A raw, cold, windy today

I was awakened at 5:00 this morning by loud barking outside and an upset stomach, either of which would be enough to keep me up. I decided to brew some of the peppermint tea my dear friend from Texas sent me for my birthday this year. It helped the tummy but had no affect on the pooch! :)

I was too tired to read and I've found Cable and Direct TV both frightening at this time of the morning (we have Direct TV) so I laid down on my living room sofa with two cats near me and watched my little television, hooked up to an ancient antennae. There's actually pretty good stuff on these stations, including This Old House Classics. I have neither the energy nor inclination to do most of what they teach, anymore. However, I always learn something. This episode had excellent advice on landscaping in cold climates (and my climate is getting colder each day).

Since I knew I'd probably drift off to sleep, I set the timer I use for baking so I wouldn't miss calling my son to wake up. We had some fierce storms come through yesterday evening. He had called me from Wendy's, where he had met a friend when he finished work. He said the rain was so heavy, he could hardly see and that was in town. So, we both agreed it would be better for him not to even attempt the drive in the country where it is dark and the roads are narrow. Fortunately, we have good friends (our Jewish friends, former neighbors in our old neighborhood) whom he can spend the night with at the last minute. With two of their older boys out of the nest, there are plenty of places to sleep. My son keeps his cell phone on high and near his pillow for the Mom Alarm.

It wasn't until he arrived home this morning, to quickly change and get ready for work again, that his Dad noticed he had a flat tire. Dad was able to get air in the tire with a portable pump which he sent in the car with him to work. He will probably have to fill the tire again after work before heading for a planned visit to a homeschool family we know where a group of guys are going to play computer games. The timing is good, the Dad of this family may know how to patch the tire.

So...I'm home on Saturday where it is very cold outside, the wind chill may dip into the teens and it is still damp (cold enough to "spit snow" but none of the heavier accumulations to our West). In between doing necessary housework, I'm going to watch Food TV cooking shows. I love cooking shows this time of year when they begin their Holiday shows. Today they will be about Thanksgiving. I get the "bigger" TV and my husband gets the tiny one in the living room since the local station will carry the college football game he wants to watch.

I am going to have soup for a late lunch and perhaps put together bread in the bread machine (always on the dough cycle and baked in the oven). I have a sugar cookie recipe I want to try. No, not the kind you roll out, if you read earlier this week you know my frustrations with those recipes. :) I found a drop sugar cookie recipe in an Amish cookbook and wrote it in my notebook. My son loves the sugar cookies sold at a couple grocery stores but I refuse to pay that much for cookies, not to mention what the food colorings in the frosting would do to him! So, I've been trying to find something similar. He says the pumpkin cookies are close so I may also make some of them today. They will all freeze well, unfrosted.

I am defrosting a package of smoked sausage to make Cheesy Braut Stew (using smoked sausage for the meat) tomorrow afternoon. It's one of his favorites and he has had a rather difficult week. Comfort food is part of being a Mom! My husband loves soup so he'll be happy to find it on the menu today. All these recipes are on my recipe blog, at the top of the links.

Don't you love this picture? I can just see serving an autumn tea in that room. It is called The Warmth of Autumn by Susan Rios.

Now, to get the soup started!