Monday, 1 March 2021: Hartung

the first of March... 

We've had an incredibly mild winter for Wisconsin and while it may seem like it is almost spring outside today, I would imagine that there is still some snow in our future.  No, I am not putting away the snow shovels yet.  

And, OMG, they needed those shovels in Texas!  Texas had the most brutal winter storm they've seen in 70 years.  The power grid totally shut down; grocery stores were emptied.  People are still without water in too many cases and the food supply chain will take weeks to recover.  They didn't get above freezing for five or six days.  No, its nothing compared to other parts of the world.  The difference is that the good folks in Texas simply do not have the infrastructure to deal with Mother Nature.  And, yes, all this on top of the pandemic.  

Meanwhile, back on the homefront, Lloyd and Gloria's kids and grandkids came to play on the river last weekend.  They launched their snowmobiles and related toys at the end of the block and then they were out there for hours.  Lloyd said they hadn't done that in 30 years!  Sure looked like they had a grand time.  Me? I was happy to watch from my front row seat at the kitchen window.  

I'm venturing out with bread making.  I've mastered bird seed bread and now I've purchased some wheat berries so that will be next.  That was quite the research project ... red or white?  Hard of soft?  Spring or winter?  So many choices with wheat.  I settled on RHS.  Meanwhile I tried a whole wheat cinnamon raisin bread and a braided whole wheat caraway bread.  Both were successful.  And, then I even tried a blue cheese swirl bread.  That was scrumptious, but that is to be expected when you start with Blue cheese from Renard's.  

Justin and I are trying to walk most afternoons.  We are still watching way too much tv and we are getting small chores done around the house.  Justin finished installing the lights above the kitchen countertops and he's now working on a new dog bed we got for Gemma.  He needs to fix the handle and then I'll make a cushion insert.  I finished painting the bottom of a filing cabinet and Justin finished going through the paperwork -- some of it back from when the kids were in grade school.    I finally finished painting above the stairs near the back door and above the sink around the new light fixture. 

I think we've decided not to go to Mexico until early next fall.  That plan may change at any time we hear from Peter or Abraham that we need to be there.  For now, we are planning a road trip for May.  More on that later as it develops but its fun to think about somethings getting back to closer to normal... starting with the weather!