Who’s Gabbing and Who’s Gushing

Oh my goodness, life has been so hectic that I have barely written anything on the blog and December is almost halfway done! It seems like we welcomed 2013 just a few months ago! But here we are! We also had the first snow of the season. Now having lived in NC most of the last 16 years, it is very rare we get snow. Kansas has been powdered with some snow, but worse its the frigid temperatures ranging between 5-12 degrees. It is brutal but the doggies love it! One thing I do love it is running in the snow. To this day I remember my first snow run: 2002 while deployed to Bosnia. I remember running around the perimeter of the camp I was stationed at. There was no other soul out there but me, and everything was silent and I could actually hear the big snowflakes falling. It was an unforgettable experience. And so, I was able to go running a few times, although with the crazy temps I ended up running on the treadmill mostly ... Read more →

Today is my Birthday!

My husband woke me up at the crack of dawn to start the day

getting kids ready for school–with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETY!

I really don’t know how I feel about my birthday.

OLD is one good descriptive word.

The count down to 50 has officially begun.

Just 4 more years I believe ... Read more →

Here's my new notebook Well, gosh...things just keep getting smaller and smarter all the time ... Read more →

Ever notice how when the holidays arrive time seems to go right out the window. It started for me almost a month before Thanksgiving. There I was, getting everything done and staying organized, mostly, and before I know it, WHAM!, Thanksgiving had arrived and I hadn't blogged in a month!

The worst of it is that I have no idea what happened to the time. Now, almost a month later, I am still not caught up and don't know if I will be before Christmas gets here.

Oh well.

I suppose my daughter having a few friends for a sleepover the weekend before Thanksgiving, coming down with the flu the day afterward didn't help ... Read more →

FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out – This is what I experienced recently when right before I ordered the restaurant ran out of their famous “pot of gold”, a polenta stuffed roasted pumpkin. I had had it on the brain since my friend over at Recipes and Raised Beds posted about stuffed squash. I am not one to be a victim however, and decided to take charge of my own destiny and roast my own pumpkin. After all, I have stuffed and roasted a zucchini before. This recipe was incredibly simple, more than festive and limitless in terms of stuffing options. It is also a great way to use up odds and ends (notice my mushroom and cheese medleys).

Roasted Stuffed Pumpkin Pots ... Read more →

Lambertville, New Jersey - When looking for ways to improve riding skills or raise equitation scores, most equestrians would never think to turn to the science world for training tips, riding lessons or for solving problems in the dressage ring. Words such as molecules, electric charges and chemical reactions don't seem to naturally coincide with words like piaffe or passage. But for clinical psychologist and horse trainer, Dr. Maria Katsamanis, the two worlds are deeply intertwined. For her, phrases like intermolecular energy exchange and being on the bit co-exist quite nicely.

In a new book that Katsamanis co-authored, along with Dominique Barbier, called The Alchemy of Lightness, she explains how science can easily be converged with the art of dressage, and the results between horse and rider are amazing ... Read more →

This is a more detailed post about making flour and grain mills.

Most of the flour I make is Whole Wheat Flour. I purchase the wheat berries in bulk, 25 pound bags or in 5 gallon buckets, (45 #) I have purchased it from Walton Wheat, Wheat Montana and a few local sources. I have used Hard Red Wheat, Hard White Wheat and Soft White Wheat. I prefer the Hard White. The Soft White Wheat is for pastries and is not used in bread making. The hard wheat berries have a long term shelf life. 6+ years.The soft white wheat berries have a shelf life of about 6 months but can be stored in the freezer for longer storage. I have three grain mills ... Read more →

No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth…

I’ve been busy finishing up customer Christmas gifts. I know the recipients will LOVE their quilts.

Everything will be delivered/shipped by Saturday a.m., so I can enjoy at least one weekend before the Christmas craziness to get some presents bought.

To the folks who followed a FB share here hoping to see pictures of a mosaic t-shirt pillow – I apologize ... Read more →

I got to enjoy some sun and beautiful scenery today, up on Mt. Spokane here in Washington. I am not a fan of the cold but wanted to try snowshoeing for the first time.

It was 18 degrees, about 18 more than it had been recently, which is why we found all the creeks with frozen waterfalls. It was unbelievable. And it wasn't long before I was pitching clothes right and left. I soon learned what might be required and what was just too much, even for these cold temps. It was a workout for me, as I have not even done any real hiking. But I kept at it and didn't make them wait for me... too often ... Read more →

We’ve been invited to join the Campfire LIVE at AroundTheCabin.com every other Wednesday starting today 12.11.13.

Join us at 7 pm PST / 10 pm EST ... Read more →

Welcome to the Mountain Woman Rendezvous (Blog Hop)…. What is the Mountain Woman Rendezvous you ask? It is a weekly online blog hop gathering for like minded folks to share their knowledge, tips, tricks, recipes and such…. I am very thankful for the responses we have been getting on the Mountain Woman Rendezvous. It is something new and fun and we have had some fabulous posts being shared….

Whether you are a true Mountain Woman, a Mountain Woman at heart or you just have something great to share, here is your chance…. Looking for information on homesteading, frugal living, healthy eating, off-grid living, survival, preparedness, homeschooling,etc ... Read more →

I love honey in my tea. Not too much but just enough to take off any bitterness an herb may have.

I have heard several times that the honey we buy at our grocery store...may not actually be honey but corn syrup disguised at honey.

Thankfully the ladies (and gents) over at Mary Jane's Farm did an article for their December/January magazine that sheds some light on what brands are posers.

Our brand was one of them. Oops ... Read more →

December 11, 2013: In today’s show I have the honor of interviewing Jaret Owens of Alaska Guide Creations where we discuss the importance of optics, his guiding experiences and his Alaska Guide Creations Bino Pouch. Be sure to join Jaret on his website and on Facebook ... Read more →

The girls and I had planned to have a pedi/mani day, along with a hand heat wax treatment, right after we completed Monday's housework. They were home from school, and we were going to reward ourselves.

We ran out of time. With my trip to town for pellets, then making dinner, and then time with Hubby, we just plain lost track of time. Oh, by the way ... Read more →

Oh, how I love Bill Murray. Really. I love him. Ever since What About Bob...anyhoo, because of my love affair with The Billster, I simply must watch this particular take on the classic Dickens tale, oh, at least once a week during the holidays.

Movie #11: Scrooged ... Read more →

When I saw one of my closest friends, Cagey, cross the finishing line of the York Marathon this Autumn, knowing the hours and days she had invested in training, knowing she was in pain, and knowing she was raising money for a children's hospice, I was overwhelmed by pride for her. But I also thought "I want some of that." That sense of achievement, of purpose, of euphoria.

Cagey is a woman who sets herself challenges and thrives when she has a goal to achieve. Me? Not so much. I spent most of the first thirty years of my life achieving goals other people had set, so much so, that any ambitions I might have had began to dwindle in my teens.

To begin the Daily Greatness journal project, then, was a tough one for me. A different kind of marathon ... Read more →

ountain Boy Journals has contributed anadult sized paracord bracelet.

Burleigh Balm has contributed a tin of Burleigh Balm which will now be available for sale at TrayerWilderness.com

Trayer Wilderness has contributed a MultiFlame Mini Tool

Alaska Guide Creations has contributed a large black Alaska Guide Creations Bino Pack which will now be available for sale at TrayerWilderness.com ... Read more →

What an odd combination eh? Mr and I both came down with some kind of flu on Sunday and have been pretty much doing nothing since then. Not much work getting done for Mr in the office and I'm so happy that I have 99.9999% of my Christmas shopping done. I have 3 packages to mail out and was going to do that this week but I guess a few more days won't make a difference. I'm all about natural home remedies and when my daughter-in-law told me about cayenne pepper and sore throats I knew I had to try it when we came down with this flu. I'm not a fan of drinking cayenne pepper but I will because it did relieve the soreness. The other home remedy is our sauna ... Read more →

He's peeking at me thinking I can't see him.

This is The Eagle Tree on the Samish River. .Just a smattering--soon the tree will be full of beautiful raptors more as the months go by and then in March--poof--they will be gone.

While we do have many resident Eagles both Skagit and /Stilly Valleys are a wintering over home to Eagles from Northern Alaska and Canada ... Read more →

So, I have not been on Facebook in a week. And I don’t miss it. Not. One. Little. Bit. Except that also means I’m not posting on my page for my blog either.

Seriously though, my positive thoughts, energy, vibes, whatever you feel like calling it has skyrocketed over the last week! Hum, and what does that tell me? Well, that I must be exposed to a whole lot of negativity on Facebook. Have I gotten a lot done? Well yes, and no.

Yes! I finished the window quilt for the large window in my bathroom! And its hung! Wow! This is a big deal ... Read more →