After Cleaner

 Sunday, I took a one-hour nap after the cleaner left. There are always things I need to sort after she leaves. I did nothing. Absolutely no effort was expended on dinner Sunday night. 

Still, it was 5 or 6 am Monday morning before I slept. Then, I awoke at 1:30 and did not eat until 5 pm. I was not hungry. However, I have been lusting for a Taco Bell Soft Taco Supreme. So, we went out and I ate two along with a drink from home. 

Of course, we went to the drive-thru to order. We were told at the radio they could not take an order, to come inside. Three times, we told them we could not, could they just let us order at the pickup window. NO! I told Tommy to drive there anyway. The woman inside tried to ignore us. Finally, someone came but the window was locked. ???

She said that we could have to come in as all the drive thru was not working, to come inside to order and pointed to the counter registers that were not busy at all. I asked her very nicely if she could walk over there and order and walk back. She looked confused and said she guessed she could. There was no one else inside, it appeared and no one in front of us. So, this surely could not be an inconvenience. 

We ate at the park about 5 pm, the first bite or anything to drink all day. I accidentally ate one of Tommy's and he was gagging on sour cream. Then we went to search for a bag of ads and coupons that are usually thrown, but there were none. 

So, dinnertime now and we will be baking lots of chicken, five packages, I think. With chicken always available, we seldom go out for fast food. We no longer eat fries and I pinch off the buns around the edges. 

I encouraged Tommy to track where we spent money in December. He still has not done January. So, it will be interesting to see how much less we spent. However, I already know January is less spent. So, getting February done will be the real test in order to compare it to January. 

Okay, it is11 pm and I got one pan of chicken from the oven--8 breasts and 10 legs, all seasoned with garlic powder and onion powder. Sorry, did not get the onion and garlic prepared. At 11 pm after getting the first pan out, I put in another with 8 breasts. It was a smaller pan, so could not get so much in it. There was one package of chicken that Tommy did not like its smell. So, that small pack gone. 

This is the first time all day long I have felt tired. I needed the rest all day from yesterday, and it appears I got plenty of rest today. In a few minutes, I will store the first tray of baked chicken. At midnight, I will take out the second tray and store it, some in the freezer and a bit in the refrigerator. It seems like it takes me all day to get enough energy to do anything! It seems I would rather work late anyway, always have. 

We are not eating all the turkey and chicken I cook as the freezer holds it better cooked than frozen. Plus, it is nice to have on hand. Besides, I want to make chicken, rice, broccoli and cheese for dinner one night. I use cooked chicken rather than raw. It works.

Today, I managed to get plenty of sleep Sunday night. I have piddled and done things earlier today, but not the sorting from the cleaning yesterday. Now, I just hope I can get plenty of sleep tonight. 

The tulip tree across the sleep started blooming Saturday. I can see this out the door when we have it open. Pretty pink. 

Tonight, I read some about Coleridge and Wordsworth, founders of the Romantic period. I "discussed" it with Tommy who just looked at me. He had not one idea. That's okay. I wonder if he will remember what I said about Wordsworth--Lake District, Switzerland, poems he wrote his sister. I suppose it is like Tommy explaining machinery to me.

Okay, I have rambled on long enough. EDIT: If I seem to disappear, it the computer humming like a spaceship and the whole thing is hot to the touch.

Do you track spending and compare each month? 

Do you prefer to work later in the day than early? 

Tulip Magnolia Tree

 

FACTS ABOUT THE TULIP MAGNOLIA TREE

We sat for a few minutes near a tulip tree. The flowers were unfurling and the whole tree was a mist of pink against a dark blue sky. I love these sights. It will soon be in full flower. There is one across the street that pleases me to see. When the front door is open, it is in my line of sight. Happiness!! 

Wednesday night, I felt like I was recovering well. I put the turkey breast in the oven and roasted it. When it was done and cooled a bit, I took the meat from the bones and just put all the meat in one bag, preferring not to portion it out and freeze. Tommy was hanging close. looking over my shoulder,  so I asked him if he wanted a bit. He said he wanted crispy skin. So, he tried to get all the skin, I think. That's okay. lol.

Friday, after finally getting to sleep and sleeping seven hours Thursday night, I feel like I have relapsed! So, not sure I can even go to the stress test on Monday. 

Even though I feel awful, I try to get things done. Thankfully, Tommy keeps pans and stuff in the sink that does not go in the dishwasher clean and put away. When he gets a couple of potatoes peeled, I will put on the pork loin with carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, zucchini and squash. We go light on the potatoes and heavy on the other vegetables. It is all in the oven plus two grape tomatoes. The vegetables will last three days. Pork loin is iffy. It should last three days, maybe not. It depends on how greedy we are. 

I put all the vegetables in the cooking bag and placed the marinated pork loin on top. It was very colorful, a beautiful sight. I tried to take a picture of it all in the cooking bag, but the camera battery needed to be recharged. I rarely take photos anymore. 

The morning after taking first antibiotic, I felt good, almost well. This morning, I felt worse than when I went to the doctor. I wonder why. 

Saturday, I might have Tommy go into Belk's to spend my credits I have since they don't work online. I need more flannel sheets. Hopefully, my seeming relapse is just my reaction to the antibiotic. Lots of antibiotics cause me to feel ill. 

Do you live in the South where Tulip Trees thrive? Do you have a tulip tree? Do you have any flowering trees?

Easter Egg Tree and Tulip Tree

Sunday, I managed to get the 24 eggs prepared with  jewelry wire through the eggs to suspend them from a smallish dogwood tree in Tommy's front yard. Next year, I will find something different to use to hang the eggs. Handling the jewelry wire and tying it was so difficult and my fingers hurt and my nails have little notches in them. Really, we needed about 100 eggs, but I thought two dozen would work. 

We took a ride on Sunday afternoon and I got one more 2x6 about two feet long for my cardinals and bluebirds to hang in a tree. There were so many dogwood trees in bloom, pink and white. Camellias are still in bloom. Azaleas were a riot of colors.  Many trees were just a pale green haze as the leaves arrive. It was a pretty drive. We saw chickens out in one yard. Usually they are confined. So, it was a pretty good drive even though it was only about 30 minutes. 

I checked my garden and found nothing like what I expected. The cabbage were not cabbage but something about two feet high! I was disappointed. But, it was all safe under the white cloth. Nothing had been killed by frost or freeze. 

Friday, we were watching TV storm coverage. I looked up to see a reporter standing in front of a tulip tree as Tommy said, "Look at that tree!" I replied, "Tulip tree." So, we watched closely to see the same segment again. He said it looked like pink insulation in the tree. It was! It was crazy how so much pink insulation was stuck on many limbs, just tiny puffs of pink, just like a tulip tree. Usually, there are large chunks of pink insulation, not little puffs. 

Sunday morning, I awoke at 4 am, I think, after going to bed about 12:30 pm. I got my laptop and read some. Then, when it cut off because the power was used up, I put it away, and tried to sleep. Around 7 am The wind and rain hit the side of the house where I am. The roof, it appeared, started creaking. I thought it was going to lift off. I rushed down the hall and the TV came on just as I reached the living room door. Tommy had heard things falling on the front porch and wanted to see radar and if there was weather on TV. 

When we took our drive on Sunday, as we came into the driveway, I saw my huge chicken on the porch and the largest planter had fallen over. That was what Tommy heard when he turned on the TV. Just now, Sunday, I heard that there was damage near my former home. Tommy said that was the same system we heard this morning. 

Sunday, I managed to get 128 meatballs on a cookie sheet, cooked them, and put them in the freezer. Well, we did eat some. So, less than 128 in the bag went into the freezer. 

Grocery sales this week interest me very much. I will get the loss leaders if they are something I use. I will make sure I get cole slaw early in the week since it seems to go quickly before a holiday. I think Easter will involve chicken, slaw, potato salad, and other things we like. If I don't get things prepared that I plan, Oh Well. There will be no stress. 

What are your food plans for Easter? Easter Egg Hunts? I have a golden wrapped chocolate bunny for Tommy and four chocolate carrots in orange foil paper.