Frost Flowers & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  Last week, I made pintos with cornbread, which J requested.  The cornbread was made with home ground wheat and corn, homemade buttermilk and our eggs.  I enjoyed sorghum syrup on my cornbread, which came from a small, local store, but was made in TN.  Recently, a man approached J about making a sorghum pan, for a possible new local endeavor.  Joseph's company has built a sorghum pan in the past, and he told him it would be no problem.  I do hope this new business works out.  They'd have my support.  A new batch of buttermilk was made, started with what was left from the cornbread.  After a dental appointment, I stopped at an antique mall on the way home that I've wanted to check out, and found an enamel pitcher, the main reason I stopped there.  I've been wanting one to keep in the shower for warm up water, so I could keep my soap pitcher for that purpose only.  The enamel pitcher is certainly more attractive than the plastic soap one, which makes me happy.  I also found four vintage pillowcases at 1/2 price there, $2 for all.  Three of the pillowcases were hand embroidered, and I found a sweet birdhouse ornament made from old quilts for $5.

I recently learned about Julie Zickefoose, and have learned several interesting things from her, including frost flowers and graupel.  On a walk one morning, I was delighted to see some frost flowers, which I've never noticed in the 24 years I've lived here.  I do love learning about the natural world, and the life forms that share this place with me.  I made a waldorf salad with our celery, after Becky mentioned doing the same.  In another effort to use frozen items, I pulled homegrown peaches and made cobbler, and a bag of pesto for dinner.  I continue to baby my muck boots along.  Besides the holes where the sections join, the sole separates from the boot once or twice a week.  I've tried shoe goo and a glue gun, but either way, it comes apart fairly quickly.  I sure hope Santa brings me new ones.  Our thoughts are moving to the seasonal treat of Hot Buttered Rum.  I mixed a batch of the dry portion up, so it will be ready.  I found another volunteer lettuce in the garden, and transplanted it to the cold frame bed.  I repotted the strawberry plants a friend gave me, as they shouldn't be planted out until the spring in this area.  

After orders were powder coated on Saturday, I helped J put the first two windows in the workshop.  On Sunday, the porch posts and roof were put up, and the porch flooring.  I wrapped and shipped the one Christmas box that needed to be shipped.  No wrapping paper, tags or cards needed to be bought this year.  I try and purchase the coming year's cards each year, but not sure if that will happen this year.  Hummus was made for lunches.  Notes and lists were written on scrap paper.  Yogurt was made.  Laundry was hung on the line.  We had a dinner of lentils with maple syrup, sweet potatoes and cornbread.  Though there were no markdowns this year, we bought our Christmas tree.  We'd been hearing stories of shortages of trees, and wanted to be sure to get one.  With not much in the way of festivities this year, a tree will surely help to bring cheer to the season.  J did get his veteran's 5% discount at checkout.  There's a chance we'll have wintry precip this coming week.  Soon the light will be returning.  Enjoy these remaining days of fall, friends.