New Year 19

Ahhh...New year, new slate.  Made Pffernusse and sent to Mark N and Jeff N, north and south.  I did not send very much, I would like to make another batch of Pffernusse. It involves a qt of molasses and 4 spices in large quantity, anise seed whole, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. 1 lb shortening, 5 lbs flour, 1 lb sugar.  Makes 2 pillowcases full of cookies, we make em small and round like little brown pennies.  They must be rolled out, and therein lies the rub, most people (incl. me) are too lazy to make them.

Hope to get new glasses, maybe just computer glasses, in Feb.  Been using old ones, they work fine. A little small.

Need to get dog licenses. its $25.00 (shot) + 10.00 for Red's and 20.00 for Hezzy's bcuz she isn't spayed.

Need to do taxes in March with AARP thru St. Joe Comm on Aging.

Need to call COA and schedule appt.

Made about 100 cards or so past 2-3 weeks.  Not stellar.  some are what I call "private stock", I use them for my own personal correspondence.  I sent out 14 letters the other day.

Went to craft day at Crossroads church, was chilly, fingers white (Raynaud's syndrome or phenomenon) left after 1-1/2 hours.  Everybody there sews.  I am only painter.  Elizabeth, who used to be a certified Donna Dewberry painter, who used to come look at my work, died last month.  Heart issues. Miss her.

Jill's in AZ with Mark M.  Lyd's baby, Ellie, took first steps, I think it was Sat last week or Sunday this week, 1-12 or 1-13.

It's icy out with below-zero temperatures promised this weekend.  We had much snow over Thanksgiving, then warm-up for 2 months, now it's starting to seriously bode for winter.  I can stand it because it's getting lighter later every day, just 60 days or so until Spring!!!

Paul was pleased to find not just 6 but 7 eggs in the hen-house yesterday, total.  I guess none of them are slackers.

We have an assortment of stray cats in our area.  We do not let our chickens outside of coop, therefore they must be finding mice around our place to eat.  We've got an orange tom-cat, a tuxedo and a calico cat, Paul says we'll have lots of kittens come Spring.  He has a pane missing on one of his sheds where the cats come and go (and I hope do not go inside as in potty).

Paul built a shield for his snowblower to keep him from getting sprayed with snow and it works. He borrowed a window out of an extra storm-door we had for the view, and it works, but it looks clumsy what with feed bags for wings or shields.
 Doris Schlatter also died in December, 31st, was my pen-pal, wrote me weekly.  I figured she was having a harder time than usual, didn't hear from her for 2 months.

Also, a neighbor near us died, Jim.  His house is being sold, $65,000 last I heard.  Needs a lot of work says a friend who knows the inner workings of the house.

I'm at Nottawa Library.  Open til 6 p.m. on Tues/Th.