Nothing to do with the "W" word.

That's right.  Winter doesn't exist - lalalalalalalala - I thought I would post a couple of animal pics instead.  Inside animals, so that I wouldn't have to show snow - lalalalalalalala.

When my cat, Woody, died almost two years ago, Cookie was a lost soul.  He is twice the size of the other cats and three times the size of Tippet, who is a parakeet in a cat suit.  He is a gentle, loving cat and he missed his brother something fierce.  Tippet wouldn't tolerate him, so he turned to Bernie.  Bernie suffers his loving attentions because she, too, is a gentle soul.  Sorry for the blurred image of Cookie, but he moved just as I snapped.

Scrappy is waiting for Blankie, which is presently in the dryer.

This is just a random shot of Slim.  He and Cookie have very symetrical markings - I think it looks like he has mutton chops!  He is poised on a high vantage point - all the better to wreak havoc on all of us.

I have hung my Spring wreath on the front door and am diligently ignoring - lalalalalalalala.  However, I am not ready for flipflops as we are presently getting more - lalalalalalalala.  I should be certifiable by April.

Close, but no lasagna.

I will spare you the gory details of the continuing vendetta in Me vs. Winter.  Suffice to say, I did not make it into the office - again  - leaving me with one less vacation day to enjoy NOT SHOVELING.  Car at garage.  Eight plus inches of snow and more to come.  Did I mention high winds?  Dinner group - cancelled.  That leaves me, six lemon chess tarts, one baguette, a lasagna for 12, and a bottle of red wine.  Alone together.  Unchaperoned.  My, what a dangerous combination...

I am tired of winter - tired of thinking of it, of dealing with it, of whining about it.  I am going to go look for my spring door wreath and put it up, dagnabit.

Off the needles.

And soon to be on my head!  Knitted from one of my Noro skeins from my Webs extravaganza -- there are so many great hat patterns out there, and so few that actually look good on my head.  I had knit up a darling hat designed by Kay's talented daughter (must be in the genes), but it looked hideous on my head.  I am thinking of a hat with earflaps next - but need to get some socks on my needles first.  This will be my first attempt at knitting two at a time, toe down.  I am very hopeful that it will get me through my second sock slump.  I love knitting sock, but not socks.  The thrill of the turned heel, the excitement as I make my way down the foot - then the overwhelming satisfaction as I graft the toe is a one-sock-only occurrence.  I can barely force myself to cast on the second one.  My shoulders slump, I whine, I do anything but knit.  Will two-at-a-time, toe-down work?   The jury is still out on this thorny issue.

What's on my plate for Spring.

Besides laying out my raised beds, ordering seeds and planning from which unsuspecting friends I will wheedle plants, I have placed my Spring poultry order and am putting together my bee order.  From the looks of it, it will be a busy season.  This winter was pretty hard on the homestead and, besides the usual clean-up, I will have to take down what little remains of the greenhouse structure off the back of the house.  And clean up a lot of broken glass.  I also will have to finish the lattice house so the rabbits will enjoy a more secure three-season abode.  Hey, let's make a list!

* Take down greenhouse structure (rebuild same)
* Finish roof on lattice house
* Replace/repair roof of shed
* Sell red angora rabbits
* Move other rabbits to lattice house
* Set up big brooder by week of 4/18
* Build tractor for meat chicks/or find other solutions ;o)
* Check hive for signs of life/set up second hive/repopulate both if necessary
* Clean out hoop houses
* Clean/fill/plant raised beds
* Turn over compost piles (all 50 of them)
* Remodel small coop so it works better
* Cull chickens
* Finish bathroom remodel
* Etc.

I've decided to make my list in parts so I don't give up all hope.  I'll be selling two of my four rabbits, so that will make my life a bit easier.  Blue has to be groomed, but I can handle one.  Three?  Nope.  I am hoping to breed Chamomile this summer, if I get caught up.  I'm raising a few chickens for my sister in New Hampshire, I'll keep some, although I plan on downsizing my flock, and the rest I will sell.  I am planning on raising Red Rangers for meat, after the fiasco of last year's attempt.  No more feed store chicks!  This year I will be planting potatoes and onions in my quest to be more self-sufficient.  I'll plant a couple heirloom good eating tomatoes and a cherry tomato.  There is a farm north of me (Moses Farm, as in Grandma Moses) that grows acres of tomatoes and peppers that you can pick yourself.  Their Romas are to die for and it's only $18/bushel.  That's what gets me through the year.  I use a lot of canned tomatoes.  I am still experimenting with what grows well, what stores well, what makes sense.  Since this is only my second year of full-fledged gardening, I have a lot to learn.  I am lucky that I have skilled friends. 

Jasmine is due to freshen next month, so I will be up to my elbows in milk every weekend (poor me...snort).  I have had spotty success with cheesemaking, but I am determined to get it right.  Luckily for everyone, Marianne will have a whole passel of piglets to take advantage of my mistakes - and the whey when I have success.  It's going to be a very full year!

What's Cooking.

I have been sticking to my once-a-month food shopping; I shop the Saturday following the 15th of the month.  It's part of the No Buy February that I've joined in on and have expanded to -- ?  It hasn't been difficult because I started with a very full freezer and shelves of home-canned foods.  I tend to do most of my cooking for the week on the weekend.  I also pack my lunch into work every day, so that leads to lots of soup and other easy comfort foods that I can heat up in the micro.  I went a little overboard this past weekend - brownies for the farm crew, homemade squash/sage raviolis, lemon glazed pound cake for my neighbor's 80th birthday, and my current all-week lunch, vegetarian chili (inspired by Melanie's contribution to my well-being last Thursday).  This used the following home supplies (I never use a recipe, so don't ask!):  a quart and a pint of pureed tomatoes; red kidney beans; two small onions - a gift from a neighbor's garden; three large cloves of my own garlic; olive oil from a local VT family (they own an olive grove in Greece and press the oil and bring it back); spices that are definitely NOT local; two packages of 5 grain tempeh from my freezer - ordered from a local co-op.  I also sacrificed a nice chunk of dark chocolate, because I like that extra little flavor it gives chili.  I made enough to keep me in lunches all week! 

This Friday, it is my turn to host a little dinner group (there are three of us - les filles d'une plume) and we try to get together once a month.  On the menu:  lasagna (I have everything but the cheese, which I will make), a baguette, my own butter, salad greens from my monthly shopping, and individual lemon (my Meyers) chess tarts.  And martinis.  And gossip.  All this talk about food is making me ravenous!  Time for my chili with pound cake for dessert.

Around the homestead.

Busy week and busy weekend.  I (not necessarily in this order) found out that I have to replace the exhaust system on the Focus, fed my bees although I don't think they made it through the winter, baked bread, baked brownies, made chili, made pasta, washed eggs, sold some, went to the farmers' market in Bennington, went to my neighbor's surprise 80th birthday (you would think there was a visiting dignitary - the firehouse was full!), went to a Renaissance themed gala for a local art gallery with a friend (replete with roast pig paraded through on a plank), got my hair cut, washed all my floors, vacuumed, started some Barnie eggs in the little incubator, did my laundry, tried to save a chicken and failed (prolapse), cleaned out the rabbit cages, restacked my hay, finished knitting a hat - except for the adornment, walked the dogs a lot, shoveled.

Yes, bloody winter just won't go away!  We had gale force winds all day on Saturday, then less wind and sun but cold yesterday.  Then snow today.  At least the wind is not quite a strong.  It's only about 20 degrees and straining for that.  I keep repeating, "It's almost March" as if that will make spring come faster.  Ha.  But, as much as I complain about winter, I couldn't see myself living somewhere without all four seasons.  Each one brings its own beauty and makes me glad to be alive.  And I'll tell you, by spring I will be happy that I lived through this winter!

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, and found myself nodding away.  Prices of everything are, indeed, going up steadily.  I am doing fairly well with my no spend February (which I am trying to stretch into a year) - except, of course, for the Webs affair and my old car - and so far have spent $25 on groceries between 1/15 and 2/15.  This I can do because I have a full freezer and canned my little heart out.  I am so glad I did.  This just underlines how important it is to garden and preserve what you grow.  Of course, I am lucky in that I have a cow for milk - even though she's not in milk yet, my neighbor is "fronting" my milk - and I have chickens for eggs.  I need to count every penny because gas prices are rocketing up, as is fuel oil and feed.  It is a tough time for farmers, people living off pensions, pretty much everyone.  I am lucky I have a job and don't mind that raises haven't been forthcoming for the past few years.  I am grateful for the income.  I think the stress of the continuing economic fallout is making me almost frantic for spring, as I watch my falling fuel gauge and layer the sweaters.  Spring will come eventually, and with it comes the lovely, soft blanket of memory loss.  Winter?  It wasn't so bad...

Why I may never visit Webs again.

Kay and I set off last Saturday morning (has it really been over a week ago??) for Whately, MA, where we met our friend, Linda (and saw her lovely, beautifully decorated house - how does she do it, working full time with two dogs and a cat?  It's not fair to the rest of us), then had a wonderful lunch at Sylvester's in Northampton.  Then...Webs.

I did all the right things - made a list, had a budget, had a few projects in mind.  I walked through the door.  List?  Budget?  Wazzat?  If any reasonable portion of my brain had been functioning, I would have chosen the little shopping basket instead of the full-sized grocery cart.  My rationalization was that I needed someplace to put my coat and purse while I looked around.  Of course, Webs is crafty - in all definitions of the word.  Their carts were in the warehouse.  Once I walked through that door, all was lost.  In my own defense, I did pick up and put down at least as much as I picked up and put in my cart.  That should have given me cause to pause.   But, but, NORO was everywhere and on sale!!!

I didn't take pictures because my eyes were rolling back in my head and sparks were flying from my fingertips.  And I forgot my camera.  Seriously, Webs is a mecca for all things spinning, weaving and knitting.  It is a glorious riot of colors and textures.  You can find almost anything you desire there, and yarn you didn't even know you desired.  It was a great trip.  I will never go again.  For at least a month.