Busy Saturday + Edit of More Things

This morning, we went to Cullman for a few reasons, and in the process, 

I received a free chicken, dressed of course. 

Met with an artist friend. He has the paint by number and will stretch it. I have no idea how, but he mentioned a hammer, a saw, and staples. Tommy will be able to paint the Christmas picture with cardinals in the snow. 

We stopped and got the mail. I got Tommy a sheet of forever stamps. They did not have any I like, so I will get mine next month. I got "Pony Cars" for him. Next month I will get mine--flower stamps and Christmas stamps. 

We hurried back down to meet with the Tupperware lady from Mississippi. She is set up in a parking lot in front of a store. I had gotten something totally wrong when we first saw her. She took it back and let me get cannisters. Then, she cut the price on a pie container. I had one but it is gone. So, I can bake a pie or cupcakes and keep them all fresh and pest free. 

Then, I saw an estate sale with everything 1/2 price today. I managed to get in the house and sat down every chance I had in the house. There were lots of pretty things, but I decided I did not really want them. Outside, there was a patio table for $35 that they offered me for $15. It folds flat, so it went into the car. It is set up and I love it! 

On the way home, I saw a tent in a parking lot and got a Lifeline tablet for $20/ I hope these are not hot and are legit. 

Last night, I went to bed at midnight and awoke at 4 am. I am beat so I am going to bed right now at 4:30 in the afternoon. 

I don't know how to set up the tablet, but I may not know how to get to the bed. I am that tired. But, it is a pretty day. 

Tommy suggested I call Geek Squad. If I do that, I have lots of things for them to help me do and learn. Have you ever used GS? 

Let's see--hen, stretching canvas, Tupperware cannisters and pie taker, table for yard and tablet, plus 32 lbs of sweet potatoes, 5 red tomatoes, 1 green tomato.

We did everything we set out to do and more. Things went off smoothly.

Did things go smoothly this Saturday? What did you do?

I may sleep all evening, so this post goes out now.

Edit: add another 32 lbs. of sweet potatoes, 5 tomatoes, and 1 green tomato to the day's haul. I forgot.

Saturday in Cullman and Soup and Summer Savory

 We went to Cullman with a list and finished the list and got home about 3:30. I am so tired. The day was pretty but below freezing until about noon. But, the humidity was 23% yesterday evening unless it was a mistake. No ice on any of the roads make for safe driving.

Before we left, I grabbed a cheese sandwich and water. Tommy had gotten bread and sausage. So, it has been many months since we stopped at Hardee's for a sausage biscuit. Buying the premade sausage has made the difference.  The sausage is expensive, but much less than Hardees for both of us. 

We got the mail, went to my lot, dropped off a huge bag of plastic bottles for recycling, I went to two grocery stores where I picked up 4 more pimientos and two more cans of cheap green beans. The other store had no bargains today. Sportsman's Lake is still closed, and the Christmas decorations are still in the park.

At my friend's junk shop I saw a table I wanted several months ago. She is the one who is in a wheelchair and the person who asked me to buy food for her friend, saying she would pay me and never did. I had $9.50 on the books with her. Brought her something that put another $10 on the books, got the table for $20, leaving me 50 cents on the books. I mentioned she needed to pay me for the money I spent for her friend and the fact she said she would pay me. She said pitifully that she only had $3 and needed to buy something. I replied dryly, " I have change." She ignored me and never paid me. 

I will just put it on the books next time and never bring her friends food until I get the money. This actually benefits me. Today, she said she would sell me an iron bed and rails for $25. I will never get the money without making an enemy. She has never paid me for one blessed thing I have for sale! But, it gets put on the books and I get "free" stuff. "I will trade you my stuff for your stuff" sort of deal.
 

There is a beautiful, little table in my trunk, so I am happy. 

I took a purse to the shoe shop and had it repaired for $3. The remote for my car had a dead battery, so got that taken care of for another $3. I knew the people in both places, so pleasant conversation made me feel really happy. I have shopped both stores for 30 years, so it felt like home. 

While I was in a friendly atmosphere, Cullman, where people know me. I decided to shop at Walgreen's and get some otc at the drive-up window. The one here told me I had come into the store, just flat out refused. 

One friend who is semi-retired told me his wife died of covid-19 just before vaccines were available. The conversation made me sad because he is a nice man and seemed to really love his wife. I counseled another young man about educational goals. He has changed majors eight times! I congratulated him for his perseverance. I could not see making him feel bad about his decisions, especially since he is still interested in education. 

We arrived back home at about 3:30. At about 5:30, I decided to make soup. Tommy cooked and chopped the meat and scraped the carrots. I peeled the potatoes prepared the celery and put the soup into the crock pot. Around 6  pm, I decided the soup would never get done. Sooo, I put it all on a pot on the stove and added two cans of diced tomatoes and more water. 

I was so tired that I went to sleep in the recliner. I never finished adding things to the soup. So, I did when I awoke.

Soup

ground beef, maybe 2 lbs. today

carrots, a little over a pound

potatoes, just a few diced small

1/2 bag coleslaw mix

two ribs of celery, sliced thinly crosswise

two 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

can of green beans

diced onions

clove garlic

bay leaf (take it out after cooking)

I intended to put Summer Savory in to season it, but I had none, and Publix does not even carry it. If I put Summer Savory, I don't put salt, pepper, or bayleaf. The soup with the savory is very fragrant. I love it. Tomorrow, if Tommy wants me to, I will add brown rice to the soup. Okay, he wants brown rice. I don't add much, just 1/3 cup brown rice. Usually, I add corn to this soup and lima beans. 

The Summer Savory is not carried at Publix, so I ordered some from Amazon. Do you ever cook with this spice? There is a Winter Savory, too. I use one for soup, hopefully Summer Savory that I ordered. 

Stimulus Check Came

My ss check is deposited on the first of the month. And, most of the time I do check to see if it did deposit. Imagine my surprise when the stimulus was there, too, on Friday.

I am not going to spend it in dribs and drabs. The first thing I am going to do is pay one debt off. Then, I am going to get two chairs for the yard. These purchases are for my mental and physical health. I have the table I got from the curb. Now, I need to sand some places and repaint the table.

Before I ate, I decided to weigh. I took off my heavy sandals and ripped off my nightgown. In my panties I weighed 12 lbs. less than yesterday afternoon. Yesterday's weight left me sad. Yesterday, I had eaten two meals and was wearing my heavy sandals and some really heavy capris. I bought the capris last fall and noticed they were heavy then. Yes, they really are.

So, it appears my weight is right where I thought it would be. Now, to lose another 54 lbs. Tommy swears he will not use the scales, but I know he will if I never mention it.

Today, for lunch he told me to give him all the chicken for two slices of bread, but only one piece of bread...lol. He has NEVER done that, so I know he is trying to lose a bit. After I put the scales on the kitchen floor, he weighed 175 lbs., not a lot, but more than he wants to weigh.

The rest of the monetary gift from my friend is going to purchase a picnic table for the back yard. I don't want to, but I can use it as a potting table. Right now, I have to stand in front of the front porch and work from there with nowhere to sit. My back feels like it is coming apart.