Why My Older Daughter Does NOT Like Birds on Dishes.

 Actually, birds as an element on anything causes a negative reaction for my older daughter. She and her friend were playing at our house in the summer. She and the little girl were ten, old enough to walk downtown and walk around. They went into a gift shop and the other girl broke something and fled the store while my daughter did not run away. The store owner accosted my daughter, accused her, and would not listen to her when she said she did not break the bluebird. The woman took her name and told her she had to pay for it. I had my daughter take the cost back in dribs and drabs to pay for the knick knack. Then, she just hated to have anything 'bird' around. 

So, that is the story on that. To this day, I never buy anything else with a bird image. I did carefully glue the bird and used it. Maybe if I had paid for the item and not made her go back into the store repeatedly, she would not have been so traumatized. Maybe if I had paid it for myself, she would not have been so sad and afraid. Maybe if I had not displayed it, she could have forgotten. 

I did tell her how proud I was that she did not run away. Hopefully, she understood the character she displayed by taking on the responsibility. I did spend days consoling her and never was angry. 

This was my best mothering in this situation. Maybe I could have done better. What do you think. The whole situation still makes me sad. But, I do still support her trauma and never buy her anything adorned with a bird. What do you think? She still gets angry she was accused, disappointed her friend ran, and really cannot enjoy a bird ornamentation. At any rate, I did not realize the trauma would be so deep and long-lasting. 

Last night, I slept little and took a nap today. I did not feel like grilling because it was too hot. I intended to grill early. Maybe if it had been cloudy, I would have. But, there is an abundance of vegetables and pork loin. For lunch I had the rest of the tuna salad. It was nice today not to have to prepare any food! 

A bag of kale was cooked, but it is too tough for me to eat. The first two bags were chopped smaller and more tender. My TMJ still bothers me. 

A Christmas Story is on TV tonight. This is early for this to be shown, but we love this movie.

What is your take on my daughters' bird dilemma and my handling of the situation? Tommy said his father would have said Hell No and dragged the other kid to the shop.  

This and That

 Wednesday night, after dinner, we cooked the pork loin, bag of Brussels sprouts, bag of cauliflower, bag of broccoli. I could not get all the vegetables out of the pan because of my back, so Tommy did that. I cooked kale. The frozen strawberries were whole, so he chopped them because of the standing. 

I was going to put them in pint jars, but lost my mojo. So, he put them back into the refrigerator. I always warn him to put any frozen item in a plastic bag to thaw or put the bag in a bowl or on a baking sheet. We do have tiny ones. Well, I showed him why. He always objects, saying it is a plastic bag anyway. There was strawberry juice all in the plastic bag. 

I took all the dishes from their boxes and made a few discoveries. None of the dinner plates were the monarch butterfly plate. They were all Flutter/bird plates. So, it appears that I have 8 plates to sell. And, it's okay. I can get more from them than the cost of both boxes of Butterfly Meadow. Quite frankly, these were my least favorite pattern. 

While sitting in the car on Wednesday, I made two phone calls on my list. I also marked off a few things that we no longer need to do. Of course, I added more phone calls and a few more items to do. Does it ever end? 

A couple of days ago when I decided Tommy could brown the flour for gravy, I told him. He said, "I do an awful lot of stuff around here already!" He sounded a bit peeved but did not say NO. Today, I reminded him of the statement. I told him that is what women go through their whole lives. He said, "Yes, but when I retired, I did not want to do stuff."  "Oh, you wanted to just stagnate?" "Yes, I want to stagnate." So, he knows he will make gravy for me. Actually, he is just browning the flour. The rest I will do. 

I was going to make a pumpkin without a crust and in a casserole. He objected, saying he wants a crust. So, I will make one with a crust and the other will not have a crust. I will start talking about green bean casserole so he will be happy when he browns flour. 

There is a new time-saver in place. I like potatoes with skin and he prefers them skinless. Now, I have him peel half of the potatoes. He is happy to have his chore lightened...lol. Then, I remove the eyes and slice the potatoes in half. 

While I was sitting in the car in front of Macy's, a woman came walking by--blue dress, hot pink purse, pearl necklace, updo, AND black, fuzzy house slippers. She is my hero. Now, I want black fuzzy slippers to wear out. And, I am not kidding or mocking her. Of course, I will need to get pearls and an updo to pull off the black, fuzzy, house slippers in an upscale store like Macy's. I think it has been twenty years since I was in there. 

A man from California wanted me to wear a certain perfume because he loved it. Now, we had never met and never would. He sent me the cologne without even mentioning it to me. So, I took it to Macy's to get something else. No problem for them. A guy I dated briefly and tragically took me, and his teen daughter came along. 

I got a pair of pretty earrings and had about $2.35 left over and on a gift card. I stopped for one of the over-priced boxes of candy that were $5 for 4 pieces of candy, essentially four bites. His daughter was appalled that anyone would spend that much money for so little candy. She kept talking about it even though I kept telling her I was not coming back to Macy's to spend a few dollars on something. I don't think she ever got it. Twenty years before, I did shop there and judiciously and on clearance. 

Speaking of candy, all the stores have Halloween candy on display. I had no Halloween candy last year and planned on eating none this year. One day, when Tommy shopped, he came in, put the groceries in the refrigerator and came back in the living room with one bag. He pulled out a small bag of Brach's candy corn and put it down by me. He said he remembered how much I like it. This was the first of September. I put it down and he sat down with a huge bag of chips. He said he remembered how much I said I like candy corn. 

Four or five days later, he asked me if I finished the candy corn. "No." "Can I have some of it?" I tossed it to him and he was surprised I had not opened it. A few days later, I asked him where it was. He ATE IT ALL. It was certainly okay with me. But, he has never done anything like that before. Someone put a spell on me so I don't buy candy corn! Please!

Onto Thursday

During the five hours, maybe four, that I slept, I slept fitfully. It was hard to go to sleep since I got up twice an hour to go to the bathroom. It had nothing to do with what I drank. My stomach hurt from lack of pill taken for my stomach. My feet were cold from a breeze. Don't ask me where was that breeze. I have no idea. 

I think I woke about 1 pm and soon discovered Belk's had a sale on something I want and had them in store or online, pickup or delivery. I decided I was going to get them in person. We left soon. 

Tommy went into Belk's with details from internet, a check from Belk's sent to me for cc perks, a store gift card, and my cc for Belk's. He came back with 8 gifts, cleaning out this category, and a diamond bracelet worth $225 for $49.32. I am happy with 9 gifts for some gift-giving occasion. It is done and cheaply done. Of course, the diamonds are just diamond dust--1/10th carat. So, nine gifts for $93.32. 

I was utterly drained before we left. My gastrointestinal tract was so unhappy and in pain. I wanted to throw up, too. But, I managed. My chest was throbbing, face tingling. It was a horrible feeling, and the vibration of the car did not help. 

Chicken Salad Chick was next. I could eat it or bring it home, whatever my body dictated. We sat in the car and ate the soup, saving the salad for home. I ordered potato soup and Classic Carol scoop of chicken salad. Tommy ordered Chicken and Dumplings ad chicken salad with lots of pineapple in it. So, that was one of the meals I wanted for my birthday. 

My only goal tonight is to make slaw and eat that to hike my vegetable intake. Tuna salad at lunch was chock full of celery. Tommy washed the Styrofoam takeout plates and is watering the flowers. The weather was hot today. I need to find some black, fuzzy house slippers for later to wear going out. 

My goal for later is to find something to watch on tv or take a nap. Hopefully, I can sleep better tonight. Plus, my innards need to settle down! 

My plan is usually to make a gift. For a few years that plan has changed. I buy deep discount or clearance and still buy nice gifts. These are for Christmas or during the year. I did have a big gift drawer, so maybe I will stock up once again. 

My best friend's favorite gift was food--deviled eggs, chocolate pound cake, all sorts of things he could not make. I always gave him a huge bag of food, frozen food, jellies. He was a happy man for days. I even decorated a tiny Christmas tree for him.

A three-hour nap left me feeling more rested.

Are you buying things on sale for Christmas yet? Have you finished your shopping? Or, are you smart and ambitious and able to make gifts still? Do you make food for gifts? 

$652 Saving Wednesday Thanks Macy's

Examples of each set

On  Tuesday, I slept until noon, maybe 3 hours and took a nap for a little over an hour Tuesday night. I managed to get to sleep by 4:30 am on Wednesday morning. I slept until 1:30, nine hours sleep. I felt wonderful when I awoke today. I had wanted to go to Macy's and possibly Belk's. 

So, off we went about 2:30 and got home about 5:30. The day was a success. My receipt says I saved $652. Tommy went in for one thing for sure and maybe get something else. Well, 'something else' happened. I was amazed. 

At Belk's I had found and bought three of the Butterfly Meadow dishes several months ago. I could use more if on sale again. Tommy called and my first 'want' was not available. So, he asked about the second item, anything Butterfly Meadow on sale. There was nothing except full sets still in the box and on the shelf. A manager came by. The clerk had called him.

It turns out there were boxes in the back with partial sets. They were $40. I told Tommy to get them no matter what was in them. The manager helped to unpack it all and check for chips or places on the front of the plate where the back of the plate had scuffed it. 

So, this was a $90 purchase for the two boxes with 7 bowls, 8 dinner plates, and 4 accent plates. I always eat off the smaller accent plates. Because of something else happening and my not getting the 25% discount, the manager went ahead and gave me the 25% off, making the purchase $73 and change. 

This was a boon in more ways than one. I wanted to get the Butterfly Meadow plate with the Monarch Butterfly on it. So, I have that. The accent plate is perfect for a meal for me. Tommy could use it, too, but he uses his old, heavy Blue Willow plates. They are so heavy and he only has two or three left, just enough for a bachelor. 

But, then I discovered that the bowls are Butterfly Meadow Flutter (birds). Those have birds on them. Next, I discovered that the accent plates are Butterfly Meadow Bunny (bunnies). The three extra I bought after the initial set are Butterfly Hydrangea (pink hydrangea). The original set was Butterfly Meadow (butterflies). So, I have four different sets. They are all shaped the same, with a scalloped edge, same colors. I really don't care as they blend so well and are so cheap. 

Uh oh! Tommy just read that the bowls are rice bowls. I thought they were shaped like rice bowls. I bet I can eat cereal or whatever out of them. 

Tommy and the manager examined each dish for chips. Probably, the partial boxes had broken merchandise like the box I received. 

I doubt I will ever need 13 dinner plates. I may sell the seven extra dinner plates for $10 each and recoup all but $3 of my purchase. We will probably never break any dinner plates because we rarely use them.

If I could get 8 hours sleep each night, my life would be transformed. I am still not tired. We had the last of the pork loin for dinner. The next pork loin goes in with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I will freeze most of it. 

My back still hurts, but that needs surgery more than sleep. I can still tell that fibromyalgia is here and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. But, at least it is not as bad as mixing it all with lack of sleep. And, I am now too tired to edit this any. A couple of paragraphs are woefully composed.

Edit: I forgot I have six snack plates that I bought on sale this summer. All this keeps us from using paper plates.

Was this a bargain or not???

Thanks, Macy's! Any bargains for you lately? 

 

A Plan

 I love gravy at Thanksgiving and Christmas or any time that I have turkey and dressing. I cannot stand at the stove long enough to brown the oil and flour. I don't need a lot of gravy. The mixes and bottles of store gravy are just not getting it for me. 

Remember how well Tommy makes white sauce? Well, a little bit of oil and some flour are all I need along with ground sage and some pepper. So, this is the plan. He can sit on his walker and stir the gravy, making sure it is smooth and that it does not brown. I don't even care if it is smooth! Lumpy gravy works. 

In my state, I must plan ahead! Food is a big part of most holidays. I don't cook as many things as I did for holiday meals in the past. I do have a turkey breast in the freezer gotten the first of the year and a bag of Ocean Spray Cranberries in the freezer. I can have Thanksgiving dinner with no shopping. Of course, I will shop for good prices, but that might be after the holidays. 

So, that is the plan--homemade gravy. I have not made gravy in years. I will freeze the flour and oil mixture and finish it just before eating it. 

There are other plans that I will share with you later. Now, I am going down for a nap.

Okay, I took a short nap. 

Tommy was eating his dinner he heated. Well, Microwave Man may have learned something. I asked how was his steak. He said he thought he reheated it too long in the microwave. He said it was tough. I did not say "I told you so" or remind him of what I have told him. I am having chicken breast, with cheddar and broccoli with carrots. 

Today, other than a lack of sleep last night, I feel better. This is how allergies go with me, causing me to end up ill and needing an antibiotic.I awoke Tuesday with malaise and no symptoms of illness.

Once upon a time, not too many years ago, I was capable of starting on Wednesday, and by Thursday, I had cakes, pies, turkey and dressing, gravy with giblets, potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce and half a dozen other sides ready to eat. Now? Not so much. I don't have energy. Of course, over the years I got smart and cooked a few things ahead, like cakes and pies.

This is a new plan, making the roux for gravy and freezing. It is the first time I have ever had anyone do the stirring and browning. And, it is the first time Tommy has made gravy. Of course, I will add broth and pan drippings  and diced, boiled eggs for the final product. 

Do you have any long-term plans for cooking ahead of time for Thanksgiving Day? Do you cook differently now than you did years ago?

Ill again--Monday

 I can barely move because I am ill. I went to sleep Saturday night with two lymph glands, one in each side of my neck, hurting. Sunday night, I slept two hours, awoke for a bit, and finally slept until 4:30 pm on Monday. 

There were 15 things on a list for Monday. I got three things done and added even more. The bell pepper did get diced. I thought I had ground beef for a meat loaf. I didn't. Half the pepper was sliced for Tommy. I put the strips in a sandwich bag and he gets what he wants for sandwiches and wraps, 

This is not covid. My sinuses are reacting to allergies. October is my month to be ill. 

The guy who mows came today. We have one triangular patch of Dallas grass. I hate it. It is the stuff that grows up on one long stem with the three growths of things that have little black seeds. Hate them! I bought a gallon of weed killer several years ago that can be used on St. Augustine grass and Tommy won't apply. I cannot. I need to find someone to pay to use it on the yard. 

Emeril Le Gasse has a new air Fryer oven. I wanted the 360 last year. Now, there is a double oven one. The partition down the middle can be removed. Always some gimmick! We still don't need it, I suppose. We used the oven today for a cooking bag that had three steaks, potatoes, carrots. 

Does anyone else have horrible fall allergies? I have year round hay fever, but it seems Fall is the worst.  

The Color of Your Eyes

THE COLOR OF YOUR EYES many determine more that you think. I was surprised. When I was young, my eyes were jet black, just like my mother's Aunt Jettie, I am told. 

At about 40, they turned to a dark brown. I guess I am fading away. 

What color are your eyes? Do you think any of these characteristics apply to you or anyone you know?

Click on Your Eye Color Means Way More Than You Realize – Here's Why (msn.com)

When I was young and sitting for a photographer, he left the camera and came and put his face very close to mine. As he walked away, I asked him what he was doing. He said he could not focus because there was no evident demarcation between my pupil and iris, the place where he focused. 

It has been so long

 I have forgotten the exact order of things. However, we got up on Monday to go the Cullman to Office Max or Depot and the guy I needed to talk with was out of the store for the day. So, we planned to go on Tuesday, and I did not want to go. We went Wednesday and picked up our lunch from a church--grilled chicken with dish of bbq sauce, corn, green beans, little slice of butter bread, and two cookies. We also had the identical thing for dinner.

The guy came out to the car and took the burned laptop inside. He came back with info insurance and numbers for me to call. Then, I gave him laptop we bought two days or so after this one and decided to not even open. That went well. So, Tommy has over $1k back in his account. And, I should be getting a check for this one, actually that will go into his account, too. 

The sale on chairs interested me, but I would have to go inside. No luck with getting a new surge protector. I forgot what else I tried to buy. 

I found Miracle Whip bogo which made it $5.40 or something like that. Used the bathroom, went to PO, and came home.

The laptop had to sleep outdoors the first night. It camped out in the bathtub on a metal baking pan in a tiled showed stall for two nights. I was really afraid it would blaze to life again.

 

Unfortunately, this laptop cannot recharge, so it must stay plugged in at all time in order to use it. Plus, none of my passwords are evident. AND, it has a whine and scream and rat-tat-ing noise all the time. So, I cannot use it when Tommy is asleep. 

I got into my Yahoo account and into my blog, so all is better. 

A fly has been cruising the house, buzzing around me and any food we are trying to eat or cook. He even buzzed my hair. I could feel his wings making a breeze or something.  I resorted to running to Lowe's and getting fly strips. I hate those nasty-looking things. But, I hate the fly more. I even had Tommy stay with me in the kitchen while I was removing the pork loin and vegetables from the cooking bag. It has gotten dark and cool now, so he is sleeping, I suppose. 

My big chores for the day were replacing my electric candles' batteries and going through a tote bag of mail. The batteries in the Red Kiss were replaced and all eight batteries were put in the battery recycling Planter's Peanuts jar. Between Tommy and I, we removed pertinent information from my mail to shred and put rest in two places--paper to recycle or newsprint items to go the Animal Shelter.  

For some reason Belk's sent me a check for $8.98. And, Belk's sent me a coupon for $10 to use instore. 

Finally, I quit coughing. The guaifenesin made it a productive cough. So, it is gone. I only cough when I swallow something the wrong way. I am so relieved to be rid of the cough. 

Finally, I felt like going into Publix and shopping. When Tommy goes in, he comes out with all sorts fo chips and cookies. I have not been in a store for about a month. 

While I was in Lowe's shopping for fly strips, I noticed Christmas is going up. On the way to find the strips, I was horrified by an apparent boneyard. Someone was hanging skeletons and left them on a platform. They looked like a heap of bones, a boneyard.  It was spooky. I want a large skeleton and a stack of three pumpkins, but I will just dream about them. 

Oh, speaking of dreaming, I have been dreaming since I started taking melatonin. I was having an in-depth discussion with someone about the ceiling fans that can be screwed into a light socket in the ceiling. Tommy and I, another night, were having an equally scintillating conversation about something, forgot what. 

The humidity is incredibly low, so days, and especially evenings with low temperatures have been pleasantly not torrid or muggy. I don't rush to start the car as soon as I get into it. 

What fine chores have you accomplished? 

Has the humidity and heat become more tolerable where you live? 

Laptop Fire

 Yesterday, so this may not work for long. I read all comments and posted. I might not be able to comment right now.

I kept smelling something. Laptop was leaning against the floor. Then, I was overcome and could barely breathe to use inhaler. We did check house and outdoors for the problem. 

When I picked up laptop, it burned my nightgown and a finger or two. I yelled for Tommy to take the cord which I unplugged, he tried to grab the very hot tip instead of the cord, so matter how hard I tried to get him not to take that part. So, lots of yelling and cursing on his part. We were both shocked at the heat. I have no idea how this works now. But, will get new laptop since I paid for insurance for the first time ever. 

We were headed out this morning, but tech person not at store. 

It was actually cool out when we went to store at 7 tonight. Temp is 63 degrees. Unbelievable. However, we know heat will go back up. 

I told Tommy to come fast and save me if I yell about this laptop hurting me. Amazing that it works. 

Okay, going to try and answer comments. Sorry to confuse you, Janet...lol.

Forgot to say, laptop was in my lap and burned my nightgown!

In Praise of Bodies

 Nothing happening Saturday, just me coughing.

Sunday is uneventful.

However, let me tell you about my people watching. My obsession with one aspect of people is something you might understand. I notice with keen interest how people walk so easily. I marvel that legs, knees, ankles all work together to make an easy transition from the street to the curb. I remember when I could do this. The change comes on so subtly. My lack of coordination and pain on movement has been a long time developing. 

Barely-walking babies have walking mastered. Some spry older people never struggle to walk or step on the curb. I suppose they have never had a significant injury. 

I imagine that none were thwarted getting adequate treatment by a workman's comp program that stopped all proper treatment. I will forever be resentful of workman's comp nurse who denied my treatment. I also imagine that a spouse was helpful in getting proper treatment. Yes, I have a lot of resentment when I actually think of my condition. 

But, mostly I admire the beautiful workings of a healthy body gliding along with ease, doing what a body was designed to do. I don't wish ill health or faulty working bodies on anyone. I just wish I had been so lucky. 

I won't entertain any Pollyanna attitudes or blaming me for my condition. 

These admirations of bodies have absolutely nothing sexual about them. I just marvel at the way we were made to work. The swinging of hips, the flexing of muscles, the swing of arms, all are just marvelous. No matter how well I take care of myself from now on, no matter how attentive doctors are to my condition, I will never have any of these actions restored to me. 

This post is not meant to be sad, but a praise of the beautiful workings of bodies. 

Do you ever watch bodies working perfectly and reflect on the mechanisms that come into play?

Friday Fun

 Tommy is in the kitchen cooking and breaking up ground beef. I chopped a whole Vidalia so he can put half in and sweat/cook onions. I sliced and chopped tomatoes we bought Wednesday that are going fast. Chopped tomatoes are for salad fixins. Sliced tomatoes are for a tomato sandwich or two for me. Tommy does not like tomato sandwiches. 

Even though I did get nearly enough sleep, I am feeling a bit better. The expectorant for my lungs works well. I have coughed until my ribs hurt. 

When I got up at about 2 pm, there was a package waiting for me from a very nice commenter. Now, maybe I won't need to use cloth over my eyes since I now have a sleep mask. A cute glass with top for a straw or sipping. A pretty flower on top of all the gifts in the box--soap, socks, candle, bath bomb, lots of goodies that really lifted my mood and made me smile. Thanks, Bri. 

I have quit nonstop coughing. Ears, sinuses, lungs feel clearer. It is not over, but it has eased. For two days, I had suck a headache, especially when I tried to sleep! When I walk, I am wobbly, still. I have had dreams I cannot remember, but they were all disturbing. 

Right now, at 6 pm, I am tired but I need to see what is going on in the kitchen. 

There are several new products for a2milk. They have formula for infants, protein powder, and have had a creamer out for a long time. The first two are new. For a long time, I have resisted protein powder since I did not know the source. Or, I knew the source and rejected it for that reason. Since I am allergic to peas, I certainly will not use a protein powder with pea protein. I am not the person who makes a fuss when out to eat. Have you tried any new a2milk products?

From 7-9 I had a nap. 

I love a birthday surprise! 

Today, I managed to cut myself on a clamshell and rip my index fingernail off into the quick! And, I cut myself with a knife. The clamshell hurt more! I finally had to get Tommy to open it. I must say it was the highlight of my day. /s  Are clamshells getting harder to open to you? Not only do they take more effort, they are more complicated.

Do you ever take guaifenesin for chest congestion?  

Groceries, Stainless Steel, Coughing

 I need to get better so I don't send Tommy into a grocery store. He comes out with too many snack foods, all very salty. Fritos, Doritos, potato chips. I would buy one bag for him when it was bogo. No, he gets both of them. He even bought two Ruffles for me, and I am trying to avoid salt. 

Last night, I managed to make a list from all three stores. Publix had the most deals. I did find green beans for $0.39/can. I had him buy one can to see if we liked them. It is a brand I have bought before. The use by date is 22 Nov 2023. Well, pooh! That is not very good. 

We got food we needed and was bogo, nothing else:

2 Doritos 2 for $10

Organic Baby Carrots  2 1-lb bags organic $3

3 half gallons a2milk @$4.99 not on sale

2 Jello pudding 2@$1.79

Kleenex 3 boxes for $5

Hall's Mentholyptus Cough Drops 2@$2.77

Honey Nut Cheerios 2for $5.46

Red potatoes 5lb for $3.49

pork tenderloin @for $8.99

on Wednesday we stopped at the farmer's market and bought squash. It was not small like I like, but reduced to $3, so less that the usual $5 and more squash. 

Spice Island spices are in glass containers. They were bogo, and the spices I needed are sold out. We got two rainchecks, one for the Spice Island and another for moon grapes. I just want a few to try.

I try to go shop before Thursday since some people do their weekly shopping on Thursday. But, he always assures me that there will be plenty for us. 

I had to send him back since he bought two pounds of baby carrots for $3.49 and not organic, just more expensive. Well, I did not send him. He asked if he should return, so I said to go. 

Earlier in the week, we bought four bananas. When I opened the first one, there were little black nodules all over the banana. I feared it was some banana bug. Maybe it was fungus. They looked the shape and almost the size of an apple seed. ALL FOUR BANANAS had these nodule-like growths. 

I was saving one piece of banana with the black things to return. All I had left was down in the main bag still in the garbage. We did get a refund and bought more bananas. We can afford to throw away four bananas. But, I refuse to do so. 

At the Pig a can of corn or green beans is free with the purchase of $10. I forgot what we will get tomorrow.

Coughing is all I do, it seems! I take guaifenesin for the congestion which facilitates loosening my chest. I do use my inhaler. I am exhausted!

The Hall's cough drops are already stuffed into a Ball quart jar to keep them from going soft and sticking to the little paper in which they are wrapped. Someone pointed out that vacuum sealing would be better. But, how handy is that for opening a dozen times? Plus, there are plenty of Ball jars in my possession, most bought on sale. I have thrown away a small fortune in cough drops over the years, yet I have not thrown away a cough drop in the last five years. 

We still use disposable tumblers even though we never use disposable plates, saucers, bowls or forks and spoons. The tumblers are the last things we need to replace. Glass is easily broken. Tommy has a set of smoke glasses that I hate and he does not want to break. Neither of us has the balance we had. So, I settled on stainless steel for drinking milk or whatever. They are expensive but will not be tossed. I had one stainless steel "glass" but it developed an "off" taste. Has anyone ever had that happen or know why mine did?

Tommy is happy he can watch Auburn on TV now that Disney and Spectrum are playing nice. I know he enjoys Auburn and Alabama and the Iron Bowl. So, we were going to figure out how to watch the Iron Bowl, at least. 

I am limp from coughing and typing at the same time, hoping for accuracy in my keystrokes. Tommy will heat our dinners--chicken for me and sausage patty for him, potatoes, carrots, green beans. He will take it all out of the refrigerator and I will fill my plate and heat it. Actually, some times he has filled my plate, heated it, and brought it to me. 

The heat is still here but not so brutal. Plus, the humidity is lower. Good deal! 

Does anyone have a theory as to why expensive stainless drinking vessel would develop an off taste?

Did you find any good deals this week?

Barely Here

 I am better. The fever is gone. The cough just seems to get worse. Exhaustion floods me. I know I will get better, but it seems a while off right now. Until this afternoon, I had not been out of the house except once. Still, I have not gone in a store. 

Sunday, I wanted a Whopper; Monday, a chicken tender; Tuesday, Arby's, a beef and cheddar, minus red ranch. Other than those, I had cereal, fruit, few vegetables, little bread. 

Well, I wrote the above and had to take a nap. Wednesday, I managed to clean up and slice up the potatoes Tommy peeled, carrots, orange pepper, and onion which Tommy cooked in the oven. I had meatballs from the freezer, and he had ground beef with onions, cooked to put in spaghetti or something. Later, I had half an apple and bowl with yogurt and blueberries. 

I am eating a bit more each day. But, the lethargy is deeper, it seems. I can talk but barely. One of the worst parts of this is the nasty taste the Paxlovid causes in my mouth! 

One day when Tommy was in grocery, I called and had him tracked down in the store to call me. Well, I told him to get me flowers. He said that he already had me something. "okay"  It was a pack of 9 brownies, not what I wanted. Of course, I ate them. It seems that before my birthday I had said I do not need cake and ice cream, that a brownie sounded better. Well, this was more than one brownie and had icing, not how I like a brownie. 

So, a few minutes ago, I mentioned flowers. Little reaction. I will have to get them myself with his card. He did mention yesterday going to a jewelry store to buy me a necklace. I need to hurry and get better. 

I wasted the peaches, letting them get very over-ripe because I could not even peel them. Same with plums. I was going to cut both and store. The peaches were delicious. Tommy did not even try one, and he likes peaches. 

There were three places I wanted to eat, but I did not feel like going there. Of course, that was for whole month, so maybe I will feel like doing pickup later, maybe next week. So, there was no celebrating. But, I did live to be 77! There will be other days. He did sing "Happy Birthday" to me on my birthday. 

He used the fertilizer spikes I bought for the Meyer Lemon tree. It seemed to green up some the next day. All the leaves were becoming sort of yellow. I thought it was just turning for Fall. Maybe not. 

We saw a sign on a pickup truck and decided to see what the people were selling. They were giving away free puppies. They were black lab with "some collie." They were mixed with Border Collie. That is what Sadie was. She was the only dog I ever had for my own. But, she was killed getting in the road at about 5 months. I really wanted one of these dogs, but we are barely able to care for ourselves, and the dog cannot be an indoor dog. Sadie came from the back of a pickup truck too, at Lacon Flea Market.

I keep having to rest. I touch-type very well, but this has been a burden to correct what I type. Believe me, it was illegible. It's like my fingers forgot where the keys are.

Okay, I am back to recovery mode. 

What did you accomplish today? 

Plans for this weekend?

My Birthday

 Cough, sniffle, groan, write notes. Covid is not a good gift.

Again, Unfortunately

 Covid again. I only didn't wear my mask one time this last week. Person got too close despite my warning. Now, tells me to be safe. Lost my voice and have to write notes to Tommy.

Bad Advice and Grab Bags

 A friend knew I was having a problem since my Meyer lemon never bloomed, so he asked in Lowe's to help me. The person's advice in garden center--"put the lemon tree in the ground, then it will bloom. It has to be in the ground to bloom."

I am afraid I said a naughty word. I know better than that advice. Friend was amazed I did not believe the advice he relayed to me. I did figure out that maybe I needed to fertilize. I did fertilize once with Miracle Gro. Today, I bought spikes for citrus trees. I am thinking about getting a lime tree, too. There are two bedrooms that have lots of light where they can live this winter.

This is why it is hard to believe "the experts."

I bought two grab bags for $2 each 

cardboard decorations for wall or hanging1

temporary tattoos with Day of the Dead vibe

beach ball to inflate--16" diameter--9 sheets, 15 tattoos on each sheet

sparkly orange, black or purple hanging Halloween decorations

chocolate candy mold 

6 Halloween cookie cutters

2 pair size S panties

Beautiful Day of the Dead card and envelope

reusable shopping bag with vegetables and fruit pictures, $2

Then, I bought some loose items:

Two mini light sets, multicolor, 140 lights, $2 each

red child's M sweatshirt, $2

pack of 3 Christmas socks for child, $

Second grab bag:

Small, black garden flag with Fall pics and words

box of 29 self-adhesive pumpkins

medical mask, black, scary

disposable face mask with pattern

2 pair of black, heart-shaped sunglasses

lens shield for camera ???

wooden elephant with 8 cords hanging from it, maybe something to macrame

Most of this well be given away to children. Or, I could sell some of it. The socks and sweatshirt will be given away. Total spent--$15.

Maybe I will tattoo myself for the Day of the Dead...lol. 

How often are you skeptical of the advice of "experts?" I imagine friend walked up to person in vest and asked this question, then accepted any off-the-wall answer. 

 

Thursday Happenings--not much

 I have felt a bit better tonight. I only had about 3 hours sleep last night and then 2 this afternoon. 

The Conchita pimientos will not get my seal of approval. It is bitter and nasty. I think being in a can is why it is bitter. However, once in pimiento and cheese, it was better, tolerable. Miracle Whip saved the taste. 

Today, I had a can of Diet Free Decaffeinated Coke that had been the house two days and in the refrierator for two days. It was flat. I had Tommy taste it and he declared it flat, too. This happens once in a while, not sure how a sealed can of Coke can be flat after being open for thirty seconds. 

Tommy improved the kitchen. The drawer for utensils has an holder that slides back into the drawer continually. I am not going to buy the liner to keep it where it belongs. So, I asked him to take on of the Planter's Peanut jars, tall and skinny, and place it at the back of the drawer. It works really well. So, I no longer have to keep pulling the drawer further out to get the utensil I want. I am so happy. 

Since I have been decluttering the counter between the sink and microwave. I took out two cups from the back near the microwave. My favorite hot chocolate cup had the handle broken in two pieces and in the cup. Did I forget about this? How did it get broken? Did Tommy do it? Who knows? But, it went straight into the trash. The other cup was a dish to eat soup, wide and with a handle. It is in the dishwasher. I have no idea why these were on the counter. But, they are not now. How is that for decluttering?!

Kraft Medium Cheddar Cheese Chunks were $1.80 + 10% at the Pig. So, I had Tommy go in and get two, making it $1.98 each. He came back and said that there were only 6 on the shelf, so he got all six. Why? He was already complaining that we have too much cheese. Well, we have plenty now. 

We went to Publix for his milk, my milk, bananas, and bread. 

In a few minutes, I will start freezing two slices of bread at a time, placing them in a freezer bag for the freezer. I did this years ago. Someone reminded me of this, so I will do this so as not to have bread get moldy. 

Dinner: Tommy had chicken thigh, salad, corn. I had last two hotdogs, salad, green beans. 

Did you ever keep something broken for no reason and discover it later? 

Does your utensil tray slide around in the drawer, making it difficult to reach a spoon?

Can Colander for Janet

 

This is from Amazon, the identical one to mine. Just press this into the can and the liquid rises into the colander. Hold the can and the colander so the liquid can be disposed of however you want. It is perfect for getting the water/oil from the tuna. Or, cover a can of vegetables with the colander and turn the can over to drain.

Amazon.com: Can Colander, No-Mess Tuna Can Strainer, Food Can Strainer Filter for Beans, Vegetables, Fruit, Tuna, Blue (1 Piece): Home & Kitchen

Wednesday, we collected the ads from three stores. A visit to the market and we bought 5 or 6 tomatoes for $5. 

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Meals for lunch and dinner were leftovers. We do need to cook the ground bison.

Of course. I have been tired all day! 

Janet commented on the new can opener, so I thought I would post this picture of the identical can colander I have. I paid less in a store for this than it is priced on Amazon. However, you can buy a set of two on Amazon and the price is cheaper per item. I believe I found mine in Publix.

Does anyone use this or another type of can colander? It sure beats trying to mash the juice out with a fork. 

Carrot Seeds?

 Reading Pillars of the Earth is challenging. It weighs over 2.5 pounds, so it is difficult to hold. I will get something to put across the arms of my chair. Then, I cannot hold it close enough. It is a slow go right now. But, I am enjoying it. 

I offered a friend a turkey from the depths of the bottom shelf of the freezer if he would unearth it. Well, there was no turkey, but I did give him a deli chicken. Maybe it is on the shelf above. I was not going to ask him to unload that. I also gave him 3 packages of hotdog buns. Maybe another day for the turkey...

Where are the carrot seeds??? I had them in my hands a few days ago. The pot is ready. 

Amazon is failing deliveries of my hair color. They keep sending me a color I cancelled along with the new color. Plus, this time, both boxes were crushed so that one would not stand up anymore. Tommy's pen needles are the wrong size, just not his preference. That is one of many items to call about fixing. I don't need replacements, just quit doing what they are doing. 

Now that I have the new, large pumpkin, I need to inventory my Halloween items. Last year, I did not use my other, smaller artificial pumpkins. I bought them for $3 in a huge duffle bag full of Halloween costumes and decorations three years ago. Most of that has been discarded or dispersed to others, including the duffle bag. I said I was buying nothing more for Halloween. Well, I do want some of the fall leaves. However, I will use points to buy those at Walgreen's. Now, Lowe's is fully stocked for Halloween. 

The day after the 4th, I went to Lowe's and heard drumming. It was a huge, lifesize monster or something, drumming away. 

Dinner: I had one bun, two hotdogs, chili, minimal cheese, slaw, baked carrot. Tommy had meatballs, steamed zucchini, squash and peppers, baked carrot. 

October was always the month I was so ill. But, last year it started in September and lasted for several months. So, I need to stay well for once! I will get my pneumonia shot this week.

Have you had anything continually mashed by Amazon?

Have you fall allergies set in yet?

Have you ever tried to read a book so heavy you could barely hold it?

New Can Opener.

 The can opener I brought here was good, but cheap. Finally, when neither of us could open a can with it, I bought an Oxo at Belk's. It is the kind that cuts the lid off at the side of the can. I never could work it, so Tommy cuts off lids. Well, two days ago it took both can openers to get the lid off a can of tuna. The lid is in shreds.

I ordered a new Oxo that like the one lost in the house. It works great. I hate electric can openers. The Oxo above just was delivered. I could have had any of those colors. I chose red even though pink would have been better for me. The other two can openers sort of work. I am torn as to whether to keep them as a backup or give away. The Oxo that cuts off the lid is still good but a pain to use. 

The blueberries are in the freezer--three pints. I should have put them in half-pint jars but did not. There is another bowl with about a cup for use now. About a half cup a day has been my delicious treat. Tommy says they are not sweet enough for him to eat. Of course, I put little sugar in the five pounds of blueberries. I told him I can sweeten them more for him.

We took out a bag of chicken tenders for me to have for lunches and dinners for the next few days. 

We took five bags of some sort of bread from the freezer to get the blueberries, pork patties, and all the thighs into the freezer. Tomorrow, a friend is coming over to get a turkey out of the very bottom. Another day, when he is off, he will come and take all the items out and help us sort them into bins. So, that is a plan. 

He took out two bags of hotdog buns. He said there are hotdogs and the chili without beans. So, it looks like we will have two meals of hotdogs/chili/cheese. I can mix up slaw for that meal.

We went out for bananas at 8 and the air was so humid it hurt to breath it in. I had not had a banana all days and really wanted/needed one. Why do I need it? I love them and eat one every day. 

Do you have a fruit you "need" to eat every day for the pleasure or your health?

Is it hot and humid at your house?

What kind of can opener do you use? 

Juggling a Knife?

 After dinner on Saturday night, we cooked--four turkey thighs, 10 chicken thighs, potatoes, carrots in a cooking bag. I put a bit of Sweet Baby Ray's Vidalia Onion BBQ Sauce on each thigh. The bag was so full that I dumped the vegetables on top. Then, I bagged all into Ziploc Freezer bags. Some of the bags will go into the freezer tomorrow. So, lots of protein cooked for the future. I still have chicken tenderloins.

I did make potato salad for me to eat while Tommy eats the potatoes cooked with the meat. Of course, we love the carrots. The potato salad was some of the best I have made in a long time. I think the Vidalia onions helped, plus I did get eggs boiled and celery chopped. 

Following the directions on the site and from the minister, I failed to find the celebration of life for my friend on the church site. I have no idea what happened! That made me sad. It is probably going to be put up on the site with other events. 

Thursday night when I was slicing items for the zucchini tomato casserole, I must have cut my finger. On Friday morning, I awoke with a slice over 1 inch long on my right index finger on the top of the finger at the top of the finger near my hand. Mupiricin brought down the angry red around the cut. Now, it is back. I am terrified of having a finger amputated due to an infection. I may have to go to a doctor for this on Monday. Since I hold the knife in my right hand, I must have been juggling the knife.

Sunday

I slept for ten hours last night, waking at 4 pm on Sunday afternoon, still exhausted, my usual state lately. My finger is still inflamed but appears to be a bit better. 

I had cereal, banana, and milk for my breakfast at 5 pm. Dinner: Tommy will have chicken thighs with bbq sauce, baked potato, baked carrots and whatever else he finds. I will have the last of the chicken tenders (tiny one), carrots, potato salad. Maybe blueberries, too. 

The peaches are getting too ripe to leave and eat daily. I will cut them up after peeling. There are only four left. I need to freeze two dozen pork patties to store them in smaller packages. The cooked blueberries definitely need to go in the freezer. 

I froze the pork patties, leaving four in the refrigerator for him this week. Peaches are sliced, chicken frozen. 

I sent Tommy to the store for pimientos in the tiny jar but there were none, just a can of whole pimientos. I told him to get it. I have used whole pimientos before and just mashed them with a fork. Conchita pimiento in the can is nasty. I had to pull off the skins myself. The pimientos are tough. And, the taste wrong, AND they have salt. I managed to get enough chopped to make pimiento and cheese tomorrow and tossed the rest. These were packed in the US, but not sure where they were grown. I should have bought another dozen jars of when I went to Cullman! 

The touch of fall is still not in the air. Is the touch of fall in the air at your house?

Have you ever planted carrots so late?

Good News for Carb Lovers + Lemon Tree + Pumpkin

 I have mentioned before that potatoes are better for a person after being cooled. Now, it seems rice and pasta are included in the good news. They can even be reheated and still retain their resistant starch. But, you can read it yourself. What do you think of this? I have never eschewed these foods completely, but severely limited their place in my diet. I don't intend to go crazy with carbs, but maybe I can eat a few more without damage. Tommy is not giving up potatoes ever. But, that's okay. 

About potatoes in the form of French fries--we no longer buy them. He ordered those for both of us once a week. Now, it has been months since we have had a combo. I started refusing a burger combo. Then, I stealthily left my fries and tossed them because he always insisted that I should let him eat them. 

Good news for carb lovers

Will this article change the way you prepare and eat potatoes, rice, and pasta? 

If you see or hear information refuting this article, I would be amenable to considering new advice. 

I was shocked to hear Jimmy Buffet died! 

We went to Lowe's to figure out why my lemon tree has not had a blossom. It has been watered, been in full sun, fertilized and still no blossoms. There has never been a blossom on any of the trees in Lowe's. So, I brought it back home.  

While I was there, I bought a pot for it instead of the black nursery pot and a 15 inch fake pumpkin. It is so light that I will need to anchor it on the porch. I do hope it is an outdoor pumpkin. Nothing will be bought for Halloween this year. When I had chickens, I collected other people's pumpkins used for porch decorations and fed those to my hens or cooked them. Here, the garbage can is the only option.

Today, the temperature had not even reached 80F by noon. Worst of all, there is no sun! Now, at almost 8 pm, it is 78. It's been a dreary day but not inside. The weather is pleasant, but it makes me sad for the weather to be cold and the time change so it is darker.

Tomorrow, I will plant the carrot seeds! There is enough sun and heat here on the front porch to have at least one harvest of carrots. 

BOGOs and Groceries

 All this was bought over three days but not consecutive days. I did not have my list, was tired, could not find some items, and just came home, knowing it would be there another day. Besides, it is hard on Tommy bringing all this food inside. He has a ramp, but he has to lift his walker straight up about 8 inches to the living room at the front door.

Red Delicious apples

2 pkgs. yellow squash, less $1

matchstick carrots for Tommy's salad and my tuna salad

Arnold's Keto bread

Publix raisin bran

salted butter

red potatoes

Gallon milk

Dasani 24 pack

Diet pepsi b2g2

Ruffles and Dorito b2g1

Rice Chex bogo

Martha White wildberry muffin mix bogo

Red Delicious apples

bananas

Roma tomatoes

cut watermelon bowl bogo

zucchini 

ziplock pint freezer bags

Dr Pepper b2g2

I know I bought apples after Tommy did. He told me, giving me an apple, that this was the last apple. Well, I bought more. It did not register than he said the last of the older apples, meaning that the newer ones were the ones left. Oh well, I will not waste them.

The Martha White muffin mixes are only for two muffins. I put almost a cup of blueberries into the mix that already has blueberries or apples made to taste like blueberries. Then, I put it in a brownie pan and we slice it. It works. These were $0.79 each. In the cold weather they are good on a cool and damp night. By the way, 'wildberry' is just blueberry and strawberry. 

Some items I bought had an additional $1 off. I am really tired and rushing to get this done. 

Yes, we bought a lot of drinks for Tommy. He drinks a lot, too much. 

Tonight, there was a large helping of the zucchini/tomato casserole. Tommy did not want the cheese and bread. I would have shared it with Tommy. He said he would just pick out the zucchini, tomatoes, and onions. Well, I was not having him dig out what he wanted. So, I suggested he just microwave the zucchini and onions, sliced and refrigerated. He did and his dinner was ham, zucchini, onions, applesauce. I had the rest of the zucchini casserole and a tiny chicken tender. Later, I will have an apple and something else, not sure.