Bah, Winter!

    The holidays are over for another year and Winter is back in force again.  We've had below freezing temperature days and below zero nights for the last week or so.  Had to raise the thermostat a couple of notches and started wearing my sweats to bed!!  We haven't had a lot of snow, but everything looks cold outside my windows!!  

   To be honest, except for letting the dogs in or out, I haven't gone outside in days!  I even stayed home last Wednesday when Jeff went to Little Falls for his yearly cardiology checkup. (MD's report:  Everything's looking good/ See you next year!)  The same week, he ran out of his weekly insulin and eventho there was still 1 refill on the Rx, Walmart couldn't fill it.  They were all out!!  We called his doctor and her office called around and found some at Hannaford's, so they switched his Rx to them.  He was impressed and is thinking of switching all his Rx's to Hannaford's. 

   Jeff was talking about going to town today but decided to take a nap instead.  We went to the library on Friday, and I don't want to go out again so soon. I'm happy going to town once a week and this week I have to go have an INR on Thursday. I know we'll have to do some grocery shopping and should go back to the library then, too.  I got Prince Harry's book, Spare, and it's boring.  He's a Peter Pan.  Uck!

   Besides reading late at night, I've been doing some knitting.  I've got 2 baseball hoodies going and when they're finished, I'll do some hats.  I know I should be knitting more but I get what I call "Vulcan" hands (cramps)...and they hurt!!

   Sherry, Jeff's sister, has lost both of her dogs (mini-Schnauzers) this winter.  Max was as old as Fanny, and Sunny was about Zoey's age. I was shocked to learn that it cost almost $600 apiece to put down those little dogs. (I've never had to pay to put a dog down.  Our dogs always seem to die of old age.) Now Sherry's shopping for a new puppy and I'm finding it shocking how expensive puppies are! She said the humane society shelters seem to have only big dogs and pit bulls.  We both wonder what happened to all the 'mutts' there used to be?

Another Corner Decked Out

     I 'decked out' another corner of the living room this morning, cleaning and dusting the piano and all the candles and glassware that were on it.  The quilt wall hanging was done by Judy Curry and my mom

bought 2 from the shop in Cooperstown years ago to give as wedding gifts but never did.  I decided this year to finally hang one up.  One of the glass snowmen lost his carrot nose in the wash but I managed to glue it back one.  (It looks ok if you don't look closely.)  He'll make it for another year!  I know the wall hanging isn't up exactly straight, but it will do.   The rest of 'crystal forest' is in the TV room and I haven't gotten in there yet. Maybe tomorrow I'll dust the corner hutch, but I don't think I'll make it to the TV room before Christmas!

Pignolata (Strufoli) or Italian honey clusters

In a large bowl place

      2 cups sifted flour

     1/4 salt

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, mixing slightly after each addition.

Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix well to form dough.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead.  Divide in half.  Roll each half into a rectangle 1/4" thick.  Cut each rectangle into strips 1/4" wide and roll in your hand to form rope pencil thick.  Cut each rope into pieces 1/4-1/2" long.

Frying only as many pieces of rope that will float uncrowded in your pan, fry one pieces 3-5 minutes until lightly browned, turning occasionally.  Drain over pan before removing to absorbent paper.

In the meantime, over low heat cook

1 cup honey

1 tbl sugar

for 5 mins.  Remove from heat and stir in fried dough pieces.  Stir constantly until all pieces are coated with honey mixture.  Remove coated pieces with a slotted spoon and shape on a platter or in cupcake papers.  Sprinkle with

1 tbl tiny multicolored candies.

Advent Swap Day 2 & 3

Here are Day 2 & 3's Advent Swap gifts.

Those 2 wash clothes will be put to good use!  I've never seen a Yarn Daisy before!  It should come in handy balling hanks of yarn. 

Advent Swap

It's Advent Swap time on Raverly!!

     

    My Advent Swap package was delivered today and oh, boy, is it full! I can hardly wait to open the wrapped gifts!  But I 'controlled' myself and dug out the package labeled 'Day 1'.  Zoey inspected it and since it didn't appeal to her doggie nose, I opened it. This is a 'blind swap' and you are supposed to scout out your partner's history to learn her likes and preferences. The rules call for 24 inexpensive gifts and a more expensive gift for Christmas.  You can make or buy your gifts.  

Yesterday I had put a small ziploc bag in my pocketbook with a skein of sock yarn and 2 small circular needles so I could carry a sock in progress with me, but the 'stuffed baggie' didn't really fit in my pocketbook.  It popped! And I think the needles punctured the plastic bag.  This fabric bag was a much better fit.  Not only did the yarn and needles fit but I even managed to slip in a book (in case I got tired of knitting while waiting).  Jeff's got a CT scheduled for this afternoon and another next Wednesday so I can take my 'work bag' with me and get something done while I wait. Oh, my Swap package came from Karen in Florida! Thanks, Karen!

  I'll post photos as I open the packages so everybody can see what I got.  I sent a package to Saginaw, Michigan and it was delivered yesterday.  I hope she liked it!!

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

 3. Get Rid Of Fruit Flies 

With Homemade Traps!

This is one of my favorite tricks. During the summer, 

we always get a HUGE influx of bugs and 

pests trying to make their way inside. Unfortunately,

 that means that even the smallest crack is a point of 

entry for the annoying little thing known as the fruit fly.

And if you see one, then there are a hundred 

you’re NOT seeing. That tells me that I need to start 

making some traps again. It’s very easy and you can 

make them with household materials.

First, I like to grab a bottle of water. Preferably 

from a brand with a weaker plastic, like Kirkland or

 Crystal Geyser.

Then, I’ll cut off the top and invert it so that it forms

a funnel going into the bottle.

Next, I’ll grab some juice, overripe fruits, and some water.

You want to make a slurry of warm water, juice, 

and fruits that you can leave at the bottom 

of the water bottle.

Then you add a drop of dish detergent, put the 

funnel on,

 and tape the seams together.

Read...It's Good for You!

 

   This is the way I've been feeling lately.  It's so nice to be able to roll over and pick up a book!  After a chapter or 2, I may feel like knitting so I pick up my needles and work for another hour or so.  By then the dogs are awake so I get up and let them out, fill their bowls and pour myself a cup of coffee. We move to my PC and they go back to sleep...Fanny on the sofa and Zoey on the pillow on the floor between us.  After I've had a couple of cups of coffee and a toasted bagel, read my emails and checked out what's new on Facebook, I'm ready to start my day...but Jeff is still in bed!!  By then my book is calling me again, so I may head back to my room and read for awhile.  As soon as I'm settled the dogs are coming in to get comfortable on the floor.  I've got an old queen-size comforter folded into quarters that just fits between my bed and highboy.  It makes life a little interesting walking over it, but I can put one hand on the bed and the other on the top of the highboy to steady myself. Climbing over the dogs just adds to the experience!  Zoey is the easy part; Fanny usually lets me get half-way over her when she suddenly gets up!  I got a fleece dog throw that was supposed to fit over a sofa, but it doesn't, so it's on top of the comforter.  Fanny likes it, Zoey doesn't and manages to roll up part of it, so she doesn't have to lay on it.  A prima donna or what?  Sometimes they're in opposite corners.  Sometimes they're back-to-back or nose to tail in the middle.  I think the colder the night is the closer they get.  They both snore (Jeff says all 3 females in that room snore! He should talk!!)) but at different pitches. Instead of keeping me awake I'm finding it rather soothing to sleep by.  In fact, when one of them leaves the room for the couch or Jeff's room, I wake up because the noise is different!  

   There has been a lot of postings on Facebook about reading today.  I have to admit that the best 14-15 years of my work life were probably spent at the library.  I can't imagine not having books in my life.  I think I have 8 or 9 on request right now.  I just picked up 7 Thursday!!  (And I've read 5 of them over the weekend.)  

   Time to get back to...reading!