Well, I need to be honest — we’ve been pretty lazy. Well… lazy for us. We’re still up before the sun (which now means around 7:30 a.m., give or take), and we’re still out caring for the animals a few times a day.
Addy has been really enjoying this in-between season and being home more, spending his time working away at a few projects around the place. The weather, however, has been a total rollercoaster. One week it’s -25°C, and the next we’re seeing highs of +6°C. It’s been snowy, rainy, sunny, warm, and freezing — sometimes all in the same week.
We’ve enjoyed spending a bit more time in Fredericton this winter than we usually do, mostly thanks to getting our son Josh to and from work. It’s given us the chance to try a few more local eateries — one being The Happy Baker, and the other Monks & Jonesie. The fare at each couldn’t be more different, but both places exceeded our expectations.
We’ve also been able to slow down and actually sit for a coffee (or two) at Starbucks, using a stay-in mug. I don’t think we’ve had coffee served in a real mug at a café since before all the craziness of COVID. It felt oddly nostalgic — and really nice.
So back to the new to us places… We stopped into The Happy Baker for lunch and each enjoyed a different chicken sandwich alongside some fancy coffees. I also had their soup of the day — chicken noodle — and it was absolutely delicious. The space itself was modern and clean, with just a hint of 1950s diner vibes. Highly recommend!
We visited Monks & Jonesie for dinner with close friends. I ordered a burger, and Addy went with the Korean BBQ bowl — which I confidently predicted he’d choose while he stepped away for a quick restroom break (and yes, I was right ). It looked amazing. Mine was so good I completely forgot to take a photo… which is probably the best review of all. Ha!
While in Fredericton one afternoon, we headed out to pick up a desktop for Addy – a future blog post, I am sure – and drove along the riverfront. We passed all these older, stately Victorian houses, many of them still beautifully decorated for the holidays. I tried to snap a few photos as we drove by, but I’m not sure they did the scene any justice. There’s just something about that stretch of road that feels especially magical this time of year. Honestly, it’s one of my favourite drives, no matter the season.
Another place we discovered in Fredericton is a specialty art supply store called Endeavours & ThinkPlay — and wow, it’s officially our new favourite place. It’s tucked inside an older house and absolutely packed with art supplies… but also so much more. Games, D&D books, and even dragon-scale chainmail made by the owner.
We honestly could have spent hours (and thousands of dollars) in there. It’s a small space and clearly very popular, so things got a little squishy once more people wandered in. We showed some restraint, each picked up a few new supplies, and headed out. I’m certain we’ll be back… just maybe not too often, for the sake of our wallets.
With Addy being home more lately, he started consolidating all the dehydrated tomatoes we’ve sealed away in jars. I invested in a nicer spice grinder — thought he’d broken it at first (turns out it just needed a rest ) — and after that one little hiccup, it’s been working beautifully.
He turned an entire quart jar of dehydrated tomatoes into powder, and it only filled about a third of a quart-sized jar. Neat! We decided to do the same with some of our other dehydrated veggies and herbs, both to save space and to make them easier to use in everyday cooking — soups, sauces, and even a spice blend idea I’ve been quietly formulating.
Addy also powdered the turmeric we dehydrated from his work, and wow… it smells incredible. I’ve been sprinkling it into pasta sauces and other meals to sneak in a few anti-inflammatory benefits for us. So far, no complaints — always a win!
All of our animals are still here and doing great! Starting inside the house — Lola has been absolutely loving her tube treats, which our friend Tara sent her for Christmas. I try to give them to Lola only when the boys are outside, so she doesn’t get bullied out of the way.
With the warmer weather lately, Garfield and Gizmo have been spending more time outdoors — thank gaud! That’s meant Lola’s had a lot more opportunities for her little treat moments, and she is thrilled. She loves them.
Once things warm up for good, I’ll also start growing the cat grass that came with her gift. She’s definitely spoiled… by one of her biggest fans!
Now, on to the outside-of-the-house animals.
The dogs — Ronin and Shogun — are being very good boys. They sit patiently for breakfast and supper, head off to their dog run at bedtime without complaint, and sit nicely while we take their collars off. They do the same in the mornings when it’s time to put them back on. Big, fluffy, winter-loving doggies, exactly in their element.
As for the goats: the juniors, Gwyn and Meg, are back in with the main herd and their moms. I haven’t seen either of them go back to nursing, so it looks like the time apart officially weaned them. Neither has gone back into heat, either, so hopefully Draco did his job.
Cosmo, much to his sorrow, is now over in the buck area with Draco to keep him company. He is… a whiny baby. It took him a full week to stop calling for his mom. Tessy, on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice at all.
Bron is still in the main herd area for now. I wanted to give the younger boys some time to adjust to one another before moving the boss man over — goats do have a very real pecking order. Soon, it’ll be all girls in one group and all boys in another, keeping things separated for another year.
And just like that, we’re counting down again. In a few short months, we’ll be in kidding season, and I’m already excited to meet our kids this year.
Halfway through January already! It’s been a wonderful reminder that slowing down doesn’t mean doing nothing — it just means making space to enjoy things a little more. Between the ups and downs of winter weather, extra time spent in town, discovering new favourite spots, reorganizing the pantry, and keeping everyone (two-legged and four-legged) happy and healthy, these weeks have still felt full in all the right ways.
We’re excited for what’s ahead — the warmer months, kidding season, time in the garden, and the steady return of outdoor projects — but we’re also doing our best to soak up this quieter season while it’s here. Slower mornings, cozy evenings inside, and time spent on the little things we love feel especially sweet right now.
Thank you so much for reading and for following along with our life on the FunnyFarm. We truly appreciate you being here. Until next time