Holiday Season, winter life

Finally finished putting together a recipe collection for my daughters that is a combination of two old area church cookbooks featuring some of our relatives contributions. This will be part of their Christmas present. Will also give to my mother, sisters, aunts. The cookbooks are so old that they are falling apart and I wanted to at least save some of the recipes. There is a bit of family history in the collection also. I think I have made all but a few things for Christmas and kept the bill down below $200.00. My philosophy is that the Holidays should not create a hardship or it is pointless. New person will be at the table for our annual Game Day (the day of or day after Christmas). Middle daughter's boyfriend will be there to see how seriously we take our Trival Pursuit. Butternut squash and potatoes stored away in the brooder house which is our makeshift rootcellar this year. We lined it with bales of straw and we will see how long it keeps root crops. We've had some very cold days in the past 2 weeks and so far the vegies are doing well. Already have had to begin the thawing the chicken and dog waterers every night and morning. Took a free kitten from the grain elevator the other day when we went to pick up a ton of chicken feed. Granddaughter hasn't heard about it yet, so will be pleasantly surprised tomorrow when she is with us while her Mom finishes shopping. The chickens are not laying well right now, but that is to be expected. They use all their energy to keep warm and to help new feathers grown in. Will be some old hens to butcher this spring and put in the freezer for stock. 5 deer meandered between garden B and C on Tuesday evening. The dogs bark, but the deer are so used to them that they simply ignore the barking! All the grain is out of the fields surrounding us and we are getting used to being about to see the road to the south of us again through the kitchen window. Mike hasn't shot a deer yet this season and there is only 1 weekend of muzzle-loading shotgun season left. I never look forward to the butchering because it takes an entire day, but I certainly appreciate the meat since we would rather eat that than beef. Taking work home, but I won't be at work for the next 2 weeks. Nice break. Lots to do.