SAUSAGE!!!

 We had a FUN DAY today!!!!

It started with a visit to our friend,

Dave's house.

He called me last week and let me

know that Malay's (our grocery store)

was running a special on pork butt this week.

$0.99 per pound!

That's a GREAT price!

So we each went down and bought a 

package that included 2 bone-in butts.

Mine was 20 pounds.

His was 17.

And then he invited us to come over this

morning and learn how to grind them

and then package them.

He cut them up, while showing us the

best way to de-bone them.

And then we ran it all through his 

BIG, OLD meat grinder.

(I SHOULD have taken pictures, but

he's old, and old school, and just wants

to get to it....)

It was given to him by his parents when

he and Mary were first married.

(1965)

It's a BEAST.

He showed me how to wrap it in butcher

paper, called a butcher or a pharmacy wrap.

He ground, Rod measured out the 1 pound

blobs, and I wrapped them in paper.

We got 17, one-pound packages.

Plus a nice little hunk of lean pork

to make some stir fry with.

Then, we dashed home with ours and

put it in our freezer.

(Since his chest freezer is full of all the

potatoes they boiled, cubed and then froze...)

By the time we got back,

like 5 minutes later,

he had already ground all of his

and was starting to clean the machine.

So I wrapped his 16 packages for his

freezer and then we headed home.

Grabbed some paperwork and headed

into Hays to stop at the church and do an

inventory on all the janitorial type supplies.

(He is in charge of that stuff... like soap,

and toilet paper, and cleaning supplies...)

Then we headed to the grocery store next

door and purchased some more gift cards

for the ward's "Giving Tree".

We aren't having great participation this year.

Money is tight.

Next we headed to Home Depot.

And when we walked in, there was somebody

paying at our favorite cashier's booth.

They had a LARGE pile of stuff like

insulation and pipe wrap and plywood.

He looked kind of familiar.

OH!

It was KYLE!

Hahahahahahaha.

I literally didn't recognize him for a moment.

Didn't expect to see him there.....

So Rod went off to find the stuff he

needed to buy and I helped Kyle load

all his stuff into the back of his truck.

And then we went back in to pick out 

an artificial tree for Christmas.

THEY WERE HIDIOUS!

(And expensive...)

They were all plastic, and looked it.

And most were $200 - $400.

Ridiculous.

So we went outside to look at the

live trees.

I'm used to getting a live tree every year.

And by the time they arrive in Florida,

they are basically dead.

(And usually run $70+)

We all remember the pictures of Kyle

carrying them OVER his HEAD.

These ones were probably cut THIS WEEK

in Colorado.

They are fresh, the needles are still soft

and moist, and the tree weighed a 

gazillion pounds!!! (And only $54!)

We also picked out 2 small trees in pots.

Kyle will put one on either side of his TV.

(Up on the stand so the dogs don't eat them...)

And then this spring he can plant them!

Then we all went to Wendy's for lunch.

And then home.

Rod dropped me off and headed up to

the farm to drop off the stuff he bought

and pick up 2 cinder blocks so we can

put the tree up on them...

By the time he got home, I was teaching.

But during breaks, we brought it in and

checked out the size.

Then he took it back out and cut

the bottom off.

And then for the next break we got

it in the stand and filled with water.

Tomorrow morning he is going up to the

farm to help Kyle wire up his well pump

while Kyle builds the pump house.

We've GOT to get that man some water!

(He wrapped his pipes with a bunch of 

insulating stuff last night

and figured that would fix it.

It was FROZEN SOLID this morning...)

Once they are done, they will come

into town for Thanksgiving dinner.

We bought a little frozen turkey breast.

Dinner prep will be done in about 30 

minutes, so in the time it takes them to

call me, and then drive to the house,

dinner should be ready.

(We can't have any leftovers....

NO FRIDGE STILL!)

(They called, coming around noon

on Tuesday next week...)

Speaking of dinner.

Last night after a day in Hays,

we came home and I made a BIG pot

of beef stroganoff, with salad and

Hawaiian rolls and cookies for desert

for the missionaries.

Who didn't show up.

So we had a nice dinner and watched

Hallmark Christmas movies.

(And put the rest in the fridge and freezer

for meals later...)

Ok.

Dinner is ready.

Better run.

I'll take a picture of the tree when

it is all decorated tomorrow.

NITE!