weekending

I haven’t felt very inspired to pick up my camera lately, which is one of many reasons this blog has been rather quiet.  But this weekend, I decided to dust off the camera, and this is the result.  Perhaps I went a bit overboard…

This weekend was very full, and very together.

We started off the weekend with a morning of sledding and snow eating.  We’ve learned this winter that if you wake up to a world of white, you better go out and enjoy it, because it might not be so white anymore by the afternoon.

There was a bit of knitting, which of course requires my bag of notions to be raided and stitch markers to be scattered across the living room.

Jake and Adeline shared a bit of daddy/daughter Super Mario bonding time.  Adeline has developed a taste for princesses.  Disney princesses, to be more specific.  We’re trying to convince her that there are some other great princesses out there . . . so now she pretends she’s Princess Peach.

Some brew was bottled.

We learned about clouds.

Adeline has been talking about herself in the third person.

A & B were good friends these past few days, which is a relief because I’ve had it up to here with playing referee all day.  Adeline even helped put on Bea’s diaper and get her in her pajamas, which is the first time she’s helped with a diaper ever.

We spotted a cardinal eating our birdfood this morning.  It was a mama, so she wasn’t that cheerful spot of red we always hope to see, but she brightened our morning nonetheless.

As has been the trend this winter, our snow didn’t stay long, leaving us with plenty of mud to play in.  We went all went out for a walk, and before we’d even been out two minutes, Bea fell right into a puddle.  That’s what happens more often than not, actually, when we go out for walks in the mud.

Hope your weekend was full and wonderful, too.

Joining Amanda today.

 

 

weekending

this weekend was

a babysitter (wow!) and parents’ night out (a beer potluck with friends)

bottling the hard apple cider (now only 6 months til it’s ready)

carving pumpkins (Adeline drew the face on hers all by herself)

a “special” dinner (popcorn & hot cocoa)

lots of time spent out in the windy chill of Autumn (red cheeks and cold noses)

linking up with Amanda today

 

First Brew

Creamy Summer Ale

Cream Ale

Here’s some visual confirmation on my first ever home brew–alongside a plate which at one time held a delicious BLT.  The brew materials came as part of a kit from Northern Brewer in Roseville, MN and were put together properly with help and under the supervision of my friend Paul.  Paul is a seasoned veteran when it comes to homemade brew, and I serve as his apprentice in this simultaneously thirst creating and quenching activity.  Thanks Paul!

Overall, I am happy with the final product and do believe it conforms to the description of a cream ale (or lawnmower beer) which came with the kit.  Here’s a description for anyone who’s interested: A light, clean fermenting ale modeled after the “cream lagers” of the northeast United states.  Low in gravity, long in flavor, this beer is a pale thirst-quencher, great for brewing and enjoying in the summertime.

Next brew on the list is an IPA (and then maybe some root beer for Christmas!).   Stay tuned.

-JB