Saturday: Nothing much to report about today. We were lazy. Truth, we were tired.
Today's meals are all I'll report: pancakes with sausage (I had mine topped with yogurt for the added protein)
Pasta salad with Ham and Gouda. This was a boxed mix I picked up a few weeks ago. I don't know why I did. I could have done as well using my favorite Italian dressing and regular pasta. I basically paid good money for a bag of seasonings and those filled with preservatives and additives.
Grilled Pork Chops, Corn on the Cob, Black Eyed Peas. It was more pleasant outdoors than I expected it to be, since we'd had rain a couple of times. John made the offer to grill and I didn't discourage the idea. Glad I thought to add the peas to the menu because they were expired. I would have wanted to use them up. Now I know I've one less thing in the pantry that is expired. I really need to be better about staying atop my food supplies.
Sunday: I did not feel well. I think I might have a bout of IBS...or possibly an irritation due to medication? At any rate, I feel off, definitely not myself and I've had some pain.
Church this morning where we had our annual Honor service for all the military personnel, active, retired, previously active. It begins with the Pledge of Allegiance. I noted the teen in front of me had no idea what he was expected to do...Do they no longer teach the Pledge in the schools? And if not, we certainly ought to be sure that our own children and grandchildren and great grands know what it is and how to say it!
That was followed by a short rendition of each military service's March post is played and when it does the military men and women come forward. Goodness gracious! The early service alone had nearly half the audience go forward to take their place at the front of the church. This was followed by a standing ovation. It's a very moving service to me and one I'm glad our church does the Sunday before the Fourth of July.
There was a lot of red, white and blue being worn yesterday. One woman caught my eye when I went in. She had on the most beautiful red dress with shoes to match. The dress was simple from the back side but fit her perfectly. I believe in giving compliments to anyone who catches my attention in action or dress. I walked up behind her, touched her arm and whispered, "This is beautiful!" She turned around with a huge smile.
The dress was just as lovely from the front. It had the thinnest piping of a leopard print along the placet and pockets and gold buttons. It was a beautiful dress, and it suited the woman. I've never spoken to this woman before.
"Do you know how old I am?!" I said, "Not that it matters, but no. The point is you look gorgeous, and this dress is lovely!" "Well. I'm older than you...I'll bet you're in your 50's." I laughed and said, "Nope. We're probably nearer in age than you suppose. I'm 65." "Well, I'm 77!" "And you look stunning..." As I was leaving church later, she gave me a huge smile.
My compliments were quite sincere. Her dress would have suited most any woman of her build regardless of age once they were past 30. What's more she glowed. She knew she looked good, and she felt good. and it showed. But she felt the need to qualify my opinion of how she looked with her age. Seriously? Looking good is looking good regardless of your age! I wish more women would embrace the simple route when it comes to compliments, just say "Thank you."
Meals: Bagels with cream cheese.
Snack on the way home: I had cashews, protein bar and electrolyte drink. John had doughnuts and coffee.
Roast Beef Sandwiches, Chips. I did the little package portion of not quite an ounce. I used one slice of bread for my sandwich.
snack: Celery with pimento cheese. So good! I made extra pimento cheese so we can have sandwiches for lunch one day this week, even though I didn't have it on the menu.
Homemade Big Macs with two pieces of bread not three. My meat made six patties, so we'll replace another of our lunches this week with burgers.
Ice cream. I had a single scoop.
Just a note here. I was starving before we left church. I didn't have nearly enough protein for breakfast. I've made note of that and will be sure to add more protein to my bagel and cream cheese. I chose the best snacks I could find at the gas station for myself.
I got very restless this evening. I was thinking of taking the whole week off but I'm feeling more ambitious than I thought I might. I hope it carries over into tomorrow.
Monday: I'm puttering along. It's very warm and humid and even moving about in the house doing my bit of work is enough to generate a hard sweat. I'm taking lots of breaks and drinking plenty of water.
I started breakfast and bread right away this morning, before heading off to the other house to feed the pets.
The cats are apparently protesting the substitute management as they left me a nasty little surprise in the floor. Ugh! When I first started feeding them last Wednesday, they all ran when I came indoors, except Muffin who has known me for 18 years and feels I was his gramma first. Well, I was...He likes to follow me around and yell at me, something he's started doing in the past year. Not sure if he's ornery or hard of hearing.
By Saturday, Nugget felt the need to get near me and communicate his displeasure with the food put out. He was pretty effective. As I looked into his eyes, I understood that he has dental issues and can't chew the dry food. Glad he let me know. I found wet food and split it between him and Muffin, who apparently had been yelling at me because I wasn't doing things right.
And this morning, I found Muffin lying in the middle of the kitchen table. I reminded him that he is not supposed to be on counters or the table either one. He grumped as he jumped down, then yelled at me some more.
After I returned home, I finished breakfast prep, and we ate. I cleaned our bathroom, picked up our room, went over the checkbook, paid a bill online, made a phone call (shocking prices on insurance these days!), started food prep for the week, made a batch of apple cider vinegar, cleaned the kitchen and then cleaned the front porch. It is now lunch time. I'm hungry. John's just back from mowing the Manor House yard. Nope not home, but here to get more gasoline before he ran out and had to walk home to get more. He's headed back to cut a bit more. He'll have to do this Country House yard again before the week's done if we keep getting these pop-up showers.
I'm off to find lunch and I think the afternoon will be a time for quieter, cooler pursuits than the morning has been.
Meals: Smoked Sausage, Blueberry Muffins
Pimento Cheese Sandwich for John, and leftover Mongolian Chicken Noodles for me with pickled red onions on top.
Chicken Sandwich, Pimento Cheese Sandwich, Fresh Fruit
The deal of the day for me today was a pasta maker attachment for my KitchenAid mixer. I found the deal through Krazy Koupon Mom's newsletter. The pasta maker is usually $99. It was half priced and had a 30% coupon on top of that. Thanks to you readers I earned an Amazon Gift Card last month. Once applied to the order I was able to make the purchase for $30.
I have been thinking long and hard about this purchase for months. I always have flour and eggs on hand, and it seemed to me that more and more lately I'm finding pasta at the grocery store is iffy in quality unless I want to pay an extravagant price for it. Finding this item on sale and having a gift card, too, made it such a bargain that I wasn't going to pass it up.
Tuesday: I've been feeding the cats now for almost a whole week. Gradually, the cats have stopped hiding and ignoring me and started coming out when I arrive, especially in the evenings. I recognize most of those indoors and outdoors. Do not ask me how many cats Sam has. I don't really know. I am sure there are at least 7 I think but apparently more than that. I say this because last night a HUGE yellow cat, who looked like he'd just eaten three other cats arrived to see if I was putting out food. How that cat has gotten so big, who he is and where he has been hiding is beyond me. I find very little food missing each day when I go in to feed them and I can certify that Sheldon the dog is eating at least 1 cup of food a day himself, as he walks in and helps himself to whatever is in the dish on the floor. But this big yellow cat? I've no clue! John asked if I was sure it belonged to Sam, and I don't know. I do know there's no way he's just wandered into the house which is locked up tight.
I have not felt well today. It's a stupid tooth bothering me, and it feels better than it did four hours ago but sheesh I could do without this trouble. I started the day in a grump anyway. I didn't want to get out of bed, didn't want to go feed the cats, didn't want to make breakfast. I did all three, but I didn't want to! And coffee wasn't much of a help this morning either. Then the aching started in my tooth. I considered that an absolute sign to take the day off.
I've done little in the house today, except a bit of puttering in the kitchen. I pulled out the celery I bought three weeks ago for 75c. I do not like cling wrap, but I'm totally impressed. This stalk of celery was still in the original package, wrapped tightly in cling wrap and was still crisp and fresh. I've no clue why it was marked down because it's beautiful. It is leafier than most heads of celery and I think that might have been it. I cut up a bit to put in the chicken salad I was making, then stripped leaves off to dry. I like to keep some crushed dried leaves on hand, and I've been out for quite a while. These will do beautifully.
I mixed up marinade for the meats we'll be grilling on July 4th. I cleaned the fridge out. I promise you there was little to do with that and that was the last job I tackled.
Meals: Blueberry Muffins, eggs with cheese.
Chicken Salad plate for me, Chicken Salad sandwich for John, chips, cookies.
Creamy Sundried tomato and spinach chicken with Gnocchi, Garlic Bread for John.
Wednesday: My tooth is much improved today. Thank goodness, because I was quite miserable yesterday.
I got up early to run up to Sam's but as I turned into the drive, I saw that his car was pulled up to the porch. I stopped, backed out and left. No need to disturb the weary travelers. He must have driven for 24 hours to make it home at midnight last night. Bless him. He's going to feel every minute of his 40 years today and tomorrow both.
I texted him later in the morning and asked about the extra-large cat. He told me his name and said, "He has beat his battle with anorexia..." LOL. I should say so! His brother is less than 1/4th his size.
John and I got haircuts today. With Katie's wedding on Saturday and the holiday tomorrow, I believed we'd feel rushed to get it done on Friday. I was pleased I could get my favorite stylist. Today she sported light blue hair and eye shadow and was dressed in all black. She's a very interesting girl and I'd dare say she's quirky. I mean that nicely. I like people, but I find quirky people especially interesting.
This is the salon that is next to Publix. I skipped going into the grocery today because I was feeling very spendy. Very. And it seemed wisest to just wait.
We went to our favorite restaurant today. I will say the waitress was lackluster. I noted however that food was slow coming out of the kitchen, and then some workers came out who were not employed by the restaurant so I think there must have been a problem there...Never mind. The food was delicious. I tried a new dish on the menu which was excellent and as usual we brought home half our meals. The waitress perked up a little bit when I told her how delicious everything was, but I suspect it was just a hard day all around.
I confess, I'm a people watcher...or call me nosey, I don't care. The woman and man who were seated behind John were an older couple. She was dressed so neatly in a hot pink and white sleeveless top with navy shorts. I thought she looked rather chic. Now I'll admit I had on a blouse that had caused myself to pull a face because my arms were not as covered as I preferred, but it was not a sleeveless top. The woman excused herself from the table and when she returned, she was facing me. I noted then that her own upper arms were much like my own, crepey and flaccid. Yet, I had admired her greatly on first sight. I decided it was time to ease up on myself and look less at the parts I don't like and more at the overall effect, which was what I found so attractive about her.
I overheard a conversation between her and her husband...lol. "I have something in my eye!" she said. He replied quietly, "It looks like your finger..." Oh gracious. I couldn't help but smile. I only hope she did as well.
Just as we finished our meal a family group were seated next to us. A woman with two small children, a woman in a wheelchair (so John tells me) and another woman and possibly a third child? I only saw the three who were directly in my line of sight. The little girl was likely about 3 or 4. "My mama can do whatever she wants." She kept repeating that. At first, I thought she was simply instructing her Mama that she could color however she wanted but as conversations continued, I realized she was indeed being rude. I don't know which adult she was speaking to, but she then said, "I don't have to be quiet. I can be as loud as I want!" The little girl's mother didn't look like a healthy person...I suspect this child is used to being bossy and I'm afraid she's going to have some adjustment difficulties sooner rather than later.
We stopped at Dunkin on the way home. John likes to treat us to coffee, just a plain cup of coffee, since this stop is on our way home. It costs a lot less at Dunkin than it does at the restaurant. Coffee at home never tastes as good as that brewed in a proper coffee shop. I don't care how you brew it, it's just not the same. I suspect I ought to use a higher quality coffee for starters but there you are. I will indulge once a month. I had planned to ask for an iced coffee, but John ordered before I had a chance to speak. I didn't think it was worth the trouble of cancelling and starting over. But then the coffee arrived barely warm...If only I'd had ice! I'd have had exactly what I wanted. No, I didn't fuss over that either. It amused me that I'd wanted a cold coffee and more or less ended up with what I wanted by default.
John has just informed me that he's cutting grass tomorrow. I reminded him that it's a holiday and while the grass might need to be cut, and likely will get cut, I want to grill out. I made it a point to tell him, "It's a holiday." I don't think he's impressed by the fact, but it was my promise to myself that we would acknowledge and celebrate holidays. Ah well. I'll grill and he can mow.
Katie goes through stages of texting me multiples of times each day, usually about the wedding or upcoming appointment schedules or due date, etc. Her head is all baby and wedding oriented. So much so that today when she was telling me each appointment time and reminding me, I'd need to keep Caleb that I reminded her that Caleb is going to be in school. She'd completely forgotten that he's starting July 31, lol. Hopefully after she's married, she'll concentrate on getting him ready for the school year.
Another great deal popped up today via Walmart, from Money Saving Mom. It was a deal on 6-ounce cans of pineapple juice, about 7c an ounce. I usually buy the 46-ounce cans, but that costs about 9c an ounce. I wanted this deal, but it was shipping that caught me. I thought long and hard about what's on my shopping list for the month and I found three other items that I typically buy at Walmart due to being best priced there. Those items brought me up to the free shipping level, so my pineapple juice comes in at the great sale price. And I can knock three other item off my list for this month.
I follow Krazy Koupon Lady, Hip 2 Save and Money Saving Mom newsletters. I may go weeks and weeks without finding a thing that I feel is an excellent price but it's worth the few minutes it takes to scan those emails for times like this week when I find items I would like to add to my pantry or to my kitchen in order to save further money.
Thursday: My only plans for today were to grill out. We did do that eventually but somehow, I ended up in the yard deadheading, weeding and working entirely too hard on a day that was hot from the start. Ugh.
Later, after we'd eaten our meal (delicious by the way) and cleaned up the grill really well (UTTERLY DISGUSTING), washed dishes and all such as that, we settled for the 'holiday' part of the day. Which meant we watched too much tv and too much computer.
We listened to a short news clip that stated some rather debased behavior and a city's refusal to arrest anyone on public indecency charges. I was shocked at the behavior described, though it's common enough to hear it these days. But today I was convicted. I told John, "This is the result of years and years of 'free love' and 'if it feels good do it'. We've looked the other way for so long, saying 'live and let live' that we are just as responsible for the vile nature of what was going on as the perpetrators are." I don't often see myself as responsible for the sins of others but today I had a clear sense of my own failures and how they linked to those of others.
It's something to keep in mind as we celebrate this holiday that so many see as not just a national holiday but as a day that expresses our personal freedoms. Independence, freedom, carries a far weightier responsibility than we might think.
Friday: I got a late start today that turned into an even later start because John wanted me to watch a program with him. It's one he knows I enjoy, and I know it's his way of keeping me nearby rather than running around like a chicken without a head, which is my tendency.
After I rushed through housework this morning, I headed out to do my bit of shopping. I wanted to go to the discount store first and see if I had any luck there. It wasn't a huge haul but I felt I did well. As usual, all the produce was about 75c. I got red seedless grapes, carrots, and mushrooms. In the discount meats bin, I chose packages of pork chops, one boneless and one bone in. I divided those when I got home and ended up with five packages of meat in the freezer.
I picked up soda, juice boxes and water bottles to put on ice for tomorrow afternoon. I've a feeling we'll want something cold to drink after the wedding.
I hope it will be a lovely day tomorrow.
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