Exhausting but Happy Wednesday, Now Thursday

Wednesday morning, I awoke mostly rested, since I never feel well in the morning. I woke at 8 am and washed my hair and made a chicken sandwich to take with me for breakfast. We were out of the house by 9:10. I ate the sandwich and a glass of milk in the car. Then, we hit a 10 mile traffic jam and never did find out what happened. We mostly sat and occasionally drove 3 mph! 

If I look closely to my face, I am probably wind-burned! 

A church was having their monthly lunch pickup. It was going to be turkey and dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, roll and cranberry sauce. Plus, there was chocolate cake or pecan pie. Consequently, the line was longer than usual.  The word gets out and people come in droves. Plus, some people picked up 30+ dinners, picking up for groups of people or individuals who cannot get out of the house. 

We invited Tommy's cousin to eat outdoors with us at a different park. Sportsman's Lake is closed while they decorate for Christmas Light Tour in the park. We also planned to pick up two lunches for our 90-year-old friends we usually meet in the park. He is ill and had been in the hospital and won't eat or drink enough to survive the kidney infection. 

We sat for two hours talking and laughing with Tommy's cousin. We really like him. The wind was blowing in gusts that blew my hair in my eyes and face and twisted it up. I fully expect to wake on Thursday with a horrible sinus infection and accompanying ear pain.  I sat where the wind was in my face. Tommy and cousin had it to their back and side, better positions, I think. 

The leaves were falling and flying in the wind. Even under the pavilion, two flew into my food, three or four onto the table, and one huge one fell on Tommy's food, and more on all of us, the table, and onto us. The venue under the trees was very pleasant. 

We forgot to go the PO, went to two grocery stores, my house. We were home by 4:15. It was a long day. all the talking and laughing and the hard wind took their toll on me...lol. I took a nap from 5:30 to 7 pm and got up to eat with Tommy. 

We brought home two lunches and had them for dinner. We shared a small piece of cake and a small piece of pie. I seriously overate and could not finish my meal for dinner. Tommy took my turkey and put it in a sandwich bag. He has baggies down pat and sees the slice of turkey as his lunch. Good man. 

Wednesday was a very good day with a friend, picnic, and great lunch. I did not freeze the sweet potatoes. Tomorrow will be a new day. Maybe I will make mashed potatoes and freeze them. I do know I won't make sweet potato casserole since I have had my fix and need no more added sweetness. 

We did stay a bit and talked to the wife of friend who won't eat or drink enough. His wife is so worried. The next time we go, we will get watermelon chunks in Publix and take that to him to help with hydration. They are 90 and both still drive. Last year, they drove to Michigan and made it back in one piece. 

Thursday

I slept well and awoke ill. This is what the wind does for me. Nose, sinuses, ears, sore throat and chest all involved. Now, my job is to soothe and decongest all this. Otherwise, a fever will ensue and I will be miserable. I went to bed at 1 am. Tommy stayed up later. And, he always accuses me of making him miss sleep...lol. 

I do have things to do. I plan to freeze the sweet potatoes in portions, make gravy. If all goes well, I will have the gravy to the point of using fresh turkey drippings. I will save out enough sweet potatoes for one meal. That huge bowl will vacate a huge space in the refrigerator. I need the room. 

This is something I started about 40 years ago. I don't want to be stirring flour on the stove with oil continually to brown it on Thanksgiving Day!  My back cannot handle that these days. But, I started this just because it was more convenient. I can put the browned flour and oil mixture into a very small bowl to store it until Thanksgiving day. Or, in this case until I put the turkey juice in it. By that time, I will have the stored turkey and at least one of the ten half-gallons of milk from the refrigerator. 

Maybe I will just make mashed potatoes and freeze them.

It is almost 3 pm and I am tired and losing ambition. Tonight, we will have turkey breast, sweet potatoes, and kale. 

Has anyone done the hard work of browning flour and oil for gravy ahead of the day? What dishes do you or did you prepare before the DAY? By adding drippings later, the gravy does not have to fit into the refrigerator. Mama was always cooking everything on Thanksgiving. So, did I until I figured out better. There were reasons she worked unnecessarily hard, so not judgment there. 

Monday Busyness

 It was a beautiful day with blue skies, large clouds, sun, and a breeze. I was determined to go to Cullman since I put it off three times in the last week due to no sleep. 

Well, Sunday night, I did not sleep a minute! But, I went anyway. It was exhausting! However, I came home and was in bed by 4:30. It was a late nap, but I was back in bed by midnight. 

My PO box was stuffed full, as usual. I forgot to take a tote bag and had to pick out the mail a letter or two at a time, take to table and go back for another two envelopes. If it weren't for junk mail, my box would be almost empty. I did get a letter saying my stimulus is on the way. 

My yard has still not been mown. I am not quite sure what it takes to get someone to mow. A friend said he would mow at Thanksgiving and is still making excuses. grrr The privet hedge is trying to set up a stand in the front yard. My tulips and daffodils are beautiful in the front yard and the back yard is full of daffodils. 

We went to KFC and bought three dinners. Tommy's Cullman cousin who has treated him to Bright Star meals for years met us at the lake in the city. (Bright Star is a famous Greek restaurant in Birmingham.) As you know, I love KFC a lot. Even though it was 70 degrees out and sunny, the wind was blowing off the lake which affected my gravy. I should have eaten it first because it was just a cold glob of potatoes and gravy after a bit, rather tasteless and not comforting at all. 

We sat there for two hours, eating, talking, and laughing. When we were ready to leave, his cousin brought out a box of masks and told us to take two or three. We  took two apiece. His wife had made many and sent them for us to choose our own. 

I talked to a business about cutting my birds. I tried to go into Lowe's but the electric carts were all being used. I forgot to go to the one grocery I wanted to go into. We went to Walgreen's because there was something she needed to check. 

On the way home I told Tommy he could have hotdog, chili, and either strawberries or grape tomatoes, or both. I went to bed and left him to fend for himself. When I awoke at 8:30, he had slept a bit and had not eaten. So, we had a hotdog naked with only condiments. 

Since I have had trouble with reflux, I have very pointedly tried not to eat much after dinner or too late. I also avoid some foods. In the last three days, I have lost a pound or more each day. There is no need to lecture me on eating. You will only annoy me. With gastroparesis, I am supposed to eat six of seven small meals a day. With diabetes, I cannot fast. 

Monday was a good day full of sun and conversation and KFC. Have you had a good week so far? Sunshine? Conversation? 

Sewing, Reunion, Death, Garden, Microwave

Urspo sent me a package of fabric for masks. I have the interior, the filtering part. I decided against using any of the pads for under babies or incontinent people. Some of it tears easily, so i doubt it will hold up in the wash.

Since I don't have a sewing machine to use, I can use needle and thread. I bought new thread. The needles Tommy's mothers last used 57 years ago appear to be good. I hate I have no iron or ironing board. Tommy said he had never owned an iron or ironing board and has never ironed anything. I am amazed.

On Friday I received a call from a second cousin from Indiana. He is coming here Sunday morning from Montgomery. They are traveling and pulling a 25 foot motor home, or whatever you call them, a fifth wheel. So, I called his uncle who is my cousin and talked a bit and received family pictures in email.

I called my step-sister who does not sound well at all. She told me one of her brothers, my step-brother had died last week. I have seen none of them in over 50 years. He lives on the West coast, so since she lives in the South and is in poor health, she did not attend the funeral. I was sad for her. 

Saturday, we went to back yard and watered 3 of the four boxes. Last week, I planted two Better Boy tomato plants. They were leggy, about a foot tall. So, I pinched off all leaves except the top three. I left sad little leaves above the ground and the long stem stretched out and buried. Saturday, they were over a foot tall and looked happy. 

In another box I transplanted two red bell pepper plants and two plants that I do not recognize. I suppose I will have to do a little research on those. In the third box I planted a green Bell pepper plant. Since  was exhausted after that, we came in. I always wait until the sun is behind the house. The one week I worked about 3 pm in the sun, it took a few days to recover. 

Tommy loves red or green bell peppers. I have some in the freezer because even though I won't eat them, they are a good seasoning, along with onions and celery--Holy Trinity. 

The neighbor came and removed the microwave. When he left, I frantically cleaned underneath. It was so filthy. I commented to Tommy that fact. He said he had never cleaned under it since he set it there in 1980 and he was not surprised. Gross. Finally, I squirted Dawn on the counter I had made wet but could not get clean. Well, I was trying to get the layer off. After lots of Dawn, it was clean as a whistle in about one minute. 

Tommy commented that he could take the item from the microwave and set it on the counter. His was so deep it covered the counter front to back. His microwave had no light inside. Mine does, so I won't have to get a flashlight to see the food to judge if it is done or bubbly or whatever. 

My microwave is tiny. There is a foot of extra counter toward the sink and in front of the microwave. Tommy is glad to have the smaller one and the room on the counter. 

Reunion

My cousin said he would call when he was almost here. I saw a pickup slowing down and saw it was towing a huge domicile. So, he was here. 

He came to the door and immediately told me I looked just like his Aunt Linda. After he took his dog for a walk and scoped out where he could turn around, we visited for about and hour. 

This cousin, really a second cousin, looks identical to my grandfather! He said he looked just like his father, also. His wife commented it was all in the eyes. That is what everyone in our family says. 

Once, I went to a funeral and saw a young woman with three children. I could tell she was my relative because of her eyes. I could be in a strange town and see a relative from my father's side and recognize the person by the eyes. 

He showed me pictures on his phone of his aunts and uncles, all my cousins. I have never met any of them. Well, when I was a young child, I may have seen them.  And, I showed him one relative, a cousin, who has his own FB entry. 

I had brownies, watermelon, Diet Pepsi, Coke, and water but they wanted none of it. They are visiting a friend of his near my town north of here. I think they are going for lunch. 

We all wore masks. Tommy and I were not going to eat so we could keep our masks own. David and I took our masks off outdoors so we could take pictures of each other. All in all, it was a good little family reunion. 

Impeachment

When Nixon was impeached, he resigned before the trial. My son was four and understood very well that when one show on TV ended, another would begin. He was missing Romper Room and Captain Kangaroo. Maybe he only missed Romper Room. He was sad, so sad. His kindergarten he attended was out for the summer. He came to me with a doleful tone and face, "Mama, when will Watergate be off the TV?" He expected that Watergate would have a predictable end.

Tuesday, I did make dinner-- salmon croquettes, sweet potatoes, Romaine, blueberry muffins. I put too many oats in the salmon and the croquettes were dry. Plus, I had no onion and was not asking Tommy to go out to get it. However, as usual, the sweet potatoes were spectacular. I used a pouch of blueberry muffin mix and put frozen blueberries in them.

Wednesday, today, Tommy's cousin took us to lunch at Bright Star, a nice restaurant in Bessemer. Two Greek brothers owned it. One died a few months ago, so the other brother is still there. The food was delicious. I had half a chicken and rice pilaf, baked apples, and Greek potatoes. Everything was delicious. I brought all the rice and most of the chicken home. It looks like dinner tonight. Broccoli will be steamed.

Tommy's great grandfather is the cousin's grandfather. He and I knew a lot of the same people as he live in Cullman County. I tried not to talk too much since it was a lunch for them. Tommy said I did not...whew.

After the meal we grocery shopped--3 lbs. Halos, strawberries, bananas. grape tomatoes, broccoli, milk, and Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries. I did buy plastic spoons and forks. I needed a mattress cover. I have been meaning to buy a travel pillow, so I finally got that...oh, and nail polish. Leaf Lettuce was all starting to turn brown and had a date of next Wednesday, so I will return for that when they have fresher Leaf Lettuce. It is the easiest way to get green stuff into Tommy. He will actually go in and pluck a loose leaf or two from the box. If he had to dismantle it, he would never eat it. When I have been in bed at lunch or dinner, he has to take care of feeding himself. Otherwise, I get all his food out and heat it for him. All the groceries were bogo or on sale.

In this city a little pink bag of coupons is thrown every week. That is where I get the newspaper inserts. I had a $5 coupon that I would use. Now, I cannot find it. So, I just sent Tommy into the cold, dark night to get them from the curbs of neighbors. He said some people never bring them in and toss them into the trash on Thursday night when they take the trash to the road. He said I could get them and no one would care. I am afraid...lol...so he went to get them for me. He is a good man...lol.


The two packages of chicken are almost thawed in the refrigerator. I now plan that for tomorrow. There is plenty of food here. I just do not meal plan as such.