Food Poisoning...And It's The Beast's Fault!

Yes, I have been suffering from food poisoning.  The only consolation I have is that the Beast suffered it, too.  It's his fault.  He forgets how long he's stored something in the fridge and has no real sense of smell.  I can usually tell if something is starting to *turn* just by the smell and will toss it out regardless of how little time it may have been in the fridge.  It didn't smell bad when I got my sandwich from him nor did it taste funky.  But it wasn't long before we were both feeling the effects.

He spent more time on the pot than I did but I had one hell of a stomach ache.  I think I spent less time because I take a daily probiotic tablet and he doesn't.  That just made my stomach ache longer and I was just miserable most of the night.  When I finally was getting over the worst of it, I fell asleep...damn near like a bear goes to sleep for the winter!  I was out cold, I think....LOL.

Anyway, I am closing this now and going to take it easy for a bit and see how the rest of the evening goes for me now.  Love you all.  ***Hugs***

I Couldn't Keep An Internet Connection Last Night....

We had a heavy cloud cover last night from the rainy weather pattern that is hitting so much of the States today.  That meant our satellite internet connection sucked!  I kept being kicked offline and not able to get back on again for various lengths of time.  I finally gave up and just played my Jewel Quest game.  I was just glad I hadn't started my blog to see it disappear into cyberspace.

I got a call from the Princess shortly after the Beast and I had eaten our dinner of fish fillets, green beans and potatoes.  She said that Chewlee wanted to come and have a sleepover with me.  I, of course, told her bring her over.  It made me stop and think, at first, because I forgot for a second that she was on vacation.

Shortly thereafter, Chewlee got dropped off and our adventure started.  She hadn't eaten so I fixed her some food and she was obviously hungry because she ate everything and then had to have her pickles.  She watched some TV, watched me talk online to Carol (she even dictated a few things for me to type to her...LOL!), took her bath, dressed for bed then got to play one of her games online on the Beast's computer.  Then it was bedtime.  She told me all the things she and her mother had done together before she got dropped off (the last stop for them was the playground) and I understood why she fell asleep almost immediately.  The kid was tired.  It even explained why she was so calm and not anxious about going outside to ride her bike.  She never even asked.  When I told her it was bedtime, she went in and brushed her teeth like I told her when she realized she did, indeed, have a toothbrush of her own here.  I've always kept one for her.  It was just so long since she had stayed here on any regular basis that she forgot.

Of course, this morning, it was different.  She woke up full of piss and vinegar, wanting pickles which I did not let her have since the rule is that she must eat her meal (be it breakfast, lunch or dinner) before she is allowed pickles.  Then she only gets two of the midget dills I  get for her.  After she ate those, then it was ride her bike *around the block*.  That means she stops at all the houses where she knows the kids to see if they can come out to play.  Unfortunately, most of those kids are enrolled in daily summer camp programs.  She will probably be going home before they even get back.  But she went twice around the circle and her legs were tired because the last leg coming home is on a gravel road...lol.

It's not very hot today because we have heavy cloud cover moving in and no sunshine.  It more than likely won't even hit 80.  Love you all.  Have a great day and evening.  Drive careful.  ***Hugs***

She's laying on the carpeting in my computer room right now, watching TV and drinking milk.  Milk is her drink of choice.  She doesn't like any kind of soda, which is a good thing to my way of thinking.  She will drink most juices, too.

Little Observations And Some New Stuff...

I was on my way to Walmart earlier today and noticed something that struck me as odd.  The farmers around here that raise cattle seem to have much larger herds than normal for them.  Now it could be that it's just that last year's calves have grown up but I somehow think they wouldn't be that large.  I may be wrong because I really don't know all that much about cattle except that they are yummy.  LOL!

It wasn't just one cattle ranch/farm either.  There was even cattle on one area where I had never seen cattle before and I've lived her almost 8 years now.  I'm just wondering if they have found it more beneficial to raise cattle than the crops I usually see.  I know that one person we know who raises a small herd every year told us that he got $5. a pound ON THE HOOF!  That's an incredible amount of money compared to many years that I recall.  But the droughts that have plagued the states out West claimed the lives of many cattle that hadn't been sold off early.  It's made the idea of raising cattle a lot more appealing now, I guess.

I finally finished up buying my gifts for Chewlee's birthday today.  I also got the ribbons for my gifts plus Carol's and another bag to hold them.  Chewlee's birthday got switched to Sunday now due to her T-ball team's party.  It's only a 30% chance of showers so I am crossing my fingers on that.  It's supposed to be around 84-85 degrees.  That will allow the kids to enjoy the slip-and-slide anyway.  The party starts at 2pm so that works out well.  The Beast will be at church and I can relax and enjoy myself.

The Princess has started towards giving birth but just barely.  Not enough to get excited about just yet but that can happen rapidly as most of us mothers know.  When it's ready, it's ready.  LOL!

I didn't tell you about the new coffee maker the Beast bought.  It's called a brewing center...no pot, no carafe...you press the cup against this bar and it gets filled up.  The coffee stays in this tank section and is kept warm for up to 4 hours.  It's actually a great coffee maker and each *pot* we make seems to be getting better and better.  It also wasn't as expensive as others the Beast has bought.  I like my Bunn but I have to admit that this works really well and the coffee in it is great.  Of course, we are using the Kauai coffee my girlfriend sent us.  She sent us the beans and we grind our own as we need it.  Fantastic coffee!  If you get a chance to try some, do.  No bitterness to it at all, even if you make a strong brew.

He also went nuts and bought a new vacuum cleaner.  It's the Shark rotator head and he got it because he has been looking for something...ANYTHING...that would actually clean up all the dog hairs from Baron.  I think he finally....FINALLY...spent our money on something that actually works!  It's amazing how much dog hair was in this house.  The hairs are short since Baron is a doberman but they gather in the weirdest way and get all over everything.  This has a special dust attachment on it for the wood flooring (which he vacuumed first) and I couldn't believe the dog hairs that it gathered up.  The Beast even washed the dust pads afterward because of what it picked up.  I love it.  It even made my carpet in my computer room look brand new.

Love you all.  Hope your week is going well.  Keep cool and drive carefully.  ***Hugs***

Monday...Veterans Day

Monday Mustachio spent at Tara's house....for a while anyway.  When he got back here a few hours later, he had much to say about the improvements she had made, including the nice family room that she converted from the garage.  She never used it anyway and this was really great for them.  I know it looked wonderful at Christmas with the way she had it decorated.

Then Mustachio took a tour through Dennis' house.  He looked at it from the standpoint of having to install cable in the house and said Dennis would hate what would have to be done because of the way it's constructed.  It's well constructed but he should have included the cable for such things as TV's, computers and telephone services.  I didn't understand some of what he was telling me but he said that Dennis' house was what they call a *wrap* house because he sprayed foam in the spaces between the siding and the drywall.  

He did get to see the *safe room* there that will be used if there is danger of a tornado in the area.  He was glad there was room for Baron, too.  He likes Baron and wouldn't want him hurt any more than we would.

I did find out that he got some decent sleep while he was here.  He actually slept for 5 hours in a row, which is amazing since he has only been able to sleep for 2 hours at his apartment.  Maybe it was just because he wasn't alone here.  Who knows?

I hope everyone had a nice Veterans Day and you took time to remember all the dead and wounded veterans.  They gave a lot for us and helping to keep us and others free from tyranny.  Love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week!  ***Hugs***

Oh How Company Disrupts Your Life !

Mustachio arrived on Sunday, as expected.  He and I sat outside on the steps for a while and let Baron run around outside until he came and lay down at our feet.  Then Mustachio brought in his chili that he had made and brought for everyone to enjoy.  Of course, it was hotter than hell outside so just what we craved....LOL!

Dennis came over while we were sitting outside and we talked about the pros and cons of his building his house.  He told Mustachio that if he came over during the day when the house was opened up, he would show him around.  

When the Beast got home from church, he had some of the chili (as I had already enjoyed a small bowl) and liked it.  He DID have to have a big glass of milk handy since the chili was just a touch too hot for his taste.  By hot, I mean spicy.

I was pleased to see he could move his fingers, finally, but he has no feeling in his thumb or the first two fingers on his hand.  He also has no real strength in them so lifting a gallon of milk with that hand is impossible for him without taking the chance of it falling to the ground.  He had difficulty lifting the half gallon plastic container of orange juice he got from Walmart.  My poor lefty is having to learn to use his right hand more.  Not natural for him at all.

The Princess, Johnnycakes and Chewlee came by to visit after they were done canoeing.  Mustachio questioned them about the possibility of renting a power boat but he forgot this was a holiday weekend and all powerboats

We talked, then Sheepie got off work and came by the house to entice Mustachio to come visit and have hot dogs with them.  Chili + hot dogs sounded good to him so off they went.  I hadn't slept well so I desperately needed a nap and didn't go with them.  I promised Sheepie that I would visit another time.

I took my nap while they were gone but was up when Mustachio came home.  While they were gone, I helped the Beast put the AC unit in the bedroom window and he said to me, *This will probably be my last year of being able to do this kind of stuff.*  I knew he hated to admit it but he just cannot do the things at 70 that he did when he was 40.  Somehow, that is where his head is but not his body.  Too soon old, too late smart.

Mustachio was tired and went to bed around 11pm, even tho' he said he was used to being up much later than it was.  The time at his brother's house was both interesting and tiring.  He told me that Marcus has his house totally *geeked* out with all the computers, Ipads, etc.  But that is Marcus's *thing* and didn't surprise me at all.  He has always loved computers, networking, etc. so his family would always have the best available to them for their use.

So, when we all went to bed Sunday evening, it was still around 72 degrees but was cooling down rapidly and would make it nice for sleeping with the fans on.  Monday should be clear and hot once again.  Up into the 80's once more.  Yikes!

Love you all.  Hope you are enjoying the Holiday and you take time to give thanks for all the veterans of the wars that allow us to enjoy our freedom.  ***Hugs***

Mustachio Stays At His Brother's...And I Get Back My Bunn!

I was all ready for Mustachio to arrive today.  In fact, I was reluctant to take my nap until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.  When I woke up, I decided to call him and see where he was at so I could figure on when to make the ribs we had planned for dinner.  Turns out, he stopped at his brother's house in Tennessee and decided to spend the night there.  I'm sure it was because Marcus insisted.  I can't say I blame him.  I would just have liked to know about it before I spent the day eagerly waiting for him.  Oh well.

So he will come tomorrow, instead, and we didn't eat the ribs today.  We will make them tomorrow instead IF he gets here at a halfway decent time.  We usually eat around 4:30pm on Sunday, after the Beast gets home from church.  If he's not here, oh well!  He will lose out....LOL.

The Princess, Johnnycakes and Chewlee are going canoeing tomorrow.  I know Chewlee loves that and the Princess enjoys it, too.  Especially since she wasn't able to do very much for a while when she was on *bed rest*, which meant she couldn't do any work and was supposed to stay off her feet as much as possible.    When I called Sheepie to let her know about Mustachio, she already knew.  It seems she had already called up at Marcus's house to check on Mustachio's time of arrival, too.  Us mothers get the short end of the stick a lot.  No one thinks that we might worry.

I was surprised when I went out into the kitchen to get some coffee to discover that I was the owner of a new Bunn coffee pot.  I was shocked but not totally surprised.  The other coffee pot we had been using for the past couple of years when my old Bunn died of old age, had developed a leak that left us unable to set up the coffee pot the night before.  If we did, the tank leaked all over the counter (just plain water) due to a seal that had failed.  It was a small aggravation but I guess the Beast missed how fast the Bunn made coffee as opposed to the one we were using.  I was happy, happy, happy to have my new Bunn coffee maker back.  I almost (almost) hugged the Beast!  LOL!

It was hot as hell here again, to the Beast's misery.  But it did give him an excuse not to finish mowing the front and side yards once again.  Heat just destroys him and makes him useless for a couple days if he pushes himself.  It's been like that since he had his strokes.  Me?  I love it and have no AC in my computer room.  I keep the door closed so it doesn't leak in here unless I want to nap in my recliner.  I'll crack the door open just a bit so I get a little breeze that flows over me as I sleep.  What cracks the Beast up is that I will end up pulling my blanket over me from just that little bit of cooling.  I really DO get cold once I fall asleep.  I know....I'm weird.  I've heard that before.

Love you all.  Stay cool and comfortable.  ***Hugs***

Good News For A Change....

Friday is my usual day to go to the Wound Center to treat my toe.  Today the doctor took a look and said he was going to give me some *time off*.  At first I thought he meant from using the medication on my toe and asked him if he meant that.  He laughed and said, *No.  I am pleased with how it is healing now so I am going  to put you on a two week appointment schedule.  I think you might actually be healed by then.  In fact, I am hoping so.*  I was flabbergasted although I will admit that I thought so, too.  It looks that good!

So now my attention has turned to the fact that I might as well plan for my annual trip to Chicago for the reunion with my girlfriends from high school.  I know! I know!  Seems like a silly thing for someone my age but we have been friends for so long that I hate to miss time with them.  We get together and you would think we saw each other all the time.  We talk, we laugh and we even tell each other which friends have been lost somehow.  We've had friends that died from overdoses of drugs...so sad.  Others have just fallen to *natural causes*.  Some died peacefully; others died tragically.  One died in a fire, a couple died in accidents.  Each loss is tragic in it's own way.  The group that once was 45 strong is now down to 20 of us.  We actually had a couple of our teachers that joined us from time to time.  Gone now but not forgotten by any means.

My girlfriend, Carol....the one out in California....seems on the mend, finally!  I worry about her at her age.  She is 78 years young.  And she is going to be a grandmother...we hope!  Her daughter-in-law has lost four from miscarriages but this one seems to be doing well so far.  She almost hates to get excited until the pregnancy is a bit further along.  Plus, the mother is not young (she is 42 years old) and there are other dangers that they know they might have to face.  Such things as Downs Syndrome and a few other things.  I try to be positive and I ask that you might say a prayer or  two that things go well for her daughter-in-law, her name is Guyen.  Yes, she is of oriental extraction and a very nice person.  Carol is a warm, loving and generous soul and I would wish her to be happy and have a grandchild to love and lavish with attention.  She has certainly lavished it on MY great-grandchildren and calls herself the *stand-in granny*.  LOL!  I couldn't wish for a better one.

My son, Mustachio, should arrive here tomorrow and I freshened up the guest room, again, for his use.  He will only be here for a few days but the change should be good for him.  He plans on seeing Sheepie, the Princess and Chewlee and me, of course.  **Grin**  I enjoy his company and we are good friends, I think.  I am more than just his mother.  We are confidantes, too.  

I think that's something that comes easy to mothers.  We love our children and, when they share the thoughts they hesitate to reveal to anyone else, there we are!  We make no judgments that we voice out loud but we do pray that they make right choices in life.  How could we not?  We offer suggestions, of course, but we do it gently.  After all, they are adults and would resent anything else.  We also do not want to alienate them so that they no longer confide in us.  It's part of motherhood.  We know our children.  We may not like a lot of the things they do but we love them, regardless.  It takes a hell of a lot of discord to make us remove that love from them or at least remove showing that love to them any more.  I know about that part all to well.  Ah, but no more on that part.  This is a son I love and hate to see him in the physical pain that he is suffering with his broken wrist.  

It was very, very hot here today.  It got up to 89 and was humid, too.  But we were luckier than poor Orlando.  They were up to 98!  The Beast jokingly asked me if I felt like visiting Disney World...LOL!  Oh, sure!  Let's go!  ROFLMAO!

More hot weather tomorrow, of course but the plants love it.  So does our front lawn, which the Beast seems to avoid mowing for some reason.  I can look and see the tops of the onions that used to be grown here.  It's going to smell like onions when he DOES mow.  Sheesh!  Oh well, love you all and I hope you can keep cool this weekend.  Be good.  ***Hugs***

First, The New Fridge....Second, A Happy Graduation !

Our new fridge was delivered bright and early on Wednesday morning.  We had emptied a few things into our cooler when we got up but we waited until the men got here to finish emptying it.  I had put all the various condiments and things like marinades, steak sauces, etc. on the kitchen counter and we emptied all the meats and things into the sink (emptied and cleaned) plus the stuff in the freezer section.  I put out all the fruits and vegetables on the kitchen table.  Yes, it was a bit of a mess but handy.  

The Beast connected the water line before it was pushed into place and the Beast then set the temperature controls.  The Princess and Chewlee had stopped by so that we could watch her for a bit while she went to see her doctor for her weekly appointment.  She was back when we were ready to put the food in the new fridge and she was most helpful.  What's a daughter for?  LOL!  I think what surprised us the most was how fast it came down to temperature.  It couldn't have been more than an hour and a half.  We ate lunch together (steamed hot dogs) and the Princess and Chewlee had left and it was shortly afterward that it was down to temp.  What is even stranger, from our point of view, is that it dumped it's first load of ice just a few hours later!  By this morning, the ice bin was full.  We have never had a freezer section do that before.  In fact, they usually take almost 24 hours before they even dump their first load of ice!

When the freezer showed it was down to temp, shortly after we ate lunch, he checked the ice cream, which had started to soften up on us when it had been placed in the freezer section.  Imagine the Beast's shock when he discovered it was frozen solid once again.  All-in-all, a very happy experience.  There had been three complaints about noisiness in the 35 reviews on it and those were about noise.  That truly puzzled us because you can't hear any noise at all except when it dumps the ice.  Could it be that simple?  Has to be because you can't hear the compressor running at all.

Here's the part we found amazing.  When we refilled the fridge with everything we HAD had in the old fridge, it honestly looked almost empty!  Yes, I am loving this fridge.

Today, the Beast and I were both up early.  I had things I wanted to get done early (before we had to leave to meet Tara at the  restaurant in Guntersville) and so did the Beast.  We were meeting with Tara and what we thought were just Keith's paternal grandparents for an early dinner.  Imagine our shock when a huge crowd came in to join us at our large table the restaurant had reserved for Tara.  It was set for 15!  AND...it  ended up being two more than that when Keith's best friend and his girlfriend joined us.  It was fun since we didn't know these people so the conversation was lively.  One of the uncles actually has a deer farm where the deer are carefully bred for good genetic qualities for private reserves all around the country.  How interesting is that?  I had seen a Discovery channel program on a farm like his but never in my life thought I would meet someone actively involved in that kind of enterprise.  The people were wonderful and I even saw a little girl cousin of his (she was born on the same day that Chance was born) tuck into her salad like a little rabbit!  It was just adorable.

Chewlee had ants in her pants, as she sometimes does, and I think it had to do with being around so many strangers to her.  We left the restaurant and headed to the school for the graduation exercises.  I was surprised to discover that Keith was a National Merit Society member.  I remember the days that Tara complained about his grades...back in his Freshman days, of course.  It was nice to see him with his gold scarf and tassel amongst the others in his class.  I didn't know until I saw it noted on the program that they actually have a Spanish one, too, for those students of Spanish heritage.  

We were joined at the graduation ceremony by Teach and Sheepie.  Sheepie had phoned the Princess so that she would wait down below the bleachers so they would be able to find us all.  Sheepie sat by my side while Teach sat on the bleacher just below us alongside the Princess so we could all talk.  

The ceremony was fairly brief and the valedictorian gave a kind of cute speech before the diplomas were handed out.  Then it was back out to the slough of cars to try to make it out of the parking areas and on to the after-parties being held for friends and family.  The Beast and I came home.  I was damn near crippled up from all the walking and Sheepie bulled her way through the crowd with me on her arm so I could find a place to sit down.  The Beast brought the car over closer to where I ended up sitting on a chair that Teach and the Princess had found for me to sit down on.  I have no idea why but my hips really hurt!  I think it's partly due to the way I have had to walk while this toe has been healing.  I wonder if I will ever walk right again!  LOL...

Sheepie was concerned about my visiting her apartment since they live on the second floor.  I plan on visiting when Mustachio goes over there to visit.  I told her that I would be fine as long as I don't have to walk the distance of a football field like I had to do today.  I kid you not about that part.  

Anyway, the other relatives as well as the Princess and Chewlee went over to Tara's for cake and ice cream while the Beast and I headed home.  Sheepie did, too, since she had come straight from work and hadn't eaten with the rest of us.  Also, she had to get to bed early since she had to be up early for work in the morning.

We were proud of Keith and he graduated with a partial scholarship for an engineering project he had done in school plus the school game him an additional $1000 scholarship, which will help out against his college fees.  His trust fund will help pick up the balance, I believe but we all laughed to find out that he hadn't jumped the gun and started college classes this summer.  LOL!  He wants this summer for a last hurrah, I guess.

Today was very, very warm.  It ended up in the upper 80's and was still 86 degrees at 7:30pm when we got to the school.  But I was comfortable while everyone else was fanning themselves with special fans provided by the school, courtesy of the local hospitals.  

Love you all.  Hope you had a great day.  We sure did.  ***Hugs***

Kind Of A Fun Day

I woke up early...very early.  So I got up,  checked out my email, got rid of a lot of spam on Yahoo (of course!) and then played my Jewel Quest 2 game for a bit.  I smelled coffee being made around 8am and ended up getting myself some coffee.  The Beast was already out in the garage building his shelves.  I should have taken a look at what he was doing then as you will understand a little later.

I drank a little of my coffee (very hot) while playing my game when I got tired again so I lay back down and took a nap.  The Beast came in and woke me up because he wanted me to go look at something with him at Lowe's.  He was reluctant to tell me what until we were on our way.  Turns out we were going to look at new fridges.  The Beast was tired of the smallness of the one we have.  Even with it just being two people, there just wasn't enough room for the things we put in there.  You would have to be there to see what I mean but holiday meals were a nightmare at times.  I mean just the supplies needed to make a big meal  (and let's not forget leftovers) meant things were piled on top of each other.  

Although I liked it when we first got it, I learned to hate it.  Even the freezer was too small.  I'm sure you guessed it was a side-by-side fridge.  Anyway, we went to look and he was looking at regular fridges while I drifted over to the double door fridges with the freezer underneath.  After all, with an upright freezer, the only things we would probably keep in the freezer in the house are things like ice cream, popsicles (for Chewlee) and things like toaster waffles.

The Beast was reluctant at first since he hadn't planned on buying anything as expensive as the one we eventually chose (and he hated buying anything without reading the comments on it from buyers).  We DID end up getting it on sale which wasn't noted on the price sign on it but was at the register so the Beast figured that as a good sign.  The first thing he did when we got home was look up all the buyer's comments on it which were really good!  He was happy with that because he found out the first fridge he had thought about buying was a loser.  All the comments were *Don't buy this.*  The compressors burnt up within the first year and there were other problems, too.

It has an automatic ice maker built in and even a water dispenser that we somehow missed but was noted in the manual.  It has humidity controls for the crispers and the inside will hold more than twice what we have now.  I love it.  If I make a big tray of deviled eggs, the plate I have will easily fit in.  It will probably not be really popular with Chewlee as the shelf where I will be keeping *her* pickles will be too high for her to reach easily.  LOL!  She'll adjust.

Later on, I went out to check with the Beast on what he wanted for dinner and got sucked into helping him move the *shelves* he built for the cottage.  Those things weigh a TON!  I talked him into using the dolly after we moved the first one and I just helped to hold it on and keep it from beating him over the head.  I just know that he couldn't lift them shelves upright inside the garage because they were taller than the garage door was high! 

THEN, I found out that Mustachio is coming for a four day visit on Friday.  Looks like I cleaned up the bedclothes in the guest room just in time.  I forgot to mention it to the Beast but I will tell him tomorrow.  Even if Mustachio can't use his left hand he might be a bit of help, along with me, when the Beast gets ready to put the shelves up.  I'm not strong and right now, neither is Mustachio, but between the two of us, we might be helpful.

Looks like it is going to definitely be a court fight for him, too, which is sad.  However, his lawyer happens to be a former WC adjuster so he's aware of the ins and outs of that system.  He told Mustachio that, on a WC contest, he can bill WC for his time!  Isn't that a kick in the head?  He actually called Mustachio today to see how he *was feeling* but Mustachio thinks the guy wanted to check to make sure he hadn't gone to another attorney.  He's going to start the process to contest the denial of surgery for the problem with the pinched nerves in his wrist.  

He is going to want to see Sheepie, I know so I am hoping she calls or comes by the house in the next day or two.  I have a couple things I need to ask her anyway.

The day was beautiful and warm.  It's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow.  The Beast (in a joking way) said he was tired of this *hot* weather already.  I knew he was kidding and laughed like he expected me to.  

The Beast couldn't wait for us to finished clearing out the garden boxes and he planted a couple tomato plants.  He also found one that was growing that he DIDN'T buy...most likely from some poor tomato that fell off into the soil last summer and wasn't seen.  Now we just have to wait to see what kind it was.  From the area it is in, I believe it is probably a cherry tomato.

Love you all.  Have a great *hump* day and I wish you great weather.  ***Hugs***

Early Wake-Up....

I woke up early and went through my email then ended up playing a game that the Beast had bought for me years ago called Jewel Quest 2.  I had Jewel Quest and loved playing that but it got old.  You know how that is.  Jewel Quest 2 had a story you traversed as you conquered each board.  Anyway, I played that until I heard the Beast and Baron get up for the day.

The Beast decided his task for the day was putting up two more pieces of the paneling out in the garage that would allow him to put up some shelves out there.  He has so much stuff on the floor that you can barely traverse it.  I started helping him trim the paneling on the table saw (not a fun job) when Dennis came over to give the Beast a hand with it.  I was very grateful to be allowed back in the house to do what I wanted to get done for the day.  In other words, more laundry..LOL!

The Beast completed his *job* for the day (except for putting up the shelving...that's another day's *job*) and decided that he would make the pot roast we had in the fridge.  I shuddered (he likes to experiment, remember) but let him do it and just watched.  What I missed after he seared the meat was that he always, always for gets to salt and pepper it.  But, other than putting in a bit more garlic than I saw the need for, the rest of what he did was pretty traditional.

I thickened the juices after he was done (he had used beef broth instead of just water and bullion) for the gravy and, other than the lack of salt, it was really good.  It was very tender and the potatoes were done perfectly.  I checked the broth he had used and, guess what?  He had bought and used low sodium beef broth.  The man never reads the labels of many things he buys.  I should be used to that because it seems to be a *man thing* but I always hope.

Later, after we ate, I got on my computer for a while and discovered that my friend, Carol, was online as well as my son, Mustachio.  He was upset because he had gotten a couple letters from AT&T as well as the company that administrates Workman's Comp for AT&T.  It seems they want him to take FMLA (Federally Mandated Leave of Absence) which happens to be illegal with an ongoing WC case.  It seems he finally consulted with an attorney just in time.  He talked over his WC case with an attorney just last week.  After receiving the letters, he called his attorney and told him about them and will drop them off at his office in the next couple of days.  He was upset because he really didn't want all this to happen and he knows that, eventually, if he even gets his job back, they will be looking for any little thing that the union will consider to be serious enough to terminate him.  He's looking at some major changes in his life, one way or another.  All he wanted was the surgery on his carpal tunnel to release the nerves that are not allowing him the use of his hand.  He says his hand is more important than any job.

I'm just sick at heart for him over all this and you feel so helpless.  But, at least now he has an attorney that can hopefully help out.  The attorney seems to think he's got a major case over the denial of surgery.  We shall see.

After talking online to him and then briefly to my friend, I lay down for a much needed nap.  I slept for two hours and woke up feeling a bit hungry again.  LOL!  I resisted chowing down and had a container of Glucerna, instead, and a couple strawberries.  Then I decided that I would play my game again for a bit, write my blog and go to sleep early.  I really do prefer an early rise.  I get more done.  Doesn't everyone?

The day was nice, high around 75 degrees and temperature in the 80's tomorrow.  That's another reason I want to get up early...I want to enjoy as much of that as I can.  I hope your day is what you enjoy and you get to do something you want.  Love you all.  ***Hugs***

Hopeful Signs...

Although the day was mostly overcast, it didn't have (and we never got any!) the feel of rain or even high humidity.  The wind was mostly non-existent and the temperature did get up into the 60's,  Tomorrow it's supposed to be up around the mid-70's and get warmer and warmer as the week goes on.  I really hope all this cool weather is over.  It's great for sleeping but sucks during the day.  I was sun! warmth! light breezes!  In other words, I want some Spring before Summer hits us.  With everyone screaming *global warming* and *climate changes* you just don't know what to believe, let alone what to expect.

I finally did get my potato salad made and it turned out really great.  I love it and have a hard time staying away from it for long.  It's my mother's recipe, of course.  Don't most of us learn from them?  The Princess made some cole slaw that was good (a little too much onion for my tastes) but Johnnycakes was ecstatic because it was *just like his mother made it!*  My cole slaw is very different but that's just what I grew up with.  At least I am willing to try other types and judge them on their own merits.  They may be different but it doesn't mean they aren't good, too.

That's another thing our mother taught us.  We ate all kinds of different foods from different countries because Mom made friends with all kinds of people.  We tried Greek dishes, Italian dishes, Mexican dishes....it a nationality lived in the Chicago area, Mom usually found a way to make a friend or two and we kids got to try a lot of different things.  Mom even tried her hand at making them at home.  It was fun at times and, as a result, our tastes are kind of eclectic when it comes to food.  We have our favorites, of course, but we can tuck in on almost any kind of food laid out in front of us and enjoy ourselves.

Well, I am tired and need to get to bed now so I will close this for now.  Love you all and I wish you a great week, good weather, good food and good friends.  ***Hugs***

BRRRRR....!

I shouldn't complain about it being cold here.  A lot of it was due to the high humidity.  Poor Chicago, my hometown, actually got snow yesterday.  I think our cold was a result of the same cold front but we just weren't hit as hard.  But it didn't feel like Spring today, that's for sure!

Our high was 62 and there was a brisk wind, too.  The chill went right to the bone and my poor arthritis in my left hand acted up.  The Beast went to a new store to look around.  It was one that is primarily veggie fixings and other things that make it easy to prepare a meal very quickly.  He took Dianne and Dennis with him since I had gone back to bed due to lack of sleep.  I have to find out what vitamins or minerals are needed to stop my legs from twitching and keeping me awake.  Last night they woke me up!  I have to get up and walk around.  It's just less painful than a charlie horse but just as annoying.

When the Beast got home, he told me about all the different foods he saw that he would have loved to buy but....our freezer is already full.  It's just a side-by-side fridge and freezer so you have an idea of just how small it can be for someone like the Beast who loves his ice cream (by the gallon mostly) and stuff you would normally put in a freezer.  So, after talking about it, he went online and checked out some freezers that were small enough for us to fit in the garage.  He thought of a chest freezer first of all but we owned one once and hated it.  Too many things get lost on the bottom even if you have everything in baskets.  So he bought an upright.  It's going to take a little adjusting of one of the cabinets out there that are hanging on the wall but it will be more convenient than putting it out in the cottage.

We can keep our frozen meats and veggies in it and keep the freezer in the fridge for his ice cream, Chewlee's popsicles and some convenience items.  It will give us a lot more room for things we would like to stock up on when we can get a deal on them.  I tried to get him to buy one about three years ago but he just ignored me on it back then.  At least we got a good deal on it and it will be delivered in two weeks since it was an out of stock item in the store. Now it has to come from the warehouse in Atlanta.  Two weeks?  You would think it was coming here from California.  We can drive to Atlanta in about 2.5 hours!  That does, however, give the Beast plenty of time to make the adjustments needed.  He has the dimensions of the freezer so it should be fairly easy for him.

It will also allow me (once it is here) to freeze some things like some of the excess soup we usually end up with when we make homemade.  Neither one of us can cook for just two people on things like soups, spaghetti or chili.  I can freeze some individual servings if I have the room.  That would really work out nicely.  Of course, this is assuming that the Beast doesn't go nuts like he did with the canned goods when he expected the economy to fall flat on it's face.  We still have a lot of MRE's on the shelf besides.  Who knows?  They last almost indefinitely.  We might actually need them one day.

It's cold outside right now...55...and expected to drop into the 40's again.  We are also expecting thunderstorms later tonight and tomorrow.  After that, our weather is supposed to clear up and coast up into the 80's by mid-week.  I sure hope so.  I adore warm/hot weather.

Love you all.  I wish you a wonderful Sunday and better weather than we are having.  Stay warm or cool, depending on your particular weather.  Have a little fun and relax before the work week starts.  ***Hugs***

I Fell Asleep

I think I've mentioned that I haven't been sleeping well at night before.  So please forgive me when I fall asleep early in the evening and end up sleeping most of the night.  I really was tired because I had been up all day long.  I woke up around 4:30am long enough to note the time, take my bedtime pills and fall back asleep.  I was just too tired to even think so my blog never occurred to me.

I woke up again around 9:30am and, since this is the day I go to the Wound Center, I noted the time and sat in my recliner to watch a bit of TV because my appointment today wasn't until 12:30pm.  I wondered why the doctor had changed his appointment hours (he's usually gone to the hospital by noon) and found out why.  The nurse in charge of the Hyperbaric chambers was on vacation so he was covering that area.  Poor thing had to stay today until 3pm.  LOL!  

I found out that four of his regular Friday patients are now healed and won't (hopefully) be returning.  I'll miss seeing a couple of them but I am happy for them.  Then I got the good news.  My wound is finally filling in and may even be healed within the next week or so.  I knew it was filling in.  That was obvious since I have been taking care of it for weeks.

It really did turn cold yesterday.  The Beast had to go out in it to get Baron some dog food and a couple other things.  When he came in from outside, he complained because the wind gusts cut right through him...LOL.  So we pretty much chilled inside all day.  I made us some lunch and then took a short nap.  I gather from the Beast that the Princess stopped by and dropped off some cole slaw she had made that she wanted us to try.  It was pretty good.  Later on, I made us some chicken fried rice complete with little peas and a bit of carrot thrown in.  I used thigh meat and it turned out really tasty.

I also folded more clothes and mated more socks for the Beast.  I need to strip the guest bed and wash everything.  I caught Baron on the bed a couple times and it's starting to smell like Baron in the room.  I know it's because of his doggie oils so I want to get that off the comforter in there.  With my luck, I will get company before I get that done.

My great-nephew, Keith, graduates from high school next week.  He's going to be attending the University of Alabama with a  partial scholarship in the Fall.  His grandparents from Ohio are coming down to the graduation and we will be having dinner with them afterward.  I'm so proud of him..  It's been a tough road with losing his brother to that awful accident.  He had to step up and be the big brother to Chance that he needed.  He's done a great job at that from what I have seen.

Well, I'm going to go strip the guest bed when I close this blog.  One less thing on my mind then.  It's just beautiful outside.  Bright and sunny and it's 67 degrees outside.  There's a light breeze but it's a warm one, thankfully.  I'll put the clothes in the washer and  then go sit outside and relax a bit until I start making my potato salad.  I just got a sudden yen for some...so, of course, I MUST make some.  That made the Beast happy.  He's a fan of my  potato salad.

Love you all.  Have a great day and an even better weekend.  ***Hugs***

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It just poured down rain today.  It was just a light drizzle this morning and even in the early afternoon when the nurse came to check out my toe.  It's damn near healed now, tyvm for asking.  But....I wanted to get out and go buy Chewlee's birthday gift while we had plenty of money in the bank.  So, of course, that is when the skies just opened up.

Now, the bad thing about a downpour like we had is the fact that we get some areas of roadway that suffer and flood in spots.  Our area is not flat but has many hills and lots of curves.  I ended up having to drop my speed down to around 35 mph with my windshield wipers going lickety split.  I hit areas where I slowed down so I wouldn't splash a lot of water under my hood due to the water washing over the roadway in a low spot.  

I made it to all three of the stores I wanted to hit but I sat in my car until the rain let up a bit so I wouldn't get soaked.  Thankfully, it was a warm rain and I didn't get too soaked.  My hair looked like a wet cat, however.  Ever seen hair that frizzed up and was wet, too?  That was me.  LOL!

I bought what I had wanted for Juli and a bit extra.  I hope to add a few more things before her birthday, too, but I got the main things I wanted.  I had seen them in the online site for the one store and hoped I would still find them.  I did.  

I didn't even try to buy her any toys.  She has loads of those from her paternal grandfather and others.  She likes to dress up these days so I got her something cute but practical.  That's me...the practical great-grandma.  My friend, Carol, is hoping her order gets to her house in time for her to send it to me for Chewlee.  I had a bit of input on this one and I think it will end up being a bit more useful to Chewlee than what she had originally been looking at.  No more hints.  I'll report on it when I can put a photo on here.  She really IS a frustrated grandmother.  I have no idea how she even remembered Chewlee's birthday was coming up.

By the time I finally got home from shopping, the rain had lessened and we had no more flash flood alerts in the county.  I immediately boxed up Chewlee's present and hid it so she won't find it by accident.  We still have a little over two weeks before her party.

The rest of the day was dismal, of course.  But it was warm, too.  The Beast turned on the window AC unit to keep the house from feeling too damp and cool it down a bit.  He gets warm easily.  Me?  I had my window open with the fan in it and I just kept my computer room door closed.  So what if my hair frizzed.  It's not like I was going anywhere.  I had done my shopping.

The Beast is talking about putting in solar for our  hot water heater.  It's just talking right now.  He priced it out already but he's not really sure that it would save us anything as far as our electricity goes.  Right now, it's so well insulated that it stays hot for hours and hours.  I will just let him think it over.  I think I would rather spend the money on more panels for electricity with all the blackouts we have.  It's just that they are more expensive than the ones for hot water.  

He's just not fond of the idea of having to climb on the roof to secure the panels.  He would also have to penetrate the roof for the water lines.  It's a lot of work and some of it would be up in the attic, along with some welding with acetylene.  I'm hoping he gives up the idea.  If push comes to shove, I have a solar shower I bought a couple years ago that we could use for bathing.  As long as we have electricity from the solar (and we also have a generator...no, we have TWO generators.  A small one and a large one), we can keep our food cold and have lights, TV and even our computers.  That's enough as long as the Beast can get propane to fill our tanks for the barbeque.

Ahh, it's all just preparations for our wonderful summers here.  We have to be prepared for anything and tornado season has already started in our area.  Oh well...it  is what it is.  

Love you all.  Hope you are having a nice week so far.  Be good.  Be careful.  ***Hugs***
 

It Must Be The Warm Weather....

...that makes you feel like sitting in a swing, on a porch with some sweet tea and a fan.  Of course, I drink my coffee winter, summer, spring or fall.   That's just ME.  And, of course, this Kauai coffee that my friend sent us is darn near addicting.  I made a pot of regular coffee last week and it tasted kind of strong and bitter.  It didn't use to taste that way to me.  It was a breakfast blend...which is not a strong coffee blend.

I watched a lot of programs on Animal Planet, off and on, all day long.  I love those.  There were programs about how nature provides for not just the big predators when an animal dies, but also the various insects.  It's part of nature's balance.

There was also a documentary about the huge herds of animals that make the trip to the Mara River to get to the land beyond shortly after the rainy season starts there.  The Mara River is a huge problem due to the cliffs that must be traversed in order to get to the other side.  Monstrous crocodiles are there to feast on the animals that must cross.  It's called the Savage Migration and it's an incredible story about how Nature sorts out the weak and injured.  Many calves of the various herds are also caught, eaten and killed just from the incredible drop they must make in their attempt to reach the other side.

It made me wish I was younger, healthier and wealthier...LOL.  I would have loved to travel to see many of the things that I now watch that other people filmed for such as me.  We are the ones that never had and probably, at this age, never will be able to see in real life.  The Masai Mara is safe from such as we....LOL!

I would also have loved to travel to Australia.  I would have avoided Darwin...the area that has the salt water crocs.  I've seen the documentaries that have shown how those suckers can really jump and snatch prey like you wouldn't believe.  And even man is not safe from them!  My son, Mustachio, was on a ship that often stopped in Australia to resupply.  That meant liberty for them.  He told me that they were actually ordered NOT to get near the water and small piers when they were near Darwin.  They saw some of the crocs and it was enough to make them shake in their boots!  They were HUGE.  

After living in Florida as long as we did, neither crocodile nor alligators had any fascination for me.  We had both there and they were everywhere.  Sometimes, it was hard to avoid them.  No, my fascination is with koalas and kangaroos in the wild.  I don't need to be able to pet them or even get close.  I would just love to see them in their natural state.  But I am only able to sit in my swing, drinking my sweet tea with my eyes closed and envision being there.  

I see the koalas in my minds eye, eating the eucalyptus leaves slowly while clinging to a limb and watching for possible predators.  They look so peaceful and soft.  They have such sweet faces.  Makes you want to hold one and just play with them like you would a rather large kitten.  But, of course, you can't do that and they aren't kittens by any means.  But they are adorable.

A kangaroo comes bouncing by, searching for the grasses they need to survive.  It has a young joey in it's pouch.  Aww, isn't that adorable?  I guess all young animals are adorable and interesting to watch.  They are so funny while they are learning the things they need to know to be independent once they are grown.  In the animal kingdom, that comes so soon compared to humans.

Now I see the Great Barrier reef.  Mustachio actually scuba dived and even took underwater pictures of the huge clams, the brain coral and the incredible variety of fish.  It was breathtaking to him and I enjoyed the pictures he took.  He was sorry he only had the film he did that day.  He felt if he had three or four more times the amount of film, he could have used it all up.  He was enthralled.  There were large sting rays, lion fish that are beautiful but deadly, too many to even name and some he and I didn't even know the names of.  But they were colorful and amazing to watch.

So I watch documentaries and listen to the stories of others that have really been to all these places and I look at the pictures they took.  It's all filed away in my mind for these times of reflection.  I just open that door in my mind and let things float out for me to enjoy.  I can't visit in real life but I have learned to silently reflect on these things that I enjoy secondhand.  It will have to do.

Love you all.  Be good.  Stay safe and be happy.  Each day is a blessing.  Life is just too short.  ***Hugs***

Spaghetti....Mustachio.....Bratfink

Normally spaghetti tastes better the day after it's made and that was the hope for the spaghetti that the Beast made  yesterday.  Alas, it was not to be.  If anything, it tasted bland.  Why?  A couple things.  First, there is the need for men to experiment, instead of sticking with what works.  Second, he didn't use any Italian sausage in it.  Third, no garlic.  None.  Zilch.  I have no idea why he left out so many of the usual ingredients but even with his wonderful mushrooms, it was bland, bland, bland.

I had to salt and pepper it, also add some garlic powder and I used a dash of cayenne pepper.  That was just on mine.  I gave the Beast his AS IS.  I think he learned his lesson.  He didn't finish his spaghetti....LOL.

I am waiting until we get our SS checks on Wednesday to go out and shop for Chewlee's birthday present.  Her party is on the 31st mostly because of the special slip and slide (complete with pool that will collect the water) the Princess and Johnnycake's are renting for the party.  She had hoped to hold the party earlier but that was already going to other parties.  Why hold it earlier?  Mostly because it's so close to her due date.  She's been on bed rest already for several weeks because the baby has dropped so low.  She laughs and says she's ready for that baby to be born...any time.  I remember how that last month felt like the longest year of  my life...LOL

My poor son, Mustachio, fell a couple months ago on an icy driveway when he was working.  He had to have pins inserted to  stabilize his wrist bones that we crushed.  However, the surgeon put a cast on it that was waaaaay too tight.  He stood it as  long as he could (the pain, I mean) then went to the hospital and told them they had to take the cast off or he would take cutters and do it himself.  They removed it and could tell that  the cast had not allowed for swelling.  They put a removable cast on it (of a kind I have never heard of before...they microwaved it and it molded to his wrist and arm!)

However, he was in major pain and unable to even move his fingers.  He was finally referred to a neurologist who determined after tests that his problem was severe and he needs more surgery to relieve the pressure on the major nerve in his hand.  He just has to wait for approval from Workman's comp and it will be scheduled.  I think that he will then have big improvement in the movement and feeling in his hand.

I talk to him via the internet a lot and the poor baby has been in major pain.  Until and unless he can regain full use of that hand and wrist, he won't be able to return to his job.  AT&T requires 100% recovery.  He did, however, suggest to his manager that they give him a desk job that allows him to help out the techs in the field that run into problems.  They hired a lot of guys with no real experience as installers and they really need help.  However, Mustachio is one of the better techs out in the field when it comes to complex installations and/or problems.  His call back rate is damn near zero.  Managers don't want to see those guys leave the field.

I got a chance to chat with Bratfink today.  She got on YIM and we talked for about two hours, more or less.  However, I was tired and her leg was bothering her so I napped and she did too, I think.  It was nice being able to talk to her after so long.

Love you all.  Hope your week goes well.  ***Hugs***

A Nice Mother's Day

I had a nice Mother's Day.  Hope you did the same.  Did you call your mother/grandmother?  I got calls from both my sons (yes, Mustachio and I are fine now).  The Princess stopped by with Johnnycakes to bring me some really pretty and unusual flowers.

The weather was fantastic and I sat outside having coffee for a while.  The Beast left a bit early to pick up Chewlee to take to church with him.  The Princess asked her if she wanted too go with him and she said yes.  We knew, of course, that she missed seeing Birdie, the Child Whisperer....LOL.  True to her nature, she also took Chewlee home for a play date with her children afterward.  The Beast picked her up a few hours later and dropped her off at home.  The Princess and Johnnycakes had returned by then from seeing his grandmother at a small family gathering they had.

I spent a little time talking online with my friend, Carol, who had awoken early.  We spent an hour talking about little things before she went back to bed and so did I.  Even the Beast slept in due to it being overcast when we woke up.  It did, however, clear up later that morning and thus was a really nice day.  It did get up to 83 degrees outside but the humidity, thankfully, was low so it wasn't uncomfortable.

The Beast decided to make some of his spaghetti and meatballs but he forgot a key ingredient for taste....Italian sausage.  His meatballs were good but it was NOT his best effort.  It will be tastier today after sitting all night.  Isn't all spaghetti?  We'll have it with some good garlic bread today.  Yum!

We've been making the noon meal our biggest one most of the time and then eating light at dinner.  It's gotten so that I feel stuffed if we change that around and have our bigger meal at dinner.  It leaves me feeling a bit uncomfortable for some reason.  

Today, if it doesn't rain, we will go out to check on the strawberries.  Chewlee claimed there were a lot of strawberries but they were still green.  She actually had picked some of the ripe ones she saw and I had to scold her over doing that.  She could strip a whole section if you let her.  I told her she could NOT pick any unless the Beast or I were with her and said it was okay.  Sh eknows that those are the rules but she always acts like she had no clue.  I had to keep an eye on her on Saturday so that she didn't pick any of the flowers that are blooming in the flower bed.  That's another area she could strip easily.  She does love flowers but she doesn't know how to gather them correctly yet.  I told her the next time she has a sleepover, when she goes home to her mother, I will show her how to cut them so they last for a while when she takes them home.  That excited her.

The Beast said he forgot to fertilize the strawberries so he's going to have to put a light mix on them so that we don't end up with many small strawberries, instead of nice size ones.  It also makes a difference in how sweet they are when picked.  There are times when the Beast forgets his own head....LOL.

We've been clearing out the vegetable boxes slowly because it's getting harder to do with the leftovers of the Beast's compulsion to overdo things.  I think (hope) he's starting to see the consequences even with clearing the boxes every year.  At last, I sure hope he does.

Well, the day looks a bit chancy as far as weather goes.  Will have to wait and see what develops.  In the meantime, I have clothes to fold for the Beast and his sox to match up for him.

Love you all.  Have a great week and I wish you good weather.  ***Hugs***

It's Early For This Post....

...but I have Chewlee here for her sleepover and she is fast asleep for over two hours now.  I had fallen asleep while watching TV and so had she, along with her spare blankey that she keeps here.  She was using it as her pillow, however, and wasn't clutching it to her.  When she crawled onto the bed after I woke her, I just used it to cover her because she really wasn't awake.  I will put her under the comforter on the guest bed when I go in to sleep in a few minutes.  I am tired.

My son, Mustachio, and I had a kind of confrontation yesterday.  For some reason, he went off on a tirade about what a terrible mother I was when he was young.  It all had to do with the Golden Child.  Unfortunately, there was a lot of truth in what he said and he had me in tears because I just couldn't believe that he harbored so much hatred in his heart after all these years.  I got offline because he just wouldn't drop it and I spent an hour crying.  Later, when I got online again, it started all over so I gave it up.  I told him that I had apologized for that stuff several times and he should be able to get over it since I couldn't go back and make things different.  But he couldn't/wouldn't let the matter drop.  I got offline once again and stayed off.  But I didn't sleep and that is part of the reason I am so damn tired now.  I had to go to the Wound Center today and was amazed that I didn't have high blood pressure...LOL.

I love my kids and the Golden Child was given up on long ago because she preferred her drugs to family and friends.  But I have three others, five grandkids and two and 3/4 great-grandkids.  The Princess is due in less than 5 weeks now.  He accused me of still caring for the Golden Child and even told me that he had discovered where she was living (if you want to call living under a bridge living) and that I could go and give her all she deserved.  THAT really hurt me because it showed me that HE still cares enough to find her yet he accused ME of caring.  And, in truth, I found out that I don't really care any more.  She caused too much hurt in the family with her lies and all the stealing she did, some of which the other kids got blamed for.  She is already dead to me now.  Sad, don't you think?

But, I would have thought that Mustachio would have put all that behind him now.  He knows we have nothing to do with her.  We don't hear from her and make no effort to contact her.  We don't even try to keep track of her although I know the other kids do check from time to time.  I talk online to Mustachio all the time and thought we had a better relationship than was apparent last night.  I know it could be drink that brought it out but that sometimes just enables people to speak honestly.  It just breaks my heart.

Tomorrow they say partly cloudy with a 30% chance of showers.  We had some of those today but the temperature was in the mid-70's and should be the same tomorrow.  That's pleasant weather.  As I went to the Wound Center, someone was burning leaves and it brought back memories to me.  I have always loved that smell for some reason, although raking the darn leaves was never fun!  I was glad when that chore was passed on to my brothers...LOL.  But it may mean that Chewlee won't be able to play outside or ride her bike even.  I didn't see her friend from school being dropped off at her dad's next door to us but that doesn't mean she won't be there tomorrow.  Chewlee is hoping to be able to play with her.  They are good school friends.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Love you all.  Have a great weekend.  ***Hugs***

Looking Forward To The Visit With Chewlee.....

I am assuming that we will get Chewlee on Friday evening, after school.  I need to call the Princess tomorrow to make sure she doesn't have T-ball or something else planned.  I figure that Johnnycakes (and the Princess) will want Chewlee home for Mother's Day.  

But we have made our plans for having her here.  We have tortilla chips and salsa...pickles...chicken nuggets for her dinner....and I have a DVD or two that she likes that we can now play on my new DVD player.  She may also like to try on the ballet outfit that my friend Carol sent her and treat me to one of her performances.

 I just adore that kid and I wish I had had more of my grandkids living around me while they were growing up.  My mind skips to Sheepie, who was stolen by her dad and kept away from the family for too many years.  We found her a few years ago and got to spend Holidays with her by sending for her (we paid her way).  Then, when things got too hairy with her dad, she went to live with her mother for two years.  She got engaged during that time and, after graduation, came down here to live.

I wish she and the Princess had gotten along better.  It's meant that we don't see as much of her as I wish we would.  We waited so long to find her and now she avoids us like we have the plague.  Well, she does show up from time to time but not nearly often enough.  She's moved into her own place now and it must seem lonely to her and quiet!  That has to be kind of scary, no matter how much she looked forward to her and Teach having a place to call their own.

Well, time to post this.  Cooler weather on it's way along with some rain.  Nice start to the weekend, isn't it?  NOT!  But that's what Spring is like, isn't it?  Love you all and I wish you a fantastic weekend.  ***Hugs***

We Take Many Things For Granted....

In talking to a friend in the U.K., I discovered that they don't celebrate Mother's Day there.  I really thought that had spread to both Canada and the U.K. but it hasn't.   We have a mutual friend (Carol in CA) and he had called her at work but she was too busy to talk to him.  He was a bit put off by it but both she and I tried to explain to him that it was a bigger Holiday than most others.  I told him that Sunday is always the busiest day at restaurants all year long.  It was a real shock to him because he thought it so strange.

I hadn't really thought about the Holiday or how it even started but, know what?  I really don't care.  Mothers are special people.  They love their children with all their hearts, even when they get broken.  They nurture them when they are infants and toddlers, go to PTA meetings, meetings with teachers, T-ball games, soccer games, baseball and football games, school plays, recitals of all kinds.  They take the kids shopping, on vacations, wash their clothes, make their beds and teach them many things they will need once they live on their own.  Mothers are truly special people and I would dearly love to be able to show that to my own mother.  However, she has been dead for many years now.  I think she knows how much her children love and miss her.  

As for me, the Beast has always been *Mr. Bah Humbug* about any holiday that occurs.  Even our wedding anniversary although he usually makes some kind of gesture for that one.  I was always the one that sent his mother a card every year.  He has no real sentiment in his makeup.  I think my kids inherited some of that from him.  A sort of so-so attitude about everything except, perhaps, Christmas and birthdays.  However, they all are very family oriented and that means their children first, which is as it should be.  Kids are special and we love to see them happy.  It's a real joy to see the smiles on their faces.  One day, those kids are the ones that will be celebrating Mother's Day with THEIR mother's, won't they?

We all enjoy getting together with extended members of our family.  Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents  and great-Grands when they were alive.  Even cousins and aunts and uncles that are twice removed.  We're Irish here and there are so many members of our *family* that we stopped considering just how we are related.  We are *family*.  

I think that it's difficult for people from other countries to understand many things we do here in the U.S.   Even such things as family reunions that occur because we want to get together, not just the ones that occur at weddings and funerals.  We don't give such things a second thought until we have friends from other countries that express surprise when we mention them.  Like I said, we take many things for granted.   Things we should be grateful for being able to celebrate in our own way.  I kind of feel badly for all the mothers all over the world that don't have a special day like we give to mothers here.

If your mother is alive and well, don't forget her this Sunday.  Call her, or stop by with some flowers and a card.  Tell her you love her.  Life is short.  Don't take her for granted.  She forgives you when you forget such things as Mother's Day and her birthday.  Let her know you love her, too.

Love you much.  ****Hugs****

Another Fine Day

Yeah! Yeah!  I know it's boring to hear that it's another nice, warm day here but I really DO love it!  I had to run up to Walmart today to pick up some prescriptions and the Beast was dragging his butt because he has to put up more paneling before he can put up the shelves he wants.  I had to give him a hand with one of his cuts but that's not a big deal as long as you hold it steady while he pushes it through the saw.  I'm used to it now since I 've done that  job for years...LOL!

When I ran up to the store, I picked up a couple things the Beast had forgotten...like more whipped cream for the strawberry shortcake.  I also picked up some pound cake since I do prefer that to those stupid cups.  Actually, I'm just a bit tired of them and wanted a change of pace.  I also picked up some more tortilla chips since we are having Chewlee for a sleepover this weekend.  She loves chips and salsa.  The Beast had picked up both last week but (blush) I ate the majority of them.  I shouldn't have but I crave them at times.  It doesn't take much to get over that craving but I really hate that the Beast gets those little bags of the tortilla chips.  They aren't much good for more than four or five sittings with salsa.  The Beast likes them, too.  I bought the BIG bag so, no matter what, there will be chips left for the weekend.  Chewlee and I will watch DVD's and eat salsa and chips before bedtime.  It's one of those things we share when she is here.

The pharmacist said they could only partially fill one of my prescriptions.  Since I had ordered just the Plavix and the Gabapentin (which is for my neuropathy in my feet), I had a feeling it would be the Gabapentin that was short.  I'll say it was short.  I normally get 180 a month and this was just 15.  I was trying to set up my 7 day pill container (thanks again for it, Bee...I don't know how I managed without it) and wasn't really sure how many I was short.  However, it worked out fine.  I have three left and the balance of my pills is supposed to be in tomorrow.

That's another thing I hate about getting older.  The medication.  The stuff you have to take every day, several times a day and probably for the rest of your life.  Who would have thought....!  I know I never thought about that.  It was bad enough back when I just had to worry about taking one birth control pill every day.  Ahh!  But those days are long gone now...and thank goodness for that small blessing.

I checked the peach trees and they are all full of blossoms.  The bees are very busy and no Japanese beetles in sight so far.  The Beast has a couple of the traps out for them but I am NOT going to look inside.  Now it's just cross your fingers and wait.  The pear trees are also in bloom.  I haven't checked the plum yet and I just ignore the cherry trees.  The birds beat us to them all the time because we don't have netting to keep them off.  The Beast just won't listen so we do without cherries.  My frustrated farmer has turned his attention to a garden instead these days.  But he does seem to have an amazing touch there.  He's putting my cukes on the deck this year because *I* wanted them...not him.  I can take care of them a lot easier, too, so I was glad he was going to do that for me.

Not too many hummingbirds that I've seen so far but they tend to feed early in the morning and at twilight.  I think it's better that they feed off flowers and I do have some of the type they like out front.  I don't go out there early in the morning because I don't want to change out of my jammies that early.  And, don't forget, Dennis is building his house so there are workmen out there bright and early every day.  They start around 6am (I am NOT kidding!) and they can leave around 2 or 3 in the afternoon so it's really not that bad a day for them.  They are working on the inside of the house now so it's not like they are always out in the sun.  The tile people come outside a lot because that is where they have the special saw they use to cut tile (it has water that runs over the blade and tile).  It's amazing the different angles they can cut that way.  A real art.

Dennis and Dianne's house is really starting to look great.  It's a beautiful house and, once the decorative trim around the front patio is done (there are going to be lighted columns), it will be amazing.  They finally have their RV out in the driveway to the barn (as we call it...it's really a garage that was specially built to hold the RV and all the accessories that they pull along with it).  Now they get natural light during the day and can plug directly into the special electric box that was installed for it.  Their TV reception is also better...LOL!

They have this amazing pile of debris from the wallboard, the tiles and the roofing on their patio area out front.  Dennis was almost shell shocked at the idea of having to remove that before they can tile the patio area.  The house has had all kinds of little things that ended up costing more than anticipated but they had very specific requirements and some of the materials were just not available locally.  Ka-ching!  Ka-ching!  I just laughed and told them that they will at least have the house they both wanted.  Dennis said...*Yes, and we will die in that house, believe me!*  I think he meant they would grow old and die in it and never move or build again.  At least, I hope that was what he meant.  Hmmm.

Oh well, we have maybe two more days of nice sunny weather before the cooler weather moves in on us along with some rain.  Maybe we will have the vegetable garden started then and will welcome the rain so we aren't using tap water on it all the time.  I told the Beast to use the rain water we have in our rain barrel but he keeps thinking it's for emergencies.  Well, duh!  It refills when it rains.  Sheesh.  The man doesn't think.  The garden would do much better using it but..hell, I'm a woman.  What do *I* know?

Love you all.  Have a great *Hump Day*.  ****Hugs****

Talk About A Dummy!

My friend, Carol, worked all day long in her son's florist shop and I knew she wasn't feeling well so it puzzled me.  I asked her why she was there so long since she usually only works a little over half a day.  Today she worked overtime!

She said it was normal for her to work 9 hours a day the week prior to Mother's Day.  I had no idea that Sunday is Mother's Day.  Duh!  Call me dense.  I've seen the ads on TV for sending flowers, chocolate dipped strawberries, etc. but thought it was just early advertising.  Shows you how much attention I pay to those things.  But, since my mother has been dead for many years now, I guess it just hasn't been all that important to keep track of either.  Oh well!

My granddaughter, Sheepie, asked me about Carol's son, the one that does the glass blowing, could make her something nice for her living room and how much it would cost her.  Carol told me that he wouldn't be able to blow glass....just do something that is very different...like make some jewelry that is like what she sent me or things like paperweights that are made of glass and are attractive.  I gather you need something called a *hot room* in order to blow glass.  Even if they get one of the special ovens, he will only be limited to doing some smaller, attractive things.  I asked about him doing a tray, perhaps, but she isn't sure they can get the underlay glass base for one.  

She said she had a really nice paperweight if Sheepie is interested in it and she would send it to me for her....free.  I told her I would ask her about that if and when she calls me or comes over.  I tried to call her on the number I have for her and it says it's not in service.  So I am at a loss over that.  I hope she reads this and gives me a call or stops by.  Love you, Sheepie.  ***Hugs***

It was hot here today.  It got up to 85 and at least there was a breeze.  Not that it made a difference to me.  I stayed inside...LOL.  There goes my plans but the Beast wasn't up to it either.  He did go out and price what it would cost him to put up some shelving in the cottage.  He doesn't have near enough in there for everything he has placed all over the darn floor.  I have a couple things I need to go out and get from there.  Things I put in when we painted this room that I didn't need all the time but have needed a time or two lately.

Love you all.  The good news is that the weather will continue to be warm for a few more days.  The bad news is that it will get cooler but will also carry the chance of rain here...again.  I hope you all have better news.  ***Hugs***

Our First Hot Day...

Today was HOT!  I mean sorta, kinda.  It was 85 degrees and almost no wind to speak of.  My computer room got so warm with just my window fan that I got nauseous.  Once I turned on the overhead fan, it felt much better and the nausea cleared up.  But I ended up napping for over four hours and felt just awful that I lost that much time.

I DID do my washing.  I really needed that to be done.  I have all my jeans back now.  The Beast got the trim board nailed down well (I knew he would use the nail gun...LOL).  Now we just have to get used to it being there and not stubbing our toes on it.  I found that it really didn't affect me much since I don't drag my feet but the Beast may have a problem with it since He does.  It's one of the more lasting effects of his strokes.  Oh well!  He'll learn or else have stubbed toes all the time.

I have to call the dermatologist tomorrow and make an appointment  for him.  He has a sore on his forehead that I am sure is another skin cancer.  He's been trying to heal it with lotion since it felt like a patch of dry skin at first.  But I looked at it and told him he needed to see the doctor over it.  He hates his old dermatologist but I found him a new one in Huntsville.  Her reviews were good so he told me to go ahead and make the appointment.  I think she will be horrified if she looks at his arms.  I KNOW he's got patches on them, too.  But he just hates to go so he ignores it like it will go away on it's own.  We shall see what happens.

I did manage to plant a few of the flowers that I wanted to get in the ground.  Tomorrow will be another hot day and I will have to get the rest of them planted then.  The Beast also wants us to start clearing out the vegetable boxes, too.  He's become anxious to get his tomatoes and things in the ground, too.  He loves his vegetable garden.  He's been keeping the strawberries watered and actually made the comment that the weeds don't seem to be growing in there.  I laughed and told him it's because I weeded a few days ago...LOL.  He just doesn't pay attention sometimes.  Those weeds were big ones.

I'm anxious to see if we get any good peaches this year.  I told the Beast to get his Japanese beetle traps out now and not to wait.  I would love to have peaches that don't rot from the inside out.    Those damn beetles just kill off so much of the fruit with laying their eggs in them.  His traps work since they will weigh a few pounds by the end of the season.  Sometimes we have to replace them because they get so full.  We'll see how this year goes.

Remember the neighbor who had his big shed collapse from heavy winds and the fact that he roofed it before putting up any wall support, just had framing?  Well, its rebuilt now.  It looks really good but the Beast went over and looked at it a couple days ago.  He found the roof was only attached on one side (? what  goes with that?) and there's no real attachment to the base that will stand up to a heavy wind.  We get some heavy winds around here, too.  I told him he should mention that to our neighbor and he hates to seem like a busybody.  But I told him that he would be irresponsible not to do that since he is friends with that neighbor.  He could do it quite easily if he used the right approach.  Like it was something he noticed and wondered when they planned to do those things with our windy month coming up.  The not attaching the roof on one side might actually be an oversight.  Otherwise, it looks great from the outside.  He even put a nice long porch along the side of it that he plans on screening in.

Well, more hot weather coming up and, for the most part, if I am outside, I shouldn't feel nauseous.  I'll keep both fans on to keep this room comfortable for when I come in to get on the computer.

Love you all.  I hope you have a great weekend and an even better week.  Take care.  Life is short .  ***Hugs***

The Beast And His *Major* Tasks....

I have talked before about the Beast and his *one major task* per day need.  I truly think that he believes if he doesn't do that, he will die.  Oh, not immediately, but soon after he loses that drive.  Today he decided that he had to finally put the finishing touch on the separation between the tile in the kitchen and dining area and the wood flooring in the living area.  He had been putting it off because of the height difference...maybe 1/4 inch or so...between the two.  And then there was the space between them...maybe 1/3 of an inch?  It looked unfinished, for certain.  We had just gotten used to it and vacuumed that space on occasion just because a lot of dog hair ended up in it.

So, he takes this long ass piece of trim wood down from wherever it was that he had stored it.  Then he measures the area from wall to wall (or so he thought).  On the one wall, we have the bookcase the Beast built a few years ago and it's attached to that wall (with a space behind it)...on the other wall was our etagere but that was easily moved for the measurement.  What the Beast forgot was that the back of the bookcase was a solid piece of wood.  It went completely down the back and didn't have the same opening that the front did.  As a result, the trim is about 2" short of reaching the wall.  But we have no plans on moving that bookcase so he shrugged it off because he had already cut the wood.

Since he had to cut a bevel in the bottom of the wood, I had to give him a hand guiding it on the table saw.  It took three times to get it right (deep) enough so that it laid down right on top of the tiled area.  Not exactly like it was just HIS project....LOL!  But he finally got it so that it laid down correctly.  Then he spent some time sanding it and rounding the outer edge that lay on the wood flooring.  Got me so far?

After that, it was time to stain the wood.  The Beast had some stain that matched the wood flooring perfectly but he couldn't find it where he normally stored his stains.  I suggested a few other places that I had seen paint/stain so he said he would look again.  He found the stain.  Want to know where?  On the shelf just ABOVE where he normally puts the stains.  Duh!  Trust him not to look any further than where he expects it to be.  I knocked him on his forehead and said, *Is anyone there???*  At least he laughed!

So his major project is just sitting there, on the floor, drying well before he secures it.  That will come tomorrow and I think he is just going to nail it down to the flooring side.  That's the easiest way other than the Gorilla glue I suggested to him.  He just gave me *that* look.  You know, the one where they think you lost your mind.  I was only half kidding because I knew it was going to be a problem for him.  I'll bet he uses the nail gun, tho', just because it is both easier and will allow him to nail it down without hitting himself or the tile.  He isn't really as steady of hand as he used to be....LOL.

It was wonderfully warm today and the umbrella that the Beast bought and installed yesterday (yes, that was the main project for Friday) came in handy.  It was actually 78 degrees outside and sunny and bright.  Even the humidity dropped down to 40% so it was comfortable to sit outside and watch the hummingbirds fight over the feeder.  That's normal behavior for males but it keeps the females from getting at it until the males are done feeding.  I guess you would call it a *food fight*...LOL.

Love you all.  I hope you have a truly wonderful weekend.  I will be busy washing clothes tomorrow since I have run out of clean jeans.  I have a closet full of shirts and blouses and only two pair of dress slacks hanging up that aren't part of an outfit.  My outfits are for winter and fall mostly and too dressy for everyday wear.  **Sigh**  So, washing tomorrow and then planting some more flowers when the Beast goes to church.  

We are looking at a week's worth of warm/hot weather and no rain (we hope!) until next Saturday.  I'm excited at the prospect.  It means coffee on the deck in the mornings and good weather to finish cleaning out the vegetable boxes in the back before the Beast starts his garden.  The strawberries are full of flowers so we should be getting some nice strawberries very soon.  I'm loving it!  Be good.  Enjoy yourself a little or a lot...whatever makes you happy.  ***Hugs***