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. 

Bugs in the Garden and Grocery Shopping and Clothesline and John Prine Died

On Monday, I went out and picked enough Romaine for two meals since it should rain today. There were little worms everywhere and tiny clusters of tiny eggs. I brought it all in and picked off and squashed the clusters of eggs, worms, and bugs. Then, I put it in basin of water and vinegar. We left to go to Publix and Piggly Wiggly.

I left it in the sink and when I came back I realized the Romaine had been soaking all that time. Of course, it hurt nothing. Lots of once-live things were floating about. I let Tommy dry and break up his own while I brought in a bowl of diced tomato.

At Publix Beef Steak tomatoes were $4.99/lb. !!! I bought 3 tomatoes for $6.30 . We will eat a half tomato for the next three days. We will survive. Chicken on top will make  delicious salad.

How on earth did I spend $54?

Raspberry Egg $0.50
2 Wheat Thins $5/2
Boneless, skinless chicken breast $11.83 (small package w/three breasts, but huge ones)
Ruffles, Party Size--$2.64, a promotion
Beefsteak tomatoes, $3.99/lb, three tomatoes !!! $6.30 I am horrified
Domino' Granulated Sugar, 4 lb bags x 2, $2 each
Kraft Grated Parmesan, 2 for $6, bought 2
Milk Chocolate Lindt Easter Bunny $3.50 for Tommy
Easter Bunny plate, $3.50 for me
2 lbs Butter, $6 for 2 1-pound packages

Saved $14.64
Total Spent $54.20

We ate the raspberry egg in the car. The chicken and tomatoes were an exorbitant price in my book. One Easter, I bought Tommy a chocolate bunny for Easter and he was so happy, smiling and just overjoyed. I asked if that were his favorite candy. He said that he always got a chocolate bunny in his Easter basket when he was a child. So, he will be glad to see that.

Everything except for the chicken was marked down, pr bpgp. There were so few packs of any kind of chicken that I felt lucky to get that.  Eventually, I only cook with cheaply bought food. The cheap Ruffles caught my attention, my favorite chips. I eat Kraft Parmesan on spaghetti, pasta and olive oil, and salad. I have not had either of the first two for weeks. But, I eat a lot of Parmesan when I eat it.

Then, we went to Piggly Wiggly to get two gallons of vinegar for $1.74 each.

The guy next door was mowing Tommy's yard, so that made me extremely happy on Monday.  I think I will give them enough Romaine for a salad.

I walked all the way back to the clothes line. The line is rusty wire. I will get the wire covered in green plastic unless someone has a better idea. Anyone? I like hanging out clothes. At my house not one soul saw my dozen pair of huge panties on the line. Here they will unless I wash sheets and hang those on two lines around my panties.

When I grew up, Mama taught me to hang panties on inside lines. Did your mother teach you that? Do you hang your panties in plain sight or hide them?

I really spent a lot this week, but I did not have to buy Romaine or any greens for salads because I picked what would be the equivalent of about $10 in Romaine and kale and red lettuce. Of course, I never buy that much, so this will be a treat.

What do you use, type of material, do you use for your clothesline?

AND, John Prine died. Tommy has never heard of him! And, when I played "Paradise," he said he never listened to THAT kind of music. I cried.

My New Favorite Thing to Eat

No, not chocolate brownies...lol

I may have mentioned I was going to cook soup with Great Northern Beans. I did. I cooked the Great Northern Beans and added kale from my garden along with carrots and ham.

Great Northern Beans
carrots
kale
highly seasoned ham (or ham and spices)

I added no seasoning to this concoction. The ham that was given to me was very spicy and fatty. So, I thought the spice in the ham would be sufficient for the whole pot of soup. It was. But, heating the ham in a skillet and mashing it in a towel did not remove the fattiness, just some grease.

The carrots were two of the little single serving packages we got at the dinner handed through the car window. I cut them in 1/2 inch pieces.

The kale came from my garden. Even though I picked a whole grocery bag full, there could have been more for my liking.

I have always gagged at the thought of bean soup even though I like beans. Tommy loved the soup! So, even though it was technically too warm for soup, this was wonderful.

Now, I grew up eating beans because Daddy had to have them at meals. No matter what else we had that was delicious, hearty, and healthful, we had beans. Now, we kids ate them the first meal, but after that he was often the only one having them with the next meal. and the net Since he grew up poor and one of twelve kids during the Depression, I suppose beans were eaten every day if they could get them. I liked beans but not every day. However, only after about thirty years did I love beans.

Who would have guessed that Great Northern Beans, carrots, kale, and ham would be so delicious? Not I. Even though I have never read a recipe for bean soup, I think I guesses well.

From now on I will raise an abundance of kale and carrots, well, at least the kale.

While I was picking kale, I looked down at a familiar sight. Was that Romaine I saw? Well, yes it was. I did not remember or realize I had Romaine in my garden. So ditzy. Tommy laughed. I am so excited. Today I will go buy tomatoes and we will have salads with Romaine, red lettuce, and tomatoes. I have boiled eggs for mine and Tommy can have the ham.

This Auburn garden project is such a happy experience. I did get to pick out my vegetables to grow.

Do you make bean soup? What goes into yours?