Besotted Chicken and a Remedy

It was a full day yesterday. Everything was accomplished with the exception of the one assigned housekeeping chore. As I've mentioned before, I have my priorities. The kitties were ready to help. It's cold outside these days, and so they're spending a lot more time inside lap hugging. Smitty likes sitting between Mike's legs.

Sadie likes to curl up on my lap while I do my slow stitching in the morning. Here, she's showing us that she's really not such a pipsqueak after all. She's could even be considered long when she stretches out to her approximate 12-inch length. This is her sun worshipper pose. She figures it can't hurt.

A little earlier than I'd hoped, it was time to get to work making the Christmas Jam. The recipe calls for fresh cranberries, an orange, some "slightly thawed" frozen strawberries, cinnamon, and cloves. It was the "slightly thawed" part that threw me. Mine were slightly thawed before I was really ready, but no time like the present, right? So I had this done by about 10:00 a.m., which is a rather uncivilized hour for canning. It's pretty though...

And it tastes good. The strawberries sweeten it a little bit, and the orange flavor comes through the tartness of the cranberries. It's a jam for people who don't like their morning toast too sweet. I'll definitely make it again. If you take a look at that recipe and are thrown by the "calcium water," just know that it's part of the process when you're using Pomona's Pectin. Pomona's was new to me this year, and I'll admit to being a little worried about anything that uses one of the elements found on the periodic table. I had visions of the pipettes and glass flasks that make up my nightmares of high school chemistry class. Mr. Madison...what a dweeb. But let's just not go there, okay?

So anyway...I found Pomona's on Amazon.com. It comes with a packet of pectin and a packet of calcium. All you do is mix the calcium with some water and give it a shake. You won't need all of it, and so the remainder can be frozen and used again. I'm still working on the first packet, even though I've used the pectin quite a few times during this canning season. And all of that to say you shouldn't be intimidated by the calcium water or the Pomona's. It's all very easy, and the directions tell you exactly what to do.

So after that, I did some slow stitching and then got to work on finishing the Chicken Buffet blocks. I kept thinking I'd take a break "right after I finish with this color of thread." And then I continued on and on and on until I had them both finished. So here's the besotted chicken.

Here's his next day remedy.

For the comedic portion of this post...I give you our Christmas tree.

I'd say it's a Charlie Brown tree, but actually, I think it belongs in a Dr. Seuss book. Perhaps you might see this one at Cindy Lou Who's house. It looks a little less pathetic with the lights off.

I'll say my friend Anne hit the nail on the head when she said, "What it lacks in height and fullness is far exceeded by its delightful charm and whimsy." That's a perfect description, Anne, so thank you.

Okay, so I have another busy day ahead. Mt. Laundry awaits downstairs, and I will do my housekeeping chore today. Also, I decided on the spur of the moment to drive into town. I might do some grocery shopping while I'm there, but I'll use the parking lot to gauge the wisdom of that decision. If there's time for sewing, I'll get going on the next row for the Shop Hop quilt.