Silent Night

Yes, I've been incommunicado the past couple days. Gloriously, quietly incommunicado.

::sighs::

Left work early on Wednesday, stopped for a last item and looking for another item which I didn't find, and consoling myself with two other items, all very mysterious and such. Books. That's all. Looking for a book I'm interested in but haven't found yet. Stopped at teh last known location of a favourite bookstore, to discover an ice cream store. This is in the same strip mall where a favourite camera store used to be (Harmon's, and I've written about them). I hadn't heard anything about them going out of business, yet still some concern.

I was looking for a bit of tradition, to whit a cookbook for Herself. It's sort of like coals to Newcastle that but always a good thing to do, and every Christmas for some time I've given her another cookbook, amongst other things. So off to a different bookstore, one I patronise because a friend works there. Did find a cookbook, did not find the book I am looking for, did find two other books which I purchased.

Then answered a phone call from alienorade to help moves some book cases about the house. Do we see a trend here? Books. Book cases. Yes, well.

Used the Iternetz at Rittersalle to discover that indeed, Goering's Books did not go out of business, simply moved to within a block or two of their original site. Things changed enough around there since they moved away, parking primarily, and I expect a good portion of their business always has been students though not for textbooks specifically. They did sell books specified for courses, but not textbooks. So sometime in the near future I shall wander over to that part of town and see if I can find the book I'm looking for.

Very quiet day on Christmas. Herself roast a duck, with stuffing, and fresh asparagus I'd picked up from the grocery on the way home. Also baked two pumpkin pies, which she'd caught me in time to request a couple cans of evaporated milk to make. Well OK, she only asked for one can, I picked up two. Checked the mail last stop passing through Archer and found a card from tassie_gal much appreciated... and told the Bros that the card is for them too. Tassie'd mentioned that in the card.

But that's the day before still, Christmas Eve. Friend S stopped by to drop off another traditional, his version of a Whitman's Sampler which isn't chocolate but is that other major food group, beer. He and K were on their way to brother's house for the annual. Sent along (silently) some best wishes for that group of friends as well, as this is the first Holiday season for that family without their mother. So it goes.

Herself also received a (replacement but surprise) new oval crock pot. Brought it in during the early hours of the day, after I'd been wakened by Madam Mary Kitty informing me it was past time for Breakfast #1. Set it in front of the television, and Herself still didn't notice it for nearly half a day. I did seriously expect no notice until at least the first cup of coffee consumed, so this counts as major Points. This is another long-standing tradition of sorts. I present her with things out and truly in the open. Takes her a while to twig to them. Doesn't seem to matter the size, very much.

Duck. Mmm. And the Bros got duck sauce (plus a few scraps) on kibbles. Mmm. We kept an eye on goats (kids fine, Herd of 6 starting to wean) including one doe who appears to be labouring. No kid yet. Not looking optimistic here. Much more later.

Yesterday more of the same (except less duck), and the intention had been to do some straightening and cleaning in both House and Studio. As well as some other odds & ends on teh Ranch. Turned out to be much more time spent with that doe, still labouring, which is why I'm not too optimistic. We'll see. Did replace the last two leaky hose bib faucets, so we're down to a fine mist coming from one hose to water point connection. I'll replace that end of the hose today. It feels a bit odd to walk past those particular water points and not see dripping. Then again, those two particular water points are both 20 year old hardware. Possibly I could tweak one into serviceability, but the other is pretty much falling apart. Despite being brass, there is enough corrosion and lime build up that I think I'll donate the metal to my local brass and bronze smiths.

Evening we traipsed over to Rittersalle for pot-luck and board games. I did surprising poorly at a card game called Dirty Minds, and better kibitzing the Scrabble game that followed. Back home shortly before midnight, off to bed again until this morning when again, Madam Mary Kitty indicated her displeasure at the late onset of Breakfast #1.

Probably more of the same today.

Short Break

While not killing ourselves, we've been keeping busy today. Feeding the Ranch, Houdini and I making a feed run, checking on that doe. Still labouring. Not down, so that's good. Cleaning up some parts of the House. Moving items over to Studio. Still need cleanup over there, but not a lot is moving. All of it parts of projects.

Herself is running some things into town, to Barony people now. Should be back in less than an hour, but even so the evening feeding of the Herd of 6 is mine. Mine and Houdini's.

A good day.