Finally, He Changed His Mind

 "That is the way the law was written." That is what Tommy told me Medicare told him. I say, "Laws can be changed." He finally changed all his prescriptions from Walmart to Walgreen's. So, he has paid $105. extra for his meds at Walmart.  Yesterday, he transferred all his prescriptions (4) to Walgreen's. Including the insulin, he has 5. He says there is nothing he can do. Yes, laws can be changed. 

He did not get his Wags points, or whatever they are called with his transaction today. She was asked to do so, and she said she did. So, another call to CS in the morning. 

I suppose I will have to run down my own meds as pharmacy does not have Victoza for third day in a row. Tomorrow is the last of the prescription. Why can they not get a med with a three-day notice?

We did our grocery ad run and a little shopping.  At Giant Foods potatoes were 5 lbs for $3.99. He got a senior discount of $.20, so yay. We stopped at the Farmer's Market-- $5 box squash, and a strawberry lemonade. At Publix, he bought a half-gallon of a2 milk, 2 Life Cereal bogo, Carrots-- 2 1-lb. bags @ $0.99 each, 3 bananas. 

White grapes, mushrooms, and LED bulbs were on the list, all on sale. 

We did not buy cooking bags which we both knew we needed. That is what we get for leaving the list home. I can cook the pork loin naked in the pan, but he said that I said I was going to cook spaghetti. So, I am working on that. 

The people next door still allow several dogs to bark continuously. These women are so annoying. One woman berates one of the little boys all the time! She is so loud and mean. 

This next does not annoy me, but somehow the yard was mowed except for half the front yard. This was three days ago. Then, someone came on a riding lawnmower and mowed the whole yard, including all that had been mowed. The whole yard was then brown because the grass was skinned off to dirt and root. It all looked parched. I felt sorry for the grass. Of course, with our copious rainfall, it finally greened up today. People tell me the grass does not have to be cut so soon if it is cut to the ground. I had my St. Augustine grass mowed 4" high. 

It was nice out today, and Tommy went out to water the flowers. As soon as he came in, it rained, a hard, long rain. The heat and humidity are back, suffocating to me. 

More decluttering occurred, not much. One item gone is considered decluttering. I just hope to see the end of clutter eventually! 

Was there anything good in your Wednesday ads? At what height do you mow or have your yard mowed? 

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I Just Could Not Help It

 Tommy knew I was joking. But, I hoped the doctor would appreciate my humor. I was in the dermatologist's exam room. I have complained about my left elbow that does not look too bad. However, it feels raw when I put it down on anything, especially the console in Tommy's car. The doctor has prescribed two things. Nothing has worked. I even keep a cloth to put on the console. That helps immensely. The point of my elbow looks a little scruffy, but not hardened or red or dark. However, it feels raw, like it might be bloody. 

This was the third time I had complained. And, no, this was an aside from my main reason for the appointment. He was looking on his laptop for a product he wished me to try for my elbow and another issue on my hand. As he was looking, he was talking and writing it down. He offhandedly mentioned it contained 'urea.'  My mind was turning as he was talking. I said with trepidation, worried he would think I was serious, "Can I just pee on my hand?" 

He replied with the fact that when he first heard of urea in med school, he was concerned about it. "It's not the same thing. But, I didn't know that." Well, I quickly told him I was joking. Tommy said he, too, knew I was not serious. It was just too good a line for me to pass up!

I joke like this with a straight face. People think I am funny or just dumb. I just had to share this with you. Have I embarrassed myself? 

Today, we had just enough gentle rain that Tommy only watered the plants on the porch. We had a chore and came home. I let him go in first so he could unlock the door. I got out of the car when he was inside. He went out to water a bit later, after I decided to take a nap. When I awoke, he told me I left the car running for 2.5 hours! Thankfully, I did not run all the gas out of the car.

The rain was just very local and light, no thunder or winds, so very nice for gardens. I think the blackberries are done for the year. Nothing seems to be happening on the blackberry plants. That will make maybe eight strawberries for the total harvest. I hope they do better next year. Five of the six canes look alive still. Maybe I will have seven blackberry plants next year. 

Dinner: Tommy had ham, corn, collards. I had a bit of Caprese Penne Pasta, couple of bites of roast beef, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, 2 Tbsp gravy, and green beans and half a banana. There is enough of the roast beef and rest of that meal for Tommy. He won't eat the Caprese anything. It had pesto instead of whole basil leaves, so yummy. The grape tomatoes were delicious heated with the rest of the dish. I will have strawberries later.

I quit buying Red Delicious Apples at Publix. I bought a bag of Fuji, ate them without pleasure. I ate them for nutrients and fiber. Now, I have one large Granny Smith apple. It is tangy and tart! 

The list we made for Thursday, did not finish, added to for Friday, will now have additions for Saturday. It is all done eventually. 

Last night, when I could not sleep, I did a bit of decluttering and a bit of putting things in their place. I am the only one who can tell...lol. 

Tommy's favorite coffee mug says "I stole this cup from the desk of Matt Gentry."  There is a badge on the opposite side. Matt is the County Sheriff. He won this cup at a Christmas Party Dinner for seniors. I think it is cute he likes it. It helps me to convince him he does not need so many coffee cups. It's a decluttering tool. 

Do you ever say something so ridiculous in jest like peeing on your hand in lieu of urea? To your doctor? 

Calm Wednesday

 Today has been neither a good or bad day, just a blah day. That's okay with me. I don't have to have drama. Of course, winning the lottery would be fun or even having my cleaner come again. 

Like Tommy said, "We don't even know if she got back from California. 

So. we are in limbo since she never answers the phone and has no voice mail set up. Never mind.

It rained much of the day, often just a gently rain, sometimes hard, but nothing was like the torrents of yesterday. 

We did go out to the pharmacy and Publix. At the pharmacy I was given the same wrong prescription as the last three times I got it. I needed milk and an ad at Publix. 

I did have a really good experience when I talked to a friend. Her husband died last summer. One shoulder with a torn rotator cuff had four surgeries and it is still not right. She fell last year backward into the bathtub and broke several ribs. Somehow a few weeks ago, she fell on the hardwood floor. After five x-rays, she was declared whole. Well, then a week later, they found out she cracked a rib. So, she said they put bondo in the crack. It failed and they used bondo again. Whew. These are only a few of her problems. She is 86 but hanging in there. Her son quit his job and moved in with her the first time she fell after her husband died, plus she has two granddaughters, their husbands and half-grown great grandchildren to help out. For the first time ever, she has someone come in to clean. 

We had a many good laughs today, mostly talking about our health problems. It is not funny, but you have to laugh. Crying does not help. I have known her for 43 years. She is the cousin of my best friend of twenty years who died from hoarding if anyone remembers that incident. Just search for hoarding on my old blog. 

She is one of my friends with whom I laughed. We both have a self-deprecating sense of humor. And, we can allow other friends to laugh at us. 

Tonight, Tommy had a fake burger patty, rest of the slaw, baked potato and carrots. I had scrambled eggs and later an ear of corn. There are still enough leftovers for one more meal. 

Tommy has been very mellow today! 

Do you have friends that you know when they call that the call will dissolve in gales of laughter on both sides? Of course, there are serious moments, even tragic moments. But, really getting bondo in your rib is certainly funny. I really don't know if it was bondo used on cars and seriously doubt it, but that is what she called it. 

This and That, Nothing Much

 There is usually one question we mull every day--is it going to rain. We need to know this in order to decided whether Tommy needs to water the flowers and berries or not. We debate this, watching the weather and radar channel. Today, while I slept for a bit, he did water plants. When I awoke, I heard lots of thunder. He commented that it did rain all around us, just not here. It is dark, I still hear thunder, and it has not rained. It seems Tuscaloosa is getting lots of rain and maybe flooding. hmmm

Today, there was a hummingbird at the fuschia plant. The sight still thrills me every time I see it. 

We cancelled something today because it appeared rain would be a problem. Of course, it did not rain where we were going to be driving. 

Remember the freezing/blasting that was done to my arm yesterday. Well, the bandage fell off about two minutes after I applied it. AND, the smaller one blasted is twice the size of the larger one and has a huge blister on top. I am not sure what is happening. 

I needed a2milk on Saturday as I only had a partial half-gallon. Well, Tuesday was the next delivery day and they were out of all types of a2milk. Today, I purchased two half-gallons. They were an astronomical--$4.99! Is scarcity driving this price hike? 

When I went in to buy milk, I bought Tommy a package of Juicy Fruit chewing gum. His chewing drives me crazy. His storage of the gum and chewing the next day drives me past crazy. But, he loves it. 

Speaking of chewing, I think I crumbled off a piece of filling while chewing meatloaf. ugh

Every time I awake, I think Tommy has called me and told me to get up. Every time I am wrong. I laugh at myself. If I lie down at 4 pm, I will tell him to wake me if I am not awake at 7 pm. Really, I only want to sleep until 6 pm, but figure if I am really sleepy, I may need to sleep until 7 pm. But, I do not want to sleep four or more hours. I do clearly and distinctly hear him calling my name to wake me when he does not. This is really strange to me. 

We had one small chore along with buying milk, and these chores wore me to a frazzle!

On Saturday, April 22, we bought a gallon of pretty strawberries for $20. I was down with an upper respiratory infection on Sunday and the first of the week so forgot about them. I think Tommy started eating them on Wednesday. I encouraged him to eat them up. He came in with huge bowls of strawberries, eating them with his hand. 

Finally, 13 days later, I ate two berries when he warned me there were only four berries left. Not one of the berries in the bottom of the plastic bucket was bad. I was shocked. Usually strawberries don't last that long with disintegrating or molding. I certainly hope to find the people who sold these.

Tonight, we ate the rest of the meatloaf I made last week, the slaw I made over the we1ekend, and fresh corn on the cob. It was a wonderful meal. There is more slaw and corn, so tomorrow, I will cook protein or find something protein in the freezer. Frozen chicken and new red potatoes are thawing in the refrigerator. I was thinking I would make salmon croquettes, but maybe not. I had blueberries for lunch and will have apple and strawberries for later tonight.

Are you getting rain? Do you watch for rain when planning your watering?

Have you had strawberries last almost two weeks without losing a portion of a berry or two?

Wet and Sleepless in Alabama, but It's Christmas

 It was rainy all day long. At 8 am I got up to cancel an appointment in Cullman. I am terrified of riding in the rain with Tommy since he fiddles with the wipers, turning them off until I am blind and trying to turn them back on and drive. He terrifies me! They understood. Then, I had to stay awake until 9 am to cancel a doctor down here. I was going to have to cancel him anyway since I got the Cullman appointment very late on Friday.

Luckily, she had another appointment for me this week. I had slept three hours, so I tried to sleep around noon. But, sleep would not come--bed too uncomfortable, shoulders still hurt from the fall, dogs were barking incessantly right next to my bedroom window. It was a nightmare. I got up grumpy, very ill with everything. 

At the last moment we got to the PO and Tommy went in with my stamped cards and the one international card, my cc, stamps and purchased an international stamp. I will mail cards as I get them done. So, three off today. It is a start. I emphasized that I wanted a pretty stamp, so I sent the Christmas flower stamps. He said the international stamp had a red carnation, so that made me happy.

I am planning a tiny Christmas "party" with Lynda. She cannot drive in the dark. So, this will be early and not a dinner like she served. Well, she bought fried chicken and potato salad, strawberries and grapes from Publix. It was festive and bought food was just fine. There was something chocolate, too. What we have left over will make easy lunches and snacks for later.

I won't be cooking dinner, I told her, just heavy hors d'oeuvres. It will be snacky and easy but filling--tiny ham sandwiches, round cucumber sandwiches, cherries, baby carrots, broccoli, grape tomatoes, dip, nuts, chocolate, Christmas-y cookies, bowl of halos. This menu will probably change. I planned this all in about five minutes. We have talked it over, and I will drive the block to get her and take her home. 

We cannot eat at the table, so that is why the fare does not require lots of serving bowls, and utensils, mostly finger foods. And, we have one chair in the living room so we can have one person over. My culinary skills will not be on display, just my presentation skills. I now have enough nice pieces for serving all this. 

I just retrieved the pink bag ads. At Publix ham is $1.49/lb. There were two coupons in the coupon sections for $.75 off Jimmy Dean Sausage, my favorite. Now, I have until Dec. 31 to find it on sale. There are other good prices, too. The ham is the first thing I saw. I was hurrying to heat the ham so we could watch TV.

The Great Christmas Light Fight in on TV, NBC. I love it. 

Are you planning anything for Christmas at your house? Well, other than Santa coming?

Dinner--half of tiny center cut ham slice, leftover butternut squash, collards. 

Decluttering, Feeling Puny, Spaghetti

 There has been no rain in three weeks. Last week, we had 0.003 of an inch of rain. Or, was it 0.03 of an inch. Either way, that is not a lot of rain. Combined with the leaves falling and something growing to which I am allergic, I am fighting a battle to the end of the month! Humidity is 29%, just the way I like it whether hot or cold. 

The first time I was ever ill the whole month of October, I had just gone back to school, taking a heavy load. I failed one class and dropped another. The class I failed was a humanities participation class, 1 hour! Other students asked me how I failed that class. Easy! You don't ever show up. These were lecture, dance, theatre, and always on Friday night. I went to class on Tuesday and Thursday that semester, plus one class on one Saturday, and a Sunday class. Going on Friday was just something I could not handle. So, I failed. I was beyond annoyed at my state of health. Every year since then, 30 years ago, I have been ill every October. 

Ground beef is now $3.99/lb. and boneless skinless chicken breast is $2.99, prices I have not seen so low in almost a year. Hopefully, this will be a trend, lower meat prices. 

I had a coupon for a free loaf of bread. There was a bogo sale for the same bread. So, I should have been able to use the free coupon to "purchase" one loaf and get another free. I explained all this to Tommy when he went in to get it. But, did he get that deal. No, he gave up a coupon AND paid for a loaf of bread. If the coupon could not be used that way, I could have saved it until bread was not bogo. Did he do that? No! So, I have to go back and get some sort of satisfaction. He wasted a coupon. 

We took four little plastic grocery bags with things in them to the Thrift store and put them in the donations. Tommy insists that t-shirts should go in the trash here at the house. Finally, he said they had to go for donations even though these are old and will bring money. He wants to drop all old electronics into the garbage in front of the house. I really don't understand his thinking. But, three small bags are gone from the house. 

I have had a 42 ounce can of pimiento waiting to open and share with my neighbor for over a year. I finally did that, so one can and clutter off the counter in the kitchen. We took it to her on the trip to grocery and thrift store. There were seven people/cars waiting at the pharmacy drive-through, so we will do that another day. 

I am struggling to stay well. But, in a few minutes, I will wander into the kitchen where he is cooking ground beef for spaghetti. I will add caramelized onion, garlic, and olive oil to the jar of pasta. We can have a salad. 

On Monday, when I awoke feeling on top of the world, I looked for otc meds I keep in a bin in my bedroom. I try to never let my otc meds run out. Since I struggled to find dental floss in the store about 18 months ago, I had bought a box of six from Amazon. And, where was it now? So, I uncovered my favorite dental floss, Glide Pro-Health Original. I have no idea if the shelves are stocked with what I need, but my bin is stocked. If there is any on the shelf, it is probably higher than the price I paid last year.

Crickets

 Wednesday night, I finally went to sleep about 7 am on Thursday. So, a nap was in order. However, it seems nothing makes me feel better. The sinus problem is not so bothersome, just making me feel tired all over. So, nothing much done. 

We did go to the store to get hot dogs for my Sonic meal--chili cheese dog. It won't be a footlong but will satisfy my wanting. 

This past week, the dishwasher has been empty so I can put dirty dishes in as we go. Now, I can run it tonight. I much prefer dealing with dirty dishes this way. So, now I never have to wait on Tommy to help since it is emptied slowly and filled slowly. 

For the past year, I have been finding tiny crickets, about a quarter of an inch long, maybe smaller. I find them one at a time on the front of the sink or in the sink or on sink in bathroom. The strange thing is I have never heard or seen an adult cricket. I suppose the tiny ones are crickets. In all my life, I have never seen a cricket so tiny. I have rarely seen adult crickets. One cricket and I am all over the situation. I certainly don't want them eating fabrics. The chirping of an adult cricket drives me nuts! 

There is a huge knot in my left calf. I had Tommy feel both calves and he says the left is very hot. Just great. I don't need a blood clot complicating my life. I took another baby aspirin. 

Looking through my purse or some stack of odds and ends, I found a coupon. It is for Daisy Sour Cream and has a date of 12-30-22.  Great! I like long dates like that. 

Thinking about my upcoming birthday, I realize how close to being 80 I am. Yikes. How did this happen? I remember being utterly shocked on the morning I turned 70. Every October since 1992, I have been ill, allergy-induced, I suppose. Well, last year, I started becoming ill a month earlier in September. So, I was ill the week of my birthday. Not fun! It appears I am going to be puny even earlier this year. I need to call for a telephone call with my allergist. 

Finally, I got the glass from the floor. I was going to take the lid and ring off, I didn't. I told Tommy that it was not worth it, being ill and slipping and cutting myself for one ring and lid. So, it is gone. I managed to pick up the shards and beans without cutting myself. He pulled off long pieces of clear packing tape while I taped the carpet and then pulled up the tape, collecting many small shards. 

He brought me the stick vac. I used that for longer than I really thought I needed to vacuum. But, I am satisfied that all the broken glass particles are gone. Whew! I will still be wearing shoes when I step there. It is right in front of the freezer door, so I will need to be there often.

I had three things on my list. The other two might get done tonight, not sure. But, it feels good to accomplish one thing that had to be done. It makes me happy...lol. Maybe I will get ambitious and do the other two chores with Tommy's help. He will use his walker to move items to the bedroom where I keep some food.

Since it rained, Tommy did not have to water. Thunder rumbled all about today. Elsewhere, there was flooding, rain, and storms. 

Do you ever get crickets? I have had about 6 crickets in my house in 20 years. Here, although I never have adults, I get these babies. Do you get the baby crickets? 

RAIN

Well, we are still working on the list from a few days ago! The rain is part of the problem. In places in Birmingham, TEN inches of rain fell. And, October is traditionally our driest month of the year. Well, that did not happen so far. Okay, that ten inches is the official rainfall, but some places received more rain. 

Tommy hung my black bird in the tree IN THE BACK of the tree! I suppose I will have to redo that, but not until the grass is dry. I hope the bird has been painted enough. I only got one coat on before rain and high humidity put an end to painting. I had him hang the black bird from the shepherd's hook instead of the tree. It looks great. 

A few weeks ago, I had the most wonderful ice cream, Mayfield's Snow Cream. And, yes, it does taste just like it was made with milk, sugar, and vanilla flavoring with bowls of snow stirred in. Try it, you will like it, or maybe you have. 

My youngest daughter who just turned 46 went out to gather snow when she was five years old. I told her about bird poop and not scraping too closely. She was so cute doing this, so focused and careful. 

Last night, I finished The Bear. It was wonderful. I felt I was in a land I could never know or imagine. For a post-apocalyptic story, it was pleasant, but poignant. This is the story of the last person on earth! I was mesmerized. If anyone wants it, I can send it media mail to you. 

When I get the stuck-on egg from the egg beaters, I will cook scrambled eggs for the next three days. Six broken eggs wait in a bowl. I am so hungry, so this will be lunch. I suppose he can help me empty and refill the dishwasher when Jeopardy is on TV.  He does so many things. He went to the kitchen and washed dishes when I had wanted him to only get off the stuck on cheese on two glass dishes. But, he washed most of the glass dishes. He is not lazy. 

For Tommy, I ordered a large hot water bottle. It hold 90 ounces of water and is skinny and long. His hips and knees hurt him because he has osteoarthritis. Hopefully, by getting this long bottle, he can apply heat to both hips or both knees at one time. He has a heating pad that is too old. Plus, I don't trust him not to turn it off or remove it from his body. 

A couple of days ago, I got into the car where Tommy was set to drive. I tried to put something into my pocket, and my pocket had mysteriously disappeared. After a bit, I realized my pants were backwards! Ugh! Tommy asked me if I wanted to go back and change. I was hurting so that I said no and just wore the pants backwards. These pants were new. I had worn them and washed them before this day. I thought to myself that they fit better and washing and hanging to dry. I would have been too embarrassed to admit I put them on backward and then wore them after I realized my mistake. But, I am over that now. I do check twice now to make sure they are on correctly. 

Just now, we put the pumpkin and the pot it sits in on the other side of the porch in order to balance the decorations. It's not much of a Halloween display, but it works for me. I have only spent $10 on Halloween. When things are on sale, I will be buying a fake pumpkin for next year, hoping it won't fade. But, I suppose I can spray it if it fades. I do have orange spray paint. 

We got our sun today by going to Publix to return brown lettuce that is two days from expiration date. Then, we zipped around the corner to The Pig and got Dasani water. I had earned money on a card, so it cost me nothing. We sat in the park for about 20 minutes, made a tour of the park and came home. it works for us. 

So far, that is our day. 

Have you ever worn your pants backward on purpose or accidentally? How did they feel? Have you had Mayfield Snow Cream? How did you like it? Did you think it tasted exactly like snow ice cream when it snowed?

A Very Long Week!

 As early as Monday, I was ahead of myself. The week is not dragging at all. It just seems every day, I think it should be two days later. I suppose every time I take a nap, it should be a different day when I awake. But, it is not working out that way. 

On Tuesday, I jumped up and got dressed and asked Tommy when he wanted to leave. He was puzzled. Well, we had something to do on Friday and I was ready on Tuesday, or maybe it was Monday I was ready to go. 

Tommy told me the weather would be dry for the next ten days. I love that. It is only 63F degrees right now at 10:30 am, so cooler than I prefer. No rain means I will have to water a few plants. It also means the grass will not grow so quickly for a while. Aha! I saw a hummingbird just now. So, they are still here.

After I bought my third basil plant this year, I decided to keep it inside. Someone must have dropped a handful of seeds into this one pot since there are about 20 stems. I will repot it into 2 pots, hoping some of the stems survive. I finally remembered to buy a very small bag of potting mix. So, there is that to do today, maybe...lol. 

Since I slept one hour last night, I am headed back to bed after the news. Maybe I can work on the list this afternoon. It's growing longer. 

Okay, I went to the bedroom before noon and awoke at 3 pm and got up at 3:45 and ate--salad greens, lots of chicken, shredded cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. 

I gave Tommy the Publix ad to find what we need or he wants or what I might want. The only thing he circled was zucchini and squash at $2.99/lb. I will be going to the Farmer's market soon. Hopefully, it will be small squashes and cheaper and better. 

Dinner will be chicken again today for both of us. Tommy had a chicken sandwich for lunch. But, this will be a different iteration. Wish me luck...lol. We both enjoy having a breast in the freezer to slice sandwich meat. It is much healthier and just as delicious as bologna and cheaper than something from the grocery. 

Colcannon is on the menu tonight as I just set Tommy to peeling potatoes. I will get the cabbage ready and cook it. 

Do you ever have a week where it always seems it should be later in the week than it is? Do you run around getting ready to go somewhere when it is three days away?

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. 

How Do Your Trousers Break?

 By evening yesterday, Tommy had changed his mood about his khakis. He tried on the newer, larger-in-the-waist pair. He commented that he like the extra room. So, that was a positive. I offered to take back the smaller pair and get another of the larger size, but he said it was okay.  He was in a very good mood.

He said something about--"since you don't like my 'good pair' " and was smiling when he said it, referring to the pair with blue pockets that show. He knows when he is wrong, changes his mind and think just not being mad fixes everything! It doesn't!

If you wonder what the BREAK is, click on this sentence. This is how the break on a man's pant should be. 

I was so confused when I first shopped for his pants a couple of years ago. I knew I had seen him in pants in pleats and pants with cuffs. But, he was adamant about hating both. Finally, I told him he was wearing those when I met him. He had gone to the thrift store and gotten those pants! 

Today, we were listening to the news before noon. According to the weather, the rain was going to come in today and continue through the first of next week. I turned to him and asked him if we should just go right now. Within 10 minutes, I was clean and dressed. We stopped and got the senior lunch and took it to the park by the lake and ate. It was delicious--chicken breast baked, delicious green beans, hamburger bun, pears, lowfat chocolate milk, I had water.  Tommy made a chicken sandwich. I threw most of my bun to the birds. He ate the pears, I did not. 

We had been home for about an hour this evening when the rain started. But, I have my mail. It was really packed. Of course, if I did not get so much junk mail, box space could have lasted another three weeks. I did get a Good Housekeeping magazine. I have not had one of these in my hands for over 30 years. It has changed or I have, not sure.

My chair bottoms are done. I picked them up today and they exceeded my expectation. So, now I need fabric. When it quits raining, I will get fabric. 

 

This and That on Friday

 It is cold and rainy, much better than many parts of the country. But, I don't have to like it. However, last night, Thursday night, we needed the ac for the overpowering heat and stifling condition. The cold and rain will last a bit longer, and it appears our trip to Cullman will be toward the end of the week. 

I returned the elliptical and found I was losing about $26 on the return. And, the guy showed up today to pick it up! Of course, we were not here. 

When I called Amazon to figure out why I did not get all my money, it was because I chose "I did not need it" when I should have chosen that it was "Not what I expected" which is true. So, now I get the whole price returned to me. And, now I have another pickup date for early Monday morning. 

Whew! 

We are very slowly throwing things out of the house that have been here for decades. At first, he refused to get rid of anything. 

When I was putting something in the freezer, a tiny bag slid into sight. It was a portion of cooked pork loin from December that I had saved for another day. I just love having cooked meat and can add vegetables for a meal. 

About 3 pm as we came home, the chic-fil-A truck was parked near the taco truck in a church parking lot. We had a sandwich and that is the last one I will get there. The chicken was no longer crispy and mine had two pickles. gag. And, it was too expensive.

Tonight, we had a spinach salad in a bag. We divided it--baby spinach, raisins, bacon, almonds, and sweet onion dressing. The spinach/carrot/cabbage salad had five shreds of carrot and maybe six of cabbage. LOL Tommy had a small potato from the oven last night and a bit of chicken. I had just a bit of spinach and a bit of chicken. 

I love raw spinach, but I had to take off the stems, so it was slow going. 

I love the miracle of a dishwasher! We are actually using real dishes. However, we are still using plastic utensils and plastic to drink. We will get there.

All Dry Now, Candy, Football

 Today, it was very rainy all day. Stupidly, we went to Cullman. Somehow, I thought the end of the rain was through here, but it had just started.  We could barely see the cars ahead of us that had their lights on. One guy never did turn on the lights on his black car, so I thought we were going to run into him. We drove with the emergency blinker on all the way, as did others. 

The trip ws sort of a bust in some ways.  We went to the food bank where I get to choose. They had my bag ready when we drove up. I gave my friend coupons and clothes. Friend said they could not store more in clothes closet a few months ago, so I asked if she could give the clothing to people who were standing there. 

She told me one of Tommy's shirts was claimed the minute she carried it in. Good deal. I would rather it go to them than to donate it elsewhere. Of course, if I had things that would bring money, I would sell them...lol. 

I forgot the bank is now closed on Saturday--Bummer! I had a boxful of mail, so good I got that from PO. 

At Publix, I found what I had been searching for--pizza crust mix. They had Martha White for $1. Remember, Great Value was $0.52.  Since I really hate Great Value food, I had rather pay for Martha White Pizza Crust Mix. 

We want candy! We will have candy! We saw a mixed bag with Snickers, Twix, Milky Way, Three Musketeers, but it was on TV. The woman finally found it for me. So, we have 153 pieces of chocolate. I doubt we will have kids come on Halloween. The little girl down the street will get a small bag of candy and three little bottles of bubbles. 

Other than that, we will try to stay away from an excess of candy. We ate two of the little squares when we got them. Later, one piece fell out of the bag, I think. At any rate, one was not in the bag, so I ate it. Right now, it is all tied up in the Publix bag so hard that the bag will needed to be cut away or ripped open. I am up to the job of ripping plastic, but this will slow me down. 

When we came home, I sat and watched the Auburn game with Tommy. Well, I was in the same room. Football is soooo complicated! 

Finally, about 3:30, I went off for  nap. He was to wake me at 5:30. When I heard him, I got up. But, it was almost 7:30. He said he called me and I told him to leave me alone. I remember nothing. 

So, nothing much happened Saturday. I am very slowly getting the storage shelves up and running and food on the unit. 

Have you bought your Halloween candy yet? Do you understand the fine points of football, really understand? Really? 

Such a Rainy Sunday

This is the second day of rain that will end some time tomorrow. So, three rainy days...ugh. On Saturday, we went out early enough to get home before the first drops. Today, we went to church, rain or not.

Usually, Tommy puts my purse and water in the basket under his seat on his walker and tosses it into the front seat when he gets to the car. Today, I bore the pain of my purse and water so as not to slow him down one second. As he walks he pulls his jacket up over his head to keep head and glasses dry. Then, his whole back, waist and bottom of his pants are soaked. Since I do not have a coat to ward off the pouring rain, I put a plastic bag over my hair.

I really hate he gets so wet. He cannot jump in the car like I can or hold onto a plastic bag to shield his glasses. No, he doesn't wear a hat. The short nylon windbreaker/coat he wears is shabby.

When it was going to rain, I just told him not to come to my house, or I told him to sit in the car and I came out to him, sparing him the long, laborious walk up my driveway and into my house. It hurts me to see him so unnecessarily drenched.

I have gone everywhere to try and find something so he won't be drenched. I even tried Dollar General. He hates the flannel lining when he only needs rain protection since it makes him too hot. Places like Belk's have short raincoats/windbreakers that are at least $40 and lined or hot. There is another problem. He thinks medium still fits him. He has developed a spare tire around his middle. It is not unattractive, just medium coats no longer fit him. So, I am out of ideas as to where to find a nylon raincoat!
.on me did not leave me soaking and cold. I did get very wet, but compared to Tommy, it was nothing.

Today, I turned a very summery outfit into winter wear. I wore the sleeveless blouse with the key hole in the back and slight V-neck in the front. The pants are highwater pants with the slit up the front. I wore a black sweater that covers my behind. Both are the same shade of black. Then, over that to be warmer, I wore a capelike thing with a ruffle around it. Actually, this is a rectangle with an opening from neck to hem in the front. When I pulled it up around my neck to keep me warm, I could feel the rain pelting me, but the rain never penetrated to my skin to soak me. It was not too hot to make me uncomfortable, either. The plastic Publix bag kept my hair dry except for the very bottom. No problem there.

I hope this one outfit lasts me until I can find more lightweight clothes suitable for church...lol. I wear it lightly and wash it in cold water after two or three wearings. And, I wash it alone and in cold water. Tommy kept his cool when I told him I was washing it and nothing else. He know I don't wash clothes alone, so he said nothing. Yesterday, I washed a load of clothes containing 16 pair of panties along with my towels and washcloths.

Spring clothes are now appearing on the racks I pass while shopping for something else. So, this post took a different tack, but that's okay...lol.

We are having spaghetti and salad tonight, so I had better get back to the boiling water. I keep boiling most of the water out and have to refill the pot.

Saturday in the Rain

We headed off to Cullman in the rain. I ordered some Rada products from a friend and needed to pay for it and pick it up. I lost all my knives, so needed to replace them. This is a slow process. Tommy has one cheap, blunt knife.


These are Rada knives and are sold by the church as fund-raiser. Through their site, I learned Barkeeper's Friend cleaned stainless steel to a briliant shine. I ordered another paring knife or something short, a longer knife, and a sharpened for stainless steel, these knives in particular. And, most importantly, I ordered a tool for peeling vegetables. I need it for carrots, one of the few vegetables I can eat as long as they are cooked.


This is at a church with food bank which I used. I wished aloud to Tommy that I wished I could go on the Cullman. He agreed. We went to PO, my yard, Publix and Belk's. I stopped at the Festhall where the Farmer's Market is held. I asked what festival was taking place. A very loquacious man told us all about the events that started on Friday and go through Sunday. "Since we are a German town" we thought we would have a German festival. Finally, because he seemed well-acquainted with the history of the town, I asked him his name. WELLL, He is the mayor. I was surprised and much embarrassed.

I decided to go to Publix since I know the people and it is less crowded. I only bought BOGO items. But, I cannot find the receipt, so maybe later... I did find Stovetop Stuffing and the best price so far. Quite frankly, this shopping trip was less costly than coming back to Birmingham and having to fight the store location, find an electric cart that works, AND find the specials. I also have cranberry sauce at a good price, cream of chicken soup, and other things I needed. The salad wall was almost bare due to e cColi, possibly in lettuce.

Then I went to Belk's and fund I had forgotten I something I wanted to return. I did find a nice red purse reduced to $29. Okay, you may think this is extravagant, but I wanted a red purse, especially a leather one. We did not eat lunch, just junk food that was delicious from the food bank. It was Publix fare, I opened some of and had a sip before I went into Publix. I took out pb crackers and told Tommy that he should help himself. He ate and drank part of both. After I came out of Belk's he had finished both. Hypoglycemia averted. Now, I have to buy more of both out of self defense.

We went to my storage unit and went to their very clean bathrooms before leaving. When I got to the car first, I got behind the wheel and offered to drive. He let me. But, I was on the point of nodding off, so I pulled over in Fultondale and let him drive. Then, I slept sitting straight up, thinking I was awake Upon arriving at home, I brought in bananas and celery. I dropped the bananas twice and stepped on the celery. I could hear it crunch...lol.

I was seeing double as I staggered down the hall and into bed. I think it took me ten seconds to go to sleep. After all, I did not sleep one wink on Friday night. Then, I only slept three hours, so I am ready to go to bed again. UGH, so tired.

The rain and clouds dissipated and the afternoon and evening were glorious.

Oh, a pretty red sweater mailed to me earlier, fits me. It is too pretty to be a house sweater, but maybe too warm to wear out. Seeing it fit made me really happy.

Soggy Saturday

It is almost noon on Saturday, and I need to eat breakfast. I have a med to take and then wait an hour before eating. I am way past the hour mark. I may eat my last banana in a sandwich and peanut butter and Miracle Whip. Now, I am hungry just writing about it.

Tommy turns on ac during the day and heat at night for the last few days. Last night he left the ac on. Of course, it rarely comes on, but at least I get a fresh breath of cool air. My lungs are grateful.

We continue with the list for shopping. Even at my house, he was the writer of the list of what food I was sending home with him. Too many times he drove off without what I had for him in the refrigerator or the freezer. Sometimes, I had him give me his keys which I put in the refrigerator with food.

Friday night, I slept 4 hours. I tried to nap Saturday afternoon, but sleep would not come for very long. I think I slept an hour and finally got up before 5 pm. Thankfully, Tommy has the ac on, so I am not sweaty and suffocating.

Today was so rainy, even all the way up to my home and definitely to the site of Rollan's funeral. I decided the prudent thing to do was to stay home.

We had a salad with Romaine, whole tomato for each of us, carrots for him, our own dressing, and chicken. I had Ranch dressing and he had Italian. I also had Kraft Parmesan chees sprinkled on my salad. It was delicious. For dessert we had a miniature Moon Pie. They had a box of 12 for $1.50 at Publix. Okay, truth--we had the Moon Pie first.

The man who mows Tommy's and several other neighbors yards had a stroke or something and was carried away in an ambulance, so probably no more goodness-of-the-heart yard mowing. Or, he may have one of his workers mow for everyone. He has paid others to mow the yards of people who cannot on this street.

So, that's all I have today. Vertigo is bad, still. I am giving it October to get better. October is the month I am always ill. This condition is much better than other years. I will wait until November to try to get rid of this.

okay, 10 pm and I am officially ill. Going to doctor tomorrow. I became more ill in about 30 minutes.

HoMEDICS SOUND SPA

Now, let's see if I can sleep with this. Tommy paid for this. It has all sorts of sounds, none of which I will ever use--brook, thunder, rain, ocean, night, and white noise. Night had crickets or something chirping. I would hate that!

The sound machine I had for 35 years is gone, and I hate that. If the one I have does not work out, I will order it from Amazon. I would have done that today, but I did not think I could last another might.

Dinner was easy since it only needed to go into the microwave from last night--baked chicken thigh, zucchini and peppers, sweet potato. I ate none of that but will have zucchini in a bit. He ate at 8 pm and I will eat at 10 pm. To tell the truth, I had candy--Raisinettes. They have fruit in them!

I am going to try to pay someone to bring my picnic table here. Tommy has a nice tree in the back yard. I mentioned my picnic table would look good back there. He said nothing. I would rather leave it here forever than have it stolen! I would rather have it cut up and burned than to reward a thief.

This afternoon since I did not have to cook, I washed out one side of his sink. He grunted. I gather there will be no objections to any sink and dish cleaning. `

There were two 90 oz. jugs of Sunlight dishwashing liquid sitting in the corner of the counter. I asked him why it was there. He did not know. So, tonight, I put them under the sink which had two things there. sigh.

I told him I was going to sprinkle borax for roaches, that it would not kill him or smell, just to stay out of it. He said, "Okay." I cannot live with roaches or at least must attempt to get rid of them. I keep the dishcloth and dishtowel in the refrigerator. Everything I use is kept in the oven.

He is not complaining, so I suppose I am not cleaning too much. I probably spend ten minutes total each day on cleaning--practically nothing. The table and stuff around his chair has not been touched and I have made no comment about it. I did notice he cleaned up stuff on his own. I suppose shedding the light on it made him see it through another's eyes.

His cable package does not get the channels where cowboy movies are. I am sorely disappointed. But, the many (hundreds) channels he does get are better than with my antenna. I did manage to save my antenna where it was just tossed aside.

Weather will still be in the 90F, but humidity was 38%...nice. We might have 20% chance of rain the end of the week.

Do you need white noise, fan, or such to sleep? How is your weather?

Lunch, Rain, CVS

Tuesday was the day of free lunch that we pick up. Lunch--ham, squash casserole, green beans, roll and cookies. I think they actually baked the hams! It was the best ham I have had in  years. The green beans were from the can, just heated up, the way I like them. There were no onions, extra pepper or anything. I was happy. The squash casserole was not made by the recipe I use. I picked out the squash and ate it.  It seems that stuffing mix was used. There was no cheese. I ate heartily. Dessert--two cookies.

Tommy did not come as I was concerned about him driving in 70% chance of rain. There were no torrents like I expected, just gentle but steady rain some of the time. Still, there was no other reason for him to come, so I suggested he not come. He agreed.

Kitty may be afraid I will step on her. I have walked out three times, and she has steered clear of my feet.

When I went out of the house, the humidity body-slammed me. The ac is having a hard time removing it from the house. I am quite sure I can wring humidity from things in the house...lol. Without ac, I would be in trouble.

After making a purchase at CVS, I got a $3 off coupon. Well, I went in the day it was expiring and bought a single jerky for Tommy and something else. If I had the receipt, I could give you a better idea of what I purchased. Anyway, I paid a bit over $1. At the register I got another coupon, this time for $2. Sooo, I shopped again right then.

At their cheap counter, I found potholders 2/$.50 and got 4 potholders. I forgot what else I got, but I paid less than $1.50 for merchandise worth about $7.

It would be more impressive if I had the receipts, but they are gone. This was three weeks ago. I doubt I will ever find the receipts. I am not Sluggy!

After lunch I needed to make two important phone calls, but I was nap-snatched. Dinner will be the second lunch I picked up.

How was your day? Rainy?