Sort of a cold month for projects, but we did make some progress. Rog has started working on his newest hobby: model railroading. He never lost his love for model trains and he saved a few of the engines he collected from 20-40 years ago. But he really wanted a Shay engine. So on the advice from his 2nd cousin Pete, we trekked down to Concord to Just Trains. He not only found his late Christmas present, but loved walking around getting ideas.
While we were down in Concord, we met Laura, my sister, for lunch at Sweet Tomatoes in Pleasant Hill. Had a wonderful 2 hour chat. By the end of January, Rog had the framework for his layout completed. It will take up one wall of the “project’ room and it will be fun to be working in the same room on sewing as he fiddles with his layout.
On the rare sunny, warmer days, Rog worked on wiring for the van. He completed a hinged door for the panels and completed plans for wiring that will allow us to use the alternator, the solar panels, or “shore” power. Should be easier to keep our battery charged up. I was able to get almost ¾ of the back yard weeded. Looks like we lost the coral fountains and the dwarf plumbago to the frost, but I will give them a couple of more months before replacing them. Everything else looks happy and healthy. I spent the first half of the month putting together the 2015 books for the grandkids, then sending them off to the publisher. Then I did a little sewing, making a green ruana cape I have wanted to do for a while. Now I want to make a body form and do some blouses and a skirt.
We had a rare lunch out with Michelle, since she was still on winter break and the grandkids were back in school. Then we babysat the kids while she and Eriic went to a falconry place we had given them for Christmas. They loved it and came back with all sorts of factoids about birds. I was also able to go out to lunch at Three Sisters with another sister, Micki, as she was between jobs and home during the day.
About mid month, I had a routine visit with my doc who urged me to start doing a daily walk. So Rog and I are doing a little over a mile every day, with 2 fairly good hills. Really look forward to it and can remember when I could barely make it up one of those hills much less both!
We had one craft day with the grandkids and we made melted snowmen; sugar cookies topped with icing and decorated marshmallows. The date this month was with Karissa and we treated her to 2 hours at Princess Academy in Folsom. She got to wear a gold gown, high heels, and had her hair and nails done. Then they gave her time to dance around and play for a bit and enjoy it. We hit the pizza parlor for lunch and then headed home. She was gorgeous!!
Ryan and Beth were heading for a Maui vacation for a week so we drove them down to the airport and kept Princess while they were gone. We got sort of attached to her...and really missed the snuggles when she went home. I had forgotten how nice it is to be greeted so enthusiastically when you get home, even if you were only gone for a 20 minute walk!
We finally gave up on our refrigerator. It was part of our closing agreement with the previous owners and I had painted it black so it would blend in with our remodeled kitchen. It did a good job for 2 years but about a month ago, we noticed that it never shut off. We cleaned the compressor and coil area of many years of accumulated dust, checked the thermostat...tried everything we could think of. Finally went to RC Willey and picked out a new black refrigerator with french doors and no ice maker. LOVE IT!! I I think the freezer area is about the same, but the fridge section is much roomier.
The month ended with Max coming in second place for the Webelo section of the Pinewood Derby. Happy Leap Year!!
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