Just Amy

Aldi had pints of blueberries on sale last week, so we bought one, intending to make either pancakes or muffins.

I woke up this morning to the amazing smell of giant blueberry muffins baking in the oven.

Absolutely delicious.

Yes, I am so very spoiled.

Thanks, @mattlevy.bsky.social !!

I love me some crunchy popcorn, enough that I'll have some several times a week. I'd been making it in the microwave using the paper bag method, but when I ran out of bags, I decided to research other options.

In the end, I went with a silicone container intended for the microwave. Worked well. 🍿

My in-no-way-am-I-an-expert prediction? The February numbers will be announced around 130K (so look, all good right?) while the January numbers are quietly revised down significantly... rinse/repeat for March.... April...

We're big fans of batch cooking when we have spoons-it takes the same time to make 2-4 servings of many meals as it does to make 8-12. Baked pasta dishes (e.g. mac and cheese, bolognese, etc) go into small pans and frozen. We also can soup and chili. Quick home-cooked meals on those low-energy days.

Brindle colored dog staring out the window

Telling my brindle colored dog it is going to be 65F today.

Brindle colored fluffy dog with white face markings.

Percy is absolutely ready for all the snow to melt and for mud season to begin.

After all is said and done, I think I put the pocket on backwards on the back, but it wasn't clear from the instructions, so I'll remember that for the next one.

As pattern tests go, I’m pretty happy with this one. I learned a lot, so bonus points.

I want another pocket on the inside, and I might change the fastening for the front (pattern uses hook-loop tape) in my next make. However, this version is totally usable for a purse, once I make the strap.

screenshot of current Kentucky temperatures, ranging from 41F in Louisville to 59F in Bowling Green and even 61F in Somerset - we've been SO COLD, we still have snow cover here. I can't remember the last time we've had snow cover for so many consecutive days.

It's melting! It's melting!!

YouTube video by Belle of the Ranch Let's talk about Trump, troops at the polls, and roadblocks....

The best explanation I've heard yet on why "troops at polling stations" (including armed ICE agents) not only would be illegal, but an **insulting** ask of the military.

I really think the whole idea is propaganda, merely feeding the MAGA base what they want to hear.

youtu.be/WIOevTZkiQM?...

Left: repurposed linen tablecloth for the lining fabric (reds, gold, green flower on white background). Right: green and gold upholstery fabric (for outside layer) and green-tinted strap hardware.

Isn’t this fabric combination just lovely?

Left is lining, right is outer layer.

Downside is, even though I have hundreds of thread colors, finding a decent match was rough. I wound up going with a dark beige which blends well with the gold on outer fabric.

Today's productivity note(s):

I browned and canned 5 pints of sausage crumble for the pantry.

I decided to test a knapsack pattern: picked out two fabrics, cut out the required pieces, applied the interfacing, selected hardware, and prepped the d-ring loops. It's all ready for me to assemble.

Recent meal examples:

* yummy quesadillas using tortillas, "ugly chicken", shredded cheese, and pre-sliced onions

* loaded potatoes with chopped onion, shredded cheese, and canned chili

* home-canned baked beans and weenies

We've eaten all our canned bulk sausage, so that's the plan for tmw.

While Matt has been recovering from his procedure last week, he hasn't felt much like cooking dinner most nights. I've been trying to help him out when I can.

Our canning pantry is allowing us to make some simple, but tasty, meals without too much effort/thought.

It felt particularly satisfying to send a promotional email from the Washington Post "to junk" this morning.

It is officially above freezing today, so we went out to run some errands: Bub's for breakfast (for motivation), Aldi (for groceries), and the post office (for mailing our state tax return).

We're home again (jiggity-jig) and I'm settled in to watch some sewing videos and perhaps take a nap.

Fluffy brindle dog with white face and paws, completely obsessed with his plastic peanut butter jar.

I freely admit that Percy is a bit spoiled.

He loves peanut butter. We save his used marrow bones and will fill them when he needs some good old self-soothing licking. And when the jar is emptied, well, he gets that too.

#dogs #dogsofbluesky

screenshot of weather map showing some light precipitation (i.e. snow) in my region of Kentucky.

My local hourly forecast which clearly is just cloudy all day, no precipitation!

WHY is it lightly snowing? WHY?!?!

This is not in my local weather forecast for this morning, and yet, there it is.

I want to lodge a complaint...

My bit of winter entertainment this afternoon at the bird feeder: a small flock of juncos have been putting on quite the acrobatic show as they flit from tray to ground and back again.

They seem almost oblivious to the greedy starlings who are too large for most perches.

Too quick for pictures.

Spaghettios, cold, straight from the can. Has to be the name-brand though, not generic, not any other style of canned pasta.

Yep, I'm really weird... but when nothing else appeals, I can manage to eat that. I try to keep a couple of cans on hand for emergencies.

I was supposed to be "John Michael" - I have two sons, one has first name John and the other has middle name Michael. And because I am silly, John's middle name starts with A, as does the other's first name.

And I occasionally use my middle name, rather than my given name, as my name-of-choice.

I totally understand! I have three different pairs, depending on what I need to do: close work/reading, distance/driving, and middle distance (computer work, around the house). There's some overlap, and my vision insurance will pay for a new rx every year, so I rotate. I'm never completely without.

2/2 In other news, we already have our federal tax refund (one week after filing!!!), so I've prepped our state tax return (we owe) and will hopefully get it mailed this week.

Next year's tax returns should be even easier!

Now I get to do some window shopping (online of course).

1/2 So Matt had another procedure yesterday afternoon. He's recovering, but slowly. Today, he's in a lot of pain, but his temp is good and he's got a small appetite, so calling it a win, though no errands.

Thankfully, our preferred local pet store delivers, so Percy will not have to go hungry.

Small black and red vacuum named "Henry", with large eyes, a smiling mouth, and the hose attached where a nose would be.

Awww... Henry's cousin!

a penguin wearing sunglasses and a scarf is frozen in a cube of ice Alt: a penguin wearing sunglasses and a scarf is frozen in a cube of ice

Dear Mother Nature,

I can appreciate a cool day every now and again. Occasionally, snow can be quite lovely. Even icicles can be nice in bright sunshine.

But, honestly, I've had enough of these consecutive days below freezing.

Please, my joints are begging you. Bring back our warmer weather.

Not to toot my own horn, but these beans were absolutely amazing. We had an early dinner meal, as Matt has a gig in L'ville tonight. After cooking down, the recipe I followed made five pints, so we ate one, and I jarred up the other four. Those are in the canner to become shelf-stable future meals.

Rather than my usual video-binge for Saturday morning, I've been busy making a huge batch of Boston Baked Beans. They're in the oven now, so I can take a break for a bit.

These are destined for dinner tonight, as well as the canner for future dinners.

The house already smells so good!

There's a sparrow in my backyard, chirping for all he's worth, letting the other small birds know that I've refilled the bird feeders.

"Come quick, before those greedy starlings find it!"

Percy will ignore the smaller birds, but he can't stand the starling flocks and will chase them away all day.

Yep - we have a medical appointment this morning, so we're up extra early too.

Bonus, it is SNOWING again down here.

Good news is we have nothing else to do today, so naps in our future.

Try to have a great day!

I was working with a new stylist and he was really reluctant (at first) to cut it so short, but once he realized I really meant it, he had fun. It had been almost three months since my last cut, so I am glad to see all that hair go!