Grief Panic Joy & Cinnamon Maple Pecans

It's been one of 'those' weeks.  First, my beloved kitty, Ripley, came to the porch wounded, painfully crawling into the house when I opened the door and found him.  Frantic moments to get him to the local vet, who even though amazingly kind and caring, couldn't save him.  Bitter sadness and crying on my part, and on the part of the daughter who came to support me in my grief.

When I'm stressed I tend to move into a yet more accelerated activity level than usual, and do even dumber things!  This time, among other things, I dragged our cider press a great distance, partly uphill, to the barn where it could be stored under cover.  Mission Accomplished!  I was feeling pretty good about it until the next day when sudden pain spasms in the back of my head sent me into panic attacks.  I'm no stranger to panic attacks (part of Lyme Disease for me) but if I can't get them under control, they tend to multiply and cause numerous uncomfortable co-symptoms and I managed to slide myself into daily headaches and adrenal fatigue.  Trying to convince my panic-ready self that this is all it is, is the hardest part.  Purposeful resting is the next hardest part.  I'm now up at 4am daily, because you can set the clock back all you like, but I sleep 5-6 hours per night maximum - moving the clock hands for some reason, does not allow me extra sleep!  

Well, 'nuf whining and on with the awesome, bountiful, ever-changing season that is Autumn...my favorite!  We are wonderfully made and I am already feeling much better.

I feed my beloved squirrels daily and chuckle over dishes at my kitchen sink while watching their antics.  I purposefully choose the leafiest path to the barn to milk in the mornings so I can kick and shuffle through their cheerful crunchiness.  I try to spend my milking time, with Shinar and Magda, praying for all the people and needs I can think of.  If only Fall could last twice as long!

We woke up to rain and wind this morning and oh, the wonder of the falling, golden shapes!  Well, on a damp, grey day a person simply must bake, right?  So in my oven now are an apple pie, a pumpkin pie and sweet cornbread to go with the crockpot of homemade chili I put together first thing this morning. Remember Maple Pecan Pie last blog?  Well, I tried a simple Cinnamon Maple Pecans snack recipe, this time, and I can't keep my mitts of of 'em!  Yum!  SO easy & fast!

2 T coconut sugar

2 T maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp coconut oil

2 cups unsalted pecan halves

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the first 5 ingredients in a cast iron skillet.  When smooth, add pecans and continue to cook and stir often until pecans absorb mixture.

Spread on parchment lined baking sheet and cool completely.  (or sample like mad, like I did.  It is, after all, my responsibility to make sure these are safe for the rest to eat, yes?)  Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks. (ha!)  Recipe is easily doubled!  

 Now it's about 1pm in the afternoon and my hubs is sawing and pounding overhead.  I believe there are now several semi-loads of lumber up there in the attic and insulation will soon follow.  He's waiting anxiously for (late) lunch, as he says the succulent smells coming from the kitchen are killing him!

Since I went a bit mad in the kitchen today, I've now made a bazillion dishes for myself to clean up.  In another month or two, we'll be far enough along in our project to get a dishwasher!  Oh happy day for this 'I'd-rather-be-outside-milking-a-goat' gal than doing dishes any day!

We're starting to plan for holidays and I even put lights up on the garden fence!  On the last gorgeous sunny day I was bemoaning the fact that the good weather was about over for the season and it's too soon to put up Christmas lights.  Then I had an epiphany!  I could put them up (in the dry pleasant sunshine) and NOT TURN THEM ON until closer to Christmas!  Sigh.  Slow I be.  Smarter I am not getting!

Election day today and perhaps there will be big changes ahead, but as it says in Matthew 6:34, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."  God is still King of everything and we can rest easy on His promises.

That's about it from this building site for today.  My crew is hungry!  Off I go to check on the cornbread and call the Boss Man in!  Happy Fall, ya'll!