Not Much Wednesday

 The kitchen towels came in late last night. When I got up the bag was closed so did not smell anything. Then, when we came in from shopping, the sweet scent hit me. Tommy now knows he will deal with this load of wash. I suggested he lay them out over things in kitchen, dining room, and bedroom to help the scent dissipate. Maybe it won't affect me. 

Up close, I can see a dozen buds on the lemon tree. I am ecstatic. One flower is already fading. Tomorrow, a lime tree comes home from Lowe's if they still have them. 

We collected the ads from three stores today. Well, I forgot to get the Publix ad when I went in to shop. But, I did find what I do believe are this seasons Red Delicious apples. The three I picked up were the three I bought. Tommy came out the first time he bought apples for me, saying he had to examine 21 apples before he found one to suit me. 

It was annoying when I bought Bayer enteric, low-dose aspirin. I bought a bottle of three hundred. That bottle size is larger than the bottle for 200. However, I dumped all the bottle of 300 into the bottle that had held 200 and had room left over. I dumped the bottle of 90 softgel, Vitamin D tablets into a prescription bottle. It really annoys me to buy a huge bottle with few pills. Why don't they make the bottle smaller???

We had coupons for the aspirin and Vit D, but left them at home, so that will be a chore for tomorrow along with buying whatever we want to get from the ad. 

I have a very small train case that I keep present meds in. So, I want the smallest bottle to make them fit. I have a larger train case in which I keep the duplicate bottle or next doses.

Dinner: two tiny chicken tenders, slice of potato, baby carrots, slaw. All this was prepared last night and the night before. Tommy had part of a chicken breast, kale, potato, carrots. I had a bit of ice cream with blueberries in syrup. Tommy had more ice cream with strawberries over it. 

The weather has been great--not to hot in the day and not too cool at night. However, all that will change this weekend. I need to start thinking about when to bring the lemon tree indoors. Soon, it will be time to put all the plants in the utility room. 

I awoke at 2 pm today and got a moderate amount of sleep. I read that tart cherry juice from Montmercy cherries promoted sleep. Then I read another that touted pineapple. At Publix, I searched all the tart cherry juice bottles, reading the ingredients. Some were pricier than others. The cheap juice had apple juice. Just NO. I bought a 16-ounce bottle for $11,00+. It is just concentrate that has nothing else and is to be added to water or juice or milk. I will see what this does for me. Since I am allergic to pineapple, I don't want to consume it regularly. Both purportedly have massive amounts of melatonin. We will see. 

Other than milk or turkey dinner, is there anything you eat that promotes sleep? 

$652 Saving Wednesday Thanks Macy's

Examples of each set

On  Tuesday, I slept until noon, maybe 3 hours and took a nap for a little over an hour Tuesday night. I managed to get to sleep by 4:30 am on Wednesday morning. I slept until 1:30, nine hours sleep. I felt wonderful when I awoke today. I had wanted to go to Macy's and possibly Belk's. 

So, off we went about 2:30 and got home about 5:30. The day was a success. My receipt says I saved $652. Tommy went in for one thing for sure and maybe get something else. Well, 'something else' happened. I was amazed. 

At Belk's I had found and bought three of the Butterfly Meadow dishes several months ago. I could use more if on sale again. Tommy called and my first 'want' was not available. So, he asked about the second item, anything Butterfly Meadow on sale. There was nothing except full sets still in the box and on the shelf. A manager came by. The clerk had called him.

It turns out there were boxes in the back with partial sets. They were $40. I told Tommy to get them no matter what was in them. The manager helped to unpack it all and check for chips or places on the front of the plate where the back of the plate had scuffed it. 

So, this was a $90 purchase for the two boxes with 7 bowls, 8 dinner plates, and 4 accent plates. I always eat off the smaller accent plates. Because of something else happening and my not getting the 25% discount, the manager went ahead and gave me the 25% off, making the purchase $73 and change. 

This was a boon in more ways than one. I wanted to get the Butterfly Meadow plate with the Monarch Butterfly on it. So, I have that. The accent plate is perfect for a meal for me. Tommy could use it, too, but he uses his old, heavy Blue Willow plates. They are so heavy and he only has two or three left, just enough for a bachelor. 

But, then I discovered that the bowls are Butterfly Meadow Flutter (birds). Those have birds on them. Next, I discovered that the accent plates are Butterfly Meadow Bunny (bunnies). The three extra I bought after the initial set are Butterfly Hydrangea (pink hydrangea). The original set was Butterfly Meadow (butterflies). So, I have four different sets. They are all shaped the same, with a scalloped edge, same colors. I really don't care as they blend so well and are so cheap. 

Uh oh! Tommy just read that the bowls are rice bowls. I thought they were shaped like rice bowls. I bet I can eat cereal or whatever out of them. 

Tommy and the manager examined each dish for chips. Probably, the partial boxes had broken merchandise like the box I received. 

I doubt I will ever need 13 dinner plates. I may sell the seven extra dinner plates for $10 each and recoup all but $3 of my purchase. We will probably never break any dinner plates because we rarely use them.

If I could get 8 hours sleep each night, my life would be transformed. I am still not tired. We had the last of the pork loin for dinner. The next pork loin goes in with Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I will freeze most of it. 

My back still hurts, but that needs surgery more than sleep. I can still tell that fibromyalgia is here and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. But, at least it is not as bad as mixing it all with lack of sleep. And, I am now too tired to edit this any. A couple of paragraphs are woefully composed.

Edit: I forgot I have six snack plates that I bought on sale this summer. All this keeps us from using paper plates.

Was this a bargain or not???

Thanks, Macy's! Any bargains for you lately? 

 

Almost 4 Hours Sleep, Steak Butter

 This was my list of things to do on Tuesday. Some are pushed to Tuesday. Those are noted.

Tuesday--Over six pounds of bscb cook. 

Emptied food storage containers, leftovers, eaten. 

Tommy emptied dishwasher, hand washed some dishes.

I washed popsicle maker.

Some done. The rest pushed to Tuesday--Fold two loads of clothes--kitchen towels and my towels.

More books sorted in hall and living room. 

Tommy--Bought keto bread, milk for me, milk for Tommy.

All that was on four hours sleep, but I am fading fast. It was lovely and hot outdoors! I have watched the disasters unfold in Hawaii and the West where the hurricane is dropping water on the desert. All the sun streaming in the living room just shows and emphasizes all the dust in here. Ack! 

I did watch The Miracle Workers at 9 C. Next week is the last of the End Times Series of Miracle Workers. Does anyone else watch this on TBS?

Once again, Tommy got very loud and vehemently declared he would not eat something. Two days later I noticed he was eating it and ate it for several days. He said he would never eat any of the Steak Butter, that it did not sound good. I explained it was to put on a steak when cooking it. He still was loud and in denial. I told him it had no steak in it, that it was for putting on steak but it would work on bread. He is so funny. He did tell me it was not as good as what I made. Okay!

Dinner for Tommy will be leftover baked chicken, baked squash, baked carrots, sweet potatoes. All yellow/orange. 

For dinner I did not feel I could chew anything because of TMJ. I had a bowl of oatmeal, half a banana, 8 inch carrot baked, green beans, piece of keto bread. I did have half an apple, sliced thinly so the peel could be chewed a bit. I could not eat chicken. Bread crust was too hard. Not really, but it was just too hard for me to chew. Even cheese I ate earlier was too much to chew. 

I was talking to someone from England who said condensed milk was diluted over there to drink. Same with evaporated milk. Now, I know people drink Pet evaporated milk diluted. But, I have never heard of anyone drinking Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk. Have you? I know some people from England read this blog.

Usually, I take a nap when I sleep so little, but that did not happen today. 

Do you put butter on steak? 

Life is Good!

Today was such a lot of rain, widespread but not violent winds with it. When I went to the car, I grabbed a jacket with hood, stuck the hood over my head to repel rain. I would have had to fight the jacket to get it off once in the car, so I did not put my arms into the sleeves. It felt so cold outside--71F. Can you beleive it? The cool air plus raindrops that managed to get on my arms was too much for me. It felt like Fall. Thankfully, this is not true. 

We had all the leftovers for dinner--chicken, carrots, mashed potatoes, celery, green beans. There was only a smidgen of these, like 12 green beans each and two measuring tablespoons of mashed potatoes. I put on what I thought was a 2 lb. bag of chopped kale. Only, it was collards. They don't cook up tender like kale. So, it was like eating raw collards! 

Tomorrow, I will put on a pork tenderloin that is seasoned. I plan to put the bell pepper in with that. Not sure what else we will have other than the collards. 

I have been perusing online ads. There is not much there. I will buy the carrots for $0.99/lb. at Publix. I need bananas. 

Maybe I have figured out why Matt Dillon wears the same shirt and vest for ten years. We saw one episode and Tommy told me that was from a previous episode, not a part 2 deal. If they can reuse scenes where a stunt man was used for a dangerous scene, they can save on production costs. Well, that is what I think. 

I still cannot sleep over 4 hours even though I had one good day. I tried limiting naps to only 1 or 1.5 hours, that still does not help. There is a plan to get a job, but I cannot work on 4 hours sleep!

Life is good! Third Rock from the Sun is back. I love that show. We laughed for 30 minutes solid. Have you seen The Miracle Worker? The ensemble cast was in the Middle Ages the first season with jobs as funny as a Shit Shoveler. The second year, they were on the Oregon Trail or something going West in a wagon train. This year, the third, is even funnier. They live in a junk yard that has an HOA. One guy is a dog. Hilarious. 

Do you watch any of these shows? 

More Salmon

 We used the other rain check and bought another 8 cans of salmon. That makes one can every two months. Plus, we have a few more cans bought earlier. 

Tommy bought a new walker on Monday. Less than 24 hours later it was tearing up. Wednesday, we took it back and traded it for a new one. I hope this does not portend the future with this walker. 

Tuesday night, I slept for 7.5 hours, my basic need.  I could tell that mental tasks were less difficult. I could remember all ten numbers of a telephone number when told to me. That has been a problem for me. See, I am just sleep deprived, not losing my memory as Tommy keeps telling me--"Why can't you remember anything?"

On Tuesday night, I looked over the ads online. I was so happy that MW was $3.99. Well, I found an ad about a thousand miles away from me and for last winter. Today, we went to three stores to get the paper ads. Still nothing of interest. Only sale bscb is the thing that would have me buying anything right now. 

Dinner: I had bacon-wrapped sirloin, squash, tiny potato, carrots, and a salad with Romaine and tomato. Tommy had the other piece of bacon-wrapped sirloin, collards, potato, carrots. The two pieces of meat were cooked with the bacon attached, but thankfully Tommy removed the bacon from mine because, as he says, "You don't like two meats together."

When I ordered an Arby's sandwich that had bacon with the roast beef, I ordered the sandwich with the bacon on the side. I opened my sandwich to discover the four pieces of bacon were in a perfect square around the edge of the sandwich. I wish I had take a picture. 

Do you prefer not to have two meats in one dish or sandwich? Or, do you like your meats mixed? 

Sleepy Monday

 When I awoke Monday morning at about 11 am, I had slept for less than three hours. So, you can imagine how the day went. Not well. I had a list of about 8 things to accomplish. I managed to get one thing done. Oh, I found a phone number right under my nose after I searched most of the day. 

The cardinals need to be assembled. Then, I will paint. So, I had four cans of red spray paint. One bird was painted with one can. I hated the color. I used another can for Christmas decorations. That was awful. Somehow, I bought an identical, yet larger can of the Christmas paint. That means I only had one new color red. 

I went out, put a scrap of wood on a box and sprayed a test patch. They are still in the yard since we went somewhere later. Testing the paint colors was the one thing on the list I managed to accomplish!

The cable went out about 4 pm, so that was frustrating. We talked, laughed, did a few things around the house. Finally, we went to McD to use the wifi and watched a bit of news and funny videos as we ate a burger. That was dinner. We will eat double vegetables tomorrow. The cable and wifi was on by the time we came home at 6 pm. 

We did stop by Publix to see if the Double Q Salmon was in yet since we have a rain check. No luck. I can eat a whole can of salmon plain. I love the little bones. I can smell the salmon croquettes right now. 

Tommy bought Breyer's Mango ice cream. It tasted like poison. We don't know who might like it and would take open ice cream. It will be poured down the sink. I refuse to eat calories and carbs that I hate. I can eat 1/4 cup and be satisfied, but I refuse. 

Today, a bit of decluttering occurred, just a bit. And, I hung dark clothes that Tommy washed for me. 

Tomorrow, if all goes as planned, I will use some of the chicken to make a casserole. I found frozen broccoli in the freezer. I will make two tiny casseroles so we can each have the ingredients we like. Plus, the casseroles will both be for two meals for each of us. I will put purple cauliflower in mine, maybe Tommy's, too, if he is amenable to it. 

By the way, the man who complained loudly every time I mentioned putting pimiento into anything, now likes it. I just don't add the liquid from the jar. I put some into a chicken casserole, and he did not say word in protest at the addition. 

I considered taking a nap but decided to power through until after the news at 10 pm. I yawned until the news was over and went straight to bed and fell asleep immediately. Well, at 12:30 I had to go to the bathroom and could not sleep! So much for getting an early start on a good night's sleep. It is 3 am, and I cannot sleep. 

This was a long post for so little to say! It is almost 4 am, so I may go to bed and try to sleep. 

Who is up at 4 am today?

A First for Tommy

 Today, we put the pork butt into a cooking bag and left it in the over for four + hours. About an hour before Tommy took it out of the oven, I put in two sweet potatoes. I had made cole slaw. Dinner was less than stellar. Those are sweet potatoes I hate, NOT Beauregard. The meat was so fatty. Somehow, the slaw was not quite right. 

But, we ate. Tommy was thrilled with it all. Maybe my taste is off. I don't know. 

He disappeared into the kitchen and took the meat off the bone and the fat off the meat. A little later, he came out. Then, he went back in. I asked him what he was doing as he passed me. He was going back into the kitchen to freeze the meat he did not put in the refrigerator. I stopped him and asked what he was going to write with. He showed me a felt marker. The Ziploc bags say to use a ball point pen. So, i had him give the marker to me and gave him a ball point pen. 

This is the first time he has EVER frozen anything. Well, I have told him to put the hotdogs in the freezer, new ones I bought for much later. 

Now, I have one more pork butt to cook and freeze. This one I cooked in the bag. The one I cooked in the crockpot was fine, not too fatty. I cooked it all night. It was great for pulled pork. The one I cooked today was mostly fatty meat amidst a few chunks of good meat. 

Last night, the storms were terrific, loud, rainy, and destructive. But, the lights only blinked briefly for a second. Tonight should be quieter, thankfully. I did get enough sleep, even if it took me half a day. My sinus infection seems to be clearing. I think the problem may be this weather. 

Do you cook pork butt? By what method? 

Did you have tornado or storm damage? 

Discombobulated Sunday

 I would have taken notes as the day went on the explain it. I think it started when I tumbled over and into the walker. Of course the story would involve sleep or the lack thereof. 

I rarely know if the cleaner is coming on Sunday, so I get up anyway at 9 am. Saturday night, I did not sleep a wink. So, at 8 am, I got up, got ready, ate, and waited. Around 10 am, I went to bed. I slept for a few hours, got up for a while, laid back down and slept a bit. 

Before I staggered off and collapsed again, I put chicken drumsticks in a cooking bag. Tommy peeled four potatoes, and I trimmed them. He arranged them, added the onion I peeled and sliced,  and I put the drumsticks in and closed the bag. I had seasoned the chicken and put a bit of water into the bag. I think I was in the bed before he got the pan in the oven. 

I told him to get it out, have dinner and put it in the refrigerator. Well, I awoke just as he was taking it out. 

I never did get the day combobulated. I mainly lived through it. I could not sleep through Sunday night, so I was up and went back to bed a 8 am and slept until 11:30. 

Tuesday started off late but well. Maybe I have combobulated it all today. The other day, Tommy took my flip phone in to get pictures from my phone. It does not have a place to put an sd card like my last one did. So, I was to take it in to Walgreen's and they could put it on a disc. But, the pictures I wanted were not accessible. I was told to get the charging cord, plug the usb into laptop and other end into phone. We will see. 

I am not exhausted at all, barely tired. It is a miracle. And, knee is not hurting. So, we will go out and plant one flower and two packages of seeds. The oregano is coming back! 

Sunday, I was discommoded every way I turned. But, today has gone smoothly. But, Tommy is in the mood to argue loudly. 

Tommy finally got the mower on the phone. So, the yard will be mowed this week. About time. Our is the only shaggy yard on the street. 

Tommy will have chicken legs, carrots, potatoes, and zucchini--all leftovers. I will have frozen chicken breast, a bit of potato, carrots, and salad. 

Tommy needs to find more frozen meat to thaw so I can cook it. I need to bake some of the sweet potatoes we bought last September. 

Do you ever have a whole day that gets discombobulated? 

So, This Could Be Part of the Problem! & Roget

 A specialist MD told me to take an otc supplement. I did. NOW, I read that it could interfere with sleep and to take it in the morning. Of course, I immediately stopped taking it at night. It is amazing the number of things that can interfere with sleep. You would think this information would be on the label. I read about the supplement before I started taking it, but there was no mention of affecting sleep. 

I am so excited. Sunday is the day I have waited for since last fall. DST arrives. It never interferes with my sleep. But, if it does, I am not aware since I don't sleep well at all. For a few days this last week, I slept soundly, the sleep of a sick person. 

Tommy is reading a book he has had since he was a preteen--Flying Saucers: Serious Business. It has evidence flying saucers are real. hmmm. He bought this with his own money after hearing about it on TV. After thinking about this, a child's desire for a book, keeping it for over 50 years, still referring to it and reading it, I thought of my own book I asked for, got, loved, and still have. Even though it is 47 years old, it is still a paperback in good condition, just a little worn. 

When I was about 12 or 13, I wanted only one thing for Christmas--Roget's Thesaurus. This was 65 years ago. I still own it. To me it is better than internet sources. Other than my Little Golden Books, this is the book I have had the longest. It is red "leather", with gold lettering, a beautiful book. I wonder if my mother bought it because it was the only one she found or if she bought it because it was beautiful and looked so special. Despite repeated use, it is still in pristine condition.

Do you have a book you have had for a long time, one you wanted and still treasure? When did you get it and what were the circumstances? 

This and That

 You know the usual story with my sleep. I did get enough, but it was badly fractured. I slept four hours, I think. When I went back to bed at 8:30, I called to cancel my cleaning with the dentist and rescheduled. I slept until 1:30. Maybe it was 1:30. 

My work today consisted of picking up and putting things back where they belonged. It does not seem like much, but things can pile up on these two tables, the only things I seem to leave in shambles. 

I hate we throw our containers for our injections in the trash. The drugstore told me to get a "sharps" container and recycle the needle part completely, the metal and the plastic. When I asked where to recycle the pen, I was told to put it in the trash. There has to be a better way. There is a little colored cylinder on the needle and a clear cap over all. I have been saving those lately and having Tommy save his for me. I put them in peanut jars, thinking there could be a craft for these. 

My thought on the craft. If I got a clear ornament that can be filled, I could glue the little pointy caps all over the ornament. Then, I could put a set of fairy lights inside. The ornaments have a place to hang on the top. Well, that is as far as my thoughts have gotten on recycling by making an ornament. It could be for any holiday with different colored lights inside. Any thoughts on recycling any of this? I probably have a gallon of the plastic tops and the tiny colored cylinders that cover the needle. 

Tonight, I put color on my hair. I think it had been four weeks since I did. My white roots were at least 3 inches at the part. Shameful. It is so easy that I don't know why I am so lazy about it. Well, I had not felt well. Plus, if there are dishes in the left hand of the sink, that discourages me. However, the thirty minutes between applying color and washing if off is plenty of time to clear out the sink. I am just lazy! 

Tommy just had a piece of cherry pie, leaving the last for me after I told him he could have it. Well, I changed my mind and told him to just give me the last piece and I could use his saucer and spoon. His saucer and spoon were so sticky it was gross. I will never understand how he can handle a spoon that is sticky from one end to the other! I gave him back the spoon and had him get me a clean one. He said he would have to wash his hands. What? Do you have anyone with whom you interact that keeps everything sticky? Well, anyone over three-years-old? Cabinet doors? Refrigerator and freezer doors? Door knobs? Pencils and pens? Walker? 

Mug Cake

 Before people advised me what to do, I had already looked at all possibilities to fix my laptop brightness and color.  I tried again. Then, this morning I opened up the old, screaming laptop on the off chance that my vision had failed between laptops, I compared them and had Tommy look at the screen. He agreed about the sharpness and color. The old laptop had better color and sharpness. 

So, I called the guy and will get a new laptop. He said it was something that I forgot. So, that will happen when he gets one in. At least my vision is not the problem!

Thursday night, I slept well and awoke at 10:30 am. We went to The Pig with the express intent of getting an ad and left. I can and do look at them online, but it is so tedious. The electric carts there are left on the sidewalk, so if I can hobble to the cart, I am good. 

Oksana, the woman who cleans, called me today and asked if she could come on Sunday. She is so humble, asking for permission to work for free. And, to think I have had to beg people to come here and work for $18/hr even when they asked for $12/hr. Since I did not want anyone for 8 hours a day, I wanted them to be happy with their pay. 

Today, when we were out, it was drizzly on and off and very cold feeling and gloomy. Today's 50F and drizzle was cold after yesterday's 80F and dry and sunny.

I don't know whose blog I was reading, but the thought was ug cakes. When I first read about those, I was interested. But, when I realized how I would still have to get out all the ingredients for a cake and measure Tablespoons instead of cups, I was less interested. So, one day I had a sale chocolate cake mix. Then, I only had to put about a 1/2 cup of the cake mix in the mug. Then, I added milk, stirred, and microwaved. I don't remember how much milk, but it all worked out to be a hot, edible chocolate treat. Very tasty!

I asked Tommy if he had ever had a mug cake. I expected not. He said he seemed to remember having one. Then, he said, "Oh, yeah! Mississippi Mud Cake." I said, "Mug, mug, MUG until he understood. He is so funny sometimes. We had a good laugh. 

We brought in the Romaine from its daylight excursion. I am going to get grow lights so I can keep it indoors all the time. Keeping it on the front porch will just cause it to bolt sooner. I am looking at this BULB or this CLIP ON.  I am not sure of what I need to get and if there is something I should not get. Any opinions?

Have you ever made a mug cake with cake mix? Is that even a thing?

Another Good Day

 First of all, it was 80F today with higher temperatures in cities nearby. It was unbelievable that no storms and tornado weather followed the heat. Birds are out and about. One sat preening on my shepherd's hook out front. 

I am writing this about 5 pm. and yawning. However, I slept well last night/today. Wednesday night, after little sleep for two nights, I went to bed about 9 pm. I could not sleep, so I got back up for news. I finally went to bed about 2 am, slept three hours, got up and on laptop. I think I went to bed at 7 am and slept until 12:45 pm. I did get over 8 hours sleep. The sleep deficit has not been mitigated, but I am happy.

We went into the bedroom with food and brought things out--Miracle Whip, bbq sauce, jar of Newman's Own spaghetti sauce, canned chicken, freezer and storage bags. These bags were Christmas designs bought on sale after Christmas 2021. I put back the boxes of light bulbs where I replaced bulbs. 

Because I bought so many cans of Campbells cream of soup on sale, we need to use one each month this year in order to consume them before the best by date. When I need two cans for a recipe, I will have Tommy make white sauce and use that instead of the second can. 

We won't need storage and freezer bags for years. This could be a lifetime supply...lol. 

My laundry is ready for Tommy to take it to washing machine. That will happen Friday.

My laptop has color problems that I cannot figure out how to solve.  The screen is too dim and the pink of my blog is a sickening pale color. Other than that, I have figured out the few things different from my last laptop. The screeching sounds are not missed!

Tonight, since we took freezer bags to the kitchen, I will freeze the baked breasts. And, I will shred or chop enough chicken for a casserole of Stovetop Stuffing, chicken, soup. I wish I had dried cranberries to put in it, but I have a can of jellied cranberry sauce. My dried cranberries are better than Craisins. And, they have no sugar or oil. I am going to put the mix in a colander in order to stir it and get the salty seasoning out. 

Dinner--Stove Top Stuffing casserole with chicken, green bean, carrots in it, and either slaw or salad. 

The SS casserole was delicious. I used the white sauce Tommy made instead of a can of soup, along with a can of soup and some of the chicken broth left in the bowl. I added no canned chicken broth. There were carrots that did not get soft enough for me. So, I mashed the carrots roughly with a fork and added that. I think there was as much shredded chicken as there was SS. It was delicious with cranberry sauce and salad. The SS casserole had a less strong taste because I added no spices to the white sauce. And, I added no water to the casserole. 

At 10 pm it is still 72F. Amazing. There was no wind part of the day, thankfully. Only a breeze later in the afternoon even stirred the trees.

Do you have stored food from which you add to kitchen stores? 

Short Saturday

 I was looking over the broken china and may have a problem. Most of the designs that can be used are around the base/rim the plate sits upon. There is a lot of flower area that I can use. But, it seems the butterfly, ladybug and bee are on this thick area. Rae, how did you handle this? Or, anyone else?

My sleep pattern is back to normal, not sleeping until 6 am and then sleeping until after 3 pm. When it gets dark early, sleeping most of the day does not leave much time to be productive. 

One futile trip to drugstore and a productive trip to The Pig were all we had time for and then stayed out after dark with those two short trips. Tommy needed Diet Pepsis, so this was the cheapest we could find around here. I got a quarter dog toy for Lynda's dog, bologna, slaw mix with coupon, and a free bag of cereal which we will give to Lynda. 

Dinner: two hamburgers broiled with two zucchini, leftover mashed potatoes. I had my burger plain and half an apple. Tommy had his on a bun. 

I have not heard from the woman who cleans, so I have no idea whether she is coming or not! I hate I will have to get up early and she might not come!

My new healthcare plan is failing already. Anyone heard of or uses United Healthcare?

Does anyone know about using the rim of plates for broken China projects?

This and That Week and Friday

 This week has been a week of telephone calls to get things settled on so many fronts, sort of "putting out fires" calls. Today was my first failure, mostly due to losing patience with the guy at the mobile company. But, one item was settled, so that makes me very happy. Tomorrow, I will finish up the one item.

I will start on a new list of "things to do." Hopefully, most things can be accomplished with a phone call and a pickup at a store. Goggles for breaking China is number one on the list. I also have a list of doctor and dental appointments that I need to schedule. 

Since I now have McAfee on my computer, I can resume business online. SAM always mentions the ms rewards. I have looked and there are a dozen sites, but I did not know which was the right site. She gave me a link, and I got back on there. Unbeknownst to me, I have something like 5065 points which will not buy any gift card. So, I have work to do. It should not be hard since I have earned 650 points this month doing nothing.

If you participate in MS Rewards, how do you use them?  

Now that I have a stapler, I have nothing to staple. Isn't that always the way? It has seemed every day I have missed having a stapler--until I got one! 

It will be very cold tonight! Mostly, I have been wearing a summer nightgown. Tonight, I expect the winter gown will be what I wear. 

Tonight, I need to declutter something, anything. Okay, I did it.

Tommy struggled to put shelf paper in a drawer. Tonight, he doesn't know it, but he will put sticky paper in another drawer. He hates this stuff I bought. 

Dog update--When the dog barked for so long, I was also treated to a car revving its loud engine. As soon as the car left, the dog stopped barking. Well, I got up during the barking and struggled to get to a window. There was no dog in the yard next door! It was the car owner's dog! So, now there are two dogs who bark for an hour apiece. 

Last night, I slept ten hours. I was surprised. I did not take a nap, surprising me again. Tomorrow will be a full, purposeful day. I wonder if he has a game he wants to watch. 

Dinner was all food from a giveaway in the past: dinosaur chicken nuggets, frozen mashed potatoes, canned green beans. We even got two half-gallons of ice cream one day. Dinner was delicious, easy, and maybe not so nutritious. 

What did you have for dinner? Do you ever just have to take a break from life and sit to make necessary phone calls to straighten things out? 

Monday Christmas Talk, Sales & Next Year

 Christmas Day went well! I knew it would. However, due to sleep issues and dogs barking for a long time well before 6 am and right outside my window, I did not go to sleep until 8 am. So, it was about 2 pm or later when I got up, finally. 

I ate a hearty and late meal. Can brunch come after breakfast and lunch? Chicken sandwich on keto bread with MW, lettuce and cheese, chocolates and halo. 

I gave Tommy a tiny flashlight that he seemed to really like and a headlamp and one for me...lol. I still cannot find the other flashlight I want for him. It will sit up and point to the side, so he can see when he puts it down. I had already gotten the first light for me, too, tiny and strong light. 

He gave me a $50 Belk gift card, just what I wanted and a bag of Lindt Lindor Dark Truffles. He knows I love these. 

Christmas Day, we watched The Santa Clause, Santa Clause 2, and Santa Clause 3. I really loved these and had not seen either of them, before. The little boy in the original looked just like my son--his hair facial features, and the fact he had a pretty cry. My son was a pretty crier. Even in the second one, Charlie still looked like my son in that his hair was coarse, shiny, and thick, full lips, heavy brows. It was amazing. All three movies were great! Now, both the Home Alone movies are coming on.  But, since we have seen those, we don't worry about missing a word. We say the lines with the characters often! 

Dinner is almost done. The only thing not done is the gravy, but the hard-boiled eggs are ready for the gravy which will be tomorrow with the leftovers. Dinner: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato. Tomorrow, I will make the green bean casserole that I forgot and gravy for the rest of the leftovers.

When I made the cranberry sauce, I used Ocean Spray cranberries, 1c water, and 1/2 cup of sugar. The recipe called for a whole cup, but half a cup was fine. Next time, I might use less than the bag said. 

Christmas Eve, Lynda woke to water in her kitchen, coming from the direction of the refrigerator. After some mopping and many calls to plumbers, she finally found a plumber who insisted on coming out right then, late afternoon, and seeing what was happening. 

He decided he would have to come back Monday, but then took a look at the refrigerator. It was a broken line to the icemaker. She will do without that. But, the problem is solved except for the soaked carpet! It is still wet on Christmas Day, but she used the suction function of the carpet cleaner and got some water from the rug. She has a space heater in there to help dry the carpet. She had to spend $200 on Christmas Eve. 

The wreath never made it to the door because somehow the big red bell fell off and Tommy did not see where it fell when he brought it in. So, it is hanging on the inside of the front door.  Just now, I see the Home Alone house has a wreath on the inside of the door as well as outside. So, maybe that is a thing?  We never found the ornaments for the tree, so it still has only lights. However, that is not a problem. There is lots of light and decoration in the living room. 

Sunday night, once again I could not sleep. I had told Tommy to wake me at 11 am to go out. I normally would have wanted to get out shopping earlier on Christmas day after sales, but we did not want to leave the house before the temperature was at least 32F or above. 

Consequently, the stores were packed and all I might have found was gone. I wanted a few things specifically, like curling ribbon. I did make a few purchases, nothing related to Christmas. A box of 12 wrapped Cella chocolate covered cherries was $1.64--got two boxes. 

Silly me had Tommy return something. I forgot that there would be a long line. But, he said there were only 10 people ahead of him. That was only because it was late in the afternoon. When I went to see what took so long, there were about 15 people behind him. 

Hopefully, I will be able to sleep better tonight. Tomorrow should be warmer, Tommy can take the light out of the washing machine and wash my clothing! I finally have two loads ready. One  "load"is my two red blouses. 

We may have broken out of something, some attitude. I want to invite Tommy's cousin here for lunch and Tommy said, "Yes." So, every day we are improving on the condition of the living room and keeping it uncluttered. There was still a bit of clutter when Lynda came over. His cousin takes us to Bright Star where he loves to eat, but I am not going out to dinner until some of my health problems are resolved. 

I have been thinking about next year. I am not trying to rush 2022 out the door. Mostly, my plans revolve around health. But, I have two larger items I want to buy, so I need a way to fund those. I am working it all out in my head. I will discuss next year later this week.

Dinner: turkey breast, plain baked sweet potato, green bean casserole, halo. Later, I will eat half an apple. 

What did you get at the post-Christmas sales today? Did you look for something and fail to find it? 

Saturday Successes

 Saturday, we needed to pick something up in Cullman. Since it was supposed to rain, I was leery of going. Tommy woke me at 7:15 as I asked. Even after leaving at 8:10, things went well. We needed to miss the rain forecast for Saturday and get home in time for the Iron Bowl.

Hoping to find a cheap turkey breast, I went to two stores and found two for $1.69/lb. Publix was an in and out trip. The turkey breast was $17.88 for a 10.58 lb. breast. 

In the other store, Betty Crocker brownie mixes in a pouch for $1.29--got 4. Three disposable bread pans--came to $1.40 for each pan. The turkey at this store was $8.72 for 5.16 lb turkey breast. I wish both had been smaller. 

We both went into this store. He bought five cans of the Double Luck green beans I love for $0.69 each. He then had a receipt to enter the drawing for $100. Of course, I had my receipt to enter, too. As I was inside before him and well into the store, I called him and alerted him to apples reduced--$1 per bag of 4, so he bought a bag. 

In about 2018, I won this drawing and had $100 to spend on groceries. Maybe we will have a repeat of good fortune this year.

Got the mail from the PO. 

The turkey breasts were the only food I looked for and seemingly the only good price I found except for the green beans. However, I searched for them, so maybe more bargains were out there.

Have you found any good prices still left from Christmas ads? Any deals at all, food or otherwise? Are you still eating Thanksgiving food and enjoying it? Or, have you reimagined it?

Tommy wanted to eat at Chicken Salad Chick again. He is really a fan of this place. I had the Classic Chicken Salad again, no soup. I had to order a sandwich or could not get the scoop of chicken salad. So, I order a croissant on the side. It is lying in the box in the car, wasted. Tommy had Fruity Fran on wheat bread. We drank water even though Tommy asked if I wanted a drink. I let him have my cookie. 

We drove by my lot and came home! We beat the rain and arrived home about 1 pm. By 2 pm I was in bed for a nap. I only slept three hours and feel like I need another nap. 

I worried I would not be able to easily fit the turkey in the two holes in the freezer, but had absolutely no trouble. I think we might have to return to Cullman for business, so maybe I can get two more at that price, hopefully, two small turkey breasts. Turkey breasts are less than the cost of bscb--half the price per pound. 

Today was a good day despite my lack of sleep and worry about rain. If Auburn had won the Iron Bowl, it would be nearly perfect. Tommy is a little discouraged, as is my son. 

Gas price is down to $2.91. 

In a few minutes we are watching a Lifetime Original premier of the The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve. Okay, this looks good...a Scrooge-like character. Tommy is heating a roasted chicken leg, sweet potato, and frozen mixed vegetables.

If you have checked, what price are turkey breasts where you live? 

A Beautiful Beginning and End to Sunday

Plus, it was good all day...lol. 

Today dawned bright, beautiful, and cold! Cold is okay as long as it is sunny and dry. I slept well and long! We went for a short drive, and while we were out, I stopped by The Pig to see if I could find pie crusts. I did. The place was so crowded! Pie crusts will probably be on sale in the Tuesday ads since I bought them this week at regular price. I don't want to take a chance. I did buy two, thinking we don't even need one pie. However, I will make at least one pie for Thanksgiving and pie when we actually eat a turkey dinner the next week. So, today, I bought another package of two. 

This next bit was cute, funny, sad, not sure. But, definitely not a criticism of skills. He just does not know. Really, I need to record every word spoken between us as he swears I always get it wrong. 

For some reason Tommy decided to load the dishwasher when I was ill this last week. He said he loaded the utensils into the dishwasher door and "they are all pointing up." That was really nice of him. When I am ill, I am so lethargic. Then, when I was starting to feel better, he said he put all the plates into the dishwasher. Wow, he is getting very helpful. But, I felt guilty. 

When I put in dishes later, I noticed all the plates were facing in one direction. This way, the water stream hit the backs of half of them. So, I started changing half of them, the ones to the right, placing them backing the sides of the dishwasher where they were facing toward a side. He came by as I was doing this and I showed him how it should be done and why. PLUS, the instructions said explicitly to place all dishes facing toward the center of the dishwasher. "So the water from the center hits all dirty surfaces." I kept changing them until they were right and not trying to get him to fix them. 

He put the plates in again on Saturday and said he got them all facing in the right direction, just like I showed him. I was shocked. Picture this.  The plates were paired facing each other. Two by two. Of course, with the edges of the plates being curved, this configuration practically assured that no water of any amount or force would hit the dirty side of any of the plates. 

I was laughing inside and called him to come and let me show him something. Then, he swore up and down that he did it exactly as I showed him. He said he watched me. Well, obviously he watched and did not see. After a few loud words from both sides, I knew he was just too defensive to listen. Still, he brings it up that I showed him a different way. 

It was cute what he did. Funny! But, I did not laugh or scoff. He is so defensive and has never done anything wrong. EVER. He has never said anything like "sorry" or "I did not know" or "I misunderstood." His answers--"I have done it that way since I was 10." or "All my relatives did it that way" or "everybody I know does it that way" or "that is exactly the way YOU told me to do it." 

When I went to sleep at 7 am on Saturday morning, I awoke at 1:30 and felt awful most of the day. However, I was sleepy early Saturday night and went to bed about 2 am. I realized I have not slept well when I don't wear my new pocket nightgown. When it was wet and hanging to dry, I did not. It has been hard to sleep when the blankets keep sliding off my shoulders. Hopefully, sleep won't be too hard from now on with my shoulders warm and the rest of my body. Of course, I love the length, but it could be six inches longer.

These nightgowns are going to be my day dresses. I hate pants all day! Yes, they will be nightgowns, too.

It has been over 24 hours since I last saw my phone! I take it to bed every night, put it on the nightstand until morning. On the way to bed I sometimes put it on the counter in the kitchen or on bathroom vanity. Often, when I get up in the morning, I find it where I put it on the way to bed. We have looked everywhere. Of course, it is off so I cannot just call my phone. Okay, I found it. I had carried a clothes basket with the new sheets and other things to the bedroom with my phone on top. The basket was beyond my bed, and with no light in the ceiling, I could barely see it. Okay, a day without even using my phone is rare. And, no one called me. 

We were watching Gunsmoke one day when Tommy exclaimed that they all had blue eyes. Five scoundrels were onscreen. I think it is 6% of the people on earth have blue eyes and 100% of the cast of Gunsmoke screen had blue eyes. Tommy commented that Hollywood sure loves blue eyes. Of course, Matt, and Kitty both have blue eyes. 

At 9:30 Sunday night, Tommy went into the kitchen for us. I told him if he would gather everything, I would make a pumpkin pie. So, he is there searching for the spices, cans, and eggs. I could have gone in and stood while he got things out. This will make things so much easier on my back. I even had him get out the right measuring cups and measuring spoons. So, I need to get out the mixer and a bowl. Good deal! I think I can get a pie into the oven without spilling it more easily than he can. I will start at 10:30 after the news. So, I suppose pumpkin pie will happen at midnight.

Okay, the pumpkin pie will be out at 12:15. Actually, it is two pumpkin pies. So, one for each of us. I am a pig when it comes to pumpkin pie. Mama made a pumpkin pie that was about 3/4 inch thick or whatever goes into a regular bought pie pan, not deep dish. I certainly hope it doesn't taste bad. 

I knew I had a can of Pet Milk, but it had a date of Jan 2022, so I had him take the top completely off. It seemed clabbered. The new can was smooth and no clots. 

Pumpkin is my favorite pie of those I make. And, I don't even want one if I did not make it. 

What is your favorite pie that you make? Do you like pumpkin pie?

Friday and Dressing

 Wednesday night, I received an email from my attorney that upset me so that I did not even mention it to Tommy as I wanted to sleep and go to Cullman on Thursday. I hoped by not discussing it endlessly, I would not disrupt my sleep. No luck. Plus, Tommy would have endless questions for which I did not know the answer. In the middle of the night, I emailed for him to call me.

Finally, about 6 am, my mind gave up and I slept until about 12:15. I carried my phone to the bathroom, everywhere, not wanting to miss the call. It made my day miserable. Still, I did not want to be more  upset, so I did not tell Tommy. 

About 4:30 I called the attorney. Well, he came to the phone immediately. I asked him if he got my email. He had tried to call me and got the message that my phone was not receiving calls. Since a doctor's office, a nurse, and various people tell me this happens, I suppose I have to approach the cell phone company to see what is the matter. 

As it turned out, the email was not a bad thing, just annoying. So, I explained to Tommy as I understood it and he did not have one question. I wasted a night's peace because of nothing. 

I am continuing with the Thanksgiving food made early. I got a box of SS, cornbread. I made it with the intention of freezing it if it were okay. It is not. The cornbread SS is way too salty and the herbs and spices are not to my liking. I suppose I tried it long ago and never bought it again. 

Maybe I will bake a pan of cornbread, crumble and freeze it to make later. We will see. But this box was a big fat fail. Other flavors of Stovetop Stuffing have always been fine. 

Going off DST had really played havoc with our schedules--when we can shop. About 2:30, I told Tommy I needed bananas. He wants to watch Jeopardy from 3-4 pm, so I asked if 4 pm was okay. It was. So, we just made a grocery list. I tell him what and he writes it. 

All I wanted was bananas, but it took him almost an hour and he came back with 2 packages of Ocean Spray whole cranberries from the produce section. I did not want two and not even one now. I always write down all I want and then look at the list and see which store is cheaper. He thought I definitely wanted two, when I was just writing the price. One will do and if it is cheaper in the next 6 weeks, I can buy more. It's okay. 

We then stopped at Walgreen's to get a prescription I need in the morning. There were only two people in the car line, but it took forever. Usually, there are at least six cars. 

We did not get home until almost pitch dark. There was the faintest bit of light at 5:30. This will only get worse until Dec 22. This depresses me greatly.

A story on the news reported that research showed that meditation/mindfulness is as good as medication for depression or almost as good. Well, that is what my swing was for. That is what sitting facing trees and flowers was for. That is what my chickens in the yard did for me. It was peaceful and green. Plus, birds in the trees and squirrels scampering helped meditation. I miss my swing. I miss my yard. And, for a long time, I have missed chickens. I have never been diagnosed with depression, but I suppose anyone can be depressed. 

Today, I staggered into the kitchen, put my scrambled eggs into the microwave, and opened the dishwasher to get a fork. I stood there, a little stunned and confused. Where could all the forks, all the other utensils have gone? Tommy had put them all in the drawer. I thanked him profusely. He had said he hated getting out one utensil, much less all of them. When I told him how the utensil holder would come out, he started emptying them. He is just now learning what most people have known for years. I never expect him to do any emptying of the dishwasher. 

We are expecting Friday to be a rainy day, so we will be inside, hopefully decluttering or something productive. How about you on Veteran's Day Friday? 

Do you have a proven de-stressor for your life?

Is the lack of sun playing havoc with your plans? 

Do you stuff the bird or make a pan of dressing? Do you make cornbread or loaf bread dressing?  

The Way it Happens

 You know how my life goes. After a good night of sleep, I only slept two hours Thursday night. So, we did not go to Cullman. Bummer.

My friend who had a concussion finally lost her job. She is supposed to work 20 hours per week. However, Monday night, the owner of the daycare sent a text saying she was being put on call for the rest of the week and to please call the next day. The owner said she did NOT say to call. Friend was distressed. I told her to just enjoy the day off and do as she said she might do--get a job at Walmart as a greeter. 

When I saw her, she looked stronger and sounder, more perky instead of an old woman who is on her last leg and has lost her will. She laughed and said she felt better. 

Today, I asked Lynda if she would use her little saw and cut the mop head off Tommy's mop that he wants to throw away. The mop handle was not wood, but metal. While I was there, I gave her a box of books I have read. Remember, a couple of years ago I got box from a free shelf? Well, now Lynda, who loves to read, has a box of books, about a dozen books gone from this house. Score a big one for decluttering. 

Tommy sat and cut down two identical boxes to fit under the coffee table where the tv lives. He used Contac paper, marble pattern, and covered the boxes. This way, the living room looks less like a warehouse. I will take the sweet potatoes from their boxes, all 64 pounds of them and transfer to paper bags, fold the top down and put them in the boxes. This room is the only room that does not get too cold or too hot over the winter and summer. It is dark enough under the table and in paper bags. So, we have food under the tv. These will last until June of 2023 if we don't eat them first.

I slept from about 4 pm until 6:30 pm and had a strange awakening. I very slowly became awake. Usually, I am asleep and then awake. 

My request for an absentee ballot was mailed. I think it is a lost cause. Tommy was so sweet and told me I could just fill out his ballot. Still, that is only one vote for two people. He said he will use mine if it gets here in time. I heavily advise him, so he can do it himself. I get more upset at the thought of not voting than he does, so he was trying to console me. I called three places today and heard from no one.

Three books are out to read--Moby Dick, book by Obama, and another. I dug them out since I finished a book two weeks ago and never took another one to bed. 

I found out another friend died in Cullman. A guy who is an antique dealer and friend here in Birmingham is recovering from cancer, almost died! 

Tonight, we had meatloaf, sweet potato, and cole slaw. I heated a loaf of bread and was eating from my portion when I noticed a huge green area on the bottom about 2'x2'. I spit out the bite I had just taken and chewed. Most of it was green. Gross! I warned Tommy not to eat his piece either. I hope we don't get sick.

We have leftover meatloaf for tomorrow night. It took me forever, it seemed, to get it mixed and in the oven! I forgot to put in onion and there was not enough salt, but neither of us salted it more. There was so much diced bell pepper that we were both happy with the taste. I used Hunt's tomato sauce in the meatloaf and on top instead of catsup. That should make it healthier. Oats were the filler and two eggs bound it. If it only had onions....

Beside me is a delicious, icy-cold glass of unsweetened tea. I certainly don't drink much else now that I have ice for tea! Thanks, Janet! This will make 32 ounces of tea this evening.

Friday, I will cook the pound of frozen, raw cranberries from last year to freeze for Thanksgiving. Preparations have begun. I know they were on sale somewhere last year. Maybe I can find more to freeze.  Tommy will wash the kitchen linens on Friday. The folding of clothes never seems to end! Tomorrow, I will plant tulips! I promise. 

Have you planted any bulbs for next year? I am so far south that these can be planted in December or January and they will bloom. I did that one year. But, I will plant part of my bulbs tomorrow, even if not many.

Saturday Sleep

 It is almost midnight, and I have been awake since 5 am and feel miserable. I tried to nap and lay there for two hours! So, I feel grumpy and miserable. But, Tommy is not being abused...lol.

Both Alabama and Auburn, our two Alabama teams lost. Too bad.

I called my neighbor and told her a lie--that we were going to pharmacy where she needed to go and we would be glad to take her. She refused. Her voice is much stronger and she sounds so much better. It seems the doctor gave her pills to help with her blocked colon. She must take one each day for 30 days. She said she will have diarrhea 3 or 4 times each day for the thirty days per the med enclosure. She has to work, so she will not take them. I understand her dilemma.

My computer has been going crazy with popups. And, I am supposed to have an ad blocker. I called the tech support and was told I have no protection and no ad blocker, that I pay $$$ for only tech support. Well, that is not what I paid for this last spring! He did update my computer to Windows 11. The talk with tech is what spoiled my nap. Plus, I was on there for well over an hour. 

Tommy drew a jack 'o lantern face on the pumpkin and put him out. Drawing is easier than carving. Our bit of decoration is coming along slowly. When Halloween is over he will turn it around for Thanksgiving/Fall decor. 

Did you put out a jack o' lantern? Do you ever just draw the face instead of carving?