26-1/2 Hours.....

and we finally have power!!!

And we aren't even home to enjoy it!  Tonight is Nonni night!

But a well deserved shower will be the first order of business when I got home later!

I hope you all have a safe night and electricity too!!

Sandy Aftermath

I am home today.  My boss said we could all work from home.  Roads opened at 8:00 am.  But there is no power in our office building.  I am going to try to connect to our office computers at 9:00 am, to do some work.

We still have no power here in the house - we lost it about 5:30 last night.  We put on the generator from 9:00 to 11:00 last night to keep the freezer and the refrigerator going strong (and to see what was going on in the world on TV).  Then we put the generator back on at 6:30 this morning to again take care of the freezer and fridge.  Since I have a gas stove, I was able to heat water for a bath and was able to make coffee in an old-fashioned percolator on the stove top.  Eggs and toast for breakfast on the stove top also!  We will shut off the generator later this morning.

We lost a part of our fencing in the back yard, but we can't complain.  The fence can be fixed.  There is a tree across the road up the street and that is why we have no power.  Once the crews get out and about in the state, I am hoping to have power in a day or two!

We have a couple of outlets that I can use to charge the computer and my cell and use the crock pot!

We will manage!  I feel like I am on an adventure!

We are ready

Food is stocked, generator is ready, water is in the bath tub and in other tubs and water bottles are ready.  I have enough canned food and canned (from me) food to last a week or so.

I am not sure what we can expect, but they (news media) is saying that we are going to get winds and storm surges pretty bad.  I am not near the coast (but at the top of a very high hill), so storm surges will not be a concern for us.  The winds and the loss of power will be our nemesis.

I went into work this morning for about 1-1/2 hours.  I did what I had to do and now I am home and plugged into work, to work from home.

I am charging my phone, my computer, doing laundry and getting prepared.

I have two crock pots filled with pot roasts, potatoes, carrots and peas.  Dinner for tonight and tomorrow night.

We are ready!

I hope you are too!

Home again

Well, we left yesterday morning and I am home from Pittsburgh right now.  They cancelled our Monday morning flight and we were able to book the last four seats on the last plane out of Pittsburgh to Hartford.  God is Good!  If we hadn't gotten on that flight, they told us they could get us out on Wednesday or else we would have driven the eight hours home!

I have a lot to blog about, but for now, hubby is at the store for some last minute things.  I am unpacking and having a well deserved glass of wine, (which will be the subject of a blog, relatively soon) and my boys just finished getting everything locked and situated for the storm.

Hurricane Sandy - we are ready for you!!!  I hope you don't come, but it doesn't look promising.  Our governor has stated that we (CT) has NEVER seen a storm of this proportion.  Never!  It is unprecedented - and we thought Hurricane Irene was bad last August!  We shall see how this all pans out.

We have a generator this year, and food and drink, and they have already cancelled both of my sons jobs for the next two days!!!  Already!!!

Pray!

The Biennial Trip

This is our Pittsburgh weekend.  The last time that I went was two years ago.  Looking forward to a great game, a great weekend and a Steeler win!  I'll post pictures when I get back! 

Hoping we get a full cast of characters (players) that aren't hurt this week!

Naples

We had a great trip to sunny Florida.  The weather couldn't have been any more perfect.....The food was perfect, the restaurants were wonderful, the company was fabulous and even the airline flights were on time and not bad at all.

We couldn't have asked for more!

I can't upload my pictures, so I had to use Eva's shots for now.  I will post more as the days go on!!!

CSA Week 21

Here is my list for this Friday:

Full Share



2 butternut squash
1 large cauliflower or broccoli
1 cabbage
2 lbs of sweet potates
1/2 lb brussel sprouts
2 sweet peppers
2 bunches of carrots
1/2 lb asian mix
1 large or 2 smaller leeks

This share will be all mine!  Next week is the last share that my sister and I will split.  The week following will be the start of the Fall Share (which is all mine!).  It looks like I'll be doing some more salsa this weekend.

I will post about my trip to Naples when I have some time tonight!

Anonymous

I took off the word verification on my blog for the last month or two, because someone found it difficult to use ( this is the area where, when you post a comment, you have to put in the numbers or letters to verify you are a human).

Most unfortunately, since I took it off, I have been getting TONS of anonymous comments from all over the world (and most of them are for erectile dysfunction) (aren't I lucky!!). 

I am EXTREMELY tired of these anonymous postings so, I have had to put on the word verification again!

For those of you, who read my blog, but do not follow me, please scroll half way down the page and on the right is "join this site" (my first directions were wrong - THANK YOU, Yvette, for telling me).  You will have to put in your email address.  This way, I know you are out there!  And PLEASE, please, please Comment!  I love to know you are there and would love to know your thoughts on my blog!

It will be much appreciated and it will be nice to see HUMANS reading my blog, instead of some computer from Japan commenting about Viagra!!!!!

Have a great day!!

Guess where I am??

I'm in my happy place.....Naples, Florida! :)


Girls weekend away....AHHHHHHH!


I'll be away from blogging for awhile!  Have a great weekend!  I'll post about our time when I come home! 

CSA Week 20

Our share for this week!

Full Share

2 lbs green tomatoes

3 sweet peppers and 2 hot peppers

1 bunch of radishes

1 head of green, baby romaine, or red leaf lettuce

1/2 lb asian salad mix

1 fennel bulb

2 lbs potatoes

1 butternut squash

2 leeks

1 cabbage

1 bunch turnip greens

My sister gets the whole share this week and I get the whole share next week! 

Zumba No More

I taught my last Zumba class last night.  It was bittersweet.  I know I'm going to really, really miss the teaching and the students and the friends that I have come to know, but I also know how much I am going to enjoy more time to do things for myself and my family. 

Change is always hard, but it will be good! 

To all my students....Thank you for over 2-1/2 wonderful years.  You are truly appreciated!!!

Much Zumba Love,
Maria

Bottles

We were down to four bottles from our last batch of wine (see first attempt) making, so the timing of the wine bottling was perfect.  (I have to say that we gave away about half of the wine from the last batch, we didn't drink that much! ) LOL

In this batch, my husband made 73 bottles of wine.  I did the the corking! (which is not an easy job).  It took us about 2-1/2 hours to do all the bottling, corking, and cleaning, from start to finish, over two evenings.  

This time he decided to try a Mixed Black - a combination of grapes which is very dark and not very expensive.  The Mixed came out good.  I will drink it, but it is not my favorite!  He also decided to try a Zinfandel - a rose colored wine which also came out good and it is sweeter and is not as strong as the Mixed Black.  The third one was a Barbera (we also made this one in the last batch).  And this time the Barbera is the WINNER!  It really came out excellent and even though our last Barbera came out great, this one is just better!  

We haven't put the bottles on the wine shelves yet, as my brother said to keep them upright in the boxes for a day or two and then lay them down on the shelves (it has something to do with the corking).  

Job well done, Thomas!

(He is doing another batch this month, so if anyone is still interested in learning and making wine, NOW is the time....let me know!)

Goodbye again

.....at least for another 8 weeks.  My daughter was only home for about four days, but she did a lot and got to see a lot of family and friends!  We were all home when she left so it was a little emotional!  Goodbyes are always hard, aren't they?

(This picture was taken as she was leaving on Sunday to head back to the airport - her first time flying by herself!)

First Fire, First Frost

On the night of October 12-13, 2012, we had our first frost here in my part of CT.

Last night, my hubby was watching a program on TV that I had no interest in, and I was cold!   It was 62 degrees in the house, so I decided to have a glass of wine and light a fire!  My fire place is in my dining room, away from the den where the TV is.  It was nice to just relax!

Blogging in front of a fire is rather nice!

Marinated Eggplant

My brother got a case of eggplant for all of us siblings to make marinated eggplant.  I couldn't be there the night that they were all working on it, (because my daughter was home), so I made my own.  I made it different than last year in that I actually used the ingredients that I was supposed to use!!!

It came out really good.  From three large eggplant, I got 1-1/2 quarts of marinated eggplant!

CSA Week 19

Here is our share for this week:

Full Share

2 winter squashes (butternut, spagetti, kabocha)

3 lbs of tomatoes

2 sweet peppers

1/2 lb hot peppers

broccoli or cauliflower 

2 lbs of potatoes

2 leeks

1 bunch of carrots

1 bunch of radishes

2 bunches of turnip greens

My sister got the spaghetti squash last week and I've been dying for it, so this week, I'm hoping to get one! 

Prodigal Daughter is Home

My daughter flew in last night from college.  It has been almost eight weeks since we have seen her and she looks great and couldn't wait to see the family, her friends and her DOG! 

She heads back down South on Sunday and then will be home again on December 10th....which will be another 8 weeks away!

I'm glad she is home! 

Modern Pizza for dinner tonight in New Haven!
Macaroni and Meatballs for dinner tomorrow night!

These were her only two requests!!

More canning and more wine

I made three more pints of salsa this weekend.  I think I have a total of 10 quarts now (in all different sizes).  I haven't had time for the marinated eggplant adventure, but I'm thinking maybe this coming weekend. 

My hubby should be bottling another 70 bottles of wine within the coming month and then he is going to start a new batch of wine for the upcoming winter which will be ready next March. 

My cold room is filling up and I'm extremely happy!

A sign of ?

I don't think it's a sign of fall, maybe just a holdover of summer.  I picked this beautiful rose from my garden on Wednesday afternoon.

CSA Week 18

Here is the list for this weekend!  There are only a few more weeks left! 

Then the Fall Share starts and I will not be sharing this. 

I was able to make 1 quart and 1 pint more of salsa this past week!  I am making it in small batches and it takes about an hour from start to finish!  I think I have finally run out of jars, though!  It is time to buy more of the pint size jars! 

Full Share

1 spaghetti squash

3 lbs of tomatoes

2 sweet peppers & 2 hot peppers

1 lb of green or yellow beans 

1 lb of broccoli  

2 bunches of radishes and/or hakurei turnips

1 bunch of carrots

1 bunch each of turnip greens and collards

1 bunch of swiss chard

1 bunch of kale

1 lb bag of asian salad mix and leaf lettuce mix

     

Freebies this month

Here are the things that I got for free this month!  I seem to be getting less, because most free offers are on Facebook.  I haven't been on FB in over a year and have no intention of going back to it!  It just wasn't for me.  But I do miss my load of freebies!!!

1 Shout Color Catcher
1 bag of Purina Cat Chow
1Sample of Simply U  Shampoo/Conditioner
Watermelon - CSA
1 Clif Builder's Protein Bar
2 Tabs of Finish Quantum Dishwasher Detergent