Jan. 27- Feb. 2, 2019 Dh Back to Work- Wk 1, SNOW, A Girl of Limberlost, Snow blowing, Cancellations

Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2019 

Dh Back to Work- Wk 1, SNOW, A Girl of Limberlost, Snow blowing, Cancellations 

Adding Pictures: In Process

Henry LOVES the snow!

Hello, Friends!
What a cold and snowy week; I'd love to know how many hours I've shoveled and spent snow blowing!  At least with all this snow, Henry is really happy and wanting walk after walk, he is such a snow-dog!  



And I've enjoyed taking photo's of nature while we walk.  The advantage of having so much snow, is everything canceled and I was free to enjoy some reading time.  I'm thoroughly enjoying A Girl of Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter.  I'm going to post a specific post on the books I've been enjoying focusing on this book a lot.  I haven't been so taken with a book in a while.

Keeping a path clear to the electric box in case we lose our power and have to hook up the generator.

Dh was released, by his doctor, to return back to work this week.  Of course, it was the same day we had about 10 inches of snow on Monday.  I had to snow blow in the wee hours of the morning, so he could get out of our long driveway, and then again in the late afternoon so he could get back up the driveway. I did many hours of snow blowing and shoveling this week. 



He said he had a pretty good first day back.  His last day of work, before his Detached Retinal diagnosis, was Nov. 15th!  He had 9 1/2 weeks of recovery.  His first week back to commuting to Grand Rapids and winter decided to finally kick it into over-drive!  We had so much snow and cold temperatures and that made driving a huge issue.  We had been having a very calm winter; that is until Dh was released back to work this week!



Then to Dh's surprise, he was called into work on Saturday.  He put in a lot of over-time his first week back, to his dismay! He wasn't used to standing on his feet all day long after so much sitting and resting with his eye recovery.  After two months of sitting and doing little else, it was a big transition to have to be on his feet 8-10 hours each day.  It was a mentally, physically, and emotionally a very challenging week.  One of his co-workers asked him if he was glad to be back and he replied, "no."  Well, at least he is honest!  Poor guy!  I miss him.

There are six of these young evergreen trees in our woods.  Each time it snows I go out and shake them clear of the heavy snow.  I really hope I can help them grow up.

Cancellations: 
For the first time in my memory the Post Office closed due to snow storms!  Not only the Post Office but just about everything--schools, libraries, work, banks, stores... Wednesday the temperatures were in the negative degrees, with wind chills something like -35 degrees.  



The high temperature for Wednesday was 1 degree.  It was just crazy weather this week, breaking all kinds of records across the mid-west.  Dh's work was closed Wednesday, but was open on Thursday---which was literally just as bad as Wednesday was!  I don't understand why so many businesses opened up when the weather was just horrifically, epic bad!  



Dh slid all over as he drove to work and home, but thankfully he never hit anyone and no one hit him.  There have been so many countless accidents and slide-offs here.  One day this week I counted SIX cars that had slid-off as we made our way to our destination.  We drove snail-speed!



Migraines:
Last week ended with me starting a migraine cluster on Friday.  Saturday and Sunday were the worst days.  I stayed home from church on Sunday and Dh and Dd went without me; as I had trouble just getting out of bed periodically for bathroom breaks.  It was 'that' bad.  I had a residual headache Monday and Tuesday, but I was back to my normal by Wednesday.




Chickens:
Have I shared that I have a Black hen that is sick?  She is just not doing well at all.  I wish I had the knowledge and expertise to give her some antibiotics to help her get over this bug.  I keep trying to hand-feed her, but unlike EVERY other chicken I've ever had, she really doesn't like to be hand-fed!!!  How is this possible?  I'm praying like crazy for her and hope she can overcome these steep odds.  It is cold in our coop, even with the heat lamps going it just always seems too hot or too cold.  I know it is better for chickens to be colder than hotter, so I try for that lean, but heat lamps aren't high tech!  The rest of the hens are all doing well considering its winter and they aren't getting many greens.  



They honestly barely peck at their store-bought pellets and do not act like they want to eat that.  They go crazy for the food I bring in to them and always want more.  Since Dh has been home the past few months I've been scrambling eggs for them and they go crazy for that!  I've been doing cooked rice with odds and ends mixed in as well.  



This week I've used my smooshing stone and added a bag of pistachio nuts along with the rice to add more protein.  They all look skinnier.  With all the snow they haven't been outside as much.  Tuesday night I didn't sleep well; just worrying over the chickens and hoping the heat lamp doesn't catch the outbuilding on fire.  I'm ready for spring---, especially for my chickens!

Bulletin Board:
I kept working on the design, a little each day, tweaking it until I felt like it was done.  It is super hard working on a thin brown paper that I'm taping to the board.  I'm just doing the best I can considering the situation.  I finally brought it to church.

Dd Academic Progress:



Bible:
Church, Bible Study: Week 19 on Word of Life, Sunday School, and Youth Program



Volunteering:
Nursery at church: 1 hour
Both Olympians and her Library (Story Time) were canceled this week b/c of the awful weather, so Dd didn't get a chance to volunteer at either event.



Volunteering as Hair Stylist:
Whenever Dd's buddy, Hailee (a public school kid) has school dances she asks Dd to do her hair.  Then Hailee's friends started asking to also be included; which lead to Dd doing three girls hair this Saturday.  After she did their hair they went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant.   Dd had a great time doing their hair; she is a natural at that type of thing.



Audio:
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte



Fun Reader:
The 100: Book One by Kass Morgan: In Process



Home Economics:



Dd made dinner on Friday: Rice, Mixed Veg. and a Stir-Fry Chicken!  



For dessert, she made "Moo-Less Pie"



Physical Education:
Treadmill x 3



Doctor:
Well-Child Visit; which went well.  Dd and I are switching to local doctors so we won't have to drive all the way to GR when we are sick.  I found last year that Dd would only feel ill when there were inches of snow on the ground and more falling!  Now, she can get sick whenever she likes and I won't hesitate to take her in!!




Grace Co-Op:
Classes were canceled Thursday night; hours before classes, so Dd had finished all her homework for the week.   She's been working hard even if she doesn't meet for classes.

Cultural Geography (BJU)
Algebra I (Saxon)
Spanish I (BJU)
Introductory Logic
Exploring Economics by Ray Notgrass



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