Sunday is usually my favorite day of the week. A day we play catch up, but also put aside some time to have dinner together with whomever can make it over. I look forward to seeing the kids and grandkids, and hearing all about Evelyn’s adventures, while trying to keep Wrenley from breaking herself! Today- well nobody was going out just for fun. We had horrible weather. It rained all night - freezing rain. I could hear it hitting the roof and I could hear the trees crackle and snapping outside all night. After having freezing rain yesterday afternoon, I knew it was going to be slick and awful out. I was actually relieved when I heard the rain turn to sleet, as I thought it might be less likely to stick on the trees and power lines. I worried all night about power outages due to the ice and wind and how bad it would be due to the extreme cold. No heat seems like a terrible idea.
Since I wasn’t sleeping well anyway, I got up early and made hot breakfast, and put a roast in the oven for lunch. I figured running the oven helped take some do the strain off the furnace. My worry didn’t decrease when I saw the blizzard conditions outside, and watched the wind whipping the icy trees around. I told Harper and Saige we had to go out and do chores right then, while we still had power and could come back inside and warm up. Chores took forever due to having to break ice, give everything more bedding, and making sure they all had extra feed. The girls moved the chickens inside earlier this week, under the shed where I thought they would be covered and stay dry. The wind made it where the pen was filled with snow, but they didn’t seem bothered. I added bedding and made a redneck wind block out of straw bales and mineral buckets. It might not have been pretty, but it did help.
Carlos hates the weather. He has to be forced to go out, and he took one step and peed on the front porch! In fairness, the drifts are bigger than he is! Mostly, he has laid around napping or begging Jim for snacks all day.
I had goals this weekend. I mentioned them earlier. If I was going to accomplish them, I had to get started. Today’s projects - paint the new “guest” bedroom, and take down the Christmas decorations.
This bedroom was Saige’s. She finished moving her stuff out while I finished Harper’s dresser. I had painted the bottom drawer blue for a pop of color and interest. Harper didn’t like it. So I repainted it gray. I had taken the drawer pulls off and spray painted them, and I very intentionally set the screws on the booth table downstairs. The cats apparently thought I did that so they had something to play with, so I had to spend 20 minutes finding them! (Dang cats). The veneer took a pretty good chunk out of the wood when I removed it, and although I did sand it down, I didn’t do a good job of it. I have an electric sander, but no sandpaper for that. Next time I will know to wait- that paint will not cover it. But Harper is happy with it, and since it will likely either 1- need to be repainted at some point in the future or 2- succumb to life with teenagers (who break junk) and end up in the burning pit, it’s good enough for now. Live and learn.
The guest room color is called pinch of pistachio. When I took these photos, I could see the green, but when I am in the room, it seems more like a tan or beige color. The carpet in that room is completely ruined (Saige painted in there and spilled a lot!). My friend Grace’s husband loves collecting things he finds on the Nextdoor app (free stuff). He is giving me a very nice area rug, and Grace was going to deliver it this weekend, but the weather ruined that. It also ruined me conning Mallory into coming out to help me paint. Harper and Saige have had enough of my painting nonsense - so I was on my own today. I am almost done. I wanted to finish, but my shoulder is just done. I have a small amount of cutting in around the trim and a couple of holes I am patching. The governor closed all state offices for tomorrow (which is my day job), school doesn’t start back until Wednesday, so tomorrow is another day I have at home, and will hopefully have time to finish up. Saige had a loft bed, I have no idea how to take it down. Jim is having back and leg issues so that will just have to wait. No big deal, I just want the paint done for now. It will get done. I do like the color.
Quincy, Harper and Saige did help me get the Christmas decorations down and put away. It made the house feel a little bit empty and a little less cheerful. I hate taking down Christmas stuff, it seems like it is such work getting it all put up and I am always still enjoying it when it is time to purge it. But I also know when it is time - because we have to pick when we have time to get it done. I’m glad it’s done and I’m thankful for them helping me.
I am saving this here because I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before. All highways in eastern Kansas are closed. We are being told not to leave home unless it is an emergency. I am reading that if you get stuck, you will likely be stuck for 24 hours because they won’t be able to get to you to pull you out. Preston is saying nothing in Manhattan is open. I would guess we have 12-15 inches of snow, with some of the drifts being about 2-3 feet tall. I have spent this day worrying. I mentioned I worried about power outages. I am thankful we have had power this whole time. I pray it stays that way. I have worried about our animals. This weather makes everything hard. I have worried about Colin, who is out rebuilding power lines, he reports that he doesn’t think they got quite as much snow down there, but says the roads are really bad. I have worried about Preston, who was supposed to work today, but couldn’t get his car doors unfrozen. I am glad he ended up calling in! He did tell me he ran out of toilet paper and had walked down the street, where he found out that everything is closed. I have worried about Andrew, who has been out today fixing furnaces. Added to my worry list were my township blade men, who take their jobs to heart and who are not as young as they used to be, and also a mountain of snow on my deck making me worry about the weight of it. (The deck worry resolved itself when I went out to shovel it and every time I pushed some off the wind would blow it back in my face. I no longer care if the deck collapses). I truly do not like winter, and I am thankful these types of storms don’t really happen that often here.
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