Resolutions

12/31/2015

It's finally here.  The last day of the year.  When you think back on the year, I hope you had more ups than downs.  For Jeff and I, our year could probably be defined as quiet, and we're okay with that.  Less drama is always a good thing.

You remember that tomorrow you are supposed to write down your resolutions for the year.  We also know that for the most part, those resolutions will be null and void by the 2nd!  While trying to get to sleep last night, I thought up a few of my own resolutions.

• Throw away empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls (pretty sure I'm not going to be too good about this)
• Eat less chocolate (why would I want to do that?)
• When the laundry is finished, actually take said laundry upstairs (I'm 50/50 about how well I'm going to do with this)
• Empty the dishwasher completely.  (I already know that I'll never keep this resolution.  After all, if you leave dishes in the dishwasher, they get washed a bunch of times.  Think how clean they are!)
• Pick up all my shoes and slippers which adorn multiple rooms in the house, but unfortunately none of them ever seem to make it all the way to my closet.  (One could say what's the point of putting them away.  I'm obviously going to need a pair of shoes or slippers eventually, and when they're sitting around on the floor, they're easier to find)
• Try not to nag.  I know it's called nagging, but for me it's more like wondering/worrying that something has been done about whatever is worrying me. And to be fair, Jeff is married to someone who worries about almost everything.  Apologies to Jeff.
• Remove the stack of papers that are lined up on the stairs.  All of these papers need to go upstairs and get filed.  (But filing is boring and nobody notices you've done it, until some document can't be found)
• Try to lose three pounds.  (Notice that I didn't set some lofty and unreachable goal of say 50 pounds.  Nope just three, which would be progress in the right direction.  Start small you know.

Tonight, we'll probably try and stay up until midnight.  But even if we don't stay up that late, the new year will begin anyway.  

P

Another Gray Day

12/30/2015

Looking out my window, all I see is another gloomy gray day.  This body needs to see some sunshine, because it's good for my soul.

Last night, as I reported yesterday, Jeff and I went out to dinner with friends.  We don't go out to dinner very much and when we do, we generally don't have anything to talk about.  After 41 years, we've pretty much talked about everything!

Jeff and I both had prime rib, which is a treat because I have never attempted to cook it at home.  There are just some foods that you eat only occasionally as a treat.  And, you appreciate every bite.  Unlike Jeff and our friends, I had to have dessert.  Um I have a "small" (ha) sweet tooth and absolutely love sugar.

Between the four of us, there was always somebody talking, and it was very enjoyable.  Part of going out to dinner meant that I could put on my "going to town" clothes and feel like a grown-up.  When you stay home all the time, it's easy to fall into wearing clothes that are comfy, but not necessarily stylish!  Just saying.  Shoes? Forget about it.  I've got slippers!

We joked that the last time we had gotten together was December 2014 - we really have to stop meeting like this!

I brought along a list of books that I thought my friend might like to read.  She in turn suggested a book for me, one that I will check out today on Amazon.   

Jeff took his prime rib "tovers" for his lunch today.  Tomorrow he can take mine.  I like prime rib, but not enough that I want to eat it again today.  During my breakfast, with coffee in hand, I finished off my tiramisu cake, which was delicious.  

Today is Bacon Day.  Now that's a holiday I could definitely celebrate, because everybody knows everything tastes better with bacon.

Though it's a day or two early, it's not too late to start thinking about the resolutions you're going to make on Friday, that will slip your mind by Saturday!

P
 

Cinderella Is Going Out!

12/29/2015

It doesn't take too much these days to brighten my mood and energy level.  This morning it was a dinner invite with friends.  Yipee!  I don't have to cook dinner and I can wear my better "going to town" clothes.  That means something other than my usual wardrobe of pants (the casual kind - the comfy kind) and a shirt.  

And though the sun isn't shining bright today, it's not raining either, which is a definite plus.  Yesterday was spent upstairs filing.  I have two filing cabinets where I could and probably should use when filing paid bills, etc.  But, I also have some cardboard boxes with labels on them, and it's so much easier to just toss papers inside.  Of course, if you need something, it's a bit harder when the documents are all jumbled together in the box.  Some people would pay a bill and then shred/toss it.  Nope, we save the bills and for probably longer than necessary.  Do you really need to save your electric bill from two years ago?  Umm let me think - no.

I think today I'll run the vacuum around for a bit and if I get to feeling super energetic, maybe even do a little dusting.  I have many downfalls, excuses really, for not being a super duper cleaning machine of a housewife.  First, there is the computer.  I love searching around an picking up on new stories.  Notice I didn't say news stories.  No, I want to know about the latest celebrity or how much people make on a reality show.  By the way, they get paid really well.

My other love is reading.  A good book actually calls to me, and while I promise myself I'll only read a chapter or two, that is never the case.  Then there's the game Words with Friends as well as my online computer paint by number pictures.  You can surely see why it's so hard for me to get anything done, especially with all these distractions!

Today is Still Need to Do Day and Tick Tock Day!

P
 
 
 

A Normal Monday

12/28/2015

This morning starts the beginning of a new week, although a short one.  I was suffering from a bad case of cabin fever yesterday, so Jeff took us out in the "zippy z".  With the top down, and your hair (if you have any) blowing all over the place, you can almost feel the cobwebs and negative thoughts fly out of the car.

We went to Costco to buy some of the essentials: milk, eggs.  We bought some non-essential things too; a bag of Skinny Pop for me.  If you haven't tried Skinny Pop, you should, it's really very good.

Since it was close enough for dinner time, I suggested a stop at Popeye's for chicken.  Plus, I knew that there would be chicken left over and he'd have something for his lunch.  See how smart I am?  By the way, the chicken was yummy! :)

Jeff went to be early because he had to get up and go to work this morning.  I, on the other hand, stayed up to start watching "The Sound of Music" with Carrie Underwood as Maria.  What I've watched so far was enjoyable and I'll finish the rest of the show tonight.

I've made myself promise to actually take the wrapping paper to the basement.  Piling up the paper on the kitchen table isn't actually putting them away!  I've got some filing of papers upstairs in the office, which I should do before the mound of paper needing a home becomes larger.  And believe me it does.

I will make this brief, partly because I slept until 10:00!!! Late night television watching results in a late morning wake-up.

P

It's Sunday

12/27/2015

The subject tells it all.  It's Sunday, it's gloomy outside and going to rain.  A three pronged attack on a person's mood.  Some people can handle the gloom, but this gal can't.  

I need to get out of the house today.  I don't actually need anything, but being holed up in the house for days isn't very healthy.  It's supposed to rain most of the week, so Jeff will need to take my car.  The "zippy z's" top leaks, so she has become a sunshine only kind of car.

I checked out this week's tv guide, and if I don't find some kind of television for Jeff and I to watch, we may be forced to talk to each other.  Horrors!

Yesterday, I watched several movies on Netflix.  All of them were comedies, so I had a perfectly great, non-productive day.  The world won't start "humming" again until tomorrow, but because of New Year's Day, it will be another short week.  I'm betting that anybody and everybody who had vacation time will be taken this week off - I know I would.

Last night's dinner, which I ate late was buttered popcorn.  Yum.  Since Jeff goes back to work tomorrow, I'll have to cook tonight so that he has something to take for his lunch.  Working remotely isn't in the cards for him with the job he currently has.  And not working, doesn't get the bills paid, so the least I can do is have something prepared for his lunch.

I will admit though that the older I get, the less I want to cook.  I heard the same message from my mother, Jeff's mother and Jeff's grandmother.  Once they were widows, they cooked rarely, and when they did cook, it was something simple.  My mother and Jeff's mother were both good cooks.  Grandma Gibbs, on the other hand, not so much, but she tried.

If we do go to a store, I assume (and hope I'm correct) that the after Christmas rush is now over.  People who were looking for bargains, shopped yesterday.  I'm not really wanting to buy anything, just want to get out for a bit.

Have a great day.

P

The Day After Christmas

12/26/2015

Yesterday, was a gray day filled with rain.  Not exactly uplifting to the soul.  This morning, unfortunately the weather appears to be a duplicate of yesterday.  We're even running the a/c to help with the humidity.  This is the strangest December weather for our area.  I suppose it's possible that Mother Nature is warming us up to then dump snow and ice on us for January.

I don't do gloom well.  It brings my mood down in a hurry.  I might have felt better yesterday if I had been able to go somewhere, anywhere.  Instead I felt stuck in the house with a bad and angry attitude.  Other than the movies or out for Chinese food, the stores weren't open, and they shouldn't have been, but it would have been nice to get out of the house to go somewhere.

It appears that the weather today is going to mirror yesterday, but I feel I have options.  I could go to a store and watch first hand while people duke it out for the after Christmas sales.  I don't need anything but getting out would do wonders for me mentally.  And we all know that I need all the help I can get in the mental department.

Yesterday wasn't a complete loss.  I did open and flatten out all the Amazon boxes to get them ready for recycling next week.  I'm going to put my wrapping paper away today.  See, I'm making progress, admittedly slowly.

If it would stop raining, then perhaps Jeff and I could take out the "zippy z" with the top down and let the fresh air blow away any dark/gray clouds that are at the moment residing in my head.  You can't have a negative thought in your head when you're cruising down the highway with the top down!

I'm going to make a real attempt today to stay positive and upbeat.  But this is a real challenge for me when it's gloomy outside.

P

Merry Christmas

12/25/2015

Merry Christmas everybody.  If you have small children, who believe in Santa, you probably were up all hours last night assembling something and hoping that you weren't missing a necessary piece!  You also were awakened super early by eager children.  Children who don't understand that for adults, we can't get our hearts started without coffee!

We went to Andy's house last night to celebrate Christmas with them.  Stacey made a wonderful meal.  She had turkey, veggies and corn casserole (a family favorite).  I brought pretzel salad and pound cake.  Benjamin was so excited so he squirmed in his chair during dinner.  He could hardly wait to play Santa and give everybody their gifts and more importantly open his!  

Christmas through the eyes of a child is a beautiful thing.  Every gift Benjamin opened, was better than the first!  I made sure to bring the right size and amount of batteries for his toys.  We also bought him a "big boy" sleeping bag.  When he sleeps over, he is still trying to use his toddler sleeping bag, which hasn't fit him for several years.  After all the gifts were open, Benjamin announced that "this was the best Christmas ever."  

I got a new nightgown with super plushy slippers, which I put on immediately.  I have a love affair with slippers, in particular new ones.  I got a Golden Book (remember those) titled:  Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book.  Best gift was an oil painting that Benjamin did for me.  He used a picture of flowers as his idea, and then through a series of techniques, some of which I wouldn't have thought of, painted me a beautiful picture.  I was touched by the gift, partly because he made it and partly because it's just beautiful.  All it needs now is a frame and a wall, and luckily I still have some free wall space in the house!

After the gifts were open, we had pound cake and then Andy, Benjamin and computer Ken (old family friend) went into the hot tub.  Benjamin got his pajamas on and climbed into his sleeping bag and started watching a movie.  It was quiet time in the house.  We said our good-byes and drove home.

This morning doesn't feel much like Christmas and for some stupid reason, it's actually humid and warm.  Humid enough that we have turned on the air conditioners, in December!  We've never had to do that before.  I don't know if warmer temperatures will be the norm for this winter, or we're just having a fluke warm period.

Our day is wide open.  We might go to the movies.  We might get Chinese food.  We might get in the zippy "z" and drive around and let the wind blow through our hair (mine because Jeff has none).  We might take a nap.  Or, we might not do any of those things!

P

Christmas Eve

12/24/2015

It's Christmas Eve and I don't have anything to do.  That's partially true.  I have already made my pretzel salad and pound cake to take to Andy's house this afternoon.  The kitchen yesterday after baking two pound cakes looked like a bomb went off - a flour bomb to be exact.  I like to think that I make good food, but I'm a messy, messy cook.  By the time I was finished yesterday afternoon, there wasn't a free space on any of the counters or any clean bowls.  I basically had used pretty much everything during my cooking preparations!

I did make two pound cakes, one for Scott and one for Andy as part of their Christmas presents.  The first pound cake came out of the pan beautifully.  All in one piece - just perfect.  I already knew it tasted good because the remanent of batter that I ate was yummy.

The second pound cake unfortunately came out of the pan looking like s... (or to say it nicely, it came out of the pan in pieces.  The cake cake out in two chunks and lots of little pieces.  Let's just say that the cake looks like a jigsaw puzzle gone wrong.  The broken down nature of this cake won't affect it's taste, but there is a lot wrong with the looks of it!  Perhaps I was tired after making the first cake and didn't bake it quite long enough or something.  Anyway, what's done is done.  I'm pretty sure that the boys won't have any trouble eating either or both of the pound cakes!  They are quite simply delicious.

Since I'm not having Christmas here at the house, I will have free time this afternoon.  Okay, I know I should really think about dusting - and I might - or not.  I bought some new books for my Kindle, and I will use just about any excuse to read a book and ignore doing housework.  When you don't work, there is always a tomorrow and another tomorrow when you could, if you wished, to dust and vacuum.

Benjamin will be super excited tonight about opening up his presents.  I believe that Christmas is best spent through the eyes of a child.  They are breathless with excitement and every gift gets an "oh" followed by squeals of delight.  

I am giving some thought to going to the movies tomorrow.  The theaters won't be overly crowded and it's a perfect way to spend a few hours.  And the popcorn isn't too bad either!

Enjoy your day, no matter what you're doing.  And Merry Christmas.

P

Sock Put'er On'er

12/23/2015

Since my left hip is arthrical (I love making up new words), putting socks on my left foot is next to impossible.  I have found and bought a sock aid, which I tried this morning.  And it works!  You put your sock on the end of the aid and slip your foot down until your toes are nearly in the end of the sock.  Pull up the straps and your sock pulls up.  Thanks to whoever invented a device so simple yet so effective.  I feel like a big girl who can now dress herself, right down to her socks!

P

It's Baking Day

12/23/2015

We are celebrating Christmas with Andy and Stacey on Christmas Eve.  Like tomorrow.  I have no need to panic as everything has been bought (and I think I did good) and wrapped (more or less).

I have offered to bring Pretzel Salad which everybody likes.  It's like having a crunchy toffee bar filled with cream cheese (who doesn't like that?) and crushed pineapple.  Anyway, it's good people, trust me.  Leftovers are seldom because my boys can eat and when I make a family favorite, it's devoured, which is fine with me.

After I have baked the pretzel and sugar layer this morning, I will then start on one of two pound cakes I am going to make.  Jeff got down the big mixer last night.  If I'm using the big mixer, then you know I mean business.  Normally, I just use a hand mixer and I'm not doing much baking these days.  Sugar is my downfall, so it's better to have less of it in the house.

The key to the pound cake is in the amount of time you spend beating it and the water you put in the oven underneath the cake pan.  What you end up with is just short of heaven. 

Sorry for the shortness of this morning's blog, but I'd better get my rear in gear so that I can get my goodies made.  I'll devote tomorrow before going out to Andy's house, to reading or watching a Hallmark movie!

P

Monday In Review

12/22/2015

To say that yesterday was a horrible, bad kind of day would be a bit of an under statement. 

You know when you flush the toilet and you hear that glug-glug sound?  Take it from me, that's not a good sound.  I decided to take matters into my hands and with the plunger tried to "fix" whatever was wrong.  The water level in the bowl seemed normal to me, so I flushed the toilet.  That was a big mistake.  My plunging had done nothing whatsoever to the toilet.  What it did do was release water, too much water, which ran over the bowl and onto the floor.  I quickly grabbed the rug to try and sop up some water.  I gathered up an assortment of towels that were in the laundry room (which were clean) and put them down on the floor.  Eventually, the bowl was empty, thank goodness.  And no, I didn't even begin to contemplate flushing again - I was out of towels!

The wet rug and towels weighed a ton and were dripping water everywhere.  I got a cookie sheet and piled it with the wet things and they all went straight into the washing machine.  Okay, on the plus side, the bathroom floor was clean and I had managed to keep the water from leaving the bathroom, which would not have been okay.  

After starting my car to go to the dentist, the check engine light went off on the dashboard.  Jeff has told me that you don't drive with the check engine light on - but I had a dental appointment and drove anyway.

Once I was at the dentist, where I thought I was having some cavities filled, but was mistaken.  Nope, I was fitted with my own rubber set of "teeth" that I have to fill each night with a fluoride gel.  Umm, can hardly wait to use this goo every night.

On my way home I stopped at the grocery store to get the items needed to make pretzel salad and pound cake.  Jeff had written on the white board to buy him buttermilk.  Once inside the store, I headed for the dairy section and bought Jeff four bottles of egg nog!  

Headed home - check engine light is still on.  Once I got home I sent Jeff an email that the check engine light was on and he said he would take my car to the mechanic who takes care of our cars.  

The pharmacy called and my prescription plan wouldn't pay for the fluoride - oh and by the way - we don't have it at this store.  But you can pick it up at a different store later in the day.  Great.

Jeff went to see the mechanic on his way home and was advised to take the car back to the Mercedes dealer.  The mechanic feels that the repair is likely going to be costly (of course it is).  When Jeff got home, he called the dealer and they told him he could have a loaner car on Tuesday morning.  He explained that he leaves for work long before the dealer opens up shop.  So fingers crossed they will have a loaner car for him today after work.

The other bright spot yesterday, was that a few months ago, we had some sort of mechanical problem with the car and the warranty had run out just a few days earlier.  Of course it did.  We paid for an additional warranty period, which should (fingers crossed) cost us nothing or perhaps next to nothing for my car's repair.

After watching an hour or so of television, we both went to bed, glad that the day was behind us.

I believe today is the shortest day of the year, which means Jeff and I will be tired earlier than usual.

P

The Monday Before Christmas

12/21/2015

I bet none of you will ever guess what I'm doing today.  When I tell you, you'll all be disappointed that you hadn't thought of doing the same thing.  Wait for it - I'm going to spend some time in the dentist chair having two cavities filled!  I know you're all jealous and wish you had thought it would be a good idea to see the dentist just days before Christmas!

I suppose I could have put off the appointment, but my dread/fear of dentists is very strong, so I might as well get this over with.  I think that some people of my age who suffered through dentistry in the 50's and 60's might not exactly embrace going to the dentist.  My sons, however, had a different dentist upbringing by starting them with a children's dentist.  As adults they don't dread appointments quite the way I do.

After I receive the Novocain shot, my face (only in my mind) will resemble Betty Davis in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane".  A twisted sort of smile - if you could call it that.  Also, I've learned that putting lipstick on numb lips is a waste of time.  If you try it, you'll end up liking a lot like a clown.  Believe me I know.

Purple Heart is coming today to pick up bags of clothes (did I really own that much that I can't or won't wear anymore)?  Yes I did have a lot of clothes, but like any woman's lament, never had anything to wear.  You notice that men never say that and most men don't even want to buy new clothes - what a drag that must be.

Jeff and I are spending Christmas Eve at Andrew's house.  I'm making pretzel salad and Aunt Ruby's Pound Cake. 

Pretzel Salad:

Grease pan or dish and preheat oven to 350.

1 c broken pretzels

1 stick butter

½ c sugar

Cool whip

1 (8 oz) cream cheese

½ c sugar

Put broken pretzels in greased dish.  Melt butter and sugar and pour over the pretzels. Put in oven and cook for 10 minutes.  Let cool.

Mix cream cheese with sugar and cool whip. Spread over pretzel layer.

1 can crushed pineapple

1 T cornstarch

Drain liquid from pineapple and mix with the 2 T cornstarch. Cook until thick. Mix pineapple into mixture and cool.  Spread the pineapple over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate about 2 hours before serving.  You will swear you are eating toffee crunch candy.

Since I'll not be celebrating Christmas Day with the boys, I think I may just take myself off to the movies.  Not exactly the way most people celebrate Christmas, but I've noticed that holidays are ever evolving.  What you do this year, may not be what you'll do next year.

P