And another month appears

 

Dinners and Lots of Joy

Again I am posting both the meal plan and joys in the same post. We were in Daphne for a family visit and after we got home Sunday night I just did not feel like getting on the computer.

I do apologize for not commenting on your blogs. I only had my phone with me and it will not let me post comments, though I did read your blogs.

Meal plan (What a joke) for the week

1. Mexican chicken salad on greens

2. Spaghetti, tossed salad

3. BLT salad

4-7 We are visiting our SIL so who knew what/where or when we would be eating

Monday joy: I was doing some housekeeping and found a few things that will be great to use when we take our cross country trip, so packing for that trip began.

Monday dinner: I cook bacon  in the oven, 4 pounds at a time. After cooking it until nearly done I take it out to cool then pack it flat to freeze. We do not eat bacon often but when we do all I have to do is grab a couple of pieces and zap them until they are crisp (usually one minute). It is very handy for a day like this one when I just didn't feel like cooking.

BLT salad with black truffle/garlic aioli 

Tuesday joy: I had a few errands to run, and also had a long overdue conversation with one of my cousins. It is sort of funny. When we were younger adults, the need to keep in touch was not as intentional as it is now. We could go months between phone calls. Now we seldom have more than a couple of weeks without talking to each other.

Tuesday dinner: I was using things that needed to be used before we left to visit our SIL. I had several overripe tomatoes, lettuce and a cucumber that had to be used right then.

Spaghetti, tossed salad

Wednesday joy: I needed to mail DIL1's dress to her. (I was unaware it had even been left behind.) She was not able to come to Birmingham, but somewhere along the way her dress was forgotten here. Yes, I fault Son1 for that. 

I had been doing laundry all day because I hate leaving town with dirty laundry left behind. I was dressed like a haint* but needed to send it to her. 

There is a mailing service near me and I decided it would be fine to run there in all my haint-like glory. After all it is a small place and is never crowded. I walked in with my package only to see a sign on the door: Closed for CT scan, back tomorrow at regular time. Crap that meant I had to go to the post office instead (still looking like a haint). 

Even though I had to get out of my car and go into the postoffice where the wait was about 15 minutes, my single joy was that I did not see a soul I knew. It's the small things isn't it.

Wednesday dinner:TheHub got in later than we had expected, and rather than getting something out of  the freezer to cook, we ran by a local "meat and three" to grab dinner instead.

Pork chop, stewed okra and tomatoes, cooked cabbage, or whatever TheHub ate

Thursday joy: TheHub went into the office (yes his retirement still looked like a regular work day) and came home about lunch time so we could drive to Daphne to see our sister-in-law. 

We had a beautiful drive down and thanks to Waze we managed to avoid traffic clogs where construction was happening. We checked into our hotel then headed to N's house for a quick snack glass of wine, before heading to the restaurant. Her daughter (our niece)  and her son** along with TheHub's sister were also there. Mini family reunion time.

Thursday dinner: We ate at a seafood place on the bay. It was a step up from a dive but was in no way, shape or form a place you would go for an experience. But what delicious food!

Crab cake stack with green tomatoes, tossed salad. Everyone else had something different but they all enjoyed it.

Friday joy: We met, mid morning for coffee and a sightseeing ride winding up in Magnolia Springs. If I ever move to lower Alabama this is where I would like to live. The entire town is gorgeous and parts of it on the river are downright magical. We ate lunch at a quaint little restaurant (incredible food, extremely bad service). I did not mind the wait because we would have been talking and enjoying each other's company anyway, but I do think waiting nearly 2 hours for a lunch was a tad long. (Our waiter did not turn our order in).

After our long lunch, we drove a different route and wound up in Fairhope, which is another charming town. It has a ton of little shops just begging you to come in and spend some time (and mainly money). I am not much of a shopper and their charms were wasted on me.

We drove to N's to drop them (N, TheHub's sister, and JP) off then drove back to our hotel. TheHub had a couple of phone calls to make (Yes, even working on a trip) while I read. Our hotel was on the bay and we had a beautiful bay view our our window. I would had enjoyed sitting on the balcony, but it was just too hot and muggy. Instead I pulled the chair close to the window so I could enjoy the beauty in comfort.

Friday dinner: We met at Gambino's in Fairhope for dinner. Our party for the meal expanded to 12. In addition to those that ate with us Thursday, our nephew, his wife, and 4 sons joined us. It was the perfect place for a large party, serving Italian entrees along with steaks and seafood. They had something for everyone. I just did not know how we would all fit. 

No worries. In the back room they had several long tables to accommodate big parties. Our 12 did not even completely fill our table.

Grilled scallops, veggie skewer, tossed salad for me and everything. under the sun for everyone else.

Saturday joys: N had invited us to all be at her house at about 3 pm. We decided to kill some time doing a little more sightseeing, so we drove to Mobile. I had not been there in several years and had forgotten how beautiful downtown Mobile is, complete with trees that still had beads hanging leftover from Mardi Gras throws. We spent about an hour wandering through town then headed back to Daphne. Though I kept asking, the only thing N wanted us to bring was ice. Done! 

We got to her house and TheHub's brother had driven down to join us. SIL P could not be there as she was on her annual girl's trip. We missed her but were glad to see him, and we were able to visit a bit before the rest of the group got there. Our niece and her son, our nephew, wife and boys and our bonus nephew all came. The kids all swam while the adults talked and talked some more.

Saturday dinner: N had us all for dinner. Bless her!

She made a delicious pork roast, and baked beans. Our niece made several sides, and our BIL brought the famous caramel cake they get in Livingston (It has become a family tradition)

Sunday joys: Our drive home from Daphne was filled with torrential rain and thunderstorms. And because some idiots believe you should drive fast regardless of weather conditions (like actually being unable to see the road while driving in blinding rains) we got stopped frequently while traffic mishaps occurred. I hope no one was seriously hurt, and 6 and a half hours later, we made it home  and unloaded the car right before another gully washer hit. The big joy was getting home safely even with the delays.

Sunday dinner: I had nothing available for a quick meal. TheHub ran to Publix while I started doing laundry.

Sunday dinner: Deli mac and cheese, coleslaw

This week I am planning nothing, in fact, I am planning nothing through August. We will be leaving for a cross country road trip sometime soon and will be eating whatever.

Enjoy your week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

*I have no idea what a haint actually looks like, but whenever my sister or I were in grubby clothes with no "face " or "hair", Mom would say we looked like haints. It definitely served to describe my look Wednesday.

** If any couple were on the fence about having a child they should spend the day with JP. He is just about the most perfect 12 year old boy I have ever met.

Oops, I Forgot

This week I did not stick to my plans for meals or days very well but we had some extenuating circumstances. Then to top it off I forgot to post my menu Sunday, so today's post is both meals and joys.

Sunday: We had a pretty typical Sunday. We did not go to church, but watched it via the streaming service. Both of us were still struggling with Covid fatigue. Luckily for TheHub we had some beautiful peaches for his all time favorite dessert. (That joy is his not mine because I do not like cooked fruit)

Hamburger patty, corn on the cob, coleslaw, peach cobbler

Monday: I woke and was overly warm. It is not unusual because a lot of days I am hot when I wake, but I noticed it got a little warmer as the day went on. I really did not think a whole lot about it, because TheHub sets the thermostat up higher at night. It was only in the late afternoon that is got much warmer and when TheHub called that he was on his way home, I suggested if he wanted anything other than leftover peas and warmed squash he might want to stop and pick something up. My joy for the day is that he does not mind a little recreational shopping at Publix

Rotisserie chicken, leftover lady peas,  sautéed squash, kale pineapple salad

Tuesday: I woke and immediately realized the air conditioner was not working. We had several oscillating fans leftover from the lake place in our basement, and we have ceiling fans in the den and bedroom. Using those, the day was bearable, and because we had no air, I declared the day would be spent in front of a fan reading. (I do seem to be able to justify reading anytime)

A second joy for the day was having cold salads in the refrigerator

Leftover Asian noodle salad, kale pineapple salad

Wednesday: Hooray, the a/c repair guy was at our house by 7:15! I am not sure in an Alabama summer day, anyone is more appreciated than the a/c repairman. Thank you Dave! After he left I was able to get ready to go to my Happy Place in relative comfort.

The participants at Independence Place were celebrating Christmas in July, so what better for them to make than frozen hot chocolate! 

I got home later than I had planned and once I talked with TheHub nothing I had on hand to make sounded good to him (He not so secretly wanted Captain D's).

He stopped on his way home from work and bought us dinner. It is not my favorite but I did not have to cook, so I am not complaining.

Fish sandwich (me) fish plate (TheHub)

Thursday: I spent most of the day doing things I should have done Tuesday but it was too hot to do them. It is much easier to do chores when the house is cooler. 

We are having terribly muggy weather, and neither of us wanted to eat hot food. Instead I made my home variation of a salad a local restaurant serves every summer.

Hot and Hot tomato salad

Friday: Another day and I read a lot more. There were a million things I should have done, but I didn't. Instead I am claiming I was busy exercising my mind.

TheHub and I both had a hankering for the same thing for dinner. I could have made it, but it is easier to just pick it up, and, all things considered, I will opt for easy. All I had to do was throw a simple fruit salad together.

 Pizza , fruit salad

Saturday: This was a busy day for us. It began with our usual running around in the morning followed by Son3 and DIL3 coming in to spend the night. 

DIL3 was one of the performers at The Independence Place "Sounds of Summer" fundraiser. They had only been here a few minutes before we had to leave to go to a pool party that doubled as a retirement party for TheHub. 

The hosts are fabulous at entertaining and there were a ton of people there from the office. 

We had to go dressed for the fundraiser which was very close to the retirement party. I would not have preferred to wear what I was wearing at an outdoor summertime party, but you have to do what you have to do. 

We left the party, cranked the car a/c to full blast so we could cool down a little, then headed to the fundraiser. It was a successful event and best of all the participants preformed a couple of numbers for the crowd. Watching them made me want to cry happy tears.

After the event was over we all came home, ate doughnuts (Krispy Kreme to the rescue) and talked about the evening.

Basic Fundraiser dinner (roast beef, green beans, mashed potatoes, tossed salad, bread pudding) 

Sunday: We had a wonderful leisurely breakfast with Son3 and DIL3 before they got ready to head back to Nashville.  Shortly after they left we heard to announcement about the presidential race, and were pretty much glued to the tv the rest of the day. 

Since we had gone to the fish market Saturday morning we were set for dinner.

Broiled scamp, corn on the cob, tossed salad

Meal plan (What a joke) for the week

1. Mexican chicken salad on greens

2. Spaghetti, tossed salad

3. BLT salad

4-7 We are visiting our SIL so who knows what/where or when we will be eating

Books read in July

Lady Tan's Circle Of Women

The Everlasting Meal

Listen to the Colors

The Night Parade

Disturbing The Dead

Hitler's Furies

That Night in the Library

Have a great week with whatever plan or no plan works for you.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

Some Things Get Better With Age

Unlike me, some things just get better with age. My knees continually let me know that I am not a kid anymore, but I digress.

If you have been reading my blog you know I have been griping talking about the need to have lunches available for the recently retired husband. One of my new lunch criteria is to have something that will be available and withstand time in the refrigerator for some do it yourself option.

I am also pretty simple minded when it comes to Google. I think I searched "easy lunch ideas", and sat with a pen in hand to make a list of potential lunch meals. 

When I found this one I decided I would give it a try, since it said in the recipe that holding time only improved it. 

Kale pineapple salad

2 big bunches kale (stem removed and finely chopped*)

20 oz. can crushed pineapple in its own juice ( all I had on hand)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup avocado oil ( only neutral tasting oil I had on hand)

Wash, dry and chop the kale and put in a big bowl (emphasis on big) with an airtight lid. In a smaller bowl mix the wet ingredients and pour it over the kale. Toss it, then toss it some more, and toss it a thrid time just for good measure. Put the airtight lid on the bowl and stick that puppy in th fridge for at least 24 hours. Magic occurs during those 24 hours and all the bitterness leaves the kale and you are left with this absolutely delicious salad. The original recipe said to sprinkle sunflower seed over the top when serving, but we have not done that evn though I have them available. It has been delicious without them.

The upside is that it will keep in the refrigerator for several days, thanks to the "staying" power of kale

I will admit I was skeptical, but the first time TheHub tried it he suggested we keep it all of the time. I honestly agree with him. We have been eating this all week and the kale is still nice and crispy.

In a couple of weeks we are leaving to begin a road trip to Portland, and are purchasing a portable refrigerator to take with us. 

Instead of eating lunch out everyday en route, we decided we would pack easy lunch items  and just pull over at roadside rest areas for picnic lunches. 

This salad will be making the trip out, and when we get to Portland I will make another for the return trip. It is that good!  

If you are looking for a tasty side salad or lunch option you might want to give this a try. I am really glad I did.

* I did a coarser chop.  A finer chop would have a better mouth feel.

Ahh Alabama

 So you have a truck and the a/c goes out?  

No problem

A couple of bungee cords, a window unit, and some redneck engineering skills and you are back in business

Sorry for the blurry photo. My Beloved Sister took it while we were driving down I-65

Joys

It is seriously summertime here and its hot. Damn hot!

Monday: TheHub worked from his home office most of the day while I did very little. We were both still feeling exceptional tiredness after the Covid onslaught and felt like doing little.  

I was scheduled to volunteer at Independence Place, but did not want to risk still being contagious. I could not bear the thought of passing it on to even one participant, but I really did going.
This was the first "normal" week  (day) we had following  TheHub's retirement and it is going to be as big of an adjustment for me as it is for him. 

I have lived most of our married life as a stay at home mom, then after the kids were grown and gone, just a stay at home whatever.  Consequently, after the kids left, I had no one else to consider (other than the years Mom and Dad needed help) on a daily basis. 

TheHub's job was extremely demanding and for past 4 years I was in almost complete control of my week days and most weekends while he basically gave his life to the company. This change was abrupt!

Fortunately there were a few things left for him to wrap up, so I guess he is just mostly retired. 

But he's home for lunch! 

I have never done lunch unless it was meeting friends occasionally. My lunch at home was always sitting down with a book and eating spoonfuls of whatever bits and pieces were leftover, while music played in the background.

A dedicated lunchtime ( It seems he thinks noon is an acceptable lunchtime?!?!?!?!) with a lunch buddy is going to take getting used to. I am not sure this old dog is ready to learn new tricks.

Tuesday: I feel horrible for saying this, but one of my biggest joys was TheHub going into the office for 5 hours. While he was gone I got some things done and even had time for a phone call with Sluggy!

He came home for a late lunch, but I did have time when the entire house was mine!  

We are going to need to establish some sort of lunch protocol. All of his working life TheHub ate out at lunch, always eating whatever sounded tasty on any given day.

I don't mind cooking, but I am not going to be in the kitchen all day preparing food, and the rules say you don't get to eat what sounds good, you just have to eat whatever is available. We will see how that works out. I suspect I will need to make several things each week to have on hand for a do it himself meal. 

Wednesday: TheHub decided to go into the office again. I was not complaining! I was able to enjoy uninterrupted coffee time while listening to music and reading blogs. Whoo hoo! Simple pleasures are outstanding!

TheHub called to tell me he was on his way home__for lunch. We did decide to go out for a quick bite somewhere, and decided we will do it once a week, at least for a while.

After we ate we ran by Snapper Grabbers because we were both in the mood for seafood. A true joy was finding Sand Mountain tomatoes there. They are so good and pretty hard to find outside of North Alabama.

Thursday: Retirement is not going to be so bad if TheHub keeps going into the office for at least half a day. I am good to go as long as I can ease into the day with coffee and reading.

Friday: TheHub has been taking my car into the office each day, because his is sick and he can't figure out how to jump it off. It is not my fault he has one of those cars that needs "special" mechanics and has a convoluted engine. 

And I NEED my car so I can go wherever I want, whenever I want to go. 

My car, my car, my kingdom for my car!

I needed to go to the grocery store to restock produce and a pick up a few things I was out of. Wouldn't you know he came home and decided he would go with me. What?!?!?!?! 

You have to understand for decades I have been shopping by myself, I know food prices, and I know what I buy. 

TheHub is an accountant by trade and quite frankly I do not need to know the 1/8 ounce price of every single item I buy, nor do I need a running commentary on what the "best" buys are. 

There is an upside however. He wanted to go out to lunch before shopping so there was no lunch for me to make, and, for the first time in forever, I actually have help unloading the car and putting things away. 

Plus the additional set of eyes curbed my usual secret chocolate purchase. Curses, foiled!

Saturday: I am still overly tired, which I am assuming is from the brush with Covid. TheHub is also very tired. We are ready to be done with it. 

We ran around doing a few Saturday morning errands and were home by 10:45. I am glad we started early because hot and humid was an understatement by the time we returned home.

And lest anyone think I am oblivious to everything going on Saturday, I am not, but my blog is non political, and I prefer to keep it that way.

Sunday: We had a lazy hot day with a lot of reading, then more reading!

Books read in July

Lady Tan's Circle Of Women

The Everlasting Meal

Listen to the Colors

The Night Parade

Disturbing The Dead

Look for your joys, no matter how small. They are always out there*. 

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

*Even though this is a pretty crabby post, I am still joyful.

 

Ambivalent About Dinner

I was still tired from the bout with Covid and was not in any hurry to go to the store. I planned no menu and decided I would use as much as possible from food storage instead. Weeks like this are when having an overfilled freezer comes in handy.

Sunday: This is exactly why I freeze anything that is left over. One cup of frozen sauce to the rescue!

Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad

 
Monday: Again finding a small package of frozen cooked chicken made a quick meal happen.

Chicken and dressing, Greek green beans, brownies (we could finally taste)

Tuesday: A small pack of frozen ground chuck, leftover tossed salad, and a jar of salsa in the refrigerator was the genesis of the meal 

 Taco salad

Wednesday: We actually made a stop at our seafood monger's specifically for this.

Sautéed scallops, coleslaw, Italian bread

Thursday: TheHub had made a special trip with 2 of our sons to Costco last week for the 4 pound pack of Conecuh sausage  I felt so bad then, that I did not process it. I used some for dinner and portioned the remaining in 8 freezer bags for future meals: 

Conecuh sausage, sautéed leftover undressed coleslaw, Italian bread

Friday: We ate lunch out and just moved our lunch meal to dinner

Asian noodle salad, watermelon chunks

Saturday: We went to our local produce stand this morning and dinner planned itself.

Lady peas, okra, fried green tomatoes, sliced tomatoes

What's next? Maybe

1. Hamburger patty, corn on the cob, coleslaw

2. Veggie meal TBD

3. Big salad meal TBD

4. White bbq chicken, green beans, tomato cucumber onion salad

5. Stuffed peppers, new potatoes, Tossed salad

6. Fried rice, Asian coleslaw

7. Leftovers or out to eat

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all

(Don’t feel like you need to read this list. It is really for my benefit)

Used from freezer:

1 bag spaghetti sauce

1 pack cooked chicken

1 pint bag ground chuck

Green  beans

Lady peas

Chicken broth

Used from pantry:

1/2 bag Pepperidge Farm cornbread stuffing

Olive oil

Spices and seasonings

Brownie mix (leftover and unmade from Pip's visit)

Avocado oil

Canned diced chili peppers

Angel hair pasta

John’s coleslaw dressing (once opened moved to fridge storage)

Water chestnuts

Used from fridge: (or countertop produce storage*)

Pint of slightly wrinkled cherry tomatoes

1 large onion

Lettuce

3 tomatoes

1 cucumber

5 new potatoes

Salad dressing

Conecuh sausage

Butter

Eggs

Cheddar cheese

Parmesan cheese

Cabbage

Carrots

Purchased: for meal preparation for the week

Scallops

1 lemon

Italian bread

2 tomatoes**

Green onions

Red bell pepper

Okra

Green tomato

*Obvious counter storage are onions, bananas, and potatoes, but I will never ruin a peach or tomato by storing them in the fridge. They will not ripen and will do nothing but loose their taste. Instead I will buy just enough to eat right away and some underripe to eat in three or so days

** I had tomatoes and did not need more, but I made an exception for these. The nearby fish market gets tomatoes grown on Sand Mountain (small mountain in North Alabama which has perfect soil, moisture, and heat for incredibly delicious tomatoes) during the summer. When we stopped there they had some, so we snagged a couple. They are honestly the best tomatoes I have ever eaten  and we have been waiting for them all summer.

The Lunch Conundrum

I am trying very hard to adjust to our new normal here, but I am not adjusting well at all. Even though TheHub is going into the office part time each day, he is still home for lunch.

I do not think, since the kids were preschoolers or at home during the summer I ever had to consider making lunch for anyone. And once the kids were old enough to make their own sandwiches, as long as meats and cheeses were in the fridge, they even did that themselves, because they knew when they were hungry better than I did.

Now I have someone here who not only wants to eat lunch everyday (what is this madness?) but he wants it to be something that is pleasing to all of his senses.  For years and years my lunches (if I had them) have consisted of  crackers and cheese or whatever bits and pieces were in the fridge, not what sounded good. (Unless I really wanted a tablespoon of leftover black eyed peas, a half of a tomato and wilted leftover tossed salad)

In order to keep my home from being a crime scene (murder being the option) I have decided I need to make several lunch items in advance, so there might be choices of the self serve variety. Now I just need to figure out what those might be.

This Asian inspired noodle salad is one I decided to try.

 

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon hot chili oil (omit if you don't like heat)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

juice from 1/2 lime

3/4 pound (ish, just eyeball it) angel hair pasta, cooked to al dente and drained

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper chopped

1/2 can water chestnuts. chopped finely

1 tablespoon sesame seed (toasted is better)

2 tablespoons chopped peanuts (optional)

Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil, hot chili oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and lime juice in a medium non reactive bowl. (I use glass because I have them)

Put the warm pasta into the mixture and toss to coat well. Let it cool before adding the bell pepper, water chestnuts, and green onions. Eat immediately or stick it in the fridge for later. Just toss again before serving.

 Serve on a plate and sprinkle with sesame seed and/or chopped peanuts.

This was quite good and something I will make to have every couple of weeks. Next time I will add some sliced snow peas or thawed green peas, and some grated carrot, mainly for color. I will also add some Thai basil and lemon grass (if I can find very tender stems which is a crap shoot in Alabama)

It would probably be really good with some diced cooked chicken or pork too, but I am not going to get in the habit of having meats for lunch.

And There Were Joys?

I started this week with the intentions of enjoying Pip for a couple of days, then transforming life back to normal once they left. Well as normal as my new normal with TheHub here would be. Instead even before Pip left for Portland, life threw me a little curve. *

I am more than ready to turn the page on this week.

Monday: Pip's friend, my neighbor, came up to swim and life was perfect. They had a good time laughing and playing until it was time to go to Son2's house for dinner. Son1 and Pip had seen the house when they first bought it, before the renovation really started. They were pretty amazed at the transformation. We enjoyed eating together then they went to the boathouse to try their luck at fishing. 

As soon as we got home, M came up for some more night swimming (until almost midnight) then she and Pip went to her house to spend the night. I mean what is better than a house with 4 kids and 11 pets for an overnight?

Tuesday: Son1 had been feeling kind of bad and, not wanting to be the only one under the weather, he shared it with me. All day I was freezing and it is just too hot here to be freezing unless you are not feeling well.

I felt crappy and spent most of the day sitting in the recliner under blankets while major swimming went on outside. The girls played and swam then ran back and forth between houses several times, ending the night with another late night swim and a farewell until next time. 

Pip is coming back this year at Thanksgiving and even though the pool will be closed she and company can still have a little water time in the hot tub.

Wednesday: Sometime during the wee hours of the morning it seems like I shared this stuff with TheHub. We had a coughing duet going on until it was time to get up and help Son1 and Pip get ready to leave. I hated to see them go but knowing we will see them in August softened everything.

After driving them to the airport TheHub went into the office (so much for retirement huh) and I attacked the laundry. I continued to feel bad and by the time TheHub came home (about 3) he was feeling rotten also. We melted into the couch or the recliner and stayed that way until we summoned the strength to get up and go to bed.

Thursday: The Fourth of July came and went here, with little to no celebration. We decided one of us needed to take a Covid test so I did it. In less than one nano-second the test lit completely and there was no denying it. We had Covid. Further testing confirmed Son1, Pip, Son2 and DIL2 all had it too. 

TheHub and I lounged around (coughing and sneezing) while we watched Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest. We didn't feel like eating so we thought we might as well watch others eat. 

Then we snoozed off and on while watching whatever was on tv, until after our dinner when we actually watched (and stayed awake for the entire show ) The Capitol Fourth. 

The host kept asking people to take and post pictures of their celebrations while watching the show. We laughed that ours would be two folks wrapped up in blankets watching it. If we both did not look so horrible I might have done it. 

The only thing I will say about our appearance is that we had both showered and dressed (wearing soft laying about shorts and tee shirts).  Fashionable? Not in the least.

So much for our plans for the day. TheHub intended to hit a bucket or two of golf balls and I planned on swimming. Maybe Friday?

Friday: I woke butt early. In fact it was just a hair past dark O' Thirty. This stuff is kicking our respective butts. We are both coughing less, but have no appetites and zero zest for life. I have been doing more laundry, some reading, and taking lots of unintentional naps (while reading or should I say trying to read).

In spite of hoping to feel like swimming, it did not happen.

Saturday: Well if this was not just another day in paradise I don't know what would have been. TheHub and I had decided we would be well on Saturday so we could swim and/or hit golf balls. Covid seemed to have other plans. Though we were no longer sneezing our heads off or coughing all the time, neither of us had the energy to do much of anything. I did catch up reading blogs, but only because I could be on the couch in a prone position with my Ipad propped against the sofa cushions. I am not sure I would have even had the energy needed to physically hold it while reading. Sorry I did not comment but I cannot post them from the tablet and sitting up at the computer for any length of time was out of the question. 

Our day was spent rotating between the couch and recliner, pretending to watch tv while we nodded off for countless naps. 

As much as feeling like this sucks, I am thrilled this variant is so much less severe than the original virus.

Sunday: Another low exertion day. Both of us were feeling much better but mutually decided we would have one more day laying low. The bare minimum was done, just enough to maintain a decent standard of living but there was a good bit of reading that happened. Earlier in the week I had an Amazon package arrive. TO be honest I was so tired TheHub brought it inside and put it on the dining room table where it stayed until early Sunday morning. I was glad to finally open it for it had 3 things I really wanted. Need? Not so much but I did want them. 

Years ago I bought stainless in the same pattern as my sterling. Through the years pieces disappeared, most likely either accidentally thrown away (possible)  or disappeared in cars of various teen drivers (more likely). 

I decided it was time to replace missing settings so I keep it on my Amazon wish list all the time. Periodically the price drops 10 bucks a place setting, and when it does I buy one. Early during the week I hit pay dirt and snagged one. One more and I will once again have a complete set, but I can wait until the price drops again.

Until we visited St Barths, I never knew I would love having an electric kettle. I am sorry I was so stupid to never realize just exactly how wonderful they are. To  those of you who grew up with one and are shaking your heads, what can I say? Sometimes you never know what you are missing!

I also bought a fantastic new to me book The Everlasting Meal. I spent all day reading it and will use it as a reference book as long as I am still cooking. It is technically called a cookbook, and though it does have a lot of recipes, its main function is ideas for totally using every single bit of everything you buy, or grow. 

Now I know to save all the small bits from a bag of chips to use as salt in a savory dish.

Books read in July

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

The Everlasting Meal

Listen to the Colors

Look for your joys. They are always out there even if they are tiny (like having an abundance of Kleenex when you really really need them )

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

*Once again I apologize for leaving no comments on your blogs, but I did at least read them.

Dinner that Didn't

When I planned last week's menu, I said the plan was subject to change. I just did not realize how much it would change.  The only thing I can say it that almost the entire plan bit the dust.

Planned 
1, Burgers and all the fixings, tater tots, something green
2. White bbq chicken, baked beans, caulitato/regular potato salad
3. Veggie meal TBD
4. Big salad dinner TBD
5. Un-fried chicken, rice, gravy, broccoli
6. Out to eat

7. Veggie meal TBD

What we really ate:

Sunday: Son2 and DIL2 came over to swim with Pip and have dinner.

Burgers with all the fixings, fries, baked beans

Monday: We all went to Son2 and DIl2's house for dinner, on the condition that they would let us pick up the food. They live on what I call Lake Faraway with limited options for takeout. Consensus was to just do a massive pickup at Taco Bell. BTW their veggie/rice bowl is pretty dang good.

Various Taco Bell items

Tuesday: Son1 wanted to go to a meat and 3 before he and Pip left to go back to Portland. I was not feeling well and did not want anything to eat. (I did not even want to move) so they left and ate at Fried Green Tomatoes.

No idea what they ate, I had a cup of hot tea.

Wednesday: Pip and her dad were gone, I did not need to think about preparing anything, and we had virtually no appetites because TheHub caught what I had.

Cheese toast

Thursday: Happy Fourth of July! We were still feeling bad and had that traditional 4th dinner for those who are not feeling it.

Chicken noodle soup

Friday: . TheHub retained his sense of taste, but I could only decern. Sweet, spicy, salty etc. it did not matter at all to me what we ate. Refrigerator to the rescue

Pork ribs, potato salad

Saturday:  I was still without a sense of taste, but had some things that needed to be consumed

Leftover hamburger patty, new potatoes, broccoli, sliced tomatoes

And what is planned for this week?

I have no idea. I still cannot really taste anything . Nothing sounds good and nothing sounds bad. I am just going to let the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry be my guide.

1. Something

2. Something else

3. Another something 

4. Whatever might be leftover

5. Anything that is an easy meal

6. Whatever sounds good 

7. Who knows?

Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

The Weeks That Were

I am starting this list from 2 weeks ago since I did not post one before we left on our trip, and I did not even think about posting one while we were in Paradise! 

I suppose I could lie and say I read all of your posts while I was vacationing or once I got home, but in truth the whole time I was gone, Blogger was the last thing on my mind. Once back in Alabama I had my favorite girl to do things with, and reading blogs was definitely not on my priority list.

I guess I could be forthcoming and tell all of you I planned to read all the back blog posts all of you have written, so I will tell y'all that. Now you can decide for yourself whether I just spoke the truth or not.

Monday, June 17: Son3 and DIL 3 came to town to spend the night here before we began our trip. We had flights from Atlanta to St Maartan scheduled for early Wednesday morning and decided it would be easier if we all spent the night in Atlanta Tuesday night. We were able to have a lovely dinner with them.

Tuesday, June 18: TheHub and I had a little running around to do before leaving for Atlanta. We picked a place that would be convenient for us all, and offered long term parking plus a shuttle to the airport. I might not have normally opted for the Drury Inn but it met all of our criteria. It was wonderful to see everyone and talk a bit before bedtime. I will also say the  Drury Inn has recently been renovated and the bed was just perfect. I do not usually sleep well in "foreign to me" beds, but I slept like a rock even though waking at 4:30 did come a lot earlier than my normal wake-up time.

Wednesday, June 19: As mentioned above, we woke butt early, and were all in the lobby on time ready to start our adventure. We were very glad we took the earlier shuttle because the Atlanta airport was it's usual chaotic self. After standing in a non-moving line for over an hour we were able to hope the train to our gate and load up for the nearly 4 hour flight. Unfortunately for me during the standing still time my knee popped slightly out of joint and I was not able to get it to pop back in place. It made the walk to the gate pretty uncomfortable, but I put on my best "Hopalong Cassidy" face and limped my way through, while muttering some rather inappropriate words to myself.

Once on the plane I had some of the best seat mates ever. Pip was thrilled to sit with TheHub and me because we let her have the window seat, since ,when traveling with her parents she always gets stuck in the middle seat. I will sit in the middle seat any day if I get to sit by her.

The plane landed in St Maartan where we took a shuttle from the airport to the harbor where the ferry would pick us up to take us to St Barths. Once at the harbor and after purchasing tickets for the boat ride, we still had about an hour and a half's wait. Fortunately for us there was a place to eat right by the pier and we were able to have a lunch in the open air restaurant. Decent food in a beautiful setting with the ocean breeze blowing was a  wonderful break.

The ferry ride took about 45 minutes in slightly rough seas. I loved it! Some of the others did not like it quite as much, but I do not get seasick so the more we bounced and got hit with the fine mist from the salt spray the better I liked it.

Once we got to the island, I was blown away by how incredibly beautiful everything was. Though it is technically in the French West Indies and has coasts on both the Atlantic and Caribbean, the towns on the island have a decidedly European feel, rather than a Caribbean vibe.

Hats off to Budget with the car rentals. An attendant met us at the ferry dock with both cars, so we had no wait at all once arriving and going through immigration (their answer to customs). In addition to the car rentals, we had a personal concierge who grabbed our luggage and led the way to our villa. After a quick tour of the facilities we got settled in.

We were lucky to have been able to submit a shopping list in advance and the kitchen was stocked with enough food so that we were able to make sandwiches for a very late dinner

After eating  those who wanted to went for a quick swim before we all went to sleep.

Thursday, June 20:  What is more wonderful than waking up in paradise? The villa consisted of a main house with 2 bedrooms and all the common areas, and two outbuildings each with a bedroom and bath. There was a courtyard in the center with a gazebo, pool, sunning areas and a lanai complete with seating areas as well as a table for outdoor eating. I intended to have my coffee out there each morning, but the onslaught of the smallest mosquitos I have even seen (or should I say not seen?) changed my mind. The only place they did not bother me was either sitting out in the bright sun or immersed in the water

 I texted My Beloved Sister a birthday greeting, then we went to the grocery store to get more necessities for the week. While on the hunt for groceries we found an incredible French pastry shop. It is possible we found it nearly every day we were there.

Friday, June 21: We rented two cars because we had been advised the roads were very narrow and a passenger van that would hold us all would be difficult to drive. I am so glad we listened ! The roads are narrow, very curvy, mountain roads. I was glad I was not listed as a driver because I would not have enjoyed driving them. Instead I could sit in the car and take in all the incredible views. And on my how gorgeous they were. Since we had 2 cars we were rarely in the same places. Everyone just did what they wanted to do. 

The villa was so luxurious TheHub and I were often content to be there and read.

Friday night we had a chef who cooked us a sharing menu, starting with appetizers, beef, prawns, sea bass, truffle mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, breads, cream brulee ice cream and cookies. It was delicious and an experience. 

He had a waiter with him who set a beautiful table then served us each course. It is probably the most indulgent thing I have ever done.

Saturday, June 22: Beaches, sunning, reading , exploring and eating!!!

Sunday, June 23: Beaches, exploring the island, reading, eating!!! And speaking of eating, we had a cook, Sam, who used whatever we had on hand to make us a spectacular meal.

After eating we played trivia and it was fun.

Monday, June 24: Repeat of June 23rd.  Sam was back with us and we had another delicious meal.

Tuesday, June 25: More of the same, though we did do a little more exploring on a different section of the island. It truly is a feast for the eyes.

We had intended on having Sam back, but we had a ton of leftovers we needed to eat. Thank you Son2 and DIL2 who helped so much with the meal.

Wednesday, June 26: We had to leave by 9:30 in order to return the cars before getting on the ferry back to St Maarten. The day was pretty uneventful, until we got to the airport. DIL3 had forgotten her green card and could not return to the United States without it. She stayed in St Maarten while her friends went through her things at her house, found her green card and had it sent priority mail to her. 

The rest of us got on the flight to Atlanta. Son 3, Son1, and Pip were coming to Birmingham with us while DIL1 was going to catch a connecting flight in ATL to Portland and had just 3 hours between flights. Unfortunately once we landed another plane with mechanical issues was at our assigned gate. We sat on the tarmac for a little over an hour before we finally were able to deplane. Because she had to clear customs first and because of the gate delay, she missed her flight. We had already decided we would not leave the airport to drive home until we knew what she was going to be doing. After some not so pleasant conversations she managed to get the early flight to PDX the next morning and score a complimentary overnight stay in a nearby hotel.  We dropped her off at the Sonesta near the airport then started the drive home. It was well after midnight when we finally arrived. All we did was unload the car then everyone went to sleep.

Thursday, June 27: Pip and I had planned to go to Independence Place to get some of our luggage from the trip. Son2 and DIL2 had put some of it in their car in Atlanta because my car would not hold all of it plus 5 passengers . They live on the other side of town and it was easier for me to drive there to pick it up than it would have been for them to drive an additional hour to my house and back to theirs just to unload a couple of bags.

At Ip Pip got to meet the Thursday participants before we trekked off to our planned stops. We had decided we were going to have a blind taste test, between Cookie Fix chocolate chip cookies and Crumbl chocolate chip cookies. Additionally since we were already in Trussville to pick up the luggage at IP we decided to stop at Pastry Arts for some baby bites (tiny 2 bite cakes that are incredibly delicious.) If you are going to overindulge you might as well go all out, right?

We picked up the cakes and were on our way to grab the cookies at Cookie Fix when we passed Sephora. Pip and I had planned to go there while she was here anyway, and since we were right there it made sense to go ahead and stop.

My wallet was much lighter when we left, but Pip was very happy with her haul. (When I was 10 I had no concept of wearing blush and skin care. Just washing my face with soap and water was my entire beauty routine. How times change).

We still had to go to Cookie Fix, but I did talk TheHub into running up the hill to snag something for lunch along with the Crumbl chocolate chip cookie. I mean a blind taste test is science, and has to be done, correct? 

Once home we ate lunch, had the cookie taste test* then it was a swimming day!

Friday, June 28: We woke, had a light breakfast then Pip and I went to Ulta (another hit to my bank account).

I was out of just about everything and while we were out we ran to Aldi and Publix before coming home. More swimming then ensured, and Son2 and DIL2  along with Reesy and Jack (their dog children) came to the house for a bbq dinner.

Saturday, June 29: There was some morning swimming happening before Son 3 left to return to Nashville. DIL3 finally had her green card in her hand,  boarded a plane to Ft. Lauderdale, then was to connect with a flight to Nashville. 

Pip, Son1 and TheHub toured The Civil Rights Museum, came home and had dinner with Son2 and DIL2 before we all left to see Mary Poppins. 

Kudos to Red Mountain Theater for such a wonderful performance. The talent was great, and the orchestra in the pit was wonderful. I am so glad we got to see it. I had never been in their new theater and it was a grand venue. We will be going back to it.

As an aside, we got a text a tad after midnight that DIL3 was back in Nashville. What a harrowing ordeal for her!

Sunday, June 30: We were all tired and took the day kind of slow and easy. Pip and I looked through old photos and I was surprised when she asked if she could have some of them. An old photo for a sorority composite is going home with her, as well as several wedding  photos, along with some pictures of her dad when he was a kid. It will be a few less things for me to weed through later.

We also began the process of transforming an old Barbie into a Taylor Swift look alike.  I have managed to get the hair styled and removed Barbie's facial features so they can be repainted to look more like Taylor's face. Once we get that done, clothes making will take place. I never in a million years thought I would be doing this.

Books read in June

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (Thanks for the heads up Live and Learn)

All We Ever Wanted

The Passengers

Give It Back

The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris'

The Dead Romantics

And now on to July!

Look for your joys, they are always there.

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

* Cookie Fix and Crumbl tied, but I was the deciding vote and I like Cookie Fix best.