I mentioned before that we did not have any grand plans for Christmas this year.  In the past several years, most of us have gone overboard and we decided to get back to a more sensible holiday.  We would hear stories on the radio, where people getting fresh fruit, cookies and baked goods, or this years pair of new boots.  Christmas was for the family, not the loot.

These days, every year that goes by contains the same headlines.  Which Elmo toy is the hottest, The Nintendo that is never in stock, how many cell phone features the kids need, and which Wal-mart had the deadly stampede.  It’s not the Scrooge talking, Christmas is one of my favorites.

This year was nice, a small (8) person Christmas.  There was a round of a Secret Santa trading game, then our normal presents.  We made a clock out of old bike parts with a picture of Steve on RAGBRAI, some anti-static dryer balls, votive candle luminaries, felted homemade soap, and a few other goodies.  Yes, we also bought things for other people.

Our haul?  Grampy is keeping us safe in the basement again this winter.  Last year he got us an X-Box.  We still play games on it, but I’ve been using it for some HD movies, and streaming NetFlix.  This winter, we have Guitar Hero World Tour to master.  Mason got a couple of games and several Lego sets.  I got Reagan most of a new cyclocross bike that I’ve been scrounging up.  It just needs shifters, new tires, and a derailleur.  We had one of the soup mixes that one of the Boudreau’s sent us for dinner tonight, and pancakes are due soon for a reason to eat that real maple syrup that showed up from another Boudreau clan in New England.  If anyone leaves crumbs, I finally have a new shop vac with all the hoses and nozzles for once.

No Comments »

Wow, we are on a spree.  Remember those cabinet doors?  No, you don’t?  Then go read the previous post first.  We’ll wait for you, really.

OK, caught up now?  Good.  All those doors now have handles on them.  Somehow I was able to search Home Depot, check in with Reagan on the phone, and bring home handles we both liked that filled our retro-inspired idea.  The drum set is gone and the bikes have a permanent winter home on trainers.  I fixed the couch.  The latch holding the 2 halves of the sectional together - didn’t.  I fixed that.

The kitchen is clean, dishes are done.  We weened out 2 boxes of yard sales goodies from around the house, another large bag of Goodwill clothes, and the Christmas shopping is done.

We didn’t go crazy on gifts this year, as we have in the past.  Before the economic downturn, we already planned this.  It’s not about the stuff, it’s the thought that matters.  We did make quite a few of our presents, and some are quite….original, unique, and usefull.  I’m not spilling the beans yet.

We’ve been slowly distancing ourselves away from the over-commercialization of holidays.  For some reason, Reagan and I have never really done the Valentines thing, especially after we got married.  But there is no point in being sweet just one day a year.  The whole family had a quiet Thanksgiving.  I did cook a turkey out of habit, and I hadn’t smoked anything in a while.  Somehow, I ran a quick errand to the farm, and realized there were carrots there.  I forgot about them.  It was wonderful to harvest our own food, something to be thankful for.  And those were the best carrots I ever ate.  We are planting more next year.

SNOW.  Over 5″ of it.  I brought up the John Deere tractor from the farm to my dad’s house for the winter.  He has a long driveway with a fence on one side, the house on the other.  No place to really pile up snow.  I couldn’t resist.  So, just before dark, I ran over to start it up.  It cleaned his driveway in no time flat.  I drove it around to our house, and had the double-wide driveway between our house and the neighbor’s done in moments.  This is going to be a fun winter.

Well, nothing left to do but get the business rolling……oh wait we never annouced that here on the site.  Hmmm, I guess the web folk will have to wait until it’s official.  Soon, very soon.  Then you’ll figure out what we are up to…..and what that new scent in town is. 

3 Comments »

We’ve had a working kitchen since last winter, but we never put on the cabinet doors.  And most of the drawer fronts didn’t match either.  Finally, in a blitz like attack, two coats of primer, and two coats of paint finally made on to 17 doors, and 13 drawers.

It’s strange.  Already I find myself going in there and opening door after door, trying to find something as simple as a snack.  I know what’s there, but I was able to see it all for the past year.  Having open shelves, also made us keep clean cabinets.  Let’s see how long this lasts.

This is an early start to our cooped up winter boredom.  I think it was late January or possibly February before we started going nuts on house projects.  We have moulding to do, everywhere.  There are a few little other projects left, like a tile entryway, refinishing some floors, maybe moving around the washer and dryer in the basement.

1 Comment »

We don’t usually use our website for a soapbox, but sometimes ya just gotta….

We hardly listen to music in the car.  I attribute this to living in such a small town.  Either I have time to surf the 6 presets, or I hear half a good song before reaching my destination.  NPR is the default station.  It’s great, you can actually listen for a moment or two and gain something.  We leave it on for road trips too.

Anyhow, We all know the doom and gloom of the news.  I did hear a phase come up I think most people try not to use.  The great depression.  Are we close, would it be the same or worse if one came.  I hope not to find out.  For some reason, I hit wikipedia’s page on the Great Depression at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression

Has anyone in government, business, banking, finance, etc - ever read this.  Did they go to history class?  Insecure debt, falling car sales, rising unemployment, tanked stock market, low trade.  Am I talking about the 1930’s or 2008?  You better read and decide.  Don’t skip the steps of debt deflation.  It looks like our current newscasters cue cards.
You can also notice the history of US recessions.  Ever notice at least once per decade we have them, sometimes as close as 5 years?
I have one other bone to pick.   Garnett.  The big company who bought up all the local newspapers in the country.  They own the DM Register as well, and in their nationwide lay-off gave Brian Duffy the pink slip.  For those of you that don’t know, Duffy is a staple around here, as one of the last staff editorial cartoonists in the newspaper industry.  I see that he was in a dying breed.  But still, many people I know don’t want to read that paper now.

The only comfort I can take is knowing that the business practice they had, is what killed them.  You see, after buying out all the little papers, and closing each shop.  They printed all the papers at one central press, and shipped them to the town they belonged.  I know a year ago the spike in fuel prices was killing them.  Another reason to do business locally.

I’ll step down of the box now.

No Comments »

Even though they are doing a great job, some phone skills would be helpful.  How would you react to a phone call asking you to come down to the Sheriff’s office.  For some reason, it’s always the word “Why” that fills your head.  It was the next sentence, that they found some tools they wanted to see if I could identify them as the ones we lost from our farm.

Woo-hoo!  Apparently they had busted someone on some Fish and Wildlife charges who happened to have a chainsaw and nail gun on him as well.  I guess that explains the pile of antlers they had in the truck as well.  The good news is that they saw the box of nails and other tools.  Tonight they get the search warrant and tomorrow I guess they clean out his place.  I can’t wait to read the Sheriffs blotter in the paper this week.

Too bad the first two tools they found, are the two we replaced so far.  I’d be happy happy joy joy if they find a mitre saw next.  Still, they will be evidence for a while before I get them back.

No Comments »