A lovely visit and back home...

 

I was gone last week to visit my friend Debbie.  We laughed, and made cards, and laughed, and ate, and laughed.  I was able to attend a book group with her, and also tour the inside of their beautiful Orthodox Church.  

The photo above is of me and her cat...talk about a balancing act!  I bent over to get some stamp supplies out of my case, and he jumped up on my shoulders.  :)  I would have shown a photo of Debbie and I together, but since I didn't ask permission, I figured I'd stick with the cat.

We worked on Christmas cards.  I made five or so prototypes, but haven't settled on one that I will mass produce to send out.  Debbie is aiming to make one hundred cards to mail out!  I will be making well less than that (if I get them done at all).  I've got to decide and get busy, as I want to mail them the end of November.

I made my menu for the week, and ordered and picked up my groceries.  The tab was high, but there are planned overs included into the menu plan, so will restock the freezer with homecooked meals.   My order included a turkey since they were on sale; it is in the freezer to use later.  I also bought a large package of beef boneless shoulder ribs, which I cubed for stew meat.  I put half into the crock pot with vegetables, and at six o'clock tonight I will be thanking myself for the supper already being done.  The other half of the cubed meat I vacuum sealed and put in the freezer for another future meal.

The girls will be home this weekend, and we will be making pizza together.  They are both good cooks, but haven't tried their hand at pizza dough yet, so I thought I'd share the quick and easy method I've been using for awhile now.

I put up the Christmas tree on Tuesday.  I don't like to do it before Thanksgiving, but with Thanksgiving late this year, and me having to work all of Thanksgiving week, I wanted to get it done.  I haven't added the ornaments yet, but hoping to later today.  I have presents to wrap and get under it too.

So that's what I've been doing.  How 'bout you?

Better Than Yesterday...

I saw this "Better Than Yesterday" card set a few days ago on Dicky Bird's Nest blog.  I immediately had to look into them, and mine arrived yesterday.  (I know, I know...another impulse purchase.)  It's not a game.  Each card has an action, and each day you choose a card and take the action on the card.  Wouldn't you know the very first card I pulled would be 'No swearing for the next 24 hours!'  I've already had a minor slip...it may have been as I was reading the card.  :)

I think I will leave the box on my kitchen table, with the card of the day turned up at the front as a reminder, and as I complete the action task I will move the card to the back of the box.  My plan is to show all the week's cards here on Saturdays.  The one's I've looked at are pretty interesting.  I've only looked at very few, as I want them to be fresh as I go through them.  

 

Kitchen reorganization, Part 3...

Eight years ago I wrote a blog post about assembling this recipe binder.  Sometime later, as I printed out and tried new recipes, I got into the bad habit of laying them in a particular place on the counter.  I always meant to go back and put them in the binder, but you know what they say about good intentions.  

I have now filed all of the quite-large stack into the binder's page protectors.  I am really happy to have this done.  As I was putting the printed recipes into the binder, I discarded ones I had tried and not loved or ones that I had never tried and didn't think I probably ever would in the future.  And as of now I can't print out new recipes (my printer is out of service), so I should be able to keep this under control (and off of my counter) now.  

 

Kitchen reorganization, part 1...

 

I really should have taken a before shot of the kitchen, but when the mood strikes to get going I'd better not get distracted.  I am tired of the cluttered countertops.  The cooking utensils above have been on the countertop in containers, and this drawer was previously used for spices.  (But the knife holder on the right has always been in this drawer.  I hate leaving knives visible on the countertops.  I watch too much scary television.)

Can I just say that the bamboo spring-loaded adjustable dividers above are ones I got from the Container Store years ago.  They are absolutely my favorite things; so easy to use and easy to reconfigure.  When the spices were in this drawer, I had a fifth divider in there.  I will use it in another drawer now.  I also got a new set of spring loaded dividers that can have perpendicular dividers that fit in slots.

I really liked this cupboard as I had been using it before, but since I had to make room for the spices, I had to change things up.  I may redo it again after living with it for a little while.

The upper shelf seen here is quite a stretch, and there's one above it that is unreachable without a step stool.  I should donate everything that is out of reach, because I haven't used any of them in years.  

Carey walked in the kitchen for supper, and said, "Uh-oh."  He is really good about unloading the dishwasher, so now he has to get used to new locations for things.  :)

I'll share updates as they come...

Kitchen reorganization, Part 2...

                             

Two more drawers today.  These are just to the right of the sink, and are the most accessible with wet hands, but are really too small for kitchen towels.  Hence, I previously had the towels in a container on the island.  But again, I am so tired of too much stuff on the counters that I decided that the one nearest the sink could hold at least a few towels.  I guess I'll keep the extra towels in the pantry or laundry room.

These two drawers both previously held a bit of a mishmash.  The one on the left had dishcloths and sponges along with matches and a couple of other things.  The one on the right had the kitchen scissors, tape, Sharpies & pencils, the lids to cover cans of dog food.  With the dividers, I managed to combine both drawers' contents into this one.

When I finished these, I took a minute to take a before photo of what I want to tackle next.  :)

If this is boring, I'm really sorry.  Sharing my progress gives me something to look back on later and kind of analyze the success (or lack thereof).

There's an app for that...

 Rudy has had an irritated tummy.  Don't ask me how we figured out why.  

Carey somehow narrowed down the culprit and spent time cutting back plants from hanging over the fence and dropping their fruit where Rudy can get to them and eat them.  He also has gone over the back yard with a fine tooth comb to remove any of the fruit that could be found.

I tried looking online to figure out what they were and if they were toxic, and didn't have a lot of luck.  Then I remembered hearing about apps that you can upload a plant photo and get an instant answer.  A quick search and download, and I had success.

Diospyros texana...Texas persimmon.  Not toxic per se, but the seeds can cause problems for dogs.  The fruit these bear on our property are about the size of a very large grape, but the seeds are quite a bit bigger than a grape seed and there are three per fruit.

The app I installed on my android phone is called LeafSnap.  I don't see myself needing this app often, but it was handy today, so I will probably keep it for any future needs.  I won't buy the paid version, since I don't see an ad in a once-in-a-while use being a big inconvenience to me.

That's a wrap...

 

Yes, that's a wrap too, but I was talking about the week ending and a three-day weekend ahead!  YAY!  

We've had some rain recently, so the temperatures have been a little lower.  Both were very  welcome!

It's time to start getting ready for my annual performance review.  

Do you hear crickets too?  That's about how I feel about reviews.  The only good thing is that it will be done before I leave on vacation, so I can enjoy being away without it hanging over my head.  And it's not like my boss is an ogre, it's more that I hate the forced self assessment leading up to it.  :(

I have not felt the least bit frugal lately.  I have been doing some research about a budgetary issue that is coming up.  Hoping we make the right choice.

Carey has been very frugal, as he has finished painting the house exterior all on his own, except for some dormer windows that need special skills and equipment to replace some wood decay and paint.  We can't seem to find a tradesman who will call us back, so we are stuck just waiting and asking people if they have any recommendations..  While he waits for a callback, he is ready to get started painting the front and side doors, and I think I have decided on a color.  Excited to see how it turns out.

The house STILL has a bit of skunky odor, but for the most part it is gone.  Last night I dreamed Rudy had another close encounter of the skunky kind.  Woke up very relieved to know it was just a bad dream.  :)

I had my annual doctor visit this week.  I LOVE my doctor.  I have been seeing her since about 2006.  She spends so much time with her patients.  You never feel like you are in a revolving door, or just another chart.  

Work has been somewhat busy.  Yesterday I felt like I had a productive day without a lot of phones to answer and distractions.  I was able to get a project ready to go out next week without the pressure of having it filling up time right up till the last day.  I love that feeling.

So that's about it for my week.  I am SO excited about the extra day off this weekend!  No big plans, just hanging around the house.  Carey and Jared are going to a minor league baseball game tomorrow, so I'll have the house to myself (unusual these days).  

I hope to:  

• wash clothes
• make a large batch of baked oatmeal and individually wrap to stock the freezer with work breakfasts also made brownies for Sunday family supper
• dust
• clean and organize my bathroom vanity and drawers
• clean off the kitchen and dining room tables
• make some cards and get them ready to mail
• go through craft supplies to organize and/or donate
• and read a little

That doesn't sound like much does it?

The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland

This is what I'm currently reading.  Pretty interesting!  About the trend of so many of us getting our DNA tested.  I admit that I have had mine done...out of curiousity.  Have you had yours tested and had any interesting or unexpected results?

What's happening at our house...

Chloe (right) sweet 16 with her 'big' sister Caitlyn (left)

...after two months away from blogging.

I've read nine books.

We went to visit my mother-in-law.  Took my sewing machine along and made her two new walker caddies while we were there.

Carey has completed painting the house exterior except for the hard-to-reach dormers which he is going to try to hire someone to do.

I worked at gathering up a decent-sized donation of craft/hobby supplies to donate to a creative thrift store.  (Think Goodwill but it's all craft supplies!) In the last batch of donatables, I had intended to give away all of my jewelry supplies.  I found I couldn't do it, and while I did give away a lot, I ended up keeping more than I felt good about.  I gave myself an ultimatum...if I haven't used it by the next donation appointment,  I will let it all go without looking back.  (At this particular store, they have limits on appointed days/hours that donations can be made, as well as the size of donations...4 banker boxes.  I set myself a reminder to book an appointment on the first day that they opened up their calendar, and I have made my next donation appointment for August 20.)  I am now working on my next collection of donation items.  

So far I have also made 3 necklaces to add to my work wardrobe.

I've made quite a few cards.

I have reorganized my crafting desk and card-making supplies using organizers I had on hand.

Summer is birthday season around here.  Caitlyn turned 17 in June, and is now a high school senior.  Bobby had a July birthday, as did Jared and Beau.   

And Chloe, our baby, our littlest grandgirl, turned 16.  Where have the years gone?  Yesterday she was the little firecracker of the family, and then I blinked my eyes and she's a 16-year-old high school junior!  Still a firecracker, though.  I happened across a perfect tee-shirt for her in my Amazon suggested products...I think Alexa has been listening in again.

Rudy had his annual vet appointment.

I had 3 Fridays off in July: one pre-planned and approved vacation day, one sick day when I was suffering with muscle spasms in my back and a little loopy from the muscle relaxers, and  Friday the 29th I took an emergency personal day when, at midnight Friday, Rudy encountered a skunk in our backyard and took a direct hit to the right side of his face, neck, and shoulder.  Thank goodness he came immediately when I called him, because I did not want there to be bloodshed; of course, that meant that the full force of the smell came in with him.  I bathed him immediately.  Then I bathed me.  Then I phoned the office and left a voicemail saying that I would not be in at 8 a.m.  When the boss got into the office, he very sweetly...or in self preservation...told me to just stay home.  LOL  And now here it is August 10th and the house is better, but still not completely free of the skunk odor.  I kind of feel like I'm in a Seinfeld episode...remember the one where his car, and every thing and person who is even momentarily in it, smells of the smell that won't go away?

My mother-in-law fell and broke her hip, and has been in rehab center, but tomorrow she gets to return to her assisted living facility.  Carey went up to help out right after her fall, so he missed the immediate chaos of the great skunk debacle!

We are so far surviving the heat (ugh!).  We need RAIN.  It is dangerously dry.

I am counting the days till our autumn vacation.  It is still SO far away.

Puzzled...

 

In October I cleaned off the dining room table so we could finish assembling this gorgeous autumnal still life jigsaw puzzle.  We started it several years ago, and have had it carefully stored between two pieces of foam core boards ever since.  I guess not carefully enough, however.  When Carey finished it over the weekend there were three pieces missing.  I guess missing three pieces out of one thousand isn't too bad.  But it kind of ruins my plan to make the picture permanent by using puzzle glue so I could frame it to add to our Autumn decorations.

I've looked for the puzzle by company and puzzle name.  I've looked for a print of the original artwork by the artist.  I can find nothing.  Saw a lot of other autumn paintings, but none I like as much as this one.  I love everything about the art: the slightly muted colors, the rough-hewn table, the leaves encircling the group of various pumpkins and squash.

Oh, well.  Wasn't meant to be.  😢

Did you labor on labor day...

I did a little, but not too much.  I was home alone, so I did some normal weekend things (like laundry and a dishwasher empty/refill/repeat).

Did an abbreviated fridge clean out (threw out really old bottled condiments and wiped out the door shelves) then I took out the trash for pickup tomorrow.

I made a bowl of Tuna Salad to have ready for lunches this week.

I started to order meals from our subscription service, but I haven't been happy with their FedEx delivery lately.  So I made a grocery order instead to collect later in the week.  

Our grocery's website allows us to make 'lists'.  To make meal planning and grocery shopping easier, I have entered quite a few different lists, each containing the ingredients needed for a specific complete meal.  

For instance my list named 'TACO SALAD' includes salad mix, cherry tomatoes, an avocado, a can of sliced olives, a can of Ranch Style beans, Nacho flavored Doritos, Kraft Catalina salad dressing, and shredded cheese. 

My list named 'SPAGHETTI' includes ground beef, a jar of spaghetti sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of sliced mushrooms, a package of spaghetti, a loaf of frozen garlic bread, and a bag of salad mix.

When ordering groceries, I just have to go view my lists, click next to the meal-name list that I want on the menu that week, and check the box at the top that says 'Add All to Cart".  Makes meal planning and placing grocery orders a breeze.  This week I took some time to add a few new 'lists' (meals).  Our menu for the week includes Taco Salad, Jambalaya, Spanish Rice, King Ranch Casserole, and Pizza Casserole; all things that are quick to make after work; or that I can start part in the slow cooker when I come home for lunch and finish up pretty quick after work.

FYI: I also have lists named "STAPLES" that include items like sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, etc.  Another list is named "LUNCHES" and includes things like lunch meat, sliced cheeses, peanut butter, jams, chips, and canned tuna, etc.  Another list is named "PERSONAL" and includes toothpaste, deodorant, shower gel, shampoo, etc.  For those, rather than ordering the whole list, I pick and choose which items from that list I need for the week.  This helps cut down on time for me, because I only have my favorite brands/sizes on the list, and I don't have to wade through all the brand and size options available from the store.

Let's see, what else did I do...    I watered the tomato plants.  I cleaned out and refilled Rudy's outside water bowls (I'm not sure why, he refuses to drink out of them as he prefers to only drink water from his bowl inside the house.  I hung up all the laundry right out of the dryer, filled up my med dispenser for the week, I cleaned the toilet and sink in the master bath...

Over the weekend I also made some cards, had nice phone conversations with two friends and my husband, cleaned and thoroughly air dried my makeup brushes, picked up prescriptions from the pharmacy, picked up an order of Evan Williams Honey bourbon to make pecan pies, and some yummy Screwball Whiskey for medicinal purposes (the other Kathleen says that a little every day is good for arthritis 😄), I walked on the treadmill, and I wrote a LONG overdue blog post.  

Weekends are too darn short...

How do I manage not to get anything accomplished in two days?  I didn't get a bit of sewing done.  I didn't ... well if I go on about what I didn't get done we could be here till next weekend.

I did get laundry done.  And had to do some of that twice.  My light colored clothing often comes out of the dryer smelling rather funky...almost skunky.  It's not the washer, it's not the dark clothes, or towels, or Carey's clothes.  I think it may be a particular blouse that makes everything in the load with it smell off.  Could that be possible?  Could it be possessed?  Could it be something that was sprayed on the cotton while it was growing?

I'm not positive about the blouse.  It could be something else in the load, I just don't know what it is for sure.  And let me just say that it is a lovely, comfy and attractive blouse.  I hate to discard it.  I don't even feel like I can donate it, because that is just passing on the evil smell to some other unsuspecting person.  And what if I get rid of it, but the smell remains caused by something else?

It's like that Seinfeld episode where after Jerry had a valet park his car it had a horrible permanent smell forever after.  Then everything that was in the car--his new expensive jacket, Elaine's hair, etc--were all permanently, overwhelmingly, stinky.  He tried to trade the car in for a new one, but no one would take it.  He left it in a bad neighborhood with the keys in it, and a car thief took it for about a block and then bailed out of it due to the smell.  He had to get rid of the expensive jacket.

But I digress.  That's how I feel about this blouse though.  If I remember as I put the load in, and add washing soda to the load, and put vinegar in the dispenser, it seems to not be as noticeable.  That's what I did in the second washing I put it through today.  I think I will not wear it for awhile, and see if the light loads smell better without it among them.  Oh, and I have had Carey smell it, and he didn't smell anything odd, but I find it to be a constant distraction.

Anybody ever had anything that smelled no matter how many times it had been washed?  Anybody have any suggestions?   

This pandemic thing...

Today the news reported that there is a 9th Covid-19 victim in our county, and she is in our little community.  She shopped recently at the same grocery store that we do.

Now it seems real to me.

In the county seat about 20 miles away, yesterday saw the first Covid-19 fatality in the county.  It was a 44-year-old man who had no known underlying health conditions.  Scary stuff.

I had previously scheduled a vacation day for today.  We were meant to be going out of town for my mother-in-law's 90th birthday party.  But her assisted living community is on lock down.  Her children will be having a Zoom gathering with her instead.  So I found myself at home with no particular chores planned.

The most productive, and calming, thing I could think of to do was bake bread.  That felt good.  And though we have plenty of food in the house, there were a few things that needed to be used while they were still usable.  So I thought I would use as many of them as I could to pull together our evening meal.  There were about 5 smallish potatoes that had sprouted and were slightly wrinkly, a few slices of bacon, a few links of sausage.  I knew I had onions, so I thought these might make a tasty hash.  While wishing I had some cabbage to add to it, I remembered that I had a bag of coleslaw mix...well it IS mostly cabbage...so it went into the pan too.

 A hearty hash and a slice of homemade bread made a homey supper on a rather unsettling day.

Life in self-isolation...

Pandemic.  It seems so strange to believe one is upon us.  I pray that all who check in here are safe and well.

Carey and I are working.  Both of us have heard hints of our employers putting plans in place for possibly working from home.  My heart goes out to all of the workers who are already suffering due to the restrictions on public gathering.

At my office, we are no longer seeing clients in person; phone and web-conferencing are all we are allowed.  There are just the two of us in the office, and plenty of space to keep to ourselves.

Yesterday I bought a box of fresh fruit from a vendor who stopped by the building.  It may not have been the wisest thing to do, but neither is it wise to go to the market, and fresh fruit was one thing we were lacking.  Today I washed it all in a soak of water with a bit of chlorine bleach added.

And that is how things go for us.  Be well, friends.  And wash your hands.  :)

My Sonic addiction...

Didn't I just say that I was giving up Coke?

YEAH, I DID!  And I'm sticking with it.

But that doesn't mean I can't feed my addiction for Sonic. 

So glad I can order water with lemon...and extra, extra ice, of course...since their ice is the real addiction for me...soft and chewable and unlike any other ice I've come across.

Weekending...

Yippee!  Finally all the books are read and all the states are filled in!

The laundry is done and work clothes for the week are ready.

A free program at the library was attended, which was very exciting, because I had been on the waiting list, and only realized at the very last moment that a cancellation had made room for me.

Dessert was made and taken to the family supper, where three games of Yahtzee were won by me (that hasn't happened in a long time!)

The weekly to-do list has been made, and a few things are already marked 'done'.

Now for a good night's sleep to start the week off right. 😴

Proof that even spam is occasionally right on...

I received quite a few comments today on a post from quite awhile back.  When you get many comments on the same post a long time after you publish it, you can bet they are spam.  Some are nice, some are rude, some are scary.

Still, one of the ones I received today was a horse of a different color.

"Hello, you used to write magnificent, but the
last few posts have been kinda boring? I miss your tremendous writings.
Past several posts are just a bit out of track! come on!"

LOL  I couldn't agree more!

Everything's peachy...

We have two peach trees.  They were here when we bought the property.  One has never borne any fruit to my knowledge.  The one with this year's crop usually doesn't put on many, and we have rarely been able to pick even one or two before the squirrels or birds get them.  

This year there were enough for a cobbler as well as some for eating.  They were really sweet and juicy.

I made the cobbler today for Sunday family supper.  Peeling is such a messy job.  And since I wanted it fresh from the oven to take to Kasey and Beau's, I was in a bit of a rush at the end, and forgot to take any photos.  It looked pretty, but I can't say it was anyone's favorite.

I hope I get another chance to improve my cobbler making next year.  It would be nice if this year was the start of regular good crops.

Planned overs...

A little planning ahead made an easy and delicious week.  It is such a head start to meal preparation to have the meat already cooked and ready to add to the rest of the ingredients.  The chicken I cooked last Friday was yummy (and simple) in all of its iterations, and nobody complained (or probably even recognized) the chicken as 'planned' over.

Friday:  
Seared four boneless/skinless chicken breast halves and six boneless/skinless chicken thighs on both sides, sprinkled a packet of taco seasoning mix over the pieces, poured mild salsa over the top of all, and cooked in slow cooker on low all afternoon.  

For Friday's supper Shredded Chicken Tacos:
I grilled some onions and bell pepper on the stove top.  I shredded one of the chicken breast halves and two of the thighs.  We assembled our tacos with flour tortillas, shredded chicken, grilled onions/peppers, shredded cheddar, sliced avocado, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.

The rest of the chicken pieces I placed on a covered plate and refrigerated.

Saturday's supper Pasta Salad:
I cooked some bow-tie pasta.  Once cooled I placed it in a large salad bowl.  I added sliced carrots, sliced celery, sliced purple onion, baby corn, Spanish olives, ripe olives, and roughly chopped two of the chicken breasts and one thigh, and added all to the salad bowl.  I topped with a half cup or so of creamy Italian dressing and tossed.

Tuesday's supper King Ranch Casserole:  
In a fry pan I sauteed some chopped onion and bell pepper.  I stirred in one can of cream of mushroom soup, one can of cream of chicken soup, and one can of diced tomatoes.  I rough chopped the remaining chicken pieces and added to the soup mixture.  I stirred in a little milk to thin.  

I sprayed a casserole with non-stick cooking spray and layered three to four corn tortillas, about a third of the soup mixture, and about a half cup of shredded cheese.  Repeated the layers twice more ending with cheese.  Baked at 350° F for about 30 minutes or till golden on top and bubbling.  Served with guacamole.

Jurassic games...

Last summer a nearby business put these three dinosaurs in their parking lot near the roadside.  The large one is maybe ten feet from the ground to the top of its head.  They are made of metal.  I thought they were funny.

Back in October, Carey and I were driving to the city one day when I saw that a Halloween skeleton had been placed in the mouth of the biggest dinosaur.  That was it; I was in love.  I jokingly started asking for a giant dinosaur for Christmas so I could creatively stage it in our front yard.  Kasey said she would get me one if I would put Rudy in its mouth.  LOL!  I said no, but I would put one of the pesky deer from our yard in its mouth.  Boy, would that cause a hubbub with the deer-loving neighbors.

These seem to be prone to either tumbling over in strong winds, or being the victims of recreational tipping by local teens (in the absence of cows).  Happily, each time the owner sets things aright again.

This week Carey got home from work while I was still asleep.  When I woke up I found these on my kitchen window sill...

complete with a skeleton in the big one's mouth.  LOL

I cannot tell you how much I love these.  Periodically he repositions them to amuse me when I walk in the kitchen. "When you look at these with the front yard behind them, just imagine them outside and to scale," he said.  LOL  

This morning I woke up to the little ones playing tug-of-war with the skeleton.  Oh my goodness, sometimes that man cracks me up.

I kid you not, he has bought me jewelry that didn't make me smile this much.

Comment troubles...

I've heard from several readers that they are having trouble leaving comments here.  I'm not sure what that's about.  I do know that I have trouble commenting on other people's blogs when I'm reading on my phone, but that doesn't help me have an answer to share.  I received a notice that Blogger has been making changes recently, which is always frustrating, and usually leads to having to spend a day redesigning the blog.  I really don't have time to do that right now, so if you come and it looks like bare, concrete walls around here, know that I will get to it when I can.

But you know who isn't having trouble leaving comments?  Spammers!  I got the nastiest comment last night, and I'm talking nastier than the porn spam that I've received a few times in the past.  This one said that I, and all other baby boomers, are evil, that we have ruined the world, and why can't we just effing drop dead.  Nice, huh?  And that was a very abbreviated version.  I left out the parts with racial slurs and that were meant to degrade and terrify.  I am sure it was probably an email blast from a hate group somewhere, but it disturbed me...not like frightened for my personal safety...but frightened for our world that seems to grow more polarized and hostile each day.

So I leave you with a picture of cute, innocent kittens.  Look into those sweet little faces and think happy thoughts.