No Lamps?

 Remember the sweet potato pie Tommy wanted from Publix? It is awful. I had one piece and gave the rest to him. That is how awful it was. If I find more Beauregards, I will make one. I suppose it will mean a trip to Cullman. Maybe we can buy another 120 lbs. Sweet Potato Bread made from fresh sweet potatoes is scrumptious.

Last week, we had a new fast food item from Arby's--Steak Nuggets. They are not bad, but I will never buy them again. Have you tried them?

Today was another glorious day-- sunny, barely warm and windy. I still cannot spray paint for the wind. Every year, I repaint my three birds. The blue bird is for year-round, black is for Halloween, and the redbird is for Christmas. It is too windy, but it will probably be too cold or wet when the wind dies down. I still have not found my cardinal to paint. I change these birds out seasonally. I made these and have more bodies and wings to glue more of these together. 

I had Tommy search for the wreath hanger so I could hang the stack of pumpkins on the front door. I already have three hangers that I cannot find. I searched and searched in big box store, and found two, one in crafts and one with Christmas wreaths. I bought the cheaper. Craft items are always more expensive. When I brought it into the house, the one I knew I had was lying on top of Christmas things right inside of the door!!! grrrr

We went to a home improvement store and could find no one to help us. I suppose we will drive 30 miles to another location. There were so many people trying to help me at the far away location. We need to pick out new fixtures for the house. We only need three more, I think.     I may get ceiling fans. The electrician tried to talk us into new-fangled can lights. They are not recessed, just flush on the ceiling and very wide. I hate them. Do you have an opinion about these? Oh, he recommends getting rid of all the lamps!/? I definitely won't consult him for style tips.

Going to bed now. I have to go to doctor tomorrow. 

Bed

 

At the very top of the bed are three circles that really don't show up in this picture. They really add to the style of the bed. Can you see them? This is a new bed for $50. I always wanted an iron bed. I really like the footboard is nearly as tall as the headboard. I will paint this white or a pale pink.

Last week, we went to the Greek Festival. I had a chicken plate; Tommy had plate with lamb. We shared Baklava and Greek wedding cookies. I think both plates lasted three meals. I meant to get a casserole! But, I forgot. 

Last week, we had dozens of birds on our porch, the ramp, and in every flower pot. The house across the street had hundreds of birds in the trees and shrubs I could see. They were all so noisy! It was a delightful experience. The next day, we had no birds. I was very disappointed, but I suppose they were migrating. 

Today, we both prepared and went to dr appointment. But, the appointment is next Wednesday. grrrr

We picked up grocery ads instead. Tommy signed a contract for rewiring and put down a deposit. Pedro then helped take the battery from my car. It will go to Auto Zone. 

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.  

Out and About Recycling on Thursday

 As you may know, we recycle--newspaper, other paper, drink cans, drink bottles, water bottles, batteries, prescription/otc bottles, Styrofoam, plastic wrapping film (tp packaging and such). You can imagine the clutter this makes. But, we keep it under control by having each in its own container. We do sell the drink cans and soup/tuna type cans. 

When I heard on the news that the Birmingham News demise was affecting the Birmingham Humane Society, I knew where the newspaper needed to be taken. They were asking for newspaper since the paper was no longer in business. So, today, we took a drive.

Tommy separated the paper from newspaper. I gathered all the prescription/pill bottles and we drove there to donate them. I talked to woman at desk and she came and carried it all inside. 

We picked up a prescription. Then, we collected this week's ads from three stores. Mustard was the free item this week at The Pig. There does not seem to be many exciting sales. But, I did not look at the Publix ad. Tommy said he circled items while I did shop in The Pig. 

If you live in the Birmingham area, maybe you can take a load of newspaper to the Birmingham Humane Society. We go to a battery store to recycle batteries. Publix takes the paper, bottles, and Styrofoam. 

When Lynda was speaking to us, we gave meat scraps to her dog. I would like to compost table scraps and veggie scraps, but Tommy is not amenable to the idea. I want one of the bins that sits up on legs and can be turned with a handle. 

Tonight, we are watching a PBS documentary with David Attenborough about bird songs. He was a strikingly handsome and virile young man! 

So, dinner will be something prepared from the store. The price was right. One dish has some sort of veggie ravioli and the other has asparagus and mushrooms. We can eat chicken thigh if we desire meat. I will put the exact dishes in tomorrow's post. 

I made a mistake. We just had the two dishes and both were beyond too hot/spicy for me. One bite of each made me ill, woozy, and ready to rid myself of both bites. If I did not hate to throw up so much, I would get rid of this. The red sauce had incredibly spicy sausage. The white sauce was the hot part with mushrooms and asparagus. I warned Tommy, but he can stand spicy food even though he does not care for it much. I have had strawberries, watermelon  tonight, apple, and banana tonight. 

Lunch was chicken sandwich with cheese and Romaine. Lunch was late, so brunch, I suppose. My temples are throbbing from a bit of spicy. My blood pressure is high, too. Ears are ringing. 

What do you recycle? 

Birds and Seeds and Trees

 

                                                                        Purple Finch

Tommy saw this bird right outside the front door on the railing of the ramp. He said it kept coming back, flying off over and over again. My guess is that it is going to build or has built a nest. He used the bird book I gave him for his birthday two years ago. 

The drive to Cullman along the interstate was beautiful. Most of the trees have some green, a few have many tender leaves. None are fully in leaf. But, the hope is there. Bradford pears and redbud make for a colorful drive. 

Many of my stored plants are becoming very green. Some I am not sure about. They were covered last night and will stay covered for two more nights. I still need to sow seeds in the tiny greenhouses! 

Speaking of seeds--at the lunch and lecture at the ag center this last week, there was a box of seeds for us to have. I chose three packets and got two for Lynda. I will use the soup containers that Tommy did not want to throw away for sowing these seeds and others I have saved from last year. 

The front yard is getting nice and weedy. I have weed killer for the unruly interlopers. Neither of us can spray it, so I have to figure out how to get that done. The St. Augustine Grass is getting green, so I love that sight. 

My cleaner called and left a message. She and her two girls, 2 and 5 are throwing up. So she will not be here in the morning. I can sleep late as I need. 

Dinner on Saturday--ham, beans, carrots. I had a huge center cut portion of ham that I heated. Well, sort of burned it. But, it was okay...lol. Later, we had strawberries over a tiny piece of Angel food cake.

We have a bowlful of oranges and I want one! However, I am allergic to citrus and right now I have an earache, am coughing and sneezing periodically. So, it is not a good idea to further irritate my allergies. I did eat strawberries and now have hurting places all over my now-swollen tongue, so it sounds like I am allergic to strawberries. But, I am not. At least, I am not allergic to the apple and banana I ate. 

Tommy went to the mailbox today, and I opened the storm door and looked out. That is the extent of activity today. He emptied the dishwasher and loaded the few dishes in them. I took a nap because I slept little last night. 

We have plans for tomorrow, so it is up to me to get up in time and wash my hair. Wish me luck on the sleep. 

Do you or anyone in your circle/family identify the birds that come in the yard? Do you have a bird book? Do you have a birdfeeder? We don't have one because there are pigeons nearby. I don't know if they come into a neighborhood or not. 

Memorial Day 2022

 This is going to be a good day, a beautiful Memorial Day. The sun is shining and it will be be 90F, maybe warmer. Although I only slept 3.5 hours, I still feel great. I know that will pass and have penciled in a nap...lol. 

The pork butt is roasted and I will add bbq sauce to it and call it delicious. In a few moments, I will make slaw. Tommy can take the silk off the corn. You can see the day will be easy for us. I forgot, one egg made into two deviled eggs for me. 

Seriously, if the food is ready, isn't it a good day already?

Sunday, I made Cherry Crush. a delicious recipe from Cheryl's Frugal Corner. It is a Jello and fruit concoction. After making it and eating some, I realize that cottage cheese might work rather than the cream cheese. I used pineapple tidbits because I did not have crushed pineapple like I thought I did. I think the difference made it softer than I thought the Cherry Crush would be. But, it was definitely worth making. 

Cherry Crush ingredients:

6 oz package of cherry jello

3/4 cup boiling water

8 oz. cream cheese

can of cherry pie filling

can of crushed pineapple

Check her blog for directions. But, you can probably guess those. 

Since Tommy did not water yesterday, he watered at 7:30 this morning. The little bird nest was on the porch, so the two dead baby birds were the only two. That's sad since I enjoyed the birds. Very slowly we are moving all the plants to the corner of the ramp where the ramp turns. Nothing is on the ground but on the ramp so the mowing can be easier. This is the same place where three shepherd's hooks are located with the bird feeders. 

This is quite pretty, but the petunias are hanging where I can see them from my chair and so are three of the four hummingbird feeders. I had some flowers on the porch, but now I put them all together so Tommy won't have to drag the hose so far. He appreciates it. Imagine pulling a heavy hose and using a walker in grass! 

Friday night, as I said before, I sort of twisted my knee in the kitchen trying not to fall. Well, I could barely put weight on my knee all day Saturday and Sunday. Monday morning I woke and could bend my knee for the first time since Friday. I stood at the sink and he handed me everything I needed to stir or whatever. 

Memorial Day travel is not in our plans, not even out of the driveway. People were driving crazy on Saturday and Sunday, on the interstate and in town. We took a drive on Sunday, so that will do for us. People are very impatient! 

We do remember all who died so we can sit here and feel free from fear. We have been talking about relatives who fought in wars and came back home and some who did not. 

A nap is dragging me to bed. When I get up, I will cut Tommy's hair and we will eat. 

How is your Memorial Day? 

Books and Vegetables and Birds

 A thirteen-pound box of books arrived on my porch from a friend. Wow, what a gift to me. There was only one title I recognized, the one I will read first from this box. I was thinking about rereading it, so this works. If you want a really good laugh, read The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love, or something like that. I have read several of this woman's Sweet Potato Queen books, and they are all easy reads and humorous. Southern women will see the humor and recognize the women in the books. 

I finished Hillbilly Elegy. It was wonderful. I still am ready Salt Wars, Beowulf, and two other books I have started. So, I will finish four books and start on the Sweet Potato Queens book. 

Thanks, Janet!

Today, we went to a food giveaway. It was all vegetables. Sometimes, it is more balanced. Often it has lots of meat. Other days it has breads, chips, and sweets. This week's haul is superior--all beautiful vegetables. I will give half to my friend who is working her last day today, minimum wage and part-time. She will use all this. I gave her approximately half.

4 largish squash, dozen sweet potatoes, two messes of green beans, 4 English cucumbers, 1 eggplant, 6 apricots, 1 regular cucumber, head of cabbage. One bag had one eggplant and one bag had apricots. She gets the eggplant and 3 apricots. I hate eggplant and love apricots. Plus, there are two messes of greens. One mess is almost 2 feet long and huge. She can have that one. I will take the smaller bunch. I have no idea what kinds of greens these are. But, I like greens. I will probably cut the cabbage in half and share that. I did.

Just before we went there, we got a bag of red potatoes and a bag of Vidalia onions at Publix. We have more than enough vegetables. 

I think I have enough fresh vegetables to last a week and freeze lots, too. I am so tired today. Besides taking care of all the vegetables that were free, I need to wash the hummingbird feeders, fill them and get them back outside. Flowers need deadheading! And, the pork butt needs to be taken off the bone. I also need to freeze the ground beef. 

Friday night we still had the pork in the crockpot plus cabbage and greens on the stove and sweet potatoes, potatoes and squash on two very small pans in the oven. The house smelled nice. 

Friday night, we are having a bit of the pork butt along with a couple of potatoes and squash that are cooking in a bag with a bit of the pork juice and garlic powder.  I managed to scorch the greens. I am so furious at me. I told Tommy to see if he could get any greens off the top of the scorched ones. 

His plate was full--pork, potatoes, squash, cabbage, greens. I had pork, cabbage, potatoes, and squash. There is enough for several more days. 

Friday, when Tommy was watering flowers, the woman across the street told him how beautiful our flowers were. I was gratified when he told me! 

When he came in, he told me two birds were dead on the porch, guessed they fell or were pushed from their nest. They were freshly dead from the condition of one burst open body, he said. ( I don't think baby birds burst open on impact. Maybe a big bird pecked them.)I wonder if there are more babies. These had no feathers, just some fuzz on part of their bodies. I wonder if the mockingbirds killed these babies. Mockingbirds have been hanging around here for a few days. 

Monday--Rough Day and Bird Watching

 This is why I drink a2milk. I had a bit of ice cream Monday morning and spent the day in agony. When I was not screaming in agony from cramps, I was so weak from loss of electrolytes. 

We left three times to go to Publix about a mile from here. The first time, we made it to the parking lot. The next time, not as far. The third time, we only got a bit down the main road and came home to stay. After that, I gave up and had to take a nap. Tommy took it all in stride, not complaining. 

Even after I awoke, I was weak and still am. This is slowing down the kitchen shelf project. Tonight, we will put a few more items on the shelves, mainly refilling Tommy's coffee and tea shelf. 

I now have another appointment with the missionaries. We cannot put shelf paper on any but the bottom shelves. And, I do a crummy job because of my shoulders and hands! 

The view from my chair out the front door is beautiful. I have four shepherd's crooks with double hooks and something on every hook. Still no hummingbirds after the first. 

Since all the fuss about Downton Abbey, we watched the movie  Monday night. It was so boring.  There were hints of so many assignations, more boring events. 

Monday was a beautiful warm day and I loved it. Since I put flowers in front of the door on the hooks, birds come daily and sit around. Before this year, birds did not come. One couple is intriguing, Eastern Phoebe. It looks up continually at the porch ceiling, looking for a nest sight. The only trim is a ledge about 3/4 inch wide, not enough for a nest. But, who knows what it will attempt. We are watching the porch light to make sure a family does not end up there. 

As I was watching the little bird, it shook its head wildly with its mouth open and appeared to "cough" out a bug. It was a huge bug, at least compared to the size of the bird. I now wonder why the bird got rid of the bug. 

Tuesday, I have a 7:40 am phone appointment with my allergist. The doctor starts even earlier than that. Then, at 11 am, I have to go see about my phone purchase. We must go to Publix as the milk price rises after Tuesday. We have another chore after that. At least it will be hot and dry. I really hate it that some people do suffer without ac! A rain shower for my pots of flowers would be lovely. 

So, it's Monday now, and I am up way too early. Who ever heard of a doctor's appointment at 7:40? Not me.

Birds of Prey

On Friday, or maybe the day before, I was sitting in the car waiting for Tommy to come out of the house. I saw a hawk land on his neighbor's chain link fence. A red-tailed hawk, searching for prey. I watched it for a long time, but it left when Tommy came in sight. 

At my house, I often saw chicken hawks circling around the skies over the back yard. However, I have not seen a hawk here and have not looked up to see. My chickens usually alerted me by squawking and running under a tree or bush.  Or, the bench. 

Finally, the hawk flew into Tommy's neighbor's yard and caught something on the ground, attacked, and appeared to be tearing whatever it was apart. 

From now on I will look up for them. We see them in trees and on telephone lines and poles elsewhere. The people around here don't even have cats as prey for hawks. I suppose they are not predators, either. 

Today, Friday, as we were driving in a residential neighborhood, we saw an interaction between a larger hawk and a squirrel. We stopped and watched for about ten minutes.  It appeared that the hawk was going to get the squirrel. But, the hawk did not. He either changed his mind or did not intend to catch the squirrel. We finally lost sight of it when it flew to a low perch in the trees. 

I am amazed we have only this week seen hawks hunting. I wonder if they are young hawks staying close to the ground. It was rather incongruous seeing them on low chain link fences. In our mind, the hunters should be on wooden fences in less populated areas. 

The first night I read A Painted House, I read 160 pages. Last night, I read over 100 pages. I didn't stay up late last night. I went to bed early so I could read. That is the way I should read, not watch TV all night and then read. 

Do you see hawks hunting? Do you live in a country situation or a city?  Do you lose chickens or cats like my neighbors and I did? Are the mice plentiful where you are? 

Strawberry Fields Forever and Rivers and Second Vaccine

 Dinner Tuesday night was sliced, baked chicken, sweet potato, cabbage. Getting two sweet potatoes into the oven was the hardest part. 

I finally got all the strawberries capped, washed, and sliced. Now, there is a huge bowl of strawberries ready to eat, freeze, or cook. 

Tuesday night, I did not get enough sleep but was happy I slept four hours. I wanted to get up and 8:30 and leave by 9 AM. But, unfortunately, I awoke at 7:30 and, left by 9 AM.

We had plans for Wednesday: 

*Get second Covid vaccine. 

*Pick up lunch at church.

*Eat in park at lake with friends.

Attend a lecture about rivers  under a pavilion. 

Well, as I left the house, I turned back to get  a sweater. It was frigid, cloudy and so blustery. When I got into the car, I told Tommy I was doing nothing outdoors, that if we could not hear the lecture from the car, we would just miss it. Or, he could get out and I would sit in the car. And, we were not sitting at the lake with friends. He had not even brought a light coat! 

We both now have the second vaccine. The woman pushed me right in to the table to get the vaccine. It was over in 45 seconds or less. I did not even feel the needle go in. Tommy had to walk the length of the building pushing his walker. When he finally arrived, it was time for me to leave, the end of my 15 minutes to wait for a reaction. 

We had plenty of time to get to the church as it is right near the hospital. So, we headed over to the site for the lecture--Peinhardt Living Heritage Farm. We were able to pull right to the pavilion. With both windows down and the guy using a handheld microphone, neither of us had trouble hearing. Lectures are right up my alley. Tommy like them, too. 

We both took our walkers out to walk in the pavilion and talk and browse. Tommy does not spend money on books, but bought one here--Alabama Rivers--A Celebration and Challenge. So did I.  Right now, he is reading. 

There was a table with items for sale. I chose a turtle that looks like it is carved from stone. Plants were on sale, 1/2 off. Now, I have the Hosta I want. Both items were a total of $3. I think this must have been the remains of a garage sale. 

The friends we were meeting had a pair of wooden birds for me. We picked up those and talked for a minute. By this time, the sun was coming out.

THEN, I asked to go to the farm to buy more strawberries. It is a long way, but he was okay with it. The sweet potato farmer directed me to go the strawberry field where they were picking. The farmer's kid got us a fresh basket, we paid and were on our way. This added another 20 miles to the trip home.

On the way back through town, we dropped off the papers for the attorney. 

The clouds were almost all gone and the sun shone brightly the rest of the trip. Of course, we ate strawberries on the way home. We are happy people. 

Others have complained about the cold, but we got it today. Today, a package was on the porch when we arrived. I got a new blanket as it was on sale 50% off. The trouble is the blanket is foam, sort of. It is Vellux. I can barely stand to touch it. Tommy was sort of surprised it was foam. It feels yucky, but maybe it will not touch me with the sheet between me and the blanket. 

After feeling ill, coughing, and running temp, I awoke feeling like I was okay with no fever or cough. But, I knew I had been sick. I went to get the second vaccine and eight hours later feel only a bit where the needle went in. I will get a test to see if I made antibodies after a few weeks, whenever my doctor says to do so.

Have you ever had a vellux blanket, with brushed nylon over foam? Are you as cold as I am? 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Exercise

 Monday, I needed to go to Cullman to give my gift of an azalea plant and a birthday card to my friend turning 90 on Monday. I did not get a card out in time, so I just had to bring it and gift to her. I knew she was going out to lunch with her children, so we went there first thing after calling first. When we arrived, her yard was full of azaleas of all colors in full bloom. So, I knew she would appreciate another azalea. There are plenty of spaces in her yard. 

Another friend gave her a gardenia, so she has new flowers. She received so many visits and phone calls that today, Wednesday, she is just recovering. 

I went to the PO to get my mail and found my box locked. When I went to the proper counter to find out for sure and fix the problem, the attendant used his outdoor voice to tell me I could not break in line and pointed out "all those people are standing in line and you can too." I then used my outdoor voice to tell him I did not ask to break in line! I left just furious! 

I found a guy to make me new birds and took scraps of 2x6 and 2x4 to cut from. Some boards had the bird pattern already traced. Well, he is charging me an exorbitant price just to cut them. But, I will get a few as I am going to sell them. My friend's other bird rotted, too, so she is having two made for me and two for her. 

While there, I went to Publix to see if I could buy a azalea for me. No, all gone. 

Tuesday, I called about my PO Box and was told it is still available if I get there first to pay for it. I tried to pay it online, but that failed. I do have a USPS account but the site said--NO. So, I went to local PO and was told I could not. Yet, last fall, I was told I could. So, I asked Tommy if we could go to Cullman. We just left and drove there, paid for PO box, went to my lot, returned four pair of pants to Belk where I looked for shoes for Tommy. No luck. 

The price is high enough on my box, but I was charged and extra $23 late charge. Believe me, I have noted the date due on my calendar. I have not paid late charge, interest, or any extraneous charges for years. I hate to pay extra charges. 

I called dentist and asked if they had an opening to get my teeth cleaned. Surprisingly, they had an opening at 1 pm. I had my teeth cleaned and discussed my teeth and future work. Remember the place between two teeth where I thought I had a cavity causing pain, and I used clove oil? Well, there is no cavity or sign of one. The pain is from receding gum between those two teeth. 

Fluoride was applied to my teeth. That stuff is nasty. I have a fluoride rinse to use from now on. The plan from here forward is to removed huge amalgam fillings tht are cracked and falling apart on two teeth  and replace with crowns. The dental hygienist is soooo nice! 

Today, Wednesday, I went to appointment with endocrinologist. A person was coming to push me in, someone I was paying. Well, I am two weeks too early. So, I have to pay the "pushing" part of today's cost and next time's cost, too. I was and am so frustrated. 

I struggled to get the wheelchair out of the bedroom and down the ramp. So, I will be frustrated to put it back, knowing I have to do this in two weeks. 

As we left the office, I suddenly saw a sign on a building in Homewood that said Chocolate Lounge. The only thing I can find on the internet of the same name is in Dubai. Anne, have you seen this? If it is a lounge as we know it, I am not interested. I hope is is just a name for a place that sells chocolate. 

Exercising has been slow. I managed to do three one-minute sessions on Sunday, one on Monday. On Tuesday I was not shocked at how long 30 seconds was. At the end of 1 minute, I told Tommy to keep time still, but tell me when another 30 seconds beyond the one-minute target had passed. Wow, I marched for 90 seconds and did not feel like I was literally going to die. Wednesday, I did the same as soon as I woke. Since we have been gone and it is almost 6 pm. I plan to only get one more 90 second session done today. 

Tuesday night, I went to bed at midnight and awoke this morning, Wednesday,  at 10 am. And, my feet were barely swollen. Hopefully, my stamina with marching, feet less swollen, and adequate sleep continue. I realized I was headed down a path with a dangerous end. 

Tonight, Wednesday, I am exhausted even though I only rode to the doctor's and back. It looks like Monday and Tuesday caught up with me.