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Thursday, June 30, 2016

Another Blogger Giveaway!

This time, sluggy has another giveaway. Didn't she just have one about two weeks ago. As usual this is a good box with an assortment of useful products AND chocolate. Yay chocolate.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Blogger Giveaway

Who doesn't love a GIVEAWAY? These magnets are sooo creative. Even if you don't want to enter, see her creative items.

I Thought I Was a Knife Eater

Actually, I was  just a knife-licker. The trouble is it was brand new and super sharp. And, I bled. I've eaten apple off a sharp knife with no untoward results.

If it had been jelly, I would not have cut myself. But, why would I have a sharp knife in jelly. Of course, it could have been Miracle Whip. I just don't remember because of the searing pain and blood. There was not a lot of blood, but it doesn't take much blood to know you are swallowing blood!

I was trying hard to stay safe. I carefully put the knife between my lips and a little further back. The "further back" was the real problem and source of blood. Carefully, I drew the knife straight out and felt just a twinge, but I kept pulling it between my lips.

Afterwards, I gave a little, low moan; the friend standing here said, "You didn't really cut your mouth, did you?" He shook his head.

The cut hurt for hours, especially every time  I ate or drank anything. The blood stayed for less time but was still strange and distressing.

Don't ever do this! Staying safe could mean not putting a knife in your mouth, way beyond your lips.

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Food: Miracle Whip, Adventists, Manchengo Cheese

--I had to go buy Miracle Whip without a sale or a coupon. That really hurt to do so. Usually, I have a coupon and use it on a store sale. Miracle Whip cannot be bought in a large quantity because of the use-by date. I am not that afraid of eating something past the use-by date. Usually, three ahead is all I can buy and still eat it within a tasty time frame.

There is no use making any kind of sandwich without Miracle Whip! I just put all the fixings back when I discover I have no more MW.

--Several weeks back, I received an invitation to attend two talks on a Friday and Saturday night. Dinner was free. Well, free is the right price for me. A doctor was the speaker and his subject was our health. There was no evidence of the sponsor of the event.

On the table I noticed a Seventh Day Adventist pen and commented. My friend noted that all the pens on the table were the same. Then, one by one, I saw several of my friends that I know are strong Adventists.  Now, the sponsor  became evident. No problem.

After the Friday meal, my friend commented that he was going to go eat a cow. In case you don't know, the party line in the Adventist faith is no meat eating. Well, I know lots who do eat meat.

The second night, I ate protein before I left home. My friend said he ate protein before he came. too. I saw a female friend later in the week. She commented the food was good but she was hungry when she left.

They filled our plates and brought them to us. I had to go to the window and get one of my Adventist friends to fill me a plate, leaving off the things I am allergic to. The second night, I was assured I would love the fake cheese. Unfortunately, they put it on my brown rice. I only ate a bit of the fake cheese and could tell it was going to cause an allergic reaction. It was made of cashews, one of my allergens. And, I love cashews but another will never knowingly pass through my lips.

Of course, I cannot blame them for my allergies. Thankfully, the dessert was fruit--pineapple, watermelon, and strawberries. There was cantaloupe, but I think I am allergic to that, too. At any rate, I don't like it. 

The doctor had good health information. Maybe all meat is bad for us, but I am not convinced. The experienced enlightened me to this church's food, most of which was no different from what I eat anyway. I will continue to eat some meat.

--Have you ever eaten Manchengo cheese? It's made from sheep milk, very hard cheese and salty. Exbf hated it! I think this is the cheese a friend recommended to accompany my fig preserves. Machengo cheese is originally from La Mancha. It's delicious but I have yet the pair it with my fig preserves.

Since this cheese was about $14/lb, I now know why I never bought it. I did not buy this, either. It was shared with me by a friend.

Your turn
Have you eaten as the Adventists do? Or, are you a dedicated mammal eater? Do you like Manchengo cheese? Have you tried it with fig preserves?

Monday, June 27, 2016

What Was in My Nightgown?

As I sat on my bed ready to lie down to sleep, I felt like something was crawling on me. I looked down my nightgown to see a long black something crawling right up the middle of my body. It was still near my panties but making time up my body.

I jumped, screamed, flopped around my nightgown and generally went ballistic over this interloper. Without my glasses, I could only see a black blob with no idea what it was.

When I looked in my nightgown again, the bug was still crawling on my stomach, crawling between my breasts. This time, I shrieked again, shook my nightgown as I ripped it over my head. I was wiping my body to make sure it was gone. I shook my nightgown, turning it inside out to check for the bug.

When I put my nightgown on and sat cross-legged on the bed, I felt it crawling between my legs.  You just know this set off more thrashing, swiping, and screaming. I looked everywhere. The carpet is too dark to see anything. I flopped the sheets and re flopped them. OKAY, this is a good reason for liking white sheets! Nothing can sneak up on me.

Can you guess how hard it was to go to sleep when every two minutes I felt this bug crawling at various places. Lights go on, body examined, sheets flopped more, nightgown examined--such a horror. Finally, at 6:30 am, I passed out from exhaustion.

This bug was about an inch long. It had a hard body like a beetle. It has two very slender segments and snaps and is propelled out of danger. I just calling them a snapping beetle, but know that is not the name. Do you know its name?

Whew! What a night!

If exbf ever hears me shriek, no matter where I am, he asks, "What kind of bug was it?"

I don't like bugs anywhere on me, but in the house and in my nightgown is terrifying. I don't usually have so much trouble getting away from a bug!

Your turn
Do you react with shrieking over bugs on you? How about bugs in your nightgown?

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Recipe: Zucchini Tater Tots


Although I have not tried this, it will be good. I love zucchini. Since I have Italian flavored Panko, I will use that instead of Italian seasoning. Dehydrated Vidalia onions can be rehydrated then added. I won't use kosher salt.

I hear people have an excess of zucchini, but it has never happened to me. No one puts five gallon buckets of zucchini on my porch.

Zucchini Tater Tots

  • 1 heaping cup grated zucchini
  • ¼ cup finely chopped shallot or yellow onion
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup whole wheat panko or other unseasoned dried breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Olive oil
  • Marinara sauce for serving

  • Directions:
    1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
    2. Place the grated zucchini in cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and wring all of the excess water out (it will be a lot!).
    3. Place the zucchini in a bowl along with all of the other ingredients except the olive oil. Mix until combined. If the mixture seems too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs.
    4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form it into an oval shape. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Arrange the tots on a single layer on the baking sheet and spray or brush the tops lightly with olive oil.
    5. Bake until puffed up and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking
    6. Serve with marinara or other dipping sauce.
    Source

    On Friday I will tell you how the list of chores went on Wednesday.

    Your turn
    Does this sound delicious to you? Or, have you vowed to never eat zucchini? Do you grow zucchinis or does someone give them to you?

    Wednesday, June 22, 2016

    So Much To Do

    I am grateful I have the last of the chicken breasts cooked  to have for lunch/dinner because I have so much to do. I have lovely tomatoes from the market for meals today.

    --put chicken in crockpot
    --then puts breasts in crockpot when chicken finishes
    --get in clothes when they dry
    --wash another load
    --hang laundry out
    --freeze raspberries
    --put up new chicken water bucket with nipples
    --go to PO
    --feed Dominique
    --drive to appt in heat with no ac
    --empty dishwasher
    --load dishwasher
    --clean ac filter
    --wash dehydrator
    --dehydrate bell peppers

    Let's see how much I can get done today. The laundry will be dry soon because it is hot and breezy. The humidity is still low but rising. It is a perfect day outdoors, albeit draining for me.

    Diapers I last used almost 40 years ago will dry fast today. I had them all in a bag which broke, so I don't want to store them after they have been walked on. These have been great for straining things in the kitchen and straining paint over the years. There were five dozen originally, but may have dwindled down to three or four dozen.

    Okay, time to get busy again.

    Your turn
    How did you use your cloth diapers once your last child did not use diapers?



    Obviously, someone behind my property decided to kill the wisteria on the fence. That's okay by me, but they took out a ten foot strip of my St. Augustine grass when they sprayed from their side!





    Tuesday, June 21, 2016

    Look What I Found

    Look what I found right HERE. Is this cute or what? I like the second one. Scroll down to see more examples.

    I Saw No-See-Ums! More Strawberries, Stats

    This afternoon, about 6 pm, I was taking clothes from the line. The sun was setting and in my eyes. However, it seemed that dust was coming off my clothes as I removed them. I could see particles when I faced the sun, but not when I faced away from the sun. Were these no-see-ums? If they were they did not bite me. I shook and slapped the few clothes I had in my arms.

    I grew up in Memphis and always ate strawberries from Alabama because Daddy would only buy strawberries from Alabama at the huge Farmer's Market that was busiest in the middle of the night! They were sweet and delicious. Mama froze many flats of strawberries. Since the Farmer's Market opened here, I have tried to eat local. I bought strawberries several times over the years, sometimes several times in strawberry season.

    Last year, I gave up on local berries. They are nasty tasting. They are red on the outside and white and hard on the inside. Finally, it made more sense to buy strawberries from Walmart that were shipped from California. They are sweet, red all the way through. Plus, they are cheaper. I would pay $14 for a gallon of local berries and can get a gallon at WM for about $8. It is not the cost; it's the taste.

    Since my four or more months' hiatus, I lost almost 100 followers.  Page views were down to about 100 when I started back but rose to nearly 300 lately. Well, imagine my surprise when  I had 1002 page views recorded today. What happened? The posts did not have a total of 1002 page views, so I am puzzled.

    Your turn
    Have you ever seen no-see-ums? Did I? If not what were the insects no bigger than dust?  Are your local strawberries delicious? Can you imagine how I got 1002 page views when not that many views were of the last post?

    Monday, June 20, 2016

    My New Favorite Vlogger

    Go HERE and tell me if you think this guy is nice. I have watched many of his youtube videos and he unfailing kind to his children. He calls them "chitlers." I am not sure if it is just a family pronunciation or if he cannot say "children." Usually, he is wearing the little one on his back as he works. Look for Justin Rhodes videos to the right of the video you are watching. What do you think of him and the family?

    Sunday, June 19, 2016

    Strawberries

    When my older daughter was almost two-years-old, I was preparing a flat of strawberries to freeze. She pulled a little stool up to the sink by me to see what I was doing. We talked about the strawberries. Then, I held out a strawberry out for her to eat. She pulled back and said, "No." She refused all the cajoling and enticements of "sweet like candy." Finally, I dried my hands and gently "forced" her to taste. Well, it took her all of three seconds to quit resisting! She stood on the stool and ate strawberries until I finally worried she would be ill. Then, I had to refuse to allow her to eat anymore strawberries right then. She pleaded. When she suffered no ill effects, thankfully, I allowed her to have more for dinner that night.

    When strawberries were in season, sometimes I would give my children strawberry shortcake for breakfast before school. There were detractors of that breakfast, but the kids loved it. The shortcake was just sweetened biscuits made with loads of butter. The strawberries were sliced the night before and slightly sweetened and then mashed. My son hated the whipped cream, so I never bought it or even whipped cream for the shortcakes. They had a glass of milk. That breakfast was as nutritious as some kids ate.

    I explained to their teachers it was not a bought shortcake. My kids were so happy on those mornings, especially since I told them the night before what they were having.

    HERE are some fun facts and history of the strawberry.

    Your turn
    Do you make home-made shortcake for strawberry shortcake? Who loves strawberries? Raise your hands since I know your mouth is full or you are drooling. What do you do with strawberries? Do you grow them?

    Friday, June 17, 2016

    Incontinence TMI to Help You

    This oversharing but it will help some of you, maybe many of you.  It's also a little embarrassing to admit it, but here goes.

    Incontinence! and a "cure." This is all so humiliating that I can barely begin. It is information I wish I had had ten or more years ago. Okay, the "cure" was not available then.

    When I was 35, very slim after having had three children, I would lose a drop of urine occasionally, calling for only a change of panties. I mentioned a surgical fix to my urologist. He said he hated to perform that on a woman so young.

    Things rocked along for years with the lost urine getting just a bit worse. I panty liner worked well. Then, I continued by using a little thicker pad. Finally, I was using Poise Over Night and heaviest protection DAY and night. This new thing cost me over $80/month! I can barely afford healthful food and gas for the car.

    Plus, some days, I lost the whole contents of my bladder three times a day, necessitating a change of panties, pants and sometimes my blouse. This is so horrible to admit.  I usually washed 30+ pair of panties each week.

    When I called my urologist office, the receptionist said they had something that might help. I was desperate, very desperate.

    The program is to come for treatment each week and then come once each month for maintenance.

    The nurse locates the tibial nerve, about two inches above my ankle inside my leg. An acupuncture needle is inserted. There is no pain whatsoever. Then, she taps the needle and pushed it a little further. That only stings. She cleans the bottom of my foot and sticks on a black pad to ground the whole thing.

    The unit is like a large cell phone. She places a little electrode thingy against the acupuncture needle. The dial goes to 12, I think. I usually take a 3 or 4 setting. The lower the setting means she got close to the tibial nerve. She was pleased at the accuracy of her putting in the acupuncture needle. I sit for 30 minutes and the unit goes off.

    I can feel the little tingles at the site, sometimes in my foot, and always in my urethra. I told her yesterday my urethra was tingling and if the tingle moved any further,  I would snatch the needle right out. We both laughed at that. This Tibial Nerve Stimulation treatment does have the potential for unintended consequences like tingling in places I do not wish to be stimulated. Well, especially not in a chair in the doctor's exam room.  (bad sentence)

    After my first session, I had a little twinge once in a while in my urethra during the week. At the second visit she said this is normal. After the second visit, my urethra had a continual "feel," like it was stiff or something. By the third visit, I was not feeling anything during the week.

    My accidents decreased dramatically to almost none by the day after my first visit. She was a little shocked. My success was not normal. Since I started seven weeks ago, I have only had to change my pants once from an accident. About once a week I have to change damp panties. My use of pads has decreased from about a dozen each day to three. One in the morning when I bathe, one midday, and another at night just for cleanliness.

    Plus, the length, absorbency, and width of pads has decreased. I spend much less and am able to be less afraid of the accident in public. I always wear black pants in the winter, just a sartorial choice. However, they sure hid any dribbles or worse. I was dreading my change to light gray pants in the summer because even the tiniest drop would show up as dark.

    Since black pants in the summer are like a furnace, I did not know what I would do. Thankfully, I found this treatment just in time.  Okay, now friends and family will know this shameful condition.

    I was determined I was not going to be the smelly old lady that we all have known.  While I was reading on the internet about this treatment--tibial nerve stimulation--I found that juices like apple and cranberry and other juices reduced the smell of urine. I have  bottle of cranberry pills that I bought for a urinary tract infection. The bottle instructs to take six per day. I take one twice a day. I cannot say it helps or not. I just take them for a precaution.

    I share this information with everyone. Only one person has ever heard of this.

    My opinion--a portable tens unit might help if there is no insurance to cover the treatments. Maybe you have the means to pay the price without insurance.

    UPDATE This is for men and women.

    Look HERE. You need to scroll down a bit, so don't give up.

    Your turn
    Have you ever tried this? Did it work for you? If you don't want to reply here, you can email me at pparsimony@yahoo.com. I won't reveal what you have said. Do you know someone who could benefit from this treatment? Do you think I am wacky for revealing my problem to the whole internet? SERIOUSLY, I NEED RESPONSES TO THIS, NOT NECESSARILY CONFESSIONS. I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE PEOPLE THINK I AM AN IDIOT FOR THIS POST. JUST A "THANKS" OR A THUMBS UP WILL SUFFICE.




    Thursday, June 16, 2016

    Wednesday Cooking

    I wrote a long post on Wednesday and somehow lost all but three words, so I just went to sleep and forgot what I even wrote. That's telling. If you cannot remember what was in your own post, it must have been inconsequential.

    Yesterday, I cooked a six-pack of boneless, skinless breasts in the crockpot. When it was done, I put in about 14 new potatoes, later I added yellow squash and zucchini. Dinner was delicious. I did not put a bit of salt on chickens, potato, squash or zucchini.

    When I met exbf he made his food white with salt before he took one bite. I was mightily insulted and told him so. He never even tried it before salting

    Gradually, he has quit salting anything I cooked. He declared it delicious yesterday before he knew there was no salt. Smokers have no idea what food tastes like!

    He wants his new potatoes peeled, if you can imagine that. Yes, I cook them whole and he is free to peel them on his plate. One time, he peeled a new potato that was about one-inch in diameter. !!!Yesterday, I gave him the largest one two.

    It is 10:20  pm. I do believe it is time for dinner. Living alone has a few perks, like eating when you please.

    I like having a healthful and tasty meal waiting in the refrigerator. Microwave. here I come.

    Your turn

    Do you cook without salt most or some of the time? No one has told me to cut back on salt, but in 1982, I mostly quit using salt. Are there people in your life/house who make their food white with salt?



    Tuesday, June 14, 2016

    Tuesday: Free Entertainment

    I think I have had all the fun I can stand for today. The scorching heat and no ac in my car was miserable.


    EPIC was playing at the theater at 10 am. For $4.36 I received a 16 ounce Coke and a 42 ounce popcorn and admission to the movie. The theater was packed with kids and babies and fewer parents. Three babies barely cried. The kids were so well-behaved  I could actually hear the movie. Good Time! I will go back each week.

    Tonight a country band was playing elsewhere from 6 pm--8 pm.. I don't want to say anything about the band, but halfway through the show, I left. This was free, but my back was hurting so I just left.  I had somewhere else to go at the same time that was serving free food. Stupid me! Always go with the food.
    ,
    The heat is exhausting me. Today, I was soaked and miserable. The ac work might cost more than the car is worth!

    My new glasses were ready today, but since I did not have the money for them, I had to leave them. It was only $51 for my part, but it was $51 more than I had.

    Despite the heat and because of it, I hung clothes on the line. The sun was hot and there was a strong wind, so things dried quickly. Could you dry things outdoors today. Not one drop of rain fell on me here in N AL. The prediction was for rain and the radar showed lots of it. It all dissipated before reaching me.

    Your turn
    Have you found free summer entertainment in your town for you, kids, or family? Did you see EPIC? Raise your hand if it is hot and humid where you are? Yes, you have soggy underarms. too, despite your deodorant!

    Monday, June 13, 2016

    Why Does Blogger Do This? Knee and Bird Poop

    I awoke to no new posts from any of the blogs on my blog roll. This happens all the time. As usual, I had to click on each one to see if there really was a post. Why?

    When I post anew, I go to bloggers who have me on her or his blog roll. Sometimes, it takes twelve hours for my new post to show up elsewhere. Why?

    If these are "just glitches," then they are ongoing problems since I know I have faced this stupidity for at least three years or more.

    Some days, when I open my blog, I see where someone posted "2 minutes ago." Yes, indeed. They just posted. Because of what they said in the latest post, it did appear the post was two minutes old. For instance, the person may have noted the beautiful sunset and it was sunset time here. Maybe the person stated that she hated to go to work today, but had to hurry. Comprende?  Okay, I just don't have an upside down question mark on this keyboard right now.

    DON'T READ THIS; IT'S BORING on my blog roll shows she posted 4 days ago! NO...WRONG

    This morning, I awoke to a new "thing." My left knee was bent and would not straighten out. I pushed through severe pain to straighten my leg. Then, I could not put weight on my leg. Finally, I managed to walk without pain. This is the better knee!  It needs surgery, but this pain is over the top and the stiffness is beyond anything I have ever had in a knee.

    There are three loads of clothes to finish today. I hate it when all my plans are controlled by knee problems! Plus, for some reason most of the dishes were still unclean in the dishwasher. Now, they are nice and dry, so soaking in a dishpan must precede my standing to wash them.

    The on-deep-sale clearance lawn chairs have become a bird poop paradise. Last year, they sat in the same location under the same tree. Now, it seems the chairs and table have to be cleaned before sitting down. This leads to less time sitting in the yard. That makes me sad. Maybe I need to put a scarecrow nearby.

    Of course, the weather has been so torrid, I was glad not to sit. After a brief cool down with a few showers, the temps will be going right back into the 90s again later in the week.

    Going to rewash dishes if I can stand that long.

    Your turn
    Does Blogger ever seem not to report new posts on your blog?  Do you face bird poop on your lawn furniture?

    Friday, June 10, 2016

    Done!

    Denise, an online friend from another site drove a few miles out of her way on a trip she had planned to help me. She and her husband worked two hours and completely finished the material sorting and boxing.

    The material had been put in bags to remove it from my sewing room. The 30 gallon garbage bags were about half full so the woman who did them last year would not have to lift too much.

    She drove me on the cart to the storage room. I sat in my lawn chair. It felt like a royal, pampered ride...lol.

    I had a stack of boxes broken down in the car. They loaded those up on the long cart. He taped the bottom, she packed material in them, then they both held and taped the top shut. All the boxes except for two were the same size, so it looks neat and stacked easily.

    There is a lot of material that looks like sweater material that neither of us wanted. Maybe there are ten yards. I won't throw it out. I think it would be perfect to cut into lengths for a throw, maybe and extra blanket for the bed in extremely cold weather. The ends could be serged or easily finished by hand with a blanket stitch. Binding or lace could be sewn onto the ends.

    Her husband expressed interest when we were not even involving him in decisions. He wanted some of the heavier, woven fabrics to put over windows to keep out the cold. Great idea! So, from then on, I asked him his preference.

    This worked out well because she does not like red or pink. I do. She likes the dark blues and greens. I don't.

    She came to help me, but I wanted her to profit some, too. They got started late and had to stop to figure out why she had no brake lights on the back, so she was only here for 2 hours. If she had come as planned, she was going to open boxes of things I packed for a yard sale someday. That day will never come, so that stuff will have to go!

    Now, I need another helper who will do a little or a lot more and take away the excess. I have been smart enough to ditch the trash instead of boxing it up, so there is good stuff left, just not what I want to save now and not keep and store it. Volunteers?

    Michele (Mystic Mud) went home with good stuff, but forgot the paint which then froze. I could not rescue it, but a friend took it saying it might still work. I never heard if that dozen gallons and partial gallons of paint was good enough for her mother's outdoor projects.

    The friend who brings his group from church gets stuff, too, when they come to help declutter--books, crayons, pens, pencils, glue sticks and glue. Whatever we are looking at, some usually goes out the door. When I do not want an item, one of them volunteers to donate it. Works for me.

    Now, I need a three day rest from two hours of work. Well, I sat and watched and chose what I wanted. Sitting is work for me. Today, I had to go get the two 5-gallon buckets they sat on. I left them out and in the way. Plus, I had to go about my lens in glasses, withdraw money from the bank, and go buy something from Walmart. I got no rest today!

    I have started to collect things in a quart bag for Lorraine.

    Okay, I am off to put vegetables in the Crock Pot.

    Your turn
    What's up with your decluttering? Does anyone help and get good leftovers from your clutter?

    Thursday, June 9, 2016

    About the summer movie deals

    Go here to see the post that somehow got left behind.

    UNCOVERED: Decluttering

    Last year, I did not make homemade ice cream because I thought the ice cream freezer was boxed and stored.  Sunday, one of the girls was straightening things. When I walked in, there was the ice cream freezer.

    After the ottoman was moved, she found several lost earrings. It is a wonder I did not give the spare ones to Lorraine at We Are Clamco.

    The guy opened a WM bag and declared, "This is trash. It only has broken Tupperware." shriek as he moved it to the garbage can. No way, I can trade those broken tops in for new tops.

    As I was looking for things to give away to the guy or have him haul to the road, I uncovered my sugar stash in a liquor box. There were five quarts of sugar and one half gallon. Do you remember when I bought sugar at less than half price? 36 pounds of sugar? Well,  I have not purchased sugar for several years, maybe four. Now, I am down to my last two cups and was wondering where the rest could be. I know where it is now! Since I ran out of cayenne pepper jelly, I was facing doing without or buying sugar.

    Do you remember how I collect things all year long for Christmas shoeboxes? Well, last year it never happened. I had been getting shoeboxes and storing them in one huge box. That box went to the road. Plus, I gave one of the girls about 20 boxes of crayons I had bought for less than a dime each. Now, I won't stumble over that tote bag! The monstrous box is gone, too.

    Help with decluttering has gained me room and valuable-to-me items.

    Your turn
    What have you discovered while decluttering? Anything lost? Something you really needed? Something about which you collected and changed your mind?

    Movie Deals This Summer! Will You Go? Can You Recommend Any?

    This summer, I will be taking in quite a few movies with the deal below.

    “SKS will run at our location every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. from June 2 through August 4. “This special includes admission to the chosen movie, a 16 oz. drink and a 46 oz. popcorn for only $4 plus tax. This is for all customers regardless of age. It is truly an amazing offer!”
    The movie schedule for SKS is as follows:

    June 9               “The Croods”
    June 14 & 16     “Epic”
    June 21 & 23     “Home”
    June 28 & 30     “How to Train Your Dragon 2”
    July 5 & 7         “Kung Fu Panda 2”
    July 12 & 14     “Monsters vs. Aliens”
    July 19 & 21     “Rio 2”
    July 26 & 28     “The Peanuts Movie”
    August 2 & 4   “Penguins of Madagascar”

    I just read the list to exbf. He has seen several of these on tv. I don't even eat popcorn. If I drink that much Coke, I will have to go to the bathroom several times. You know where I will be every week. Well, if I can afford the $4.40!

    Before I go to these movies, I will check them out online.


    Your turn
    Maybe you have a Carmike Cinema with a similar program. Would you go to any of these children's movies?


    Tuesday, June 7, 2016

    Sorting Material and Volunteer Help

    All my fabric is in garbage bags filled only half way so the lifting was not hard for the person doing the work. I cannot lift them at all. Well, I can lift one of them and spend three days paying for it.

    The deal is: help me sort through all this and you can have what I don't want. There are no guarantees as to what is in the bags or how much I will give you. Oh, the rest has to be packed in small boxes that are easily lifted. No one has to strain at all.

    Well, the mother/volunteer put all my material in bags. The daughter helped me sort, took her material home and promised to pack up the rest. We only went through a third of the bags and she got two thirds of what we looked at. Then, she never came back and left stuff undone.  This mother of six is a major volunteer-er. She never finishes anything, but gets the glory for volunteering. She was a head case when I met her, but I was desperate for help.

    In the meantime, I have asked churches, friends, acquaintances for someone to help with this and haul off a ton of fabric. "Just bring it all to the church." "I will come load it all up and help you by moving it out of your way." "Why don't you let me donate it to the thrift store?" When I reiterate the fact that I want some of it for myself, interest wanes. People want it all for themselves. No one wants to stuff it into boxes. We are talking 14x14x12 inch boxes, not monsters. I would spend my last breath dragging each bag to the dumpster rather than just give my material to greedy and lazy people!

    Finally, someone on another site read my remarks and is driving from TN to somewhere else and will make a detour to help me and to increase her non-existent stash. She already had the trip planned.

    This is a major relief to me! No matter how much she and her husband can do, I know they will do it well and not stress me out for months with accusations of all sorts.

    Your turn
    Have you ever had volunteer help cause you more grief than it was worth? Do you have a fabric stash or anything that needs weeding down to fit your needs? If she cannot get all this into her car or wants little, do you want to finish the job? No, I won't talk about you...lol.

    Saturday, June 4, 2016

    Horseradish Health Benefits

    Do you like horseradish? I do and so do my children. When the older two were three and five, we ate at a place called Sir Beef in Kentucky. The ex hated horseradish and could not stand to be in the car with the three fire-breathers. Arby's is the only place I can think of that is like Sir Beef, except that Sir Beef had a stronger sauce.

    I read that most Chinese restaurants use horseradish instead of wasabi. That may or may not be true. At any rate, the hot sauce is delish to me. People warn me and then wonder how I can use so much.

    When I have a sinus problem that otc medicine and hot broth does not seem to cure, I suck the Horsey Sauce packages from Arby's. I still use all my other otc and hot chicken broth.

    My pharmacist told me that horseradish has antibacterial properties. That was enough for me! I now have  horseradish root about five inches long that cost me $5. from Publix. This bit of root will be used judiciously!

    I read this article and another from Mother Earth News,  here, one from WebMD and others. I am convinced. I read several ways to prepare it after grating. Horseradish grated into sour cream to serve with beef seems palatable. However, the grated horseradish will go into a bit of Greek yogurt I have.

    Horseradish helps with recurrent UTIs and sinusitis. There are claims it helps with cancer and gout, among other things. It works for so many other conditions, including strep. Right now, fixing the sinus congestion is my goal. It is an ancient remedy.

    A new plant will grow from the root. Maybe mine will from a bit of this root. Since it is an invasive plant, it needs to grow in a pot. Fall is the time to dig up the root and plant, so maybe I should wait until then. Maybe I can find someone who will give me a starter root.

    Your turn
    Has anyone had experience growing horseradish? Have you used it medicinally with benefits? Do you use it freshly grated on grilled steaks?











    Friday, June 3, 2016

    Farmer's Market and Flat Cabbage

    Today, we went to the Farmer's Market for fresh vegetables. Some of my friends from whom I buy gave me more than I paid for. YaY!

    What I bought: new potatoes, two portions of yellow squash from different vendors, a flat cabbage, and zucchini. Since I had a weekly doctor's appointment, we were late getting home. I intended to cook all this, and ended up cooking just the cabbage and yellow squash in the same pan. Sliced tomatoes rounded the meal out. These were the third meal of fresh vegetables for the year. MMMMM, so good.

    When I asked one guy why all his cabbage were so flat, he said they were Dutch Flat Cabbage. I thought he was covering for a crop anomaly and laughed. Well, it is true. Cabbage was delicious!

    Dominique will love the trimmings.

    Tomorrow, I will go back for ripe tomatoes.

    Oh, there were no more tomatoes except green ones. So, WM had those. Since I cannot eat beef, I cooked up some stupendously long smoked hotdogs for exbf. The rest he took home.

    Oh, I forgot the best part. One guy had lemonade with fresh lemon and real sugar. I may stop by and get this often. He only charged $1 for a generous cup without too much ice. I really wanted some of the small zucchini breads, but I refrained.

    All farmers MUST raise their own produce. Some "markets" just go to a big city and buy from a truck from CA or elsewhere.

    And, I bought a new camera. This is my money I won at the spelling bee.

    Your turn
    Have you ever heard of or seen Dutch Flat Cabbage? Do you shop at the Farmer's Market in your town?

    Wednesday, June 1, 2016

    Hilarious Chicken Habit

    Dominique has her own funny ways.  Lately,  her focus is on water. Since exbf can no longer fill her two gallon waterer, she suffers from droughts occasionally. I am not so sure that I can manage to fill her water container without falling down in one of the holes she digs.

    Let me explain the setup. The waterer is next to her chain link enclosure. Outside the chain link, about ten feet away is the outdoor faucet. I keep the hose stuck into the fence so I don't have to drag it back and forth.

    Most days, I just stand outside the fence and spray out the moat around the waterer and fill the moat with water.

    If Dominique has no water, she might take one bite of food. Then, she complains to me, following me along her pen and to the water container. She does not even mind if I get spray on her as I replenish her water.

    Saturday, I decided to take a water bottle full of tap water and fill the moat. I did that first before I fed her. She did her complaining as I walked along the fence. She kept it up even after I went indoors.

    She had water, so it was not a dry moat that bothered her. First of all, I gave her water before feeding her. Then, I did not use the faucet and hose. Silly girl.

    When she follows me and complains, she quits complaining as soon as she sees me lift the faucet handle. She is so smart. She makes me laugh.

    I know. I know. I need to figure out how to fill the water container so she never runs out of water. My egg production would go back up, I am quite sure.

    Your turn
    Do you have farm animals or pets who expect things to be done as you always do them or get confused or upset?