Carrot Seeds?

 Reading Pillars of the Earth is challenging. It weighs over 2.5 pounds, so it is difficult to hold. I will get something to put across the arms of my chair. Then, I cannot hold it close enough. It is a slow go right now. But, I am enjoying it. 

I offered a friend a turkey from the depths of the bottom shelf of the freezer if he would unearth it. Well, there was no turkey, but I did give him a deli chicken. Maybe it is on the shelf above. I was not going to ask him to unload that. I also gave him 3 packages of hotdog buns. Maybe another day for the turkey...

Where are the carrot seeds??? I had them in my hands a few days ago. The pot is ready. 

Amazon is failing deliveries of my hair color. They keep sending me a color I cancelled along with the new color. Plus, this time, both boxes were crushed so that one would not stand up anymore. Tommy's pen needles are the wrong size, just not his preference. That is one of many items to call about fixing. I don't need replacements, just quit doing what they are doing. 

Now that I have the new, large pumpkin, I need to inventory my Halloween items. Last year, I did not use my other, smaller artificial pumpkins. I bought them for $3 in a huge duffle bag full of Halloween costumes and decorations three years ago. Most of that has been discarded or dispersed to others, including the duffle bag. I said I was buying nothing more for Halloween. Well, I do want some of the fall leaves. However, I will use points to buy those at Walgreen's. Now, Lowe's is fully stocked for Halloween. 

The day after the 4th, I went to Lowe's and heard drumming. It was a huge, lifesize monster or something, drumming away. 

Dinner: I had one bun, two hotdogs, chili, minimal cheese, slaw, baked carrot. Tommy had meatballs, steamed zucchini, squash and peppers, baked carrot. 

October was always the month I was so ill. But, last year it started in September and lasted for several months. So, I need to stay well for once! I will get my pneumonia shot this week.

Have you had anything continually mashed by Amazon?

Have you fall allergies set in yet?

Have you ever tried to read a book so heavy you could barely hold it?

Salvation Army

 I have not completely resolved the issue from Friday, but things are going our way! 

Wednesday, I had to get up at 7:45 am, wash my hair, eat, bathe, and leave by 8:30 am. I did it. Well, I carried a piece of sourdough bread, half a banana, and a glass of milk in the car and ate as we drove. I waited in the car while Tommy had an ultrasound. By then, my hair had dried and I had consumed a pack of peanut butter crackers. 

We were so far from home that it took an hour to get there. All the places I might want to go were on the way home. I returned the second pair of shoes to SAS. My left foot is so swollen that even a double wide shoe would not go on my foot. The right shoe was too loose! 

The Salvation Army Store was the next stop. I found nothing in dinnerware, nothing in Tupperware lids, nothing in coats to fit me. Well, I asked Tommy to find coats in my size. He came back and told me where the coats to fit me were located. No, not the right size. I was so exhausted and had two items, so we left. 

The prettiest white basket with a plastic liner caught my eye. At $4.99, it was a deal. Then, I spotted a Reed and Barton small round dish, not sterling. It was $1.99. On the internet the same thing sold for $15.99 to $65. It only cost $1.99. I have silver polish. 

The trip to the thrift store was very pleasant except for the grumpy old man at the register. I kept saying I was sorry and I did not know. But, he would not let up. If I ever go there, I will avoid him. He kept getting louder and louder. The more I apologized, the meaner he got. We finally just looked at him and let him go on. He was going on break and was grumpy to other people leaving the store, so I suppose it was not just us.

The Salvation Army Store in Cullman priced itself out of business when The Foundry opened. One day at SA, I told them the item sold for $1 at the DT and the woman said in a haughty manner that they had trained professionals who had been taught how to price. Well, okay! The DT sticker was on the bottom! That store was too crowded. Two-thirds of the store was oppressive in the summer and freezing in the winter. When I asked why, I was told there was no heat or ac in the back. 

Finally, they closed. I was sorry to hear that because bread makers were always $3 to $5. and I resold them all the time. Every one of the bread makers worked. 

We found the SA in Hoover to be very nice. I had been there once before but had forgotten how like a department store it was. The clothing I saw was very stylish, clean, and in good repair. Of course, it was small sizes. 

On Tuesday night, I went to bed at midnight and slept 7.5 hours, went to bathroom three times and fell right back to sleep, thankfully. I felt really well all Wednesday until about 7 pm when I wanted a nap. I did not go to bed. 

We took the tablet to have it set up. Well, I felt silly since it took less than two minutes. 

This afternoon, I convinced Tommy to let me read to him "Young Goodman Brown" since he had never heard of it or read it. The short story is by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I could not believe it took me almost 40 minutes to read it to him. Have you ever read it? October Farm's post today made me think of the story. 

Tonight, I plan to go to bed at midnight. It's almost midnight. 

Have you ever read "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne? I highly recommend it. 

Teaching Maybe

Maybe I will have a job. Maybe not. I am considering creating my own job--teaching reading readiness. It would be at a daycare that has all sorts of programs for the children beyond just caring for them while parents work. One worker takes it upon herself to teach sign language and Spanish. She learns it before she teaches. She is quite enterprising. 

All daycare workers must wear a mask, so that will be in my favor since I do not intend to give up my mask in public. Plus, little kids are germ factories, petri dishes. 

I know the activities and need the worksheets. Of course, visiting a bookstore for teachers will give me the ability to find many activities. And, yes, I will read up on the concept. Yes, I can download worksheets online.

Of course, my certification is 7th grade through junio college, but I know what I need to do. 

A first grade teacher told me I was teaching my two-year-old reading readiness skills. The child's "job" was to take utensils from the dishwasher and put them in the drawer in the correct slot for that utensil. I had no intention of teaching a "reading readiness" skill, just taught her the same things I taught the others--sorting. Of course, oldest child, son, learned to sort his toys into the correct bucket--cars, blocks, soldiers, cowboys and Indians. Middle child learned to sort with her dolls and toy dishes. 

There is more to reading, but there are concepts little minds need to gain. Since children are often behind in their reading skills these days, I think my services might be well-received. Even though I have not felt well, thinking about all this and planning lessons has provided me with a happy feeling. 

Tommy will be my helper. I would be annoyed with helpers who don't know how to help. Over-helping is annoying and counter-productive. He was not for helping at all, saying he didn't know how to be a helper in this endeavor...lol. When I held craft camps in the civic center, I had mothers who just came and helped. It was a disaster, especially when they "helped" their own child and stifled the child's creativity and spoiled the experience by standing over their child and pushing for excellence. 

Tomorrow, I will get my allergist on the phone and see what else I can do for myself to keep this crud from returning. Thursday, I have a doctor's appointment, anyway. 

While I slept, a restorative nap, Tommy followed the directions on a bought meatloaf, one given to us. He had a salad. He seemed happy with his dinner. He was diligent in getting the puddled grease from the little pan. He learned from me how to drain it and to use a paper towel to soak up the excess grease before it all reabsorbs and cools to a gel. He hates greasy food since he says he can feel the grease coming out of the pores on his face. ???

When I went to the store before the ads ended, I forgot to get broccoli, so the chicken, rice, soup, broccoli dinner was postponed. Tomorrow, I hope to get all the chicken cooked. I won't be sneezing, coughing, or breathing germs on any food. Actually, I have not sneezed or coughed once. I do still breathe...lol

We were going to Cullman tomorrow, but that is cancelled since I am so ill. This is my usual October illness that seems to be coming early. Do you have a season of allergy induced illness?

The temperature was 75 today, but it was torrid here. cloudless. The good part is the low humidity. That part thrilled me. Are your temperatures cooler now? I do expect we will see 90s again. 

The "Event"

 Today, I went to the first event I have been to since early 2020. It was exciting. lol...listen to me. Remember when I was a gardener in the Harvest for Health program? The gave me boxes in which to grow vegetables, hose, seeds, plants, fertilizer, bug killer (soap spray), gloves, spray bottle, soil mix, mulch, and many other gardening supplies. Well, my two years ended last year, so I tried gardening on the porch. It worked. I had many squash, zucchini, and tomatoes. The critters were faster than me and enjoyed it all. One squash and one grape tomato was all I gathered. 

This was sort a celebration of the whole program. Everyone who was in the program had to be a cancer survivor. There were six door prizes, hanging pots of flowers. AND, I won one of the door prizes. It is yellow and I don't know what it is, sort of a petunia looking flower. 

There must have been 50 ft of tables and a tarp on the floor with items we could have. Across the room was another 20 ft. of tables. Everything was in flower pots. Two flower pots had ice with bottle of water. Another had cookies sealed in plastic in the shape of vegetables. You get the idea. Tommy got a clipboard! Three five gallon pots were full of seed packets. I only got about ten packets of seeds. Some people must have gotten a hundred seed packets. 

Because we were both using a walker, someone brought us a gardening tool--claw tool and a trowel. We did not know to go and get things like everyone else was doing. So, when the program started, the first woman told everyone to make a second trip because they did not want to carry anything home! When she said this, I looked at the table. 

I saw a white ceramic pot and told Tommy to get it for me. He did. There were only two white pots and two blue. While he was there, he got a package of handmade cards. Watercolor birds each had a colored feather attached. Cute. He said it looked like something I might like. 

There were little balls with seeds inside to put out for wildflowers for butterflies and bees. I only got six and wish I had gotten more. Believe me, we only got two tiny bags to put our things in. Some people used huge cardboard boxes. Several people used a huge cart from the church to carry their haul. There were bamboo and metal poles for the garden, too. 

Next to the cookies were pots of little snack, commercially package. I got one of each kind. Tommy got more. One lady must have had twenty packs and squealed that the grandkids would love these. 

There were people helping themselves all over the auditorium. It was a very polite, civilized free-for-all. Yet we handed people things who asked for them. One woman wanted what was in front of me. There were little "mud balls" with seeds inside. They were full of wildflower seeds. I may make some of these next year. Have you ever seen or heard of these? 

There were brochures for another program that was for weight loss. Of course, nutrition is a part of this program, too. 

So, that was our first event. I wore my clothes I bought before I came here, dressier things. Well, I wore the floral blouse and black pants. 

I came home and found a 13 lb. box of books on the front porch. Good titles. This makes me happy. It seems that reading is as good as I remember and still helps me sleep. I never get sleepy when I read! I can stay up all night reading and have done so before. Reading is relaxing. But, I never get to sleepy to read. I hear people say they read until they get sleepy or can fall asleep and I don't understand. I cannot read in the bed, so read sitting in recliner long before I go to bed. Do you like to read?

Tonight, I am too tired to cook, too tired to take pictures of all we got, and too tired to give an accounting in writing. I was going to freeze the other half of the taco soup, but we ate it!

It was a good day after a good night sleeping a full 7.5 hours. 

Friday--Not Much

 This day was a success, too. Things happened as planned. So, that is two our of five days that went as planned. 

The food giveaway was skimpy, but that is okay--a jar of peanut butter, a jar of chicken, and 7 small packages of cheese chips. Both Tommy and I received one. Sometimes, there are four nice packages of meat. Other days, six bags of salad greens. LOL...no guarantees. It is okay. 

We did not make the returns. I was just too tired. I have been tired every minute of Friday, even after a nap. However, I did go to Publix and get the pork loins that were two for $9.99. Both are in the oven with carrots, potatoes, Vidalia onions, and garlic. One bag is for us and the other is for the missionaries.  I was going to give it to them fresh from the oven. But, they have somewhere to be and must leave here at 11:30. So, their meal will be cooked and refrigerated tonight. I don't want these guys leaving it in the car and get sick from eating hot food left in the car. 

In a bit, I need to bake a pan of brownies or a cake for them. I figure a 9x9 pan of brownie or same size iced cake will work. And, I will offer them a  banana to eat here or later. We have plenty of drinks of different sorts and bottled water. 

I would feed them here, but there is no table to use and only one chair. So, there! I have been storing boxes for them to put items from the cabinets. Then, I can throw the boxes away! 

Tommy took his ladder from the utility room and hosed it off this morning. I thought he wanted to bring it in here like it was. The dirt would have bothered me, but the spiders more. 

I stopped reading The Salt Wars and started reading Hillbilly Elegy. Both are great reading but I may finish Elegy before I go back to Salt. Soon, I will need more books.  

I am planning to attend at least one yard sale. Well, I drive by and see if I can get in the yard or is it not level. Does it look like all children's clothing? Is a dog running loose? Can we park safely? Is it too far to walk? I remember the day when I would pop out of the car, hurry around or stroll, walking down in ditches if that's what it took...lol. Now, it is an ordeal.

What are your plans for this weekend.

This and That

 Tuesday was just Tuesday. And, I am eternally grateful it was quiet and easy. No drama. Not even good busyness like Monday. We went out for a bit. I did take a short nap after a good talk with a friend. 

Tuesday night, I felt very sleepy approaching midnight. When I told Tommy I was going to bed, he did not have a heart attack at my early bedtime, he just turned off the light and TV immediately.  Of course, I was not going to sleep immediately. 

I read The Beautiful Mystery, by Louise Penny,  the book I started last Friday night, but only two short chapters. As soon as I became really sleepy, I stopped reading and went to sleep. So, by 7:45 am on Wednesday, I was awake and ready to get up. 

Wednesday, I measured the half bath off another bedroom, a bathroom I am forbidden to use. It measures 39" x 49" and the commode is 8 " from the wall. That is 8" of knee-room to sit. I read that a commode should have at least 23" in front of it. And, the commode is one of the short ones. Maybe I cannot use it...lol. Some pull bars would help. I wonder if I could sneak a gallon of paint in there and paint it a pale pink. 

I sprayed my wire chicken again. It will take more spraying to get it covered. Next spraying or two, the chicken will have to be upside down. The wind keeps changing while I spray it, but today I wore a black and white outfit, so if it gets sprayed, it will not show too much. Besides, the outfit is something I wear at home. My black leather sandals won't look too bad with white specks! 

Wednesday dinner was a chicken breast in the park and a huge salad a bit later at home. Tomorrow night, it might be a peanut butter sandwich since Tommy shows no signs of helping with the dishwasher. Next time, he gets to load dirty dishes and to wash the ones that don't come clean because of the way he loads it...lol.  We may have to have a come-to-Jesus-meeting.

I came upon a green jack-o'-lantern and my metal Halloween box, so those are out. I need to look for the ghosts we used last year. Did I say my wooden blackbird is hanging where one of the hummingbird feeders was hanging? 

A friend with whom I have not spoken for a year is having surgery Thursday on a trigger finger, so that call was longer than I planned. She is the one who is getting the recyclable cans to redeem, the cans I delivered to a mutual friend on Monday. She does not want patterns and said she was looking at hers yesterday and is going to give hers away, too. But, like me, does not know where to take plastic bottles. 

I have about 15 pounds of ugly, misshapen carrots to cook, 5 pounds of zucchini to cook for Tommy, and about 8 very large cucumbers to wash and slice for him for salads. So, I have lots to do on Thursday, maybe into Friday. 

Fall weather is supposed to arrive this weekend. Rats! low 70s during the day will call for taking a sweater along, just in case. Then, 60s on Monday will mean I will need a sweater early, late, or in the shade. I wonder if this is the end of summer. 

The new ads came out yesterday. I found Kraft Miracle Whip and Kraft Mayo bogo at Publix. So, I got one of both, each of which have date of 4/22. I use very little Mayo, but do put it in Suddenly Salad. The Granny Smith apples I bought for $1.49/lb. are now more than twice that--$3.99/lb. I need to look online for The Pig and other ads. 

My back hurts me so from spray painting. If I don't paint today, the rest will have to wait until spring or a very warm snap later this year. It was not the painting, but the carrying/dragging the heavy wire chicken and the chair to sit in. 

What have you been doing? What are your plans for this weekend?

I Made a New Friend and Another Died

 When we go to the park, we end our trip by driving along the road that has ball fields on the right and houses on the left. Then, we turn around and come back along the road with the houses now on the right. We get a view into back yards which is very interesting. 

I was thrilled with the dozens of bee hives in one back yard. We, of course, decided soon that these held no bees. Last week, I commented to Tommy that I supposed they were not planning on raising bees since there is the third year the hives have been empty.

Tommy commented that they must be going to move because there were two moving vans in front of the house since he could see they from the park. I wanted something they had removed from one of their utility buildings.

We drove into our subdivision and went to the house. One of the movers went in and told the people we wanted to talk to them. The woman was very nice, telling us the were moving to Childersburg. 

I wanted to buy the four-foot Santa blow mold. She was adamant about keeping it. It was filthy, many years of filthy! But, she held firm and, of course, I gave up. We talked chickens, Hosta, and she gave me plants--Jacob in a boat. I think that is what she called the purple plant. 

As we were leaving, she said to me, "I wish I had met you sooner. Here we are moving and meet you." I felt the same way. She was very nice and friendly. Her husband had to call her away from our car to help move. He had gone straight back and gotten the Santa blow mold and stuck it into the bed of his pickup truck. I would place good money on the fact he would not tie it down and it would blow out. But, I kept my mouth shut. 

When we went to the park two days later, they had removed the hives and other items. I want one of the five foot chickens she left that are made in Mexico. I will have to see what she will take for them. No, I would never take things left in a yard where someone had moved out!

For some reason I was piddling around on my Facebook and found a curious notation under a picture of my only, that I know, transgender friend. I wonder about the notation and finally figured out Dana had died. Over several years, I had encountered her at group birthday parties and such. She was nice and I have no idea how she died in 2010.  I still talk with the other people who knew her, so I will have to find out. It is not that I am that distant from these people, but things happen to connections when you have been away as I have. 

So, I lost two friends this last week. 

Today, I announced I wanted KFC. Now, Tommy is not a person to turn down going out to pick up food. When I came here, I fully grasped how often he went out to pick up fast food! Today, it was delicious, as usual. We had to sit and wait for the biscuits. Of course, we did and were not troubled by the time involved. But, we were on the KFC lot for 45 minutes. UGH However, the meal was delicious. 

It is 8:30 pm and I now have to go in the kitchen and cook 12 large, fat, and full ears of corn. All the kernels except for meals will be frozen for this winter. I will freeze the kernels from two ears in each bag. And, then put those bags into one big bag. Thankfully, I have a huge pot for the boiling.

Monday night, I continued to crochet the granny square. I only made the first round the night before. It occurred to me last night that something was wrong, it was raveling from the start. So I pulled it out. Then, I was crocheting a very tiny cap. It fit right on my thumb! Of course, I had only made three groups of three double crochet. It was an easy fix, but silly mistake. 

My goals for everyday: crochet or do some handwork, read a physical book, listen to music, and exercise/march. Of course, I read on the computer, listen to Rod Stewart, and sporadically exercise this last month. I am going to buy an apparatus to listen to different music here in the living room. It won't be fancy, just cheap. Tommy's clock radio is awful when music is on. 

I had an appointment in Cullman today for the allergist that comes from Birmingham. Instead of my going there, he called me. He has sent me a prescription for allergies, head congestion. It is a spray. We spent so long at KFC that I just wanted to get home before dark. 

We are supposed to have four days of rain, so we will be home. How is your week coming along? Fun? Work? Education? Activities? Eating well? 

Corn, DL, OUCH, Reading, Crochet, Tuna, Birthday

Tommy is in the front yard, shucking corn. We were given dozen ears. I may cook it all and cut the corn off and freeze most. At least, it will not go to waste. Tonight, we will have five big meatballs given to us. I may cook all five and freeze two, not sure about that either. We will have a salad, anyway. 

Thursday, I renewed my driver's license that had expired almost two years ago. I thought my hair would be okay. No, it was not. I can say with confidence that is the worst dl picture I have ever had taken. Hopefully, the color picture on the permanent dl will be better. No, I have not driven since it expired. I hope I still know how to drive...lol. 

I bit my tongue the worst I ever have yesterday! It was at the very back of my tongue. I could hear the teeth going into my tongue, sort of like biting into a juicy apple or a stalk of celery. I cried, could not finish eating and barely could shut my mouth. Then, just an hour later, I was using a straw while riding in the car. The car hit a ripple in the pavement and the heavy straw hit me in the mouth, trapping my lip between teeth and straw. That swelled up nicely. Then, I sort of choked when I coughed. Something lodged itself in the opening in my throat to my Eustachian tube. That hurt and caused a terrific earache until this morning. 

Reading I Alone is difficult because the book is heavy, too heavy to hold up while reading in bed. My hands hurt so I can barely read one chapter. I have made that my goal every night. This is something to consider when choosing what to read. I may have to limit heavy-book reading to sitting in the living room.

Last week, I found a penny while entering Publix. Yay me! 

Crochet is going to be present in my life once more. Supposedly it is good for my brain. I bought a new hook and thread. I keep losing my hooks! Now, I have the yard and hook in a storage bag.  I am on the lookout for dirt cheap yarn at yard sales. My goal is to make blankets for dolls. I just keep making the square larger, about 18", and finish it with a shell stitch around the outside. No, I have no idea what I will do with these, probably give them away. It is too bad I don't have some of the yarn from my house.

The last time I bought a crochet hook, about two weeks ago, I never got home with it. The hook probably fell through the basket on the electric cart before I arrived to the checkout. As soon as I got this hook  home, it went straight into a bag with the yarn. 

When I found StarKist Tuna for $0.77/can this spring, I bought about 24. The problem was--each can was stuck to another, completely covered in tuna or something sticky. Now, I need to remove the label and wash each can, marking "tuna" and the date with a marker. I will know what is in the cans with just one word on each of them. I think this is why these cans were so cheap! 

There is an estate sale across the street where the guy died last year. I am going, but not on the first day. I will wait until Saturday and probably return Sunday.  A company must be doing this sale. I love estate sales although some times they are sad if the person is on the premises. 

The front porch is being cleaned off one item at a time, sometimes one item a day. I have done nothing to it all this year, but now, the humidity, if not the heat is down so it is comfortable. Okay, I don't break a sweat the thirty-seconds I "work."

I am not ill, just my usual tired all day. So, I have done nothing for my birthday week. I made it a week since I cannot have a long day celebrating. Saturday, I will be 75...impossible! Where did the time go?

Tommy just brought in the corn--12 perfect ears. Nothing was brown, malformed, full ears. This will be good eating, just not tonight. 

Do you find items fall out of the grocery cart? Have you ever bitten your tongue or inside your cheek so hard it hurt days later? 

Busy Saturday

 Saturday we went to Cullman since I needed to get my mail and it should rain most days next week. There were bills and the requisite junk mail. I could not go in, so Tommy got it for me. He has a PO Box key on his keychain in case I lose mine or so he can use his key. 

Friday night, I read and could not go to sleep until an hour before he woke me. So, I am exhausted. 

We went to my yard and sat in the car in the driveway for about one minute. Usually, I want and need to sit there for at least five minutes. 

We went to the grocery store where I find carts with great markdowns. I found boxed Hershey's Chocolate Mousse mix for $0.49, so I bought 3.  the expiration date is August 24, 2021, but I am positive they are not bad or stale. The whole thing has 34 carbs, so each of the 8 helpings will be low-carb. 

Also, in the cart were tiny 6-packs of SUN-MAID chocolate yogurt covered raisins. I have never had these, but each 6-pack of snack size was $0.49. Cheap snack. I had never had these and only bought one package. They were delicious!

Those two items were in the cart. The next two items were in the ad.

Vlasic Dill Relish and Vlasic sweet relish were $0.99 for 10 ounce jars. I bought 2 of each for a total of four jars. I usually buy Mount Olive relish, but these were cheap, so I will try them. Best by date is October 22. But, I would not hesitate to eat these beyond that date. This relish is $0.98 at Walmart, but sometimes it is hard to find.

Dasani water was $3.99 for a 24 pack, so I bought 3. This is on sale this week and cheaper than I have seen it in a long time. 

I was happy with this shopping trip! 

Friday night I scrambled 5 eggs and ate half of the eggs for dinner. Saturday morning, I ate the rest with a sausage patty and a glass of milk in the car when we left. Tommy had two sausages in two slices of bread and a cup of tea before I awoke. It appears buying sausage and cooking it for him has easily broken his Hardee's habit. Those biscuits at Hardee's are too salty. It cost $4 for two sausage biscuit and a cup of coffee. 

At Publix last week or the week before, I found Jimmy Dean fully cooked sausages for $3.99. There are only 8 patties, but they are only $0.50 for each patty. I can stand long enough to cook/heat these in a skillet. So, they work. I may never get them unless they are on sale. I had one with my eggs. 

We arrived home before 2 pm.  I now need a nap at 2:30. 

Piggly Wiggly has Bell peppers for $0.50 each, so I plan to get some of those to make stuffed bell peppers. Tommy loves those. I have the ground beef thawing. 

After the nap.

Tommy called me at 6 pm and I have no memory of that event. He called me at 6:45 and I did get up in a few minutes. He said I replied at 6 pm. Obviously, I talk to him without a memory of talking. Rarely am I ever that exhausted.

Dinner was a bag of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, microwaved. Tommy had a chicken Italian sausage. I took one bite of the sausage and it made me ill, so I just had vegetables with nothing on them. Both items were given to me. 

Maybe I will make a chocolate mousse tonight. Maybe I will cook three packages of sausage patties that need to be cooked and freeze most of them. Maybe I will do nothing else. Maybe I will finish A Painted House. I only have 100 pages to go. 

What is going on in your world this weekend? Bargains? Healthy eating? Something interesting?

Birds of Prey

On Friday, or maybe the day before, I was sitting in the car waiting for Tommy to come out of the house. I saw a hawk land on his neighbor's chain link fence. A red-tailed hawk, searching for prey. I watched it for a long time, but it left when Tommy came in sight. 

At my house, I often saw chicken hawks circling around the skies over the back yard. However, I have not seen a hawk here and have not looked up to see. My chickens usually alerted me by squawking and running under a tree or bush.  Or, the bench. 

Finally, the hawk flew into Tommy's neighbor's yard and caught something on the ground, attacked, and appeared to be tearing whatever it was apart. 

From now on I will look up for them. We see them in trees and on telephone lines and poles elsewhere. The people around here don't even have cats as prey for hawks. I suppose they are not predators, either. 

Today, Friday, as we were driving in a residential neighborhood, we saw an interaction between a larger hawk and a squirrel. We stopped and watched for about ten minutes.  It appeared that the hawk was going to get the squirrel. But, the hawk did not. He either changed his mind or did not intend to catch the squirrel. We finally lost sight of it when it flew to a low perch in the trees. 

I am amazed we have only this week seen hawks hunting. I wonder if they are young hawks staying close to the ground. It was rather incongruous seeing them on low chain link fences. In our mind, the hunters should be on wooden fences in less populated areas. 

The first night I read A Painted House, I read 160 pages. Last night, I read over 100 pages. I didn't stay up late last night. I went to bed early so I could read. That is the way I should read, not watch TV all night and then read. 

Do you see hawks hunting? Do you live in a country situation or a city?  Do you lose chickens or cats like my neighbors and I did? Are the mice plentiful where you are? 

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? 

I'm Back

 Mentally, I feel much as I usually do. Tommy said for over two weeks I talked as though I had just gotten out of bed, that my voice was soft and sort of trailed off as I spoke. I can think. I can plan and carry it through. I can sleep at night and do not feel the need to sleep all day and into the evening.

Not once did I exercise/march

Today, for the first time in about a month, I went to a big box store. Before, I was afraid to go. Even so, today, I ran into three racks. LOL...maybe I am not 100%. 

I tried to use Fetch again, thinking it was my brain not working. Well, my brain works now, and I still cannot use it. I need help. 

I finally finished The Bird Way. Reading only as few as 4 pages some nights certainly did not make it a quick read. Now, I will start on Hillbilly Elegy. I have had this on my reading list for several years. Now, I will read it. 

Now, I have a divot in my nose. I think it is very noticeable. Tommy calls it a dimple. Who ever heard of a dimple on the end of a nose. Well, it is off-center. If it had been skin cancer, it would have been much larger. 

Tomorrow, I must pick basil if it has not bolted. It was scary to think of bending over on the porch when I was so medicated. I have a long list of items that I need to do! 

Tommy has been really good to get his food and bring me endless things I have wanted. For over two weeks, I just got up to go to the bathroom. Tonight, we went through the refrigerator to see what went to waste. The list was short--celery and a bit of salad greens. I got to see what was in there to plan when to eat what. 

I have calls to make and sugar water to make for the hummers, clothes to fold, painting, gluing and soldering (sort of), When you are discombobulated from being ill, do you have a list of things to do? 

Why I Refuse to Read Beowulf and the Disaster

 Okay, first of all, I have read Beowulf twice before. I will not read this copy/translation of Beowulf that I bought at Ollie's for $2.99. 

I read the Introduction, all 16 pages, as any good reader does  and started the story . That was pages 1-104. Then was Notes-pages 105-237. THEN, there came the glossary of Proper Names,  pages 239-249. Sorry, but I am not in the mood. I will get a fully translated copy with the pertinent information in footnotes. 

 Well, I don't mind looking up an occasional word that is written in Old English. However, the first page must have had ten items  to look up in the back of the book. I checked and it was exactly ten!

When I discovered that half the book was definitions, I called it quits. That is just too much flipping back and forth for me right now. Or, maybe ever! If I were assigned this book as a textbook, I would read an easier (better or more translation) version to get the story and then read this one. 

I am not looking for the easy way out when I read. But, this is just too much for a fun read. The original text is written in Old English/Anglo Saxon. I need the definition of most all the words. The Canterbury Tales was written in Middle English, and I can/could slog my way through the original without the help of a dictionary, although it does help for perfect understanding. 

This translation was written in the 19th century, so the language is very different anyway and really okay. But, throw in Old English into 19th century writing, and I am very tired of the efforts I will have to expend before I even get past the first page.

I got books and I got a light and chose the wrong book! 

So, now I feel obligated to get a fully translated version of Beowulf. Have you read Beowulf? What will cause you to give up on a book other than the fact you cannot stand it, or it is boring?

Saturday night, I was going to bed about 2 am, carrying the clothes I forgot to hang to dry. So, I put a nightgown on a hanger and headed from the bedroom into the hall. I heard water trickling like the shower was barely running. I hung up the nightgown and opened the bathroom door that was shut so it was just a crack.  As I went to the shower and was passing the commode, I still heard the trickle but it was coming from the side, the commode. 

Water was pouring over the top of the porcelain. I bent to the cutoff and could not turn it. It has been there since 1965. So, I frantically took the back off the tank. The flap was stuck in an open/up position. I put the flap back into position. When the water went down, I tried to flush to see if it would drain now. Nope!

Of course, Tommy had to pee and was heading outdoors, but I told him to pee in the commode. Then, I had to pee so many times all day Sunday. Then, I had a solid situation and no place else to go. I accidentally put tp in 3 times. The rest I remembered to not put in. 

Tommy headed back to the recliner and I tried to sleep. Then, I decided the soaked towels might ruin the tiles/grout. Soooo, I got back up and put those in the bathtub. Tommy put the soaked run in the shower sometime in the night. 

When I got up, Tommy had tried to reach a plumber. Then, I had him call again. Then, I told him to try one more time. He found a different number, a cell phone, and he called that.

Then, he went out to hang the soppy towels on his ramp. He somehow did NOT get the phone in the cradle...so I had him call again. I thought maybe the guy had tried to call and got a busy number. The plumber called right back and cannot come until 9 am. He told us to just do what we had to in the commode.

It has been a long day!

Have you ever faced a reading that you did not want to finish? Have you ever read Beowulf?