Nothing Much Saturday--This and That

Today, we saw a clip of a 98-yr-old nurse who was retiring. Tommy commented that she could get around better than either of us could.  So true! 

Okay, I have a new doctor. Hopefully, some of the issues I have will be resolved. I am not giving up my specialists, except the endocrinologist, possibly. My legs and feet are hurting from the swelling. Plus, inside my mouth I have fat inner cheeks and too much tongue. There has got to be a reason, or a fix. 

Plus, I am becoming ill again. This is happening every two weeks. Last night, I could not sleep, slept a bit toward morning, awoke at almost noon, and went back to bed by 2 pm and slept until 6 pm. I didn't even eat breakfast or lunch.

Remember the night I got up in the middle of the night and ate? Well, that has not happened since then. It is not that I don't eat, I don't even awake hungry. 

Since I saw a pizza commercial two days ago and told Tommy I only wanted pizza because I saw it, he said we could get one. So, without a bite in my stomach all night and day, I had Dominos pizza about 7:30 this evening. Even after eating half of a large pizza, I felt like I had eaten nothing. It was a good feeling. I was not at all hungry once I finished. Now, I am drinking lots of water.

We needed two things from the grocery. Once again, I did not have the energy to go into the store, so Tommy went in, thankfully. He had to call me from inside and kept on his mask. Whew! I suppose he is taking the renewed risks seriously. Before, he pulled down his mask in the store to talk on the phone. No more. 

Last week, I had cooked lots of chicken breast. I mentioned to Tommy the ways we could use it. I mentioned I thought maybe I would cook Stovetop Stuffing with chicken, dried cranberries and green beans in it. However, I said it would be too much bread. He became very animated and said I could cook chicken and rice since I had plenty of cream of chicken, cream of mushroom soups, rice and all the chicken. I was amused that he could name off what went into a recipe. We had neither dishes.  But, he looked so happy when he talked about the chicken and rice casserole. Even though the chicken in the recipe is raw, I can still make it for him, but with brown rice. 

Last night, we had BBQ chicken, chopped, green beans, and slaw with cubed tomatoes from the Farmer's Market. I think that will be dinner tomorrow night, too. The slaw is made, so easy peasy dinner.

This next week, I have some very important doctor's appointments. I dread the week in a way, but the rain will be much less, so the week will be rather pleasant and hot. And, the doctor's appointments may solve some problems, so I really look forward to those.  

Even with hospitalizations rising, few people are wearing masks in stores! Aaaagh! 

Church is Opening Up Fulltime Since Pandemic is Over--RANT

 On July 22, 2021, Tommy's church official called and said the church program would be open full time since the pandemic had eased. WHAT? I went ballistic! They had been wearing masks and sitting far apart in the sanctuary. Now, Sunday School is being added. Tommy was defending their move. This is effective August 15. Hopefully some of them will see the folly in this move. 

We won't be going or I will know why. I will be as angry as I feel. He said he had not been to church since last March. I cannot see he has suffered. 

The person told him everyone had been vaccinated. Well, I doubt it very much. These are all of the party of Trump and probably prevaricate. I do not trust one of them! 

Call me mean. I don't care. I have serious health problems I have not mentioned here and I do not intend to catch covid at church. Don't they read about the low vaccine rate and rising cases in Alabama? Tommy knows exactly how I feel about this and the fact I think they will lie.

If he goes back, I will be forced to go with him to assure he does not remove his mask and that not one of these old ladies gets close to him to hug him, squeeze his arm or generally endanger us. I yelled at a lady at her own yard sale last year because she got within six inches of my face in order to be heard over traffic.  I did the same thing to a cashier who took off her mask as she came close to me to help me. I will yell at these women, too. THEN, they will demand to know what illness I have. 

I am just sick about this thoughtless decision. 

Apps Added and More

 I met my friend, R, and she immediately said, "Here, let me show you." That was the right thing to  do--teach me. But, I put a stop to that. First of all, It is very hard when both people try to see a phone screen; second, I was mentally exhausted just thinking about the chore ahead; third, moving into position to see was really rough on my back! 

We were sitting in Barnes and Nobles near a window and the window and overhead light reflections on the phone. Mentally and physically exhausted because Tommy ate nothing but carbs and I had been afraid of his driving all the way there, maybe 20 miles. I think the chairs were uncomfortable on purpose so people would eat and leave. 

Water was my choice; Tommy left with coffee; I think Rachel got iced tea to go. Tommy had cereal and milk for breakfast and cheese and bread before we left. I ate two scrambled eggs with cheese and a glass of milk. I had planned to meet R at noon, but to get something else into him, we stopped and got a $1 burger with meat, cheese, and bacon. No veggies for us. I don't know what else to do. Fast food is the only thing he will eat when "full." Not even the pb crackers entices him sometimes. 

The most important I did was relegate a small notebook to computer and phone info, including all passwords. It is a small and very colorful day planner from 2019. Now, I have all the apps and passwords, model of my phone,  passwords and other pertinent information. I do have some of this information written in too many different places!

I put onto my Android: 

Ibotta

Fetch

Shopkick

Swagbucks

Rakuten

I have to get Venmo, which she could not find. I have not tried, yet. 

She tried to find a case for my phone, but she could not find one. I had my laptop there, but she hates the pad and I forgot my portable mouse at home. I will try again to find a case since I now have the model of my phone in the book instead on a scrap of paper where the AT&T person wrote it and gave it to me. 

I also have a new email address which is rather stressful for me...lol. It will not replace my present addresses. 

Oh, R warned me all bloggers will make money selling my information, the reason they want me to read and comment. Well, I must be doing something wrong since I have never made a red cent off any of you! Is this something people actually do? She warned me how bloggers were spreading all my personal information all over the internet and to companies, that my email would blow up with people trying to sell me stuff. Well, that happens, anyway. 

Security is of paramount interest to her. Yet, she still uses the internet.

And, no, I am not giving up my flip phone! The only reason I have the Android is to use for stores and to look up a number or address while we are in the car. Also, it can be used for a hotspot for my laptop. Now, I must figure out how to do that.  The phone only cost me $50. 

That was my day. After three hours of sleep and 2.5 hours with her, I came home and slept from 3:30 until 9 pm. 

Right now, I need to get out my phone and try to put a receipt into one of these programs. So, slugmama, got any clues as to how these work other than just trying. Clues? Tips? Which is best? Most useful?

Do you use your phone for these programs/apps? 

Two Recipes--Zucchini Casserole and Squash Fans

 

Grilled Squash Fans

Okay, you don't have to grill this. The oven works fine. I never did. Be careful cutting the squash. You can just stick the skewer through the squash to hold it back on or buy more squash than you need.

This is my favorite way to eat zucchini. 

Zucchini Tomato Casserole

Leaving onion out of this casserole is okay. 

Let me know, please, if you make either one of these and how your family commented. 

Sleep, Dinner, Neutrogena, File Cabinet, Sugar, Heat

 It unbelievable that I slept well two nights in a row. This afternoon, I lay down because I was tired and my back hurt. I told Tommy to get me up in two hours if I went to sleep. I don't remember lying down, but I awoke feeling okay, only to discover I had slept less than thirty minutes. I lay there for another hour just to rest. 

When I lay down, all of a sudden the wind picked up and the rain was horrendous. Later, I saw little tufts of leaves were all over the yard from Tommy's huge maple in the back yard. 

I think the lack of reading has been affecting me in many ways. I am only reading about 4-10 pages since I can work through tiredness and read until dawn. Or, at least that is what I have done in the past. So, Now, I know what I have to do. I have gathered together books to spur me on.  

I made a big mistake in only getting one package of the bscb priced at $1.99/lb.! Next time, I will get at least 5 packages. 

My a2milk was 3 half-gallons for $10. Since that price goes off today, I got 6 half-gallons. The last time I bought milk at this price, it actually lasted until now. When Tommy put them away, he said I have four half-gallons from a previous shopping trip. That makes ten half-gallons! Yikes. I need to drink milk and lots of it. Since I was ill, I did not drink much milk. But, this brand lasts two or three weeks past its best buy date. 

We are having baked chicken tonight. Tommy will have the rest of the bell peppers/onions/zucchini I made last night and the leftover English peas. I will have a salad of diced tomatoes/basil/feta cheese with a drizzle of dressing. This means all leftovers will be finished. I don't count the salad greens or blueberries as leftovers. There is nothing cooked, prepared, or mixed to be eaten. Okay, I figured out we have another small helping of potatoes and green peas. So, there is that. 

The baked chicken will last for three more days but I will have to prepare vegetables. I have two pounds of carrots, tomatoes, and frozen vegetables. I have spent all my allotted grocery money, but if a really good deal comes along between now and next Monday, I will break down and buy. There are enough fresh vegetables and fruit and frozen vegetables. We won't suffer for balanced meals. 

Tuesday was spent in cleaning up a mess of papers and other stuff. It wore me out and looks no better as it seems the mess just was moved to another place! I need a file cabinet, so searching for that on Wednesday. In my file cabinet I used one drawer for office supplies. I did have things organized on a six-foot table where my computer and printer were located, but moved them to the file cabinet when I had a laptop and smaller printer. Here, with no drawers or closets to call my own, things are just stacked out in the open....sigh. 

Did you have any of the Neutrogena sunscreen that had benzene it it? There is a recall.  I have two containers to turn in for a refund. 

All these hummingbirds are certainly sucking up the nectar! I have had a wide-mouth quart jar full of sugar for ages. Now, I am going to have to buy more sugar. I use about a teaspoon every two days or so, and now I am using it by the half-cup. I need more feeders and really cannot afford more! 

Today, the temperature in the shade felt like 103 according to the weather man. That is hot. How hot is it at your town?

Monday Night, Dinner and Reading

 I was miserable Sunday night with acid reflux and did not sleep until after 7 am. Then, I awoke at 11 am. I did not nap, but did lie down twice because of my back. 

For dinner tonight, we are having our third dinner from the chicken breasts and also had three lunches. That is pretty good for $6 worth of chicken at $.99/lb. 

On Tuesday I will cook the bscb that was $1.99/lb. I should have bought five packages for the freezer. I like that this store has a freezer with frozen packages and thawed ones in the refrigerator section. 

Tonight, I chopped the rest of the chicken and put it in a casserole. On top of that I had a thick layer of broccoli, then chopped tomatoes. I put a layer of cheese on the casserole and baked it--delicious. 

For him, I cooked the remains of a bell pepper, shriveled zucchini, and a whole Vidalia onion in water to soften and olive oil and one shake of garlic powder.  It smelled delicious and he liked it. This was an easy dinner. I know all the vegetables will soften in olive oil, but I add a touch of water.  

Tonight or tomorrow, I will scramble another 9 eggs to last three or four days, probably four days. Do you eat eggs? Lots? My father refused to believe that eggs were harmful and raised cholesterol levels. He never cut back on his egg consumption.  He was right! 

As we came in the house from a ride, I picked basil, the whole top of the plant. I put it down and eventually Tommy came in. He said, "I smell something strange in here." I sniffed the air and could not detect anything strange. LOL Finally, when I told him it was basil, he just grunted. He hates basil and I love it. 

Today, I made an appointment to get with a friend who is going to help me with my passwords and the new Android. I will put apps on and figure out what I don't know. Actually, I am smart enough to do this, but exhaustion sets in and I bumble around. Maybe I can figure out how to mail pictures. I could mail pictures on the one that was stolen from me. If you have an app for saving money you can recommend, feel free to leave it for me. If I can get something from your blog, leave a link. Maybe some of this can help your bottom dollar if I sign up through your link! 

When I read at night, I seem to sleep better. The book light is working. I figured out that putting many pages in the clip helps. And, placing it nearer to the spine of the book. I am still reading The Bird Way. Reading four pages a night will not get it read soon! Even when I am sleepy, I can work through it to read, like I have all my life. However, I have decided I cannot read for hours late at night. 

New Neighbors

At first, we had two hummingbirds, both tiny brown birds. When we could see three, all three were little brown birds. Then, a hummer with a white neckband, then a hummer with a full white head and neckband. Then, one of them showed a green back. Finally, one had a red chest and then another with a redder chest marking. 

How many hummingbirds are coming here? It seems there are at least four "couples." I think I need more feeders! And, I don't have a flower in the whole yard! 

The first two hummers were exciting and boring. We saw the PBS special on hummers. Can you imagine the thrill of a highly colored hummer on a 50" screen. And, we could practically reach out and touch these three foot hummers! 

But, we were still thrilled with our little brown hummers. The one with white was a thrill, then the red-breasted one, the ruby-throated hummer was exciting, so exciting. We are easily thrilled! 

I think I need more feeders. How many do you have?

Today is the day I am finally getting a week's worth of work done. Still, I am behind. But, I got the dishwasher emptied, which took less than three minutes since I have just used dishes from it as I needed it. Mail has stacked up and I am working it down. Tommy washed clothes for me one day and I managed to hang all the wet stuff and still have many items to fold and put away. 

Saturday night into Sunday morning, I slept well. I awoke and it was 2:30 pm. I stumbled to the living room, sat and watched what Tommy had on TV. Finally, I looked at the clock and saw it was 1 pm. I went back to the bedroom and my clock said 1 pm. It appears the Kleenex I sort of tossed at the table landed covering the first number on the clock, making 12:30 appear to be 2:30. This is twice I have done this. Even with the mistake, I did sleep over 8 hours. This is the second night this week I have slept over 8 hours, so I hope this continues. I might have slept 7.5 hours, but still...  Have you ever accidentally covered your clock?

Okay, laptop is going to die unless I find the power plug that goes into the laptop power port. .

Kool Aid Time

 Well, I suppose I am getting better. For a while, I wondered how long it would take. Bronchitis is not fun at all. In the meantime, I did something to my right knee and had to use a cane for a couple of days. As I limped around, that made my left knee hurt.  So, now I am back to just right knee hurting. 

Saturday, we drove to get the mail and do other stuff. That makes my feet swell. We ate lunch at the lake. It is not good for us, but I have mitigated some of the damage from fast food (Hardee's) and soon we will not be buying burgers! 

Last time I went to the Farmer's market there, if you remember I came home with two dozen fresh, unwashed eggs. And, a few days before that I received free eggs from the Pig. I am using them. And, I bought another dozen today. That makes five dozen eggs. There are only three eggs on one carton on the table and about four in the refrigerator. In addition, there is a fully dozen in the refrigerator and two dozen on the table. I will use them! 

On Friday I scrambled nine eggs. I ate one-third on Friday and one-third this morning.  The last third will be eaten on Sunday. I drink it with a glass of milk. This is much better than cereal or banana and milk. Fewer carbs and I stay full longer, so less calories consumed. I really want to scramble a dozen eggs at a time and refrigerate them, but the pan won't hold many more than nine. I love scrambled eggs, but they are too much trouble to cook every day with my back hurting the way it does. I much prefer scrambled eggs to a Hardee's sausage biscuit. 

Tommy got up and ate a piece of bread with a piece of precooked sausage. He did not complain or wish he had a fast food sausage biscuit! Good for him! 

This week, The Pig had a free box of Success Boil-in-Bag precooked white rice. We never eat white rice, but since this is in a bag and so easy, I can boil one and freeze most of it. They (whoever "they" are) that eating white rice is like eating sugar. Well, I had rather have my sugar in brownies than rice. lol

The chicken I cooked Saturday night, tonight, has been in the refrigerator since early week or weekend. It finally thawed and I finally cooked it in the oven. It was $.99/lb. with skin and bones. Today, I found bscb for $1.99 at the same store where I got the bone and skin chicken. lol The best price for bscb is $1.99 lately. 

I figure it is Kool Aid time, so I will make it with Swerve. Hopefully, it will be delicious. I love Kool Aid. Do you like Kool Aid? 

Maps of the US

 These maps are interesting

I am too sick to bother typing anything.

Hummingbird Developments

 Tuesday night, I took out my bag I keep my medicine in, prescription meds, otc meds, a bandaid or two, Qtips, etc. As I pushed a pill through the back of a bubble pack, it fell into the bag. Well, I was too ill to find the pill, but I had to find it and now. 

As I removed the bottles one by one, I hoped to find the pill right where the bottle had sat on the bottom. I did find a half dozens pills and a cough drop that had escaped and were hanging out in the bottom of the bag. I put these on the table beside me and finished taking the meds. 

In an hour or so, I decided to use the cough drop, thinking it was Hall's Mentholyptus. I really needed it for throat, sinuses. No, it was a Luden's cough drop. But, I did not recognize it even though it did not look like Hall's. The cough drop was in my mouth, so I allowed it to stay because it was a taste of my childhood. Luden's cherry is the best!  Sadly, I only found one cough drop!

When I was in 7th and 8th grade, there was a "bookstore" in the one building school where we could go and buy pencils, paper and other school supplies. AND, we could buy Luden's Cough Drops. I had to get money from my mother to buy a box. And, we did not have to have a note to buy a box for a nickel. 

Tommy said they had to go to the office with a note from a parent to get one cough drop. Well, just now he filled me in--the school would give a cough drop, just one. Okay, hours later, he has changed the story. No one gave kids a cough drop unless it was brought from home and handed over to the teacher. The office would sell one cough drop to a child with a note from home. 

Hummingbird Developments

1) Wednesday morning, we had a new hummingbird come to visit. The first two were dull brown. The new one has a white breast and head. I think there must be a fourth one with a white band around the neck. We also had our first 'dogfight' between hummingbirds. It was such a sight with all the swooping and diving. 

2) Tommy was on the ramp returning from the mailbox when a hummingbird flew right past him on the way to the feeder. So, I supposed they are becoming accustomed to our presence. At first, when we moved inside the house, they were spooked and flew away. Now, we walk around inside and they come and go or sit and drink. 

As all these antics occur, I give a play by play and also serve as the color commentator. It's hard work!

And, finally, the food we give them is disappearing fast. Today is the first day I could even tell they had even drunk any.

Did your sell or give out cough drops? What brand? Could you buy cough drops at your school? How much did they cost? Were they a great alternative to candy during class, which, of course, was not allowed?

Short One

 The hummingbird feeders came in last night for cleaning and more nectar. It rained on me going out, so I decided to put the feeders out this morning. Well, I was slow, so the hummingbirds came and flew around in the space where the feeders should have been. I let this go on for a bit and finally put the feeders back out. It appears they will just keep checking. So, here this evening they are still feeding. 

I awoke covered in sweat from the hot room and more ill, throat now. So, I called and asked doctor to call me. She did not but called in a prescription. I just feel limp and feverish. This does occur when I am in evening air or get hot when I sleep. 

On Saturday, I did something to my right knee and can barely walk. I just stump around. And, I walk little. I asked Tommy to get my glasses from the bedroom. He had to throw himself across the bed because I left them on the table behind the bed. He said he could barely get up. 

Tonight, we are having the second BLT. I cannot manage much more--microwaving bacon and slicing tomatoes. 

It rained all night and some today. Even set on 72, the ac runs almost continuously!  The storm door steams up and the hummingbirds are hard to see. 

Off to take med, suck a Hall's cough drop. Oh yeah, to heat bacon.

Have you done anything noteworthy today? Or, mundane?

Comments are about a mile below and I don't know why, so just keep scrolling down.

Chewing Gum

 Tuesday was just dead around here. It rained hard most of the day, so no ride or getting out of the house for us. We had no desire to go anywhere. We did nothing here, either, except for loading the dishwasher. 

I lay down twice to call about two issues at Amazon and Belk's. The issues were resolved and things went in my favor.  I only lay down to talk on the phone and did not want to sleep. So, my knee-resting sessions were just that. 

When I went into the Hated Big Box, I stayed so long. I got candy for us to share and ate it all waiting in line for 45 minutes to check out. So, I grabbed a 10-pack of Juicy Fruit chewing gum for Tommy, thinking I might have a stick or two. I did chew two pieces before he got it all in his mouth, not all at once on Saturday. But, now, all 8 sticks are in his mouth! 

On Sunday, he said he had chewed it all. Okay. Then, all day long I saw him chewing really hard. Every time I thought he was eating something. Nope, gum. I asked him why he told me he had chewed all the gum. Same thing on Monday. Then, we had a talk. 

It seems that he saves the gum from one day or chewing to the next and adds a stick and keep chewing. He takes it out and leaves it out overnight or while we are gone and takes it up to chew later. I am really grossed out by this habit. 

When I was 18 or so, a dentist told me not to chew gum or anything hard or tough. It seems he thought I might have Temporomandibular Joint problems. TMJ I never have had problems. However, I only chew gum for about three minutes and throw it away.  Now, I rarely buy gum. 

He has been sitting over here chewing on 8 pieces of Juicy Fruit for at least an hour. All of it is from previous days. He said when he was young he saved it on the top of the back of his chair by his bed...lol. 

Do you ever save gum for another day after it is chewed? Did you ever? Juicy Fruit has always been my favorite. Did you have a favorite gum when you were a kid? What is your favorite gum now?  I suppose all that gum under desk tops was being saved for another day. What happened in your life today?

Saturday and Sunday

 Saturday night, I put all eight amber, pint, Ball canning jars and the rings into the dishwasher. I don't put the lids with the seal in water that hot as I feel it will lessen the sealing. I plan to use them for items that I keep in jars. At least they will keep the light from affecting food. When I start dehydrating again, I will use pint jars as I always have. 

Saturday night, I decided to go to bed at 7:45 and take an hour nap before a movie came on that I wanted to see. Well, that was not to be. Tommy was knocking around. Apparently, he spilled a Diet Pepsi on his table. He went to the bathroom and washed out the hand towel in the bathroom sink. I suppose I heard him rattling around a plastic bowl that lives in the sink. 

Then, I heard loud fireworks going off for a few minutes. I was up and madder than a wet hen. My heart was pounding before I left the bed, so rushing to look out the front door made me nauseous and dizzy. I pulled open the door and looked out. It was the very nice neighbor across the street. They quit shooting off fireworks. I suppose they thought I was angry and quit, but the damage was done. I could have seen pretty fireworks. So, I got up to watch since I could not sleep and now they think I wanted them to quit! I did before I got up. 

We had a BLT for dinner. I had a peach, too. Delicious. There is enough bacon to have another tomorrow. 

It is about 3 pm on Sunday. I just awoke ill. No wonder I was ready for bed at 8 pm Saturday night! So, I have it all assembled--water, inhaler, meds, pillow. Hopefully, I will be better by bedtime. I hate summer colds although this seems more in my chest. Running a temp in the summer is the worst. 

Tommy reported a hummingbird sighting when he awoke and later when he ate breakfast. So, I suppose they are coming all day. We are going to get flowers and hang them on another shepherd's hook near the front porch or ramp. Maybe you are tired of hearing about hummingbirds, but we are excited. Now, we just need hummingbird books. 

I had scheduled two people to clean at 3 pm today and awoke and called them to cancel. I hate that. Tommy is watching a program--Saturdays in the South. It appears to be about football and racism. Interesting. However, it has multiple segments and this series will last until 11 pm or something. Ack! 

There is no telling when he is going to help me with dishes. I have the dishwasher emptied and half-filled. But, he needs to come and just help empty the sink and hand dishes to me. 

We were out of the house from 6-7 pm. It is nice to be out and nice to be back...lol. 

Do you find getting a cold or chest congestion in the summer is more miserable than other times of the year?

It Is Coming Soon. You Know it Is!

 

Yes, Halloween will be here soon. This cute spider cape/poncho comes from a site called Grandin Road. I love the pumpkin cape, too. I could make either for a lot less! There is a big spider on the left chest. 

Can you believe this showed up so early? And, I have not googled anything about Halloween! There are so many cute things on this site.

What is the next holiday you will plan?

By the way, we had the door open ready to leave the house about 1pm and a hummingbird showed up. We later had visitors all during the afternoon and until about 8 pm, when I closed the door. So, I guess we are good.

I would wear this poncho. Would you?

Nothing Much Friday But Stuff to Say--Tomatoes, Basil, and Gunsmoke

 When pots are left with dying plants from over the winter, sometimes they will reseed , sprout weeds or just sit there and look ugly. I noticed a few days ago green in one of my herb pots. Yesterday, I made note of the fact it looked like basil. Well, today, feeling like I could bend and not topple over, I bent and pulled a leaf and smelled it. BASIL

It is really hard to water things on the porch as bending is hard and I don't want to spray the leaves. So, I have to bend or go off the porch and down the ramp to water standing on the grass. Plus, Tommy must go down the ramp and then back around it to turn on the water. I hate to have him do this, but I cannot turn the faucet. 

No pretty plants on the porch. I need to find ones that can go dry without immediately collapsing and then dying. But, I had another thought while on hummingbird watch. I will get another shepherd's crook and put flowers near the ramp railing. That way, either of us can water them with water from inside the house. 

It looks like I lost my third cleaner before he ever came. He would be in one of three locations and I had to go get him.  Well, before I could call, he moved to some place called Livingston. My friend has a second person in mind, so we will see. 

Tonight, I decided a BLT would be perfect with the new tomatoes, but I needed to purchase already-cooked bacon. We got out the door and onto the ramp and decided to stay home as it was starting to sprinkle and there were big, black clouds. No use getting caught out in that, so we unlocked the door and stayed here. The tomatoes will last until tomorrow. 

Right now, I am watching a movie with James Arness. I love Gunsmoke! I hurried and put dinner in the oven--two bscb and two chicken breast filets. A whole Vidalia onion sliced in half and a whole bell pepper sliced in fourths are cooking with the chicken. Tommy is going to have salad with grape tomatoes. I will have slices of one of the tomatoes from the market. We can eat all weekend from this since the breasts are so large. 

I may have a tomato salad--diced tomatoes, a bit of Miracle Whip stirred in with other vegetables.  YUM. When we were kids, we would go in and make tomato sandwiches before dinner. I loved those. 

The chicken is almost ready and Tommy is getting his salad. So, I need to check on the chicken at the next commercial. 

Do you or did you just eat tomato sandwich with mayo or salad dressing? Did you toast the bread or eat it with toasting? 

Hard and Happy Thursday

 Wednesday night, I went to sleep easily at about 2 am. My intentions were to get up at 8:30 and wash my hair, make breakfast and go to Cullman. I had things to do. Well, I awoke at 4:20 am and did not go back to sleep until 8:15. I washed my hair and bathed and made scrambled eggs and heated a sausage, and had it with a glass of milk. Tommy had 1 sausage and half a piece of bread. There was no grumbling about the sausage, thankfully. It was the Jimmy Dean patties. 

The day was beautiful with big fluffy clouds in a perfectly blue sky. The drive was uneventful. And, I had a mental list. 

• PO
• my house/lot
• WDG
• Publix
• somewhere to eat
• lake
• Farmer's Market
• Belk's

There were no surprises at the PO, and nothing urgent. We went to my place and sat a few minutes. I went to Warehouse Discount Groceries. Split fryer breasts were $.99/lb. The price seemed like a good deal even with waste of bones and skin. I decided not to go to Publix. At Belk's I returned several items and bought a blouse and dress on deep discount. Plus, I had a coupon. In Belk's I also caught up with an elected official I know. We got a little burger from Burger King and took it to the lake to eat and lingered a bit to enjoy it all. 

The Farmer's Market was the highlight of the day. I used a coupon for the market to purchase 6peaches for $6. At the eggs I purchase another dozen for $4, and got the remaining $2 of the coupon in 4 tomatoes. I always talk to this guy, a recovering drug addict, about chickens and eggs. He is making a new life for himself and is in love with chickens. I encourage him. 

I mentioned one of the eggs had a blood spot. We discussed why this happened. Then, he offered me one egg. As I got in the car, he gave me a whole dozen. I plan to scramble a dozen eggs at a time, and use them for four breakfasts for four days. 

So, I came home with 2 dozen eggs, 4 tomatoes, 6 peaches. As soon as I got home, I attacked a peach. It was so delicious! 

Then, I slept from 5 pm until a little before 9 pm. Before I lay down, I told Tommy to eat meatballs and spaghetti sauce, the cooked zucchini, and whatever else he wanted...lol. He ate meatballs with catsup on them and a salad. Fine. 

Just now, I tried on my two garments. The blouse is bright pink and almost to my knees, so I suppose it is or could be a dress. The blue sundress is the kind with elastic on the top. It sure squeezes me, but it is pretty. Tommy like both and said they looked nice on me. Both were on clearance and then I used a coupon. Good deal! Even using Tommy's walker, the trip inside Belk's was brutal. 

About 4:30 pm, I saw a hummingbird who lingered at both feeders and returned twice. When Tommy was coming into the house, it flew right in front of Tommy who sort of dodged it, thinking it was just a big bug. 

I missed the pecan man. Rats! I need to make arrangements to get pecans. 

Booklight, PBS, hummingbirds

 About 7:30 pm on Tuesday night, I brought in both hummingbird feeders to wash them and refill. I put dinner on and came to sit in the living room. Then, I saw two hummingbirds flitting around the positions where both feeders had been located! Then, they came back, flying round and round, searching. I failed them!

Wednesday night, I opened the door to see if hummingbirds came, and one did. At 7:20, same as before, a hummingbird showed up and took several sips and flew away. I had put them out just before 7 pm as there was a PBS special coming on at 7 pm.

USPS brought a package with Tommy's pen needles from Amazon and a book light for me. So far, the book light seems to be okay but could be better. I tried reading in bed. Since I must lie on my left side to read and my back is to the only bulb in the room, it helped me to see. But, it seemed it was always in the way. I read very fast, so I kept having to turn the page and keep my place while not tearing the pages and keeping my glasses on correctly while I thrashed around on the pillow. I think this might work better sitting up. 

I have a pink one, but copied this instead. One good and surprising thing to me was this light charges via USB plug. I like that. 

Tommy's pen needles are a bit cheaper on Amazon. However, we bought them from Amazon because of continuing covid risk. Plus, he does not have to walk all the way through Sam's club to get more pen needles at a cheap price. 

Tuesday night at 7 pm, we watched a PBS program about hummingbirds. They were so colorful. He said they repeat these programs, so maybe you can catch it sometime.

Do you have a booklight? 

Gardens, Rain, Chipmunk, Delta, Endocrinologist

The neighbor had someone mow and use the weedeater on the lawn today as it was threatening to storm. It did rain quite a bit when he quit. He ran with the push mower after he finished with the riding mower. Tommy said he was running with the weedeater as it rained on him, getting back to his truck. So, it will look nice and neat for a week. 

That is the only bad thing about living in such a rainy place--grass needs mowing all the time. Of course, the tomatoes and other vegetables thrive, too.  In about a month or less, people will be begging for rain and gardens will be too dry. 

Because all vegetables were eaten except for two grape tomatoes and two tiny squashes, I did not plant one thing this year! I may have figured out what was eating my vegetables. Yesterday, I saw a little striped chipmunk scurrying along the ground under the ramp. I suppose they eat vegetables. They did eat all the roots and tops of my Hosta! 

I have only seen one cat in this neighborhood, one sighting, I mean. Cats will get the chipmunks and kill them. So, there are no natural predators for the pests. I wonder why so few people have outdoor cats. I have never felt this way before, but I am not going to fight to keep things alive and watch ripe vegetables disappear. 

Remember I bought Jimmy Dean sausage because Tommy cannot stand the Johnsonville sausage? Well, today I cooked the package of Jimmy Dean sausage and he loved it. So, I will have that ready for him to eat on mornings we leave town early and he would ordinarily stop at Hardee's. I hated to insist he eat something he did not like. He sort of enjoys stopping for his sausage biscuit. So, now he can eat this sausage he enjoys with bread at home unless I buy or make biscuits. 

When I make him a salad, he complains I give him too much. So, now, I tell him to go fix a salad and he comes back with a huge plate full of salad, three times what I serve him. He found carrots shreds and uses it all the time, along with salad greens of all sorts. He keeps all things salad very organized in the refrigerator. Plus, I keep other vegetables sliced or diced for him. Tonight, we are having spaghetti and meatballs and salad. He will have sliced zucchini, bell peppers, and carrot shreds on top. 

He hates mushrooms, so I have a little jar of mushrooms that will go into my sauce once I dish it up. His will not have a mushroom at all. I would hate it if someone insisted I should eat something I hate. But, I tell him to pick out mushrooms and I will eat them. 

Although I have had some positives from my endocrinologist, I am replacing him! He is not giving me refills on items I need. He has started to become lippy with me, too. I do not need a smart mouth when I am in need of help and advice. At my last visit, he did not refill anything even though we discussed what I needed! My friend told me who he goes to, and I will try him. 

More cases of covid19 are seen here in Alabama. I was going to go and have the stents put in arteries. Now, I am once again hesitant to go anywhere near the hospital. Of course, Alabama is the least vaccinated state in the Union at 32%.  

Have you found that striped chipmunks get into your garden? How do you eliminate them? Are you hesitant once again after the Delta variant has become more prevalent? What percent of your state is fully vaccinated? 

Shopping at Three Grocery Stores Today

 Every time I went into a store for one thing today, I inevitably brought more out with me. I planned none of this, but it happened

First, I went into the bread store for two loaves of $1 bread, and I came out with a package of two cupcakes, also. 

Then, I went into The Pig for a case of  Diet Pepsi for Tommy, and spent more than I planned. With a $10, pretax purchase, I could get a free dozen eggs. So, his drinks, zucchini, dried navy beans and a package of bologna came home with me. But, I have free large eggs worth $1.20.

Then, thinking we needed vanilla ice cream for the blueberries, I went into Publix, got the ice cream and more. I found that Diet Pepsi and Diet Dr. Pepper were b2g2, so I got 4 12-packs. He will drink these five 12-packs in about two months. Since he does not care for the Johnsonville sausage patties, I bought Jimmy Dean sausage patties. The white grapes have not been pretty but today I found nice ones on sale. Black cherry juice has been on my mind, and they had a coupon for $1.

UGH! At least none of it was random spending since all of the items were things I had determined I would purchase. 

Before the 4th of July week, at the bread store I decided to get hotdog buns at the bread store. After I did, I went to The Pig and found that I could get buns free with their app. So, I got that. How could I turn down free hotdog buns for the 4th? There, I did shop to get buns, but not for anything superfluous. Right now, I have forgotten what I got, but it was heavy into bananas and vegetables. 

I came home to put the buns from the bread store into the freezer. As I took the buns I just purchased, I realized that the person from Publix had put a gallon of milk right on top of the hotdogs buns. I told Tommy to prepare to eat squashed buns. A few days later, I picked up the package of buns. Unbelievably, the buns had completely recovered their shape! 

Food shopping can be complicated and hard somedays! 

Maybe the sausage I bought will make him happier about not going to Hardee's. I could buy the roll and make the patties myself, but standing that long is too hard. With sausage all over both hands, it would be hard to lean and hold onto things. Yes, I could use plastic wrap or waxed paper to make the patties, but there is still too much standing. Maybe I can teach him how. 

Maybe I have found someone else to help out around here. The young attorney who hosted the 4th has a guy who helps her, is good and only charges $10 an hour. Things need moving, mostly just boxes. But, they have to be moved before two rooms can be vacuumed. Plus, the hole needs to be fixed where something came in the kitchen and ate potatoes. 

Tough Blueberries?

 Saturday night, I told Tommy he needed to come help with the dishes. The dishwasher was almost empty of clean dishes. Since I felt so horrible for four days this last week, I just used dishes out of the dishwasher and piled dirty ones in the sink. 

I handed him the few clean dishes after I stacked like with like items and told him where they went. He handed me the dirty dishes and I loaded the dishwasher all the while leaning on the counter. He was a great help. I staggered back to the living room, thinking he would be along. No, he stayed. I went in to see what he was doing. He was washing off the cookie sheets I had used to bake in the oven. 

Still, he stayed a long time in the kitchen. After he came into the living room, I had reason to go to the kitchen and was shocked. He had sort of cleaned out the sink. AND, instead of being wadded up, he had actually rinsed food from the two dish cloths and hung them--one over faucet and one over the sprayer. Then, he had a wet dish towel hanging over something on the sink. I had mentioned how I try to let things dry hanging over something instead of souring wadded up. He admitted he did not clean the sink well, just cleaned up the "gunk," his words. Monday morning, I was pleased to have dry cloths to put in dirty clothes. 

So, he listens!

While he was in the kitchen, I managed to fold clothes that I had put off. There is always something to do! Right?

I slept well and long Saturday night. Then, I napped when I lay down Sunday afternoon because my back hurt. 

The blueberry cobbler was sort of nor what I wanted, but delicious. Today, I heated some of the berries and they were tough. Tommy said they were tough last night. Actually, they were tough when thawed and even partially thawed. I tasted a few. Do you know why my blueberries were tough? 

The Reason I Have Felt So Awful/ Blueberries and Strawberries

 Each day, I felt worse, lethargic. But, I thought about it. I was sleeping about 10 hours a day in three or four sessions, but I never felt one bit better. 

As I thought about my predicament, I decided a new med was the problem. Sure enough, when I quit, I started feeling better. I hate that!

I have done practically nothing for three days--no dishwashing, no clothes folding, nothing productive. Except for one meal, I had cooked or prepared dinner. I suppose that is something. 

Tonight, for dinner we each had another pork chop that I cooked yesterday along with green beans and tomato. Those cheap pork chops, $1.99/lb, in family pack were very irregular and thin. I like thin pork chops. But, they were delicious. I only put a bit of salt and pepper on them and put them in a browning bag. I have three more left and will do something else with them. 

I had five pounds of commercially frozen blueberries thawing in the refrigerator. So, I made a cobbler. The recipe was for an 8x8" pan, but since I was using a 9"x13" pan, I doubled the recipe, only I didn't. I doubled the blueberries and butter for bottom of the pan. I did not double the cobbler part. So, it was very juicy and lacked much cobbler topping to go with the berries. 

There are negligible carbs in tomatoes and green beans, so dinner was practically carb free. We could eat a few carbs without having them from dinner.

I still have a gallon of home-picked and frozen blueberries waiting to use. I won't use them immediately. They were going to be used for the cobbler until I got the 5 lbs., half-thawed. I think maybe muffins for the freezer, another smaller cobbler, and a blueberry pie. Tommy said he will eat the remainder of what I cooked today, plain. Works for me. My friend will give me more soon. 

There are still strawberries I froze last summer, so we need to use those. We never eat jellied or jammed topping on anything since I never make biscuits or pancakes. So, maybe just thawed will be great. He loved the strawberry poke cake that he was sure he would not like, so maybe that, but probably not. I love a bowl of almost-thawed strawberries if I don't have fresh. 

Doctor and Blood Pressure

 Almost three weeks ago, I had my blood pressure taken at a doctor's office. The person who took my blood pressure did not try to get the cuff above my elbow. She just stopped when it did not slip up easily. When she started pumping it up, It felt as if electricity flew through my arm to my fingers. The pain was so intolerable and instantaneous that I sort of screamed, not too loud. My blood pressure was really high, higher than ever before. 

Since then, I have numbness and tingling from elbow to fingertips. I am annoyed. Next time I go there, I will take my own blood pressure cuff! 

Today, I found an article by a doctor in the paper. The link below is very informative. I will take a copy of this with me from now on. 

Usually, the person taking my blood pressure is talking to me and gathering information or sticking a thermometer into my mouth (not lately) or trying to move my hair and generally being busy and expecting me to interact or sit still and follow directions. I found the following article in the paper and found it online.

DR ROACH ON BLOOD PRESSURE <-----CLICK HERE

Do you notice the person taking your blood pressure does not follow protocols? Tell me about it.

Thursday Funk/Nothing Much

Thursday at noon, I saw a hummingbird at the feeder. When the neighbor who takes out the garbage came by at dusk, I rushed as well as I could and asked him if he had a feeder. No, but he sees hummingbirds all the time in his yard. And, he has flowers. 

On Wednesday night, I just did not feel well. So, for that reason or some other, I did not cook the porkchops. We had plenty to eat--leftovers and frozen food. A huge frozen,  baked chicken leg for Tommy and frozen meatballs for me. There were vegetables, but I have forgotten what. 

 I did not sleep much on Wednesday night. I tried to sleep once in the afternoon on Thursday and could not, so I tried the second time. I feel awful all over. I think I know what it is. But is frightens me. So, later. 

Tommy reminded me too late that the Scripps National Spelling Bee was on at 7 pm. So, we had takeout--chicken, grape tomatoes, pasta salad with spinach and Kalamata olives. Later tonight, I will cook porkchops. Or, maybe freeze them in packages for two meals. 

Tonight, I also need to make new nectar and wash the feeders. Friday, we need to move the shepherd's hook once again. I cannot see it from the sofa when the door is open. 

It seems lately that most of my work is at night. Although I emptied the box of cans, now, I need to throw the box out the carport door so Tommy can cut it up for the trash can. 

Wednesday This and That

 Our Tuesday lunch of chicken provided dinner Tuesday night. The whole chicken breasts were so large that neither of us could finish ours. When it came time to think about dinner, he said he would make a salad for himself. I ate a sandwich and slaw with my breast. I love an easy meal, and a cheap one, too. 

At noon on Wednesday, Tommy just wandered out and back in. He got his own lunch of beans and franks and slaw. If I keep food ready, he just helps himself instead of expecting me to get it. About half the time I do bring in his lunch. I just remembered--a week or two ago, he was adamant that he did not want vegetables for lunch. He gets up much earlier than I, and wants lunch before I even want breakfast. 

Tuesday, I was gutted when I found evidence of more thievery at my lot. Won't people ever give up? 

This afternoon, Tommy had to go pay two bills, so I went along and went to a store I shop at about every two months. Pork chops were $1.99/lb., so I bought a pack for <$6. Dinner will be pork chops, the rest of the fresh green beans, and the one potato along with a huge Vidalia onion. I hope the chops are good tasting. 

Then, I found amber Ball pint jars. They are short, squat, wide-mouth. I don't think I have seen amber jars for sale in ages. The dark glass keeps food from deteriorating in the light.  These are possibly the darkest jars I have ever seen. The amber jars will be used to store dehydrated foods if I ever dehydrate anything again. 

Have you seen amber, Ball jars in the stores? Do you use amber jars to protect food? 

How Do Your Trousers Break?

 By evening yesterday, Tommy had changed his mood about his khakis. He tried on the newer, larger-in-the-waist pair. He commented that he like the extra room. So, that was a positive. I offered to take back the smaller pair and get another of the larger size, but he said it was okay.  He was in a very good mood.

He said something about--"since you don't like my 'good pair' " and was smiling when he said it, referring to the pair with blue pockets that show. He knows when he is wrong, changes his mind and think just not being mad fixes everything! It doesn't!

If you wonder what the BREAK is, click on this sentence. This is how the break on a man's pant should be. 

I was so confused when I first shopped for his pants a couple of years ago. I knew I had seen him in pants in pleats and pants with cuffs. But, he was adamant about hating both. Finally, I told him he was wearing those when I met him. He had gone to the thrift store and gotten those pants! 

Today, we were listening to the news before noon. According to the weather, the rain was going to come in today and continue through the first of next week. I turned to him and asked him if we should just go right now. Within 10 minutes, I was clean and dressed. We stopped and got the senior lunch and took it to the park by the lake and ate. It was delicious--chicken breast baked, delicious green beans, hamburger bun, pears, lowfat chocolate milk, I had water.  Tommy made a chicken sandwich. I threw most of my bun to the birds. He ate the pears, I did not. 

We had been home for about an hour this evening when the rain started. But, I have my mail. It was really packed. Of course, if I did not get so much junk mail, box space could have lasted another three weeks. I did get a Good Housekeeping magazine. I have not had one of these in my hands for over 30 years. It has changed or I have, not sure.

My chair bottoms are done. I picked them up today and they exceeded my expectation. So, now I need fabric. When it quits raining, I will get fabric. 

 

Hemming Men's Pants

 Okay, watching The Bonfire of the Vanities, so this may be short. I never saw it, so now I can. 

We were going to get my mail and do other things in my town today, but last night, I changed my mind. Yes, still recovering from the heat on the 4th. 

Tommy told me two sizes he might need in pants length and width. The smaller waist was available yesterday. Today, I went to get the larger waist size. The problem is the pants are both same length and an inch longer than what he wears. He always wears his pants way too short. Well, I got HELL for bringing out the longer length, same length that I got yesterday. 

He like high water pants, even on suits. He says he sees the pants are too long in the front. Well, he is looking down and sees they break over his shoes. There is no way he will understand how pants leg bottoms fit and look. He thinks they must hang and not touch the front of his shoe! ???

He disagrees that pants legs can be hemmed on an angle, front shorter than back. He knows more about sewing than I do. He does not even have a full-length mirror. How can he see his pants bottom? A man cannot lean over to judge the length of his pants. 

He has never bought a pair of unhemmed pants and had the store hem them. He has never had a pair of pants shortened by store or lengthened. It is impossible to talk to him about this. 

I am still getting HELL for his pants being too long. But, I can hem. He does not care. All his pants hems must fall above his shoe top in the back, that way they don't wrinkle on his shoe in the front! 

Have you ever hemmed men's dress pants? Have you ever hemmed them longer in back than in front? Have you ever known anyone who wanted pants to start out high-water? Have you ever had any role in getting a man's pants hemmed? Men, do you prefer your pants ankle length to keep the front of the pants from wrinkling on your shoe/

4th of July

 I "only" had four things to do and it almost killed me. Nothing seemed to go right. 

Saturday night, I cut up the hotdogs and put canned baked beans and hotdogs in a glass dish. Sunday morning, I baked the brownies and let them cool in the pan. I painted toe nails after feet were clean...lol. I wet my hair and put shampoo on a small section and remembered I decided my hair needed color, so I rinsed it off and just let it dry. I cut the brownies and put them on a blue plate with white stars. Then, I was too late putting on the color. I was going to use a curling iron, so I just went crazy with the hair dryer after I combed out the tangles. 

I got really frazzled! Tommy tried to help. Every time I asked him to find something, he brought it to me in the bedroom. I just wanted to make sure I had it--like my makeup bag I carry in the big blue bag we carry to the car, the Vaseline I needed for my ashy arms, and my camera that was not in my purse anymore. 

Well, then I could not find the curling iron and I had this wild covid cut that needed cutting again. So, that is how I arrived, looking like a wild woman. I put nail polish on at stop lights once we got near UAB and stoplights. I was so exhausted.

Instructions were--ring the bell at the gate and someone will come out and open the door in the gate. Okay, the whole place was surrounded by wrought iron fence about eight feet high. We were on a street four lanes wide. Everything in sight was asphalt or concrete or bricks. A few pieces of grass did nothing to mitigate the heat. We rang and rang and rang and rang again. I called two friends I knew were there. After 30 minutes of standing in the heat and sweltering 3 pm sun, I could feel my scalp sweating and the sweat running toward my forehead. UGH 

Finally, a very nice woman just walking by told us how to get it and it was not at the gate with the button we were supposed to push! So, we got in the gate and had no idea where was a habitation. This looked all commercial. It was wonderful to finally get indoors and get a glass of unsweetened tea. 

There was an abundance of food including baked beans with brisket or something in them. It sounded better than mine. The brownies were the only chocolate and very popular. So, we brought home most of the beans and franks. I will freeze enough for a meal for Tommy. 

I am not a baked bean fan, although these were pretty good. I read the can and found out they were made with Navy beans which I love. So, I tasted them.  I hate all the other beans used in baked beans. So, if I can get past all the carbs, maybe I will taste a bit of these baked beans. I know I was going to make the baked beans myself, but the can worked. 

My friend's "house" was full of art all over walls, covered to the ceiling. Even the tables were art. I went into her husbands "garage." It seems he used to fix cars and now he fixes watches. He had a couple of thousand square feet of art in his part of the house. It is not garage dirty, very clean and full of art. He called it a garage, but it was not very garage-y. My friend is an attorney--mitigation specialist. They lived in Vestavia until his kids graduated and then moved to his business. They eliminated a mortgage. They are so smart. Vestavia Hills is a very ritzy place to live, but money saved is better. 

We finally got into the house about 4 pm and left at 6 pm, plenty long for me after being exhausted by heat radiating off everything around. By the time we arrived home, I was ready to lie down. I did and might have gone to sleep except the fireworks started, the noisy ones that are not pretty.

Okay, after an hour I got up, no sleep, no nap. We are listening/watching the Boston Pops and seeing fireworks from the park behind the houses across the street. This was a tame 4th with about 20 people. Quiet.

I love the heat, but too much sun drains me as I have grown older. Does sun drain you? How was your 4th of July? 

Yes, I am posting twice today.

Too Much to Do

 Well, nothing much was done, things that needed to be done before our 4th celebration we will visit. 

• color or wash my hair
• bake brownies
• make the beans and franks
• polish nails on hands and toes

It is now midnight on Saturday night, so this all has to be done between now and 3 pm on the 4th. I was going to do all this from Thursday to Saturday. You see how this has gone. 

Friday night, I was horrified at what Tommy had in mind to wear on Sunday. First, I got a striped shirt from him out of a free box. It is awful. It has little skinny stripes and just is not something I want him to wear. Then, he told me he was wearing a cheap pair of pants I bought for him with his money. They actually look okay except for the fact that the back pockets are blue. The cheap pockets sort of gap and the blue shows. I was mortified. 

Today, I went to big box and bought him another cheap pair that actually look fine. When we came home, he said he was not going to wear the shirt I hate. He is going to wear a button up shirt instead of knit shirt. I don't know why, because I don't mind knits. But, he won't look so shabby, at least. For that I thank him. 

Right now, I am going to get up and slice the hotdogs, two packages. I could polish my toenails. Maybe not. I have too much planned for tomorrow! I am going to wear makeup for the first time since last February. I hope I remember how to put on makeup. We will be wearing masks indoors! But, outdoors we will not ear a mask unless I hear talk of no vaccine.

Tommy helped me by getting the dishes close to the dishwasher so I would not have to walk back and forth from sink to dishwasher. Tomorrow, at some point, I will have him dry all the plastic lids for my glass dishes as I wash them.  

When I need something from the refrigerator that I cannot find, he knows where it is. He stacked the boxes with greens and different lettuces all in one place. He stacked lunch meats and his cheese, and a slice of tomato on top of the cheese and meat.

He is catching on to using plastic bags. When I give him too much meat for dinner, he just puts it in a sandwich bag and saves it for his lunch the next day. Before, he would leave it for me to store. 

No hummingbird today! At least I didn't see one.

Have you ever objected to something husband/SO or kid was going to wear? How did that turn out? 

Wool

 If you remember, I bought a white, wool blanket from eBay, paying $54, I think. Shipping was about $20 exorbitant, I thought. Well, I love the blanket but not the detergent in which it was washed. So, it needs to be washed since it is machine washable and dryable. The blanket is now on sale new for $149, so the good deal for me is great for my wallet. The blanket looks new. 

When I was a child, I slept under a green wool army blanket. It belonged to my mother when she was a WAC. No one else wanted to sleep under it except me. Now, it was scratchy, but I kept the sheet turned back over it so it would not touch my face. I wish I had one of those. I was only three when I started sleeping under the wool blanket. I loved it. 

At my house I had a wool blanket that was from the Navy, you know the branch of military, and it cost $1 at a yard sale. I resorted to using it next to my body and under the sheet. It was so snuggly and warm and not itchy as you might imagine. I cannot wait to sleep with this next to my this body this winter.

Thursday night, I could not face dinner preps. So, I took out meatballs from the freezer and a jar of spaghetti sauce and had a salad. Tommy was receptive to the idea. Whew! 

Just now, the whole screen turned blue! I was sucking in my breath with shrill "oh, oh, oh" and searching the keyboard because the next keystroke would delete this post. I used Ctrl+z to bring it all back, undo. Whew!

I spent a very small portion of today decluttering. We both are much happier with the state of things. This will continue! Really, it was less than 15 minutes. And, the dishwasher is still waiting on me. 

What is your "go to" meal for dinner? Do you like wool blankets?

A Decision

 For the 4th celebration we are attending, I am going to make brownies and beans/franks. Tommy asked me why two things--because we are two people and neither dish is large or substantial. So, that is decided. But, I still have two days in which to change my mind...lol.

Wednesday afternoon, I lay down and slept an hour and just lay there another hour. We emptied the box of cans! They are all in the trash. Now, I only have to get the huge box from the dining room. That will be a huge clean swath of floor. The box was 2'x2'x18", huge when filled with cans. So, now it on to another area. 

I mentioned to Tommy last week that we could eat at the table soon when I got it all clean on floor and stuff off the table. He wailed, "No, I like eating in the living room." grrr Well, when I put food on the table, maybe he will change his mind. I have a very pretty, spring-ish and light tablecloth to cover that smoke/amber glass top on his table. It is so ugly and depressing in the dark room.  It sucks up light, laughter, and joy.

We did not see a hummingbird Wednesday. But, we cannot see outside unless we get up and look through the fanlight. Or, we can leave the front door open and only I can see the feeders. When it is hot, the door stays closed. So, maybe the one or two we saw will bring a friend or four to eat at our house. 

Tuesday, I received Logitech headset so I can listen to things on the computer and will not disturb Tommy. They seem not to feel right on my ears, but I am adjusting. Two days later, the headset is fine. It feels loose, but that is okay since it would eventually make my head and ears hurt if it were tight. 

When we went to the park to sit, there were ball games going on. I don't claim to know all the rules of  baseball, but I learned something today. There is something called a "foul pole."  I knew about foul lines. Did you know about foul poles? For years I watched my son playing baseball. And, my son is a baseball coach!

Did you know about foul poles?

Friday, we got corn and slaw mix and ate sausage patties, corn, squash and zucchini. 

It seems our hummingbird comes in a forty minute window--between 6:40 and 7:20. He comes and goes in the same direction which is directly to neighbor's patio. I wonder if they have hummingbird feeders.