Car Chargers

I now have a car charger for my Kindle and phone that has two places to plug in usb plugs.  Cars annoy me because if my husband and I both need to charge our phones and I need to plug in my gps, many cars don't have enough places and that isn't even counting my air card or Kindle. 
In addition to the multiple outlet car charger, I saw a cord with one usb end and two places on a cord to plug into one of the outlets.
Yea!
I really like seeing what other people have!

Twitchy Leg

Sometimes I have trouble sleeping.  Sometimes it is because my leg feels as if it wants to cramp above and below the knee.  I have a stretch that works sometimes.  I usually do the stretch at some point before I go to bed.  But some nights, like last night, I do it several times in the bed.  I didn't know I could do it in bed for the longest so I would get up, over and over. 
It's difficult to drop off to sleep when I keep popping out of bed to stretch.  For one thing, I like the bedroom to be pretty cold.  I breathe better.
Last night was one of the nights when I had to do the stretch multiple times.  I certainly don't get up and walk.  If walking were going to help, I'd have been fine because I've been getting my walking in.

Lousy Weather, Good Company

Horrible weather, windy, cold, wet.  We still got our 10,000 steps in!

Gluten-Free Low-carb Toaster Bread

I got the basic recipe from a cookbook using nut flours.  I've made it two different ways so far.  I used flaxseeds instead of flaxseed meal once.  That was an accident.  The next time I did it, I did it correctly.  I liked the seeds better though.  This time I've doing it with the flaxseeds, and a tsp. of instant coffee and a tbs of cocoa.  I have it in the oven now.  I got the instant coffee and cocoa from a pumpernickel recipe but didn't use any other parts of the recipe.
I'm delighted with the crunch of the bread.  I like spreading stuff on it.  But I am trying for some sort of flavor.  I don't know if the tsp and tbs amounts are enough, but that is what was called for in one loaf of the pumpernickel bread.

10,000 Steps

It is soooo much easier to walk with somebody!  Somebody to talk to and laugh with is wonderful.  I also thought it was funny that we could walk the same distance and I got more steps on my fitbit than he did...my legs are shorter so I got more steps.  He tried walking with mincing steps (like Morticia on the Adams Family) which was funny. 

Bored or Restless?

I used to think I was bored a lot of the time when I currently think I was restless.  I am not sure they aren't the same thing.  I need something to do, talk about, or think about.  So if I'm visiting somebody, it is difficult to stay very long even when I love the person/ people very much and have anxiously anticipated the visit.  I think mostly my toys are at home and it's rude to read when I'm in a group of loved ones.  I am pretty sure surfing the net annoys people I'm talking to and I don't know why I do it. But nobody seems to object to it when I knit.

My Egg Tree

The windows have uv protected glass so maybe the sunlight won't fade my eggs.

That's Beautiful!

Somebody was at my house and I was looking up how to crochet one of those twisty scarves that I had been knitting.  I knew it was possible, but I didn't know how.  So I was sitting at my computer trying to remember my username for that site and she was sitting nearby.  But she wasn't watching me, she was looking at some branches Larry had pruned from a plum tree.  I had rescued them from the burning pile and stuck them in a vase.  I thought they would be in bloom around Easter and I could hang some of my carved eggs on them.

Only a few of the blooms are open, but they are looking good. 

Waiting in Suspense

Yesterday was the first day of spring and a lot of things had started to leaf out.  We had a nighttime low of 22 degrees.  I keep walking around outside trying to decide if the new growth was killed.  A few years ago it looked like everything was flying black flags from a late freeze.  I hope this year's freeze didn't kill the new growth.

Everything Twice

Usually I've finished everything I'm supposed to do at the hospital by 12:30.  Today there were a good many patients and they would use things up and I would need to replace them again.  It's good to be busy and helpful, but it was pretty surprising.

A Friend Would Lie

"How's the cake?"
"It's not fit to eat."
Thank you.  I'm not supposed to eat it.

Four Seasons Boxes Finished

Finally I've finished the four seasons boxes except for varnishing them.  I will let them dry 24 hours and then start varnishing them. I want to put three coats of high gloss varnish on them.  Then Larry will have to put them together.  I was worried about the winter scene but it turned out better than I expected.
I am soooo glad to be finished with the scenes.  Varnish is easy and will make it shine:)

Easter Eggs and a Scarf

Today is Tuesday so I volunteer at the hospital.  Two other volunteers came so I could show them how to blow out eggs.  I showed them how to blow them out using an aspirator.  Both of them were very excited about it.  Then one of them brought out a skein of sashay yarn so I could show her how to knit a scarf with it.
The nurse showed me two more things to do so I took three more volunteers around to show them.  It was a busy morning.  I didn't get very many steps in on my fitbit because I had to stay put to help the two who came to play with us.  There were five volunteers there today.  It was lots more fun than when it is just me by myself.  That's when I get a lot of steps in:)

Fitbit Annoyance

My fitbit wouldn't update.  I restarted my computer, put it on its stand and restarted the computer, over and over.  It wouldn't update.
So I put the fitbit on its base and logged in on my Kindle Fire.  It updated and then when I came back to my desktop, it had updated.
I don't know what its problem is, but it was pretty annoying.

More Rain

 I was curious about how my strawberries would look after 1.8 inches of rain.  They've been in dirt for a couple of days.  The tires aren't so level but I thought the plants looked fine. 

 I've worked on the winter scene in the four seasons theme for a couple of days.  It is so muddy that the weeds I've been trying to chop off with the hoe so the ground could be tilled got to enjoy another day.  It is just too muddy. I think the name of the weed is henbane.  I don't know if it is bad for hens or not but it has a pretty purple bloom that is coating a lot of our ground right now.  It doesn't stay in bloom for long.

I've gathered up my materials to take to the hospital tomorrow to show another volunteer how to blow out eggs.  I'm also taking some decorated eggs so she can see how they look finished.  I have my drimmel tucked into the bag, also.  Then I called her to make sure she is planning to come.  I don't want to take the stuff in if she isn't planning to be there.  She said she is still coming.

Low Carb Go Bag

I'm trying to decide on what to pack for a travel bag.  One of the main tricks to staying on a diet when traveling is to not get too hungry.  That isn't so difficult.
I can take slim jims, almonds, babybels, and Atkins bars.  I can also take Vienna sausages.  I think maybe a jar of peanut butter is a good idea, too. Crystal Light packets and a case of bottled water works, too, since I'm not going to be walking and carrying the bag.
I used to make tuna sandwiches using butter instead of mayonnaise to protect the bread.  Then I just put the sandwiches back in the bread bag.  I could take tuna salad and pork skins.
Still thinking.

Easy Lunch

Today I tried Bertolli mushroom alfredo on dreamfields penne pasta.  I liked it and so did Larry.  He thought it would have been better with pepper rings but I thought it was good like it was, and so did he.  It took about 13 minutes to prepare because the pasta took 12 minutes and it took about a minute to dump the alfredo sauce into the pot after I'd drained the water from the pasta and stir it around until it was warm.
I hadn't tried the sauce before but the brand is the olive oil we prefer so I had high hopes for it. 
It is a dreary, gray day.  The lunch was a nice one.
It has been in the 70s for the last couple of days, but today it is in the 50s with an occasional light sprinkle of rain.  So a quick, warm lunch was welcome.

Clean Toys

My Mantis tiller is a great toy.  But it wraps weeds and mud around the blades and it is difficult to clean.  I was trying to till the space under a metal section that I am going to use for my gourds this year.  I kept having to clean it out because it stops if it gets too full of stuff.
I got a hoe and chopped the weeds and turnips out of the place.  I totally cleaned the tiller...again.  I couldn't start it after all that.  I was vividly picturing throwing away the gourd seeds.  I had spent a couple of hours on this hopeless task.
So I went to get a quart of green paint, gloves, my little trolley I sit on, a disposable paint brush, and started painting tires in my tire garden.  I painted one in each stack.  The next day we have a day without rain, I'm going to paint the one above the green a bright yellow.

As I finished the can of paint, I heard my mantis.  Larry tilled the section I had left! I'm glad I didn't toss the gourd seeds:) He said it didn't stop while he tilled the entire part I'd weeded.  Good to know.  It was easier to clean with the hose, too.

Finally

Today I finally got the tire towers topped off with potting soil, planted the strawberries, and watered them.
Tomorrow I plan to start painting them.

Laughing Place

Sometimes Daddy would refer to going to bed as going to his laughing place. On those nights when I can't get to sleep (last night it was over an hour), I think there must be something else to cause that reference. Larry said he'd heard not to play a competitive game (even free cell) and to count backwards from three hundred by threes.  I did that twice and I suppose since I didn't do it a third time and wasn't still counting backwards the next morning, he could claim it worked.

500 Miles on Fitbit

My fitbit message today congratulated me for walking 500 miles:)  I am amazed.

Half Ready

Today I managed to get half of the tires ready to plant my strawberries.  Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 70's so maybe I'll get the rest finished and all of them planted and watered in.
The last time I tried to water the tires, we discovered a leak and had to call a plumber.  I hope tomorrow is easier.

I'll Do It

When I volunteer at the hospital, I constantly try to find things to do because I can get my steps in on my fitbit easily that way.  When somebody wants an errand done, the other volunteer will say, "Do you want me to do it?"  And I say that I will do it because I want to get my steps in.
Yesterday my friend said she needed to go to the front to talk to the insurance person about her husband's bill; it had been billed to the company she used when she was still working.  Obviously, I couldn't do that errand so she asked, "Do you want me to wear your fitbit?"

Are You on Medication?

A lady came into the gift shop today and bought a couple of items.  She tried to give me too much money.  I tried to explain it to her a couple of times.  Finally I asked, "Are you on medication?"
She said she was.
I said, "Well, I'm old, so I think we cancel each other out.  Let's do this slowly." Finally she accepted the amount I said was correct, but I could tell she wanted me to take one more nickel.

Scales with Large Numbers

Today we had a hospital volunteer meeting.  We have one quarterly.  Well, a nurse had asked me to present the idea of buying scales with large numbers and digital displays to send home with patients with congestive heart disease so they could track their weight and try to tell when they were retaining fluids.  She said sometimes the patients can't afford scales.
I asked the nurse to write down the request.  The president presented it to the group.  One of the ladies at the meeting objected strenuously on the basis of the cost of the scales.  She said it would be all right to get a set of scales for the hospital's use, but not to send home with patients because they cost hundreds of dollars.  I said we could get them at WalMart and they are relatively cheap.  They voted not to buy the scales.
The one who was so against the purchase because of the price was in the gift shop later and told me to use my Kindle to go online and price the scales that would weigh really heavy people.  I said the people I'd seen were frail-looking and wouldn't need oversized scales, just regular scales would be fine.
She said they asked for scales with large numbers so that would mean four or five hundred pounds.
I started laughing and said, "Visually impaired."
She started laughing, too.

What Am I?

A friend's nephew asked his mom if she is Catholic.  She said she is.
Then he asked what his dad is.  She said his dad was Baptist until they married, then he became Catholic.
So he asked, "What am I?"
She said they haven't decided what he is.
"Well, until you decide, I think I'll be Jewish," he decided.

Not Today

Yesterday I got a lot of stairs on my fitbit.  When I walked the same location today, I didn't.  I have no idea why or why not.
But I have managed to walk 10,000 steps for three days in a row.  Listening to David Eddings' books on my ipod are helping me enormously. 

Too Dumb

I thought I could maybe do our taxes with turbo tax but after a few minutes, I decided it is worth paying somebody who has a clue.

Funny Fitbit

Yesterday I got 10,000 steps in and 12 flights of stairs.  I worked hard doing stuff in my new garden spot (the one I call my tire garden).  Today the wind is so awful that I don't want to do anything with dirt because it blows everywhere.  I tried weeding (so steps...just leaning over) but the wind was blowing the debris out of my bucket and I got tired of putting the same stuff in.  I considered weeding and just holding the plant debris over my head and letting the wind take it to the next county.  I decided I didn't care that much.
So I was just going to walk up and down the porch.  The wind chimes annoy me when it is this windy so I walked on the back porch.  I had five flights of stairs when I started on the porch because I had gone to the tire garden about five times before I gave it up.
But after I'd walked a while on the back porch I checked my steps...7,000.  I checked my flights of stairs (it should have still been five because the porch is flat).  Thirty flights of stairs.  I thought about it and decided that because it uses an altimeter to decide if I'm going up stairs, it was checking the difference in elevation between one end of the porch and the other end.  I've gotten stairs in before and couldn't figure out how because I hadn't walked up any stairs or hills.

Fitbit First

Today is the first time I've gotten a floor badge (ten flights of stairs) and 10,000 step badge on the same day.  I've only gotten 10,000 steps once before today.  I've gotten ten flights of stairs a couple of times....but never both on the same day:)
Yea, me!

Good Birthday!

I had really nice phone calls:)  That is my favorite part of holidays and birthdays.

 The 2x 4s on the ceiling were put up today in the summer kitchen.

My tire garden now has t posts in all the tires and six forming an open path through the center with blackberries planted next to those t posts.

And the house is clean:)

The next time I'll have help will be the second Wednesday in April.  I get lots of steps in when I have help.

When I Email my Congressman

When I send an email to a congressman, I usually get an email back.  Today I got a call responding to my request that the overseas schools be exempted from the sequester. I appreciated the call, but the response sounds like they released money to the Department of Defense and it is up to them how it will be spent.
I understand that defense is important, but those parents are serving our country and their children should not suffer.

34 Compost Piles

Shredded leaves

Tires stacked five high

T posts to keep the tire stacks from leaning too much...some tires on bottom collapse from the weight

The tire garden is made of two semi-circles, each 17 tires stacked about five high depending on the size of the tires

I think newspaper will help retain moisture

Mostly I didn't use catalogs because they are using slick paper.  I used this one because the paper isn't slick and it doesn't have much colored ink.

Shredded leaves and some sticks which also retain moisture

Wood shavings from Larry's planer also go into the piles

Sometimes I shred the paper but I just dump the contents of the compost pail, brown bag and all, into the piles.

This mess is from fall cleanup of my flower beds.

My strawberry plants have arrived and I still have lots to do before I can plant them in the tops of the tires.  I don't know if this is going to work because the compost isn't decomposed.  I will add lime and potting soil before I plant the strawberries.

Early March Color

Today is sunny and cool but not windy and cold.  I walked around checking on things and then went back to get my camera.  Things will be better later, but I enjoy looking at the beginnings of what I'm doing.

 I ordered two smart pots from Lee Valley and planted fifty Flair tulips in each (two layers of twenty-five).  They have started to come up.

 This spot isn't gorgeous, but those tiny green spots are bulbs that are coming up for the second year.  Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, and Kaiserkrone.  I don't know if everything made it, but over the winter I always wonder if they will be back the next year.

 The daffodils are planted everywhere.  My husband likes them "naturalized" so they are in little bouquets all over the place:)

 This is the west porch on the summer kitchen.  I don't know what else he's going to do to this porch,, but he added the short side's railing recently. He said he isn't going to put a hand rail on the steps leading up to the short side facing the camera.

 These are grape hyacinths.  They are a brilliant purple but the bright light washed the color out.  These grow wild around here.  I wish I'd known it before I bought a bunch when we first moved here.

The green patches that are short are more bouquets of daffodils.

Yea, spring is coming!

45th Anniversary Tomorrow

Tomorrow is our 45th wedding anniversary! 

2 More Metal Posts

We got 0.8 rain so during a dry bit I pounded two more t posts into leaning tire towers.  The t posts are six feet long and the driver is heavy, too.  So it is excellent exercise. Eight more t posts and then I have to buy more.

Changed My Mind

I thought that if I stopped posting blogs I would stop checking the stats.  Well, no.  Plus, I told myself that I was blogging as a form of journaling and could just keep a journal on my computer and could still put pictures in.
But I don't really journal when I don't blog.  Evidently I have somebody in mind that I want to see whatever it is I post, and it isn't me. 
Anyway, today I bought ten 6' t posts to drive into the tire towers to try to make them more erect.  I have received my strawberries so I decided I needed to go to the coop to get some potting soil, t posts, and lime.
I'll have to go back to get more, but this is enough to get me started.
I had to put the driver onto the end of the t post with it leaned over and then stand it up and start pounding in into the ground.  The ground is wet so it isn't like pounding it into cement which is what the hardened, dry clay resembles.  I was going to take a picture of the two towers I finished today, but it got dark.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow so I may not get anything accomplished tomorrow.  I put my paper into one of the towers I worked on today.  I had been shredding it, but I just stacked it in today.  It should hold moisture pretty well.  I took out any with colored ink or slick pages.
I looked at the gardenia plant we put a plastic cover over to protect it from the cold wind.  But the plastic-covered structure also prevented rain from getting to it.  It looks pretty sad.  I watered it and we left the plastic structure off for tonight.  It is supposed to rain and only get down to 51 degrees.  Maybe it will be all right.