Stick Horse Cowgirls

I had to turn the heat on this morning for the first time this season.  This harbinger of winter has me thinking about doing all the winterizing chores that need doing around here.  I need to cover the outside water faucets and make sure the light bulbs in our two well houses are lit. Those tasks are easy enough to do, but there are larger ones, too, that I dread dealing with.  For one thing, the back refractory board in my fireplace is crumbling.  This means I need a new one.  This has not been as easy as I had hoped since I don’t know the manufacturer of my fireplace  insert.  Apparently, I will have to go “generic” and cut one to fit.  Just one more thing on my “learn-how” list.  In any event, it must be done before a fire is built.  And we simply must have our fires in the winter… The other thing is the generator.  I have one of those gasoline-powered jobs, and it won’t start.  I’ll have to find a way to get it to some...

Well, the week has been action-packed, again.  I spent all day in trial yesterday.  Will have to wait until next week for a verdict but ended with a well-satisfied feeling.  I had to d eal with some car maintenance, which is difficult to manage timewise and Dollarwise.  Someone backed into my cute little RAV4 and smashed the wheel cover.  They did not even leave a note!  That sucker was $492 to replace!  Not enough to report to insurance, but  enough to dent my budget! Also, my two-year-old car had worn out its tires.  I replaced them today….my first ever purchase of tires (or as the service guy said, “ Tars .”).  Note the addition of tire purchase under the “ Power Accomplishments ” list on the sidebar! The car drives so much better than it did, and my brakes are che cked and good and the little car just seems to be quite in good shape!  But, I gotta tell ya, that’s a budget-buster, too! All this in the midst of Toyota rec...