I was sad to hear the AC on when I woke this morning at 7:00am... What about the cooler weather we were promised with mornings in the mid-60s and days barely over 85f? I'd planned to clean the back porch this morning, but I had no desire to go outside in heat and humidity to work. Instead, I gave the house a Monday house blessing. I did a lot of work yesterday evening because of my plans for this morning.
The low 60's temperatures are coming! Tonight, we're supposed to get down to 61 and for the next 10 days we'll be hovering in that low to mid-60's vicinity. I am not prepared for this!
Those morning temperatures mean that I need to bring in the orchids...and I just wasn't ready to bring them in this early. I don't think I've ever had to bring them in this early at any point in the past. I'd thought I'd bring in the old handmade Knick knack stand that Mr. Harry had made way back who knows when. I was planning to bring it in and use it as a plant stand for the African violets which would free space for the orchids...
I also haven't checked them over to be sure slugs, snails, frogs, Anoles, roaches, etc. aren't coming in on the plants, too. If you haven't had the joys of reaching for and preparing a first cup of morning coffee, lifted it to your lips for that first sip only to discover a slug lying across the rim... Well...I hope you never do!
On the other hand, I could leave them out. They aren't in any danger of freezing. They just prefer temperatures in the high 60's and upwards. I don't have to bring in the Palm just yet, nor the holiday cactuses. I can bunch them all together with the orchids inside the ring of plants.
There were all sorts of things I hadn't planned upon today. Like sitting down to have water and cool off and opening my computer, thinking I'd go over the discount store ad (which does have great sales this week...I'll definitely be going in that direction). But what happened when I opened up the computer? I found I'd not closed down the pages I was looking at last night. Genealogy grabbed me. I started wandering down a rabbit trail and ended up getting lost for a few hours.
Plans for the day flew right out the window. Lesson learned. I have closed out all the genealogy pages on the browser this afternoon and will be sure to do that tonight if I open any, though I really don't plan to do so. I shall not be sidelined tomorrow.
I checked my supper which has been in the slow cooker since noon and should be done...but it wasn't. I'm hoping that in the next hour the potatoes will start to soften a little. Typically, I don't have to cook this meal for very long to get it cooked through. Nope...I think the slow cooker is shot. I'd noted before that if it wasn't on full HIGH, it didn't seem to be warming properly.
I've put the Ham and Potatoes au gratin into the oven...and while I was putting that in to bake, I went ahead and mixed up the Maple Nut Muffins and the Apple Streusel muffins (that turned into a coffee cake).
John asked me what I want to do about a slow cooker. Now I am stymied. I really hoped that this particular slow cooker would be the answer. No broken crockery insert. No heat element going out. And here I am. Heating element out and peeling non-stick insides of a metal pan. I'll have to ponder this. I really will. I use the slow cooker most in the summer. All winter long I can happily use my Dutch ovens but, in the summer, running the surface of the gas stove can be just as hot as running the oven for hours. I really prefer a proper slow cooker in the summer months.
The slow cooker I've linked below in my Amazon link is the most highly rated and boy does it have great customer reviews. It's affordable, and a decent size and I love that it has the ability to switch itself over to warm when it reaches temperature or time limit. I found the recommendation on The Spruce Eats.
I adjusted my plans to not having fresh collards and pulled the last of the frozen cooked ones from the freezer, instead. Those are thawing now over medium heat. I'm hopeful we'll be eating close to our usual time as I haven't got anything else thawed out.
I went up to Sam's to meet the kids and instead, Sam came in ahead of them. I wasn't sorry to see him, since John had been luring me to have a cup of coffee. Instead of sitting with the kids, I texted John to start the coffee pot, I was on my way.
I'd hoped hard that the fiber optic people would come hook up internet today. I was going to go off on my own tomorrow to look around a little at a clothing store and possibly Lowe's, but they didn't come. I suppose I'll just have to stay home tomorrow and wait on them. Sigh.
I thought perhaps I might go another day, but John announced a few minutes ago that he wanted to go out on Wednesday or Thursday. I may be able to get the trip to Lowe's, but he won't go to the clothing store, for sure. If I take another day to go out, then I'll have lost two days of work here at home. Not that I'd be terribly sad about not working but I do like to have something to show at the end of the week as accomplishments.
This day may not be what I'd planned. This week may not turn out the way I'd planned, either. But I have no real complaints about how the day has turned out and I'll lay odds I'll be happy enough with however the week goes.
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