High Winds, Rains, and Other Things

I hope everyone had a great week and survived the weird hurricane/tropical storm weather.

It was a pretty good week here, with some wild and some not so wild weather. We did get blasted by was the wind gusts. It did some damage locally but we were spared from anything other than a few fallen limbs and an excess of tree debris.

What was planned:

Paprika Chicken, tossed salad

Big salad meal TBD

Spaghetti, tossed salad

Veggie meal TBD

Out to eat

Burgers and fixings, tomato cucumber onion salad

Chicken** bulgogi, rice, mixed greens

                 vs

What we really ate:

Monday joy: If this is what TheHubs retirement is going to be I am not sure why he even bothered to retire. Though he did not go into the office Monday, he worked from his home office all day. 

The only difference between his going to the office and working from home was having someone scare the Bejeezus out of me a couple of times when I did not hear him coming to the main level and I almost walked right into him. I realized I really do EEK when I am startled.

Well that and wanting lunch at high noon. I was still drinking coffee and had not begun to think of putting anything solid in my mouth, so . . .

At least I did not feel compelled to sit and eat with him. A simple joy was having pimento cheese made and in the fridge so he could make his own sandwich.

Monday dinner: This was my week for using as many things from the freezer as possible.  I used 2 packs of boneless skinless thighs (Should have used just one since we both ate only 1 piece of chicken. At this rate is it going to take us forever to eat down the freezer) 

Bulgogi chicken, rice, brussels sprouts, sliced tomatoes

Tuesday joy: I woke from a funny dream and really did enjoy the feeling. It was a great way to start the day. Well, reminisces of that early morning fancy, strong black coffee and near perfect weather worked in conjunction to set me up for a really good Tuesday.

I had the excellent fortune of going to Independence Place with My Beloved Sister. There is no way to be unhappy at a place when the moment you walk through the doors you are greeted with hugs and told "I love you". Quite honestly I wish that everyone in the world could have this same experience. I know that I am a volunteer there, but I receive so much more than I could ever give. 

On the way home MBS and I were talking about having to ask our husbands for help and how hard it is to do that sometimes. When she was describing one situation she had previously needed  with, and her solution I cracked up.*** Very dangerous while driving down the road.

Tuesday dinner: I was able to use two packets from the freezer! Woo hoo. The first was a frozen package of Conecuh sausage which we used at Independence Place. (Sausage and grits was a huge success and the only part I had to really do for them was stirring the grits once they started to really cook. I did not want them to get burned by any grits particles that popped out of the pan while cooking.)

And for dinner, I was able to use a pound of frozen ground chuck.

Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, tossed salad, Italian bread w/ dipping seasoned olive oil

Wednesday: I woke butt early for me. I was wide awake at 4:45 and tried to go back to sleep, but by 5:30 I gave it up, made coffee and started the day. I was really able to see the change in daylight, since it was  pitch black at 5:30 with still gray skies by 6:30. Autumn is creeping up like she does every year. I am not an early riser and truly appreciate the mornings I am up in time to greet the day. Not enough appreciation to do it regularly though.

My class that I have been a part of for the past 20? years started back. It was nice to see everyone again, and I am secretly glad the farmer's market near it will be closing for the season. As nice as it is, the streets on my normal way to class were blocked for the market to operate, and it is the easiest route. Selfish? Probably

After I came back to the house TheHub and I went out to a small dive burger joint neither of us had ever been to*. Oh my goodness, if it was not burger heaven I don't know what ever could be. J & J Grocery, you earned a place in my heart.

Wednesday dinner: While we were eating the massive burgers for lunch, TheHub suggested we might want to have a lighter dinner. Duh!?! I am not exactly sure that I would consider this light but it is what we had anyway.

Pasta salad (rotini, peppers, onions, tomatoes, cukes, celery, olives, oil, vinegar, s&p, herbs)

Thursday joy: I woke up and got ready for the day before I looked out the window. When I did, I changed my plans. I don't mind going to the grocery store when it is raining, but the winds were gusting and limbs were starting to fall from trees. I didn't really need anything and was just going to do a little cherry picking anyway. 

Instead I decided it was a good day to stay home and do a few things like wash the bed linens.  If I get out of bed and strip it, I can have everything washed, dried and back on the bed in a little over 2 hours. I had much rather do that than take out a clean set of sheets, make the bed then have to fold and put away the newly laundered ones. 

K.I.S.S. **is my motto when it comes to housework, which is my personal nemesis. Other than laundry I just mucked around the house doing as little as possible, but enough so it looked like I had done more than I did. (Which actually means I got lost in a book, but did not want to look like the complete slacker that I was.)

TheHub mostly stayed at home again. Except for a Parkinson's board meeting and an appointment to work-out, he was buried in his office at the house. I guess only his office location has changed, because he took calls and worked until almost 5.

Late Thursday night I started watching Kaos, streaming on Netflix. I think it is a delightful modern retelling of Greek mythology, and once again I really like the background music.

I was skeptical when I heard Jeff Goldblum was cast as Zeus, but he really pulled it off, just in a much different way than Zeus is typically thought of. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Thursday dinner:  Part of my mucking about included going through the refrigerator to see if anything needed to be thrown out. The garbage truck comes on Friday and its times are always erratic so we make sure the bin is by the street Thursday night. While I was looking through the fridge I decided we had leftovers that needed to be eaten. Dinner was just reruns.

Spaghetti with meat sauce, tossed salad

Friday joy:  Following the storm Thursday the temperature was much cooler. Of course thunderstorms were forecast for the entire weekend too, so the cooler temps made sense. As it turned out the day was a little schizophrenic. The sky would be gray then brilliant blue and sunny. 

Mid day I had a surprise visit from Son2. It was literally a surprise. I came out of the laundry room and found him standing in the kitchen. I think he really just wanted something to drink and a bag of chips. Conversation was secondary, but we did talk for about and hour and a half.

Amazingly TheHub was in his home office the entire visit and never even knew he was here. His loss!

We went out for a bit Friday evening then settled in to watch Ted Lasso. It took me a couple of years to get TheHub interested in it, but now he is all in. We do have different watching habits though. He watches one episode then turns it off! What kind of madness is that?!? 

I believe if a show is streaming, it is a message from the universe to watch as many episodes as you can keep your eyes open to watch. What a rookie!

Friday dinner: Neither of us were particularly hungry.

Toasted cheese, onion and tomato sandwiches

Saturday joy: Football! Specifically Alabama football, but I will confess tht we had ballgames on all day with the exception of our early morning running arounds and our early evening shopping trip. (I know TheHub is used to being around people and feels the need to get out of the house, but I cannot tell you loudly enough how irritating it is to have him go to the grocery store with me. He has got to learn to find things to do by himself!)

Saturday dinner: While we were out Saturday morning TheHub decided he wanted a sandwich from The Pita Cafe. They were not opened until the Alabama game started and we have to be home for any away game that is televised. At dinner time that craving was still happening, which meant we had to stop on the way home from Aldi and grab a take out order.

Racer sandwich, tabbouli 

Sunday joy: I woke to Alexa playing "Happy Birthday" , which was a first. Normally on Sundays we go to church, but Son2 and DIL2 were coming to lunch and I had not gotten things prepped the night before. Instead TheHub  and I had breakfast together. 

I am not a breakfast gal, but if he is getting pancakes ready, I am not going to say no. 

After we ate a leisurely meal I got to work getting lunch together. I had bought a rack of lamb and had to French the chops, so one of the day's joys was having a relatively new and sharp boning knife.

Another was having them here for lunch, which we were counting as dinner. I was not going to cook anything the rest of the day. 

Sunday lunch/dinner: As I said, I am counting our lunch as dinner. I did manage to use the rack of lamb from the freezer, so one more item gone.

Broiled lamb chops, new potatoes, tossed salad, Italian cream cake

(Best birthday cake ever thanks to Edgar's Bakery)

What might happen this week:

1. Paprika chicken, broccoli, rice, tomato cucumber onion salad 

2. Conecuh sausage pigs in a blanket, coleslaw

3. Grilled fish, hushpuppies, coleslaw

4. Big salad meal TBD

5. Fundraiser banquet

6. Sandwiches, tomato cucumber onion salad

7. Veggie meal TBD

Books read in September

When Paris Went Dark

Old Girls Behaving Badly

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

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

* TheHub and I decided we would start looking for places where we have never eaten and giving them a try. I  keep a list of everywhere we go out to eat, as well as those, to try on double secret blog I began this summer. Once we go somewhere new I check it off and move it to the "where we ate" list. 

I probably should start listing non-food related things and places we want to do and see. We need to start ticking them off quickly because one of the things that was on my list for years is no longer available.

**K.I.S.S. = Keep it simple, Stupid

*** This might not be a problem for all women , but for those of us with a larger than average chest it definitely is. My beloved sister is not just slightly larger than average but think Jane Russell in Outlaw proportions. (Picture provided for those of you too young to have any clue who she might be.)

The situation she was telling me about involved pulling a sports bra on over her head onto a slightly damp, fresh from the shower body. It is not that we wear these all the time but support is necessary and some days you are just not ready to commit to an underwire.

She got tired of asking her husband to help her pull the back (it would roll and get stuck due to the slightly damp skin) into its proper position, and even if he saw her struggle with stuck  around the back of her neck, unless she asked him for help, he would not offer it. 

Yankee ingenuity, determination, and a backscratcher was all it took to overcome that issue. 

I suggested she might wait until she was bone dry to put it on, since there would be no issue and the fabric would slide neatly into place. 

We both started laughing at that because what would be the fun in waiting when she had already figured that the back scratcher extended her reach enough to grab and maneuver it into the proper position even while damp. 

Men have no clue!

Food, Joy, and Meaningful stuff

What a glorious week. The temperatures were not stifling and I was able to sit on the screened porch drinking my morning coffee and listening to the birds. It was perfect!

What was planned

1. Leftovers

2. BBQ chicken, coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon

3. Chopped smoked pork, coleslaw, mashed potatoes

4. Shrimp and Grits, coleslaw (I still have not used the grits nor have I bought the shrimp)

5. Paprika chicken, tossed salad

6. Salad meal TBD

7. Out to eat or sandwiches 

How did that work out:

Monday joy: TheHub stayed home from the office. (I guess even though he retired and is still working he honors traditional holidays__go figure!) 

Our weekend was different than normal, and I did not even realize the actual day of the week was Monday until much later.

I guess it was because he went to the office Sunday, which he only used to do after we came home from church. We did not go Sunday because we had guests and I was totally thrown off of my traditional weekly set point. 

After our morning coffee and tea we sat at the kitchen table with both of our calendars, looking at events we had planned along with some things we thought we might enjoy doing. I could not believe how quickly the rest of the year filled with possibilities.

Monday dinner: I did realize at some point it was Labor Day, probably when TheHub asked what we were having for a Labor Day dinner?!?

One of the biggest joys of the day was every BBQ joint in town was open and operating at full steam. We bought 2 options and brought them home because we still had tons of side dish leftovers.

Smoked Chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon

Tuesday joy: I slept late (at least late for me) and had a delightful morning filled with coffee and some phone calls I needed to make. Those phone calls resulted in a few tickets to events we had decided sounded like something we would enjoy. So there was some movement from our Monday calendar comparing. I do still have to make a few calls tomorrow since I could not get anyone in person today. 

One place in particular requires I talk with a live person. In July we attended a fund raiser and bought, through a silent auction, season tickets to a community theater. Their next show will be at the end of the month and I need to find how to use the certificate in lieu of a credit card to get those tickets.

After the calls My Beloved Sister came by on her way home from an appointment. We sat around drinking coffee and laughing___a lot of laughing, mostly at ourselves.

Tuesday dinner: Well it was just day two of the menu plan and I was already ignoring it. I had bought some egg rolls from Aldi  just in case I needed some additional food when the guests were here. I completely forgot about them when planning this weeks menu but found them in the fridge when I was looking for leftovers. BTW, they are tasty, and cooked perfectly  in the air fryer___bonus!!

Eggrolls, tossed salad, watermelon

Wednesday joy: Started my day with coffee, followed by a phone call with My Beloved Sister. Once again we talked about nothing important, unless you consider talking about the new weekly food ads important. However; when we talk you can be sure there will be laughter.

I talked with Sluggy who was still in the hospital. She was not in the greatest of spirits, but geeze, she was in the hospital with pain and bad hospital food. That is not exactly a great combination for making spirits high, is it?

Nonetheless, I was glad I talked with her and extremely happy they had ruled out neurosurgery as a treatment.

After talking with Sluggy, I called Sissy  and Kim to give them an update. It is always good to talk with them also!

Wednesday dinner: When we picked up smoked chicken for Labor Day, TheHub also bought a pound of smoked pork.

Smoked pork, mashed potatoes, coleslaw

Thursday joy: I planned on hitting the trail early in the day. Though I did not really need much at all from the grocery store, there were things in all three of the stores where I normally shop that had deals well worth stocking up on. So I set out to cherry pick all three of them. One of the day's joys was the huge insulated bag TheHub won at some charity golf tournament. I keep those blue "ice blocks" in the freezer all the time. If I am hop shopping I grab a few of them and toss them in the bottom of the bag. That way I can buy cold things at each store and not worry about them losing their cool while I am making the rounds.

I actually could cool the car refrigerator we bought for the cross country trip that didn't happen, load it in the back of the car plugged into the 12 volt socket and use it. I think I would only do that if TheHub was around. It would take both of us to load it into and out of the car. It is not the weight, but it is a little bulky.

Later in the afternoon, I was able to have a long talk with one of my cousins. Her mom, my dad's younger sister, is the only living sibling of either of my parents.  

She is not doing well and I just needed to talk with K to see how things are progressing. I wish I had called at a happier time but always enjoy talking with her, even though we do it rarely.

Thursday dinner: You would think with all that grocery shopping I would have no excuses about cooking dinner.  After all, we had plenty of available options to choose from.  

I did have a slight headache and when I mentioned it to TheHub, he suggested we go pick up something to eat. 

If I am being completely honest, he is still walking on eggshells after messing up our trip. I am not stupid enough to not take advantage of it.

Grilled chicken salad

Friday joy: This morning right as I was getting dressed for the day, the phone rang. I was surprised the caller was TheHub, and even more surprised when he said he was coming home early and wanted to go out to lunch.

We had talked about trying places we have never been before and intended to try a place in Bessemer. Sadly it closed at 2 and TheHub did not get home until a little after 1. By the time we took the 20 minute drive to get there, they would be ready to start shutting down and I did not want to be in a hurry. 

Instead we went to Melt. I had been to their food truck years ago but they have opened a brick and mortar place with different offerings. 

Once we got there we had to park in front of another store I did not realize had opened. It is a store with items strictly from Alabama, so of course we had to go wander around.

Did I need anything there? Nope! Did I buy some things anyway? Yes, of course I did. I found a beautiful cookbook with recipes from restaurants around the state, a local magazine celebrating Octoberfest, and a pottery piece made to serve olive oil for bread dipping. I liked it because it had the garlic grater built into the bottom of the dish. Some oil and fresh herbs along with the garlic will be a great dinner treat.

After browsing buying we walked a few doors down to eat lunch. then after lunch we walked next door to order my birthday cake. I was hoping they could make a 6 inch cake that would be more than enough for us, but an 8 inch is the smallest Italian Cream cake they sell.

We will wind up having a piece or two then giving the rest to our neighbors.I hope this is a taste of what retirement will be like when TheHub realizes he has been retired since June, and does not have to continue to go into the office every day (if at all).

Friday dinner: We had eaten lunch later and neither of us were really hungry. I was going to just throw a tossed salad together when I remembered we had leftovers. Easy peazy!

Leftover Mexican corn dip, tortilla chips, watermelon

Saturday joy: Game Day! When we woke we turned on the TV and listen mostly to Marty and McGee, then switch back and forth between ESPN Game Day and SEC Nation (still mostly listening as we go about our morning). I freely admit we do like college football, and keep up with the goings on of a lot of different schools thanks to the above shows.

Once we were dressed for the day we did our morning errands, which included finally getting so fresh shrimp from Snapper Grabber (my local fish monger).  

After a lunch at home, TheHub and Son2 left to go to the game, while I sat in the recliner and watched South Carolina/Kentucky play. Well I watched until I was completely relaxed and then I visited The Eyelid Theater* for about 30 minutes.

My biggest joy was DIL2 joining me to watch the game. She is wonderful company and we can just talk until the game gets interesting. This particular game took about 3 1/4 quarters to get interesting. (Meaning until we could quit worrying about losing)

Saturday dinner: TheHub and I cut our sandwiches in half Friday at lunch and saved the cut halves because the sandwiches were larger than we would eat at one meal. DIL2 and I split them.

1/4 reuben sandwich, 1/4 raging Hawaiian sandwich, spicy chili Doritos

Sunday joy: What we started our day with was not joyful but it was important. Our Sunday School class had a guest speaker whose mission is helping children who had been victims of sex trafficking. My lack of understanding always thought it meant kids who were kidnapped by a pimp and forced into the sex trade. I had no idea parents could/would ever pimp their kids out for drugs, rent or whatever. I do not cry easily nor do I cry in public, but sometimes things change. Now with raised awareness, I need to put my money and/or time where my mouth is. 

Saturday night TheHub and Son2 got home from the game after midnight. Since both Son2 and DIL2 had driven here separately, they left DIL2's car overnight. They came back Sunday afternoon to pick it up and visited with us for a couple of hours. 

Sunday dinner: We finally ate something that had been on my dinner menu for several weeks.

Shrimp and grits, coleslaw, dinner rolls

Possible menu for this week:

1. Paprika Chicken, tossed salad

2. Big salad meal TBD

3. Spaghetti, tossed salad

4. Veggie meal TBD

5. Out to eat

6. Burgers and fixings, tomato cucumber onion salad

7. Chicken** bulgogi, rice, mixed greens

Books read in September

When Paris Went Dark

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

May all your weeds be wildflowers.

Anne

 

*Thanks to DIL2 for giving me a new name for a catnap

** I have some chicken in the freezer that needs to be used, so I am taking liberties with a traditional Korean recipe

 

More Joy and Food

No introductions, I am just letting the week speak for itself.

However; I did not really use the computer much on Labor Day and forgot to post this. Life gets in my way all the time!

What was planned:

Shrimp and grits, coleslaw

Chicken piccata,  pasta, broccoli

Stuffed baked potato, tossed salad

Burgers, butterbean and corn salad

Ball game dinner (I will be here alone so popcorn maybe?)

Big Salad meal

Grilled pimento cheese sandwiches, coleslaw

Joy and Food that actually happened:

Monday joy: I did lots of laundry, a little reading and some tv watching. My Beloved Sister turned me on to the Amazon Prime show "Fallout". The show itself is an odd  thing to watch but the music they use is phenomenal. When I heard Nat King Cole singing "Orange Colored Sky" in the opening, I knew I was in for the entire series. Additionally I do love watching anything with Walton Goggins

Monday dinner: It needed to be something quick because once I watched a couple of episodes of "Fallout" I forgot to take anything out of the freezer. 

Stuffed baked potato, tossed salad

Tuesday joy: Somedays a joy is not realized until a dreaded chore is over and done, and then the joy is that it's over. Take for instance, my now sparkling clean laundry room refrigerator. Perhaps this week I can become overjoyed by a newly defrosted deep freezer.  Probably not, but maybe. I could have already defrosted it while I was working on the laundry room fridge, espeially since both appliances are right next to each other, but a couple of episodes of "Fallout" were screaming at me. Freezer/Fallout? Fallout won!

Tuesday dinner: I found a very simple recipe here for a dish TheHub had been talking about for weeks. I had given up on my "spite" cooking and decided to give it a try. It was delicious, but much richer than what we usually have for dinner. This might become a twice a year recipe, but will not become a rotation recipe.

Chicken piccata over penne pasta, broccoli

Wednesday joy: I needed a few supplies and began my morning at Michael's. I am like a kid in a candy store when I am there. I would say I only bought what I specifically  planned on buying and for the most part it was true, until I saw one particular item. Then I realized my life would not be complete unless I owned a slightly smaller than normal sized  head (vase?) of Edgar Allen Poe. With EAP firmly strapped in with the backseat seatbelt, I continued on with my shopping day.

And because I could not control myself I stayed up until 4 am just to finish "Fallout".

Wednesday dinner: I did not plan on buying this but somehow or another it jumped into my buggy as I shopped through Aldi. I am blaming the spirit of Edgar!

Sunflower salad, tomato slices, cucumber slices, sourdough toast

Thursday joy: See Wednesday late joy which obviously ran into early Thursday morning. The real downside of this was the few hours of sleep I got before I had to get up and start getting the house company clean. While doing a few chores I found the Fallout soundtrack on Spotify. Listening to it as I worked helped but I was tired, obviously, and procrastination is my go to state for housework.  So instead of finishing all my cleaning, I called Sluggy and talked with her as I kind of worked. (Emphasis on the kind of) 

Though half assed cleaning was not really joyful, laughing with Sluggy* was, so I call that a win.

Thursday dinner: TheHub went to Cracker barrel for lunch and bought one of their 5 buck meals for us to share at suppertime.

Meatloaf, mac and cheese, coleslaw

Friday joy: The first joy was having the house ready for Son3 and his friend who came for the game. 

The second joy: Son3 and DIL3 had been in Sweden a week or so ago and brought me back 2  porcelain coffee cups for my birthday. The area they were made is known for its beautiful ceramic work and these cups are exceptional. This gift will alternate with my funky face mug I got from Son2 and DIL2 to start my mornings in style.

The third joy was being able to spend time with Son3 and friend, H. 

Laughs and more laughs happened from the time they arrived until everyone went to bed.

Friday dinner: We had a minimum purchase that we had to make by August 31. Fortunately we had the option to purchase some tailgate items there, which  combined with some foods I had on hand, became our dinner. Son2 and DIL2 came over to join us, and added to the fun.

Mexican corn dip, meatballs, conecuh sausage biscuits, chicken wings, coleslaw, baked beans and potato salad (There were tons of leftovers)

Saturday joy: Roll Tide Roll! Football season officially began, we had houseguests, shared meals and a lot of laughs. It meant the entire day until they left for the game was joyous.

Saturday dinner: DIL2 came to our house to watch the game with me. We just heated our favorite of the leftovers from Friday night.

Mexican street corn dip, tortilla chips

Sunday joy: After some morning coffee and conversations, TheHub, Son3 and H left to go to a local breakfast joint. I stayed home because I do not eat breakfast. They left directly from the restaurant, and TheHub went into the office for the rest of the day. I was able to get things back in order, do some reading, and have a long conversation with My Beloved Sister. We talk nearly every day and when we have a few days where we don't, we have a lot of catching up to do.

Sunday Dinner: What can I say?

Leftovers

What's Up? (Maybe)

1. Leftovers

2. BBQ chicken, coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon

3. Chopped smoked pork, coleslaw, mashed potatoes

4. Shrimp and Grits, coleslaw (I still have not used the grits nor have I bought the shrimp)

5. Paprika chicken, tossed salad

6. Salad meal TBD

7. Out to eat or sandwiches 

Books read in August

The Skin Collector

Dark Archives

The Rose Code 

The Thirteenth Child

Hillbilly Elegy

I did not read any additional books last week because the show "Fallout" got in the way. 

I hope you all have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.

May all your weeds be wildflowers,

Anne

* Monday I found out that Sluggy is in the hospital with excruciating pain. I knew she was having some serious pain with her leg but did not realize it had gotten to this extreme. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Well It's Here

 I hope this month will slow down a little, but I have a felling it will be rolling past me even faster!

How can I let you know I do not proof read without really telling you?