Category: This & That

I’m not sure what I hoped Monday would be like, however, I’m sure you can imagine my surprise when I got up and it was snowing. Again. And at a good clip!

The plows had started running on the road below our home at 4 AM! Thus waking me and the beasts.

At 5 AM I got up and let the dogs out and watched the morning news. The forecaster said “Broken clouds and sun” Huh?

No schools were canceled despite the rapidly falling snow. Which I was surprised at. Jack had an appointment with the Orthopaedist and although I did not want to go, we went and the roads were surprisingly clear. Our snow totaled close to 4 inches.

The Presidential Primary is today in our State. We will go and vote as we always do.

On Wednesday I go to see the Glaucoma Eye Specialist for a pressure re-check, as well as WW.

Things have gone well with the eating, so I am hopeful I will continue to be going in the right direction. Although part of me knows that at some point the weight loss will slow. I’ve been on the path before and so there are really no surprises.

I just hope that I can keep the momentum up. It is easy to get discouraged when the weight loss slows down.

Well, Happy Tuesday everyone! Enjoy the day!

Taking a break today so I can go down and see my grandchildren. I’ll be back Sunday and hopefully, I will get something up.

Meanwhile, everyone, have a great day!

I am happily here to report that I figured out my keyboard problem and fixed it! It turned out not to have anything to do with my poor mouse (which I was totally blaming!). This morning, while drinking my coffee, I said to myself, “Settings – Keyboard!” And it was like a light bulb went off!

My laptop back when it was new. 2013!

I quickly got to my settings menu and searched for Keyboard. Then I went through the settings. Somehow, all the little boxes for shortcuts were checked! I unchecked them all. I never use shortcuts because my knowledge of my computer keyboard is not that great.

So I unchecked them all and so far so good. No wandering cursor. No typing into another paragraph. So far things seem to be working the way they should! Alleluia!

I am praying that this actually has been the one thing that will work. If not I will keep on looking.

It was another very cold day here. However, we were lucky because it was also a dry day. No snow!  We do have a lot of snow and ice around though.

Since it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, almost everything was closed, so I just snuggled up to the dackels and Lili and enjoyed a nice quiet day.

Some days, things just go along so nicely!

I started to de-Christmas the house. That’s probably my least favorite thing to do. I didn’t decorate a lot, but the house did look a little merry and bright.  I am dragging my feet about taking down our little tree because I love Christmas tree lights. Sometimes I sit in the morning darkness with only the tree lights on. There is something so peaceful when I do that.

Soon I will take my little tree, engulf it in a giant plastic trashbag and store it for another year. One day I will have a big tree again, but while we have “Leaping Lili”, I just cannot take the chance.

Anneliese did not have the kind of day I’d wanted for her. She was fussing and not comfortable. So, I am hoping that Saturday will bring her relief!

My daughter sent me this picture of my grandchildren. When I look at those beautiful happy faces, I smile and I can just feel the love.

Happy Saturday, Everyone!

The handsome Mr. Arnie.

Saturday morning I was trying to find something to watch on the TV other than the usual news. I’m finally out of my bed, after nearly three weeks of being down and out with the Flu. So, I turned on the family room TV and started looking around.

What I found was that Showtime was showing last year’s episodes of Homeland all day long!

Jack and I have loved Homeland and have seen all the episodes, but I decided that this was a great show to watch on a cold Saturday.

We’ve always enjoyed the show, featuring Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin. The acting is top-notch, the writing superb and when people look back in the years to come, I think this show will be categorized as a classic thriller!

About 15 minutes in Jack got up and he was hooked too. We watched it all the way through until it finished and by then it was time for bed.

Now during the programs, I was able to crochet and I did a lot, plowing through three entire skeins of yarn!

My Flu is on the way out. I was up and out of bed all day yesterday and only had one coughing jag and that was just before bed. I ate normally and although slightly tired, I was feeling so much better.

It’s not lost on me that so many of us that had the Flu Shot (Hello New England Patriots Football team, who have many players out with the Flu!) a large number of people have come down with it. From what I have heard and read, they believe this years shot sort of missed the strain that has been in my area.

It’s the biggest reason I locked myself in my bedroom away from Jack, did not cook his meals or do the dishes. I would come out for a moment, get my food and go back to bed. I would place the tray on the shelf once I was done and he loaded the dishwasher and then put away the dishes after. I really feared he would get this and at his age, it could be fatal.

Now I must prepare because we are due to get a foot of snow starting tonight and going until Tuesday mid-day. Oh well. It’s that time of year!

I decided this morning to make Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon. I went to the store and got everything I needed and came home and worked so hard on it. The entire house still smells like it, which is simply yummy! Most of the time I enjoy it when a good meal lingers unless of course, it is fish!

I read some and went through the mail. Our little no heat problem last week cost us a mere $124.00! That is a very good price for what the nice man did for us, and he responded so quickly.

Now that I finished one craft project I decided to do another. I already have most of the material, and will get the rest tomorrow and then begin.

And lastly, they are forecasting our first snow for Thursday! Wait! I am not ready for this!

It was a beautiful day here, although quite cold. I do not think our temperatures went above 50 degrees.

The drive over to Anneliese’s Veterinarian’s Office was such a pleasant one. I took Arnie with us as well. He just loves to go for a ride!

There is good news about Anneliese. It is a simple urinary tract infection and vaginitis. Antibiotics were prescribed and she is home and happy.

I finished one craft project and will be starting the next one this week. I find crocheting so relaxing.

I’m cooking a nice dinner. Summer Squash and Zucchini sauteed with onions and peppers and mushrooms! Baked potatoes and grilled chicken breasts!

 

Tuesday was a pretty nice day. I’d gotten some chestnuts at the grocery the other day and I decided to make a little Thanksgiving preview for our dinner tonight.

I roasted the chestnuts and each and every one of them was perfect! The shells all but fell away. I chopped onions and celery and put in some Summer Savory, Sage, and a little salt and pepper, and after the vegetables had cooked I added the bread crumbs, and the chestnuts and a little broth until the stuffing was the right consistency.

I put the stuffing in the bottom of a glass dish, and then put two turkey breast tenderloins on top. Currently, everything is cooking for dinner and WOW does it smell wonderful!

I also worked this morning making a new blanket cushion for the center of Anneliese’s bed. I measured and pinned it and then sewed it up.

I am actually not a clever person with crafts. I would like to be, but when something that I make comes out this good, I am simply thrilled!

Not only did the little blanket cushion in the middle come out well, but Anneliese LOVES it! Yahoo! Score!

My birds were around all day, despite the fact that it was misting and rainy most of the day. I sat during lunch, just watching my Cardinal and a family of Chickadees as well as the Downey and Hairy Woodpecker who all swooped in for a snack!

Watching them all filled me with great happiness!

It was incredibly hot and humid today. The kind of day that one expects thunderstorms, or should I say one hopes for them. We had many things to do today and by late afternoon I felt like a wet dishrag.

In the morning I was doing some cooking and prep work. I’m glad I did that because tonight I am too tired to cook, so we are having repurposed food!

Anneliese’s eye is doing so much better. Not that she is out of the woods, but I am thinking that some healing has taken place. She seems happier and in less pain.

By the end of the day, a migraine had found its way into my head. All I wanted was the coolness of the air conditioning and some quiet.

I found out today that I actually have two Downy Woodpeckers! They’re my favorite. Anyway, one was in the back yard and one in the front yard at the feeders! I am so lucky!

They are so small and beautiful. I could watch them for hours!