Wednesday, November 30, 2022

This and That, Nothing Much

After a stormy night, I awakened to news of tornado deaths. Thankfully, there was nothing except heavy winds and rains where we live. After an exceptionally warm Tuesday, the storms were to be expected. When we have exceptionally warm weather in the fall, we pay for it in tornado damage. 

When I ordered Glad Kitchen bags from the internet, the price was over $32. I cancelled that within three minutes. Today, going into the store saved over $12. Plus, it would take until Dec. 9 to arrive. Due to my procrastination, we only had three bags left. So, I saved money there. Since it is Tommy's money, he really likes it. 

Tonight, we had sausage and kale flatbread pizza with broccoli crust. I thought it was delicious. Tommy thought it was so-so. I mixed up a little fruit salad for me that Tommy won't touch--grapes, apple, banana. 

We went out long enough today to pick up meds for Tommy from a drive-up window and get two things--garbage bags and Claritin. I really wanted to browse, but I resisted. We did sit in the park for a few minutes. 

I don't feel well tonight. For more than 24 hours, I have had the feeling nothing empties from my stomach and gerd and hiccups plague me! Plus, three dogs from next door barked for over an hour today--one barks, one has a long woof, the other is a yappy, tiny dog. It is maddening. They did bark at other times, too, so this is continual noise. 
See? I told you nothing much.

How was the weather in your area? Tornado warnings? 

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Tornadoes, Familial Tremors, Fairy Lights

We were watching a Michael Bublé special as the tornado warnings scrolled across the screen. Rather incongruous, yes? It is blowing and raining. We had Michael Buble special on, but the weather people took over and he was overridden by the weather. And, that's okay. I have my light with me and Tommy has his. There is a little light to turn on in the bathroom. Phones are charged. Hopefully nothing dire happens. 

Monday, I told Tommy I was going out on Tuesday for things I wanted/needed. So, we did and it almost killed me! My blood sugar was so low that I had to have something to eat. I still have not recovered from hypoglycemia! Tomorrow, I will feel more human. 

We also went to the food giveaway. In line, a woman was stopped and people were going around her. She called someone and got out of the car to see the street sign. I had Tommy ask her if she needed help. She did. We both got out of the car, both of us holding onto the car to walk around it. He took the device we bought at Auto Zone to jumpstart her car. I drove ahead to stay in line. He walked back with his walker to me and I drove. I hated to leave him behind! 

What we bought and used today--Duralast Jump Starter, 2.4 amp jumpstarter power pack. The guy at Auto Zone recommended it and said that is what they used at the store to start cars. This has helped us quite a few times, and now we used it to help a woman stranded. I think every car should have one! Maybe we have a new calling! That, plus the device to air up the tires are certainly useful.

Sometimes, we are given a frozen chicken breast with feta and spinach. What we got this time looked like that but had no label. So, I opened a box of potato onion pierogies and cooked the dish that might be chicken. Well, the pierogies were awful and the chicken was butternut squash. We did not eat the pierogies, ate some of the butternut squash, and leftover taco soup.

I took a nap. So, what is new? I lay down, went to sleep instantly, and did not move until I awoke two hours later.  That won't interfere with my sleep tonight, since we will stay up until the danger of a tornado is past. 

The two sets of fairy lights had to be returned since one was damaged, and I could not find any in the one store where I went. I hope the tensions in China will not affect my new order for more fairy lights. There don't seem to be fairy lights made in the US. 

I talked with my friend who is 92 and husband is 91. She was saying how difficult cooking was for her. I told her we use the cooking bags and how we put in chicken, potatoes, carrots and onion and have a meal in the oven shortly. I told her how Tommy peels potatoes and carrots, and once I get it all seasoned, he puts it in the oven and takes it out, giving us days of chicken to do different things and eat different meals. She said her husband can make bread. So, he can probably do all the preparing and cooking of this kind of meal. I bought her a box of Reynolds Cooking Bags. Of course, any meat can be cooked in the bags. Her family brings meals to them, but she still cooks a bit. 

She might never buy Cooking Bags, but if she has a box at hand, she might use them. I will wrap these as a Christmas present and give them a sweet potato bread loaf (made with my pumpkin bread recipe) for her Christmas. 

She has familial tremors and says the condition makes her very tired. I understand tired! But, I know nothing of familial tremors. 

Monday, November 28, 2022

Decorating Thoughts

 Since I decided to put fairy lights in my red kiss candy dish instead of candy, I had to buy fairy lights. They finally came. When I put the whole string in the red kiss, it was magical. Of course, there has to be a stinker in the mix. One set, the first set in which I put batteries, was faulty. One of the little spring coils on which the battery end rests was missing. So, since they were ordered in a box of two, I had to return both. 

I found construction paper that had 12 sheets of red and 12 sheets of green to make a chain like we made when we were kids. Tommy insists we use every color of paper. Who does that? It's certainly spoiling the idea of having a paper chain for Christmas! 

Tomorrow, I will get out the door wreath and start the little decorating we will do. The red kiss will be here when I get fairy lights.

Tonight, we watched The Great American Christmas Light Fight. It was wonderful. There are four contestant each hour. The best Christmas lights win. I am always full of inspiration after we see this program every year. Of course, the idea quickly dies after considering I don't have the stamina or youth to do all this decorating on the roof, not to speak of the lack of money.  One year, I did enter the Christmas decorating contest in the town where we lived. I made elves and decorated the swing set in the front yard. 

A wealthy and influential man won for just sticking the back end of Santa out of a second store window with a little balcony. People all over town called or told me in person they had complained to the powers that be and said I should have won. We moved and I never tried that again, probably because I never saw that any town had that contest. 

Sunday night, I measured out the spices for the sweet potato bread. I may measure the flour and sugar tonight...lol. I will get it done one day. I promised Lynda some, so need to just bake it. She is very understanding. Besides, I told her that I would be slow getting it done. 

Part of decluttering is thinking and planning. I have determined to put glass baking dishes and glass cereal bowls and glass storage dishes in an upper two cabinets. I had put three colanders in these cabinets, but I believe the glass will be better up there instead of on a chair! The colanders can go into a bottom cabinet where we both can reach them. Neither of us can get very low. 

My air fryer will go on the curb with a "free" sign. I used it twice and the drawer will not close. So, it is just taking up space! That was a waste of money. 

When I fell, I hurt the knee that was the uninjured knee. But, my shoulders with rotator cuff injuries both hit. Now, my left shoulder is in agony. I thought Tommy was going to have to help me get my t-shirt off today. Lots of other spots on my body have that "slammed to the floor" feeling, but it is my left shoulder and left knee that still are in significant pain. 

We watched "White Christmas" tonight. I loved it!

The grocery ads don't seem to have much to interest me this week. But, I have not looked at the Piggly Wiggly ads yet. 

Today was another beautiful day. I love these days, not dark and not too cold. 

How was your weekend? What is happening in your world? Did you take advantage of Cyber Monday?

Saturday, November 26, 2022

Saturday Successes

 Saturday, we needed to pick something up in Cullman. Since it was supposed to rain, I was leery of going. Tommy woke me at 7:15 as I asked. Even after leaving at 8:10, things went well. We needed to miss the rain forecast for Saturday and get home in time for the Iron Bowl.

Hoping to find a cheap turkey breast, I went to two stores and found two for $1.69/lb. Publix was an in and out trip. The turkey breast was $17.88 for a 10.58 lb. breast. 

In the other store, Betty Crocker brownie mixes in a pouch for $1.29--got 4. Three disposable bread pans--came to $1.40 for each pan. The turkey at this store was $8.72 for 5.16 lb turkey breast. I wish both had been smaller. 

We both went into this store. He bought five cans of the Double Luck green beans I love for $0.69 each. He then had a receipt to enter the drawing for $100. Of course, I had my receipt to enter, too. As I was inside before him and well into the store, I called him and alerted him to apples reduced--$1 per bag of 4, so he bought a bag. 

In about 2018, I won this drawing and had $100 to spend on groceries. Maybe we will have a repeat of good fortune this year.

Got the mail from the PO. 

The turkey breasts were the only food I looked for and seemingly the only good price I found except for the green beans. However, I searched for them, so maybe more bargains were out there.

Have you found any good prices still left from Christmas ads? Any deals at all, food or otherwise? Are you still eating Thanksgiving food and enjoying it? Or, have you reimagined it?

Tommy wanted to eat at Chicken Salad Chick again. He is really a fan of this place. I had the Classic Chicken Salad again, no soup. I had to order a sandwich or could not get the scoop of chicken salad. So, I order a croissant on the side. It is lying in the box in the car, wasted. Tommy had Fruity Fran on wheat bread. We drank water even though Tommy asked if I wanted a drink. I let him have my cookie. 

We drove by my lot and came home! We beat the rain and arrived home about 1 pm. By 2 pm I was in bed for a nap. I only slept three hours and feel like I need another nap. 

I worried I would not be able to easily fit the turkey in the two holes in the freezer, but had absolutely no trouble. I think we might have to return to Cullman for business, so maybe I can get two more at that price, hopefully, two small turkey breasts. Turkey breasts are less than the cost of bscb--half the price per pound. 

Today was a good day despite my lack of sleep and worry about rain. If Auburn had won the Iron Bowl, it would be nearly perfect. Tommy is a little discouraged, as is my son. 

Gas price is down to $2.91. 

In a few minutes we are watching a Lifetime Original premier of the The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve. Okay, this looks good...a Scrooge-like character. Tommy is heating a roasted chicken leg, sweet potato, and frozen mixed vegetables.

If you have checked, what price are turkey breasts where you live? 

Friday, November 25, 2022

Plans Changed Multiple Times Today

 I had a good plan until it was not a good plan due to my mistake. The plan Friday morning was to buy bscb at Publix today. Then, I decided why not eat the half of the turkey breast reserved for our eventual Thanksgiving meal and buy a new breast cheaply for $1.49/lb. and thaw it. The plan was a good one until I found a turkey breast at Publix for over $32. It seems the ones for $1.49 are gone, sold. Or, the price was only through Wednesday. 

The chicken breasts were an exorbitant price, nothing I wanted to pay. We went to another Publix. No turkey breasts at $1.49. I bought milk for Tommy, and we headed home. I was exhausted and the sun was low in the sky. 

We sat in the park for about 15 minutes and talked. I made a new plan. We would go home, and I could search the freezer. That plan was working until lots of frozen rocks fell from the freezer quite an avalanche. Since I could not read what was on the packages because of no light near the freezer, I called Tommy. He took the large package over to the sink where there is a measly light, and read it--a whole chicken. So, it went into the refrigerator to thaw. I did not hurt as much as I thought I would.

The things that fell out were meatloaf and field peas, among other things. I was rushing to see The Great Christmas Light Fight. We hurried and heated meatloaf, leftover sweet potatoes, and field peas for dinner. We had three minutes to spare. Then, he realized he read the wrong thing and The Great Christmas Light Fight was not coming on. Bummer. 

We watched Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. I love that song and movie. Now, we are watching It's a Wonderful Life. I have to see this once every year. 

While I was picking frozen food off the floor, I found two chicken legs, so that is thawing as a meal or two for Tommy. A package with two hoagie buns will be eaten, probably by Tommy with peanut butter on them. I need to go check and see if something is hiding in the dark that escaped from the freezer.

There are two great gaps in the freezer that are for turkey breasts when I find ones that are cheap again.

I did not get the sweet potato bread baked. Maybe I will bake it tomorrow evening. Don't hold me to it. I told Lynda I might bring her some on Wednesday. I told her it would be Thursday, and then Friday. This evening, I told her it would be baked someday. I will be glad when my sense of taste recovers. 

I piddled at decluttering and picking up bits of trash from the table beside me. Yes, we can tell a bit of difference. 

The fall--my knee collapsed quite a few times on Thanksgiving. So, I used my cane. Today, the collapsing and almost falling stopped. My hand and shoulders hurt. I appear to be recovering nicely and I can still bend my left knee, something I could barely do before I fell. I am achy in places, but not really hurt except for the left knee pain. 

What movies or specials do you love to watch each holiday season?

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Thanksgiving 2022

 I slept well and long on Wednesday night, so when Tommy waked me to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I was ready for the day. I always enjoy the parade, but this is only about the second time I have been able to enjoy the whole thing since I was always in the kitchen cooking. Since we have delayed our meal for a week, this works for me.

The Lion King entry was just about the best I have ever seen. The giraffe was spectacular. People were the animals, of course. But the execution was nothing like I have ever seen. CLICK HERE to see the performance. Four people are in the elephant legs! The performance starts at 30 seconds.

We both found something for lunch. I had crackers and cheese. Tommy had bread with Swiss cheese melted on top in the microwave. 

We did watch the dog show and Gunsmoke. Who knows? Then, we went for a drive and there was barely anyone on the roads. Jeopardy was on when we came home. I was going to cook chicken tenders, but it was spoiled, not sure how. Sweet potatoes are in the oven. He will have roasted chicken leftovers, sweet potatoes, and leftover cole slaw. I had a sweet potato and later tuna salad.

When the sweet potatoes are done, I will make sweet potato bread using my pumpkin bread recipe. Sometimes, I think I almost prefer it to pumpkin bread. I have also made sweet potato pie using my pumpkin pie recipe. No, I will make the sweet potato bread on Friday. I am too tired.

The rain held off until around dinner. Thankfully, the roads were not rainy for visiting and driving on the interstate during the day. I always worry about people on holidays since so many people drink and drive. 

My friend, Lynda, did not cook or go anywhere, either, today. When I talked to her about 6 pm, she had been moving a sofa by herself all afternoon. 

This evening, I had to use my four-legged cane for a few trips around the house. My knee does not hurt at all, but it keeps collapsing, not holding me up. My left knee would not bend much until I fell on it. Now, it bends just fine. What's with that? It feels like I tore the medial left meniscus, like I tore the right one twenty years ago.  I may be the only person who went to physical therapy and was injured due to negligence of the facility and the therapist. 

Today, we had grapes; I also had apple and banana.

If all happens as I plan, we will have sweet potato bread and so will Lynda. Now, I will make it on Friday.

Did you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? How did you like the Lion King portion? 

Have you ever substituted sweet potato for pumpkin in pumpkin bread loaves? Or made sweet potato pie?

How far did you travel to celebrate Thanksgiving? What was your favorite food?



Wednesday, November 23, 2022

The Day Before Thanksgiving

 I thought I needed to go to talk with someone in Cullman with whom I was conferring. But, he did not even come into his office. Plus, I had to pick up Tommy's paint-by-number that had been stretched. I had cancelled once and did not want the artist to have to keep holding something for me while I still owed him money. So, we went, and I got my mail. 

When I went to Publix, I found that pumpkin was $2 in Cullman and $2.49ish here. I bought another book of stamps at the PO. Another 10 cans of Double Luck green beans came home with me at $.69/can. I just wonder how long they will still have these since when the pallets they bought that are on a truck out back are empty, there will be no more in this area as I have said before. 

Every week, we comment that we need to eat at Chicken Salad Chick. This week we did. It was wonderful. If you have never eaten there, empty your piggy bank and try it. I had the Classic Carol Scoop and Loaded Potato Soup. The scoop was on a frilly lettuce leaf. I asked for tomato, too. The loaded baked potato soup was so cheesy with huge chunks of potatoes. And, it was very hot. Tommy had Fruity Fran Chicken Salad on a croissant with pasta salad. I could not believe he was ordering chicken salad with apples, pineapple, and grapes. He had never had a sandwich on a croissant. We both really enjoyed lunch! The next place to visit when we decide to wander will be Slim Chicken. 

Not having Thanksgiving on Thursday made this Wednesday seem like I should be doing something and glad I was not. The traffic was not too bad to be the busiest traffic day of the year. But, we were off the road just before 3 pm. 

Like I have said, this was a really great day...until we got home. I was carrying the picture, trying to be careful not to ruin it as it was stretched on foam board or something like that. So, I was using one hand. My left foot did not lift high enough and then I stumbled on the metal strip that is under the door. A screw is very loose and cannot be tightened, stripped the wood, I suppose. Tommy forbade me to fix it, so I just catch my foot on the strip sticking up. I fell....hard! 

I was screaming for Tommy and screaming "Help" over and over. He said he answered me once when he got to the ramp. He said there was no need to answer me again. Well, I would have been reassuring a person who had fallen and was continuously screaming for help. 

However, I am not really hurt. When I fell, it was a bit on my knees which was excruciating and then slammed forward on my face. My left arm was under me and pinned with my face on the hand. Both arms were up so that both arms were numb to my fingertips. My left ear is ringing and ringing! I did not hit my head. I feel like I have been slammed to the ground. Thankfully, he has carpets, wood floors and no concrete underneath. 

Maybe now he will allow me to find someone to fix that screw sticking up. I have told him for three years it was going to hurt one of us. Until lately, I could take it up and replace the screw, tightening the stripped part of the wood with toothpicks and wood glue. Now, I just cannot get down that far. We do need bars to pull on the doors. But, he won't pull out his wallet because he does not need them. YES, he does. He actually needs bars to pull more than I do. 

Honestly, it was a great day and lunch was terrific. It was sort of fun not to be toiling at cooking.  Or planning cooking. Or planning. Or traveling. We still wear masks, so there will be not visiting or accepting invitations. Tomorrow, we will be watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade. If I don't bake these five pounds of bscb tonight, I will bake them tomorrow afternoon. I am thinking about baking sweet potato bread, too, using my pumpkin bread recipe. It is delicious. And, we have salad. 

How was your Wednesday? 

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Change of Plans, Yukon Gold

 Today's well-laid plans were thwarted, sort of. We had planned to go to Cullman for a few things. But, about 11 am, Tommy was looking at his day planner and commented that I had a doctor's appointment at 2 pm. Sooo, I got ready to go to the doctor.

This was a doctor who expected to see me in 2020. Now, he got to see me. I had to have a blood draw and have found my new phlebotomist. One stab and she got a vein. It hurt like fire for a moment, but nothing intolerable. 

By 3:30, we were on our way home and the traffic was very heavy. It was good to be home in one piece. Neither of us wanted to stop for bathroom or food or another chore. It was a 50-mile round trip! Too far for a doctor visit. Okay, I am getting old...lol. 

We did nothing at all today other than Tommy drove me. This was a specialist I had seen before the pandemic. Like He said when I explained I was avoiding people and hospital procedures when the pandemic started, "It looks like covid is here to stay." So, we got on with the visit. I have only met him once and like him then. I think he grew a beard and mustache because I did not recognize him at all. 

We talked things over and he made plans, but that all came to a halt. He told me he would not put me to sleep until I had the stent problem taken solved. That is what I was trying to tell him. So, some things are on hold with a few tests for the next few weeks. 

He gave me samples in order for me to see if they work for me. I thought it was a prescription med, but it is otc. They gave me three boxes. I thought there were a lot of pills. Each box had a white bottle with child-proof cap and FOUR tablets. It seems to me this is an excessive amount of packaging. Remember when samples were in a little foil pouch of even a bubble pack on cardboard? 

Dinner tonight: leftover baked chicken, leftover baked carrots, green bean casserole. He is so good about eating everything that I try sometimes to make something new and tasty, green bean casserole won tonight. The half cup of leftover casserole is here for him tomorrow night. 

Every time I have made green bean casserole, I have used cut green beans. Tommy opened two cans of French-Style. I was miffed but did not say so. Actually, the French-style are better in the casserole. 

What kind of green beans do you use in the casserole? Do you prefer one over the other?

The other day, I put about five pounds of chicken breast in the refrigerator to thaw. So, I will bake those tomorrow. 

We have not had potatoes for almost two weeks, I think. I cannot find Yukon Gold potatoes? Do they still exist? I always had them at a Christmas meal in Birmingham and sometimes bought them. But, now they seem absent from the shelves. 

Monday, November 21, 2022

One-Chore Day

 Monday, I awoke feeling well in one way and awful in another. I slept well for over nine hours. However, I felt like I needed to get an inhaler immediately! 

We both ate a very late breakfast, the rest of the news, and one episode of Gunsmoke. We needed to collect my pink sandals he bought back in September. Well, I had returned two other pair and finally got these. 

Traffic was wild and it was a long way to the SAS store. I got them and we headed home. I did stop at a store and found a few things, nothing spectacular. 

That is our day--nothing exciting. 

Tommy can now take the sheet off the flowers. He removed the sheet after the first freezing of several predicted freezing nights. He thought the sheet had to be removed every morning. No, just plastic bags. The hummingbird feeders and my black bird came down. It is so bare out in front of the house.

For dinner I am having turkey/tomatoes/salad, half a banana. Tommy is having turkey, slaw, and grapes. 

The exciting part may come after the Antiques Road Show....I am considering making cornbread which means I might make homemade dressing instead of Stovetop Stuffing. 

Tuesday will be a many-chore day. 

Have you noticed the traffic on roads and in stores is much heavier? 

What did you have for dinner?


Sunday, November 20, 2022

A Beautiful Beginning and End to Sunday

Plus, it was good all day...lol. 

Today dawned bright, beautiful, and cold! Cold is okay as long as it is sunny and dry. I slept well and long! We went for a short drive, and while we were out, I stopped by The Pig to see if I could find pie crusts. I did. The place was so crowded! Pie crusts will probably be on sale in the Tuesday ads since I bought them this week at regular price. I don't want to take a chance. I did buy two, thinking we don't even need one pie. However, I will make at least one pie for Thanksgiving and pie when we actually eat a turkey dinner the next week. So, today, I bought another package of two. 

This next bit was cute, funny, sad, not sure. But, definitely not a criticism of skills. He just does not know. Really, I need to record every word spoken between us as he swears I always get it wrong. 

For some reason Tommy decided to load the dishwasher when I was ill this last week. He said he loaded the utensils into the dishwasher door and "they are all pointing up." That was really nice of him. When I am ill, I am so lethargic. Then, when I was starting to feel better, he said he put all the plates into the dishwasher. Wow, he is getting very helpful. But, I felt guilty. 

When I put in dishes later, I noticed all the plates were facing in one direction. This way, the water stream hit the backs of half of them. So, I started changing half of them, the ones to the right, placing them backing the sides of the dishwasher where they were facing toward a side. He came by as I was doing this and I showed him how it should be done and why. PLUS, the instructions said explicitly to place all dishes facing toward the center of the dishwasher. "So the water from the center hits all dirty surfaces." I kept changing them until they were right and not trying to get him to fix them. 

He put the plates in again on Saturday and said he got them all facing in the right direction, just like I showed him. I was shocked. Picture this.  The plates were paired facing each other. Two by two. Of course, with the edges of the plates being curved, this configuration practically assured that no water of any amount or force would hit the dirty side of any of the plates. 

I was laughing inside and called him to come and let me show him something. Then, he swore up and down that he did it exactly as I showed him. He said he watched me. Well, obviously he watched and did not see. After a few loud words from both sides, I knew he was just too defensive to listen. Still, he brings it up that I showed him a different way. 

It was cute what he did. Funny! But, I did not laugh or scoff. He is so defensive and has never done anything wrong. EVER. He has never said anything like "sorry" or "I did not know" or "I misunderstood." His answers--"I have done it that way since I was 10." or "All my relatives did it that way" or "everybody I know does it that way" or "that is exactly the way YOU told me to do it." 

When I went to sleep at 7 am on Saturday morning, I awoke at 1:30 and felt awful most of the day. However, I was sleepy early Saturday night and went to bed about 2 am. I realized I have not slept well when I don't wear my new pocket nightgown. When it was wet and hanging to dry, I did not. It has been hard to sleep when the blankets keep sliding off my shoulders. Hopefully, sleep won't be too hard from now on with my shoulders warm and the rest of my body. Of course, I love the length, but it could be six inches longer.

These nightgowns are going to be my day dresses. I hate pants all day! Yes, they will be nightgowns, too.

It has been over 24 hours since I last saw my phone! I take it to bed every night, put it on the nightstand until morning. On the way to bed I sometimes put it on the counter in the kitchen or on bathroom vanity. Often, when I get up in the morning, I find it where I put it on the way to bed. We have looked everywhere. Of course, it is off so I cannot just call my phone. Okay, I found it. I had carried a clothes basket with the new sheets and other things to the bedroom with my phone on top. The basket was beyond my bed, and with no light in the ceiling, I could barely see it. Okay, a day without even using my phone is rare. And, no one called me. 

We were watching Gunsmoke one day when Tommy exclaimed that they all had blue eyes. Five scoundrels were onscreen. I think it is 6% of the people on earth have blue eyes and 100% of the cast of Gunsmoke screen had blue eyes. Tommy commented that Hollywood sure loves blue eyes. Of course, Matt, and Kitty both have blue eyes. 

At 9:30 Sunday night, Tommy went into the kitchen for us. I told him if he would gather everything, I would make a pumpkin pie. So, he is there searching for the spices, cans, and eggs. I could have gone in and stood while he got things out. This will make things so much easier on my back. I even had him get out the right measuring cups and measuring spoons. So, I need to get out the mixer and a bowl. Good deal! I think I can get a pie into the oven without spilling it more easily than he can. I will start at 10:30 after the news. So, I suppose pumpkin pie will happen at midnight.

Okay, the pumpkin pie will be out at 12:15. Actually, it is two pumpkin pies. So, one for each of us. I am a pig when it comes to pumpkin pie. Mama made a pumpkin pie that was about 3/4 inch thick or whatever goes into a regular bought pie pan, not deep dish. I certainly hope it doesn't taste bad. 

I knew I had a can of Pet Milk, but it had a date of Jan 2022, so I had him take the top completely off. It seemed clabbered. The new can was smooth and no clots. 

Pumpkin is my favorite pie of those I make. And, I don't even want one if I did not make it. 

What is your favorite pie that you make? Do you like pumpkin pie?

Saturday, November 19, 2022

No Thanksgiving Dinner for Us, Pomegranates

 Since I started taking this new antibiotic, at least one thing of every meal tastes gross. This is not a lack of taste, this is just bad taste. As I was thinking about eating Thanksgiving dinner that tastes bad, I hate to cook a meal and not enjoy it. I was telling Tommy this and asked if he would be disappointed to have our Thanksgiving dinner a few days later. He said it would not bother him at all. My last capsule will be December 1. I doubt this taste will go away since it has been here for three days. 

We might still have different food or something a little festive. I am still excited by the prospect of a turkey dinner with dressing and cranberry sauce and all the trimmings. So, when it happens, it will be good. I have fallen down on preps since I was sick. 

Tommy is taking the meat off the carcass of the chicken I roasted. I took the meat off the breast but cannot locate the breast skin and bones. Of course, all this will be eaten for sandwiches or casseroles. The breast meat for Thanksgiving meal is already frozen. 

One day, I asked Lynda what kind of fruit was growing in her yard. She said someone told her it was a quince. I asked her if I could have a few if she did not want them all. She said I could have all of them because she was not sure what a quince was like. I took three next time I went and was shocked when she brought them to me. They sure look like a pomegranate and the broken one she brought looks like it has arils inside. I have not tasted anything. These got pushed aside when I was so ill this last week. 

Does a quince even vaguely resemble a pomegranate other than being red and global? I have looked at pictures of both and it certainly looks like a pomegranate. This has the unusual part at the stem end. 

It is like midnight outside and it is only 6 pm! I went to the fanlight and looked out this gloomy afternoon, so the extent of my enjoying the outdoors. Pooh! This stinks! Well, I had no desire to go anywhere even though I had places to go. For one, I want to pick up my shoes at SAS. Monday, there will be less traffic. Or Tuesday.

Dinner will be the thinly sliced beef I baked one day this last week, slaw, and mashed potatoes. I think I will have a salad since the mashed potatoes tasted bad to me. The tomatoes will go bad if we don't eat them. 

I will bake an Apple Betty tonight! Okay, we had the Apple Betty and watched The Wizard of Oz.

Have you ever had a med that made some food taste awful? I sit here and can taste my mouth when usually there is no taste or a neutral taste. 

Is there anything else that looks like a pomegranate and is not a pomegranate? Do they grow in central Alabama? The internet says it is possible, but I wonder. 

Friday, November 18, 2022

Dogs in Clothes, Rotten Raspberries, Tommy "Cooks"

 I did a double take because my noisy neighbors had a new dog. No, the black dog had on a grey dog coat/sweater that has four legs. So, the black dog appeared to be a light gray dog with black feet. 

Lynda's dog was in the yard with a red coat on and looking proud. Lynda said she came right over and stood still to get the coat on and pranced around afterwards. When Lynda wanted to take the coat off, the dog kept backing off, wanting to keep it on. Funny. 

Remember how I bought three containers of raspberries and had to take back two? Well, I got two more to take their place. AND, they were bad, too. So, I took those back, got my money back. No more raspberries. One container is frozen.

Then, I went to one store, bought three more warm nightgowns and a few miscellaneous items. The truth is--I don't remember what I bought! We had one more chore and came home about 4 pm. Since I slept well, warm in my new warm nightgown, I did not feel a need for a nap. YAY! 

Thursday, I put a chicken in the refrigerator to thaw. About noon today, I put it in a stockpot in the sink, filled it with water to thaw it. After we watched the news tonight, we baked it. I say "we" because Tommy was heavily involved. I told him I would give him credit he earned. 

I stood at the sink, hanging on and groaning in pain, he turned on the oven. He got out a pan, the cooking bag from the box and held the bag while I put the hen inside. He got the carrots from the refrigerator, opened them, and helped get the baby carrots into the bag with the chicken. I managed to put the fastener on the bag to shut it and poked knife holes.  Then, I hobbled back to sit in the living room. He made all this prep go faster with less pain for me.

Oh, before I put the hen in the bag, he got the flour out and sort of shook some from the quart jar into the bag. I did manage to shake the cooking bag to coat it with flour. He got all seasonings from the cabinet--salt, pepper, rubbed sage and sprinkled them on the breast of the chicken before I put the hen inside. He put two pieces of celery on top of the hen. He sprinkled powdered onion and powdered garlic on the hen, too. His help is indispensable! Then, he put the chicken in the oven. 

The carrots and celery came from the food giveaway. I had two little snack boxes that had vegetables and hummus. So, I used all the carrots from the two boxes and celery from one of them. There is a bit of broccoli and three grape tomatoes left. 

While the movie was on, I chopped celery and onions. I used the ones I had chopped for dressing. So, there is more chopped. Later, I will take the rest of the breast off the bone. He will remove the rest of the meat from the carcass. 

Dinner--We had baked chicken and carrots and mashed potatoes, Idahoan Three Cheese. There will be meat left for another meal and two lunches. He can have all the potatoes. Carrots are all eaten. We will have a salad. Since dinner was so late, I had crackers and cheese and he had a bagel. 

If I feel like it tonight, I will feel for another turkey, turkey breast, or chicken in the refrigerator and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. 

Very few foods taste right lately. It must be the antibiotic I am taking. Tommy said the mashed potatoes tasted okay. I could barely eat them.

Tonight, we watched Christmas in Connecticut and The Bishop's Wife. To say they were both wonderful is an understatement. 

Tomorrow, the plan is to stay home! I will bake the sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and remove the skins.  

How do your dogs feel about wearing clothes--sweaters or coats or tshirts, whatever you put on them or try to put on them? Or, do you believe dogs should not wear clothes? 

Do you need help or get help in order to get a meal on the table in a timely manner? I can do this and take longer and hurt more. But, he comes to me and helps when I ask. It saves time and pain. 

What are your plans for Saturday? 

Thursday, November 17, 2022

The Rest of Wednesday and Thursday

 Monday or Tuesday, forgot which, I roasted the turkey breast. Wednesday night, very late, I felt in the big freezer for what might be a mass of poultry since I could not see in the bottom of the freezer. I pulled out a young chicken. So, it is in the refrigerator, thawing. I will probably pull it out on Saturday and put it in the big pot, cover it with water and let it sit in the sink to thaw, refreshing the water often. 

I still believe there is at least one turkey in the big freezer! At any rate, there will possibly be a sale on turkey breasts. And, I need to cook these meats since they have been in the freezer for a bit. 

Wednesday night, I pretreated two red blouses for Tommy to wash on Thursday morning. 

Wednesday night, well after dark, he finally took steps to save my plants. He said he moved them all to the porch against the brick wall and covered them with a sheet. Then, he covered the concrete bunny with a plastic bag. I think the pansies will survive the cold, but he loves them. So, I did not object. I begged him last week when it was in the 80s to help me put them somewhere for the winter. At least it is done, but I hate he had to work in the dark and cold! 

Wednesday, I bought raspberries, 3/$10. I thought I checked them well. However, when I got home, one was rotten and the other had mold. So, that goes back Thursday morning. I am writing this late Wednesday night. Tommy has rewritten the list without all the stuff we bought. He put my list today on two tiny sheets of paper about 4" x 4". Who does that? I had trouble holding onto them in the store. 

Thursday night's dinner will be the rest of the beef and baby carrots, broccoli, and tomato. Of course, it is still Wednesday, so I could change all that. There is diced chicken and ground beef that needs to be eaten first, so he said he would eat those, maybe for lunch and maybe for dinner, one or the other. Neither of us wants to waste anything. He is cooperative like that. 

While I was retrieving the chicken, I found some brown bread, the small loaves from Outback. I am to the point we will need bread in about two days, so I will pull that out and eat it instead of storing it and buying more. Obviously, I am decluttering the freezer. I originally put it in the freezer because I cannot eat it fast enough to prevent some of it from molding. And, Tommy does not like it. 

Wednesday night, Tommy told me that while he was in Publix, a woman came by with only six items in her cart--four turkeys and two hams. He thought it was strange/funny that someone would buy so many turkeys and hams. I assured him that lots of people stock up on cheap protein. Turkeys are $0.48/lb at Public with no other purchase required and no coupons or limits. He was surprised at the low estimate I thought she bought. 

Wednesday night, we stayed up until after 4 am to watch the 1948 version of The Three Musketeers. Chances are, I could not have slept, anyway. And, I was up until after sunrise. ugh!

Today, I drug out a wad of Tommy's dark socks. I had him go through them and tell me which could be donated and which could not. He said they all had holes. So, he took them for me and put them in cleaning supplies. I can use the Swiffer tool to clean cobwebs off the ceiling by putting the end through the hole. A spritz of Endust will make a good dusting tool even better. The socks can be tossed after use. Plus, box is empty. 

Thursday Now

I took back the raspberries and got two more boxes. Nope. Still nasty and slimy. I will take them back on Friday!

While at Publix returning two boxes of raspberries, I bought other things, forgot what now. 

I sent to a second store and had a great visit. I asked for someone to get heavy boxes of drinks. A young guy was sent with me. We both went back to the register. While I was in line, I looked over the head of a woman who was maybe 4' 8" and said, "Could you please help me get one of the cartons onto the counter?" The cashier only needs one to scan.

The tiny woman in front of me turned and said, "Oh, sure," as she bent to get the heavy drinks. I was flustered and objected, "Oh no, not you, I was not asking you. I was asking the tall young man behind you." She kept on leaning and picking up the drinks while I was saying this. I thanked her and said I would never have asked her. I did not tell her it was because she was old and short. I told her I was glad that she was so able. She commented that she thought she was lucky to be in such good health. 

I noticed the cashier was ringing up my items and was annoyed she did not seem to finish this woman's items first. The cashier beamed at me and told me that here was my receipt. I was a little stunned she was giving me the other woman's receipt. The short woman said, "Why don't you just give me my receipt, smiled at the cashier who was then flustered. 

Laughing, I said well did you pay for mine? The short woman said, yes, I did. Then, I was confused and looked at the cashier and asked her if the woman did. She assured me the woman did. I objected, saying I was just kidding and told the short woman I certainly did not mean for her to pay for my groceries. The short woman said two people had done things very nice for her, and she was just paying it forward. Well, that was an excellent surprise. My groceries were about $25. I had just given away about $10 worth of food to someone outside the store. 

The next store was a nightmare, very cold. At this store I have to walk inside to get a cart, something that is too far to be any form of easy. When I came to the register, the woman unloaded the few groceries I had and checked them. I told her I would need someone to take them out. You also cannot take the cart outside the store! She said I could transfer them into a buggy and push them myself. No, I told her, I cannot. So, she called for someone just as four women employees had an angry pow wow over my cart of groceries and my cart. 

Finally, I said for the third time, quietly and not demanding at all, "I need someone to take my groceries to my car. One woman exploded at me and said, "Well, she is trying to get to the phone to call someone." How did I know this? No made a move to get around me, and no one asked me to move! So, I moved quickly to roll out of the way. Finally, I said I was going to the car. One woman said angrily to the other three, I hope, that she was going home as she could not take it anymore. Geesh! 

AND, we got home before it got dark. I found the new raspberries need to be taken back, and plopped in the chair to watch the news. Finally, the time to start dinner arrived. It was a black moment. For the last few days, I have had no cheese. And, one day, I saw a can of tomato soup. I asked Tommy if he would like tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. He did! Whoopee!

I hate the whole idea, ate my grilled cheese with relish and then ate soup in a cup, less than four ounces. So, we will have vegetables and fruits later. Ssdo, soup and sandwich are not my thing. I remember pb and honey sandwich and tomato soup. I don't know where that combination is from. 

Tommy covered lots of plants under one sheet and covered the pansies with plastic. When I saw the forecast, I told him to leave the sheet on until the forecast was not for freezing temps.

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from Tomato soup. Yuck.

We have started watching ELF, a movie I have never seen. The intro was hilarious. Bob Newhart was great as usual. 

I think my tomato soup would have been better with crackers like I ate it when I was a child and never as a meal! 

The only thing I need for Thanksgiving is some of the cheap brown and serve rolls, the kind with a crease in the top. Nothing else, no other kind will do. I would rather go without and don't need them for a good meal. Next week's shopping will to be for loss leaders, things that will be for Christmas or next year--stocking up.

We will rework our list tonight.

Have you seen ELF?

Do you like the cheap brown n serve rolls or do you go for something a little more fancy? 

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

A New Doctor, Brownie Recipe, Dinner

 I had my appointment with a new doctor. When I made the first appointment, I had to see a nurse practitioner who was not nice. 

Lynda saw this man and gave a good recommendation. He is very nice and addressed problems as I mentioned them. First, I told him about getting sick over and over and lymph nodes being inflamed. He felt and said they were large. Then, I discussed problems with lymph glands over the years and how they were basically ignored. 

We talked about other problems, too He has plans to get me to doctors who can help. Isn't that what a gp is for? 

The last doctor I thought was so nice is not so good as a doctor. I think as a man and a friend, he is excellent. But, I am not sure what he does except silly or inadequate advice. I know that walking would help with swollen legs and feet. But, he moved close and asked me if could wiggle my feet around some. ??? Now, the calf needs to move to get the body pump to work in order to move blood back up to the heart. I thought wiggling my feet around was inadequate advice for a woman who can actually walk! 

Did you hear about the woman who went into an American Family Care (AFC), went to sleep, and was locked inside? I have gone to sleep in the exam room when I was really sick but cannot imagine being left. This is not to disparage the AFC because in my opinion, this is a great business for health care, much better than walk-in facilities I have used in the past. 

Last night, I wore my pocket nightgown around during the evening and to bed. This is like wearing a bathrobe. It covers my limbs, keeps me warm, just perfect. Yes, I will get more of these and retire the summer nightgowns until spring. The summer nightgowns are fine in winter except they are low in the neck front and back. When my covers fall off the foot of the bed, I freeze and have to heave them back onto the bed--so annoying and sleep disruptive. The hem of the nightgown is about 5 inches above my foot, so not really long but sufficient. The brushed polyester did not make me too hot, thankfully. But, I had another gown at the ready to change. 

Tonight, I was in no mood to cook. I pulled out some thinly sliced beef from the freezer, put it in a pan with four new potatoes. While this cooked, he opened green beans, drained them and put water in the bowl, and microwaved. Now, dinner is ready--beef, potatoes, and green beans. I did not peel the potatoes. So, he peeled two inch potatoes! I ate my potato with the skin on. There is enough meat for another meal...Yay!

I had a pan of brownies made from cake mix ready to pop in the oven as soon as the meat and potatoes came out. If this recipe works, I will share it. I have used some recipes that did not work to make brownies from cake mix. Okay, the chocolate cake mix brownies are great. 

Cake mix brownies:

box of chocolate cake mix or fudge cake mix

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

10 oz chocolate chunks

350F, 20 min, 8x8 pan

I always have chocolate cake mixes even though I never make a chocolate cake. My aspirations are greater than my reality. I had some dark chocolate chips, not 10 oz, but I used those. I cooked them a tad too long, but they were still great. We each had one. 

My flannel sheets came. Tommy washed and dried them. They are cotton, very thick, and not very flannel-y. However, the set I have now sheds its fluffiness. So, I am very satisfied with these. I will put them on my bed tomorrow if I feel like it. 

Do you ever make brownies or cookies from cake mix?



Tuesday, November 15, 2022

A Nightgown with Pockets!

 Tommy bought a nightgown for me after I told him what to get. It has pockets, deep, side-seam pockets! Can you believe that? This nightgown feels like the brushed nylon ones I wore many years ago that made me so hot. This one is brushed polyester, so not sure how it will be to sleep in it. Polyester does not make me sweaty like nylong does. But, I have other plans if it does not work out for a nightgown.

The nightgown may be perfect for wearing in the house, but not sleeping. It is long, has long sleeves, a high neck and keeps the draft from this house from freezing me. Plus, I will have my phone in the pocket. My summer nightgowns don't have pockets. 

I planned to go to Cullman today, but it was raining. About a quarter to noon, Tommy said it would be okay to go. So, in 15 minutes, I finished my breakfast of a turkey sandwich, washed, dressed and we were in the car. 

The Farmer's Market was closed tight. This was the last day and we got there in the last 45 minutes of the year. Oh well. We went to PO. I was going to pick up Tommy's paint by number that had been mounted. But, time was short as we needed to be back here by 3 pm. We came screeching in at 2:45. whew 

The worst weather today was about five minutes of mist. Right now, it cold and miserable after a day of gray skies. Because I was ill and still feverish, Tommy left the heat up a bit for me last night. Hopefully, he will not want to turn it down tonight, either. 

Since today was the last day for present ads, I went to Publix, had someone put the Publix app on my phone and the coupon for a2milk. So, I paid the same for a half gallon of my milk as Tommy paid for a gallon of regular milk. 

It is only 8 pm, but feels much later since I had no nap and am still sick and become exhausted easily. If it weren't for the fact I need to take meds and sit up for the next three hours, I would go to bed right now. 

I have been looking for red and some green construction paper. The package I bought had one sheet of red and no Christmas green. On Amazon I could find packs of each color for about $25. Same at Office Max for red or green copy paper. I just don't need a ream of either. At Publix, I found Crayola construction paper, 89 sheets, 8 colors for $3.39. Perfect This has been something I have searched for all year long. 

Tonight, we had turkey for me and chicken cubes for Tommy. We both had baked carrots and broccoli and two Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. I had about a Tablespoon of shredded medium cheddar cheese on my turkey. I am too tired to talk about the ads, but they were good. Tomorrow.

I am so delighted and proud of my nightgown with pockets. Have you ever had or even seen or heard of a nightgown with pockets? 


Monday, November 14, 2022

Sick Again

 

Tommy did test me. It did not go well for him. When I am ill, just stop with the nit-picking!

On Sunday night, I slept a good 7 hours, took a 4 or 5 hour nap, and then slept with my recliner back for an hour. 

I had a huge knot on my neck, lymph node, I suppose. I felt so ill, feverish. And, then he went too far. I did not sleep all night long and was in here at about 7 am. My temp is up a steady two or three degrees. I ache. My neck hurts. 

We drove two miles to Publix and back. I wanted eggs and he got Chips Ahoy cookies, too. I felt so awful. But, I can put the turkey breast in the oven. Right? No, it was still frozen mostly. I let water run into the plastic bag sealing it and went to bed at 6 pm and told Tommy to call me at 6:30 pm and I would put the breast into the oven. I finally got up at 8:30 and got it into the oven by 9:30. It will be done at 11:30 pm, so I can eat a bit and get it back into the refrigerator for freezing tomorrow. 

Tommy did everything, handed me everything while I leaned on the sink, never moving, just handling the breast. He handed me cooking bag, dish towel, salt, pepper, ground sage, pan; celery. broccoli, carrots from refrigerator. Then, he put it in the oven and turned it on. I know I should pre-heat! 

Before I got up, he ate chopped chicken on a salad. This is why I keep plenty of options in the refrigerator for him--I don't have to be present for him to eat a healthy meal, and he does not eat junk.  
Oh, I don't have to worry about the cornbread Stovetop Stuffing since Tommy threw it out. Obviously, he did not like it. 

Monday, I had an appointment for an MRI. I cancelled. Of course, I could have napped in the machine. I have done that before. 

Nothing says Christmas like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I love it. I think I will have a cup of hot chocolate since I am freezing. Between being cold and body aches, I am just miserable. 

The pink bag of ads and coupons came today. We made a list of what we need, want, and might buy.  I don't want to be in crowds and fighting to get around in multiple stores to find what I need at the last minute. I will list the sales tomorrow. 

Have you gotten the ads for this week? Any good deals/sales at your stores? What classic holiday movies do you enjoy? 



Sunday, November 13, 2022

Sunday This and That

 Rats! I forgot about the Budweiser Clydesdales in four or five different places right near me this last week! I am disappointed. I remembered in time to go to Cullman, but I have something hard to do on Monday, so I let it go. 

Saturday night, I slept about 7 hours and was ready for a looong nap four hours later. Maybe I can just sleep through the winter, hibernate. Actually, a lymph node is swollen on the side of my neck. So, I will struggle to stay well.

Tommy usually disappears into the kitchen at night. Sometimes, I cannot hear him. Other times, I hear little noises. If I go in there, he may be giving himself his night shot of insulin. I don't like to go in when he is giving himself insulin because I might bump him as he turns loose his walker and stands with both hands on the needle. So, I just sit. 

Saturday night, he was in there forever and making little noises and then long stretches of silence. Finally, during the little noises, I went in. He was sorting dishes in the sink. He told me he put all the plates in the dishwasher and all the utensils! Glory be! The man is almost tame. I felt bad he did all that. Then, later, he showed me that largest of the plates we have and asked could he mix the sizes. Well, of course. But, I pointed out that putting all the same diameters together would eventually leave a bit more room in the dishwasher. I was nearer the dishwasher, so I told him I would just put it in and not to rearrange. 

When we got the dishwasher, he did not know the baskets for the utensils would come out of the dishwasher. When he figured that out, he started removing the basket and taking it to the drawer to put them in their little nooks. Will miracles never end?

Slowly, we are figuring out more items to recycle. It occurred to me that the paper recycling could hold receipts and torn up notes we have written. Now, I need to find out where to recycle other items--dark plastic med containers from prescriptions, glass dark glass med bottles, labels that have sticky on the back, etc. 

Composting is something I need to figure out, too. For twenty or so years, I threw apple cores and such into a hole in the edge of my yard. I suppose I only drew critters. No, the raccoons only came for my chickens. But, nothing went into the landfill. Then, I built a compost pile inside a cage of building blocks. Finally, the chickens arrived, and they took care of kitchen scraps. Now, I cannot get into the backyard. So, I am stuck throwing kitchen scraps into the trash. I don't know anyone here who gardens, or I would offer scraps. So, I think about this lots. 

My red Kiss is sitting on a table nearby and is very handy for keeping coins. 

The low was predicted to be 30F last night and the same for tonight. It is past time to bring in the hummingbird feeders. So, no flowers, no hummingbirds here, just as well since we cannot leave the door open. I am against cold weather. 

Sunday night, we took a quick drive to see what was already up for Christmas decorations. There was a Thanksgiving decoration-one white, huge, turkey--inflatable, and lit. 

The Christmas movie classics are back, so that is a good thing for me. I love those. 

    BESURETODRINKYOUROVALTINE

This was a pleasant low-key Sunday. How was your day? What did you do this weekend? What are your plans for the week?

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Saturday Kiss

 I had a $50 egift card for Belk's. And, this Hershey Kiss dish showed up everywhere on my laptop.  I have wanted one of these for twenty years. Well, it was regularly $20 and marked down to $8 at Belks.  This LINK will show you the site. I really wanted the red salt and pepper shaker, but they did not have one in the store. I would love all gift cards to be for Belk's. I love the store.

This candy dish needs Hershey's Kisses. I don't. I may put a battery-operated tealight in it. If that is not enough, I could put two or three tealights. Maybe it needs a string of fairy lights stuffed inside...blinking.  

Tommy woke at about 10 am and I had thankfully slept until 9 am, over 6 hours. I asked him about 11 am if he wanted to go to Belk's. He was agreeable, so I told him to spiffy up because I wanted him to go in for me. Unbelievably, he showered, shaved, and put on his SAS shoes. my my my

We left about noon and returned about 3 pm. I was exhausted from riding and sitting. Now, it is time to cook...lol. We really did lots in three hours.

Tommy filled up the car, picked up a prescription, ran into Publix as we passed to get celery. While we were in the area where Belks is located, we had lunch.

Every time I see Whataburger, we have just eaten, so today we needed a late lunch. Have you ever eaten there? The hamburgers were so huge I could barely finish and thought I might not be hungry for a week! I got my usual--lettuce only, tomato only, and cheese only. We both got the smallest drink and NO fries. The total was $17+. Tommy was shocked. We will not ever eat there again. If we do, I will have the child's burger so I will not get so much food! 

It became so late on Friday that I was in no mood for dicing onions and the celery was not the quality I wanted for dressing. I will put the other celery in with the turkey breast just for seasoning. The new celery I will chop tonight along with the onion. 

When we left, the temperature was about 47F. I think the high was supposed to be 52F, not sure. 

For dinner tonight, we will have taco soup and a cabbage salad. Like I said, it is finally cooling off here, much to my chagrin. 

It feels like Christmas Day with new sheets on the way and this beautiful red Kiss candy dish. Do you become elated at some mundane items you like? Have you ever seen this candy dish? Have you owned one? 


Friday, November 11, 2022

I Could Not Help Myself

 

First, I bought new flannel sheets--Laura Ashley Lisalee.

I have no idea why this post it the way it is. I cannot seem to get the justification correct. Anyway, I knew last December that I did not need to buy more Christmas cards, no matter how cheap! But, today, I bought two boxes! But, one was very pretty and the other was all African animals in Christmas scarves. So, how could I resist? but, but, but... They are National Geographic and marked down!

The 12 cards were $2 and 18 (17 cents each) were $3 (17 cents each). They are both very colorful, glossy and sort of glitter-y. The glitter I can do without.

The sheets were on sale for less than half price. Then, I found a coupon. Then, I decided to use a gift card, the one that I got for all the confusion a few months ago. Well, that gift card and another will not work. Or, maybe the site does not work. The sheets ended up costing about $50. I hope they are as pretty as the picture above.

The cards were in a grocery store that always has table, carts, clothes racks of merchandise deeply reduced. It is a strange store, but I have gotten good deals from these clearance tables. 

We are not doing very well at getting home before dark. I can tell the impending darkness bothers Tommy since he drives too close to the center line. I see cars dodging to avoid us as they approach. He says it is me, no. 

Last night, I slept my usual four hours, stayed up in here and waited for Tommy to wake. We decided to watch Sgt. York instead of the news. Well, at 11:15, I was so sleepy and went to bed and slept until 3:30. This is just wrong! 

Lynda just called. Her dog has not eaten for three days. She took it to the vet. The doctor said it could be some sort of stress since nothing else seemed wrong. Nothing is happening at her house. So, I suggested it could be DST ending. Then, she said the dog kept going to the bedroom to sleep and she would not. Finally, she turned on the tv in the bedroom so she could watch tv and the dog could go to bed. Lynda said the dog kept making faces, so she turned the tv off. Before she could get back in bed, the dog had scooted up beside her and was asleep before she could lie down. I suggested DST ending had bothered her dog. She thinks I might be right. So, dogs are affected by all the time changes. Do you have an animal who is upset by the time change? 

Today, my Thanksgiving prep is chopping onions and celery. I think I have celery. 

We are watching the last episode of M*A*S*H. There is some sort of special on after this. Good deal. TV is a trial to me right now. At midnight we always watched Frasier. Now, it is all Hallmark. We hate those. Tommy says there are only the murder shows. I would rather watch Hallmark. He would not. Really, I probably don't, either! Reading is best. 

Today is my brother's birthday. Gary was born on 11-11 and died on 12-12 at age 44, my little brother. 

Tommy is doing well eating off the new plates. At first, he sort of had a silent protest by eating off old plates, not that I care. I just noticed. He used a butterfly plate for dinner. Today, I used one plate all day. The first time I made a sandwich and nothing was drippy or smeary. There were only crumbs. The next time, I ate a few of Tommy's Fritos. Then, I had chicken and rice and the rest of dinner. I will wash it now...lol. I am still afraid to get paper plates for things like sandwiches and snacks, fearing he will just use them all the time. At Thanksgiving I will start using my Holiday plates along with these, I suppose. 

Don't you love new flannel sheets? They always get less cuddly as time goes on, imo. 

MASH is just about my favorite show ever. I told my daughter when she was still a child that when I was old I needed MASH, diet coke, and a rocking chair! Were you, are you a MASH fan? 

Do you think a dog can be stressed by the time change? Lynda was not stressed, so there is no chance the dog picked on her emotions.





Thursday, November 10, 2022

Friday and Dressing

 Wednesday night, I received an email from my attorney that upset me so that I did not even mention it to Tommy as I wanted to sleep and go to Cullman on Thursday. I hoped by not discussing it endlessly, I would not disrupt my sleep. No luck. Plus, Tommy would have endless questions for which I did not know the answer. In the middle of the night, I emailed for him to call me.

Finally, about 6 am, my mind gave up and I slept until about 12:15. I carried my phone to the bathroom, everywhere, not wanting to miss the call. It made my day miserable. Still, I did not want to be more  upset, so I did not tell Tommy. 

About 4:30 I called the attorney. Well, he came to the phone immediately. I asked him if he got my email. He had tried to call me and got the message that my phone was not receiving calls. Since a doctor's office, a nurse, and various people tell me this happens, I suppose I have to approach the cell phone company to see what is the matter. 

As it turned out, the email was not a bad thing, just annoying. So, I explained to Tommy as I understood it and he did not have one question. I wasted a night's peace because of nothing. 

I am continuing with the Thanksgiving food made early. I got a box of SS, cornbread. I made it with the intention of freezing it if it were okay. It is not. The cornbread SS is way too salty and the herbs and spices are not to my liking. I suppose I tried it long ago and never bought it again. 

Maybe I will bake a pan of cornbread, crumble and freeze it to make later. We will see. But this box was a big fat fail. Other flavors of Stovetop Stuffing have always been fine. 

Going off DST had really played havoc with our schedules--when we can shop. About 2:30, I told Tommy I needed bananas. He wants to watch Jeopardy from 3-4 pm, so I asked if 4 pm was okay. It was. So, we just made a grocery list. I tell him what and he writes it. 

All I wanted was bananas, but it took him almost an hour and he came back with 2 packages of Ocean Spray whole cranberries from the produce section. I did not want two and not even one now. I always write down all I want and then look at the list and see which store is cheaper. He thought I definitely wanted two, when I was just writing the price. One will do and if it is cheaper in the next 6 weeks, I can buy more. It's okay. 

We then stopped at Walgreen's to get a prescription I need in the morning. There were only two people in the car line, but it took forever. Usually, there are at least six cars. 

We did not get home until almost pitch dark. There was the faintest bit of light at 5:30. This will only get worse until Dec 22. This depresses me greatly.

A story on the news reported that research showed that meditation/mindfulness is as good as medication for depression or almost as good. Well, that is what my swing was for. That is what sitting facing trees and flowers was for. That is what my chickens in the yard did for me. It was peaceful and green. Plus, birds in the trees and squirrels scampering helped meditation. I miss my swing. I miss my yard. And, for a long time, I have missed chickens. I have never been diagnosed with depression, but I suppose anyone can be depressed. 

Today, I staggered into the kitchen, put my scrambled eggs into the microwave, and opened the dishwasher to get a fork. I stood there, a little stunned and confused. Where could all the forks, all the other utensils have gone? Tommy had put them all in the drawer. I thanked him profusely. He had said he hated getting out one utensil, much less all of them. When I told him how the utensil holder would come out, he started emptying them. He is just now learning what most people have known for years. I never expect him to do any emptying of the dishwasher. 

We are expecting Friday to be a rainy day, so we will be inside, hopefully decluttering or something productive. How about you on Veteran's Day Friday? 

Do you have a proven de-stressor for your life?

Is the lack of sun playing havoc with your plans? 

Do you stuff the bird or make a pan of dressing? Do you make cornbread or loaf bread dressing?  

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

I Swear with My Hand on a Cookbook

 In order to get everything done and as cheaply as possible, I am doing Thanksgiving in stages. Today, I made a list of everything I will need for the meal. Next, I will check to see if I need to buy those items. Then, from this week onward, I will watch for sales for those items.

One thing I did was prepare Tommy and the refrigerator for the day. I told Tommy we had to keep the top shelf of the refrigerator clear enough to hold a turkey in a pan to thaw. For him, that means not opening a bottle of juice. Telling him this was also to help me remember not to buy too much milk, no matter cheap the price. 

Today, I tried to bend in front of the big freezer to find a turkey at the bottom. Since there is no light in the room, I am doing this blind, so to speak. I felt and felt until I thought I felt the rounded mass of poultry. 

When I pulled, I finally dislodged a turkey breast. YAY! When I put this one in the oven, I will dislodge another turkey or turkey breast. I swear with my hand on a cookbook that I will never, ever buy another whole turkey no matter how cheap it is.  They are too much bother for me to hold and put in a pan and then into the oven. I barely got myself standing after getting the breast loose from the freezer. 

Tonight, I decided to cook the two chicken breasts in a chicken, soup, rice, green bean casserole. I might put cheese on the top if I have what I want to use. Otherwise, it will still be delicious. Tommy said to put broccoli in the casserole. So, I put in frozen broccoli florets, bought on sale, bogo from Publix. I did add a tiny jar of pimiento. Tommy does not like pimiento, but if I drain the juice, he says it is fine. So, I drained it. It looks like a pretty Christmas dish. There will be several nights of leftovers from this. 

I mashed 2.5 large bananas, one too ripe even for me. These will be used in a banana bread. Maybe this will be made before Thanksgiving, maybe not. Don't hold me to anything cooking-related...lol. 

PAM is going to kill me! I staggered out of the kitchen to find an inhaler. I know I can put a smear of oil in a casserole. Why do I do this? Yes, I might get the device that will mist oil in pans. 

Today, about 4:30 pm, Tommy looked to see if we had any mushroom soup. He said we did not, so we headed out to Publix before it became too dark. When we got home, I found lots of cream of mushroom soup. He did not look in the place where I put it. Oh, well. We were going out for bread, anyway.

I told him to get low sodium soup if he found it. Well, he called and said there was a no salt variety and a low sodium variety. The low sodium variety had 750 mg sodium and the no salt had something like 5 mg sodium. I still need to examine all the other ingredients in the no-salt can. That will be done soon, maybe tonight, maybe not.

This morning, we spent time in the kitchen. I washed about two dozen snap-lock lids for the glass baking/storage dishes. Tommy dried them and organized them so much better than I would have. He had found a bin I bought from DT and keeps the sizes together. While he was drying, I finished cleaning out a drawer.  He has held onto fuses since before his fuse box was changed for a breaker box. So, more in the trash and less stored useless items. 

Just now, I asked him how long it had been since he had a fuse box. Never. So, he has had a breaker box since he moved in here in 1980. The fuses were from the last owner! He has kept their stuff for over 42 years. He had no idea where the little light bulbs were from or if they worked as they were from the previous owner! 

It is getting chilly out. Tonight, tiny children were still in shorts and shirts. 

At 11:15 am, I was ready for a nap since I slept less than 5 hours. Of course, I always hope for sleep, so maybe tonight will be better.

The ads start today, but I found nothing of great interest to me. How about you? Any good sales? 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Upsetting Encounter

 I have cell service with A. Tommy and I went to his doctor to get a DexcomG6, the monitor for diabetes that stays on the arm. Well, the nurse said my phone was not the right kind even though it is NOT a flip phone. 

So, we went to B to get a new phone and service. I told the guy the problem and what help I needed setting up my phone, like transferring all my date from the flip phone. He agreed and we picked out an iPhone, I think, in addition to my flip phone. Tommy only has a cheap flip phone, so he had no iPhone. 

The guy was so agreeable. Tommy sat there the whole time until I almost passed out from hunger and low blood sugar. Well, all Hell broke loose when Tommy left to get me a dollar burger. We stayed there three hours and left with no cell phone or service. 

When we arrived, this punk greeted us loudly, sort of like a barker trying to entice us into a booth at the fair. He called me babe as I gritted my teeth. He called women my age and down to 30 years, babe. Tommy said he called black women and white women babe. I doubt if any of the women were flattered, just insulted. 

When I had decided I had enough and was leaving without service from this company, I told him that calling women "babe" was sexual harassment, he went "pftt" and looked back at me like I was dirt and said "you wish, no chance, darling."  and looked back at me like I was dirt again. This was a young white jerk. Tommy was back and witnessed this encounter.

When we first came in and were waiting, an older black woman came in and like me, needed a seat. She told the young jerk what she wanted. He came back, stood sideways to her where she had to look above her to see him, and spoke with a silly condescending smile, asked her why she wanted a home phone because it was so expensive, like over $100. He treated her like the village idiot when he spoke. She left shortly thereafter and came back with her son. She eventually became angry and was talking to all of us about how she has paid her own bills for years and now her son is trying to tell her what she can afford and how to run her life. She was eyeing the young punk, too. They kept telling her she could not do something that I have forgotten, trying to get her to go along with what B wanted her to do. She cancelled her cell phone that she said she won't use and paid her bill for the home phone and left in a huff. 

When I told the very nice, older black manger, he said, "Oh, that is what we do, call each other and customers babe all the time. We call each other babe." Yeah, like that excused the behavior. I told him he was wrong, that I would get service elsewhere. He told me they "owned" my cell phone number now and that I would lose it if I tried to cancel my service in favor of another carrier. I told him he was lying. Oh, I was not loud or obnoxious. 

I called C that night and got cell service with them and they were sending me a phone. 

I went back to A and told the guy what he had said about them owning my number. He checked records and said I still had service with A, but that he would see that B had tried to access my account to find a four-digit code to get my cell number. No, I did not know the four-digit number they repeatedly asked me to give them. No, it is not my pin. That I know. 

So, it has been two weeks and my phone never was turned off like B said it would be. However, the phones I got from them worked. Weird. However, we do not have a phone that C promised, nor have we been contacted or billed for that service. 

After 3 hours of torment from sitting on plastic chairs, I was wiped out. I was ill from all this the next day and in no mood to deal with this retelling. I forgot what we ate, but I don't think I could even eat. 

No, I have not contacted, A, B, or C about complaining about treatment, trying to get new service, or anything. I had to recover my sense of stability. I did ask Tommy if I were even a little bit of the cause. He would tell me. He said, No, I caused none of this. 

And, No, I have not called customer service. And, No, we have not called about the new service that was set up the next day. And, No, I have not had a call from my present service to tell me anything untoward has been done to my account. And, Yes, my phone still works. Yes, Tommy got a refund on his cc for the service/phone he paid for that day. 

This is just too stressful for me to answer questions. It is all laid out in this post. I am not going to cut off comments on this post, just won't answer questions. I probably have no answers. But, you can comment if you do not blame me. Tommy will have to tell you once again that we stayed three hours and that I did not instigate this and did nothing to annoy the guys.

One other thing. We both know about the diabetes monitor that comes with a device to pass over the monitor. He does not want that. I can see on a phone the constant state of his blood sugar. He would just search for the little device most of the day. He already does that for several things. I don't lose an iphone.

Have you found cell service stores to be hard?

EDIT--By the way, we did not have to wait for service. They were working on our service for the whole three hours.


Monday, November 7, 2022

Absentee Voting, Building a Fire, and Other Things

 I did mail my request for an absentee ballot on Friday, unsure if it would be received in time for me to get an absentee ballot in the mail. Well, I got it today, filled it out and mailed it back. Noon on Tuesday is the deadline for it to arrive at the polls. I wonder if I will ever know if it is received. 

The ballot and three envelopes and an instruction sheet came in an envelope. The top of the ballot was folded down and needed to be refolded to go into the inner envelope called "inner secrecy envelope." That envelope had to go into the "affidavit envelope."

I had to sign the back of that one and have it signed by two witnesses or have it notarized. That was a pain. One person never answered the voice mail, the other person was ill and could not come out, the next person's voice mail was full or something. Finally, we got the first person, and it is done! Whew!

While we were at the PO, I bought more "Forever Stamps." I got two sheets of very pretty flowers for me and a sheet of elephants for Tommy. We both still have stamps from before the last time the price went up. So, we are set. We mail few letters, but I hate to need a stamp and have to go in to buy one or more at a higher price. I did not care for the Christmas stamps, so I will check later for those. Last year, some of the stamps were only winter scenes.  I like those. 

I have finished A Dog's Purpose except for 10 pages. My eyes were bothering me, so I just quit. I would still highly recommend this book. So, this was two reading sessions, basically. It is not a short book, 325 pages. Okay, I finished the book. This book is a real tear-jerker. Well, my eyes were wet a lot. 

Here is a story for you: To Build a Fire. Click on the link to read the complete text of the short story by Jack London. It has a dog in it, but it is about building a fire. And, it is only ten pages.

Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut will be my next book to read. Have you guessed I love literature? My son is also an English teacher and both daughters are readers, the youngest teaching reading.  

Right now, 5:30 pm, I am sort of depressed. I have nothing cooked or planned for dinner. I do have sweet potatoes baked and salad fixings. He said the ground beef was some he just took from the freezer, so at least he won't be eating iffy meat. If I had chicken breast, I would be happier right now! 

Okay, I expressed my desire for chicken breast from Publix, saying it was just too dark for us to go out. Well, within three minutes Tommy had convinced me to go. Ha! I did not expect that at all. It was delicious and so was the sweet potato.

An eclipse is happening tonight. So, I suppose I will stay up for that. 

When we went to the PO, we got the pink bag with ads and coupons back in the neighborhood. We will go through those tonight, maybe before I post this. 

When I mentioned my friend having rats, that was six months or more ago, not now. The purpose of mentioning it now was to say I think Extra-Strength Tylenol killed rats. So, no problem with rats at the moment. People gave me advice as to who to call for help. 

We had a record high of 88F today. Right now it is 78 and very pleasant. The temperature can stay right where it is today. By next Monday, the temperature will have dropped 50F degrees. 

Tonight, I had Tommy go into the hall to help me get out some food and other items from the back bedroom. It was a disaster. He can be so helpful or an a$$. Tonight was his a$$ night.  I did all I could, knowing it will wait for me and be here tomorrow. Why does work never abandon me?

He hates me to tell him something he says he knows. Tonight, I muttered words someone on TV had said. I repeated the phrase in astonishment and was not talking to anyone. He asked what I said. I repeated the words. He went into a rage, saying, "I heard that! You don't have to tell me!" It took a lot of arguing for him to know what went on because he just kept yelling at me. Now, my stomach is very upset. 

I think we are both staying up or getting up for the eclipse. How about you?

Did you go to the polls on Tuesday or vote by absentee ballot or another way? Do you buy Forever Stamps?  


Sunday, November 6, 2022

Gunsmoke Chickens + New Pet+ Reading New Book

When we watch Gunsmoke, we both watch what the chickens do as the action goes on around them. Gunsmoke chickens just keep pecking or scratching or walking around. The don't become alarmed as people walk by. They don't mind horses unless one almost steps on a hapless chicken. On many Western movies the chickens are skittish when horses walk up, but not on Gunsmoke.

This tells us the animal handlers and trainers keep chickens where there is action all the time--people, dogs, and horses. It looks more natural than scenes in other movies where the chickens are skittish of even their own people in the scenes. 

My chickens were skittish of everyone except Tommy and me. Other people came there, but no one came regularly. 

When Sluggy came, the chickens were hard to get settled because she was new. Sluggy thought I was running away from her. But, I was trying to keep my chickens from taking to the bushes or trees. Tommy had known them and they knew him from when they were about three days old and living in the house. I had to warn other people to wait so I could get them in their pen. 

Oh, I do remember Gunsmoke from my youth. I would not watch it. I read. I did not like Kitty's trashy earrings, garish makeup, and the beauty spot. I thought she looked cheap. Okay, no criticism of my thoughts. I was really young. 

Daddy must have like it or he would made us turn it off. I suppose my brother did, too. 

Coming home today from Lowe's, I found a pet I have been wanting. As it crawled around, I captured her, well, Tommy did. He let her loose at home. Hopefully, she and her babies will help protect my flowers next hear. I had been wishing I had a ladybug. At Lowe's I found yellow daffodils and brought them home. I don't want the paperwhites or the yellow daffodils with the orange center. No, we planted nothing today. Since it was 83F, the ground won't be freezing anytime soon.

Saturday night, I started reading A Dog's Purpose. I stayed up too late reading. It is one of the best books I have ever read. Have you ever read it?

Have you had trouble with the time change? I have not. When we change all the clocks, I won't be so confused. The one on the wall is the last one to change since laptop and cells change themselves.

Do you ever notice the Gunsmoke chickens?

Do you encourage ladybugs to stay in your garden or do you ever order them? 

I thought I had Stovetop Stuffing, but obviously I don't! So, I will be looking for a couple of boxes of cheap SS for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everything I need for Thanksgiving and Christmas will be gathered in one place, just to make sure I am not caught short when the holiday is here. I do not want to go out in crowds at the last minute. There may be some in the bedroom, so I will check tomorrow.

Do you have any close experiences with chickens? Anyone else getting things together for Thanksgiving so you know what you have?

Saturday, November 5, 2022

New Rat Poison

 Nothing happened today. Nothing! I slept okay, had a sandwich for brunch (banana, Miracle Whip, peanut butter) along with a glass of milk. I took a nap and then sat here. The day became more interesting after talking to Lynda. Dinner is leftover meatloaf, sweet potatoes, and fresh green beans, no can. 

Today, I was able to cross three things off my list. I called Lynda, Tommy put the tag on my car, and washed black clothes. 

A few months ago, Lynda had rats all over her house. She got rat poison that did not deter them. She stored any food they could eat into by putting it into the refrigerator, the oven that does not work, and the microwave. She finally got rid of them and still took all precautions for months. 

Today, she dropped her remote and it skittered underneath the sofa. She had to move the sofa and saw other things. One was her bottle of "pain pills" That she looked for so long. It had a big hole gnawed in it and all the capsules were gone. She had kept it on a table beside her chair. One day, rats had gotten things from the table. So, now she found her Extra-strength Tylenol! It killed the rats, I figure. 

If you want to deter rats or exterminate them, try using Tylenol! She said it was much cheaper than rat poison! They obviously ate the Tylenol before she put out rat poison.

Nothing worthy of typing was occurring today, so until she told me about the Tylenol, I was going to post tomorrow. I think it is hilarious, but you may not.

The forecast for Saturday was heavy rains and winds; nothing but drizzles has happened here. Lynda said it was cold and drizzly. Tommy said it was nice out with 72F temp.  

Sweet potatoes are baking. On the same baking sheet, meatloaf is reheating on a sheet of foil, and green beans are soaking to remove most of the sodium. I decided not to cook the fresh green beans today. Gunsmoke is coming on. Life is good.

Has your Saturday been exciting or eventful? The most exciting thing that has happened today is I found out the Budweiser Clydesdales will be several places here and in Cullman this week. We are planning to see them. My mother loved them which is funny since she did not drink and highly disapproved of drinking. 

Friday, November 4, 2022

Friday Chores and How They Went or Did Not

 I made a list. Did I do everything on it? No. Did I get most of it done? NO way! I did not even come close. 

The list:

Figure out my yahoo email password

Get DexcomG6

Call Lynda

Call someone to get help cleaning

Put tag on my car

Wash black clothes

Plant tulips

cook and freeze cranberries

Wash and dry clothes.

Pay three bills by phone.

Mail cards

Ignore the strikethrough from here on out. It won't go away. Okkkaay! It only took about 20 tries, and I am not exaggerating. 

I only got one card mailed, but I am counting it as it was for a friend who beat cancer after major surgery. Tommy washed and dried the kitchen linens, so I guess that one is for him. 

I did deadhead one ugly mum when it was almost totally dark. I am hoping that will cause it to flower again. Tomorrow, I hope to do the other one. 

More chores would have been done if not for me. I went to the bedroom for something and had two boxes of cards in my hands. I saw the bed and decided to lie down for a minute for my back. Then, I decided to cover up. So, maybe I will lie on my left side. Oooh, the covers feel good around my neck. And, I woke two and a half hours later. Well, I only got 4 hours sleep on Thursday night. 

After we dropped off my letter and two for Tommy, we went to Publix. I looked at the wrong ad and went for Miracle Whip. I did buy 4 jars of Planter's lightly salted Peanuts bogo, Russell Stover sugar free stevia peanut butter cups, Northern Tp Purple wrapper bogo, Rumford reduced sodium baking powder. Then, I went wild and bought sourdough bread to cook a home. Of course, I needed bananas. I did pay an exorbitant price for French's Fried Mushrooms for the green bean casserole.

Tommy likes peanuts and it keeps him from eating things bad for him. Now, I have the French's fried onions and won't worry about anyone running out, even though I paid a lot and know they will be lower. I have green beans for $0.69/can, and soup for $1 can. Tommy just wants the green bean casserole, so he spends to get it. 

Then, I went crazy and bought an expensive loaf of sourdough bread to cook at home. It is the best sourdough I have ever eaten.

When DST ends this weekend, the days will be so short. That makes me depressed thinking about it! 

Saturday, it will be very rainy and windy. We will stay in. I might do a few things on the list tomorrow. Or, I can make a new list of strictly indoor chores. 

One Saturday project I forgot. I will fix Lynda a bag of food since she is not working again. We will deliver it to her on Saturday if it quits raining or on Sunday. Maybe I will bake the sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and freeze them. I will mash bananas to freeze for banana bread. 

What does your weekend hold for you? Are you ready for DST? Do you wish we would just keep it?


Thursday, November 3, 2022

The Way it Happens

 You know how my life goes. After a good night of sleep, I only slept two hours Thursday night. So, we did not go to Cullman. Bummer.

My friend who had a concussion finally lost her job. She is supposed to work 20 hours per week. However, Monday night, the owner of the daycare sent a text saying she was being put on call for the rest of the week and to please call the next day. The owner said she did NOT say to call. Friend was distressed. I told her to just enjoy the day off and do as she said she might do--get a job at Walmart as a greeter. 

When I saw her, she looked stronger and sounder, more perky instead of an old woman who is on her last leg and has lost her will. She laughed and said she felt better. 

Today, I asked Lynda if she would use her little saw and cut the mop head off Tommy's mop that he wants to throw away. The mop handle was not wood, but metal. While I was there, I gave her a box of books I have read. Remember, a couple of years ago I got box from a free shelf? Well, now Lynda, who loves to read, has a box of books, about a dozen books gone from this house. Score a big one for decluttering. 

Tommy sat and cut down two identical boxes to fit under the coffee table where the tv lives. He used Contac paper, marble pattern, and covered the boxes. This way, the living room looks less like a warehouse. I will take the sweet potatoes from their boxes, all 64 pounds of them and transfer to paper bags, fold the top down and put them in the boxes. This room is the only room that does not get too cold or too hot over the winter and summer. It is dark enough under the table and in paper bags. So, we have food under the tv. These will last until June of 2023 if we don't eat them first.

I slept from about 4 pm until 6:30 pm and had a strange awakening. I very slowly became awake. Usually, I am asleep and then awake. 

My request for an absentee ballot was mailed. I think it is a lost cause. Tommy was so sweet and told me I could just fill out his ballot. Still, that is only one vote for two people. He said he will use mine if it gets here in time. I heavily advise him, so he can do it himself. I get more upset at the thought of not voting than he does, so he was trying to console me. I called three places today and heard from no one.

Three books are out to read--Moby Dick, book by Obama, and another. I dug them out since I finished a book two weeks ago and never took another one to bed. 

I found out another friend died in Cullman. A guy who is an antique dealer and friend here in Birmingham is recovering from cancer, almost died! 

Tonight, we had meatloaf, sweet potato, and cole slaw. I heated a loaf of bread and was eating from my portion when I noticed a huge green area on the bottom about 2'x2'. I spit out the bite I had just taken and chewed. Most of it was green. Gross! I warned Tommy not to eat his piece either. I hope we don't get sick.

We have leftover meatloaf for tomorrow night. It took me forever, it seemed, to get it mixed and in the oven! I forgot to put in onion and there was not enough salt, but neither of us salted it more. There was so much diced bell pepper that we were both happy with the taste. I used Hunt's tomato sauce in the meatloaf and on top instead of catsup. That should make it healthier. Oats were the filler and two eggs bound it. If it only had onions....

Beside me is a delicious, icy-cold glass of unsweetened tea. I certainly don't drink much else now that I have ice for tea! Thanks, Janet! This will make 32 ounces of tea this evening.

Friday, I will cook the pound of frozen, raw cranberries from last year to freeze for Thanksgiving. Preparations have begun. I know they were on sale somewhere last year. Maybe I can find more to freeze.  Tommy will wash the kitchen linens on Friday. The folding of clothes never seems to end! Tomorrow, I will plant tulips! I promise. 

Have you planted any bulbs for next year? I am so far south that these can be planted in December or January and they will bloom. I did that one year. But, I will plant part of my bulbs tomorrow, even if not many.

Halloween Decorations

 Saturday night, we started decorating for Halloween. I found the ghosts to hang from the dogwood tree. They were wadded and wrinkled, so th...