Friday Morning. I am sitting outside the Immigration Office this morning – at least a building called the Application Support Center where we are sent for the official beginning of the agreed Card process. There are quite a few of us foreigners sitting here, waiting in the freezing cold for the office to open.
I am to have my biometrics exam here. They take fingerprints and pictures and I have brought documents to prove I am who I say I am. All this stuff goes off to the FBI so they can check that I have not accrued some kind of criminal record since I last applied for a green card.
Phones must be powered off and inspected.
Later: Well, after a lovely 30 minutes with a really nice group of people, immigrants and staff I have a stamp on the back of my Green Card that is not really green, giving me a 12 month extension. The nice lady told me that if all goes well with their investigations into my behavior in America during the previous ten years, I should have my new ten year green card by next February.
My overriding feeling as I went through the process of mild questioning, fingerprinting and photo was a surge of joy for the little children running about the offices. No-one hushed them or shooed them back into line – they were safe. Safe and warm and happy.
After all they will have gone through I could not help but smile for them.
I read American Dirt while I was away. That book reverberated all through this day.
Sunday Morning. Today has dawned clear and sunny with a proposed temperature of 53f/11 – warm – we will hang the washing on the clothesline. It won’t last long enough to bother the trees but I am glad I don’t have bees because by next week we fall back into the 20’s. 
All the animals are present and correct and will love this warm sunny day.
Now I am going to start two new loaves. We are rolling out a new rye. Bono. I baked a fast yeast loaf yesterday and it filled the house with the scent of honey. It is pretty low in protein and really light and fluffy to bag but has a delicate rye taste, with some really sweet notes hitting in with the rye. I really like it. I have a rye sourdough starter ready for this morning so we will see how it goes.
The glass house is waking up.
Plus as an experiment Jill the Miller ran a small batch of oats through the flour mill. Without a sifter. With the stones wide. We made a kind of rough oat flour – really rough. I am going to bake it into a loaf ( with raisins and walnuts and honey scented rye) and see what we think. The crushed oats are Not for Sale at this point but I think it has real potential.
So into the kitchens with me! Then out into the farm.
Take care! If I can I will collect more farm photos today and put them up tonight before the work week descends! Still working on a routine that suits my hours!
Cecilia
The Kitchen's Garden 
33 responses to “TWO ENTRIES”
Great pictures. Looks like snow again this week. I was so hoping we were done with that!
Still only February!!
I know but it never hurts to hope.
Connie – come and get some pasta flour – just drop in – we are behind the Ashkum service station – door on the north side! Love to see you!
Im booked in the afternoons all this week but I’ll see what next week brings. I’d love to see the place and try some flour.
The baking sounds really intriguing. Where does one order flour? The green card process sounds a little daunting, even with the encouraging atmosphere. Bless the children!
Janiesmill.com – morning!!
Your photos are so inviting. Love the one of the cat and sunlight. Speaking of photos, three of my last 4 screen opening shots on my laptop have been New Zealand. That was on my bucket list, but I fear one that will never be fulfilled.
I have a mental picture of all the animals lining up to be counted and you sitting at a desk in front of the house, ticking each name in the register.
My sister got her green card, some years ago, and promptly moved back to the UK!
Ha ha ha !!! Made me laugh!!
I can see them all in line for a pat on the head and a vegetable treat. Sheila first with Tima trying to push in!
That is one beautiful loaf of bread. You’ve got me thinking of baking yeast bread again. Especially that oat bread recipe.
Ahh! Mill porn 🙂
I bet the oat bread will be tasty- might be a little heavy but curious to see how yours turns out! One of my next books to read is American Dirt
Hearing that there were children happy and warm in an immigration office makes me happy and warm.
Enjoy the sunshine though ever so shortly.
Yes, still winter, but yahhhoooo, spring is on the way!!! Next month for sure!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
Oh so good to see your delightful writing in my pages again! Pictures are exquisite, and the descriptions, to die for! Thank you for making my day, Ceci !
Like you, I live in a land not of my birth by the grace of its government, and could be sent away if I misbehave. But I’m very glad I don’t need to get a Green Card and all its associated paranoias… I wish I had a Janie’s Mill nearby. I’d spend forever experimenting: Black olive, green chilli and sundried tomato; dried fig, almond and honey; cranberry and crumbled blue cheese; Brie and pomegranate molasses…. well, I could go on and it’s only breakfast time here!
I have got to stop reading these entries when I’m hungry. But it’s only 3:00!
Honestly! After ten years of extraordinary contributions to our community! You are so patient . Love all the photos,but especially todays phhoto of the mill interior. So beautifully neat and tidy ! Have a lovely evening.
Wonderful Farmy and mill photos. But Tima’s before antics and after pic on Insta take the cake… err, loaf.
Yes, well ! Years ago I was an immigrant child in Australia. No photos taken. No fingerprints for sure ! Two years into my high school career the Government offered me a bursary to help with school book costs . . . apologized profusely that I would have to become an Australian citizen three years earlier than usual to access it. Only required one paper to validate my time and place of birth. First my school and then my local municipal council put on a flower-ridden festive ‘do’ when I became ‘as Australian; Everybody thrilled, it seemed ! No photos, except social ones in the local papers !! At the other end of my life I still have never had to give my fingerprints. I am very glad to be an Australian . . . my story !