Life in the Bristolwood

Lately, it seems like weather is on the minds of folks everywhere!  For us,  the weather story is the same day after day with snow showers in the forecast.  The only variable of late is the temperature which fluctuates from near freezing to going into the deep freeze!

Since I was sneaking out to the woodshed to grab some firewood,  I thought I had better take my camera along with me.

I also sneaked in to take a peek at Mark and Michelle’s projects they have been working on….they are nearly done, so I guess I will just let you see what they have been doing.  The projects themselves have not taken much time, but Mark and Michelle  have been working sporadically.

Oak is not favorable for a chopping block or cutting board because of its open grain. Cherry isn’t used as it is considered a soft hardwood.  In all honesty, these boards were more experimental than anything, as Mark wanted to see if he could make them.

Mark said he just needs to do some sanding and then I will seal them, using Mineral Oil.  I cannot wait until the oil is applied…they are going to be so pretty!

Mark discovered the hardwood retailer located about eight miles from our house sells not only common woods, but also some exotic woods.  Mark loves woodworking and is thinking about going to the store to get some more boards to make more projects. I love it, as I enjoy Mark’s wood projects!

In other news of the day, Michelle received a letter from college today, stating she was named to the Dean’s List for the fall/winter semester of college. The letter advised that many scholastic scholarships are available and encouraged Michelle to apply. She was so excited…she enjoyed school so much and is looking forward to the beginning of the new semester.

This morning,  I finally got the camera and took it outside to capture the little LED lights buried in the snow on the front railing of the porch.  I smiled as I thought back to something my dad said years ago.  He said Christmas lights just weren’t very pretty until the snow came and they glowed beneath their white mantle!

I think he was right!

Today was another snowy day with little accumulation.  At one point, I walked out the back door and there in the woods, just beyond the swingset was Mr. Pileated Woodpecker.  He screamed out his distinct “cuck,cuck,cuck,cuck”! It is a very shrill and unique call….drat!  Who would think to carry a camera out to get firewood, anyway?   He did make me think, though…..since he is such a flighty and evasive adversary,  I might put up a bag of suet on the swingset to see if I can cunningly attract him to come closer to the house!

I started a fire in the small Jotul out in the garage as Michelle and Mark wanted to work o their “project” again.  Poor Mark….he was ready to go out early this afternoon and he wasn’t aware I had already built the fire earlier in the day.  I told him I would race out ahead of him to make a fire and he believed me!

He was shocked as he entered the garage and found it warm enough to work in just a sweater! Our thermometer on the front porch read well below freezing today, so heating a frigid garage is quite a feat.  To be able to warm to”comfortable”  just boggles my mind!

This little stove is much smaller than the one in the house.  In fact, we originally bought this stove for the house.  It was on display at a bank and when I saw it,  I fell in love with it.   Mark and I were building our house at the time, and we decided to buy it after Mark’s research verified it was a good little stove!

I’ll never forget the day we brought the little stove home.  It was around Christmas time and my parents were following us to the new house in their car.  It was about 50 miles from the store to the house.  We fought all kinds of insane traffic, then began our journey.  We reached the house and getting the stove inside was another challenge.

We had a little ramp leading up several feet in the air to the front door of the house.  We had no front porch, nor stairs! The house, in fact, was merely framed….I don’t think we even had insulated it yet!  I remember not only was the ramp a challenge, but the ground was very muddy as well!  Thankfully, the little stove did indeed make it inside and we used it for a few years.  As we worked on the house,  we would drive down here and to our surprise,  when we opened the front door, there would be a small pile of firewood neatly stacked inside, just waiting for us.  What wonderful neighbors we had!

Since the Jotul 3 has a rather tiny firebox,  I was finding I needed to add wood throughout the night.  This grew tiresome and when we saw the Firelight,  we jumped at the chance to purchase it when offered a sweet deal!

And, for those curious about what Mark and Michelle did in the garage yesterday and today, here is a visual clue….

Well, okay, it is kind of hard to tell what you are seeing, so here is a(nother) clue……those are strips of red oak and cherry wood that were grown right here on our property and at the neighbors’ across the road.   Several years ago, before the spinal injury, Mark and another neighbor formed a sawmill from steel. Mark could actually make boards from trees using his chainsaw. Whenever Mark had to cut down a tree because we were building,  he would then mill the first eight or ten feet of the tree into boards.  We neatly stacked hundreds of board feet of lumber with little “stickers” (pieces of wood) between the layers so they could naturally air dry.  Those boards were left in the weather for probably five years, and then we carried them into the garage so they no longer had to sit outdoors.  We have quite a nice selection of lumber!

I will continue showing the project as it progresses.

In the meantime, we are warm and cozy in both the house or the garage!  With an abundance of firewood stacked in the woodshed this year, we needn’t fear cold at all!

After all of the busyness in our lives the past several days,  today was (dreadfully!) quiet. 

I bustled about, taking care of laundry, fixing meals, and doing things that needed to be done, but it seemed so quiet!  The farthest I went today was to the end of the driveway to the mailbox.  Ah well, so not every day can be filled with fun and excitement, right? 

I need to organize things around the house.  As I was resting for a few minutes today,  I realized there is little room between the land of plenty and the land of too much.  As I walk about the house,  I am beginning to see that we might just be romancing the land of too much.  We have so many “stored” items….things used just a few times that are now sitting in cupboards and drawers.  We still have Mark’s dad’s stuff to deal with, and he passed away nearly five years ago. 

To be perfectly honest, when I am surrounded by lots of stuff,  I begin to feel claustrophobic.  I rarely have many items of clothing as I cannot deal with large numbers of items without feeling overwhelmed.  I don’t like managing lots of stuff…it makes me weary!  Not only does it bother me,  but I feel so disgusted owning something I never use.  I realize many people have collections of items, but that would probably drive me crazy as I dislike dusting and cleaning!  I do greatly appreciate other peoples’ collections, though.

Well, enough of all that….I shall go back to my (quiet) corner and contemplate exactly *how* to deal with all the excess….

Well, probably not.  That’s okay.  Life has just been so busy lately.  It seems like I am in constant motion and getting very little done.  Forget about my hibernation theory,  cause I am sure it just isn’t gonna happen.  Not any time soon!

Michelle wanted to have a birthday party,  but she wanted to do it when all of her friends would be able to make it.  She decided on a Sunday afternoon and tomorrow is the day.  She chose to keep it small, and have a dinner party.  The fare for the party will be my version of spinoccoli;  that was Michelle’s personal request.   We worked this morning, making up some 20 servings.  Now, all I need to make tomorrow is the alfredo sauce, which is easy enough. 

The past couple of days have been spent running around….trying to get some loose ends sewn up.

This afternoon, we went out to Victor…I had three stops and Mark had a return to Home Depot.  WOW!  All of the stores are located near the mall and to anyone observing, it looked as though the Christmas shopping season has officially begun!  The parking lot was wall-to-wall vehicles and Mark had to drop me off and cruise around the lot! If it is this bad now,  I cannot imagine  the weekends until Christmas!

My camera has been gathering dust lately.  Both cameras, actually!  Responsibilities keep calling out my name!  Which leads me to believe….perhaps I shall CHANGE my name!!!!  Bah HUMBUG!

Yesterday’s mild, September-like temperatures were the icing on the proverbial cake as we were off to meet my parents and brother at Sprague’s Restaurant.  It was such a beautiful day!  We were meeting to celebrate Michelle’s birthday, as well as Mark’s.  (November is a very busy birthday month here, as Carly and my mom also celebrate November birthdays later in the month!)

We arrived to meet at 11:30 in the morning and the restaurant held no shortage of patrons, even at that early on a Sunday morning!  We always ask for a certain table….it is round and sits in a corner, out of the way of mainstream traffic,  so we waited.

We enjoyed visiting with my parents and seeing their brand new car! which they never told us they got! (It was purchased in late September)  Little Fritz the Dachshund was thrilled to see us and enjoyed romping about a bit on the lush green grass.

As we waited,  Randy spotted some old cars that had parked together in a row, so we went down to have a better look at them…..

Yes, I saved the best car for last….the one that really caught my eye…..

Yes, hahaha,  I really did not save the best for last….it was the last car parked in the line!  I am not sure if it caught my eye because of the bright yellow color,  or the M&M’s  decorating the sides!

One of the fun aspects of visiting at Sparague’s,  aside from their consistantly good food,  is seeing “what’s new”!  As we pulled into the new winding drivway leading to the restaurant,  we noticed an interesting addition…..

The two wooden carved horses used to greet folks as they walked up the path leading to the Sugar Maples high on a hill behind the restaurant.  Now, they are pulling a plow,  with the addition of a man guiding them!  And all this on a delightful display.  We noticed  vehicles pulling up and people getting out to take a look! 

The restaurant also has a new planter which uses the same stone as that on the base of the horse display. The planter is huge,  housing several bushes,  a small fountain,  and this adorable topiary bear!

We went inside and ate and afterwards, we lingered on and on outside in the parking lot.  The warmth of this November Indian Summer day was so conducive to lingering…..we noticed there were many people also talking and walking about outside.  It was one of those days that sends a twinge of sadness as the darkness closes in and one realizes the day really is coming to a close!

We did promise to try to make it to my parents’ home for Thanksgiving and that is something to look forward to in just a couple of weeks. That took a little of the edge off he bite of ending the “perfect day”!

Before driving home,  we rode to Cuba Lake, a few miles away.  The truck was needing a fillup and Mark thought we might find cheaper gasoline at an Indian owned  station located on a nearby reservation.  Sure enough, the price was about $.17 less per gallon,  *and* there was an attendant to do the filling!

As we passed the lake, we noticed the water level was way down.  We figured they must take it down for the winter months ahead.  This tiny lake,  by the way,  is manmade.

As you can see, the water was startlingly calm!

We arrived back home early in the evening.  Uncle Randy brought Benjamin two Lego kits to put together.  One is a fire station that is so cute!  The other is an adorable little toy shop with a Christmas theme.  I had seen that one in a Lego catalogue and thought about getting it.  I nearly fainted when Randy gave it to Ben!  (Shortlyafter arriving home at about 7,  Ben began working on the Christmas kit,  finishing it up at about 10:15!)

I am so glad yesterday was such a relaxing day, as today was wildly the opposite!  Our camper needed to be winterized,  we still need to get a “pillow” (inflatable) in the pool to finish its winterzation,  and we had firewood that needed to be stacked. 

After doing a load of laundry this morning,   I planted about 20 various flower bulbs.  Then I stacked firewood.  After that,  I climbed up on the railing of the pool and proceded to remove about 300 gallons of water and leaves….bucket by bucket!  We didn’t get the pillow inserted under the winter pool cover,  but we did winterize the camper and I am so happy to have that done.  Most all of our fall tasks are now complete……let the hibernation begin soon!

Yes!!! I have (finally!) conquered the sweater!  I had almost finished it Friday, but needed to buy buttons.  Buttons are one of those tiny little details that often throw me over the edge….The last time I bought buttons like these, I wasn’t paying close attention and when I got home, I realized they were PLASTIC!  Blech!!!

While Mark and I spent a little time in Canandaigua last evening ( I just *had* to have a little cup of Abbott’s Pumpkin Custard….tis the season, after all!)  I remembered I needed buttons. I relunctantly went into JoAnn’s Fabrics,  hoping that “perhaps” they might have something acceptable. 

As I looked through tons of buttons,  I did find some “vintage” buttons by La Mode that might do.   I was looking for real leather buttons though, and when I saw the JHB display, hope welled up.  As I turned the swiveling display,  my eyes lit upon *exactly* the buttons I wanted!  And, to add to my surprise,  these buttons were actually made in the USA!  What a pleasant surprise!

Now….what shall I make next?

No, not the congenial sweater-wearing host of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, but Mr. Rogers, the excavator!  He leveled the pad for our camper,  created a new drainage swale to replace the (defunct) “stream” bed in the front yard,  touched up some trails for the ATV in the woods, and gave us a fantastic new driveway!  He came yesterday around two and left at about five.  He was back this morning around seven-thirty and finished up around noon.  Amazing the difference a man and a bulldozer can make in less than a day’s labor!

As Mr. Rogers worked on making the new swale for rainwater,  he *found* our cable for our “3-in-1″ service….cable television, internet, and digital phone!  Needless to say, we were without for a day….thankfully, Time Warner was quick to come and lay a new line this afternoon.

The place is looking very “new”!  Mark and Guy (Mr. Rogers) talked about all the tasks we wanted done, and Guy would give us his ideas.   Since he has been doing this work for many years,  we basically followed his advice and boy, what a difference!  Everything is looking terrific!  I especially like the cobbles lining the stream bed….they add a real “parklike”  feel!

to Mr. Anderson’s comment on yesterday’s post….

Yessiree, as we were coming home from a distant shopping excursion, (Michelle suddenly realized she had a great need for a backpack to carry her 23.6 pounds of textbooks!) I read my blog entry and Bill’s reply.  Mark giggled and said,  “The real rub is the name on the side of my Honda!” (ATV)

This, of course, caused me to rush outside this morning to share!

Oh, and in case you cannot quite *see* the name on the machine…..

Yup.

Well, sort of, anyway!

The kids and I worked under Mark’s direction this weekend,  leveling the frame for the hot tub,  shoveling what seems like tons and tons of gravel into the frame and, well….just a lot of heavy work!  Last night, when I lighted onto the bed,  my legs felt as though they had split open….oh, the ache!  Funny thing is, I didn’t work half as hard as the kids did!

So, this evening when they asked if they could visit their friends for a couple of hours,  how could we say no? No way! When we dropped them off,  Mark and I headed up to Canandaigua to shop for a bit.  As we drove back south to pick them up, the sun did one of its spectacular exits once again. 

I have a couple of posts I want to do, but right now, I am exhausted from my toes to my eyeballs!  I will put them up soon. 

So, after only three days of work I feel like crying like a baby…..how on earth did the Hebrews endure?

After making my terrible confession in the last post,  I feel a bit better.  After all,  how could I show you, dear reader, my creative side when I have greatly mistreated my wee little laddie who loves me so dearly?

Last Christmas,  my brother Randy gave me the prettiest little glass beaded Christmas tree with the tiniest little ornaments decorating it.  I love the tree, but one element was missing! You see, the other day while cleaning things up, I came across a teeny ziplock bag with fifty shiny brass Scottie ornaments just crying out to hang on the beaded Christmas tree! 

Even though Randy had provided an enormous number of ornaments,  I was able to add even more in the form of Scotties!

I hung those Scotties by bending very thin gold-colored wire into itsy-bitsy “s” hooks, then carefully hanging them, using a pair of tweezers to squeeze the “hooks” shut.  I placed 32 of the Scotties on the tree, along with five three-dimensional sterling silver Scotties.

And now, how about that sweater I was working up?

Haha…I thought I needed to display the (completed) sweater back on the lush emerald colored grass….seemed appropriate considering the number of cables and twists on this particular sweater would even make an Irish knitter’s eyeballs spin!  I really do love Celtic knitting.  Give me cables. Lots of cables!

Now, off to begin the left front of the sweater!