The Bard said it best in his play "Twelfth Night"
"If music be the food of love, play on"
Let's skew his meaning a bit and see just where the love of food and the love of music takes us.
Monday: Both TheHub and I spent the day doing the last minute things you need to do before leaving town. Weirdly for this trip we are traveling with 4 different currencies, excluding US dollars. We have done currency exchanges before but never more than 1.
Because a couple of the places we will be going have pay toilets, we do want cash in hand for necessities. I told TheHub (who was trying to figure to the cent how much we would need in each country) if he was chintzy getting currency and I had to use the restroom, funds went to my needs and he would be left SOL. We are now taking what I consider enough. Sometimes it pays to be demanding.
What I learned: I have been on a deep dive watching octopus videos on Youtube. I learned about the suckers on their tentacles and all the uses they have.
Listened to: Whatever Spotify's Discover Weekly sent my way
Dinner: Gathering the fragments
Whatever we had left that could go in a salad
Tuesday: We woke, did some last minute chores changed the sheets ( I love coming home to a laundered bed) and headed to Nashville.
Our flight was much less expensive originating from there, and we were able to have dinner with Son3 and DIL3.
After dinner we went to our hotel and sacked out.
What I learned: DIL3 was one of the winners at the Kerrville Folk Festival and as a winner she had to be back in Texas for the winners concert May 30
Listened to: Sirius Radio in the car.
Dinner: They chose a Mediterranean place for dinner
Gyro plates or chicken shawarma
Wednesday: We woke early and drove to Son3s house so he could drop us off at the airport. The bonus is keeping the car at his house saving parking fees.
The flight from Nashville to Philly was a snap, followed by a three hour layover and a long over night flight to Prague
What I learned: If a plane has a wheelchair accessible restroom, use it. It’s still not big, but comparatively it is gigantic
Dinner: Plane fodder
Thursday: After leaving Philly at 6 pm Wednesday, we arrived in Prague at 8 am Thursday morning
What a beautiful place!
After about a 45 minute bus ride we arrived at the hotel. We planned on getting here a day early to have some time to do whatever we wanted before the planned Tauck events began. Obviously so did a lot of other folks and the lobby was filled with people waiting for a room. We met several folks we will be in close contact with for the next severaldays.
By the time our room was ready, we had been awake for 27 hours and were very tired. We took advantage of the hotels luxury linens, took a shower and a 2 hour nap before heading out for dinner.
What I learned: More and more about Prague’s history. Amazingly the city was spared from major damage during WW2 and what they call Old Town is absolutely stunning.
Dinner: I wanted to eat traditional Czech food but also wanted something not terribly heavy. When we spoke with the consigliere he suggested we ease into Czech food saying there was nothing light about it. We wound up going to a small Italian restaurant.
Seared tuna, penne arrabiata, and tossed salad ( chef’s kiss)
Friday: TheHub and I spent the day exploring the Jewish Quarters, which is some of the oldest parts of the city. It was fascinating and sobering all at the same time. Learning about the history of the people, and the synagogues (The oldest which was built in the 1200’s and is still an active place of worship, and a newer one with the names of all Jewish residents who were killed during the Nazi occupation.
Afterward we had a lovely al fresco lunch before going back to the hotel for a little rest before getting ready for the tours dinner plans at Lobkowicz Palace.
What I learned: So much about the Jewish population through the centuries
Listened to: The palace sat on a hilltop overlooking the old town part of the city. The place was gorgeous and the view spectacular,
with a string quartet playing in the background
Dinner: Mixed spring greens, orchard fruit and almonds salad, chicken with veggies in a potato, mousse and cake.
Saturday: We toured the Old Town with our guide Ludmilla who was not only very knowledgeable about the history of the area but also shared her experiences living under Soviet rule, comparing it to her life now.
Also as part of the tour we were able to see the astronomical clock in action.
Once the tour was over, TheHub and I wandered around the square, before settling on a lively beer garden for lunch
TheHub toured a library in a monastery on the palace grounds.while I read.
Listened to: Street musicians
Dinner: We found a small restaurant near the hotel
Salmon, steak and salad
Sunday: We left Prague headed to the boat with a brief stop in Regensburg for a quick walk about and lunch, before boarding the bus to continue the trip to the boat
Once on board and unpacked the ship set sail and a new adventure began.
This week was filled with music from the composers in the Danube region. I have listened to a broad array of composers this week, but admit I have heard enough Strauss waltz tunes to last me a lifetime. He was one prolific dude. I like a waltz as much as the next guy, but can only listen to so many at one time.
(Question for any of you who took piano lessons for years as a kid. How many of you recognize some of the songs I posted from your piano lesson days?)
We will be leaving Tuesday for a Danube cruise, then we will travel by land for a few days before heading home.
We have never been gone from home this long before, but I hope it is the first of many extended travel adventures for us.
The Blue Danube
Johann Strauss
Monday: This was just a regular stay around the house, drop dead gorgeous day. What I learned: Different brands of low carb bread have significantly different spikes to blood sugar levels. One brand in particular was no different than regular white bread, which was surprising.
Listened to: New World Symphony Antonin Dvorak (Slovakian composer)
Dinner: Leftover Chinese
Tuesday: My kitchen table sits in a bay window overlooking the backyard. Sometimes I have my coffee on the deck, but Tuesday morning I was sitting at the table when I noticed something dark moving out of the corner of my eye.
I am quite used to seeing Gray Gregg, the neighborhood assassin prowling in my yard, but it appears he has a rival in his hunting area.
It was the first time I had seen this black male cat (name unknown. He is wearing a crimson collar so I think I will call him "Red")
Judging by his stealth and cunning, I think we might have hitman number 2. We have a couple of houses of new neighbors and he might well belong to one of them. Don't know, but he has obviously scouted the yard before, for he was crouched near the spot chipmunks frequent most often, and he seemed to be extraordinarily patient.
The backyard chipmunk community is most likely going to be under attack from 2 enemy forces.
TheHub met the IP participants at the Hoover Met for the first game of the SEC baseball tournament. I stayed home, did a little housework and made sandwiches for lunch. After the game there was a picnic at Star Lake* near our house and we enjoyed being with them. It was like being at my happy place by the lake instead of their facility.
Listened to: Moonlight Sonata Ludwig van Beethoven (originally from Germany, composed mainly in Vienna where he moved when he was 22) I am only posting the 1st movement because it is the most familiar, though the 3rd is my favorite.
What I learned : One of the IP employees showed me a photo of her deck which is being destroyed by a woodpecker. She has holes about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. I had no idea they could/would do that much damage.
Dinner: Chipotle chicken salad
Wednesday: TheHub made an appointment with my vehicle service department to fix a recall. This is not necessarily a bad idea, except that he made it for 7 a.m. It works great for him since he goes to bed early and is an early riser.
Though I might well be awake at 7, I want to spend my time drinking coffee, not running to the dealership to pick him up while they work on the car.
We got home and I had a few hours to start making decisions about what to clothes to pack. Other than 2 nights with planned dinners at 2 specific locations which I will need dresses for, I decided on 2 pairs of jeans and 2 pairs of black pants. I think I packed 6 blouses/tops and they will all go with everything else. A couple of scarves and a little jewelry should change up the looks , hopefully enough for the days we will be gone. (17 days). I am also taking one black cardigan and a raincoat, and that is it. Unmentionables, socks and shoes go without saying.
After the preliminary packing, we had an appointment with TheHubs nutritionist. It was an hour well spent, so he could relax a little with what he will be eating on out trip.
I had already decided when we were in Salsburg I would be having a sacher torte with or without him. Now he knows we can share one.
What I learned: I learned if you do take your car to the dealership at 7 am you are not likely to run into anyone else getting their car serviced.
Listened to "Liebetraum #3" Franz Liszt (Romanian dude with too many blooming 1/32nd and 1/64th notes. )
Dinner: Smoked sausage, peppers and onions, coleslaw, baked sweet potato
Thursday: We had a mostly stay at home day, which was needed to get things in the house done. And laundry. There is always laundry to do.
We are leaving Tuesday and will be back sometime on the 17th, so we want to have everything ready so there will be no surprises for those who will be keeping the house while we are gone.
Midday we had to run to the lawyers office to take care of some fiddly stuff before we left town.
Neither of us had eaten lunch (or for me anything for the day). At a little after 3 pm, we picked up a couple of cobb salads and brought them home to eat.
What I learned: The weather in Central Europe is warming! Woo Hoo
Listened to:Eine kleine Nachtmusik naturally I had to include Mozart who is the king of composers from Vienna.
Dinner: We had eaten a late lunch and were not hungry, so we each had a piece of cheese toast.
Friday: We did not have anywhere to go and could concentrate on packing and getting the house in a little better shape.
Of course the Super Regionals for NCAA softball began mid day and we turned on the TV to keep up with them. Neither of us actively watched, but we did listen and would glance at the games when we walked through the den, stopping to watch a really good play. There were a couple of upsets, but the series was 2 out of 3 games, so no one was out as of Friday.
We did actively watch the Alabama game
Listened to: Notturno for Strings and Harp by Arnold Schoenberg
What I learned: At the beginning of WW2 the Jewish composers in Austria fled to the United States if they were able. The majority of those who stayed were imprisoned and most did not survive the war.
One escapee, Eric Korngold fled to America and became a prolific film scorer (16 films)
Dinner: Ball game nights require ball game food.
Hamburgers and all the fixings, coleslaw
Saturday: Woke early thinking I had so much to do and so little time before we would be leaving. For this trip I am taking a backpack and checking a suitcase. Because there is no guarantee the suitcase will arrive when we do, I made sure to have clothes for 2 days in the backpack, and also the dress I will need for a dinner party Thursday night.
I got the backpack situated and put things in the suitcase, but did not pack them because I needed to do one final edit. I want to have enough to wear but I do not want to have more than I need, knowing I will have to use laundry services at some point.
I listened to a couple of videos about packing and decided to copy what one person used for her dress shoes. She packs solid black flip flops. I have those and decided they would work well for the couple of "dressy" events. (wearing maxi dresses rather than cocktail length)
We spent the day doing odds and ends, you know, all those pesky details that need to be tended before leaving.
Then we settled in to watch the Bama softball Super Regional. What a nightmare for the women playing. Bad weather came in and caused delay after delay. The game that began at 1:30 was finally over at 10:15. I was impressed that even after the 4 plus hours of combined delays the stand were full of fans.
What I learned: Packing cubes are a game changer in a backpack or suitcase.
Listened to: Gypsy Rondo Joesph Haydn
Dinner: This was a gathering of the fragments type of meal
Assorted leftovers
Sunday: Our church had just one service for the Memorial Day weekend and no other Sunday activities. We should have gone, but we skipped it. Instead I cooked breakfast which should not be worth mentioning, but I am not a breakfast person and seldom do it. I think if we had not had a bunch of eggs to use before leaving town I would not have.
TheHub worked on some trip details while I completely finished packing before getting ready to go out in a monsoon type storm.
We have season tickets to Birmingham's Broadway series and this play was & Juliet. I generally love musical theater, but this was written around existing songs like I Kissed a Girl, I Want It That Way, Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely. The show had some clever dialogue, but in my opinion it was a lazy musical. We have seen a few that are written around already recorded songs and I have not been a fan of any of them.
Don't get me wrong, there were some fabulous singers, and I appreciate their voices, and the set and staging were great, but for me this was a one and done play. It felt more like a musical revue than a play.
What I Learned: I learned someone I am very fond of was recently diagnosed with Alzheimers, which made me very sad.
Listened to: Serenade Franz Schubert
Dinner/Lunch: After the play was over we met Son2, DIL2, and My Beloved Sister at The Pita Stop for an early dinner or late lunch.
Grilled grouper or salmon, tossed salad, rice pilaf.
No plans for meals for the next few weeks because adventure and excitement awaits.
No plans for listening to specific music either. I'll just be floating along listening to whatever comes my way
Read: Beginner's Christmas, The Soul of an Octopus
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan, or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
p.s. *Star Lake is actually a really big pond, but I did not name it, so I call it a lake like every one else does.
I will most likely be posting nothing, but will be reading your blogs w/o commenting because my Ipad hates me.
Woo hoo! This week I decided to listen to mariachi music. All week every time I listened to it, all I could think was, "where are the chips and salsa?" The only time I hear this is when we are at our favorite Mexican restaurant on the night they have live music.
I am posting the first song I heard each day when I opened Spotify and entered "Mariach. I actually listened to a lot more mariachi music than this post seems to reflect.
I will admit I am glad this past week's choice is over. This week I will be listening to music by composers who lived on/near the Danube.
Monday: The week began with nothing much different than every week. The weather was beautiful, and I had the usual after the weekend things to do. I must admit since TheHub retired, there is not a lot of difference in a weekday and a weekend, and quite truthfully I do miss some of my previous alone time.
What I Learned: I learned I was not crazy about mariachi music, but was determined to listen to it every day for the week.
Listened to: La Pistola Y El Corazon by Los Lobos
Dinner: My beloved sister came to eat with us.
Crab cakes, cauliflower mash*, tossed salad
Tuesday: I ran back to Publix to grab a couple of their BOGO's while they were still on sale. I have mentioned before I keep a well stocked overstocked freezer and pantry, and there were a couple of items that I use regularly and even though Publix jacks up the price on most of their BOGO's, there is still a substantial savings buying things on sale.
What I learned: I accidentally stumbled across a magazine called "Go Wild" and now I think I want need to plan a trip to Ireland.
The Libby app I use as my online library is a wonderful app, but for someone like me with a tendency to wander off any set path, the magazine choices are dangerous. Do I really need to look at food magazines written in Japanese? Evidently I do.
Listened to: Cien Anos by Los Panchos
Dinner: This is one of our favorite summer nights meals.
Grilled steak, baked potato, tossed salad
Wednesday: I have mentioned before, our church has begun an "appreciation for staff" event. Monthly those of us who volunteered are given one of the staff's names and we create a small basket with some of their favorite things. (i.e. a coke, Baby Ruth candy bar, pretzels etc.) There are 54 folks on staff and it takes quite a lot of volunteers to make it happen.
I am mostly happy to do it, but I have a tendency to forget about it until the very end of the month, then I scramble to get it to the recipient with just a couple of days to spare.
We are leaving town for a few weeks, and I had to make sure I was able to get this month done earlier than my norm.
On their bios, they not only list their favorite snacky things, but also list their interests. My name for May listed painting as his hobby. I had several new, still in their wrapping, smaller canvases in my art supplies and was able to pass one of those on to him as an extra item. I met him at the church to give him his goodies and think he liked that more then the Coke Zero, Snickers, and trail mix.
What I learned: I was reading a book about how AI is/will impact and/or intrude on our daily lives. Curiosity would not keep me from venturing into the bright and dark side of AI. You know that old saying about how there can be two truths that are at odds with each other.
It certainly applies to AI.
Listened to:El Jarabe Tapatio, by Mariachi Vargas
Dinner: I didn't feel like cooking
Chef's Salad
Thursday:My Beloved Sister and I went to my happy place. This time we tried another experimental recipe, but I had no Independence Place participant to blame failure or credit success, this was totally my gamble. The peanut butter banana pudding went over so well the previous visit, I thought we would give spumoni pudding a whirl.
With the exception of one participant who does not care for cherries, it was a success.
Once home, My Beloved Sister and I sorted through my clothes to pack for my trip. I have no idea why I assumed our destination would be warm, and all those summer duds I bought might not aren't going to work well. High temps in the 50's is what I think of as winter. What a bummer!
Afterward, TheHub and I ran out to grab him take out for lunch. He still has trouble not having whatever he is in the mood for when it is lunchtime.
One day he might learn lunch when you are not working in an office and eating out every day means just gathering up the fragments that are in the fridge. I doubt it, but maybe.
I spent more time reading and doing laundry, when I should have been doing something more productive, but it was what I did anyway.
Listened to: Zacatecas March by Marachi Vargas
What I learned: DIL2 took a quick photo of My Beloved Sister and me as we were leaving IP. Later that night she sent the picture to us. MBS and I look a lot older and worse than we both thought. Yea!
Dinner: It was veggie dinner night
Squash casserole, coleslaw
Friday: I did more laundry, tidied the house a little, read a lot, and ran to Walmart's free standing grocery store near me to pick up a few essentials.
Then it was time for Bama's softball game. They were hosting a regional tournament and the crowds were huge. The day was a perfect ball game day and I would have enjoyed being there, but was content to just see it on the TV.
Actually we had the television on various softball games all day, though we were not actively watching them. We would just keep up with them when we walked through the den, stopping to watch if it seemed like something exciting was happening or about to happen.
Listened to: Los Gaviotis by Los Caminantes
What I learned: After reading Remarkably Bright Creatures, I was compelled to go down an internet rabbit hole investigating octopus shenanigans. I just couldn't help myself.
Dinner: TheHub wanted to try something to see if it impacted his new eating regime. It didn't
Taco Bell regular tacos (not anything I would have chosen to eat, but I ate it anyway)
Saturday: We ran by our favorite produce stand and grabbed tomatoes and cucumbers. "B's" fields are not producing tomatoes right now, but he has an arrangement with a farm in Perry, Florida who is harvesting perfect tomatoes. I had rather pay a little more to get these delicious tomatoes than buy any at the grocery store.
We had a couple of other quick errands before heading home to watch Bama softball again. Yes we are a little obsessive about watching them play.
We do keep up with Bama baseball too, but it is about like watching paint dry compared with the speed and action of softball.
The rest of the day was spent doing things around the house, and, of course, some reading.
Listened to: Chiapanecas by Mariachi Azetca
Dinner: Sometimes our meals are good, and sometimes they are simply using what is available. I had thawed a small package of ground chuck, had it in the fridge and decided we needed to use it right away.
Sloppy Joe's, coleslaw
Sunday: We woke early and began our usual Sunday morning church routine. I enjoy starting my week this way. For me, it helps to "sets my sails" in the direction I need to go each week to hopefully be my best self.
The Bama softball game was going to begin shortly after we got home, so we called in an order and stopped by our favorite take out Chinese restaurant. No matter what you order they always give the same wait time, "ten minutes".
We were able to pick it up, get home, scarf down the meal and then settle in to watch the game. It was the final of the Regionals and Bama won. Next they move on to the Super Regional, which will also be in Tuscaloosa against LSU. Yikes!
We spent the rest of the day doing odds and ends around the house, talked to all 3 sons and DIL2 before watching a new (to us) series, Memory of a Killer, which airs on Fox but is replayed on HULU. Enjoyed the first episode and the series looks promising.
Listened to: La Chuparrosa by Mariachi Cobre
What I learned: I learned the exchange rates of Euros, Korunas, Forints, and Swiss Francs to the U.S. dollar.
Dinner: When we ordered lunch, we also ordered something for dinner.
Hot and sour soup, maple pecan scone*
What's possibly up for dinner:
1. Leftover Chinese
2. Peppers onions and tomatoes, with smoked sausage, cauli mash
This week I chose Andalusian music to listen to. According to centuries of oral traditions passed down through the generations it is a blend of Castilian and Romani and Moorish music from as early as the 6th century. As with all music it has changed over time still having the Spanish feel but you can definitely hear the Arabic beat.
Years ago I bought an Ottmar Liebert CD, and loved the music but had no idea it was Andalusian until I searched Spotify's Andalusian music lists and saw him on it.
Also this week was the SEC softball championship series. Though we watched no games except for Alabama's games completely, the TV was on and we kept up with them by just hearing the announcers, pausing to watch an inning or two of several games if exciting things were happening.
Monday: The Exchange Club scheduler called to let me know their truck would be here early, so I got all the donations out and on the porch by 7:30. I had gone through all my warm weather clothes and included anything I was not going to wear anymore. I keep clothes forever, but this time I even gave away things I bought last year and never wore. Several items still had tags on them, I suppose I could have tried selling them, but honestly the deduction for donations is a bigger help for us. And the big bonus is having things gone. Between us, we gave away more then 75 items, both clothing and shoes. I am just glad it is all out of the house.
I should have gone through each room of the house and decluttered 10 items, but that will have to wait until next time.
After doing a bit more work in the house, I got ready to meet bookclub for lunch at Mugshots. The book this month was Theo of Golden. I thought it was OK, but was not my favorite.
Regardless of my feeling about the book, lunch was wonderful. We caught up on each others comings and goings and were there almost 3 hours. Fortunately we went at an off lunch hour time, to an almost empty restaurant, and paid our waitress early so we would not hold her up at all.
What I learned: High school graduation parties are now common place here. I am talking about renting rooms at the club, full decorations, an activity, and of course party favors for 80-100 of your nearest and dearest school friends. These are for graduates only, no family (other than the hosts parents and possibly grandparents) no extended family, no family friends, just a bunch of female gal pals.
I am glad my kids graduated long ago
Listened toDuende by Romero
Dinner: TheHub had grabbed him a veggie lunch plate from The Pig's deli and I had eaten a cheeseburger salad for lunch, so dinner was pretty small.
BLT salad
Tuesday: I was completely out of tomatoes and cucumbers and was so glad when 9:30 arrived so I could go to the produce stand and get some fresh veggies.
I came home loaded down, and spent about an hour processing a gallon of delicious, straight from the farm strawberries. They should be good for a little over a week.
Luckily the. cukes, squash, and tomatoes don't require special care for storage. I did get a huge head of freshly cut cabbage with all the outer leaves intact. I took them all off, washed and then soaked them in salt water before steaming them to use later.
The rest of the day was spent planning a few things, getting myself all cleaned up then waiting for TheHub to let me know he was heading home from his eye appointment.
For some reason he has decided to get his new glasses from Costco and wanted me to go with him. I HATE* going to Costco.
Listened to: Alahambra Moonrise by Al Lethbridge
What I learned: TheHub was able to buy 2 pairs of glasses from Costco for less than he paid for his single pair of existing glasses a few years ago. This included getting bifocals, gradient, and thinner lenses and really cool frames.
Dinner: Because TheHub did not get home from his eye appointment until 5:30, after I had waited on him for about 3 hours, nothing was done toward dinner. Then to top it off he still wanted to go to Costco****.
Since we were gone until about 7:30, our Cinco de Mayo meal was seriously scaled down.
Taco salad
Wednesday: This was a planned stay at home day. I was expecting the HVAC guy to come service the units to get ready for the summer but he was a no show. It was OK, since I got some house things done, and worked on the puzzle. It is still an exercise in frustration, but we are getting there. TheHub is joining in and has a lot more patience than I do.
What I learned: My bank was sold to another bank. This time my credit card will be changed and I am going to need to go through the process of changing my information for recurring online services and payments.
Listened to: Barcelona Nights by Ottmar Liebert
My personal favorite song on this album
Dinner: I got the cabbage leaves out of the fridge. They were screaming to be used for our dinner.
Cabbage rolls over toast, tomato cucumber onion salad
Thursday: I woke and worked on the puzzle. It is now completed except for one missing piece on the French/Belgium border. I am very glad it is now finished, so I don't have to mess with it anymore but have to admit I think I want to begin another one sooner rather than later.
In the afternoon My Beloved Sister picked me up and we went to Bessemer to meet some of our cousins at The Bright Star for lunch. The meal was planned but the fact that we were seated in Bear Bryant's "private room" was not. (Only 2 of us were Bama fans, so it was not important to those Auburn folks).
We had a great meal and even better conversations. Afterward a few of us went to United Textiles, a block or two from the restaurant. They had a recent fire and were selling what they called "touched by smoke" items for pennies on the dollar. I found 4 curtain panels, 2 table cloths, along with 8 yards of remnant upholstery fabric for under 50 bucks. A good wash and everything should be as good as new. I had not planned on getting anything, but I was very happy with my purchases.
What I learned: One of my cousins is going to visit Puebla, Mexico soon. I knew nothing about it other than recognizing the name, until Thursday.
Listened to:Bamboleo by Gipsy Kings
Dinner: Veggie night!
Squash casserole, turnip greens, coleslaw
Friday: This was a planned stay at home day. I had a lot to do and a short time to do it. So what did I start the day with? Reading blogs and coffee! I am so good at avoiding housework.
The HVAC guy came much later in the day than I had hoped. I was just glad he finished servicing everything with a few minutes left before the Bama/Florida softball game began. It was a really fun game to watch if you were an Alabama fan.
What I learned: I heard a great truth in a way I had never heard it before. I am paraphrasing because I was not paying close enough attention when I heard it to quote it verbatim. People spend their life chasing money, accruing money, idolizing money, and forget money is made of the same material we wipe our (more polite term here, use your imaginations) behinds with.
Listened to:La Tasca by Guitarra Azul
Dinner: Neither of us were particularly hungry, and had a planned ball game meal.
Hot dogs, coleslaw
Saturday: I woke and indulged in reading and seeral cups of coffee before getting dressed for the day. TheHub headed to Snapper Grabber to buy (per my request) Mother's Day present __a pound of lump crabmeat. Yikes! That stuff is really pricy right now, but I have been craving crab cakes. If I am going to get a present it might as well be something that benefits us both, right?
He came home and picked me up to run to Publix to buy whatever Bogo's were interesting (not much).
Once home I read a little more before the Bama/Texas game came on. It was a fun game to watch if you were a Texas fan.
What I learned: More than I needed to know about Water Bears (Tardigrade) and whether accidentally ingesting one on foods would make you not a true vegan. Evidently there is no rabbit hole too small for me to wander down.
Listened to: Sabah by Ali Sabah
Dinner: Once the game was over we had a quick meal.
Burger with all the fixings, green beans
Sunday: Mother's Day came with our usual church activities. We did have a bonus this day. One of our Sunday School class members is a cookie artist, and had scads of beautiful cookies for all the moms. What a sweet thing to do!
After Sunday School was over, we headed to Saw's in Hoover to meet Son2 and DIL2 for lunch. We were fortunate to get a table right away, since Mother's Day is the single busiest day of the year for restaurants.
I was surprised that a bbq place would have so many tables of large groups filled with multi-generational diners. I thought MD diners usually went to nicer places to eat. I was wrong.
After lunch we came home, I read, and talked with Son1, and Face-timed with Pip later in the day.
Son3 called at some point, but I missed his call because I was talking with Son1 at the time.
Son1 always calls the land line first because he knows I am more likely to answer it. I turn the ringer off of my cell whenever I am somewhere that a phone call would be disruptive and have been known to forget to turn it back on for days.
Son3 and TheHub are the only ones in my everyday life who always use my cell to call me, though if I don't answer the cell, TheHub will the try the landline.
TheHub knows I do not carry my cell around with me if I am at home, and he always knows if I am going to be out or not. Plus, half the time he is out, he takes my vehicle because he likes driving it better than his. He also knows unless it is a life or death emergency I will not drive his car, so if he is using mine, he knows I am at the house. Why he calls my cell first then is a mystery to me. First World Problems!
We watched Marco Polo and are almost through with the first season. I like it enough to finish but I am not sure I want to watch the 2nd season.
And of course we watched the softball national rankings and all the regional playoffs show. Bama is rated number 1 though I would have rated them a little lower.
What I learned: I have said before there is no rabbit hole too small for me to wander down. Once home for lunch I thought about "busiest " days and wanted to know others things in the states. Why? I have no idea.
Air travel - Wednesday before and Sunday after Thanksgiving
Retail shopping - Black Friday
Movies - Christmas Day
Grocery Store - Tuesday/Wednesday before Thanksgiving
Emergency room - 4th of July
DMV 1st or last day of every month
DisneyWorld - Christmas Day and New Year's Day
Again, no rabbit hole too small for me!
Listened to:Crepusolo Sul Mare by Piero Umiliani
Dinner: We ate a big lunch and were not very hungry.
Pimento cheese sandwich
Potential dinner meals:
1. Crab cakes, coleslaw, strawberry shortcake
2. Out to eat (need to use our minimum)
3. Spaghetti and meat sauce, tossed salad
4. Steak, baked potato, tossed salad, strawberries and cream
5. Veggie meal TBD
6. Big salad meal TBD
7. Greek style chicken, green beans, coleslaw
Read:
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Have a great week staying on plan, going off plan or with no plan at all.
May all your weeds be wildflowers.
Anne
* Hate is a strong word. I like Costco as a store and do not mind going, but I am very particular about the days and time of day I will go. To me some of the rudest shoppers I have ever seen are at Costco, and I limit my exposure by going on the least crowded days at the least crowded time.
**I learned my lesson and have to add Tuesday at about 6 as an acceptable time to go there. There were probably only about 75 cars in the parking lot and that few people can get lost in a store that big.
When I was a kid, the people who lived directly behind our house had 2 kids my sister and I were friends with. My parents also became friends with their folks, and we visited back and forth.
Prior to marriage and motherhood, their mom, V, played the piano in a honky tonk band. Sometimes when just the kids were playing at their house V would bust out in piano tunes and it thrilled us to no end.
We had an old studio upright piano in our living room and occasionally when V was visiting, (whenever we could beg/plead coax her) V would play the piano and our house would rock. Her fingers flew over the keyboard while she pounded out songs.
I had not thought of her playing in quite a while until I was deciding what genre of music to concentrate on this week. So in homage to the not only very talented, but also incredibly kind and beautiful V, I chose boogie woogie.
It turned out I really did enjoy listening to this genre, and created a new Spotify playlist dedicated to Boogie Woogie. I will be listening to this more often now.
This is what our house would sound like when V was playing.
What a wonderful childhood memory
Monday: I woke early, at least it was early for me. Most of the sunrises I see happen on nights I have stayed up until the sun greets the day. I had a couple of cups of coffee before deciding on the music genre for the week, tossed a couple of loads of clothes in to wash, then sat with TheHub while we made reservations for hotels in a couple of different cities.
I had a surprise phone call from Sluggy, and she continues to make improvements. Not as fast as she would like, but improvements are improvements.
The rest of the day was spent doing odds and ends to the house, and possibly working on the jigsaw puzzle TheHub bought for us me to do.
Listened to: Boogie Woogie by Tommy Dorsey
What I learned: I learned the alder planks I like to use on the grill for fish are now priced completely beyond what I am willing to pay for them. Oh well.
Dinner: I am trying to use some of the foods I have in storage. This was not what I wanted to have, but we had it anyway.
Salmon patties, Mexican cauliflower rice, green beans
Tuesday: This was a great day. My Beloved Sister and I went to my happy place. She has been going with me for a while and the participants of Independence Place make her as happy as they make me.
A couple of weeks ago one on the participants texted me to let me know what N. wanted to have. When I got there Tuesday morning I told them we were doing a food experiment. It turned out peanut butter banana pudding was a hit. Who would ever have thought that? So, well done with your suggestion N.
We left just in time to get rained on, not only getting to the car but it rained all the way home and into the night.
What I learned: If the series is to be believed, Marco Polo was an incarcerated "guest" of Kubla Khan.
Listened to: Swanee River Boogie, by Luca Sestak
Dinner: I did not remember to take anything out of the freezer for dinner. I had to run to the grocery store to grab a few more things for the monthly basket for my assigned church employee, so I picked up our dinner there (I also got soaked. It started raining while I was in the store and was pouring down when I came out. By the time I pulled in the driveway at the house I could not get any wetter than I already was. No point sitting in the car until the rain slacked off)
Rotisserie chicken, turnip greens, black eyed peas (thanks deli).
Wednesday: I had my final Wednesday class until summer is over. It will not resume until after Labor Day
Stupid jigsaw puzzle. Or stupid me for continuing to work on this stupid 1500 piece puzzle.
Most of the pieces do not interlock, they just kind of loosely fit against each other, then about every 4th piece you finally get the interlocking piece that will hold those few pieces together. This means each time I accidentally bump the table some (lots) of the puzzle pieces come apart.
Listened to : Whatever Spotify played when I searched Boogie Woogie. I listened as I was working the puzzle and heard a lot of songs.
It did make me "dance" in my chair, and tap my feet while working the puzzle (which also caused me to bump the table, pieces separated, and I used some colorful language).
What I learned: Employees of our church really do enjoy getting their monthly appreciation baskets. This month I had one of the members of our housekeeping team. We met and he was very excited to get it.
Dinner: Squash casserole, turnip greens, black eyed peas, cooked carrots
Thursday: Laundry, working in master BR and bath. And of course some reading.
We watched a softball game, Bama vs. South Carolina and another episode of Marco Polo. I am enjoying the dramatized historical parts, but could do without the unnecessary Khan's consort shots, as well as the Ninga type fight scenes.
Listened to:Barrelhouse Boogie by Albert Ammons
What I Learned: TheHub had to go to a Parkinson's event* and brought home a book filled with what is happening locally with Parkinson's research, along with personal stories from some folks who are impacted by the disease.
Mom had Parkinson's and though the diagnosis stats related to genetics are fairly low, it is still something I like to keep up with.
Dinner: We needed a ball game meal (something quick)**since Bama was going to be playing before we could finish eating
Friday: Woke and began a mountain of laundry (I do not understand how just the two of us create so much laundry, but we do. I do fault myself some, for I use a clean towel each time I shower)
My Beloved Sister came by for a quick visit. She was headed out by my bank and offered to run a credit card payment to them. This was a card we shared with Mom and after her death, we had it changed for the two of us. It has a low limit and we both use it exclusively for online purchases. I know this might not work for some siblings, but we talk to each other daily (who am I kidding multiple times most days) and are very close as sisters so it works for us. Of course I accepted the offer to take it by. It saved me from getting gussied up until later in the day. (When she came by we were laughing at how horrible I looked. I am pretty sure I would have scared small children and made any dog bark)
Bama moved their scheduled night game to a mid afternoon one to avoid getting rained out so TheHub and I watched and ate a quick sandwich lunch between innings.
Later, TheHub and I ran out to do a little shopping before heading out to pick up something for dinner.
Listened to:High Blood Pressure Boogie by Mojo Blues Band
What I learned: I learned the proper stance for hitting a softball from TheHub who demonstrated it***. I could then see how one player was off balance when she came up to bat (struck out every time).
Dinner: We were craving veggies and went to a local meat and three to grab some dinner
Squash casserole, broccoli, green beans, hamburger patty for TheHub
Saturday: Woke, got dressed for the day, had coffee (always a must) then headed out to run a few errands. Unfortunately our produce guy was not there that morning. I am sure the weather uncertainty made the decision to set up or not for him.
Once we struck out there we headed to Meyers Pottery (which is really mainly a garden shop) to buy coco coir. It is impossible for me to go there and just buy what I went for and also added a gorgeous pot of dahlias, and more lantana to the purchase. Hopefully I will go back there another day without TheHub in tow, so I can take my time browsing finding more plants to buy.
We stopped on our way home and picked up salads from Chipotle for lunch. Though he is doing better since his retirement with lunches, TheHub still "needs" to have a couple a week from (or at) a restaurant.
He usually goes out once with either a friend or meets Son2 for lunch.
Listened to:Downtown Cafe Boogie by Edmond Hall
What I Learned: Once out of the pack and dampened, the coco coir either doubles or triples in size.
Dinner: We have experienced extended power outages in the winter a few times in the past, so I always buy some canned foods that I can just heat and eat. This was a "get rid of it" meal.
Sunday: We woke early and did our usual Sunday church thing. After we got home, we decided to grab some Chinese food from a place near our house. Usually one meal is enough for both of us with leftovers. Sunday however we did get what we ordered, but we must have gotten someone else's order also. Instead of just the one entree, there was fried rice (we always get regular white rice), a bowl of hot and sour soup, and 1 egg roll.
We didn't realize until we were home that we had the wrong order. I hope the person who got our single order of Kung Pau chicken checked it before leaving the store, or they would be really disappointed.
Listened to: Funny and Uprising by Jean Pierre Bertrand
What I learned: I learned the petunia I bought a couple of weeks ago that was supposed to not need deadheading, does. Bummer!
Dinner: We had one serving of sweet and sour soup that we didn't order so TheHub had it. I wasn't really hungry.
I am only posting this to keep myself honest. I did little to nothing toward Christmas in April. Yep, I was an April Christmas loser.
I read one Christmas book, The Other Santa: A Christmas Miracle. I think I would hesitate to call it a novel, but it did have the page count necessary to call it a book. It was a fairly predictable tale that I am thankful was available for $0 as a Kindle purchase. I would have hated to spend real money on it.
I also read a Southern Living Christmas 2025 book about decorating, recipes and what nots for Christmas. I got no ideas from it.
Other than that I bought one cheesy Christmas gift.
I also successfully managed to ignore the room of horrors again.
April is over and now it's May. Here is a recount of how my spring aims list fell out.
1. Light a candle or use fragrance melts everyday, but change from winter to more spring like scents.
I am primarily using the wax warmer right now, and have changed scents to lighter citrusy fragrances.
2.Bake something delicious every week.
Week 1 Baked an almond flour cake
Week 2 Peanut butter cookies
Week 3 I was sick and couldn't smell or taste. No reason to bake
Week 4 Mini cheesecakes
3. Continue hand copying my recipes into the new book.
Nope
4. Plan a joint activity with TheHub during the work week
Did a few, then the "sick" happened and plans stopped.
5. Self pampering. The feet are looking better, and I have found a lotion in my stash (never used before) that is lightly scented and feels so good.
6. Learn something new every day.
Every single day I find something I never knew before.
7. I did not start germinating seeds in time, so I need to shop for some plants to transplant.*
Bought a couple but they are still in the cups they came in. Our neighbor did give us some plants she started from seed, and we now have tomatoes, eggplant and assorted peppers planted,
8. Clean and replant all the various pots in the yard. Nope, first the pollen was too bad, then I was sick. Moving this task to May.
9. Rearrange things in the house. This is the time to change over curtains, bedspreads, etc.
Did a little, but not the full changeover.
10. Go through spring/summer wardrobe and give away any clothes I am not likely to wear. The same goes for shoes.
They are organized and in bags, but will not be gone until Monday when The Exchange Club picks them up.
11. Organize remaining bathroom and linen closets.
Nope
12. Schedule a documentary to watch with TheHub weekly.
This is the easiest thing on my list because we enjoy watching them.
13. Volunteer.
I managed to volunteer at 2 different places this month. Of course volunteering at IP is where my heart is.
14. Play the piano for at least 15 minutes 4 times a week.
I don't think I have touched the piano all month
15. Read a minimum of one book a week.
Done except for the week I was sickest. My eyes watered so much I could not even see to read.
16. Have lunch with friends at least 4 times during the spring season.
I had made plans to meet one of my friends for lunch but had to cancel when I was so sick, so April was a wash. I'm looking forward to May.
17. Contact someone I have not spoken with in a long time. Out of sight, out of mind should not happen with people who have had meaning in my life.
This was pretty easy. I have not spoken to Mom's former next door neighbor in a few years. I called her and caught up with all of her comings and goings. I was shocked to find she had her 90th birthday this past month.
18. Go to church regularly, both to services and some of the other offerings our church has.
This is pretty easy, since we go to church regularly. I did miss the week I was so sick. Nobody would want me there anyway.
19. Laugh as much as possible. Laughter is a gift I need to use everyday.
My sister and I were rolling over my fork story.
20. Maintain contact with my sons, DILs, and granddaughter.
This is easy because I love them all very much
21. Try to not be petty. I can be, and it is an unattractive trait.
This was not a bad month, though I did have one instance of being very petty.
22. Have a road trip or day trip a couple of times a month.
April was a complete bust for road trips.
23. Go to an actual movie theater once a month just to get out of the house and be among the living.
This did not happen___again
24. Have coffee at a coffee shop once a month.
Nope
25. Enjoy every day, even if it is difficult.
This was pretty easy to do, except for when I felt so bad.
26. Be more approachable, and willing to talk with people I have only spoken to before.
I have been much more intentional about talking with people I have never met before. Of course it requires that I go places to be in the company of people I don't know.
27. Do something toward Christmas '26 each month
I read a Christmas book, read a Christmas decorating book, and bought one rather silly present.
28. Use existing products before buying more. This is continual, and I have not yet replaced the makeup that makes me look like a vampire.
I am still looking like Vampira. I guess I will use it all before I get any that is the correct color.
29. Get rid of books
No
30. Inventory the pantry and laundry room stash
Done
31. Defrost the freezer.
Reorganized but not yet defrosted.
32. Go to bed earlier. I amserious this time.
This has been hit or miss with me.
33. Try to find a new hobby.
I still think I want to try learning to crochet, but it has not happened yet.
34. Maintain a close relationship with My Beloved Sister and invite her to our house for dinner once a week.
Done, except for the weeks I was ill. Amazingly she did not want to come here then.
35. Go to some of the spring festivals around town.
We did go to the Lebanese Food Festival, but only as a pick up customer. I did to need to be around people then.
36. Visit a new to us restaurant each month. There are too many out there and available for us to get stuck in a rut.
No
37. Use some of the restaurant gift cards and certificates we have accumulated.
No
38. Have neighbors over for a meal.
Our neighbors that moved were back in town. They had moved only the essential furnishing when they left before, but kept furniture in their house to show when it went on the market. They did not anticipate the house having 4 separate offers on the first day, so their estimated timeline changed quickly.
We asked them and another couple we are friends with to have dinner with us as a farewell evening. They were great neighbors and I wish them every happiness in their new town.
39. Entertain some of TheHub's cousins who live near us now.
I tried and they were unavailable each time.
40. Meet some of our couple friends for dinner out, or burgers here.
Not this past month
41. Get all my clothes for our spring "big trip" ready.
Done!
42. Try something new every week. This can be a food, a craft, a lesson, etc. Just something I have not done before**.
Hmmm. I did a couple of weeks, but not every week.
43. It is time to get started using self tanning lotion to get rid of my ghastly (or ghostly) winter pale look.
Still looking like Casper
45. Send cards to a few folks I have been thinking about, but have not actually mailed them anything.
I even have them addressed, but have not stuck them in the mail yet.
47. Plant some fall blooming bulbs.
Not yet
48. Be grateful every day.
And I am!
44. Listen weekly to at least one music genre that I don't listen to regularly. I am also including listening to musicals I am completely unfamiliar with.
Week 1. Listened to Mahler symphonies. I've never been a big fan of his music, and after listening to it for a week I am still not a fan. Ponderous may be the word for his style.
Week 2: Listened to unfamiliar to me broadway musicals. I loved doing it!
Week 3: It was bossa nova week and the music was pretty happy and made me think of exotic beaches and sunshine.
Week 4: Listened to a lot of ragtime. I did not mind it, but I was glad when the week was over.
46.Find someone in need and give them a little help. Sadly this was much easier than I wish it would have been. One of our good friends died leaving his family grief stricken. There were numerous ways to help.
And that is it for April. I still have one more month in Spring. Hopefully it will be a better month.
