Chippy - Elf on the Shelf - 2014 Edition

Yes, Chippy the Elf is back at my grandchildren's home.  I have as much fun as the kids, checking my son's Facebook posts to see where Chippy turns up each day.  This year there is an addition.  It seems that Chippy has acquired a girlfriend.  Go, Chippy!

It will be fun to see where they hide this year!

I know.  I'm as bad as the kids.

Oh Christmas Tree

Every year, the weekend after Thanksgiving, my son and his family go to a tree farm to cut down their Christmas tree.  And they always post a picture of their adventure.

They make my heart glad.

Canning Marathon

Wednesday morning, the guy who grocery shops for me called.  Wanted to know if I really wanted a dozen bunches of celery.  I did.  And how big a turkey did I need.  I replied I wanted the biggest one he could find.  He laughed and said OK.  See you soon.

Celery has been on sale at that grocery store at other times for 98 cents a bunch.  And those times the bunches have been skinny - about half the size of a normal bunch of celery.  Not this time.  They were huge.  I already have all the dehydrated celery I want, so I went ahead and canned up this batch, even though there was more than I bargained for.  Wound up with 8 pints and 56 half pints of chopped celery.

The turkey I got weighed in at a little over 23 pounds.  A 23 pound turkey yields 12 pints of meat and 11 quarts of turkey broth.  I need to get at least another four turkeys that size - maybe six.  I use the canned turkey more than any other canned meat, and I was completely out of it.

I've still got 10 lbs of frozen peas and 10 lbs. of frozen green beans to can.  But I think that will wait until tomorrow.  I'm slowly and reluctantly learning what my limitations are and after the last of the turkey comes out of the pressure canner, I do believe a short nap might be just the thing.  Although if this winter continues as it has been so far (yesterday morning the temperature was at six degrees below zero), naps may give way to hibernation.  I think the bears are smarter than we are.  They sleep the whole winter long.

Consequences

I have never liked swearing.  I'm not a prude.  I just don't like it.  Probably comes from my Baptist upbringing and the fact that my Mother was extremely religious.  I'm sure that my children use four letter words from time to time.  But they have enough respect not to use them within earshot of their Mother.

Anyway, Youngest Son was telling me about his daughters.  One of them wasn't pleased with something her sister did.  And she let her know about it by dropping an F-bomb to express her displeasure.  What she didn't take into consideration was the fact that her Daddy was within hearing distance.  And he heard.

The girl has spent a considerable amount of time with a pencil and paper, writing "I will not swear at my sister."  500 times.  And when she has finished all 500 sentences, she can have her cell phone back.

Does my heart good to know that in some families, actions still have consequences.

A Monday Ramble

Today is grocery ordering day.  Yesterday I went through the weekly store ad that came in the mail and made out my list.

Celery is on sale for 99 cents a bunch.  I ordered a dozen.  I have quite a bit of celery dehydrated.  It takes a long time to rehydrate so I use it in soups that simmer all day.  The plan is to cut the celery into about half inch pieces and can them in half pint jars.  I had done that a couple of years ago and liked the convenience of adding canned celery to casseroles, stew, etc.

The store brand frozen vegetables are on sale in the two pound bags.  I ordered 10 lbs. of peas and 10 lbs. of cut green beans.  I'll can those in pint jars and that will bring those two vegetables back up to the amounts I like to have on hand on my pantry shelves.

Now and then mistakes are made.  Two weeks ago I ordered both dry dog food and cat food.  They brought me a fairly large bag of dog food but no cat food.  Good thing I order before I am down to two weeks worth of food for the animals, so Kizzie the cat did not run out of food.  Kizzie running out of food is not a good thing.  She whines and fusses when her bowl is down to half full.  An empty dish would make life unbearable for both her and me!  Lily, however, now has enough dry food to probably last the rest of her natural life!  Guess that is a good thing.

I don't often indulge myself, but a buy 1 - get 1 free sale on ice cream was just too good to pass up.  I ordered two old fashioned vanilla and will make a batch of chocolate sauce and a batch of butterscotch topping.  Ice cream is one of my favorite things, even in the middle of winter.

There were rumors of snow in our forecast, but it looks like it bypassed us again.  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  I look at the reports of those folks in New York, opening their doors only to find a wall of snow outside, and I find I have much to be thankful for.

I have given up looking for exciting things to blog about.  Exciting just doesn't happen in my world.  I got rid of the drama in my life years ago.  But I can continue to write about the everyday happenings here in my little corner of the world.  And as this is more or less a record of what is going on in my life, as well as a place to remember the "good old days," that's OK.

Heat Wave

Woke up this morning to a temperature of 49 degrees.  Moisture is on the way but it is in the form of rain.  You don't have to shovel rain.  Or scrape it off your car windshield.

Life is good.

Grow Up

I'm tired.  I'm tired of hearing politicians pass out the blame but take no responsibility themselves.  I'm tired of listening to the Democrats bad mouth Republicans and Republicans responding in kind.  I'm tired of bickering.  I'm tired of the constant struggle to get one up on the opposing party.  I'm tired of the name calling.  I'm tired of the lies.

If my children, when they were young, had acted like our congress and leaders act, I'd have blistered their bottoms and sent them to bed without supper.

For God's sake.  Grow up.  Take a look at what is really wrong with this country.

And then fix it.

That's what we pay you for.