SPRING ON THE WAY

 

The high temps will soon be in the 60s with lows above freezing. The days carry reminders that spring will come after all. It was lovely today, but even if the sun doesn’t shine quite so brightly, we still see the daffodils pushing up and the trees budding out. The days are noticeably longer, and by the way, the switch to daylight savings time is coming right up – March 9.

But – all danger of frost is not past. It was 32 again this morning, even though our daily highs have approached 60.

Last Sunday (Feb. 23), Mike and I drove to Moscow for a presentation of the Edwin Moses documentary, Moses: 13 Steps. Moses was in attendance to introduce the movie and then respond to a “guided Q&A.”

We left home about 3:00. A winter weather alert specified an atmospheric river, but it didn’t happen in the Valley. Instead, we found it as we drove across the Palouse. It was dark and foggy, and the heavy rainfall resulted in water on the highway. I thought it was scary.

The movie commenced 15 minutes late and lasted 105 minutes. Who except me would have counted those minutes? The fun part was the opportunity to see a movie in the old theater of my college days. It’s now operated as a non-profit for presentations, plays, and vintage movies.

After the movie, the interview began. I thought the questions were rather intellectual and didn’t spark my interest. Between the third and fourth questions, Mike motioned that we should leave. The atmospheric river still flowed freely until we reached the brow of the Lewiston Hill, where it gradually decreased to an intermittent drizzle. We arrived home at 7:30, and I for one was grateful to be here. I even turned down Mike’s offer to pick up food and made creamed tuna on toast for our late supper. (Note to self: plan better next time.)

What did we think of the movie? Well, Moses is considered the greatest 400-meter hurdler of all time, an athletic phenom, and I think this is the reason a person would make the effort to see him in person and watch the movie. While it certainly encompassed his athletic career, Mike and I agreed that somehow the presentation of his athletic accomplishment felt like an afterthought. And this is all I should say because beyond cheering my children on – and this was a long time ago – athletic competition just isn’t my interest. KW

SAYING GOOD-BYE TO JOANN

 

It’s warmer now, reaching 50 degrees yesterday and 60 today (Feb. 22). The forecast shows little variation in highs and lows – a dangerous situation which causes spring growth too soon. But then – maybe this is the least of our worries.

As Mike rode off on his bicycle yesterday afternoon, I went to town for groceries – AND to see what’s happening at JoAnn’s, where preparations are underway for closing. A sign on the door says that they no longer accept coupons at this store. I wandered around for 15 or 20 minutes and bought nothing. Most items are marked down by 40%, but I was not enticed. The yarn department was not quite bare, but it looked like the most popular yarns, such as Caron and Red Heart, were depleted. All fabric is marked down but you must buy at least one yard. I checked storage bins and baskets, but there weren’t many in stock. Some display racks, such as bias tapes, were looking bare, while others still seemed well-stocked.

“I could just cry,” one guest remarked to another at the cutting counter.

“What about Walmart?” asked the other.

“Oh, they have a little fabric, but – well, the quality is questionable.”

And to the cutting clerk, “I hope you find a good job after this.” (No audible reply.)

We will find other ways to shop for our stitching needs, but it seems like these closures affect communities like ours the most – basically rural and somewhat remote. Even as I say this, my friend in Cedar City, Utah, where shopping is limited, is relieved that her JoAnn Fabrics is not closing. She says it’s a big store, larger than the one here. 

Was this my last trip to JoAnn? Possibly. I have plenty of fabric, yarn, and lots of trims and notions. I hate to say it, but I probably have enough to last the rest of my life. KW

A WINTER REMINISCENCE

 

Ina was pleased with the panoramic effect of these two photos. 1934

In February 1936, my grandmother wrote the following to my dad:

We have about three feet of snow and it is cold. It began piling up week before last and we have had sub-zero weather off and on ever since. A week ago Friday at 9:30 p.m., it was -12 degrees. That’s the coldest we have noted. Yesterday a.m., it was -8 degrees, this a.m. -6 degrees. The highest we noted today was +4 degrees. Dad keeps a lantern in the cellar “of a nite” and nothing has frozen. At Musser’s it registered -19 degrees. Reports from Saskatchewan are as low as -55 degrees, Montana -40 degrees. I dread to think of Pearl [a daughter living the farm life in Alberta]. They were on a little trip to Stettler in January and got onto ice and nearly had an upset. Then they couldn’t get the car out of the ditch and started, so Al [Pearl’s husband] had to go for help half a mile away while Pearl sat in the car at -31 degrees. Sometimes they use a sleigh in such weather.

Grandpa and Dick the Dog, 1934

Ina continues: The front door is corked up. We have been using the dining room evenings during this cold weather. It is so much warmer, but I’m going back to the living room as soon as possible. I make a little fire in our room every evening now so that the bed is warm. I warm my clothes by the stove.

Taken in the 1920s

Brrrrrr! Winter on the farm was difficult in that era. My grandparents didn’t have indoor plumbing, so Grandpa hauled water, and of course, it fell to him to split and carry firewood into the house. They heated with wood – no furnace. And especially in remote areas, this was common in that era. As we know, it’s tougher to tolerate cold temps the older we get. Even though Mike and I sleep in a cold room by choice (his), I’m grateful when I get up in the middle of the night that the bathroom is just the next room instead of outside.

Bess has been sleeping inside on her pillow the last couple of weeks while the nights are cold. She expects this now, but Mike will probably convince her to retire to her kennel again when it’s warmer. KW

FAILURES

I hope your plumbing didn't freeze.

We're in the midst of a cold snap. It was +5 at our house this morning. The day is bright and sunny, but the anticipated high is 28. We're fine. We have plenty of food, but the streets are dry, and we have been getting out. Days like this remind me of winter scenes on Christmas cards. 

I can't believe I let a full week go by without updating the blog. I have been writing, though, composing my victim impact statement with regard to Milo's wrongful death. Even though the court has reached out to us for this, I'm not sure it really matters. Milo is now just a name in passing while they focus on sentencing his murderer.

So, last week I tried to make a custard impossible pie with powdered egg replacer, and it didn’t work even though my laptop said it would. The end product was gross and inedible but even worse, it boiled over into the oven. What a mess, but Mike cleaned the oven for me, bless his heart.

I thought perhaps I used the wrong nomenclature when I asked my laptop for advice, but I searched again, and both powdered eggs and powdered egg replacer should work in your custard pie, so what else could have caused this debacle? I suspect I should have used my old-fashioned flat Pyrex pie plate instead of that wonderful deep-dish model that’s so easy to clean.

“You’re just bound to have some failures,” someone remarked when I was a bride. I thought it was a strange thing to say, offered out of the blue as it was, but every now and then I hear her saying it again.

Watch for the full Snow Moon tonight.

After the custard pie debacle, I just didn’t have the energy to start over with a fresh dessert, but since then I have made a Country Rhubarb Crostata. I call most of my pies crostatas these days. I just make a bigger round for the bottom crust and fold it over the top.  KW

DINNER BY CANDLELIGHT

 

Mike had had his shower and was resting before supper as is his wont. I was just ready to step into the shower when suddenly the world was plunged into darkness. Fortunately, my battery-operated candles still shine brightly from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, so Mike brought one to the bathroom for me.

We weren’t in bad shape really. There was still plenty of hot water, and Mike had started the evening fire in the little stove. A potato baking in the oven was close to done. I had made a salad and pudding for dessert. Mike moved my candles (sets of three) from the window to the kitchen, and they gave off enough light for me to finish cooking and then they graced the table for our supper. Meanwhile, the winter storm warning had come to pass. It was cold and snowing.

As it happened, Avista (our utility) had warned of outages this winter, so we brought the generator to town when we closed the farmhouse. And Mike was on it! It was slow to start, but he got it going. He plugged in the microwave so that I could finish warming supper dishes. Then he plugged in the wood stove and the TV set. At 7:47, as we watched the news, the electricity was restored.

Early in the afternoon, a pick-up hit a pole and sheared it off about half a mile from us. Apparently the outage occurred as Avista was fitting the transformer to the new pole around 6:15. Our household was one of a reported 1,400 without electricity. KW

EGGS

How about the price of eggs?! My computer tells me that the egg shortage will continue through 2025. How will this impact Easter and the egg hunts? Well, I’ve been out of the Easter egg hunt scenario for years – happily so – so maybe we no longer hide real eggs anyway.

We have used liquid egg substitutes for years in the great fight against cholesterol, and naturally, that product is even more expensive now. Plus, the quality can be iffy, and after opening, they should be used within a week. Looking for alternatives, I bought Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer (powdered eggs) at Albertsons for $6.50, and they work well in baked goods. One package replaces 34 eggs, so it’s definitely a bargain at today’s egg prices. It’s just not going to help if you want eggs with your bacon.

There are other ways to replace eggs in baking, too. Do you have a favorite?

It isn’t Valentine’s Day yet, and here I am talking about Easter (April 20). Maybe you can tell I don’t have much to write about. Mike and I both have dental issues, and little Silas fell going up stairs the other day and chipped a front tooth. He seems to be coping better than his parents. “Welcome to parenthood,” I say.

I have been kicking myself for developing such a fabric / yarn stash, but if prices soar, I might just be grateful I have projects waiting for me in the shed.

And that’s the news from here – for now. KW