FAMILY TIME BY SURPRISE

SATURDAY.  We slept in as we stayed up late last night with health issues.  Hubby's heart started acting up.  It took awhile to unwind and fall asleep.  We finally did and no alarm clock was set.

I was still in my pink housecoat when we heard a knock on the door.  Twas my granddaughter with her lil brother and standing behind them was their mom, my daughter.   Very nice surprise.  Lil Dude had water colored a painting for us.  😊It'll go on the fridge. 

We chatted for awhile.  Their plans were changed when the weather changed and they wouldn't be getting any girl time as they had planned.  I knew lil Miss was so looking to her special time with her mom since this is her Senior year of High School.  I suggested that the lil guy could stay with us for a couple of hours while the girls had some mother-daughter time.  Off they went. 

He had been wanting time at PaPA GG's (as he calls us) house.  It all worked out great.  The day before we bought a miniature black truck from Dollar Tree and a small toy car with trailer from MENARD'S.  He's contented playing with these as he watches CURIOUS GEORGE.  He calls it the MONKEY SHOW.  Good thing I like CURIOUS GEORGE as well.  grins.

We splurged for lunch as it had been a loooong time since we treated ourselves to PIZZA.  We ate at HOME.  Pat myself on the back as I ate two pieces.  A salad should have been in here somewhere, but not today.  Supper time we'll have that salad?  Usually we have a huge SALAD on SUNDAY being the main meal for SUNDAY's.  

Salad it will be and I will walk.  I'll push myself and say this is it as a lead up to walking at least 3 times a week.  I'd like to walk in the mornings and in the afternoon if possible.  I think I have to decide to do this fitness thing.

Nice day inside.  Daughter and lil Miss came back from their date and grandson watched Curious George and ate some pizza.  We watched TV for about an hour then returned to the Living room to play with toys.  The girls came back and we chatted.  Our grandson fell asleep by his sister so our daughter visited with us.  Later Lil Miss went for a run and Grandson continued to sleep waking a little grumpy.  He quickly cheered up and Hubby fixed Nachos for supper.  No salad.  oops.  Tomorrow for sure.

I believe we had a great time.  Now to rest for the evening and take a break from a chaotic world.

~d

~Continuation~

SUNDAY.  Beautiful day outside.  Getting ready to take a long afternoon walk in 60 degree weather!!!  Like SPRING.  Awesome.  Topped out at 60.  Did I say AWESOME?  

Hubby worked on the furnace in the cellar and came back exhausted.  He switched out another part.  So THANKFUL he can do such things.  Prayerfully, the heater/furnace will last a while longer.  

I had some Bibb Lettuce with a small amount of Catalina Dressing in a bowl FOR A SNACK.  Instead of popping cookies in my pie hole, I ate lettuce!!!  That's an accomplishment for sure in my changing attitude about snacks.

Bibb lettuce is a small, round, tender, light green butterhead lettuce with a mild flavor. It's named after John Bibb, a Kentucky lawyer and amateur horticulturist who developed the variety in the 1860s. 

I fidgeted in the fridge some.  It seems that the veggies go bad so quickly.
I finally got the paper towels in the boxes of lettuce and spinach.  Turned the boxes
upside down.  Later I tweaked the inside of the fridge some more.  A little here
and there, then I make progress.

Table is almost cleared.  I haven't been able to work on it steady.  My hangers are
on the articles in the closet.  The grey plastic hangers that I am not ready to part 
with are neatly stacked in a nice plastic storage box.  The ones I was going
to donate to GOODWILL came HOME with me as the worker taking the
donations told me they would just throw them away.  So I kept them and asked my 
Granddaughter if perhaps she'd like them.  Yep.  So I will get a nice storage tub 
to save them for her when she leaves for college.

Welp, the day is getting away from me and I want to get my walk in so I need to 
close for now and take the sunlight in.

Before I forget...25 days until SPRING!!!  
Glory to God in the most high.

Blessings to you.  
Here's to a healthier lifestyle,
~d

TYPICAL DAY

WORKED ON LAUNDRY OFF AND ON THROUGHOUT THE DAY yesterday with the temps topping out in the mid 80s.  Once again some windows were opened to let fresh air inside.  No hurry to get anything done.  That's the LIFE.  

HUBBY needed to do some shingle repairs on the roof of the house.  Good thing he did 'cause rains came in the night.  I assisted him as he climbed the ladder.  I pulled weeds as he worked.  An abundance of WEEDS have come forth too early.  The silver lace has started to invade my peony bush and if left alone, the lace will choke out the beautiful plant as if the plant has no better purpose than to hold up the silver lace as it grows and grows and grows.  

I eyeballed the Iris beds.  The Irises are starting to develop buds to bloom.  I did not get the flowerbeds cleaned out as the month of March was occupied with cataract surgery and recoveries and I couldn't bend over.  I started to feel somewhat overwhelmed that I am running behind.

JUST ON TIME would be a better attitude to have.

I can't work on the flowerbeds today as we are busy with a medical appointment and then need to do some shopping.  There's a drive to take into consideration coming and going.  Perhaps I can pull some weeds in the evening, if it doesn't rain again.  

I have to think through where to start.  The entire yard is in need.  Perhaps the small flowerbed out front would be good for a starting place and working around the house foundation after edging the sidewalks.  That's a winner.

Day dreaming about planting some flowers in the front porch urn.  I'll get some planting soil to fill the urns and probably plant some geraniums in them that I WINTERED.  I was thinking about ferns, but think I'll save my money and use the geraniums I already have.  They are some of my FAVORITE flowers that are rather hardy.

As I look at the large Lilac bush in the side yard, I will trim it after the blooms fade, but I will have to refresh my mind on how to do this.  It needs a good trimming.  

The Iris beds seriously need cleaned out.  This will take hours.  If I can schedule the time, I will have to work in the early hours of the day before the heat peaks making it way too hot for me to work outside.  I'll have to stretch this out during the week.  Getting it done before MAY plays out would be best.

Looking at the long Iris bed that is along the right side of the sidewalk leading to the garage, I can improve the bed by taking the front row of Irises and planting these on the other side of the sidewalk.  Then take the back row doing the same with the other side of the sidewalk.  Right now the Irises are four rows deep.  Thinning the bed out would open the yard up and cause symmetry along the walk.  

If a back yard fence goes in then we can make a raised bed garden along that fence solving where to go with a vegetable garden.  I believe it would be helpful to grow some organic herbs and veggies to eat for improving our HEALTH. 

Roasting them on a cookie sheet makes for a simple meal with easier clean-up.

I EXERCISED some and it felt great.  More to come.  I've gotta get moving and stay in action.  Sitting so much isn't HEALTHY.

     

AND I'M OFF,
~d

Day Thirty One: This Little Piggy

Day 31

We're off to a great start to the year 2017.  
2017.  2017.  If I say it enough or write it enough times on checks perhaps the year will soak into my bean and I will KNOW it is a new year.

At my age, time flies faster than ever.  February is knocking at my door.  Reds and pinks, hearts and candy.  Maybe some roses and lots of cards. 



The 'i luv u' month is near.

So on this last day of the month of January I'll attempt to write out a to do list for February.

1) HELP Mom sort through her closets and thin out her clothing.  Mother is a clothes horse.  She will be moving in the near future and is working at thinning out her belongings as she will not have the space she has now.  She'll go from having 4 closets to having 2.  My Dad's clothing will be let go of and hers will be thinned down.  

2) Inventory my personal effects.

3) Celebrate 3 grandsons birthdays.

4) Work on organizing RETIREMENT COTTAGE.

5) Celebrate VALENTINES DAY WITH MY SWEETHEART.

6) Send Valentines cards and candy to Loved ones.

7) Furniture shopping for Living room furniture...possibly purchase.  Will do LOTS OF LOOKING.

8) Do stretching exercises on the floor.

9) Located my one pounder weights and have them sitting beside my TV chair waiting for me to use them during commercials.

10) Clean chandelier crystals that will be used next year on Christmas decorations and trees.  Put away for next Christmas Seasons.

11)  AND then some.

12) THINK THAT's ENOUGH FOR THE MONTH.

If I think of anything else will note that.

Is February a special month for you?  I always think of childhood valentines.  Making a Valentines container to put cards in then take home to read.  I really liked the ones that had candy attached.  haha.  Imagine that CANDY.

I still love the Conversational Hearts to this day.  

Holidays and Seasonal Celebrations help ease the dread of really cold weather for me.  Looking out the window to see the bare trees has required a labor of love on my part.  I love the spring greens. The colder months take some doing appreciating their lack of warmth.

My right foot is healing nicely.  Four weeks has passed since I stubbed the toes.  I am able to walk. Yesterday a stack of miniature metal pots 'n pans fell on my left foot causing injury and more pain then the right foot.  My left big toe and the toe next to it ached so badly last night I could have cried.  Pain reliever wasn't working.  I woke with less pain, but good grief if grief is good I am in pain.  How do I explain?

The toes that were not injured on my right foot were injured on my left foot.  I am a mess.

As the essential oils become more and more popular here in my neck of the woods, I can look at the feet chart and see what area of the body I affected by injuring my toes.  'Lord have mercy.'
Also reflexology charts are available.

Gives a whole new meaning to the childhood nursery rhyme, This Little Piggy.
I use to tell my children and grandchildren this as I wiggled their toes one at a time....

"This little piggy went to market.

This little piggy stayed home.

This little piggy had roast beef and this little piggy had none.

AND this little piggy cried wee wee wee all the way home."

I will work at being healthier the older I get.  Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

All the best,

d

Day Thirty: Mother Goose's Mnemonic

Day Thirty 

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November.

All the rest have thirty-one,

Except for February alone,

Which has but twenty-eight days clear,

And twenty-nine in each leap year.

This version of the rhyme attributed to Mother Goose.

WIKIPEDIA shares many other versions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_days_hath_September#Knuckle_mnemonic 

mne·mon·ic

nəˈmänik/

noun

1. 1. 

   a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something.

adjective

1. 1. 

   aiding or designed to aid the memory.

Knuckle mnemonic                                                                          

The knuckle mnemonic.

The Spaniards, German, French, Swiss, Turks, Romanians, Slovenes, Russians, Greeks, Danish, Dutch and Belgians typically use a mnemonic by counting on the knuckles of one's hand to remember the numbers of days of the months.^[6] Count knuckles as 31 days, depressions between knuckles as 30 (or 28/29) days. Start with the little finger knuckle as January, and count one finger or depression at a time towards the index finger knuckle (July), saying the months as you go. Then jump back to the little finger knuckle (now August) and continue for the remaining months.

One variant of this approach differs after reaching the index finger knuckle (July): instead of wrapping around back to the little finger, some people reverse direction and continue from the index finger knuckle (counting it for both July and August) and ending on the ring fingerknuckle.

Still others use two hands (as shown in the diagram, right): starting with the little finger knuckle of the left hand, proceed to the left index finger knuckle, then (swapping hands) jump to the right fist's index finger knuckle for August, finishing on the knuckle of the right ring finger (December).

CAN'T COUNT THE NUMBER OF TIMES I USED MOTHER GOOSE'S MNEMONIC AND NEVER KNEW IT WAS HER'S AND NEVER KNEW THIS NURSERY RHYME WAS CALLED A MNEMONIC.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A MNEMONIC WAS.  

I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW TODAY. 

Thank you for stopping by to read me.

God bless you.

Home Life Is For Me,

d

Day Twenty Nine: Pass The Cream

Day Twenty Nine

Thanks for stopping by.

Coffee?

 SOMETIMES ALL YOU NEED IS COFFEE AND A FRIEND.

LOVE GOES ALONG WAYS,

d

Day Twenty Eight: AMISH PROVERB

Day Twenty Nine

OLD AMISH PROVERB

Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!!! 

Blessings to you,

d

Day Twenty Seven: Product Review

Day Twenty Seven

I rushed off to Topeka to get some lab work done.  No waiting after I checked in.  Lab completed and medicine taken as I drove to McDonalds to get a salad for lunch, coffee with cream, water for the day and my all time favorite root beer on ice.  

After I ate in the quiet of my car, I went to a THRIFT SHOP to see if they had any Blue Willow Dishes.  It was a no go on the dishes.  

Instead I picked up some Oh So Prudee Shannon Crystal pitchers, half off earrings, silver-plated soup tureen on feet with matching lid, a framed picture, a beautiful 3 piece stainless steel carving set, a vase of roses since I LOVE ROSES, and a few other thrifty buys that were calling my name.  HELLO. 

After my successful shopping trip I returned HOME very tired and ready for a nap.  So glad it's FRIDAY!  The week-end is here.  Hamburgers tonight with French Fries. 

TIME FOR A PRODUCT REVIEW 

DOVE RASPBERRY 

AND HONEY ROASTED ALMOND

~raspberry flavored cranberries

in dark chocolate

with honey roasted almonds~

ALL THUMBS UP.  Delicious mix of fruit, chocolate and almonds.  Sipped fresh brewed iced tea with these and it was a wonderful after Dinner snack on a FRIDAY NIGHT.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THESE.

Have a pleasant week-end.

Thanks for stopping by,

d

Day Twenty Six: Helpful Hints

Day Twenty Six

Staying indoors to read or at least thumbing through cookbooks makes for a pleasant time for me.  Time traveling while looking through vintage magazines.  When I surf the internet to look at interior design I am in my element.  Relaxes me.  My someday list grows ever so long.  Someday I'd like to vacation seeing some historic houses and see first hand their rooms.

As for thumbing through books for helpful tips,  it seems that I like shortcuts and when tips/hints are given my ears perk up.

HINTS are:

*SEEDS and NUTS, both shelled and unshelled, keep best and LONGEST when stored in the freezer.  Nuts in the shell CRACK more easily when frozen.  Nuts and seeds can be used directly from the freezer.

*CHEESES should be served at room temperature approximately 70 degrees.

*When serving hors d'oeuvres on a silver tray, you may want to protect it from acids by covering it with a layer of leafy green lettuce.  

'd' Note: Noticing that many silver trays have additional glass dishes to use with tray to protect silver.  Easier clean-up to use glass dish.  Also could already have appetizers on glass dish and stored in fridge until ready to serve.  Would allow you time to prepare appetizers ahead of time when you weren't rushed.  Simply pull dish out of fridge and placing on silver tray when ready.

*Try placing fresh or dried mint in the bottom of hot chocolate for a ZESTY TASTE.

*WHEN POSSIBLE, float an ice ring in punch rather than ice cubes.  This not only is more decorative, but also inhibits melting and diluting.

'd' Note:  Mom fixed a ice ring filled with plastic flowers for my sister's wedding reception.  LOVELY.  Terrible me I cannot remember if I had one as well.  Think I did.  Will look at pictures.  One step future, you could make a ice punch bowl liner, place it in the punch bowl then pour punch in the center of ice liner.  Beautiful.  

*Calorie-free club soda adds SPARKLE to iced fruit drinks, makes them go further, and reduces calories per portion.

*ALWAYS chill juices or sodas before adding to beverage recipes.

THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY 

TO READ ME.

BLESSINGS,

d