A Sunday Delivery Surprise

 From Target a package was delivered to me today. It is a cable knit, garnet color. The main part was not delivered today. I will surprise you with the larger part of the gift to arrive later this week. Both were certainly a pleasant surprise to me. 

Sunday, I wanted to get up at 8 am. Surprise? There was a documentary titled "Radioactive Pigs from Fukushima"  at 8:30 am. I was eager, awoke, came in, and watched. Around 9:30, I went back to bed and slept soundly until 3:30. When I awoke, my feet were barely swollen. Hmmm? 

We went for a drive and got the last of our freebies from the coupon book from Burger King since the coupons expired today. We went to the park and ate while kids played and adults walked. 

I wanted to drive around more, so we went to a neighborhood where I had never been. When we were ready to go home, we passed Uncle Sam's BBQ. It is always packed. Now that they don't have eating indoors, the lines are so long. We have both been commenting that we needed to get a meal some day. Well, I pushed for take out today. There is a line for cars and a walkup line. We sat in the car for one hour.

Tommy said we should get one plate and share since there was such a huge portion. When he worked, he would get a plate and save half for the next night. So, we did get one plate--bbq, slaw, baked beans, fries, sauce on the side. He got the top of the bun. I gave him all but about ten beans, half the slaw, half the meat, and 3/4 of the fries. We still have fries in the refrigerator. It was delicious.  We both ate plenty from one plate, $9.99 before tax. We are satisfied and feel no need to eat anything else tonight, except for fruit. 

In March we plan to go to Bob Sykes BBQ. I could go next week, but we try not to eat out too many nights. Of course, if I don't feel well or am just not going to cook for whatever reason, we have no problem picking up a pizza or a dinner. 

The weather was 70F today and 57F at 7 pm. I love this weather until storms and possible tornadoes come from the warm weather. Last night, tonight's forecast included snow just a bit north of us. Strange. There is a cold wind that belies the warm weather. 

The plumber is coming on Monday morning to install the right fittings for this dishwasher. He asked if he was going to install it, too. That worries me. I predict this installation will cost another $300 dollars at plumber's rates. I worry. Remember, we paid for this once. And, I am not sure if we get the installation back from the delivery people--$90. 

What good things or surprises have happened to you today or lately?

The Grocery Ads

When I have grocery ads, Tommy takes them before I get to them or after I have seen them and studies the sales. He informs me of things on sale that I buy. He never did this until the last couple of months. I don't think it is Covid boredom. He knows and understands what I will buy (items, or bogo, or any other indicator the price is lower) and reads them out to me. 

I ask him to put it on a list where I can examine it more closely and check what we have on hand. Sometimes, on his own he checks the shelves and tells me what is there. 

He also understands we eat the leftovers. There was not really enough slaw leftover for one person, much less two people. He offered that he would have the salad greens and I could eat the slaw. I had given half a can of baked beans last night, and he ate the rest of that today, too, with one of the healthy hot dogs and a bun. Rarely does he say he is not in the mood for something. If it is cooked and he is not in the mood for it, sometimes I suggest we go get something! Mostly, he says for me to fix whatever is easiest. He understands there will be meat and two or three vegetables. Fruit, too. 

It works when we work together! That is how we spent $200 for groceries in January. Speaking of groceries in January, I went over exactly $6.50 this month, but it will be from February groceries. I had $15 cash from the garden research, so I used that without worrying about where it was coming from. I do/did have more money and was not down to my last $15. So, I still have $200 grocery money for February. 

My a2milk is on sale 3 half gallons for $10. That 3 half gallons would be $13.47. The sale ends next Tuesday, so when my ss check is deposited on Feb 1st I will buy 6 half gallons for $20 at a savings of $6.94. This will last me for two weeks or more and save a good chunk of money. Well, I think $6.94 is a substantial savings. 

Saturday, the one-half gallon of a2milk I bought was necessary. I can wait until Monday for the other six half gallons. We were out of tomatoes, but we did without and can get more Monday for the Italian Salad Blend. Of course, I did buy a tiny bag of Lindt chocolate truffles with only two truffles. I love those. 

Back to the original premise. He makes it easy for me to shop and cook. Well, there are nights I would not cook if he were not eating, too. I can snack around on a piece of cold chicken and spend two hours getting in a full meal. 

Just now, I asked Tommy if he had ever looked at the grocery ads before I lived here. He said, "No."

Do you have "help" shopping as in looking over ads? Do you ever eat the Lindt Lindor truffles?  

Tommy Caught on Quickly

 Several times I have mentioned to Tommy that he could order from Amazon and not have to pay for shipping. He has flatly rejected that idea...lol. Until today! 

His answering machine does not work after the phone line was disrupted and needed a repair. So, Friday night, I offered to order an answering machine for him from Amazon and he was completely on board. I had him toss the old one to me. I had picked out the identical answering machine. So, I ordered it. 

Don't bother trying to convince him to get a phone with answering machine. It will just make him angry. I tried years ago when I got this answering machine for him. At that time he had no walker and used canes to walk, stubbornly refusing to use an electric cart. So, I offered to pick one up for him. 

Tonight, I asked him what else he needed. He remembered he needed pen needles. So, I found those for half the price of his best price at Sam's Club. We were wary, okay, I was wary of him going in Sam's last year, and sure enough, he pulled his mask down to talk. Now, he needs more pen needles for his insulin. He is going to try this brand and if they work for him, he will order another dozen more boxes. He says $6.99 for 100 is half of the price at Sam's Club. 

When I suggested razors, he had me find cheap ones. Then, I moved to shaving cream. He now has enough Bic razors and Barbasol shaving cream to last him the rest of his life. He doesn't shave every day, so he has plenty of supplies now. When we go out, he does shave. 

All prices were cheaper than in the store! 

Today, my once-a-month order of three things came. Sweet. 

I owe him $160 for something he ordered for me and now he owes me $66. 

Has anyone you know expressed reluctance at ordering from Amazon or another place online? So far, I have paid the cost of orders before interest was charged. 

Car trouble, Interruptions, Waiting

 The plumber was scheduled to come at 9:30 to fix the plumbing to accept this new dishwasher and have dishwasher installed. When I woke at about 5:30, I could not go back to sleep, so at 7 am, I got up. Waiting wore me out. I was so anxious that he would not come, that it would cost a thousand dollars to get this done. 

Before I go on, I went to bed before midnight. Usually, I power through to finish what is on TV and watch another favorite show. Well, Thursday night, I said to Tommy, let's go to bed. That involves him turning off TV and his lamp. I go to bed in bedroom. We did. I went to sleep almost immediately. If I had not had the 9:30 am appointment on my mind, I could have gone back to sleep. Maybe not. 

At any rate, the plumber called about 9:15 and said he had truck trouble and was just now going to his first appointment. I could scream. We had something to do this afternoon that we do not want to miss. If he gets here at 11 am, we cannot go. Well, I do not want to miss it and do not want to hurry the plumber. This is at least a 2 hour job! 

So, here I sit, no dishwasher, dirty dishes, dirty floor in kitchen from trash made yesterday. I am frustrated! 

On top of that, it is only 38F right now. I do not like it to be this cold when I must be out. Okay, I am a whiny baby. I wish it were 95F right now. Okay, 75F would be nice. 

I have a small project right now. I bought pads last summer and spring that I do not like because I could not find ones I do like. I have about a dozen packages. I am going to sell them for 1/2 what I paid for them in order to get rid of them, get some of my money back, and get what I need/like. Tommy needs to come to door of the room to take them on his walker, so I can start the process of notating what I have and get it to woman who is interested. I will use my "extra" time, freed up by a no-show. 

Even going to bed early only earns me about 6 hours of sleep. I rarely take a nap since I started taking my levothyroxin first thing in the morning. But, it is a habit that is probably good for me...lol. 

I will quit rambling on and go accomplish something, anything. 

Are you frustrated much by delays that screw up plans for the rest of the day and pushes other things/plans around?

Thinking of Gardening and New Dishwasher

I had to explain this to Tommy. His answer was 1...LOL. He has never been around glitter. 

There is no sense putting pots of anything on the porch. If I missed one day watering or was a few hours late, the extreme heat from the afternoon sun in front of the brick house was not good for the plants. Then, a few that were always watered well, died. I am thinking of getting someone to get the four boxes to the little area where the walk/ramp curves from the drive to porch. 

But, there is a problem I don't know how to solve. Something was getting on the porch and eating tomatoes, squash, and other things. I doubt it was a cat, maybe a rat though I have never seen or heard of a rat around here. Do I get a camera to set up and catch things, put out traps, sticky traps? 

Since I thought about gardening, I suppose I should get all the old plants from the pots the next warm day. Tommy will have to help me. 

That led me to wondering about seeds. I doubt I will have to worry about not enough seeds since I planted none last year! I hear it will be hard to get seeds this year. The one thing I will plant from seed and pamper are the seeds for Wave Petunias. I will plant several pots to ensure I will have more if the ones on the porch die in the sun. 

So, no matter what I do, I want to ensure I have tomatoes, squash, and zucchini that can grow without being eaten by an animal. Well, something with teeth. What advice do you have? 

Dishwasher was delivered about 9:30 am. At 11:00 am, the guys left it half stuck into the hole for it. NOW, we have to get a plumber. I paid for installation at time of purchase. I was counting on using the dishwasher this afternoon. Boo hoo! It seems this was put in the house in 1970s and fittings don't fit for water or drain. 

Okay, the plumber will be here in the morning. 

I did not mean to post this when I did, so right on top of last post. grrr

All the Nothing I Did Today

 Today, Tuesday,I was going to arise early and go to Piggly Wiggly and use the coupon for $5 off when you spend $25. But, I rethought that after I went to bed. Okay, this may be why I cannot go to sleep--thinking. 

I can get the six-pack of Minute Maid jars of oj for $3.40 elsewhere--just found this source. But, they are $3.46+10% at the Pig. So, that was on my list. I went through other things I was going to purchase and thought better of my shopping trip. 

When I awoke at 9:30 or a bit later, I informed Tommy of the change in plans. My med for thyroid needs to be taken an hour before I eat, but by 10:30, not only was I hungry, I was tired. So, I went back to bed and slept soundly. I rarely nap in the morning, so this was strange. However, sleep has been skimpy for the past few days. 

I awoke at 2 pm to loud male voices. I peeped into the living room, partially hiding behind the door facing. "What's happening?" I was sort of whispering and Tommy quickly explained someone had come to fix his home phone line and was checking it. It turned out the problem was at the pole and not in the house. Tommy insists on the home phone line, and I agree with him. Thankfully, this fix was free to him.

He needed to pick up meds from a drive thru at his pharmacy. I needed to pick up one at Walgreen's. So, off we went. I needed to get saline solution. But, the small bottle was $11.99 for WG brand. . NO WAY!

So, I went into Publix and searched and finally found the Publix brand, same size bottle for $2.19. I cannot understand how WG can justify that exorbitant price for sterile water and salt in a plastic bottle. If the price had been $4, I probably would have figured the time and cost to get out of WG parking lot and go right across the street to Publix. 

While I was in Publix, I spied a bottle of pickled Vidalia onions as a woman was purchasing it. We talked. . Wow! The woman said there was no vinegar taste and her husband could eat it with a spoon. I got a jar. If it is too vinegary for me, I can throw some in jarred spaghetti sauce or stick it in a pan with burgers. At least vinegar is not the first ingredient after the onions.

Buying onions reminded me (why?) I needed tartar sauce for frozen bag of fish I uncovered in the big freezer. Now, I know what we are having for dinner. I will make slaw and open a can of corn. Since I eat little fish except home caught and fried, I did not know what besides slaw to make. I am not making hush puppies. Okay, maybe I will. 

I love an easy dinner. 

Tomorrow, I have scheduled an appointment to have a dishwasher installed, delivered from Cullman. Then, we have to get to Cullman for a dentist appointment for me. I need my own dentist. 

Have you ever had pickled Vidalia onions or pickled onions of any sort? Have you found exorbitant prices at some drug stores for things that should be very cheap?

Meals and Money and Tornado

In October or November of 2019, I bought 40 pounds of sweet potatoes. We are still eating them. Sweet potatoes last a long time if stored properly. Unfortunately, the best temperature for sweet potatoes seems to be in the living room underneath the coffee table that holds Tommy's 50 inch TV. The 2019 sweet potatoes will probably gone in a week or two. Only then will I start baking the 2020 sweet potatoes. Remember, I bought 50 pounds. 

The problems with shingles has had me so off for six months that I have not done things I should have, including baking sweet potatoes. 

Monday night dinner was scrumptious, if I do say so. We had meatloaf, sweet potatoes, green beans. I had no catsup, so I tried a healthier version. I usually put catsup in the meatloaf and on top. I used a small can of tomato paste and about the same amount of milk in the meatloaf. Tommy did open several fast food packets for me to put on top. I think I will not use catsup at all when I make meatloaf. Tommy never puts anything on his baked sweet potato. I use a bit of butter. The green beans were sodium free. 

The best part of the meatloaf dinner is that I froze the second one I made. I used two square glass pans for the meat loaves. 

Sweet potatoes are simple to bake, but I should freeze some at least for this dinner. Of course, a can opener on green beans is too simple.  

I have kept up with money spent on groceries this month. So far, we have spent a bit less that $200 for groceries for both of us this month. I have $10+ left. We won't need milk, but I might need one more banana to finish the month. 

Publix will have a2milk on sale this week, so my surplus will be spent well. Or, I can wait until Feb. 1 and start using next month's $200 f I spend the $10 this month. This amount I have spent is for things we ate and things for stock up. So, actually we have not eaten so much. But, I am using from the freezer, too. The bell pepper that went into the meatloaf was from the freezer. 

When a person is eating from the freezer, eating from stockpile, stocking freezer, stocking shelf foods, AND eating just-purchased food, it is hard to know exactly how much it costs to eat. So, I try to keep my spending under $200. We do eat at least three vegetables and four fruits each day. I should not eat that much fiber. 

Of course, this does not include other things about the house and meds. But, I rarely go wild with either area. I could go wild buying food, I suppose. 

The refrigerator cleaning and having all its shelves have been a joy. I cook what is there, eat leftovers and waste nothing at all. 

At 11 pm Monday  night, the ac came on. It is currently 68F but the bricks were warmed by the 70F+ we had today. With the heat in the winter, we are on alert for tornadoes. At midnight it is still 70F. And tornadoes have hit close by, well, about 12 miles from here as the crow flies. By 12:15 the temperature was up 1 degree to 71F.

Tuesday

A tornado did hit, killing one child, injuring many, and tearing up multiple buildings, some completely destroyed. 

Sunday Thrift Store Shopping

Sunday, a 67F day, I suggested we take sandwiches to the park to eat. We did and thoroughly enjoyed the repast, simple as it was. Then, I suggested a drive. Then, when he was returning, I suggested more riding. Then, I suggested a destination that required more riding...lol. We left here at 12:15 and returned at 3:15. 

Earlier, I told him my three goals. When we returned home, he started on his part, retrieving boxes with his reacher. He retrieved so much other stuff I was covered in stuff as I sat on the couch! I finally had to beg him to stop. Now, it is after 4:00 and I have a day's worth of sorting and carrying. I am not happy but will finish all this fully.

When we went past the Thrift Store, I realized it was open on Sunday, so I told him I wanted to go in on the way home. We did. I had one thing in mind, finding a cheap and small ottoman for my legs. I went straight to the furniture and bought things as I passed. 

A red scarf, fine knit and the perfect shade of red. The fringe is not the kind that is cut in strips. It is a very fine knit "string fringe." I LOVE IT! Now, I need to hand wash and hang it to dry. This was a rack of new scarves, not used. 

A glove bin stopped me. I found a pair of gray cuffs of some sort, too wide/big to be sleeveless gloves and no holes, anyway. I bought them thinking I could wear them on my ankles. Even barefoot, just my ankles feel a breeze. I have sensitive ankle bones? I think they would be great as cuffs on a coat. 

A red bracelet caught my attention and jumped in the cart. It has very large red, beads on red elastic. Now, I need a white dress with red polka dots. 

An stainless steel mixing bowl  caught my attention, an identical one to my mixing bowls acquired in 1966. I love them and never felt the need to get something newer. 

A heavy glass divided dish for crudite or candy caught my attention. I had one like it. Now, I have one again. 

A glass Christmas dish with a poinsettia embossed into the back is now mine.

One Rod McKuen album adopted me. Tommy said--What are you going to do, just look at it?" I gave him a withering look and said nothing. 

Southern Living The Joys of Summer  2020 edition was $0.49. I will enjoy the pictures. These are usually at least $5 for special editions.

Simplicity Pattern

The only thing I stopped for, spending no more than 15 seconds was the scarf purchase. It was sort of tangled in other scarves. I saw the red fringe from a distance and had to find the scarf, I went for an ottoman, saw beds without footboards, found they sell mattresses, saw signs for things I might look at if my back did not hurt. Tommy said I spent about 30 minutes in there. I doubt it was that long. He was not complaining as I asked how long. 

I am seriously thinking of buying the wood, commissioning someone to make the ottoman from my specs and upholstering it myself. Any carpenters around? It will basically be a box on legs with cushion on top, just like I had. I will probably have a skirt on it. 

So, I sit now, Sunday,  with aching back and need to get on the elliptical for five minutes, and get on with the day. Okay, I could only  pedal for 4:45 instead of 5:00 minutes.

Sunday night, I had gone to sit while Tommy washed the crock pot. He came into the room at my request to see if TV was on the right station. As he came in, he was carrying cloth in his left hand as he held onto his walker. Startled, I sort of shouted, "What are you carrying in your left hand?" He looked down, took both hands to get the cloth straight. "WELL DAMN!" He was louder than I was. He was carrying a pair of my panties! Dirty panties! Yes, he washed his hands. 

He had finished drying dishes and was not quite to the crock pot. He went back in and found the dish towel lying on the counter by the sink where he left it. I have no idea how he got a pair of my dirty panties. The clothes for the washer are in the kitchen, but why would he get panties out? He guaranteed me he had not dried with them. I am still laughing. 

Today/tonight we got all the dishes washed except for three cookies sheets. I boiled six eggs for my use since he will not eat eggs in any form.

At 3 am Monday morning, the temperature was 68F in the house. I have lots of calls to make today. And, I need to finish the list. 

Goals Today, My Feet

 HERE is a video where my Victrola is shown. It is not mine, but identical to mine. Enlarge the video and lower the volume. It is on the left of the video.

I awoke Saturday morning and my feet have a "foot" shape with little swelling and almost no pain. So, after three days of minimal exercise, things are improving. YAY! And, I slept better without foot pain in bed.

Three main goals today: 

*finish washing dishes

*finish cutting hair

*cook and freeze ground beef crumbles

Wednesday, we picked up the box lunch and one for dinner. We have met friends at the lake to eat and visit. The lake park is still closed, so our friends we meet invited us to eat in their back yard. It was a cold and dampish experience since they back up to woods in the neighborhood. This was our only human contact without a mask in two months. 

I am behind on reading and commenting on blogs, so maybe I can get that done today. 

Minor goals:

*move food tp shelves and bedroom

*move boxes to bedroom

*remove boxes for Tommy to cut up for trash

*bring shirts in for him to sort

What are your goals for the rest of today? What goals did you do on Sunday? 

Okay, I am off to enjoy the mid 67F weather, blue skies and puffy clouds.

Food, Exercise, Vaccine, Grocery Shopping

 On Friday, I got my name in for a covid vaccine at my allergist's office. I had a terrible reaction to a vaccination, so I need to be at his office. The thing is, I only had the reaction after about 10 hours and it lasted for over two days. So, I at least feel safer. And, if I end up in the ER, he will have my history.  I am not yet 75 (only 74), so not eligible for current lists. I do hear otherwise, but have not found it to be so. 

I got Tommy on a list last week, so I am not sure what that will mean for him. He is only 67 but has diabetes.

The first day, Thursday, on the elliptical just about killed me. Fifteen minutes was too long. I was in pain and had legs and toes go numb and my back was in the worst pain ever. So, today is Friday and I will only pedal for 5 minutes today. I am not giving up, but I am not pushing.

Right now, it is 57F at 5 pm. It has been nice today. Tommy washed clothes and brought in the ones he dried out of that load. I still have to hang the wet things.

We were both out of milk. He can drink mine, but I cannot drink his milk. He is working on expiring UHT milk, four quarts. So, I shopped.

3 half gallons of a2milk

cheapish grape tomatoes

Publix bag of Italian salad greens

Thursday night after the first 15 minutes on the elliptical, I was in misery with parts of leg and toes going numb and pain elsewhere. So, on Friday, rather than give up, I vowed to do 5 minutes if it killed me. Well, it almost did. Tommy timed me with the stopwatch on his cell phone. I dragged myself off. 

I told Tommy we were washing dishes at 6:30. 

1 $0.59 truffle Valentine candy

3 Kraft Chunk Cheddar Cheese 2/$6

2  bags grated Kraft Cheese 2/$6

Bologna for freezer

Special K bogo, I got one strawberry and one raspberry

1 lb. butter

maybe something else, but doubt it.

Tommy cleared out two blazers and one suit to donate. He insists one suit still fits that he bought 20 years ago or more. I doubt it. But, whatever. 

Thursday and Friday we gave food to individuals in grocery parking lots. Yes, we should have made one trip. Both women were happy to get any kind of food. 

At 6:30 pm, we started washing dishes. I lasted until 6:35 and went to bed and curled up. I had decided that i would lie there for 10 minutes. I did and got back up to wash again. Tommy was drying all the time I was washing. Then, at 7 pm we started dinner--Texas Toast type bread with butter and garlic and put under the broiler. We had salad with it. The hour and a half of torture just about did me in. 

Thursday night after the 15 minute session, I had lot of pain and numbness during the night. Friday, I was still  in lots of pain from the 15 minute session on the elliptical. I only did five minutes on Friday with Tommy timing with the stop watch function on his cell. It is still Friday night right now, and am no better. 

Maybe I will get a steroid shot in my spine. 

I must get up early on Saturday, so tonight, unlike other nights will be an early turn in. 

Saturday

I saw an ad for StarKist tuna for $0.79. A store in Cullman had the same sale, so I bought the tuna there.

8 small Starkist tuna@$0.79

1 12-ounce can Hormel Roast Beef and Gravy

1 Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows @ $0.20 (not bad tasting)

Solo cups

Publix

2 12-oz cans Hormel Oven Roasted Chicken Breast 2/$2.79

Diet Pepsi B2G1

Summer Sausage reduced 1/2 to $3 for Tommy

We went to PO, mailed things, went to my house, went to two groceries stores, decided to come home. So, we were home before 1 pm. Now, it is nap time. Some of the food is stockup--cans, butter.

Dinner Sat--Sweet potatoes, cabbage, chopped bbq chicken. All are leftovers, meat is from freezer. It makes me happy not to waste food or to have to cook!

I will do another 5 minutes on the elliptical on Saturday!

Have you ever had Special K with Raspberries? I had a bowl Friday. It is okay, nothing special, not as good as Special K Red Berries Strawberry. The Special K Banas still is my least favorite. 

Have you gotten your covid 19 vaccine or do you have your name on a list? Or, do you have a definite appointment?

He Is Paying Attention

 The other day, Tommy was going to take out the garbage. He usually asks me if I have anything to add. Sometimes, I get the garbage from the bathroom where I now throw all tp. Then, I might have something in the bedroom. Often, I have a little bag of trash I have gathered from around me or lunch. 

After he took the garbage out, he told me he took the skillet where I scrambled eggs and wiped it out into the trash with half a paper towel. Wow! Good for him to take the initiative on that. 

He also knows I want to wash every dish towel or dish cloth in the kitchen. So, he asked one day about a dish cloth, asking me if he should wash it. I had not added to the wash in the kitchen. I had asked him to take the kitchen things out and wash them. 

After I made the taco casserole, I asked Tommy if he wanted taco casserole again or would he rather I just freeze it. He hesitated for a moment and offered--wouldn't it be good to have something in the freezer when we are gone for so long you don't feel like cooking? I froze it. He listens to me, catches on, and gives it back to me. One night, I had been out for too long and we did have taco casserole! 

Things go more smoothly and efficiently with his  brain added to mine...lol. It really helps. 

I hang items from the wash on hangers and then hang them in doorways--my clothing. Towels and wash cloths are dried.  There are not enough doorways since I never put one in a doorway he must go through. So, I am going to get a rod to hang in one doorway. It comes with two little things to put in the doorway so the rod rests on it and will not fall with heavy clothes on it. That way, I can hang towels on it too. Currently, towels are dried. Since this will cut down on his trips to the washer and dryer and cut down on electric use, I am quite sure he will agree. Okay, I asked and he agreed. 

Dinner on Wednesday was so easy since it was another box lunch like lunch--ham, greens, peas and snaps, and cornbread. Thursday was easy, too. Leftover chicken plus newly cooked cabbage, and newly baked sweet potato. Since I awoke late and had to take a pill and wait an hour, I had for brunch at noon--a banana, milk, and a boiled egg, adding no salt at all. Then, this Thursday afternoon I had less than a tsp of peanut butter. I feel good about my food intake today. 

So, I just ruined my good eating record on Thursday. I took a spice cake mix and drained peach slices and added that to the cake mix. It was delicious. We are freezing the rest for another day. 

Leftover sweet potato and cabbage will be saved for Saturday evening since we will be gone part of Saturday. For Friday night, I will cook and chop lots of ground beef, put some in spaghetti for Friday night. I will freeze chopped and cooked ground beef. 

We sorted a bit more food, denoting some to give away. Plus, more was dated. That helps a lot to know what to eat when and what we have. Now, I just have to put it on shelves. It may not get done today, probably tomorrow. I want to sort a bit more today. He does that for me since it is in the kitchen. The more he must use a lantern, the easier he will take it when the ceiling lights are installed! Besides, the cans are in boxes or on chairs, and standing hurts me so. 

To answer  a question--the machine is not like a bicycle and the pedal goes round in a circle. The pedal goes in the shape of an ellipse. But, it is not just back and forth. Did I make it clear?

Friday

I can barely walk and back hurt me so that it was 6:30 am before I went to sleep. ugh! I think the machine made my spine problem worse. But, I am not giving up.

Oh, this is something funny that Tommy does. When he heads to the kitchen, I ask him to look in the pot I have on the stove and tell me what is happening. He comes back and tells me there are tiny bubbles all over. I ask, "Boiling/"  He says again--small bubbles. Or, large bubbles. Or, not much water. He does not know words like-gently boiling, hard boil, rolling boil, boiling dry. There are other things he says to describe the state of food, but I cannot remember. It is amusing. 

Does it help to have someone in the house sort of pay attention to get things done fully and in an efficient manner? Does anyone in the house have a funny way of describing the state of food?

Sleep, Dishes, Elliptical Came

 

Okay, it is settled. Special K red Berries is great, delicious. However, the bananas edition leaves a lot to desire. I will never, ever buy it again. It smells of chemicals, artificial flavoring, I presume. Plus, the bananas are mere slivers and feel slimy. I am glad the expiration date is in November since it might take me a while to finish the box. Have you tried either? What is your opinion? 

After sleeping from 3 pm to 8 pm on Wednesday, I went to bed before 1 pm and slept until 11 am. And, I already feel a nap coming on. It is only noon and I feel exhausted! 

The kitchen is full of dirty dishes. Plus, I have the new set of matching Pyrex SnapLock to wash. I see a full day of work in the kitchen with liberal rest periods for my back. 

At least dinner will not involve lots of standing since we can eat the last of the chicken. Sweet potatoes and cabbage will round it out. 

I feel much relief since we have a new leader and the inauguration occurred  peacefully. Hopefully, the peace will last. 

Just before noon, the elliptical machine came. I struggled to get it into the house and did not succeed. Tommy had to come to the door and pull it in from where I dragged it onto the door sill. This thing is really heavy. I hurt myself. Even in my strongest days, this machine would have been a challenge to move. The box was huge! 

Tommy got it in the house and out of the box. I had to drag it to a place where he could get by in the living room. Then, I took his walker and sat on it to pedal. I spent 15 minutes trying to use it. LOL I kept stopping and starting and adjusting the walker to get in the right position. 

 It seems I may have a popliteal cyst behind my left knee. It hurts like I do, but maybe not since there is no swelling. I powered through the minor but sharp pain. After 15 minutes on the seated eliptical, it took another 15 minutes to get my heart and breathing back to normal. I am out of shape. 

I plan not to use it again until this evening. I may seem like a wimp, but I do not want to overdo the exercise. If I can work three times a day, I may eventually be able to just sit and read like they advertise. A chair at the right height is going to be essential.

This machine "only" weighs 24.2 pounds even though it feels like 50 pounds. I remember picking up a 50 lb, child with relative ease!

This is called a Sunny Eliptical. It came fully assembled, thankfully! Sorry about the fuzzy picture. It has been 30 minutes since I finished with the elliptical and my arms feel like I have done exercise that involves my arms. Wish me luck with this endeavor. 

Does anyone have one of these? Have you ever used one? Have you heard anything about its merits?

Stuff Done and Plans, Melamine

 I am considering what kind of dishes to buy if we throw out all his chipped and cracked dishes. I wanted some Corelle like I had, but the pattern is not available. Then, I saw some beautiful dishes--melamine. I kept reading. They are lightweight, so that would help me. Then, I read that they cannot be used in the microwave. That is a stopper right there. Tommy always has something he wants to dry out in the microwave. He thinks food must be piping hot. So, that is that. 

When I married, I bought melamine from TG&Y where I worked. It was cheap and great since we did not have much money. Eventually, I bought white Corelle, then another pretty blue and white set. Now, I really want melamine again. I never thought I would say that! Did you ever have melamine? Have you seen the new pretty patterns? 

I did have white with silver border for good dishes. In the early 90s, I discovered Wedgwood Strawberry and Vine. I loved it but it went to the dump. One year, friends gave me the pieces of Wedgwood individually because they knew I wanted it. Otherwise, I could never have afforded Wedgwood. 

Just now, I ordered the cheap knock off of Cubii. I get no exercise and cannot stand long enough to exercise long.  Hopefully, the Cubii will help with the swelling in my legs and body. I am spending my chair money. 

Wednesday, we went to Cullman. I had bank business as did Tommy. My PO Box was stuffed with mail, some important. And, we picked up the church lunch and ate in the backyard of the friends we meet at the lake. Right now, the lake park is closed until March. Lunch was ham, greens, peas and snaps, cornbread, and cookies. We had two for dinner, also. 

While I was at the PO, I rifled through catalogues and brochures in recycling and brought some of it home to read. It will go back in recycling when I am done. One magazine was a Cosmopolitan, a mag I have not touched in years, much less read. 

Wednesday, I went all day on 0 hours sleep. I napped from 3 pm to 8 pm and will have no trouble sleeping on Wednesday night.

My new freezer was so stuffed, I could find nothing. Lately, it has been used to the point I can find things. I found a bag of meatballs and another with a chicken thigh. That makes two meals. I can have an egg while Tommy eats the thigh. There are always frozen vegetables, so the protein portion is what I need to store more. 

Tommy informed me he needed milk once he emptied the carton! I have four quart cartons of UHT milk that will be used first. It is near expiration, so we are using it and I will buy two more quarts for storing. 

Today, the plan was to go to the Pig and use the $5 off $25, get 5% discount for being a senior, and use coupons that double. Since I was exhausted, that goes on next Wednesday's agenda. Plans are not written in stone, thankfully. This will give me more time to collect coupons. 

Do you have melamine, have you ever had melamine? What is your take on melamine? Have you seen the gorgeous patterns in melamine now?

Our colorful Clothes Are Killing the Environment

 Click Here to see how the color in our clothing is polluting Third World countries. I have no time to write, no energy, nothing to say.

Okay, one more thing I have been meaning to say. So...

The dental insurance that I spent $499 on and never used has come in handy. I have to have a crown which will cost $745. The insurance will pay $501, leaving $245 I will owe. However, I have a $10 credit at the dentist, leaving me owing $235. I will get money back from the oral surgeon where I/Tommy paid the full price and insurance will pick up part of that. Hopefully, the amount I owe will be lowered more by using the overage at the oral surgeon. So, once again I am happy with dental insurance. 

Okay, my second wind kicked in. 

I bought two light fixtures, one for kitchen and one for dining room. I started off by saying we needed lights every day for weeks. He also has to search with a flashlight for items I need. Then, I told him I found a nice one in Lowe's,,,several times. Then, I brought them out of the store and put them in the Rogue. THEN, I brought one in the house and left the other for him to bring in. THEN, I showed him the chandelier. So, all is well except for someone to install them. 

Neither of us can carry the ladder from outside. Neither of us has ever installed a ceiling fixture. I did install a light by the door. I had just had knee surgery, stood on a chair, and installed the fixture to a live wire. I wondered why my fingers were tingling. In my defense, the switch was at the off position, but I had the wrong switch because the electrician hooked up wrong light switch to wrong wire. 

Okay. Have you ever installed an overhead light?

Lanterns, Doves, Kale, Plans

 

The lantern is another Christmas gift for Tommy. The Vont lantern came two to a box. So, I got it and told him that part of that box was mine. He appears to love it when he has to go into a room without light to find something for me. Yes, he gets to go search dark rooms. 

Plus, he can hang it in the laundry room since there is no light in there. It is so much  better than a flashlight that cost $1. He also hangs it under the kitchen sink. I will tell you about that another day. He had to live forever without light before he appreciated it. Before, he said he did not even need the tiny, cheap flashlight. His lay here for months before he would use it. Sooo stubborn!

When I was in Cullman last week, I pulled into my yard as I do every time we go. Right there a few feet from the car was a dove. I loved my doves. I suppose they decided to stay at their location. Then, Tommy has doves, too. They built a nest on the water drain right under the gutters. I love doves.

In December I planted kale the woman who works for research brought me. The cover came off a few weeks ago and the kale was looking like it did not want to live. We went out Sunday and I cut kale for the potato soup that has carrots and cheese in it. The kale is tough, not sure why. I put it in salt water, but bugs were still stuck to it. Plus, there were little patches of tiny dots. I cut those off and scraped off the bugs. I was glad I did not have to buy a huge bunch of kale or any at all. I love a garden.

Tommy might have a lighter or two, probably not. But, I came upon matches and bought some. They came 20 in a box and 10 boxes to the package for $1.07. He exclaimed when he saw them, "Why did you buy SO MANY boxes?!" I am trying to get together lighting options and fire making equipment. This quest started in November.  The only candles I will use are tealights in a saucer in bathroom or kitchen sinks. I am afraid of fire. He is cavalier about candles in candlesticks. 

I do have battery-powered tealights and batteries for them, the round kind of batteries. Then, there are the fairy lights I got for Christmas. Power outages do occur. He says I worry too much. I have spent a bit over $20 so we can at least see. 

Next is a grill. I will use money earned from Amazon for that and buy a small gas grill. 

Are you prepared to have light during a power outage?

Since it is MLK Day, all my plans for calls I need to make are on hold. At least my plans for light are about done.

Nightmare, More Shingles

About noon on Saturday, we left to see if the church was having a yard sale. No, they were not. 

We continued to drive and it turns out Tommy was going to take me to pick up records I need. As it turns out, the place has been closed for a year. 

Well, I saw a store I wanted to go into, so I did. Then, I went to into another place and bought things I wanted, not necessarily needed. Then, I only got a few things and we started home. But, Tommy wanted to get food, so a burger was ordered. I was hungrier than I thought. Okay, I did need the items I got!

We were near the bargain bread store, so I got one loaf, not as much as I wanted. But, they did not have the kind I like and am not allergic to. I may not be able to eat this !00% wheat bread. If I cannot, Tommy can. My plan was to buy more bread and put it in the freezer. I should have thought that late Saturday, there would not be a good choice. 

I was exhausted. A nap was in order. I told Tommy to wake me at 7 pm. He did and I wailed, "Nooo, I don't want to get up." At 6:40, I came in to him and asked him why he woke me so early. He swore he did not. He only went to the bathroom. And, he is so quiet. So, this makes about the third nightmare this week about being awakened. 

I forgot to tell the doctor and say to you that at one point I thought I had swimmer's ear in my left ear. The doctor examined the ear and saw nothing at all, no reason for my distress. Now, all the symptoms are coming back, the symptoms of shingles. I wonder. I looked back in my posts and this has been going on for months. 

I wonder how it is that I had such a light case of shingles  when others suffer so horribly. I wonder if the massive doses of Vitamin D2 have helped or the large doses of synthroid. And, I take B6. I just read that Vit D helps with shingles pain. 

At any rate, the symptoms seem to be returning, but no worse than before. 

Tommy used his stimulus to lower his debt. I think I will get a lift chair for me. But, I don't feel like shopping, all the walking. 

Now, on Sunday morning, I finally had enough sleep. Since it is warm today and I feel well and we have no place to go, we will be putting things (box of Christmas ornaments) into the unheated bedroom. I do have other things to organize, too, like food going into the other bedroom. I found Ragu spaghetti on sale and purchased only two, just what I have used in the last several months. 

It is time to get busy. And, it is time to get chicken from the freezer to thaw for cooking tomorrow. If I can remember to thaw sausage, we will have sausage balls. 

Do you have any recommendations or warnings about specific lift chairs or lift chairs in general? Do you have one in your home?

 

Friday Nap in the Car

 Earlier this week, I asked Tommy what he was going to do with the electric can opener that has been sitting in the corner of the counter for over a year. He asked if it even worked. Since neither of us knew, we assumed it does not. Besides, it was filthy! I think it did not work because the blade had never been cleaned, but I did not volunteer that. Actually, I just now remember it has inch of gunk all over the cutting blade, having never been cleaned in the forty years he owned the can opener maybe before he moved here in 1980.

Friday night, I asked him if he would take it to the garbage can at least by tomorrow. In ten minutes he had it tied up in a plastic bag and took it out in the dark and cold and dropped it in the garbage can. Whew!

I need to put the air fryer back in that corner. lol Then, the area beside the sink and between the sink and dishwasher can be cleared, giving me more room for working. 

My next goal is to have him toss chipped and cracked dishes. He says the cracks and chips don't bother him, and does not believe they pose any health hazard. And if they really do, he says he does not care. 

Friday afternoon, I went to sleep in the parked car listening to the bird call cd. I may take it to my dental appointment. Speaking of sitting and waiting, we waited at least 45 minutes at the drive up window at Walgreen's. I know there have been times in the past when I could not afford the gas to sit that long. Even starting and stopping the motor after each car advanced would have taxed my finances. Of course, we went there at 3 pm on a Friday evening. 

Friday had a deep blue sky and a few fluffy white clouds. It was beautiful outside. However, the wind was so rough that my sinuses are suffering today. I think if I wore a mask, even going to the car, I would fare better in windy weather. 

I finally found pint freezer bags. Publix had a shelf full of what I needed, so I bought six boxes of 20 pint freezer bags. It is a relief to not use quarts all the time and to not be stressed about finding what I need. 

I baked six huge chicken breasts on Thursday morning before I went to the ENT. We had chicken  and broccoli for lunch, and then chicken and Brussel's sprouts and another vegetable for dinner. Lunch on Friday was chicken sandwiches, Friday dinner was chicken and green beans in stuffing, carrots and potatoes. I still have enough for the two of us for three more meals. And, we are eating fruit with all this.

As soon as I eat my Saturday lunch of chicken sandwich, we are going to see if a church has a yard sale. They hold unannounced sales on Saturdays. It's 42F right now, so the sunny weather and lack of rough wind will make this a nice day. This will be the first yard sale of the year.

Have you been to a yard sale this year? 

Here is Diagnosis Post I Lost

 I don't understand how I could have accidentally deleted a whole post after I had saved it multiple times as I typed. Then, I was just too tired to start over. 

Thursday, I went to the ENT. He was very nice, listened and came up with a surprise diagnosis. I recited all my strange symptoms, some of which I have not mentioned here. 

My ear lobe and outer ear structure have been swelling. I have had strange sensations on and around my ear. Inside my ear I thought I had pimples because of the pain and swelling. Tommy could barely see a red spot. Several times, when I touched a sore place on my ear, I screamed in pain. He asked what happened. Well, the pain was shocking and unbearable. The "places" were down in my ear, on the outer structure and around the edge and on the back of my ear. 

Along with the strange sensation around my ear, including the area in front of my ear, a pain spread onto my head. I had a headache in a very specific area--above my ear and sort of fanning out at the top side of my head. Then, the skin hurt in the same place, and it was hot. I felt as though I had 50 or more ingrown hairs. Just turning my head caused many needle-like pricks on my head. It was so strange. 

My hearing diminished greatly in my left ear. I always have tinnitus, a soft white noise. During this time it was screaming in my left ear. 

Nausea is also a symptom. I often am nauseous, but I was sicker than usual. I don't know why, but before I throw up, I salivate so much it is freaky. One night, I thought I was going to drown in excessive saliva. I have never heard of anyone who does this. 

Being dizzy is another symptom of shingles in/around ear. 

Once in a while I had numbness out to my cheek. There was never any pain in my cheek. The ear lobe kept swelling on and off. My ear canal was swollen and numb sometimes. Even though it was numb, I was tortured with the feeling of pimples where there were none, just a little redness. Near my lip I developed a tiny sore that lasted two days and went away.

He said there was a reason why I was not off balance when on Azithromycin and when not taking the med I became dizzy again. But, I forgot the reason. Maybe some of you know. As bizarre as my symptoms were to me, he understood. 

When I got through with my recitation and he had examined my ears, nose, and mouth/throat, he said he thought I had shingles.

SHINGLES! 

Every symptom I had pointed to shingles. I still have it. He said it might get better and come right back again. 

From the stories I have heard and pictures I have seen of shingles breakouts, I feel very lucky even though this as been quite a trial. And, I felt like my strange mixture of symptoms pointed to nothing. 

I had the shingles vaccine, so this would have been worse. I had another five years after the first. So, get your shingle vaccine.

Have you ever known anyone with shingles in the ear? Have you had shingles? A story about shingles?

Diagnosis

 Okay, it all disappeared. So, I will write it again later tonight or tomorrow.

This and That

The poinsettia was losing leaves except for the red ones. I put it on the front porch and it appears not to be affected by the cold. Weird. There was no use trying to grow it since there is no light in here to nurture a plant.

We had another dishwashing marathon tonight. I just told Tommy to come on and he missed part of his program without a word. I had tried to not make him miss anything.  The dishwasher comes on January 20.

We keep the thermostat at 64F day and night and both go barefoot most of the time. He is usually in his underwear and often in khakis and without his shirt. We do have blankets we use very seldom when watching tv. Nightgowns are my day wear. Usually. The one constant for me is a jacket that pilled and is of no use for wearing to store. 

When we leave, we sometimes turn the thermostat lower than 64. When either of us bathes or I wash my hair, we turn it up to 66 or 68. The house is brick and very tight. I suspect that there is no insulation under the house from the breeze on the floor some days. But, we don't require much heat, obviously.

The clean refrigerator with crispers and the missing shelf replaced makes storing food a dream. Nothing is stacked. We now have three of the little Dollar Tree bins in the shelves and a bowl for the Halos. We can both find what we want. I marvel at it every time I open the door. Even Tommy likes it. He could not have been happy with the filth and stacks of food in there. 

Often, I must search for Glide Original Dental Floss in stores. I order a package of six for less than four would cost me. I am slowly becoming less dependent on shopping in stores. I love it not shopping. I would have never suspected not going into stores could be so good for me. 

When I was going into the grocery about two weeks ago, Tommy said to me, "Oh, I am out of cereal." It seems he ran out that morning. I have asked him to let me know when he opens the last box, but obviously he is not doing that. Once I found cereal very cheap and ended up getting him 17 boxes. He was livid. I will stock up again, not 17 boxes, but at least a half dozen boxes. He uses a box or more each week at a rate of 2 cups each morning. 

The cheap gloves I bought were not for general wearing. Tommy has to hold onto the luggage rack to get out and get gas. And, he cleans the car windows on frosty days. So, he can use the gloves. I had an ice scraper he can use instead of an old credit card. So, now his hands don't freeze so much. I felt for him. I have to hold onto the metal railing on the ramp to get down it safely. My hands were so cold and some gloves get soaked on damp days. So, the cheap gloves were for holding the ramp. At my house, the iron railing down the side steps were cold and often wet, too. But, I only had to hold onto the railing in three places, not 30 feet down the ramp! 

Thursday morning, I have an appointment with ENT. Maybe I can figure out what is wrong with my ear since the pain seems related to the abscessed tooth. I took 5 boxes of Azithromycin. After each box my dizziness and pain returned. Tinnitus is roaring away as I type. 

It is 9 am and I need to put two packages of chicken breasts in the oven and get it out and stored. My hair needs washing, and it would be good if I cut it and layered it this morning and made the appointment later. 

Of course, the TV captivates me nowadays. None of the content is good stuff. I need to get started.

Laptop Problem

 Last week, my laptop screen displayed a message that power was low. So, I found the connection that was loose and pushed it back into place. This happens all the time. Then, three minutes later I got a message that the system was locking. 

Nothing I could do, including waiting, could induce my laptop to respond. So, I left it alone, hoping that if I ignored the laptop, it would get lonely and respond next time. No, not so. The next morning when I awoke, I knew I had to spend money. But, lo and behold, one last disheartened attempt was successful and Pavilion sprang to life. 

Then, the same thing happened Monday night, only it did not come alive like before. I hoped the problem was in the cord, not in the laptop. I had tried everything I knew on Monday night, including multiple attempts to determine that the cord was getting electricity. 

At Office Max their cord worked. So, I needed a new charger cord. That set me back $65 after tax. Since the OM had no HP cords, I bought Targus. It seems to work just fine and I saved money by not holding out for HP. Well, I am told HP would be more expensive.

Okay, I just checked on Amazon and it seems they are a third or less of what I paid. I am insecure about choosing a new cord and just hate to return this one to OM to save money--$40. I am conflicted. 

Computer Problem

 It is solved but I am too tired to post, I think. Later.

Sunday Dishes and Cinderella

 As you may remember, Sunday was to be dedicated to washing dishes and cooking. I was going to cook hamburger meat, chicken, and ground pork. 

Well, most of the dishes are washed and the hamburger meat was cooked and chopped for spaghetti. The chicken was still rock hard and I suppose I did not put out more ground pork. 

We were bad last night, staying up until 5 am to watch The Glass Slipper on tv with Leslie Caron. This was a wonderful movie and artful retelling of Cinderella. It was well after 5 am when we got to bed. I told Tommy to wake me if I were not awake by noon. It took me about 3 minutes to pass out. I awoke at 10 am to go to the bathroom and then slept soundly until he woke me. I would have slept until 2 pm if he had not come in and called me. 

Before I went to bed, I reminded him of the dishes we were going to wash on Sunday morning. He agreed. Well, Sunday, he was watching things on TV and I hate to have to beg him or demand. Finally I assured him we were going to wash dishes. Also, we needed to get out of the house, so we got free ice cream from BK and sat in the park, after which we drove around until 4:30 or so. 

When we came into the house, I went straight to the kitchen and told him we were doing dishes. Well, 20 minutes later, I had to come into the living room and ask him. He said he did not know I was washing dishes. Ack! 

While he was finishing the dish drying, I put ground beef on to cook in a too-small skillet. I was out of the mood to convert jarred spaghetti with onions and garlic and other things. So, I suggested we just eat the crumbled brown meat and a salad. He was perfectly okay with that. I put cheese on top of my hot meat. It was like eating a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato with a fork. And, it was delicious. So, tomorrow night I can make pasta and sauce for another meal. 

Another reason I did not make spaghetti (actually, the main reason) was that the one pot for pasta had burned bottom of cabbage so I could not boil pasta. He spent an hour on that pot. So, time was late, too. 

Monday, the temperature won't be above freezing for most of the day, if any. We will not go out at all. 

I need to number all these loose pages and put them in a 2" D-ring binder and read every page for evidence I need and apply those little page markers for the attorney. I must wash my hair. I really need to cut it. But, getting my hair washed and getting evidence prepared are the two most important things. We will see. 

Have you ever seen The Glass Slipper with Leslie Caron? I think I saw it for streaming somewhere. I highly recommend it. There was a longish dance sequence right in the middle that was not unbearable. Tommy even enjoyed it. Leslie Caron was thick in the waist and thighs, not emaciated like actresses today. It was refreshing to see she was cute, sexy, and acceptable just like she was. 

Paperwhites on Sale, Deadlines, Pasture Voice, Fun

 As soon as I wrote about forcing paperwhites, I found them on sale for 50 cents a bag. Of course, the bins were empty. That was sort of depressing! Never mind that. 

I made an investment today. I am having to pay an attorney $175/hr. to do some work for me. I have to pay $75 for the secretary to work for me. Tommy gave him $1500 to start, money I must pay back a tiny bit at a time.  Sooo, I decided I can do some of that work for me. I got about 400 pages printed for free. I bought little post-it-note paper pointers to mark which pages need to be noted. Then, I bought a way too expensive hole punch and will organize and mark and turn over my "evidence" to the attorney. And, I will have a hole punch when all is said and done, besides saving money. 

And, I have to have this all done by Tuesday. So, I have my work cut out for me. That is just my deadline in order to get all this over with. After this, I have several more sources to copy and mark. I should have done this in the Fall, but I was too busy with ear and tooth abscess. 

AND, the dishes are getting higher and higher. I am too tired to drag him in there, but he always has something to watch on TV. So, Sunday is for dishes and cooking. Monday is for paperwork. 

Tommy is going to clean out most of his suits and donate them. I cannot imagine what fits him. But, he will surely not keep something that the pants won't zip. Maybe he will. Who knows? 

Saturday, I was in a big box store when a fight broke out. As far as I could tell, there were about a dozen young, black women/girls involved. It was loud and boisterous. I don't think blows were ever exchanged, just screaming, cursing, trash talking, threats. 

Earlier, in the same store there was a man who did not have an indoor voice, yelling across the store about what he wanted--if they don't have deep pockets, I am not having them. I tell you, they have to have deep pockets. Eventually, there were four of them, but the man was the loudest. It was amusing. 

My life is overflowing with fun right now...lol. 

I do have Purple Prince tulips and King Arthur type daffodils to plant. And, chicken and ground pork and ground beef to cook tomorrow. Fun never ends! 

What kind of fun do you have staring you in the face?

Cold! Forcing Flowers

 Today has been a miserable, cold day. It is the sort of cold damp that goes right through clothes and everything. The car was cold inside for at least 30 minutes. We went out, did what we had to do and came home. I had no ambition to do anything else. 

Being indoors with lamps on suited me just fine. It was nice to have my laptop. Two days ago, my laptop screen went black. It warned me first, but the warning was only seconds long. Usually, I just need to plug it in where the cord has slipped from the laptop. Sometimes, the connector in the middle of the cord separates. Once, the cord was unplugged from the power source. 

This time, I checked all connections and nothing helped. The laptop still would not power up. This has never happened. I checked to see if the plug was connected to a reliable power source. So, I unplugged a lamp. Still no power to laptop. 

I went to bed very discouraged, imagining how much a new cord might cost or how much it would cost to buy a new laptop or have this one prepared. The next day, I was not eager to turn it on. Finally, I did and it started right up. It appears that I only have 79% power. I am not sure why it is this low since it has been plugged for hours. 

It is 4:45, but I am going to take a nap. The living room looks so bare without Christmas. I may buy paperwhites to force. Do you ever force flowers? Anything other than paperwhites? I may try to force daffodils. 

Blue Sky

 Today, I saw a bit of blue sky that disappeared as clouds once again closed in.  After we went to a drive-thru for Tommy's two prescriptions, I went to Publix--four half-gallons of a2milk, Dasani, cherries, bananas, tomatoes. Oh, chocolate chip cookies on sale made me happier before I even ate one. 

For dinner--two healthful hotdogs with Chili--No Beans on top, mine with cheese, steamed cabbage. I scorched the cabbage, so neither of us had much. 

Usually, we eat the whole can of hotdog chili. Last time we ate it, I froze half the can, saving money. 

Tonight, I watched Mr. Mayor, and I love it! I watched Call Me Kat, and I do not like it. I so wanted to like it. Maybe I will watch it one more time and see if I can stand it. She talks to the camera toooo much. I like Breaking the Fourth Wall, but the sitcom use is not effective for me in "Kat." I like Mayim Bialik, but this show is so far not my cup of tea. 

Has anyone seen these two sitcoms? What is your opinion? 

Dispirited--The Day After

 At 3:30 am I finally turned off the TV. At around 5:30 am, I finally slept. Tommy woke me just before 11 am per my request. I did not sleep well even though I slept soundly. 

There are enough dishes in the kitchen to keep both of us busy for a long time today. We ate all the leftovers except the blackeyed peas in the crockpot. So, I have to cook again! 

Getting my driver's license had been postponed until Friday or maybe next week. 

I feel dispirited. I know the feeling will pass. Maybe I need to eat since it has been over 13 hours since I last ate. LOL...I could just eat my way out of this funk? Maybe some blackeyed peas with catsup all over? 

All day Wednesday I did not step outside the house. And, today, it's raining out. Sunshine would improve my head. I know this will pass. I never give up hope. But, I am sad and grateful.

Stocking Up

 While we were in Cullman on Tuesday, I visited a grocery store that had a good sale. I found Kraft Cheddar Cheese Chunks at 4/$10 and Kraft Grated Cheese 4/$10. This is a good price. Since we ate a can of Hormel Roast Beef and Gravy, I bought another and a can of Hormel Chicken Breast. In my opinion the chicken is only good mixed in with something. I froze two of the bags of Italian Blend grated cheese. 

At the same store, I saw a friend who had about ten cartons of JUMBO eggs in her cart, 12 to a carton. She told me each was fifty cents. Well, I was on that like white on rice. I brought home four dozen, knowing that I had 2.5  dozen at home. At home, I had ten eggs in the dozen carton. In the carton that held 18 eggs (1.5 doz.), there were two eggs. So, I only had a dozen at home. Now, I have five dozen eggs, so I may get out my two- and four-ounce Ball jars and freeze some for baking. 

If these eggs are still on sale next Tuesday, I will get more. I showed an egg to Tommy and he noted it looked liked Thelma's eggs. Her eggs were so large I could not close a carton with one inside. I still cannot believe my luck!

We ate the turkey sandwiches sitting in the car under our picnic tree. We went to my place and sat a bit. It helps my stress level to be home. We could have eaten there!

I visited a doctor's office to get a copy of all my records and could barely carry them out the door. I do need these for something that I will disclose later. 

I must go to the social security office, but I wanted to be home soon. We got back to the drugstore here, and sat for 30 minutes. 

Getting down to my last half-carton of milk is making me nervous. But, I wait until the ads come out since it might be on sale. I need to buy another four of those Wednesday. So, I will be flush with dairy products at the end of the day. 

Wednesday

Today, as nervous as it is making me, I have to finally get my driver's license renewed with a new picture. My hair is long, stringy with no layers, so I might cut it before I leave in a few minutes. Or, maybe I should leave well enough alone. I wonder if I can keep the mask on.  

I need to eat breakfast, so maybe I will have eggs with cheese and a glass of milk. Or, maybe I will boil a half dozen eggs for eating out of hand. Do you ever boil eggs just to have on hand for a protein boost? Okay, I had two boiled jumbo eggs for lunch. 

The Christmas decorations are packed away. They have been down for two days. But, at last they are no more to be seen. It always looks drab once the colors and lights and glitter of it is all gone. No, no glitter here! 

Okay, I am glued to tv, watching the procedures in Washington, so not going to get a driver's license. 

He Is Catching On

 Written on Monday

After I had made the taco casserole that is more like soup, we had a bowl. The next day, we had another. I was trying to decide whether to freeze it or just eat it. Tommy said, "Well, it would be good to have a meal fixed and ready to eat, wouldn't it?" I was proud of him. I froze it.

About that casserole/soup--it needs to be fixed and will last more meals. I used a package of ground pork that was 1.6 pounds, enough for two recipes, really. Then, I put in a can of black beans and one of corn. That was good, but then, I put in a whole cup un uncooked brown rice. That was twice as much as the dish needed. So, I have a dish with mostly rice but beans and corn are not abundant in it. 

My plan is to thaw the meal and put half a can of corn and half a can of black beans in it and a 15 oz. can of tomatoes. That way the proportions will be right. Of course, it needs more taco seasoning and a bit more cheese. This will make another three meals for both of us, six portions. 

I will freeze the other half cans of corn and beans in the same bag and save it for the next time I prepare this for us. Maybe we will just eat them with another meal. 

Tommy seems really interested in the fixing of food. I have no delusions that he will ever do it on his own. I treat him like I would a child (not in a demeaning way) , talking to him about why I do things while he is standing still, watching. And this is not my idea for him to watch as I don't call him in. I showed him how I put holes in the cooking bags when he was in the kitchen. Hopefully, if he needed or we needed food, he could do things. 

But, if it were left to him, he would buy frozen, prepared chicken strips and prepared vegetables and heat them in the oven like he did when I met him. But, with his walker, he can barely get to the stove and sink and anything. 

Speaking of Tommy, he ate cottage cheese after swearing he hated it and would never eat it. I made a salad with cottage cheese, Jello, Cool Whip, and pineapple, the same food he had rejected loudly just two weeks before. ??? LOUDLY! I had not even made it, yet!

Monday night--I put frozen carrots in a pint bag from the freezer; five or six thawed, boneless, skinless chicken thighs; and one small potato, quartered into the oven. The carrots were on the bottom, thighs on top, and the quarters of potatoes in cracks. I sprinkled garlic, herb seasoning over all and they are baking in the oven. 

Tuesday night--leftovers. turkey breast for me and chicken thigh for him; BEPs for both; slaw; carrots.

When I awoke on Tuesday, I made three turkey sandwiches--one for my breakfast, and one each for our lunches.  So, we spent nothing for lunch on our trip to Cullman. 

We had only one-half potato each on Monday since I am trying to lose weight. He had the rest of peas in refrigerator, and I had romaine and some of the last of the turkey breast. I had four scrambled eggs at about 1 pm today. I still have not apple or banana yet, so there is still that. I am not supposed to have  much fiber, so the reason I eat little fiber. 

Half the thighs will go in the freezer for meals for him.

Charles Barkley and Me

 On the news or somewhere, I heard Charles Barkley talking about plans for the year. He had only one goal, improving his health...just like me.

He had an injury and while recovering, he had gained 70 lbs....just like me. 

I think his injury occurred this past year while mine occurred 20 years ago. Well, we both have a weight problem. 

While I gained the 70 lbs. in six months, my body barely changed. I  could wear halter tops that barely reached my waist. I had been eating my feelings and planning a trip to Australia while I waited for workmen's comp to "allow" an MRI on my knee. Eventually, I had surgery even though the physical therapist reported I was malingering. Twenty years later with virtually no exercise, my body is a mess. 

Bitter some? Yes. 

Well, I have not done well after several other injuries that were a result of the first one. No only have I gained weight, I have lost lots of mobility, strength, and coordination all over my body. 

This has got to end. 

One advantage to living alone is that there is no one wanting food and I am the cook! I suppose I will have to be strong and be the conscience for two. And, no one needs to chide me for what I eat! Never. Just wrestle it out of my hands...lol. 

Now, at 1 pm., I am going to scramble three eggs and drink a glass of milk for breakfast. 

Counting Coins and Blackeyed Peas

 Suddenly, I decided to count my change that I have put into the Tootsie Roll bank that Tootsie Rolls come in. When I started using a debit card almost exclusively, I still had a bit of change. That went into the jar, but it was about $2 because I had not used money much, and I never wanted to touch what change I had. 

Since I wanted it counted, I asked Tommy to do so. . . lol He took it and counted it for me and recorded the number of each coin. 

Once, I had stuffed a $1 bill in, too. Why? I don't know, just to boost the count I suppose. So, here it is. 

Pennies 89

nickels 33

dimes 31

quarters 45

One-dollar bill 1

Total $17.89

I think I will just stick it back in the bank unless I figure out something to do with it. I may use it to buy purses for my Pink Purse Charity. 

Of course, we had blackeyed peas for New Years. Usually, I buy the cheapest I can find, $0.99/lb. When the panic buying started, I decided to up my count of beans by another pound. Only, none were left at any price. Then, one day, I passed the bean aisle, and found one lone bag of beans, one pound of Camelia. 

I paid $2.49/lb and was just horrified. The only dried beans I ever buy or eat are Navy Beans, Great Northern Beans, and Blackeyed Peas. And, I have never paid over about one dollar per pound. But, I bought them. 

Last year, I cooked them in the crock pot for New Year's Day. Usually BEPs fall apart and can go to mush before I can finish the pot. Well, these BEPs did not fall apart at all. Even after 14 hours in the CP, every last bean was intact! I am still in shock. Do you ever cook BEPs? Do yours fall apart or remain intact? Does it matter to you? I like the ones that fall apart. Have you ever had Camellia brand? 

I am having trouble remembering what day it is. Are you? Holidays mess with my mind. 

Amazon Delivery Today

 Today, I awoke from a nap and found an Amazon box on the arm of the sofa. I knew I had not ordered anything, so I wondered. 

It was a box of hair color. I am tired of shopping for it and this monthly delivery was cheaper. I put "January" on the box so I would use the ones I have and use the ones delivered in order of receiving them. I don't think it really matters, but I will label them.  That way, I don't keep buying and shoving older ones to the back. 

I have identified several products to order once monthly, saving me time in the store, searching for it, putting up with 40 people in the same aisle where I need to shop. Seriously, I have breathed a sigh of relief for Amazon delivery with Prime. 

Tomato sauce would go on the list, but I like to be sure that the date is far out from now. Some things just need a hands on approach. Like bananas. 

Tommy sits in the car for all this shopping. I fear he might not be safe sitting in parking lots. So, the less time I spend away, the more secure I feel for his safety. 

Shopping and riding in the store and in the car exhausts me. Hopefully, my energy level will be a bit higher. 

Sometimes, I must go to several stores for one item, either on the same day and sometimes on another trip out. I hate that, really hate that.  But, when stores are stocked with everything once again, I may continue shopping with Amazon Prime. 

It makes me really happy to see items come to my door and know I do not have to go out and look for or search for them. 

So far, I have used the Prime card to purchase items and have paid the charges before I have to pay interest. 

What are your thoughts on Prime? Have you discovered advantages I have not or did not mention? Do you use Amazon Prime?

New Year's Day

 So, it is still NYE. I did not feel like writing  and the shirts were so cute. I really need one. 

NYE I priced Hunt's Tomato Bits and Hunts Tomato Sauce. Publix is cheaper than Piggly Wiggly!  I will wait for a better price. Since I cannot find collards in a small can that does not contain anything but water, I bought a #10 can of collards. When I open them, I will freeze them in portions for two. 

Blackeyed Peas are in the crock pot. Collards will go well with those. Plus, I will make cole slaw. That will go well with peas, also. 

For about ten years I attended a New Year Day party that was just for women and we had our cards read by our host. We all brought food, even after attending her NYE party the night before. Some people brought bacon and eggs and cooked there. Someone always brought a huge bowl of cherries. I finally asked them to put the cherries at the other end of the table because I had no willpower in the face of cherries. 

I always brought blackeyed peas with no seasoning at all, not even salt. Surprisingly, some people were thrilled with no sodium. Plus, I brought slaw. Both were a hit and none was left. 

Those were twenty happy years. Sadly, our host for many parties died suddenly. We never recovered our parties. She hosted politicians, attorneys, teachers, professors, nurses, and the rest of us..lol. Conversation was always interesting. Tommy went there one or two times and found two other guys who were into Doctor Who. We always played Trivial Pursuit--one side of the room against the other. We had so much fun. 

I digress. 

Tonight, we are having cabbage and onions, the last two healthy hotdogs, and roasted potatoes. When the blackeyed peas are done, we will have those tonight and definitely tomorrow with slaw and ham. 

The NYEs that I stayed home, I had Coke, Ruffles, and onion dip. So, tonight, that will be my treat. I have the rest of the Port Wine Cheese Ball and half a log of goat cheese in blueberries, and Wheat Thins. I will only have a bit of these along with fruit.

When I told Tommy I had gotten a blueberry goat cheese log for NYE, he grunted in approval. Then, one day he got half of it and ate it! What was he thinking? So, I suppose we have less.  

There are fireworks somewhere, sort of rumbling. I have not gone out to investigate. 

I suppose we are watching a Doctor Who marathon. 

NEW YEAR'S DAY

Last night, I ate only a few chips, little dip. We saw no fireworks, just hurt them popping, nothing close.  After I finally went to bed at 2 am, I had just drifted off and was almost asleep when fireworks started again and startled me. And, they were close. 

I definitely do NOT like Doctor Who. 

Today is the day we are starting to take down decorations. I was going to wait until Saturday, but Tommy is taking the lights off the wreath now. Whatever. Most years, it take me two weeks to finally get everything down. I take them all down on one day, but keep finding things I forgot for days. 

The one thing we did have was a bottle of Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice. I had never had any, so I picked up a bottle last week. After I poured us a bit, I dropped some of the frozen white grapes in it. We should have put in 12 grapes, eaten them as we made wishes. The drink tasted like NuGrape drink, a bottle soda. Have you ever had NuGrape? It is the best of the grape sodas. No, we will not drink all this as I will pour it out. 

I had other things to eat that were snacky, but we did not eat much during the evening--a good move. 

My fever is within a tenth of a degree or two-tenths of a degree of normal. So, I feel better! 

It is 2 pm and I have not had breakfast or lunch, so I will make cole slaw and have blackeyed peas, collards in a few minutes. 

My one goal this next year is taking care of my health. This will include my weight, exercise, and figuring out how safely to go to doctor's and have tests performed that I delayed because of covid19. So, my goal encompasses many areas. 

Even though 2020 is behind us, I do not think turning a calendar page makes one bit of difference! The only thing that will make a big difference is getting the pandemic under control by whatever means necessary. That is not pessimistic, just realistic. 

So, Happy New Year's. Stay safe.