A busy week...

 So far I am enjoying winter.  I've been working on my quilt, beading earrings, making wine, baking cookies, enjoying the outdoors, and working out.  This week I was elated about the chance to spend time with my parents, sister, and her family.  I got to see the older girls play basketball, help the younger girls with their homework, and we all worked on a puzzle together.  The puzzle was finished tonight without me, but they sent a picture.  My nephew was adamant it looks like our cabin.  I got home for the weekend and was lucky enough to enjoy a glass of wine, cozy on the couch, with the dog.

 My brother made this wonderful tray and it works perfectly for my beading projects.  I love the juxtaposition of colors and textures in the photo above.  I'm finishing a feather a week on the quilt, so progress is good on that front.   

I rewarded myself today with a hot yoga class.  I've been watching on-line yoga videos for guidance every night, six days a week for three months and am amazed with the results.  A friend of mine teaches a Bikram yoga class in Spearfish.  Bikram yoga is done in a heated room at 105 degree temperatures.   I love sweat lodges and saunas, so Bikram yoga was right up my alley.  It was my first official yoga class and I was super excited.  It did not disappoint.  Afterwards, I enjoyed coffee with a few friends.

I was also pleased because I tried a homemade electrolyte drink for my yoga class and it was excellent.  I took 2 1/2 c. Water, 1/3 c. Lemon juice, 2 t. Honey, and 1/4 t. Salt.  I highly recommend it.  There is no sugar, it tastes good, and I felt great after drinking it.

I made my husband's all time favorite cookies, white chocolate chip cookies.

TOLL HOUSE WHITE CHIP CHOCOLATE COOKIES
2 1/4 c. Flour
2/3 c. Cocoa
1 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Salt
1 c. Soft butter
3/4 c.  Sugar
2/3 c. Brown sugar
1 t. Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c. White chocolate chips

Mix together and drop by tablespoon on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 Degrees or 325 degrees at high altitudes.  

It has been a great weekend.  Tomorrow my huband and I are going on an adventure.  That should make the weekend perfect.

My husband felt bad for the deer around the cabin, so he got them a couple of alfalfa bales.  They must have told every deer in the tri-state area, because we went from 10 deer to 21.  Holy moly.

Well, that is all I know. What a great week.  Time with family, friends, exercise, projects, baking, and relaxation.  Life is good and I am thankful.  Who did you spend time with this week?  What projects did you work on?  Did you exercise?  Did you bake anything?  I can't wait to hear about your adventures.

Traditions...

The weather cooperated and I was able to go home for Christmas.  Our Christmas is filled with traditions.  One is getting outside and seeing the wildlife.  I miss the sound of the geese.  Their honks filled the air.

Christmas presents are just a small part of the fun.  Cooking Christmas dinner is a family affair.  Everyone chips in and does their part.  Mom's kitchen is a carefully coordinated dance.  As you can see below, pies are the dessert of choice.  

 I'm making a family cookbook, so we really worked to get photos of everyone in the kitchen.  My dad never cooks, except oyster stew.  Funny thing is none of us kids know how to make oyster stew.  We still needed an action shot of him in the kitchen and a plan was hatched.  When he came upstairs, I asked him to stir the gravy and my niece, Sierra, took an action shot.  It was a well coordinated event.   We were successful.    We were so impressed with our little plan that we even got the hired man, Jr, stirring the pot.

 My niece and nephew got radios for Christmas.  They used them to guide the little guy to the trash barrels.  You can see him carrying all the bags, talking on the radio, and being followed by the always in the background farm cat.

For the first time since we were kids, my sister and I did not have to do Christmas dishes.  Instead the two older girls washed and dried.  The whole time pretending they were doing a podcast.  We were able to pursue other interests, like putting together puzzles with the little ones.

 There is only one way to end Christmas day.  We go sledding.  It is probably our biggest Christmas tradition.  Nothing says the holidays like shoving your sister's kids down a precarious hill.  

 Yucca plants, rocks, cactus, trees, and fences aren't going to stop the fun.  Of course, you have to see how many people fit on the sled and inevitably the spills are the best part.  We did break from tradition this year and stopped sledding, before somebody got hurt.  Usually, someone gets injured and heads to the house crying or limping.  I'd like to think we got smarter, but the truth is we just got cold.

It was a great Christmas.  It is good that some things never change.  On the trip home I was able to stop and see my 96 year old grandmother.  Since many of the recipes in the family cookbook will be hers, I asked if she would grant me an action shot in the kitchen.  She was more than happy to oblige.  

That is a run-down of our Christmas traditions.  It made for a great trip.  What are your Christmas traditions?  Do you go sledding?  Does everyone help with the cooking?  Who does the dishes?  What desserts do you have?  Whatever you do I hope you had a very Merry Christmas.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

And it snowed about 25 inches.

 Our little Christmas tree was buried.

Luckily we have a tractor with a snowblower.  It made clearing the road short work.

 With the discovery of battery operated Christmas lights we put Operation Snoopy's Christmas into effect.  We scouted the steep hill going to our home and found the perfect tree.  Quickly we covered it in lights.  We were in and out without the neighbors seeing us.  If asked we will deny everything.  It wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who did it since we are the only people up here with Christmas lights.  The thing is we are at the end of the road and nobody comes down here, so we've got that going for us.

What's Christmas without a little mystery? Do you decorate for Christmas?  Did you get hit with this last snow?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

There is construction down the road.  We are not the least bit excited about having neighbors.  It was great being the end of the road.  There is only one positive to this... Somebody will actually see our Christmas lights.  We are super excited because nobody ever sees our lights. In fact, we even added a few more lights.  Now if they would just drive by when the lights are on.

 I've never been very good at taking photos of Christmas lights.  The camera doesn't quite capture the true feelings lights evoke.  Anyway here is my attempt.  The brilliant blob in the corner of the porch is our one horse open sleigh.

We have always wanted an outdoor Christmas tree.  Our cabin is too small to have one inside.  My wonderful husband stomped down the snow and put lights on our new little tree.  It is out in the middle of nowhere, but it looks fabulous.  I also made a wreath for our door.  We really got into the Christmas spirit. 

 We saw the bighorn sheep for the first time in a long time.  We were on a four lane highway with nowhere to stop.  I wish we could have as they were so majestic jumping around on that sidehill.  You have to look really close to see them.  Below are Mother Nature's Christmas decoration.  Isn't it a beautiful little nest?  It is stonger than it looks.  It is in there pretty solid.  It amazes me they can weave it on there so we'll using only their beak.

That is all I know this week.  Do you have your Christmas lights up?  Do you have an outdoor Christmas tree?  What is your favorite part of the Christmas celebration?

Drat...

 Yes, you know what drat means.  It snowed.  Three inches so far with a prediction for 10 more.  Winter isn't coming, it is still here.  Despite today's woes, last week was wonderful.  Some friends came out to go turkey hunting.  We had a great time.  I think they saw a fox every day.  Turkey hens walked over their feet and they were swooped by a hawk.  Hunting is always an adventure.  They did get a turkey.  If they would have just sat on the porch with me drinking coffee they would have had several toms:)  That was the shining spot of May.  As you can see below, the birds are as aghast about the snow as we are.  Don't you love the look on his face and the snow on his forehead? 

 I was being a grump about the weather, but my husband sweet talked me into a walk.  I was glad we went.  Ella was upset that the men didn't take her bird hunting (you can't use dogs turkey hunting).  She was sure to show us her birding skills on the walk.  She pointed perfectly at our resident grouse. 

Well, that is that.  They still aren't done with the roof.  I am losing hope.  The roofer said they would try again tomorrow, before the big snow hit.  That is all I have for this week.  Please tell me I am not the only person with snow?

Will wonders ever cease...

Saturday was miserable.  We had several more inches of snow and nasty winds.  It has been a long winter.  

Friday morning had been warm, so the teachers and I introduced 30 students to the joys of snowshoeing:)  Have you ever taken 30 teenagers to do anything?  It is always an adventure.  South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks has an excellent program that allows you to borrow snowshoes for free.  I have used it before with my nieces.  Anyway, our center is in a beautiful location next to the creek.  We handed out snowshoes and started helping students figure out how to get them on.   All of a sudden I look up and half the kids are gone.  They didn't wait for everyone.  I headed out after them at a run.  I'm always anticipating disasters, like somebody falling through the ice or heading off on their own.  Well, it turned out to be a perfect day.  We figured half the students would 'dip out' as they call it and quit after 200 yards of hard work.  Boy we were wrong.  All in all the little buggers went a minimum of 2 1/2 miles and some went 3 1/2.  No complaints (teenagers and no complaints?), lots of laughter, and everyone helping each other over logs and around obstacles.  I love my job.  Just when you start to get cynical they surprise you.  I surprised them and  asked the culinary arts students to make hot cocoa and apple cider for when we returned.  Then we watched To Build A Fire based on the Jack London short story.  I never show movies in school, so they were elated.  Many of them had never tasted apple cider.    None of them had ever  used snowshoes.   I thought our ELL students would struggle.  I forgot they play soccer daily.  They were running and jumping in the snowshoes like gazelles.  All in all it was a great experience.  The day will always be in my heart.  

The kids weren't the only ones that got to snowshoe.  Today was beautiful, so Ella and I got to go for a run.  We didn't get to last week.  It was just too cold.  As you can see, she was also super happy.

I am so thankful that we have such beautiful views on our Sunday excursions.  Today the colors seemed to jump out.

That was it for the weeks, adventures.  I've been pretty limited on projects with my online class.  Yes, I'm still whining about it.  If I have to hear the kids complain, I figure I get to a little.  

Have you ever tried something new and had such a happy outcome?