Getting Back to Normal

Good morning on this 27th day of December. It rained all night here, soft, pattering rain that is helping with the deficit of late summer and fall. The rivers are finally getting back to a normal level and even Joe's Run has water in it again.

We are slowly getting back to normal too after Christmas although temperatures in the 60's are really not normal for this time of year. On Christmas Day we sat out by the firepit and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Yesterday I had the doors open, letting the fresh air into the house, and we had our tea and coffee on the porch, a rarity for this time of year.

Cooking is about as simple as it gets. We're eating our way through the leftovers: ham, wild rice, green beans with onions, sweet potatoes with apples and cranberries, cranberry sauce, glazed carrots, cornbread, pumpkin and apple pies. Once again I cooked too much, evidently expecting an army. The cookies and fudge went to a neighbor last night, and the brownies and cheesecake left with our granddaughters Christmas evening. Some things are just not good to keep in the house with a diabetic on the loose!

One piece in progress. This big guy has drawers,
two spaces for hanging things, and a cubby for
hats or sweaters. He'll be black with some
light distressing.

I finally picked up the paint brush again. I've had a long break from painting furniture and now Larry has a backlog waiting for me, which is pretty nice. Three pieces are now underway, and our booths can use them as several larger items were sold recently. I'm painting in the kitchen and the workroom, trying to get things moving quickly.

Today I'll get back to these pieces after I get some more mundane things done--paying bills for the last time this year, sorting clean laundry, dusting. I like starting the new year with a clean slate: bills paid, no piles of laundry, a clean house. Yet another pile is accumulating for the thrift shop as I sort and organize, always a late December/January task for me.

Little coffee table is also going to be black with a matte finish,
and maybe some stencils on top? Not sure about that yet.

We've been taking a pile every week this month, actually, getting rid of things that don't fit, won't sell, and have-no-idea-why-I-bought-it. The upside of this is that since we don't buy many new things, most of what we get rid of didn't cost us much in the first place. I cannot remember the last time I've been in a mall or department store. Such freedom!

Larry will be repairing a water line he accidentally broke late yesterday afternoon while trying to find an air leak in the line. We've had problems with water pressure since August, and it's not getting any better. There are two possibilities as to the cause: either he did not get the fittings tight enough when he installed a new outdoor freezeless faucet, or the pressure tank is going bad. He started with the least expensive option first. but his shovel bit into the line, so we had a waterless evening and morning. We usually keep some water stockpiled for power outages so we can manage until he gets it fixed. I think.

My teacup is empty so it's time to get started. Have a great day, my friends, and enjoy those little things in your life that give it meaning and pleasure.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.