How to Maximize A Day Off

Well, the first thing is to decide that you're NOT cooking Thanksgiving Turkey and you are going Out To Dinner instead. Sacrilege, you say? Well, not really. As it turns out, my Diana left yesterday to go to her mother's in Portland, Oregon. Lorraine, my other roommate, had already accepted an invitation out. Alyona is in Russia with her family, and her husband Les will be in Montana helping his dad build his new home. So it was Janet, her mom, Gale next door and me. While I _would_ have cooked the turkey and shared the side dishes with Janet, we all decided to take the easy way out and let someone else do the cooking! We are going to The Casino, which has a Wonderful Buffet under normal circumstances, and a Fabulous Buffet on the Holidays, so there we will be. And how wonderful to be able to sit back and tuck in to a fresh cooked meal and not have to clean the house, silver and crystal! I have the turkey, and would have cooked it, and split the side dishes and desserts with Janet, but we figured - why? We each have a turkey we can cook at our leisure and enjoy the leftovers, but on Thursday, we can all take it easy.





So, Today, Sunday I decided to Just Stay Home and take care of business. This started with hash brown potatoes and a ham & cheese omelet and a pot of good tea laced with Lapsang Souchong and the Sunday Paper. Then I set the oven to clean itself after a cursory wipe-down.



I should say that we woke to snow this morning, about an inch in my garden, of wet, white stuff. I immediately became concerned as to the flow of the day, as I had fully intended getting out and raking leaves and clearing out some of the back garden. Luckily by mid-day it had warmed up and changed to rain, thus melting the snow and allowing me to fulfill my goals later in the day.

Next I ventured to the basement, put a load of towels in the wash, and set a fire in the wood cookstove and proceeded to make a couple batches of soap. I am finally back in the mood, after having struggled with making soap as a business. Also, I am almost out of soap for myself - never a good thing. Anyhow, made three batches, and I think they are all coming out. Will check them tomorrow night and see how they fared.

While I had the wood stove going, I decided to maximize the use of the oven and roast the one Hubbard Squash I harvested this year, so put it in the oven. Here's a piccie of the squash, and by the way, the towels drying on the rack, thus saving some electricity:




After all that, and after a bite of lunch, I went out to clean up doggie doodies (well, since it is almost still dark when I leave in the morning, and full dark when I get home, it is hard to clear up on a daily basis) and then I proceeded to rake leaves. Lorraine came out to help and I set her to pruning the one apple tree. I decided to start pruning the pussy willow bush and the snowball bush and got most of the back yard leaves raked and onto compost piles. I still have the side yards to rake, but can do that this coming four day weekend, as the weather will cooperate, or so say the weather people, and I will hold them to it!
After all that, I walked the doggies, and by the way, I have a visitor. My friend from church has left me her Yorkie for the week. Her daughter's husband is Dean of the Law School at Gonzaga and they have all gone to Hawaii for some invitational basketball game the team is playing in. Sue has never left wee Kip before, in his seven years, so she was relieved when I offered to shelter himfor the week. He is a dear boy and my two are very accommodating of him. So the four of us are quite a picture on our walk Two very inquisitive Yorkies and Keilei just humming along. Well, this is it for now. No more pictures. Will try to get one of Kip before he leaves.
Happy Thanksgiving and Blessings on you and yours.