STFU

 It was a productive day today. While I was away enjoying Grandma time, Mr Romance ducked out and surprised me with a truckload of mushroom mulch. Which was actually very sweet.

I spent the day shoveling it into my raised beds, which will be tarped off for the winter. This gives the mulch time to break down and age. I am hoping that the tarp will keep the soil in those raised beds free from blight. The black tarp will also absorb the sun's heat next spring, baking (and killing) weeds. 

I will untarp the beds when I am ready to plant next year.

So...that's what I was up to today. 

It was a windy day, but not cold. I worked wearing just a sweatshirt, and I was completely comfortable. 

I got five beds weeded and mulched and smoothed out. The wind picked up and it began to spritz rain. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, I will throw the rest of the mulch on the flower bed and get the vegetable beds tarped.

Tim was busy too. We have snow in the forecast late Sunday. We went shopping for a storm door. We stopped in to a family owned building supply store first, just to see what they had. We found a door we were both satisfied with, nothing fancy, but practical and utilitarian. The guy said, 'I have that door out back. It was a special order that was returned because of a scuffmark." We saved over $200 on that door, and it came with all the hardware and the hydraulic tube that allows the door to shut without slamming.

So that was what Tim did while I shoveled. When he needed an extra set of hands I was there to jump off the truck and 'hold this right here like that' (my special talent).

Tim decided that he needed to order another part for his truck, a spider/fuel injector tube set up. It is the last part he can replace for the fuel assembly. Everything else has been done. If that doesn't solve it, he will begin looking at the computer system.

He could not find the part on Rock Auto. He was getting aggravated because either they didn't understand what he was talking about or they did not know what they were talking about. He finally reached a store that understood what he was looking for. They pulled it up on their computer and said they could have it delivered to the store by 2. He knew it would be expensive but he flinched at the $795 price. 

"Let me think about it," he said.

I interrupted him on the phone, something he hates.. "You order that part! It is false economy to have a truck sitting around that you can't use." 

He ordered the part, and went in to pick it up. 

You know, I was pretty upset that he bought another truck with problems, but he has been patiently and methodically replacing parts and studying the situation for quite a while now. 

I was worried about him after his stroke. When he gets tired there are glitches in his logic. Sometimes he stutters. Working on his truck is good exercise for his brain. When he gets tired, he can set it aside and watch a few youtube videos or read up on it. It is something he has loved all his life. 

I need to STFU, as they say. 

At least it is not another house.

Life is for learning

We like soup when the temperature starts to drop. I have a pretty good collection of recipes, but it is always fun to add a new one. 

This one was called Creamy Bean Soup with Kale. I had all the ingredients. It certainly smelled good. 

Note to self: next time I cook kale, remove it from the stems.

Was kale even invented in the 1900s? 

Maybe it was just illegal. 

(Tim thinks it should be.)

A mystery:

Tim came out of the bedroom wearing a tee-shirt. I said, 'Where did you get that?' He said, 'I thought you got it for me.' 'I would not have got you a ratty tee shirt...' 

We have no idea how this shirt wound up in his dresser drawer.  I don't even remember washing and folding it.

It looks like the democrats are having a good day. 

I wrestled with myself over this one. It is awful. 

Oh deer!

I headed out to my son's house Thursday morning. I did not get the early start I usually do. It was raining quite hard but was supposed to taper off between about 9. I decided to hold off. The rut has begun. This means that hormone crazed bucks will be chasing does hell bent on getting away. The incidence of car/deer crashes is greatly increased this time of year. The rain was heavy enough that I was afraid decreased visibility would make a bad situation worse. 

So I waited it out.

The rain did not stop exactly, but it was brighter outside. I finally got on the road at 10. I saw 34 road killed deer once I hit the interstate, so I am sure I made the right decision.

I got to my destination about the same time my oldest grand daughter got out off her school bus. 

It was a busy weekend. Trick or treating Friday night. Practice for the Nutcracker Saturday morning. Birthday party Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately, the oldest started getting feverish on the way home. Before the night was over,  she was sick. The youngest was sneezing.

So it was a weekend spent at home which suited me just fine. Mom and Dad got a date night. The girls and I curled up on the couch and watched a movie that they loved and I had never seen. 

Last night, I kept waking up in the night freezing. I knew there was another blanket in the closet, so I got out of bed and got it. Except, I woke up freezing and went for that blanket over and over and over again. I wasn't dreaming about being cold, but I was dreaming about getting that blanket! By the time I woke up, I was headachey and knew I was coming down with it too. 

I was afraid to waste any time getting back home. Tuesday is Election Day. I can only cast my vote at the local fire station, and I will be there come hell or high fever, so I dosed myself with aspirin and said goodbye.

I am home now. It was an uneventful trip home, although I did see a very damaged sportscar pulled off the road. The passenger side hood was completely smashed  and the windshield was out. The roof was caved in. 

About 50 yards past that was a bloody mess of a deer. He had obviously leaped out in front of that little car, been hit hard, came over the hood, smashed the windshield and went over the roof. My guess is that the driver was flying.

(Did I mention it is the rut? Smart drivers are not flying anywhere.)

Our clocks went back Saturday night. 

I hope everyone reading makes it a point to get out and to vote tomorrow. We don't have a lot of ways to register our displeasure. Not remaining silent. Voting. How we spend (or don't spend) our dollars. We all need to make our voices heard in every way we can.

Happy Halloween

 I am am away for 5 days being a grandma. Have a happy Halloween!

Suppertime

 Remember our friend who had lost so much weight that he frightened us? He stopped in this morning on his way to Altoona to say that he would be unable to make dinner tomorrow. 

Altoona is a long haul from here. He had a 2:30 appointment. He would be hauling past on his way back home about 6. Tim and I had an appointment to meet at the notary's office to sign the truck over to his nephew, but we would be back home well before then, so I said, "so come tonight."

"Really?" he said. 

It would be simple enough. I was making a pot of Rigmor's lentil soup. I had everything I needed on hand for that. I could chop and sautè, and toss it all in a crock pot. Easy enough. All I had to do was make some rolls. 

He looked hopeful. "Could we have corn bread?"

"That is even easier," I said. "I will make corn bread." He had brought two butternut squash. I said, "Do you like squash? I can bake one of those if you want."

He did want. 

So after he got on the road, I assembled my soup. For the dessert, I figured a high protein vanilla custard. It would be a good way to use up the left over whipped cream from the pumpkin pie. I put the bowl in the fridge to cool, and cleaned the kitchen. 

There were no knife accidents today. (Yay me!)

He showed up at 6, and we all had a leisurely supper.

Before he left, I was able to pin him down to another meal. I think he was embarrassed, but I started simply planning the meal. "Chili or cheesy cream of potato?" 

He hesitated. "Boy...I haven't had a good bowl of potato soup in a long time..."

"Potato soup it is, then. I will make another pan of corn bread for you. Do you want me to make that other squash?"

He agreed that would be nice. He worried about being a bother, but it really isn't any harder to make a meal for three than it is to make a meal for two. I said, "well the fact is, I have made up my mind to put some meat on your bones. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is just to go along with me so I don't get mean. Ask Tim."

Tim laughed. So did he. He took his bag of leftovers. "What time should I come then?"

Clarification

 I can understand why so many people had grave concerns about a 14 year old boy having a gun. Given all the school shootings and violent episodes, sure. I totally get that.

But let me explain. The young man in question is a licensed youth hunter. He had to take a hunter safety course when he began hunting at 12. He has to hunt with a licensed adult until he is sixteen. His father is an experienced hunter. Like Tim, his brother was taught by their father. 

The boy now has a gun, but he has not been turned loose with it. The gun will be safely stored. When he visits, he will take his gun out to hunt with his father and brother.

Are our gun laws adequate? No. I can assure you that they are not. For instance, my husband gave a gun to his youngest nephew. There is no paperwork that goes with that transaction.

Should there be? 

We both think so. 

This is how the law reads: 

Registration Laws in Pennsylvania | Giffords https://share.google/UIizHeUkCwlZo4MOi

I believe the laws need to be strengthened. It is not an opinion shared by most people. "We don't need new laws! We need to enforce the laws on the books!" 

You can see that there is not a lot to be enforced.

Let's talk about personal responsibility. Tim's nephew is a high achiever in school. A happy uncomplicated kid, a boy scout whose intentions are to reach Eagle Scout like his brother. But what if he were an awkward kid? Bullied. Prone to angry out bursts. Acting out. Emotionally immature? Uses violent terminology. Should he have access to a weapon? Of course not. 

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has no laws about weapon storage in the home. 

Should they? Of course. But once again, people will fight tooth and nail against any changes to existing gun laws, screaming about their second amendment rights. 

The sad fact of the matter is that the law is assuming that gun owners will be responsible.

 They often are not. 

James and Jennifer Crumbley trials: Parents of Oxford school shooter sentenced to 10 to 15 years | CNN https://share.google/1rgmChJJG35avyWvq

Adam Lanza’s Mental Problems ‘Completely Untreated’ Before Newtown Shootings, Report Says - The New York Times https://share.google/URlnhaTw4NMTkbaMn

In the case of the Crumbleys, they were called to the school over his disturbing drawings and threats. They dismissed the concerns and allowed him access to an assault weapon.

Adam Lanza's mother likewise ignored concerns and took her son to shooting ranges to practice.

The Uvalde shooter legally bought two assault weapons on his 18th birthday. He had 1682 rounds of ammo.

If assault weapons were not legal, nearly all school shootings would have been prevented. So simple.

Except it is not.

Kids cannot legally drink until they are 21. Why should they be allowed to buy an assault weapon at 18.

Second amendment rights.

People will try to debate the definition of an assault rifle, but the fact is, no matter what you call it, no hunter needs a weapon that fires hundreds of rounds per minute.

It doesn't make sense. You are right. We are left to use our own best judgement in this, and Tim did.

Agree or disagree, the fact is that we live in an area where people hunt. My husband is a hunter. He comes from a long line of them. So does his son. So does his nephews. 

We eat what he brings home. It is the way it is.

Keep on Trucking

 We have had a lot of company in for dinner in the past two weeks. Tim and I were trying to tot it all up this afternoon. It came up to five dinners, which doesn't seem like a lot actually, but I guess that tossing a wedding and a funeral on there makes it seem like more.

Anyways, we had three coming yesterday for supper. It was an easy one. William was here for the weekend and Tim's brother was coming with his two teenagers. We decided on burgers and fries.

It was to be a special night. The youngest nephew, (14) did not have a deer rifle of his own. Tim had bought a gun for William a couple years back, but William decided he was not a hunter. (That's fine.) Tim went back and got the Mossberg, still in the box, two boxes of ammo. 

The brothers were deep in discussion. The gun is a youth model which can grow by lengthening the stock. The decision was made that it would be a good gun for the boy.

Tim said, 'Take it and give it to him.'

His brother made shocked, sputtering noises. 

Tim said, 'No. I am giving it to him.'

After some back and forth, it was agreed to on one condition. He would bring the boys back, and Tim would do the presenting. 

We decided on Saturday. They would come for supper and then do some target shooting after. Tim could give the boy the gun then.

It has been a busy week, but Saturday finally rolled around. I had to run William in to town to maximize his time with his other grandfather who was headed back to Michigan after breakfast.

Once back home, I made two pumpkin pies from the pumpkins I had roasted and cut up earlier. I popped them in the oven and they came put perfectly, if I do say so myself. 

T minus 40 minutes: I turned on the oven to airfry and popped in a large sheet of french fries. I efficiently put 9 Angus patties on a rack to thaw slightly before popping them in the oven. I put the buns on a platter and set them on the stove where the fan was blowing warm air from the oven. I tore some lettuce. I grabbed a jar of pickles and an onion from the pantry and set them on the counter with a tomato.  I set up the mixer and started the whipped cream for the pie and then efficiently turned my attention to the slicing the tomato and onion. 

I mean, it was a perfectly synchronized operation right up to the very moment that I grabbed the knife in an absent minded way and sliced my finger.

Good grief what a mess. I bolted for the bathroom with my hand wrapped in a kitchen towel. I could not get it to stop bleeding. Tim helped me bandage it tightly, but that took a bit because the dressing soaked through twice.

Long story shot, my fries and burgers got too done. My whipped cream was on the verge of turning onto sweet butter. Tim hacked the tomato and onion in a careless way.

So much for efficiency.

But the youngest boy was thrilled with the gun. He scampered up to the house to show me the hole he'd put in an empty soda can.

The funniest part was this though. The oldest boy is driving now. He wants a truck. He was mourning the fact that even trucks in horrible shape are going for exorbitant money. 

Tim said. "I have a truck that needs some body work to pass inspection. Mechanically, it is sound."

The boy got such a hopeful look. 

So they were pulling on boots and grabbing jackets. William and the youngest were deep in conversation about VR while being totally disconnected from reality. I don't believe they even noticed.

Tim came back in alone. He had sent the two of them off to take it for a drive. He was deep in thought when they returned.  

The young man stood nervously with his hands in his pockets. His father stood by silently letting his son make the deal. The boy stammered a little as he said. "Would you take $1400?"

Tim said, "$500." He had already made up his mind not to charge him any more than what the boy could make back if he decided to scrap it. 

The boy went slack jawed and his eyes bugged. It tickled Tim to see his hand instantly flash out his pocket to shake on the deal.

And so the deal was struck. He brought his mother and the money back tonight, even though Tim said that there was no reason to do that. I think he wanted to take her for a ride in his truck. 

We will drop the truck off at his father's welding shop tomorrow, so that he can begin working on it after school. He won't be able to get his license until December, but the notary work will be done this week. 

He is thrilled. We have one less truck here, a win-win situation if ever was one.

One Funeral and a Wedding

 It has been a busy past few days. My daughter and her long time fella got married. It was a small affair at the JP's office, but we wanted it to be special. I think it was.

Her father drove in from Michigan. Tim and I were the other two attendees. We decided to have a nice dinner out afterwards. 

I got a bouquet of flowers for Brianna and made boutonnieres for Don and William, who had suits for the occasion. William was the ring bearer.

I wanted a small cake too, snd the young girl who did the decorating understood the assignment, e en tough the don't make wedding cakes.  They had no toppers, but I went back to the Christmas aisle and got a dated wedding ornament for their tree. I was very disappointed not to find a little bride and groom, but it just is what it is.

 When I stopped in the next morning to pick up the cake, the same young woman was there. She said, 'the cake turned out so beautiful!'  

I took the pasteboard box from her and said, 'You know what?  I had no doubts that it would be.' When we opened up the box later, everyone ooh'd and ah'd. It really was perfect. 

Behind it, you will see William. He was pranking his aunts and uncle. He had ordered a root beer and was delighted to see it looked like an actual beer bottle.

(No actual alcohol consumed.)

The ceremony was done in short order. William produced the rings on cue. Promises made. 

We tried to get pictures afterwards, but the wind picked up and a cold rain started, so between us all, we only got a hundred or so.

We went to the restaurant and had a good meal. The restaurant is noted for their fish and seafood as well as their steak. I think everyone ended up with some version of seafood, but there was a lot of joy and chatter, so...I forget.

In the end, two people were married. That is the most important thing.

I would have forgotten the funeral in all the hubbub. Lester wasn't related, really, but he was a good, good man that our family claimed, the grandfather of some of my nieces and nephews. Much beloved.  There will be an empty plate at the Thanksgiving table this year, and we will all feel his absence. I am glad my sister reminded me of it. Tim and I went flying in at the last minute, but we made it.

This morning, I stopped in to thank the cake decorator. In an interested voice, she asked, "Was the celebration special? Were you able to find a topper?"  I was really touched. I told her that everyone was delighted with her work. 

Ii guess the only other thing of note is that last night we went to an historic theater to see the 1931 versions of Frankenstein with Boris Karlov and Dracula with Bela Lugosi. William commented that the special effects were pretty cheesy. We all laughed as we explained to him that in 1931, movies with sound were still a novelty. The special effects were, for their time, cutting edge.

This is a pretty disjointed post, but it has been a pretty disjointed few days.

First World Problem

 I have a husband who can't miss a meal. In fact, if a meal is late, it might be the end of him.

The most frustrating thing about him is that he can eat pure crap and it does not affect his A1C, his cholesterol or his weight.

There is no justice in this.

So today, we had to go into town. We got another load of stuff from the old house, to include the mirror to the marble topped dresser. 

It was about to rain, so we needed to get that load home, but it was a few minutes past noon, and Tim was on his death bed, so we went to McDonald's so that he could get a meal to go. 

I got my standard order which is one large unsweetened iced tea, extra ice, double lemon.

While I was not staring death in the eye, I was thirsty, and so when my drink came. I took a big swig and it was sweet tea. 

So I got out of the truck and went in and explained the situation. She apologized and I gave her the order again: large unsweetened tea with extra ice and double lemon. She repeated after me: one unsweetened iced tea with extra ice and lemonade. 

'No,' I said. 'No lemonade at all. Just one large unsweetened tea, lots of ice. Two slices of lemon.'

'No lemonade? Just lemon?'

'Yes,' I said. 

She was gone an awful long time for just getting a drink, but I waited. I mean, unlike Tim, I was not having a near death experience.

But eventually, she came out with a big smile...and handed me a 'large unsweetened iced tea, extra ice, lemonade.'

I said. 'I didn't want lemonade...' and she went wide eyed. 'Oh my gosh. I did it again.'

I waited once again. She returned with my cup. It had my lemons, but she forgot the ice of all things.

I wasn't dying, but I was thirsty, so I took it and left. By the time I got back to the truck, Tim was nearly finished with his meal.

Motorhead

 Tim got his 'new' old truck a few weeks back. My suggestion was to get a newer truck without mechanical problems but he really wanted this truck. He wanted it so badly that he did not bother to discuss it. He just hopped in his car and drove an hour and a half. 

He came back a few hours later and told me he bought the truck. He raved about how great of shape the body was in. The truck was from California. The underneath was solid. The fellow had put new fenders on it. The guy knew how to do bodywork the right way.

I was not fooled. I said, 'How does it run, though?' 

He gave the not too reassuring response: 'No way to know that until I drive it a while.'

The thoughts I thought are best left unshared.

And sure enough, driving the truck home he discovered 'a bug'. It gave a little jerk from time to time. He was pretty sure it was no big deal. the truck did not stall out or anything. He dragged his little code reader out of its little suitcase and got a read out that indicated oxygen sensors. 

So he sent off to Rock Auto and got all new oxygen sensors. While he was at it, he got a fuel pump for the 'last' old truck. 

When everything arrived, he replaced the oxygen sensors. 

The truck still jerked from time to time. So he got the idea to replace the fuel filter. Still there was that jerk. Not bad. It always started. In never stalled out. He decided to put the fuel pump that he'd gotten for the 'last' old truck on the new old truck (they are the same year.) 

After several hours of work, he started it up and honest to Pete, it sounded worse than ever. When he came into the house, I said, 'I am sorry...' but ever the optimist, he said, 'it is a lot easier to diagnose a problem if the vehicle does it all the time,' and back he went to the internet to study the situation some more.

So far he has replaced the cam sensor, the crankshaft sensor, the rotor something or another and the spark plugs. Probably not in that order. If I got something messed up, it is because I do a lot of 'nod and smile' when he explains. In 27 years of marriage, he has not noticed that I could not care less.

If Glen Moon was here, I am certain that the two of them would happily spend hours down in the garage. Bless their hearts. So Mary, if your husband has any ideas, pass them along. 

The good news is that he bought another fuel pump for the last old truck and got it installed while he was waiting for another shipment from Rock Auto. That truck runs perfectly at least. 

I will give the man credit: he has an awful lot of patience with his tinkering. I would have run the thing off a cliff by now.

Actually, that is not true. I would have spent the money to get a newer truck. Even though "it is all computerized and has to be taken in to be repaired because it is all a plot to move vehicle repairs from a home garage to dealerships."

Anyways. Steve Reed showed a picture of his flowering cactus. 

This is my great grandmother's cactus. Then my grandma got it. Then my mother got it. Then I got it. After 10 years in my care, it inexplicably began to die. I felt terrible about it. After reading and trying everything, I gave up. I just set the dead plant out in the unheated mudroom for the winter meaning to dump the dirt in the garden in the spring and save the pot for something that was willing to put more effort into living.

And in the spring, when I was pulling out all the dead growth, square in the middle of the pot was the tiniest bit of green. It was brought back inside and despite my tender care, it lived.

I finally moved it from the old house, where it has been sitting alone and neglected since July. Proving once again it doesn't need any help from me, thank you very much, it was covered in blossoms.

You know what doesn't thrive on neglect? Trucks. Just a thing I noticed.

Invisible People

 It was a windy day today, a cool and cloudy day, getting only to the mid fifties. Autumn. I had plenty to do inside, and so I spent the day doing it. 

We had company yesterday. Remember those scalloped potatoes? I was so sure they were not going to be any good, so, last minute, I threw together some instant mashed potatoes. But lo, they were good and the mashed potatoes were not touched. 

I was pondering supper, and decided on a cottage pie to use up that bowl of mashed potatoes. I  grabbed a package of chopped venison out of the freezer. I used my dehydrated vegetables again, and also chopped up some other vegetables that just needed to be gone. 

I invited my brother in law and sister over for supper even though it was late notice. It was such an awfully big casserole, the one I bake lasagna in. There was plenty. 

Luckily.

An old friend stopped in. I haven't seen him in a couple years and was shocked at his appearance. He is so gaunt and frail that it really pained me to see him. 

An extra plate was quickly set at the table. He ate very slowly but listened to the conversation around him with interest. He had a wheat roll with a helping of pumpkin butter. I was secretly happy to see him take a second. 

I was not the only one surprised at our friend's appearance. In private, my brother-in-law said he would have never known him. My sister said she didn't know who he was until he spoke. His voice is unchanged.

Afterwards, when it was just him and us, I asked him flat out what was going on,  that his gaunt  appearance was a bit of a shock.

He denied that he was sick, but did admit to just being tired. Everything takes him longer. He sometimes forgets to eat. Other times he is just too tired to figure out what to have for supper. Tim said "Give him the leftovers from supper." 

It was not a whole lot, but he could get a couple meals out of it. I went to the freezer and got a small loaf of whole grain bread. I took a container of apple sauce too. I brought it upstairs and cut a quarter of an apple pie.

I showed him how to make refrigerator oats. He actually pulled out a pen, and wrote the directions down. I told him that he could make up a weeks worth, and just add milk to one of them each evening, let it sit overnight in the fridge, nuke it for 30 seconds and then add milk and honey to taste, and there was breakfast. 

We both lectured him the kindest way we knew how, and sent him out the door with a standing invitation for supper. We did get a for-sure-and- certain promise that he would come next Wednesday. 

Tim and I are pretty rattled by this. He is an old friend. He used to come eat with us a couple times a week, but he got quite offended that we were not MAGA. He had tried his best to convert us. We finally had to tell him we did not want to discuss politics. He was angry, left the house and never came back.

He was always a talker. A hard worker, a machinist like Tim. A hunter. Cuts and hauls his own firewood to store for winter. A lifelong batchelor. he was all of those things, but now he is an invisible person, an elderly man alone, becoming increasingly unable to manage. I imagine there are many people like him. 

I am not sure why he decided to drop in tonight, but we are both sure glad he did.

Paychecks

 Steve Reed commented yesterday that the No King participants are supposedly paid by George Soros, according  to the GOP and MAGA.

Now this is the same spiel provided by the acquaintance who flatly stated that no Christian should participate in No King rallies because the were nothing but a device to divide Americans. (Um...hello? This is pot calling kettle...) Anyways, when I pointed out that many religious leaders felt it was their faith that called them to be there, her response was about the undercurrents of evil behind these sort of things and spoke at great length about George Soros.

I felt sad about it but i blocked her. Once someone falls down that conspiracy rabbit hole, there is no reasoning with them. 

Anyways, so I put it out to you all:  who got paid yesterday? Anybody? 

Nothing much to report, but I did want to say that I did try my scalloped potatoes today, my dehydrated potato slices and my 'instant' sauce mix. Interesting enough, the recipe for the sauce was good. However the amount of liquid that she added to the dehydrated potato slices was just not enough. The thing is, I knew it. I questioned it, but made the decision to go with the instructions as provided. I shouldn't have. I did go back and actually doubled the amount of liquid, added more sauce mix. The potatoes did soften up. The verdict was the flavor is perfect, and probably if they had baked an extra 20 minutes, it would have been perfect. 

So...I guess that product is fine. I just need to do some math, figure out the proper liquid to potato ratio.

It started raining this afternoon and hasn't stopped yet, which is okay, because the rain is sorely needed. As a matter of fact, we have rain in the forecast every day this week. It is supposed to be much colder too. 

No Kings

There were between 300-400 people today at the rally. For our little town, it was a pretty big deal. What amazed me the most was the cheering and honking from the cars. For the first time, I saw business semi trucks tooting their horns in solidarity. A lot of public support.

Local news picked it up. 

Erie News Now coverage of 10.18.25 NO KINGS RALLY in Warren!

file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/c8/08/3613D6CD-CBC5-4857-8CBE-A6B5223DAEF6/IMG_7253.MOV

So did the newspapers.

Nationwide, they are saying seven million people mobilized so far, making it the largest protest in the nation's history.

We are pleased to have been a part of it.

Can you pick Tim and I out?

Guilt

After months of eating the expensive catfood we got for a dollar a box at Happ's, the stuff is now gone. It is not something we would ever dream of buying at regular prices. The stuff runs between $14-18 for a box of 12 pouches, and those ferals were eating more than a box per day. We would be spending more to feed cats than we spend on food for ourselves!

We feed them a good dry catfood, but finding a replacement wet food has been difficult. I am sure finding out what they won't eat. 

They began coming to the door to mew pitifully.

I bought two more 12 packs of cat food last weekend, different brands, and hallelujah! One of them was something that they all ate. 

So, yesterday, while I was out, I bought a 40 can case of it.

You guessed it. Today they were not so fond of it. 

Tim says, 'They'll eat when they get hungry enough."

I feel so guilty.

Tomorrow is No King Day. Tim and I will be there.  I feel no guilt about that. 

A friend posted that no Christian should be at one of these protests. Surprised me that she was one of those. Not everyone agreed with her. I pointed out, choosing my words very carefully, that many religious leaders of a wide variety of faiths felt it was putting their faith into action. Talking the talk is fine but sometimes it is required to walk the walk. 

She responded that behind these protests there were corrupt and evil forces at work, citing her experience at the Standing Rock protests where she was arrested.

I wonder where that idealistic woman went? She had such a passion about social justice. She firmly believed in roght and wrong. I didn't bother to say anything more, but it seems kind of sad to me. 

These protests are on track to be the biggest protest in our nation's history. Chicago and Portland are doing a fine job of nonviolent resistance to ICE. We will certainly support them.

I made wheat bread today. It has been a while but it turned out very nicely. First yeast bread of the season. I always wonder if I lost my knack. Nope. I still got it.

This has nothing to do with anything but it made me laugh: 

The Experiment

 My new stove has a multipurpose oven, and one of the things it does is dehydrate. Now, I have never tried dehydration before but decided to give it a go. The one thing that I decided is that when I run the dehydrator, the oven will be full. So I use both racks and even put a smaller baking sheet on the bottom of the oven, and then I run the dehydrator over night. The oven keeps at a steady 150 degrees.

When I wake up, everything is done. The house is also warmed on these chilly mornings. Double duty, there!

This is my first experiment. 

This jar is about 1.5 quarts. Unbelievably, this jar contains 3 lbs of carrots, 3 lbs of celery, six large Vidalia onions, at least 4 trays of dehydrated tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, corn, green beans. I just dehydrated whatever I found on sale, produce wise or whatever came from the garden. If I had part of a onion left over from whatever I was cooking, I just diced it up and put it on a parchment covered baking sheet. It was a great way to use up the last of the garden, when things were winding down, not enough to make a meal, but too much to waste.

It is my soup jar. I have tried this. I had made a little venison roast. I saved the broth from it. I chopped up the meat and dropped it back into the crock pot of broth. I added a half cup of dehydrated vegetables and enough water to cover it. I let the crock sit over night in the fridge and then popped it back into the crock pot on low the next morning. I added a handful of barley and let it go.

That evening, we had our bowl of venison-vegetable-barley soup. Tim said, 'This is good.' I said that I had used the dehydrated vegetables. He said, 'Really??? They don't taste any different from regular vegetables!'

He is a convert. He tells everyone.

I have been dehydrating potatoes too. We bought a 50 lb bag. 

This is a two quart container. You can see that it is about 2/3 full. This is 10 lbs of potatoes. I will do another 5 lbs tonight. My thoughts were to use them for scalloped potatoes. If they pass Betty Crocker's scrutiny, there is no reason it shouldn't work for me. 

I hunted online and discovered that there are quite a few people who swear by dehydrating.

I found an 'instant sauce mix' to use in making the scalloped potatoes. Dried milk, flour, cornstarch. Dried minced onion. Garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper and ground mustard. 'Better than Betty's' they proclaim. 'No additives!' 

I wanted to also explain something else. You really can fall down quite a rabbit hole with this dehydrating stuff. Gz mentioned that she just braids her garlic and hangs it. We go through a lot of garlic in this house, either sautéed in olive oil and stored in the fridge or minced fresh.

This sauce recipe (and many other  dehydrating recipes) called for minced dried onion and garlic powder. I had a lot of fresh garlic and that bag of Vidalia onions. I wondered why you would buy that. If you were dehydrating, why couldn't you dehydrate those like everything else? So off I went to discover that for myself. I would call the experiment a success, but I will warn you that 3 trays of onions and one of garlic will bring you to tears! Luckily, we sleep with our bedroom door shut and windows open for the cool. By the time we got up the next morning, the tear makers were neutralized!

We will be putting these potatoes to the test on Sunday. We have company coming for barbecue. I will let you know.

This jar contains 40 ounces of fresh mushrooms. They were on sale at the grocery store, so I picked them up for dehydrating. They turned out great. I have used these already. I tossed a scoop of them into the tomato sauce I was making from the last of the tomatoes. Again,  they were (to us, anyway) indistinguishable from cooking with fresh mushrooms.

So...that is my experiment so far. I am pleased with the results. It is awfully nice to have the time to try my hand at new things.

Get 'r Done

 We have been getting things done here, and for whatever reason, it seems to be moving along without 'hiccups'.

Today, I walked out of the house with my to-do list. Tim had a list of his own. He dropped me off at the bank. Despite multiple assurances that the bank's hands were tied, two teller trips to the manager's office to discuss the situation (I was pretty sure the teller did not understand what I was explaining), I finally was allowed to speak directly to the manager. I explained the situation, she immediately understood what I needed and she did it. She also took the extra step of calling the main office to double make sure the issue was resolved. I appreciated that. I was in and out of her office in ten minutes flat.

From there, I walked to the post office with some letters. We had our mail forwarded to the new address. It took two tries to get that accomplished, but it got done. Except that we began getting mail addressed to other people at the old house!

I was directed to the postmaster. After a brief conversation with him, that problem was resolved.

Then it was out the door and over to the library. For our wedding gift to our daughter and almost son-in-law, we got them tickets to a theater event they wanted to see. Since we still do not have our computer set up, I needed to print them off there.

One interesting thing happened there. Someone had left their cellphone beside the computer, so I took it up to the desk and turned it in. Immediately, this caused great agitation. One of the librarians made a big deal about 'what are we going to do with it' and 'I am not touching it!' (Repeated multiple times). I am not sure why she was so upset by the phone. Surely it was simple enough to put the phone behind the counter for safekeeping until someone realized they'd misplaced it and began retracing their steps. The issue was debated for far longer than I thought it needed to be.

But in any case, the tickets were printed out. At about the same time, my phone rang. Tim was finished with his list. Perfect timing.

We got a few groceries and headed home. Yesterday, we had gotten our freezer loaded onto the truck and down to the new house. I got it defrosted overnight and wiped it down. We got it unloaded and into the basement with minimal difficulty. 

Has anyone heard of this cheese? I had never tried it before, but we both think it is the best cheddar we have ever had.

So anyways, I was happy with the day's work and I felt quite accomplished. I reminded myself that:

Relief

I had a doctor's appointment today, and I was sincerely dreading it. I hate arguing with the doctor. She is actually a Physician's Assistant, but, you know what I mean. She had been trying to convince me to do metformin for my 'diabetes', even though I clearly fell into the pre-diabetes range. I was pushing back. 

I cited NIH guidelines. I discussed the fact that I was hampered by a very bad knee which made exercise difficult. I was also struggling with a bit of depression. I was just not in a good place last winter.

Personally, I was seeing this as a wake up call. I got serious about my diet. My knee replacement allowed me to begin exercising in earnest.

But despite all of those changes, I was dreading that doctor visit like crazy. I was sure that the issue would be pushed again. 

Except it wasn't. 

I am no longer pre-diabetic. I have lost just over 28 pounds this year. They are pleased with the changes. Told me to keep on keeping on.

I can't tell you how relieved I am.

Pete Hegseth put out a demand that all news agencies at the Pentagon had to sign a pledge not to cover any stories not approved by the Pentagon. The deadline was 5 pm today. As far as I can see only one far right news group has signaled a willingness to do so, something called OANN, which stands for One America News Network. 

I can't tell you how relieved I am about that too. 

Let's end it on a humorous note, shall we?

Happy

 

Today, I had to go into town early to have blood work done. We had company coming for supper, so I wanted to pick up makings for a tossed salad, but I had some time to kill before the grocery store opened, so I went to the Tractor Supply to see what they had left in their garden shop. Everything was 75% and I was not going to buy anything. Just look. 

As you do. 

Except there was this bumble bee clinging to this plant in the morning chill.

Isn't that just so cute?

I bought the plant for purely humanitarian reasons, and the little bee was quite happy to travel home in a warm car with me. 

I know it is ridiculous, but that tiny good deed made me very happy and that happy lasted all day.

For Blondi

Blondi Blathers tickled me yesterday with her comment, so here you are: My refrigerator. I have a lot of magnets. Some artwork. 

I have a stone that my youngest granddaughter presented to me with great pride. She painted it herself.

The 'hagstone' (the rock with the hole in it) was found by my grandson.

They are kept in a crystal dish with my other interesting stones, arrowheads, a stone scraper/knife, fossils, pottery shards. 

I have an orange plastic spider on the bathroom window sill where my granddaughters left it.

That's enough real for the moment. 

Today I woke up at six am. I finally just got up. I peeled the rest of my apples from my niece's house and made apple sauce. Once that was on the stove, I chopped up 3 trays of onions and started dehydrating them. Once done, I whisked them through the food processor on pulse, just the tiniest bit to make dried minced onion. I am drying garlic to make garlic powder. This dehydrating thing has been such a very interesting thing to learn about. 

Taking a tip from Boud, I did a bit of creating. I made a little terrarium with mosses. That made me happy too. 

My sister and her husband came over. I finally won a game of scrabble. It's been a while. She brought beef tips and noodles for supper. I added a loaf of zucchini bread and apple sauce. Apple pie ala mode for dessert.

That is it really, unless you want to hear about the recycling taken in. Or scrubbing the bathroom. 

There you have it...another day in the life, but it was soul satisfying.