Cold, Clear Windy

Cold and real windy today, I mean real windy. When the hay mow creaks above the barn apartment it's windy. Good day to have my hands in hot water, as in washing dishes. They collect all week and I wash them on the weekend. It's unbelievable how many dishes two people can go through. I cook every night (well, one night we had take out - eggplant parm, hmmmm good) and then there's the dogs and cats, who are practically family members. I'm glad it was nice for the farmer's market yesterday. It felt like casserole day and I had onions that were growing lovely green shoots out of them, so I made my potatoe, onion, green pepper and carrot casserole. I add lots of curry powder and dill, along with salt and pepper. I cut up the rhubarb I bought from the older lady who puts it out on the roadside on the way to work and boiled it with fresh strawberries for dessert. I find the food around here rather bland. I think living most of my life in NJ with so much "ethnic" influence got me hooked on spicy food. My mother also put a lot of pizzaz into her Southern cooking. The BOCES Culinary kids are terrific cooks, but sometimes I think they don't put any salt in the rice, potatoe, or pasta water. Blah! I love to eat at Franks in New Berlin. He settled in NJ after he emigrated from Sicily and learned to cook there. Everything is delicious in his restaurant. I made a batch of Gingerberry soap. Gingerberry is a blend of ginger spice and bayberry oils and one of my favorites. I have a show coming up in New Jersey at an alpaca farm and want to have it ready by then. Rosemary soap is on deck. Earlier we caught my big Merino wether, Othello's brother (what do I call him???there's that cognitive difficulty again!) to cut the wool away from his eyes. He was completely wool blind and was following the flock out to pasture using other senses. Once in a while he would walk into the fence. He may be blind but was still able to run when we went to catch him, dodging and doubling back. Matt held him while I wormed him, clipped his hair and hoofs. He was a pussycat once caught, even though he's big as a pony. Now he can see where he's going. Bluefaced Leicesters are blissfully free from wool blindness as they have no facial hair. Merinos are covered with wool from head to toes. I have to put on a sweater and long pants to go outside and work in the barn. I wonder where my fleece pants are? Thought I was finished with them. I'll close with a picture of my potter friend, Suzanne Farrington and her friend. They entertained the patrons of the farmer's market with accordion and ukelele music. It was lovely.