Cold & other February Happenings

Hello there Adventurous Friends.  How you doing?  Greetings from South Dakota, it's been cold here most the month.  February has been known to have some of the coldest temperatures in this area in our 5 year history with the place.  This February did not fail. 

Our area was on the outside edge of the territory that was to experience rolling black outs due to sending electricity into the power pool to be sent south, due to the unusual winter storms of snow & ice in Texas & surrounding areas.  Our electric company sent out notice that we too, could possibly be included in power outages for up to an hour each day at any given time to help provide electricity to the power pool.  Everyone was asked to conserve electricity.  We pitched in to help.

I'm trying to get into the groove of writing a little something about each of my days.  I got started a little late this month & didn't even do it the last 2 months.  I'm back at it & it's a good feeling along with the warmer temperatures forecasted for the 1st week of March.  

I'm going to break my month into weeks, writing one long drawn out sentence of each day.  My work-week starts on Saturday, so my brain has programed me that Saturday is the 1st day of the week.  My planner starts the week on Monday.  The traditional calendar hanging on the wall starts the week on Sunday.  What day does your week start on?  My work-year starts in October, not doing that.  Here are other's I've joined with that also share tidbits of their days, weeks & month; if you'd like to see what they've been up to.

 

* Tues 9th - Did some cleaning in the kitchen, wiped out inside of microwave & fridge, disposed of a chicken wing & almond milk, threw out 1/2 rotten apples into the garden for the deer, took the Keurig to work I bought to have a little tea, coffee, hot chocolate or cider on occasion.

Our scarecrow seems to welcome the deer instead
of scatting them off.

* Wed 10th - Amaryllis in bloom is a pleasant site when everything outside is brown & white, got the play-mobile doll house I ordered for the youngest Grand's summer visit, the little house looked so fun, ordered the school & school bus, made manwich for supper during lunch break.

I got it to bloom this 2nd year by following instructions
I read online.  Moma got me the bulb for 2019 Christmas.

* Thurs 11th- Kevin went into work early to clear sidewalks of snow, school delayed 2 hours due to more snow on east side of county, town sent out notice about a frozen water line, luckily it didn't affect us even though it was across the street, -9 high temperature forecasted; got groceries, gas for car & paid propane bill during lunch break, Rose has reached puberty & is in heat, thinking of putting a diaper on her for the discharges. 

* Fri 12th - Grands had their Valentine parties at school, remembered way back to my elementary school days, spending hours time choosing the perfect Valentine to give to each classmate, writing names to & from, walking around the classroom putting those mini cards into each one's decorated folder. 

         

Valentine box made of a character from
something they do in school.

           

Week 7

* Sat 13th - Got new Keurig going at work, spiced apple cider hit the spot, Rose & I rode with Kevin to take the garbage to the dump, rode out to the lake, got ice cream sandwiches, checked on vacant house of fellow Lions club member, heat was on & no other leaks found from frozen busted water pipes, started watching Young & Hungry on Netflix, cute show, had some laughs.

Sunny -4 temperature.

* Sun 14th - Up at 5 am & don't know why, off work for 2 days, perhaps anxious to get my no plans for 2 days started, -39 degrees, sipped coffee in the quite by the fire, ordered short sets for Grand's, Kevin went into work for a bit to check the heat & prepare cleaning supplies, sausage burgers for brunch, took a truck ride over in the buttes, got hot chocolate at the station on the way,  BBQ chips & coke for picnic snack lunch, cereal for supper.

Happy Valentines Day!  Kevin gave me a heart box of
 chocolates like he always does, though a few days early
this year for some reason.  I had the candy all ate up a
couple pieces at a time by Valentines day.

* Mon 15th - President's Day - George Washington's birthday & Celebrating all Presidents, a day off work for me, did a couple loads of laundry & hung on clothesline in basement to dry, read blogs, made to-do lists to prepare for Daughter & Grand's summer visits, vacuumed downstairs bedrooms & set up cots, UPS stopped by with some of the short sets I had ordered for the Grands, put totes under cots for clothes, went to Lions club meeting at restaurant & ate out for supper.

* Tues 16th - Seemed like Monday, folded clothes off clothesline, got results from Cologuard at-home colon cancer screening - negative,  made hamburger helper for supper during lunch break, started watching Good Girls on Netflix, mothers during the day, criminals at night type thing.

 Checked in with Big Brother  
down in Texas.

* Wed 17th - Did a part to save electricity to go into the power pool over what we already do to save on the electric bill, unplugged the answering machine, turned off the printer, made sure all chargers were unplugged, unplugged alarm clock, turned down electric & gas heat thermostats another degree, turned off breakers to cook stove (has a clock) & hot water heater, kept lights turned off unless absolutely needed, was going to make cube steak & gravy in crockpot for supper, instead had leftover hamburger helper with crackers.

Big Brother said they are not used to
10 degree weather, they have AC not heat.  

* Thurs 18th - Started working on taxes using Turbo Tax, get a discount if done in February, balanced check books, put leftover $$ in savings which was not much after getting clothes & toys for Grands, got groceries, Banquet pot pies were on sale, stocked up.  

Brought home this not on the shopping list
sale item from the grocery store. 

* Fri 19th - Tidied bathroom & restocked personal products, 1 active case of Covid, 1st birthday of the year coming up for Grands, this birthday sets the precedence, prepared priority large flat rate box for care package, made the cube steak & gravy had planned for supper the other day along with mashed tators & biscuits.

Glue wrapping paper to the inside 
side of the box.  Trim paper at folds.

Cut box apart at a fold, lay out flat.

Tape box back together at the fold,
form box, tape bottom & fill.  

Week 8

Saw grouse & deer on our Sunday
afternoon walk.

* Sat 20th - Happy to see warmer temperatures forecasted, good to walk to work the past 2 days, it helped my mood tremendously, goodbye stiff achy legs, went to Lions club bingo, helped with snacks, taking money, counting cards & cleanup.   

* Sun 21st - The 3 of us took a walk up to the pond behind the house, Kevin cooked chops on the grill for lunch, I fried tators, onions & peppers, watched Behind Her Eyes on Netflix, a twisted thriller, cut Kevin's hair, planned to go to the chili cook-off as taste testers, didn't want to get out, had soup & sandwiches for supper.

Meanwhile there are signs of 
spring in Moma's yard in NC.

* Mon 22nd - Vacuumed & tidied the house before work, got back to reading a morning devotion, it's been a while since I picked up the book I had started reading Reach Out Gather In, read how spouses show love with their actions not only with words, opps - didn't notice the schedule change at work that I was supposed to have gone in earlier to do the cleaning 1st thing.

* Tues 23rd - Skidded across the driveway due to black ice when took Rose out for her 1st potty walk of the day, Kevin's coworker's son flipped his truck, the young man was ok, tidied kitchen, poured out some oat milk, no other food waste this week, took trash out, facetimed with Moma, full day of work, pot pies for supper.

* Wed 24th - It snowed overnight & throughout the early morning, the moist beautiful stick on everything kind of snow, got about 2 inches worth, Kevin went into work a little early to remove snow, I got called into work early to shovel snow off the sidewalks, the sun came out & by the end of the day most the snow was gone, ordered Daughter Color Street Nails & a maternity top for her birthday.

My version of dish jenga.

* Thurs 25th - Read the newspaper - 4 wrestlers qualify for the state tournament, legalization of marijuana could provide economic boost for SD tribes, chamber elects new officers, sheriff's office is taking applications for a deputy & the school has a job opening for an assistant track coach.

* Fri 26th - Kevin showed me his love with his actions by bringing me a special snack at work & picking up a package too big for me to carry home walking, though I did ask him if he would do it, got the uniforms I ordered for work, uniform allowance is one of the perks of my job.

Week 9

Moma working on making a
diaper cake for Daughter's
baby shower.

* Sat 27th - Looks like March weather is coming in like a lamb with temperatures forecasted to reach 60s, facetimed with Grands, they were having dunkin donuts for breakfast, there was a green one each one was taking a bite of & said was yucky, seems Dunkin went green with their seasonal menu to celebrate spring's arrival with a matcha (green tea) flavored donut along with some other green themed flavors. 

Guess which egg the dinosaur
is in?  Not the orange one.

 
    

* Sun 28th -  Woke up to sunny blue skies & the ground covered with snow, income taxes done & accepted by the IRS, no estimated payments needed this year - Yeeepeeee, took a ride in the truck,  stopped by the dollar store; needed crackers, poultry seasoning & Easter goodies for the Grands, got a few other things too, goodbye long cold winter, goodbye cabin fever blues, hello longer days of warm green spring, I'm on the lookout for the crocus blooms.

These are some of the things that's been going on in my neck of the woods, how about you?  Are you ready for spring like I am?