Finished Pecans

We finally finished shelling the pecans. Mostly they are paper shells and cracked so it goes faster than  cracking them ourselves. I weighed them so each bag is one pound. It’s good to be finished. And it’s good to have a good supply in the freezer. It’s possible to buy them shelled, but three pounds shelled cost $34.00. We’d rather buy them cracked and shell them ourselves.

Better

The ceiling fan and light fixture is installed so we aren’t using battery lights and candles. The fireplace seems to be working. So far, everything seems to be working with nothing on the to be repaired list.

Breakfast

Larry wanted to eat breakfast out this morning. We went to a place we go to and like. But today it took forever. In fact, it took so long, I changed my order. I liked mine but Larry said everything he got was over cooked. He only ate half and actually complained. I’ve never heard him complain even when he wasn’t happy with a meal. So eating out was a disappointment.

That Stinks

Today we had the joy of hearing that the place we bought our gas fireplace won’t service it because we don’t buy gas from them. We found a place that sent a service man out twice but the fireplace didn’t cut off.  But while he was working on the fireplace, the overhead lights burned something so the lights went out and it still smells awful. So tomorrow we need to get another light/fan and try again with the service man.

Yoga

Today I went back to yoga class after being out a week and a half. It is a little hard to start back. It isn’t very difficult, but I’m not wild about exercise of any type. So I was happy I went.

Pecans

We bought some cracked pecans and have been shelling them for a few days. The first day I damaged both thumbs. The next two days I’ve put tape on my thumbs. The right thumb gets two layers of tape. It is saving my skin which is still tender from the first unprotected day. But we’ll have lots of pecans for the freezer.

Medication Cost

Last month I bought a medication for $13.30 for a month’s supply. Today I bought a three months’ supply of the same medication for $12.00 at Walmart.

Snowy Day

We’ve had snow twice so far this season. It hasn’t been awful but I think that may be because the ground isn’t frozen. The roads were okay today so the sleet and snow wasn’t a big deal. I’m not dreaming of a white Christmas.

Two People

We had some timber cut. We knew it would leave a mess. Two guys have asked if they could cut firewood from the tops left. We are happy some people will get some benefit from it. It will help clean up the mess.

First President I Remember

The first president I remember is Eisenhower. He had a heart attack when I was maybe in the second grade. The office put the radio on the intercom so we could all listen to updates on his condition.  Now there is so much on the television about politics, I mostly stay out of the house.

Lights

Larry put the Christmas lights up. We’ve been separating the individual lights and wrapping them as neatly as possible on a plastic box we bought for lights. It was a pain to untangle them. Last year the lights were not unplugged from each other and just wrapped into a big ball. They were way easier to hang he said.

Lisa

 I’ve been getting robocalls from Lisa with apple support. I’ve been ignoring the calls but today I looked it up to see if it is a scam. I thought it was because I don’t think Apple calls to tell people about activity on their cloud account or anything else. It is apparently a scam hoping people will contact the number provided.

Under Forty

One of the regular yoga ladies was absent today. She had warned the instructor that she doesn’t go anywhere when the temperature is under forty. If that was my rule, I’d probably move to a warmer state.

The Weekend

The weekend is great. I’m sure that people think being retired is like weekend all the time. But it isn’t because the garbage runs, and groceries have to be bought, etc. So appreciating what I have includes the weekend. When I worked, the weekend had all the chores crammed together. Now, I have the weekends.

Bulbs

It was a beautiful day. Usually the first nice day after Thanksgiving is reserved for stringing Christmas lights but I planted tulip bulbs today. Larry started hanging outdoor Christmas ornaments.

Thankful

I was thankful yesterday, but I’m thankful today, too. I’m thankful for everything I had yesterday, and also that I don’t have to cook today! I hope things are as good for you!

Vacation

We stayed at an Airbnb and liked it so we decided to try it on our own. The thing is, you can choose a house, apartment, or room. You can see pictures and read reviews about the place and host, plus it is cheaper and more convivial than a hotel. I’m looking forward to our next holiday.

Coming Along

I got the mincemeat pie made, baked the sweet potatoes so I can candy them tomorrow. I got the jello salad finished, and the cornbread dressing is ready to bake tomorrow. We took a ride to watch the big machinery cutting and dragging trees. I hope the turkey is thawed tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Plans

Today I shopped for stuff for our Thanksgiving dinner. There’s only two of us so it shouldn’t be a big deal. It pretty much is, though. Some years some ingredient can’t be found. This year it is sweetened frozen strawberries. I got frozen strawberries and will have to thaw them, cut them up, and put sugar on them to make the strawberry jello dish that also requires bananas, crushed pineapple, sour cream and pecans. I only make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas so it has to be right. Larry made cornbread for the dressing and both of us crumbled it up. So the shopping is over and the dressing is underway.

Misunderstood

Today I went for my second yoga class. I intended to sign up for a year but it turned out that what I thought was a yearly price was per month. I asked what I could possibly do to get that much benefit per month. She said she didn’t know. So I paid for ten classes.

Fireplace

Today a guy who moonlights as a handyman convinced our gas fireplace to respond to the remote. So we are enjoying our fireplace for the first time this season.

I walked

Today I managed to walk thirty minutes and my blood pressure came down some. It’s the first time it’s been decent in over a week. So that is an encouraging thing that will help me to do it again tomorrow.

Better

My plan was to walk at a brisk pace for thirty minutes. I managed twenty minutes. I wasn’t tired, but I figured if I walked that loop again, it would go over thirty minutes. I should have walked the rest of the time on the porch. I didn’t think about it in time. Maybe tomorrow.

Not Great

The second day of my healthy decision isn’t great. We have sloppy snow out there so I mostly stayed inside. I thought about walking around with my camera, but thinking about it isn’t actually exercise. On the up side, I didn’t fall. Sloppy snow is easier than icy snow so that part was good.

Trying to Change

I turned in my volunteer stuff and took my first yoga class. It meets twice a week. The doctor said physical therapy, exercise class, or yoga. I can’t decide about increasing activity.

The Change

I am having difficulty with some changes in my life. I’ve started taking blood pressure pills and can’t see any difference yet. It hasn’t been a week yet so maybe I’m impatient. I also scheduled a yoga class for tomorrow. This is going to interfere with volunteering. I can still go, give out newspapers and cards, and fill the ice cart. But I’m thinking about not volunteering any more. I’ve volunteered at the hospital two days a week since January 2011. I’m tired of it, evidently.

Flexibility

I whined to my doctor that I’m having trouble putting on my right sock. I can bend over and get it on,  but I used to put it on my left knee. I can do the left sock. The doctor said either physical therapy, exercise class, or yoga. So today I called a local place about yoga. They have a class once a week. I plan to look at the place tomorrow and maybe sign up for a class.

Lazy

I had intended to plant bulbs today but didn’t. It is supposed to rain tomorrow so I don’t know when I’ll do it. Some of my Monday chores are inside so that’s all right. I’m not usually against bad weather, but digging and planting in mud isn’t good.

Bulbs

I’ve gotten my shipment of bulbs to plant. The two hundred bulbs arrived at the right time to plant but it has rained and then turned freezing. I hope to get a nice day really soon.

Today’s Annoyances

My blood pressure is still high, the television is still showing crazy people, religious people knocked on the door and stayed too long, and I had my second field of vision test. The field of vision test was the same as three months ago so I don’t have to go back for six months this time.

Dentist Visit

I was supposed to have a tooth pulled today. The dentist said I’ll need a bridge which will cost over $4,000. That was bad enough but my blood pressure was so high that I have to go for a physical before I go back for the dental work. Lousy day.

Election Tomorrow

I’m tired of the election hysteria. Tomorrow is the day, but there’s early voting and absentee voting. I wonder if some of the people on Facebook think they’ve voted if they click like. Oh, well. It will soon be over for the next little while.

New Series

Grace Hamilton’s EMP Lodge Series is good. I read the first three and have started the fourth. I’ve been reading post-apocalyptic books lately. It’s good to have something different to read.

Chickens

We have a couple of neighbors across the road who have a bunch of chickens. This afternoon they were beside the road trying to catch one. Finally she said he let it out and he could catch it. It was funny to me because I remember trying to catch several chickens. Larry said to stop chasing them, throw feed in the pen and leave the gate open. I thought they would all escape but they all ran in the pen for the feed. I don’t know if that would work for them because they have a bunch of dogs.

Christmas Movies

Larry has already started watching Christmas movies. He told me yesterday I must not be a real woman because the ones in the movies all wear boots or heels. I told him the girly guys in those movies like them. Tonight he tried to get me to watch one and I pointed out that Tuesday is Halloween. So he muted it and he’s watching a Christmas movie and I’m listening to space opera on my iPod.

Democrats

Mama said her brother is a yellow dog Democrat like her daddy was. When we got off the phone, I looked that up. A yellow dog Democrat will vote for a yellow dog if it’s on the democratic ticket. But I’d heard of a blue dog Democrat so I looked that up. A blue dog Democrat is a conservative Democrat.

Dollar Tree

I was discussing the difficulty of finding a bright light for a couple of ceramic pumpkins. An acquaintance said she has the exact same pumpkin and got a couple of push led lights at the Dollar Tree. So today I went there and bought two with two packs of triple a batteries. Larry bought a couple of things. I paid six dollars plus tax. The lights and batteries worked as desired. There were eight batteries in a pack for a dollar. I haven’t been to that store more than twice but may have to go back.

Neuropathy

Larry told the doctor to talk to me about my feet. So he tried. I reminded him that we’d already talked about my feet and he said my circulation was great. I said medication for neuropathy doesn’t address the repair of nerves but the symptoms. He agreed. So I said I deal with burning and tingling feet by soaking in cold water. He agreed I’m fine. I also started taking vitamin b and magnesium.

Continued Series

Steig Larsson’s Millennium Series consists of three cooks which are excellent. The character Lisbeth Salander is one of the most interesting of many. But he died and David Lagercrantz has written two more to continue Lisbeth Salander’s story. He has done an extremely seamless job of continuing the story and character development.

Social Media

I love seeing comments on Facebook. Sometimes I know the people, sometimes I don’t. But I know I feel strongly about some of the issues. And they do, too. I hope some of those people express their beliefs on Facebook rather than the voting booth.

Gourds

Larry planted some gourd seeds that a neighbor gave him. One vine grew and made nine huge gourds. We had a light frost last night so he picked the gourds. I looked online for gourds because I wanted egg gourds. The place I usually get them didn’t have any this year. I found a site called amishgourds.com. They have a big selection. I think I have my new source.

Halloween

Larry put a couple of plastic skeletons out as well as several hours ghosts.  When I took my flower boxes apart, I put the dichondra silver falls in the flower bed in hopes the seeds will germinate next spring. Larry hung  swath around the shoulders of one of the skeletons like a scarf.

Early Voting

I voted early last year but still had to wait in line a long time. This year I decided to check the parking lot. If I saw vacancies, I’d vote today. It was pretty early because I checked before going to volunteer at the hospital. Only five people were in the hall ahead of me so I didn’t have to wait long. I talked to a woman at the hospital who said she never votes. I told her I was glad when a lot of people vote because the people we elect have a better chance of representing all of us. She said she would think about it.

Shingles Vaccine

Several years ago I had a shingles vaccine that was expensive, live virus, and 60% effective. Now there is another vaccine that is in two parts. It is supposed to be 90% effective. It is ok to take if I’ve already had the other one. I asked my doctor and he recommended I have it. So I did. My arm is sore from the shot, but I’m glad to have better protection against shingles.

Scrubs

I bought two pairs of scrub pants today. They have lots of deep pockets and an elastic waist with a drawstring. I’ve got one pair hemmed. Together they cost $31. and change. I still have to hem the other pair.

More Winter Prep

Today I cut off the angel wing begonias until I cut my pinky. After I got a bandaid on it and held it up with pressure so it would stop bleeding, I just broke the rest off.

Cool Enough

Today was cool enough I could work in my little greenhouse. It needed some organizing so I could plant cuttings in potting soil. I have a lot to do to take down the baskets and flower boxes. The annuals need to come out before frost. So I have a lot to do now that it has cooled off.

Allergies

I forgot to take a benedryl last night and my allergy nose spray. Today I sneezed and blotted my dripping nose until it was raw. When I got home I went straight for a daytime allergy pill. This afternoon was better. I won’t forget my benedryl and nose spray tonight!

Cool!

Today the temp was in the 50’s and 60’s. I didn’t get a lot done but it took all day.

Snake Skin

I found a four feet long snake skin in my greenhouse. I couldn’t identify the snake. I wonder where the snake is. I’ll show it to Larry tomorrow. Maybe he’ll know.

Quarterly Meeting

Today was our quarterly volunteer meeting. We got our flu shots and everyone volunteered for the things we decided on. Our volunteers are great.

Mean Girls

The ACLU has come out saying they believe women with no evidence. One year I had a sixth grade class at an annex. There were three classes at the annex, two sixth grades and a fifth grade class. One day the fifth grade teacher came into the staff room and said the next time my boy argued with him, he was going to have him suspended. He ranted about my student running over his student. I went to my class, shut the door, and asked what happened. He said they were playing soccer and the little girl skipped rope right in front of him. Then her teacher wouldn’t let him explain. I said I was going to pretend to be Mr. Blank. He should listen to all the questions I was going to yell at him and answer yes sir or no sir politely. I said the little girl had set him up and would do it again but if he could keep his cool, eventually Mr. Blank would ask then why did you run over her? Well, it did happen again and my student did as I’d said. Mr. Blank came into the staff room laughing. He said my boy got him. My student was happy that he got to have his say and didn’t get in trouble. That little girl was willing to get trampled just to get my kid in trouble. She was small and her mother dressed her cute. It didn’t make her a good person. A guy is easier to fool than a woman. That isn’t the only time I’ve seen entitled mean girls bully others. It’s one reason school is so hard for some kids. Those mean girls sometimes grow up using the same strategies as adults.

Post Apocalypse Fiction

David Palmer wrote Emergence a long time ago and I liked it. It was a stand alone book but interesting. I like A. American’s series and recently found Ryan Westfield’s and Ryan Schow's series. A. American and Ryan Westfield wrote about emp. Ryan Schow’s series is about rogue AI trying to take out humanity and the military setting off nuclear emp devices to stop the drone attacks.

People Around Me

I have friends and relatives both Democrat and Republican. They aren’t crazy or evil. So I don’t understand the craziness I see on television.

Next Year 's Flowers

It’s time to start setting up the greenhouse for the fall. I have to decide if I want to take the same number of cuttings as last year or maybe scale back. At some point I think I’ll have to cut back, but is this the year?  I think I’m good for another year.

Back Porch

The back porch is ready for fall. I’ve cleaned the containers for my cuttings. There is still a lot to do in preparation for fall but I’ve got a good start.

Good News

The dermatologist 's office called today and said the biopsy was ok. That’s good news. The last time they couldn’t use their lab the report was bad. So yea!

Long Hall

A lady using a cane said the doors at the end of the hall look a long way off. I agreed and pointed out the floor is smooth so she won’t turn her ankle and uncluttered so she won’t trip. Yesterday I tripped over a bag of mulch and fell onto a concrete floor. I’m sore today. All we have to do here is make it down that uncluttered, smooth hall.

He’s Proud

Today the dermatologist said Larry’s proud. That is so much nicer than hardheaded or stubborn.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow we are going to Memphis to the dermatologist. So today I put out the trash and mail. I made gumbo and bought rolls, potato salad, and apple pie. I made rice to go with the gumbo. I want Larry to eat. His blood pressure is low and he’s tired. I thought maybe he would eat and feel better. I was disappointed because he wasn’t very hungry and was critical of just about everything. A smile would have been nice.

iPod Touch

Today is the first time I’ve listened to a book on my iPod Touch. The sound quality is good and it’s light. It has a good battery life. I like the classic better because I can synchronize my books with my computer. To get a book onto the Touch I have to download it all over again which is seriously slow. I can go somewhere with better WiFi but that’s at least a twenty minute drive. So the lower price is good but not the slow download.

Phone

Here is a number to call when you have a problem or question. It’s very important. So we tried all day and couldn’t get through. I tried texting but didn’t get a response. It’s highly annoying to not be able to get through.

Civic Duty

It’s difficult to imagine anyone being willing to go through what Judge Thomas and now Judge Kavanaugh have put up with to serve their country. I realize veterans endure a lot in service to America, but character assassination is terrible, too.

They Think a lot of This

I was volunteering at the hospital gift shop when two women came in. They looked at a baby outfit and remarked that we think a lot of it implying that it was priced high. They wandered and looked at stuff and asked how much a candle warmer cost. I said we think a lot of them, too, and told her the price.

TV

Mostly television annoys me. I don’t like talking heads or political stuff. I like stuff that’s funny with explosions. I want entertainment not serious stuff. My life has serious parts that I can’t avoid. So I don’t see why I would subject myself to more. I liked the Lethal Weapon movies. I liked the television series for a while but when it stopped being funny, I stopped watching it. Tonight it started back with a new main character. It was funny with explosions. It has the potential of turning dark, so I’m reserving judgment. If an actor is overtly political in his onscreen or offscreen persona, it turns me against the entertainment portion of his work. Entertainers don’t get to influence my thoughts in opposition to my life experiences and education. It annoys me when they try.

Pancake Idea

I don’t know if this was a good idea or not, but today I decided to make pancakes with half a cup of cornmeal and half a cup of almond flour instead of a cup of flour. I ate two of the pancakes with two sausage patties and sugar free syrup. I had enough for three ziplock bags for future breakfasts. I guess I should do the math to figure carbs, but I will check blood sugar and weight, too.

Neuropathy

I told my doctor my feet burn and tingle.  He checked my circulation and said my feet are fine. So I stopped walking 10,000 steps a day and started putting them in cold water. I've also started taking magnesium and vitamin b.  I don't know how long the supplements take to work, but the cold water provides immediate relief. 

Push Mower

We live in the country so most people have big lawns and riding mowers. But today I drove past a push mower with two little boys trying to push it. They looked maybe four and five years old, one on each side of the push bar. I don’t know who started it for them but I’m sure they couldn’t have done it.

Me too

I’m seriously tired of women claiming to want equality and then whining about not being treated like fragile flowers. My husband and I were talking about it and he said his opinion doesn’t count because he’s a man. I agreed and said mine counts because I’m never wrong. Fortunately he laughed and agreed.

Hummingbirds

Every year I think we have more hummingbirds, and maybe we do, but this year we have more than ever. Larry buys the sugar, makes the syrup, keeps the feeders clean, and watches them all the time. I’m pretty amazed but I would never bother.

Annoying

Larry needed a prescription refilled. After waiting a couple of days the druggist said to call the doctor. He did and was told he had to come in to sign papers. It takes an hour and a quarter to get there. So we ran a couple of errands and ate out. But surely there’s an easier way to get a prescription refilled.

What’s Normal?

I’ve pretty much given up on television. I see stuff that seems weird to me. I went to college in the sixties in Alabama. My professors were mostly moderate to extreme conservatives. My dad was extremely conservative. I just gave the professors what they wanted and tried not to get in trouble at home. But nobody got to convince me of anything. I think students today probably have a group on each campus trying to get through with a degree without buying into insanity. I don’t think it’s easy to ignore transgender bathrooms, though.

Washing Pots

All of the single pots are washed and I started on the plugs. I have a lot of seed starter sets still to wash. But washing one lets me know that the brush I got works. It will still take forever to finish those so I can set up the greenhouse for fall and winter.

I Want

I went to the electronics department and told the guy I wanted an adapter for my iPod charging cable. He said they don’t carry them. I said they do just show me the cables. He laughed at me. But he wandered to the aisle with the cables. I picked up what I wanted and said maybe it wasn’t what I called it but it was what I wanted. He said it is a wall charger.  Good. It’s what I want. When I don’t know the name for what I want, it’s slower.  I thought it was an adapter because the cable plugs into the computer. To plug it into an electrical outlet seemed to require an adapter. Apparently I only make sense when I’m talking to myself.

What Makes a Good Day?

Trying to figure out what makes a good day isn’t all that easy. But today was a good day and I’m trying to figure out why so I can improve some other days. I ordered bulbs. I don’t see how that could be a regular addition to my life. I got carry out from that new place. That can happen again. I wore different shoes. Maybe I should leave off flip flops for outside. The temperature was pleasant and it rained. I don’t have any control over that. I made a pitcher of limeade. That’s easy to do more frequently.

Starting to Clean

Today I started washing the pots I started cuttings and seedlings in. I have about a month to clean them so the greenhouse will be ready for the fall.  I have a lot more to do in preparation for taking cuttings. But at least I’ve started.

Walmart

I like it that Walmart sends me a text asking if I want my prescription filled and sends another text to tell me when it’s ready to be picked up. Maybe other pharmacies do that but I don’t know.

New Place

Today EM and I ate at a new place. We were both very pleased with out choices. EM had lasagna with garlic bread. I had a crustless pizza bowl...pepperoni, black olives, and pepper. Delicious!

Happy Labor Day

School is out for Labor Day and the postal service observes it as a holiday. But the garbage truck runs. The only way we know which Mondays to put out the trash on holidays is to keep the statements and check.

Holiday Weekend

Barbecue, coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, and fried okra made a good lunch today. I meant to have cantaloupe, but I was too full for dessert. Maybe I’ll have it for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Barbecue

I bought a pound of pulled pork barbecue and a barbecued chicken. On the way home from the barbecue place I bought coleslaw ingredients and put the slaw together as soon as I got home. We have good stuff for this holiday weekend. For dessert we have cantaloupe from our garden.

Better Today

Today my car got repaired, I was able to access audible on my new iPod Touch,and we had catfish at a local restaurant. A friend brought me a pair of sunglasses she had leftover from her cataract surgery. Between her husband and herself, they had six pairs and a pouch to put them in. All in all, this was a good day.

Grilled Cheese II

Larry made the grilled cheese today. His are better than mine. He grills both sides of the bread and then puts the cheese in. It’s crispier that way.

Grilled Cheese

I was making a grilled cheese sandwich when Larry asked how I make them. He’d made one for himself earlier but I wasn’t ready to eat then. But his looked and smelled great. I couldn’t figure out why he was asking about my sandwich, but I told him. Then he told me how he makes them. It turns out we don’t make them the same way. We’ve made them for each other over the years and neither of us realized we do them differently.

Car

My car still isn’t working. It’s been a week. I didn’t volunteer today and don’t plan to tomorrow. I could drive the truck or go with a friend, but I want my car to work!

Bat

Yesterday a bat squeezed itself into an upper corner of the carport. It stayed there all day but was gone this morning. I didn’t think it was a great location, but I guess it was just resting for the day.

Half Mast

Larry put the flag at half last in honor of John McCain. I was surprised because we didn't think much of him. But Larry said it was in honor of his service to his country.

Mantis Cleanup

Today I spent forever getting dried plant stems unwound from the tines  of the mantis. I had to cut little scraps and latch onto them with the scissors to pull them out. It was only two of the four tines that were wrapped up with the dried plant debris, but it was slow going. But it’s done. From now on I’m going to pick out the debris while it’s green.

Tomato Cages

I pounded three tomato cages in three years ago. Nothing except weeds did well there so I decided to get them out.  I had to dig them out.  It took a while, but success was finally mine.  Delphiniums, tomatoes, and cucumbers all had a chance in those cages, but it was difficult to get anything to show up better than the weeds.

Mantis

Larry feels well enough to start my mantis, so I am able to use it in my flower bed. Once it’s warmed up, I can turn it off, move it and restart it!  Yea!

Not

My car didn’t start yesterday, so I bought a new battery. It didn’t start today and it isn’t the alternator. So it still doesn’t run.

Car Trouble

When I went out to go volunteer this morning, my car wouldn’t start. So Larry jumpstarted it and I went for a new battery. The guy installed it and I wasn’t very late to volunteer.

Pedicure

I had a pedicure today for the first time in a long time.  My toe hurt so I wanted to let somebody see if I had an ingrown nail. I didn’t so I can go back to doing my own feet.

Little Kid

Neighbors came over with their kindergarten boy. He likes peppers and ate part of a sweet banana pepper. Then he split it open and ate the seeds. He threw the rest of the pepper away. I’d never seen a kid eat the seeds and toss the pepper.

How Was It?

I managed to cook enough zucchini noodles for Larry to try some. I asked how he liked the dish.  He said it was hot. But was it good?  It was hot with a lot of garlic.  But was it good?  It was hot! Well, he didn't leave any. 

Media Confusion

I have a lot of trouble figuring out what is true on television. When television first started carrying twenty-four hour news coverage, I wondered if it would be a continuous loop. Now it turns out to be a lot of people hashing over what people said. So when a news station said a bunch of catholic priests are guilty of being pedofiles, I’m left wondering if they are continuing their attack on religion , or if it is true. I don’t have a lot of confidence in the media. And that includes all of them.

Hot Spot

I got my WiFi hot spot reactivated today. I’ve been downloading audio books all afternoon and am still doing it. Fortunately it is possible to do other things and just check back to click on the next book.

My Feet

My feet burn. I used Epsom salts yesterday and this afternoon. Soaking my feet in cool water with Epsom salts is wonderful.

New Nathan Lowell Book

Milk Run, Suicide Run, and now Home Run makes a trilogy I’ve enjoyed. Home Run is the latest and I think it’s the best so far. Interesting female characters, good plot, and Pip made a small appearance.

Ants

I spent a lot of time today trying to rid the kitchen of sugar ants. Larry thinks maybe they were lured in by hummingbird syrup. I have several ideas that would eliminate the problem. I wonder if he’ll try being tidy soon.

Lousy Dream

It’s the beginning of school and I’ve been looking at Facebook posts of kids and classrooms. So last night I dreamed a school dream. But I didn’t dream a nice beginning of school dream. I dreamed an end of the year dream so I was packing up for the summer which is not my favorite time of the year!

Mister Kit

 I’ve heard this lowers the temperature thirty degrees. I think that may work in a low humidity place. It didn’t work so well for me.

Almost Finished

It’s August and I’m just about finished planting things I started in the greenhouse back in February. If I plant them staggered, they produce longer. Plus, some things just take longer to get big enough to put out. I am putting chives in the front flower bed. I don’t know how they’ll do when fall hits but they’ve done great in a flower box on the back porch. But I’m putting the ones on the front porch in the ground while it’s moist.

Screamed Like a Girl

I didn’t scream when a wasp stung me or when I stirred up the ground nest of bees. I can’t remember when I screamed before this afternoon. We were trimming new growth from the scuppernongs when a baby bird flew out and latched onto the front of my shirt. It didn’t hurt, but it scared me! Larry said to brush it off and didn’t laugh, so he’s still alive.

Mister

I ordered a mister kit. It is supposed to lower the temperature 30 degrees. I think we’ll put it up tomorrow.  We’ll put the tubing in the Christmas light hooks. Larry said he’ll get little screws tomorrow.  I’m anxious to try it out.

Crepe Myrtles

Today we trimmed three crepe myrtle trees. They had turned into very tall bushes. We still have more to trim but they aren’t as bad as the ones we did today.

Sleepless Nights

I haven’t slept well for a couple of nights. When I wake up at four a.m. I count that as part of not sleeping well. This afternoon I slept from four until eight. I hope I sleep tonight.

Ultrasound

I had an ultrasound of my carotid arteries last week and one of my thyroid today. I asked the tech if they practiced on each other when she was training. She said they did. I said, “So you know how awful it feels to have something mashing on your windpipe.” She said some people were more sensitive than others.

Tacos Again

 I’m on a taco binge. I bought shredded lettuce and guacamole from Walmart to add to my tacos. If I eat any tomorrow, I will have to buy more taco shells or make some. I think I’ll make some.

Another Doctor Visit

Today I went back to The ophthalmologist to discuss the tests' results. Everything was all right. I did a field of vision test which showed a couple of minor abnormalities. The doctor said to come back in three months for another field of vision test. He said the minor abnormalities may resolve themselves.  So that was good news.

Upheaval

If everything is pretty much on an even keel, going along as planned, is that a boring rut?  I try not to destroy my life just for some excitement. I’m sure a tornado is exciting, but it’s also destructive. I try to keep that in mind when I’m ready to tear my life to shreds. It’s tough to decide what is important enough to fight for and how destructive should I be. Will there be anything left when I’m finished? Do I care? Not all the time.

All Day

Most of today was spent making the diy laundry detergent. I made a gallon of the dry powder variety. One bar or fels naphtha (grated) one cup of borax, and one cup of washing soda run through the food processor until I had a gallon of the dry powder. It is supposed to dissolve in cold water if run through the food processor. I hope it does because I have a lot of it. One tablespoon for a light load and two to three tablespoons for a large load will last us a while.

DIY Laundry Detergent

I’ve been using the DIY laundry detergent for several years. I’ve used the liquid version. Today I’m out of it and am going to try the dry version. Storage has become an issue for us since we have to deal with a month’s supply of dialysis fluid and all the other paraphernalia associated with it. So not storing five gallons of liquid laundry detergent is what I’m going to try next.

Saturday

We went to the marina for lunch. The temperature was pleasant with a slight breeze and the food was good, as usual.
I spent some time this afternoon putting liquid fertilizer on flowers in the flower beds and watering a Japanese maple with leaves crisping up from lack of water.

Dr. Visit

The test results I got today were good but now I need more tests. Yippee.

Waiting

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to discuss the tests the ophthalmologist requested last week. I worry about tests more than I used to. But soon I’ll have a clue.

Volunteering

I used to volunteer two mornings a week, but when Larry was so sick I missed weeks at a time. I’ve been going once a week for about a month. Larry is going to start the overnight peritoneal dialysis next week so I may be able to get back to twice a week. Maybe life is settling down.

Ultrasound

I had an ultrasound today but won’t know the results until Friday. I was looking at it when my head was turned toward the monitor. But I’m pretty sure I don’t know what it means. But they didn’t send me to the operating room so I guess I’ll get the results Friday.

New Neighbors

We’ve had new neighbors for several months. Today they visited. It was nice to meet them but I don’t like people to talk my ear off. I’m pretty sure it’s not polite to tell people it’s time to go home. Too bad.

Abandoned Weed Whacker

It was in the 70’s this morning so I decided to weed whack for a while. I was planning to work until the battery gave out. But I angered bees and had to drop the weed whacker and scurry away. I’ll go back in a while armed with bug spray. Coffee now.

Facebook

When I go on Facebook, I see posts but when I try to find them again, they are gone. If I remember who posted them, I can usually find them now. But I wish people on Facebook were closer to what I see when they are in real life. I also wish they didn’t spell like they are nuts.

First Aid for Plants

It’s been very hot and dry for too long. The flowering bushes and small decorative trees are looking bad so we watered them with buckets, jugs, and hoses. We’ve also spent a couple of hours cutting volunteer trees that have grown in the flower beds.

Fish Tacos

I found a recipe for fish tacos and made them today. They were okay. My favorite thing was the sauce. It was one part mayonnaise, three parts sour cream and 1/2 lime. That sauce would be good on baked fish and maybe everything except ice cream.

Middle Class Mores

I’m hopelessly middle class. I always wanted to be liberal, but only managed to be a social liberal. I saw that woman on the runway nursing her baby and thought it was disgusting. I don’t know why, exactly, because I’m ok with nudist beaches and topless swimming. Maybe it’s because people choose to go to those places. I don’t think people innocently eating dinner should be shown breastfeeding in public. There are discreet shawls that cover functioning mammary glands. I know everyone does not agree, but there it is: I’m hopelessly middle class.

Fish Taco

I had fish tacos at a Mexican restaurant. I like tacos a lot, but fish tacos were a disappointment to me. But today I had corn masa delivered me bought a small cabbage. I thawed a couple of talapia fillets. Tomorrow I’m going to make the taco shells and put it all together. I might not like it anyway, but maybe it’ll be good.

Fried Okra

Today we had our first fried okra from our garden.  It was excellent. Last year we didn’t have okra in our garden because we had some in the freezer. So we only had fried okra from the freezer section of the store except for neighbors sharing.

Siblings

I know two brothers and a sister who are in their seventies who travel together. They have spouses and take vacations with them, but these three pile in a van that one of them fixed up and ramble wherever strikes their fancy. Their kids are grown now and they are retired so the open road calls to them.  I think it’s great that they do things together.

Ten Minutes Cooking Time

I found individuality packed frozen salmon next to the tilapia filets I like. Today I stuck two in the oven with asparagus for ten minutes at 450.  It was delicious and I can have it again tomorrow since Larry doesn’t eat salmon. I also put herbed garlic tiny potatoes in the oven. When the potatoes had been in for thirty minutes, I put the pan with the salmon and asparagus in for the last ten minutes. Larry ate asparagus and potatoes.

Miserable Heat

I like the green trees and colors of summer, but I hate the heat. It wouldn’t be so bad if I liked being inside better.

Spotted Fawn

This morning I saw a spotted fawn walking up to the corner of the house. Fawns are usually with a doe or a group of deer. This one was alone. It crossed the road and bounded for a while. Then it turned around and went the other way.

Buffalo Chicken

The lab tech told me about buffalo chicken at Walmart's deli. I got some and really like it. It’s spicy.

What’s the Date?

I had a doctor's appointment today. Everything was good, but then a young woman came in and asked questions for Medicare. One of them was, “What is today’s date?” My answer was, “Friday is the thirteenth; today is Wednesday, so today is the eleventh." Then she asked if I knew where I was. Then she asked if I knew who was president and who was president before that. I wonder if they have many patients who drive themselves in and don’t know where they are.

Volunteer Meeting

Today was our quarterly meeting for the hospital volunteers. We don’t have many and the hospital liaison suggested that we might want to close down. Everyone said they didn’t mind doing what we do and work harder to bring in more volunteers. I was glad.

Friends

I moved around a lot during my lifetime. I’ve maintained a few friendships through the years, but a lot have slipped away. Today I saw a picture of one with her husband. She has been sick and her husband lost his job as he stayed home to take care of her. Both of them look awful. Another friend from years ago passed away. It’s sad.

Ride in the Woods

Today we rode through the woods to see which trees are marked for harvest. We are having it select cut and I was curious about whether we would have only tiny trees left. But it looked like we’ll have some nice trees among the debris the cut trees leave.

Nice Day

The weather was a pleasant temperature with a slight breeze. We went to the river and ate at the grill that’s on pontoons. I had an appetizer portion of hot wings and Larry had an appetizer of shrimp jammers. We split an order of French fries. Larry slept all afternoon and I lazed on the porch. Nice day.

Smell of Rain

I like how it smells when it rains. It hasn’t rained for a while so it may be that there’s dust in the air because it stops me up immediately but it still smells good.

You’ve Never Learned

You’ve never learned to hand me food when I’m driving. You’ve never learned to say thank you.

Stool

 I want a stool for the back porch. I’ve looked for a while but haven’t found one. So today I taped a couple of dialysis boxes together. I was going to break them down but they were so strong I couldn’t. So after taping them together I sprayed them with flex seal. While waiting for that to dry I started gathering stuff for decoupage. I tore up a lot of flower catalogs. I don’t know if I have enough yet.

Tacos

Tacos are one of the things I like a lot and Larry doesn’t care for.  So today I made tacos just for myself and chowed down. Larry was off on his list of chores so I ran the vacuum and dishwasher. I also dusted and put gas in my car. Not arduous work but finished. I ran cleaning stuff through my jet tub. I only do that every few months so that’s out of the way for a while.

Waffles for Breakfast

I like waffles but they aren’t on a low carb diet. I went for lab work this morning. I stayed while they did my A1c. I decided if my A1c was the same or lower I would get an omelet for breakfast but if it was lower I would get a waffle. It was lower so I got a waffle and sausage with black coffee. If I only have a waffle once a year it is distressing if it isn’t crisp. I may have to have a home waffle.

Ready Roast

Larry got a boneless chuck roast pack that had red potatoes, carrots, and onions with the roast. He put all of it in a pan and cooked it on top of the stove until the meat was fork tender. It was delicious. Well worth buying again.

Not Angry

Larry said he noticed we didn’t argue while we took the shelving unit apart, moved it to the basement, and put it back together. I said it was because he did it all except moving it and he said I was walking too fast. He wanted to take it apart and put it together and wanted me to sweep and vacuum.

Flat Tire

I had a flat tire today. I called the cooperative and they sent a truck out to put air in. Then I drove it to the co-op where they fixed it. Larry has a bunch of stuff for home dialysis. He did it at home for the first time this afternoon. We are trying to arrange stuff so it doesn’t look like a warehouse but we aren’t there yet.

First Hornworm

I found the first tomato hornworm of the season. I went to the store to get a new coffee maker and after it stopped rainy, I planted the last tomatoes and peppers to get them off the porch. They had gotten so big they kept tipping their pots over. It’s hard to water plants that are sideways.

Changed Her Mind

Yesterday the nurse said today would be Larry’s last day of pd training. It kind of spooked me because there are things not ready. But we don’t exactly know what they will furnish and what we need to buy. Any way today she said he has to finish out the week of training. So it’s a little jumbled feeling to both of us.

Good News

Larry’s nurse said tomorrow will probably be the last day of training. She said he is doing really well. This is good news. I’m not sure if we have the house organized yet for the incoming supplies but we won’t get a month’s supply tomorrow. But it is encouraging that he is doing so well.

Ideas

Ideas happen for me in several ways. Brainstorming is good but I don’t have anybody to brainstorm with. Larry doesn’t want to brainstorm as he immediately puts on the black hat and argues. I’ve tried to explain I don’t want him to shoot down my plan; I want him to look at the end result and find a path to it. Another way I get ideas is by reading. But I also need time to mull over a problem. The most recent problem I’ve tried to figure out is the tables to hold his peritoneal stuff. The nurse said it can’t be wood. It has to be something that can be sprayed with Clorox. The trays attached to the recliner at the dialysis clinic are plastic. What I want to use is a couple of TV trays. They easily fold away. But the surface isn’t great for sanitizing. So this morning I decided glass cut to size would be perfect and not ugly. Then Larry called and said they are short handed at the dialysis clinic today so he hooked himself up. When the nurse came in she said he could go away for two hours. Then come back and do stage two. So I told him my glass idea. He liked it and improved on it by saying tempered glass would be even better. That was maybe his first real participation in brainstorming.

Pruning

I trimmed back the gardenias today. I hate to do it because I’m sure it limits next year’s blooms. But I want to be able to move them this fall.

Baking Show

The British Baking Show is back on. It’s a reality show with amateur bakers. I have no idea why I like it but it’s the only television show I’m willing to watch.

Scam

Today a guy called claiming to work for a law office. He said I had stopped using my hotspot before my contract was up and I owe fifty dollars to pay the secondary contract off so my credit rating won’t suffer. He said a letter had been sent May 9 and I did not respond so it was turned over to them for collection. I said I didn’t get it so mail me another one. He said they couldn’t but he could email me a copy. I said no. He gave me the name and address of the law office and said I could request it by mail. Then I called Verizon to see if a secondary contract was associated with the contract I’d signed. I haven’t heard back from them yet. I googled it next and found there is a scam associated with the phone number. The law office is real and the address is real but the phone number wasn’t listed.

Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire series is mostly arranged by dates so they are all together on my iPod. But within a year there can be several titles which are arranged alphabetically. So listening to them can be odd. A guy who is dead in one book is alive in the next.

Shower Rod

The shower curtain was dragging along the rod so Larry rubbed it with waxed paper. Now it slides easily. It worked on sliding boards when I was a kid.

Stuff Organized

Water

This is water with lime and mint. Lemons are expensive right now but limes aren't.

Turtle

This turtle is about the size of the palm of my hand. We've found hubcap-sized snapping turtles in our yard.

Daylilies

Picture

Today I got a picture of the Grand Canyon from Leigh. I’m glad it wasn’t a picture of a helicopter airlifting her out.

Planted

This afternoon we planted six tomatoes and two more peppers. The ones we planted in the garden before either died or are on the verge of dying. Maybe these won’t drown. The only tomatoes and peppers that look good are planted in flower boxes on the porch.

Home Health

I keep having to patch Larry up. I’ve mostly gotten used to it and don’t feel the need to gag anymore. I think it helps that I see gross stuff but mostly there is no accompanying odor. Tonight Larry started making pained sounds and looking at his hemodialysis port and making a face. I told him he’d better not want me to do anything to that. Evidently chest hair had gotten caught in the tape. That was a relief to me.

Hello!

I’m on the porch a lot and usually wave when people go by. It’s a back road so the people are sometimes neighbors or visiting neighbors. I hardly ever know who they are but don’t care because they are more likely to know me. Last night a passing car yelled Hello at me so I yelled back. I wonder who it was.

Wildflowers

The roadsides are covered with black eyed Susans, Queen Anne’s Lace, and day lilies. The county cots the roadsides, but not where they are thick with wildflowers. There are a couple of other kids, but I don’t know their names.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Tonight I sliced small green tomatoes, soaked them in egg, coated them in cornmeal, and fried them. I fried two for each of us as a side. None are ripe yet although a couple are starting to turn red.

Journal

The reason I started to blog is I wanted to keep a journal with pictures. I decided that unlike other journals I’ve kept, I would always know where I left it and would be able to compare spaces, flowers, etc. from one year to the next. It isn’t working great for me since I’m using my phone. If I take a picture with my kindle, I can insert the picture into my blog. If I take a picture with my phone, I should be able to insert it into a blog created on the phone. I just haven’t figured it out yet.

Cucumbers

I planted a couple of cucumber plants and marigolds. I thought they could run along the rail and it would be easy to water then and I wouldn't have to bend over to find them.

Back Porch Garden

These are cocktail tomatoes and are loaded with tomatoes. They are larger than grape or cherry tomatoes but not full sized.

Problem

I've been posting from my phone, but I don't know how to put a picture in. I'm at the hospital using the Wi-Fi here so I'm posting from my kindle.

This is my first gardenia bloom of the year.

Religious Visitors

We have a carful of religious people come by every so often. They came today but instead of giving us a pamphlet and reading a couple of verses from the Bible, they wanted to know about my flowers and went away with cuttings. They said next time we would all have Jesus.

Dry Wine

Larry and I like dry wine. We grow a lot of scuppernongs and people come to pick them. Sometimes we help them. A neighbor makes wine, using different types of fruit including our scuppernongs. They would sometimes treat us to some in thanks for the fruit. I finally returned several unopened bottles and told them we don’t drink sweet wine. Today they shared a bottle they drew off before adding more sugar to make it sweet enough to suit themselves. I thought it was thoughtful of them to bottle a dry one for us!

First Gardenia Bloom

I was watering my containers of gardenias and smelled one. I’ve been watching a bloom get fatter and fatter, but it wasn’t that one. I eventually found the blossom down inside the plant. The gardenias I had in the yard were great for a few years, but they don’t do well long term.

Digging Fork

I tried to loosen the soil around the plants we put in the garden. The clay was hard as a rock. I decided I wanted a particular tool but didn’t know the name of it never having had the need or desire to know. So I described it to Larry and told him what I wanted to do. He said he knew what I wanted and it is a good idea but he couldn’t think of the name, either. This morning he said it’s a digging fork. So I spent about forty five minutes sweating and poking holes in hard clay. When I drove the gator back up here, Larry said I didn’t put the digging fork away. I said I wasn’t finished with the stuff up here. I don’t really like sweaty work but at least it’s good for me.

Hairy Guy

Larry has skin issues and the dermatologist takes care of them initially, but I have to bandage him until he heals. So the dermatologist tapes him up in his hair. I get to shave and trim around the wounds so the tape will stick to him and come off without hurting him. So then he cleans up and next I have to bandage him up.

DIY Laundry Detergent

I’ve been using a diy laundry detergent for several years. I’ve had to buy additional fels naphtha but I’m just finishing the washing soda. I still have borax. But I always fix the next batch when I start the last gallon. So I looked up the dry recipe and made a little bag using one cup of washing soda, one cup of borax, and half cup of grated fels naphtha. I put it in a ziplock and wrote 2 tablespoons mixture and 1/4 cup water.

Friends

Larry had made friends since he started going to dialysis. I’m glad he’s seeing people undergoing dialysis but getting on with their lives. They aren’t all old and they aren’t all diabetic. Some people have kidney failure for other reasons. I know more than I did a year ago.

Sick

When I’m sick, I tend to think I’m going to die. Today I had diarrhea and nausea. I’m better now so I guess it wasn’t Ebola.

Hospital Gown

Mostly hospital gowns are pretty awful but Larry had one today with ties that he could reach and an inflatable lining with a thermostat he could control to make sure he was warm enough. He also had compression things that had Velcro fasteners that could be inflated.

Hamburger

Larry bought preformed hamburger patties that were twenty seven percent fat. I didn’t know they existed. They were moist and tasty. I only want those from now on.

Day Lilies

The irises are finished and the day lilies have started. The orange ones that are used for erosion control are blooming in masses. Our yellow ones are in full bloom and others are starting to open up.

Centipedes

The house is covered with centipedes and has been for about four days. They are easy to sweep off but they have to be cleaned off several times after the morning sweep. They don’t seem to do any damage and aren’t inside but they look awful to me.

Phone Alerts

At the hospital yesterday everybody’s phones buzzed blue alert with a description of a guy who attacked a police officer. I wish they would buzz information when the guy is captured so I would know when to stop locking doors.

Watermelon

Today I drove by a huge yard that had just been cut. It smelled like watermelon. Apparently it’s a combination of weeds that gives that smell.

Another Scam

I’ve gotten a couple of calls from someone claiming to be from a lawyer’s office regarding a debt. I hang up. I checked and apparently it is a scam.

Birks

I went to a discount shoe store to get more sandals as mine are old and the cork is crumbling. They are about twenty years old so I wanted to get another pair. The store has Birkenstocks but they are lightweight plastic. I came home and ordered sandals online. I don’t know if Birkenstock shoes just come in shower styles or maybe just at the discount store.

Talking

Let’s plant a couple of jalapeños. So we did. Don’t we have bell peppers? Yes. They are lush and beautiful. Why didn’t we plant those?  You said jalapeños. But you know what we have. Good grief.

Magnolias

The magnolias have started to bloom in our yard. I’ve seen some blooming in other places, but ours are always a little behind.  Yesterday we had a couple of blooms, but today we have twe with over half a dozen blooms visible from one direction. Several more have a couple of blooms each.

Talapia

 I’ve cooked talapia several different ways. Larry only likes it fried. I don’t blame him for that. I like it fried, too. But I’m willing to eat it baked with bacon on top. It’s still fish, still protein, and very edible. I don’t eat fried fish very often but I can eat baked fish with bacon a couple of times a week.

Baby Skunks

Four baby skunks are all around the house. I wish they would go away.

Strawberry Cubes

The flat of strawberries I bought are very ripe now. I spent some time mincing several quarts and putting them in ice trays. Two cubes make one fourth cup and that’s the amount needed for a strawberry fat bomb. I still have two quarts to put up. My ice trays are clean and ready for tomorrow.

Zoodles

I bought one of those things that spiralizes vegetables. Today I used it to make noodle-looking stuff from zucchini. I did everything right except for letting the spirals have twenty minutes in a colander with salt. It was still really good. I didn’t expect it to be very good but it was definitely worth doing again frequently.

Bank Lady

A friend at the bank said that debit cards are the biggest problem young people have because they look at their balance and forget they have an outstanding check or automatic withdrawal for insurance or whatever and get overdrafts frequently. I would have thought credit cards were the worst problem.

Cucumbers

We have a couple of cucumbers from our garden. I realize that isn’t enough to set up a roadside stand,  but it’s enough to eat if we’re not very hungry.

Lizard

I discovered a lizard in the house a couple of days ago. Yesterday I saw it again. I went to get the broom and returned just in time to see it scurrying under the refrigerator. I would know what to do if it had been a mouse, but I’m pretty clueless about lizards.

Green Tomatoes

Larry said a guy told him to slice green tomatoes, put one teaspoon salt in a wide mouth canning jar, top it off with boiling water, and process in a hot water bath for ten to twelve minutes. I think I’ll try that this year if we have any tomatoes this year.

Skunk

At least one skunk has been hanging out around our house. Skunks smell bad even if they aren’t actively spraying. I was complaining at school and a girl said a skunk with her babies was living under their front steps. I asked what they did about them and she said they fed them.

Thundershowers

We used to get hot summer days with afternoon thundershowers in Alabama. We’ve gotten them here the last couple of days but it isn’t hot or summer. It still reminds me of them.

Strawberries

Local strawberries are coming in. I bought a flat today and pigged out. I’ve trimmed and cut a gallon and stuck the other four quarts in the refrigerator until tomorrow. I love fresh strawberries and they are on my low carb diet.

Rain, Finally

I’m still planting cuttings and seedlings. It rained last night and a couple of times today. So things I’ve been trying to keep alive by watering them got rained on and I had more time to plant more stuff.   The weed whacker got some of my attention and I weeded where I planted. I’m about to give up the idea of trying to have a flower bed because of my helpful husband and roundup.

I Know You...

I know you are on a diet, but...
I know you don’t

Talapia

Today I cooked talapia for lunch. I put a strip of bacon on each fillet and added minced garlic. Then I covered it with a domed lid and browned it and then flipped it so the bacon cooked. It was seriously delicious although Larry didn’t like his. I’ll eat his tomorrow along with the rest of the asparagus. Yea leftovers!

Doctor Visit

We thought Larry was scheduled for a surgical procedure this morning. It turned out he spoke to Larry about the procedure and scheduled it for three weeks from now.

King Snake

Larry saw a king snake beside the front steps this morning. They are the ones that eat poisonous snakes. I’m guessing they wouldn’t turn down a mouse or mole.

Road Repair

After the snow and ice was gone our road had several stretches of potholes. Usually they put asphalt in the holes which doesn’t last. This time they spread chert over a good bit of the affected road. They left it to be driven over for a while, then smoothed it out and poured asphalt and gravel. I don’t know how it will hold up, but it is the best road repair I’ve seen.

Slime

We spent some time this morning trying to get one of the tires off the tiller. It was flat and putting air in it wasn’t working. We couldn’t get the tire off so we could take it to the co-op. So we called a neighbor hoping he could get the tire off. Instead he sprayed a product called slime into the tire and Larry was able to use the tiller.

Friends Visit

A couple of Larry’s friends from high school came to visit. They were I a Ford Transit van. They slept in mattresses in the back and had a little fan but didn’t need it because it was chilly. He said he travels all over and parks in a parking lot and sleeps in the van. It wasn’t fancy or built in but was efficient and economical.

Kitchen Garden

I have one flower box with chives, two with cocktail tomatoes, and one with jalapeño peppers. I’m going to put cucumbers in one tomorrow. I plan to separate the cucumbers from everything else so they can run along the porch rail. I don’t know how that will work but I have more I can put in the ground.

Hangry Woman

Hungry and angry

Brace

My thumb and surrounding area hurts so I bought a brace that Velcro holds firmly. It relieves the pain and I have no idea why. When I take it off because I’m about to do something messy, it still feels better.

Didn’t Work. Again

Today was the third day of seven training days. The first day nothing worked right until after lunch. Yesterday nothing worked. Today the peritoneal dialysis didn’t work so she said to go home and go for hemodialysis tomorrow but return for another try at peritoneal dialysis Friday. This is very stressful watching Larry swell up. I hope they get this corrected.

Today’s Training Session

Today was the second day of our peritoneal dialysis training. It didn’t go well. So she sent him to the clinic for an X-ray to see if the apparatus is positioned badly. She also told him to take a strong laxative to see if that causes the thing to reposition itself. None of this put either of us in a good mood.

Fish Tacos

I asked the nurse where she likes to eat when she’s at work. She told us about a Mexican restaurant and her favorite thing to order is fish tacos. I said it didn’t sound good. She said she held out a long time in spite of friends getting it. She said it is her favorite thing to get there. So I ordered it. It was good. My favorite thing was the green salsa.

Planting Seedlings

I planted a few seedlings today. Red salvia I bought, but red zinnias I grew from seed. They aren’t very big but should grow rapidly if we have a few sunny days.  Trying to get the ground cover out really slows down planting. I gouged a bucketful of the cloverlike roots out and only planted three zinnias.

Electrician Came

The electrician who wired our house came this morning to put our bedroom on the generator. He didn’t charge anything for it.

On Hold

The doctor’s office sent my prescription to the pharmacy wrong. It has been over a week so I called the pharmacy to see what the problem is. They said the prescription request was resubmitted but hadn’t come back. She suggested I call the doctor and request they send it. I stayed on hold for over an hour. I finally decided they had taken the day off forFish Fry Day. If they were going to close down it would have been nice if their phone message hadn’t said please hold.

Still Raining

When it rains all the time it’s easy for the yard to look ragged. It can’t be cut with the lawnmower or trimmed with the weed whacker.

Irises

I dug up a bunch of irises in the autumn and started replanting them today. They won’t bloom this year but they should live. The irises I left in the ground are blooming or sending up bloom stalks. I’ve had this on my to do list for a long time. But weeding and getting rid of the ground cover is what makes me want to put off planting the irises. But I got started today.

My Big Three

When we were on safari in Kenya, we saw lots of animals and were constantly on the lookout for the big three. Now we live in Tennessee and my big three are goldfinches, indigo buntings, and cardinals. We have a lot of cardinals, but the goldfinches just pass through. We see a lot of bluebirds, but not so many indigo buntings. To see all three at the same time is spectacular. I like the herons and huge woodpeckers. I’ve seen a couple of red-headed woodpeckers. We have more of the pileated woodpeckers. I’m not sure I spelled that right. But we have a lot of interesting birds. The hummingbirds have started coming. Larry likes birds and feeds them.

Japanese Maple

We planted this about six years ago. It has grown beautifully. It's lovely in the spring and again in the fall with the vibrant foliage. In the summer the shape is still wonderful but the foliage has some green in it as well as red. We have four but three are upright, still gorgeous foliage but the shape is a regular tree form.

Stubborn Fern

Larry's stubborn fern is about a yard across. He bought it when it was small and it has done really well.

Basket

The discounts silver falls came in so I was able to finish my baskets. The angelwing begonias have been in a couple of weeks already so they should take off now they are outside.

Flower Boxes

Today I got all fifteen flower boxes planted. I had to get another bag of potting soil or I’d have finished before now. But they are planted and watered with most of the mess tidied up. I enjoy having the flower boxes but it is a lot of work so I don’t know how long I’ll be able to do it. So this year is taken care of. Who knows what next year will bring.

Porch plants

The baskets are up. Since it was overcast and rainy, I decided it wouldn’t burn them to hang them. I took most of the vegetable seedlings to the back porch and then gave everything a light solution of fertilized water. I couldn’t do much off the porch because of the rain, but there was plenty to do on the porch.

Great Day

I used FaceTime for the first time and loved it! I made a bunch of trips to the porch from the greenhouse carrying tender plants so they can have a couple of days to harden off. I weed whacked a little. Sweetie Pie saw my Amex bill and said if I died he couldn’t pay it. I said maybe I’ll die at the beginning of the month. What an interesting conversation.

Plants

Today we went to a nursery and bought spring plants. I put them on the carport next to the house. Tomorrow I plan to put them on the porch and bring cuttings out of the greenhouse. They need a few days to harden off and then I’ll start putting them in the flower boxes.

Recipe Derailed

I started out planning a stuffed zucchini bake. I decided it would be better with taco seasoning. I took it out of the oven and Larry asked if the lasagna was good. That didn’t look much like lasagna to me and certainly didn’t smell like it. Maybe I’ll eat some tomorrow.

Wasp Continued

My hand, wrist and forearm swelled, hurt, and itched so I went to the doctor. He gave me a tetanus shot  and told me to take some pills. I said I thought he was going to send me to a doctor for carpal tunnel. He said the swelling has to come down. That was a relief. My blood pressure was all right and my weight was down six pounds from when I was there in February for lab work follow up.

Pork Roast

Yesterday I bought half a pork loin and put it in my slow cooker until it had to be picked up with a slotted spatula. After letting it cool overnight, I divided it into three shallow disposable foil pans. I labeled them with date and contents for the freezer. My plans for them are sweet and sour pork and barbecue. I like having the long part out of the way. An acquaintance at the hospital mentioned getting her foil pans at Dollar Something. We have a new one near here. Maybe I’ll check it.

I Wonder

I wonder if those people extolling the virtues of Barbara Bush remember how mean they were about her when she was First Lady. Fat, old, and frumpy come to mind.

Wasps

On the way back from the mailbox a wasp stung my wrist. We have a lot of wasps, but they usually mind their own business. This one seriously objected to something and let me know.

Stuffed Eggs

There are a lot of things I can have for breakfast, but I’ve been eating a spoonful of peanut butter for a couple of weeks. It lets me eat early enough so I don’t feel like it’s actually lunch. So I take my vitamins and allergy pill and around dinner I take my calcium pill. Tonight I packed a couple of stuffed eggs to take with me to volunteer and take my vitamins and allergy pill there. The tricky part is I’m supposed to take my thyroid pill first thing and then not eat for an hour.

Hummingbird Scout

Today Larry saw his first hummingbird of the year. He went in and immediately made hummingbird syrup. Larry is doing well. He took out the garbage, moved the big plastic garbage bin to the road, changed three fluorescent lights, including getting the ladder, and took the dead tubes to the garbage bin. It is great to not be the only person doing what needs to be done.

Dogwood Trees

The dogwood trees have started to bloom and some trees have begun to leaf out. It’s spring and it looks it, but it is still pretty chilly. The lilacs are blooming, too. The dark purple irises are open. I was looking at pictures from this day last year, and spring was further along last year.

Rainy Day Stuff

We had a flash flood warning for today so I put my car out to get clean and threw fertilizer to all the roses and lilacs. That is easier than watering the fertilizer in. Catching a rainy day for fertilizer is faster than watering it.

Talked to Mama

I was whining to Mama about my low carb chocolate mousse. It has a great texture but isn’t chocolate enough plus the chocolate made chewy globs. Mama said to dissolve five tablespoons of cocoa in a small amount of water and then stir it in. So I’m planning to try to improve the mix I have in the refrigerator.

Flash Flood Warning

We have a flash flood warning so I moved my car out so the rain can wash the pollen, cat tracks, and mud from road repair off of it. I had washed it last week because of the cat tracks across the hood, up the windshield, down the back window, and trunk. The pollen was decorating those tracks and making them worse.

Pebble Isle

It was too windy to sit outside but we went to the river anyway. I planted a flower box with cocktail tomatoes. I plan to plant several more and put them on the back porch. The regular tomatoes will go in the garden. We haven’t had much luck with tomatoes the last couple of years because of horn worms. Maybe we can keep ahead of them this year.

Low Carb Chocolate Mousse

An acquaintance at the hospital gave me a recipe for low carb chocolate mousse. It is stretching it to call it a recipe because it listed the ingredients but not amounts. So today I made it. The next time I see her I’ll ask for amounts. Everything was excellent but it wasn’t a strong enough chocolate flavor. The ingredients were cream cheese, whipped cream, sweetener, and cocoa.

Flower Boxes

All the flower boxes are ready for plants. They are in their brackets. The last frost date for this area is April 15 with a fifteen day margin of error in either direction. I’m not in a hurry to put the flowers out but the hard part for me is filling the flower boxes with dirt and carrying them to the porch. So the hard part is done.

Better

Larry tilled some in the garden and we planted cabbage plants. They have been in the greenhouse for several weeks and looked good.  Larry felt well enough to till so that is great news. He wants his life back in spite of dialysis. So now he can drive himself around, he isn’t using a cane, and he tilled and used the shovel to plant eighteen cabbage plants. He is definitely improving.

Yesterday

Yesterday was our quarterly volunteer meeting. So I volunteered, chaired the meeting, and then went to the bank to get the new treasurer on the account. That was an additional two hours after the regular  four hours of volunteer work. I was so tired, I couldn’t stay awake until my newly established “bedtime.” I worry that I’ll wake at 3 when I go to bed early. I did, but went back to sleep until 6:30. So I got up and was pretty happy with the adjusted bedtime.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Our Walmart isn’t a big one but a larger one in a nearby town has little bags with peeled hard boiled eggs ready to eat or use for a salad or stuffed eggs.

Weed Killer

Larry found the right sized propane bottles for the flame weed killer. Larry used it on some weeds and I used it to try to discourage the ground cover I planted and then decided it is too invasive for my flower bed.  Considering I only planted a little, I don’t know if I will ever get rid of it.

Green Pig

A neighbor showed me the green pig on Walmart’s site. I had already downloaded the Walmart app but had not signed. So today I logged in and found the green pig. It automatically checks to see if something on my scanned receipt is available cheaper in my area and gives me a credit to use when I shop there again. Or maybe I have to show my phone. I guess when I show a credit I’ll figure it out.

Snow Flurries

We had snow flurries this morning but nothing stuck.

Ha!

We went to an outlet shoe store and found Birkenstocks at a bit less than half the price I’d last seen them for. The home health nurse told us about them. We went as soon as she left. It took a while to find two in the right size. But we were successful:)

Busy Thursday

I changed the sheets, ran the dishwasher, ran the deebot, went to Walmart, weed whacked, and washed my car. I was busy all day. I also transplanted some seedlings into pots from the soil plugs I started them in. I still have a lot of seedlings that are ready for larger pots.

Consultant

A timber consultant came to the house today and glanced at our woods and said he would put us on his list for May. Then he will come out, mark the trees to be harvested, and put it out for bid. He is really backed up because of the extended amount of rain we have had.

Flower Bed

Today I used my kobalt  40 v chainsaw for the first time. It worked great. I cut volunteer mimosas and elms. They were growing in the strip flower bed that runs parallel to the road. I have knockout roses, irises, crepe myrtles, and  day lilies in that bed.

Egg Gourds

When I post from my phone, I don't know how to insert a picture. So I'm using my Kindle and here's the requested picture.

I painted these in my little greenhouse. The weather can be dismal but the greenhouse is always pleasant....unless it's warm outside...then it is miserably hot. It's really small. I'd call it a greenroom but that's a whole different thing.

This ground cover is in full bloom now. I have three patches of it but one has suffered from monkey grass enthusiasm.

Strawberry Fat Bomb

An acquaintance at the hospital gave me her recipe for a strawberry snack that is on her Keto diet. It called for a block of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup melted butter, four T heavy cream, three T sweetener and 1/4 cup mashed strawberries. I mixed it all with a hand mixer and used a small melon scoop to make little patties on parchment paper. Then I put them in the freezer. They are good. Worth making again. It was nice to realize the Keto diet recipes are a new source of ideas for me.

Ordinary Day

About the only thing I did for Easter was decorate, make stuffed eggs, and buy a small ham. The rest of my day was my Sunday list. Fertilizing the greenhouse plants and gardenias was the big thing. But I asked Larry to look at my new battery powered chainsaw to tell me where the oil goes. He showed me and said he has some. I weed whacked around the back steps and wandered around a little cutting down green onions.

Easter Memories

My favorite Easter memories are set in Citronelle when the kids were young. The front yard was most of the acre of our lot and at Easter was covered with white flowers dancing on slender stems. In my memory the azaleas were also blooming along with dogwoods. Hiding eggs in the dew drenched grass was better in memory than reality, I’m sure. The kids dashing around with Easter baskets was real.
Happy Easter!

Tired

I worked outside and inside pretty much all day yesterday and felt good. I shopped in two stores today and am worn out. I hate shopping because it makes me tired. But I like having stuff. I got a 40 v battery operated kobalt chain saw and some groceries. I unloaded the car, put away the stuff, and put the battery on the charger. I’ve been recouperating ever since. Tomorrow is Easter and I’m pretty sure Larry is going to object to me playing with my chainsaw. We’ll see. With the weather so wet, any day that isn’t rainy is good for whatever I want to do outside.

Good Day

I got my Verizon bill. Last month the phone rep told me I would have to pay $47 for a $20 plan. So I went to the local store and they said that was incorrect. So I kept the phone service. When my bill came it was for the wrong amount. I went back to the store and they said it was wrong. So I said cut off the service. She said the manager wasn’t there and she couldn’t do it. I would have to call Verizon. I called Verizon and said I wanted my service stopped. She asked why and I went through the whole mess again. She said I would get a three month refund of the overpayment and the future bills would be the correct amount. Then the handyman came and fixed several things on my list. The lawnmower repair service brought the lawnmower back. EJ came to pick up my car to replace the muffler. So all in all it was a productive day.

I Did What You Said

Today my friend said she did what I said. Since I say a lot, I needed more than that. She said she timed how long it took her to dust the living room. It took a lot less time to dust than she had spent noticing it needed to be dusted. I told her I hate to wash my hair. I timed it and it takes three minutes. It is better to wash it every day than be bothered all day because I didn’t wash it.

Volunteers

Today I called a couple of our volunteers and asked the first one if she would be our new treasurer and she said yes. Then I called our secretary and asked if she would be the second name on the account in case the first one was out of pocket. She said she would. We don’t have many volunteers but the ones we have are great!

Monday’s Stuff

I did my Monday chores and several things on my to do list. Mostly my to do list has things that require more than one time. But hitting a lick fairly often leeks the idea that I may eventually get that chore done. So it was a good day.

Pebble Isle

Pebble Isle is open for this year. It was cold and grey so we didn’t sit outside. It was good that Larry felt well enough to go back. With his health issues I sometimes wonder if we’ll be able to go there next year. I’m not able to take continued good health for granted. But appreciate each day is my current motto.

Friends

I’ve lived here seventeen years and didn’t feel like I had any friends because I haven’t found anybody who likes to do any leisure activities that I like. But since Larry has been sick, I’ve discovered I do have friends. People have been helpful and kind. It is nice to realize that I do have friends.

Planning

Going through a scary medical experience made us decide it’s time to get medical and financial powers of attorney as well as wills. We had used a lawyer when we bought this property so we went back to him. I finally asked if we were paying by the minute or job. He said we were paying by the joke. But finally we have the paperwork. It was a huge relief to me.

Eggs

I’m almost finished painting my egg gourds. One looks really good. After I get the glaze on another one maybe that will make the difference. My muffler gave up today. I think I’ll have a new one tomorrow. Spaghetti with meat sauce was Larry’s request for dinner. So I added a green salad to it and called it dinner. I ate both but Larry skipped the salad. I made the oil and vinegar dressing again with a reverse proportion of oil to vinegar. I think it was still to vinegary. Maybe it is because the vinegar is apple cider with a bunch of dregs. Maybe next time I’ll use clear vinegar. I know I like that kind of dressing. I didn’t know I couldn’t make it even with a recipe.

Bedtime

My phone has a bedtime and alarm function. The alarm doesn’t do any good because I don’t have it in the bedroom. But the bedtime signal is wonderful. I don’t have to pay attention to the time. I just get up and start doing my bedtime routine.

Printer

I bought a wireless printer today and took it to a computer guy. He got it so it works from my phone and I’ve printed a recipe. I wish I knew how to delete documents from my phone. It looks like maybe I need to do it from a computer.

Oil and Vinegar

I wanted to make an oil and vinegar salad dressing. I remembered the proportion was 3 to 1. I think it is one part vinegar to three parts oil because the other way isn’t as wonderful as I remember.

My Seedlings

Planting seeds doesn't take long, but labeling them with name and date planted is slow. I tried labeling the group, but when I transplant into a larger container, I no longer know which variety of cucumber, for example, is which.

Egg Gourds

I've tried to grow egg gourds, unsuccessfully. But I found a place that sells them along with pumpkins, sweet potatoes, apples, and an assortment of other gourds. I used a crackle finish on two of them. I paint in the greenhouse so I enjoy the setting as well as the activity.

Damping Off

I had a flat of hollyhocks to germinate beautifully then keel over and die. They probably had a fungus on the seeds as they were self harvested. Now I have a bunch of new seedlings and don’t want them to die. So I put a fan in the greenhouse, sprayed the foliage with a weak solution os peroxide diluted with water, and intend to sift cinnamon onto the soil as that is supposed to be a natural fungicide. So far the seedlings have survived my tlc.

Pretty Good Day

The weather was in the seventies yesterday and the fifties today. I didn’t do much outside but I got all the things on my list done. Larry did some stuff outside and was pleased with his efforts. It is good for him to feel like he can do things again.

Growing Up

When I was growing up, my parents criticized every thing I said and did. It was usually prefaced by “Don’t be stupid.”  I was in the honor society in high school and three honor fraternities in college. So school was the good place for me. It was the place where I was appreciated. I stopped talking to my parents and I lied often trying to avoid consequences I thought were unfair. Actually I still think they were unfair. For example, my hair was oily but I was only allowed to wash it on Saturday so it would be clean for church on Sunday. When I was in college, I decided to quit lying because I was sure that I would survive the belt that would follow my “impertinence.” I was also told I was going to hell. When I married, I determined that my husband was not the enemy and I would neither lie nor hedge the truth. Lately, my husband has been critical of everything. So I stopped telling him things. Sometimes I would tell him something and he would tell me why it wouldn’t work. I told him I wanted him to tell me what would make it work. That black hat he was wearing wasn’t helpful. Before Larry went in the hospital, I ordered a shelf organizer. It came when he was in the hospital and I put it together and loaded it with cans. I didn’t mention it but I liked it and ordered another one yesterday. This morning he asked when I had gotten it. I told him. He said it was a good idea. So I told him I’ve ordered another one for soup cans. He nodded. Maybe with his improved health, the good husband is back!

Neighbors

Three neighbors stopped by today. None of them get along with each other. So when another came the first left. I don’t see why they think it’s a good idea to badmouth each other to us. I think all neighbors should make an effort to get along. That is apparently a minority opinion around here.

Today

Today I finished pruning that rose that looks dead. The spelling row is giving me pictures. I don’t know oh it just started doing it or if I just noticed. I ran the deebot, washed a load of clothes, picked up some limbs, and weed whacked until the battery ran down. I also discovered that my phone records my steps. I then felt impelled to sit while the phone recharged. I had to fight that impulse as I needed to cook dinner. I spent a while trying to get into my fitness pal. I was a member years ago and didn’t remember my password. Anyway, it was an easy but busy day.

You Need

You need to is one of my least favorite phrases. You need to bring the weed whacker down here and clean around the asparagus. We need to bring the hose down here and get rid of some of these weeds. How will a hose get rid of weeds?  H o e s not h o s e. Hoe is not in my vocabulary. In fact it’s a bad word.

Knockout Roses

Today I pruned the rest of the knockout roses except half of one. It may be dead. But Gary Bachman said to cut them half their height in spring and one third in late summer. And he said to fertilize after pruning. So I’m trying to restore them to some semblance of shape. They go nuts but I trimmed them last summer and they aren’t so bad this year.

Customer Service

The customer service rep probably had my file on the monitor screen in front of her. She surely knew she wasn’t telling me anything I wanted to hear but she kept calling me sweetheart. I understand that sometimes when I want something the answer is no. But my option is to go somewhere else or do without the service. Being called sweetheart didn’t help that call.

Follow Up

I went to a nearby Verizon office. They refuted the information the phone representative gave me so I said I would wait until my next bill comes. If he is right, I’ll be a satisfied customer. If the phone representative is right, I wii be a former customer.