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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

$3 Slow Cooker & Kroger Sale

$3
 
I found this Hamilton Beech-Proctor Silex (says so on the bottom) slow cooker for $5 at a garage sale but did not get it. Later, I stopped by on the way home and offered her $3 in ones that I waggled out the window. She took it. It really does not look so dirty as in the picture. It is in the wagon, waiting to come indoors, but I figured I should get the picture when I could. I could then.
 
The cooker needs to be washed. Then, I can put some water inside and plug it up to see if it works. Keep your fingers crossed.
 
Once, I said I never wanted a crockpot. Then, I bought a $1 tiny crockpot/slow cooker. That teeny one is only useful for heating something. Someone sent me a larger Crockpot that I love. I love it so much that I wanted a smaller one for the times I just don't need a large one or want to cook two different kinds of meat in quantity. So, the yard sale slow cooker may be the answer to my wishes.
 
Exbf took it out of the car and put it in his car, so I searched all week for it. He thought I wanted it in a box to store it. ??? At any rate, It's home now.
 
Soon, I will be like udy with a J and have a whole cadre of crockpots. If I never need to cook for a crowd, I am set. She cooks many meals at once in crockpots, in the oven and on the stove. The whirlwind cooking frenzy leaves her with meals in the freezer and helps them not to eat out so often. She has meals for lunches, single servings, and meals for their dinner every night.
 
One day, I will cook meals like she does--marathon style--and not have to cook for a month. That may happen before I have knee surgeries and back surgery.
 
Right now, I am going to bake cookies and put color on my hair. And, try not to rub my eye.
 
That was Monday night. Now, it is Tuesday night. The cookies never were baked. But, I did put color on my hair. I only got hair-color-diluted-water in one eye--of course, the operated on one. But, it seems okay 24 hours later.
 
Cookies tonight? Maybe. But, I have to wash the soaking Crock Pot and put meat in it. I found boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.99/lb. at Kroger when I went to Huntsville for a visit to my orthopedic surgeon. I can get two or three meals out of one of the huge breasts, so the price is doable for me.
 
9:12 pm
Okay, the four huge breasts and a scrawny one are all in the Crock Pot from my secret friend. I sprinkled Mrs. Dash, Lemon Pepper, all over and may put in a can of mushroom soup later. I have to climb to find it, so maybe not.
 
 
Your turn
Have you ever purchased a second-hand Slow Cooker/ Crockpot? Did it work? How many Crockpots do you have? Do you ever cook in several at once? Or, cook in s crockpot for freezing meals?

Monday, September 29, 2014

Free Pears

 
a pear in hand
 
 
I have found a pear tree. Yes, my nail polish is chipped. I don't sit all day. Plus, this nail polish was put on last Wednesday. Tonight, I redo.
 
 
barely over my head
 
 

 
rotten pears on the ground
 
The pear tree is around the corner and down the street that is next on the main road to the north of my house, two blocks from my house. The guy said he was just visiting, so help myself. Notice the cleanup happening.


 What I saw!
YAY! I found a new tree
Look at the lovely sky!
 
 
The ground, however, was still covered in pears. This falling of pears has been going on for two weeks. I did not go sooner to ask because of the fruit flies in the house and the cataract surgery. I went now to get a stick in my eye to annoy the optometrist! You just know he would say that. Hopefully, I can get rid of most of the fruit flies tonight. I found things they were after--fruits and vegetables stored out of the refrigerator. Fruit flies like onions, even fresh ones....grrr. 
 
 

 
 yep, rotten
 
The hens would love these! I may go back and get a bucketful for them later. Today, I was dodging yellow jackets. These on the ground are probably full of yellow jackets, so maybe I will share my good ones. 
 
 
2012 pears
 
I will probably take the fruit picker next time I go pick pears. This and my arm reach 17 feet. With both torn rotator cuffs, I probably can only reach 15 feet high.
 
 

mystery fruit
 
As I was driving along near my house, I saw the fruit tree between the two trees. 
 
 
looks like plums
 
 

mystery fruit
 
I was so intent on finding fruit that the green "fruit" to the right of the weedeater caught my attention. After straining to focus, I realized it was just tennis fruit. lol I have to go back since no one came to the door.  
 
 
20 pounds of pears and no picture. Ha! I will put up one later. I am so tired and feeling like being lazy.
 
I am hoping to finally rid myself of the plague of fruit flies tonight. If not, they will attach these when I try to store them or cut them up. Right now, they sit in front of the window ac. I am hoping the cool air will dissuade them from gathering on the fruit. Dehydrating them may be the next step.
 
Your turn
Have you found any free fruit lately? Do you put it up? How?
 
 
 

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Dust if you must



Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain.
This day will not come 'round again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not always kind.
And when you go and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust
 
Rose Milligan
 
I have no idea where I saw this. Do you?
 
Rather than dust, I would sew, read or go to a theatre production...sit in my swing, cook, travel.
 
Your turn
What would you do instead of dust?

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Around the Yard

"Why are we in here so early?"

 

 Early this evening, I heard the raccoon leaving the house, so I ran to feed the hens and trick them into their pen. An hour later, I came back out and they were all three sitting facing the door. In this picture, Thelma is getting up. She is expecting me to come into the pen with more food or to let them out. When I got to the door, they were all on their feet and moving away from the door. No, I did not open the door or go in. Notice how large Maggie May is getting. She is closest to the camera. She still does not have enough comb to indicate she might start laying or to tell me whether she is a she.

 
This hole is about three feet across and six inches deep...sigh...their newest dust hole spa.
 

another dust hole spa location
 
 
This dust bath location is where daffodils died earlier this year. It was sort of bare-ish, a condition the hens cannot resist. They don't have to work so hard to get through the St. Augustine grass.
 


 
two small tomatoes
 

There was one the other day. I suppose these are grape tomatoes. Even though I was hoping for larger ones. Well, two bites are better than none. This is my total "harvest" this year.

Today is the first day this week I have done more than just feed the hens. I actually cared about looking around. I even lopped a few limbs over my head, probably activity forbidden by the surgeon.

About the pear tree--I may not get pears or even ask. The million fruit flies sort of preclude bringing fruit home to work with. I have to buy one banana at a time, which means I don't have a banana each day. That drives me nuts. But, I do have the three quarts of dehydrated bananas.

Your turn
Does anyone have a smaller "harvest"? Isn't this better than listening to cataract talk? lol


New drops and new wireless internet question

I know you may be getting tired of hearing about cataract surgery and the aftermath. I called the surgeon's office in Birmingham and was given new eye drops, with identical ingredients. When I tried to pick them up at WM, they were out. So, I had to go to Walgreen's to get them. Then, I drove back to WM to ask about the identical ingredients. He seemed puzzled, too, but said the ingredient might be in a different base.

At any rate, when I put the new drops in, there was soothing not pain. Relief.

Charter came out for the umpteenth time and put in there router. At first, I was having trouble. The Charter guy would not touch my computer or give me advice. It was funny because my laptop screen kept going black, yet the light on the front of the laptop was lit. ATT guys would help. The guy wanted to leave before I could prove to myself that I had wireless. He said if I did not sign his little pad, he would remove the router and leave. People like me dealing with people like him should not own weapons...just kidding.

The wireless guy who put up the wire and installed modem moved my extension ladder. It was leaning against the back of the house, but lying. Yes, I know it is unsafe to leave ladders outside so people have no trouble getting into my house. At any rate, it is one foot from my path to hens. I could stagger and trip over it. This Charter guy refused to touch it. He quoted OSHA. I remarked that all the guys at Charter seemed to be "specialists. "Yes, ma'am, I am a specialist. This is all I do--install modems." I hope his old grandmother needs something some day and an asshole shows up. Bitter? YES!

Is there any way to do wireless alone? I mean--I have MagicJack and an antenna. I pay nothing for them once I made the purchase. So, is there a way to get a device like MagicJack or an antenna so I am free of companies?

My eye feels great. But, the last straw with this eye doctor (optometrist) is the fact he kept telling my pain and irritation in lashes at outer corner was where the incision was made. That is insulting to think I know no better. The irritation was like a person might get at the very corner of the mouth in cold weather. The doctor ran six feet from me to keep from having to look at it. I said, "Will you look at it, please?" "No, that is where the incision was made." "In the lashes?" That was the final straw with him. I really don't want to go back to him for my appointment on Oct. 2, but the other eye doctor probably will not want to take this in the middle of my appointments. I will find out Monday! I need a better bedside manner. More cooperation.

Keeping my head above my heart makes everything difficult with knee and back problems, and not being able to squat without excessive pain...sigh. I am going to wash my hair with eyes closed and keep my head high enough. The water will soak me and the floor...lol. Okay. I will have exbf rinse the hair color under the water hose, and an outfit will be ruined. Okay.

This stream of consciousness post kept changing channels...lol.

Are you sick of cataract stories and griping? I am.

Your turn
Does anyone know of a better way to get internet than a company? If it takes specialized equipment, I am okay with that because this costs $50 month.

Is the cataract saga getting old?

Friday, September 26, 2014

Thursday Night and Friday Morning


Friday morning about 3:30 am.

I put the last of the eye drops for the day into my eye. I could have sworn there was more fuzz in my eye. This drop takes my breath away. Maybe I am allergic to this particular drop.

One thing: I am getting so sick of friends in real life acting like I am silly or at fault for having problems.  This surgery is very inconvenient for me. First of all, I am not supposed to lift more than ten pounds. Okay, that is not usually possible for me. But, lifting the clothes hamper is something I cannot do. So, I have to half the load and go back for the rest.. My friend said she just had her husband lift it.  It is not that they are express how fortunate they feel to have someone to help, they are dismissive of my problem and act like it is a personal failing of mine.  Actually, they are not grateful there is someone there for them, they act like they are the superior being.  That is just ignorant.

A guy in the doctor’s waiting room said he had his wife put his eye drops in because he could not….for a month. She is out of town, so he just brought the drops to his appointment for the tech to put in for him.

Now, I am not talking about stories in my comments of your cataract surgery or your relative’s cataract surgery. No, I enjoy hearing what you have to say and really envy some of the outcomes. Keep telling me what it should be like.

The rules are “keep head/eyes above heart.” Do NOT get water in your eyes. That pretty much makes hair washing and hair coloring next to impossible. My hairdresser will not accommodate me and my dilemma. Soooo, who did I see today?--my hairdresser from 35 years ago. She still works and loves it and loves the people….what she said today. I will call her and at least get my hair washed.  She may not put on box hair coloring, and I cannot afford shop coloring prices.

Exbf could wash my hair and squirt the water in the wrong place so it got in my eyes. But, I might kill him before he finished, and I would have to find someone to finish it.  If I yelled at him for what he was doing, he would step back two steps and start to argue that he IS doing it right, and I would be soaked and yelling for him to just do it right.  Oh, I don’t have to even yell, just disagree and he stops what he is doing and comes to me to argue. He would never adjust the stream of water and continue.

Eating

After surgery, I was eating a meal of bbq grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and chocolate cake. I have no recollection of putting on my shoes, getting off the table or riding in the wheel chair, but I knew my meal when I saw it with exbf. People are shocked that I don’t throw up after surgery or even the anesthesia with my first two babies. Exbf laughed and said that was just like something I would do because the normal reaction to everything is just the opposite for me.  

 

I just know the employees at the surgery center who saw me eating were hoping I left before I threw up. I don’t even remember leaving or getting into his vehicle. After surgery only eating made an impression on me.

Then, on Thursday night when I put in the last dose of eye medicine, I thought my eye would explode. This may sound melodramatic, but let me put it in your eye. All the tissue around my eyeball was swollen and stiff and both eyes teared and my nose ran for hours. Finally, when the pain and swelling subsided, I went to bed at 7:30 am, Friday morning.

I called the surgeon at noon, 2 pm and 4 pm, fearing they would all go home and WM pharmacy would close before I could get a replacement drop. When I went to WM, they were out. So, I had to hightail it to Walgreens. As it turns out, this is the same medicine, just under a different name. I took it to WM and he agreed, saying maybe it had a different base or something.  I will go home and put it in my eye and see what happens. This agony occurs the minute it touches my eye.

I was given three eyedrops and so far, I am allergic or sensitive to two!

The eye doctor who was mean is different that the surgeon who I now will call—ONLY.

I told an employee in WM who just had same surgery with same surgeon, told her about my doctor. She screwed up her face and said she would never, ever go to him because she did not like him. Aha, I am not alone.

Okay, back is just about at its limit.

My hair is so filthy. I will not try the dry wash because the liquid turns to powder, something I cannot be around.

Over and Out on Friday night.

Wednesday Ordeal with Eye


Wednesday might

Shortly after I posted to my blog yesterday, I sat in my chair, leaned back and took my finger and rubbed my eyelid under my glasses. I imagined going blind by morning. My eye had been bothering me so for the last few hours, anyway. So, I tried to call the emergency number for the primary eye doctor and could not figure out how to leave a number message. So, I called the oncall doctor of the surgeon in Birmingham.

The surgeon on call cheerfully assured me I was okay. The primary eye doctor here was stern.

When I went to bed around midnight, I tossed and turned and could not sleep for the pain in my eye. Finally, after getting up to go to the bathroom four or five times, I took two more melatonin and went to sleep immediately. The phone was off and I awoke around noon.

Thursday

Finally, around 1:00 pm I called for an appointment for him to look at my eye. I felt no one was happy with me and tried to talk me out of my discomfort, but I got an appointment for 4:45 pm. The tech said my eyesight was still 20/20, “just like yesterday.” Dr. came in and was fussing at me. He looked in my eye and saw what was hurting me—a piece of some kind of “fuzz”  that was stuck “right in the wound.” You would have thought I did it on purpose.

He anesthetized my eye with drops. Seeing him coming toward my eyeball with pointy tweezers was not fun at all. But, he got it muttering that it looked like fuzz off a Q-tip or a Kleenex. I have not used a Q-tip for anything since surgery. The last Kleenex I used was handed me by his tech. So there!

My eye felt wonderful after he removed the fuzz. He said that was the drops that made me feel nothing. Well, the drops were put in at 5 pm. Now, at 11 pm, I still feel no pain at all. The pain with every blink is gone. OH! The strange thing was I could “see” my heartbeat. That quit, too, after the fuzz removal.

Then, he had a calm voice, but stern words of warning that “you need to follow directions about putting in the eye drops.” I was horrified, embarrassed, and shocked. When I objected and tried to show him the little chart given me where I checked off drops as I used them, he would not look and repeated twice more his warning that was more accusation. I still feel the sting of that. When I go back on Tuesday for my one-week checkup, I am going to tell him about it in a well-rehearsed objection. It is like he looked at me and decided I was not compliant!

There is no way I would not be compliant because this is my eyesight, something I value more than a limb. Okay, maybe I could spare one eye. lol

Fuzz stuck “in the wound,” as he put it, is not caused by lack of eye drops! Since I was the last patient, he may have been annoyed he had to stay until 5:15.

At this point, it will be a long time before I have the other eye done. I may just get a new lens for the right eye. There is no law one must have both lens in the glasses changed. I still have astigmatism. Reading close up with more ease is not possible, but far objects and print are sooo much better than before surgery.

At any rate, we all decided I should wear the little eye shield all the time instead of just at bedtime. However, the tape is burning my skin. So, I will wear it judiciously during the day. But, I will wear it every night for the next month. I cannot figure any place that will allow me to lie down or even has a chair to scrunch down in. Maybe I can go to the sixties’ style coffee house and snag an upholstered chair that is cast off and sweaty. Yes, I carry something to throw over it. Otherwise, I come home smelling like flop sweat.

Charter will come out Saturday between 3 pm and 5 pm to hook up my internet. Until then, I cannot read blogs. Well, I can, but I cannot sit up at BK or anywhere for long or my back will hurt too much the next few days.

So, shortly, I will go two blocks to the library and post this. At this point, I cannot tell anything was done to my eye, unlike the last 24 hours of discomfort since I managed to get “a piece of fuzz in the wound.”

Just thought of something—maybe the doctor was so mean to me because I was right about something being wrong with my eye this afternoon. Only I could manage to get “a piece of fuzz in the wound.” Yes, those were his words.  
.......................................................................................................................
1:30 am Friday morning, posting and cannot tell anything ever happened to my eye.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

After Cataract Surgery



Wednesday morning at home, written in Word. So a copy and paste in McD.

The aftermath of cataract surgery is awful. To start with, my eyes water and my nose runs ALL the time unless I am asleep. I have not yet gone to the doctor for followup today, so I am not sure how much wiping of tears I can do on the affected eye. At any rate, removing the tape feels like I am removing skin on my face. Where the tape is on my skin hurts all the time. A blink is excruciating. My eyeball hurts, especially with every blink. My lower eyelashes itch!

I have no internet. Exbf unplugged it all yesterday! When he got back to his home and I called and asked why, he said he thought I had Charter. I have spent five days telling him how Charter did NOT hook up my internet to them, that I was still using ATT.

Yesterday, on the day of surgery he managed to do just the opposite of what I asked and did not even make it to surgery. The staff was really annoyed. They kept telling me to call him.

To give you an idea of distance—my house is three blocks from the church, and the surgery center is three miles the opposite direction from the church.

Yesterday was the day of the church lunch. We went so I would not have to cook. He ate while I sat with a go-box with my food. I had about a Tablespoon of water in the form of three ice cubes. They were tiny cubes. So, I just talked to Fred who is going to take me to followup. I forgot to take a fork with me to eat after surgery.

We left too late from the lunch to put up the chickens before surgery (the plan), so I had him drop me off. He was supposed to get oats to lure them and a plastic fork for me and return.

“get a plastic fork in the cabinet next to refrigerator where they are standing in a cup. Put that in your pocket and put oats in a paper plate and toss it into the trash.”

Did he? He spent his time going into the house twice, searching the kitchen for a plastic fork and returning the paper plate to the counter. Lest you think I am a bitch, he can barely walk or get up the steps, so I was trying to be thoughtful by telling him to go into the house once, getting the fork and oats, tossing the plate.

AND, he has been around here for ten years and has gotten plastic forks from the cabinet next to the refrigerator. There was no need to search the dishwasher and the drawer. PLUS, I never refer to a “drawer” as “cabinet door” or “cabinet.” AND, he brought a good fork which is never to leave the house, ignoring three plastic cups with plastic utensils standing in them.

He drove me to the dinner and to the surgery center, so I was on high alert because he runs red lights and stop signs. When I said turn “”right after the green roof building” we could see 1/8 mile away, he did not slow down and had to swing wide to even get into the driveway and barely slowed down, entering the driveway on the left side and barely missing going into the grass. I hated to go to surgery so stressed. He let me off and then asked what to do. I told him what we decided. He parked, came inside and asked me again. ???

I think dementia is setting in. But, I have never told him. He denies I say things, like specific directions. And, he remembers some directions much differently than I give them. When he takes me to any doctor appointment or surgery, nothing goes right, and it’s all my fault.

Surgery

The nurses kept dropping things on the floor and were not going to clean them. Maybe the Oxygen sensor does not have to be clean when it goes on my finger, but I asked the nurse to clean it and her hands after she dropped it and had to drag it from under the bed I was on. Even though I did not see her touch the floor, it bothered me. The nurse putting the IV in my hand expected me to just hold up my hand with nowhere to let it rest while the nurse on the other side told me to open my eye for drops. Maybe I am a bitch, but I asked for my hand to be resting so the IV could be inserted without my having to be holding still in midair. I did make them laugh when I asked, “Can we just ask me to do one thing at a time.” Another nurse was asking me to “turn this way and open wide so I can put in these eye drops.”

Everyone was very nice. They got pillows to put beside me so my arms could lie on them. My shoulders hurt from the torn rotator cuffs if I don’t have something on which to rest my arms. They assured me I was lying high enough in the bed. When they rolled me into the operating room, I was told I was too low in the bed. ??? So, with my back and knees and shoulders hurting me, and the doctor probably standing and waiting, I had to try to slide up. They told me to scoot, but I cannot scoot, I have to raise myself up and move. They got my pillows in place again.

All the time they were squirting something else in my eyes and the IV. Mercifully, I cared less and less about what was happening. They had me sitting/lying in the hall, waiting with a tense nurse. When I asked her why we were in the hall, she said it saved time, that the doctor finished one patient and the next was wheeled in so he could remove that person’s cataracts.

I never was quite “out.” I expected not to be conscious of what was going on or be aware. He assured me I would. I perceived only changing lights and noises. I kept thinking about that. Or, maybe my perception was skewed by the drugs. I never saw a human or anything that made sense. I kept wondering what all the commotion was. Then, I was “out’ and unaware until later.

Before surgery, the doctor said I would be aware enough to look straight ahead when he told me to look straight ahead. If he communicated with me, I was not aware. But, maybe those were the garbled sounds I heard.

Then, I was back in the room and the nurse was yanking out the IV and other stuff was going on. No, I was not in the room. I don’t know where I was. At any rate, after a bit I was in a wheelchair back where exbf was sitting with my meal. I don’t remember riding in the wheelchair. I don’t remember getting into the wheel chair. But, I remember seeing my meal as I sat in a wheelchair. I devoured all the church food instead of the crackers and oj. . Later, I called him and asked where was my chocolate cake. He said I ate it at the hospital. RATS! I don’t remember enjoying it…lol

I slept well last night. I dreamed of something. My worst nightmare/fear was that I would shove aside the cover on my eye and injure myself. There is a plastic cover that I must keep taped on for several weeks.

It’s about 11 am now. I started writing at 9:30 and have done things and returned to writing. This post will go out after I am cleared to drive. Hopefully, that will be today.

By 5 pm I was cleared to drive.

8:30 pm on Wednesday. Going WM and maybe back here to BK. Tomorrow, I have appt in Huntsville for back.
 
Does all this show up well after copy and paste?

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

One Eye Done

It's done. From the time I got their until they let me go.12:10 am until 1:55. I can barely walk safely. Later. I am still terrified I will get infection or fungal infection in my eye--happened to a friend. Later

Monday, September 22, 2014

"Use One Teaspoonful Four Times Daily for Five Days"

Syringe with lid/cap and no needle


Well, that instruction is straightforward enough. Only, the doctor wrote it as "Take One...."  The prescription--Lidocaine. I was so puzzled. Finally, the pharmacist told me to swish it in my mouth and not swallow. "Do Not Swallow," she emphasized.

Yes, I really would have been swallowing this stuff!

Okay, I am still puzzled. I made two trips to the same doctor today, got a shot and five prescriptions. And, this was my second trip to the pharmacy at Walmart.  I am exhausted.

I went for several things this morning. The doctor had not turned in results from a physical, so the doctor's office was going to cancel my cataract surgery for tomorrow. I told him I needed it and handed them the form ONE MONTH AGO. Okay, it was 28 days ago. I did not know I had to have a physical. But, they did. Since I went for my ears and temperature, they could not do a physical on the same day, then or today. Please don't ask me why because those are the rules.  ???

Anyway, I went back at 5:30 for my sick appointment after the physical earlier today. Whew. My ear still hurt and throat was sore a bit, sinuses hurt, fever, and I was just sick. So, I got a shot that almost took away the rest of my ability to walk. It has been four hours and I am hobbling about like a seven-year-old boy who had to get a shot and is bleeding it for all it's worth.

The second thing was that I have had dozens of flea bites that happened two weeks ago that I claw until I have actually left bruises around the bloody places. For four nights I clawed my legs and ankles because the movement of the sheet and blanket made the bites itch and actually hurt.

I could not sleep until exhaustion set in around daybreak. Then, I had to get up with too little sleep or sleep most of the day. Neither was a good alternative to a night's sleep.

The doctor's office called in something for itching. OTC was not cutting it. The ointment prescription actually has something for pain, itching, and antibiotic. I was hoping the lidocaine was for my bites. I told the pharmacist that I was going to put it on my legs. She said it would work. After muddling it over and trying to decide how to apply viscous lidocaine without numbing my fingers or using too much on a Q-tip (swab) or a cotton ball, I mentioned a dropper.

After I asked about purchasing a bottle with a dropper, she gave me a syringe with a lid. Perfect! Yes, that is the picture at the top of the post.

Between the doctor visits, I made my final preps on the canning I have done for the Fair Contest. I left home at 11 am and arrived home at 9 pm tonight. For ten minutes I was here to feed and lock up the hens. For another 30 minutes I was here to finish up and gather up the canning.

Whew, I am exhausted. If I did not have a claw foot tub up against the commode (almost) I could not rise. Someone would find me stuck to the commode, dead, having starved to death. Well, since exbf is coming in about twelve hours, I suppose none of that would happen...lol.

However, getting relief for the flea bites is worth everything I went through today. Oh, I have not told you the half of this stressful day. Later. Also, I will edit this later...lol.

Your turn
Would have known to swish and spit with the directions in the post title? Have you ever swished Lidocaine? Do  flea bites hurt and itch for weeks? Intense itching?

Saturday, September 20, 2014

It Has Begun

Warning:
 
Scatology Ahead 


Before cataract surgery, I have to put drops in my right eye for three days. I don't know about anyone else, but I miss my eye half the time. I hope I have enough to last! Or, a refill.

And another thing--how shocking is it to have cold drops hit your eyeball? I don't care if I had to do this the rest of my life, it would not get one bit less shocking.

When I think about what I am having done, I feel like throwing up. When I think about it long enough, I have diarrhea. I really want to hit the bottle of valium--HARD. But, I won't. It is insurance. If I know it is here, I rarely take one to sleep. Last time, I took 2.5 mg and slept too long.

I know. I know. You are all gasping because I take valium. Get over it. The pharmacy workers all agree, said they know I am not an addict. They all laughed, saying they know who are the addicts. I won't take Benadryl because it makes me woozy and I sleep too long and I have a hangover!

No, I am not going to take a valium. I was up at four am and just had a bowl of leftover spaghetti. I can feel the spaghetti coma swallowing my brain. So, I am going to bed. It is midnight. I will go over the slugmama's blog and enter once more the giveaway. You should, too.

I still am petrified about the cataract surgery. And, just thinking about it again has made me queasy. Plus, they give me instructions when I am still half conscious, just have my eyes open. Exbf will be there to hear them, too. However, I asked him questions dozens of times after the colonoscopy and then called him at home to question him again. He will go home and not spend the night.

I want someone to sit up all night and watch me and not allow me to take off the cover from my eye and rub my eye. I ripped out stitches in my sleep, stitches on my eyelid, stitches that I should not have been touching. My eyelid just bled and I had a bad white scar. Since my eyelids always look like I have on eye shadow, the huge white scar was sooo evident.

This won't be edited at all...lol..cannot see or think. The spaghetti is winning.

Your turn
Is cataract surgery in your near or far future? Are you as scared as I am, petrified even? Are you afraid like I am that you will end up blind in one eye?

New Source?

Pear sauce?
Driving two blocks from my house in a direction I rarely go,. I saw the ground was covered with pears at one home. Later, I got this one pear from the ground. It is perfect, but most of the pears are only fit for the hens. The best part is the pears are chest high and up. I can easily pick two five-gallon buckets without any problem.

I have been thinking about pears and wondering how I was going to find some. Remember--the April 2011 tornado took out half the town and my pear tree on municipal property.

Now, catching the people at home and asking for more pears is my goal today. I hate fresh pears. It's the texture. Pears in a can are delicious! I can keep exbf in fruit for a month and put these up, too. I may try dehydrating this one.

More later.

Your turn
Did you ever wished for something right under your nose? Have you ever had homemade pear sauce? Raise your hand if you like pears in any form.  

Friday, September 19, 2014

You have until the end of September 19th


 
Coke codes
 

My Coke Rewards is giving double points on 12-packs codes of Coke products. I keep all those codes in an old Miracle Whip jar so they are not all over the place.  Those above are not all I have and it looks as though very few are from 12-packs. And, I just saw a quart bag of Coke tops.

Today is September 19th. I will wait until the 11th hour to make this more exciting.

I think all this info is correct. But, go to www.mycokerewards to check it out.

Your turn
Has anyone started following this promotion since I told you about it? Come on! Show me how much influence I have...lol.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Planning

50th
 
High School Reunion
 
 
Yes, this is a big one. While I have attended most of the reunions held every five years, I have never attended the Friday night part. Saturday night is the big dinner, dance, and festivities. Friday night does not have planned things except for the cash bar in the room where we will gather to talk with one another. Saturday night is very planned. And FUN.
 
I never attended Friday night because of the cost of staying two nights or I just was not interested. Mostly, it was the cost. Twice, I stayed at my sister's house on Saturday night, the sister who lived in Memphis and then West Memphis. Another time, I stayed with a lifelong friend and made his girlfriend angry. ugh The last two times, I just drove home from Memphis. Since the committee decided that north MS was a better place for the reunion, one of those drives home was from Mississippi, still a long drive back--five hours from Memphis and about the same from MS.
 
Since I have become so exhausted and back and knees hurt, especially from driving or sitting so long, I was worried about making it safely this year. Oh, I will have only one cataract removed by then. Driving at night might not be wise. So, what to do?
 
I emailed a long-ago friend/lover that I saw in Huntsville and spent time with him this spring. He lives in Maryland now. I told him the set cost of a room for one night, planning to drive up on Saturday, attend the Saturday night functions, and drive back on Sunday. On the list was gas $$$, motel $90, reunion $85, clothes $$$, gas $$$. He did not let me down.
 
Now, I have a motel room for two nights in a motel after his using points to obtain the room free. The Conference Center motel does not accept the points deal  I will have to drive a half mile to the reunion, but that's okay. So, he sent me a Postal Money Order. I am set. Meals will not be a problem. Saturday breakfast is real food in the motel! Saturday night is paid for. Friday night will be little, if any. Saturday lunch may be eating with friends, so that may be the only real meal I will eat. I will have a tiny cooler with yogurt, apples, bananas. I will carry Cokes and crackers for the room, plus other things that will maybe just be leftovers. I MUST have protein, so I might scrambled some eggs and heat in the microwave for one morning. I try not to eat scrambled eggs that are egg beaters.
 
Now, for clothes. Here is the plan. I will wear pants that I bought for $3, blouse bought half price--hot pink with gold jewelry. That is for Friday night. Saturday morning, I will wear different black pants that were on sale, black and white blouse on sale and yellow chunky necklace and bracelet on sale from a nice store here. There is lots of yellow in fall clothing. (I may rethink the yellow.) Then, Saturday night, not a really dress night, I will wear a black knit maxi-dress ($3) with little knit shrug ($4) and gold jewelry--some is real gold.
 
About jewelry: There was a time when I wore earrings every day, even to go to the mailbox....for about four or five years. Then, I just quit one day. This summer, I decided I needed to clean up my act, so earrings again is the rule, all the time, every time I go to even get gas. (But, I forget!) I wear long, dangly ones because of my longish hair. Now, this time around, I have added bracelets. Going to school and working, bracelets either hurt my hand because of what I was carrying or got broken, so that is no problem now. Still, they are not so important. Just earrings, long earrings, dangly earrings.
 
If it is cold, I will wear a long-sleeved sweater. All these things are sleeveless. or have a little bit of cover on tops of my arms. (Remember, I am warm-natured and this is the South.) It is rarely cold around the middle of October. If it rains, I have the hot pink coat I got in 2001 and hounds tooth umbrella. Yes, I have planned it all. Now, for shoes. I am not sure my dressy flats will fit since I have not worn them in about six years and have gained weight. So, there is that to figure out. At least I have money to buy some.
 
I have a month to figure it all out. At this point, this is what I have purchased. If I see other clothing to wear to the reunion or just things I really need or couldn't afford and lust for, I have money left. Yes, I saved out gas money.
 
What's left? Change oil. Wash car. Wax car? Have alignment problem fixed. Buy two tires! Ugh. No, I won't be able to do all that from the money he sent. Figure out what is wrong with both big toes that seem to have fungus under them, then turn blue, then recover after apple cider vinegar. Oh yeah, get the one cataract, at least, removed.
 
That's not much, right? Ha, it's plenty for me. And way over my budget even with the $280 in cash he sent me along with two free rooms. Sooo, those things are what I will work on until then. The alignment problem and tires are waaay out of my reach.
 
The problem I cannot solve before the reunion? I AM FAT. Please don't try to console me over that!
 
Your turn
Do you attend your high school reunions? Are they held every five years or ten? Would you wear the yellow so late in the year?  

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Reduced Prices Today

half price, I think
 
I went to a certain grocery store to cash a postal money order. That is a story for tomorrow. When I go to this store, I always check the reduced meat freezer. There was only beef and sky high! So, I wandered down to the other reduced cooler and found a few things. I always pass up the produce reduced cart because it is gross.

The Greek yogurt was $0.50 each. The 16 oz. cottage cheese was $1.35, and the breadsticks $1.39.
The total without tax was $3.74.With tax I paid $4.08. I can save the milk and have this as my dairy. The bread needs something on it.

 I like plain yogurt so I can add my own unsweetened fruit. Or, I put it in a smoothie. It has been ages since I bought cottage cheese, but I like a can of peaches and cottage cheese. The juice, while tasty,  gets tossed because of the sugar. Breadsticks are new to me in the can. However, the spaghetti I am making for exbf and me on Friday will be great with breadsticks.

Everything above has a sell-by date of September 17, so it is still fresh. If I were going to use the produce the same day, it might be okay. It certainly is cheap. One day, I bought two half gallons of milk on the sell by date. It was okay until the last two glasses, so I put chocolate in it to mask the off taste.

My friend who worked for an attorney and died about three years ago would come into town with a cooler in her car and several 2 L bottles of frozen water. She would go to this grocery store before work, buy meat and dairy and sometimes produce--all reduced. In the summer, she carried the cooler in her office. In the bitter cold winter she could leave it in the car. She said she never bought most things full price.

My mother would be eating cottage cheese and applesauce some days when I went to the kitchen. I love both cottage cheese and applesauce, but together the thought made me gag. Finally, to appease her I tasted it. Yummy! She was sooo happy. You know how mothers like to be right about getting a child to eat something different...lol. "I knew you would like it if you ever tasted it." Well, she kept trying to get me to eat cantaloupe, too, and I knew that was gross, even with cottage cheese. So, I was wary.

This store is not a chain, so prices are higher except when they reduce things.

Your turn
Do you have a store that puts out meat and dairy daily that is going out of date? Did or does your mother press you to try something new or a new combination? Do you resist sometimes? What bargains have you found so far this week?

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Onions in the Window

onions second growing

 
After I used the tops from a $0.50 bunch of onions, I decided to regrow onions. I put the onions with still a bit of green and plenty of roots into this little container and set it in the window. Above is the second "crop" of onions.

Actually, while I was cooking I asked exbf to make them stand up and water them. I suggested maybe a spoon would somehow help them stand. So, he put a spoon in the container and watered them.

It was nice to snip off a bit of an onion or cut them all down with scissors to use for the meal I was preparing. Yes, they are sitting in the window. None of the pictures were clear, so I hung a towel up to keep sunshine, dirty window, and outdoor spider webs from muddling the onions' beauty.

The little container is what I put sweeteners into when I have outdoor parties. It cost me a quarter at a yard sale.

I have regrown celery and other vegetables in the window in the past. Sometimes, I actually put them in soil!

Your turn
Do you regrow vegetables? What kind has been most successful for you?

Monday, September 15, 2014

Big Cat in the County?


cougar

Oh, rats! This will keep me in at night! A few years ago, a woman called the police twice, saying she had seen a Bengal tiger. Just in case she was right, I did not leave my house after dark for two months. I felt suffocated living this way.

After the two dogs attacking me, I am nervous going out at night. Then, this!

Your turn
Do you live in an area where wild animals regularly roam? Does it keep you on your toes or armed when you leave your home--just to go on your property or to the car to leave?

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Blue Tractor Fabric

Ford?


This is such cute fabric! I am not really fond of the green John Deere fabric. When I am at Walmart, I browse the huge fabric section and look for chicken prints. Aren't Ford tractors blue? When I placed a quarter over the tractor, the pipe on the top and half the back wheel were visible. 

I want some of this! But, do I dare? I am not sewing much right now. So, it may just sit. There is plenty of fabric just sitting here now. There is a box in front of me to sort according to whether I want to keep or donate. I would make an apron or napkins from this print.

If it were a chicken print, it would be home with me right now! I don't have enough money right now to hoard fabric!

Update:
After posting, I saw three little things in the fabric. When I put the laptop screen to my face, I realized this is International Harvester!

Your turn
How is your fabric stash? Do you ever look just to look? Does anyone make napkins or aprons?

Friday, September 12, 2014

What Do You See? Car Body Work!


What do you see?
Look closely!
 
Last week, I noticed a small yellow bit of something on this plant. I walked over to examine it closely. Just as I suspected, it was a tomato blossom. I took this photo well after dark. The plant is much greener and healthier looking. Really! This week, I spotted a second blossom. I suppose it has fallen off and a new tomato is on the way. I really did not feel like looking for it in the dark.
 
The plant is sitting in the 4x4 box that has fallen down, well mostly. The tomato cage was put in it so the yard could be mowed. The hens have spent this year scratching and bathing in it. There were probably more tomato and other plants, but the hens took care of that! They are good like that--destroy any tender or not-so-tender plant life is their mission. Practice must be done daily and vigorously!
 
I put the sd card in my laptop and went to the kitchen for a glass of milk and a banana. This was the first picture I edited. Suddenly, I was thunder struck! There was a tomato worm on my plant. I practically ran with a flashlight and plastic bag to pluck it off. ??? Nothing. Nothing. But, I found the culprit. It was a weather-worn feather. So, I plucked it off. That was a scare. Okay, so the "intruder" above looks like a caterpillar in the picture, not a tomato horn worm. Remember, I have cataracts.
 
 
spider
 
The spider that readers identified for me moved next to the door instead of in front of it. Now, the spider decided that in front of the bathroom window was a better place. He depends on the light to draw in dinner, I suppose. So, that is where he sits in wait.
 
different kind of spider
 
 
This picture was taken at dusk and enhanced to see anything. The spider is in the middle. I had to stand very close, so I just got the flash off the dark body. Can you see the little tufts in the web? One is at the top left. There are two under the chair. Then, there is one at about 5 o'clock under the spider. There are two that have bushes for the background, but they are not easy to see.
 
What are the tufts? they have a central location and then just filmy threads that blow in a breeze. Is that were captured bugs reside? Is the fluffy tuft a lure? What kind of spider is this?
 
the latest body work on my car
 
Did you know that oak trees self-prune? They do. Since 2000, I have not had a carport. This just ruins a car. Not only is it sitting in the weather, if is a target for tree limbs. This is the latest of a dozen hits. The car is parked under the smallest limbs. The other limbs would do lots more damage.
 
safe
 

Since I closed their pen after dark, I had to check on them with a flashlight. They looked so cute, sitting in a row, I decided to take a picture. Of course, they had to get up and move around.
 
The wagon is in front of the car because exbf used it to carry things to his car. I told him just to leave it there, not to bother to walk back to the backyard.
 
Remember, slugmama's giveaway in the blog post below here.
 
Your turn
Can you tell what the new spider is by the fluffy tufts on the web? Doesn't that feather look like something that will eat my tomato? Do you ever just check on your chickens at night, especially after a close call or an actual attack and loss?
 
 
 

Slugmama's Giveaway

Go on over to Don't Read This: It's Boring and try to win her boring box of stuff. I really want to win this. But, you go over and sign up, too.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Sales This Week, Birthday Report, Christmas, Maggie May

Not much, but cheap


Of course, the sales for grocery stores came out on Wednesday. I only price-matched on local stores, some too far to drive for a few items.

Miracle Whip--$1.99
Kraft Italian--$0.99
bananas--$0.33/lb.

When I get out the ads for stores 50 miles away, there may be more savings.

From last week's ad, I got produce on Tuesday, the last day of that ad.

Celery sleeve--$0.99
Bell peppers--$50
cabbage--$0.33/lb.

I still have not made the muscadine jam, but exbf got to sample three of the grapes and was enjoying those.

Birthday Report
About 2 am as I was heading to bed, I pulled out frozen blueberries that were thawing in the refrigerator and the bag managed to leak all over. Then, I moved the bag and caused another leak. I spent too much time cleaning that up. I was annoyed and that stress and cleaning led me to just stay up longer.

Even though I took the melatonin, I still could not sleep. So, I took something a little stronger. Still no sleep. All this had nothing to do with any birthday angst. It just happens. At 5 am, I was still awake. Oh, not having internet was stressing me!

I set the alarm for 9 am. About 8:45, the Charter guy said he was on the way. Nope, he did not connect anything. He thought it was strange that the guys said talked about the electric meter because it had nothing to do with Charter AND there was a pole already there, the electric pole, ready to receive a line. Sooo, I am up and dressed for nothing.

Exbf always comes about 9:30 am, so not much time to sleep, but I put on my nightgown and tried. He gave me a bag of coupons which I promptly put with my other coupons. He told me there was something else in there. I looked.

Yes!
2 $10 cards for Walmart from battery deal
 
This makes 8 of these, the full amount due me and exbf for the batteries I bought last year. That makes $80 for Christmas shopping. If I buy a gift elsewhere, I can use these for groceries or gas at WM...all the same, just a shuffling of the money.
 
After I got these out and deposit the cards in my purse, I started to put the bag of coupons away again. Exbf said there was more. A birthday card from him was in with the coupons inserts in the bag. At this point I asked him if a sandwich would suit him as much as spaghetti. He said he had been looking forward to spaghetti, so he would really wanted me to fix spaghetti. It is all my fault because I have been telling him for three or four days we were having spaghetti. Linda, keep your mouth shut....argh. He said he rarely had spaghetti.
 
After we talked a bit, I made scrambled eggs with cheese for me because I was starving. Then, I immediately had to start on the spaghetti. ugh Onions and bell pepper were sautéed in olive oil, then ground beef was browned. I put the canned Hunt's spaghetti in and added cinnamon and a one inch chunk of celery. I usually chop more celery, but I forgot until the end, so did not want crunchy, diced celery. All this was just exhausting and my back hurt, excruciating pain.
 
We both ate a huge amount of spaghetti and my eyes started closing. A coma was engulfing me, slowly but surely.  As I headed off for my nap at 1 pm, I asked him to wake me at 3 pm so I could get ready for dinner out. When 3 pm rolled around and 3:30 pm, I told him I wanted to wait another day to go out. He was okay with that. It would have been sheer torture, so cruel,  to have to get dressed and go somewhere to eat. He went to a buffet on the way back to B'ham and had vegetables.
 
Maggie May
The little one has a name. She is now taller than Thelma, the Rhode Island Red, just gangly and skinner. She is 5.5 months and no sign of a comb.
 
It would have been a better birthday if I could have been in a coma all afternoon. And, that is not sadness or depression talking, just my weary body. Of course, getting  good night's sleep would have been optimal, no matter what I did today. Plus, not having a horrid back ache would have made possibilities of going anywhere without pain.
 
Janet sent me the cutest card. Thanks. It was all sparkly and had a cupcake on it. That was in the mail that I opened about 3:30. Thanks.

Your turn

Does spaghetti throw you right into a coma? Did anyone else get WM gift cards from Energizer batteries? I think only two people have said they got cards for Walmart. Remember the Rod Stewart son, Maggie May?



I Am Back

For two days I have had no internet! It is back now. I am enjoying my birthday today...well, as much as I can. A nap is in order because I made spaghetti for lunch. After the nap, exbf is taking me to dinner. Tonight or tomorrow, I will catch up on blog reading. Naps are important for cats and old ladies...lol.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Giveaway on Sonya Ann's Blog

 
 
Go HERE to win Woofies: Werefolk in Alaska. I know I want this! While I have never heard of Woofies, it looks interesting. Can I download this to my computer? Tell her I sent you.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Muscadine Memories

childhood memory

When I was a child, we often visited Aunt Willie in Mississippi. She was my mother's aunt, so she was the age of my grandmother, actually, my grandmother's sister, my great-aunt. Aunt Willie would always have muscadine jam. I called it jelly. I am going to make muscadine jam just like she did--with grape seeds in it.
 
Jelly would be smoother, but I actually like the grape skins and the pulp I had as a small child. She would chuckle and say, "Linda, watch for seeds. I never get them all out." I am sure she did not leave all the seeds in, but I am not working too hard to remove them. I may dip a few seeds out as I mash them and heat them on the stove. Since I could only afford a quart of these at $3.98, I am going to make the jelly, pour it in two sterile pint jars and refrigerate it. It's just me, so I won't worry about seeds until I spread the jam on toast. And, I am not going to serve this to anyone but exbf.
 
Some of these have the diameter of a quarter. In years past, I have traipsed in Bankhead Forest and gathered muscadines. Those adventures involved tripping over the forest floor, thorns eating my knit pants and legs. I would get in the tub when I got home and pick thorns out of my bleeding legs.
 
I ate one and think I might eat another. The taste and scent drive me mad. I know that two seems a stingy way to have a treat, but I want some jelly, too. Yes, this is one of the most powerful scents and memories of my childhood!
 
If there are any crab apples left on some state property, tomorrow I will make my own pectin for the jelly.  Or, I will resort to commercial pectin. I do not want to stand long enough for this to gel. Besides, these are all very ripe.
 
In the South, people often make muscadine wine. Even the commercial muscadine wine is so aromatic that it almost hurts to smell it.

And, my birthday is not until September 11th.
 
Your turn
Have you ever eaten  muscadines? Picked them from the forest or cultivated vines? Have you ever eaten muscadine jelly? Made muscadine jelly? Wine? What particular scents evoke memories of your childhood?