Covid Journal, Day 318: Yuck

33 and rain, or snow or sleet, changing back and forth all morning, then rain. Tonight, supposed to be snow.

It has been another inside kind of day, with snow in the morning, then sleet, then rain and snow, then rain. And tonight, more snow is supposed to be on the way. We're lucky, I suppose that the bulk of this storm went north and south and east of us, leaving us in a quiet little hole in the middle. The weather radar certainly looked strange.

A mix of ice and snow on the table. 

So we've been inside, with the fireplace lit, almost all day. For me, it's not an issue--most of my activities are inside anyway. I listed on eBay, packed eBay sales, put the final coat of paint on a table, the first coat on two chairs, and final touches on the little buffet. I cooked our first piece of ham from our hog for dinner, and put yellow rice and veggies with it. Delicious. 

Larry has been all out of kilter. He is used to spending most of his day outside, but this was not possible today. So he napped, then messed around in the workroom, napped again, and finally settled in to watch a movie. A very inactive day for him, but the rest will do him good.

Tomorrow? More of the same on the way, I hear. I'll be busy enough, but Larry is probably going to don rain gear and escape. This man can only be kept inside so long!

Off to finish my book. I'm reading Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Her writing is excellent, but the characters just leave me cold. I cannot identify or empathize with any of them, which makes it difficult to keep my interest in the story, but I am almost finished so I'll soldier on.

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

Covid Journal, Day 317: Homey Things

A chilly 23 this morning, clear then overcast. Snow in the forecast for tonight, then rain tomorrow, snow tomorrow night and repeat through about Wednesday. February coming in true to form.

Yesterday was booth day--Ravenswood this time. We didn't make great changes, just brought in the dresser I posted here the other day, and a couple totes of things. The formica dinette set has sold so we are hustling to get yet another table and chairs set ready, And today, this primitive cabinet that we brought in last week went on layaway, so I will need to get something else finished to go in that spot. 

We also did a little "sourcing," as some call it, although I call it junking. Here's some of what we found:

The pretty pink cake plates came from the antique mall. The price was very good, and I will probably sell them on eBay. The white bowl is Anchor Hocking's Old Colony pattern, I think; I've noticed an uptick in interest in milk glass recently, probably due to the popularity of the "farmhouse" decor trend that features a lot of white in accessories, linens, furniture...well, everything really. 

The punch cups are either Indiana or Tiffin Glass, haven't nailed down the ID yet. They were from my favorite thrift. They have little pedestals, so pretty.

The sleeping cat on a basket and the blue plates were also from Goodwill. Blue and white is also in demand for the farmhouse look; the cat will go on eBay. I have never seen quite this color glass, a deep pink but identified as cranberry.

So yesterday was a busy, running day. But today has just been a home day. We worked together to clean house this morning, then Larry went outside to work and I continued house cleaning. Two people can sure make a lot of dirt. When I finished mopping the floors I got to work on the turkey meat and broth that I had cooked on Thursday. I canned this lot, so now how 6 more quarts of meat and 7 of broth. While the canner was running I painted a table base and the doors to a little buffet that is almost finished. And tootled around doing this and that. Just a totally satisfactory day.

I made some turkey noodle soup, using those noodles I made last week, and it was perfect for this cold day. We've both had a little bit of an upset stomach the past few days, probably from drinking too much coffee, so we're staying on the light side of meals--and cutting back the coffee. Thankfully we made the transition to decaf this past year so doing without it doesn't cause any caffeine withdrawal for us! 

Well, the fireplace is lit, and Larry has picked out a movie for this evening, so I'll close now and see what he's put in. I can always read my book if it's one of his war movies.

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

Covid Journal, Day 315: Another Snowy Day

26 this morning, with new snow on the ground. Only 2" but so pretty. Cold with flurries all day, never got above 28.

After spending yesterday working on our booth in Marietta, and picking up some estate sale items from a friend, we were both feeling tired and slow today. The overnight snow was a pleasant surprise, and we were glad we had nowhere we had to go today.

I spent the day sorting the estate sale things, listing on eBay and roasting two more turkeys and pulling the meat from the bones for canning tomorrow. I cut the breast meat off in large pieces and vacuum-sealed them for the freezer. They make a quick, easy dinner, just thaw, slice, warm up in gravy and serve over potatoes or noodles. Add a salad and there's dinner. 

Tomorrow is more booth work. I was delighted to hear that the formica-topped table and red chairs went on layaway today, and now I will have to get busy getting another table-and-chairs set ready. 

I finished my book, Chestnut Street, By Maeve Binchy. What a delightful read--one of those books you don't want to put down, and then are sad when it's finished because you really want more. I highly recommend it. The book is a series of short stories, all about the people who live on Chestnut Street, with the tales often weaving together the various characters in the different stories. I will have to read more of Maeve Binchy's books; I remember reading some of them years ago, and now I want to see if I like her other work as much as I did this book.

A short post tonight, as I am tired and want some fireside time before bed, so I'll say good night all, and see you tomorrow. 

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

Covid Journal, Day 313: Back to the Booth

A chilly 31 this morning, and then glory of glories, the sun came out. The ground is soggy, the creeks are bank-high, but today it was sunshine and just a few clouds. 

Today was grocery-shopping day, and we picked up our hams and bacons from the slaughterhouse where they were smoked and cured. I can't wait to taste them, but that treat will have to wait until tomorrow. We are well stocked up for sure now--I even bought two more turkeys to can because at 49 cents a pound they're really a bargain. So we have all the venison, pork and poultry we need for this year. That's a good feeling. My new greenhouse came and so did the seeds so the cycle will soon begin again.

I don't think I've posted photos from our Ravenswood booth recently so I'd better catch up. We've sold several more furniture pieces, so we've had to be on our toes bringing in new things.

A little Valentine's Day decor to start with. The little red chair was perfect for Christmas and now doing double duty for the next holiday.

This was a serendipitous thing--I had set this table with the King's Crown dishes, when  what should come in my mail but the newest All About Glass magazine--with King's Crown on the cover.

This cupboard is a new addition to the booth too. It's perfect for crocks, very rustic look.

Cats in ceramic--from an auction lot that also brought is the hanging light.

A bowl full of vintage buttons. If they don't sell in the next month or so I'll bring them home to list on eBay. There are some really pretty ones in there.

A keys hanger, a metal wall hanging rack for dish towels or for drying herbs, and a wheel that I think might be off a teacart or the like.

Vintage military backpack and other military clothes. These sell well from time to time but we seem to be in a lull at the moment.

Acrazy quilt that I bought on eBay for myself, but realized that it was too fragile for this house.

The last Sellers cabinet that Larry refurbished. It really looks great. These take a while to sell, but make good display units in the meantime.

Lots and lots of pocketknives from the last auction. These aren't the best, but at 12.00 each they should sell. We still have more whenever these sell down.

And more smalls, the bread-and-butter of booths.

A closer look at the crock cupboard.

And that's it. We'll be at our Marietta booth later this week but don't have any big changes planned there.

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

Covid Journal, Day 312: Chocolate Zucchini Bread, and Projects

Dark and cold this morning, 31 degrees and heavy overcast. The day has warmed up and now it is raining, melting yesterday's little bit of snow.

I realized that I had not posted the recipe for the Chocolate Zucchini Bread I make. I found this recipe on the Taste of Home website, and we love it. The little zing of cinnamon gives the bread--which I think is really more like cake--an unusual and delicious flavor. I'd never have thought of mixing chocolate and cinnamon. I especially like that it makes 2 loaves, one to eat, one to give away or freeze for later. It freezes very well. I suppose to my British readers, zucchini is called courgette?

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

3 large eggs, room temperature

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups shredded peeled zucchini-- I shredded baggies of it in the summer, just so I'd have some on hand for this recipe. I promise, it's really that good.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to 2 greased 8x4-in. loaf pans.

Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Little other news today. We're working on a rolltop desk and have it almost ready to go, and possibly already sold, which would be wonderful. It still needs cleaning up, but the tambour--rolltop--is repaired and working correctly, and the drawers are re-glued so cleaning and polishing is the last step.

I have finished the dresser I've been working on, 

and a small table, 

and have started work on a small buffet. Larry is feeling stifled, as the weather is keeping him inside more than he'd like, but he is continuing to tackle a lot of small home repairs. 

I'm still enjoying reading. My last book was The Sound of Glass, by Karen White. A good story, although again a woman being told by a man what she needs, so annoying that so many books have such stereotyped characters. There is an interesting mystery and just enough intrigue that it kept me reading. My current book is Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg, one of my favorite writers. It's the story of two friends, one dying of cancer, and how their interwoven lives impact this last stage of their friendship. Well written, sad, but also often humorous. I'm almost finished this one, and thinking about what next to read. Such fun to have time for this old pleasure.

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

Covid Journal, Day 311: Snow Bird

27 this morning, overcast. Now some light snow and chance of freezing rain later. Temps in the mornings have been similar the past few days, but yesterday was a pretty day, almost warm at 40 degrees. 

We're having a little fluff of snow this afternoon, which isn't expected to amount to much. I'd remarked to Larry the other day that I had not seen any snowbirds, but they are flocking to the feeders today. Perhaps they've been here and I didn't notice, but I don't think they arrived until recently as I know I had not seen them before Christmas.

Usually these little visitors arrive at the end of November or beginning of December. When they come we know cold weather is ahead, and when they leave we feel pretty sure the worst of winter is behind us. The official name for these hooded and winged birds is Dark-Eyed Junco, but Snowbird seems to fit them well. The website Birds and Blooms has some interesting information about this species, including research that suggests that it is not temperature but the length of daylight that affects their migrating patterns. Which makes me wonder why the birds arrived later this year? While temperatures are warmer than historically, the length of days remains the same. 

This is an older photo from my blog, but one of my favorites.

Around here, Snowbird also refers to those who flee to Florida for the winter. It used to be quite the thing, and actually, it still is. Several of our friends do it, although I wonder if they left for the sunny lands this winter, with COVID still rampant in Florida. It might have been safer to stay home this year.

I had forgotten this beautiful song. Anne Murray sings it here. 

This poem was published in a 1928 edition of Poetry magazine. I subscribe to Poetry but didn't realize how long it had been in publication. One thing that is noticeable in older poems is the adherence to rhyme and rhythm in most works; today's poetry usually has a discernable rhythm, but rhyming is not often used anymore, and exclamation points are even more rare. This was written by Glenn Ward Dresbach, a poet born in Illinois, but who spent the later years of his life in Arkansas. Dresbach was originally an accountant, but his life was anything but boring. He worked in the canal zone in Panama for the Panama Railroad from 1911 to 1915, then moved to New Mexico to work, signed up and served in WWI as a medic. After the war, he married and moved to Texas,and later back to his home state of Illinois, still working in the financial field. In 1932 he quit work and devoted his time to writing poetry. He was widely published and well known as a poet during his lifetime, but his poetry has fallen out of favor in our times. Still, this little poem has images that I like, and I especially like the second verse.

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

Journal, Day 308: Back Online

31 this morning, felt colder. Some clear skies and sun today in between clouds, but no precipation. We've had little flurries here and there for days it seems. I like them.

The internet is all fixed! The repairman came as scheduled yesterday and found that not only did my dish have an issue, but the modem had got fried too. Apparently water got into the something-or-other on the satellite dish, and that shorted out the modem. So new modem, and all is well. Fortunately I pay monthly on my bill for any repair work or this would have been pricey.

I spent the morning yesterday in the kitchen, cooking and listening to the inauguration. I was surprised to find myself close to tears as I listened. It seems that for many of us, yesterday was the release of 4 years of stress. It was comforting to hear people speaking civilly, not crowing about themselves and not denigrating others. Now if only that can continue. We need an end to the hate and vitriol that has plagued us for the past 4 years. I have to admit, however, that I don't hold out hope that this will happen any time soon. There are too many angry people, and too many who have decided that maybe violence is the way to get what they want. So while yesterday was uplifting and hopeful, I still worry about what may come next. I don't think we've seen the last of the para-military groups.

I know people are as disappointed and unhappy as I was after the last election, and will be making that known. That's okay. That's normal. But let us all hope that it stays verbal, and not turn to violent action.

But enough of politics. I've been a little housebody lately, just cleaning and sorting and cooking. It's wonderful to have time for these simple things--even though they wear me out! Yesterday I made noodles again, a double batch so I'd have plenty to store away for later use. 

I'm trying to use as many eggs as I can since our hens are laying like crazy.  I've made quiche and deviled eggs too, and bread that calls for eggs in the recipe. Still, they do pile up so we give away quite a few.

This is honey oatmeal bread; another batch is rising as I write. I think it's our favorite. And below is the turkey broth I canned last Thursday. It is totally tasty. Can't wait to make soup with it.

My garden seeds arrived, and the new greenhouse is on the way. It seems incredible to be thinking about gardens already, but here we are. I'll be seeding lettuce and cabbages in less than a month. How the time does fly. Have you ordered seeds yet? 

Larry managed to unclog the septic line, thank goodness; now we wait to be sure that's all there was to the problem. A stinky job! I'n fortunate to have a man who tackles such things without complaint. Now he's found a leak in the drain from the sink, so that's on the list to be dealt with next.

I'm back to painting too, and have almost finished a little table and a small dresser with mirror. No photos as they're in the back room and I can't get a good picture there, but maybe tomorrow I'll be able to.

I was so glad to hear from my cousin Julie in England that Aunt Grace has had her first Covid vaccine. Aunt Grace is 99 1/2, and still in good health overall. I had hoped to be able to go to England this summer for her 100th birthday, but it may have to be a Zoom visit if the virus is still on the loose.

That's about the news that isn't, to quote Garrison Keillor. 

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

Covid Journal, Day 305: Internet Limbo and Road Trip

Cold and snowy. The same as it's been since Friday--flurries, occasional a little accumulation which melts off quickly, then more flurries or occasionally rain. Definitely inside weather. Temperatures in the low 30's during the day, and not much change at night.

Well. I often brag about my internet service and how good it is, and then wham, it goes down. For days. 

At first it was a network outage, but now it seems the problem is with our equipment and the tech can't be here til Wednesday. 

So this old dog is learning new tricks. I had eBay sales that needed to be shipped, but without my computer, how could I get to the printer to print them? There is, it seems, a way. Actually two ways.

First I found that I could buy the labels on my phone and download them. Then I could hook my phone to my laptop via USB, and eventually get the labels to download to the laptop and thus to the printer. It took a lot of time, and I could not find a way to adjust package weight if it needed to be done, so some had to ship as they were, a little over the weight I'd entered when I listed the items. I think the Post Office will bill me for the overage, but I hate having them have to do an extra step.

Then a Facebook eBay group with lots of younger people told me I could make a hotspot with my phone. I'd heard of this but was absolutely clueless how to do it. Much finagling this morning and this afternoon, a useless call to the ATandT store where I bought the phone, more finagling and finally it's working. Fingers crossed. 

Technology is amazing, and sometimes an amazing and total pain in the patooty.

And then there's the old tech--our septic system. Suddenly the toilet does not want to flush. Larry spent a few hours of quality time with the snake, with no luck. So now he's digging up the lid to the septic tank, and probably we'll have to get it pumped out. Guess where out little stimulus check is going? Down the toilet, literally. 

But despite all this hassle we have had some fun. I bid on another online auction and we picked up our stuff Saturday in the beautiful little town of Mount Hope, in southern WV. It was a squally day for travel, lots of white-out snow, then sun, then snow, etc, etc. But the roads were fine and it was nice to go to a town in this state we'd not yet visited. With my storytelling we have literally been all over the state and seen hundreds of little towns and communities so I was surprised to find we'd not been to this one.

A few pics from our trip:

On the way down, it was pretty snowy, but not much traffic.

It was a pleasure to see the Capitol dome finally cleared of scaffolding and tarps. Apparently it needed a lot of structural repair, which has taken a couple years to complete.

In the town of Mount Hope, there is evidence everywhere of a prosperous past, with many beautiful homes and businesses.

And this was the source of the prosperity: The New River Coal Company, which mined the regions rich seams of smokeless coal. Larry talked to one old miner in the town who said he always worked in coal seams that were 6 to 8 feet tall, a luxury to a coal miner. Often they had to crawl in seams as low as 24 inches.

We think these may have been company houses at one time, owned by the New River Company. The above photo is the building that must have been the company store, and is now a church.

This large, stunning building must have once been a hotel. I am not sure what its use is today; perhaps apartments. 

Sadly, this town, like many in Appalachia, is dying out. It looked like the downtown might have been on the verge of a new start, because there were several businesses that looked as if they'd opened recently, only to have to close because of the pandemic. The auction was the sellout of an antique store that was closing up shop, and most of Main Street was empty storefronts. So sad.

A few miles away, we saw a former stripmine site, or perhaps one if the new infamous mountaintop removal mines. Churches are everywhere in the coalfields, with good reason. It's a dangerous occupation.

And on the way home, several whiteouts made drivig interesting, but not dangerous as there was little traffic and people slowed down. These squalls would last maybe 10 miles, then it would be clear again.

And at home the next day, we had several beautiful snowfalls with the sun shining. A sparkly sight indeed.

Yesterday morning, we were covered again with a light snow cover. Today is more of the same. January weather for sure.

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

Covid Journal, Day 300: Home Front

25 and clear this morning, with a heavy frost.

I am listening to the impeachment debate as I work today. These politicians certainly like the sound of their own voices. The arguments will not, I think, sway anyone's opinion or vote. They are talking for the record, to be sure history has their name and what they thought and said, and to promote and protect their own careers. Cynical? Yes, I suppose I am. I think I have been more productive doing laundry and cleaning house today than these people have been with their long-winded speeches.

But enough. They will do what they will do, and I will continue to clean house and sort laundry and enjoy this bright but cold day.

Yesterday warmed up a little in the afternoon, and I finally got myself out there to plant the remaining spring bulbs. Why do I procrastinate like that?? Well, I know the answer to that: I don't like to be cold, and it hurts my knee to dig. Pushing down on the shovel, standing on uneven ground...am I whining? Anyway, the bulbs are planted and I hope they have time to establish themselves before Spring. I planted snow crocus, winter aconite, snowdrops, and a few others, all early bloomers that I have lacked in my gardens. I so want some Lenten lilies; maybe I can get some of those this year.

I cooked another turkey, and this time decided to can all of it except for 1/2 of the breast. 

It's handy to have canned meat in the cellar, ready to use in soups, casseroles, and the like. I can quickly fix a meal without having to thaw it out. I should have canned some of the deer meat but most years it seems to come at a time when I am so busy that I can't even think about taking the time to do it. And this year, we were out of jars too. I am happy to have this turkey meat done; now I am cooking a bone broth with the carcass and will can that as well.

Owl image from Wikipedia

While I was outside yesterday I heard a screech owl. I was so excited and surprised, because it has been a long time since we've had one around. Larry heard it too, a sweet, tremulous little voice from deep in the woods. I do hope he will stay around. 

According to the Book of Days, this was the date in 1752 that the British Parliament voted to change the start of the legal year from March 25 to January 1. And they "adjusted" the calendar by changing the day after September 3 to September 14. And just like that 11 days disappeared. Why the adjustment? This was the year that the old Julian Calendar was replaced by the calendar we now use, the Gregorian Calendar. Until this date, some countries used one calendar while others used the other, resulting in a great deal of confusion and "double-dating" on legal documents. Even now, scholars sometimes struggle with exactly what date an event might have occurred. The Gregorian calendar seems to be working pretty well, at least for the Western world, for the last 250+ years. But maybe one day someone will come up with a new system for counting time, and then where will we be? At least back in the 1700's they took a gradual approach to implementing the new calendar, so people had a little time to adjust. 

Would that we could make the next 7 days magically disappear from the political calendar so that this dark time in our history can be over and we can move on as a country.  But as my mother used to say, if wishes were horses we'd all be riding, so I'll just keep busy here, keep an ear on the news, and pray that this week will be peaceful and the inauguration uneventful. Keeping the home front on an even keel is about all any of us can do right now, so I will hope that all is calm wherever you and your family are.

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

Covid Journal, Day 299: Goodbye, Powerhouse: Fred Powers

29 this morning, warmed to about 40 with a little sun this afternoon.

Fred Powers, telling tales at a storytelling festival, the first time I met him.

I was stunned and so sad to hear of the death of my dear friend, Fred Powers. Fred was a force in this world, a man who started work in the coal mines on his wedding day, went to college while working full time as a miner, retired from mining to become a middle school teacher, and went on to earn his Master's degree while teaching. He became a storyteller while he was a teacher and traveled extensively telling the story of his life as a miner.

Thousands of adults and school children learned about the rigors of mining through Fred's presentations. He brought the tools of his trade with him, and often this was the first time people had ever seen or even heard of the kinds of tools necessary to a miner's existence. He earned the WV History Hero award and published a book or two of his stories. He was always working on new stories. His nickname in the coal mines was Powerhouse--he was a powerful man in more ways than one. The name followed him into storytelling.

With Fred--in the yellow shirt--and other West Virginia storytellers at a storytelling event. 

But wilth all of that, Fred was about the most humble person I ever had the privilege to meet. He didn't think he was smart--although he certainly was--and he worked hard to learn and explore new ideas. We spent many  hours together on the storytelling trail, often sharing the same stage, and frequently just hanging out with other storytellers after performances to talk and laugh and just be together. Fred was never one to demand the limelight; often he just sat back and listened, which is after all the mark of a good storyteller. His wife often accompanied him on his travels, and began doing presentations of her own on Appalachian games; they were a good couple, sharing Appalachian culture wherever they went.

I learned a lot about coal mining from Fred. When I met him I was already collecting some mining tools and telling a few stories from my husband's childhood in a coal camp. Fred was my go-to man when something puzzled me about a tool, or I needed to better understand some aspect of mining. We did a few presentations together and talked about doing more of them; our work complemented each other. Now that possibility is gone, and now telling the stories and singing the ballads will always remind me of my missing friend and the pleasure of listening to him. Fred's stories were always insightful, weaving humor, grit, determination and hope even when the story was about near-death experiences. What a storyteller. What a man.

Goodbye, my friend. You had a big, big heart, but in the end that heart just wore out. Your light has gone out of this world, and you will be sorely missed by all who were lucky enough to know you. 

If you'd like to see and hear more about Fred and his work, this link will take you to his website. Be sure to scroll down to watch the videos. 

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