Today was a pretty easy-going day. We took a drive down to Logan and went to Hobby Lobby, then WinCo. Lots of things were bought. I picked up a bit more stitch for the leatherworking desk. I also picked up a greeting card for family, and at the grocery I picked up some chicken wings under suggestion from Missus. She is really sweet that way. It was the rest of the family’s first time in our new local Winco, so they had fun. We came home with more than expected, there.
In the broader world, Covid is still a thing. I have one friend who told me about him catching it, and now I have not heard from him in three weeks, so that is worrying. Also, Russia is threatening to attack Ukraine if the US and other NATO allies don’t agree to stop their Eastern expansion towards Russia. Russia wants that guaranteed. Many commentators are talking about Putin wanting to expand Russia to the old USSR boundaries. That may be the case, and it may be Put concerned about his legacy. Maybe he does not like Russia feeling backed in a corner. Maybe he wants Russia to still have influence in the world, and he feels that it will not for much longer. There is also the speculation that all of the saber rattling he is doing is because he is politically weak at home right now. That also could be so. Time to wag the dog.
Will we have a war with Russia? If so, will it be a near peer contest, or a proxy war? Biden has basically threatened to crush Russia economically. It is possible, but I doubt he has left them no door to go out of. That would be unwise diplomacy. Always allow the opposition a way out with their dignity intact. Russia cannot come back from the brink empty handed, or Putin will just look worse at home, and that is not a good place to leave someone with a powerful army at his disposal.
All we can do now is speculate. I doubt he wants a war. He’s got to know that rolling into Ukraine would not be unlike Germany rolling over Czechoslovakia. or Poland. And with that behind us, would Europe stand for it again? Should it? Would America? Of course, Ukrainians figure that if it happens, it was meant to.
It’s bloody cold out. It was 13 when littlest daughter and I walked our dogs for the last time tonight. That was a little after 9PM. I would expect it to get as low as 0F by morning. The house is just about as warm as it could ever be without us replacing the old windows with new ones. But that would cost a fortune, and we don’t have one. It would certainly make a big difference! But even so, heavy curtains go a very long way towards keeping the house warm despite the bad windows.
A minute ago, it was New Year’s Eve. Now we are 22 days into the year, already. I am paying down a little debt from Christmas, but that got slowed a little when I ordered some new pie pans from Lodge yesterday. I want to be able to make savory and sweet pies. I want good pans to do it with. So, I got four cast iron pans. I have been wanting to get a ceramic pan. We do have one that the eggs are sitting in on the island now. So, I could use that. The cast iron pans will work in the oven just fine. I was thinking of a ceramic one because it can bake in a Dutch Oven. But am I really ever going to start a fire outside and put a pie in a Dutch oven and bake it? Doubtful. But we do have a regular oven and a countertop one. Though I am sure the regular oven could manage four pans. Let’s get some made before mid-February, shall we? When I told Missus that I got them ordered and to think of what kind of pies she’d like, she started listing a long list.
Next thing you know, it will be February.