Lamp and Aquarium Glue

 The time I would have spent on a post today was spent talking to the new friend I made down the street. Her name is Linda and her  birthday is four days before mine. She turned 74 while I turned 75. She is a schoolteacher, too. 

We were on our way to the bread store. But, we sat in front of her house for an hour and a half, talking.  I felt bad we were keeping her and she said she was keeping us. I was not bored and we each spoke equally long and long-winded...lol. 

The lamp Tommy had beside his chair was cute, sort of an Arabian Nights look. Someone gave it to him. He used it without a shade and with a curly bulb for years. Since I sit facing it, I was having eye pain. The eye doctor told me with my eye problems I should not use a curly bulb or any kind of fluorescent bulb. So, I bought a new white shade for his lamp. The lamp did not have a harp or a way to affix one the the lamp. 

That lamp shade would not stay straight because every time he turned it on and off, he tilted it. Then, the light in my eyes was intense. I told him I was buying a new lamp for him. He did not disagree. I also told him it might be from a yard sale. 

Well, I found one at a yard sale last weekend or maybe it was the week before. It is white ceramic, sort of an amphora look with a little brass base with legs. It also had a good LED bulb and a bell-shaped shade. The shade is fabric, looks like slub silk, but we know it is not silk...lol. It is not white, maybe an oatmeal color. He likes it, so that is good. The size works so much better than the stubby little lamp he had for five years. 

I was surprised, but he started to put it on his table. I suggested he let me wash if first. He said he would wash it and took it straight to his table. I was surprised he wanted it put on his table right away...lol. I think he washed it after he plugged it in. So, he has a lamp with a more powerful light than he had, the shade does not tilt, so it does not blind me. He likes it!

It was a good deal for $4. Usually, the shade needs to be replace on yard sale lamps. Not this one. 

For a project I needed aquarium glue. The easiest on my back was Amazon. It was cheap and came today. On the box there was not one word of English or any language with which I am familiar. I suppose it was Chinese. I have no idea what are the ingredients or if it is toxic.  Have we come to this? 

My favorite lamps are yard sale lamps. The only new lamps I have ever owned were bought in 1967. Since 1985 or so, I have bought antique lamps at yard sales or junk stores and had them restored. I made the shades. 

Do you like antique lamps? Yard sale lamps? Floor lamps? Have you gotten anything where all the label was in Chinese or other language?

For a mere $4, we are both satisfied. I love the little lamp, but I suppose I will donate it or sell it. 

Curds and Brown Bread and Tommy

Tuesday night, we had leftovers. Tommy had chicken, the rest of zucchini/red and green peppers that were sauteed and purple hull peas. I had two slice of the cooked zucchini, and a teaspoon of the peas. 

 I bought the cheese curds and Tuesday night he still had not tried one and was adamant that he probably would never even try one. Why?

T- I don't think I would like it.

L-What could make you think that? 

T-I have heard they are awful.

L-Where have you heard about curds? 

T- My grandmother and my grandfather. 

L-They didn't like curds?

T- No, they didn't like them at all.

L- Where did they taste them?

T- On their farm.

L- They had a dairy farm? 

T- No. 

L-What kind of farm did they have? 

T- I don't know. 

So, that is how most conversations go with Tommy. I have to drag information out of him. Possibly, I will get him to try a bit. He says "NO!"

Come to find out, his grandparents never had a farm. They both left farms where they grew up, met in Birmingham and married. 

I finally found the cheese curds in a Publix, but before that I could not find anyone in the places I looked who knew what I was talking about. 

As I approached three upper level employees, all older than thirty, They all turned to me and asked if they could help me. I said I was trying to find B&M bread, brown bread. the woman was eager to point out the bread aisle by flinging her arm out toward the other side of the store. She acted like I had never been in a grocery store. "No, I want bread in a can, brown bread, B&M. She kept interrupting and said disdainfully  there was no such thing as bread in a can, just in loaves. 

I moved along to asking about the cheese curds. This woman volunteered, saying she did not think they carried cheese curds. Then, she spotted the cottage cheese with the "large curd" and "small curd" labels. She said that this is what "they" were talking about. She sort of patted it as if to gently lead me. JERK! She ran her fingers under the "large curd" and "small curds" on the cottage cheese.  As I was objecting to the cottage cheese being "cheese curds," she kept telling me in a soft voice, "This is what you need to get." That woman would not give up. Finally, I raised my voice a bit and told her she did not have to explain cottage cheese to me. She was miffed because I would not believe her. 

One of the guys checked the internet for B&M. He explained to me this was a small store, so maybe a larger one would have it. He did check the store inventory before suggesting a larger store. 

Have you ever had an encounter with people who do not know what they are talking about while trying to help you AND point out how you are wrong?

Third Night in a Row

I slept 6 hours last night. I was sleeping soundly when Tommy woke me per my instructions. This was the third night in a row that I did NOT take melatonin. In the past I have never skipped melatonin this many consecutive nights. 

Melatonin formerly worked. I have a theory as to why it is failing me now. But, I will test the theory after two weeks of good sleep. 

Have you ever had a medicine, prescribed or otc,  quit working for whatever reason?

It appears summer is back for a few more days, at least.  

I Like It | Suspect in Lack of Sleep

 Okay, it's official--I like cheese curds. I ate too many. Tommy would not try even a tiny bite. It seems to me I remember hearing something about their squeaking. These don't. Tommy wonders if they would make good grilled cheese sandwiches. I cannot imagine why not. 

For dinner Sunday night, we were still full from the Whopper I wanted after my nice, long sleep. I sauteed zucchini, green and red peppers for Tommy along with a slice of some sort of turkey loaf. I had a little of the zucchini, a bite of the turkey stuff, and purple hull peas. 

I sliced and froze the green onions I used earlier in the week. Plus, I froze the slivered almonds from the meal kit. I will put both into something I cook. It seems like I froze something else today.

Starting tomorrow, I will pick and freeze basil each morning. I pick in the morning, soak in salty water, rinse, and stick into a small freezer bag. When the bag is getting full, I just crush the basil in the bag. It tastes fresh when used. I have plans to make Mediterranean Pasta. 

Monday

I slept for 6 hours, so a big deal after 8 hours last night. I think I have solved the sleep problem--Melatonin. It does help me sleep then wakes me--rebound effect. These two nights are the only nights I have not taken and melatonin or a much-reduced dose. So, tonight, I will either not take any or take just a portion of the dose. 

Monday, Tommy took my metal chicken and my lawn chair to the front lawn so I could paint it white without a mist hitting his car, no fumes would get on the hummers or their feeders, and where I could move around it. 

We don't do this in the back yard like normal people do because his steps from the house are only a foot from the utility room. We have to struggle so that it is not worth it. He has a huge, pretty, back yard. It has a huge tree that makes it cooler than the front yard. 

I managed not to spray myself or my shoes, but did clean them in case it was just a mist I could not see. However, the wind changed and I inhaled lots of the mist. It caused my asthma to act up. I was so afraid I could not get into the house! Then, I was sooo out of breath and coughing, that Tommy had to find the inhaler on the table next to me. Of course, he found the two I did not need first.  My chest feels like I have 20 lbs. on me. 

The "new friend" gave me cuttings of a plant. I forgot about it and kept it closed in a plastic bag. I think that was three weeks ago. It is blooming inside the plastic bag. In a few minutes, I will repot those. 

The pansies look so happy, all fluffy and blowing in the breeze. They looked great when I brought them home, but they look so much more healthy now. I let the mums get too dry and they almost looked crunchy, but they have filled out after not only having been watered, but also sitting in water for a bit. 

We went to Publix to give a recipe to a woman who works there. We bought and took a small bowl of watermelon to the park and ate it in the shade of a huge tree. I want at least a bit of traditional candy at Halloween, but those huge bags are too much to eat and too much sugar for two of us. I bought a tiny bag of candy corn that will be eaten by two people over several days. 

About ten years ago, I had an idea for buying Halloween and Christmas candy. I bought it and opened it at the register, leaving the opened bag. I just refused to take it, telling the cashier she could have it. These people are younger and have children. 

Tonight, Tommy is going to chop one of the two packages of ground beef for something for dinner. I will have leftover purple hull peas we got at the market. And, I am cooking Brussels sprouts. So, beef, purple hull peas, and Brussels sprouts and sliced tomatoes. 

Have you ever had one of these wire chickens? Do you have any special pots you like to put plants into? What flower would work in place of pansies this next spring in the concrete chicken? They cannot be tall. And, must be able to withstand heat and sun. 

Wonderful Saturday, Cheese Curds, Pumpkins, Canned Bread

 The weather was gorgeous, and despite the low 50s temp, I wore a sleeveless top, my striped outfit. The skies were clear and blue. Drivers were sane. Tommy was not in an argumentative mood. Everything went smoothly. 

We had several places planned to go and did everything without a hitch. That's rare. We left by 8 am and were home by 3 pm. The places I am talking about did not happen in the order I will talk about them. 

When we first pulled into the market, I saw the sweet potato farmer. He came over when I waved at him. After we talked a few seconds, he told me to pull up to a place that was not parking and was level. So, I walked about 10 feet to his booth. 

My plan was to go to the sweet potato farm if he was not at the market. He was there. All the boxes of potatoes were gone. I bought an $8 bag of Beauregard sweet potatoes and he took them to Tommy waiting in the car. I turned and behind me were sweet potatoes manned by a woman with her children and what appeared to be a grandchild. I told which pumpkin I wanted if she would carry it to the car for me. She obviously found a young man to carry it to Tommy. 

As I turned around, I asked the sweet potato guy what else he had. I bought a quart of purple hulled peas, frozen and took it back, too.  I had a huge package of bscb in a cooler, so even though the peas mostly thawed, they were partially frozen and went straight into a pot of water. They were delicious.

There was more in the market, probably things I wanted, but I had walked more than enough for the day. I didn't even go get eggs!

At Publix I found B&M bread I had been search for in the Publix down here. Have you ever had bread sealed in a can like green beans? Then, I bought cheese curds. They are way too expensive! Now, how do I eat these? Just pick them out and eat? Put in salad? In cooked food? Help me out here. 

Also, at Publix I found little squares for exfoliating skin and they were on sale! There are 50 in the bag, but I use 1/2 at a time. What is so special about these exfoliating squares I have been searching for years to use? They have nothing on them. I had some of these 20 years ago, but they were replaced with lotions and soaps. I hate those. Today, I used half of one with Dove. 

We had a Whopper Jr. and fries for lunch. We headed to the lake and the whole park was closed. So, as we left there,  we just pulled into the senior center parking lot next door. It was closed on Saturday, so we found a shady spot to just revel in the trees surrounding us. 

So, I came home with sweet potatoes, pumpkin, freshly shelled purple hull peas, B&M Bread, cheese curds, exfoliating pads and enjoyed eating at the senior center parking lot.

Back to Friday--

About 5 pm, I decided on a quick trip to Lowe's. I took my cane and got out at the garden center.  I sat down inside the door, waiting for someone to help me with flowers. Well, I mentioned a cart would be great. So, a woman brought an electric cart and I could shop by myself. I found a purple mum to put in my chicken and yellow pansies with a dark purple center for my concrete bunny. I bought white spray for my metal chicken. 

Sunday--

Saturday night, I went to bed at 2 am and was asleep by 2:30. I awoke at 4:30 and did not sleep until after 7 am on Sunday. At 3:30 pm, Sunday afternoon, I awoke and have felt well this afternoon and evening. See? About 8 hours sleep transforms me.

The mum desperately needed water, so I watered it and put it in a bowl of water for a bit. I had two tiny pansy cups, but only put one in my bunny. Basil was watered. Tommy and I both went out for a bit. The hummingbirds are not deterred by our presence now. 

Instead of Tommy struggling to turn on the hose and both of us dragging it to the other side of the porch, he filled water bottles and we used those. I could have gotten out the watering can, one of the three, but the bottles were easier on my shoulders and hands. He did not object to not trying to turn on the hose! 

Plans--

We are going to the farm for a 40 lb. box of sweet potatoes.

There is still no rain in sight on the weather reports. It is dry. The air is neither hot nor cold. I could stand many days like this. It has been a good weekend! 

Picture This

 I was walking past groceries on the floor and sort of did not give myself enough room. Picture loopy airplane wing arms that morph into helicopter rotor and then back to airplane wings arms. All this time, food must be balanced. 

My body was moving in a swaying Jeannie-like motion. But, it was not so alluring or cute. I had no bottle into which to escape. 

This all went on way too long. I thought both of Tommy's TVs were toast. Remember, he has the little one sitting in front of the large one. If I crash into the front one, the back one will go down like a domino. Finally, I regained my equilibrium and did not spill the food I was carrying. Tommy said he thought, "Oh no. Where is she going to fall, and how are we going to get her up?" I say to call 911.

Since I slept 2 hours last night, I was woozy from needing sleep. It has nothing to do with ears or equilibrium. 

Today was a very good day! Tomorrow I will relate the good things of today. 

Wish me to sleep.

TMJ

 Thursday,  at 5 pm I decided that I wanted to get a mum. I am not crazy about the yellow, orange or red. I wanted a pink mum, but this looks like it will be pale pinkish purple. That will work. Friday, I will put it in my huge wire chicken. The chicken needs a coat of paint, maybe later. I forgot to get a small plant for my concrete rabbit. Hopefully, I can get a pumpkin or pumpkins this weekend.

Okay, my ear problem is TMJ, according to my diagnosis. I thought and thought about what could be the matter. Then, I read lots. 

My new nose drop has loosened up the ear congestion, and swelling, and kept the pain away. Wednesday night, when I was barely in the bed, I heard grasshoppers, thousands of them. I heard Tommy in the hall and asked him about the grasshopper sound in my bedroom. He came to my door, listened, assured me there were no grasshoppers to be heard in my room. I thought they were outside my window. Nope! However, Thursday morning I was awakened by a horn sound in my ear and a momentary rushing sound of air. Weird, but I could not get back to sleep. My ear or TMJ induced ear problems are driving me nuts. 

I now have an appointment with my oral surgeon. We will see. It is not until November, so I hope I can hold on with the tinnitus. Tinnitus has been constant for years, but it was white noise and soothing at night. Maybe it is time to stop it. 

Today, Friday is a beautiful day. The skies are so blue and the ruby-throated hummingbirds are enjoying the feeders. We do have a few things to do outdoors and one place to go. this will be a good day for doing outdoors or driving anywhere. 

Of course, I took a nap. I didn't want to get up because of the nasty crowded kitchen counters. I have about a 12" square place to mix, cut, or whatever. Dishes were in both sides of the sink and on that little space. Tommy just procrastinates about helping me with the dishes. Next time when dishes need emptying from the dishwasher, we will do it during Jeopardy, the show he will not miss. If he complains, I will tell him this will be dish time from now on if he cannot do it earlier. Okay, that would be mean, so I will warn him--now or during Jeopardy. That will get him on his feet. It took us less than 15 minutes! 

I had a meal kit--$16.99! I did not pay that. It was chicken, frozen, had asparagus, basmati rice, apricots, onions, yellow squash, harissa sauce.  I am making it my way instead of by directions. It should be good when finished. It was not thawed or cooked. I thought I should heat it, but it was raw. So, it will be good. I think the harissa sauce will be too hot, so I will use something else to season it.

I left out the harissa sauce. We tasted it and I thought it was too hot and Tommy said it did not taste good. I also left out the apricots and we ate those out of hand. I did put in the squash and onions. Leftover green beans went into the mix along with Campbell's low sodium Cream of Mushroom soup. It was delicious and eventually had enough vegetables for two servings even though this was supposed to be two servings of vegetables, too.

Since I must be out early Saturday morning, I need to dig out a sweater. I won't be needing a sweater any other day for at least the next two weeks, so it will be sleeveless tops for me. 

Have you ever had tinnitus? What did it sound like? This has been going on for years but just now got bothersome. Do you have grasshoppers, sirens, white noise. Is it bothersome?

A Very Long Week!

 As early as Monday, I was ahead of myself. The week is not dragging at all. It just seems every day, I think it should be two days later. I suppose every time I take a nap, it should be a different day when I awake. But, it is not working out that way. 

On Tuesday, I jumped up and got dressed and asked Tommy when he wanted to leave. He was puzzled. Well, we had something to do on Friday and I was ready on Tuesday, or maybe it was Monday I was ready to go. 

Tommy told me the weather would be dry for the next ten days. I love that. It is only 63F degrees right now at 10:30 am, so cooler than I prefer. No rain means I will have to water a few plants. It also means the grass will not grow so quickly for a while. Aha! I saw a hummingbird just now. So, they are still here.

After I bought my third basil plant this year, I decided to keep it inside. Someone must have dropped a handful of seeds into this one pot since there are about 20 stems. I will repot it into 2 pots, hoping some of the stems survive. I finally remembered to buy a very small bag of potting mix. So, there is that to do today, maybe...lol. 

Since I slept one hour last night, I am headed back to bed after the news. Maybe I can work on the list this afternoon. It's growing longer. 

Okay, I went to the bedroom before noon and awoke at 3 pm and got up at 3:45 and ate--salad greens, lots of chicken, shredded cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. 

I gave Tommy the Publix ad to find what we need or he wants or what I might want. The only thing he circled was zucchini and squash at $2.99/lb. I will be going to the Farmer's market soon. Hopefully, it will be small squashes and cheaper and better. 

Dinner will be chicken again today for both of us. Tommy had a chicken sandwich for lunch. But, this will be a different iteration. Wish me luck...lol. We both enjoy having a breast in the freezer to slice sandwich meat. It is much healthier and just as delicious as bologna and cheaper than something from the grocery. 

Colcannon is on the menu tonight as I just set Tommy to peeling potatoes. I will get the cabbage ready and cook it. 

Do you ever have a week where it always seems it should be later in the week than it is? Do you run around getting ready to go somewhere when it is three days away?

Blood All over the Floor

 Every time I watch Gunsmoke, someone is usually shot. Of course, no one bleeds much, if at all. But, we know differently. I often wonder how people got the blood out of the wood floors, many of which probably did not have a finish, much less a covering. Sometimes, people are shot in homes and saloons or businesses. How do they live with all this blood and residue and smell? How do they keep the flies away? What happens when someone is bleeding on a rug? Matt Dillon helps pick up bleeding people as do others, yet no one gets blood on their clothing! Yeah, this whole blood thing gets to me every time I see people shot. And, how is it that Matt gets shot in the shoulder/arm so many times and that one shirt he wore for years never has a hole or patch? 

Just now, Tommy added that with people coming in right off the street the place must smell awful with horse shit. He has noticed that every time Kitty gets on a stage coach, something happens. 

Okay, this is how my mind works. And, my mind has been mulling this over for months. I just had to ask. 

My list remains the same, maybe some items added to it. Nothing done! I slept amazingly well last night. I read one chapter in my book, no more, no less, and turn off the light. I don't use reading to put me to sleep. I use reading to clear my mind, I suppose. 

The new grocery ads are out with nothing special in the ads. There are many bare shelves in stores I visit. Toilet paper is sparse. Gatorade products are practically nonexistent. But, I never buy those, well, one in last 40 years. 

Do you ever wonder about things on film? What is your thought about the way things happen? 

Okay, I am going to quit before I lose readers and I am marked off as a nut.

AND, no rains for the next ten days, according to tv. I rejoice!

Doctors and a List

My allergist called me for my 1pm telemedicine visit. I had talked to him a week ago when he gave me the nose drops. He was astounded at my reaction, calling it a "dramatic reaction"--my sleeping so much. So, he is sending in something else. I love experimenting with new meds. NOT! And, now the pharmacist has not received it two hours later and I want to get it while I am out. When I checked at 5 pm, it was in. So, now I need to try it out. I love being a guinea pig. NOT!

At the dermatologist, I had some of the same places frozen. Cryo hurts! Then, he froze others, too. I asked about the peroxide treatment. He sort of poo pooed the treatment and said he never got into that. He said it is rarely done now. I may still get some 40% hydrogen peroxide and try it at home. 

He said I have no sun damage on my hands, arms, or face. However, the seborrheic keratosis is caused by the sun. But, he refers to it as SK. So, I am not sure what is going on. I have an appointment in one month. Hopefully, I can remember to show him the spot on my lip and another thing or two.  Yes, I need to write it down.

I was beat by 5 pm on Monday since I had only slept one hour on Sunday night. Plus, I spent two hours sitting in the car before someone was found to wheel me inside the doctor's office. At about 5:45 pm on Monday, I told Tommy I was going to bed and to call me about 8 pm. I could not sleep a wink because I was so stressed. I got up at 7 pm and did not go to bed until 1 am. 

Before I went to bed, I gave him a list  a list of food to eat, his choice--chopped chicken or slices of huge breast, salad, half the tomato we had, maybe something else. When I got up at 7 pm, he had his dinner--salad with tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, chopped chicken. I had sliced chicken, half a tomato, leftover green beans, and a bit of pasta with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. We basically ate the ends of things. There was no more salad for me. So, except for the chicken breast, there is nothing left of what we had for dinner. He never complains about these dinners and is glad to see we eat all of everything. 

On the way to the doctor I found five voicemails from Sunday night and early Monday morning. One was a reminder from a new doctor about confirming appointment for Tuesday and another from same doctor about Tommy's appointment at the same doctor. We have appointments at the same time to save a trip to the office. 

Then, there was a voicemail about not coming to the appointment because the doctor would not be in, that we should call back in December to make an appointment. Tommy had the identical message. I suppose they sent his message to me because I made both appointments. 

I cannot imagine the circumstances that would change a doctor's practice and presence within a few hours unless he caught covid. Now, I am wondering about waiting for an appointment or finding a new doctor. This was going to be our first appointment for each of us with this specialist. 

So, Tuesday, we were home and the allergist called, nothing else. At 6:30, I could not keep my eyes open and went to bed. He called me at 8 pm. I could have killed him. But, I got up and thawed/heated the meat loaf and opened a can of green beans and a can of corn. I could not cook. So, that was dinner. 

I had a list of things to do on Tuesday, and got one call made, not much of the list. Well, the list will be here tomorrow.

Halloween decorations are appearing outdoors. Nice. I will at least wait until October mine out. I saved the little plastic bags that were ghost decorations Tommy hung in the tree. I had bought them in a huge duffel bag of stuff--$3. AND, we are reusing. And, I need a mum, still. 

Warehouse District

 

This set of wings is painted on the side of a building in the Warehouse District in Cullman. I thought this outfit would look best. The striped one would not do. And, I figure I would disappear in the black outfit. 

On Sunday night, I finally decided that the nose drops were causing the malaise. I got out the instructions with it and, sure enough, all this is one of the side effects. Sunday night, I did not use the nose drops and about 2 am, I felt perky, Never one to let a good night time pass, I decided to color my hair. In about two minutes I will have to wash the color off. Tommy in waking me at 10 am to get ready for doctor visit at 1 pm. I am typing without glasses, so no telling what I am typing. 

Sunday night, we had spaghetti and meat balls. I only had to cook pasta. Meat balls were cooked and frozen and pasta was from a jar as was the Parmesan cheese. Salad fills out a meal. 

While I was looking for meatballs, a meatloaf and a chicken breast were dislodged from the frozen abyss and careened toward my feet. I had forgotten about the meatloaf and knew the chicken was somewhere. I think I will not eat the meatloaf just yet and save it for a day when I really need a prepared meal. They were both lovely surprises except for the fact they fell too close to my toes. 

I hate having problems taking medicines, but it happens very often with me. I actually feel wonderful at 3 am. Since I have slept about 18 hours/day, I should have my sleep deficit problems solved for a day or two...lol.

Do you have problems with reactions from taking medicines?

Without nose drops I slept a whole two hours Sunday night. 

Tommy Amuses Me--Grocery Shopping

 Tommy has never been a coupon or ad user. But, he has changed. 

When I got the pink plastic bag of ads I would go through the coupons and cut them all out. One day, I asked him if he minded doing the cutting. He leapt at the chance. Then, after that he eagerly sought the bag of coupons after I had taken them out, giving them a cursory glance. He knew we were mailing them to my friend who is in charge of the food bank at her church. 

Well, those pink bags never come anymore. 

One day several months ago, I was not feeling well. I asked him if he look for a certain ad I thought I had seen. At some point I asked him to look in the ads and circle what was there that I always bought or looked like something I wanted and just anything he might want me to buy. He never circled anything he wanted. 

That all changed. 

I was going to the store on Saturday and had him look for items, same ones--things I bought, things he thought I might want, and anything he saw that he might want. Later, I looked at the ad. He had circled Brownie Bites from the deli/bakery, packages of Doritos/Fritos. He had circled an ad for Fritos Party Sized Snacks, Pepsi cartons, Cheerios. I never eat any of those except for chocolate! I thought this was highly unusual. It turns out he wanted something for the Auburn game on Saturday. I always ask and he never wants anything for the game! 

On Saturday, I did not want to go in Publix. 

He was very accommodating as he usually is and went in. When he came out, he had lots of stuff. I noted a huge bag of popcorn and commented that he still had microwave popcorn. He said he wanted it for the Auburn game that evening. Of course, I don't care. I always tell him exactly what to buy and anything he sees that looks good. Well, for once he added something! Oh, yes, he got the bogo Cheerios. I had gotten the b2g1 Pepsi the day before.

He has become very invested in coupons and bogo ads at Publix. I have never fussed about what he buys. And, since March 2020 he has not gone into a store until this last two months. I always asked him what he wanted me to get and to call me in the store if he thought of anything. 

Do you have someone who really gets into coupons or shopping or buying things not on a list? 

I smile inwardly just thinking about this.

Surprise Item Shopping

 Despite gloomy weather some days, and rain drizzling for hours, there has been beautiful sunshine on those same days. We do sit in the park for about 30 minutes to an hour each day. The hummingbirds are still here, delighting us with their antics. We have a large shepherd's hook and a smaller one I bought at a yard sale for $3. Actually, it was a trade. 

It has been so much fun to see one of the smallest hummers sitting on the small hook. Tommy said he sits there because the diameter of the larger hook is too large for the little feet. I suppose that is correct. 

I haves spent many hours tired and sleeping Friday and Saturday. I don't know why, but I have suspicions. If I am right, I will tell you. Nothing has happened, good or bad, to report or complain about. 

I am still reading at night, but have decided my present book is too heavy to hold up in bed. So, it may become a book to read at night when I don't care for what is on the TV. Maybe I need to read paperbacks in bed? 

Only three boxes of patterns have been sorted, and there are at least that many to do. Since no one has indicated she might like a pattern through the mail, I may have to get rid of them locally. There is a church that has a yard sale when weather is permitting. My friend at a country church says no one in the church sews. That stumps me! Tommy suggested calling and donating them somewhere. I will just have to get over the fact that most envelope patterns will just be emptied, dismantled, and be destroyed! 

For dinner Friday night, I cooked two preformed patties and put the rest of the packet of onion sauce on it, and we had vegetable of some kind...lol. Saturday night, I used a package of precooked  browned ground beef (93/7). This package had been defatted by pouring boiling water over it while in a colander. 

I had a really cheap name brand Taco kit. So, I used that and had to buy tomatoes and green onions. It was sooooo good. I even had lettuce to go on it.  The meat seasoning and the taco sauce was so hot I only used a bit. But, Tommy used more. I just threw away the rest of the seasonings. 

I can tell it is getting cooler because one of those huge outside roaches made it into the house. Last year, I serendipitously sprayed the porch and the front door and never saw another one. I did the same today. Now, tomorrow, I must do the back door. I hate those critters! 

The crocheting is not coming along well at all. I need to get lighter colors so I can see what I am doing! Or, I can crochet outside. 

When I went to a big box store, the cashier threw my bags into my electric cart. When we go home, I was shocked to find a bag with a smoked turkey tail. Now, you know I did not buy that or steal it...lol. I put it in the freezer to give away. I know the store will not put it back in stock. Plus, I struggle to even find an electric cart. If it were disposable plates or a can of food, I would return them. 

Since I sent my dil's birthday card late, thinking it was the following month, I did get that mailed in time this year. I have heard there is a planned slowdown of mail delivery. Have you heard that? So, her card has two weeks to arrive from the day I mailed it.

Have you ever gotten home with items you did not purchase? What did you do with the item>

Frozen Corn, Allergies, More Decluttering

 Tuesday, I cooked all twelve ears of corn and cut the kernels off the cob. I cut from two ears and froze those in a snack bag. I kept it up until I had five packages frozen for us, half a package apiece, so one ear apiece. We ate none of it that night. On Wednesday, I did not feel like cooking so we had what was in the refrigerator. The sixth bag of corn was eaten. Tommy had a salad with dressing, sliced cucumbers on top and chopped chicken. I had two hotdogs and too much chili. Ooops, forgot the cheese. I had something else but cannot remember what. The chili was going to be too much for my gastric system, so I only ate a bit of it and saved the rest for him.

No more patterns were sorted. 

I took my first dose of the med, snorted, for my congestion. Maybe I am imagining it, but it seems my congestion is less and my ears hurt less. Hopefully, October will not be too rough for me, no antibiotics. 

On Wednesday, I discovered I am being overcharged by providers! Medicare helped me to determine this. Now, I have to straighten it out. If they do not refund money and quit charging me, Medicare will take hold of them and beat them about the ears. I would prefer they be put in stocks.

And, another reward program has not been giving me what I was due, even though I pointed it out before. I had to call corporate to get it straight. 

Wednesday was a dreary day, no sun at all. But, somehow, it did not affect my mood. There was a smattering of rain where we are. 

I have some boxed-from-the-factory chicken equipment that my friend from Cullman is going to get when he comes down to clean Tommy's gutters. He was eager because he had five ducks and now has two. So, he said this will give them a better chance of survival. That will be one huge box out of the dining room. YAY! I have no idea why Tommy put it in the dining room, but that is where I found it. 

I slept about nine hours today, waking at 1:30 this afternoon. I had to talk to Amazon, one of those long conversation. I got something straightened out there, too. 

My ear is definitely better and I have no pain! It feels a little stuffed up, but nose is no longer running day and night. My allergist is the best. 

Tonight, we are having preformed burgers, really thick ones, cooked in the oven with mushroom soup mix over them and a bit of water. I will have a salad with tomatoes. Tommy will have cucumbers on top along with tomatoes. 

I need to make refrigerator pickles for him since we have so many they will get mushy if they are not used. 

At the grocery, I bought another basil plant since the last two bolted. I could not bend over to pink off the tops with the last one. Tommy thinks basil stinks, so I didn't ask him to pinch it. I hope this one lasts thought the winter.

There is another soldering project in the works. I feel really happy knowing that I have five meals of corn in the freezer!

What kind of projects do you have planned, started, or finished?

Wednesday

 On Tuesday, Tommy told me one of the hummingbirds was within a foot of the door while he was standing there. On Wednesday, he told me to look, and there was a hummingbird right at the door. I think they have finally figured out we fill the feeders. So, washing and filling at least one feeder is on the immediate agenda. 

I think I am in a slow decline toward a complete breakdown toward my October allergies. Last week before my birthday, we had plans. They never happened! You may have noticed. Hopefully, my new allergy/sinus med will clear my ears and stop the pain I have had for eleven months! 

As for a little trip, Tommy told me he did not think he could go anywhere. He told me this summer that  the trip to Memphis for my hs reunion was too hard on him. It is only 244 miles. So, not so far. Besides, I did not want to travel that far. It appears the little excursions we planned in 2020 won't happen unless I drive. That is still possible. 

He wants to get in the car and drive too far and turn around and come back. He is reluctant to spend money on a motel room! But, I had him convinced, so now he cannot drive so far. Oh well. 

Some of the coat hangers that come with clothing is very helpful. Some are not helpful at all. I had two of those and decided to make chip clips of them. These hard plastic hangers are hard to cut. Well, I don't have anything left to easily cut them. However, I decided to try my soldering iron. It cut through the plastic like butter. I only cut one because I cut it in the house. bad idea. The fumes are awful. So, when I get outside with an extension cord, I can have three more clips. 

Tommy uses binder clips; I use clothes pins. But, these are to replace the clothes pins. As I was admiring my handiwork with the soldering iron, I surmised I could use the clips on a clothes line. So, I transformed trash to a useful item. 

Have you ever separated these clips from the hanger in order to use elsewhere than holding clothes? For what do you use them?

I had other things to say, but I forgot what those things were. 

I Made a New Friend and Another Died

 When we go to the park, we end our trip by driving along the road that has ball fields on the right and houses on the left. Then, we turn around and come back along the road with the houses now on the right. We get a view into back yards which is very interesting. 

I was thrilled with the dozens of bee hives in one back yard. We, of course, decided soon that these held no bees. Last week, I commented to Tommy that I supposed they were not planning on raising bees since there is the third year the hives have been empty.

Tommy commented that they must be going to move because there were two moving vans in front of the house since he could see they from the park. I wanted something they had removed from one of their utility buildings.

We drove into our subdivision and went to the house. One of the movers went in and told the people we wanted to talk to them. The woman was very nice, telling us the were moving to Childersburg. 

I wanted to buy the four-foot Santa blow mold. She was adamant about keeping it. It was filthy, many years of filthy! But, she held firm and, of course, I gave up. We talked chickens, Hosta, and she gave me plants--Jacob in a boat. I think that is what she called the purple plant. 

As we were leaving, she said to me, "I wish I had met you sooner. Here we are moving and meet you." I felt the same way. She was very nice and friendly. Her husband had to call her away from our car to help move. He had gone straight back and gotten the Santa blow mold and stuck it into the bed of his pickup truck. I would place good money on the fact he would not tie it down and it would blow out. But, I kept my mouth shut. 

When we went to the park two days later, they had removed the hives and other items. I want one of the five foot chickens she left that are made in Mexico. I will have to see what she will take for them. No, I would never take things left in a yard where someone had moved out!

For some reason I was piddling around on my Facebook and found a curious notation under a picture of my only, that I know, transgender friend. I wonder about the notation and finally figured out Dana had died. Over several years, I had encountered her at group birthday parties and such. She was nice and I have no idea how she died in 2010.  I still talk with the other people who knew her, so I will have to find out. It is not that I am that distant from these people, but things happen to connections when you have been away as I have. 

So, I lost two friends this last week. 

Today, I announced I wanted KFC. Now, Tommy is not a person to turn down going out to pick up food. When I came here, I fully grasped how often he went out to pick up fast food! Today, it was delicious, as usual. We had to sit and wait for the biscuits. Of course, we did and were not troubled by the time involved. But, we were on the KFC lot for 45 minutes. UGH However, the meal was delicious. 

It is 8:30 pm and I now have to go in the kitchen and cook 12 large, fat, and full ears of corn. All the kernels except for meals will be frozen for this winter. I will freeze the kernels from two ears in each bag. And, then put those bags into one big bag. Thankfully, I have a huge pot for the boiling.

Monday night, I continued to crochet the granny square. I only made the first round the night before. It occurred to me last night that something was wrong, it was raveling from the start. So I pulled it out. Then, I was crocheting a very tiny cap. It fit right on my thumb! Of course, I had only made three groups of three double crochet. It was an easy fix, but silly mistake. 

My goals for everyday: crochet or do some handwork, read a physical book, listen to music, and exercise/march. Of course, I read on the computer, listen to Rod Stewart, and sporadically exercise this last month. I am going to buy an apparatus to listen to different music here in the living room. It won't be fancy, just cheap. Tommy's clock radio is awful when music is on. 

I had an appointment in Cullman today for the allergist that comes from Birmingham. Instead of my going there, he called me. He has sent me a prescription for allergies, head congestion. It is a spray. We spent so long at KFC that I just wanted to get home before dark. 

We are supposed to have four days of rain, so we will be home. How is your week coming along? Fun? Work? Education? Activities? Eating well? 

Homemade Chili Hotdog Sauce

 I found a penny, but I forgot where. 

Tommy chopped up 1.5 lbs. of 93/7 ground beef. I dipped the meat out with a slotted spoon instead of putting it into a colander and pouring boiling water over it. When I dipped it into the glass dish and looked at the bottom of the dish the next day, there was very little congealed grease. We ate part of this cooked ground beef and saved the rest for the chili hot dog sauce.  Good Deal!

I used about a pound of cooked meat, a package of Chili-O seasoning mix, and a can of diced tomatoes, and a can of petite diced tomatoes and cooked it, mainly heating it to meld flavors.  Recipe at end of post.

Tommy sampled a spoonful in a tiny bowl and declared it had too much chili spice. When I came back to get the bowl and spoon, he had only sampled a tiny bite. He never compliments food when I ask how it tastes because he has to take exactly three bites before he can decided if he likes something. He just makes excuses. 

When this was all cooked, heated, it was a bit runny, but nothing to complain about. We both had 1/4 cup of the chili sauce. We both thought 1/2 cup would be better. We had no bun this time. 

For this meal, Tommy ate the leftover cabbage and the peas. I had a salad and he may have one, too. So, we will start off with all new food on Monday. 

After we were through eating, I asked Tommy what needed to be changed about the chili hot dog sauce. He said it needed more sauce. ??? "Too runny, " I asked. No, just not enough sauce. "Too little besides the meat." He said there is meat, chili, and tomato, but not enough sauce. We had a huge argument about the meaning of sauce. I still don't know what he is talking about. I think it was a little runny and asked him if that is what he means. NO, more sauce!

This made about a quart of chili hotdog sauce and it was much cheaper per ounce than a can of the same sauce. It is enough like the bought can that I am happy with the finished product and the price. I have not dipped it up to freeze, so I cannot figure the price comparison yet.

I will freeze this in one cup portions. I am considering freezing the hotdogs in with the sauce and throwing in a slice of cheese with my portions. I used a wide-mouth pint Ball canning jar and the flat lid and ring. One cup or a bit more was put into the jar. Then, I poked the hotdogs down and almost ran the jar over, so dipped a bit out. I cut off a 1/2 slice off a chunk of Kraft cheese and stuck that in the jar. I put the lid on tight and labeled the lid  "hotdogs, chili, cheese, 9-12-21" and sat it in a door shelf in the freezer where it won't fall off. So, this is one dinner in a jar for us later. Tommy won't eat the cheese on his, so that amount of cheese will be enough for me.

I left the rest in the refrigerator for a meal this week. I did not do a price comparison for the chili sauce because I did not have the price of the cans I had on my shelf. I do believe the ingredients are healthier in mine. AND, much healthier.  Maybe you will not like chunks of tomato in your chili dog. Just use tomato sauce. You can add your own spices instead of using the French's Chili-O. Next time, I may do the same. 

Recipe:

1 lb of ground beef

1 package Chili-O chili mix

14.5 can Hunts Petite diced tomatoes

14.5 oz. can Hunt's No Salt Diced tomatoes

Brown the ground beef, add tomato products, and Chili-O.

It is done. I did not have buns, but I would have laid both hotdogs on one bun and topped with chili. 

I used the diced tomatoes because they were right in front of me in my kitchen. Maybe I should have used tomato sauce. Yes, I should have! Maybe I should have used only one can of sauce. This recipe called for a can of beans and one can of tomato sauce. I don't like beans in chili. 

So make this yours if you like. It has less extraneous additions than the can of hotdog chili sauce on the store shelves.

Do you like chili cheese dogs? Do you make your own sauce? 

Three Dozen Yard Sales

But first...

I KNEW THIS MAN

 https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/family-of-an-alabama-man-who-died-after-being-turned-away-from-  

He suffered a cardiac event and had to go to Mississippi for treatment. 

By the way, I received a shipment from Amazon with Tommy's gift on Friday, yet he still was nasty on Saturday!

Last Saturday, we passed at least three dozen yard sales and Tommy was willing to stop, but I was too tired! Or, the terrain looked too steep or rough for me. Or, nothing looked good from the car...lol. The only real purpose to my stopping at a yard sale would be to get more purses for my pink purse project. I only have two, so that may be all I fill. 

Unlike what I said I was going to do, I didn't sort a box of patterns each night. Tommy gets out of the mood to help me. I feel like working after midnight, but he wants to sleep! Imagine that. I think I am keeping 30 or so of the second box and getting rid of about 40. I don't remember. At any rate, I sorted two boxes, total. 

These are more salable. Or give-able. There are costumes, infant patterns, coats, mother-of-the-bride, sweats, newborn to size 18. If anyone would like any of these, I can list them all in one post and people can claim what they want. I will not sell them, just give them away for postage. How does that sound? Most of these patterns have not been cut, never used or removed from the envelope. Or, if you live in or near Birmingham, you can meet me somewhere and choose all you want from the box. 

I still have more boxes of patterns, so I will work on a list and post the patterns all at once. 

Maybe I will go across the street and buy the $1000 bedroom suite. Yeah, not doing that.

Who is interested in patterns? I guess I mean who is interested in patterns after I post the pattern numbers? 

September 11th Birthday

 Well, it was a nothing birthday. Tommy  barely looked at me or moved his lips when he said "Happy Birthday." He want to argues all the time. He could have been pleasant today, but NO. Some days, he is pleasant, but he could not have chosen pleasant today. 

I had a piece of sausage and M&Ms for breakfast, Arby's Roast Beef with Cheese and I put horseradish sauce on each bite. For dinner we went to get bbq. Tommy has been talking about how good Bob Sykes BBQ is. It is not at all. Usually, I can eat the meat, but it was awful and had runny sauce that had little taste. The meat tasted like it had been microwaved too long. It was rubbery. Some was sliced thin and some was chopped. The slaw was good except for there was as much liquid and solid, so it tasted watered-down. The French fries were delicious. I have not set foot in the kitchen today.

That's it. Now, I am tired. I have been tired all day long and have not felt like doing things, going places I had planned. I think my October allergies are setting in. 

I did go to the estate sale across the street. I bought two pair of the socks like they supply at the hospital, the kind with rubbery pieces top and bottom. I love the feel of those socks because they are loose. I will go back tomorrow and try to see what is in three outbuildings. Maybe things will be half price. Oh, I did find a bed. It was $1000 and worth every penny. It came with a massive dresser and chest of drawers.

It is only 8 pm, and I may go to bed. 

I cannot believe I am 75 years old!

Have you ever said that on your birthday...I cannot believe I am (whatever age)?

Corn, DL, OUCH, Reading, Crochet, Tuna, Birthday

Tommy is in the front yard, shucking corn. We were given dozen ears. I may cook it all and cut the corn off and freeze most. At least, it will not go to waste. Tonight, we will have five big meatballs given to us. I may cook all five and freeze two, not sure about that either. We will have a salad, anyway. 

Thursday, I renewed my driver's license that had expired almost two years ago. I thought my hair would be okay. No, it was not. I can say with confidence that is the worst dl picture I have ever had taken. Hopefully, the color picture on the permanent dl will be better. No, I have not driven since it expired. I hope I still know how to drive...lol. 

I bit my tongue the worst I ever have yesterday! It was at the very back of my tongue. I could hear the teeth going into my tongue, sort of like biting into a juicy apple or a stalk of celery. I cried, could not finish eating and barely could shut my mouth. Then, just an hour later, I was using a straw while riding in the car. The car hit a ripple in the pavement and the heavy straw hit me in the mouth, trapping my lip between teeth and straw. That swelled up nicely. Then, I sort of choked when I coughed. Something lodged itself in the opening in my throat to my Eustachian tube. That hurt and caused a terrific earache until this morning. 

Reading I Alone is difficult because the book is heavy, too heavy to hold up while reading in bed. My hands hurt so I can barely read one chapter. I have made that my goal every night. This is something to consider when choosing what to read. I may have to limit heavy-book reading to sitting in the living room.

Last week, I found a penny while entering Publix. Yay me! 

Crochet is going to be present in my life once more. Supposedly it is good for my brain. I bought a new hook and thread. I keep losing my hooks! Now, I have the yard and hook in a storage bag.  I am on the lookout for dirt cheap yarn at yard sales. My goal is to make blankets for dolls. I just keep making the square larger, about 18", and finish it with a shell stitch around the outside. No, I have no idea what I will do with these, probably give them away. It is too bad I don't have some of the yarn from my house.

The last time I bought a crochet hook, about two weeks ago, I never got home with it. The hook probably fell through the basket on the electric cart before I arrived to the checkout. As soon as I got this hook  home, it went straight into a bag with the yarn. 

When I found StarKist Tuna for $0.77/can this spring, I bought about 24. The problem was--each can was stuck to another, completely covered in tuna or something sticky. Now, I need to remove the label and wash each can, marking "tuna" and the date with a marker. I will know what is in the cans with just one word on each of them. I think this is why these cans were so cheap! 

There is an estate sale across the street where the guy died last year. I am going, but not on the first day. I will wait until Saturday and probably return Sunday.  A company must be doing this sale. I love estate sales although some times they are sad if the person is on the premises. 

The front porch is being cleaned off one item at a time, sometimes one item a day. I have done nothing to it all this year, but now, the humidity, if not the heat is down so it is comfortable. Okay, I don't break a sweat the thirty-seconds I "work."

I am not ill, just my usual tired all day. So, I have done nothing for my birthday week. I made it a week since I cannot have a long day celebrating. Saturday, I will be 75...impossible! Where did the time go?

Tommy just brought in the corn--12 perfect ears. Nothing was brown, malformed, full ears. This will be good eating, just not tonight. 

Do you find items fall out of the grocery cart? Have you ever bitten your tongue or inside your cheek so hard it hurt days later? 

Sorting Sewing Patterns, Gas Prices

Wednesday night, between the two of us, we  managed to get the box of patterns out of the bedroom and into the living room where I sorted through the box of memories. It was a fun sort. I found the pattern for the dress I wore to my five-year class reunion for high school. 

I am getting rid of ~60 patterns and keeping 11. I think I did well. However, it took going through the "Keep" stack several times until I whittled the number down.  Some I kept will/might be used. Some are for just the memories. There is a coat pattern and a cape pattern. I know those will be used. 

There may be 8 more boxes with the same number of patterns in each box. I determined I was going to sort through one box each day. However, I am anxious to get my hands on memories, so I may start before 11 pm from now on and do more each day. I am in the mood, but Tommy might now be so inclined. I have to fight my way into the room, walk around a bunch of stuff and get a box off a stack and sort of push it across some other boxes. 

Part of the problem is the way he put the boxes in the room. The first box is right inside the door and is about the size of  a shoebox. I think there may be 8 boxes in the stack, each larger than the one underneath. So, it is dicey getting around that stack. I know it all needs to be restacked, but that is not happening. So, there. This causing me distress to get rid of what I am letting go. This is part of my identity. 

I don't want to throw these away. I don't want to answer questions about whether all the pattern pieces are in the envelopes. I see what happens to donated patterns when the pieces are pulled out, strewn around and lost. Yes, I am still attached and know it. Don't try to dissuade me. I have to do the mental work myself. 

Thursday, I bought a pair of Halloween leggings about two sizes too large. Hopefully, they will not be tooooo large. I just don't want them too tight. These will be for around the house. If these fit and wash well, I will buy more, just $8. For me, that is cheap. Any leggings are just for around the house! These are orange and have Halloween designs. 

I also bought a larger skillet, 10". The only thing he has is 8", and I cannot easily scramble eggs. I want to be able to scramble a dozen so that I can just microwave 2 or 3 each morning. The 8" skillet is also shallow, where the 10" skillet is deep.  Trying to scramble eight eggs, I was slopping them over the side! I like stirred scrambled eggs, not the scrambled kind that just sit and make a pancake. 

While we were driving along on the way to my shopping event, Tommy became animated, saying he was getting gas. Then, he told me the gas prices. Two stations across the street from each other were selling gas for $2.87--Fuelman and Raceway. Several blocks up Allison Bonnet at Murphy's gas was $2.71, so he filled up, getting approximately $35 of gas. That is an exciting price. So, that is in Alabama. What are you paying for gas and what is your location? 

Tonight is a make-do dinner. Sweet potato in jacket, cooked cabbage, and hotdog. Maybe the hotdog will have homemade chili sauce and cheese. There are no buns; we need no buns. If I can spot some frozen chicken easily, we may not have the hotdog and chili/cheese. 

In a bit, Tommy is going to help me get another box of patterns and I will be walking down memory lane. He carries the box on his walker after I extract it from the corner and the rest of the room. 

This and That

Remember I overbought Miracle Whip. Then, I announced I had eaten all the old MW? Well, I just now found the "new" MW, which of course is out of date. In the meantime, I was given five 8 ounce jars of MW. You know it--They are out of date, too. So, now I have to finish the little out-of-date jars and the two huge jars, out-of-date almost a quart in each jar. sigh...will I ever have fresh Miracle Whip again. I was looking for some that was on sale this week. Thankfully, I did not find any! 

When I say I "found" the MW, it was not lost at all. However, I do keep jars of food in the dark. And, I keep all my food in the cool kitchen and back bedroom. So, it was out of sight, not really lost or found. 

I knew that one of the feeders was out of nectar. I finally got it in because the others were obviously full. When I got it in Tuesday night, the clear bottle had lots of mold, so I assume the bottom that is sealed has plenty. I soaked all the parts in Dawn and Clorox. Today, I opened a new, free toothbrush and used it to get rid of the mold I could see. Tommy took the new, filled feeder out and brought the other two inside. I need to clean and fill those tonight. We did have lots of hummers, but they have diminished in number today. Next year, I will be more picky with hummingbird feeders. I think the first one that I bought 40 years ago spoiled me as to what to look for. I thought all were good feeders. 

There is not a tall shepherd's hook to be found. I had a really short one that we were going to use. Tommy put it in the ground and I carried out the feeder. Well, I could not see the feeder sitting on the couch, so he thought sticking it in a large pot would raise it enough. It did not, he said. So, he put another pot of used dirt under the first one. Then, he put a third pot under the first two. That worked and looks nice. Now, they need flowers in the pots of dirt. 

I love August and September for the butterflies about. There are pretty yellow butterflies that mingle with the hummingbirds. These butterflies can fly as fast as the hummers. I wonder what they think of each other.  I am a watcher of Lepidoptera. 

Today, I wanted a Sonic footlong chili cheese dog. We ate at the park. For dinner, I am cooking sweet potatoes and cabbage. These are sweet potatoes I bought in September or October of 2020. That should work for dinner. Tommy had a BLT. 

In the refrigerator I have a package of 93/7 ground beef. I will this evening make it into chili sauce so I don't have to buy it in the grocery store. This should be so much cheaper and probably better. Since I do not eat chili in beans, this will be tasty. I will freeze it in meal portions, about 1/2 cup. I may freeze a bit of cheese with the sauce. Neither of us want much sauce on our hotdogs. It is not like we have chili with hotdogs in it. I just want the hotdog, sauce, and cheese, maybe a bun.

Before the evening is over, I am going to sort one box of patterns that are here. Tommy brought some of my things here years ago. These are patterns I have had since the 1960s. Well, maybe not in the one box I will sort this evening. But, they are here.

Do you have old patterns that you sewed over 60 years ago, or any old patterns?  Do you have flowers that attract butterflies?

Fried Chicken and Watermelon, My Birthday Week

 That is what I wanted, so we got it. I cannot hold, carry, or cut a watermelon, so I get the chunks. This huge bowl was bogo at Publix, so I paid $2 for watermelon. It is a good thing it was cheap because it was awful--crunchy and not sweet. Then, some bites were mushy. I was going to get something else from the deli until I saw the watermelon was on sale. No, this title was not an insult or stereotype. The fried chicken breast was delicious. Nobody fries chicken better than Publix! 

Since Saturday is my birthday, I told Tommy he had to do all week whatever I wanted, and Publix chicken breast was what I wanted. Actually, I went to get 3 more a2milk half gallons of milk for $10. 

I found out that The Pig I go did not have free Prego this week. That is a bummer. I will have to check other Pigs to see if anything close and on the way to somewhere has better deals. I thought all the ads within an area were the same. Not so! 

Today, I went to my new family doctor. He was questioning about my doctor that I go to north of Cullman because he wondered who I was going to be attending for what. I assured him that I went to her for immediate needs like a uti or sinus infection, that I did not want to wait on him or anyone for 10 days or 2 weeks for an appointment. He understood. 

We accomplished lots. He is sending me to a pain specialist, and I made sure he knew I was not going to someone who peddled pills. It appears he knows this one does not, "but I know a few who do just give pills." And, I asked for help with what to eat since I have diabetes, gastroparesis, and reflux. He assured me he would make sure the person he recommended would be able to help with those three problems. 

This is the second time I have seen him and I did not leave frustrated like with a couple of doctors I have seen. He listens and asks questions. And talks me into tests that I probably need. I love him! Plus, this building has a system in place to get a wheelchair out to me and push me inside and return me to the car. 

Tonight, I cooked up 4 packages of Jimmy Dean sausage patties for Tommy's breakfast when we are going out of town. Most will go into the freezer. We are actually saving money, plus we do not need to eat the salty biscuits. They are good but entirely unnecessary that they should be so salty. Tommy eats two sausages and one piece of bread. 

Today was a beautiful day in the high 90s and sunny. Out trek on the interstates was made about lunch and then we were home before rush hour. The park had a nice shady spot for us to sit and eat chicken and watermelon. 

I have plans for tomorrow. 

This was not my birthday dinner.

What have you been doing? What are your plans? 

Hummingbird Feeder and Fountain

 I made this HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER like Robbie did. I made too many holes and too close together, but that won't hurt anything. I got 8 oz jars of Miracle Whip and the empty jars are perfect. However, by slitting the top of the cut off container, I can shove the lid onto the outside of the plastic jar instead of inside. I have one out right now for hummingbirds. I paid for three and this one was free.

Still, I can post my pictures, but I wanted to post this before winter is upon us. 

This is another FOUNTAIN, the first video I saw her make. The first part of the video is interesting, but the instructions I used starts at 24:00.  I made a red fountain from a red plastic bowl, a cheap one that looks like red cut glass. I used a new water bottle with the drinking spout that folds up to drink and then down to close. Of course, it is open. This fountain cost $2 for supplies other than the $7 solar powered pump. So, $9 total. 

You can also make a fountain for larger birds. Oh, wrap the pump in tulle to protect it from trash.

I only have the one shepherd's hook, a tall one. But, for a long time I have had a short one. It is too close to the ground, so that we cannot see it when we are in the house. I was bemoaning this. Tommy said maybe he could move a pot and stick the hook into the pot of dirt. Well, he didn't think that was high enough and set the first pot into a second, did not thing that was high enough and stack a third pot. It looks cute and works even though it is still short than the original. CUTE!

Robbie has wonderful videos. And, she is so nice and obviously loves hummingbirds. 

Okay, so no hummingbird pictures from me with feeders and fountains I made. Tough. Get over it. LOL, I will find someone else to show me or get with R again. Maybe a phone call with her will work.  But, these are wonderful, joyful videos. They inspire me to have a hummer empire of my own since I now know how to make free feeders.

Have you ever made a feeder for your hummingbirds or a fountain? 

Gunsmoke and Folding Laundry

 I love Gunsmoke! Love! Love! However, I have no recollection of watching it ever. Even though it was on TV from 1955 to 1974 or 1975, I have no memories of it. We did not have a television until 1960, so no early memories. If my brother were alive, I could ask him. I can imagine not watching when I was in college as the girls in the dorm there were more interested in soap operas. When I married and had babies, I did not have much  time for TV. 

If I am watching something Tommy does not want to watch, he reminds me Gunsmoke is on. He knows I always want to watch Gunsmoke. Some days, he finds it for me and reminds me to watch it. THEN, he says, "Oh, I am going to watch (whatever), maybe football, maybe movie he knows I won't like, just something he is counting on watching. This amuses me. 

I am astounded at the violence. Matt Dillon has a mean backhand. If you watch carefully, you can see that Matt has trouble with his right leg. He was wounded severely on the beach at Anzio. The show does stand up for blacks, Indians, and other minorities.

We all know he has an intimate relationship with Miss Kitty, but there is never any overt show of much more than friendship. I heard Gunsmoke was called an "adult western." We adults know how to read between the lines. So, there was not  storyline like Roy Rogers. 

I watched The Rifleman, Bat Masterson, Have Gun, Will Travel, Rawhide, Bonanza, but have not recollection of Gunsmoke. If Daddy did not like it, we could not watch it. I am baffled why I did not watch it and have no memories of it, not one.

My favorite household chore is folding laundry. I saved it for when I was watching tv. I wanted to watch tv and also get something accomplished. The clothes are clean, smell nice, and make nice neat stacks. The first thing I fold from the basket of whites is large towels. Removing those makes the volume of clothing instantly smaller. Then, I pull out like things to fold, so that alike is folded one after another. Each towel, whatever kind it is, and each wash cloth is folded neatly and stacked neatly. All folds go the same way. Everything is uniform. The same goes for dish cloths and dish towels. 

The neatness makes me happy. My children folded, too, and eventually were able to fold as well as I did. Of course, their first attempts were not corrected. At first, they sort of wadded wash clothes...lol. My son, first child, loved to help! 

There was usually a talk show I wanted to watch, so this chore of folding laundry was saved for then. 

I cannot stand stacks of towels or wash cloths folded this way and that. So, I take pleasure in neat stacks. Now, I have two prints on dishtowels and fold each design and put that design together. Same with the other design. 

Do you remember watching Gunsmoke? Did you or do you like it? 

What was your favorite household chore, the one that satisfied you or made you happy? Do you like or hate folding laundry? What is your favorite household chore. In case you suspect OCD, definitely not. 

NuWave Air Fryer and Nightmares and Scary Happenings and Roaches

 The air fryer door will not close. I believe I have had this until the warranty has expired. I am so annoyed. Nothing has happened to this appliance that would cause the door not to close. I hear it click and then click as it pops open. This is a NuWave. Have you ever heard of this? I looked online and found the company does not have a good reputation for being responsive. So, we will see. 

One night, I awoke and could hear someone in my room, breathing. Tommy has only been in that bedroom two or three times while I am in there. So, this frightened me in the middle of the dark night. I tried to control my breathing so someone would not suspect I was awake. So, who was breathing in my room? What do you think. It was me! 

Apparently, I was not fully awake but thought I was fully awake. I awoke one morning and stumbled into the living room where Tommy sleeps. I asked him why he came and woke me at 8 am or some other ungodly hour. He was surprised and said he had not called me. He had not been further down the hall than the bathroom. 

About 5 am Thursday, I heard a very loud noise, like something hit the floor. I rushed as I could to the living room, fearing Tommy had fallen. Tommy was thrashing around in the chair with his sheet and blanket he uses. I asked him what happened. He was wondering, too. He said he might have knocked over the chair bottoms that were leaning in the living room. He had, so I picked them up, actually, just leaned them up one at a time. He said he thought I had fallen. Ugh! 

It seems I am dreaming about my family more than I ever have. I dreamed something about my father the other night. A long time ago, I dreamed all the time, but not about anyone who was dead. Then, I started taking melatonin which is supposed to cause vivid dreams. As soon as I started taking it, I quit dreaming, or at least remembering dreams. When I started taking Cymbalta, I quit talking melatonin and started dreaming. Now, it seems I am dreaming while taking Melatonin. 

Now, with the breathing incident and thinking someone was sneaking into my room, it appears that I have started my lucid dreaming again. 

Oh, about the roaches. I have not seen one in several days. Well, I saw one yesterday in the dining area. So, I put out more roach bait. Before, roaches were running all over the kitchen, counters, outside of refrigerator, just horrendous. Tommy is not so violently opposed to getting rid of them! He encourages it and pays for the baits.  I am going to buy more poisoned bait and put one in each cabinet where surely they must like to crawl.

Best Ice Cream Ever!

Breyer's Ice Cream was bogo. I bought Orange-Pineapple. Now, I am hooked. I would rather eat this than chocolate. So, that should tell you how seriously delicious Orange-Pineapple Ice Cream tastes. 

And, I have nothing else!

Remember Dreamsicles, the half orange and half vanilla ice cream on a stick? I think they had it in little cups and in gallons. Remember gallons? Publix advertises their brand ice cream as full gallons. 

Have you ever had Breyer's Orange-Pineapple ice cream?

Shopping

 I feel well, really well, but I think the reflux and lack of sleep and less food drained me. My mood is great. Just zapped a bit today. 

At a big box store, the electric cart quit without warning. I sat in the middle of a large aisle wait for over 30 minutes! The stress was exhausting. 

I priced low-dose aspirin on Amazon and the price was about $39 for 332. I bought them in a store, 300 for ~$13. I only wanted Bayer as I am picky. We needed spoons, forks and cups, so I bought those. Also, more roach baits just to be sure and hurry this process along. I already see less roaches. And, I found pants that I bought in two sizes because I don't know which size will fit. I will take the others back for a refund.

Then, on to The Pig for a few things. The bell peppers were $0.57 this week where they were $0.50 last week. This week, they are large and shaped where I can make them into stuffed peppers. I got 4 or five items that were less with the app, and I forgot to use the app! So, that will be another trip. 

Peppers, potatoes, and Grill Mates were three of the items I forgot to use with the app. We have not had potatoes in two months except for the two potatoes I bought a month ago. 

I was going to Publix for a few things, but that wait on a dead electric cart used my Publix energy.  Maybe, I will yet today. 

Oh, I did buy cabbage, too. I heard about a new-to-me recipe that I am going to prepare--Colcannon. I am quite sure I will like it because it contains cabbage and potatoes. Have you ever had it or prepared it? 

I bought some pickled Vidalia Onions a month or more ago. Tommy assured me he would never eat them because he did not like pickled onions. No, he had never had any. I loved them but hesitated to use them because of his vehement talk against ever tasting them. Then, last night, I asked him what he put on his salad. Pickled Vidalia Onions!!! He swears I never told him I bought them or discussed them with him. ???

Have you ever prepared or eaten colcannon?  I forgot which blogger mentioned colcannon.