On a January Monday

January is a common season for doldrums--

when there has been next to no measurable snow for several months, and everything is dry, dusty, brown, and sad.

That is made worse when our home has been deluged with weeks of sickness--one person after another coming down with whatever is going around, and myself spending two weeks sick or trying to  recuperate.  

And then you have Monday on top of January. 

But at least in Colorado, most Mondays are sunny--even if that contributes to the dryness and dust.

Yesterday was Monday, which for me is laundry day.

And I was just thankful to have the energy to hang laundry again after weeks of sickness.

I hadn't been to church for three Sundays--except online services at Beavertown this last Sunday.

It was good to soak in some Vitamin D from the sunshine.

 

And even though it was a federal holiday, we did school anyway. Next week the children want to take a day to go skiing with friends, so this holiday school work will make up for that.

Monday morning or afternoon, I can't remember which, I was looking out Hannah's window and discovered some green things in the fodder house! 

 Rose has been growing fodder this winter to feed our chickens, horse, and cows and goats and maybe rabbits, too. And she started a couple pots of lettuce, too!

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We sold the double barrel heater which was way too big for the fodder house, and instead use a little camping wood stove that works perfectly. 

And the huge window on the south side of the fodder house (gotten free from one of Jonathan's work sites) lets in lots of sunshine.

 Here Rose is spreading grain to sprout in the trays. 

 Well, Rose came up with the menu for a chilly Monday evening--biscuits and gravy, using leftover elk from the Sunday roast.

And Hannah made an apple salad, and we made sauteed green beans with a bit of bacon, and had pickled beets, too. 

 A close-up of one of Rose's crusty, golden biscuits!

 So on this Monday, besides school and laundry and foddering and such, I made a new batch of granola. 

That granola goes into a big jar. 

And then I strain the goat milk after Danny milks that evening, and he and Hannah play a game of Ticket to Ride.

And so goes our January Monday!