Easter Day Past

 Easter dinner did not go as planned. I had a plate ready at 8 pm and finished by 8:25. Yes. it was late, but no fretting about that. 

Tommy awoke at about 1 pm. Just now, he said he woke twice to go the the bathroom and could not go back to sleep for an hour or so. 

I needed celery for potato salad, so we left. At one store, there was only one working electric cart. But, The horn had to be depressed to make it drive. That lasted about ten minutes. My left thumb was having spasms, so we left. 

At the next store, I quickly gathered the list. First, I was going to get celery, but the list grew in the car. I got celery, 2 onions, hornet spray, RainX antifog, Oxyclean, Oxyclean for black, Precise V5 pens, Pack of Sharpies. Tommy said it only took me 45 min or less.

We were home by 4 pm. Then, we started on the rest of dinner, which meant finishing the potato salad. Tommy did three loads of clothes which I assured him could wait. He watered the plants. 

I always put the hot, drained potatoes on top of the onions in the bottom of the bowl since I think the onion flavor is distributed in the potatoes better when potatoes are hot. I asked Tommy to bring the bowl of onions and potatoes to my chair since I fear dropping them. I asked him to bring the Miracle Whip and put mustard on the top of potatoes, about a teaspoon. Well, he brought it in with a full two Tablespoons of mustard. But, it was okay. Long ago, I used gherkins and dill chips chopped for potato salad. When I injured my left hand, I could no longer use a knife. Then, I switched to dill and sweet relishes. Using pickles is so much better. 

We had for dinner: ham slices, potato salad, and green beans. of course, Tommy had no potato salad, just potato salad without eggs. He started complaining about have celery in the potato salad. I had no idea that bothered him. 

I bought a Lindt gold bunny for us. Usually, I surprise him. This time he knew. When he woke, he went in and brought our bunnies in. I wanted to eat it, but knew it was too much sugar. So, I ate chopped celery between bites of dark chocolate bunny, hoping there was enough fiber for sugar I was eating.  There are no more bunnies, so no temptation beyond today. He had milk chocolate bunny. 

So, it was Easter, one of the prettiest Easters in a long time. There were families in yards, eating and children running about, no doubt after an egg hunt. Our dinner was rather late, but it was done and eaten with a good mood. There were only the two of us. Hopefully my ill friends had a good Easter. They all have multiple children and grandchildren living within a few blocks. 

I was going to make a lemon dessert, but I had a big juicy apple between our lunch and dinner. It was so juicy it ran down my arm and chin. It was a wonderful Red Delicious apple. I suppose I will have Greek yogurt and blueberries later. 

Tomorrow, I have a huge tomato to go with the potato salad that I hope is as wonderful as it looks and smells. 

Now, I have to hang up wet clothes and fold the ones from the dryer. 

How was your Easter?

Did you cook? 

Visit?

Entertain?

Happy Easter!

 

Saturday, it appeared children and parents were enjoying egg hunts, bounce houses, and picnics since it was near 80F, dry, and sunny. I expect Easter Day to be the same. 

Is your Easter happy?

This is tiny planter at my house several years ago.

Essential Tremors Treatment

My  92-year-old friend has essential tremors. The med she takes is only partially effective, according to her. She worries because her two children have the same thing. 

I read an article about a new treatment to cure it. I knew brain surgery was available. But, this new treatment is incisionless. It involves ultrasound. Click Here to read about this new treatment. 

Tommy woke me early since I had to do damage control for something I did, bad mistake. However, all is well. Then, I cancelled dermatology appointment because I could not get an appointment for him at the same time. Since I was up too early despite sleeping well last night, I needed a nap. I slept well Thursday night but not long enough.

Friday, we were homebodies. Tommy washed, dried, and folded two loads of his clothing. I usually see this. But, he was finished by the time I got up from a very early nap.

I froze 3 baked chicken breasts, chopped onions that Tommy cooked with 4 pounds of ground beef. Tomorrow, I will make spaghetti with part of the cooked ground beef and freeze the rest. 

I called my friend about the treatment for essential tremors, and she was thrilled. She wants it especially for her children. She has been sad because they have to go through what she is going through. 

We went out today to get bread, milk, and bananas. Tommy bought ice cream, too. He goes for the cheap stuff and it is slimy with gums. Yuck. That will keep me from eating it. 

As we were getting into the car, there must have been a dozen wasps flitting around trying to get into the car. When we came back, he opened the door, and one was coming in. He is so slow to react since he does not hear well. I had to tell him to shut the door several times! Maybe Saturday I can buy wasp spray. They are building nests under the porch ceiling. Of course, this is what wasps do this time of year. 

Today, I have been going through papers, either saving or put in waste basket for recycling. I have a basket in front of me where I put all recycling. Tommy then takes it and sorts it into separate bags. Today, he took many bags of recycling to Rogue and we took all that to Publix where an employee unloaded it at the curb and put into proper containers. Tommy tipped the guy since it was so much. Removing that cleared out a huge space in the dining room. Good! I don't know why we don't take it to Publix when it is just one bag of paper or bottles or Styrofoam. 

I have filled that wastebasket twice today, and now I have another being filled. It holds water bottles, mail and paper, anything recyclable. I use the short reacher to make sure it goes in. Most of the time, it does not if I don't use the reacher. 

Tomorrow, I will continue the mail/paper recycling. Maybe I will sort books I picked up years ago and find a place for them. I want to get wasp spray and other things, but I don't want to brave the stores with Easter shoppers. 

Do you know anyone with essential tremors who might benefit from this new treatment? Are you familiar with the ultrasound method? Or, do you know about it and I am the last to know. 

Are you lucky enough to have recyclable pickup at your home?

I Hate This Purse!

 

Genuine Leather Cross Body Bag - Super Soft & Durable Crossbody Bags For Women & Men - Classic Bronze Hardware With Adjustable Strap (Red): Handbags: Amazon.com

I really dislike this purse I am carrying. See the three red tassels for zipper pulls? They were at least four inches long if not longer. So, I cut over half of each tassel. It improves the look a little. The vertical pocket will barely hold a flip phone and will not hold an Android. My glasses barely fit. I doubt cigarettes would fit. I had to mash the whole purse to get the snap shut. I suppose that is a good thing if you have put something into it. But, to just close it empty, I was annoyed. 

Look at the two pouches to the left, both with tassels. The larger pouch has a little pocket on the front. Well, the larger pouch has a zipper that shows the whole cloth part of the zipper. Not cool. The inside of the little pocket has lining that is already picked and has tiny holes in it. I wonder how long it will be until it just shreds. 

The two buckles at each side near the top zipper makes the purse too busy for me. The top zipper on the front has a matching one on the back. Those zippered pockets are over half the length of the purse, so it seems top heavy when I put things in them. 

The zipper in the top of the purse had a huge tassel, too. The zipper end of the zipper end is okay, but the other end is loose. I cannot close the zipper with one hand, so I have to hold each end of the zipper. It is such an annoyance! 

Inside the purse, there are two open pouch pockets on the front and another zipper on the back inside. There are too many pockets, pouches, zippers and tassels.

The color is the only thing I like about this purse. I hate wearing it and carrying it. I realize I saw a picture, but basically, I feel like I bought it sight unseen. Plus, I put too much into it because I can. It is about 9"x10"x2", way too large. Thankfully, I only paid about $29 for it, I think. I will not toss it or just keep it. Hopefully, I can sell it or donate it. 

The strap is too wide for my taste. The whole purse is made of soft, thin leather. The long strap was folded like long straps usually are folded. It has never lost the folds, so it looks cheap and not leather. 

Tommy left a cheesecake on the counter for over 24 hours, okay--31 hours. I only ate a piece late Wednesday night. I noticed it was not firm and not at all even cool. When I asked where he stored it, he said on the counter. Yet, he knows to put cream cheese in the refrigerator. I told him that information about the refrigerator was on the box. He came back and said it was on the bottom. I guess he was justifying his action. He is learning. No, I did not yell at him, quite the contrary. 

It is 24 hours later, and I did not suffer from eating cheesecake stored wrong. Dinner: chicken, green bean casserole for me. Tommy: chicken, potato, kidney beans, zucchini, potato and carrot. Everything was leftover, fine by us. 

My 92-year-old friend is much better, no longer coughing with much congestion. But, her husband fell last Friday, so he is having physical therapy at home. I still worry for them. 

I called a Master Gardener friend about the irrigation for flowers and food in pots. She at least gave me two names to add to my vocabulary when trying to say what I want. I know I do not want soaker hoses or overhead dripping onto plants. What I need has to do with tubes and emitters. 

The lunch at the church with meals and musicians starts back up. We will go, sit, pack up meals to take out. We still wear masks so no eating! 

Did you ever acquire a purse that was so annoying that you developed such a great dislike and unhappiness with its very existence in your life? 

Do you water with the setup that includes, tubes, emitters, time and outdoor faucet connection? Anything I need to know?

So Excited!

 

                       Delightful Little Finger Carrot: Petite & Sweet (thegardenmagazine.com)

I looked online for the ad for Piggly Wiggly. Found it. Pepsi products were $3.49 for the 12-pack if you bought 5. So, I was excited for Tommy. I went in so I could put the five 12-packs in the electric cart basket. No, not at this Pig. I bought four pounds of carrots and left sorely disappointed. The carrots were cheap, we like them, and we eat lots of carrots. 

On to Food Giant. Tommy went in for the ad. We bought nothing.

Publix was our sweet spot. I had a list and told Tommy not to get certain items. Nature's Honey Wheat Bread was bogo again. Since we still have half a loaf left, we can still get this deal later in the ad week. He bought Philadelphia Cream Cheese bogo again, but the original like I wanted. I will use the 1/3 less fat version he bought for something where it is not evident. The mouth feel of the 1/3 less version is not good. Eggs were $3.71 for Grade A extra-large. We needed eggs, so I thought Easter would bring a good price. I suppose this was it. 

Yet to get for various reasons, but bogo at Publix: Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, Cheerios, bread. Red potatoes are 5# for $3.99. Tommy said we have plenty of potatoes. Maybe by next Tuesday, we will need potatoes.

We sat at green shrubs in a parking lot and had a chicken snack.  

Then, we stopped at Walgreens for a prescription for both of us. There was a wait, but it was bearable. 

We arrived home just in time for Tommy to see Jeopardy. We both love it. 

While I was waiting for Tommy in Food Giant and Publix, I managed two fruitful calls. I have an appointment with dermatologist to have growth removed below my eye. Oops! I forgot to make an appointment at the same time for Tommy. I called friend for more info on storm door she said gave her friend fits, trying to keep it repaired. I try to make my waits in the car count. 

Moreover, I slept well last night, and the day was beautiful, dry, and only had a slight breeze. 

After we watched Jeopardy and 30 minutes of the news, we went outdoors. I sowed the Cosmos seeds in a pot where something died off over the fall and winter. If it comes up, it comes up. I have pink Alyssum to plant anywhere there is a pot that looks dead. We may have two flowers in the same pot. Then, there are the carrots. The seed packet says,"12" pot, container variety." We do have empty pots and potting mix. I still want to get cayenne to grow and make pepper jelly.

We went out together to garden...lol...ten minutes of sowing flower seeds and more for carrots. We are such great gardeners. I lost the carrot seeds before we went out. I wanted to sow the allysium. As I opened the package, I realized it had been opened before and was taped. I shook out two seeds. TWO SEEDS. So, where and when did I sow the rest. I decided to sow the Cosmos in the same pot. Why not? 

There were still bits of root and plants above ground when I sowed both those. I used a gardening fork to pull out some of the dead growth above ground. We will see what happens.

After I could not find the seeds, I searched high and low. I even shook out my day planner. Tommy helped me search by using a flashlight to shine under the footrest on my chair while I held up the quilt. We do this all the time. Not there. When we came in, he wanted the other remote. I did the same thing, putting up the footrest and holding up the quilt. He saw the remote AND the carrot seeds. Mostly, I had searched on the left side of my chair. The seeds were on the right side! I have decided I will put the seeds on toilet paper to get them into the 12-inch pot without spilling them or hurting my back. 

I put a fake snake over the flower seed pot. When I plant the carrots, I will put a snake over that, too. I don't want birds to have carrots seeds for a snack.  Have you ever planted Petite Sweet Little Finger carrots? 

It has been a pleasant day with lots accomplished except for planting carrot seeds. We have heard nothing from the pest control company. Maybe manager listened to the phone call like he said he would and heard me being told someone would come Wednesday or Thursday.

Any advice about carrot growing? (other than the info under the carrots above)

How was your day?   

Tuesday After the Storm and Pest Control

 When I awoke this morning, I thought Tommy was watching tv. No, he was talking on the phone. He called the pest control. He was talking to the fourth person after he called. The manager of the whole shebang was trying to convince Tommy he could not back out of the contract. Tommy was denying signing the contract, saying I did it. That did not appear to be a very good argument since Tommy had given my email to them. 

I got on the phone and we were back and forth. He said we owed $200 for the mosquito spraying. He said we would have to pay $99 to breach contract. So, I pointed out they were the first to breach our trust since they never showed up for the inside service. I pointed out that Tommy had excellent credit and that reporting us would not hurt his credit since we could then tell our side of the story and how this company was more interested in signing people up for service than providing services. So, he was going to listen to the initial call to see what happened. We have heard nothing. 

We are going to spray the whole house well for fleas. I will put out glue boards to see what insects show up. We can pay cleaner or handyman to do what we cannot do, like moving things. 

The handyman can close up the huge hole under the sink. I was unaware of the hole until Tommy warned me. Oh my! He says it is huge and any kind of critter can come in. We will have people we can pay to do things to keep bugs and critters out of the house. 

I was not fond of the spraying to rid the outside of the house of wasps. I know where the nests are, just cannot reach them. They are under the metal ramp. We have managed to control wasp nests under the eaves, so we can continue without killing bees and other pollinators. We have already put out bait for fire ants. 

We have no idea what they intend to do to "punish" us for their lack of attention to commitments. 

Tommy went to Publix for bananas I forgot yesterday. He bought two containers of the best flea killer. Other than that, we have been at home. 

Tonight, I cooked two packages of chicken breasts and one package of thighs in one bag, no vegetables. I used frozen whole green beans for green bean casserole. I used the 'no sodium' Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. Lots of onion powder and garlic powder took the place of the sodium. I used less French's fried onions than the recipe recommended. It was delicious. Tommy had a thigh and potatoes, carrots, and a huge salad along with his green bean casserole.  Of course, I had half a breast. 

Monday night, in anticipation of losing power, I put a battery-powered candle in the bathroom and turned it on. At least we can find the bathroom door, orienting ourself with the light. It is faint, but it works. We did not lose power, thankfully. 

After the storm and rain on Monday, today was beautiful, blue skies and high thing clouds. I think it was about 69 today, a day to make my heart happy. It appears there will be no rain until early next week. The children can have a dry Easter Egg Hunt. I always am sad when it rains Easter weekend. 

It is time to check the ads online. We still get ones from the store. Some of the ads are illegible to me. Plus, Tommy looks them over, too. Sometimes, he sees something we are low on that I don't know or forgot. I am hoping there is a sale on eggs. I want to make deviled eggs and potato salad. This will be the last week of ads before Easter, egg season. I don't think the freezer will hold more meat! I still need to put some of the breasts we cooked tonight into the freezer. 

Are there any deals in your grocery ads? 

What have you planned for Easter dinner? 

Will you be traveling? Don't go over bridges.

Busy Monday and Things Accomplished

 

The pest control company is losing our business. First of all, they said they would come last Wednesday or Thursday. Finally, last Friday I called them. Someone would call me. This morning about nine am someone did call and talked to Tommy. She said she would call back in an hour at my number. Well, we waited for three hours and left the house. She called back four hours later, telling me she had something to do, someplace to go. 

As it turns out, we have to leave the house for four hours after the flea treatment. We leave for one hour, at least, when I spray. We can leave for four hours/ They take a brush to windows to clean bugs and spiders. I do not want the window brushed, spreading anything in the window to the room, maybe my bed. Actually, there are few bugs, spiders or flying bugs in the windows. They will brush things from where wall and ceiling meet and whole ceiling. We have had someone do that gently, not 'brushing' as they say they will do. 

I think this was going to cost $175 the first time. Nothing has happened when they said it would. She was supposed to call me back this afternoon. When I finally talked to her and reminded her she was going to call about 1o am, she said she had to go somewhere and do something. 

They said they sprayed for mosquitoes, but we have no proof of that. However, I suppose we will pay for it.

It would be so helpful if they did what they said they would do. Tommy uses them for termite control. So, I suppose we will keep that. 

Mower came today. The yard looks very nice. I asked him if he knew someone for handyman chores. He said, "Like what?"

"Well, first of all, to change the light bulb outside the house." He reached right up, unscrewed the screw and changed the bulb. I had bought a 100 w bulb at Lowe's today. The guy is very tall and powerful looking, so it was nothing for him. I would have to climb a ladder. Tommy said it was painted tight. No. He told me to make a list for him.

Then, I asked him if he knew someone to help me out. I did point out that it was not a regular housecleaning because of appointments we have. So, he said he knew someone. I told him it would seldom be hard work and not all in the same room or same job. He said he knew someone who might just want to help us out. Tommy pointed out we paid well. 

I will probably still have the woman from Cullman here when she comes down to clean for her friend. 

He will come on every other Thursday to mow and take garbage to the road. Now, I need to find someone to take out the garbage every other Thursday. 

Today, we had chores: a return, CVS, WAGS, Lowe's. Publix. It was a productive day ahead of a stormy, rainy, windy day predicted for Tuesday. I forgot bananas, so I will be sad tomorrow. 

The yard was full of grape hyacinths amongst the weeds. I hate to have those mowed down. They are very pretty but scattered about. I cannot get down far enough to dig them up and replant together or put in a pot. I did find short carrot seeds at Lowe's--Petite Sweet Little Finger. 

I found flower picks and noticed they were Christmas items. I need picks to help convert the wreath to something to fit over the mailbox next Christmas. I bought four picks, originally priced about $3. They were reduced to 50 cents each. So, I spent $2 for $12 worth of pics.  I was worried about the cost to convert a free wreath, so now I have $2 invested in the mailbox decoration.

It was a very good day. I have carrot seeds, yard looks great, and I have hopes of a handyman and someone to help inside. The pest control was the only disappointment.

What good things happened for you today?

Any disappointments? 

Do you grow carrots? 

Any recommendations for pest control product for diy? 

Is bad weather headed your way, too?

Plants

 Tommy took all the plants from the utility room. He did not water or fertilize them all winter. And, there is no window in there. I have not gone out to see how they fared. He said some really grew and some did nothing. So, I wonder. 

I had him put a cheap and on clearance tablecloth on the table, the kind of plastic tablecloth sold for kitchen tables. I hope it protects the table some and looks pretty. It is a 70" tablecloth, and the table is 24". Tomorrow, I will look the flowers over. I have a package of Cosmos seeds to sow in a spare pot. I still have not made it to Lowe's to get short carrot seeds. 

Once again, I slept almost six hours. I stayed in bed for another three to keep feet from swelling since Tommy was still asleep, anyway. 

Tonight, we had hamburgers, fries, and salad. I disliked the sourdough bun, so threw that away. Tommy had a pretzel bun which I don't like, either.  Later, I will have Greek yogurt and blueberries. 

I need to find someone to put up a watering system for the plants. Irrigation is the way to go because it is too hard on Tommy in the summer heat. I think I want one with a timer. I suppose that is the only kind. 

Handyman

 Friday night, I slept well again. I only slept five hours, but that's okay. What then happened is not okay. All day long I was in a stupor. That is the only way I can describe it. Nothing I planned happened. I went nowhere I planned. 

I did not cook the chicken thighs or go to Lowe's for bedding plants. There is always tomorrow. 

I did put two chicken breasts in the freezer. Tomorrow, I will cook hamburgers. Hopefully, I will have gotten a nice tomato to make a cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato. 

Since there are things neither of us can do, I told Tommy that we need to hire a handyman. Unbelievably, he readily agreed. Now, I need to make a list. The light bulb at the front door on the porch has been burned out for over 40 years, so that will top the list. 

Do you have a list of handyman items? 

Pest Control Fail

 This is my third night of sleep, sleeping at night for about 6 hours which I can supplement with a nap. This a relief. I do believe it is related to taking med in the morning instead of the evening. 

I did get one item that was not in the store that was advertised as bogo--French's Fried Onions. This is for green bean casserole. 

Three pounds of frozen blueberries are on the stove. I cook them with about 1/4th cup of sugar and store them in pint jars to eat with yogurt. I have no idea how bold was turned on. The last time I did this, I really enjoyed the healthy snack. About a month or six weeks after Tommy told me I finished the last pint, he brought a pint that was moldy that was pushed back where neither of us could see it. I was so sad. So was he. There is no room in the freezer, but this time I will make room for at least two pints. I cannot wait to have some later. 

We contracted pest control for the inside and outside of the house. The guy said they would spray the house Wednesday or Thursday. Well, here is is Friday night. I called them about 3 pm to discuss what was happening. No one knows anything about spraying inside the house. They have no record of us calling. However, I caught a bit of a text about spraying the yard for mosquitoes. I was complaining about fleas. FLEAS in the house!

Plus, I emphasized no texts! I get no notification of texts arriving, and they are hard to access. Plus, the screen goes dark and turns off the text when I regain light. I refuse to search for texts! I don't like texts on this phone. My last phone was okay with texts. I ran out of best flea killer I have ever used and forgot to get more. So, I am annoyed that fleas will bite me again. And, they have the cc number and probably have charged us. 

The heavy rain forecasted did not affect us here. Pollen has been tormenting me, but it appears it didn't rain enough to wash it away sufficiently for me. It drizzled on and off. 

I desperately need a new prescription for glasses. The only thing I can read is the laptop with magnification! Books are out of the question. Plus, I cannot stand the sun lately. I have no idea why my eyes are so sensitive to the blaze of the sun. Then, I read that as a person ages, the eyes are more sensitive to the sun. I will get prescription sunglasses! 

As you age, has the sun caused you a problem being too bright?

BOGO Buying

 Today was a rough day. I am sooo tired. Last night, I actually slept at night instead of all day. I may have partially solved my sleep problem. I started taking my meds in the morning instead of at night. Things like thyroid meds are supposed to be taken in the morning. As a result of this change, I am exhausted and my eyes will not stay open. So, like a sane person, I go to bed. 

We had things to do and did not get to Publix until about 5 pm. UGH Never let me do that again. But, I did need things. Both of us needed milk. 

BOGO items and final cost:

Peter Pan Peanut Butter 2@$2.05

Philadelphia Cream Cheese 2@$2.20 He got the 1/3 fat variety instead of the one I told him to get! 

Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread 1@$2.06 I will get another before sale goes off.

Edward's Chocolate Cheesecake 1@ $4.62. This jumped in the cart when I was not looking. 

B2G1

3 Diet Pepsi 12 packs 2@$9.29 

We needed:

Jello sugar-free Cherry $1.65

Hefty 2.5 gal.$5.75 

a2milk two half gallons @.$4,99/each for me

1 gallon milk 1@$3.99 for Tommy

bananas 2 for $0.25/each  I had three at home. 

Raincheck:

French's Fried Onions

Total $59.50 without tax

There is fresh produce, frozen, cooked vegetables, fruit. So, that is it for today. 

Tommy had called Keith to mow. Twice. No response. So, I called today. He had not heard from Tommy and was confused. I sat right here and heard Tommy leave a message twice. So, no telling what happened, but the yard has needed mowing for a month. 

Tonight, we cooked the eye of round roast with potatoes, carrots, and celery. Delicious. I forgot to have slaw. 

Today, the day ended up with high, overcast skies. The day was bright, not gloomy at all. The high was in the 70s. We are preparing for a rainy day tomorrow. 

I have frozen limas that I will use for succotash. The corn will be canned, but it will be good. I am planning to use frozen green beans for green bean casserole for Tommy. And, I need to cook the zucchini I bought this week. Remind me. 

All day, I have wanted to call my two friends who are ill. They are actually too ill to talk, so I have not called. Tomorrow I will send each a note. It is all I can do. It makes me feel helpless. 

I am going to be hanging Easter eggs in Tommy's Dogwood tree. That is all my decorating for Easter. Do you decorate for Easter? 

Window Shopping

 Today, we went to Cullman--mail, lunch pickup, cans to salvage for money-$6.15, Publix, Lowe's. Off in the distance when we came over hills, there was a haze. Other than that, the day was sunny and beautiful. The haze was from controlled burns all over the state. It was eerie. 

Plus, I window shopped. This place sells guns, fishing equipment, knives, shoes, canning supplies, kitchenware, tape, nails, paintbrushes and painting supplies, can crushers, Ball jars/lids/flats, gaskets for Pressure canners, Hummingbird feeders, hammers, cast iron little red rocker, coffeemakers, car fobs. They also test pressure canner pressure.

Tommy love the sign on the door--Wanted-Browsers    No Experience Necessary. 

When I need something, I park in front of store in the angle parking on the street, call them, and tell them what I need. Someone brings it out for me to examine and buy by giving the guy a  card. While the person is inside, I window shop from the car. Today, I had the guy bring back some of of pancake cooker. It was cast iron with a wooden handle. The batter made little poufs of the pastry. Or, you could make something savory...for $49. It was too heavy for me, not something I wanted to stand and make, and too expensive for the little use I would get. While he was talking to me, I saw a ladle hanging in the window, so he brought it out for me to examine. I did buy that. 

Isn't that a lovely way to shop? Of course, it only works well when you know exactly what you want. When I was capable of walking in, I loved to look at all the things I had never seen before or just did not know still existed. There are probably 10,000 different types of items in this store. It was actually three stores but this guy has doors between, cut to make easy access. I often describe it as a mercantile. 

There was only curly kale at Lowes, and there were no cayenne pepper plants so I can make hot pepper jelly. 

Before covid the lunch was an eat-in experience. They changed it to a pick-up and have not changed back. Lunch: ham, collard greens, kidney beans, cornbread, Buddy Bars. Everything was delicious. We ate it all. Well, Tommy ate my kidney beans. I told Tommy I would not eat the cornbread if there were sugar in it. No sugar. 

The other two plates were brought home for our dinner. Tommy can get that while I sleep. We picked up two plates for my ninety-two-year-old friend who is really ill with chest congestion and her husband who is two years older. I am worried about her. 

I am off for a nap. 

Resident Alien was on when he woke me at 9. He turned off the ac, so I awoke so hot. He ate dinner without me fretting there was only leftovers that maybe he did not want again. 

Do you have a store where you can park and the people who own the store will get what you need or want and bring it to the car? 

Peaceful, Easy Feeling at the End of the Day

 It is almost 5 pm, and still have not slept all night. I was sitting here about ten this morning and the phone rang, waking Tommy, It was a call from the gynecologic oncologist.  The nurse reminded me I had an appointment, one I had forgotten. It was a month off, so no problem. She said the appointment was with a different because Dr. NAME had died. That was such a shock. 

He was the kindest man with best bedside manner I have ever known. When I was having trouble getting off the exam table after being in the stirrups and hurting my back, he said, do you need help? He was already holding my arm. I said yes and he took his arm and put it around me, like in a bear hug and held me while I managed to get my feet on the floor. He held on while I got my bearings. I thought that was such a kind gesture. Well, he is dead! 

I asked how he died. Covid. So, I looked up his obituary. The obituary and other sites said cancer. He had been ill with lymphoma for several years. My appointment was about six weeks before he died. I suppose he had cancer and covid weakened him.

I cried. I tried to stop and did. But, tears kept coming. 

While I was waiting in the car for Tommy later in the afternoon, I decided to call the friend who is 92. She is very ill with congestion like I have not heard for a long time. We only talked for ten minutes. 

So, I decided to call the friend who has had falls. Well, she is bruised all over from a fall last week, still feeling ill and could not talk. The nine minutes on the phone was hurting her. 

I did not dare call the relative for fear she would be too ill to talk. But, I had her daughter's number, so we talked for 30 minutes, making each other laugh the whole time. I never call these three friends on the same day, usually not in the same week. Today has been another emotional day. However, it has been a good day in all other ways. 

Gaining weight may be in my future. I mentioned buying the DQ milkshake that had something like wood in it. . Well, I took the receipt, shake container with the offending piece back to DQ. Manager wanted to know if I wanted money back, another milkshake or what. So, I told him to give me a Blizzard of equal cost. And, what did they have in chocolate? Well, he brought me a 16 ounce, at least, blizzard. I tried to get Tommy to eat some. This thing may last me for another two days at least. It is chocolate with chocolate brownie, and chocolate chunks. It is so rich. I have never in my life had a Blizzard that was larger than the smallest they sell. It is in the freezer and may go into the trash!

It is a beautiful day, sunny, deep blue skies, cloud free, warm, with a chilly wind. I could not have handled a gloomy day. I am rigging Easter eggs to hang in the tree out front. That is a fun, pleasant activity. 

I have been lucky in my life to have ob/gyns that were gems, men who truly helped women. This was a blow losing my present oncologist. He was so young and kind. But, the nurse assured me the new one is just like the one who died. 

The day is over with a peaceful, easy feeling. I don't need excitement to laugh and enjoy life. I tried to take a nap, but my feet hurt so I got up and hung clothes in the hall. Well, I put things on hangers and Tommy hung them. I cannot reach up with something heavy, plus, I get dizzy reaching up and looking up. 

Midnight now. Up from my nap and ready for dinner. 

Got a message I cannot read, but it appears we are now safe from mosquitoes. And, fleas are what we complained bitterly about biting. Of course, another one bit me. He fled because I missed picking him off me. It is freezing, but we are safe from mosquitoes! 

I was so out of sorts today, a grammar question evaded me and I had to look it up to determine whether to use 'hanged' or 'hung' while writing the post! I had hoped never to become so tired that I forgot grammar. 

it is after midnight, so we are on to Wednesday. 

Was your Tuesday successful? Fun? Busy? 

Three Friends--Conversations

 There are three friends with whom I speak that who older than I am. I am slowly watching, hearing them fade away. It is good to talk with them. However, it is painful to find people not what they were. I know the adult children of all three. 

The relative had a stroke, so is not as 'with it' as she should be. She is confined to a wheelchair. There are days I call her and she does not feel well enough to talk. Medication is often the problem. I learn when I can call. I understand but would hate to lose the connection to a relative. She is 88. I hope never to have a stroke since the two have taken so much from her. We share family stories and have found out so much about our past lives. We can laugh about our life circumstances. Her husband has slowed down, she says, but she has him and children who are very much hands on and supportive.

The other friend I have known since 1980. She is 85 or a few years older, can barely walk with a walker. She was so active when I met her when she was 40. She could physically work circles around me. Life has taken a toll on her. Since her husband died, she has had many debilitating falls. She sounds weaker all the time. I notice her memory is not what it should be. We still laugh when we reconnect. She was always a friend with whom I laughed. 

The other friend I have known for about ten years. She is 92, fully mobile, needing no help to get around, and until the last few months has been very sharp. Now, she forgets things. She has never fallen. She and her husband were sort of forced to move from one rental to another. I think the lack of trees and flowers at her new home has had an effect on her mental acuity. She is sad about these loses. I know it did take her about three months to recover from the move even with help. Her husband has gotten lost getting to their new home. I have little contact with him, so I am not sure about his mental acuity. 

These are my telephone connections. I do see the 92-year-old friend. I have not seen the relative in decades. The other friend does not go out a lot. And, driving to see her is difficult. 

I would be devastated if I lost either of these three friends. The loss would be indescribable! There are others I know, but with these I have a special relationship. 

The older woman invites us over all the time. The relative is really too far away to visit. The friend who falls may not feel like company. 

Sunday, I was thinking about the health of these three women. This thinking was not ruminating about the 'what ifs' or about their dire futures. Today, Sunday, was a quiet day. So, there was time to think about people with whom I share time and space. All the thoughts were about pleasant conversation we have shared in the last week. 

Do you ever spend time quietly contemplating the lives of your older friends and relatives with whom you feel close? Do you worry just a little bit about losing them? 

Monday now. The skies were clear, cold wind even though in the 50s.

Since I slept only three hours last night, I am going for a nap. I will sear a roast and Tommy will peel carrots and potatoes. Add an onion and we will have roast. 

Saturday and St Patrick's Day

 Saturday was not a bad day, but not necessarily an outstanding day. Except, I am here. I have slept 1.5 hours since 6:30 pm yesterday. UGH!

A piddling bit of decluttering occurred, mostly what I had cluttered on Friday and Saturday. Otherwise, it would get to be so messy. It was not enough to even mention. But, of course, every little bit of decluttering helps in the long run. 

I decided to just go ahead to the grocery to get things Tommy found in the Publix Ad. He had circled things--zucchini, cheese curls. He took back the receipt where we had been charged for Aquafina water when what he got was Dasani 2/$9. Two Aquafina 24 packs were about $15. So, because of the mix-up, he was charged for only one of the Dasani. That was a $4.50 savings. Plus, he recouped the almost $8 where he was overcharged.

Then, we went to Food Giant where he brought the ads out to me, and we examined them to shop right then instead of going back another day. There was nothing we wanted or needed on sale.

Because I am so tired, I wanted a chocolate milkshake or cone. We got a milkshake at DQ. Mine had something nasty and brown and hard. No, it was not chocolate. I become extra foolish when I am exhausted and cannot resist fattening stuff. I always forget that DQ has horrible chocolate milkshakes because I only get one about every two years. They discontinued the chocolate soft serve cones, my favorite ice cream from DQ. I did not want anything else.

In the meantime, I remembered I had not gotten carrots, so he went back into Publix for carrots and brought out chocolate ice cream, too. I forgot we need onion. Remember, my brain is rattled. 

We will have another white dinner, I suppose. However, I want slaw with my chicken. Potatoes will be for Tommy. I want chicken with BBQ sauce and slaw. 

For some reason, I still have the weight loss from the intestinal upset. And, I am losing more weight. That is a bad sign. I am certainly eating enough to gain the weight back. I will need to address that Monday with a doctor or appointment. 

Friday, we cooked six bscb, ate one between us, so have five left. I froze three of those in separate freezer bags. We will appreciate these on days we don't want to cook or have a late day out. 

I napped for four hours, getting up at 10 pm. I ate no dinner, just pbj sandwich and milk. I think.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

We have absolutely nothing planned to celebrate the day. The shamrock on the front door will come down after dark. I bought the shamrock about three or four years a day at a clearance sale, so not much spent. I don't own anything green to wear; Tommy has a shirt that says "Elder" on the sleeve. It is something he wore to some sort of church conferences. I do have a button with a shamrock on it. 

Karolina and her brothers. Hallelujah - Karolina Protsenko & Her Brothers (youtube.com)

I love this channel.

Now, I need to get busy decluttering my table. I might do a bit more. This is the only way I can keep more clutter happening. It never seems like much, but it works for me. 

I  think a nap is in order since I never sleep more than 3 or 4 hours when I go to bed.

What are you eating or wearing to mark the green day?

Are you Irish? I am Scots-Irish on my mother's side. 

White Dinner

Thankfully, the weather did not affect us. We kept our electricity. There were terrific winds and rain that kept us in. As usual, I could not sleep at all. I have forgotten when I slept today.

The Valentine's Day balloon is still going strong. At the rate it is deflating, we will have this on the 4th of July. I will not ever want another. Since I am not a teen apt to tape the balloon to my bedroom wall, and I hate to throw it in the trash, and do not want to keep it, I will find it hard to toss it. 

I did sleep from 10:30 until midnight. I did sleep from 2 pm until 6:30. Tommy woke me and told me to get up, it's 6:30. I could not figure out what he was talking about. UGH I could have slept longer. I did cook dinner. I cut eyes out of red potatoes. They went into a cooking bag with seasoned chicken. I had cooked cabbage last night. 

We had a white dinner--baked chicken breasts, baked potatoes, cabbage. Obviously, I did not plan for it all to be white. The chicken was next thing we were going to cook. The cabbage had been here about three months. It smelled like rotten produce. But, when I peeled off the awful leaves, it was perfect. And, it no longer smelled. Dinner was delicious. The spices on the chicken did add color. 

I have been watching this young violinist, She dances as she plays. She is talented. Maybe you will enjoy her, too. 

Since I could not keep my eyes open, I took  a nap. I got up at midnight. So, that is it. Nothing happened today. 

BOGO deals, Cicadas, Pollen

 Thursday morning, I was still awake at 10:45, and I was sitting waiting for Tommy to wake up so we could go shopping early. I wanted to go back to sleep! I told him to eat breakfast so we could go. He said, "Oh, let's just go get a burger since it is lunch time." Well, I could not resist. I wanted to go to Arby's for a cheddar cheese with horseradish sauce. We did. 

We shopped the rest of the grocery shopping for Publix today. Tommy was fussing and fretting about getting more butter. Kerry Gold was on sale, so I wanted to try it bogo. He kept telling me I had a dozen boxes in the freezer. Well, now I have two more boxes. Kerry was $4.99 for 1/2 lb, two sticks. BOGO, I got it for $2.49 for two sticks, a half pound. Every single item I bought was bogo! I didn't buy the olive oil because it was in a plastic bottle. 

I told him to call me when he found the olive oil on bogo. The first thing he said when he called me was, "It's in a plastic bottle." He remembers mostly what I tell him about food shopping. 

All this cost $41.54 before food tax ($3.74) Savings was $31.44. I just put the bogo price below.

Kerry butter $2.50 x 2

Kelloggs Special K $2.84 x2

Kraft Medium Cheddar Chunk $2.39 x4

Spice Island spices $2.30 x 4 (2 onion powder and 2 garlic powder)

I forgot that we bought two non-bogo items

Nature's Own Honey Wheat bread $4.11 x1

red potatoes 5 lbs, $5.99 x 1

The bread and potatoes were cheaper at The Pig, but he did not want to go there. He was doing all the shopping because I do not feel up to going in and driving the electric cart. Getting out of the car causes him much pain. Getting his walker out is hard. Getting back into the car is also difficult and painful. The last walker weighed 15 lbs. The new one weighs 25 lbs. If he just refuses to go to another store even for savings, I rarely insist. When I feel halfway well, I always go in and shop. 

My gastro problems continue, albeit not so severe and not so sudden onset. My nutrition is suffering. I tend not to want any fiber. 

When I got into the car today, I noticed the pollen on the windshield. Then, I noticed pollen on lens of my glasses. I only walked about 40 feet or less to the car. Imagine the pollen we collect on our clothing and hair after being out longer than I was out. 

Today, I lay down for a nap. Soon, my ankles started itching. I gave in and scratched them with other foot. Finally, I was sooo hot. I got up and out of bed. The room was even warmer at head height. I stumbled into the hall, and it was still hot, just not so suffocating. The heat on thermostat was 75! And, it was set on HEAT, so no ac was ever coming on. I turned on ac and sat in living room. After an hour, the living room was bearable. So, I went back to bed at about 4 pm, got up at 11:30pm. I take sleep when I can get it. 

For dinner Tommy had the other half of a can of chili he opened on Wednesday, and an apple. At midnight, I made for my dinner an egg salad sandwich from two of the eggs I boiled earlier this week. I may eat something else, maybe not. 

Tommy did three loads of clothes while I slept. He hung the bathroom rugs outdoors, so they are back. He even hung up two of my nightgowns and the panties that were in one load. There were three wash loads and two for dryer, and one hung up. 

Friday will be lots of rain and bad weather, so we will be in all day with no plans for going out. We don't need anything or have any appointments. This week has been warm, dry, and beautiful. The next three days will not. Then, the clear and warm days return next week. The next weekend will be rainy, also. It seems that weekends are always rainy lately.

I am wondering if the cicadas will destroy any flowers I have or buy. Maybe I won't buy flowers until after they are gone. I just don't want to crunch them underfoot!

Are you in the area/states where cicadas will return? 

Was your weather unseasonably warm today? 

Shiny Brite and Pests

 Do you have Shiny Brite ornaments? I have about a dozen. Not only that, I have two empty boxes that do say Shiny Brite. These ornaments are worth lots. Even the empty boxes are valuable. 

The link below is no longer available.

These Vintage Christmas Tree Ornaments Are Worth Good Money Today | Watch (msn.com)

Try this one.

Shiny Brite Ornaments Vintage - Search Shopping (bing.com)

Tuesday night, I sat up all night, until 8:30 am.  My stomach was jumping. That is the only way I can explain it. But, that is the way it felt just before throwing up. If I could just NOT eat, I would feel better. Then, the fear from the other end has kept me running to the bathroom. 

About noon, it seemed as though chest congestion was going to do me in. I have no idea what is happening. Then, my other kidney started hurting worse than the right kidney. 

Tuesday night while I sat up, I made a list from the ads online. Of course, today we left too late to really shop. We left here are 6 and got back at 7:30 pm. The holdup was a prescription. I made all the arrangements yesterday to pick up that night or this morning. We got there and there was noone attending the window. A sign said they were short-staffed, to come inside. 

That meant Tommy had to go in! I saw people go in and come right back out with a prescription, so I was annoyed. It turned out that the computer goofed. Yeah, that was the reason. 

As we drove through the parking lot to Publix, I saw Burger King straight ahead. So, you know what happened. It was only a Whopper Jr. with lettuce, tomato, and lettuce. 

As it was starting to get darker, I scrapped the list for only two items. He bought water and my 1/2 birthday item. The choices were a bar cake, ice cream, frozen yogurt and something else frozen. This offer of 1/2 price on these items was welcome. Then, he called and said there was no chocolate cake. I chose red velvet. 

I asked him what kind of frosting. It was so funny as he said, "it is off-white" and continued. I told him I did not ask him the color, but what was in the icing. Well, he finally found someone who went to the cake and picked it up and read to him. He did not know it would be on the label. 

It was dark when we arrived home. Of course, I feel like throwing up and the lower problem is back and body systems have expressed great unhappiness. 

A Surprise

When I awoke, Tommy had contacted a pest control and there was an email waiting. So, I called and we are getting pest control that comes initially, and then every few months. I was shocked. Fleas and roaches were the focus of my complaints. Tommy is having the whole yard treated for fleas. There is a list of other pests they control, too. I never thought I would poison the whole yard. I never thought he would pay for something this expensive. 

Hopefully, this last spraying and spraying will last to hold back the fleas until the guy can get here next week. There is no telling how much poison we will ingest from this professional spraying. I think I saw one small spider in this house, no ants, just roaches and a few tiny bugs caught on a glue board. Oh, I did see one ant coming in the front door. I killed it and saw no more. 

I have been asking him every few days about the pest control and mowing guy. However, he was the one to mention pest control...not my idea. Yes, he did call Keith to mow. 

Do you have Shiny Brite ornaments? 

Have you ever had them?

Do you or have you ever had pest control? 

Does it work? Are you wary of the poison? 

Cleaner Came; Today Was a Winner

 This person is the daughter of my friend who died last Fall. I mentioned needing someone. She said she might be able to help me. She lives halfway between Cullman and Birmingham. She cleans for several people. One moved to Hoover several years ago, so she still goes to her house every three weeks or once a month. She emailed me and said she could come today. 

I had told her I needed someone to help me get the last of the Christmas items boxed and put away. Well, I got to thinking about that. These few little things are hurting no one. What I really needed was someone to make my bed since it took Tommy and I so long, 45 minutes to put on two sheets, spread and blanket. 

Plus, the reindeer were still out, baby on the porch, doe and buck in carport. Even though they were not in rain, they were still in dampness and sun and wind. We have large, gold glitter everywhere!

She made my bed and took apart the deer and put them in a box. She took them inside to tape. She and Tommy were doing it when I managed to get inside. She stayed an hour and Tommy gave her $25.  We gave her the candy canes, making her happy. She said she would give them to people at church. She works with children, so I suppose they will go to her class. 

The bed frame was on the grass with a FREE sign on it. While we were taping, someone took it--the mailman. I was shocked and asked Tommy how he got it in the truck. It seems he knew how to take it apart. I knew it came apart, but could not figure out how. Well, it was too hard. I am glad someone took it who can use it instead of selling it for scrap. Well, he might be doing that, but I don't care. 

Within three minutes of her leaving, I was getting into bed after changing into a clean nightgown. As I turned and over to sleep on my left side, I felt funny. Well, I barely had time to roll over and sit up as I threw up over and over again into nightgown I had on.  I had Tommy hand me the nightgown on top of dirty clothes, put it under the bulge in my nightgown. Once I got both nightgowns in waste basket, I realized liquid was on my panties and then on fresh, clean sheets. A wipe got off the dampness on sheet. Thankfully, it was like one drop. 

So, here I am sleepy, naked, still sick feeling! I had to get up. It's been over an hour and a half. I ate crackers very slowly, very slowly. I almost choked on them. I wonder if this is related to other GI problem I had. 

Oh, I asked my friend how her father was doing. She said he remarried three weeks ago. She laughed and said he needed someone to do all the things her mother did for him. She was okay with his remarrying so soon. I certainly don't care. 

Tommy has been outside rinsing nightgowns under the faucet since he cannot get the hose onto the faucet. The poor man has been doing a lot of laundry in the last few days. The faucet is so low that he cannot bend to use it. He must put his head against the brick wall to get to the faucet. I will have the faucet extended upward so we both can use it. 

Other than the cleaner coming, the mailman coming, the bed frame going, my and being sick, today has seemed like Sunday. 

I wanted to get meat on sale at Food Giant, so we finally left to get meds and meat. Walgreen's still did not have Victoza, so I transferred to CVS, Tommy went in and got top round roast for $4.99/lb., and a box of Graham crackers. The roast was almost $12. I will cut it in two pieces and freeze half. Maybe I will cut it into three pieces. 

We needed to get Dasani water, but there was none yesterday. I called and they had plenty. On Wednesday it is bogo. We can wait. 

My nap was 1.5 hours, not nearly enough. I still feel like I will be sick again. All in all, today was a winner. 

I will cancel the doctor appointment tomorrow. I cannot ride an hour to allergist! I hate that, too. 

Tommy found his own dinner--meatballs from freezer, broccoli from refrigerator, and a little can of red beans and rice.  I had Graham Crackers and later cooked ground beef on bread. I hope it stays down. 

Plans for tomorrow revolve around collecting ads and buying at least water and whatever else is on sale, clearance, or bogo. 

What did you get accomplished today?

What are your plans for tomorrow? 

-

Liar, Liar and TMI and 60th Reunion

TMI section is marked below, so you will know when to stop.  

I was told today that mattresses are measured from the middle instead of on the side. No, not true at all. Every person in the mattress business laughed hard from Canada to Cullman. 

My new mattress is not helping me go to sleep faster or sleep longer. I did not buy it to put me to sleep. However, I hurt less when awake and walking is easier. Plus, I can turn over and get in and out of the bed more easily. My lower back thanks me. Sunday night, I could not keep my eyes open, so I went to sleep around 10:30.  Great, right? /s  Well, I slept two hours and was only able to go back to sleep at 1 pm today. 

Sunday night, I dropped the wireless remote trying to pick it up from the bedside table. When I awake, I need to go the bathroom RIGHT NOW. So, this was an emergency. The rules for using the mattress state  that I cannot get off the bed with head or feet elevated even a little bit. So, Tommy had to come and get it for me. 

Now, the small, slippery remote lives in a mesh bag, the kind to wash lingerie. I can feel the little control buttons. I just leave it in the bed and sleep with it. I need to find a ribbon, tie it to the bag, and pin the bag to my pillow or the sheet. Okay, I am using the ribbon that was tied around the sheets like a gift. Maybe I should just tie it to my wrist. /s

TMI below.

I cannot imagine what I ate, but it appeared to be food poisoning. The problem is that Tommy and I ate exactly the same thing and it was all prepared here and very fresh. Leftovers were only one day old. No, I never threw up. But, there was laundry to be done, lots of laundry. Lots! 

However, it is not all bad. I was down 15 pounds from the last time I weighed. I was in a doctor's office. I weighed and had on a long, heavy sweater with a cell phone in my pocket and heavy shoes on. So, I probably actually lost almost ten pounds in two minutes. Tommy believes it was an overly heavy olive oil dressing on pasta. I think he is correct. If I could do this once a week for ten weeks, I could love a cool 100 lbs. 

Since I am having 60th Class Reunion, that would be great. That sound harsh--60 years since I graduated. What reunion is coming up for you this year? 

Mattress Update

 The new bed is like a board with a blanket over it and I love it! I raise the head just a smidgen and the feet a bit more. My feel lose most of the swelling. The right foot looks skinny and almost normal. The left foot is still swollen a bit. Now, If I could sleep longer than 3 or 4 hours. 

It is so wonderful not to be wallowing in a mattress. I sleep on my side, so lying on my side in a bent mattress is not possible without pain to my back and knees, hence sleeping only with a bit of bend in the mattress is great. 

I could write a whole post about the two delivery guys, two Hispanic guys from Atlanta. I told Tommy I would stay in the bedroom and he could sit in other end of the hall to see how things went. Neither guy hit anything bringing things out or in. They were personable and polite. 'Personable' is not a requirement, but it helped. 

They carried the metal bed frame to the road. I will put a free sign on it. They carried Tommy's parent's bed that is broken and the slats to back bedroom. I have lived with that for five years, just propped against the wall. They carried the bedside table behind the bed to kitchen just to get it out so they could work. Plus, queen bed did not leave enough room for it. The bedside table I use was place just inside the other bedroom in order to make room for assembly. 

Delivery men have been annoying over the years. One almost took off the door frame. Another ran into an antique table. When I told him to be careful, he said he had to get in some way. Now, I do move things, valuable or not, out of the way. Another took a bag of tools and threw on yet another antique table, one with pie crust edge and inlay. I gasped and asked him to remove it and be careful. He snorted and said he had to put them somewhere. NO! 

The washing machine and the freezer were delivered from Huntsville, AL when there is a Lowe's about then miles from here. 

Tommy said the truck they were driving had the name of another business scratched off. So, these guys may be two enterprising guys with their own delivery service. Good for them. 

Tommy gave them each $15 apiece. That was all he had in his wallet. 

The salesman said mattresses are measure from the very center of the mattress, not on the side. I doubt this. 

My back still hurts when I get out of bed and walk. But, the pain lasts fewer minutes. This mattress won't cure my back, but it will help mitigate the pain and damage to my spine. 

Sleep would help. I did not sleep the night before the bed and mattress was delivered. Then, I slept 3 hours and another 2 hours. I did not sleep Saturday night, and finally went to bed and slept at 2:30 Sunday, sleeping another 6:30.

DST should help things. I love it. Tommy hung our shamrock on the door. I bought it one year dirt cheap on clearance. 

Next project--irrigation for potted plants on porch and ramp. Maybe I can sneak things into the ground this year. He seems more amenable to doing things. Of course, another car for both of us is still a top priority.  

Have you ever bought a mattress sight and feel unseen or felt?

What type mattress do you like? Soft? Hard like mine? Pillowtop? 

I Have a New Bed

 Now, I am going to go and get back into it. 

My Mother's Birthday

 Today, March 8, 1921, my mother was born, six months after her father was killed. She had an older brother-6, and a sister-4. An older brother had the year before, shortly after his birth. They went to live with her mother's mother on 'the old homeplace' my great-grandfather had settled in the 1800s when he came from North Carolina and bought 90 acres. My mother would be 103-years-old today.

Back in the 1970s and beyond, Spring break for Alabama schools was the first full week in March as I remember it. So, we made it for her birthday most years. There was the occasional year that her birthday did not fall during the break, so those were the only years my three children and I did not descend on her home. 

Today was spent arguing with furniture delivery system. I do not want a delivery that is scheduled from 7-9 am in the morning. I was told I could have changed it. "They will call you the day before and you can tell them when to come." Now, it would just have to be canceled. I desperately need this mattress and base. 

I did find out online that they will vacuum the space where the bed will replace the one taken out. Of course, they will wear shoe covers and gloves, thankfully. The vacuuming and shoe covers and gloves are in the contract that no one told me about. I certainly do not want this heavy bed and frame put on 40-year-old dusty carpet. I cannot imagine not vacuuming a space for that many years. If I could handle the vacuum, I would have no problem vacuuming after they removed the old mattresses and bed frame. Tommy is keeping the full-size bed frame. 

We had plans such as grocery ads pickup and grocery shopping. But, the rain came in early and stayed all day. Tommy went out in sprinkles to get the mail, but no laundry was done since he must walk in the rain. He would do it if I asked, but I won't ask.

I have moved a few things in the bedroom this afternoon, had a nap. Now, at 10:30 pm, we need to move more things in the bedroom. I am still very disappointed with the information I have been given, especially disinformation by the company. 

Tommy says the plants in the dark laundry room are all really growing tall, so it is time for those to come out into the sun and rain and have some fertilizer.  And, plans for carrots are coming along.

Did the rain spoil plans for today? 

Or, was it good for things you have planted?

Lots Done Today

 I was very discouraged when I noticed behind the bathroom door had not been swept. Then, I actually looked around the bathroom better. I was seduced by the clean area in the middle of the floor. Then, Tommy put the clean rugs on the floor. She had not swept the corner most visible in the room or the three less visible ones. One woman did this, the hotel cleaner, while her mother used the vacuum. 

These women did nothing! Well, nothing to call themselves cleaners. The mother did vacuum about one foot into one bedroom, six inches into another, and an area about 6x6 feet in my bedroom. This was all I asked. The whole bathroom in 6x9 feet, so little to do. The tub, commode and a large vanity cover most of that. Yet, she could not get the floor at least swept! She did not clean under chair or table in the kitchen. I did not even check that. 

I know, I know...I said vacuum. So, if I had it to do over, I would expect her to drag a vacuum into the bathroom and move chairs in kitchen to vacuum under them. Actually, sweeping and Swiffering was easier and faster. Plus, there were two of them. Was one going to stand when she was here? 

Tommy spent at least an hour hurting himself, digging around in his mound of stuff. I asked what he was doing...getting stuff out of the way so she could vacuum. I used a reacher getting stuff up in front of my chair and out into the floor--kleenex, receipt, and tiny items, scraps.  We did other things to prepare. We are not stupid or uncaring of their time and energy. However, this is not hotel cleaning. 

Anyone that has ever cleaned has not stopped to lecture me on what I hired them to do. Picking up one extra thing should not be a dealbreaker. Yet, they expected me to call again soon. Well, they were talking like I would. 

Looking into the kitchen, I found a disposable pie pan in the area not under the table, an area that should have been cleaned. One way or another, it would have been picked up by a conscientious floor cleaner. There was a box, sink, table and counter an arm's length away. 

I will not publish more unfounded criticism of my handling of the situation. I am done.

Today, Tommy washed my new sheets with an additional sheet and pillowcases, a load of clothing, and a load with the quilt I put over my chair. I spilled food all over me and it. I gather clothing, he washes and dries, and I mostly put them away or hang the wet items not going into the dryer. There are two more loads to do tomorrow and black clothes for Saturday. 

Tonight, we roasted a pan of chicken, carrots and potatoes. Delicious. There is enough for two more meals. Yay! Plus, there is still slaw which I forgot to mention to Tommy. 

Tommy bought another bogo bscb package when he went in today to get three half gallons of my milk, and bananas. 

I made an appointment with dentist and allergist. Both are long overdue. The heating guy checked out Tommy havac unit. It is natural gas.

Now, I need to go over the rest of the Publix ad and Pig ad. We have one more ad to pick up tomorrow. 

I cannot wait until the farmer's market here opens. We are discussing planting carrots. What are you planning to grow?

Cleaners and CT Results

 1:30

Cleaners are here. They will never come back. For the two of them, it is $25/hr. That is fine. They will only vacuum for that price. I asked them to wipe down the dusty baseboards in hall. Well, that will be more per hour. She said they only agreed to vacuum. I am confused. So, one is sweeping the bathroom so it can be vacuumed once gathered. I would rather get a price and have them do whatever I need that pops up. 

I want the kitchen swept then Swiffered. They agreed to do that for the $25 price. Whatever. I told them where water and Coke are located and not to take drinks from kitchen. They did not bring masks after I asked them to do so. They offered to leave and go buy some. No. They are using the gloves I supplied. 

Both came to the front door carrying a vacuum. Nope, want mine used. The vacuums look so tiny, easy to use, I suppose. Mine has a hepa filter. I doubt theirs do. 

I can understand just enough Spanish to know they were discussing the bathroom. That is a problem for them. This is too much for me to deal with right now. I had three hours sleep and just want to go to bed.

Maybe they will be back, but this is too much. She said wiping baseboards in only the hall was 'deep cleaning' and they did not agree to that. The daughter works at a hotel. So, she is making rules for all of us. That is okay, but it is not like other cleaners have worked like they worked. 

The last cleaner only put together the deer. That is okay, too, because when she tried starting trouble between Tommy and me, she was out of line. So, no cleaning by her, that I remember. 

Okay, they stayed less than one hour and we paid $25 which is totally fine as far as price and what they did. I have never heard of baseboards in only the hall being called 'deep cleaning.'

We had a talk before they left concerning what they would do and price. It is still $25/hr. That seems too little for two people. The mother mentioned 'coming in and doing a whole house cleaning one day' for one price. Well, I told her that that would be twelve hours at the least, and I could not last that long. 

I asked if their vacuum cleaners had a hepa filter. They assured me they had a filter. They had never heard of hepa filters. So, we will use my vacuum. 

The kind of person I need is someone who will do what I need in time allotted. If I need refrigerator emptied and cleaned, living room dusted, and commode cleaned, that is what I need. I have limited energy to deal with someone even being here.  

I was pleased it took the mother a long time to vacuum the hall. I was afraid she would run down it once and call it done. No, she did a good job. The daughter wanted to vacuum the bathroom, too. But, I wanted it swept to the door and then the swept stuff vacuumed. There is no way to get a vacuum beside either side or back of the commode. Getting behind the door would require the vacuum be taken into the bathroom and the door being shut. 

She did Swiffer the kitchen, not sure how well. I deliberately bought a Swiffer and the wet pads to make it easier and more palatable to cleaners to mop the kitchen floor. Now, it is not sticky in places or has crunchy things on the floor. I cannot stand that. Tommy says he never notices...lol. 

The carpet in living room and hall feel so nice to my bare feet and look plush. 

I did take a nap. Between the cleaners and the nap, we went to The Pig to get bread and 2 coleslaw mixes and an ad. There was one mix at home which I made for dinner. I had the last of the turkey breast with at least two cups of slaw for dinner. I told Tommy to give me lots of slaw, and he did. 

In The Pig, I had an adventure, a good name for an accident. The cart had two of the vertical pieces of metal bent outward. As I was squeezing through a display on the aisle, the vertical metal snagged a six-pack of beer. It spewed all over me and a customer before it even left the stack. Of course, a pack above fell off and slid down the snagged pack right into my cart. Three more hit the floor. The nice customer put all the leaking ones, snagged packs, and one of the floor back into the display. I doubt the workers can find the ones damaged. But, the whole side of the display would have been on the floor if he had not fixed the gap. 

Fun, fun, fun at the Pig.

The women tried to figure out how to schedule me. I explained that with doctor appointments and such, we could not just have them every Monday or some other day. 

Speaking of doctors, the CT showed nothing for knot in side, pain in kidney or any abnormality of pancreas, and no gallstones. I didn't think stones just went away. They were there and now they are not. I am confused. Nurse had no explanation. 

While I was sleeping, he was searching around in the upright freezer for food. He found meatballs, and a package of frozen slices of bell pepper. He added that to the meatballs and used diced onion still in the refrigerator, stirring it all together for him. Plus, he had lots of coleslaw, too. He seems so happy to find food. 

Tommy said he will call exterminator for the yard tomorrow. He has also agreed that painting the wood on the brick exterior black would look nice. The color now is either green or brown, faded. Before, he said he like that color. Good news all around.

Happenings Today

 This afternoon, I called the person who was to clean last week when I was still in the doctor's office. The person who answered had an accent and seemed to have no problem understanding me. Then, she said, "Just a moment." The same voice came back without an accent--her daughter, I presume. She had no idea about the cleaning cancelled last week. I was confused. She was confused. I had used Tommy's phone last week. Maybe that is why she said she did not have the address. She will come tomorrow. 

At any rate, I had four fleas bite me last evening. I caught one and drowned it in Tommy's coffee. It was struggling to get away from me as it was trapped under my thumb nail running back and forth. The other hopped away. I was awake all night from the itch! This afternoon, I sprayed again. Tommy vacuumed some but not everywhere I sprayed. 

We finally got my meds that doctor called in. From now on, I will ask for refill when I will be out in ten days. Between primary doctor and pharmacy, I often must go without med for heart or diabetes for a week or more. That is just not right. 

I am so happy that DST will start this weekend. I am utterly sick of the short days. The tulip tree across the street has fully bloomed now, so that is something to cheer me up. 

Finally, Tommy has agreed to replace the storm door. Well, he did not agree to replacing the door. He just acted like it was his idea. I can see light all around it and around the front door, too. Maybe he will agree to replacing that or insulating it. Mosquitoes, flies, and roaches have easy access to indoors right now. I point this out often. 

I need to buy one of those plastic pieces to put on a corner where he rams his walker into it. I don't know if I can put it up, but at least I will have supplies for the person who can. I am glad I don't have any furniture he can hit. He never hits furniture anywhere else, just here! I know there is a less obvious way to protect the corner which could be done correctly with a lot more trouble. But, this will work. 

My mattress and base will be delivered this week. YAY! Sheets will be here beforehand so I can wash them.  I still need a bed. So, storm door and car shopping will commence. Before we buy cars, I need to find out the process and how much room for clearance I need for a scooter to be pulled inside. Tommy cannot lift one. Well, he could if he absolutely had to, but it is too much for him. 

Just now, I had a bowl of Greek yogurt sitting on the table by my chair. I reached for it and saw a speck in it, no larger than a speck of pepper. It was a flea! I suppose the bright light and white yogurt attracted him. 

Right now, I am boiling eggs since I have no bread and no cereal. I do need something to eat...lol--brunch or linner. We won't be shopping before morning. Tomorrow, I will bake chicken and vegetables. We had just enough for a meal tonight. I need to make more slaw and open a can of green beans. 

Today, we made a quick trip to Bessemer. We passed a man and woman starting a fire at the base of a tall tree, right against the tree on the roots of the tree which was about ten feet from the house. What on earth? We came back by and they had quit, and fire was out, I think. Rain probably caused them to stop. 

So, not much happening today. 

How about at your house? I have not seen ads yet online. Are there any good deals at your stores?

It's a Beginning

 

What have you done lately to 'seize the day?'

I have another question. I found a woman to clean. As I spoke with her, her husband took the phone and talked with me. Her business is in her name. At least the cleaning business on the business card is in her name. He said the daughter is coming to in order to translate. I had to cancel, forgot why. I talked with her for five minutes and she did not seem at all confused as to what I said. She and husband are Hispanic. 

Now, I am not sure what is happening. The daughter may need to drive her. Or, maybe she does not like to drive. Not sure. So, when the daughter comes, should I let her work, too? Vacuuming up to things will work for me, but lifting a few boxes would make the place cleaner. I am not expecting anyone to lift heavy boxes. Besides, anyone can use my walker to transport a box to another room, which I don't need anyone to do. 

When I say I want someone to vacuum, how much translating is needed. Besides, I can speak a bit of Spanish. And, I can type what I want and have it translated for her. 

I think $25 is a lot to vacuum as much as I need. I asked for an hourly rate after he told me she charge $25 for vacuuming. Once she is here, I will pay what she wants at least once. I will not argue or short her. 

What is your take on this situation. I will not pay the daughter a dime if she does nothing but translate. 

Little to See Here Except for Surgery Results

 Friday, I decided to go to a food giveaway. There is always good food we don't want. However, we never waste it. We took the food we did not want to a store and stopped someone in the parking lot and gave it to her. The person was grateful. 

I could not tell if it was a man or woman. The figure was very tall and inordinately thin. The figure was rather androgenous. However, the tall soft boots with a stacked heel led me to believe it was a woman. The person had a very long scarf around the neck. 

This was shocking as we drove closer. The person had most of the lower jaw missing, numerous scars, and still little clue to gender. There was a round plastic piece, about the size of a nickel on the jaw. I supposed it held things together. At the time and in retrospect, I assumed this was one of the drastic jaw surgeries that occur after cancer, usually caused by tobacco. I have seen the aftermath of these surgeries on TV but never in person. I fest for her. I was also thankful I never smoked. Of course, smoking may have had nothing to do with her condition. 

I explained where we got it, how we did not want it even though it was frozen and good. "Would you please take it, and if you don't want it share it with friends or family or neighbors? And, if you don't want it, feed it to cat or dog or chickens. Please help us out."

She said in the softest voice, "You are kind. You are kind." I was moved. I could never have imagined I would have seen a person with this problem when I left the house. 

What we kept: Three pounds of ground beef, 4 pounds of honey-baked ham (not the real stuff), slices of ham from deli, package of six bscb, loaf of rye bread, and4 nice rolls that just fit the deli ham slices, fresh greens stuff for sandwiches. All was frozen, so the ham is in the freezer. I will cook the bscb Monday or Tuesday. Tommy is enjoying the deli ham on the rolls. 

I slept well on Saturday night, considering I did not sleep until 7:30 am. Today, not much has happened. I burned my grilled cheese! That is so annoying. Tommy cooked and chopped the ground beef with the onion I chopped. Now, I will make spaghetti. 

Today, we started late for a ride. We checked to see if the guy in Bessemer had tomatoes to sell from his front yard. We may have gotten there too late. Then, we went to Publix to get Lysol wipes bogo and Finish. I think we drove through the park. Anyway, we came home and watched the news. So, nothing much happened today. 

Hopefully, I will cut his hair tonight. He needs it desperately. Tommy is so funny. He needed to go to CS to get a rain check. He said he stood in line. Well, then he talked about too many people being in line and going away and coming back...still too many people, so he left and came back. No wonder he could not get to the CS desk!

We have nothing planned for the week because it will be rainy. 

How did your weekend go?

What plans in or out of the house do you have for this week? 

This and That Around the House

 I tried calling the guy who sold me the mattress and base to upgrade what we ordered. But, he injured himself and did not come in to work. So, hopefully, he comes in on Sunday. 

In the meantime, I feel terrible. I know you get tired of this complaining but consider how I feel with only 3 hours sleep two days in a row. That includes naps. Or, in the case of one day, no naps. I get grumpy.

These are the days that precooking and freezing are miracles for me. Before dinner Tommy said he could scrounge in the freezer to see what there was. He found a portion of a baked turkey breast for me that I ate with the last of the slaw and a can of asparagus. There will be enough turkey for both of us tomorrow if we want that. 

He also found a freezer bag with a boneless, skinless thigh; one carrot; and two small pieces of potato--all baked together one day. He added the rest of the thawed broccoli to round out his meal. 

These leftover meals certainly beat having to cook or eat a peanut butter sandwich that many older people eat. I am proud of leftovers that were planned. I think I cooked and froze his meal in January '24. He said the turkey breast was from January '23.  

I am continually fighting getting my meds because of pharmacy and primary physician. I am not sure where the break in communication occurs. I often must leave a message. So, now I am out of med for diabetes. 

Saturday, we awoke to see a huge yellow sticker on the car across the street. They have had a car parked partially on the street for well over a year. This car runs; there are never weeds; it is clean; the people are lovely. I wonder if someone reported them or if the police randomly found the car. Since it is in full view of our door and my chair, I just hope they don't think we complained. 

The candy canes-red, green, and white--need to be rehomed. I am certainly not going to waste sugar consumption on candy canes. Not one was eaten. I put them in a red Moscow mule mug for decoration. They were 12 for 50 cents, so no big deal. I do not want to use them at all. I do know all the ways I could put them in and over other sweets. Just NO. They GO!

Nothing else was decluttered. However, Tommy did wash eight throws. They are all on pants hangers in a doorway since his dryer with heat from hell would melt them. 

Does your decluttering ever involve candy? 

Do you ever have trouble getting refills for meds? 

Mattress Base

 Now that I know that the mattress base can have 'features,' I have to make sure mine does. I called but the guy has today off, and i have to wait until tomorrow to find out what mine does. I won't buy a power pack for the bed since getting on and off will not be a problem for me. 

I quit typing and finally am too tired to go typing. So, this is it.