Livinf in a 100 year old farmhouse, Part 1

Our old farmhouse started over 100 years ago as a cube. Two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. The first add on was a kitchen, built overtop of the old root cellar. The old outside south door became a window. Then a bathroom was added along with a large cement front porch and a small back porch. Next the back porch was enclosed into a mud room. Lastly, the front porch became a living room and a small bedroom, and a small cement front porch was added. It has brick columns and screen windows and door.
A remodel in the 70's divided the kitchen into two tiny rooms, a kitchen and a breakfast room with corner cabinets. The cabinets were shallow and built down for the comfort of a family of 4, the tallest of whom were 5'6".

THEN
Our massive family moved in! Seven children, two parents. My husband was 6'5", our sons were 6'6", 6'2", and 6'1". Two of the girls were 6' and 6'1"!! The breakfast nook was ridiculous, the guys looked THROUGH the mesh cabinets. Nothing was big enough to contain our pots and pans, no more than two of us could be in the kitchen at a time. One night I came home from work to a large empty room where my kitchen/nook had been! The guys had ripped everything out in a few hours. What's a mom to do?
I ordered pizza.

SNOW DAY!!

Even though I no longer have school age kids, and it's been a LONG time since I've been a part of public schools, I still find myself watching the closings to see if "we" have a snow day! So, I now give myself a snow day. Jammies, hot coffee, books, knitting, my fave shows on TV, and permission to not go anywhere!
It's only 4-6 inches, but this is Indiana. Panic ensues and there are not enough plows to make it to the low priority roads, such as ours. In all fairness, the drifts can be close to 2 feet with the crazy wind we have. The guys are pretty good at using our 4WD or tractor to pull cars through.
We, however, at this moment, are safe, warm, and fed. A perfect snow day!

Alone, all alone

Although today was VERY lively with 11 of the grandkids here, tonight they have all gone home. Beloved husband is at work, and son is at a pool party. So, it's just ME. I carefully (and selfishly) saved bits of cooked fresh veggies this week and indulged myself in an enormous fritta for my solo supper. Green beans, yellow squash,zucchini,onion, reheated, cooked with THREE eggs (the DECADENCE!), baked it and then topped with fresh sliced heirloom tomatoes a sprinkling of sea salt! Bliss! I feel positively rich!

I continue to be on a hat kick, knitting wise. Just sent off 3 as a donation to a hospital in New Guinea, have three done so far for Soldiers Angels and another week till I need to send them. What else can I get done for them? Maybe some gaiters?

Also still at work on the Biblical Bits for Knit Wits afghan. We start teaching the class in September and need to have a couple done to show the class.
Also swatching for the Classic Oak Cardigan for DH. And secretly working on the Kiki rug for him for Christmas.

Never not knitting!

The Dizziness

Apparently the enduring dizziness is a secondary infection after a first one. It's called toxic labrythinitis. The room keeps spinning, as if my gyroscope in my head spins to right itself when I move my head. Bending over is a definite no-go. Carefully semi squatting with my head held exactly level is the way I am coping. I got some meds from the doc to help and it DOES help, as long as I very carefully manage when to take it. I just want it to go away!

Supper

Again. Every day, every week, every month, every year. Families just expect to be fed. Tonight, I think that I will sooth their hunger with pasta shells mixed with steamed, chopped fresh broccoli, diced chicken, and my famous white sauce, with some extra garlic added. I think for variety I will top it with buttered cracker crumbs and throw it into the oven.

Phew! 4H camp!

We had to be up and at'em today in order for kids to get slots for 4H camp! We got the last 3 positions and were there 40 min after they opened! Wow! It's such a great deal, $47 for a three day camp. And the camp is beautiful. I'm so thankful that we got 3 of them in, now to hope for that one kid to not go so the other one can slide in as the alternate. I love 4H!

I like this!

visited 20 states (40%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

And now that the 2010 camping season is upon us, I think I should plan trips to fill in some more states!