It Was a Day of Cooking and Going Here and There (Twice)

I was a busy little bee yesterday, going here and there and back to here and back to there again. *sigh* Sometimes the best laid plans just don't work out. In this case, I didn't read a recipe correctly, and it required two ingredients that I could only get at my co-op, not my general grocery store. 

I love my co-op. They have a deep selection, and some of 
the best produce around. I never miss getting some of their 
raw cranberries for Thanksgiving, and the people are welcoming 
and very friendly. They have the odd things, thank goodness. 

Our garden is doing great. What does this have to do with my ingredients? Well, one of the herbs that DH planted for me this year is basil. It wasn't as robust a plant as we wanted when we bought it, but it thrives in its' pot, and it's put out a LOT, so that the pot was getting VERY crowded. So, I needed to make something that used basil. 

The pesto recipe I chose is wonderful. That 
taste of "Parmesan" cheese really makes the 
recipe shine. The substitute really worked well, 
with the same basic flavor profile and even 
the general odor of the cheese. It's perfect! 

Online research led me to the mass of people who said that pesto was what basil was known for. Hmmm ... pesto. It's not something I've eaten often, but it sounded like it would be tasty. Time to investigate recipes and see if that would be a reasonable thing to cook. And, indeed! The recipe I chose is simply entitled "Homemade Pesto" by Leah Perez. The only kink in the recipe was the Parmesan cheese, which is dairy. I don't do dairy. BUT, I found a lovely recipe for "How to Make Vegan Parmesan Cheese" which seemed easy to make. It used raw cashews and nutritional yeast with spices. 

This vegan Parmesan cheese recipe turned out spectacular, 
and was very easy to make in my smaller food processor, while 
I devoted my larger food processor to the pesto itself. I have 
extra "cheese" for my salads for a few days too. Bonus! 

I knew my main grocery store - deep as their selection is - would not have raw cashews (although I certainly looked). I resigned to heading to my co-op for that ingredient, which I was able to buy in bulk for less than 50 cents. Of course, I didn't realize that it also called for nutritional yeast, or that this would also be a problem ingredient. Back to the co-op I went (after phoning them to make sure they carried the product). Success (and a lot of wasted time and gas). 

I hadn't realized Nutritional Yeast would 
be so difficult to find, but my co-op came 
through for me once again. I hadn't used it 
before, but I'll be doing this recipe again. I'm 
fond of Parmesan, and haven't been able to 
eat it for years now. 

So, home again, cashews and nutritional yeast in tow, I went to the backyard and harvested a bunch of basil. I needed 2-1/2 packed cups for the recipe. My basil has been considerably thinned - LOL. I pureed the cashews and nutritional yeast together in my mini food processor (worked like a dream), and used my large food processor for the main recipe. It turned out AMAZING! It's seriously tasty and I'll most certainly be making this one again. I'm not sure if I'll have enough basil in my garden, but I can always purchase some if I'm short. I had pesto on toast for dinner last night, and might very well have another portion for breakfast today. It's that good! 

The mat cutter is currently taking up space in my den. 
Fortunately I don't really use my den for much - it's 
where the treadmill is, so that gets used a lot, but the 
rest of the room isn't heavily used. So setting up my 
six-foot table and my mat cutter here was just fine. 

So, have a wonderful Saturday. I spent the rest of yesterday getting mats cut for three art pieces I had waiting for me here at home. I'm pleased with how they turned out. I still have one of the original batch that needs matting before we bring another group home to be worked on, but I'm starting to get my "sea legs" back under me, and I'm finding my groove again. Have a great weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini. 

It's a Very Busy Day Today - Time to Get to the Pool

I had time this morning so I took the time to pay the first half of my property taxes. Thus ... I no longer have time this morning - LOL. It's a full day today. I start out (after my swim) with an eye doctor appointment out at the clinic which is a fair distance away, but I like these people and they've always done a good job for me. They did my Lasik way back when, and my cataracts almost two years ago. And they've done my annual exams regularly for decades. Good people. 

When I first went to the clinic, it was one of several 
small locations scattered throughout the Cities. Now they 
have large buildings in several of the suburbs and they're 
one of (if not THE) largest eye clinic in the Twin Cities. 

After I'm finished with them (and can't see because of the dilating drops) I'll make my way back to my own area (carefully). I have a phone consultation with my Radiology Doc this morning, and then it's on to groceries and my most important job today - working on my treadmill. 

Doc Wilson is absolutely awesome, and the 
Radiology team he heads is efficient, competent, 
professional and caring. Great people from 
front desk to the Head Honcho! 

My treadmill company has sent me the instructions for removing the front plate so that I can take additional photos of the slipped rail to show them. I found the correct Allen wrench for the bolts last night, so I'm ready to get going on this ASAP. I'll also be contacting the software people regarding my virtual runs. Apparently they're local, so if necessary, I'll drive out to their suburb and knock on their door. I want my virtuals back, and I'm not understanding why I don't have them. 

The fitness software I use on the treadmill is powered 
by Treo Wellness. If they're not a local company, they 
at least have a local branch. If I can't get anywhere by 
phone today, I'll have to try and go to their offices 
on Friday. 

But today also must include grocery shopping (there are items we MUST have) and cooking. So, generally, I won't be bored today - at all! LOL. I'm really glad I postponed my orthodontist appointment - adding that into today's mix would have been extremely difficult. 

I love my local supermarket. I remember shopping at 
Byerlys and at Lunds separately, and when they merged 
it was a perfect marriage. They have a deep selection, 
excellent produce, and great people. 

So, I hope your day will be a bit more relaxing than mine. Have an excellent one, no matter what, and spread some love today. A little love can go a long way to help heal the person you're giving it to, as well as yourself. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Sunday Was A Shopping Day - DH Needed Clothes

Today was the first "real" day of my new schedule - treadmill on Monday, Friday and Saturday, and swimming on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It's a schedule that I was on for years, until my treadmill broke down and COVID came to visit (and never really left - rather like a visitor who simply won't return home after a week or two). It's likely that my posts will be a bit shorter and maybe (maybe) a bit more to point. But I'll still be here six days a week as always, unless I've warned you before-hand that I'll be on vacation or taking a break. 

It's been a real pleasure to be back on a treadmill 
once again. Building it back into my routine for 
Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays will take a little 
bit of effort, but will be well worth it. 

Today was my second day on the treadmill, and I was determined to do 30 minutes, and try various things out. I've determined that I cannot watch the virtual reality scenic runs AND listen to my Spotify from the treadmill at the same time. I can do one or the other, but not both together. So, on Friday, I'll bring my phone to the treadmill and listen to Spotify on the phone while working out on the tread. It'll be just fine. I did get DH logged in, but when I offered to tell him about the machine so that he would be able to use it, he brushed me off. He was upset at me for one reason or other. Not really sure why. 

Spotify isn't my favorite music, although I've worked up 
some decent playlists on it over the years. I might link 
the treadmill to my phone directly and just listen to my 
Sirius station of choice. I'd love to be moving along 
with Metallica - LOL. 

DH actually had a rather nice Sunday. He desperately needed some new pants, so determined he would go to JC Penny's and buy some. That's an old-fashioned store, but it's a comfort zone for him, and he knew he would be likely to find something that would work. He ended up with four pairs of pants (all of which need to be shortened), two pairs of shoes and a new set of slippers. I had given him $100 in gift cards for the holidays (which he had completely forgotten about), so it ended up costing him $250 instead of the $350 it would have. Go me! LOL

JC Penny is not my favorite store, but DH has always 
liked them, and they did do an outstanding job with 
our living room draperies. So, off we went to JC 
Penny and they had things he actually liked. Now to 
get the pants shortened at my local tailor. 

So I'm ready to jump into the work week. I did my meditation, worked out on the treadmill for 30 minutes of 4 mph speed (not massive speed, but I'm not supposed to do impact, as much as just walk at a fast pace), took my shower, made my tea and settled at the computer to jot down my blog. Goodness! I guess I've already done quite a lot, and it's only 6:20 am. Have a wonderful Monday, and I'll be back for a swimming day tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

My Thoughts Seem to be Everywhere This Morning

It's a swimming day, so it's bound to be an excellent day. Add onto that the fact that it's a "day off" for me, and life is just about perfect. I have a lot of grocery shopping to do, many loads of laundry, and some cooking, but I'll also have time for myself and my own goals - to continue with the cleaning up of my house, because it's getting out of hand *sigh*. I don't have kids, I don't have pets, all I have is DH. I can't see why/how a house can get so dirty with only two people occupying it, but somehow it manages. 

It's a housecleaning day (and shopping/cooking day) for 
me today. I have a workroom that looks like the cat dragged 
something through there (if I had a cat), and the rest of the 
house needs some serious de-cluttering as well. *sigh* I'd 
much rather be cooking, but that's for Friday's agenda. 

Kamala - yeah. I like her. I've heard her several times now - she's working hard to get the exposure she needs to be a viable candidate. She's well spoken, to the point but with finesse. Rather like a mother telling a child why it shouldn't have thrown the vase against the fireplace - LOL. I'm massively comfortable voting for her this Fall, and praying every day that the opposition doesn't come up with some obscure court case of some kind that will negate her candidacy and pull us right back into the Dark Ages before Kamala. 

Amazon ended up dropping by the shop THREE times 
yesterday. Once for the package that I was expecting three 
days ago, once for a different package of mine, and the 
third time was a box for Chickie. For a company that's as 
large as they are, their delivery service isn't very well 
organized. Then again, deliveries are usually timely and 
accurate, so I shouldn't complain. After all, I finally got 
the one that had been "misdelivered". At least I finally 
have a digital scale once more. Huzzah! 

I'll be shopping and cooking today. I made that cauliflower soup a week or so ago, and I'll be finishing that within a day or two. It's remarkably tasty. I wasn't sure about it - cauliflower isn't one of my favorite foods - but the harissa spices and other additional herbs really worked well. I'd actually make this one again, which is a bit of a shock. I'm sure my mother is turning over in her nonexistent grave at that. I turned my back on cauliflower as a young child and never went back to eating it. I guess I've finally matured at age 70 - LOL. 

I need to get a birthday gift for Sharon. I mean, I have options 
with her. I can promise her something magnificent at our 
upcoming time at the State Fair or Ren Fest, I can send her 
something via Amazon (or let her pick her own with a gift 
card), or I can find her something - the perfect something - 
while I'm out and about today. I'll figure it out. 

So today will be a bit of a mish-mash. Swimming is the anchor, grocery shopping and washing Minnion is my pathway, and housework is my goal. So much to do. I also have to find a gift for Sharon - her birthday is next week. I can always default to the standard Amazon gift card - she's got cats. There's always something she can buy that will please her as well as the four-footed kids. But if I can find the perfect gift and send it off, it's better than a gift card. At least that's my opinion, for whatever it's worth. I'm heading out to the pool for a lovely sunrise swim. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm At Loose Ends and That's NOT Necessarily a Good Thing

Good morning, my friends. It's my usual mid-week morning - unusually rushed because of this and that, and who is silly enough to have to deal with "this and that" at 3:45 am! Only me - LOL. But, I had a lovely meditation, I've got my first load of laundry in the washer, and I'm leaving for the swimming pool in about 30 minutes. So, this post will be short and sweet - or at least, short. 

I feel overweight today - no real reason, I'm within five pounds 
of my ideal weight, so well within my parameters. Still, 
I feel puffy today. Ick. Time for a good, solid swim. 

I started serious work on my Swarovski sheets for our clearance sale yesterday. I'm not sure if it will actually work, but I haven't come up with any alternatives yet, and it's such a HUGE category. I might split it up into beads and pendants - that would make things a bit easier. Or restrict the type/shape of bead to split things up. It's our largest chunk of inventory - we were the area's largest supplier of the product for more than a decade. Now, it's the largest anchor fastening me to the shop, and I have to chip away at the links to gain my freedom. 

Is it Spring yet? It's only March, and last year we still 
had a yard of snow on the ground at this time. Right 
now, however, until last weekend, we were bare ground! 
Now we have snow piles, but they'll be gone soon. 

The difficulty is always streamlining. How to let the customer know "This is what we have available" without overwhelming them, yet keeping things easy for us to pull their requests from the inventory stocks. The fact that the clearance sales are conducted over a full week does help, but it's still challenging to get everything set up to work effectively. I'm turning things over in my mind, and working on ways to make this efficient and easy for everyone on staff and who walks through our doors. 

I was thinking about making some chili, but maybe I'll 
do that on Friday. I really don't need any additional 
meals in my fridge right now - I was very productive 
with last week's cooking times. But, I do love chili - LOL. 

I'll have to check what I've got for food in the refrigerator before heading to the store later today. I think I have enough dinners for the rest of the week, which would allow me to actually shop and cook dinner on Friday instead of today. I know I'll get chicken for tonight (and tomorrow), so that's easy. But ... do I need anything else? I'm sure I do, just don't know exactly what. Anyway, one more set of decisions - LOL. On that note, I'm deciding to end the blog here today. See? I can accomplish something today, despite my loose ends. Have an excellent Wednesday, I'm heading to the swimming pool. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

It's A Busy "Day Off" Of Course - I Shop At The Original "Target" Store

It's my "day off" and I have a lot of running around to do today - shopping at Target and my local grocery store, as well as my co-op grocer. I won't be waiting for DH to leave for work today before returning to the garage and starting the rest of my day. I'll be home after he's already left for the shop. 

One of the two Target stores I stop at often is this one 
(although it's been upgraded many times since this photo). 
This is the original Target store, opened on May 1, 1962. 
It happens to be local for me, and on the way to work, so 
very convenient. 

Chickie isn't doing well. She's feeling awful with a sinus infection. She saw her doctor on Monday and got checked out, left with prescriptions for medications to help, and was at work on Tuesday. But she's coughing a lot, and generally not breathing well. I sent her home early last night - she might as well cough with her cats around (not that they're helping her by cuddling or purring in any fashion). But Chickie has to be able to work today - not duck into the back room when her breathing gets too bad. I'll try and tell DH to work out front as much as possible today, and that may even work with his schedule now that the taxes are complete, but that may not happen. 

I got the W2 and W3 forms typed last week 
and the final corrections done on Monday. 
They're ready to send to their respective 
addresses today, and the personal copies were 
distributed yesterday. 

I also have to be at the Post Office today to send off the Federal tax forms and state tax forms for the payroll reports for last year. These I send Certified - I need proof of delivery. But, that's one more line to stand in and one more errand to add to a crowded morning. I'll be relieved when I have all of this completed and can actually go home and argue with DH's website. I have to make a couple of financial decisions regarding his website today, and need a "clear head" to do it. 

I just need to pick up salad stuff at the grocery store 
today, so it'll be an easy day. But I do need my "ice 
cream" bars from the co-op (they are only carried 
at that store). 

I was worried that I also needed to cook for the next week, but today's a chicken day, and I already have my chicken in the refrigerator. So that, at least will be easy. Then I'll wrap up my afternoon by chatting with Aearwen, and finally call it a day - a very busy one. I hope your day goes well. I'll try to ignore the election results from yesterday and just concentrate on my small world instead of the larger one. Sometimes that's a necessary self-protection strategy. Enjoy your Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

The Little Problems of Life - Sometimes You Just Have to Laugh

My freezer is stuffed. We have a combination refrigerator/freezer in the kitchen. Because of what was available when our last refrigerator died during COVID, and the fact that we couldn't wait six weeks or more for the refrigerator we really wanted, we ended up with a smaller version. It's fine, but it is quite full, and the freezer space is the worst. 

Although our refrigerator is crowded, but 
not overstuffed, the freezer is another 
matter. It's stuffed to the max, and DH 
insists on overcrowding his space because 
he'll over-buy when things are on sale. 

The freezer has two parts - a pull-out drawer that has 5-6 inches of drawer vertically, extending horizontally to the back of the unit, and a two-segment storage unit that is around 9 inches deep and divided into two segments. That's where most people would be keeping their half-gallons of iced cream and other sundries. I have the left-hand bottom section as my own. I let DH have the remainder of the freezer. He spills over into my section every now and again, and I get REALLY crabby when he does. 

I look at pictures like this and have to laugh. 
I don't think anyone (unless they're obsessive/
compulsive) would have a refrigerator this 
organized. Just NOT happening. 

As of last week, he had two sirloin steaks in my section. I didn't need the space right then, so I complained, but tolerated it. However ... he went shopping earlier this week and picked up our beast for our Christmas meal. It's a huge prime rib or standing rib roast. He took the steaks away and found room for them on "his" side, and my side now is dominated by a HUGE white-paper-wrapped chuck of cow. As usual, I'm stressing a bit about cooking it. I do it every year, and it always turns out spectacular, but there's something about cooking a piece of meat that costs that much money that makes me hesitant. Thank goodness for my digital thermometer. It's proven to be very trustworthy (when I use it properly) and I'm sure it will come through again for me. 

We have a refrigerator like this. I have 
the left section, DH has the right. I have 
the left side of the freezer, DH has 
the right, and the pull-out drawer. 
The entire refrigerator is stuffed, but 
it's a smaller appliance than what we 
previously had - we got what was 
available. It was AWFUL to have to 
be without a refrigerator for almost 
a week. 

Of  course, the "Beast" isn't going to be cooked for another week, so today I'm dealing with "what do I make for the next week". I have several stuffed peppers remaining from last Friday's cook, but not a whole week's worth of food. We usually do chicken on Wednesdays, so that's Wednesday and Thursday. I do have a pound of ground beef defrosted ... now to figure out what I want to make with it. In the vast scheme of things, life is good if meals are all I have to worry about, right? I hope your problems are as minimal and that you have an excellent day. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

It's a Busy Day in a Busy Week in a Busy Month - How About You?

Today is a busy day in the kitchen as well as errands. Among my errands is dropping by my local Barnes & Noble bookstore for one box of holiday cards. I've always found their selection to be unique and with lots of variety. Of course, I haven't had to use commercial holiday cards for a long time, so I might have more of a hunt ahead of me than I expect, but it's never a horrible thing to drop by Barnes & Noble - LOL. The hard part will be keeping my focus on cards instead of on books because time, as usual, is a bit tight today. They open at 9:00 am, so that's also a help. I can get there quickly after grocery shopping, and it's cold enough (and I have the portable chillers in the back of the car), so that I can do my shopping, then put the groceries in the chiller and head to the book store without worry. 

There's something absolutely wonderful about HAVING to 
go to the bookstore today. It's always a treat to go to 
Barnes & Noble. Although there are a variety of independent 
bookstores in the Twin Cities, I know B&N will have exactly 
what I want/need, and it's also close to the house. In fact, 
there used to be two of them close to the house - the smaller
one was closed about a decade or so ago. 

It's a Wednesday, and that's always a busy, busy day. Plus, we've really been quite busy at the shop - all of those people looking for gifts or the supplies with which to make them. It's been really nice to be busy. No "crickets" and empty aisles. It's the season when I see more of my Native American customers - they're looking for craft components for next year's Pow Wow dance outfits, or just for something as a personal gift. There's really no rhyme or reason, just fact. I get more Native American customers during November/December than at any other time of the year. 

I love stuffed peppers, and they're a lovely thing to 
eat in the Fall and Winter months. Considering I had 
to shovel my driveway clear of snow yesterday 
morning before swimming, I'm declaring Winter 
officially here, and peppers are great "comfort food" 
for those cold days. 

My mental agenda is crowded today. I have my usual three loads of laundry (load one is already going), along with the grocery shopping and some cooking. I think I'll make a batch of stuffed peppers for my next week, if the smaller peppers look good at the grocery store. They cook up pretty quickly, and make a nice sized portion of a meal. I can add some of my dried chili peppers from this year's crop, and they'll have a nice bite too. 

I love cooking pork tenderloin. It's very 
much a "put it into the oven and ignore it" 
recipe and always turns out lovely. BUT, we 
have to work on Sunday, and I don't like leaving 
the house when I have the oven on. So, I might 
have to cook it on Friday instead. 

DH bought a pork tenderloin for Sunday's dinner, but we have to work. I might have to make it on Friday so that we can reheat it for Sunday. I'll touch base with him on that, or make a shift in weekend meal planning. 

It's a very busy time of the year - both at the shop and 
at home. Today's schedule is a little cramped, but it's all 
front-loaded. The morning will be busy, the afternoon will 
be a bit more relaxed (somewhat - LOL). 

Anyway, it's a busy day in a busy week in a busy month. I hope that your holiday is going a bit smoother than mine seems to be going. I'll be back tomorrow before the pool. Meanwhile, be kind, stay safe, enjoy your Wednesday, Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

It's Back to Routine - A Wonderful Thing

Today is the first "standard" Day Off I've had in quite a while and I'm going to try to make the most of it, although I have a million things on my mental to-do list. I'm going to try to get DH's website pounded out and uploaded onto the Google domain he purchased months ago (that'll be a challenge - OY!), and I have the usual grocery shopping and making Ogre Juice on my agenda. I need some dinners made - I haven't decided what yet, but it's getting colder, so maybe meatballs or something else with more substance than a soup. Grocery shopping will be a must. 

I'm thinking I might make a quick batch of sheet-pan chicken 
fajitas for a good quick dinner to have on hand. It doesn't 
take a lot of effort to make, it's tasty, and it keeps well in 
the refrigerator. I might make meatballs instead, but the 
fajitas might just be the winners at the grocery store - LOL. 

I have a bunch of Tabasco peppers to harvest, and I need to research and find out the best way to use them. My preference would be to dry them and grind them, but my dehydrator is used for my jewelry making and I've resisted purchasing one for food use for more than two years, even though I've wanted one. I'm just not sure about how often I would use such an item, and hate having one more thing cluttering up things in my house. 

I'm thinking about ordering one of these - a Septree 
Food Dehydrator. The reason I'm focusing on this 
one is the wide range of temperatures that it works 
with. I need a dehydrator that will have the ability 
to work at least at 165F for jerky, and it's amazing 
how many dehydrators won't go above 160, or 
even 158 (160 is useable, barely). This one, however, 
goes well above that, so I'd get the versatility I'm looking 
for in the appliance. The question is where do I put 
it? If I don't have a place, I won't buy it. 

I did return to my normal shower routine this morning, though - scrubbing two of the four walls of the shower and a good portion of the floor. If I can keep that routine up, I'll have no problem when Sharon comes again next year. I was VERY grateful for this routine when I fell down the stairs a bit over two weeks ago. There is no way this house would have been ready for company if I hadn't been ahead of the cleaning with my shower. A quick scrub, four days a week (I'm in the pool the other three days) seems to be the perfect schedule. 

I thrive with routine. My daily chat with my on-line 
friends through my blog, my time frames for getting 
some alone time, and my hours of awake and sleep. 
Those things are important to me. But I'm NOT a planner 
person. I've tried that and it drove me crazy. My routine 
is structure, rhythm and quiet. Writing things down is 
NOT for me at all. 

I was finally able to return to the swimming pool on Wednesday and Thursday this week, and what a relief to get back. I just feel so much better when I'm able to swim. I got my exercise while at the State Fair - we were walking 10,000 steps and more every day we were there. But walking for me just isn't the same as swimming is. My year goes into reset after Sharon's visits, back to zero and counting down once again until she returns again next year. My annual cycle begins when she leaves for home, and concludes when we have dinner at Olive Garden after Renaissance Festival. It's an odd cycle, but it works well for me. 

So, have a wonderful Friday as I return to a routine once again. I look forward to a "restful" day in the kitchen - LOL. I'll be back tomorrow and Slava Ukraini. 

Today Will Be A Busy, Busy Day - A Quilt Catastrophe

My old quilt is self-destructing - the fabric is ripping up in the back third of the blanket from old age, I suspect. That's a shame because it is a hand-quilted piece that has some serious age - a family thing. However, I'm not one to wallow in tradition. It's dying and it needs replacement ASAP. Time to hit Amazon for an inexpensive replacement. I'll also check Kohl's since they're local and close and tolerable for white goods. I can limp along with a blanket until I get a new quilt, but I really prefer a quilt for sleeping. 

I'm thinking about ordering this quilt from JC Pennys. It's 
a great color that would work in well with the living 
room, and I rather like it. I'll think about it for the day. 

So, I'm rushing this post. It's a swimming day and I'm running slightly late because I slept until my alarm went off. It's also a trash day - the buckets for trash and recycling need to be curbside before I leave for my daily errands today. Usually I put them out as I'm heading for the gym. I expect today to be no exception to that schedule. 

I'd really like to meet a few of my long-time 
on-line friends some day. With the reunion 
being held so close to Shirebound, I was 
hoping to swing by her place for a quick 
visit and then continue on to see another 
long-tine friend in Pennsylvania. GRRR - this 
whole family reunion snafu has me quite upset. 

Thanks to Shirebound for a lovely, wintery holiday card. *Hugs* of course go out to both you and Pippin, the Wonder Dog. With this snafu that is turning into the family reunion, and the time schedule that seems to be pushing on me for it, we might not get to meet later this year. That would be a tragedy for me, but you moved from one coast to the other, and I'm here, in the midsection of the country. It's rather like getting from Scandinavia to Italy for an easy visit between friends. *sigh* I'm still going to try and get out and see you at some point. It's a necessary thing! 

Today is going to be a very busy day. I'd better 
start going right now! 

So, with a load of laundry already in the wash and a million things to do today, I'm logging off and starting my day. It's going to be a crazy one, guaranteed, and my head's a bit in a swirl trying to figure out the best schedule that will allow me to get everything done. The only thing I guarantee is that I need gasoline, and that's FIRST on my agenda. In fact, I may even buy it before I return home after my swim. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back, hopefully a bit less rushed, tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Underwear That Actually Fits and a Clean House - A Day of Accomplishment

 Amidst all of the housecleaning (and I did get s LOT done yesterday), I went shopping first thing in the morning. I needed greens for my Ogre Juice, lunch if there was good sushi (there was, and it was delicious), and I needed paper towels and kleenex for the shop. Paper products are essential, and we were on our last box of Kleenex and last roll of paper towels - we use both a LOT. So ... Target was necessary. 

Target is a Minnesota corporation, and I have 
several choices of Targets within a reasonable 
driving distance. Road construction forces me, 
right now, to choose my second favorite location, 
but that's not too bad. 

While I was there, I also needed some personal things - body lotion and underwear. Now, I don't buy underwear on a whim. I wear the darned things until they're losing stitches or the elastic has gone bad. I hate wasting money on something so superfluous. But, I decided it was time to downsize - a lot. 

I joined WildFit in March last year and it's been 
life-changing. I didn't even think it was related to 
weight loss, just thought I'd have a better understanding 
of nutrition and evolutionary eating habits if I 
took the course. I got that understanding, and so very 
much more. 

It's been 1-1/3 years since I started WildFit, and more than a year since I attained and actually surpassed my goal weight. I'm comfortable in my skin and with my food choices. I'm not feeling any need to change, because I know I can eat anything I want, and that I will be able to get myself right back on track within a couple of weeks. I'm comfortable. So, it was time to get underwear that would actually fit. (What a concept! - LOL) 

I'm really happy to be back in a small again for my 
underwear. It's also a new feeling to have underwear 
that actually fits and is comfortable! What a concept - LOL! 

So, I took a $20 gamble and bought underwear in a size 5. To put this into perspective, I had been wearing a size 7, but now I'm wearing pants that are sizes 4-6 (depending on cut and fabric) and I felt it was time to have underwear that fit. Still, when I pulled them from the package and looked carefully at them, it seemed ridiculous that I could fit into something that small. I pushed them into the washer anyway, figuring if they were too small, I was only out $20 and would buy a size larger next time I went to the store. 

When I was in college, I was poor - like most 
students there. Our money was spent on food, books and 
entertainment. Essentials like underwear were required, 
but we didn't want to spend a lot for them. So, we 
became experts at sorting through the bargain bins. 

Well, I'm wearing a pair of them now and they're comfortable. They fit! I haven't worn this size since the early 1970's when  I graduated from High School and started College. I only remember that because I used to be able to pick up panties from the bargain bin for 50 cents a pair at that time, and because I wore a 5, I always had a pretty decent selection available. Wow, just wow. I'm totally thrilled! 

I love C.S. Poe's writing and have been following her 
for years. I was delighted to have "Madison Square 
Murders" come up on my reading list after Lizzie 
Borden. I think I'll jump right into "Subway Slayings" 
after this, to keep up with the main characters for 
a bit longer. A fun mystery read if you enjoy reading 
gay romance. 

I also finished my Lizzie Borden book yesterday. It was dry ... like Sahara Desert dry ... but it was actually a pretty good rendition of the entire event. Did she kill her step-mother and father? It's truly anyone's guess. She was acquitted, and that's all that counts if push comes to shove. Still, it was a relief to jump back into one of my favorite authors' newer books after that dry tome. Now I'm racing through (C.S. Poe's "Madison Square Murders" (if you're at all interested). It's such a pleasure to be reading fun fiction once again. 

So ... have a glorious Saturday. The house is looking pretty darned good, and I'm almost ready for the State Fair and Sharon's visit. Chickie is going to the Fair today, so DH is working yet again. I'm hoping I won't be too busy, so that he can stay in the back room and do whatever he needs to. Have an excellent weekend and I'll be back on Monday after another Sunday at Renaissance Festival. Slava Ukraini. 

A Phone Saga - It's Going To Be An Internet Hunt

I dragged a very crabby DH to the Verizon store at 11:00 am Sunday to look at phones. After spending a half-hour looking through a variety of brands and models, he ended up with the very model I thought he would want - the Samsung Galaxy S22. It's an older phone, but it's narrow and only 6.1 inches tall, as close as we could get to his old Motorola. Looking through Amazon this morning, I'll have to order the phone directly from Samsung, but I can get an Otterbox and some screen protective glass from Amazon. I should be ready to switch him over within 1-2 weeks. Of course, I know nothing about Samsung phones, but Chickie has used Samsung phones for more than a decade. She'll be his lifeline for this one. 

After looking at a lot of phones, he decided on the 
one model I thought he would - the smallest of 
the bunch, but still a good one. The Samsung 
Galaxy S22 isn't the newest phone out there, but 
that's not a problem. It's a good, reliable phone from 
a good manufacturer, and it's a size that he 
thinks will be good for him (he wanted something 
small). Now to get it ordered. 

He also wants a new tablet. We looked at several at Verizon, but couldn't quite decide. We have a old tablet on our phone plan, but it probably won't move over when they upgrade to 5G later this year either, so I'll have to spend a little time researching things on this end. I wouldn't mind a tablet for myself either, and if we get a fourth phone line on our plan, we could switch to a different Unlimited Plan and suddenly DH would be able to get all of the TV streaming choices he's been wanting to get. That does nothing for me - I'm not much of a TV fan, but he'd enjoy it. As long as he's paying me for the bill (and he'd have to increase the amount he pays for it), then he can do what he wants. 

He also wants a tablet to replace his old one. No problem, 
I just need to find the best deal for him. He doesn't 
use it often, but there are some good reasons why he 
would want one that could be more like a laptop 
and less like a phone. More research. LOL

So I'll be playing with amounts, offers, options and techniques today while continuing to try and get the final pages of my Swarovski cubes up on Etsy, and helping whatever customers decide to come out on a frightfully hot holiday Monday. On one hand I'm hoping we won't be busy, on the other hand it would be good to have a good volume of people and some good sales by the end of the day. I'm divided - LOL. 

At this point I don't even remember which sizes 
I have made live, and which ones I'm still working 
on. I'll have to double-check that - LOL. I think 
I have the 6mm and 8mm sizes live now, but I don't 
think I had time to upload the 4mm size. It's probably
minimal work remaining on that final size, so I'll
probably have it up today. 

Thanks to those of you who voted for my CRAIC story on LJ Idol. I'm not at the top, but I'm far from the bottom and I received a lot of very positive comments on the work. I'm very happy with the results from the week. I'm sending congratulations out to bleodswean for reaching "Luna Level" - 159 weeks of posting in LJ Idol. That's an accomplishment well worth celebrating. Bleodswean was directly responsible for my joining LJ Idol, so all blame and approval lie with her. Congratulations! 

Thank you for your votes for my latest story in 
LJ Idol. I'm still in the mix, and that's what's 
important to me. Now to see what the next 
prompt will be ... LOL. As always, I love and 
appreciate ALL of my readers and those who 
comment and vote are very appreciated. 

I'm cutting this short today to research the phone a bit more and maybe get the orders started. I'll be much more comfortable when DH is actually set up with a new, functional phone. He'll still be annoying about it - growling at it all the time - but I won't have to worry about him being without one when our area gets our 5G upgrade. Have a fabulous Monday, if you get the day off for Juneteenth, enjoy your holiday. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini!