February and time flying

One would think that with January and February things would slow down.  Not so!  My son and daughter-in-law visited with Noah and Kate, and it was great to have them here.  The kids are adorable, and it's amazing how well Katherine talks already at 20 months.  And it's amazing how much the little ones know about computers, and especially the iPad.  Evan at 2 1/2 can amuse himself with games on the tablet for hours, and Kate watches videos on it, and knows how to get to the things she wants to watch.
Of course the older kids use them as a matter of course.
We had a Christmas exchange over the weekend, and everyone came over here.

 The littlelest guest fast asleep

Think the living room is too small?

 Katie - how big she got, and the sweetest smile on Noah

The newest pet: Odin, a rescue

Of course we went hiking yesterday after everyone left.  Back to Harriman State Park, just over the border into NY State.  A dusting of snow on the ground, and the path we took didn't have any foot prints in it yet.  Lovely!  We clambered all the way to the top of the mountain again, watching for either fox or coyote tracks, hoping to see either, no luck, though.

 First steps in the snow are ours

 On the top - it's lovely!

Below the lean-to

and I happen to catch Michael just after he landed on his behind,

luckily nothing happened to him.

Still winter, and a birthday

My brother Claus has a birthday today.  Happy Birthday, Claus!  Although he won't read it, he barely reads emails, I have to call and tell him I sent him something.

It was bitter winter last week, a good day yesterday, and a stormy one waiting for us today, followed by more winter.

As always, I'm under time pressure, we're going to work as soon as I'm done.  I finally have an order which will keep us busy a couple of days, after playing catch-up at work, getting the machines oiled, the scissors sharpened, and other maintenance.  We had a water break at work, with water standing several inches on the floors, fortunately we were minimally affected, only a couple of boxes were sitting on the floor in the area that got flooded.  We cover the cutting table and sewing machines with plastic every time we leave, just as a matter of course, so we don't worry about any sudden rainfalls or the weather forecast.

We saw Nicole and the baby last week, which is always fun.  We are working - almost done - on a dog sleeve, which my son wants, to play with his two dogs, he now has another 1-year-old Shepard.

We hiked on Sunday, in Harriman State Park again, I love it on top of the mountain, climbing up the rocks.  It's lovely up there, we had lunch in the lean-to, Michael had made soup, which we heated up.  Despite our being far into the park - you have to hike in, no other way, no cars or other vehicles go in - there were plenty of footsteps in the snow, we weren't alone.  A couple of people poked their heads in the lean-to, but it was ours for the time we were there.

I found antlers!  One side, which I proudly lugged home.

My Amaryllis is blooming, or starting to, and I'll show pictures next time.
Right now we are heading out to join the crowds already on the highway.

Sour dough and cinnamon buns and more

I worked the sour dough today.  It's an experiment, to use sour salt along with the starter to make bread.  I will report back.
Okay, it's two days later.  The sour dough (extra sour sour dough thanks to some 'sour salt', also known as citric acid) took a long time to rise.  I actually cheated and added some yeast.  It took at least 18 plus hours, I was surprised, I had given up on it.  I divided it, shaped it into loaves, and let it rise again, and baked it.  Yummy!  I'm delighted with the result, and will try it again.

The cinnamon rolls are always a success, and I know how to bake them by now, and they are great.

Oh, my, so much to talk about, since we were busy....  I started a new quilt.  I love my new sewing machine, and I had my one-on-one class, and it was ... all right.  I didn't learn as much as I did the first time I went to a class with my friend Sherri.  But I'm good.

After we went out to dinner again, to the Bonefish Grill in Paramus, and while we were sitting there, Michael pointed out the view of the kitchen we had from our seats.  As I was turning around, a gentleman in a suit was walking by, and asked me if he could help me.  No, I said, we were just looking at the kitchen.  Did we want a tour, he wanted to know.  Sue, we said.  So after we were done eating, he stopped by and gave us a tour of his very busy, very clean and very organized kitchen.  At least 30 people work in the kitchen, with probably 7 - 10 cooks.  Very impressive!  He was very nice, we really appreciated it, and we definitely will recommend the restaurant.

We went to see Nicole, Greg, and boys yesterday and took my co-mother-in-law out for dinner for her birthday, just us 'old' people.  It was nice, we went to a German restaurant, where of course the Sauerbraten and red cabbage were on the menu again, which is a must-have on the menu of every German restaurant here in the States.
I got to see the boys, hold the baby for a long time, and I even got to enjoy him quiet, looking at me, and cooing.
Matthew was 7th in a spelling bee yesterday, Jessica made it to the State competition in three weeks, Chuck and Sue want to come visit - it's all good!

These are the photos of today:

It's supposed to get really cold tonight - arctic blast - so we got our walk in the woods in.  It was great!  

Babysitting Tuesday

Today is Tuesday, and we are supposed to get snow sometime during the evening or night.
The weekend went fast, we went to Rhode Island in the fog and dark on Friday afternoon, spent the night in a hotel and visited the 96-year-old birthday boy on Saturday, at my former inlaws house.  With my two daughters and their families we bring the party to wherever we're going!

It was fun and everyone enjoyed it.  My former sil was nice enough to share some sour dough starter that she has has for 30 plus years, and was over 100 years old when she got it.  It is milk, flour, and sugar fed, and I can't wait to try it out.

Sunday?  Working around the house, grocery shopping....

It was nice spending time with the children.  The baby feels so soft and sweet, he has the cutest hair tufts sticking up on the top of his head!  The boys lined up on the couch, all three of them using an ipad, from the two and a half year old to the 10 year old.  Jessica showed her great grandfather some of the gymnastic moves, and the baby was admired all around.

 The 96-year-old birthday boy with his crown

 yes, we wore party hats

 part of the group

 Andrew meeting his great-grandfather

And Matthew and Jessica with their great-grandfather

Back into the usual

We're mostly back into our routines.  Work is busy, life as well.  I went last night to get a lesson on my new sewing machine, but the woman who was supposed to give it wasn't there.  No excuse, no call, makes me feel important.  Oh well, I know how to sew, I'm not going back, 40 minutes to get there, and then not sure if she's there, I don't need the aggravation.
Instead we went out to dinner, a very nice fish restaurant, and we enjoyed it.

I am blogging from my Christmas present, an iPad.  I did have to take it off autocorrect, since it insisted on the craziest words when I tried to type in German.  And wouldn't believe me when I insisted on typing it my way.  So auto correct and I parted ways, it's enough my android finally learned German.
The weekend will find us in Rhode Island, my former father in law is  turing 96!

I am almost finished with the very first quilt!  I mean I found a quilt top I made 15 or 20 years back, and I finally know how to quilt it.   I will have to add a photo later, since I don't know how to from this pad.