, block parties; my prayer is "Obama, stay safe!"  His daughter says "You better do good!" and that means staying safe, too. 

What should I do to celebrate the inauguration?  I think I will start a diet, and the only way I've ever been able to lose weight is to think "Stop eating!"  That means food.  A cracker to keep the hunger pangs at bay.  But after a few days, an overwhelming hunger takes over, even if you don't feel hunger that much.  An overwhelming desire to pig out.  Knowing that, perhaps I could prepare, in advance, to meet this challenge.  With one square meal, and nothing more.  Even if I wake up at night, wanting something to eat.  Just nibble until the stomach shrinks and appetite adjusts.  Of course, I'll still keep eating apples, oranges, grapefruit.  I did lose weight gradually, once, by giving up meat.  Actually, you need your vegetables, too.  Oh dear, there I go again.

Yesterday though, I spent the afternoon and part of the evening working on the bathroom plumbing, trying to get the drain either unclogged or unfrozen, whatever the problem is.  I did not succeed, but did manage to clean up the huge mess I made trying.  I'm glad that it's over, but the drain will have to wait for Spring to thaw out.  Also, the toilet leaks from underneath...it needs a new wax ring, I suppose.  I am not going to call a plumber - the last time I did so, it cost me over $300.  But that was when my mom was still here, and she had to use that bathroom.  Thank heavens I still have the other bathroom, which works fine.  I just need to move all my stuff over there and make myself comfortable there.  Right now, I call it the boys' room.  But I am in the process of abandoning my bathroom and will not use it until Spring comes.   

My brother's daughter does not want to, or cannot, do much more for her father, and after discussing with the family, I guess it is up to me to do something for him.  I am going to pray for a resolution, but my brain says that I am too old to do much for him either.  Time to call on the professionals, tomorrow.  I know I'm going to cry, though I think he will be far better off, living in the veterans' home.  He always does so much better than he thinks he will.  I only hope he isn't going to be angry and resist.  That would break my heart.     

I have to face the fact that I really haven't done much of anything lately, except care for my animals, cook and eat, watch tv, read,  keep the fire going, take out the garbage, and indulge in the bathing and shampooing.  The cold spell lately apparently was weathered fairly well by my body, but now that the temp is coming back up, I feel swollen and groggy.

Bad news about my brother has me still in a state of mild shock.  Apparently, he won't be able to go on much longer, as his water pipes are frozen and he lacks the money to have them thawed.  He is getting by somewhat by melting snow in a bucket to flush the toilet, and carrying 1/2 gallon jugs home by hand for coffee water, hand washing, etc.  But the real problem is that he can't manage his money any longer; has no idea of where it goes, or when it goes.  It is just gone and he can't explain it.  He is borrowing money to get by, and has no way to repay it.  I called my other brother to talk this over, and he is going to call my brother's daughter and see what she has to say about this.  He is a veteran and there is a vets' home nearby where he lives.  I am thinking it might be time for him to go live there, but everyone in the family thinks he will resist a move like that.  He will want his independence for as long as possible. 

Well, I guess this is what happens if you live long enough...but it's just another hurdle to get past.  I wish I could help him out, but I've already tried to get a mortgage extension to put another bedroom and bath on the lower level here, and was denied.  I certainly would not want to move away any further from my children, who give me the impression that they need me (I really believe that!), and I'm not in good enough shape anyway, to go to him and just help out.  Doing what, exactly? 

My own bathroom pipes froze up last night - I guess that's to be expected after a -25 degree night, but it actually got warmer last night, so???  Of course, I had turned off my little electric heater then; prematurely, I suppose.  So I better just take care of my own survival problems and let his daughter make the decision about his situation.  It snowed again last night, another 4-6 inches of the white stuff, so just getting out of the driveway is enough of a problem for me right now.      

The greenhouse that I keep my chicken in is working out so well, that even at -14 degrees below zero, she came busting right out this morning, ready for her breakfast of warm spaghetti and cooked peas, with laying mash, sunflower seeds, bell pepper scraps, cut up apple, and of course, a few oats.  Her water jug freezes right up, so I give her fresh water at every feeding, removing the frozen water and replacing the jug with a fresh one.  I bring in the frozen one, and when it thaws, the jug can be replaced.  This morning, I detected frost buildup (just a bit) around her beak.  I guess this would be built up from normal breathing in this weather, but the frostiness disappeared as she ate her warm breakfast.   

I had moved the greenhouse from the south (front) of the house, because I didn't think it looked good to have my picture window cut in half by its presence.  Also, the steep pitch of the roof brings snow and ice crashing down.  The west side of the house has a shed roof which melts the ice and snow off, and eaves troughs to catch the melt.  Although the sun is not as bright there, it will still do nicely for a greenhouse.  And I was able to put the header up higher than I had on the front of the house.  I put it up at least 6 feet, probably 7 feet.  That made the front wall at 4' high enough headroom to walk around bent over, even there.  All the struts are 2"x2"x8'.  I've braced the roof and side walls and covered the sidewalls with clear 4 mil plastic for now.  The roof is the plexiglass panels I got at Menards for $13.50 each, and there are 5 of them, 2' wide by 8' long.  So the greenhouse is approximately 10' wide by perhaps 7' long extending out from the west side of the house.  The chicken's house and yard (8'x2') are against the house wall in there, covered with 2 large tarps, surrounded and partially covered with straw.  The winter sun shines into her cage all morning long.  And she has her 40-watt lightbulb besides.  It's pleasant to go in there and take care of her.   

So do I really need to make it a pit greenhouse?  I could probably get by very well without digging it into the ground besides.  However, adding a "pit" feature would give me more room, and might possibly add warmth.  It would be nice if next year, I could grow veggies even in the winter.  So I might do that this coming year.   

I had taken an old home-made door last fall, and put "legs" on it, turned it over and set the legs on bricks.  Setting the whole thing at a slight angle against the house, extending it over the well pipe, so any rainwater would flow away from the house, I covered it with a very large doubled up tarp, and put a lot of straw under the table.  I can't get over how warm the straw is when you put your hand into a pile of it.  Arnie, the Wonder Dog, just loves it as his dog house.  Because the tarp is placed kitty corner over the table, held down on the wind side, he can lie out there, keep an eye on everything that is going on, and stay warm and sheltered besides.  But most nights, he sleeps inside in my bedroom, with Pepper. 

Our enormous pile of firewood takes up 1/4 of the living room space.  It is mostly pine, with some birch and oak, and smells very medicinal.  All dead, dry wood, burns hot, keeps the front rooms warm.  I had bought an oil filled electric heater for the bathroom, which feels frigid much of the time, but used it only once, just to test it out.  It's good to have a backup in case you need it.   

I believe all the seed catalogs in the country have now been sent to me, a huge stack of them, and I will soon start going through my seed box to see what this year's garden will consist of.  A lot of my fence posts have fallen down, whether pushed down by deer, or just rotted away at the base.  I have been purchasing metal posts as I can afford them and will replace the fallen ones as soon as the ground thaws. 

First, I want to thank you, Susan, for your wonderful words of encouragement in your comment to me.  I got so excited and inspired that I immediately burned the breakfast toast.  And not just a little!  Huge stinking grey clouds were swirling around before I even noticed, and when I opened up the toaster oven, fire spurted out.  I had to open a window and turn on a fan.  But if this is what it takes to get me started on my writing, then it's a good thing.  I've gotten out my Writers' Market manual, a huge tome, and have begun to check off publishers that might be interested in my novels.  I guess the first step is to go to their websites and see what they require for submission. 

Then on to the doctor appointment that was set up for me...there to find out that all infection is gone from me, and I had my ears flushed out, too.  That produced a terrible headache later in the day, after the water finally cleared out, that I tried to soothe with a heating pad.  That only made the pain worse, so next I tried a bag of frozen peas, wrapped in a towel, placed against the worst of the pain, and that worked very well.  In five minutes, the pain was going, going, gone! 

It is supposed to be very cold for the rest of this week, with temps not bothering to get above the zero degree mark, and I plan to spend the rest of this week at home, just enjoying the beauty of the cold, and keeping things from freezing up.  I went to the library yesterday after the doctor visit and got another bunch of books to read.  My interests seem to be taking me into study of the forests of the world.  As if I don't have enough books to keep me occupied for years! 

Then on I went to St. Joe's Thrift Shop, where I donated a beer box full of personal care items, like baby powder, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, unused new hair curlers, etc. that are extras here and not needed.  The old ladies in charge there, after first nearly tripping me as I carried the box to their table and guffawing loudly about it, went through the box immediately, making ribald comments on everything they took out to examine.  I keep forgetting, I am an old lady, too. 

But that reminds me, the doctor I saw, one of the nicest people I've met lately, looked at me and said that he could tell that I and my daughter were very close, and very supportive of each other.  I said, in fact, she is my best friend.  He said he could tell by looking at me that this was so.  That warmed my heart to hear it.  He talked about how his wife and daughter were like that, too. 

There's always a reason to procrastinate.  Yesterday, I finally dragged up my "best" novel  onto the computer and took a look at it after all this time.  It is a good, exciting story, but I know it needs help from a professional writer or editor.  I only have to finish it, Part II, that is, and send it somewhere. 

The pine we've been burning, that I love for the blazing heat it provides, is running low, and we've got to burn old oak now, that is wet.  It provides a long-lasting, very slow fire compared to the pine, so we are mixing the pine with it as needed to get more heat. 

I'm finally through taking Cipro, the antibiotic that was lately prescribed for me.  I am going to keep the appointment that was made for me at the clinic and I'm not backing down.  I will, however, downplay my symptoms - "Oh, it's nothing, doctor, just a pain in my ear - could even be a tooth problem!"  How's that?  Actually, I do need to find out about this for once and for all. 

I am going to make chop suey today, cutting up a piece of  "on special" top sirloin steak for only $1.19, and will add a pork cutlet, cut up, for only $.77, also "on special."  These will be cooked to tenderness in a water/soy sauce mix, with chopped celery, onions and the usual canned bean sprouts, water chestnuts, pimientos, etc. etc. etc. and served over rice.  Gravy made in the pan at the end. 

I need to vacuum today and dust furniture.  Oh, the dusting, the dusting.  Then there's laundry to be done.  The side of my head hurts, and I have been taking naps in the afternoons lately, but today, I want to clean house for awhile. 

Yes, it's cold outside; another below zero night, and the constant need to keep the fire going has us up and down all night, managing it, and keeping an eye on the thermometer.  I've been going through my "filing box," cleaning out the old paid bills, combining papers, and establishing new envelopes for the new year.  My "financial picture," as I refer to my notebook that schedules all my payments, is okay; I'm still on track, having reduced my total debt by $1,500 over the past year.  That's pathetic - when Bush took office, I was reducing my debt by $3,000 per year.  My lifestyle hasn't changed, I haven't had unusual expenses.  I guess this is just a sign of the slowing economy?  The rise in the cost of living?  Of course, I don't work now...maybe that's it.  I wish I could get at least one of my credit cards paid off this year and keep it that way.

My notebook (one page per month) lists all my bills and debts in the order in which a payment is due and date it is due, going down the page.  I don't distinguish between "expenses" and "debts" since I will be paying on them regardless.  The top of the page shows the month, year, and total monthly income.  The debts show their current balance due as they are received for the month at the far right hand side of the page.  When I pay them, I put a check mark by the name of the bill and a tiny date that I paid, and next to the amount owed, I write the amount I paid.  If I paid a monthly expense, I just make a zero, showing I owe nothing (electricity, e.g.)  At the bottom of the page, I have four totals, Balance Owed Last Month, Amount Owed End ofThis Month, Paid Off This Month, and Balance Owed at End of Month.  The goal is to get the last amount to go DOWN consistently.  It always goes up just a bit in December, because that is when my Homeowners Insurance is due, and of course, the extra expenses of Christmas. 

That took all day, getting the box in apple pie order, ready for the coming year.  I am thankful I am still able to live in my own home.  I wonder how long.  I've gotta stay around for my dogs and chicken.....

The doctor I went to made an appointment for me on Monday to find out why I have such a pain in my ear.  I was surprised to get the notice of appointment in the mail.  I do believe it is time to actually find out what is going on in there.  Naturally, I'm scared - is it a brain tumor, doc? cancer? is it cancer?  It's probably nothing but wax buildup.  Meantime, the winter goes on, testing our resolve, our cars and trucks, our aching joints, water pipes, even nails that pop out of your siding. 

I'm taking the Christmas tree down today.  It's over.  I know some people take their tree down the day after Christmas.  I never get it up that early, so I leave it for a week or two.  I still love the lights.

I can't seem to keep track of days anymore.  All I know for sure is that it is Winter.  I am still taking antibiotics.  I took the sulfa-based antibiotic for 5 days, and would have died or ended up in the hospital with an allergic reaction if I had taken just one more of them.  I had sharp stabbing nausea, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, nightmares about dying, and jerking movements all through my aching body.  I called the urgent care place at the hospital, and they quickly gave me a different recipe for disaster, named Cipro.  I took Cipro before and it was working - maybe it will again.

So this whole thing began last summer?  With a prescription for a strange new antibiotic whose name escapes me.  It was only for 3 days.  That's when I think I started getting more? infections.  I don't even remember now why I needed that one.  Hey, wait a minute.  I could look it up on this blog.  I will have to do that later...but for now, then they gave me Cipro and that was for 5 days.  Five was not enough.  The infection came back, and then they prescribed SMX-TMP, the sulfa-based drug that I reacted badly to.  They wanted me to take it for 10 days, but the reaction occurred after 5 days.  Now I'm back on Cipro for 7 days.  Will they have correctly guessed this time?  I need to add sulfa to the list of things I am allergic to.

Just as scary is my recent bout of forgetfulness.  Just now, I found a pan on the stove, burning away, empty.  Forgot I was going to cook spaghetti and peas for the chicken.  I am kind of dizzy.  I hope this is temporary, due to taking antibiotics.  But there are many times during the day that I find things like that - things I forgot I was doing.  

My New Year's Resolution - stop singing stupid, goofy songs out loud or in my head.  Lately, I've noticed that I will hum just a refrain of some idiotic song that I wish I had never heard, just a few notes, like "doo-ti-doo-ti-doo-ti-doo-ti-ti" and then I catch myself.  I want silence!  Inside and out.  So that is what I have been working on.

Last evening, I made that recipe for guacamole again, and I love it!  I had cooked up some beans too.  John refried them and cut up strips of soft tortillas, fried them.  We had a wonderful Mexican feast of refried beans, fried tortilla strips, guacamole, sour cream, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and salsa.  I slept very well last night, and it was below zero again.       

I have been reading the two novels by Scott Smith.  One is "A Simple Plan" and the other is "The Ruins."  Both differed somewhat from the movie versions, or was it the other way around?  Can you imagine writing two novels, and having both of them become movies - how successful is that?  Another of my favorite writers, right now, is Joe Kane, who wrote "Savages" and "Running the Amazon."  I used to go online and order books from Amazon.com, but I can't afford to do this anymore.  That's why my library card is so active right now.  I can only afford to borrow books.  Another favorite writer, Clifford Pickover, has written a lot of books that are captivating to my mind.  I find it difficult to read more than a few pages of his writings at a time, as they are so mind-blowing.

It seems strange, a bit, that all summer long I was reading books about the Arctic, and all winter long, so far, I've been reading books about the Amazon jungle, where it's so hot and humid.  Maybe there's a method here?  I am beginning to build up a head of steam regarding my novels - I need to alter one drastically, edit one, and finish one. 

Tomorrow, I have two social engagements; one for brunch with 2 of my girlfriends, and one for lunch with my children.  So this amounts to my New Year's celebration - daytime fun, lots of coffee and food, and talking, talking, talking.  Last night, I just couldn't watch another glittering, entertaining, fireworks-ridden display; turned off the tv at 11:45 and fell asleep.  I did not have an alcoholic beverage, either.  I'm on medication and I've been very tired lately.  It wasn't cold enough to perform the usual New Year's ritual of going outside with a cup of hot water, throwing it into the air, and seeing it turn into snow.  It's better when it's below zero for that.  Well, this is why I'm Shackhappy.  I accept that. 

I made cinnamon buns with powdered sugar glaze yesterday as a New Year's Eve treat.  For awhile there, I thought I had overdosed on sugar...I ate four of them, and they were so good.  I dreamed about my mother last night, and have been reliving her last days, getting a new perspective on our time together, good and bad.  I can laugh now, and stop blaming myself for letting her die.  She was going to die anyway, I see that now.   

So into town again today, to the walk-in clinic, there to get prescriptions for antibiotics.  I seem to have a bladder infection and a sinus infection.  That took an hour, most of it sitting and waiting.  Then on to Farmers Feed to get dog biscuits and deer corn; on to supermarket to get lettuce, celery, chicken quarters, a hunk of turkey back for only 67 cents, and some liversausage.  And finally, over to Good Will to give them a bag of linens I had garnered from my shelves in the bathroom. 

The wind is strong today.  It blew the cover off my mailbox, and I had to run around after it sailed off into the woods.  The house was cold when I got home, so I've built a fire and soon it will be heating up in here.  Think I'll stew up that turkey back and make something out of it. 

We all had a great Christmas - lots of snacks, sandwiches, wine and desserts, followed by the opening of the presents all around.  I got a pink fleece nightgown and fuzzy pink slipper thongs, very cozy.  A book called "Keeping Chickens," which is very educational, with lots of pictures of chickens, but not one of my Suzy Q.  I got an optical mouse, a set of drill bits, some DVDs that I will never listen to featuring old songs from the "Midnight Special" program, a jar of raspberry salsa. 

It did indeed rain! starting yesterday as a fine mist, then continuing to patter all night.  There were thunderous slides of snow coming down off the roof, and the snow pack has gone down quite a bit.  If this now freezes again, the deer will have trouble walking or running in it, so we are going to get some deer corn and put it out for them.  What few are left, that is.  There were half as many deer harvested as usual this year, hunters saying over and over that there were no deer to speak of.  My son saw only a doe and her fawn, again and again, during the hunting season, and didn't have the heart to shoot either one of them. 

But my daughter has a whole herd of deer that come into her yard all winter long.  She brings corn out to them, and they come running, which is somewhat scary.  They have a pecking order, using their front hooves to flay at each other for the corn.  She lays the corn down in long rows to give each of them room to eat.  Still, the biggest one always picks on smaller ones, and so on down the size range.  We spent much of our time watching them out the windows on Christmas.  The bucks are losing their antlers; they drop off one by one after the rut. 

I've gotten all things put away from Christmas, all Christmas dishes washed and put away, fuzzy slippers on my feet, and I am just about ready to begin the New Year.  New Years Resolutions pop into and out of my mind.  Think I'll just take a few days off and wait for inspiration.