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? 

Disappointed

 I actually feel like I am going to die! But, that is not all the reason for not posting. 

I finally heard from the stress test. No heart blockages or any problem with arteries. Instead of calling me in 3-5 days, it was almost two weeks with me calling several times inquiring. I am not happy about the delay.

Now, I have to see how long it takes for follow-up appointment. I had changed eating habits which were not horrible, but now are better over last two years. I have plans for changing two more things--using more healthful dressing for salads and going back to natural peanut butter. 

We went back to OM in Cullman and I got another laptop. This one has color that is off, too. The color of the screen right now is my fault, and I will fix it. So, set to exchange this one for different. better and more expensive laptop.

I ordered grow lights to grow Romaine indoors. Tomorrow, I will plant wildflowers outside in flowerpots. I have a postcard to put in a pot. The postcard has embedded wildflower seeds. I have five seed balls to plant. I gave Lynda one and cleaner will get one tomorrow, so three for me. This will be fun.

Tomatoes and squash are back on the agenda since we love both. 

At Chicken Salad Chick I was given the wrong chicken salad a few weeks ago. Finally, I called and the manager said to bring in the receipt. I did and that manager was gone. So, I got whole new meal from interim manager--Classic Carol scoop and loaded baked potato soup. Tommy got an Arby's Roast Beef. 

Saturday, I finally got in touch with Zaxby/s and my salad with just breading and tiny pieces of that was replaced. The manager replaced Tommy's meal, too and gave me a drink even though I told her I did not order a drink. So, no need to think about dinner on Saturday. 

There is still no response from my new endocrinologist I have never seen. So, I am moving on to a new, new endocrinologist. I am so swollen I am afraid. 

And, another doctor wrote me a prescription for a med I assured him I could not take! When will it end? 

By the way, my tacky, stupid, waste-of-time "crafts" paid my bills for several years, but it is too bad people cannot understand using these items destined for the trash and transformed into items people treasure. Yes, I had people write me years later praising my treasures. No one is throwing them into the trash. Actually, I rescued materials from the trash. Now, I make wooden birds from scrap wood. 

We could barely see out the car window because of pollen today. So, Tommy will need to clean it every day, but he will probably resist! I had him get Claritin for me when he went into Publix. He came back with the only type they carried--chewable/dissolvable. I touched it to my tongue to see the flavor. Yuck--peppermint, so I just swallow it with water. I certainly could not bear to have it dissolve in my mouth.

My allergies are starting to act up. Are your allergies bothering you? 

On the way to Cullman, 55+ miles along the interstate, all the trees were a tender green, just barely leafing. The Bradford Pear trees are blooming like crazy, and the woods are edged with redbud trees, looking like tatting along the edge of pulled work. 

This typing has exhausted me. And, this color is annoying. 

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?