Crockpot Fail

I started the weekend looking forward to making my pot roast. Oh, how I was looking forward to that. I sat at the table, cutting vegetables and tossing them all in my crockpot.

I added all the other ingredients and then became distracted. That’s my only defense, and not even a good one.

An hour later, I went to check the pot. I had not plugged in the machine and turned it on.

I turned it all on and reset the timer. I came into the family room just furious with myself.

Six hours later, the meat was done and tender, but the flavor was all wrong.

Since my episodes of Covid, I have lost my taste buds, and they have never returned. Also, things that made my tastebuds sing no longer appeal.

I need to get out my old recipe files and make the simple and appealing ones.

Meanwhile, I’ve been listening to music to ease my soul. Previously, I had put together a playlist with the Beatles and each member separately. Oh yes. I doubt we will ever have another group of men change the landscape of the music world!

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Me in Liverpool!

The Boots!

When I first married Jack, I was well aware of our height discrepancies. He was 6 feet 4 inches tall and in shoes, probably a little more. At the time, I was five feet 8 inches if I stretched.

So, at 29 years old, I bought my first pair of spikey leather boots. I had never worn heels, and the first day I wore them, I learned all about real pain!

The heel was 4 – 6 inches high. At first, I did well. We drove from New Hampshire to JFK, where Jack was based. I did not have to stand or walk.

This was before 9/11. On this day in 1988, Jack and I walked from the crew parking area into the Pilot’s Lounge. The lounge was on the lower level, where the suitcases went out to the planes and then went back in.

After showing me the Pilot’s Lounge, he showed me the airport’s underfloor before returning to the gate for our flight. For those who have never seen this, it was fascinating. But done in high heels, it was a challenge.

He showed me some back stairs into the terminal and escorted me to the gate. Then, he went off to do some pilot work.

I walked down the ramp and onto the plane, sticking my head into the cockpit to say hello!

Well, we flew to Atlanta, coming in at Gate A20. Before we took off on the next leg, we walked to the other end of the airport to a restaurant Jack liked for lunch. Then, by golly, we walked back to the plane.

It was then that I became aware that my feet, both of them, were on fire! On the plane, I removed the boots and let the cool air soothe them.

This went on all day, with the new bride me not saying a word but struggling to make it through.

Late in the evening, we returned to JFK, and after Jack finished his pilot work, we walked back to the car. It was cold and icy, and I told Jack I needed to stop.

I leaned against a car and removed those boots. I could feel my nylons tear, but I did not care.

When we got home, I wore soft cotton socks and vowed never to wear high heels again, especially those darn boots!

The boots went to Amanda. I wonder if they worked for her?

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And The Wind Blew…

I cannot recall when I had to deal with the heavy winds like we had. As I sit here writing this post, waiting for the delivery of some patio furniture, I am listening to the wind howl! When Heidi goes out, her floppy dackel ears blow back like a flag during a storm.

At least the rain has stopped, and the sun is out. I am very grateful for that!

Tomorrow is a big day. I am going to make a chuck roast. I cooked roasts like this back in the day, but Jack was a snob and refused to eat them, but I found them rich and flavourful. I shall report my results with pictures, including my recipe.

My screened-in porch table arrived, and it goes so well with the chairs I got.

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Now, I can sit with my tea or coffee and look out over the lake. That is, when it is warm enough.

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The Friday Five ~ March 21st

The Friday FiveThis was a busy week for me: productive, frustrating, and exhausting.

  1. On Monday, I had a meeting in Concord. I finished my business quickly and then called my Toyota dealer because of two problems. He made an appointment for the next day.
  2. The next day, I was up early to get my hatchback reconditioned. They looked up, and there was a recall for my car—one of the onboard computers needed to be reset.
  3. I have been looking for a table for the screen porch that fits my bar-height chairs. Now I can see the lake. Best of all, the table was on sale!
  4. I also needed a patio set, as the snow shovelers broke my old one. The new one is not only beautiful but weatherproof.
  5. My beautiful yellow roses, which I purchased two weeks ago, are still tight and look brand new. They have lifted my spirits.

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Heidi & Me

Today was a fun day for Heidi and me. She loves to go for car rides. She has her bed and blanket, and when I enter the Post Office, she will stand there and watch me walk across the street.

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We finally had a little warmer weather. And although the skies were milky, they were slightly brighter.

My dental retainer arrived, and I need to start wearing it tonight. It is very tight. I’m a little concerned, but I should be okay.

 

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Friday Five ~ February 21st

  1. On August 30th, I started Ozempic after being diagnosed as a diabetic.
  2. It was Metformin or Insulin. I finally decided on the Ozempic.
  3. I watched what Metformin did to Jack and didn’t want any part.
  4. So, I changed my diet, and I now take this once-a-week injection. I have now lost 38 pounds. I will likely be on some insulin correction until I die, but this is just good.
  5. No weighing of food, just eating right. Heidi is also at her ideal weight, as I measure her food intake. Not only is she perfect, but her energy level is back to puppy level.

So for now, things are looking up!

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Happy Heavenly Birthday, Grandma Honey

February 4th is my Grandma Honey’s 127th birthday. It isn’t easy to imagine her at that age. She passed from this world into the next 41 years ago. She was a very important woman in my life and taught me so much. Even now, I miss her like crazy!

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Here she is, Mary Frances Daniell, the day she married my Papa, Frederick Carl Prussman.

Here is a picture of Melodie and me with our much-loved Grandma Honey at Goodwill Park.

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Grandma Honey and Papa Fred. Theirs was indeed an epic love story! They met when they were less than ten years old. Grandma was friends with Papa’s sister, Kätchen, and taught Kätchen to speak English at the house. The family had recently arrived from Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, and aside from the eldest sister, Hedwig, who worked as a Nanny, no one spoke much English.

Papa always said he fell in love with Grandma then, and as a teenager, he would chase off any beau that tried to court her. My great-grandfather eventually allowed them to become engaged but insisted Mary finish college before marriage.

They were married until Mary eventually passed from one life to the next. He joined her 8 months later.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Grandma Honey!

50581350056_bfbfc7b763_oMary Francis. My Grandma Honey.

Life

My late husband, Jack, was a pilot. He served in the Army and eventually went over to the airlines. He enjoyed flying, and he enjoyed talking.  This brings me to the next part of this story.

Back in the early 1970s, Jack was flying for Pan Am and was based in Berlin, Germany. The Wall was still up, so if you wanted to get in or out of West Berlin easily, you flew out, and Pan Am had the best routes and permissions from the East German government.

As a flight engineer, Jack did all the weight and balances for the fuel and walked around looking for damage to the aircraft. They monitored aircraft systems, including engines and other critical flight systems. He joked he knew more about the A300, 727, and 737 systems than he did about either of his wives.

After all, he needed to memorize everything at the drop of a hat. I can’t even memorize a recipe!

I bring this up for two reasons. First, Jack had a mind that retained everything. And second, Jack loved to talk.

So, after taking off and reaching altitude, Jack turned his seat to talk to the pilot who was sitting in the jump seat. It was then he saw a plane heading for them.

“Captain, nine o’clock!”

The Captain took the yolk and pushed it forward. Then he leveled the plane, and the Captain got on the radio once the plane was secure.

He asked the air traffic controller what altitude the Pan Am Clipper had been cleared to. Then he asked about the other plane.

A long silence followed, and the German air traffic controller returned with, “I am so sorry, Clipper.”

“My dear boy, you certainly will be.”

In the end, the air traffic controller was very sorry. However, there was a plane full of people who made it to Frankfurt, Germany, in one piece, aside from thinking their ride was a bit bumpy.

Jack (2)Captain Jack

The Friday Five ~ Ozempic

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This was a quiet week. Severely cold and one of those weeks when you only want to snuggle up with a warm doggy. And so it was.

  1. As you recall, I was diagnosed with diabetes in August. I was placed on Ozempic. I must tell you that people have not been kind about my having to take this drug. They claim this is like cheating to lose weight.
  2. Well, I am not taking it to lose weight. I am taking it to bring my sugar levels down as well as my A1C.
  3. Ozempic is also supposed to help with weight problems. Since the end of July, my sugar levels have decreased, and I have lost 34 pounds.
  4. Diabetes causes your body to be unable to digest sugars correctly. Ozempic seems to be working for me.
  5. Today, I have an appointment with my primary care to go over a few health problems. It is like you leap over 65, and suddenly, your body stops working.

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

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