3/31/2015
Yesterday afternoon, Benjamin and I set out to buy "stuff". I had already bought him a small wooden box which I assumed we could paint and decorate and then he could use it for his treasures! Benjamin was convinced that our afternoon wouldn't be complete without a trip to Five Below. Five Below is a store that is filled with an enormous array of things, nothing over $5.00 and nothing of high quality. But - it is - a child's paradise.
We took a cart and went aisle by aisle looking for just the right things. We didn't always agree on what we (I) were going to buy. Some serious negotiations went on when he spied several must have items. We ended up with a flying helicopter which is a lot of fun as it goes spinning through the air - outside only! I also bought a glass stone painting kit, which he and I may get to enjoy together today.
Benjamin sees better than I do - duh - and found a tiny Beanie Baby Wolf, plus a stretchy rabbit toy (which, if he's not careful, will end up in Sam's mouth)! I also bought him some more baseball cards, possibly to put inside his treasure box.
Before Benjamin's visit, I stopped by Michaels and bought an easy to assemble Easter Bunny house. For once (and this really doesn't happen very often), I actually understood how to put the house together and Benjamin had a great time adding all the foam pieces to make windows, a door and flowers.
In just the short time that Benjamin has been here, the condition of my house puts a new definition to "lived in". There is a racetrack, blocks, bits and pieces of leftover foam on the dining room, shoes, socks and a jacket tossed on the sofa. The real beauty of a sleepover is that after Benjamin goes home, it takes me mere minutes to put things back to normal, whatever normal is.
At the moment, Benjamin has taken an old piece of rope and is trying to throw it onto a branch in a maple tree. So far, no luck, but the day is young.
P
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Prepping for Benjamin
3/30/2015
This afternoon, Benjamin is coming for an overnight stay. As those of you who have grandchildren know, certain things must be in place before the visit.
Benjamin wants what he calls "Money Drink" which is liquid yogurt and the container just happens to have monkeys on the label. Then there's chocolate milk, brown sugar Pop-Tarts and perhaps popcorn for movie watching. I have a number of children's DVD's that Benjamin and I have watched a zillion times, and today will be no different. He'll poke around in the box and probably come up with one of the Shrek movies. At least he's grown up enough to no longer want to watch Elmo!
The last time Benjamin slept over, I convinced him that because he was a big boy now, he needed to sleep in the spare room. There was a bit of resistance until I provided him with a small Santa that has a light bulb inside. Oh and let's not forget all of the stuffed animals he has acquired over the years.
In our den is a small chest that is filled with odds and ends of toys as well as track to a Hot Wheels raceway toy that his father played with when he was a child - it's really old. You can still buy this raceway toy on Ebay but be prepared to pay a lot of money for it.
When Benjamin was a toddler, I bought him a huge set of foam blocks of differing sizes. The blocks sit in an equally huge plastic bin and Benjamin generally tries to build the tallest tower before it collapses. If you have grandchildren, I highly recommend these blocks because even if a tower happens to hit the furniture or a dog - nobody gets hurt. This is a plus.
Of course once the raceway is set up, then out comes the plastic storage container for all the match box cars. Because what good is a raceway, if there are no cars to run down the ramps.
And last but not least, my box of books for bedtime reading that Benjamin and I negotiate over how many books constitutes enough books before it's lights out.
So my house is all ready. All I need now is Benjamin!
P
This afternoon, Benjamin is coming for an overnight stay. As those of you who have grandchildren know, certain things must be in place before the visit.
Benjamin wants what he calls "Money Drink" which is liquid yogurt and the container just happens to have monkeys on the label. Then there's chocolate milk, brown sugar Pop-Tarts and perhaps popcorn for movie watching. I have a number of children's DVD's that Benjamin and I have watched a zillion times, and today will be no different. He'll poke around in the box and probably come up with one of the Shrek movies. At least he's grown up enough to no longer want to watch Elmo!
The last time Benjamin slept over, I convinced him that because he was a big boy now, he needed to sleep in the spare room. There was a bit of resistance until I provided him with a small Santa that has a light bulb inside. Oh and let's not forget all of the stuffed animals he has acquired over the years.
In our den is a small chest that is filled with odds and ends of toys as well as track to a Hot Wheels raceway toy that his father played with when he was a child - it's really old. You can still buy this raceway toy on Ebay but be prepared to pay a lot of money for it.
When Benjamin was a toddler, I bought him a huge set of foam blocks of differing sizes. The blocks sit in an equally huge plastic bin and Benjamin generally tries to build the tallest tower before it collapses. If you have grandchildren, I highly recommend these blocks because even if a tower happens to hit the furniture or a dog - nobody gets hurt. This is a plus.
Of course once the raceway is set up, then out comes the plastic storage container for all the match box cars. Because what good is a raceway, if there are no cars to run down the ramps.
And last but not least, my box of books for bedtime reading that Benjamin and I negotiate over how many books constitutes enough books before it's lights out.
So my house is all ready. All I need now is Benjamin!
P
Friday, March 27, 2015
Where's My Stuff?
3/27/2015
Have you ever wondered what happened to things you used to own? No? Well take a few minutes to ponder where an old, but loved, winter coat got off to, for example.
Thinking about writing about this subject had me thinking of my own stuff. Where is the old transistor radio (remember those?) that we used to take each summer to Newport Beach? Once we moved to the East, and eventually spent a week or two at the beach, we no longer carried any "tunes" with us. Perhaps because we can't find the radio - or we tossed/donated, etc.
When I was in high school earning my pittance of a salary working for my Mother at her office, I bought myself a very high end winter coat with a mink collar that you could hook to make it into a circle around your neck, or unhooked so that it was just laid out flat. Where's the coat? I'm guessing that when we left Illinois in '68 headed for California, that coat was again tossed (doubtful) or donated (more likely).
I had an old desk when I was a teenager that my Dad and I painted a dingy shade of white and then put a dark stain on top and used cloths to make a very crummy piece of furniture into something really pretty, by my standards. On the back of the desk, were mine and my Dad's fingerprints in paint! The desk is long gone and was worth nothing, so perhaps it was sold at a garage sale before we left for California.
I don't remember what exactly I did with the boys' baby clothes. I probably donated them after having Andrew and knowing that there would be no more babies. I do still have baby blankets that were crocheted or knitted by friends.
We had an old cement mixer that Jeff and his Grandfather used to make cement to stucco our house in California. When we had our garage sale to move to Maryland, I doubted that anybody would want a stupid old cement mixer. Turns out multiple people wanted it! Who knew?
I wish I knew where our old Pong game system was. I enjoyed it back then and am pretty sure I would still like playing. It was a simple game and one that I could actually understand.
I wonder why we keep some stuff from our past and other things seem to just drift away. I have a merry-go-round that my Dad bought for me when he was stationed in England and I was oh two years perhaps. That means I've owned it for over 60 years. Likewise, I have a large bride doll that was a Christmas gift when I was a young girl, and she is still with me and sits in my curio cabinet.
After pondering where some of your things are, we likely can't remember all of the things that were once a part of our live and now merely a memory.
P
Have you ever wondered what happened to things you used to own? No? Well take a few minutes to ponder where an old, but loved, winter coat got off to, for example.
Thinking about writing about this subject had me thinking of my own stuff. Where is the old transistor radio (remember those?) that we used to take each summer to Newport Beach? Once we moved to the East, and eventually spent a week or two at the beach, we no longer carried any "tunes" with us. Perhaps because we can't find the radio - or we tossed/donated, etc.
When I was in high school earning my pittance of a salary working for my Mother at her office, I bought myself a very high end winter coat with a mink collar that you could hook to make it into a circle around your neck, or unhooked so that it was just laid out flat. Where's the coat? I'm guessing that when we left Illinois in '68 headed for California, that coat was again tossed (doubtful) or donated (more likely).
I had an old desk when I was a teenager that my Dad and I painted a dingy shade of white and then put a dark stain on top and used cloths to make a very crummy piece of furniture into something really pretty, by my standards. On the back of the desk, were mine and my Dad's fingerprints in paint! The desk is long gone and was worth nothing, so perhaps it was sold at a garage sale before we left for California.
I don't remember what exactly I did with the boys' baby clothes. I probably donated them after having Andrew and knowing that there would be no more babies. I do still have baby blankets that were crocheted or knitted by friends.
We had an old cement mixer that Jeff and his Grandfather used to make cement to stucco our house in California. When we had our garage sale to move to Maryland, I doubted that anybody would want a stupid old cement mixer. Turns out multiple people wanted it! Who knew?
I wish I knew where our old Pong game system was. I enjoyed it back then and am pretty sure I would still like playing. It was a simple game and one that I could actually understand.
I wonder why we keep some stuff from our past and other things seem to just drift away. I have a merry-go-round that my Dad bought for me when he was stationed in England and I was oh two years perhaps. That means I've owned it for over 60 years. Likewise, I have a large bride doll that was a Christmas gift when I was a young girl, and she is still with me and sits in my curio cabinet.
After pondering where some of your things are, we likely can't remember all of the things that were once a part of our live and now merely a memory.
P
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Spring?
3/26/2015
Just a week or so ago the snow shovels and sand stood at the ready in the garage. Well what a difference a week makes. The large tree in our circle is budded out, a sure sign that before we even know it, one morning we'll wake up and poof that tree and all the others will be covered in leaves!
Mother Nature is truly amazing when you think about it. How do plants who had been buried in snow and ice know when it's time for them to start peeking through the ground? Of course, unfortunately, not only do dormant plants spring to live - but so do weeds - blah. I'm afraid my getting down on my knees to dig up plants is long gone. I could get mulch and bury them and hope that the weeds would get the message to get out of Dodge, but that's not likely to happen.
My porch swing has sat idle for months, but as the weather warms up, I'll take my book and water out to enjoy the mild temperatures.
I hope spring has arrived at your house.
P
Just a week or so ago the snow shovels and sand stood at the ready in the garage. Well what a difference a week makes. The large tree in our circle is budded out, a sure sign that before we even know it, one morning we'll wake up and poof that tree and all the others will be covered in leaves!
Mother Nature is truly amazing when you think about it. How do plants who had been buried in snow and ice know when it's time for them to start peeking through the ground? Of course, unfortunately, not only do dormant plants spring to live - but so do weeds - blah. I'm afraid my getting down on my knees to dig up plants is long gone. I could get mulch and bury them and hope that the weeds would get the message to get out of Dodge, but that's not likely to happen.
My porch swing has sat idle for months, but as the weather warms up, I'll take my book and water out to enjoy the mild temperatures.
I hope spring has arrived at your house.
P
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The Easter Bunny, Easter Eggs and Chocolate Rabbits!
3/25/2015
Easter is almost upon us and there is much work to be done. In preparation for the big day, eggs must be boiled and colored and most importantly numbered! Do not make the same mistake that Jeff and I did one year when one egg wasn't discovered by the boys. Needless to say, it made it's presence known to us later!!
When the boys were young, they colored their eggs with the traditional pastel colors and we always tried, unsuccessfully, to get those little stickers that come with the dye kit to stay on the eggs. As the boys got older, the color of the eggs changed, soon they were dipping the eggs into a variety of colors and the end result made the eggs look like camouflage. These were definitely not prettily colored eggs, but even so they still made for devilishly good deviled eggs!
Also when the boys were young, the bunny hid eggs pretty much out in the open, beside the sofa, on a kitchen chair and sometimes even inside their slippers! As the boys got older, the bunny had to get more creative about hiding. The top of a ceiling fan blade is a good choice. But a piece of advice - it helps if you dust the blade first otherwise not only will the egg come down but so will the dust!
Yesterday, I helped a neighbor put candy inside plastic eggs for the Easter Egg hunt at her church. After finishing the eggs I began to wonder just how many of these eggs are sold each year - and you know how much I love research, but sadly I was unable to actual pin down a number. What I did discover is that there is a company that makes hinged plastic eggs, which would have been very helpful yesterday. There are now glow in the dark eggs, marbleized and polka dotted eggs. Boy have times changed since Jeff and I were buying eggs.
So some time after finding (hopefully) all of the real and some number of plastic eggs, which are never saved from year to year - just too much trouble, comes the eating of the chocolate rabbits. In case you're in the dark about the proper way to do so - you must always start with the ears. By the way 90 million rabbits are made each year - that's a lot of ears. Here's also some fun facts I found:
Chocolate bunnies should be eaten ears first, according to 76% of Americans. Five percent said bunnies should be eaten feet first, while 4% favored eating the tail first.
Of course besides chocolate rabbits there is also a fair amount of candy found in an Easter basket. As a child I used to love Jelly Beans - now - not so much. The one kind of egg I never received, nor for that matter gave to the boys was the panorama egg. Who knows maybe only little girls like this kind of decorated egg, but I still think they are beautiful.
Please enjoy with your little, or perhaps not so little, ones the family tradition of coloring eggs and I believe you're never too old for a chocolate bunny.
P
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Places I Go
3/24/2015
The places I go sounds like it should be in a Winnie The Pooh book. But in truth, it's my somewhat pathetic attempts to get out of the house. It appears that nobody wants me to be a recluse (or more of a recluse than I already am). My marching orders from my doctor was that I had to leave the house every day - the library - the grocery store - McDonald's. The destination didn't matter, the going out was what was/is important.
Yesterday, I started my day with a new therapist, let's call her my "talk" therapist. My talk therapist will see me weekly and I'll start stretching the time I actually see my psychiatrist. So once my head was shrunk, I drove over to a local shopping area that used to house the store Big Lots. Big Lots was a place you could go and find junk - real junk. Ah, but sometimes if you were lucky, you could also find great stuff. In any event it was a neat place to browse. Shocker for me, Big Lots is gone and has been replaced by a furniture store. You know the kind I'm talking about, where you can get an entire set of living room furniture for $999, or perhaps even less.
I then went to the library in search of my large type books and found several that look interesting. The good part about getting books from the library is that if after I've turned a few pages, and I'm not hooked, I can simply return the book and get another. There was a time when I bought books, lots of books, books I can't read anymore, because most of them are paperbacks.
My going out didn't end with the library. Nope, I went to the Dollar Store, which should be renamed. I found next to nothing in the store that actually cost a dollar! There were five dollar, six dollars, eight dollar items, etc. I actually wasn't there to shop because most of what they sell is of poor quality, which in and of itself, I don't mind - I just didn't see anything that I couldn't live without.
By the end of my shopping adventure, it was nearly dinner time. I knew that Jeff was going to go to Scott's house after work, so I didn't have to cook. Yeah. A quick trip through Burger King for their chicken sandwich, went home, plopped down in the recliner and watched Judge Judy.
I'd say that I should get at least a B for effort in getting out of the house!
P
The places I go sounds like it should be in a Winnie The Pooh book. But in truth, it's my somewhat pathetic attempts to get out of the house. It appears that nobody wants me to be a recluse (or more of a recluse than I already am). My marching orders from my doctor was that I had to leave the house every day - the library - the grocery store - McDonald's. The destination didn't matter, the going out was what was/is important.
Yesterday, I started my day with a new therapist, let's call her my "talk" therapist. My talk therapist will see me weekly and I'll start stretching the time I actually see my psychiatrist. So once my head was shrunk, I drove over to a local shopping area that used to house the store Big Lots. Big Lots was a place you could go and find junk - real junk. Ah, but sometimes if you were lucky, you could also find great stuff. In any event it was a neat place to browse. Shocker for me, Big Lots is gone and has been replaced by a furniture store. You know the kind I'm talking about, where you can get an entire set of living room furniture for $999, or perhaps even less.
I then went to the library in search of my large type books and found several that look interesting. The good part about getting books from the library is that if after I've turned a few pages, and I'm not hooked, I can simply return the book and get another. There was a time when I bought books, lots of books, books I can't read anymore, because most of them are paperbacks.
My going out didn't end with the library. Nope, I went to the Dollar Store, which should be renamed. I found next to nothing in the store that actually cost a dollar! There were five dollar, six dollars, eight dollar items, etc. I actually wasn't there to shop because most of what they sell is of poor quality, which in and of itself, I don't mind - I just didn't see anything that I couldn't live without.
By the end of my shopping adventure, it was nearly dinner time. I knew that Jeff was going to go to Scott's house after work, so I didn't have to cook. Yeah. A quick trip through Burger King for their chicken sandwich, went home, plopped down in the recliner and watched Judge Judy.
I'd say that I should get at least a B for effort in getting out of the house!
P
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Books
3/22/2015
I love books and have ever since I was a little girl. Dad used to read me the Little Golden Books, that were just long enough to constitute a story, but not so long as to make it necessary to read it in chapters.
As a teenager, I was definitely into the handsome, rich man and beautiful, poor woman. Danielle Steel has like a zillion of these kind of books, and for years I was a faithful reader. Growing up I always had my nose in a book and sometimes (okay a lot of times) missed Mom calling me to come and do some chore. When you're "in" a book and it's good, it's really hard to just stop cold turkey, you want to get to the end of the chapter at least!
As an adult, I had a boss that introduced me to murder mystery books and for several years that was my go to genre. The only mysteries I now read are something called Cozy Murders. Small town, a small and non-gory crime, generally solved by the owner of the yarn shop! Stories such as this definitely will not keep you up at night.
What I'm going through now is my growing inability to read small print. Early last week I went to the library and checked out, stupidly, paperback books. I got them home, put on my reading glasses and the very small print was just impossible for me to read. Apparently, my days of reading a paperback are over.
Unfortunately, the library is also a bit short on the large type books, which is frustrating. You can search the library's catalog and hope that a book you want to read comes in large print, but nine times out of ten, it doesn't.
This is where my Kindle comes in. With the Kindle (I own the big one), I maximize the size of the words and with the help of my reading glasses, am back in business. I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited which allows me to have ten free books at one time. The trouble I'm finding is that when I've read let's say book one in a series for free, the succeeding books have to be bought. Kindle book prices aren't overly expensive, but when you read as much as I do, the cost certainly adds up.
I don't want to buy any physical books now. I already own more real books than I want, but haven't gotten around to finding them a new home. Once I've read a book, I don't go back and read it again.
Jeff would tell you, and he'd be right, that I don't really read - I skim. Depending on the story, I might read every word, but likely I look at a paragraph, get the jest of the story and move on.
I could be dusting or cleaning bathrooms during the day OR I could be sitting in my recliner reading. Umm big decision - not - the books will win hands down every time. So instead of my mother calling me to come and do some kind of housework, the only sound I have rattling in my head now is my own conscience telling me that I should get up and do something about the dust bunnies!
P
I love books and have ever since I was a little girl. Dad used to read me the Little Golden Books, that were just long enough to constitute a story, but not so long as to make it necessary to read it in chapters.
As a teenager, I was definitely into the handsome, rich man and beautiful, poor woman. Danielle Steel has like a zillion of these kind of books, and for years I was a faithful reader. Growing up I always had my nose in a book and sometimes (okay a lot of times) missed Mom calling me to come and do some chore. When you're "in" a book and it's good, it's really hard to just stop cold turkey, you want to get to the end of the chapter at least!
As an adult, I had a boss that introduced me to murder mystery books and for several years that was my go to genre. The only mysteries I now read are something called Cozy Murders. Small town, a small and non-gory crime, generally solved by the owner of the yarn shop! Stories such as this definitely will not keep you up at night.
What I'm going through now is my growing inability to read small print. Early last week I went to the library and checked out, stupidly, paperback books. I got them home, put on my reading glasses and the very small print was just impossible for me to read. Apparently, my days of reading a paperback are over.
Unfortunately, the library is also a bit short on the large type books, which is frustrating. You can search the library's catalog and hope that a book you want to read comes in large print, but nine times out of ten, it doesn't.
This is where my Kindle comes in. With the Kindle (I own the big one), I maximize the size of the words and with the help of my reading glasses, am back in business. I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited which allows me to have ten free books at one time. The trouble I'm finding is that when I've read let's say book one in a series for free, the succeeding books have to be bought. Kindle book prices aren't overly expensive, but when you read as much as I do, the cost certainly adds up.
I don't want to buy any physical books now. I already own more real books than I want, but haven't gotten around to finding them a new home. Once I've read a book, I don't go back and read it again.
Jeff would tell you, and he'd be right, that I don't really read - I skim. Depending on the story, I might read every word, but likely I look at a paragraph, get the jest of the story and move on.
I could be dusting or cleaning bathrooms during the day OR I could be sitting in my recliner reading. Umm big decision - not - the books will win hands down every time. So instead of my mother calling me to come and do some kind of housework, the only sound I have rattling in my head now is my own conscience telling me that I should get up and do something about the dust bunnies!
P
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Kibble versus Mice
3/21/2015
We keep the dogs' kibble in the garage in a plastic trashcan with a flip lid. It's the perfect size to hold 25 pounds of kibble at one time. So that's on the plus side.
On the negative side, the mice have found the kibble and twice when I have scooped out the morning kibble, I have also served up mice. They're dead, but I still find it a bit gruesome. I suppose to the mice, falling into the kibble bin, must be like a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts for them. It appears that the mice can fall in, but unfortunately (or fortunately perhaps), they can't get out. The bin of kibble appears to work better than a mousetrap!
Jeff has reminded me that the two mice I have found so far, are two mice that aren't lurking around in the pantry nibbling on box corners and plastic bags. I suppose he has a point, but every morning when I go to get the kibble, I'm hoping that all I find in the scoop is kibble!
P
We keep the dogs' kibble in the garage in a plastic trashcan with a flip lid. It's the perfect size to hold 25 pounds of kibble at one time. So that's on the plus side.
On the negative side, the mice have found the kibble and twice when I have scooped out the morning kibble, I have also served up mice. They're dead, but I still find it a bit gruesome. I suppose to the mice, falling into the kibble bin, must be like a Thanksgiving dinner of sorts for them. It appears that the mice can fall in, but unfortunately (or fortunately perhaps), they can't get out. The bin of kibble appears to work better than a mousetrap!
Jeff has reminded me that the two mice I have found so far, are two mice that aren't lurking around in the pantry nibbling on box corners and plastic bags. I suppose he has a point, but every morning when I go to get the kibble, I'm hoping that all I find in the scoop is kibble!
P
Friday, March 20, 2015
Winter's Last Hurrah?
3/20/2015
After a few days of sunshine and fairly moderate temperatures, Mother Nature has decided that she isn't ready to give up on winter - yet.
Once our last snow, spring seemed to be just around the corner. Snow melt was put back in the deep recesses of the garage as well as the snow shovels.
In some flower beds, you can see the beginning of the little green shoots of spring flowers. So you know that spring is coming, it's just not quite here yet.
The snow that is falling today is beautiful. It's warm enough that the snow isn't sticking on driveways and roads. It's a light snow and lovely to watch from inside. This snow isn't going to amount to much of anything, and I feel that this is probably the last of winter. Or, I can keep my fingers crossed that it's the last of winter!
If I had a window seat, today would be the day that I would sit there, with my book, and watch the snow fall.
There are parts of winter that I really like - the beauty of fresh snow before anyone or anything has trodden on it, and, the trees that look like they have been dipped in icing.
Once spring is here, then people get itchy fingers to get outside and dig in the dirt. Plant something or prune something. While your flower beds have been cloaked in snow and ice during the winter, soon buds will be forming and a new season will begin.
P
After a few days of sunshine and fairly moderate temperatures, Mother Nature has decided that she isn't ready to give up on winter - yet.
Once our last snow, spring seemed to be just around the corner. Snow melt was put back in the deep recesses of the garage as well as the snow shovels.
In some flower beds, you can see the beginning of the little green shoots of spring flowers. So you know that spring is coming, it's just not quite here yet.
The snow that is falling today is beautiful. It's warm enough that the snow isn't sticking on driveways and roads. It's a light snow and lovely to watch from inside. This snow isn't going to amount to much of anything, and I feel that this is probably the last of winter. Or, I can keep my fingers crossed that it's the last of winter!
If I had a window seat, today would be the day that I would sit there, with my book, and watch the snow fall.
There are parts of winter that I really like - the beauty of fresh snow before anyone or anything has trodden on it, and, the trees that look like they have been dipped in icing.
Once spring is here, then people get itchy fingers to get outside and dig in the dirt. Plant something or prune something. While your flower beds have been cloaked in snow and ice during the winter, soon buds will be forming and a new season will begin.
P
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Cinderella
3/18/2015
Yesterday, I went to see the movie Cinderella and it was great. The movie was in IMAX which truly makes you feel like you're almost inside the movie.
We are all familiar with the animated version of Cinderella, but to watch a non-animated version was wonderful. As expected, Cinderella was beautiful and Prince Charming, obviously was very handsome.
The original animated movie came out in 1950 and countless numbers of children have enjoyed the timeless movie, over and over again.
Apparently, there were a lot of people who wanted to see the movie Cinderella, to the tune of $70 million so far!
If you get a chance to find your inner princess, indulge yourself for an afternoon and allow yourself to be thoroughly entertained. And, if you can see it in an IMAX theater, that would make the movie that much more enjoyable.
P
Yesterday, I went to see the movie Cinderella and it was great. The movie was in IMAX which truly makes you feel like you're almost inside the movie.
We are all familiar with the animated version of Cinderella, but to watch a non-animated version was wonderful. As expected, Cinderella was beautiful and Prince Charming, obviously was very handsome.
The original animated movie came out in 1950 and countless numbers of children have enjoyed the timeless movie, over and over again.
Apparently, there were a lot of people who wanted to see the movie Cinderella, to the tune of $70 million so far!
If you get a chance to find your inner princess, indulge yourself for an afternoon and allow yourself to be thoroughly entertained. And, if you can see it in an IMAX theater, that would make the movie that much more enjoyable.
P
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Dentists
3/17/2015
Ugh just the name dentists brings back many awful hours sitting in a dentist chair. Give me a doctor's visit any day. When I was young, going to the dentist was a frightening event. Unlike today, where all the tools of the trade are discretely put away, back then the drill hung in plain sight.
As a teenager, one dentist convinced my mother that my gums were bleeding because I had too many teeth! She actually allowed him to pull two perfectly fine teeth.
Also drilling, while not painful, the noise and smell of the drill just puts me off. Filling a cavity today is a much quicker process than it used to be - but it still involves the drill, which I hate.
My dentist is very nice as is his hygienist, but truthfully I'd do almost anything not to see a dentist. As it is, I'm pretty sure that a filling has come out of one of my teeth, and you know what that means - drilling!
Happy smiles :)
P
Ugh just the name dentists brings back many awful hours sitting in a dentist chair. Give me a doctor's visit any day. When I was young, going to the dentist was a frightening event. Unlike today, where all the tools of the trade are discretely put away, back then the drill hung in plain sight.
As a teenager, one dentist convinced my mother that my gums were bleeding because I had too many teeth! She actually allowed him to pull two perfectly fine teeth.
Also drilling, while not painful, the noise and smell of the drill just puts me off. Filling a cavity today is a much quicker process than it used to be - but it still involves the drill, which I hate.
My dentist is very nice as is his hygienist, but truthfully I'd do almost anything not to see a dentist. As it is, I'm pretty sure that a filling has come out of one of my teeth, and you know what that means - drilling!
Happy smiles :)
P
Monday, March 16, 2015
The Bassett Pioneers!
3/16/2015
Today is the 29th anniversary of the day that the Bassett clan arrived in Maryland. Jeff had accepted a transfer with IBM from California to Maryland, and we were all excited about the move. About the only thing we knew about where we were heading was that Gaithersburg, at that time, appeared to be a small town.
While Jeff and I were in Maryland on a house hunting trip, we found a house to rent, while our house was being built. The new house, compared to our one story, flat roof home in California looked like a mansion! Four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms - what else could a woman want?
As we neared our departure date, we had dinner with my parents and Jeff's parents to say good-bye. Putting distance between myself and my mother was a good thing. Leaving my Dad behind was a completely different story.
We stayed the night before our flight in a hotel near LAX since we had an early flight in the morning. There was a bit of a struggle to find a hotel that would allow us to bring our small dog, Devon, inside our room.
I don't remember what if anything we ate for breakfast. We were all very excited and the boys had never been on a plane before. Just before checking in at the gate, we gave Devon a sleeping pill so that he wouldn't become agitated during the flight. His crate was in the belly of the plane along with the suitcases. Before the flight, we met the pilot and the boys told him that Devon was down with the luggage, and the pilot promised that he'd make sure some heat was turned on in the baggage compartment.
Since it was a long flight, each boy had a bag of goodies - snacks, and small and quite things to play with. Remember this was long before laptops and portable electronic games.
Once we landed in Maryland, Jeff and I had to corral (for there is no other word to use) the boys, the luggage and the dog. There were suitcases for each of us, as well as hand luggage that carried things that we hadn't wanted to place in a suitcase - just in case the suitcase was lost!
Bus after bus arrived at the curb to take people to the rental cars. We tried to wait our turn for each bus, but there is no easy way to load five people, lots of baggage and a dog. Finally, when a bus approached, Jeff just stood in the doorway and waited (along with those behind us) while we managed to get ourselves on the bus.
When we had left the plane, we went through the exercise of counting kids, dog, hand luggage and suitcases, just to make sure we didn't leave anything or anyone behind. When we finally go to the rental car area, we again did our count of people and bags.
The ride from Dulles to Gaithersburg took "x" amount of time and it was still winter here. The boys were fascinated by everything. They looked out the windows as we moved on the interstate toward our awaiting hotel rooms. We had booked adjoining rooms, so that we could keep an eye out on the boys and make sure that they didn't become too noisy.
IBM put us up at the Marriott hotel and the hotel we had stayed at in Los Angeles, had contacted the local hotel to tell them that we were coming with three boys and one dog. What a delightful surprise when we entered our rooms and found a basket of snacks for the boys as well as a doggy bowl with treats for Devon!
That was day one of our new life in Maryland. Jeff and I, along with the boys, have never regretted our move. In fact, I think it was one of the best things we did for our family.
P
Today is the 29th anniversary of the day that the Bassett clan arrived in Maryland. Jeff had accepted a transfer with IBM from California to Maryland, and we were all excited about the move. About the only thing we knew about where we were heading was that Gaithersburg, at that time, appeared to be a small town.
While Jeff and I were in Maryland on a house hunting trip, we found a house to rent, while our house was being built. The new house, compared to our one story, flat roof home in California looked like a mansion! Four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms - what else could a woman want?
As we neared our departure date, we had dinner with my parents and Jeff's parents to say good-bye. Putting distance between myself and my mother was a good thing. Leaving my Dad behind was a completely different story.
We stayed the night before our flight in a hotel near LAX since we had an early flight in the morning. There was a bit of a struggle to find a hotel that would allow us to bring our small dog, Devon, inside our room.
I don't remember what if anything we ate for breakfast. We were all very excited and the boys had never been on a plane before. Just before checking in at the gate, we gave Devon a sleeping pill so that he wouldn't become agitated during the flight. His crate was in the belly of the plane along with the suitcases. Before the flight, we met the pilot and the boys told him that Devon was down with the luggage, and the pilot promised that he'd make sure some heat was turned on in the baggage compartment.
Since it was a long flight, each boy had a bag of goodies - snacks, and small and quite things to play with. Remember this was long before laptops and portable electronic games.
Once we landed in Maryland, Jeff and I had to corral (for there is no other word to use) the boys, the luggage and the dog. There were suitcases for each of us, as well as hand luggage that carried things that we hadn't wanted to place in a suitcase - just in case the suitcase was lost!
Bus after bus arrived at the curb to take people to the rental cars. We tried to wait our turn for each bus, but there is no easy way to load five people, lots of baggage and a dog. Finally, when a bus approached, Jeff just stood in the doorway and waited (along with those behind us) while we managed to get ourselves on the bus.
When we had left the plane, we went through the exercise of counting kids, dog, hand luggage and suitcases, just to make sure we didn't leave anything or anyone behind. When we finally go to the rental car area, we again did our count of people and bags.
The ride from Dulles to Gaithersburg took "x" amount of time and it was still winter here. The boys were fascinated by everything. They looked out the windows as we moved on the interstate toward our awaiting hotel rooms. We had booked adjoining rooms, so that we could keep an eye out on the boys and make sure that they didn't become too noisy.
IBM put us up at the Marriott hotel and the hotel we had stayed at in Los Angeles, had contacted the local hotel to tell them that we were coming with three boys and one dog. What a delightful surprise when we entered our rooms and found a basket of snacks for the boys as well as a doggy bowl with treats for Devon!
That was day one of our new life in Maryland. Jeff and I, along with the boys, have never regretted our move. In fact, I think it was one of the best things we did for our family.
P
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Having a Clean Car
3/14/2015
I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to my car. The "Cuzilu" automobile is white and when we have snow and then streets loaded with salt and sand, "she" isn't white anymore. After driving around last week, my car had developed a healthy coating of gray sludge around the majority of the car. I also don't like getting into a dirty car in winter all the while trying to keep my coat clean while I do so.
I could I suppose hope for warmer weather and wash the car in the driveway, it's cheap and not particularly hard. But, it's not really a very good wash job either.
Yesterday, I splurged. Since it was a workday, I knew that the local car wash wouldn't be crowded with cars filling up three rows. Nope, drove right to the front, and opted for a super wash which included washing/rinsing the undercarriage and putting Rain-X on the whole car. Overkill? More than likely, but when my car was finished, she was beautiful - again!
Since it's raining today, I'm not likely to go out. So until Monday when Jeff will drive her to work, she will remain uber clean - just the way I like her.
I have never been one of those people who when they offer to give you a ride, have to haul a month's worth of trash from the floor in the front seat. Nope, I keep a tidy car. When we've sold our used cars in the past to private parties, they are always amazed that there isn't any tidbits of crumbs under the seats!
So for the moment, the car is bright white with sparkling rims and windows. What more could you ask for?
P
I'm a bit of a nut when it comes to my car. The "Cuzilu" automobile is white and when we have snow and then streets loaded with salt and sand, "she" isn't white anymore. After driving around last week, my car had developed a healthy coating of gray sludge around the majority of the car. I also don't like getting into a dirty car in winter all the while trying to keep my coat clean while I do so.
I could I suppose hope for warmer weather and wash the car in the driveway, it's cheap and not particularly hard. But, it's not really a very good wash job either.
Yesterday, I splurged. Since it was a workday, I knew that the local car wash wouldn't be crowded with cars filling up three rows. Nope, drove right to the front, and opted for a super wash which included washing/rinsing the undercarriage and putting Rain-X on the whole car. Overkill? More than likely, but when my car was finished, she was beautiful - again!
Since it's raining today, I'm not likely to go out. So until Monday when Jeff will drive her to work, she will remain uber clean - just the way I like her.
I have never been one of those people who when they offer to give you a ride, have to haul a month's worth of trash from the floor in the front seat. Nope, I keep a tidy car. When we've sold our used cars in the past to private parties, they are always amazed that there isn't any tidbits of crumbs under the seats!
So for the moment, the car is bright white with sparkling rims and windows. What more could you ask for?
P
Friday, March 13, 2015
The Sun is Out!
3/13/2015
What a fabulous way to end a week, with sunshine. Still a bit on the chilly side, but the sky is blue and I don't believe rain is in our forecast. The snow shovels have been put back inside the garage, and likely won't be used again until winter - yeah.
Rays of sunshine do a lot for a person's health, both mentally and physically. As the temperatures begin to climb, there is a pull to start puttering in the yard. Emphasis on the word puttering. I'm not really able to get down in the dirt and start plucking out pesky weeds. When I go play in the dirt, I have to think about how I'm going to get back up on my feet, if I'm on the ground. Growing old and creaky is a wonderful thing (not).
It's not quite warm enough for me to sit on the porch swing, but we're getting closer to that weather every day.
I love the longer days and the different patterns the sun makes in the living room and kitchen. I know that old Sam tries very hard to find a piece of sunshine on the floor to take his naps.
I hope the sun is shining where you are. Believe me I will take sunshine any day over the gray and gloomy weather.
Have a great day.
P
What a fabulous way to end a week, with sunshine. Still a bit on the chilly side, but the sky is blue and I don't believe rain is in our forecast. The snow shovels have been put back inside the garage, and likely won't be used again until winter - yeah.
Rays of sunshine do a lot for a person's health, both mentally and physically. As the temperatures begin to climb, there is a pull to start puttering in the yard. Emphasis on the word puttering. I'm not really able to get down in the dirt and start plucking out pesky weeds. When I go play in the dirt, I have to think about how I'm going to get back up on my feet, if I'm on the ground. Growing old and creaky is a wonderful thing (not).
It's not quite warm enough for me to sit on the porch swing, but we're getting closer to that weather every day.
I love the longer days and the different patterns the sun makes in the living room and kitchen. I know that old Sam tries very hard to find a piece of sunshine on the floor to take his naps.
I hope the sun is shining where you are. Believe me I will take sunshine any day over the gray and gloomy weather.
Have a great day.
P
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Crows
3/12/2015
Crows, just their name immediately bring back Hitchcock's movie "The Birds", which I saw as a teenager and was properly terrified!
I know there must be a reason for crows, but all I ever see them do is break open trash bags and scatter the contents and/or pick at the carcasses of dead animals. Either way, they are definitely the bird I detest the most.
I would love to put out day old bread for the other birds (robins, etc.), but know that the crows will bully their way in to enjoy the goodies.
So how many crows are out there? You'll be surprised by the numbers: Approximately 2,56,782 in India itself. Throughout the world the number ranges from about 7 to 8.5 million- that's a lot of crows.
On the other hand, every last one of them very likely remembers you as the weird human who kept staring at them. Researchers in Seattle performed an experiment with some crows around their college campus. They captured seven of the birds, tagged them, then let them go. And they did it all while wearing creepy skin masks, because it was funny. The scientists weren't just playing out horror movie fantasies -- they were testing whether the crows could recognize human faces or not. It turns out they can. Who knew?
One town became a sort of rest stop for crows along their migration route. The end result was hundreds of thousands of birds taking refuge in the city, and because this is a farming community, and crows tend to ruin crops, there were problems. It got so bad that the mayor declared war on them. The townspeople set out, hoping to bag at least 300,000 of the 600k birds currently ruining their livelihood. Unfortunately for the city, word spread fast in the crow communities. The first day after the announcement was made, hunters went out and shot a crow - one out of more than half a million. Now the crows always make sure to fly high enough above settled areas to avoid getting hit with bird shot.
Crows have been known to change their entire migration pattern to avoid farms where even a single crow has been killed in the past. Generations upon generations later, they still remember specific houses where one measly bird has died.
Oh little known fact for me: a poetic term for a large group of crows is called a murder. Otherwise, they are just in flocks like all other birds.
All that being said, I still don't want these big black birds hanging around in my yard and since I can't figure out an effective way to feed songbirds, I'm unfortunately opting to not feed any birds.
P
Crows, just their name immediately bring back Hitchcock's movie "The Birds", which I saw as a teenager and was properly terrified!
I know there must be a reason for crows, but all I ever see them do is break open trash bags and scatter the contents and/or pick at the carcasses of dead animals. Either way, they are definitely the bird I detest the most.
I would love to put out day old bread for the other birds (robins, etc.), but know that the crows will bully their way in to enjoy the goodies.
So how many crows are out there? You'll be surprised by the numbers: Approximately 2,56,782 in India itself. Throughout the world the number ranges from about 7 to 8.5 million- that's a lot of crows.
On the other hand, every last one of them very likely remembers you as the weird human who kept staring at them. Researchers in Seattle performed an experiment with some crows around their college campus. They captured seven of the birds, tagged them, then let them go. And they did it all while wearing creepy skin masks, because it was funny. The scientists weren't just playing out horror movie fantasies -- they were testing whether the crows could recognize human faces or not. It turns out they can. Who knew?
One town became a sort of rest stop for crows along their migration route. The end result was hundreds of thousands of birds taking refuge in the city, and because this is a farming community, and crows tend to ruin crops, there were problems. It got so bad that the mayor declared war on them. The townspeople set out, hoping to bag at least 300,000 of the 600k birds currently ruining their livelihood. Unfortunately for the city, word spread fast in the crow communities. The first day after the announcement was made, hunters went out and shot a crow - one out of more than half a million. Now the crows always make sure to fly high enough above settled areas to avoid getting hit with bird shot.
Crows have been known to change their entire migration pattern to avoid farms where even a single crow has been killed in the past. Generations upon generations later, they still remember specific houses where one measly bird has died.
Oh little known fact for me: a poetic term for a large group of crows is called a murder. Otherwise, they are just in flocks like all other birds.
All that being said, I still don't want these big black birds hanging around in my yard and since I can't figure out an effective way to feed songbirds, I'm unfortunately opting to not feed any birds.
P
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Fun Tuesday
3/11/2015
Yesterday was my sister's birthday, and if she doesn't quit having them, soon she'll be as old as me!
The movie theater has a $6.00 ticket price on Tuesdays. I love going to the movies and since I don't buy popcorn and candy, the price is a real bargain. Yesterday I saw the "Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", which was delightful. There were about 6 of us in the theater and I'm pretty sure that nobody was under the age of 60!
I had watched the earlier movie about the Marigold Hotel, and because I enjoyed it so much, knew that I wanted to watch the sequel, if you will. Most of the actors are the same: Maggie Smith and Judy Dench, both of whom I adore. This movie had Richard Gere and he's still yummy to look at. The man seriously looks good in gray hair.
The music, the dancing and all the beautiful colors of the clothes in India are a treat for your eyes. I'm pretty sure that this movie is not Oscar material, but who cares, it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
After the movie, I had a manicure before heading home to fix dinner for Jeff. All in all, it was a capital way to spend a Tuesday.
P
Yesterday was my sister's birthday, and if she doesn't quit having them, soon she'll be as old as me!
The movie theater has a $6.00 ticket price on Tuesdays. I love going to the movies and since I don't buy popcorn and candy, the price is a real bargain. Yesterday I saw the "Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", which was delightful. There were about 6 of us in the theater and I'm pretty sure that nobody was under the age of 60!
I had watched the earlier movie about the Marigold Hotel, and because I enjoyed it so much, knew that I wanted to watch the sequel, if you will. Most of the actors are the same: Maggie Smith and Judy Dench, both of whom I adore. This movie had Richard Gere and he's still yummy to look at. The man seriously looks good in gray hair.
The music, the dancing and all the beautiful colors of the clothes in India are a treat for your eyes. I'm pretty sure that this movie is not Oscar material, but who cares, it was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.
After the movie, I had a manicure before heading home to fix dinner for Jeff. All in all, it was a capital way to spend a Tuesday.
P
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
French Toast Bagels!
3/10/2015
I know you all know about the company called "Thomas" who makes English muffins. But, they also make bagels - pre-sliced - which is handy for me, because I'm not too good cutting bagels in half.
Last year I noticed that the Tomas company was making what I would call seasonal bagels: Pumpkin Spice and Cranberry. Both of those bagels were delish by the way. Last night, at our favorite store - WalMart, I noticed a new bagel - French Toast! I would swear I could smell the syrup flavoring through the packaging. Or, maybe my mouth was just watering at the thought of French Toast!
This morning, I popped a French Toast bagel in the toaster, mere minutes later, with the appropriate amount of butter slathered on top and coffee in hand, I was in heaven. I basically had French Toast, which I love, minus the mess of dealing with syrup - what could be more perfect?
I have for most of my adult years, started my day with toast and coffee. Jeff doesn't love buttered toast like I do, but he makes sure that I never run out of the two main components of my breakfast: bread and butter. What a guy.
So the next time you're at the grocery store, you might want to stop by the bread section and see if you can find any specialty bagels. I assure you that the three kinds I've had so far, all have been home runs!
P
I know you all know about the company called "Thomas" who makes English muffins. But, they also make bagels - pre-sliced - which is handy for me, because I'm not too good cutting bagels in half.
Last year I noticed that the Tomas company was making what I would call seasonal bagels: Pumpkin Spice and Cranberry. Both of those bagels were delish by the way. Last night, at our favorite store - WalMart, I noticed a new bagel - French Toast! I would swear I could smell the syrup flavoring through the packaging. Or, maybe my mouth was just watering at the thought of French Toast!
This morning, I popped a French Toast bagel in the toaster, mere minutes later, with the appropriate amount of butter slathered on top and coffee in hand, I was in heaven. I basically had French Toast, which I love, minus the mess of dealing with syrup - what could be more perfect?
I have for most of my adult years, started my day with toast and coffee. Jeff doesn't love buttered toast like I do, but he makes sure that I never run out of the two main components of my breakfast: bread and butter. What a guy.
So the next time you're at the grocery store, you might want to stop by the bread section and see if you can find any specialty bagels. I assure you that the three kinds I've had so far, all have been home runs!
P
Monday, March 9, 2015
Last Man on Earth
3/9/2015
There is a new show on television, about a man who is the last man on earth. The show isn't great, but I'm fascinated about being alone and able to go into any store, house, museum, or you name it, and take what you want.
Of course there are downfalls, getting water, electricity (not possible I assume) and fresh food in a grocery store would only be eatable for a short period of time. I think you should eat up all the ice cream before it melts! I'm just thinking of life priorities!
In one show, our "man" drove his truck through a grocery store window. Why? Because he could. Our hero makes friends with balls - volley balls, golf balls, tennis, pool and any other kind of ball. He draws faces on them and gives them all names, it's obvious that while he can and does whatever he wants, he's lonely - who wouldn't be?
He ends up in Tuscon and moves into a palatial home which he promptly begins to trash with beer cans and bottles of wine, etc. I suppose in theory when he can no longer see the floors of the house, he could just move into the house next door.
Because you know it's coming, it's not long before a woman (last one I suppose) meets our man. She has an annoying voice and wants them to get married - why? Adam and Eve comes to mind.
I know I wouldn't want to be the only person on the planet, way to creepy for me, but looking through the windows into this man's life, fascinates me, for reasons I can't explain. I sincerely doubt that this show is going to last because I can't imagine the writers being able to come up with a good script week after week.
But because I've watched two shows now, I'll probably stick around until the show is canceled - which I assume will come shortly. Okay we have two people left on earth, so what could you possibly write about week after week? These two individuals don't appear to be rocket scientists, so I'm not sure how long they can exist on their own.
One of the things that I would like to do, would be to drive a bulldozer and knock something(s) over - now that would be very satisfying!
P
There is a new show on television, about a man who is the last man on earth. The show isn't great, but I'm fascinated about being alone and able to go into any store, house, museum, or you name it, and take what you want.
Of course there are downfalls, getting water, electricity (not possible I assume) and fresh food in a grocery store would only be eatable for a short period of time. I think you should eat up all the ice cream before it melts! I'm just thinking of life priorities!
In one show, our "man" drove his truck through a grocery store window. Why? Because he could. Our hero makes friends with balls - volley balls, golf balls, tennis, pool and any other kind of ball. He draws faces on them and gives them all names, it's obvious that while he can and does whatever he wants, he's lonely - who wouldn't be?
He ends up in Tuscon and moves into a palatial home which he promptly begins to trash with beer cans and bottles of wine, etc. I suppose in theory when he can no longer see the floors of the house, he could just move into the house next door.
Because you know it's coming, it's not long before a woman (last one I suppose) meets our man. She has an annoying voice and wants them to get married - why? Adam and Eve comes to mind.
I know I wouldn't want to be the only person on the planet, way to creepy for me, but looking through the windows into this man's life, fascinates me, for reasons I can't explain. I sincerely doubt that this show is going to last because I can't imagine the writers being able to come up with a good script week after week.
But because I've watched two shows now, I'll probably stick around until the show is canceled - which I assume will come shortly. Okay we have two people left on earth, so what could you possibly write about week after week? These two individuals don't appear to be rocket scientists, so I'm not sure how long they can exist on their own.
One of the things that I would like to do, would be to drive a bulldozer and knock something(s) over - now that would be very satisfying!
P
Sunday, March 8, 2015
It's Sunday
3/8/2015
It's Sunday and on Sunday my day differs from the other days in the week. On Sunday, I have to get Jeff's work pants, etc., ready for the new week. This is not a hard task, but there is some kind of mental block when it comes to laundry. I don't mind dumping the clothes in the washer and then to the dryer - but then - the clothes are dry and you have to do something, like fold or hang, with the clothes. That's the part I don't like.
Since tomorrow is the start of another work week for Jeff, I make him macaroni salad for his lunches. A large bowl of macaroni salad will generally feed him for five days. As I write, the cooked macaroni is cooling and Jeff has cut up the eggs and celery. Cutting up veggies is another chore that I'm not fond of.
My numbering scheme of plastic/glass dishes seems to be working. It is really lovely to reach in and pull out a, for instance, a "1" lid and it's corresponding dish. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. Of course, now all of my "to go" dishes have big numbers marked on their tops and bottoms, but heck Jeff and I are the only ones who see that, so who cares. It works!
Sunday, is also the day that I sit down on the couch, with this week's TV Guide in hand, and begin the process of recording shows for the next week. Some would say what's the big deal. The big deal is getting all of your favorite shows to record and not cause a conflict with another show. Sunday nights are particularly difficult because sport games can run long and then all the shows after that, beginning with 60 minutes, gets pushed back.
Jeff doesn't record any television. I know what his favorite shows are, and make sure to get them all. He is a huge fan of NCIS and the spin-offs - me not so much. But, to be fair, Jeff sits through a lot of shows of mine that I know he's not particularly interested in. I watch my many cooking shows when Jeff is not home, otherwise it would be like poking him in the eye with a sharp stick!
Sunday night is the one night of the week that I don't cook. I don't even pretend that I'm going to cook something. Sunday night is pizza night, plain and simple. I cook dinner during the week, but I enjoy pizza very much and once a week is a treat for me.
How do you spend your Sundays?
P
It's Sunday and on Sunday my day differs from the other days in the week. On Sunday, I have to get Jeff's work pants, etc., ready for the new week. This is not a hard task, but there is some kind of mental block when it comes to laundry. I don't mind dumping the clothes in the washer and then to the dryer - but then - the clothes are dry and you have to do something, like fold or hang, with the clothes. That's the part I don't like.
Since tomorrow is the start of another work week for Jeff, I make him macaroni salad for his lunches. A large bowl of macaroni salad will generally feed him for five days. As I write, the cooked macaroni is cooling and Jeff has cut up the eggs and celery. Cutting up veggies is another chore that I'm not fond of.
My numbering scheme of plastic/glass dishes seems to be working. It is really lovely to reach in and pull out a, for instance, a "1" lid and it's corresponding dish. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. Of course, now all of my "to go" dishes have big numbers marked on their tops and bottoms, but heck Jeff and I are the only ones who see that, so who cares. It works!
Sunday, is also the day that I sit down on the couch, with this week's TV Guide in hand, and begin the process of recording shows for the next week. Some would say what's the big deal. The big deal is getting all of your favorite shows to record and not cause a conflict with another show. Sunday nights are particularly difficult because sport games can run long and then all the shows after that, beginning with 60 minutes, gets pushed back.
Jeff doesn't record any television. I know what his favorite shows are, and make sure to get them all. He is a huge fan of NCIS and the spin-offs - me not so much. But, to be fair, Jeff sits through a lot of shows of mine that I know he's not particularly interested in. I watch my many cooking shows when Jeff is not home, otherwise it would be like poking him in the eye with a sharp stick!
Sunday night is the one night of the week that I don't cook. I don't even pretend that I'm going to cook something. Sunday night is pizza night, plain and simple. I cook dinner during the week, but I enjoy pizza very much and once a week is a treat for me.
How do you spend your Sundays?
P
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Snow Removal
3/7/2015
It snowed this week. It snowed quite a bit and you needed to definitely shovel your driveway and sidewalk. We did both of these things. Well disclaimer: Jeff did both of these things.
I hadn't been out and about this week until yesterday, and while I was driving was truly amazed at how many people don't remove snow from their cars. Now if you have a large SUV and don't have a long handled brush to remove snow from the top of the car, I may give you a pass. But we have owned big vehicles in the past, and always managed to get most if not all of the snow off the roof.
I saw cars yesterday who hadn't bothered to even clean their windshields. They had this little spot on the driver's side cleared, but the rest of the windshield was covered in snow. I noticed many little cars that had snow on the roof, the trunk, etc., that could/should have been brushed off.
So when you follow these snow covered cars, sometimes the snow lightly blows off the car, which isn't too bad. Other times a large chunk of snow/ice can fall off the car directly in front of you.
I think it's just common courtesy (and perhaps courtesy is dead), that you may an honest attempt to clean your vehicles off. Nobody wants to be on the receiving end of flying snow or chunks of ice from your car.
I will now climb off my soap box. Thanks for listening.
P
It snowed this week. It snowed quite a bit and you needed to definitely shovel your driveway and sidewalk. We did both of these things. Well disclaimer: Jeff did both of these things.
I hadn't been out and about this week until yesterday, and while I was driving was truly amazed at how many people don't remove snow from their cars. Now if you have a large SUV and don't have a long handled brush to remove snow from the top of the car, I may give you a pass. But we have owned big vehicles in the past, and always managed to get most if not all of the snow off the roof.
I saw cars yesterday who hadn't bothered to even clean their windshields. They had this little spot on the driver's side cleared, but the rest of the windshield was covered in snow. I noticed many little cars that had snow on the roof, the trunk, etc., that could/should have been brushed off.
So when you follow these snow covered cars, sometimes the snow lightly blows off the car, which isn't too bad. Other times a large chunk of snow/ice can fall off the car directly in front of you.
I think it's just common courtesy (and perhaps courtesy is dead), that you may an honest attempt to clean your vehicles off. Nobody wants to be on the receiving end of flying snow or chunks of ice from your car.
I will now climb off my soap box. Thanks for listening.
P
Friday, March 6, 2015
Memories
3/6/2015
Yesterday, because I had nothing better to do, and I wasn't thrilled about "branding" my plastic containers, I went to the Etsy website. What for you ask? Nothing, just to browse. I love looking at all of the creative things people make and I envy them for their talent.
One of my favorite things to search for is vintage clothing and shoes. Nothing brings back the 60's, like pointed toe shoes and psychedelic dresses. Oh, we were so fashionable back then. Remember having to have white fishnet hose? Who do you suppose thought that was a good idea? But, because it was a fashion trend, for about 10 minutes, I owned a pair!
See the hose with the silver shoes - those are the fishnet hose that I was talking about. I was a well dressed teenager. I owned pink and fuchsia heels
Check out the toes on this pair of shoes: I had several pair of shoes with the pointed toes, and to break them in, I wore them with what was called back then "bobby socks"!
Then there were the clothes. We wore bright patterned dresses and blouses and had coats with fur (real) trim. We liked ruffles, lace and ribbons. Mind you, that not all of us looked good in what I call the "hippy dippy" clothes, but when you are a teenager you don't really care.
We had the miniskirts, but also wore "granny dresses", that really didn't look good on anyone - but if you wanted to be "in", you had to own at least one. If my memory serves me correct, my granny dress was pink gingham - doesn't get much more old fashioned than that!
P
Yesterday, because I had nothing better to do, and I wasn't thrilled about "branding" my plastic containers, I went to the Etsy website. What for you ask? Nothing, just to browse. I love looking at all of the creative things people make and I envy them for their talent.
One of my favorite things to search for is vintage clothing and shoes. Nothing brings back the 60's, like pointed toe shoes and psychedelic dresses. Oh, we were so fashionable back then. Remember having to have white fishnet hose? Who do you suppose thought that was a good idea? But, because it was a fashion trend, for about 10 minutes, I owned a pair!
See the hose with the silver shoes - those are the fishnet hose that I was talking about. I was a well dressed teenager. I owned pink and fuchsia heels
Check out the toes on this pair of shoes: I had several pair of shoes with the pointed toes, and to break them in, I wore them with what was called back then "bobby socks"!
Then there were the clothes. We wore bright patterned dresses and blouses and had coats with fur (real) trim. We liked ruffles, lace and ribbons. Mind you, that not all of us looked good in what I call the "hippy dippy" clothes, but when you are a teenager you don't really care.
We had the miniskirts, but also wore "granny dresses", that really didn't look good on anyone - but if you wanted to be "in", you had to own at least one. If my memory serves me correct, my granny dress was pink gingham - doesn't get much more old fashioned than that!
When you get bored, take a trip through the Etsy stores. Doing so yesterday, brought back a lot of fun memories.
P
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Food Containers
3/5/2015
I don't know how it is at your house, but in mine, I have a myriad amount of food containers. You know the ones I'm talking about - you use for leftovers - or to send food home with a son(s)!
I looked into my cupboard which to say is not organized would be an understatement. It appears that I have Rubbermaid containers, Glad containers, Tupperware containers as well as a wide variety of unmarked boxes. There are round ones, deep square ones, shallow square ones, teeny ones (why I have no idea), and every other size you can imagine.
So here's the challenge. I think I will take out all of the plastic and glass containers and line them up on the counter. After I do that, I think I will take a permanent marker and start numbering the bottoms and matching tops. Doesn't that sound like an excellent idea?
Nothing is more frustrating than to reach inside the cupboard and find the right size container, but not the right lid. It's maddening. My plan is that I get out a dish and mark it as let's say "1". When I find the right lid, I'll mark it also as "1", and so on.
What I suspect is going to happen is after doing my match-matchy thing, I'll have some orphans, like the mysterious sock in the washing machine that never seems to have a match! At that point, I need to be brave and (shock and horror), toss out the orphan(s) once I have scrounged throughout the kitchen, and can't come up with a set (bottom and top).
If the numbering scheme works out like I hope it will, then a large amount of frustration will be solved for both Jeff and I.
P
I don't know how it is at your house, but in mine, I have a myriad amount of food containers. You know the ones I'm talking about - you use for leftovers - or to send food home with a son(s)!
I looked into my cupboard which to say is not organized would be an understatement. It appears that I have Rubbermaid containers, Glad containers, Tupperware containers as well as a wide variety of unmarked boxes. There are round ones, deep square ones, shallow square ones, teeny ones (why I have no idea), and every other size you can imagine.
So here's the challenge. I think I will take out all of the plastic and glass containers and line them up on the counter. After I do that, I think I will take a permanent marker and start numbering the bottoms and matching tops. Doesn't that sound like an excellent idea?
Nothing is more frustrating than to reach inside the cupboard and find the right size container, but not the right lid. It's maddening. My plan is that I get out a dish and mark it as let's say "1". When I find the right lid, I'll mark it also as "1", and so on.
What I suspect is going to happen is after doing my match-matchy thing, I'll have some orphans, like the mysterious sock in the washing machine that never seems to have a match! At that point, I need to be brave and (shock and horror), toss out the orphan(s) once I have scrounged throughout the kitchen, and can't come up with a set (bottom and top).
If the numbering scheme works out like I hope it will, then a large amount of frustration will be solved for both Jeff and I.
P
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Bad Luck?
3/4/2015
Everyone knows that if you break a mirror, you're in for seven years of bad luck. And, I'm not sure if that's seven years in sequence, or if it can be spread throughout several years.
This morning while I was putting away dishes, I put several small bowls away in the cupboard. The stack of bowls teetered and two bowls crashed to the kitchen floor. And surprising myself, I wasn't sorry that the bowls had broken, I found the sound of the bowls hitting the floor, satisfying in some strange way. While I don't purport that every now and then you should smash something, it's kind of therapeutic. After all, as adults, how many times do we get to just break something, with no consequences?
I'm not recommending that when things aren't going so well, you should go around and break dishes - but - you might be surprised at your reaction if you do! I know I was.
P
Everyone knows that if you break a mirror, you're in for seven years of bad luck. And, I'm not sure if that's seven years in sequence, or if it can be spread throughout several years.
This morning while I was putting away dishes, I put several small bowls away in the cupboard. The stack of bowls teetered and two bowls crashed to the kitchen floor. And surprising myself, I wasn't sorry that the bowls had broken, I found the sound of the bowls hitting the floor, satisfying in some strange way. While I don't purport that every now and then you should smash something, it's kind of therapeutic. After all, as adults, how many times do we get to just break something, with no consequences?
I'm not recommending that when things aren't going so well, you should go around and break dishes - but - you might be surprised at your reaction if you do! I know I was.
P
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Hair Today - Gone Tomorrow!
3/3/2015
When Jeff met me eons ago, I had, longer (but not long) hair. Long hair isn't something that I can manage easily and I don't want to have to futz and/or fuss with my hair. After the babies came, I cut my hair short and it has remained that way for oh let's say 40 years - give or take!
After spending nine months in 2013 without the of someone to cut my hair, it became long. For awhile I even speculated that I could manage longer hair, so I invested in curlers, barrettes and any other hold back my hair product that I could find.
My hair is rather thick and now there is more than a sprinkle of gray. Based on my stress level for the past two years, I'm actually pretty lucky that I didn't go completely gray overnight. And a disclaimer here: gray hair is harder to curl! Yipee.
Last Friday I went to get my hair cut - short. I can now wash, comb and be pretty much ready to go in mere minutes. I really do admire people with long hair, particularly actresses, who throw their locks around in a dramatic fashion. But, when you have short hair, you can't quite make the same statement with your hair!
So I have put away the curlers, the hairspray, and the barrettes back to the deep recesses of a bathroom drawer. Will I need them again in the future? Seems doubtful, but since I own 'em I might as well keep 'em!
P
When Jeff met me eons ago, I had, longer (but not long) hair. Long hair isn't something that I can manage easily and I don't want to have to futz and/or fuss with my hair. After the babies came, I cut my hair short and it has remained that way for oh let's say 40 years - give or take!
After spending nine months in 2013 without the of someone to cut my hair, it became long. For awhile I even speculated that I could manage longer hair, so I invested in curlers, barrettes and any other hold back my hair product that I could find.
My hair is rather thick and now there is more than a sprinkle of gray. Based on my stress level for the past two years, I'm actually pretty lucky that I didn't go completely gray overnight. And a disclaimer here: gray hair is harder to curl! Yipee.
Last Friday I went to get my hair cut - short. I can now wash, comb and be pretty much ready to go in mere minutes. I really do admire people with long hair, particularly actresses, who throw their locks around in a dramatic fashion. But, when you have short hair, you can't quite make the same statement with your hair!
So I have put away the curlers, the hairspray, and the barrettes back to the deep recesses of a bathroom drawer. Will I need them again in the future? Seems doubtful, but since I own 'em I might as well keep 'em!
P
Monday, March 2, 2015
Frozen Landscape
3/2/2014
It's March already. Can you believe it? It seems like the year is just buzzing along. I got up this morning to an icy landscape. We don't have a lot of ice, but the ice that is on the trees is beautiful when the sun shines on them. Now driving/walking on ice, isn't my idea of a good time and I'm glad that I'm at home.
The Cypress trees in the backyard, which are super tall, have some branches hanging down because of the ice. Luckily, with temperatures rising, I'm pretty sure that the ice will melt soon. When tree branches are heavy with ice, the weight can cause the branch to break. We've seen this in years past, which is the reason that last year we "trimmed" the Cypress trees of their lower branches, in hopes of not having any damage to them during the winter.
I'll venture outside after the mail comes, making sure that I pay attention to where I'm walking and what I'm walking on! I don't want to do the slip and slide routine down the driveway!
P
It's March already. Can you believe it? It seems like the year is just buzzing along. I got up this morning to an icy landscape. We don't have a lot of ice, but the ice that is on the trees is beautiful when the sun shines on them. Now driving/walking on ice, isn't my idea of a good time and I'm glad that I'm at home.
The Cypress trees in the backyard, which are super tall, have some branches hanging down because of the ice. Luckily, with temperatures rising, I'm pretty sure that the ice will melt soon. When tree branches are heavy with ice, the weight can cause the branch to break. We've seen this in years past, which is the reason that last year we "trimmed" the Cypress trees of their lower branches, in hopes of not having any damage to them during the winter.
I'll venture outside after the mail comes, making sure that I pay attention to where I'm walking and what I'm walking on! I don't want to do the slip and slide routine down the driveway!
P
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