I’m watching the snow level drop on the hills across the valley and the first flakes of white have started falling here. Gerry brought the last of the outdoor furniture inside this morning so we’re ready for it. Well, not quite.
Our snow shovels and snowblower are in storage in Moose Jaw. When we moved Laurinda’s things in late summer, there was room in the truck for some of our stuff so we decided to take it at the same time assuming we would be there before it was needed. Oops. The snow won’t amount to much for now but it’s coming. Methinks there’s a trip to Canadian Tire to purchase a snow shovel in the forecast.
Meanwhile, I’m puttering in the kitchen and tweaking the loose tea recipe I’m working on. I’m trying to craft a chocolate chili chai blend and having limited success so far. I’ve got the chili part down pat (Boy, do I ever! Yikes!) and am working on the chocolate piece by roasting cacoa nibs and making sugar-free chocolate chips to add to the blend. All this to avoid placing another order for the expensive tea I’ve come to enjoy. I believe it’ll be worth it in the long run.
I have a sense many of us will do more things like this as we see the cost of everything continue to climb. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, this attitude of making do and finding creative ways to do things. In some ways, it’s bringing us full circle to a time when these things were the norm and calling our attention back to those things that matter.
In other news, I’ve basically abandoned my woman cave for the time being. A couple of months ago I did a serious culling of books and those that remained are in storage in Moose Jaw. My now-empty bookshelves that we had custom-made when we lived in WA have been sold and will be picked up in the next week or so. With them gone, all that will remain is my writing desk and office chair. I’ve packed away my painting supplies because the hassle of putting them away and getting them out again to accommodate showings and open houses began to be more of a hassle than it was worth. These days, I’m often here in my favourite wing chair in the living room with a sleeping Yorkie beside me and my MacBook on my lap or my Kindle in my hand. It’s not a bad way to spend a few hours.
