No Thanksgiving Dinner for Us, Pomegranates

 Since I started taking this new antibiotic, at least one thing of every meal tastes gross. This is not a lack of taste, this is just bad taste. As I was thinking about eating Thanksgiving dinner that tastes bad, I hate to cook a meal and not enjoy it. I was telling Tommy this and asked if he would be disappointed to have our Thanksgiving dinner a few days later. He said it would not bother him at all. My last capsule will be December 1. I doubt this taste will go away since it has been here for three days. 

We might still have different food or something a little festive. I am still excited by the prospect of a turkey dinner with dressing and cranberry sauce and all the trimmings. So, when it happens, it will be good. I have fallen down on preps since I was sick. 

Tommy is taking the meat off the carcass of the chicken I roasted. I took the meat off the breast but cannot locate the breast skin and bones. Of course, all this will be eaten for sandwiches or casseroles. The breast meat for Thanksgiving meal is already frozen. 

One day, I asked Lynda what kind of fruit was growing in her yard. She said someone told her it was a quince. I asked her if I could have a few if she did not want them all. She said I could have all of them because she was not sure what a quince was like. I took three next time I went and was shocked when she brought them to me. They sure look like a pomegranate and the broken one she brought looks like it has arils inside. I have not tasted anything. These got pushed aside when I was so ill this last week. 

Does a quince even vaguely resemble a pomegranate other than being red and global? I have looked at pictures of both and it certainly looks like a pomegranate. This has the unusual part at the stem end. 

It is like midnight outside and it is only 6 pm! I went to the fanlight and looked out this gloomy afternoon, so the extent of my enjoying the outdoors. Pooh! This stinks! Well, I had no desire to go anywhere even though I had places to go. For one, I want to pick up my shoes at SAS. Monday, there will be less traffic. Or Tuesday.

Dinner will be the thinly sliced beef I baked one day this last week, slaw, and mashed potatoes. I think I will have a salad since the mashed potatoes tasted bad to me. The tomatoes will go bad if we don't eat them. 

I will bake an Apple Betty tonight! Okay, we had the Apple Betty and watched The Wizard of Oz.

Have you ever had a med that made some food taste awful? I sit here and can taste my mouth when usually there is no taste or a neutral taste. 

Is there anything else that looks like a pomegranate and is not a pomegranate? Do they grow in central Alabama? The internet says it is possible, but I wonder. 

The Saddest Movie I Have Ever Seen

 Thursday night into Friday morning, we had lots of thunder and lightning. I am not sure if it rained or not. But, Friday afternoon, we had a terrific storm. The rain was blowing almost sideways. My wave petunia had all the flowers blown to one side. Another plant on the ramp blew over. I was surprised the shepherd's crooks with the hanging plants and feeders did not blow over. The ladder in the end of the carport blew over, thankfully missing both our cars. 

We had the door open, not a good idea, I hear, in a storm with lightning. I saw streaks of lightening followed immediately by the loudest boom of thunder I have heard in ages. I jumped, so startled. Lynda said her dog yelped and jumped in her lap. She is not a small dog! Everything is calm and past us for now.

The temperature cooled about 20 degrees in an hour. WOW! For several minutes, I thought we were going to lose power as lights flickered continuously. Scary. 

The shooting and killing of three people happened in an area in Birmingham that has the second highest wealth in Alabama and right next to the area with the highest wealth in the state. A 71-yr-old white man killed people in a church. As yet, no one has said why. The point is, killings do not happen just in lower income, ethnic neighborhoods, and in depressed areas. He killed three elderly people at an Episcopalian church potluck. None of us are safe. Well, we are until we aren't. It seems only luck spares us. The whole area looks like the safest place on earth. 

The saddest movie I have ever seen is Cheyenne Autumn. Tommy said he thought it was sad when he saw it when he was eleven-years-old. Have you seen this movie?

Cheyenne Autumn is a 1964 American epic Western film starring Richard Widmark, Carroll Baker, James Stewart, and Edward G. Robinson. It tells the story of a factual event, the Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878–79, told in "Hollywood style" using a great deal of artistic license. The film was the last western directed by John Ford, who proclaimed it an elegy for the Native Americans who had been abused by the U.S. government and misrepresented by many of the director's own films. Wikipedia

If you have not seen it, you have missed a great movie. Maybe you can find it. 

Housework, Cooking Ahead, Ukraine, Movie

 Saturday night, I made a pasta salad like Jewell Tea salad I ate long ago. He refused to eat the one with tuna, so I made one with canned chicken. I added halved grape tomatoes. He said it was good and ate some of it along with Romaine. 

I don't know why, but I felt awful all day Saturday. I still hurt just below breastbone. I did not stick my nose out the door all day...too cold and nowhere I needed to go, anyway. I did not sleep until 6 am Saturday morning and awoke at 1 pm. Even with a good amount of sleep, I still felt lacking. 

Still, not much decluttering has been done. But, I got more done than I thought I would. So, I suppose that is something. Soon, we will be able to see the whole floor! 

We unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. ugh! We both hang onto the counter to work. Tommy is washing a pot and skillet before we run the dishwasher. I am back to planning.

Last night, we both stayed up until 5 am to watch a movie that I highly recommend--North Star. It is timely.  The Germans are invading the Ukraine. Tommy said he wanted to only see what it was like, a warning to me that we were not going to watch the whole thing. It was so spellbinding that he actually wanted to stay up to see it. This movie was criticized during a period of anti-Russia sentiment. You can read about it by looking for North Star 1943. From analyzing the film as I watched it, I think the reaction was over-reaction. However, I have never lost anti-Russian sentiments! 

Have you ever seen this movie? I don't think it is a coincidence that a movie about the invasion of Ukraine is showing now. I highly recommend it for the human experiences. Maybe you can stream it. It was remade, removing many scenes, but I would not recommend those.

Then, it was after 7 pm before I could sleep! I do feel better than yesterday, even without much sleep. My feet were cold from the breeze under the covers! I cannot sleep with air on my feet! 

When Tommy gets the skillet washed, I am going to cook my pork chop and have slaw. It is 2:30 and I have not eaten yet. I have to let this pill work for an hour. 

My food goals are to get the three pounds of hamburger made into three meals this afternoon. I think a hamburger tonight, and stuffed peppers for freezing and tomorrow, and maybe a meatloaf for freezing will be good. Well, those are my goals. Of course, moving along the decluttering at a snail's pace will continue during what is left of the day. 

A few months ago, I cooked and froze a small meatloaf in a tiny pan, just two modest portions. One night it saved us from peanut butter sandwiches or going out to buy fast food. Fresh vegetables and a can of vegetables made the meal a feast. 

It is 59F and a really pretty day. We will take a ride to the park and sit for a bit. I need it since I did not get out yesterday and there is not a window where I can see out! Tommy will put a load of darks in the washing machine and it will be ready when we get back. We have such exciting plans! 

Are you snowed in? What's for dinner?

Cooking and Warm Weather

 Friday night, I told Tommy if he would peel, core, and dice the huge bag of huge apples in the refrigerator, I would make him an apple cake. I took 13" pan and sprayed with PAM, dumped in the diced apples, sprinkled cinnamon over them, and sprinkled a spice cake mix over it, poured 3/4-cup of melted butter over it and baked on 350F for an hour. I wish I had sprinkled raisins over the apples. Next time. It is delicious! Tommy likes it and wishes there were more apples and less topping of cake mix. Next time. 

Then, I had him get out the five pounds of giant misshapen carrots and peel/scrape them. I will chop into three inches pieces. I plan to cook them in the oven--carrots, potatoes, onions, green peppers, and the rest of the grape tomatoes (about six), plus any other vegetables I find lurking. Adding garlic cloves and Italian spices. This is for Saturday night. I think we will have pork chops, too.

I am trying to get the refrigerator cleared of food that needs to be eaten, plus make room for Thanksgiving foods. The apples and the carrots were taking up almost a whole shelf! Milk is once again 3 half gallons for $10, but I don't think I will stock up because the refrigerator was too full and hard to manage before Thanksgiving. 

Right now, I have one dish ready for Christmas dinner--purple hull peas. I just wanted them. I may freeze the rest of the turkey breast for Christmas and not bother with a whole turkey until after Christmas. Sounds great to me. Since I just discovered Christmas is Saturday, I suppose I will put another turkey or turkey breast in refrigerator to thaw. I change my mind of a dime. 

One channel promised/advertised a Christmas movie and did not come through! "SANTA WHO?" was supposed to come on at 7 pm and did not, so I settled for Hollywood Christmas Parade. 

Saturday morning and it's already 70F at 10 am. I think this is our high today, not sure. 

There is a bag of six chicken breasts that I need to cook today. I suppose I will freeze them for meals later. 

I have so much to do. Sunday, after church someone is coming to help out with getting things off floor over in a corner and all over the living room! I am tired already thinking about the ordeal. 

In a minute I will be eating my brunch of something. How is your Christmas prep coming along? 

Plans and A Painted House

 I planned to start Hillbilly Elegy last night, but I left the book in the living room where Tommy was sleeping. So, I read the book I had in the bedroom--A Painted House by John Gresham. I love it and read 110 or more pages before I put it down and got to sleep at 7:30 am. There was a good reason.

We watched a movie--The Story of Will Rogers with Will Rogers, Jr. as his father. This was a conscious effort, a decision to stay up until 3:15 am. Since we have no place to go early, it is not a problem. But, my decision to read so long, while a decision, was not appropriate at 3:30 am! 

However, I never regret time spent reading. I did sleep until about 10:30 am, got up, went back about 12:15 pm  and slept until 4:30 pm. No complaints from anyone or suggestion as to what I should do. Okay? I just won't publish your comment. Got it? 

When I was getting a degree in English, I took 3 upper level literature course one semester. People, other English majors thought I had lost my mind. I was not the person who read the text assigned and came to class. I read other books, passages, and did not have a computer to read online. So, I read, and read, and read. Now, I am back on track with that. 

The stitches on my chest were removed Monday. For two weeks, it was bloody, red perimeter, and swollen and hurt it touched by my clothing. The doctor said it looked fine. Well, by Wednesday night, I can barely see where the stitches were located. This makes me happy since my clothing, purse, and seatbelt all hurt me. I am allergic to the tape on bandaids and did not have proper tape. 

Yellow squash zucchini are now cooking in olive oil and garlic. There are other things we can eat--baked chicken, carrots, slaw, salad greens, grape tomatoes and things I cannot remember. Tommy can choose his as will I. We have cherries, apples, bananas, red grapes, white grapes, and black grapes. Tommy will not touch bananas, and I won't touch red grapes. And, there is a plethora of canned and frozen foods--fruits, vegetables, and proteins. 

I may have to cook tomorrow...boo hoo. Okay, tonight, tommy wants a chicken Italian salami thing like a hot dog. That is a microwave job. 

Who loves to read so much you read what other people think is too much or too long? How long have you loved to read? Did you mind reading textbooks in school? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction? 

Scariest Christmas Movie

Several years ago, I watched the most frightening Christmas movie ever. Well, it is the only truly scary Christmas movie I have ever seen. I know "It's A Wonderful Life" is very dark. "A Christmas Carol" is sad. I know lots of Christmas songs are not pure joy.

But, I have only seen one Christmas movie that truly frightened me.

THE POLAR EXPRESS left me a nervous wreck with the reckless train running into snow, sludge, and finally water. Does it frighten you?

After I finally got my body out of bed about 10 am, sat around and tried to wait for the Benadryl to wear off, I washed my hair, bathed and got dressed. We went out to get Christmas things, like pie crusts and batteries...lol.

When we got home Tommy refused to lock the front door. So, here we are around 10:3o. He cussed me thoroughly and told me how I should talk and how he likes the door unlocked until he goes to bed. He turned red in the face cursing me with words I will not repeat. He said he did not care if I felt safe or not. Well, anyone can walk up to my bedroom window and look in. And, they can come in if they decide. He knows how to kill a Christmas mood. He has made it quite clear I will get no presents from him, not even a small token.

He also refuses to let me plug in the Christmas tree if we leave the house and I unplug it. "We are only going to be gone a few minutes, so nothing will happen." He refuses to give me permission to turn on the Christmas tree, then refuses to allow me to turn it off and back on once in the house again. Do you think I mind his demands? NO. I just plug it up and unplug it when leaving in the car.

Do you unplug Christmas trees or turn them off when you leave the house?