Three Days Off

We got home last Wednesday morning around 6:00 am, and needed a break. So we told the guys at the office we'd be ready to leave Saturday.

Here is how my three days off went:

Wednesday:

After getting the truck unloaded, getting cleaned up, and throwing a load of laundry in, we went for breakfast and then ran errands in town. The biggest item on the agenda was ordering bookshelves for my library. We ended up not getting home till 8:30 that night. I think we went to every furniture store in Billings, but finally got the job done. That back wall in my library is 18 feet long and a little less than 4 feet high and the whole thing is going to be book shelves. I also ordered two chairs and ottamans as well as a side table. Can't wait till it all gets here!While we were out I also stopped in B&N and picked up a birthday gift and the Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook for the girs, as well as took Malcolm to Wild Birds Unlimited to show him the neat feeder systm they have. I had bought the beginning set, but there are all sorts of attachements you can get. I was hoping he'd get interested and he was really into it! He even ordered a feeder he liked that they were out of stock on and bought a heated bird bath that mounts to your porch railing, but he's going to make a post for it and put it in the yard.

Thursday:

Thursday morning we had to go to the grocery store because we never made it there Wednesday while we were out. We also, finally, went to a bank in Billings and opened an account, something we'd been needing to do for quite a while.

Afterwards, we went home and while Malcolm was working in his shop I made sweet potato chews for the girls by slicing sweet potatoes and putting them in the dehydrator. I also made "Apple Cinnamon Muttins" out of my new cookbook. The girls loved them.

I also did what felt like 300 loads of laundry....I was a little behind, plus all our bedding from the truck had to be washed as Ella had had a few accidennts, plus she'd had an accident in our bed at home the night before. Well, all those sheets and blankets can easily feel like 300 loads of laundry.
While I worked, the girls played and then camped out in front of the wood stove. I got them a new bed. Carlie and Paris don't know how to use it correctly, but Ella figured it out and demonstrated for them.

Also Thursday morning I was delighted to discover that after a month of frustrated waiting, the birds had finally found my feeders. Granted, it was just a bunch of sparrows (about 30-40 of them) but maybe if they found it, the others will soon come too. I was thrilled. I had to take pictures to prove to myself that I had birds at my feeders, and I unknowingly took this shot of a bird in flight. The spring feeder in the lower part of the picture is my new addition that I picked up the day before at Wild Birds. It has whole peanuts in it, and then in the spring, you can put nesting material in it for the birds to take.

Friday:

Malcolm returned to his shop to work, and I began the project I had set this day aside for. I spent the whole day, practically, working on my little Valentine quilt project. Its just a small thing for hanging on the wall or laying on a table, which was perfect for me because I'm not very good at this yet. Anyway, I was very proud of this project because this was my first time ever cutting the fabric without a coach there to help me. I did it all by myself. And while not all my seams met up exactly where they were supposed to, it was pretty close and I am very happy with the outcome. I still have to applique the heart and then of couse it needs quilted and binding, but I had a lot of fun and it was fast and turnedd out pretty.

Saturday:

Saturday we wern't leaving till in the evening sometime, so the day was spent getting things together, finishing laundry, and doing a little relaxing in front of the TV. I wanted to share a couple of my new favorite things for breakfast.

Malcolm's mom fixed this coffed at Christmas and it was really good. I thought it would be too strong, like McD's coffee, but its actually quite yummy.

Also on the menu was my favorite 7 Grain Cereal from Wheat Montana. You can order this online. Their oatmeal is also good. I usually throw a handful of dried cranberries into the boiling water just before I add the cereal. Its really yummy. But today, I had an opened jar of applesauce (leftover from my "muttins" for the girls) and Malcolm said it was good in the cereal. So I stirred a couple of spoonfuls into my bowl along with a little brown sugar and it was SO yummy. Give it a try if you havn't had it that way before. I bet it would be good in oatmeal too.

And then one quick little romp in the snow before leaving. There is a photo contest on a dog bakery website. You win half a pound of their organic dog biscuits. This months theme is "winter fun" and I can't decide which of these photo's to enter. What do you think? I'm leaning towards the bunny kisses because I zoomed in more.