Another Decluttering Accomplishment & A Chicken Dinner !

It was a very early morning for me today with my "Crabby Cabbie" arriving home in the "wee" hours of the morning around 4:30 am.  I had awoken around 3:30 am,so I was very awake by the time he had pulled in.

Never mind getting back to sleep between Rob's snoring, Mercedes thinking it was play time, and me suffering those uncomfortable "heat waves" most women of my age start to endure.  *Sigh*  Finally getting up out of bed before 7 am, it made for long morning trying my best to remain "quiet" in order for Rob to get some "much needed" sleep.

I had a little mishap Friday morning with the woodstove having a little, or more like a very large, back draft incident with all that wonderful white ash floating throughout the house landing itself on mostly "everything".  I spent part of this morning removing the ash from our furnishings.  Despite the odd instead and the mess, I still do not want to give up the heat of our woodstove.  I am not planning to get rid of it until we are unable to do the wood ourselves anymore ..... too nice and toasty for aching bones on a cold, damp day.  There is nothing like the heat and warmth from a woodstove.

Part of the morning was spent getting the chicken, potatoes, and vegetables all prepared for our Dinner.  One of our own free-range chickens we raised ourselves.  Since this was the first time we home grew our own Chickens, we have learned a couple things, and think we will be trying out some different feeding options when we get our next batch this coming Spring.  Rob and I had the "chicken" discussion over today's Dinner.

Rob did get up around the noon hour, giving him several hours sleep.  Not really enough considering he has to go in to work tonight as Southampton's Walkerhouse has hired him for a couple hours to transport their patrons to and from their Superbowl Party.  He is actually having a rest right now, whilst I sit here blogging away.

The Chicken had been put in not long before Rob had gotten up, with not being done until around the 3:00 pm hour, so I took advantage of this window of time to do some decluttering in our bedroom closet.  I had signed up for the February Declutter Challenge with Carla over at her My 1/2 a Dozen Daily blog, as I am sure I have mentioned earlier.

I did take a "before" picture of our bedroom closet this  past week.  It had been purged and cleaned last Spring, however this past Fall I had been given some clothes that were placed in there and not yet dealt with.  The shelves also got a bit more disleveled as the months passed by, with more clothes more then likely collected and stuffed in there along with the rest.

"This is how our bedroom closet looked before I got started today.  Oh yes there is Christmas stuff shewn in amongst everything else there on the floor."

"I tackled the floor in front of the shelves, and the bottom two shelves.  This is what was purged today, two piles and one very large shopping bag full, all ready to go to the local Salvation Army."

"This is what the newly purged area looks like now.  Can't tell from this picture but trust me the clutter that was on the floor is now gone !"

"Hopefully tomorrow I can "pin" Rob down to go through his three "loaded" shelves.  I would also like to have a "go through" all the clothes on hangers with a good purging of them at the same time, if at all possible."

What a good feeling it is to declutter and organize one's self.  The trick I need to learn is to try to deal with things right at the moment, if at all possible, in order for it NOT to go back the way it was.  Closets and rooms with doors, as I have said before, are all to easy to close and not deal with until we can't stand it anymore, or they fall in on us when we open them .... LOL.  I have had stuff fall on top of my head a few times over the years from a "top closet shelf" !

The timing had been perfect, as once I had dealt with my little decluttering project the chicken had cooked itself to perfection .....

"A nicely browned chicken, with equally browned and thickened gravey to accompany it."

I usually try to use Chicken broth or stock instead of water in the bottom of my roaster while roasting a chicken or turkey.  I do not put in too much broth/stock either, and add the water from the cooked vegetables to increase the amount of liquid when it is time to make the gravey.  

Rob helped me clear the table, I did up the dishes, and then to my surprise Rob agreed to go for a walk downtown with Mercedes and I !!!  Wowsers, it has been so long since we have had a walk together, I really can not remember when the last time was.

"Out on our walk, we happened by another wonderful exhibit of talent by local Chainsaw Sculptor, Bobbi Switzer."

It is really amazing when I think about how much talent is located right here under our noses on the Bruce Peninsula  and in Bruce County !  I am sure I could go around a whole Summer visiting such local artists and talents.  Um.... that would be kind of fun and interesting now that I think about it.

We arrived back home from our walk, me sitting here blogging away and my dear Rob resting up before he has to put his "Crabby Cabbie" hat back on.

A friend of ours emailed me a Video I have been dying to share, just finding the opportunity to do so now.  It takes a few minutes to listen/watch the whole thing through, so make sure you have a few to spare.  I have listened to this video before, but not for sometime so it was fantastic to watch again.  Hope it is enjoyed as much as I enjoyed watching it again, and thanks to Bob Corp for sending it my way.

"February 3rd 1959, 53 years ago, in memory of Buddy Holly."

More talent with wonderful memories of growing up to go along with all of it.  How fortunate have I been to grow up in such a great era ?  Pretty triple dang lucky, I would say !

I am thinking it is going to be another pretty quiet evening here before my "Crabby Cabbie" heads out, with me having thoughts of some TV and my bed not too long after he does, while I await for his arrival back home, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard".