Still Cold

I love that it's sunny, I do, but a cloudless sky lets any warmth the sun gives to escape into the great beyond and that has invited an Arctic blast to come over and settle in.  Durwood wanted to make soup yesterday, potato broccoli soup, so he sent me to the grocery with a list.  I was not the only person in the soup aisle getting broth for a husband to make soup, no I was not.  Naturally I didn't read the list right so I had to go back for another bag of broccoli (those dollar bags of mostly stems are great for soup, aren't they?) but I did it happily because I'm hoping he'll share his soup with me.  I'm a good girl, I get soup, right?  Right, dear?  *smiles endearingly, batting her eyelashes in a fetching way (she hopes)*

[and the neighbor guy managed to back out and drive off without a hitch today]

My pal Skully says she has cabin fever and is looking for an adventure, one that we can have for free because, like all of us, the same old money's not going nearly as far as it used to.  She found out that Wisconsin is the only state with a system of Rustic Roads, which are scenic byways all over the state, so we're going to pack lunches, grab our boots, and go explore one, or some, this weekend.  I'm in charge of planning and driving this time and she'll do the next one.  We plan to spend only for gas.  I'll report.  There may be pictures.

After I posted about DD's use of homemade laundry detergent the other day my knitting prez, Vicki, sent her recipe for a dry version.  Aunt B asked for the recipe, so here's Vicki's recipe to get you started.  I'll be researching DD's recipe later today; it makes 3 gallons and is a wet gel-like product.  I'll share that one too.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Ingredients:

            1 bar Fels Naptha

            1 cup of Borax

            1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

            ¼ cup of baking soda

Grate the Fels Naptha. I cut it into chunks and run it through my food processor. (I might get a Goodwill or rummage sale appliance to use for grating soap or just bite the bullet and do it by hand.  I can taste the soap.  Uck.)  Combine the grated Fels Naptha with the Borax and Washing Soda and baking soda and store in an air tight container. Use 2 tablespoons per load.  (I don't know if she's got an HE machine or not; your mileage may vary.)

I just heard Pete on Fox11 say that it's supposed to get up to 12 degrees today!  Heat wave!

January 23--Paul Klee, Black Columns in a Landscape.  Sarah stood on the footpath that led into the next village.  There was the glint of the sea far in the distance and the dust plume of a plowing farmer off to the left.  She heard children playing in the school yard and the purr of a car coming up the hill toward her.  It had been a perfect walk on a perfectly cool day so far.  She was looking forward to having lunch down by the shore.  If only there hadn't been that hand lying there on the path.  Just a hand, no body.  If only she hadn't stepped on it.

Ooh, ick.  How do I think of stuff like that?  Time to get a move on; I get to go to work today.  Oh, I stopped at the dive shop to get my paycheck yesterday and Mr. Boss told me that on Monday when I was lounging in the ER he sold $6000 dollars worth of stuff to the Sturgeon Bay Dive Team.  Six grand!  And I missed it.  Damn.  I don't get a commission so I didn't miss out on a bok of money but I'd have liked to have put that amount of money into the till for once.

--Barbara