Simple Sunday

Our weather has been cold but not rainy. The highs are at 58, and the lows are at 42. It looks to be the same for the next week at least. I’ve been using the space heaters some and the wood stove is used daily.

I had a nice swim this week and also went to the gym and library. Overall, a good week exercise-wise. My replacement Merrills are on the way, but it’s still about a week out. I’ve been wearing my Hokas in the house, and that helps some with my foot. My foot, at least, hasn’t gotten worse and is somewhat better.

We had a very nice Thanksgiving. The dinner turned out well, and it was nice. Of course, without Barclay here, it was different and sad but we all raised a glass of champagne to him:)

I’ve been writing out small lists of things to do each day, only 2 or 3 things, and it’s helped me stay on task. Nothing major, but things like wiping down the shelves, dusting the Easton Press books. Just little things. What I don’t get to, I put on a list for the next day. So far, it’s been good for me.

I made a turkey wild rice soup from leftovers yesterday. It was very good, and I put some servings in the Souper cubes to freeze. I need to do a menu for the week sometime today.

I plan on going to the Auburn gym this morning, and then I need a few things from Safeway. Mostly, salad stuff and fruit.

My son texted me yesterday with a picture of one of the truck’s tires, and Whoa!!! It looked like it had hit a pot hole or something and had a big gash in it. He’s taking it in for tires today. I’ll give him some $ for most of it from my EF, which will leave it quite low, but that’s what it’s there for.

This coming week is my Velcade shot and then Dex. I see Dr. L next week, so I’ll have new labs by then, I hope.

Simple Sunday

I had a rough day yesterday. It seemed like everything was achy, and I was stiff. Not sure if it’s the rainy weather and arthritis hitting, but today is better. I walked even though it was drizzling and then raining. I’m not walking for great distances( one mile), but I felt I should at least move some. I’m planning on going to the gym this morning although its already almost 8am. I’ll sit here a few more minutes and decide.

Well, I’m back from the Auburn gym, so that feels good. I try and do weights at least 2x a week, and the Auburn gym helps since it’s close.

I finished the kitchen zone yesterday, so that’s done, and I only need to tidy up some things today and figure out dinner. I have some russet potatoes left from the Costco bag, so I might do some form of potato, and I have some broccoli. I’m not sure what protein I’ll add. I don’t have any tofu, so ??

I also want to write the menu for the week using what I have.

  • beans, WW tortillas, cheese, etc.
  • soup of some sort, I think I’ll do a lentil soup with carrots and add curry powder to make it curried lentil soup.
  • I have some chicken burgers or turkey burgers to use so I’ll do that.
  • I think I’ll do a breakfast for dinner night with scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes, and sausage if I have any.
  • I want to look through the freezer and see what needs to be used. I know I have spaghetti and meatballs frozen. I need to check what else I have in there.
  • a pizza night
  • ???

I plan to go to the pool at least once and Maheny at least once.

We’ve been having fun watching the original Frankenstein and Dracula, which is on Prime. We actually have the DVD’s but these have been digitally remastered and there are subtitles. Both of these were around 1931, so the sound quality wasn’t very good. Plus, they’re only like an hour and 10 minutes.

That’s about it for today. I’m going to read and do some more practice embroidery.

Simple Sunday

The light is shifting in both the morning and evening. The other day was Lammas, so cross-quarter. For some reason, I always feel the shift, even if it’s 90 degrees out. My walk this morning at 6 am was nice, and again, it’s just a tad darker. No one showed up, which was unusual. Generally, there is at least one or two people. So that was nice. I’m still not up to a full mile yet with my knee, but I’m getting there.

Today, I plan to go to the Auburn gym and then drop a load off at Goodwill. It’s a bit of miscellany from around the house. I’ll do another round when I get motivated to go out to the garden shed. Since Barclay died, I haven’t had much motivation with things, but I guess that’s normal.

My son and daughter moved the trailer to a new spot, so the tires aren’t in the same spot. I haven’t been out there yet, but I will go out today. I also need to continue taking things out, like dishes. I won’t get rid of them because our plan is to get the tent trailer, so we’ll need stuff for that. I think the ease of pulling a tent trailer will suit my daughter and me.

We started watching the New Star Trek, with Captain Pike. It’s really quite good and really keeps to the Star Trek theme. It’s on Paramount, if you’re interested. I also watched the PBS production of Patience. It’s really a rerun of the French Astrid, but I enjoyed it. I also finished watching Murder on an Island, which takes place off the coast of Canada near French Quebec.

It’s my son’s birthday this week. 31 yo. Where does the time go?? He was a wonderful child, and he has grown into a wonderful young man. There are 9 years between my daughter and him, and he was a BIG surprise. I remember saying, I’M WHAT??? I was almost 42 when he was born.

Well, what things are you up to these days? I read a few blogs, but not as many as I used to. I do love peeking into other people’s lives. I guess that’s why I was a psychology major in college, and counseling in graduate school, and clinical psychology in a doctoral program, which I didn’t finish. No regrets, it was all a journey.

Midweek Musings

Yesterday was a busy day. I decided to go to the Roseville gym and library. I did a 30-minute upper body workout, so that felt good. I dropped off my books at the library, but didn’t get any.

I’ve been rereading the Harry Potter series and am now on the last one, book 7. I’ve greatly enjoyed rereading them. She does get a little winded in the last 3 books. Still she brought quite a character/story to life. Of course, she used lots of Tolkiens ideas, but still.

After that, I went to WinCo for a few things and then home.

Once home, I got started on pressure canning kidney beans. I had soaked them the night before, so I just had to boil them and then start the canner. It is a bit time-consuming, but once the pressure came up, I went and lay down on the couch for the 75 minutes.

Today, we are going to pick the VW and hopefully won’t be too shocked at the cost. Still, it needed to be done if we were going to either keep or sell. We haven’t decided, and with everything going on, I don’t want to make a decision right now.

This morning I’m pressure canning vegetable soup too. I have most everything prepped, but will wait till I’m back home to start the canner.

I also have a loaf of sourdough in the oven. This time I made walnut raisin. I added some cinnamon and a little sugar too.

The good news is that B doesn’t need a transfusion right now. Yay!! He has a video visit today, and I’ll sit in if the canner is going and I can just let it finish and then turn off.

Frugal Friday

It was mostly normal stuff: getting the bills paid, some grocery stuff, and gas at Costco. Gas was $4.55 a gallon. When I went to pick up B’s pain meds, I was in Bel Air, so I used some coupons to pick up a few things. I had a $6 rebate to use. I got split peas for soup, pickled jalapenos, olives, and some pretzels.

Costco was the normal stuff: coffee, milk for B(I don’t drink milk), apples, and I don’t remember what else. But it was around $100 plus. I bought a set of clippers for my daughter(an early birthday present), which were 25. Also, I bought wine( prosecco and champagne for Mother’s Day). That and the clippers were on top of the $100 for food.

No eating out as usual. I am planning on brunch with my daughter for her birthday, but that’s at the end of May.

I went to the gym yesterday and did upper-body weights. Then I dropped off my library books. I didn’t see anything to get:( but it’s good for me to take reading breaks). This book, though, was excellent: Happy Land. It’s the story of a black family’s ownership of land after emancipation. It was a compelling story.

Simple Sunday

I woke up fairly early and knew the time changed. So had a coffee and got to the park at 7am which is really 6am. The predawn was nice and it got light pretty quick. There was some event happening at the community center so lots of cars showing up 😦

Then I went to the gym and it was empty for the most part. I saw 2 other people.

Then I stopped at Bel Air for half and half. Then straight home and got the sourdough in the oven.

This is a parmesan/oregano loaf. You can see the flakes of oregano.

Now I’m tidying things up and making a plan for the week. I know I’m going to swim on Monday, the gym on Wednesday, and then go back to the pool on Friday. The only caveat would be how much it’s raining.

I still haven’t mopped the floors so I need to do that today.

This should be a nice week with just a few chores like Winco. That should be easy after swimming since it’s across the street. B needs ginger ale. With the stuff going on he’s off wine so ginger ale it is. Then some odds and ends: fish food, Ball jar lids, some frozen things and I’ll see what else.

Simple Sunday

A very cold morning. The park was all frosty. We did our usual loop which is about a 1.5. That’s what I aim for and then at the gym, I add on another .5 to 1 mile.

I’m heading into the gym this morning and then straight home. I don’t need to get anything. I have salad stuff B got at the store yesterday and leftover quiche too.

We leave early Tuesday morning and hopefully will between rush hours in the morning. Last time going down was fairly easy so I’m guessing Tuesday morning will be about the same.

I’ve finished the kitchen zone except for the floor. I asked my daughter to do that for me. Next, I’ll do the bathroom and bedroom zones. Just a quick dust and tidy.

I finished the taxes and submitted them. BTW, I checked out the IRS free e-file and it was not very user-friendly so I went back to Turbo Tax which is extremely user-friendly and just prompts you through.

Well, I’m glad this finally happening even if we don’t know the next step at least we know this one.

Simple Sunday

I’m waiting for the oven to get to 475 so I can put the bread in. It takes a while with this oven. I’d like to get a new oven in the next year or so. Plus those knobs on the side are problematic. Anyway.

I went to the Auburn gym and there were ‘new’ people there. It was just getting busy when I left. I didn’t have to do anything in Auburn so I came straight home. It’s so nice not to have extra chores.

We had two more pieces of the Wild Alaskan fish I’d bought. This was the Coho salmon and sockeye. They were both very good. I made some couscous to go on the side. tonight, My son is coming over so I need to think about what I’m going to make. I might just do the Costco ravioli.

The week ahead looks a little busy with a dentist’s appt and then my Velcade. Plus, if I decide to do another gym or swim day. I haven’t decided yet.

My daughter has been planting the onion sets and garlic. She also started a bunch of tomatoes under grow lights. I’m sure glad she is the gardener. I like picking stuff but not planting stuff.

I hope we get a call from Stanford this week regarding his appt. I’d like to know when we’re going so we can book a hotel. As I’ve said, it has to be 2 nights minimum, and the first day down there, he has to go get labs as they want to use their labs and not UCD. So that will add to the day. Parking is an issue, so I may just drive around till he’s done at the lab. We still don’t even know where the hospital is. Where we went was the medical center, so we needed to get a map of that.

Well, that’s all I have today. I hope everyone is having a nice Sunday.

Simple Sunday

A nice walk this morning. 6:20 till almost 7 right now is a good time. We still need our headlamps when we start but by the time we’re finishing it’s getting light.

I went to the auburn gym and then over to Bel Air. I needed cardamom for the khruchiki to drop one of my knives off to get sharpened. They are also called Fattigmands Bakkelser I think in Sweden. My mother made the these at Christmas every year. I never knew their name because we called them ‘krusts’. I think because in Polish it’s pronounced Chrusciki. Martha Stewart’s mother had a recipe but it’s a little different than the Betty crocker cookbook’s one. Anyway they are quite rich but not that sweet except for sprinkling powdered sugar on top.

We watched Elf last night and that was fun. Then we watched an episode of ‘Astrid’ . If you have PBS masterpiece theater, I believe that’s where it is. It is superb. We linked it with our Amazon Prime acct.

I have my schedule for Christmas cooking laid out. Tomorrow, I’ll make the ‘krust’ dough and keep it in the fridge till Tuesday. I’ll make the cheese lasagna Tuesday as well. I have garlic bread and I’ll put together and antipasto plate. whatever I need, I’ll go down to Holiday and pick up. I’m also planning on cooking some cornish hens that Costco had. They only have them at Christmas time. So the meat eaters will have something besides cheese lasagna.

Other than that it should be a mellow week. B contacted Stanford but everyone is out on vacation till the first week of january. So no appts for a while which is a relief actually.

Simple Sunday

Wow, did we get a lot of rain yesterday!! It was pouring all day with quite a bit of wind too. Fortunately, no trees went down. We still need to figure out money for getting at least 2 more trees down. Maybe in 2025, we can do at least one. I was very glad we didn’t need to go out anywhere.

This morning though is nice and clear with a beautiful full moon. We walked and it was quite misty in the park. After we got back, we got right on the computers to try and book Nevada Beach for June. Since we don’t know what the situation will be, I figured to book it because otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to get in. Both of us tried and B got a spot. Tomorrow one of our favorite spots opens up so I’ll try for that but it’s definitely a lottery.

Today, I plan on going to the Auburn gym and then coming home to do some house stuff. It’s the bathroom zone this week so I’ll do that and add in the bedroom as both are quite simple to do. My desk area needs some attention so I’ll tidy that up.

The coming week looks good weatherwise and only one appt for B but that’s his video visit. I plan on swimming and going to Maheny gym and the library. I don’t have any holds available so I want to look at the catalog and see what I can put on hold.

I’ve made my through some freezer stuff this past week and will continue to do that this week. I’m planning on falafels tonight and I’ll work on the rest of the menu later.