An 'Arresting' Time

 So, I've not been on here for a few days. Been tied up. Or handcuffed up!! A good looking policeman 'arrested' me for starting a riot....

There's more to the story!!

It was National Night Out last Tuesday. Our apartment complex always participates and a good time was had by all.

National Night Out, in case you don't know, is held once a year where the First Responders meet with various groups in communities throughtout the U. S. in a effort to promote better connection and understanding between law enforcement and the public. 

We had a cookout with all the yummy food associated with a grill! There were over 75 in attendance. The Firemen arrived first,came roaring up our drive in a huge ladder truck. They are here on a regular basis... false alarms, people falling, disputes (although that's seldom) and to check our fire safety procedures. They are a great bunch of guys. 

A part of the crowd trappsied out to get their picture taken in front of the firetruck.

Then the police arrived, one office driving the forces brand-new mustang patrol car!

Isn't that thing a dandy!! 

I  wouldn't mind getting arrested if I could take a ride in that beauty. Of course, if those handsome officers were my arresting officers, that would be a big plus! 

We had such a great time. There was a DJ playing '80s music, great food, a lot of yakking going on and the 'eye candy' wasn't bad either! 

Coconut Oil and Monkeys

 I keep learning something new every day!! I hope you do, too. 

You see, I bought this jar of coconut oil from the grocery store. I had a recipe that called for it but then I never made the recipe so there that jar sat. I had no idea what to do with it.

Chatgpt to the rescue!! 

Did you know that you can use coconut oil the same as butter or olive oil to fry eggs, saute veggies or even grease a pan?

If you have dry feet or elbows... rub a bit of coconut oil on them! or dab a bit on your lips if they are dry.

You can use it as a cuticle softener! Who knew, right?

If you have wood furniture... just mix the oil with a bit of lemon juice. You'll have a beautiful shine on that wood. 

And, it even helps to unstick zippers. 

So, I got my jar out of the pantry and put it to work!! Don't intend to waste my money on something I am not using!! After all, I am a depression baby... gotta save every way you can! 

And, I'm throwing in this for a chuckle. 

I Was Just Wondering

 I do what I call 'scrapbook journaling'. My made up name for just piddling around with thoughts put with creative designs. 

There's a lot of things I wonder about... too many to put in a book or on a blog post. However, I did like this grouping of wondering from Ralph Fletcher (whomever that might be) that I found and added it to my book.

The first two really caught my eye.. Yes, why did God make some birds fly while other's never get off the ground? And, aren't you supposed to cry when you are sad, not happy? Of course, I do both as do most people but it's just curious, that's all. 

I have wondered how do they put concrete down in deep wateer and anchor it to build a tunnel for millions of cars to pass through? How do the workers not drown? And, who in the world ever thought of doing that in the first place. 

What do you wonder about? 

And, I love the one about fashion and who makes decisions about whether certain things are fashionable or not. Reminds me of something I read.... which brings me to my

                           QUOTE

"The head monkey at Paris puts on a travelers cap and all the monkeys in America do the same"

                                                                                             Henry David Thoreau

Good Food, Good Reads

 Every day this week I'd say to myself, 'gotta make a new blog post' and nightime would come and I'd say 

'tomorrow, I'll do it tomorrow'. It took a week but here I am!

I had a great day yesterday, best I've have in a very long time. I was steady, strong, felt fantastic, had energy and I was happy. I just could not have asked for a better day. 

But, the nighttime wasn't so much fun! What the dickens! I just couldn't sleep. Nap coming up this afternoon. I can just feel it coming on.

I've had a problem that I finally found a solution to. I'd order things from the grocery store and then the cans or boxes would sit on the shelf for ages and I wouldn't figure out how to make a meal out of them. So.... drum roll, please.

I made a list of all my canned goods and posted it on the pantry door. Same with my box stuff. I can see at a glance what I have. I sat down with my recipe box and chose recipes to make this next week using up things I already had on the shelf. As I use each item, I mark it off the list. Sort of like taking inventory. When each item is all marked off I know it's time to order more. 

I found a can of tomatoes I had had for awhile. I like tomato pudding but I don't want to eat it very often. And, it had been awhile since I'd had any so I made some. 

Yeah, I know... if you aren't southern you are asking what in the heck is tomato pudding. It sounds gross! 

Back in the early 19th century when women had an abundance of tomatoes they devised a way to put them to use. All it takes is tomatoes (canned ones are used mostly), a little sugar, a tad of butter and you put that over broken pieces of bread and bake. It's sweet, tangy, a little tart and perfect with blackeyed peas, which I also made yesterday. I baked me a russet potato and I had lunch! 

I just finished reading 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' by Van Pelt. Oh my gosh, I loved it! A completely different story line. It was Van Pelt's first novel and I just don't know how in the world she'll ever top that! I thought immediately that it ought to be a movie so I googled it.... there's one already made for Netflix but it hasn't been released yet. I can't wait. Sally Field plays Tova, the lead character. If you get a chance give it a try. I know not everyone has the same reading taste but that's ok. 

I hope you all have a good week. We haven't had a maintence super for a little while and today we have a 'meet and greet' for a new one. His name is Alfonso. They even supplied snacks for the meet and greet. Can't pass that up. 

This is a prayer that I wrote during my cancer treatment back in 2002. 

                    Now I lay me down to sleep                                                                        I pray, dear Lord, My hand to take                                                        And guide me to the break of day                                                           So I can love and live and pray.                                                             And when the sun shall set once more,                                                 the darkness over comes the light,                                                         I pray, dear Lord, you'll take my hand                                                    And guide me with your wonderous  might.

                                        Willie Latane Barton 

A New Yummy Veggie to Eat

 As I mentioned in my last post that a friend gave me some eggplant and that I wasn't sure how to cook it. You girls came to the rescue. Now I remember that the friend who grew the eggplant said she'd sliced it and fried it. But, Marcia, one of my blog buddies, said she peels them, slices them rather thin, slathers them with mayo and places them on a baking sheet. Then she tops the slices with Parmesan cheese and bakes them for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven, flipping them over at the 10 minute mark.

Let me tell you... those things were yummy. I was sad when I popped the last slice in my mouth. 

Did you know that the English call eggplant aubergine? It's a french word but we call it eggplant here in the U. S. 

Do you know why it got it's name?

Centuries ago, this vegetable was smaller and very pale in color. Looked like an egg!  DUH! Now they are such a beautiful deep purple. I've never seen a purple egg. Have you? 

Thanks again for all the help. Love you girls. You always come through for me. Others had different ways of cooking eggplant so I will have to try those out, too. But, just wanted to share my new-found veggie to eat. I love learning new things, eating new cruisine, going new places. This old world is filled with adventures of every kind. 

                            

                        Quote for the Day

"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down."          (Mary Pickford, actress)

My Cupboard Runneth Over

 This week has been a doozy. Hot, humid and just 'stay in the apartment' kind of weather. I hate summer! 

But, then, again, I hate winter. Just give me spring and fall and I'll be happy. I guess I just don't like extremes. 

My son-in-law sent me some tomatoes and peppers from his garden the other day. How sweet was that!

Then, a few days later my housekeeper brought me eggplant, tomatoes, cukes and peppers. My cupboard runneth over! 

I've never cooked eggplant before. Not even sure I like it. So, any suggestions out there?

Spilt Smoothie Makes for Fun

 Remember me telling you in my last post how I'd been down in the dumps but that I was feeling better?

Let me tell you what happened!!

I was on speaker phone with dau Susan and her son's fiance, Kelsey. That Kelsey is just a gift from God. She's so much fun, so bright, so smart, so kind. Anyway, put those two together and you can't stay in a dark hole for long!!

They were trying to help me so suggested that maybe I could try out a new recipe and asked what was in my refrigerator. Bad idea!! I say, 'yellow squash, yogurt, 1/2 slice of ham, eggs, milk ... and oh, a jar of pickles'. They about croaked! 

So, Kelsey started figuring out how I can make an omelet. Then she said, no how about a smoothie?

Somehow, we just moved on to other things and then said goodbye but I was feeling much better. Then Susan texted me, 'You have a delivery from Instacart in a few minutes'. Oh Goody. What?

It is a huge salad (mixed greens, blue cheese, strawberries, nuts and balsamic vinegarette). There are also a tub of chicken salad and one of potato salald and this HUGEMOUNGOUS bag of frozen mixed fruit. Oh... a smoothie out of the fruit. I get it now. 

But, I'd told them I don't make smoothies because I have a large blender and it's heavy, hard to clean etc, etc, excuse after excuse. The next morning I get up to find a box at my front door. It's a Magic Bullet. 

They call... want me to make a video of me making my smoothie. So, I get my yogurt out of the fridge, the frozen fruit and some water and I turn it on. Hey, it's working!! 

I took the container off the machine and set it on the counter. (I'd already taken the lid off it) and as I reached for the Yogurt to put it back in the fridge, I knocked over that smoothie and most of it went all over my countertop. And, it was on video. I'm not accident-proof and I have proof I am not. 

But, engaging in such a fun adventure with those girls just lifted me right out of my funk.

 I wonder if there is someone out there that each of us needs to lift up right now. Think about! 

                                                                    

                      QUOTE FOR THE DAY

"When one door of happiness closes another opens; but often we look so longat the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."         Helen Keller

A True Story

 Well, I just let myself get down in the dumps and wasn't sure how I was going to get out! Ever had that feeling?

Life just gets overwhelming sometimes. But, I am feeling alright now. Whew, glad that's over.

There's not one thing going on around here... so what's this post going to be about?

I guess I'll just tell you a story, a true one at that: I hope it's not a bedtime story and puts you to sleep!

Back in the mid '60s my husband was Communications Officer at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

That duty was really different for us....so much more social, important events to attend, etc, etc.  At the end of the first year we were involved in the reviewing of the troops, 

 the graduation 

and of course, the traditional 'climbing of Herndon Monument'.  

I had a vantage point to observe as the midshipmen ran out to the monument, which had been slathered with grease, to begin the ascent. They were shirtless, barefoot, ready for the challenge. 

Can you imagine trying to climb a straight up and down a concrete (I guess it's concrete) structure!!! 

They slipped and slid, they'd try again. And, finally one would reach the top to place a hat on top. Mission accomplished! 

The midshipmen are truly dedicated to their studies so for 4 years that is their focus. But, honey, let me tell you! When they graduate there's a line of couples outside the Academy Chapel waiting to tie the knot. They are so many of them that each couple is shuffled in, then shuffled out just as soon as the vows are spoken. There's a schedule to keep, folks. 

I sat on a bench outside the chapel one afternoon and watched a ton of brides and their grooms march inside to become man and wife. Why do they say man and wife? Shouldn't it be husband and wife? Anyway. I hope they all lived happily ever after. 

Making the Most of Life

 How are you today? I hope everyone is fine and staying out of the heat (if you have heat where you are) and that you are well and happy,

There's nothing more wonderful than being healthy! The older you get, the more your body starts to fall apart. I wish I'd known more about how to take care of mine in years past but the info just wasn't out there. Or maybe I didn't listen. When we are young we think we will live forever!! From this side of the fence, let me tell you... we won't. We are like cars, the older we get the more our parts wear out. And... there's no replacements for most of them. 

Oh, geez, where was I going with all that, anyway? I am so blessed to be as healthy as I am and have the good mind that I do at my age. Every day I thank God above for being able to enjoy life. One of my joys is the friendship I have with my blogger buddies. You guys are just the greatest ever!

I've been trying to get back into the rhythm of writing every day... Working on my second novel and I am so slack about it all. Yet, I can't wait to get it finished. I can't have it both ways. I need to discipline myself... 

The story is about a little girl who lives in a coal mining camp, has little worldly goods but has to go to a town school where the rich kids go. (boy, can I relate to that). I didn't live in a camp but the rest is correct. She gets bullied because she is poor. Then she and her best buddy come upon a hobo who is camping beside a creek. They befriend him and then he ends up murdered. 

I have a friend/therapist/assistance who asked me the other day if I had ever taken classes in writing. and if I followed the writing rules, like plotting out the book before starting etc. I just laughed and said 'NO'. I often write a chapter in my head while I lie awake at night. There's no planned out plot. There's not a ton of notes on how it will turn out. It just happens. I guess that makes me an unconventional author! haha. 

So, maybe I need to put this post to rest and open up my book file and write some in it. Do my daily writing task. 

Will they find out who killed the hobo? Will Ruthie be a hero or be ridiculed more? Who knows? Maybe tonight when I can't sleep I'll find the answer to one or more of those questions. 

                        QUOTE FOR THE DAY

'Writers don't wait for their ship to come in; they write their way out to it'.         Sam Horn 

Celebrating Independence

 Independence Day...

That's tomorrow, the 4th, but we here at the Commons celebrated today. Had us a nice, cool salad lunch on tables all decorated in red, white and blue. No fireworks, though. They don't allow us to have fire around here!! Besides, fireworks are for nightime and this was LUNCH.... 

I made a new recipe. Grape Salad. I'd had my first in Alabama when I was visiting my son recently. I just loved the cool, crispy crunch of the grapes slathered in this yummy sauce. I made a big bowl of it today and now I have at least half of it in my refrigerator. But, I've discovered something. The reason I love that stuff so much is not the grapes, it's that yummy sauce. Who can turn down cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla all whipped up into a froth. When I made it for my salad today, I actually scaped the bowl with my spoon (well, actually it was my finger) and left that bowl clean as a pin. Better than cake dough any day. 

What are all you doing for the 4th? I guess I shouldn't ask that of my friends outside the U. S. but heck, you are gonna be doing something tomorrow, even if it's just going to work. I guess I will watch what I can see of the fireworks display from downtown. The trees have grown up so tall between me and the event so I only see the tallest ones, (the fireworks, not the trees). 

I certainly hope that everyone enjoys their day whatever it may bring. Stay cool, stay healthy and just keep on keeping on. 

Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness Or So I've Been Told

 I've spent the last three days doing a project well overdue to be done. My office was a mess. I'm not completely finished but I am nearly there. It makes me feel good, so proud that I got off my lazy behind and did it. Life should be so much more simple and fun. 

this was the closet before I dragged everything out....

and how it looks now. 

There's even room for my walker which I seldom use. It still looks sort of messy but I know where EVERYTHING is and can pull it out on a moment's notice. 

I didn't take a picture of my bookcase but here it is after I organized it and got rid of some books and other things. 

Ready for my next quote?

It's by Marcus Aurelious

"No one has the right to tell you that you need to do something you don't want to do."

No one told me I  had to clean that closet and when I decided to do it 'cause I wanted to.... it felt good. 

Testing My Patience!

 This week has been anything but fun. I know y'all are tired of me griping about my dental woes but believe me, you are not nearly as tired of hearing about them as I am having them!

I had another root canal due on Monday. They are easy so I wasn't worried about it. Took the print out sheet from my dentist showing a diagram of my teeth and it marked which one it was she was to do. Guess what... after it's all over she tells Shirley (who always sits in on the explaining part) that she has done the wrong tooth! 

I guess she forgot the print out I had handed her and when she put the exray up on the screen it somehow flipped itself (or somebody flipped it) and she did the one next to it. Dear God in Heaven.... But, that tooth was already working it's way to a root canal in about 8 months so that's done already. And, I go back on July 11th to get the REAL tooth done. And, bless her heart, she said she'd not charge me for this one. Well, I hope not. I mean, I have spent a fortune on my mouth and she's gotten a good chunk of that money. 

Oh.... wait.... that's not all.

During the procedure I felt a rush of fluid in my throat. She had that rubbery thing in my mouth to hold back that sort of thing but this escaped and I started gagging and coughing. Seems that somehow the diluted bleach that is used in the proceedure escaped that rubbery thing and I now have a irritated throat. It took forever to get that cleared up so she could continue. That should have been a warning sign that things were not going to go well.

After I got in the car Shirley took one look at me and gasped. I had a large blister in one corner of my mouth. So, back to the dentist we go.... The dr. said I'd bitten myself but have you ever heard of a blister being caused by a bite? 

That's all over... til the next time.

                   Now on to something great.

I made me a Nacho Breakfast this morning. I promised you some new recipes. This one is super. 

You could do all sorts of things with it like adding salsa, chopped onion, top with more cheese etc. I am so stuffed right now. And, look how healthy it is. 

" In the past I let others walk all over me. I had no idea what boundaries were or why they were important and necessary. I was too eager to please, to be liked, to be appreciated. Once I began to set boundaries, my life became more peaceful because I then had the power over my own life."

                                                                                                        Willie Latane Barton 

Joke's On Me!

 Okay... this is funny. 

Remember I was telling you in the last post about my elliptical leg exerciser coming with no instructions, no cord, no remote etc. 

I was aggreviated that now it was up to me to do what the manufactor should have done. I got online and sent out a complaint by chat. It wasn't being too helpful so I just walked away from the problem. 

Then, I thought about that huge box that exerciser came in. Inside that box the machine was placed snugly in a molded styrofoam container. I'd lifted the top part of the container off to get the machine out but I had left the bottom container in the box. I mean, it was snug.... took some tugging....

But, there underneath that thing was a small package with all my equipment in it. boy, did I feel dumb! And, a wee bit embarrassed that I hadn't looked there in the first place. 

Oh well.... 

Hot tamale!

It is so hot here! It may be where you are, too. If not, count yourself lucky. Heat index 110 today and lord bless those street pavers who have been working in our parking lot all day long in this heat. The air conditioner is having a heck of a time keeping up so I have all the ceiling fans going and a floor fan. The air conditioner is over 20 years old. It had better hang on 'til this heat wave is over. 

I had not cranked my car in about a month so I decided to get an early start this morning. Headed to Wendy's for a sausage biscuit .... at 8 a.m. and the air was so hot already and so heavy I could not breathe. Wendy's was only a block away so I made a quick trip of it and was soon back in my apartment. 

Once a long time ago (back in 2003 and 2004) I had my knees replaced. After all this time the muscles surrounding the titanium knee joints have stretched and so I am not as steady as I once was. At least that is what I am blaming it on. So, my son suggested that I order one of those leg exercisers and it arrived a couple days ago, 

That thing weighed a ton! But, I've been using it. It didn't come with an instruction book although you can set it all sorts of ways... and the company's name is nowhere to be found (on the exerciser, on the wrapping paper, on the box). Guess I will have to go on Amazon and look up what I ordered!! Then, maybe I can figure how to use it!

If you are in this heat... try to stay cool and hydrated. 

I have a book of quotes that I have collected or wrote myself over the years. I think I will end each post with one of those. Hope you enjoy them. If not just ignore. You won't hurt my feelings! 

"God intends for us to have a life of joy. But, we get in our own way or we let others get in our way. My advice is to keep your eyes on God, live peacefully and pray." 

Willie Latane Barton 

I'm Back in the Saddle Again

 Okay...

I am ready to roll... but I don't know which direction to go in. It's been so long since I've posted anything of substance.. maybe my brain is still on pause. Who knows. Let's see where this is going!! 

First of all, I wanted to spend time with my kiddos far away but I really didn't mean to do the trips back to back. Lordy, that was a journey. But, I did fine. Proved to myself, that at 91, I don't have to sit at home, I can get out and go... nearly everywhere I want. 

I usually spend time away from home, reassessing my 'status', making new plans, getting rejuvinated. This time was no different. 

I decided that I wanted to try making one new recipe a week and sharing it with my friends. I don't cook much anymore so it won't be fancy stuff, just stuff that I thought might be good. So... here's my first weeks endeavour: 

Frozen Yogurt-Honey Blueberries 

This picture came from the internet

Ingredients:

1 pint blueberries, washed and drained

1/2-3/4 cup Greek Yogurt ( I use Chobain sugar free)

2-3 tsp honey

Mix honey and yogurt. Pour over blueberries, stir to coat. Lift individual berries out with a fork and place them on a parchment lined pan that will fit in your freezer. Keeping them separate makes it easy to lift out a couple, three for a snack anytime you want them.

Freeze then place individual berries in a ziplock bag and put back in the freezer. Yum

I also decided to rearrange the closet in my office but haven't felt up to that yet. Will keep you posted when I get the urge to tackle that chore.

I didn't feel like my balcony was very inviting so I gave that some thought and soon as I got home, I started redecorating it... Well, actually I can't say re-decorating it 'cause it wasn't decorated in the first place. 

Here's what the space looked like. Don't you agree it's not some place just calling you to come sit awhile? 

So far I have gotten this look going. Still working on it. Any suggestions out there? 

I also started reading a book 'The Good Life' 

I have been on a soul-searching path to find myself, improve myself for sometime now but more about that later. 

Have a wonderful Sunday! I've missed you all and hope to get back on a better posting schedule soon.