Friday was a chill out night for me. I fed the roosters and the horses and called it quits on being outside. The weather was nice enough, I was just tired. I ate the leftover shrimp-pasta salad and grabbed my book and afghan (that Ernie made me!) and hit the couch. It was chilly outside but nice and toasty warm inside. I actually had to turn on the heater because it was supposed to be 47 overnight Friday. It definitely got there! lol When I went to bed, I had one big comforter on me. Somewhere in the middle of the night, I added another one.
I was hard-pressed to get up and go to the bathroom because it was so comfortable just lying there with the covers all piled up on me :) I woke up at my usual 4 am but refused to get out of bed. I couldn't get back to sleep but I did do lots of organizing in my head. I think I finally got up at about 5:15 and made my way out to the deck to look for deer. I didn't see any deer but it was cold enough for me to see my breath while I was out there! Remember what that's like? I do now :)
I rummaged through my boxes (upstairs) and found my fall candle/candle-holder assortments and brought them down to the bedroom. I took all the spring/summertime decorations and put them in the box and put out all the new stuff. This stuff was made for the cabin I tell ya. I now have red candles replacing the lavender colored ones. I put the creme' caramel jar candle that's beige colored and delightfully scented in the bathroom. It's so concentrated that you can smell it as soon as you come upstairs.
My tan and brown candlestick holders are downstairs on the end table with orange "Amber Dream" scented candles in them. I use the votives and tea lights almost exclusively but for these holders only the tall candlesticks will do. With the wood walls in the background, the orange really stands out nicely. I took a bunch of pictures with the camera Britney gave me but I haven't figured out how to get them to my work computer. The hard drive doesn't have a place for the little card that is in the camera. I'll have to call Ernie and see what I can do about it.
After I finished my fall decorating, I went outside (brrrrrrr) to make sure the roosters had water and while I was out there I threw them some more scratch. I wanted to get a picture of them too. I got the picture but again - no way to get them to you yet. I have some of those big, black rubber boots for wearing when I'm outside. My other shoes were getting coated with dust and I was having to clean them all the time. These boots (aka muck lucks) really come in handy when it's wet or cold or both. They aren't the prettiest things in the world but they keep my feet warm so who cares? LOL
So hopefully you can just picture me in my shorts and tank top (aka pajamas), my black boots, and because it's all I could find at the moment, a nurses jacket that Karla w/a K had given me a long time ago. I'm sure I was a sight to behold - ha ha ha!! Too bad you weren't here to witness it!
It didn't take me long before I was ready to be back inside where it was warm. I know it will take some getting used to but I sure was cold Saturday morning.
I dug my list out of my satchel and added a couple things to it then headed out the door for the dreaded Wal-mart trip. All along the way are yard sale signs, a flea market, a nursery advertising hay bales, straw bales, pumpkins and gourds. I stayed focused - believe it or not - and made it to Wal-mart without stopping. Stupid Wal-mart didn't even have the lens cleaner I needed so I picked up the other stuff on my list and was out of there in no time. I had stopped over by the oil change place but they said I would have to wait 3.5 hours before they would be done. Nope - no way - no how - not gonna do it! I was off to the house.
The horses were up there when I got home so I loaded that 50 lb bag of sweet feed onto the back of the 4-wheeler and took it over to their pen. They both came right up to me and I petted them and fed them and left them be. I think they were just glad I wasn't planning to ride them. Although it was a perfect day for it. I think we're going to try riding again this next weekend instead.
I changed from my muck lucks to my slippers and got to work on what I was cooking for the day. I made the okra stew with ham from the pig we butchered. It smells like comfort food when it gets to boiling and it wafted all through the cabin. I ate a little bowl of it, put some in my soup bowl for lunch today and the rest is in the refrigerator for tomorrow and Wednesday - if it makes it that far. :) Remind Lizard that she wanted to get the recipe from Joe Brack for Charlie. Once the weather cools off down there, it'll be nice for you to enjoy it too.
I also cooked the bok choy from the basket and it turned out really, really good. I bought the fresh ginger, which I had never used before, and found that I truly liked the mildly sweet but tangy taste of it in this dish. I had red, yellow and orange peppers chopped up, three big cloves of garlic finely minced and the soy sauce. Just for some heat I added a little pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. I took out three smaller size chicken breasts and cut them into strips. They went into the pan to brown with all those peppers. After the peppers started to brown just ever so slightly, I added the garlic and ginger. Talk about impact. Man that stuff was smelling so good I wanted to eat it right then. I finally got the bok choy in the pan and let it cook down (it does like fresh spinach and gets really small) and then it just had to simmer for a little while.
I cooked all of the ingredients in one big pan and thought there would be plenty of leftovers. HA! Not so much. We ate it all, just the two of us. I don't know how many it was supposed to serve but any more than two and there wouldn't have been enough. I even promised Darryl a bowlful but that didn't happen. If I get more bok choy this week, I'll definitely make it again and try to save him some. It won't be easy! lol
My wreath never got done. For one thing, I couldn't find one to work with. I checked Wal-mart, the Dollar Store, and Fred's. All they have are the wreaths that are already decorated with those plastic, fake flowers. I want to use my leaves, wild flowers and grasses from the farm. I'll keep checking - maybe there's a Michael's around somewhere or a craft store in Centerville, that would be nice. In the meantime, no wreath for me :(
I did get my straw bales today though. Darryl and Kurt brought them this morning. So tomorrow (can't go today - it's basket day!) I'll be picking up some mums and pumpkins to set atop the bale and it's going down by the gate. I'll have a pretty fall decoration for my viewing pleasure and just in case you make it up, for your viewing pleasure as well. :)
The Christmas trailer will be up at the cabin so I can start organizing those boxes and hopefully find my Publix Thanksgiving Pilgrim bowls, serving platter, napkin holder, etc. and my paper mache' pumpkin. That should be the end of the Fall/Thanksgiving stuff. When all this stuff was out on display at the house in Altamonte, it made it look crowded. Here, it barely scratches the surface of the cabin area. I could put out twice what I've got and still have room!
If I'm having this much fun decorating for Fall just imagine how much fun Christmas will be :) I hope you make it up here to see it all. But in case you don't, I'll get some pictures on the blog for you.
Saturday I got some laundry done and then we rode the motorcycle around for a little while. We stopped at Pee Wees for an hour or so and then we had to get back home before it got too cold. My face was red when we got there - I guess it was a combination of wind and chilly temps. I looked like Rudolph! ha ha
Sunday we went for a ride in the big, black truck. It was cool enough for us to have to roll up the windows but still nice enough that we didn't have to bundle up. We took the back roads over to Pee Wees and had a couple beers. We watched the race and had some snacks and then headed out. We stopped by Jr's house and he gave us some chili that he had made. We werent' all that hungry but he insisted. By the time we got home, we were ready for it. It was warm and just a little spicy. He's a darn good cook and it was nice not to have to worry about what we were having for dinner.
We're planning a bon fire/cook-out/chili cook-off for the 16th of October. The burn pile is taller than Wally and who knows how big around it is... it's huge anyway. If this cool weather holds out, it'll be perfect for the fire. I cook a pretty mean pot of chili so I'm hoping to give Jr a run for his money! LOL Today, it's not supposed to get above 63 degrees. Can you believe it? I had my heater on in my car the whole way to work this morning. There was frost on the ground too.
I found my little box of "Darcy's Winter Clothes" and had to laugh at the contents. I have about two weeks worth of stuff before I'll have to start over and that's it. So, yes, I'm going to have to shop soon. I know I keep saying it but 38 degrees is a reality check. Maybe Thursday... ugh! Couldn't someone just take care of this chore for me so I don't have to have something worse than Wal-mart to dread? lol Today I have on a red sweater, my new jeans (new size - woo hoo!), my gray boots that Neccy gave me, two pairs of socks and my little gray jacket. You would think I would be warm but they have the a/c on in this building and I'm really cold. I knew it would be cold - it always is.
I had oatmeal for breakfast, chicken noodle cup a soup a couple hours later and then my okra stew for lunch. Hot, hot, hot and still I'm cold in here. I know it's just me because everyone else is talking about how nice it is and how much they are enjoying the cooler temperatures. I'm enjoying the weather but being stuck inside all day is not so much fun. I can't wait to get home and see my straw bales so I can figure out how many pumpkins and mums to buy tomorrow :) and figure out where it's all going to sit.
My big red pot is on the stovetop and all the makings for chili, chicken noodle, and beef barley soup are all in the pantry and refrigerator. Remember all that chicken broth I was putting up over the summertime??? Well, now I can thaw it out and put it to good use! I hope you'll care to join me :)
"As the days grow short, some faces grow long. But not mine. Every autumn, when the wind turns cold and darkness comes early, I am suddenly happy. It's time to start making soup again." ~Leslie Newman
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