Pot Bellied Stove / Water Cooler
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Good Morning, another quickie...gotta go feed. No special plans for today, so I should be able to get back here a little later and chat.0
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Quickies are good. Already quiet here. Plenty of leftovers but lots eaten too. Jim and kids had to leave at one so barely got done eating. My sister left a little bit ago. She did the dishes and then we looked for a baby shower gift online. Will work on my list and walking until 5:30 when we head out to hear from the first of two missionaries. Will check back tonight to see if you were able to get back and chat.0
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Sheryl, I forgot to mention that I heard from Granny the other day and she had slept in her new place for the first time. Lots of boxes to unpack.0
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Thanks for the heads up about Granny, Debora. I assume that she also is still doing everything on her phone and it's harder to type on her phone, so she doesn't answer as often.
Good Morning, you can all see that I didn't make it back here yesterday. I had plenty of time, but just didn't have much to say. It was a lazy day, much cooler than forecast, so very comfortable, but I still put off the chores.
This morning, John has a check-up with the eye doctor, so we'll be out for a few hours. I hope we can do something fun after the appointment.
Isabella, hope the wall turns out nice and they stay within budget. I keep hearing horror stories about everything costing more in the end. Nice of me to put THAT in your head, although, I'm sure you've considered it, given all the other quotes you got. Wow, walls are expensive. It's too bad that your association isn't more generous and let you take it out and leave it out, if you say that you don't need a wall there. I have to deal with the association behind us again, John found two beer cans in the pasture and they had to have come from over the fence. They are building houses back there now and so that cut down on the "teenage traffic" and hangout, maybe the builders are drinking on the job. Who knows, except that they littered on our property. Also, the lawn maintenance people weed-whacked the ditch, but left all the vegetation there, more obstruction to the water flow when it rains. I hate that I have to complain all the time, but no one does a good job to begin with.
Jannie, love that you pop in when you can. Hope your remodeling is still going strong, and smoothly, AND, within budget. ha ha ha, it almost never stays within budget.
I better take my shower and get ready so the bathroom is clear for John to get ready. I also need to go across the street this morning to return keys, I heard them come home from vacation just after midnight. I know the donkey will be thrilled to see them, he didn't have free reign of the property while they were gone, stayed in a portion of the yard for a whole week, had plenty of room, but it's not the same as going wherever he pleased. He is friendly unless you have food, then, he's a real pill...bucking and kicking and trying to get to the food before you can put it in the feeder.
I hear him braying right now, he's impatient for breakfast and attention.0 -
Good morning.
Had a nice, but lazy, weekend. Didn't do much but laundry and my weekly cooking. Binged-watched Criminal Minds on Netflix and took a long nap yesterday.
Dad installed a new sprinkler control panel this weekend. This one will keep working if we lose power...so no more tickets from the water police!
I woke up at 4:30 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I guess I napped too long yesterday. It will probably catch up with me later today. I thought I'd for sure be the first one up this morning, but no, Dad was already up and about. Unlike me, he's sure a morning person. He took Cisco for their first walk of the day and then left to go out for breakfast at his favorite hole-in-the-wall place. He goes out for breakfast there about 3 times a week. When he gets back, he'll go meet with his walking group and walk 3 or 4 miles with them. Lately they have been walking to the local high school and using their track while school is out.
Dad and his walking group walked over to a restaurant on Friday for breakfast, and one of them drove over. After breakfast everyone but Dad and one lady rode in the car home. Dad said the point was to walk, not ride! He tries to get most of his 10,000 steps in before it heats up too much.
The last couple days the high temp stayed in the 90s, but today we should hit 100, and 108 by Wednesday. Ugh. I don't mind the 90s because it cools down nicely at night. Above 100 usually means the AC stays on all day.
I noticed this weekend that there is a little chip in the front windshield on my car. Going to have to have someone come out and fix it before it spreads. On top of that, my car registration is due, and I need to take Simon in for his annual check up and shots. Expenses all over the place!
My watermelon guy is failing me this season. He hasn't had any watermelons yet and isn't setting up every day like he usually does. I have a feeling this drought is affecting his business. The last couple times I stopped there to get some cherries, they weren't local (he got them from Washington state) and were too soft. I did find a pretty good watermelon at the grocery store the other day and dad got a couple really good cantaloupes. Eating lots of melon right now. Also eating lots of nectarines and blueberries. The fruit is so good right now.
That's great that Granny is moved in to the new place now. I hope she is happier there. She invited me to a walking challenge on Saturday on FitBit. She beat me good! I swam a lot this weekend, but didn't walk much.
Jannie, good to hear from you. I hope you get a good deal on those cabinets!
Isabella, yay that the wall project is underway and you can get that behind you now! Too bad the HOA wouldn't go for no wall.
Back to work I go. Have a great day everyone.
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Barely making it... "Good Morning"
Almost noon already, been on the phone all morning. Between my Mom and my sister and the investment company for my Dad's pension IRA. Gathering lots of info. Actually, Mom had personal problem with telephone. Somehow, she lost the answering machine message, in my Dad's voice, and her calls were going to voice mail. She's never had voice mail before and this is throwing her. When I was down there, I read through the manual for her phone and discovered that the voice mail, that now comes automatically with her new carrier and phone number since the move, can be over-ridden by an answering machine that comes within fewer rings. Anyway, long story short, the answering machine button on the base of the main phone got accidentally turned off. Easy fix, once we figured out what had happened.
The deal with the investment company is that in the process of changing everything over to Mom as beneficiary, Norma discovered that Dad's pension in an IRA is designated as Norma and myself as beneficiaries, not Mom. She gets the other investments and the house, but not the IRA. Lots of questions and more paperwork to fill out for Norma and myself.
I'm amazed at the amount of work involved even when so much was preplanned and we thought was going to be easy.
Well, back to the paperwork.0 -
Sunday evening was good. Both missionaries were interesting to listen too. The cookies at the first one were good too.
Monday I walked and then went to town with Ralph for his appointment. This week they gave him an electronic diary - his responses this week will finish deciding whether he qualifies. He hopes he does. We also went and looked for books, ate, got a few groceries and got batteries (free at the place he got the hearing aid) for his hearing aid. I worked at home. After we had supper, I went and met Lori and got 4 of her kids to spend the night. Then this morning we went and walked the 4-H pigs. The walking pen is nice. I was able to just watch. But the kids still need to wear boots. But you don't get smelly like you do in the finishing house. When they got done, I drove them home and it was 10 by the time I got home.
I worked on stuff here. I baked cookies for the meal I was doing, cut up a pineapple and a tomato and a onion, did a load of laundry. About 3:40 Katie called to see if I could take her kids and her to swim lessons cause all the vehicles were gone from their place. So I did and then came home and packed the meal and took it to this lady. It's a family renting a house from a couple in our church. She was in a car accident and hurt her back so some of us signed up to help with a meal. I got home and neighbor came to get my tomato cages. I'm not using them so she might as well. Then I opened a can of saurkraut to put with some kelbasa and decided it was still not good (it was a ways past the date). What to do - remembered a head of homegrown cabbage my friend gave me and used part of it. I really enjoyed it. I added some onion too and spices.
My list is made for tomorrow. I'll walk, work here at home and then we have prayer group in the evening.
Sheryl, are John's eyes doing okay? Did you take a drive after you got done? Glad you and Norma are able to work together on getting things figure out for your mom. Hopefully, you'll have it all done soon.
Marcie, yay on not having to worry about the water police - especially when you are extra careful to follow the rules. It's hot here too. Even though the wind is tiring at times, it does keep the heat from just sitting on you. Our ac is on all the time but we do keep it at 80 so hopefully it works a little less. Tomorrow starts the two months of being careful of electric use between 5-8 pm - M-F to help with the cost of the electric bill. The biggest thing I do if I need to use the oven then is to turn the ac off while I'm baking but I don't bake much and try and do it earlier or later than that.
Sorry there are a lot of good watermelons this year. The lack of water would affect that. Expenses often do come in bunches. Then hopefully you have a breather before you have more.
Take care everyone.0 -
Oh yeah, was going to mention that on our front porch Monday morning was a pile of poop. I asked Ralph about it and he said it was from a coon. Yuck to think that he was that close to the front door. Hopefully, it doesn't happen again.0
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Good Morning. Thanks for the reminder, Debora, that I forgot to tell you about John's eyes. Checked out very good. He could read the bottom line of the chart, using both eyes, without correction, and the doctor said the healing is pretty much done because John's vision changed so little from the examination last month. So, he gave us a prescription for reading glasses and we looked at frames and ordered new glasses, will pick them up next week. Usually, we take the prescription and go to Walmart because the frames are so much cheaper, but this time, being the first pair of glasses after cataract surgery, they are covered by Medicare, so we ordered them right there at the doctor's office. I wasn't sure if Walmart would bother putting it through Medicare, new rules caused much more paperwork, we were there for over an hour. Then, we ran a few errands and went out to lunch. Stopped for fuel and used my fuel rewards before they expire, got 80 cents off per gallon, paid $2.29 per gallon. But, didn't go for a scenic drive, driving around from errand to errand wore us out and we came home by 2:30 pm and crashed.
I got my form filled out for the IRA (eight pages) and will send it to my sister so she can send my form with hers and use only one death certificate. She purchased 10 certificates since everyone wants an original. And, she has a lot of notifying to do, so she'll probably use all 10.
Marcie, sorry the watermelons are as good as usual. There's nothing like a good cold watermelon on these hot days. I need to stop at one of the farms that have stands out front, because I'm not satisfied with what I have purchased in the grocery stores. Someday, when I get my act together, I'll include melons in my garden.
Has anyone heard anything from Anew? I assume she is back from California and the wedding, did I miss a post?
Today will be hot again, into the upper 90's. John will probably go out and play with water again. He has a huge maze of "Y" fittings and hoses going every which way throughout the pasture. I think it's a waste, because treated water doesn't make the grass grow like rain water does. But, it does keep John occupied and that's WORTH A LOT! I'll pay the water bill and think of it as daycare.
Too hot to weed, so I'll do my best to find a cool activity today, not sure what just yet.
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Temperature was good for walking. And I enjoyed my day at home. Got three shelves in the front hallway sorted through - the other two have paper stuff so will take a lot longer. Baby gift game (love Amazon Prime) so need to get a gift bag. Got prayer requests ready for small group and we went to it tonight. It will be back here next week. Had salsa chicken for dinner again and then froze what was left. Got the sheets changed and took the blanket off for now. Silly to be kicking it off at night. Wow, I feel like I got a lot done today but guess it wasn't big stuff. Day got warm but slowly - right around 90.
I've kind of run out of taped shows to watch for now so set up Pandora radio and am listening to some fun kids music - guess I'm still a kid at heart.
Tomorrow I'm at home until evening when we have Willing Workers so need to get ready for it.
Sheryl, I'm glad John's eyes are doing so well. I'm planning to get a watermelon for Sunday dinner so hope it turns out to be okay. Love the water maze. Some things are worth what they cost. What cool activity did you do?
No, we haven't heard from Anew. In my mind I was thinking she was still traveling but you're right, she should be back. Seems like she was having some computer problems so maybe that's the hold-up.
Well, off to finish my list and head for bed. Good night.0 -
Good Morning. I slept so good last night, can't come up with why, last night didn't seem any different from any other night, but it sure felt good and I feel refreshed this morning. John's up already and went outside. He can keep himself so busy out there during this nice weather. I ended up mowing lawn yesterday, around the apple trees and in the front. I started during the cool morning and even though it got hot and I had to quit before all the grass was actually done, I got in 2 hours of activity. I hope to finish it this morning.
I logged my exercise and my food for yesterday, a good start for the first of the month. I had a hard time finding the right "page" to reset my weight so that I have a more accurate accounting. I finally did...changed it from 170 lbs (from after chemo) to the more realistic 190 lbs that I am now. I need to lose those 20 pounds ALL OVER AGAIN.
Isabella, I keep forgetting to tell you that while I was in California, moving my Mom, I disassembled her sleep number bed and reassembled it at her new apartment and found no mold. All components, including the air hoses, (which are clear tubing) were clean and dry, no condensation or any problems at all. It makes me love my bed even more, so comfy and now I know it's clean too. I hope you are still enjoying your Temperpedic.
Today, it's forecast to get up to 98, so I better get outside and finish mowing while it's still cool. It's 72 right now.0 -
Hi everyone, I have a working computer now. How is everyone? I have missed keeping up with you all.
Where do I start? I am not sure so I think I will just jump right in.
We will be going to friends tomorrow for some pre July 4th celebrating because racing might be happening on Saturday as long as the sun has dried up the track. They were racing tomorrow but it was canceled today because the track is too wet. The guys are on the edge of their seats since they have only had 4 races since last August because of rain washing them out. It isn't so much we are getting alot of rain but the fact it keeps raining right before the race weekend.
I hope you all have a great Fourth of July and stay safe!
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Hi all.
Looks like a lot of people took today off. The commute to work was wonderful. 60 mph the whole way in. The Newspaper reported that all state offices were closed today, but I don't know where they got that. Since the 4th falls on a Saturday this year, we will have a floating holiday that we can take later, but our office is opened today.
The atrocious heatwave we've been having has finally broke. The hottest day was 108 degrees, and the nights were stifling too. Today it should not get above the 90s with lows down into the 60s overnight. Much better. It clouded up yesterday and the clouds are still hovering today. We got some light rain last night, but nothing much to speak of.
I haven't felt real well this week. Took the last couple days off work and slept a lot. Feeling some better today, so I came on in to work.
My Dad tells me our new neighbor across the street invited him and I to her July 4th party. Apparently she's having a barbeque and then setting off some fireworks. We may go, but when the fireworks start up one of us will go home to be with Cisco. Poor little guy is already super stressed over the booming fireworks people having been setting off this week.
Cisco is going to be a wreck tomorrow tonight. We called the vet about maybe getting some drugs for him. She recommended we give him 25 mg. of Benedryl this year, and if that doesn't help calm him, next year she'll give him something stronger. Last night he was asleep in his bed and a loud boom went off. He jumped out of his bed, got on mine, and buried his face under my pillow. What a scaredy-dog! I know you're not supposed to reward a dog for a behavior that is not good, but I couldn't help but give him lots of cuddles. I suspect there will be lots of cuddles the next couple days.
Since it was nice and cool this morning, I took a long walk around the city. Got back and realized I forgot to clip on my FitBit. Doh!
Anew, good to hear from you again. Was wondering where you've been. What races? Have fun at your pre July 4th celebration.
Sheryl, good luck with those 20 lbs. It's always hardest to lose when you are so close to goal weight. Kind of felt jealous about John and the sprinklers. I wished we could do whatever we want with water. I am so over this stupid drought.
Debora, what's in your salsa chicken? Sounds good. Yeah, no use for a blanket if it's kicked off. I only sleep under a light blanket year-round. I don't even sleep under sheets. I don't like being enclosed in a bed like that. My Dad has made it clear that I'm weird about that. Ha! He sleeps under sheets, an electric blanket (he doesn't turn it on during the summer, but it's still on the bed), and a comforter. I'd suffocate!
Well, better close and get back to work. Have a nice weekend everyone.
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Hi all, great to see everyone!
They got the demo done on the old wall and stopped for the rain and the holiday weekend. Hopefully they'll start up again next week. Since the trench is dug we don't want anyone falling in!
Debora, salsa chicken sounds good. Do you just put salsa and chicken in a crockpot? Glad all is going well with the bible study, etc. also. Crazy that your lawn chair collapsed under you! Good thing you weren't hurt! Thanks so much for the updates on Granny. Sounds like she is doing well and perhaps making a bit of a come back emotionally.
Marcie, Hope you're feeling better. I don't know why but I am always surprised that it gets so hot where you are. I guess my brain just thinks that all of CA should have the same temperatures we are having here. Poor little Cisco! Hope he isn't too traumatized tomorrow and gets over it quickly. Let us know how the benedryl works for him. My company gave us Friday the 3rd off for the 4th of July so I bet a lot of other companies did the same. I think you're right that the draught might have affected your fruit stand guy's crops. Very sad!
Sheryl, I remember when Dan was executor for his mom's estate it was very complicated and involved because she didn't prepare anything in advance. It took him months to get everything settled. I can only imagine what you and Norma are dealing with. BTW, Norma was Dan's mom's name. So glad to hear that your mom's sleep number bed is mold free. I think they are making the newer ones with less chance to have that problem. Yes, so you can rest assured that you are safe from that issue. We are still pretty happy with the tempurpedic but it does have it's draw backs. It gets warmer in the summer and Dan thinks this causes it to get a bit softer. It is too soft for him sometimes. I kinda wish he had chosen the sleep number (or just gotten the firmer one he wanted) but I guess no bed is perfect. Glad your neighbors are home and you're thru with that chore.
Jannie, glad you dropped in. How did the pricing for the cabinets come in from your new contact?
Anew, so good to hear from you! How was the rest of your trip home? I've been thinking that I have to send you an e-mail. I got those Pambra's you told me about when you were here. I like them! But I got XL and they are a bit long so I already ordered size large. I ordered them from "More to Love". They have them for $16.95 and free shipping. They gave me $5.00 off my next order for taking a brief survey so the ones I just ordered were only $11.95. Thanks for the tip! For you other ladies Pambra's are cotton strips of cloth to put under your bra band to collect sweat, stop chafing, and keep the under wires from being so uncomfortable. Makes your bra more comfortable and extends the life of your bras. You can check out the video about them on You-tube. Or if you're interested I can try to put the link here.
It has been hot and VERY humid here this week! I felt like I was back in NJ! Yuk!
We are having a very relaxing day today. Did a couple of errands, stopped at Trader Joe's, went for a nice walk before it got too warm and now we're putzing on the computer. We aren't going to do much tomorrow. We can walk across the street and set up our chairs to watch the fireworks so that is what we'll do. I bought grass fed ground beef to make some hamburgers so we feel like we are having festive food.
Well, I've rambled on long enough! I'm going to go do some laundry and perhaps start a new book. Have a wonderful fun, relaxing, safe 4th everyone!0 -
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Thank you, Marcie, and a Happy Fourth of July to you too, to all of you. I hope Cisco and Simon are able to have a calm evening, even with all the booming.
Good Morning. Thursday was forecast to be the hottest day of this past week, so I thought it was a good idea to get away from home and not have John out there doing chores in the heat. We finally went to Forest Park over in Portland. This is a 5,100 acre park, literally a forest. that spreads along the Willamette River and has about 30 different hiking trails. It's only for pedestrians, bicycles and horseback, so I didn't know what to expect...where I could park the car to get to these trails. Anyway, we had an adventure! The trail that I wanted to head for was a 2 mile loop and labeled as "easy". (I have a book that describes all the trails). I was amazed at how much traffic we encountered, Portland is as bad as any big city, any time. I'm not used to that kind of traffic, there was even lots of traffic on the narrow, winding road that goes up into the hills. We saw a parking area and pulled off before reaching our trail goal. This trail was labeled as 6 miles and "strenuous" with steep inclines. We hiked about 200 feet, took some beautiful photos, and went back to the car.
The trees really kept that trail cool and fortunately, the AC in the car continued to keep us nice and cool in the 2 hours of traffic to get back home. I don't know if the traffic was due to the holiday weekend, or it's this bad all the time. Maybe, next time, we'll try it at a different time of day.
Yesterday, I pulled weeds again, in the cool of the morning, but went grocery shopping instead of mowing the lawn. The stores were nice and cool, but again, crowded. I'm sure that was because of the holiday weekend. Today, we're staying home. I bought stuff for hamburgers, but also bought a couple of steaks. So the grill is coming out for today AND tomorrow. Not sure what we will grill first, but both meals will be good.
I talked to my sister yesterday and she had a meeting with a realtor regarding our parents' house. He suggested that we sell it as is, not try to do any improvements to increase the value because any buyer would want to remodel anyway, so why take our time and effort and money. What he did suggest was to pull up all the carpet and show off the old hardwood floors. That sounds like fun, I love demolition. He also said that it's a sellers market and September would be the best time to put it on the market. August is a very slow month and we would need August to prep the place anyway. Going through 65 years of living there will take some time. I already reminded John that he had said that he'd go with me to clean out the garage. Of course, he said that he didn't remember that, but he also didn't say "no", so I'm planning the last two weeks of August to be down in Pasadena, cleaning out the house, and I'll need to go with or without John, but I'll insist that he go with me and see how that pans out.
John is up now, so I'll get off the computer for awhile. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
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Wow, beautiful pics Sheryl! Sounds like a good plan with your parents' house.
We rented a movie last night from red box called "The Duff". It was cute. Kinda sorta a romantic comedy/coming of age movie. We really like the actress who starred in it Mae Whitman. She was on the TV show Parenthood and has done a couple of other movies. No matter what she stars in you feel like you know her.
We've also started watching a couple of new shows. One we like called Mr. Robot, one the jury is still out on called Dark Matter. Oh, and a 3rd one, a half hour ensemble comedy called "Clipped". Like it for the most part but a bit off color at times.
Gotta go return that movie - we're going to walk there - so HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE!!!0 -
The last thing on my food to do list is now in the oven. I baking a chicken/rice dish to take to the potluck. I also made a fruit salad. It's another week when I probably bought too much fresh fruit. Hopefully, we can eat it while it's good. I've got fruit flies so set a trap with apple cider vinegar so we'll see if it works.
Our Willing Workers meeting Thursday evening was really good. Such an interesting speaker. I worked on a counted cross stitch bookmark which was fun. Everything got put out and away but I didn't feel like I did much this time. Lori's three came home with me and we all went right to bed. While I walked in the morning, Ralph took them over to walk their pigs. When I got over there, they were about ready to load up so I could drive them home and then head to town. I got to town about 1 1/2 hours later than I usually do but was only 30 minutes later than usual coming home. I brought home Chinese so gave Ralph his and then unloaded the car. I like doing it one sack at a time cause I end up with everything put away too. It was nice to have the rest of the day at home.
And I've been home today until we go to the potluck. The house is straightened. I got the trash carried out, picked up some branches Ralph cut off the other day and little bits of this and that. I cut up a watermelon and part of a cantaloupe and added some blueberries for my fruit salad. We finished up our pizza and had salads for dinner. I just finished washing the dishes so they'll be dry by the time we get home and I can put them away. I didn't get everything done but the rest can wait. It will have too.
It got up to 90 today. That's hot but it could be worse. There's a little breeze so that will help for the evening. We will mostly be outside if as many come as they think will.
Sheryl, enjoy the good nights of rest when you get them. You're smart to mow and weed in the morning and do other things when it's hotter.
Nice place you found to hike. Glad you didn't go too far on that trail and that it was cool. You got some nice pics.
That's a smart idea on the house. That's what Jim and Lori are doing now. They had some painting done and fixed the hall when the wheelchair had knocked all the time and filled in the walls about the door where the track for moving E was. They took up the carpet and started to redo the floors but finally decided to quit and go as is. I don't know if anyone has looked at it or not. I hope John will go with you when you go. Emptying a house in two weeks will take long hours.
Anew, so good to hear from you. Here we talk about you and you show up. Did you get to have races today? What are they racing?
Marcie, glad you had an easy commute to work. I tried to go to one place that was closed. I'm glad they got the day off but now I have to go to plan B. Nice that you don't have to go far for the evening so it will be easy to slip home and be with Cisco. Hope the benadryl helps. 108 - wow - that's hot. Sorry the long walk happened without your fitbit. Still helps you but...
The salsa chicken was 1# chicken to 1 1/2 c. salsa. I added a couple pkgs of taco seasoning but couldn't taste so won't do that again. I shredded it in the mixer. Very easy crockpot meal.
What makes a blanket different than a sheet?. I've always used top sheets but I don't think any of them in Lori's family does.
Isabella, I hope no one falls in the trench either. Is it well-marked? You plans for the day sound nice - relaxing. What are you reading now?
Rice dish is done and wrapped in a towel. Fruit salad is in a bag. We'll be taking off in a few minutes. Enjoy the rest of your day.
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Hello ladies! I'm still lurking but wanted to stop in quickly I learned something new about my phone and MFP--I can get nutritional info! I never saw it on the computer but have been using it with the phone. The sodium and sat. fats Are what I've been working on. Its going pretty well most days!
No word on the cabinet pricing yet, I should get the bid this week. I've been looking at gas ovens and refrigerators. I am still sHocked by how expensive refrigerators are. Of course my dryer is making a weird noise and the air conditioner is leaking
It's always something!
So glad to see you here Anew! I totally understand the computer trouble-- I sure hate typing on the phone!
Marcie-- Love the pics and hope Cisco survived last night. My Buster spent many nights under my bed from about June 30 th they July 5 th. I ended up tranquilzing him the last 4 years of his life. Luckily, Kringle isn't bothered at all ny fireworks. She got mad at the boys when they put her inside last night. The were going to do firecrackers and I didn't want her to get burned if they threw it and it hit her accidentally. I'm surprised they let you have fireworks with the drought!
Aero--I'm tired just reading about what you are doing! I love that you walk the 4H pigs! I didn't know they needed to be walked!!!!!!!!
Sheryl--my mom ordered 10 death certificates when my dad died. She used all of them even though she thought she wouldn't! I hurt my hip again by mowing our yard My hip felt great for 3 says and I thought I could do it. NOT! It'sreally hurting more and I'm mad at myself. The boys are tired of doing it and I was trying to give them a break. UGH! Hope John goes quietly in September. Sorry to say this but pulling up the carpeting isn't much demo, it's more boring than that!
Isabel-- hope your wall gets done soon. I have at least 5 weeks until the cabinet come in after I order them. I'm hoping to get them ordered this week or by the 15 th at the latest.
Going to stop now, Austin is back from summer Boy Scout camp and I need to gethim going on his laundry. It is always so gross that I make him wash them twice!
Take care 0 -
Debora, they put a cone next to the trench on either side of the sidewalk leading to our front door and that's it. I didn't end up starting a new book yesterday. I read one of my nutrition magazines instead. Always some interesting tidbits in them. I plan on starting a book that my pastor wrote called The Holy land Key". It is about what he feels the Lord is showing him about the signs in these present times. I'll let you know more about it after I read it.
Jannie, neat about being able to get nutrition info on your phone. Ah, the wonders of modern technology! FYI if you get consumer reports or have access to a copy, the July edition is all about remodeling the kitchen and has reviews on all the kitchen appliances, Fridge, Stove, dishwasher, etc. Also, cabinets, flooring, anything and everything!
BTW, I sent Granny an e-mail. She sent me a quick reply that she'd respond to my e-mail when she gets her computer hooked up, hopefully next week. It was nice to get even that short reply. Really made my day.
OK, I'm off to spend the evening with hubby. Have a great week everyone!0 -
Good Morning.
Isabella, I got a short reply from Granny too. So glad that she is still communicating even though it's short and sweet. I'm sure I'd keep it very short if I had to do it on a phone. I hope your wall gets done quickly and smoothly and within budget. Any project gets out of hand these days.
Jannie, I told John that I would remind him for the next 6 weeks that he said he would help and that I NEED him down there. I am sticking with that tactic, that he is needed, not that this is vacation. Even though I am planning a fun road trip to get there, I know that if I mention vacation...he'll bail. He is already asking who will take care of the animals and I keep telling him our across the street neighbors. We took care of their critters for a week, feeding twice a day and during the heat I went over throughout the day to check waters. Our animals are even easier, the llamas just graze, no extra food, and the birds get one scoop of cracked corn disbursed throughout the backyard every morning. Very low maintenance. Just check the water every other day and make sure they have enough. I will keep at John, just like I did with the cataracts, and I trust that he'll follow through for me.
Yesterday, we finally fixed a leaky spigot at the corner of the barn. John kept complaining about it and told me to call a plumber. Now that's huge, that he wants to call in someone from the outside to fix something, he's always been a DIY'er. I told him that I'll work on it and if I break it, then I'll call the plumber. It's been about 14 hours since I took it apart, cleaned the threads, and used Teflon tape to put it back together and no leaks. I suppose I should wait a couple days before I rejoice. The last time we "fixed" it and used pipe dope on the threads, it didn't leak at first, but then started leaking again after big temperature changes.
John did take apart the Shop-Vac this past week and can't get it back together again. It just stopped working and after he blamed the extension cords and tried out each one (pain in the butt getting them all out and then rolling them all back up), I told him that it was the Vac. Anyway, more frustration and a big pile of bits and parts on the work bench...I went to Lowe's and bought a new one. Well worth the money to alleviate the problem. We are spending more money these days simply to get out of frustrating situations. But, there comes a point when it's easier than dealing with those frustrating situations.
Today, I promised myself to start shearing the llamas. I should have started weeks ago so they'd be cooler on these hot days. But, I didn't. Yesterday, they were smarter than John or I was...they settled down in the shade near the sprinkler in the backyard and took it easy. John and I were on the other side of the barn working on that spigot in the full sun, We are fools!
Anew, so good that you popped in, we've been wondering about you. Hope to hear more of your trip and your projects.
Marcie and Debora, always love hearing about your days. As was mentioned over on FB, sure wish we had more participating over here, but quality outweighs quantity every time. We are good people here.
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Ever since Christina "sponsored" that contest on the Key Ingredient site, I've been continuing to get their emails of new recipes and meal ideas. Usually, I really enjoy reading the new stuff, but, today is National Fried Chicken Day. HA! I don't need this, I'm trying my best to get back on track and stop pan frying.
It's July 6th and I have actually logged 5 days in a row now. Finally, when I get an email from MFP telling me that someone "likes" my status, I can feel that it's justified. Previously, I logged in to chat here and I'd get notification that I "logged" but I didn't log any food, made me feel like I was cheating when someone clicked the like button.0 -
Hi everyone.
Looks like you all had a nice 4th of July. Dad and I went across the street to a neighbor's house for a barbeque. It was just her family (her ex-father-in-law, ex-husband, mother, sister, brother-in-law, and two teenaged daughters) and us. She also invited the neighbor kids next door to come over and go swimming in her pool, so the pool was getting a work out! It was 103 degrees out, so us oldsters mostly stayed indoors, except for her brother-in-law who was the official barbequer. He must have sweated off 20 pounds out in that heat. Ha! She made BBQ chicken and some sausages, corn on the cob, and fruit salad, and I brought some macaroni salad (loaded with lots of fresh veggies) and some quinoa/edamame/red onion/corn salad. It was all very good.
That was my first time in her house since the original owners had it and she's remodeled everything. Her ex-husband is a contractor and got most of it done for her. It looks really nice now. She also keeps chickens in her backyard. The chicken coop is really cute, but has no roof on it. Dad warned her that we do get racoons around the neighborhood sometimes, and they aren't kind to chickens. She wasn't to worried about it though. Oh well.
As expected, poor little Cisco was a mess when the fireworks got going on the 4th. This year seemed worse than last year. Explosions for nearly a whole week. Sunday night wasn't too bad and I was able to coax Cisco out on the front patio (with a little turkey), but when we did it last night, just as soon as I got him out there, someone set off some loud fireworks again. He immediately raced to the door with his tail between his legs and cried until I opened the door for him. We going to buy him a thunder shirt and try that out on New Years to see if that helps. If not, then we'll have the vet prescribe some doggie Valium for him for the 4th next year.
The weather has been really nice the last couple days. Highs in the upper 90s, but the best part is it's cooling down nicely at night and we can open the windows and turn the whole house fan on before going to bed. I just got back from a little walk around the city and actually got a little chilly during the first half of the walk. Of course I was not even close to being chilly by the time I got done!
Simon is such a chill cat. The fireworks didn't faze him at all. He just laid out there on the porch like he was the king of it all. I told Cisco he should be ashamed that the cat is braver than him. Ha!
Debora, I hope you enjoyed the 4th with that big family of yours! It's always fun when there are a lot of people in days like that.
Sheryl, I love your pics. That forest looks so pretty and serene, and your llamas (and goose) looks so happy and content in their cool shady spot. The one with the ears sticking straight up is Bandit, right? I hope John doesn't give you too much trouble about the upcoming trip. That's going to be a lot of work. Will there be anyone else helping you and Norma? I know what you mean about the paperwork involved when we lose someone. I remember what Dad went through when Mom passed in 2011 (he ordered and used 10 death certificates too), and it will just be me handling it all when I lose him (hopefully a long, long, long time from now!). I cancelled my account with Key Ingredients months ago. I was tired of all the emails they kept sending. I still get one now and then even though my account is closed.
Jannie, I hope you get a good bid on the cabinet pricing! Such a big project you've started! I'll bet it's going to look beautiful when you get it all done. I hope you share pics!
Isabella, I never rented a movie from Red Box. I mostly used Blockbuster in those days. Now I just do it all online or from Netflix. I started watching a new show too. It's called Wayward Pines. Dad got me into it. He read the book, so he's not watching the TV series, but he said I would probably like it. Really good show. Kind of Stephen Kingy, but not really scary.
This was dinner Sunday night. That salad was soooo good, and so was the microwave blueberry cream crisp. Dad found the recipe for the fruit crisp on the WebMD website and wanted me to make it. A really yummy once-in-a-while dessert. The recipe recommends eating it with ice cream, but it didn't need it.Made a turkey salad with spinach, romaine, mushrooms, green onion, red bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, potato, pecans, a tbs of ricotta, a couple tbs of macaroni salad (leftover from the 4th of July bbq), garlic salt and black pepper.
Later I made a blueberry and cream crisp, recipe from the WebMD website.
Here's a blast from the past for you. I posted it on a game thread out in the main forum and thought I would share it here too. I love how they try to upsell the candy and other junk as wholesome and nutritious.
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Good Morning. This will be quick again because we are leaving for appointments today. Got a phone call yesterday that John's glasses are ready to be picked-up. I have labs and the CT scan scheduled for this afternoon, so we'll leave early enough to go get the glasses first. Then, John can see well enough to read magazines or work the jigsaw puzzle while he waits for me. In the past, I have scheduled the scans for morning, so I don't have to worry about not eating for very long, but they changed my appointment while I was in California and so, this time, it's 1:30 pm labs and 2 pm scan. It's a full body scan this time and I have a concoction I have to drink an hour before the scan. Anyway, I know I'll be starving afterwards and will talk John into stopping at a restaurant on the way home.
Marcie, the llama with ears straight up is Chessie. (Full name is Cheshire because she was born with gray markings around her mouth that looked like a Cheshire cat smile). Bandit is over by the gate with one front leg outstretched. (His name came from when he was born with a distinctive "mask" that has since faded away). Behind him is DEB (Full name is Dark Eyed Beauty, her mom's name is Beauty and she was born all white with two big black eyes) and then, way in the back is Mochadot and to the right of her in the photo is Gizmo. The goose is Moose.
I logged my food for Monday and Tuesday, so the month of July is complete so far. I'm going to stick with it, now for changing what it is I'm eating and stay within my allotted calories.
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Hi all,
Hubby is outside with the "wall guys" who are digging the trench today so I am waiting for him before I make dinner. I'll heat up left over pasta so it will be quick. I figured it was a good time to come here and visit.
Sheryl, hope that spigot stays fixed this time. The llamas were definitely the smart ones staying in the shade and under the sprinkler. Did you shear the llamas? Very good idea to keep reminding John that you need his help with your parent's house. It is definitely worth it to spend a bit of money for peace of mind and frustration relief. I think it will add years to your lives not to mention save our marriages! Key ingredient does have some interesting recipes but Dan got annoyed with the e-mails so I just recently unsubscribed. I figure I can google them if I need to. Good job getting back to logging!!
Marcie, We like red box because it is only $1.62 and you can return the movie to any red box which are every where so it is really convenient. We don't have any memberships or streaming capabilities so this works well for us. I have a couple of friends at work watching Wayward Pines but Dan wasn't interested. It sounds kinda like a show that was on a couple of years ago that didn't get renewed. Your salad looks wonderful! The foods you brought to the BBQ sound great too! I bet they all loved it. Thanks for the blast from the past with the movie concession stand ad. Is Cisco feeling better yet? What is a thunder shirt?
So what do you all have - cable TV? ATT Uverse? Direct TV? Nothing? What do you pay? We have Time Warner Cable. No movie channels or anything just the next step up from basic cable so we get a few decent channels. I called last year to tell them that Dan is out of work and I can't afford them anymore (we were paying $103 per month) and they gave me a promotional deal for $58 per month. Fantastic deal! Well, the deal expired last month and the bill is now up to $80. I called again but they said they can't do anything for me - that the $80 still gives me a $35 discount. I couldn't argue too much but told him if it goes any higher we'd have to cancel. We'll see how it goes.
Another question for you - I have a blouse that had an ink stain on it. I remembered that cheap hairspray removes ink stains but all I had was "natural" nice hairspray but I figured it must be the same so I sprayed it on the ink and threw it into the wash. The ink stain came out but now I have a hairspray stain on my blouse! It's almost as though the hot water hardened the hairspray on my blouse. Any suggestions?0 -
Good Morning. Yesterday was busy, on the go, but a good day. We left early to be able to get John's glasses with plenty of time since I know most likely there's a wait to see the technician and time to adjust the glasses. No appointment, just walk in. We did wait about 20 minutes and then, the adjustments took about another 20 minutes. John seems very happy with his glasses, far and near vision are greatly improved. We had time to stop at the store for a few non-refrigerated items that could sit in the car for a few hours and then headed on to oncology clinic for my blood work and CT scan. That all went smoothly and took less time than I expected, so we were able to eat lunch/dinner by 3 pm. Boy, was I hungry.
Today should be much cooler, our 90+ degree days are over. In the 80's and the rest of the weekend, in the high 70's, back to normal. I should be able to shear more llamas in the cooler weather, I didn't get very far on Monday. It takes me well over a week to get all 8 of them done.
Isabella, we just have "air" broadcasts, no cable at all. So, we have ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and local channels. I saw the ads for Wayward Pines, but thought it looked to spooky, so I didn't even start watching it. I like mysteries, but not horror. Same thing crossed my mind for The Walking Dead, looked too scary for me.
I hope you figure something out for the hairspray stain, but I have no advice for you. (I have never used hairspray, ha ha, my hair has a mind of it's own and even hairspray won't help). For blood stains, I have used Soilove and got good results. And, I actually found it at the dollar store, so that's a bargain.
I bought lots of salad ingredients and plan to make more salads again. I remember making lots and lots of various salads when I first started NM. And, it's such a good, cool summer meal, I need to do that again. Now, to limit my portions...I'll use small plates. Marcie, your salad looks so delicious, my mouth is watering.
I hear John up now, so I better get going.
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Hi all.
Not feeling well so stayed home from work. Killer headache.
We're having weird July weather. Highs in the 80s, lows in the 50s. It really cloudy today too. Looks like it might rain a little. They say we'll be back to the hot weather by the weekend. Enjoying the cool while it lasts.
The booming fireworks are finally going away. Last night I only heard one go off. Cisco is slowly getting back to normal, though he still wont go potty out front at night. I'm having to put him on his leash and take him out to the back yard for that (ever since the night of 2-skunkings last year, I havent allowed him to go out back at night by himself!).
Isabella, we have Xfinity cable and pay around $200 a month. Its a package for high speed internet, wifi, cable tv, and landline phone. We have the basic cable channels plus most of the premiums because its part of the package. I rarely watch the premium channels though. Dad and I split the cost of Xfinity, so I pay $100 a month for it. We also have a Chromecast device plugged into the tvs so we can televise videos from the computer to the tv. I also pay $8 a month for Netflix. Dad had Netflix for a couple months and then cancelled it. He just doesn't watch much tv anymore. He watches his news show and the occassional documentary, and that's about it. He prefers reading books. He typically reads one or two books each week on his Kindle. He says before he retired all he ever read was non fiction books related to his work, and now he enjoys being able to read lots of fiction. Here's an example of a thunder shirt for dogs. It's supposed to help dogs with a fear of loud fireworks. We may give it a try.
Sheryl, thanks for sharing the llamas names. I was just sure that was Bandit. Ha! Got a chuckle over Moose the gooses name. Sounds like you and John had a busy but nice day out yesterday. I hope you get good test results. Dad had to go for his monthly blood tests this morning. Wayward Pines isn't horror. Mostly a mystery. I've been enjoying it so far. Dad said the book is really good. Enjoy those salads! I typically make myself a big salad (usually with some protein and cheese in it) several times a week, and eat lots of asparagus, cucumber, red bell pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms etc. throughout the week. Dad says he's surprised I dont have sprouts growing out of head. He eats veggies like medicine. He needs them, but doesnt really like them.
I think I will close now and go take a little nap. My lazy dog is ahead of me and already snoozing away on my bed.0 -
Well, brrrrr! Dad and I have been stubbornly keeping the windows open this morning because that's what one does in July when its not hot outside, but we finally cried Uncle and closed up the house when we realized our teeth were chattering! Its nearly noon, windy, and only 60 degrees outside. Weird weather!0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWFX4ylV_ko