Upside-down Apple cake

We've been busy the last few days; running around in circles mostly. 

I need a lot of tea lately for there is Lots of stress in our life right now. Sierra looks rather stressed, too, but she is just peeved because Joe is close by. If you could hear the growl you'd run for the hills.

Poor guy. They just don't like him. Audrey went screaming through the house tonight with him in tow. I really think he wants to play but they just won't have it. Thank goodness Rae-Rae loves him.

 I made a favorite cake; Upside-down Apple cake. I've been asked for the recipe again so here you go.
 http://justcats-deb.blogspot.ca/2014/01/upside-down-apple-cake.html

                                                      Apples and cinnamon sugar

If you like apple pie you will love this cake.
I still use my wooden spoons.
Funny how we always stick to what is familiar. This cake has been a favorite for twenty some years now. I actually get cravings for it. :)) This is a breakfast cake in our home. I split the recipe into two dishes so I could share it with daughter #2.

Our doors are in, our floor is finished in the utility room, framing is done upstairs but the stairs are still not done. :( There is a hold up in that area. Our windows are going in Monday. Tuesday will be another busy day as a trench is being dug for some pipes and the plumbing done. It's actually looking like it might become a cozy little corner after-all.

With Christmas just around another corner, and if you know me by now, I've been putting some thought to the size of the tree that we can fit into the house. I guess it will be an itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny table tree for this year. I'm used to having three trees; a kitchen tree, the main tree & a tiny tree in the dining-room. This will be a challenge.
The retired-guy called me over to the ditch just outside our gate and said "Hey, look, there's our out-door Christmas tree this year."

 Sure enough, a beautiful little pine tree growing next to the ditch looked like a perfect tree to decorate with lights this year.  So, we will do that and call it 'our first Christmas tree in the country'. It will greet our company as they drive through the gate. And, help Santa to find Nan and Gramps' mouse-house this year.

It's very cold here and I find that everyone is starting to hunker down now. Warmer clothes & comfort foods seem to be all that people require. The cold winter ahead is on everyone's mind.

If you are tired of me yacking about the construction... please look away.

This is where the hot water tank and washer and dryer will go.

The retired-guy wants a chute put in upstairs for the clothes to go down into a basket at the washer. All I can picture is Audrey sliding down the chute and then high-tailing it back up the stairs to do it again. Woohoo!

Our stairs will go in here at some point.

I added suet to one of the tree branches today, put a fresh apple in the apple feeder and filled all the feeders to the brim. 'My birdies' should be good for awhile.

And before I left I decorated the out-house for Christmas.

Next time...

Enjoy your weekend & stay toasty,
Deb