Give Me My Monkey Plate

Good morning everybody.  I am writing from a coffee induced spurt of energy.  We had breakfast out this morning and what a waste of time.  First of all, breakfast is not my favorite meal.  Second, I always feel lethargic after this meal, and third, the food wasn't all that great.  This morning I had my eggs with bacon and the bacon was so greasy that I didn't even eat it.  Where's my Monkey Plate?


That's about all I have this morning before heading to the hospital to be with my sister while her hubby undergoes major surgery.  We are praying for a miraculous outcome, but with three months recovery time, it will take us all to keep our dear brother-in-law down. 


Breakfast behind us.............on to the hospital...............


Give me my Monkey Plate any day!!!!!!!!!!!!


I love you.


This morning we went to a restaurant that had moved off one of the main streets of Midwest City to an assistance living place.  Who does that?  Well, we gave it a try and while the meal was extremely cheap, the food wasn't all that good.  My hubby said his was ok.  I do, however, have a great deal of respect for the owner of the restaurant for providing a place for the residents.  How nice it was to see residents gathering together for their morning meal.  It was almost their own "Cheers" place.  I hope the restaurant succeeds.  Much success, Michael.

Whatever I Want

Good morning everybody.  I am having my Monkey Plate as my hubby calls it.  He says if we saw that at the zoo we would be thinking there was a special birthday for a monkey.  Oh you should see it.  A lovely plate of sliced bananas, fresh blueberries, strawberries, and delicious fresh pineapple with a side of turkey bacon.  It completes me.......that is all I need for a delicious breakfast (who needs steak and eggs?)...........oh, that, and a cup of tea.  This morning's tea -- Earl Grey. 


The last two hotels where we have stayed had large urns of water with sliced oranges.  It made the most refreshing water and since I don't like plain old water, it helps me drink the stuff.  Now I keep a pitcher of orange water in the refrigerator filled with ice.  Such a delicious summer treat instead of grabbing a diet drink.  Trying to wean myself, girls, and that isn't easy.  So, along with my tea, I am having water to go along with the other 16 ounces of water that I drank an hour ago with my Boniva.  So...........guess what is in store for me this morning.  Lots of time to see all the things I need to clean in a certain room.


I am in a wonderful mood this morning despite a few things which have popped up.  It all has to do with my new bedroom paint color..........very, very, very pale blue..........so pale that it looks white at certain times of the day.  You see, just a couple weeks ago my room was a dull cocoa color with dark, dark brown drapes.  I don't have new drapes yet so even though my bedroom is on the west, the light wakes me up very early............and always puts me in a good mood.  You know the reason why?  It reminds me of my bedroom when I was a teenager.  A whole day of not knowing what to expect.  A day in which I was free to do whatever I want until Mom called to tell me to help pick beans. 


As a retired person I realize that I can do whatever I want with my day and how I choose to fill it is up to me with certain parameters.  As we all know, our days are always subject to uncertainties, but this moment, this minute, this is mine.  My moments, my minutes are wasting so I am off to the races or should I say closets............they need cleaning.  Not going to pick any beans today although I would love a mess of fresh green beans with some new potatoes.  Whatever I want..........


I love you.


Ok, I admit it, I would dearly love to have a steak and eggs breakfast at Cattlemen's.  Invite me.  I will go with you.

What a Fun Day

What a fun day.  This morning I went with my daughter, her two sons, ages 10 and 7, and her 3 month old daughter to the outlet mall.  We had a marvelous drive to the mall partly due to the fact that the boys were eating their breakfast sandwiches.  Audrey's favorite soothing CD is one of hymns sung by little children was playing and the quiet sacred music just got to me.  Several songs took me right back to 1965 or thereabouts because they were favorites of my family, especially mom's.  Well, I got choked up and a little teary-eyed.  They boys were a little confused as to why their Nana was tearing up so I explained to them that those songs were sung by my mom a lot.  So the trip to the mall was mixed with nostalgia, happy boys, and a little caffeine from the frappe I was enjoying which may have contributed to my emotional state. 


After we landed at the mall, we had such a wonderful time.  They boys were perfect and Audrey was asleep in her baby carriage.  All was right with the world as it often is when you promise gifts from Nana.  Nothing pleases Logan more than a pair of gloves and today's gloves happen to be adult size black fingerless style.  That's all it took to make him happy.........wore them the rest of the day.......not to mention the two new tee shirts that he wore during our outing.  Oh yes, he put the sleeveless one right over the shirt he had on, only to be changed later for the other new one..............and..................and that is ok.  It gives me much pleasure to buy things that the kids love and have picked out.  Don't worry, Blaine also got his fair share, but unlike Blaine, he was not about to put on different tee shirts right there on the mall bench.


Then it was time to leave.............And the chaos began...............Audrey could not have been unhappier....................she cried. or should I say screamed, all the way home getting louder every mile.  The boys were happy, playing loudly in the back seat, and I suspect they were trying to be louder than their sister.  My daughter and I were in the front trying to carry on some type of conversation, oblivious to all the chaos in the back...............or at least trying to ignore it.  Then I laughed and told her I loved this.........all this chaos.  The same CD was playing as when we left home that morning only this time, it was much louder hoping to somehow soothe poor Audrey in the back (which didn't work), the boys are laughing and playing, and little Audrey was crying almost choking herself and that little quivering cry that only a mother knows is heart breaking.  Yes, I loved all the chaos because it represented the living and having fun even though my daughter might beg to differ on the having fun part.  So.............once we turned on our street, we all started embracing the moment.  My daughter and I just started yelling to the top of our lungs, laughing, and kind of went bonkers.  We just let loose and joined the chaos.


What a fun day!  Some days you just have to embrace the moment.  If you feel like you just can't stand the chaos another moment, just embrace it.  Your kids might look at you like you've lost your marbles.


I love you. 


The boys got a toy from The Disney Store, of course!!!  Blaine picked Buzz Lightyear and Logan picked Woody.  This just thrilled me..........my 10 and 7 year old grandsons wanting the little stuffed characters.  What really melted my heart was my 10 year old.  Whenever we were alone, he would grab Buzz and play with him.  But my little guy didn't want to embarrass himself so he asked his mom to let him know if there were people around that he would get embarrassed if he knew they were watching him.  How sweet is that?


Then a little funny about Logan......I took him to the restroom.  I could see him getting a paper towel down and he kept pulling until he has about 2 feet of towel.  The cute thing was he told the dispenser thank you after he tore it off.  Now isn't that cute. 


My two boys are such sweet young men.  I sure hope they continue that for the rest of their lives. 

A Nod to Old Time Sake

Remember the days when every evening meal consisted of a big bowl of radishes?  And did you have a big bowl of cucumbers, too?  You could bet that our menu always had those two things every evening until they no longer were producing in the garden. 


Lots and lots of fresh cucumbers on the table, always peeled and sliced, but not always in vinegar.  Most of the time they were just plain old slices of cucumbers because there was always somebody that didn't like vinegar.  And by the way......... if Mom ever used vinegar, it was vinegar and water.............not the sugary concoction used by so many today. 


Radishes galore and I remember them being oh so HOT!  There were several different varieties, red globes to white icicles which always looked dirty no matter how much you scrubbed them.


So tonight I had a bowl of radishes just for old time sake - even if they did come from the grocery store.  All mine because the hubby wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole. 


To continue this nod to "old time sake" I had a Grandma Dawkins meal; radishes, kraut, black-eyed peas with ham, and beef kielbasa...........last, but not least, cornbread.  To finish a great meal, how about a little bit of watermelon?  A wonderful old-time meal.  Just a nod to "old time sake".


I love you. 


Earlier today, I talked with a friend who had the same memories as I did regarding the radishes and cucumbers.  Tomatoes, onions, corn, and okra...........now we are talking!

Why Can’t We Get a Trader Joes?

 

 

 

Hello all.  There are certain people who wanted me to post my latest finds at Trader Joes.  So here we go.  Look at the shelf stable whipping cream.  I have never seen that before so I had to buy a few of these.  I have used them and it tastes just like cream and can be used in any application where cream is needed.  The directions tell you to refrigerate it if you want to whip it.  I haven’t used it that way so we will see how this works out since I bought six cartons.  Maybe homemade ice cream is on the menu sometime this summer. 

 

Look at all the cheese.  The hubby was with me and threw a lot of the cheeses in the cart.  The white stilton with apricots is really good.  The bacon cheddar is only so-so.  I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought the mozzarella.  I thought it was fresh and used it for Caprese.  It was not good in that recipe.  I wouldn’t buy it or the bacon cheddar again.  The double crème brie was delicious, but I can find some locally that are just as good.

 

Ghee – Now that is probably something you have never used.  It is clarified butter and is also shelf stable.  It really has a intense buttery taste so it goes a long ways.  I loved this stuff!!   Will I buy again?  Maybe, however, I have found several recipes online so I can make my own from now on.

 

Candy – I bought a bunch of candy and all were over the top!  The chocolate covered marshmallows were great, but those sea salt chocolate covered caramels were out of this world…….so good, that this last weekend, I bought another bag. 

 

California Estate Olive Oil has gotten great reviews in the Wall Street Journal and I must say, it is delicious for about $5.99 a bottle. 

 

I buy the Salsa Verde every time I am in a Trader Joes.  I use it to make chicken enchilada.  The clerk wanted to know how I used this Verde so I explained as best I could under the circumstances.  I never seem to fix them the same way twice, but they always taste delicious. 

 

 

I wouldn’t buy the hummus again.  Just not very good and I can make my own which are much tastier.  Organic Apple Sauce was my hubby’s idea.  He said they were just ok, too.  Not going to carry them back to Oklahoma again. 

 

I loved the Sea Salt Scrub, but my daughter didn’t.  She didn’t like how it formed a scum on the tub.  The Green Tea Soap smells very good, but not as good as the lavender soap. 

 

The Greek Wild Rice had a wonderful flavor and I probably would buy again.  The Lemon Pepper Pasta was very good and I bought another bag this weekend. 

 

I loved both teas.  I wish they had more varieties.  I will buy again, especially the breakfast English teas. 

 

 

There are lots of things I haven’t covered.  I just haven’t tried everything, yet.  One thing that is not in the picture is the eight jars of Cookie Butter.  Yes, eight as in 8!  They are at my daughter’s house………she and her hubby requested 8 jars.  I must admit it is delicious so much so that I won’t buy for myself.  I am weak!!!!

 

As I said at the beginning, this is a blog post for my daughter who loves to see all the things I bring back from Trader Joes.

 

If you haven’t been to a Trader Joes, stop and check them out.  It is a fun place and they have their own cult following.  Lots of blogs about this store.  Why can’t we get a Trader Joes?

 

I love you.

I Don't Mind

I found a couple of ice cream sticks on the outside window ledge.
....and a Lincoln Log under the sofa.
....and there's a stick under the table in the sunroom; a foot long stick.
....and a baby headband is on the desk.
....and the blinds have been pulled up half way.
....and an empty soda can is on the air conditioner.
....and the pool toys have been left outside.
....and green tooth paste is in the sink.
....and my towels are covered in dirt. 
....and there is a candy wrapper on the counter.
.....and there is a half chewed candy bar in the trash.
.....and there is one lone black sock behind the chair.




....and there is laughter still lingering in the atmosphere.........they have gone home............those boys of mine.............and I already miss them............


I don't mind the ice cream sticks, the Lincoln Logs, the stick, nor do I mind a left behind headband, the blinds askew, the soda can, the pool toys, nor the green toothpaste.  I don't mind washing the towels, nor do I mind putting the wrapper in the trash.  I don't mind that somebody didn't like the candy I gave them and I sure don't mind holding on the sock until their next visit.


If they didn't come, I would mind!  I love it that they love to come here.............those grandchildren of mine.  If they make small messes what is that in the big scheme of things. 


I love you. 

It All Started When We Took That Wall Out

It all started when we took out a wall; the wall between the living room and the dining room.  Did you know if you take out a wall, the footprint of that wall remains?  You know what that means?  New carpet!!!  Not that I necessarily want carpet for I would much rather have wood floors, but marriage consists of many compromises.  This is one of them...........therefore, carpet. 


You know what new carpet means?  It means you need to paint.  So painting has begun.  We started in our closet which meant taking everything OUT of the closet.  This needed to be done a long time ago........the culling, that is.  We have too many clothes.  As we were taking the clothes out, we started talking about tornado shelters and that this closet would be perfect for that. 


So.............we stopped everything and headed to a safe room fabricator.  Oh man.........this was perfect.  It really was.  The safe room could be covered over to look just like the existing closet, however, the closet space itself would be 4 or 5 inches less on each side.  Doesn't sound like much, does it?  But that would reduce the closet width by almost 10 inches.  Now you can really understand how this will impact our space.  Still, we were pretty much sure we were going to do this when we left the store.  Once we got in the car, I voiced my concern.  I told my hubby that most likely we would only use it for a tornado shelter maybe once a year, but we would use it as a closet constantly.  I would open and close that closet at least 4 times a day..........at least.  And let me tell you, that door is heavy.  Oh I could shut it without much trouble now, but what if I get sick?  What if I don't have the strength to close it four times a day? 


So..............back to our original plan.............paint.  The closet was a cinch to paint and only took about an hour.  But while we are in the closet...........why not add a new shelving unit.  We'd never had floor to ceiling cabinets as most houses do................so off to Home Depot we go where I found something that would be perfect for our closet.  The hubby put it together while I prepped the hall for painting. 


I have always prided myself in a lot of DIY projects, painting is one of them, but I must tell you I HATE PREPPING.  I HATE IT!!!  Did you know I worked at least an hour last night and about 2 more hours this morning just to GET READY TO paint that stupid hall?  Then I think (right there - that's a bad idea--me thinking) before I paint the hall walls, why not paint the ceiling.  Let me tell you something!  That is hard, hard, hard work.  POPCORN ceilings........whose idea was that?  They are horrible to paint.  Good thing that paint was pink or I would never have known where I painted and where not.  Don't worry, it dries white.


By this time, the hubby felt sorry for me and came to my rescue.  We finished the ceiling by 12:30 and finished the hall walls by 3:00.  It is DONE!!!!    Sort of...........


Now we have four bedrooms to paint, and two living areas.  BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO PAINT THOSE CEILINGS.  NOPE..........NOT GONNA DO IT!!!!!!  If you come over don't look up cause the paint will be not be fresh.


So.............after a couple days


..the closet is painted.
..we have a new shelving unit
..we have newly painted ceiling
..we have newly painted hall walls
..we have our clothes back in the closet
..I have a sore neck!!!!!!!!!


There's a good chance I am going to be sore all over tomorrow..........but now I am thinking about painting the bathroom...........sucker for punishment!!!  It all started when we took that wall out.


I love you.

I Can Almost

I can almost......................

Early this Sunday morning, I walked up to see how my tomato plants are faring after the gorgeous rain we had last night.  The sun is intermittent, but when it does break through, it is quite glorious.  Memories of my childhood flood back with a force that could almost transport me to 1960. 


........the stillness in the air


........the high humidity


........the wet grass fresh from the rain


........the smell of the wet dirt, yes, I call it dirt, not soil as people say today


........the wildflowers


........the lovely scent of wild honeysuckle


........the rabbit (get out of here, rabbit!)


........the weeds that need to be hoed


........the anticipation of a beautiful day


I can almost hear momma calling us to help her pick the green beans.  I can almost smell the bacon lingering in the air after breakfast.  I can almost hear my sisters giggling.  I can almost hear my brother asking if he can go fishing at grandma's.  I can almost.....................


I love you.

It's Just One of Those Days

How many times have you heard that phrase?  Usually I hear it regarding what a lousy day folks are having.  How often have you seen a FaceBook post saying just that; It's just one of those days.  Well, today, I am using that phrase to tell you how wonderful things are going.


It's just one of those days; a perfect day for me.


It's just one of those days.  It's neither too hot nor too cold.  I have my sunroom doors open and a gentle breeze keeps the room almost cold (can you believe a gentle breeze as opposed to strong sustained 40 mph winds........in Oklahoma?)  In fact, I just closed the north doors because it is just a bit chilly.......light throw is good.


It's just one of those days.  The honeysuckle is starting to bloom and when I walk outside my sense of smell is filled with the most wonderful aroma, honeysuckle and fresh air.  I wish I could have this uplifting scent in my house throughout the year.  I wish I could describe it to you.


It's just one of those days.  I have a friend coming to my house for lunch tomorrow.  That spurs me on to clean.  My little granddaughter will be joining us tomorrow and that will make having lunch with my friend even a little more fun.  I will love showing her off. 


It's just one of those days.  The fighter jets seem to be showing off in the sky this noon.  They are sure noisy, but at the same time, around this area of the country the noise is such a part of our lives that we miss it when they are NOT flying.  We definitely notice it. 


It's just one of those days.  Finally after a week or more of not feeling all that great, I am on a couple of antibiotics that are actually making me feel better.


It's just one of those days.  The hubby went to lunch with a friend.  Don't get me wrong, but I love it.  I have the house to myself for a while.  Sometimes that is important to us retired folks.  I don't want him to stay gone too long, but an hour or perhaps a day really is nice.  I get to do what I want, not that I don't when he is here; it's just different.


It's just one of those days.  In the near future we plan on taking a teeny-weeny trip.  That will be fun for us and something long overdue.  Perhaps this summer we can make a much longer trip; a week or two might be in the cards.  If not, we will just have to set up the grandkids' swimming pool and splash.  Better get the atlas out.


It's just one of those days.  I almost have all the laundry done.  I love the sound of the washer.....crazy as that sounds (pun intended).  It makes me feel like I am accomplishing something, but I am not lifting a finger.  Far cry from my mother's laundry days way back before she got her automatic washer.  Remember when washers were called "automatics"?


It's just one of those days.  Today is the day we put up the umbrella and hung the hammock.  Now it seems like we are ready for summer, but we'll keep these cooler days a little longer.


It's just one of those days.  I look out and can see my blooming annuals,  I see the water whirling over my tomatoes.  I see the squirrels playing tag.  I see the fountain splashing in the pond (might not want to look at that.......need serious overhaul), but the sound is nice.  My azaleas are still bright pink; sure hope they last till tomorrow.


It's just one of those days.  Since the hubby is gone, I had an apple strudel.  The taste still lingers.  I needed it.  It's just one of those days.


It's just one of those days.  Laundry done, house clean (almost), feeling good, energetic, patio straightened, squirrels scampering, trip on the horizon, house to myself, perfect weather, flowers in bloom, baby granddaughter, daughter, and a sweet friend coming to lunch.


I love you and hope It's just one of those days.......a perfect one.............for you.

And Now I Remember

And now I remember.......


Today I colored my hair and got all dolled up (as dolled up as a retired 65 year old can get) for a quick trip to Tinker to get another retirement badge.  You see, someone, a retired person, told someone, who told someone, who told me that if I go through the Tinker gates the guard will tell me to get another badge.  I had waited for perfect timing of "want to" and "looking decent" to make this trip.  Today, the timing was perfect!  I didn't want to be caught in a deadline crunch lunch date with my friend and be turned away at the gate.  So off to Tinker I went.


I pulled off the interstate at the gate directly across from J C Penney's.  Landmarks nowadays are shopping related as opposed to Tinker gate names.  Anyway, the building just outside that gate is the last place I went for a badge before I retired so it probably still is.  Wrong!  I got in the far right lane to pull right up to the building and lo and behold, that building is surrounded by a fence.  Well.............I guess things have changed.  Not a biggie.  I'm cool!  I'm all for change.  Tinker is growing, after all.  It must be at the Air Depot gate.  I then remember the new building just outside that gate.......must be the place.........makes sense...........outside the gate to the officer's club.  Yes.......


So I make a U-turn across three lanes (remember, I was in the far right hand lane) making sure there wasn't a cop nearby.  I zoom on down 29th street.  Making the left turn on to Air Depot street, I noticed the building and pulled into the lot feeling very smug that I found the Pass and ID building without calling or texting someone about the location.  I march right in and right off, I locate the big sign that says "BADGES".  I am going to get this done and done today.  Feeling really good, I march right up to the military woman (I didn't even notice her rank), pulled out my old badge and asked if this was the place to get my new badge.  She told me no.  They must not have been busy because all three people behind the counter got involved and told me that I needed to go to the Headquarters building for my new CAC card.  Sounded strange to me that I needed a CAC card, but who am I to know.  Okay, I will go to the Headquarters building.  I'm cool!  They asked me if I was familiar with the base..................as if................I wanted to tell them all I had spent 27 years on that one base.........many more years than any of them, I am sure.  Nonetheless, in order to make sure they hadn't torn down the Headquarters building and built another elsewhere, I asked if it was just inside the shopping center gate.  They assured me it was.  I then asked if that gate was closed.  Again, they assured me that it was open until 15:30.  They were very adamant about that!  15:30!!!


So I leave the parking lot, get back on the interstate and pulled back off and pulled up to the CLOSED gate at 13:00!!!!!!!  I'm not too cool at this point, but I am dealing with it.  I make another U-turn and head back down 29th Street to the Air Depot gate.  I turn left and head right to the gate, this time bypassing the building.  Finally, after waiting for the 12 cars in front of me to go through the gate, I reach the guard.  I pull out my retirement badge and tell him I that I need a new retirement card.  He looked at it closely and said that I didn't...it wasn't expired.  I told him that someone told me I needed a new retirement badge.  He backed off a little and said that if someone told me I needed one, then I needed to get one.  I told him it was another retired person, not anybody at the gate.  He said again that I didn't need one.  I, then, point blank asked him, "If I want to pick someone up for lunch would this badge would work?" "Yes, no problem", he assured me.


So I make another U-turn, this time on the inside of the base, and get back on the interstate, pulling off again at the shopping center gate exit.  This time I turn left instead of right..........right on over to Target.  I know Target.  I don't know Tinker anymore.


Now I remember..............I had forgotten what some days were like at Tinker..............  "She said, he said."  I guess we will see what happens the next time I approach the guard.  Will I be turned away for a new badge?  Will I miss my lunch date?  I will let you know.


I love you. 
(Dolled up--daddy used that term a lot when talking about Mom...warm sentiment to me.)