Halloween Decorations

 Saturday night, we started decorating for Halloween. I found the ghosts to hang from the dogwood tree. They were wadded and wrinkled, so they needed to be smoothed and rolled to help them hang better. This was part of the lot in a duffle bag for which I paid $3 three years ago. 

Stacked pumpkins are hung on the front door. A light-up jack-o-lantern on Tommy's bookcase. Jack-o-lantern with scene painted on it on my table. Huge fake pumpkin on table and pelee mums on step up part of the table. Fake leaves around the mum. Light in stemless wine glass with pumpkins painted on it. Pumpkin breadboard on stack of books by tv. Happy Halloween metal box on books on other side of tv. Spooky salt and pepper shakers in front of tv. One is a caldron. Electric candles are in front of a fake plant and sitting on fake leaves. 

Outdoors, Tommy will hang ghosts, another two decorative items, ghost and pumpkin. Plus, a bright green plastic pumpkin with handle will go on the table outdoors with a rock in it so it won't blow off. 

Only one item did I pay full price. Much of it came from the $3 duffle bag. Someday, maybe I will be able to get some 6' skeletons. A house in Cullman had two sitting at a table on the porch. They had a bottle of wine, glasses and a top hat on one and a boa on the other. I loved it. 

I need to get out my skeleton-hand earrings and my spider ring. Both were bought after Halloween on deep discount at Belk's one year. 

Most of this was in one box in the first bedroom. I was muttering about needing to find it as I was cleaning off my table next to me. Tommy was making noise somewhere. He came in with the box I needed and told me I should write "Halloween" on it. Yes, I should. But, the plan is to buy an orange Rubbermaid box.

Sunday

I found an orange plastic Rubbermaid-type box, so we can load this up in a box which I can find next year. We now have enough Fuji apples for an apple crisp, two Granny Smith to do whatever, maybe cook in a skillet, and three Red Delicious apples for me to eat. Then, Tommy told me I still have three Red Delicious for me to eat in the refrigerator. That is less tragic than running out. Then, I needed one bottle of craft paint--orange. Luckily. I found one Apple Barrel pumpkin orange. I usually wait too late to get a day planner, so I got one early. Got--red fairy lights for crystal Kiss. cows for Christmas village, cleaner/scrubber for cold grill, deodorant with no top...grrr. 

Late this evening Tommy put blackbird out and brought in bluebird and hung a nylon pumpkin with streamers. Tomorrow, we move on to items in the grab bag. It sounds like a lot, but it is really not. Most was dirt cheap or free. I will hang the cardinal closer to Christmas, well when I take down the blackbird.

We also were completely out of milk, mine and Tommy's. I would never drink milk if his was the only milk here, but he can and does drink a bit of mine. 

Dinner will be roasted chicken tenders for me with whatever vegetables are left. Tommy had chicken breast, Brussels sprouts, carrot, potato and something else. So, this will be all, and I will have to cook tomorrow. You got to do it somedays, I suppose. 

Of course, I did not sleep well with my stomach hurting, so slept from about nine until two in afternoon. Tommy was walking out of the room, and I could not help myself. I started looking at his bare stomach very concerned, reached out my hand, and said to come here in a worried voice. He struggled to get close enough to me, wondering what was wrong. I put out my hand and then took all five fingernails and sort of tickled/scritched/scratched his stomach. He was horrified and pulled back as I was dissolving in laughter. He said I was going to make him pee in his pants. I just could not help it. He will never trust me again. He is never playful, never was. 

Another day  with no drama. An excellent day.

Now, I am exhausted.  

How was your day?

Midnight Kiss

 It has been over two weeks since the dishwasher has been loaded and run. However, Tommy keeps washing just enough dishes. He just wanders off and stays gone in the kitchen. When I stagger in, the kitchen looks pretty good. It is not perfect, but he keeps enough dishes washed so I can cook.

All decorations are still up, although I did bring the wreath in. It lies here, ready to be put away.  Tommy washed three loads of laundry and offered to do more. He washed his fuzzy blanket I gave him years ago and four of the throws. I had to hang all four of the small throws, and he dried his in the dryer. The dryer has only one setting--hot--so I never put anything in it except kitchen linen and bedclothes. I don't feel like hanging things, especially since the last are not dry. 

The temp reached 80F today, so this gives us the opportunity for bad weather. 

Since we received the filters from Amazon and Tommy replaced the old one, the furnace no longer roars and strains. It is a smooth-running machine now. 

New Year's Eve, we wanted to watch one of the musical specials. But, that was not to be. So, I think we watched Gunsmoke. The fireworks were far away, so we saw nothing. There no special snacky things here. But, all in all, since I felt so horrible, it was a pleasant evening. 

After I "jumped" off the stool, Tommy was coming into the living room past me. I turned and started to kiss him. He lowered his head like I intended to kiss him on his head. I said, "We have lips." We then shared a peckity kiss. 

Holiday Transitions

 Saturday still.

Tommy is just now getting around to taking all the meat off the turkey. I took off the breast meat and it is in the freezer for Thanksgiving. The dark meat will be frozen, too, since Thanksgiving is a bit off from here. 

Before you ask and admonish, No, I did not save the carcass for broth. 

Taking the meat from the bones is easier if the turkey is still warm. This was torture to get the breast meat with a knife instead of grabbing it and pulling the breast meat off whole. Getting the rest of the meat off the bone is a job I absolutely despise. Tommy wore clear gloves to do the job so he was not so nasty when he got through and so the meat was still clean.

I have been asking Tommy for a week to help me sort of get food out of refrigerator and to help me find the leftover pork loin. I can bend but am in pain. So, I bent and pulled things out while he took it from me and put it on the stove or in the trash. I must say that we threw out too much food, mostly ends of salad bags. I did manage to sort of organize stuff. But, much was left untouched, never removed. sigh

Now, I may have remembered where the pork loin is--maybe in the space for the crispers.

Just now, I asked Tommy what else he would like for Thanksgiving. His request does not have to be typical Thanksgiving fare and can be savory or sweet, snacky or meal time food. He said he had not had a mincemeat pie in thirty years. So, that is on the menu and so easy to make. I have several blocks of mince meat--Nonesuch. 

So, that makes three sweets for Thanksgiving Day eating--peanut butter cookies already made, pumpkin pie and mincemeat pie that are yet to be made. 

I don't put an egg in my mincemeat. I put less water and a cup or more of applesauce and bake a two crust pie. I may get ambitious and make the applesauce since I have many apples. 

Two chunks of cream cheese came home with me. I have no idea how I will use them. I have not decided what to use them to make. What is your favorite way to use cream cheese? I like it on crackers with cayenne pepper jelly. Of course, I love cream cheese cake. 

EDIT

I forgot. My favorite way to eat cream cheese is with savory spices and on a cucumber sandwich. I took these to school for a tea party for ninth grade English class. The boys politely took several. When they came back, one guy took a huge handful, just used his hand like a claw and took a dozen of so, little round cucumber sandwiches. 

Sunday, I needed a prescription. When we went to the pharmacy, it was going to take over an hour before it was ready. I suggested we drive around a bit. We found lots of Halloween decorations up. Halloween in some cases had transitioned to Thanksgiving. In some cases, on of the two holidays also had Christmas decorations inside. Some houses had gone full Christmas. It was interesting to see three holidays up at once. Do you see houses with two holiday's decorations up at the same time?

Tommy's Birthday, Ballots and Pandemic Halloween

 Have you ever been confused? A month off confused? I know Tommy's birthday is in December. Yet, I keep hurrying to get things for his birthday this next week which is not December.  In the car Saturday, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday--birthday brownies, cupcake, cake and what kind. He said just ice cream. Well, I may make birthday brownies for myself! When I asked him what kind of ice cream, he said "homemade." What kind? Something with fruit in it. No chocolate, I ask myself? Apparently not. I think I will make vanilla to go with my brownies. 

The ice cream freezer makes good ice cream, but not with fruit pieces in it. The fruit is little pieces of rocks and so cold I cannot even taste the fruit. I think I will thaw the gallon of strawberries someone gave me and use that over the ice cream. So, this is early planning. I would never have frozen strawberries in a gallon bag, but I do not mind receiving them! Maybe I can have strawberries on brownie, topped with ice cream or something like that. Or, I can stir in blueberries after the cream is frozen. 

I even ordered one of his small gifts from Amazon so it would definitely be here in time. I have been planning for Dec. 9 for this whole last week! 

We took the box of food to a food store parking lot and offered it to a woman. She told us she had a daughter with five children who needed money. The woman said she only had $30, but would give it to her. She was very appreciative, thanking us over and over. 

We pulled out and I had Tommy go back. I told the woman where we got food today. I suggested maybe her daughter could get some food there. She said her daughter was so busy with five kids in school, so she was not sure she could. I told her that if she would give me her phone number, I would call every week when I had food. She happily gave me her number. 

I have been fretting about whether my ballot arrived and whether it was accepted. Several times each day I have gone to the site to check. Finally, Sunday at 1 am my ballot was registered. It feels like Christmas and my birthday rolled into one. All this unnecessary talk of ballots being held up in the mail and people's ballots not accepted for a multitude of reasons has drained me. 

Halloween night, we had to go get a vital med before Walgreen's closed at 6 pm. I saw a huge pumpkin down a side street and we stopped to gawk on the way back. Then, I wanted to take pictures and had to go home and get my camera. 

One home had the fire pit out front with a roaring fire and three people sitting, waiting. We talked to one guy there.  Lots of people were out and about, all in costume, before 6 pm.

One house had maybe 18 people out front, adults and children, all in costume. A lawn tractor appeared to have dug up skeletons. There were two skeleton dogs chasing a skeleton cat up a tree. Of course, the dogs had the cat treed. I am not sure how they did it, but looking at a window, it appeared we could see inside. There was a skeleton jazz band playing. One skeleton was playing a saxophone. And, a skeleton was swinging in a swing in a tree.  It was a fun looking house. I asked to take pictures and everyone sort of posed for me. 

That ride made the day's end,  a good Halloween for us. Then, we came home and ate the last six Snicker minis. Dinner was great. I had a dinner for one--chicken breast stuffed with cheese and new potatoes. I opened a can of green beans and there was enough for both of us sharing the dinner for one. Halloween 2020 is gone now. It seemed the children and adults were having a good time. I just hope they stayed safe.

The memories of our decorations will remain. Now, I will start on a graveyard for next Halloween. Okay, maybe I will wait until next summer to work on it, just gathering the supplies for now.

Would you describe this 2020 Halloween as a good Halloween memory? If you mailed in your ballot, have you checked to see if it has been accepted?