It Was a Good Kitchen Day - VERY Busy

Yesterday turned into a fabulous kitchen day. I started the day out with a lot of almost empty shelves, and ended it up with a full side. I did a large batch of my fruit, I cooked another batch of cranberries (they're so easy - they practically cook themselves), and at least two other things were cooked. My kitchen was a very busy place for several hours. Of course I also did three loads of laundry, and had a nice but focused shop at the grocery store. But, since I was doing cranberries, I started the day out at my co-op. 

My Co-Op isn't close to my house or, for that 
matter, to my business. But I love going there 
anyway. They have awesome produce, and sometimes 
I just want that quality. My regular grocer also has 
good produce, but the Market has the odd thing, 
like the specific raw cranberries I crave at this 
time of the year. 

They've been doing a major re-do at my Co-op, and it's turned out fantastic. Everything is upgraded, nice, clean, refreshed, repainted, with new shelving, new signage, new everything. It's fabulous! They're finally finished with the actual construction work, and are busy putting new product on the shelves. Another week or two and they'll be complete with this make-over which has taken the better part of two months. I think it was well worth the inconvenience. 

There's something rather wonderful about raw cranberries. 
They practically cook themselves, and they're so very 
tasty. I started using raw cranberries a few years ago and 
have been in love with them ever since. 

I found my cranberries and bought a lot, I also fell in love with a bag of small sweet potatoes that I roasted into fingers later in the day. I bought some other fruits too, they just looked so tempting. After a quick stop at my regular local grocery store, I was ready to dive in. I didn't get everything done, but I got a lot done. I

I like sweet potatoes, and one of the easiest ways 
to cook them is to cut them into spears and put 
them into the oven. So tasty! 

I roasted the sweet potatoes, I made a batch of four pork chops for dinners, I did my cranberry relish again because it's SO tasty and easy, I made another batch of my BBQ sauce since I used the last of the old batch on the pork chops, and I also got a "steal of a deal" at my local grocer for an Eye of Round Roast that was sticker offered at $10 off. I got a great piece of beef for a little more than $10. I'll roast that tomorrow and slice it into thin roast beef for sandwiches. Yummy! 

I want to cook the roast tomorrow. I ran 
out of kitchen time yesterday. I'm looking 
forward to it. 

I topped my day off with my weekly conversation with Aearwen. We've been chatting on Wednesday afternoons for years now. We've never met in person, but I consider her one of my best friends. Somehow things just click between us. It's wonderful when you meet a person like that - in person or virtually. I'm very fortunate in my friends - physical and virtual. So, on that note, have an excellent Thursday. I'm off to swim and then dive into a busy day at work and my MCD meeting at the clinic in the afternoon. I can give Claire her "Comfort Chicken" - LOL. Enjoy your day, I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Hopefully Today Will Be a Bit Smoother Than Yesterday

I have a bit more breathing room today, but yesterday was a bit of a train wreck. I was very rushed for my blog (although better than Monday), and when I got to the YMCA, I found out that the showers in the women's locker room were being worked on and hadn't been available on Monday. When we entered the building on Tuesday, we were informed that they still weren't finished. Although I could have used the family room, I decided to skip my swim and get on with what would prove to be a very busy day at the shop. 

This train wreck from 1910 had 41 fatalities. In those 
days, the train was what you took to get from Point A 
to Point B. Airplanes hadn't taken off yet (sorry for the pun). 

It wasn't that we had so many customers - we did have quite a few, but they were well spaced out and we had plenty of time to deal with them. It was the inventory that we're in the middle of - getting things appropriately counted, and also appropriately labeled and put away. That kept me busy all day, I didn't even have time for lunch. Oh well, that batch of Ogre Juice needs to be remade in any case - LOL. (It's on today's agenda along with cooking a few things for dinners.) 

I need to make a new batch of "Ogre Juice" for myself. I can 
tell I haven't had a chance to actually take a lunch for a few 
days at the shop. My body is screaming for my green juice. 

I've got a collection of items sitting on my computer desk that I need to wrap and send off to Sharon for her holiday gift. I found the perfect things at the craft show last week, and just need to get them wrapped and packed and off of my desk. And tomorrow, of course, will be my weekly MCD class with Claire. I purchased what I'm calling a "comfort chicken" at the craft fair for her. It's this knit, stuffed chicken that's large enough to hug well. I simply couldn't resist getting it for her. 

The knitted chicken I purchased for Claire is quite 
similar to this one and it's wonderfully hug-able. LOL 
You never know when hugging a chicken might be the 
perfect thing to do - LOL. I'll give it to her at MCD class 
tomorrow. 

But today will be a busy day - a laundry day and household day and if I don't get some things cooked, I'll be out of meals after I finish the last of my home-made soup from last week (which is, as always, super tasty). So, I've got to get my head in the game and start today out right with a swim, even if I have to use the Family Room for my locker and changing area. I missed my swim yesterday, and might take one on Friday so that I get my three days in this week ... maybe. I haven't made up my mind, and probably won't until Friday gets here. Have an excellent Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Almost On Time Today - LOL

I got to the bank on time, and got everything done in my very busy early morning. I apologize for running out of time yesterday. It's rare that I'll mess things up like that, especially on a non-swim day. But ... life happens - LOL. Today I at least have 15 minutes to post. 

Having that extra 15 minutes is SO important. 

It's winter dry now here in the Frozen Northlands. It's odd how winter can be so dry because we're in the snow belt, and we generally end up with a lot of moisture by the end of Spring. But, right now, we're fully into Autumn, and that's a drying out season. The trees shed their leaves (my yard is a carpet of chestnut brown in the front, and golden oak leaves in the back), and raking them becomes a priority. DH will have to start doing that, but he's so busy at the shop working on the inventory, etc., I don't know when/how he'll find the time. We've tried blowing them before, but we have a LOT of leaves - well more than 20 trees worth in the actual yard area, and more bordering the edges that we don't bother with. 

Most of our trees are maple trees - not sugar maples, just 
regular ones. But their Fall foliage is always spectacular - 
reds and golds - just stunning. Almost worth the work it 
takes to rake them up and get them into our compost pile. 

We've had a hard freeze now, so I'll have to check my herbs. Sometimes they can actually pass through a couple of hard frosts before dying down. If so, I'll get the last of the rosemary and thyme harvested and into the dehydrator. The last of the peppers got harvested and dried late last week. I'm very pleased with the crop I managed to get this year. Just wonderful - like sunshine in a container when I add some to my meals. 

I tend to powder my peppers instead of just grind them into 
flakes, but both are useable. It's lovely to have an assortment 
of them to take me through the snowy months. 

So, I'm off to the pool for my first swim of the week. I always look forward to being in the pool, even though it's total hell on my skin. Still, in my mind, it's well worth it. I need the workout, and I don't want to be on the treadmill six days a week. Plus, I have friends there that I've had for several years now (in some cases), and it's always a pleasure to catch up with them. So ... I'm out of here. I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow for a shopping, cooking and cleaning day. Be safe, be kind and Slava Ukraini. 

Whoops! I'm Out of Time

I thought I was doing fine on time, but forgot that I have to put a deposit into the bank today, and that cuts my time down by 1/2 hour. So, you get this quick note to say I'm fine, I had a nice weekend, and I'll be back tomorrow with a more normal posting because it's a swimming day. I had a great run on the treadmill this morning, though, so even though I'm running late, it's going to be a good day. Enjoy your Monday, I'll be back tomorrow.  Slava Ukraini. 

It Was a Busy Friday - Shopping and Shopping and Visiting a Friend

It was a very busy day yesterday, I did a bit of cooking, but most of the day was filled with this and that. Errands, tasks, and a special treat for myself were on the agenda. My treat consisted of attending the craft show that comes to my City annually. (https://www.facebook.com/PeggysHolidayBoutique/) I missed it last year - schedules just didn't work. I had one year when I was there and the store computers crashed so I called it short, took the computer to my Guru, and ended up spending the next three days with him while he fixed it yet again. So the craft show and I have History - LOL. 

The qualifications for the boutique are the items must be 
handmade, and they have to be quality. This lovely pottery 
display had some really lovely things, but I didn't need 
any additional stoneware at this time. 

I found the perfect "Thanks for being such a great friend" gift for Claire, got DH several containers of excellent fudge and a brownie (because he's got a sweet tooth), got Sharon's holiday gifts which will be boxed up and sent on it's way within the week, and picked up a set of earrings for myself. I had several people comment on how pretty they were just while wandering the sales floor. And they are - cute! They're also unique, which is a requirement for my personal jewelry. I suspect I'll get a lot of wear from this set of earrings. 

Hand made soaps and lotions were the focus 
of this crafter. Absolutely wonderful, but I passed 
on them too - my skin is too sensitive for most 
of these products. But ... I loved them nonetheless. 

I wanted to get my friend Meg a gift. She broke her kneecap, or her dogs assisted her in breaking her kneecap while at the dog park a few weeks ago. She's my regular swimming partner - we share a lane for most of my time in the pool. Then she shifts over to take Rosemary's lane. She's a serious swimmer, and much better and faster than I am, but we're very compatible in the pool. When I was laid up after my cancer surgery, she came by the house with a blooming daffodil to help cheer me up. So sweet! So, I wanted to get her something nice. 

Doesn't everyone need a gnome or two 
in their lives? These wonderful 
Scandinavian-inspired gnomes were 
absolutely delightful. But they weren't 
my choices either. 

I got a great card, then got two different gift certificates for dinner - one at Pizza Luce (which even has cauliflower crust and lots of vegetarian options for people like me), and the other at Chipotle, because again, you can pick and choose to get exactly the meal you want. I dropped by her house late in the day. The dogs were being atrocious (I have to say, they're not very well trained at all), and Steve had his hands full getting them away from the door long enough to pass the card along to Meg. I think her daughter was also there. They were almost getting ready for dinner, so my timing was actually really good (for a change - LOL). I passed on the card, told her I'd put some food gift cards in there in case Steve didn't want to cook all the time, and told her how much we all missed her at the YMCA. She had a huge grin on her face - she was so happy to see me. It brightened my heart a bit. 

One of the two food gift cards was for Pizza Luce. This is 
their BBQ Chicken pizza. I love them because they have gluten-free 
options like a cauliflower crust, and everything is always made 
from scratch. It's one of the few restaurants that I can easily 
eat a meal at, and it's tasty. 

So, I'm wrapping this up. I had a good run this morning, but I'm running a little late. Time for breakfast and then off to the shop. Have a perfectly wonderful Saturday and weekend. I'll be back Monday morning. Slava Ukraini. 

WildFit, Repricing and Time Moves Along - I'm Doing OK - LOL

DH finally buckled down yesterday and started going through all of our precious metal findings and beads, repricing them to be within reason with the daily adders that we have to add. The store, behind the counters, looks rather like a small tornado hit selected parts. It's a real mess. Hopefully he'll know exactly where he left off so that he can pick up again today. We're talking 14Kt gold, 12Kt gold, gold-filled and sterling silver, all of which need to be adjusted. We always change pricing dependant on the daily metals market, but the base price from which we multiply needs to be set at a correct point. 

Gold has moved a lot since 1960. That lower dip in the 
center of the chart is the dip for the late 1980's through 
the early 2000's. That's when I learned how to be a 
jeweler and a goldsmith. I worked in gold, and I loved it. 
But I can't afford it now, and we had to reprice items that 
we purchased in the 1990's and bring them up to current 
pricing, currently more than $2000/ounce. Ouch! 

Of course, I don't really do things with pricing. I'm a bit hopeless at it, to be truthful. I'm not a numbers gal, I'm a people gal. I am fabulous at helping people find just the right bead or color for their project. Color is really my personal strong point. But I'm hell at numbers and, for someone who actually worked with accounting firms for decades, that's a bit of a giggle. I can run an office efficiently, I can type and keyboard VERY well, I can deal with the State and Federal governments and their variable regulations, but I can't do numbers. I suppose it's a plus that I know my strengths and weaknesses. LOL

I'm not really good with numbers. I can calculate things 
just fine, I can pay State and Federal taxes on time, 
so I'm not hopeless at numbers. And I've worked in the 
accounting profession on and off throughout my life. 
But I'm hell at setting budgets, investing, and planning 
with numbers. Fortunately, DH is a genius at numbers 
(a bit obsessive at times), and he's kept us afloat. 

I had an excellent treadmill session this morning, even though my treadmill virtual program was acting up a little bit. I'll keep an eye on it and see if it's worth phoning them next week, but for now, I'm done with my exercise, I have a cuppa herbal tea next to me, and I'm settling down a little bit to write this, to catch up with all of you, my cyber friends near and far, and to settle down before breakfast and starting the work day. 

I looked it up. I joined WildFit in March or early April, 
2020. I've been eating a WildFit diet ever since because 
it makes sense to me. Yesterday's session for my MCD 
class dealt with nutrition and yes, I'm doing a lot of 
things right. Makes me feel pretty good! 

Yesterday's MCD class (Mild Cognitive Decline) was really interesting. Of course, it dealt with food, and I'm totally on top of that. I've been on Wildfit since the end of March, 2020. The USA was shut down for COVID on March 15, 2020, and I signed up for the WildFit class shortly afterward. Then it was a battle to get DH to let me cook what I wanted, and not necessarily eat what he did. It's still a fight every now and again, but it's been more than five years, I'm still following a WildFit structure for my diet, and he's learned that I'm not budging on this. He's overweight, I'm not. 'Nuff said - LOL. 

So, I'm wrapping this up, finishing my first cup of tea for the day, and getting ready to have breakfast and leave for the shop. I hope all of you have an excellent Friday and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

I'm Actually Slightly Early Today - Not Rushed! It's a Miracle! - LOL

Today is a busy day - I have to work, of course, but I also have my MCD course in the middle of the day, and I start the day out with a good swim while listening to the latest book in my series (which I successfully downloaded yesterday afternoon). Apparently, when I purchased the audio book for this volume in the series, I inadvertently chose MP4 instead of MP3 as a download mode. My headphones require MP3, so I went back in and downloaded the correct format, moved it over to the headphones, and voila! Success! LOL I think it's the last book of the series too. Then I'll move on to a different author for the next year+ of listening. 

I have too much open space in my brain these days, 
and according to the doctors, that's a problem - LOL. 
I'm not super happy about it, but I don't think there's 
much that I can do about it except learn to deal with it 
as effectively as possible for as long as possible. 

I have my MCD (Mild Cognitive Disorder) gathering this afternoon. I'm looking forward to it. We're going to be discussing the foundational pillars of living with memory loss, and today's pillar is Nutrition. It's one thing in my life that I'm quite conscious of and that I have put a lot of work and research into. I'm pretty confident that I'm doing this aspect of living with MCD in a very thorough way. 

My "Ogre Juice" recipe always changes to mesh with whatever 
looks really good in the produce section of the grocery store. 
The only guarantee is that it will be green - LOL - like Shrek. 
Thus, my nickname for the beverage/food.  

Speaking of food, I harvested the last of my hot peppers yesterday afternoon, got them washed, cut and into the dehydrator, and I should probably try to find time to take them out of the dehydrator when I get home from the gym. But, I might let them sit there until tomorrow when I can pull them and put them through the grinder so that I can add them to my spice jars. We're expecting a weekend of below zero temperatures, so I had to rescue whatever I could. It was a good year for my peppers. 

My dehydrator was packed full of peppers when I got it 
started yesterday afternoon. I'll check on them when I get 
home from swimming. I had them on a ten-hour cycle, 
and I think they'll be fine to pull tonight and process 
(grind) tomorrow. 

So, even though I'm early (for a change), I'm going to wrap this up and start my day. I plan on being back here tomorrow for a "day off" and a "Make Ogre Juice" day. I also bought some fresh cranberries from my co-op yesterday and want to make my cranberry sauce. I love fresh cranberries - they're VERY tasty and quite easy to cook and pulverize. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.