Trying to get cozy and warm

The phone rang quite early this morning, the voice on the other side gloating because she woke me out of a deep sleep...or so she thought. "No, I already have my coffee poured and I was just ready to go to the sofa to wake up a bit." Great disappointment on the other side as she thought she would get me back for writing about her Pekingese comment yesterday. (I am still laughing at that comment.) Although I wouldn't be surprised if the phone rings Thursday morning...very early.

However, I did promise to inform you that she is not ditsy (she gets this way with each pregnancy). She really did graduate at the end of her junior year in high school, she really did test out of many of her freshmen classes at University and she really was a Dean's Scholar. It's the children, yes, that is it. I have been blaming three pregnancies long before I could blame the diabetes. Although she remembers me as being loopy before the third child came along. Hmmm...I can blame my own mother...Mamaw...that's it. May she rest in peace (although I think Heaven is livelier with her there).

It is a very good thing that we're having such unusually warm temperatures this week. If we were as cold as last week, we would have so much snow we could not get out of our lane. Both my guys are miserable, probably from mold allergies due to the heavy rain and warmer temps. My son and I were ready to leave for homeschool co-op this morning when he said he could not make it. As I left (I had to go since I teach a Literature & World View class), he was on the sofa with his pillow and a heavy blanket trying to get warm.

I stopped at my favorite grocery store on the way home, hoping the rotisserie chickens were on sale so I could make a quick homemade chicken soup. Unfortunately, they were not and I cannot afford their regular price. Fortunately, the old fashioned "raw" whole chickens were on sale for 49 cents a pound! Instead of homemade soup for lunch, it would be dinner. (I learned about using rotisserie chickens for a quick and rich homemade soup from my friend, BB, it really works.)

I bought a chicken, orange juice, the store brand of lemon-lime soda, oranges and bananas...food for those who are not well. As soon as I arrived home, I stuffed the chicken with onions and carrots and put a head of garlic next to it, all to bake for an hour. Then it was all transferred to a stock pot, along with some celery and more salt to simmer all afternoon. I think just the aroma of Mom's chicken soup has to be beneficial. I just added some cooked noodles so it is now ready to serve for dinner.

We're trying to be quieter than usual in the evenings since my son is studying for his final. I listened to The Sampler CD of The Basement Tapes (R.C. Sproul, Jr.) with the CD player and ear phones in the living room. My husband tried to quietly (?) watch his beloved Bears in the family room. Tonight we will once again have to be as quiet as possible as the first final is tomorrow morning (the second on Friday morning). The latest issue of Above Rubies was in the mailbox today. That should keep me quiet for awhile. I may begin rereading the Miss Read book, too. It continues to rain so the sofa, some tea and reading material all go together to make for warmth and coziness (especially if there is a cat present).

Photo from Grandma's Graphics