Two Down,

Five to go.  I got started Investment Cooking today.  First I got the Chicken, Mushroom & Brown Rice Casserole in the slow cooker.  It simmered on low all day until finally it was done and I could portion it out (there's a drumstick under the rice).  This one makes eight servings so I've got a bit of a bonus with this recipe.

After lunch I put together the Chicken Breasts Pierre.  This is an easy skillet recipe that takes very little active cooking time.  Gives me time to wash dishes while it's simmering.  Believe it or not this pan full makes six servings.

Once the cooking was accomplished I dove into the last of the 30 Day drawing lessons--the hand.  I was intimidated but don't think I did too badly.  I think I'll draw it again tomorrow too.

 

My arms and muscles are a bit achy from getting shots yesterday so I only did one Draw Squad lesson today.  I think I did a little less erasing today than on past days.  I take that as an improvement.  Either that or my standards have gotten lower.

 

Today was a woodpecker day.  First a little Downy Woodpecker swooped over to the birdbath for a drink and while it was there a Junco came for a drink too.  Two birds with one shutter snap.

Then after I filled all the feeders a male Downy Woodpecker paid a visit to the suet cakes.  I have to go to the birdseed store this week.  November is when all of the birdseed is on sale so it's time to stock up for the next year.  Buying big bags of seed, etc. is more economical than buying it five pounds at a time and I can drive around the house so that unloading the big bags into the storage cans is easier.  Glad I don't have a fence.

 

I picked up my last UFO, the Man Hat, after supper and added a few rounds.  I was knitting along happily watching the colors make stripes when a knot appeared, and it wasn't joining like colors.  This knot joined the pale gray with black.  You can see it in the upper left on the needle.  Arrgh.  But there isn't enough yarn on the skein to waste any getting to the right color so I just untied the knot and kept going.

Today's toss was a trio of key fobs.

The prompt today said to write a sci-fi story where the enemy can transform into the surroundings so I made the battlefield a bakery, the aliens turned into chocolate chip cookies, and the heroes ate them.  *dusts off hands*  That took care of that.

Man, it was cold today.  I wore my winter coat and a wool hat when I went out to fill the feeders and I wasn't overdressed.  The weather guessers are saying that it's supposed to get up near sixty on the weekend so I figure I'll get in one last lawn mowing then.

--Barbara