8-19-2024/8-25-2024

Monday:

Monday is always laundry and trash. I strip my bed, wash the sheets, put them back on the bed. I hate folding sheets, so I don't. When these wear out, I'll go to the next set.

Every other week I have an extra can to put out to the curb - recycles. I can throw plastic, paper, tin, aluminum all in one bin, but no glass. I accumulate it in my garage and take it to my local recycle drop off. It's the same place I take my yard waste, and fortunately it's not far from my house. 

So on Monday, I empty the waste baskets and clean out the refrigerator(s). The cans go out late Sunday for pickup early Monday. Sometimes I run out before they arrive with a last minute potty box scoop.

In addition, I ran and emptied the dishwasher.

I did not do my ironing.

I started going through my Susan Branch books, taking photos of recipes I want to try. Someone gave me Autumn, so I have two. I will keep one for inspiration (my first SB book) and I love the fall. All the others are ready to go to Niece Leslie. Niece Terri already has copies of all.

I want to put as many things as possible in the right hands before I go, so Terri can just call Goodwill (or ?) and say, "Load it up."

My kitchen towels came from Temu. I bought two sets. I'll be ready for spring.

Monday is also blog day, and I hadn't even started, but got through it - mostly the salad buffet at the Clinton museum.

Tuesday:

Started the planning for entertaining. Why not repeat the meals for Theme Dining II and Celebrations? I'll already have the table planned and maybe even food which is okay as leftovers. I got a good start. First date is September 12 and I'll do the 5S meal 1.

I'll use the amber snack sets - I think I have two kinds. 

Pepper to the vet. A sub and not very young. Pepper's annual physical exam consisted of feeling his tummy and listening with a stethoscope. He didn't even weigh him or take his temperature. Didn't look in his ears. His rabies shots are for two years, and this is the off year, so only distemper shot. And the bill was $59. How do little old ladies on Social Security afford pets?

I drove through McDonalds and got him a single hamburger (plain) for a good boy treat. I pinched little bites off around the edges for him, and he took one sniff and turned away. He usually likes beef. Wonder what McDonalds is feeding us?

After I dropped Pepper, I went to Walmart for cat food. I usually go to Aldi and Harter House, but decided that if Walmart had it, I'd just buy it there. I forgot my grocery list. I checked it when I got home; 23 items and I only forgot sharp cheddar. Good girl!

By the time I got home and put everything away, I was pretty zonked. I watched a biography of Daphne du Maurier on YouTube. Strange lady. No wonder I'm not a fan. Here.

Bud brought me another loaf of the Walnut-Raisin Bread from HyVee. I ate the entire loaf last week - with cream cheese. Must not do that again. I gained two pounds. I'll freeze half and only spread it sparingly with butter.

I spent a lot of time on the phone with Aetna, trying to find a way to stream the exercise programs they do on video - one per month. I should be able to stream all that have aired, January through August, but no. They keep saying they'll email a list of classes I registered, it never arrives. They also have videos called Healthy Lifestyle and Food. I've discovered a seven-step method of getting to the video I want, starting with a link they sent me for an upcoming class. I finally asked for a supervisor, and he not only couldn't help me - he'd never seen this website. He tried Healthy Lifestyle from his end, and now I'm getting emails for those classes, but still no exercise. The website is Healthy at Home, but you might need to be a member to access the videos, as they ask for your email address when you register.

I spent a little time watching news and the DNC. You'll never see Kamala like this on mainstream media. The Rock Star.

Wednesday, 8-21:

A feel-good to save: Susan has problems with her eyesight and can no longer make cards. When I send cards to cardmakers, I never sign them. That way they can recycle them, or salvage pieces for their own cards. I sent her a birthday card with a butterfly this year, and she thanked me because she was going to save it to send her sister in November. She always used butterflies on her cards because their mother loved them. I made three butterfly BD cards for her sisters for next year. I got this email today:

Hi Patsy,

Katie gave me the cards you made for my sisters.  What a caring thing for you to do.  I love the cards, so creative and pretty.  I know my sisters will enjoy them also.  You are such a busy lady and for you to take the time to do this for me is most appreciated.  Thanks so much for sharing your talents with me and I pray that you continue having a fun healthy summer.

Smiles and hugs, Susan

Happily, Linda wants the buffet pieces. And I'll have an empty shelf.

I think this should be Trump's new theme song. Here

There's a restaurant on historic Commercial Street in north Springfield, Missouri, called Big Momma's. No ambiance, no fancy dinnerware, order at the counter, and great food. They have a salad with the exotic name "Chopped." I love this salad and could eat it every day, except that Big Momma's is in north Springfield, and I live six miles south of Springfield. I tried to duplicate it, but it's not the same; however, it is edible. Fifty-one down, and one to go. Yay!

BIG MOMMA’S WANNABE SALAD

6 cups bite-size pieces Romaine lettuce
8 oz. deli turkey, rough chopped
1-1/3 cups shredded Mozzarella
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
 
Dressing
1/2 cup purchased Italian salad dressing (I used Wishbone)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs sugar
 
Whisk together salad dressing ingredients and refrigerate.
 
In a large mixing bowl, combine lettuce, turkey, cheese, and onion.
 
Toss with 1/2 cup salad dressing.
 
Divide salad among four salad plates or bowls.
 
Scatter ripe olives over salads.
 
Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.

Serve remaining dressing separately to pass.

My kitchen looks like a war zone after I try to duplicate a recipe, with all the weighing and measuring and tasting. I have a new appreciation for Julia Child, Martha Stewart, and Paula Deen. I do wish Martha would drop that Kamala Cackle though.

While sifting through salad recipes, I'm amazed at how many Jello salads pop up. I really like Jello, and I heard that it's not used all the time in hospitals because it's easy or because sick people like it. It actually has healing properties. Who knew? 

So I'm founding the Wobbler's Club and from now on, I shall have Jello at any gathering. I'll call them WC Orange 1, WC Orange 2, WC Lemon 1, WC Lime 1, etc. And I'll include Dessert Salad recipes as well. If I run out of salad recipes, I can always switch to Jello cakes.

Just received from Friend Linda:

I've heard of Purple Cows before, but never investigated. While going through the Susan Branch books, I ran across how to make them. So I made one.

Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a tall glass (two scoops if yout dipper is small). Fill the glass with half grape juice and half seltzer water. That's it. 

I wasn't impressed, but I think if I experimented a little I could come up with a grape juice:seltzer water combination which would taste like Grapette. Remember that soft drink in the little tiny bottles?

Tomorrow is shrub removal day. Yay!

Thursday: I was so tired yesterday, I didn't get to my journal. I started at 7 am and finished at 9 pm. I had to move all the patio pots and furniture to the middle of the patio to make room for trimming. Then I was running back and forth to the front and back, answering questions, looking at this and that, and letting guys in to go potty. I also gave them iced tea and cookies (made the tea; cookies from Aldi). But it's a done deal and I'm so happy. 

I did accomplish a few things: I finished ten greeting cards ready to go in the mail.

I started cleaning up the screened patio after using it for a yardwork staging ground. All the tools are back in the garage, which means I'll have to drag them around to the back when I work in the yard. More to do, because I haven't cleaned out there for weeks.

I found the poison ivy, thanks to a feature on Google I didn't know about and right before my eyes. When you open Google, in the search window there's a little magnifying glass in the left of the search window, but on the right, beside the microphone to use voice instead of typing, there's a little icon which is sort of square. It's a camera. If you take a photo of a plant and then click on the photo, you'll get info about the plant. I haven't tried it on other things, but I will, of course. Inquiring minds want to know. Terri taught me this bit of magic.

And here's the guilty culprit.

Poor Stripey. He had moved to the bushes beside the house, and when the guys started ripping those out, he slithered into a crack between two bricks in the side of the house. Fortunately the crack leads into the garage, and I'm assuming he can't get into the garage, but for sure I'm going to investigate. I don't want a snake coming into the garage. Hope the crack isn't behind one of those tall cabinets full of dishes.

I got the buffet set all boxed up to take to Linda when we meet in Clinton on Saturday, September 21. All but the heavy extra tabletop grill. The tray is big and it's heavy.

And so an empty shelf in the closet. Ta da! It's tall enough that I could bring in the remaining wreaths from the garage. Some are in the coat closet. I should organize them a little. Maybe spring and summer in one closet and fall and winter in the other. Maybe they can stand on end. That would be a plus.

David sent the Queen Esther DVD back to me, and also Downton Abbey, A New Era. He included a card, so I also got four Lucky Bucks ($2 bills). I gave one to each of the four guys working in the yard and they were tickled. David's generosity is spreading joy he doesn't even get to see. My mowing guy loves it when I include a couple in his payment. He's pretty young, and had never seen a $2 bill until I gave him one in his pay.

I also got a package from Temu. A lot of people are afraid to order from them, but I just heard that millions of social security numbers were hacked at a company which gathers info for credit bureaus, etc. We can run, but we can't hide. I will not, however, let them near my cell phone.

My sweet little pink condiment dishes. They were a little pricey for Temu at $7.47, but I need them because I'll save some pink dishes. The ones with gold rims were cheaper, but I didn't care for them.

They're tiny

A form for molding fondant or candy. I didn't know it would be so small.

This is to make fondant roses. I'll have to watch that video again.

For making fondant flowers.

I love the pin, really nice, $2.24.

The earrings have one petal which is weird, but they only cost $1.98, which is cheaper than thrift stores, and I do love the color.

Cameras do strange things. My carpeting is not striped. 

I was so tired, I was wishing for a nanny to put me to bed. When my head hit the pillow, I could just feel the tired oozing out.

Friday:

In my email today. Now this looks like fun. Scroll down for more fun goodies.

A sign at the vet's office. I can relate.

Now that the shrub removal is finished, I'm getting excited. This must be what an artist feels like when he sits down to an easel with a blank canvas. I spent the better part of the afternoon studying plants; which zone, how big, how wide, sun or shade, perennial or annual, when to order, when to plant, where to order, etc. I think I'll order bulbs from K. van Bourgondien. The problem with bulbs is that you need to leave the foliage after they bloom until it dries, and it becomes very unsightly. But they're such beautiful flowers. Oh, well. A work in progress.

My Before yard

 

My After yard (should have taken these in the morning)

This will leaf out again.

I managed to go in the garage and dig out the amber dishes for my first fall lunch (September 12). Boy, do I have a lot of dishes! Time to get with this program.

I talked to my daughter. She wants to go to Baker Seeds when she's here so she can eat in their vegan restaurant. Gag! Literally. I took one bite of that Mickey Mouse turkey and had to grab a tissue and spit it out. She was happy. She brought my lunch home to have the next day.

Called my little sis for her birthday. I started sending her cards so they would arrive the week before her birthday; five cards, one each day and put the sixth one in her gift box which I sent to arrive a couple of days before. I forgot how they operate. She saved all the cards to open ON her birthday. Ha! I won't forget that again.

I addressed my greeting cards and got them in the mailbox in time for pickup. Three people out of ten needed new labels and that's exactly how many sheets I had left. Divine Order. Googled Walmart, and I can pick some up there instead of going to Staples in Springfield. Yay! On my list to reorganize my label notebook.

All wreaths which were in the garage are now happily living on the shelf vacated by the buffet set.

Too tired to do my journal. Leftover lethargy from shrub day.

Saturday:

I saw an interesting YouTuber who appeared on TV during the Democratic National Convention. He said that we've probably been wrong about the Dems.

1. We thought they didn't like walls, but there was a big wall around the DNC venue.

2. We thought they said you shouldn't have to produce an ID to vote, yet no one could enter the convention without a valid ID.

3. We thought they were against the police, but they had hundreds of officers to protect them at the convention.

4. And we thought they were against guns, yet all the policemen had guns.

And I remember the Democrats lecturing us that Republicans are racist and want to get rid of blacks, but there was a trailer outside the convention where you could get an instant abortion or vasectomy, and the largest number who took advantage of this offer were black - and the people ushering them in were white.

No restaurant report this week. Poor Elly is having hip trouble. And do we have a shortage of medical people? She can't get in to see a doctor until September 10. Not the first time I've see this long wait time for appointments.

I love a nice rainy day where the thunder only grumbles, no roaring. And no wind or hail or power outages. I spent the better part of the day organizing my stickers and return address labels. Who does that? But I like to match the label to the card (or whatever), and I found myself rooting through a big box of labels, like a pig after a truffle. Sometimes you just have to stop and regroup. I didn't finish until 11:00 p.m. Now I can find birds, butterflies, flowers, nautical, etc.

Then I cut up sheets of stickers and ditto. I used the cases I bought with my Hobby Lobby gift card from the Taylors. Thank you, Tom and Conetta.

And now I'm all set to send 150,000 pieces of mail. And this wasn't even on my current to do list. I am easily distracted. Obviously!

Sunday:

I decided to take photos of some recipes in the Susan Branch Autumn book, so I can put it in Linda's box. She might need a U-Haul by September 21.

I had the most wonderful phone call today. Friend Coretta has the first draft of her book back from the publisher, and she asked me if I would proof read it. How exciting is that? I feel so honored. And when her book appears on the New York Times Bestseller List, you can say, "I know her proofreader."

Time to get back to yard work, but I never know when Brendan is going to show up on Monday morning to mow, and I'm meeting Coretta for lunch at 11:00, then grocery shopping. By the time I get home, it will be too hot, so I won't get back to it until Tuesday. I don't know whether it's the exercise or the vitamin D from the sun, but I'm starting to feel better, and I already felt good. I need to do a lot of yard clean up, spray the weed enemies, feed the moles, and finish cleaning the screened patio, so it's going to be a busy week.

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SUMMER IS WINDING DOWN 

WE'LL BE INTO OUR FALL CLOTHING SOON

START PLANNING A WINTER CRUISE IN THE CARIBBEAN

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 ENJOY THE WEEK AHEAD

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE