Saturday in Cullman and Soup and Summer Savory

 We went to Cullman with a list and finished the list and got home about 3:30. I am so tired. The day was pretty but below freezing until about noon. But, the humidity was 23% yesterday evening unless it was a mistake. No ice on any of the roads make for safe driving.

Before we left, I grabbed a cheese sandwich and water. Tommy had gotten bread and sausage. So, it has been many months since we stopped at Hardee's for a sausage biscuit. Buying the premade sausage has made the difference.  The sausage is expensive, but much less than Hardees for both of us. 

We got the mail, went to my lot, dropped off a huge bag of plastic bottles for recycling, I went to two grocery stores where I picked up 4 more pimientos and two more cans of cheap green beans. The other store had no bargains today. Sportsman's Lake is still closed, and the Christmas decorations are still in the park.

At my friend's junk shop I saw a table I wanted several months ago. She is the one who is in a wheelchair and the person who asked me to buy food for her friend, saying she would pay me and never did. I had $9.50 on the books with her. Brought her something that put another $10 on the books, got the table for $20, leaving me 50 cents on the books. I mentioned she needed to pay me for the money I spent for her friend and the fact she said she would pay me. She said pitifully that she only had $3 and needed to buy something. I replied dryly, " I have change." She ignored me and never paid me. 

I will just put it on the books next time and never bring her friends food until I get the money. This actually benefits me. Today, she said she would sell me an iron bed and rails for $25. I will never get the money without making an enemy. She has never paid me for one blessed thing I have for sale! But, it gets put on the books and I get "free" stuff. "I will trade you my stuff for your stuff" sort of deal.
 

There is a beautiful, little table in my trunk, so I am happy. 

I took a purse to the shoe shop and had it repaired for $3. The remote for my car had a dead battery, so got that taken care of for another $3. I knew the people in both places, so pleasant conversation made me feel really happy. I have shopped both stores for 30 years, so it felt like home. 

While I was in a friendly atmosphere, Cullman, where people know me. I decided to shop at Walgreen's and get some otc at the drive-up window. The one here told me I had come into the store, just flat out refused. 

One friend who is semi-retired told me his wife died of covid-19 just before vaccines were available. The conversation made me sad because he is a nice man and seemed to really love his wife. I counseled another young man about educational goals. He has changed majors eight times! I congratulated him for his perseverance. I could not see making him feel bad about his decisions, especially since he is still interested in education. 

We arrived back home at about 3:30. At about 5:30, I decided to make soup. Tommy cooked and chopped the meat and scraped the carrots. I peeled the potatoes prepared the celery and put the soup into the crock pot. Around 6  pm, I decided the soup would never get done. Sooo, I put it all on a pot on the stove and added two cans of diced tomatoes and more water. 

I was so tired that I went to sleep in the recliner. I never finished adding things to the soup. So, I did when I awoke.

Soup

ground beef, maybe 2 lbs. today

carrots, a little over a pound

potatoes, just a few diced small

1/2 bag coleslaw mix

two ribs of celery, sliced thinly crosswise

two 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

can of green beans

diced onions

clove garlic

bay leaf (take it out after cooking)

I intended to put Summer Savory in to season it, but I had none, and Publix does not even carry it. If I put Summer Savory, I don't put salt, pepper, or bayleaf. The soup with the savory is very fragrant. I love it. Tomorrow, if Tommy wants me to, I will add brown rice to the soup. Okay, he wants brown rice. I don't add much, just 1/3 cup brown rice. Usually, I add corn to this soup and lima beans. 

The Summer Savory is not carried at Publix, so I ordered some from Amazon. Do you ever cook with this spice? There is a Winter Savory, too. I use one for soup, hopefully Summer Savory that I ordered.