Friday bullets, Nov. 30, 2018

Time just keeps going faster and faster at this time of year, doesn't it? I'm not quite sure how to make it slow down a bit. It's not even as though we have that much on the calendar.

• My kombucha making experiments continue. I'm on batch three now. The second batch I flavored with frozen strawberries, but only let it stand for a couple of days. It turned out to be just right. I may try fresh ginger with the next batch. It's like making homemade soda pop.
• B. works for a tree company, which means this time of year, he spends a lot of time putting lights on trees.

Sixty feet in the air.

• I have outfitted the children who had grown out of their outerwear for another winter. I managed to do it only from garage sale sites and thrift stores. So, that makes 1 really nice 3-way winter coat, 2 pairs of ski pants, 1 pair of bibs, and two pairs of snow boots all for the grand total of $60. I feel pretty proud of that. I am also very happy not to feel as though I need to spend every waking minute trolling the internet for people selling outerwear.
• The newest Inspector Gamache book arrived yesterday hot off the press. I cannot wait to read it.
• The studio is now totally off limits to all children. It's that time of year.
• So, I am told to expect the builder and electrician this morning to work more on getting the barn built. I am also told the pieces are supposed to be delivered next week. Since I've heard that before, I'll believe it when I see it.
• Ducks don't mind snow, and spent a lot of time yesterday playing in the ice cold creek.
• Chickens are not as fond of snow.
• Olive says hello.

• It took a couple of days for the masses to get back into the swing of school after our Thanksgiving break. Tuesday was not pleasant.
• K. is in a huge growth spurt. He is a good several inches taller than G. and L. now. That's compared to him being just a 1/2 inch taller than they are for the past nine years. He has hit the five foot mark, which means he has his sights set on getting taller than me next.
• Gift-wise, I think I am a little more than halfway done. 
• The kittens, having reached the weight of 2 pounds, 5 ounces each, have gone back to the animal rescue. That's double the weight they were when they arrived. Everyone was okay with them leaving, though there is a bit of disgruntlement that they don't get to find out about the family(s) they end up in. 
• We left Ethiopia, and yesterday went to Kenya. It will be our last country before Christmas. In January, we will hit the road again.
• Yesterday, K. and L. decided to be detectives, but they were detectives without a case. So, as I was working on dinner, they suggested to me that I should eat a piece of the cake sitting on the counter, because then they could work on figuring out who ate it. I think they are not entirely clear on the job of a detective.
• The small people have discovered a great place to sled out in the yard, and have spend quite a few hours out there sledding all week.
• If tomorrow is the first, I suppose I should start thinking about getting Christmas cards put together. At least the family photo is taken care of.
• If you know me in real life, you know that I have taught many, many children the motions to The Twelve Days of Christmas. It makes me feel a little sentimental about the carol. That's why I audibly gasped when I found these Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments. Aren't they gorgeous? I'm having a very difficult time not buying the patterns. Buying the patterns sounds so benign, doesn't it? What could it hurt? Well, if I have the patterns, I will look at them. A lot. And then I will want to buy the gorgeous wool felt. Wool felt, if you haven't noticed, it not cheap. And then, if you have the patterns and the felt, what's to stop you from setting everything aside and working compulsively on something that is going to do absolutely nothings towards getting the Christmas to-do list taken care of? Nothing, nothing will stop you. That's the answer. I know myself well enough not to start down that path. Maybe I'll revisit them in January when the budget and schedule isn't quite so tight.
• Taking the plunge, I went ahead and created a separate blog for my lectionary project. I'll share the link, but don't go there yet, as there is truly nothing there except a stock header. My goal is to have something up on Saturday morning for those who are interested in following along. https://ordinary-time-liturgy.blogspot.com/

Enjoy your weekend everyone!