Disgust and Excitement

 It is such a beautiful day with blue skies and white, fluffy clouds. At 6 pm is 73F. Perfect! The day did not start well. I could not sleep until 8 am and only slept until 11 am because I told Tommy to wake me if I slept until 11 am. UGH!

We were in the car, sitting for a bit. I was reading the newspaper. All of a sudden, I became dizzy. Then, the car started flying around when I closed my eyes. I sort of shrieked, grabbed the door and Tommy, begging him to hold me and not let me fly away. It was terrifying. So, that settled down and to my surprise, the car was still in the same place. 

Then, I started salivating uncontrollably. I regurgitated on the newspaper I was reading. Yuck. TMI. I continued this new activity for a while. Then, I laid my head back as we drove. When I finally got into the house, I continued for five minutes. 

Well, I don't accept this new state. I ate a small slice of a chocolate chip cookie cake. So far, so good. 

Two men were on their balcony, minding their own business when shots rang out and put the two men in the hospital. One is out and okay. The other is still in a wheelchair and home. But, he needs support since he cannot work. We provided food. We will provide cash I have that is only to help people who need it. I can use it for myself but won't. Tommy does not know this yet, lol. But, it is my windfall, so my decision. He will not object. 

Of course, my knee seems healed, but this happens all the time. I suppose since I am so hungry and woozy it would not do the be lame, too. 

Saturday, I started gasping in glee. My mouth was full, so I could not speak. Tommy did not see, but I did. He looked to see where I was looking. Hummingbird! It flew off and two minutes later, there were three hummingbirds. I was amused by the object of their inspection. I had a pink, hanging flowerpot. After months in the sun, only the hook is pink. Well, all three hummingbirds hovered and seemed to be wanting to taste the pink hook. Yes, they really do like pinks/reds. I made nectar early Sunday. On Sunday afternoon I put out one feeder. Tuesday, I put out a second. One hummingbird came back today. Well, I only saw one, but the door was not open, and I was gone part of the day. Happy Day, we have hummingbirds again. 

I am testing my stomach, tempting fate, having potato salad for dinner. 

I feel weak, so I will tell you about my Saturday tumble tomorrow. Promise. 

Do you become inordinately excited over hummingbirds or the first of a flower or vegetable? What excites you in the spring?

Sunday This and That

 Rats! I forgot about the Budweiser Clydesdales in four or five different places right near me this last week! I am disappointed. I remembered in time to go to Cullman, but I have something hard to do on Monday, so I let it go. 

Saturday night, I slept about 7 hours and was ready for a looong nap four hours later. Maybe I can just sleep through the winter, hibernate. Actually, a lymph node is swollen on the side of my neck. So, I will struggle to stay well.

Tommy usually disappears into the kitchen at night. Sometimes, I cannot hear him. Other times, I hear little noises. If I go in there, he may be giving himself his night shot of insulin. I don't like to go in when he is giving himself insulin because I might bump him as he turns loose his walker and stands with both hands on the needle. So, I just sit. 

Saturday night, he was in there forever and making little noises and then long stretches of silence. Finally, during the little noises, I went in. He was sorting dishes in the sink. He told me he put all the plates in the dishwasher and all the utensils! Glory be! The man is almost tame. I felt bad he did all that. Then, later, he showed me that largest of the plates we have and asked could he mix the sizes. Well, of course. But, I pointed out that putting all the same diameters together would eventually leave a bit more room in the dishwasher. I was nearer the dishwasher, so I told him I would just put it in and not to rearrange. 

When we got the dishwasher, he did not know the baskets for the utensils would come out of the dishwasher. When he figured that out, he started removing the basket and taking it to the drawer to put them in their little nooks. Will miracles never end?

Slowly, we are figuring out more items to recycle. It occurred to me that the paper recycling could hold receipts and torn up notes we have written. Now, I need to find out where to recycle other items--dark plastic med containers from prescriptions, glass dark glass med bottles, labels that have sticky on the back, etc. 

Composting is something I need to figure out, too. For twenty or so years, I threw apple cores and such into a hole in the edge of my yard. I suppose I only drew critters. No, the raccoons only came for my chickens. But, nothing went into the landfill. Then, I built a compost pile inside a cage of building blocks. Finally, the chickens arrived, and they took care of kitchen scraps. Now, I cannot get into the backyard. So, I am stuck throwing kitchen scraps into the trash. I don't know anyone here who gardens, or I would offer scraps. So, I think about this lots. 

My red Kiss is sitting on a table nearby and is very handy for keeping coins. 

The low was predicted to be 30F last night and the same for tonight. It is past time to bring in the hummingbird feeders. So, no flowers, no hummingbirds here, just as well since we cannot leave the door open. I am against cold weather. 

Sunday night, we took a quick drive to see what was already up for Christmas decorations. There was a Thanksgiving decoration-one white, huge, turkey--inflatable, and lit. 

The Christmas movie classics are back, so that is a good thing for me. I love those. 

    BESURETODRINKYOUROVALTINE

This was a pleasant low-key Sunday. How was your day? What did you do this weekend? What are your plans for the week?

Saturday Missionaries Visit & Linda Goes Yard Sale-ing

 It has been a busy morning here. I was going to get up at 9 am but since I awoke at 7:30, I could not sleep or rest knowing they were coming. 

One brought in the ladder from the carport at Tommy's request. We gave them masks to wear in our house. They emptied cabinets of all contents. Now, we have boxes of stuff stacked in the kitchen. Thankfully, all cabinets at the ceiling were empty. Easily, the most tedious task of all was peeling off the stick-on shelf paper. Strangely, only the three sets of cabinets to the left of the sink had shelf paper. The set of cabinets with glass doors had shelf paper on the sides of the cabinets. The paper from the first two cabinets peeled off easily. The shelf where I put spices, vinegar and general foods was hardest to remove and required a knife to peel it up to finally start it peeling. They used ample soapy water and a brush after the shelf paper was finally off. 

We had more than enough empty boxes to put the contents into for storing on the floor until we can empty them back into cabinets or the trash. ugh. Thankfully, Tommy stayed out of the kitchen since he could not get in there anyway. So, Sunday when the shelves dry, we can put down shelf paper. Now, we can throw out these boxes. There are still numerous boxes here, so these can go. 

Yes, they did find parts of dead roaches. At least, that is what they said they were finding. And, I assured them that the stuff they were wiping out was roach poop! They did not know what roach poop looked like. Now, they do!

There is shelf paper here that I bought for something else, sort of white and gray marble. I need light in these cabinets, so it will work. I really want to start today, so stuff will be available to use to cook. However, I have leftovers--pork loin, carrots, potatoes, and green beans. And, there is a pair of hamburgers thawed for tomorrow. 

The hummingbirds have not come back since the initial sighting. The sugar water was old that day, so I wonder if she told everyone not to come here. My friend has seen no hummers, either, other than the one Tommy saw at her house. I need to change the nectar again as soon as the new batch is cool. 

Since I put up the shepherd's crooks last year, I have seen a bird or two land on them. But, since I hung the baskets of flowers, birds are flocking here. I love it. Of course, there is now bird poop on the rail of the ramp. Thankfully, they don't land and poop on the side I use. 

One day, I saw a mockingbird pecking the inside of the Wave Petunias. I wonder what was he pecking? Eating a bug he saw? 

The dogs next door barked at 6:30 and had dozens of dogs all over the neighborhood barking for thirty minutes! Of course, I could not go to sleep again. 

One missionary was 18 and the other 20. One was from Colorado and the other from Wyoming. A car and an apartment is supplied. That is all I know...lol. 

I went to the yard sale and sat out front in the car, looking it over. I feel bad when I do this. It feels like I am judging and not giving them a chance. But, I cannot get out the spare her feeling. We left.

Then, we went to another part of town. It looked like a great sale. It was when I got out. But, there was no clue as to the price on anything at all. I glanced around and asked who knew the prices. Someone said the woman sitting down. Well, customers were surrounding her. Besides, I don't easily turn. She came over and could not hear me. No one complains I am not loud enough! Well, it turns out she has a hearing problem. Besides, she was a bit passive-aggressive. When I held something up and said, "What is the price?" she asked me what I said. I held the item up more and yelled. "PRICE?" She said, "Do you want to know the price?" I nodded and said, "YES, PRICE?" She finally deigned to give me the price. 

When I was looking at her books, she brought me a box to put them in. I told her I could not carry a box of books. She volunteered to carry the box for me when I filled it with books. Well, I carried 3 books to the table and decided I only wanted two. So, like an idiot, I gave her two quarters. The books were 50 c each! I was embarrassed and apologize and handed over another two quarters. I bought Conscious Classroom Management and Much Ado About Nothing. 

As I turned to leave, I saw a pretty blue and white striped, canvass tote/purse. So, I spent another $1 for a total of $2 at this yard sale.  

Before we left for the garage sale, I had to get together some money. Tommy gave me $7 and I came up with $2 and 10 quarters. So, I spent none of his money at yard sales, so I need to repay nothing, thankfully.

We went to Bessemer and looked at the homes. Some have burned, one to the ground, most partially gutted by fire, some historic homes are in seemingly perfect conditions. Some homes, ancient and others fairly new, are becoming shabby. 

We then stopped at a place that had something about "hope" in the title. It was a strange place. The signs all said "3 free with $5 donation." I bought a Mounds Bar to share with Tommy. As I left, I saw a supplement the doctor told me to take. It was in date. I wanted the last three boxes. Well, most things only had 6 or less boxes. 

Each bottle costs me $16.88 elsewhere. So, for $5, I bought $50.64 of merchandise. That is a savings of $45.64! I will go back there again! Someday, when I am fresher and less worn from the day or previous walking, I will visit this place again. Plus, this woman showed me where her sister has a liquidation store. YAY!

About two blocks from the entrance to our neighborhood, it started to rain, big fat drops. Finally, at the house, it was smaller drops. When I came in, I put the half dead wave petunias in the rain. The thing perked right up. It just wanted rain. The other two hanging baskets fluffed right up even after Tommy had watered it this morning. Plants like rain better than hard water with fluoride! 

At 5:45 pm, I saw a hummingbird, drinking long at one of the feeders. Now, I am quite sure they are back! The weather was beautiful all week long, as Anne noted. About 7:15, a hummer came back and spent a long time here. 

Saturday was excellent, happy all the way. 

What did you do that was interesting, fun, unusual, or frugal?

Bluapple, Dogs, Hummingbirds

The TODAY SHOW has a bit on about products we cannot live without. I saw the BLUAPPLE and ordered it. This is an expensive little apple in which you place a packet to absorb ethylene gas that is put off by ripe fruit and causes other fruits to ripen. 

The little packet is activated charcoal. 

I think I could use any little container and punch holes in it. Then, I could fill little squares of coffee filters with activated charcoal. This would save money. But, it is done. Tommy was all for this and paid for it. 

Have you used this technology? Have you heard of it? 

We ran out of spoons and have been forced to wash plastic spoons. Tommy does not want regular cutlery. Today, he said, "Do you think you could find plastic spoons on the internet to order?" So, that is what I will do. 

It is Thursday afternoon and I must cook this meat! But, I can barely walk or sit up. But, Tommy will help.

The people next door finally put up the dog pen. Instead of it being a square, they bolted it together in one long fence that runs from their patio to their back fence. Good! Now, the children don't wave, just stare. I suppose the parents are mad and talking about us. They will still get cupcakes when I can manage. The dog house is as far from here as possible in a far corner.  It seems it is best where it is under a tree instead of where they were going to put it where it has full sun all day. 

I saw the first hummingbird today! I was so excited. When we were talking to Lynda in her driveway, Tommy saw a hummingbird at the edge of her patio. So, they have arrived. 

As awful as I felt, we had to get the meat cooked. I went and held onto the sink and told Tommy what to bring me. I put in a cooking bag four huge thighs and six chicken tenders, half a red onion, three small potatoes, and five carrots. 

Tommy had already gone to the kitchen to brown a huge package of ground beef. When I went in there, he asked me if I were going to peel the carrots. I said I was not and if he didn't have time, we just would not have carrots. I came back and he was scraping the carrots on his walker and stirring meat at his elbow. So, we had carrots, too. 

He had turned on the oven, so the chicken and vegetables went in quickly. I had to recover in the living room while he finished the beef. We ate while we watched Gunsmoke. 

I thought I had a second package of chicken tenders thawing. When Tommy put all the thawed meat in the sink, I was thinking one package of tenders looked very old, maybe not good. When I started loading up the cooking bag, I realized that one package was pork loin chops. I suppose it would have been okay, but I did cook the pork in a different bag. 

There are two "meals" of chicken in the refrigerator--one glass container with thigh and two chicken strips and three pieces of carrot, another container with thigh and two chicken strips. Plus, a third container with chicken. Six cups of ground beef are in another container. Five pork loin chops and onion are still in the oven. I will most likely freeze all the chops and eat the chicken the next three meals. I am going to make taco soup tomorrow with some of the ground beef, freezing two cups of the soup. I will freeze at least five bags of one cup each of the ground beef after putting some in the taco soup. 

Normally, I would have made half the ground beef into a meat loaf, divided it and frozen half. But, I was not up to making meatloaf. Maybe I will make Spanish Rice with brown rice, using up the some of the ground beef. A can of green beans will make an appearance somewhere. I want cole slaw, so we may get a bag. Well, Tommy will have to go in to get it. 

We have plenty of salad fixings to have a salad with the chicken. There is plenty of fruit to eat. I don't dare eat any oranges or grapefruit since I am very allergic to citrus and especially in the spring. 

I am not better nor getting better. I may call the doctor in the morning. 

This and That

Remember I overbought Miracle Whip. Then, I announced I had eaten all the old MW? Well, I just now found the "new" MW, which of course is out of date. In the meantime, I was given five 8 ounce jars of MW. You know it--They are out of date, too. So, now I have to finish the little out-of-date jars and the two huge jars, out-of-date almost a quart in each jar. sigh...will I ever have fresh Miracle Whip again. I was looking for some that was on sale this week. Thankfully, I did not find any! 

When I say I "found" the MW, it was not lost at all. However, I do keep jars of food in the dark. And, I keep all my food in the cool kitchen and back bedroom. So, it was out of sight, not really lost or found. 

I knew that one of the feeders was out of nectar. I finally got it in because the others were obviously full. When I got it in Tuesday night, the clear bottle had lots of mold, so I assume the bottom that is sealed has plenty. I soaked all the parts in Dawn and Clorox. Today, I opened a new, free toothbrush and used it to get rid of the mold I could see. Tommy took the new, filled feeder out and brought the other two inside. I need to clean and fill those tonight. We did have lots of hummers, but they have diminished in number today. Next year, I will be more picky with hummingbird feeders. I think the first one that I bought 40 years ago spoiled me as to what to look for. I thought all were good feeders. 

There is not a tall shepherd's hook to be found. I had a really short one that we were going to use. Tommy put it in the ground and I carried out the feeder. Well, I could not see the feeder sitting on the couch, so he thought sticking it in a large pot would raise it enough. It did not, he said. So, he put another pot of used dirt under the first one. Then, he put a third pot under the first two. That worked and looks nice. Now, they need flowers in the pots of dirt. 

I love August and September for the butterflies about. There are pretty yellow butterflies that mingle with the hummingbirds. These butterflies can fly as fast as the hummers. I wonder what they think of each other.  I am a watcher of Lepidoptera. 

Today, I wanted a Sonic footlong chili cheese dog. We ate at the park. For dinner, I am cooking sweet potatoes and cabbage. These are sweet potatoes I bought in September or October of 2020. That should work for dinner. Tommy had a BLT. 

In the refrigerator I have a package of 93/7 ground beef. I will this evening make it into chili sauce so I don't have to buy it in the grocery store. This should be so much cheaper and probably better. Since I do not eat chili in beans, this will be tasty. I will freeze it in meal portions, about 1/2 cup. I may freeze a bit of cheese with the sauce. Neither of us want much sauce on our hotdogs. It is not like we have chili with hotdogs in it. I just want the hotdog, sauce, and cheese, maybe a bun.

Before the evening is over, I am going to sort one box of patterns that are here. Tommy brought some of my things here years ago. These are patterns I have had since the 1960s. Well, maybe not in the one box I will sort this evening. But, they are here.

Do you have old patterns that you sewed over 60 years ago, or any old patterns?  Do you have flowers that attract butterflies?

Hummingbird Feeder and Fountain

 I made this HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER like Robbie did. I made too many holes and too close together, but that won't hurt anything. I got 8 oz jars of Miracle Whip and the empty jars are perfect. However, by slitting the top of the cut off container, I can shove the lid onto the outside of the plastic jar instead of inside. I have one out right now for hummingbirds. I paid for three and this one was free.

Still, I can post my pictures, but I wanted to post this before winter is upon us. 

This is another FOUNTAIN, the first video I saw her make. The first part of the video is interesting, but the instructions I used starts at 24:00.  I made a red fountain from a red plastic bowl, a cheap one that looks like red cut glass. I used a new water bottle with the drinking spout that folds up to drink and then down to close. Of course, it is open. This fountain cost $2 for supplies other than the $7 solar powered pump. So, $9 total. 

You can also make a fountain for larger birds. Oh, wrap the pump in tulle to protect it from trash.

I only have the one shepherd's hook, a tall one. But, for a long time I have had a short one. It is too close to the ground, so that we cannot see it when we are in the house. I was bemoaning this. Tommy said maybe he could move a pot and stick the hook into the pot of dirt. Well, he didn't think that was high enough and set the first pot into a second, did not thing that was high enough and stack a third pot. It looks cute and works even though it is still short than the original. CUTE!

Robbie has wonderful videos. And, she is so nice and obviously loves hummingbirds. 

Okay, so no hummingbird pictures from me with feeders and fountains I made. Tough. Get over it. LOL, I will find someone else to show me or get with R again. Maybe a phone call with her will work.  But, these are wonderful, joyful videos. They inspire me to have a hummer empire of my own since I now know how to make free feeders.

Have you ever made a feeder for your hummingbirds or a fountain? 

Rain and More Rain

 The Cymbalta seems to be affecting me more, like it is building up in my body. I don't know. But it is almost 5 pm and I have slept most of last night and most of today, about 12 hours. Today is the day I am supposed to double the dose. But, I did not. Well, I am supposed to add a dose for morning. 

I read that hummingbirds don't like it when rain gets in the feeder and dilutes the sugar water. The woman said she covers her feeders. Well, that won't be happening. Or, she moves them under cover. Maybe the rain will let up. 

The new feeder cost $4 and arrived today. It is cheaply built, but I have figured out how to make a feeder for free. The cheap one will work. I have to be more cognizant of the different aspects of construction.

It seems I only manage to eat dinner every day, so I have lost weight, not much, but enough to be encouraging. And, my affect is gone, depressed. I never smile, get upset, or feel anything. Even when something is funny, I cannot imagine a laugh. I just say, "That's funny." 

Has anyone else take Cymbalta and had a similar reaction. or any experience? This is two full weeks and it seems I am not adjusting at all. If you don't want to comment here, you can email me at

 pparsimony@yahoo.com. 

Saturday and Sunday

 Saturday night, I put all eight amber, pint, Ball canning jars and the rings into the dishwasher. I don't put the lids with the seal in water that hot as I feel it will lessen the sealing. I plan to use them for items that I keep in jars. At least they will keep the light from affecting food. When I start dehydrating again, I will use pint jars as I always have. 

Saturday night, I decided to go to bed at 7:45 and take an hour nap before a movie came on that I wanted to see. Well, that was not to be. Tommy was knocking around. Apparently, he spilled a Diet Pepsi on his table. He went to the bathroom and washed out the hand towel in the bathroom sink. I suppose I heard him rattling around a plastic bowl that lives in the sink. 

Then, I heard loud fireworks going off for a few minutes. I was up and madder than a wet hen. My heart was pounding before I left the bed, so rushing to look out the front door made me nauseous and dizzy. I pulled open the door and looked out. It was the very nice neighbor across the street. They quit shooting off fireworks. I suppose they thought I was angry and quit, but the damage was done. I could have seen pretty fireworks. So, I got up to watch since I could not sleep and now they think I wanted them to quit! I did before I got up. 

We had a BLT for dinner. I had a peach, too. Delicious. There is enough bacon to have another tomorrow. 

It is about 3 pm on Sunday. I just awoke ill. No wonder I was ready for bed at 8 pm Saturday night! So, I have it all assembled--water, inhaler, meds, pillow. Hopefully, I will be better by bedtime. I hate summer colds although this seems more in my chest. Running a temp in the summer is the worst. 

Tommy reported a hummingbird sighting when he awoke and later when he ate breakfast. So, I suppose they are coming all day. We are going to get flowers and hang them on another shepherd's hook near the front porch or ramp. Maybe you are tired of hearing about hummingbirds, but we are excited. Now, we just need hummingbird books. 

I had scheduled two people to clean at 3 pm today and awoke and called them to cancel. I hate that. Tommy is watching a program--Saturdays in the South. It appears to be about football and racism. Interesting. However, it has multiple segments and this series will last until 11 pm or something. Ack! 

There is no telling when he is going to help me with dishes. I have the dishwasher emptied and half-filled. But, he needs to come and just help empty the sink and hand dishes to me. 

We were out of the house from 6-7 pm. It is nice to be out and nice to be back...lol. 

Do you find getting a cold or chest congestion in the summer is more miserable than other times of the year?

Booklight, PBS, hummingbirds

 About 7:30 pm on Tuesday night, I brought in both hummingbird feeders to wash them and refill. I put dinner on and came to sit in the living room. Then, I saw two hummingbirds flitting around the positions where both feeders had been located! Then, they came back, flying round and round, searching. I failed them!

Wednesday night, I opened the door to see if hummingbirds came, and one did. At 7:20, same as before, a hummingbird showed up and took several sips and flew away. I had put them out just before 7 pm as there was a PBS special coming on at 7 pm.

USPS brought a package with Tommy's pen needles from Amazon and a book light for me. So far, the book light seems to be okay but could be better. I tried reading in bed. Since I must lie on my left side to read and my back is to the only bulb in the room, it helped me to see. But, it seemed it was always in the way. I read very fast, so I kept having to turn the page and keep my place while not tearing the pages and keeping my glasses on correctly while I thrashed around on the pillow. I think this might work better sitting up. 

I have a pink one, but copied this instead. One good and surprising thing to me was this light charges via USB plug. I like that. 

Tommy's pen needles are a bit cheaper on Amazon. However, we bought them from Amazon because of continuing covid risk. Plus, he does not have to walk all the way through Sam's club to get more pen needles at a cheap price. 

Tuesday night at 7 pm, we watched a PBS program about hummingbirds. They were so colorful. He said they repeat these programs, so maybe you can catch it sometime.

Do you have a booklight? 

Thursday Funk/Nothing Much

Thursday at noon, I saw a hummingbird at the feeder. When the neighbor who takes out the garbage came by at dusk, I rushed as well as I could and asked him if he had a feeder. No, but he sees hummingbirds all the time in his yard. And, he has flowers. 

On Wednesday night, I just did not feel well. So, for that reason or some other, I did not cook the porkchops. We had plenty to eat--leftovers and frozen food. A huge frozen,  baked chicken leg for Tommy and frozen meatballs for me. There were vegetables, but I have forgotten what. 

 I did not sleep much on Wednesday night. I tried to sleep once in the afternoon on Thursday and could not, so I tried the second time. I feel awful all over. I think I know what it is. But is frightens me. So, later. 

Tommy reminded me too late that the Scripps National Spelling Bee was on at 7 pm. So, we had takeout--chicken, grape tomatoes, pasta salad with spinach and Kalamata olives. Later tonight, I will cook porkchops. Or, maybe freeze them in packages for two meals. 

Tonight, I also need to make new nectar and wash the feeders. Friday, we need to move the shepherd's hook once again. I cannot see it from the sofa when the door is open. 

It seems lately that most of my work is at night. Although I emptied the box of cans, now, I need to throw the box out the carport door so Tommy can cut it up for the trash can. 

Too Much to Do

 Well, nothing much was done, things that needed to be done before our 4th celebration we will visit. 

• color or wash my hair
• bake brownies
• make the beans and franks
• polish nails on hands and toes

It is now midnight on Saturday night, so this all has to be done between now and 3 pm on the 4th. I was going to do all this from Thursday to Saturday. You see how this has gone. 

Friday night, I was horrified at what Tommy had in mind to wear on Sunday. First, I got a striped shirt from him out of a free box. It is awful. It has little skinny stripes and just is not something I want him to wear. Then, he told me he was wearing a cheap pair of pants I bought for him with his money. They actually look okay except for the fact that the back pockets are blue. The cheap pockets sort of gap and the blue shows. I was mortified. 

Today, I went to big box and bought him another cheap pair that actually look fine. When we came home, he said he was not going to wear the shirt I hate. He is going to wear a button up shirt instead of knit shirt. I don't know why, because I don't mind knits. But, he won't look so shabby, at least. For that I thank him. 

Right now, I am going to get up and slice the hotdogs, two packages. I could polish my toenails. Maybe not. I have too much planned for tomorrow! I am going to wear makeup for the first time since last February. I hope I remember how to put on makeup. We will be wearing masks indoors! But, outdoors we will not ear a mask unless I hear talk of no vaccine.

Tommy helped me by getting the dishes close to the dishwasher so I would not have to walk back and forth from sink to dishwasher. Tomorrow, at some point, I will have him dry all the plastic lids for my glass dishes as I wash them.  

When I need something from the refrigerator that I cannot find, he knows where it is. He stacked the boxes with greens and different lettuces all in one place. He stacked lunch meats and his cheese, and a slice of tomato on top of the cheese and meat.

He is catching on to using plastic bags. When I give him too much meat for dinner, he just puts it in a sandwich bag and saves it for his lunch the next day. Before, he would leave it for me to store. 

No hummingbird today! At least I didn't see one.

Have you ever objected to something husband/SO or kid was going to wear? How did that turn out? 

A Decision

 For the 4th celebration we are attending, I am going to make brownies and beans/franks. Tommy asked me why two things--because we are two people and neither dish is large or substantial. So, that is decided. But, I still have two days in which to change my mind...lol.

Wednesday afternoon, I lay down and slept an hour and just lay there another hour. We emptied the box of cans! They are all in the trash. Now, I only have to get the huge box from the dining room. That will be a huge clean swath of floor. The box was 2'x2'x18", huge when filled with cans. So, now it on to another area. 

I mentioned to Tommy last week that we could eat at the table soon when I got it all clean on floor and stuff off the table. He wailed, "No, I like eating in the living room." grrr Well, when I put food on the table, maybe he will change his mind. I have a very pretty, spring-ish and light tablecloth to cover that smoke/amber glass top on his table. It is so ugly and depressing in the dark room.  It sucks up light, laughter, and joy.

We did not see a hummingbird Wednesday. But, we cannot see outside unless we get up and look through the fanlight. Or, we can leave the front door open and only I can see the feeders. When it is hot, the door stays closed. So, maybe the one or two we saw will bring a friend or four to eat at our house. 

Tuesday, I received Logitech headset so I can listen to things on the computer and will not disturb Tommy. They seem not to feel right on my ears, but I am adjusting. Two days later, the headset is fine. It feels loose, but that is okay since it would eventually make my head and ears hurt if it were tight. 

When we went to the park to sit, there were ball games going on. I don't claim to know all the rules of  baseball, but I learned something today. There is something called a "foul pole."  I knew about foul lines. Did you know about foul poles? For years I watched my son playing baseball. And, my son is a baseball coach!

Did you know about foul poles?

Friday, we got corn and slaw mix and ate sausage patties, corn, squash and zucchini. 

It seems our hummingbird comes in a forty minute window--between 6:40 and 7:20. He comes and goes in the same direction which is directly to neighbor's patio. I wonder if they have hummingbird feeders. 

My First Hummingbird

At exactly 7:20 pm, June 29, 2021, the first hummingbird came to the feeder in the front yard. Well, it was the first one I saw. The holes in the feeder seem too small, like tiny slits. I wonder if it was really feeding or just trying to feed. On Wednesday there will be two feeders there. 

I am reading up on how to attract more hummingbirds. My yard needs adjusting. It took Tommy so long to get up and to the door that he missed seeing the hummingbird. 

Tommy said he saw hummingbirds in my yard all the time. NOW he tells me. I never saw one and 1-inch black ants filled my feeders all the time. I was disgusted cleaning their dead bodies from the feeder. Finally, I gave up trying to attract hummingbirds. But, he saw them feeding from flowers. 

The casserole turned out great. Usually, I layer the vegetables, buttered bread chunks and cheese. I just dumped all the squash, zucchini, and tomatoes in the casserole, threw on the bread, and cheese. It cooked for an hour and was delicious. That was all we had for dinner. I put only two pieces of broken bread into the dish, so at least it was healthier for the lack. This was all we had for dinner. 

I did slice a zucchini and a squash for inclusion in salads. Tonight, at last I will cook the chicken and the thighs. So, a salad will probably included in the meal. 

Tommy broke the bread and sliced and chunked the cheese. He was a real help. 

So, today, he saw a hummingbird at the newer feeder.  Now, I must clean the first one and refill the newer since Tommy managed to spill the sugar water, somehow.

So, I am headed in for a nap before dinner.  Mostly, I lie down to rest and relieve my back pain. Sometimes, I sleep; often I don't.

My First Zoom

 Tuesday, I had my first Zoom meeting, a virtual memorial for a professor/friend who succumbed to dementia. I had absolutely no trouble doing this meeting and talking. My camera was covered as it usually is covered. But, I spoke.  It was a sad occasion as we shared stories. But, it is done. 

The hummingbird feeder was installed on Sunday. Only a wasp has been there that we have seen. So, Bummer! We have not installed the one in the backyard, yet. We will. 

Tonight, I will make a big casserole: zucchini, squash, tomato, onion, bread bits, cheese, butter. It should be delicious. I am going light on the buttered bread chunks. This dish will be a combination of the squash casserole and the zucchini casserole I usually make. 

I marched for 5 minutes and will do 5 more this evening. I only quit because I was barefoot and the ball of my foot hurt the whole time. Marching with sandals does not hurt me. 

My Android phone now has one app installed. When I went to The Pig, I asked if anyone at the office would put the Pig app on my phone. A twenty-year-old cheerfully volunteered.  I have installed apps on my stolen phone, so I know it is possible, but it seems things have changed. I got my free item. A person has to buy $10 worth of food to get the free item. That is less than I usually spend there.

A Birmingham friend from years ago is going to meet me and show me how to do all I want to do on my phone. It will be good to meet with her since we have only talked on the phone lately. She was at the zoom virtual memorial. 

For the 4th memorial for the friend, I am trying to decide what to take as it is potluck. I am trying to decide what to take. 1) brownies from mix I have, 2) Two packages of Suddenly Salad pumped up with peas and shredded carrots, 3) baked bean with 2 packages of hotdogs cut up in the dish. I have everything for each dish, so neither will cause me to go get anything.  I am favoring the hotdogs in baked beans. What do you think? 

Accomplished

 I think I slept until 11 am today, and I am sure I could have slept longer. But, I got up with a mission in mind--hummingbird feeder. It is done the hard way. 

Ordering it on Amazon was so easy, but they sent it to the wrong station so I cancelled. Today, we spent 4 hours buying one. 

First, we went to the Most Hated Big Box. I found the feeder but not an ant moat. Tommy stood in line and made three returns for me, so that is almost $30 back in my pocket. When he saw the hummingbird feeder he seemed very please and picked it up to look at it. 

I went off to find Miracle Whip. I found store brand Cheerios for Tommy, a small package of sugar-free candy-Werther's. I also bought a hand towel. Don't ask. 

Then, I went to Lowe's to see what kind of what kind of feeder was there, My plan is to use a shepherd's crook to hang the hummingbird feeder. I also needed some wire for another project. I looked for wave petunias but they had none. 

Sooo, the electric cart quit before I even got started. I managed to corral a guy to push me...lol. This has always been the idea of Lowe's, so I asked someone. I bought another hummingbird feeder so I can take the one back that I don't want.  Then, life became very difficult when I wanted wire. They wanted me to buy insulated stuff and buy it from a roll, having it cut. They swore they have never seen a little roll of wire on cardboard with the clear bubble enclosing the wire! And, they mocked me for even thinking anything like that existed. 

So, I left with my shepherd's crook with two hanging places and another hummingbird feeder. All this took four hours! We were exhausted. 

I took an hour and a half nap and awoke to heat chicken and some cooked zucchini for Tommy, plus he had uncooked baby carrots. I just ate two bites of his chicken and zucchini. He loved the zucchini from Ruby Tuesday, so I cook it for him. There was no garlic that I could find, so I put onion flakes in the zucchini that I cooked last night for today's dinner. 

And, I forgot to buy loppers! And, it was so hot today. I love the heat, but inside Lowe' s garden center and in full sun is not fun. 

Tonight, I really am going to get the hummingbird's nectar ready to get this all up tomorrow. I think Tommy will love it. I may have to change the nectar every afternoon since the front yard is sooo hot here. 

All in all, Wednesday was a happy day due to bringing home the hummingbird feeders and something on which to hang them. 

Have you ever seen wire in a bubble pack? They swear it does not exist. Have you spent an inordinate amount of time for a small chore that left you exhausted and disgusted? 

Tired and Rambling

I have been so tired and not sleeping well at all. Okay, I can sleep for hours during the day. But, at night I am wide awake even if I do not take a nap. I suppose I should give in and become a vampire. 

Everyday, I tell Tommy he needs to come and help me get frozen meat from the freezer. He is sort of a spotter in case of an avalanche. I usually throw my body at the freezer and stop the chunks from falling and hitting my feet or skittering across the floor. 

Finally, tonight, he helped me. I did sit on a five gallon bucket and get stuff from my upright freezer. So, no chest stopping the meat. I found a package of frozen thighs, a turkey breast, and a package of Italian Sausages. Then, I looked more closely and found I had a chicken and not a turkey breast. Oh well. 

I will cook the chicken in a cooking bag along with the thighs. After we have our first meal, he will remove all the meat from the bones. He will like this for lunch sandwiches or to put on a salad. Then, I can check more carefully and find a turkey breast. I know I must have one in one of the freezers. 

Tuesday afternoon, I bought an expensive package of boneless, skinless breast instead of buying KFC. That package worked for lunch and for dinner tonight as well as dinner last night. So, now that more meat is thawing, there will be no temptation at all for eating out. 

We are slowly getting a zillion cans of food that are five years old from his dining room, all stashed in a huge box! I go around and behind the table and pick up one can at a time and he stands on the other side of a barrier of food and stuff and takes each can and puts it in a bag for discarding in the garbage. Some of the cans are ready to explode, others have leaked, all in pretty bad shape. Before I got the floor lamp to use, there was no way to see what was there! 

Items back there that he forbade me to discard, he is now amenable to losing as he says he does not care. How many ice cream buckets that are 20 years old does one need?

So, I have done things, just not much in the way of fun activities, which is not to say life is boring or mundane. The glue in my eye dissipated, so that is one worry off my mind and out of my eye. I resumed reading The Bird Way now. 

Everyday, I call two places trying to get rid of this covid haircut! They must have plenty of customers since they never answer the phone. 

Everyday, I look for a package.  Finally, I cancelled the order. I had ordered a hummingbird feeder for Tommy and an ant guard. I will find one somewhere else. The neighbors must wonder what I am up to when I look outside every few minutes for days. I will make the feed to go into the feeder instead of buying the poisonous red liquid. Tommy does not know what I have been waiting to receive. 

Does anyone have a hummingbird feeder? Got any good stories or advice? 

Mother's Day

I have a new hummingbird feeder. Today, I will make a sugar solution to fill the red glass vessel. Since rain is predicted, I will wait until Monday to hang it.

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to Tommy that I wished I had hummingbirds in my yard.  He said he saw them all the time when he was out in the yard, mowing or feeding the hens. WHAT!?!?!? He never told me that! He swears he did.

When I was in Lowe's about two weeks ago, something swooshed past my head. I flinched a bit and turned my head to see a hummingbird landing on flowers and going round and round, gathering nectar. This was in the store proper, not out where there are flowers or even out further where the nursery is open to the sky.

I was so shocked and so inspired, deciding someone could give me a hummingbird feeder for Mother's Day. In another store, I found a moat to hang above it so that once filled with water, ants could not get onto the feeder.

My one fear now is that a raccoon will climb up and knock the feeder down.