Dusting My Cute Stuff

A paint brush is gentle to use on my fragile collectibles. I think maybe spray air might work, but a paintbrush is cheaper.

Fall is Noisy

Hunters shooting bambi and acorns hitting our metal roofs...noisy.

Babysitting

Yesterday a friend needed a babysitter.  Her kids are close together.  One is 17 months and one will be three New Year's Day.  So, one and two.  Ours were 13 months apart, but that was a while ago. 
My plan was to let them play outside a lot.  They eat and take nice naps and sleep well at night, too.
My plan worked very well.
My favorite part of the day was the sugar-free lime jello.  They were sweet kids and said they liked jello.  Well.  I don't think they had ever had jello.  The little boy wandered by and touched it with his tongue and wandered off.  I watched the two-year old girl jiggle it with her spoon but not attempt to put it in her mouth.  I offered to feed it to her and she accepted happily.  The next time the boy went by, I told him he was eating it wrong.  He should eat it like his sister.  So I said, "Open wide," to the little girl.  She did.  Then I said to close.  She did.  Then I showed him the clean spoon.  Then it was his turn.  Open wide.  Close.  Clean spoon. 
He ate all his jello.  She ate the rest of the package of jello...small bowl after small bowl:)  She loved it!
I don't think you can take a two-year-old's word for what she likes to eat.  At least she said yes to everything instead of no.
She said she liked oatmeal.  But when she saw me putting it together, she asked if it was cream of wheat.  So I knew she had had cooked cereal...just not oatmeal.  They liked it just fine.  The only thing I didn't have success with was brussel sprouts.  They like broccoli according to their mother so I thought they might like the cute little cabbage-looking things.  They never made it to their mouths.
They also liked Curious George.

Annoying

I've had very little internet service for the last few days.  Today has been the worst.  It impacts on my use of Myfitnesspal, fitbit, blog, email...whatever! 

I Don't Have to Do This?

Knitting class meets once a week.  Last week the teacher wasn't there.  The week before I was sick.  So today I was there.  I said, "I'm doing this because I read that it will help stave off Alzheimers. The lady subbing for the teacher who still wasn't there said, "It doesn't have to be knitting.  It can be crossword puzzles, reading and following directions, lots of things."
I put my knitting down and said, "I don't have to do this?"
Everybody there said loudly, "Yes, you do!"

Interesting Salad Addition

I had lunch at Besso's, an Italian restaurant in Jackson Saturday.  The bread was outstanding, but that was not an idea to be going on with.  While I was munching away on my salad, I encountered a taste of something good!  I poked around through all the leaves and found a sliver of onion that looked different.  I ate that by itself.  It was pickled!  It was astonishingly good!
Today I heated vinegar, added splenda, tasted it, added a little more splenda, and added it to an onion I had slivered.  I let it stay in the vinegar/splenda liquid until it was time to eat.
We had spaghetti with meat sauce and a salad side.  The pickled onion was really nice.  I'll do it again.

My List

I put cleaning my car on my list for Sunday.  I don't do the same thing to it each Sunday, but I look at it and do something.  Today I did windows.  Last Sunday I did dash, console, etc.  The week before I used a garbage bag and got trash out.  I've been better about not building up the trash since it doesn't have trash everywhere. 

Brilliant Idea

My husband uses a pen to deliver insulin for his diabetes.  It was making knots and his blood sugar numbers were still too high.  I noticed him rubbing the place after he gave himself the shot.  I asked if it hurt.  He said he was trying to get the insulin to disperse instead of making a knot.  I asked if it helped.  He said it didn't, he still had knots and still had high blood sugar numbers.
I got the Pampered Chef Pie Roller (I thought about a rolling pin first but decided the pie roller was better).  He agreed to try it.  He hasn't had a knot since he started rolling it after giving himself a shot and his blood sugar numbers are better!

Not on the Menu

Sometimes when I eat out it is a challenge.  Today was lovely.  I ordered a prime rib sandwich without the bread and grilled vegetables.  The grilled vegetables weren't on the menu.  Last time I was there I got a chef salad and whined about not liking salad, but it was on my diet.  The cook said she would steam or grill me some vegetables the next time.  They were wonderful!  I couldn't eat all of it, but it wasn't because it wasn't good!

Be Careful

Be careful making "old" jokes.  Some of us don't think they're funny; we think they are sad.  So, like with any joke, be sure of your audience.

Coconut Head

Before I lost weight, I worried about looking like a pumpkin head.  So I always had her put height on top and trim the sides shorter.
Now I've lost weight.  I had her give me a short hair cut, still shorter on the sides, no perm.  Well, I thought with no perm I should use something to give my hair some body.  I got a volumizer. It said to put it on the roots.  I have used it twice now.  It looks rough instead of shiny...sort of like one of those coconut dolls:(
My husband is very, very careful about what he says about my hair because I always suggest that he get the same "do" he wants me to have.
Last night he was looking at my coconut "do" and carefully offered, "I know why you wanted it short for summer.  I don't blame you.  But I really like it when you have "big hair."  Notice he didn't say he really liked big hair because he knew I would suggest that he have big hair if he liked it.  It would be easier for him because he has curls.  I have cat hair, really fine and nothing hair.  It didn't look so bad until I took the scissors to it yesterday so I couldn't see it looking out.  I really only like to see my hair in the mirror (and not always then).  But when it is lower than my eyebrows, it is awful.  So it is shorter.  I'm going to see how it looks without the volumizer.  If it still looks like I did it especially for Halloween, I'll go and let April fix it...if she can.

Knee

My knee didn't hurt today.  I don't know why, but I'm very glad.

Spring and Fall

Spring and fall are both wonderful seasons. Spring is great because I'm getting ready to start the spring and summer "show."  I like to see what comes out in the spring.
I like the fall because that's when I plan the next spring and summer's look.

 That's me in the background standing beside a knock out rose.  The catalog said it would get about three feet tall and three feet wide.  It is more like 4 by 4.  It was a few inches tall when I planted in in the spring of last year. 

 This is a hybrid tea we planted this spring.

 These were free with something else I ordered one year.  I think they were called winter-hardy amaryllis.  I've looked them up to see if they come in other colors because they are totally carefree and pretty.  Anyway, I separated them, gave some away, and planted a few in different places.  I didn't know they would bloom as soon as they got in the ground.

 This is a double pink clematis.  I moved it and hoped it would live in its new location.  Apparently it is quite happy.

 This is a single purple clematis that has also survived its move.

 Some of my daylilies are blooming again.

 We bought an encore azalea last spring.  I broke a branch off when I was planting the one we bought.  I stuck it in the ground and it rooted.  I was looking to see if it has buds.  So far I haven't seen any, but it really looks healthy.

 Some of the irises are putting up bloom spikes, too.

 This is a pepper plant that is just covered with buds and small peppers.  I hope it has time to make some before we get a hard freeze.

 This is either a camilla or japonica.  I like it blooming right now:)

 Here's a close-up of the camilla blooms.  Many buds are visible, too.  When it frosts, the blooms that are open will be damaged, but the unopened buds will open and still be lovely.

 Another one.

The trees are starting to turn colors.  I didn't arrange that.  We have planted some specimen trees for fall color, but nature takes care of a lot!

Black-eyed Susan Vine

I wasn't aware of the Black-eyed Susan vine until this year.  I got a few little plants from a neighbor and put them in my hanging baskets.  They aren't as striking as the angelwing begonias, but they make a really nice addition.  The yellow color of the blooms is nice as it twines around the other things in the flowerboxes.  I looked at Parks Seed and found that there are various colors available.  I'm going to get several seed packets for next year.

I'm attaching a link so you can see other uses to make of this amazing vine.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=mcafee&va=black+eyed+susan+vine

It may be necessary to copy and paste to get the pictures.

Pecans

This is the most pecans we've gotten so far.  We've gotten a handful every year for the last few.  We planted the pecan trees when we first moved here, about twelve years ago.  Last year we would have had more except for busy squirrels.  I think the squirrels have enjoyed the acorns and hickory nuts that abound this year.

It has been a dry summer so the pecans aren't as uniformly large as they would be if the rain had been more evenly distributed.

My mother-in-law always paid her property taxes with the sale of her pecans. I don't think we'll ever get that many!

Looper

This movie was difficult to watch.  We are accustomed to flawed "heroes." We like them.  They make us feel that even though we may not be perfect, we can accomplish worthwhile goals.  Sherlock Holmes, Monk, House...flawed heroes.
The protagonist is this movie isn't flawed.  He's a monster who gets worse as he gets older.  The theme is kind of shaky because it appears to be that if a child is raised with love, he perhaps won't grow up to be a monster. 
It took almost a day to come up with whether or not I liked the movie.  It wasn't a "feel good" movie.  But it was engaging.

Dinner Was Good!

Richard introduced this method to us.  I usually don't do it because Larry doesn't like steak as much as I do and he cooks a lot.  But he rarely decides he wants steak.
But I bought an entire rib eye and had it cut into steaks and decided to do the salt it down thing.  I'm attaching a link to it because so much meat available around here is grass-fed beef and it just isn't as good as corn fed beef...I don't care how healthy it is.  So here is the link:
http://steamykitchen.com/163-how-to-turn-cheap-choice-steaks-into-gucci-prime-steaks.html
It doesn't look like a link so you may have to copy and paste it into your address place.
Ha.  You think dinner would have something with it besides steak?  Well, I had cabbage with mine.  Larry had cabbage, baked potato, butter, and sour cream...but he had a colonoscopy yesterday. He is going to eat anything he wants until he stops feeling rained on.  Poor baby.

Summer Kitchen - October

The summer kitchen is coming along.  The part that is closed in is where the two-burner surface unit will go.  It will be for canning.  The "porch" that is almost floored is where the barbecue grill will go when it is in use.

The other "porch" is more framed in and floored, but I couldn't decide to post it because my internet is doing badly.  It took 20 minutes to post a picture yesterday.  Today is better.

Rearranging My Stuff

I took out an end table we bought second hand and I'm using a wallpaper table to increase my workspace.
It didn't take long to do that, but it took a while to figure out how to position it so I could get to all parts of the room.  Having a play room for my craft stuff is extravagant since I don't make any money from it, but adding on is out of the question so I just have to keep rearranging that space to hold my toys:)

Trying Cheap Cleaners

On the left are two of the five containers I got when I mixed the laundry detergent.  I used vinegar instead of Downey.  I was pleased with the soap and softener.  The clothes looked, smelled, and felt as nice as when I used liquid Tide and Downey.  Today I wore clothes I'd washed with it and noticed no irritation.  I have to be careful because a lot of soaps break me out.
A couple of people I know use vinegar to clean with.  Spray cleaners are pricey so I decided I would try it.  But I've been making pickled peppers and using vinegar.  I decided to get a jug for the laundry room so I would have a clue when I was running low in the kitchen.   When I started to pick up a jug of vinegar for the laundry area, I noticed there were two different kinds...the kind I use in the kitchen and the one above that says "Cleaning Vinegar."  Who knew?  So I bought that one.  Neither kind was very expensive.  I like the inexpensive part, but I am also pleased with the idea of not having cabinets full of spray cleaners of various types.  I guess I might buy a generic spray bottle just because I think I'll use less than just dumping some on a cloth.

The Throne and Garbage Can

Stomach virus hit me yesterday.  I really don't know how I got it but happily it had been years since I'd experienced that particular distress.  Pepto Bismol is my stand-by for it.  Fortunately today was fine.
I worked in my greenhouse, rearranged my art room...again, and made jello for Larry...three packages.
I went to the store to replenish our supply of Pepto Bismol in case Larry needed it.  I also bought a bunch of soup.  My favorite soup when I'm sick is tomato soup with crackers.  Larry's is chicken double noodle.  Poor baby.  He didn't read the directions and thought they had started making it much thicker.  I told him if he liked it that way, do it again next time.  If he liked it the old way, add a can of water. 
I'm still having trouble with my internet.  It took a long time to let me on this site.  It never did load Amazon.  Maybe I'll try it again.

Rotated Pelvis

I went to the chiropractor today because a couple of parts don't work very well.  He said he would do one more adjustment, but if that doesn't fix it, he wants to take an x-ray because I might have a spur or degenerative condition.
So of course I came home and looked it up.  It was on an athletic site!  Runners on uneven ground (who sometimes fall) get this.  Well, I think maybe klutzes who walk on uneven ground and sometimes fall may inadvertently "fall" into the same category!
I really don't see how it could be very serious because I can walk just fine.  In fact, sitting is worse than walking, but don't even think about telling me to just walk all the time!  Putting on my socks is tricky sometimes.  None of that explains why my knee feels bad unless the left hip and right knee have gotten together to annoy me. 

Book Review: Jump/Drive

Jump/Drive by Rich Griffith is a young adult book.  I enjoyed reading it for several reasons.  First, the characters were well-developed and realistic.  I hardly ever like a book just for the plot; I have to be able to sympathize with the characters.  They were from diverse backgrounds and behaved in a realistic manner.
The idea expressed by one of the characters resonated for me: to feel worthwhile, one must do something worthwhile.  All the compliments piled on a kid won't help if the kid doesn't feel he deserves them.  So he stepped up to the plate. Perception is everything.
The idea expressed that the only way to show caring is through sex is refuted well.  This is something kids need to believe...boys and girls.
The plot is also interesting.  I liked the side elements included to solve the problem in the plot: parkour and survivalist people and equipment...interestingly done.
Young adult books show kids figuring out how to become adults.  The characters, theme, and plot were well done in this book.

Debate - I Still Have Questions

I watched the presidential debates last night, and frankly, I still have some questions.  Some I was able to figure out.
Just looking, I couldn't tell which was taller, so I looked that up.  Mitt Romney is 6'2" and President Obama is 6'1".
Mitt has the most hair.
Mitt has fathered the most children.
I don't know who has the most dental work.
I don't know about cartilage in the left knee.
President Obama is the strongest environmentalist....yes, Big Bird.
Romney seems to have a better grasp of how to get more tax money out of Americans.  My dad explained it along these lines: it is better to make a little profit on a lot of items than a lot of profit on just a few items.  I guess nobody explained that to our president.
I'm still really confused about health care.  If it is better now than it was, why can't I tell it? 
If we have zero inflation, why does everything cost more?  I know.  Nobody said anything about that, but it's what was on my social security letter explaining why there was no cost of living increase.

Busier Than Usual

Today at the hospital I took up the old phone books, wrote the room numbers on the new phone books, and put the new ones in the bedside tables on three wings.  I also gave out the newspapers to the patients.  I filled the ice bags for the water pitchers for the rooms (I don't put the ice in the pitchers, just in the insulated cart so the bags are ready when needed).  There were also flyers to fold in thirds and deliver to the correct office.  I didn't fold them, but I did deliver them.
When I got home, Larry had a delivery of wood for his summer kitchen.  I helped move it from the ground to the truck (just ten pieces in the truck), and the floor of the summer kitchen.
When I can feel my feet again, I'm going to start on the laundry detergent recipe.

Sewing Machine Problem

I'm having tension problems with the sewing machine I mooched from Mama.  She bought it new almost fifty years ago.  We both learned to sew on it.  But she didn't use it very much and I moved out and bought one of my own.  I used it for years and then did something with it when we moved to Germany.
So I fiddled with it trying to get the tension right and finally gave up.  But when I took it to the Singer store, she had closed.
So I went to a fabric store and asked where I could take it for repair.  They gave me directions.  Larry was standing right there and directions usually make sense to him.  But we got on 45 north and the guy had said 45 S.  Larry said that the skating rink was north.  Well, we found the skating rink and the repair place wasn't there.  So we turned around and went to the skating rink on 45 S and it was there.
It was raining as we were driving around and I was lugging a sewing machine head in and out of stores.
The repairman wasn't there today so he's supposed to call tomorrow.  I hope it is me, not the machine!