Happy New Year!

This has been an OK year for us, but I know that hasn't been true for everyone. People we love are having emotional challenges which impact on us. It's difficult not to be able to help.I hope the upcoming year is better.

Open Views

We have freedom of speech and lots of people take advantage of that for themselves. I am glad they do because I don't buy their records or watch their movies if they leave the entertainment field and venture into pressing their opinions on others. They have the right to remain silent, too.

Clearing up Christmas

Today the Christmas stuff went back in storage. I sometimes think I should leave it out and add to it so we would live surrounded by our Christmas treasures. It would be hard to keep everything dusted.

Snuffy Smith

A long time ago a cartoon strip called Snuffy Smith ran in our paper. One strip showed his wife loaded down with grocery bags coming up the path. Her husband says to wait a minute, he'll help. He rearranges the bags for her...but she is still carrying all of them. Sometimes I think I'm married to Snuffy Smith.

Pie Results

My pie turned out OK but wasn't what I expected. It tasted and looked like apples and raisins. Before the apples took on the color of the raisins. Oh well.

Apple Raisin Pie

Six cups of sliced apples and one cup of raisins plumped in warm brandy, some sugar and cinnamon took a while to compile. The hardest part is the crust. I saved the brandy from the raisins and plan to fold some into whip cream and try some drizzled over ice cream. It's baking now. I hope it's worth the time. But planning iit is fun, too.

Gingersnaps

The hospital gift shop has started carrying gingersnaps. This is to hold ID cards. The center part can be changed to other things.

Dressing

I used the food processor to break up the cornbread for the dressing. It made the dressing too packy. It was easier, but not better.

Too Windy

I thought about taking down the Christmas lights today because the temperature was in the 70's. But it was too windy. I guess I'll wait for a calmer day even if it is cooler.

Pillow

I bought a pillow from a chiropractor several years ago. It allows water to be added to adjust the firmness. Last night it developed a leak. That was a surprising way to wake up.

Merry Christmas!

I hope your day was serene and blessed. I don't use either of those words a lot but I do want those feelings in my life. It is sometimes difficult to determine what gives me those feelings.

Mincemeat Pie

I haven't been able to find Nonesuch mincemeat pie filling. So I checked Amazon. They had it but one jar cost $27! I don't want to spend that much. I made an apple pie once and was a cup short of apples so I made up the difference by adding a cup of raisins. It tasted like mincemeat pie to me.

Easy Lunch

The pork tenderloin came out of the crackpot absolutely perfect. With wasabi mayo it made a great sandwich. The food for tomorrow is ready to finish and we won't starve waiting for the feast.

Strange Compliments

Today two people left really nice compliments on a couple of my posts. I didn't publish them because they are apparently an attempt to link their business ads.

Coffee Treat

I bought some Starbucks expresso coffee grounds and got out the cappuccino machine. It took a while to get to the further part and a puff of steam fogged up my glasses. The mess multiplied after that.

Christmas Movies

I'm tired of Christmas movies. I don't want to see or hear any. Bah humbug!

Waiting

I keep seeing people accusing various groups of leaking information from the dems. Nobody is suggesting the information iis false. So who cares who leaked the truth. Leaking isn't as bad as being jerks.

They Let Me Keep the Shirt

I tried to donate blood today. I'm still in the mad cow banned group because I lived in Europe for at least five years during mad cow time. But they let me keep the tee shirt.

Dirty House

I've been concerned about algae-looking scum on the outside walls,  cornices, and columns. The house is six years old. I found and advertisement about cleaning the outside of buildings and called for a free estimate. He quoted us a great price but said the temperature needs to be above freezing.

Painting

Larry made a pencil box and I painted it for a neighbor's foster child.

Generator

Larry looked at the generator this morning. It said it needed oil. So he gave it some. I guess we need to check with Lowe's about maintenance.

Power

Last night the power went out and the generator didn't come on so Larry got a flashlight out and I lighted some candles. Then we went to bed. About an hour later the power came back on so we got up and turned things off. This morning we saw it had snowed and rained ice because it is white on the mulch. It was in the 70's the last few days so the ground was still warm...but not the mulch.

Our Weather Alert

We have a tornado watch until 9 tonight. It's 71 degrees right now and gusty winds are rearranging the leaves.

Wax Melts

The scented wax is in donut-shaped tins. They are easy to change so I don't have to use one until it is gone.

New Laptop

I have a couple of old laptops and decided to get a new one. I ordered a game I've played a long time. The laptop has no CD slot! It has Windows 10. So I took it to a local computer guy. He transferred the game and made it more user friendly.

Soup

When we were in Germany, I discovered erbsen soup. I wasn't familiar with it as split pea soup so it took a while to figure out the translation. But Larry makes this. Instead of a wurst hanging off both sides of the bowl, this has ham in it. I'm not sure why he puts carrots in, but iit is still pretty good.

Survivor

Survivor finished for this season. Ken shafted Dave knowing he wouldn't win against him. Well, he wouldn't have lost any worse than he did against Adam. I listened to them talk about how the game is evolving and realized I don't seem to like what it is becoming. It seems to be survival of the sneakiest. That isn't a trait I like.

Doctor's Report

Larry had his surgery the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Today he went for his first checkup. The doctor said he would expect to see the amount of healing on a patient six or eight weeks after surgery. So he is doing really well.

New Stuff

These simmering pots are really popular! The initial order came in yesterday and five sold as they were being unpacked. Anyway, we got an order in yesterday and sent off another order today.  The scent tins are nice. Whatever ingredients they use don't make me sick.

Christmas Cards

Sometimes people design and print their own Christmas cards. Sadly, some of those people can't spell.

Christmas Cards

Sometimes people design and print their own Christmas cards. Sadly, some of those people can't spell.

Kitty Litter

It's the time of year I buy kitty litter. I put it on icy places i might walk. It's heavy but usually lasts all winter.

New Hershey Kiss

I buy Hershey kisses as part of our Christmas decorations. This year I saw candy cane kisses. I bought a bag because I thought Larry would like them. Turns out I'm a fan!

Oranges

This is the time to buy oranges. I like navel oranges best and look for oranges with a stem end that isn't brown. If it is mostly green on the stem end, the orange isn't old. My husband thinks Florida navel oranges are best but I can't tell that they are any better than California navel oranges.

Better!

Today was Larry's best day in over three weeks. He put on clothes and drove to the doctor. I went along in case he needed help, but he did fine. The doctor said he is doing great!

Books and Food

I'm going back through Nathan Lowell's solar clipper books. The breakfasts featuring bacon, potatoes with onion, and fried eggs always sound really good.

Long Day

"I had a busy day today."
"You've had a busy three weeks."
I didn't really think he'd noticed. But I had an appointment for a hair trim. I needed a couple of onions for the stew I worked on just about all day. I changed the bags on three vacuum cleaners and vacuumed. I washed a couple of loads of clothes and mixed up another five gallons of the diy laundry detergent.
The most exciting thing was bringing up large ornaments from the basement. Larry put them out. He also walked down to the shop. It's the first sign of interest he's shown in anything except his recovery.
I was really glad to see signs that he is getting better.

Stew

The weather is great for soup. We are about finished with the gumbo and I'm planning a roast/stew for tomorrow. I'll cook the roast until it is tender, take it out to cool, trim fat off, cut it into pieces, and return it to the pot. Then I'll add the vegetables.

Repairman

Finally a guy came out to hook up the propane tank for the shop. It wasn't a big deal but lighting the pilot light and getting it to stay on took a while. After he left, Larry tried to critique my performance.

Good Earbuds

If you dropped the earbuds out the car door and close the door, dragging them bumping along the road, and they still work, it may be difficult to read left or right. I put a dab of gold paint on the right one. It looks a little chewed, but works just fine.

Monday

I cleaned out the refrigerator, emptied all the trash cans inside, put the garbage can by the road, put winter sheets on the bed and washed the summer sheets.
I also started my Christmas cards.

Do You Want Something?

I'm going to the store. Do you want something?
Good health and energy.
I got you something that is supposed to be a nutritional supplement, but you seem to only want chips and cookies.
Maybe tomorrow.

Leftover Ham

I've been eating ham ever since Thanksgiving.  All the nice slices were gone so I chipped up what was left and added it to my shrimp gumbo recipe. I don't think I'll do it again because it was kind of salty, but still...good enough to eat and I didn't waste any of the ham.
I also put up the Christmas tree I bought on sale after Christmas last year and put out the Nativity pieces. I brought the pyramid up from the basement, but I haven't figured out a place to put it. I usually put it on the coffee table but Larry is spending a lot of his recuperation time on the couch and I think it would block his view of the tv. Still, it was a pretty good day.

Jigsaw Puzzles

These little puzzles come in packs that are theme based. I got the Germany puzzles and several other countries. They come with three levels of difficulties, but I'm enjoying the pictures.

Jigsaw Puzzles

These little puzzles come in packs that are theme based. I got the Germany puzzles and several other countries. They come with three levels of difficulties, but I'm enjoying the pictures.

When I was a kid and young adult, I spent a lot of time dreaming over catalogs. This KOA directory is what I'm currently drooling over. I love the deluxe cabins! We camped for years, but now feel strongly about a bathroom.

Lights

This is the first times I've put up the Christmas lights by myself. Larry put up wooden strips with cup hooks last summer! He painted the strips blue so they look nice.

Air Freshener

I've used a particular febreze for years but this orange smell is wonderful! New favorite!

Percentages

Today a woman said fifty percent of $300 is $600. I said it was $450. She disagreed and I suggesting she use a calculator. She stared blankly for a minute then agreed with me. It is seriously unusual for me to have a math conversation.

OK Google

Every time I see the ad on television where the woman says OK Google turn on the lights and the lights come on, it reminds me of my friend saying her directions over and over to her smart phone.

Leftovers

Larry is sick and I have all the leftovers to myself. I should have eaten an Atkins frozen dinner!

Connelly

I like the Harry Bosch series for the story but I wish he had a sense of humor!

Connelly

I like the Harry Bosch series for the story but I wish he had a sense of humor!

Breakfast

I like a turkey for Thanksgiving but leftover ham is better than leftover turkey.

Vulture

I'm worried about Larry and keep watching to see if I need to do something. Today he said I'm like a vulture watching to see if he's going to die.

Leaves

These are from a burning bush. They have little red seeds on them, but they don't show up as well as the leaves.

Thanksgiving

The ham is in the oven. I got it on sale several months ago. The sweet potatoes are from the basement where we hung them to store after digging them from the garden. The turnip greens are from the garden and saved in the freezer. The peas are from the garden and dried. The other food we will have is mostly bought.

Wax Melts

I have tried to find a fragrance that we would enjoy having in the house . I've tried some that were awful and some that smelled good but gave me a headache. Monkey farts smells like coconut.  Larry thinks it is nice, too.

New to Me

The status of the patient is displayed by number in the waiting room. They gave me a bracelet with Larry's number. When it showed they had started on him, the phone in the waiting room rang and I gave them his number. I was told the procedure had begun and he was doing well. Well done for me.

Small Enemy

I found my first snail of the season in the greenhouse. I usually find them by examining plants with leaf damage, but this one was making its way across the floor.

Wool

I started this series today. It is by Hugh Howey and is independently published. It is interesting in a post apocalyptic sort of way. When they decide someone iis to be put to death for wrong thinking or whatever, they call it cleaning. Cleaning feels deadly to me!

Thanks for the recommendation!

Looking for something to Read

I started the Michael Connelly series. I like to find an interesting series because I know what I'll read next for a while. I've read this one, The Black Echo, a long time ago. I may not have realized it was a series at the time.

Staghorn Fern

Larry has a few plants he claims as his own. He likes ponytail palms and staghorn ferns. This is the parent plant. He took a pup from the parent plant and attached it to a gourd stuffed with sphagnum moss. He did it several months ago and it has survived. 

Food!

Don't buy more food! The freezers are full. I understand the concept, but my plan is to keep them full!

We Are Legion(We Are Bob)

I'm about an hour and a half into part 1. It's interesting so far.

Nice Lunch

I bought a number of strip steaks on sale several weeks ago and froze them. Today I cooked one, baked a potato, and steamed a bowl of broccoli. I also had a nice jello salad.
Larry ate his half potato and jello.

Tired of Being Me

Well, I am having a hard time keeping up with my stuff this week. But today when looking for something, I found something I'd misplaced about four months ago.

Recording Lucifer

Lucifer was supposed to be on from 11 to 12. So Larry set up the recorder. We got the emd and beginning but not the middle...in that order.

In a Hurry

I couldn't find my keys this morning so I got Larry's copy and it didn't work. I had called the meeting and couldn't find a key! So I got Larry's truck key and drove his truck.
When I got home Larry handed me his copy of my key and told me to try it when I wasn't iin a hurry. It worked and was also obvious I'd tried to use the John Deere key! Then he handed me my set of keys and said he'd found them iin my purse.
This was not my favorite morning!

Perigee

Every time the moon is full it looks huge to me, but officially it looks about 14% (I think) bigger at perigee (when the moon's orbit brings it closest to the earth). The last time the moon was at perigee was in 1948 and it will happen again when I'm dead.

First Freeze 2016

We had flowers in bloom yesterday. Last night we had a freeze that finished them off for 2016. I left them so seeds could develop as long as possible. Now I will start removing them to an area where more plants will grow next spring.

Cutting Grass

The grass isn't hrowing much but the lawnmower continues with its rounds, getting rid of leaves.

Herding Cats

There is a lot of enthusiasm for the gift shop, but different people are there different days. One person orders, a different person unpacks, and another writes the checks. And several people arrange stuff. When I'm not actually there, I'm on the phone trying to keep everyone informed. I don't want to discourage anybody, but the brilliant iidea to limit keys to one which he to be cheeked out, makes getting the cleaning people iin tricky.

After Election

It was interesting listening to people talk about election results today. Nobody was really happy or sad.

New Lamp

Today I bought another stained glass table lamp.  I've been planning to get it for a couple of weeks. Larry likes it, too.

Clematis

At this time of year I really appreciate plants with late blooms. Most color comes from fall foliage, but some plants are still blooming.

Pecans

Most of the pecans were black, moldy, or wormy. We lived in a pecan orchard for a couple of years and didn't have this problem.

Wasted a Dollar

The pumpkin only cost a dollar but by the time I toasted the seeds, baked the pumpkin, and made soup, it was pretty expensive with time and other ingredients. I ended up throwing almost all of it away. When I was a kid my mom kept trying to get me to eat by telling me about the starving children in China who would be glad to have it. I guess starving people would like that pumpkin stuff but I wonder who wrote the reviews.

Resurrecting Home

Resurrecting Home by A. American had a line I like. "If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough."

Pumpkin

I baked the pumpkin, scooped put the stuff and put it in the refrigerator. Illness make soup tomorrow. I cleaned, seasoned, and roasted the seeds. I hope I like the soup better than the seeds.

Greenhouse Mess

The gardenias brought into the greenhouse have dropped a lot of leaves. They will put on new leaves but the debris has to be removed to prevent insects and mold. It's finally cool enough to spend time in the greenhouse.

I Can't Decide

We've had patchy frost and 88 degree record high...I can't decide what clothes to wear. It takes a while to put summer clothes away and cool weather clothes in reach.

Ornaments

I'm painting some wooden ornaments to take to the gift shop. The basket on the floor containing paint supplies is a laundry basket from Walmart. It is light and collapses flat for storage when not in use.

Halloween Is Over

This pumpkin cost a dollar so I decided it is a good time to check out pumpkin recipes. Bread, pie, and soup come to mind.

New Volunteer Talent

Our newest volunteer does photography for a hobby. She brought several photos to the gift shop that she framed. They are a great addition to our offerings.

Candy

Today I spent some of my time trying to figure out where stuff is. The new arrangement looks great but if the helium tank and balloons are in the gift shop and the ribbons are in the storage room, it may not work out well. I found the deposit slips and was able to deposit money.
I got on the wholesale list for candy delivery, but they emailed it to me and I had to print out the pages one at a time. But I'm finally finished with the printout and only have to decide what to order and then call it in. I hope.

New Look

These candles and warmers are a huge hit in our gift shop. Everyone seems excited about our new offerings... Including the volunteers!

Tomorrow

I'm anxious to see what the gift shop looks like tomorrow. They worked today and tomorrow I will try to add to what they've done.

Today's Stuff

I got ten of the baskets as finished as they are going to be. The crackle finish was disappointing so I did one in off white and one in beige. It was a lot of work for them to look worse. Anyway, I also found some cloth that may work.
We planted some daffodil bulbs and garlic.

Little Baskets

I painted five of these little baskets Laery made. I plan to base cost anothwr five tomorrow and put the crackle coat on the first five. I may be able to put the off whoite top coat on the first five tomorrow. Hopefully I will have ten finished by Tuesday. I want to take them to the hospital gift shop to hold small things.

End of Season

Today's lunch at Pebble Isle Marina's Gray Heron Grill is the last of the season. They will be closed until Spring. We enjoyed our lunch and the time we spent there😀

Gearing Up

Today our volunteers went to another hospital to see their gift shop. It was wonderful. We got lots of ideas about how to perk up ours. They were very helpful and friendly.

Bugs

Flies, lady bugs, wasps, and spiders all want inside when the weather starts to change. I spent a lot of time today trying to get rid of them.

Tiresome Week

Volunteering should not be so annoying. Tomorrow iis the only day I won't be at the hospital. And I'm doing it to myself. We have some good plans but it takes time to set up. And at home I'm having to vacuum wasps in my art room. I went in to look for art books and by the time I had dealt with the wasps...again....I didn't find the books. Maybe tomorrow.

Third Ghost

Well, this is the latest ghost Larry has made. He put a hanger on top so it would hang like he wanted it ti. He decided against a face, maybe because I said we could use them again at Christmas as carolers.

Lab Results

We had our conference following our lab tests today. The doctor said we are fine except Larry is going to have to go to a specialist because of one of his tests. They didn't demand immediate hospitalization so maybe he's OK.

Order to Kill

I liked the Vince Flynn series starring Mitch Rapp. The series and character have been continued by Kyle Mills. Order to Kill is part of the continued series . I'm on chapter ten and I think Mills has remained true to the original series.

A Year

One of the nurses lost her husband, her grandson, and son since last year. In just one year she lost everyone. It is so important to appreciate what we have while we have it.

Sunlight through Leaves

We were riding through the woods admiring the sunlight through the leaves. I think I caught a glimpse of a wild turkey. It's a lovely time of year.

Egg Gourds

These are egg gourds Larry cleaned and attached hooks to. He wants me to paint them like Christmas ornaments. I'm giving it some thought.

Pecans

We cracked the pecans with the rocket cracker. I am not very far along picking the meat out.

Peonies

Seven peonies need to be cut back. I got five of them today and put the trimmings on the compost pile. I'll try to finish tomorrow.

Greenhouse

I have several trays of cuttings for my flower boxes and baskets next spring. I don't know that it's cheaper but it takes advantage of a warm, sunny closed space where I spend a lot of time when it's cold, windy, or rainy.  Larry turned on the pilot light this morning😁

Wasps Again

I've paid an exterminator several times trying to get rid of wasps in my art room. This spring we sprayed expanding foam around the electric wires and didn't have any wasps until yesterday. The room was full of wasps. Larry sprayed and today I swept and vacuumed. Larry said they may have chewed through the foam.

Another Task

Today we had lab work done and ate breakfast out. Then we checked out the sale prices of strip steaks. I washed the other outside fan and then took it to the basement along with the canning supplies. We were going to vote early but couldn't find a parking place...maybe tomorrow.

Steady for Cold Mornings

I ordered steel cut oats and made some. Three cups of water brought to a boil, a quarter teaspoon of salt, and one cup of oats boiled for one minute. Then I put the lid on the pot and let it sot over night. It makes four servings that I nuke for maybe a minute just before eating.

Another Ghost

Larry is midway through another gourd ghost. He bought cloth for  the body. I had some old white cloth that was kind of discolored but he wanted what he was picturing in his mind.

To Do List

Larry said he'd noticed my to do list included cleaning the fans and he had helpful hints to share with me. When he first saw my list years ago he was angry because he thought I was making a list for him. I explained that the list contained things I thought needed to be done and he should feel free to do some of them if he wanted to but the list was what I thought and was basically mine.
Well, I told him I intended to clean the fan blades inside. He said oh and continued to nudge me into helping him take the outside pedestal fan apart and clean it. So I'm scrubbing away at the fan thinking they don't cost much and I'd rather throw it away and buy a new, clean one. I know that is totally stupid.

Cleaning Idea

Today I moved furniture away from one wall to vacuum behind stuff and to dust the blinds, window sills inside and out, and wash the windows. It was just one wall, it wasn't very dirty, and doesn't look a bit better.

Grill Day

Today Larry grilled pork chops and sausages. I sliced tomatoes, made baked beans, and sautéed apples (butter, Splenda, and cinnamon). It was a really good lunch!

Gourd Ghost Finished

Larry's ghost is finished and hanging out on a peony stake. He was having trouble hanging it as the gourd was top heavy, so he sawed the tip off and it just fit on the peony stake.

Yard Signs

We were in the car for about four hours today so I was looking in yards for political signs. Most of the front yard signs I saw were for sale signs, but one really nice house was for Clinton, and the rest were for Trump. Lots of houses didn't have any signs. I don't think they were undecided.

Busy Day

We left early to go to the dermatologist in Memphis. They are still working on the roads so the travel time was better than it might have been. Three and a half hours later we left Memphis and enjoyed the traffic leaving. We did a little shopping in Jackson, ate a late lunch, and finished our drive home. Tomorrow ii don't think I have to do anything that involves driving. Larry has to go back in two weeks for two more skin surgeries and two weeks after that for two more. I was all right but I have to go once a year so I'm finished for a year.

Gas Milage

I was getting 48 MPG until the last couple of tanks. I was down to 40 MPG. So I had them make sure my tires weren't low, added a bottle of some kind of cleaner to my gas tank, and check my filters. I hope it helps.

Busy Day

Today was one of my volunteer days and we had our quarterly meeting. I had several errands to run, too. So I was busy from 8:30 until 4 when ii finally made it home. Everything went well although one of our members looked at me and said, "Well, are you happy now?" And I was☺

I Wonder

So if a Republican isn't supporting Trump, will Hillary get that vote? People who pretend politicians are politically correct all the time and fear voters knowing the truth are a pathetic bunch. The wrong issues are being dramatized in the news.

Another Atkins Meal

This was new to me. The basalmic vinegar was pretty startling but good enough to have again.

Gourd Project

Larry's new project involves turning a gourd into a ghost. He cleaned the gourd and wants me to basecoat it white and paint eyes and a howling oval mouth black. Then he's planning to add a pillowcase. I don't think we have any pillowcase extras.

Waiting for Seeds

I've been getting the flowerbeds ready for fall. Leaving the impatiens until last allows me to enjoy their colors a bit longer, but also ensures the most time for seeds to develop.