New Flatware and Stuff

 For a long time, I have wanted to use regular flatware rather than plastic, but Tommy said NO. Well, when the heavy plastic spoons and forks were impossible to find, I suggested it once more and suggested now was the time. He said it mattered to him because he was the one who would have to dry them and put them all away. 

Well, that was a shocking reason. I told him I could dry the flatware or let them air dry. He was adamant. He said he was willing to spend the money to be able to throw away all forks and spoons. I tried to buy 6 Pfaltzgraff spoons but when I got them home, they were 18/0 stainless steel, not good quality. I took them back.

He commented when I bought the first forks and then took them back unopened, that he hated to eat from a salad fork, that they were too short. I thought that was strange.

Finally, I repurchased them and used them. Then, I bought more salad forks and more spoons and a package of three knives. There were no dinner forks on the shelf. I put them in the dishwasher and washed them. When Tommy got me a utensil from the dishwasher, he had to have noticed there were lots of forks and spoons, but he said nothing!

The other day I took all the clean and new utensils out of the dishwasher and put them on the counter over the dishwasher. I walked away to sit and rest my back. Sitting between simple tasks is sooo necessary. Well, when I came in later, he had gotten the short basket from storing grapefruit, washed it and sorted the utensils and put them in the basket. I was shocked. 

Nothing was ever said. Later, he was using the salad fork to eat. He swore he hated salad forks, preferring plastic forks. Now, he uses the metal and not plastic ALL the time. I figure these real utensils will pay for themselves in about four months by avoiding buying more plastic. Believe me, we have many boxes of 100. We can use the occasional plastic and have them left this time next year.  Or the next year!

I have really enjoyed eating from real utensils. Now, if I can just get him to eat from a real plate, not a paper plate, at least for dinner. 

Oh, why don't we use his flatware? His is all silverplate, and in a case except for two or three pieces. This was his family's everyday flatware. I tried using the tarnished spoon and it really needs cleaning to avoid the awful taste. He really did not want me to use it at first, just out of meanness. And, unless I polished silver, I would not try it twice. 

Any transition with him is long and bumpy. He is not easily convinced of any little or large idea. 

Speaking of grapefruit, we wasted six given to us. I love grapefruit, but in the spring and especially this spring, I have avoided citrus since I am allergic to citrus. I kept reminding him. Now, we have red grapes that he should eat! He did for breakfast this morning--red grapes and a muffin. I hate red grapes. 

Today, Tuesday, we left the house at 1 pm. I put my hand on the car after I opened the car door to help me get inside. I burned my hand on the car, pulled it back, and fell into the car with my head....again!  Tommy burned his hand on the car since he must hold onto the car to get from the back seat where he puts his walker to the front door to get inside.  

4 pm--Right now, it is 92F and feels like 103F. 

10 pm--Right now, it is 86F and feels like 96F. 

Since I only slept 2 hours Monday night, I took a 2 hour nap this afternoon.  Tommy spent that time taking cans to car to recycle and watering the flowers. He cleaned the ants out of two hummingbird feeders. This is the first time I have ever gotten big ants in the feeders here. Then, he took all the sweet potatoes outdoors and sorted them, throwing away ones gone bad, not many. He is really good about taking care to sort sweet potatoes, taking out the ones going bad so they don't cause the rest to go off. 

For dinner tonight, we put bbq sauce on baked chicken and I made coleslaw. It was delicious. He had grapes for later. I would have a banana, but I don't have a banana or an apple. 

The list gets shorter:

sort sweet potatoes 

buy spray bottle

wash or color hair used color

The ac runs here and we stay in, so we have not suffered from the heat. How is it at your place? Hot? Torrid? It has been dry enough here, but I hear there are floods elsewhere. 

Wednesday, Food, Questions Answered

 Wednesday, I awoke feeling much better. MUCH better. I am still unwell, but feel human again. My joints don't hurt and chest is not tight and burning. 

There is some sauce left from the spaghetti we had and a package of pizza mix, so I will make that and top with the meat sauce and cheese one day. Well, Tommy does not want that until he has some chicken and pork. So, that will go in the freezer Wednesday night for another day.

Taco soup is just a matter of throwing in cooked ground beef, and cans of food--tomatoes, corn, black beans, rice and a package of grated cheese. Oh, and taco seasoning. I will do that on Thursday. The plan was to do it today, but it did not happen.

Tommy went into Publix and got slaw mix and zucchini. We had slaw on Wednesday and will have it on Thursday, so the zucchini will be cooked on stove in olive oil and garlic. 

Even though it is late on Wednesday, I will go into the kitchen and freeze half the pork cutlets, two, for another meal. Tommy wants pork cutlets on Thursday. 

Before bedtime but after 10 pm, he disappeared into the kitchen and washed the large pot and small pot and something else I used to cook, a skillet I think and cleaned the sink again. He is helpful. I rarely have to ask him to do anything. 

Even stirring up the slaw after putting MW, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar in with the slaw mix exhausted me. He microwaves the meal and brings it to me. I am grateful and thank him every time he does something for me.

The weather is beautiful, but I cannot get out to enjoy it unless we take a drive. I don't need fresh air as that is the problem. I just want the sun, greenery, and flowers. We go out every day in the car unless it is raining. 

I always grated cabbage on a box grater until 1990 something and I had a traumatic hand injury. I could do nothing with my hand at all. The other had been injured years before. So, after a few months of missing eating slaw or buying it at KFCs, I started buying slaw mix in a bag. It is the best I can do right now. Tommy would not be happy grating cabbage.

About the purchase of plastic utensils. When I bought the cutlery, Tommy was unhappy. I took it back only because the package said not to leave food on the items and not to let soak in water. Well, that is just crazy. So, I took it back. He was happy for that. We had a talk later.

I told him the dishwasher could wash all the utensils and we could keep plastic for when we really needed it. He said he was willing to pay the cost of plastic utensils. I did not understand. He said he would be the one left to dry all the utensils and sort them. Actually, cutlery can be placed on a dishcloth and they dry very quickly. I can take care of this sitting down. Utensils are easier for me to dry. Heavy glass bowls and storage bowls are not easy for me to handle. So, when I find cutlery that is not so delicate and fussy to care for, I will get it and we will be off plastic in that area. It takes time with him.

The hummingbird has not been back! 

Do you ever have to go slowly with a recalcitrant person?

The Natural Package

I don't know where this bag came from, but the bottom is the interesting part that made me think.

PAPER
The Natural Package
*recyclable
*reusable
*degradable
*renewable
This product contains recycled material

Yes, I have a paper bag! As I read this, I could only think of the flaws in the convincing wording, meant to reassure consumers and to convince consumers of the rightness and goodness of using the paper bag.

The bag is definitely recyclable. But, how many people will actually recycle it? If it gets wet or food stains it, the recycling facility will not want it.

The bag is reusable. How many times can it be reused before it is torn. Once the bag tears, I could never use it again. If it does not function, it is no longer usable. Of course, it can be used to start a fire, I suppose? It can become and craft tool/material.

The bag is degradable. But, what other substances are now in the wood product. This bag won't be killing fish or floating around, hanging in trees and fences. It will work in a compost bin.

The trees from which the bag comes are definitely renewable in that more trees will grow. But, how many years old must a tree be in order to cut it and make more bags? 20? 40? I did not look it up. Since there are more trees still available while we are waiting for the replacement to grow, virgin forests can be consumed. Maybe not. What chemicals are used? How much water? How much energy?

At least the bag contains recycled material.

As I read this label stamped on the bottom of the bag, I thought back to a movie I saw and my thoughts then. As I watched HAWAII, I marveled at the shipping containers. There was not one metal shipping container or huge plastic bin used to contain and transport merchandise coming to the island. Of course, the burlap bags and large and small wooden crates were manufactured from raw materials just like the paper bag I have or the alternative--plastic.

The difference? A burlap bag will last much longer in use. No trees that took decades to grow are cut. Burlap bags will not kill fish.

Reusable bags that last longer than our present choices, paper or plastic, would be perfect. Reusing colorful bags for Christmas wrapping is one way to cut down on wrapping paper. There are quite a few other ideas for not using paper or plastic.

I will stop since I could write about this for days. Almost all of my bags I have had for twenty years are gone. So, I have to start over. In antiquity, an animal skin from a consumed animal could be used to carry items. Pottery that still exists was used to transport items in ships. Okay, I am stopping here.

I know some cities and stores either ban or no longer made free plastic or paper bags as a matter of course. Hopefully, that will come to our city or area. But, this paper bag is not the solution to our problems. It is not the natural package we need to use.

Do you use paper, plastic, or reusable bags? I use a mixture.

Heaven Help Me in the Dollar Tree

Small items in the bathroom have been commingling with disastrous results. I carefully planned how to remedy this confusion. I have seen the long dividers for utensils used in junk drawers and such. These are about 10"x3" and look just right. The ones at the Dollar Tree are cheaper than ones at WM.

I headed to Dollar Tree for one item only--small mesh lingerie bags. I want these to use for produce instead of plastic bags. The damage to the earth caused by plastic makes me sick to my stomach, yet I continue to use some plastic. The reusable bags are 3/$1. I bought two packages. These are so small that I can wash them in the sink after using them  for produce. Hanging them on the line will be easy.

While in the store, I remembered the dividers. I found no long ones, but think the square and rectangular ones will work out, maybe even better.  I remembered a conversation with Tommy about how I lose small things in the freezer or that they slide out when they are small. I got another two plastic dividers to hold single servings.

I passed a display of books and decided I would buy two interesting looking titles. Then, I saw a little crossbody bag of plastic that looked just right for my purposes. Of course, two dishes caught my eye--one heart-shaped dish and another star-shaped.

Oh, I passed a bottle brush. I have been wanting the old-fashioned kind with bristles. WM bottle brushed were too expensive for my tastes. This one only cost $1.

Thankfully, I was hurting and could not shop any longer. I was horrified that I spent $22. It is a good thing I was at the Dollar Tree instead of Macy's or even Belk's! I have not been in Macy's in 10 or more years.

Remember the hypertufa? Well, it was molded over a plastic pot. But, it will not come off. I told the teachers that my pot had four holes, sort of like straws and 1/2 inch long. I was assured it would be okay. Well, it is not okay. The hypertufa filled the holes and the concrete makes it impossible to remove the hypertufa. ??? Maybe a screwdriver and hammer will remedy this predicament.

My yard is a mess. The mower guy has been moved to the third shift and sleeps most of the day. Although it has not rained in two weeks, the grass and weeds have taken off.

Do you ever get carried away in the Dollar Tree or your favorite cheap place? Share please.