Dave and I went shopping today.
Not a good idea.
Men are just missing that shopping gene. That is all there is to it.
For most women, there is nothing more delightful than browsing around stores looking for that perfect item to purchase. We may find it in a matter of minutes....or, several hours. It doesn't really matter, because the hunt is part of the joy. If it is clothing, we hold it up, touch the fabric, read the washing instructions, try it on, think about it.....think about it.....ask a girlfriend if they are with us.....if not, ask the salesgirl's opinion....and, then think about it some more.
Dave needed some pants to wear when we go out of town this week. He reluctantly tried on several pairs that I found in his size. As soon as he found one that fit comfortably...that was it! "Please go and find this in other colors" he said.
He happily clutched the light khaki, dark khaki, and black pants and he was done and ready to check out and leave the store!
Done?
But, I was just getting started...
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
My Favorite Breakfast Sandwich
Slow day for news....so, I thought that I'd share my morning meal with you all.
It started with two egg whites.
I decided to try and "flip" the egg in the air like I have seen the great chefs do on tv.
It actually worked without getting all over the stovetop as I have done in past attempts.
Next, I added some of the claw meat from the leftover crab claws that we served at a dinner party for friends.
Boy, I really need a life.... : o
Friday, May 27, 2011
Are you kidding me?
This is the peanut butter that I usually purchase at my local Publix store.
The one on the left is an older one that is almost empty.
The one on the right is new and was just purchased at the same price as the older one.
Do they not think that the consumer will notice the size difference?!?!?!?
I'd rather have them raise the price a bit than deceptively make the products smaller and smaller.
Agree?
The one on the left is an older one that is almost empty.
The one on the right is new and was just purchased at the same price as the older one.
Do they not think that the consumer will notice the size difference?!?!?!?
I'd rather have them raise the price a bit than deceptively make the products smaller and smaller.
Agree?
Monday, May 23, 2011
What in the world is going on???
I am unable to sleep tonight as I watch the special tv report about the horrific tornado that wiped out more than 75% of Joplin, Missouri.
Unfathomable.
Frightening.
Shocking.
Sad.
The meteorologists are speaking about the conditions making these areas ripe for the formation of severe storms....colder than usual temperatures in the north colliding with warm, humid temperatures in the southern half of the country.
Horrendous.
Monstrous.
Alarming.
Confusing.
Most of us made light of the preacher's predictions of the end of the world occurring at 6:00 pm on Saturday. Suddenly, people are beginning to wonder about what is happening all around us.
Dreadful.
Shocking.
Heartbreaking.
Desperate.
Search and rescue teams are still out hoping to find any survivors that might be trapped under the debris.
People are walking around dazed and confused. It is more like a war zone....than a small town neighborhood.
As I turn off the tv and decide to go to bed, my heart is heavy.
I feel a sense of helplessness as I think about the tragedies that have occurred to innocent people in these last few months. People without homes, people who have lost loved ones, people whose lives will never be the same.
What can we possibly do?
For now....
Pray that calmer times are ahead......
Unfathomable.
Frightening.
Shocking.
Sad.
The meteorologists are speaking about the conditions making these areas ripe for the formation of severe storms....colder than usual temperatures in the north colliding with warm, humid temperatures in the southern half of the country.
Horrendous.
Monstrous.
Alarming.
Confusing.
Most of us made light of the preacher's predictions of the end of the world occurring at 6:00 pm on Saturday. Suddenly, people are beginning to wonder about what is happening all around us.
Dreadful.
Shocking.
Heartbreaking.
Desperate.
Search and rescue teams are still out hoping to find any survivors that might be trapped under the debris.
People are walking around dazed and confused. It is more like a war zone....than a small town neighborhood.
As I turn off the tv and decide to go to bed, my heart is heavy.
I feel a sense of helplessness as I think about the tragedies that have occurred to innocent people in these last few months. People without homes, people who have lost loved ones, people whose lives will never be the same.
What can we possibly do?
For now....
Pray that calmer times are ahead......
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Unplugged
For several hours today I was without my cable television, my phone and the Internet. Charter was working on many of the storm damaged lines in Birmingham and all of the services were shut down.
Horrors?!
Not really.
Other than the fact that I wanted to see who made the finals of American Idol (!) tonight, it was really kind of nice.....and, quiet...and, I liked it....for a while, anyway.
I read every inch of the newspaper.
I went through a stack of papers on my desk.
I just "was".
Of course....when things began to work again....
I watched American Idol.
I got right back online reading emails, etc.
I phoned a couple of friends.
And, I sat down and posted this on my blog.
So much for being "unplugged".
: )
Horrors?!
Not really.
Other than the fact that I wanted to see who made the finals of American Idol (!) tonight, it was really kind of nice.....and, quiet...and, I liked it....for a while, anyway.
I read every inch of the newspaper.
I went through a stack of papers on my desk.
I just "was".
Of course....when things began to work again....
I watched American Idol.
I got right back online reading emails, etc.
I phoned a couple of friends.
And, I sat down and posted this on my blog.
So much for being "unplugged".
: )
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
I stared at the three miniature muffins, the one large sticky bun, and the bagel on my plate....
...and, thought to myself...."What's with all of these carbs? Do I think that I am training for a marathon???!"
Dave and I attended a friend's daughter's wedding over the weekend. It was held at Reynold's Plantation on Lake Oconee (Georgia) and was quite beautiful....as well as a definite "eating fest". My plate of food was from the Sunday brunch buffet which was quite delicious as well as highly caloric....and, I didn't let a thing go to waste.
OK. I did, at least, put some fruit on the plate....and, later got scrambled egg whites....so I got a little taste of some healthy food. Very little. : )
*groan*
*************************************************************
Ah, the next few weekends I will be staying home! I have been traveling so very much that I am really going to relish these next few weeks without anywhere to go.
Maybe I can even get my hands back into the clay and be productive for a change...
************************************************************
There is a road that I travel on almost all of the time that was hit hard by the bad storms a few weeks ago. It is right near my home and the entire look of it has changed....huge trees are now cut up and lying on people's yards waiting to be picked up and taken away....roofs are covered with blue tarpe to protect the insides of the homes...electrical poles are slowly being put back in after so many of them were destroyed...etc. etc.
It is like the topography of the area is totally different. It used to be this tree-lined drive and now all that you see is sky.
No matter how many times I drive down it....I get upset every time that I see the destruction.
I just hope that the people who live in those houses are doing okay....so sad.
************************************************************
More good news continues to come from Mom and "The Home". She and her "steady" are still doing well and having fun. In fact, I think that she is having more fun than I am these days! "The Home" has so many events planned that it is nonstop entertainment....They recently celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Mexican food and a full blown Mariachi band. Prior to that she dressed up with a hat, pearls and gloves to attend the "Mock Royal Wedding". : )
I can't wait to hear what is next!
**********************************************************
I'm not happy with American Idol these days. I was quite disappointed that James Durbin was eliminated last week.
Having Turrett's Syndrome as well as mild Aspberger's made him a role model for so many people. His story was inspiring and his singing was excellent as well as entertaining. I hated to see him go.
I enjoyed his extremely emotional performances. He really sang from his heart.
Here's hoping for a successful future for this young man. I can't wait to buy his first CD.
*******************************************************
Well, I see that my hummingbird feeder is empty....time to make some more red sugar water for them!
Dave and I attended a friend's daughter's wedding over the weekend. It was held at Reynold's Plantation on Lake Oconee (Georgia) and was quite beautiful....as well as a definite "eating fest". My plate of food was from the Sunday brunch buffet which was quite delicious as well as highly caloric....and, I didn't let a thing go to waste.
OK. I did, at least, put some fruit on the plate....and, later got scrambled egg whites....so I got a little taste of some healthy food. Very little. : )
*groan*
*************************************************************
Ah, the next few weekends I will be staying home! I have been traveling so very much that I am really going to relish these next few weeks without anywhere to go.
Maybe I can even get my hands back into the clay and be productive for a change...
************************************************************
There is a road that I travel on almost all of the time that was hit hard by the bad storms a few weeks ago. It is right near my home and the entire look of it has changed....huge trees are now cut up and lying on people's yards waiting to be picked up and taken away....roofs are covered with blue tarpe to protect the insides of the homes...electrical poles are slowly being put back in after so many of them were destroyed...etc. etc.
It is like the topography of the area is totally different. It used to be this tree-lined drive and now all that you see is sky.
No matter how many times I drive down it....I get upset every time that I see the destruction.
I just hope that the people who live in those houses are doing okay....so sad.
************************************************************
More good news continues to come from Mom and "The Home". She and her "steady" are still doing well and having fun. In fact, I think that she is having more fun than I am these days! "The Home" has so many events planned that it is nonstop entertainment....They recently celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Mexican food and a full blown Mariachi band. Prior to that she dressed up with a hat, pearls and gloves to attend the "Mock Royal Wedding". : )
I can't wait to hear what is next!
**********************************************************
I'm not happy with American Idol these days. I was quite disappointed that James Durbin was eliminated last week.
Having Turrett's Syndrome as well as mild Aspberger's made him a role model for so many people. His story was inspiring and his singing was excellent as well as entertaining. I hated to see him go.
I enjoyed his extremely emotional performances. He really sang from his heart.
Here's hoping for a successful future for this young man. I can't wait to buy his first CD.
*******************************************************
Well, I see that my hummingbird feeder is empty....time to make some more red sugar water for them!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
My two "grandgirlies" got together!
Last weekend, Adam and Audrey headed to MD to visit with Jeffrey's group....more specifically, to get the two girl cousins together. Audrey and Celia are just a few months apart in age and don't get to see each other as often as they would like due to the distance between them. So, this was a real treat.....not only for them, but, for me... as I have gone through the many photos time and time again.
Oh, how I miss them all!
...and, a few more pictures....
If I could just magically push MN, AL and MD together.....wouldn't that be great?!
*sigh*
*sigh*
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
One of us was a big winner at The Derby....
....and one of us was not....
The winner was Dave.....seen here studying the Derby information sheets.
Dave and his friend, Dean, pooled their money and bet on the main Derby race together. They did a trifecta box with the following horses: Animal Kingdom, Nehro, and Mucho Macho Man. If you followed the race, you know that those three horses finished 1,2,and 3...making them the winners of $2000. !!!!
The winnings will be split two ways and then Uncle Sam will take out his share of the prize....so, they will both end up with over $800. Not to bad for a day's fun!
I, on the other hand, made a $6 bet for Mucho Macho Man to win, place or show.
He came in third.
I won $7.
Maybe next time I should study the programs a little bit more.
: )
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Run for the Roses
Well, today I am going through my "going out of town" rituals. You would think, that with all of the traveling I have been doing these last few years, I would have this down pat.
But, I don't.
I will still pack and unpack until the very final weather report on Louisville comes out. Right now temperatures are going to be cooler than usual....soooo, I may have to throw in a jacket or two?
I saved doing my "roots" until today (I know that you thought that I was totally natural) as well as polishing my nails....as well as other routine "maintenance" things.
I like to leave my home nice and straight and clean whenever I leave town....so, that is on my list.
And, my plants certainly need to be heavily watered....not to mention the birds awaiting several days worth of bird seed in the feeder.
I must reset the sprinkler system (it went out during the storms) so that it does not think that this is January, 1997!
Alarms-check. Auto lights-check. Boarding pass-check. Mail stopped-check. Newspapers stopped-check. Neighbors alerted-check. Bills paid-check.
I'm exhasuted and I haven't even gotten off of the ground yet...
********************************************************
I have been asked what my favorite horse is this year in the Derby race.
Well, since my picking "system" is so very flawed I almost hesitate to share....but, I will.
You see, I always go on feel....or the sound of the name....or the color of the silks. I rarely read the information on the horse and/or jockey.
So, my picks so far are:
Mucho Macho Man (takes me back to my disco days with the Village People!)
Pants on Fire (who can resist a name like that?)
Archarcharch (huh?)
and, possibly:
Watch Me Go
**********************************************************
Have a great weekend all!
: )
But, I don't.
I will still pack and unpack until the very final weather report on Louisville comes out. Right now temperatures are going to be cooler than usual....soooo, I may have to throw in a jacket or two?
I saved doing my "roots" until today (I know that you thought that I was totally natural) as well as polishing my nails....as well as other routine "maintenance" things.
I like to leave my home nice and straight and clean whenever I leave town....so, that is on my list.
And, my plants certainly need to be heavily watered....not to mention the birds awaiting several days worth of bird seed in the feeder.
I must reset the sprinkler system (it went out during the storms) so that it does not think that this is January, 1997!
Alarms-check. Auto lights-check. Boarding pass-check. Mail stopped-check. Newspapers stopped-check. Neighbors alerted-check. Bills paid-check.
I'm exhasuted and I haven't even gotten off of the ground yet...
********************************************************
I have been asked what my favorite horse is this year in the Derby race.
Well, since my picking "system" is so very flawed I almost hesitate to share....but, I will.
You see, I always go on feel....or the sound of the name....or the color of the silks. I rarely read the information on the horse and/or jockey.
So, my picks so far are:
Mucho Macho Man (takes me back to my disco days with the Village People!)
Pants on Fire (who can resist a name like that?)
Archarcharch (huh?)
and, possibly:
Watch Me Go
**********************************************************
Have a great weekend all!
: )
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Oh well.
Kathie Lee and Hoda had a contest to see who could come up with the most creative hat. I was hoping that there was a slight chance that my homemade hat with the horses circling around the ribbon "eating flowers behind a white picket fence" would have caught the judges eyes. I made it a few years ago and it has stood the test of time....and Derby's (Derbies?).
The winner's hat was actually a horse's behind....tail and all.
Go figure.
***********************************************************
Speaking of The Derby, I am having fun with Owen and Audrey (and, hopefully, soon to include Celia) as I have had them pick the name of one horse running in the Derby that sounded good to them. When I am at Churchill Downs I will place a $2 bet on each of their horses to 'win'. I thought that might encourage them to watch the race and cheer for their individual favorite horse.
I have to start "training" them to do a little "gambling with Grammie"...so, that when I am old and cranky they can take me to the casino so that I can play my slot machines. Good idea, eh?
**********************************************************
I lost my newspaper two days ago.
Now, while that doesn't sound like such a strange thing (or does it?)....the point is that I went out to get it....I remember taking the plastic cover off of it when I got inside the house....went to walk.....came home and it was nowhere to be seen.
I checked every square inch of my house....garbage cans, bathrooms, closets.....even inside the clothes dryer!
I still have not been able to locate it.....and, it is driving me absolutely crazy.
I'll let you know if it ever shows up.
*sigh*
**********************************************************
Well, I guess that it is time for me to head out and take care of some "going out of town" errands....you know, prescriptions, money, etc. etc.
Then the fun begins when I start trying to pack 4 days worth of clothing into a small suitcase.
It will never happen.
: )
Kathie Lee and Hoda had a contest to see who could come up with the most creative hat. I was hoping that there was a slight chance that my homemade hat with the horses circling around the ribbon "eating flowers behind a white picket fence" would have caught the judges eyes. I made it a few years ago and it has stood the test of time....and Derby's (Derbies?).
The winner's hat was actually a horse's behind....tail and all.
Go figure.
***********************************************************
Speaking of The Derby, I am having fun with Owen and Audrey (and, hopefully, soon to include Celia) as I have had them pick the name of one horse running in the Derby that sounded good to them. When I am at Churchill Downs I will place a $2 bet on each of their horses to 'win'. I thought that might encourage them to watch the race and cheer for their individual favorite horse.
I have to start "training" them to do a little "gambling with Grammie"...so, that when I am old and cranky they can take me to the casino so that I can play my slot machines. Good idea, eh?
**********************************************************
I lost my newspaper two days ago.
Now, while that doesn't sound like such a strange thing (or does it?)....the point is that I went out to get it....I remember taking the plastic cover off of it when I got inside the house....went to walk.....came home and it was nowhere to be seen.
I checked every square inch of my house....garbage cans, bathrooms, closets.....even inside the clothes dryer!
I still have not been able to locate it.....and, it is driving me absolutely crazy.
I'll let you know if it ever shows up.
*sigh*
**********************************************************
Well, I guess that it is time for me to head out and take care of some "going out of town" errands....you know, prescriptions, money, etc. etc.
Then the fun begins when I start trying to pack 4 days worth of clothing into a small suitcase.
It will never happen.
: )
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
I couldn't have said it any better myself....thanks, Ralph!
"Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays."~Ralph Waldo Emerson
As rough as yesterday might have been.....today holds new promise.
: )
As rough as yesterday might have been.....today holds new promise.
: )
Monday, May 02, 2011
Monday Blues?
One of my friends wrote on Facebook today that everything feels in turmoil right now....and, I can't agree with her more.
It is such a strange, and unsettling, feeling.
Maybe it was the tornado? Maybe it was my "having two floods in a year" situation? Maybe it is my age? Maybe it is where the moon is situated right now (huh?)? Maybe it is missing my family? Maybe it is the gut-wrenching photos of the damage all around the state?
Or, maybe it is just "life".
The good still far outweighs the bad in life.......but, on this Monday afternoon, 2011, I am searching my soul for some answers...
It is such a strange, and unsettling, feeling.
Maybe it was the tornado? Maybe it was my "having two floods in a year" situation? Maybe it is my age? Maybe it is where the moon is situated right now (huh?)? Maybe it is missing my family? Maybe it is the gut-wrenching photos of the damage all around the state?
Or, maybe it is just "life".
The good still far outweighs the bad in life.......but, on this Monday afternoon, 2011, I am searching my soul for some answers...
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Everything feels different since the tornadoes....
It is interesting.
One goes into a grocery store and suddenly finds themselves speaking with complete strangers....about...."The Storms".
People seem to need to talk about it.
We are all suddenly connected.
It doesn't matter whether you are young, old, black, white, Democrat, Republican, rich, poor, etc.....we are all in this together.
Everyone who was spared from these horrendous storms feels the need to reach out to those who weren't as fortunate.
Dave and I found ourselves at Costco today purchasing items....not for ourselves....but, for the storm victims who have been left without anything. We dropped the items off at a local store that was taking donations. It felt good....but, strangely....not enough. What else can we do??? It is almost a helpless feeling...the destruction is so overwhelming. It is hard to get one's mind around it.
Life goes on all around me.
But, it feels significantly different.
It is almost as though you want to hug everyone you see.
Strange....but, wonderful, all at the same time.
One goes into a grocery store and suddenly finds themselves speaking with complete strangers....about...."The Storms".
People seem to need to talk about it.
We are all suddenly connected.
It doesn't matter whether you are young, old, black, white, Democrat, Republican, rich, poor, etc.....we are all in this together.
Everyone who was spared from these horrendous storms feels the need to reach out to those who weren't as fortunate.
Dave and I found ourselves at Costco today purchasing items....not for ourselves....but, for the storm victims who have been left without anything. We dropped the items off at a local store that was taking donations. It felt good....but, strangely....not enough. What else can we do??? It is almost a helpless feeling...the destruction is so overwhelming. It is hard to get one's mind around it.
Life goes on all around me.
But, it feels significantly different.
It is almost as though you want to hug everyone you see.
Strange....but, wonderful, all at the same time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)