Help from a good friend...

Today, we had a visit from some friends from Kanawha - Kate Foote, Ed Lynn and Andrew Lynn. They drove down to our house and spent the afternoon with us. Ed helped clean some bad files off of my computer, and Kate and I talked. Andrew enjoyed playing with our Sheltie, Suny, and going around the yard with David. He liked seeing our ducks and geese, also. 

Kate, Ed, Andrew and I went into Traer and had lunch at the new restaurant, 1901 Chop Haus. The place is very classy, and the food is excellent! It's good to see new businesses in these smaller towns. We know the customers are there, but getting them to frequent local places rather than driving out of town is tricky. This new restaurant has so much to offer, that I'm really hoping that people will try it out. I know David and I will eat there...they have a nice, tempting menu, and the ambiance excels. The staff is very friendly, and ready to make your visit memorable.

After we had lunch, we came back to the house. Ed worked on my computer, Andrew played with Suny and spent time outside - even though the weather was gray and chilly. I showed Kate some video footage of my granddaughter, Krista, when she was in various acro and dance numbers...which she politely watched and made kind comments. 

Even with the gray day, it was warm at our house. Nothing like good friends to make a day cheery!

After they left, David ate dinner, and I spent time on my computer, happy that the malware and adware were less likely to cause problems in the future, now that Ed has removed them. I'm going to have to avoid downloading anything that I don't actually go to a legitimate web site to get! All sorts of trouble can be the result of agreeing to allow downloads that may pop on the screen! Sometimes it seems that owning a computer is too much trouble, but we've become so dependent on them, it would be hard to not have their power at our fingertips!

Just before he went to bed, David asked me if I wanted to 'do spinach' tomorrow or Monday. I opted for tomorrow... get it out of the way. It's not hard...just a bit tedious, but we will be very happy next winter when we have all of those packages of delicious, tender greens to eat!

So....off to bed, to get rested up for the work ahead...

Memorial Day....mostly just memories

One thing I do miss about Kanawha is the wonderful grilled chicken dinner held each Memorial Day to support the swimming pool. I suppose it wasn't quite as fun this year because the weather was not ideal. But, you could always go get your 1/4 or 1/2 chicken dinner (potato salad, roll, etc.) and take it home. On the nice days, the town turned out. It was an annual feast, and welcomed by people who were back in town for the weekend, and by those who rarely leave. Yes, I do miss the grilled chicken feed, and thank the firemen who did all the grilling each year. What a great idea!

David and I just hung around the house because the weather wasn't much good for anything else. We did do the laundry (and dried some of it in the dryer, although it quit raining long enough for the jeans and a few other things, like the pillow cases, to get dry on the line. 

I tried to type a letter to my only remaining sister, and got that part done. Even was able to print out a collage of photos from our recent trip. But, when I went to print out my letter (typed into Word), the pages came out blank. I had this problem the other day when I tried to print out a ledger from Excel, but was able to copy and paste the information into Word, and got it printed out that way. Now, today, Word is giving me fits. Dang! I had wanted to get that letter in the mail tomorrow. David said I could always hand-write it...and I can, but I sure didn't want to do that. Now, I'll have to ask my Facebook 'techie' friends if they know what is going on with my computer not talking to my printer...

So...since I'm frustrated over that, I guess I'll go watch another video-taped movie. We have a bunch of old video tapes, and I'm looking at all of them (that will take me all summer, I bet...) and plan to give the movies to Goodwill and perhaps tape 'how-to' programs over the stuff on the other tapes, unless, of course, they are family videos and I want to keep them. In that case, I'll consider having them put on DVD by someone who offers that service.

Ever realize that life is almost always a series of organizing 'stuff?' Sure seems like it since we tried to 'condense' our belongings when we moved. Still doing that, and I don't see 'a light at the end of the tunnel' yet.

So, on this Memorial Day, I will be glad we are not in a full-scale war anywhere right now, although I know there is always the risk of another war. Being a World War II baby, I am so very grateful not to have any of my children or grandchildren fighting anywhere. Such precious lives, they are...  I do feel deep sorrow for those who must endure 'remembering' a serviceperson from their lives who did not come back home. That kind of grief must be so very terrible to bear...I don't know how they are able to go on... With that in my mind, I am thankful to those in our government who have made every effort to keep our young people out of conflict and hopefully building lives in peace.

Peace...what a wonderful word! 

Sometimes, the doctors just don't know...

Yesterday, David and I went to Ventura to the graves of both of his parents, and his baby brother. We had stopped at Wapsie Pines Nursery on the way north, and got another pretty copper-colored bird bath to replace the one that broke. (Weird thing...I just tried to pick up the base, and it simply 'came apart' down near where the foot flared out...So, I called the nursery and told them what happened. Turned out they had another copper one, so they put it aside for me, and we picked it up!) David also picked out some geraniums and a little plant that had tiny purple flowers on it. We got one geranium for his parents' graves and one for the graves of some old family friends who lived next door to them when his dad was the minister for St. John's Lutheran Church north of Ventura (he was serving there when he died of acute leukemia in 1968 at the age of 48 - David was 14 years old.) The old friends were Alitza and Lawrence Boehnke. Our youngest daughter, Alitza, is named after this wonderful German lady.

After we put the flowers on the graves, we met with his old childhood buddy, Mike Hollatz, and his wife, Dee. We had lunch together at the Mexican restaurant near where I sometimes bought groceries when we lived in Kanawha. It was fun to touch bases with them again, and we urged them to stop at our place on their way to visit their daughter and family who live in Cedar Rapids.

We came home after visiting with them about 2 hours, and I spent some time last night looking on the Internet to see if I could find out more about my excess levels of calcium which are still present in my blood. I found a description of my condition that makes me think I may have a genetic condition called 'familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. According to information on web sites put up by research universities, hospitals and medical facilities, this condition can be traced to the CASR gene. Treatment is typically considered unnecessary because it is a benign condition. In fact, persons with this condition are typically advised to avoid parathyroidectomy. (Too late...had that two summers ago...) 

All of this irritates the heck out of me. I went to the top thyroid surgeon in the state for my surgery, and if he doesn't know about this, who does? I am upset because very little was asked me about my family health history, which would have definitely made some impact. One of my dad's sisters died at the age of 52 in 1951 of what I think I remember as extreme hypertension. The other sister died at the age of 79 of a heart attack, and she had a kidney removed at the approximate age of 65. My father suffered from high blood pressure, and died at the age of 79 as well, but by that time medications were available to help keep his blood pressure under control. There are other family members who have hypertension and kidney issues, as do I. So, why wasn't I fully quizzed about these facts? 

In any case, at my next doctor appointment in early June, I will be taking a sheaf of print-outs showing information about the condition, and possible treatments (one of which is to avoid having parathyroid surgery!) 

I also read a very interesting article entitled 'Overkill' in the May 11, 2015 New Yorker magazine (David subscribes...) that suggest our medical system is very broken. One illustration shows a line of doctors (human images in white coats with stethoscopes and clipboards, all lined up to examine one man sitting on a stool.) The caption beneath the illustration reads, "Millions of Americans get tests, drugs, and operations that won't make them better, may cause harm, and cost billions." I will be making photo copies of that article as well... and will be giving my doctor and endocrinologist a 'reading assignment.' Until they have assured me that they have read all the information I give them, I will tell them I won't be following any of their suggestions about treatment for my hypercalcium! I also want substantial proof that their recommendations will make me better!

I guess I should have done all of this years ago, when many of my doctors first began harassing me about taking bone medications. Of course I have osteopenia...I'm nearly 75 years old, I'm a Caucasian female, and I don't spend a lot of time in the sun any more (treating the damage caused by overdoing that practice from my teens years as we speak!)

But, I'm not going unarmed next time.... getting really tired of doctors who want to make me take a medication that could cause damage to my body when they have not yet done their 'homework!'

So...there's my 'spew' for the day. And, it's a good day for that...rainy, overcast and dark, dreary... Sort of matches my state of mind right now. But, I did make the reservations for a motel room and meals at the all-school reunion in July, so I am not going to crawl into a corner and suck my thumb!

Even David is bummed today...his ducks and geese are getting so big that their cardboard pen in the garage is becoming very dirty, and he is probably running out of bedding material. The past several days when it was sunny and nice, the birds spent most of the day outside. But, today...that is no go. Too wet and a bit too chilly. The ducks are getting feathers, but the two geese are not yet (they are two weeks younger than the ducks). He'd like to move them all to the movable chicken pen, but until they have feathers, it still could be too chilly for them. 

So, folks, enjoy your holiday weekend. I still have a lot of video tapes to watch (old movies, tapes of dance recitals and acrobatic stunts, and even one of Doug and Gail's fabulous wedding in Chicago in 1986). So, I will keep myself occupied, and one of these days the sun will shine and we will be able to move the ducks and geese outside, and life will seem happier. Next weekend we will spend time with 3 of David's siblings (Mark can't be here...), and will entertain them at dinner on Saturday evening. We will be going through photos, slides and other mementos of David's family, deciding which ones we want badly enough to have copies made. We also may head up to Dave and Carol's house where I hear there will be rock music and a party to celebrate Carol's birthday. I sure hope for a nice, warm day for them!

Later, folks...

 

Memorial Day Weekend...lots of memories.

Tomorrow will be the anniversary of my mother's birthday. She was born in 1899 on May 23rd. She died in 2000 at the age of 101. Monday will be the anniversary of my father's birthday. He was born in 1896 on May 25th, and died in 1975 at the age of 79. 

Also, Monday is a day we all try to remember those who have served our country, and sometimes have given their lives in that service. 

David and I plan to put flowers on the graves of his parents, his infant brother, and good friends, Lawrence and Alitza Boehnke. We've done this for several years, and this year we will decorate his mother's grave as well. 

So, folks, have a safe holiday weekend, and take time to remember...

Baby ducks and geese aren't babies anymore...

I went out to the garage tonight to get a watering can, and saw those baby ducks and geese up close. Well, they aren't babies anymore. After a week or so of being outside and eating whatever grass, weeds and bugs they can pick up, they have grown almost double in just this week! I'll have to take a picture of them...they are still cute, but look more like adolescents than babies. But, it is good for them because the bigger they get, the less likely they are to be eaten by some hawk or other predator. I'm sure they will eventually be put into the chicken tractor, but for now, they sure are enjoying being outside, and I feel less concerned because they are less likely to be dinner for someone else! (Of course, I still have to keep in mind that they will be 'our' dinner sometime...but for now, at least, they are enjoying their lives in the outdoors, and snug in their pen at night...)

I'm still going through old VCR movies, so that keeps me entertained. Some I will want to replace with DVDs, but others will just be watched one more time, and then donated to Goodwill...  

David went to a gathering of 'beer-makers' from the area. It was to be a bring-your-own food picnic at George Wyth Park, and I'm sure he's in his element, talking to other beer-makers about how they do their process. Right now, rhubarb is the brew bubbling in our laundry room, but he has hops growing near the garden, so I'm sure there will be some new recipes to try, once he gets acquainted with these folks.

Well, the dog is barking, so I guess David is back home, and I want to go watch 'Doc Martin' on PBS, so I'll sign off for now...

Post One - The Reverend Homer Larsen....a side tale or two about a famous Iowa man...

This week a 'great' man died. The man was Homer Larsen, former pastor at Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cedar Falls. I have a couple of stories to tell you about him...

The first time I met Homer Larsen was shortly after I was married to Vern Hansen, and we had moved into one of the quonset huts in 'Sunset Village,' the married student housing complex just south of the University of Northern Iowa campus (at that time, it was called Iowa State Teachers College, and I had begun studies there to get my teaching certificate). 

Pastor Larsen came to call at our humble little round-roofed home, and it was about 3 in the afternoon. At that time, I was just learning how to cook real food, and had begun to brown a pot roast which I had hoped so serve that evening for dinner. Well, just after I put the roast in to brown, a knock came at our door, and it was Homer Larsen, here to welcome me to 'Lutheran Land.' I invited him in...and was too shy to explain that it was not a good time since I was starting to cook a pot roast, and really had little idea as to how to do that...

So, he came in, sat on our couch, and began to talk to me. I really don't remember much of what he said, because I was hoping he would soon get up to leave since I could smell my roast cooking on the top of the stove. Luckily I did not have the heat turned up very high, so the roast didn't cause a fire...but it was definitely 'browning!' Well, long story short, Homer talked and talked, and I nodded and nodded...too new at this hostess-business to tell him that I needed to check the meat that was cooking on the stove. Eventually he did leave, but my roast had seen its better days. There was a hard, dark brown crust about 1/4 inch thick on the bottom of this piece of meat (and in those days, we were on a very tight budget, so buying a piece of meat that was not hamburger was a splurge that didn't happen often). The roast was too 'well-done' to taste good, even if I cut off the offending crust! When Vern got home from work, I told him what had happened, and if memory serves me, we got in the car and went to 'Henry's Hamburgers' and got our dinner. (Henry's Hamburgers was the precursor to McDonald's and they had good fries and cardboard-like hamburgers...) In any case, that was my first meeting with Homer Larsen, and it really did not go the way I'm sure he had planned, but I don't think he realized how badly it went. I never did tell him...

I liked Homer Larsen, most of the time. He was a cheerful, friendly man and gave very good sermons. I didn't especially like that he never danced with his wife, since in Maine where he grew up, his church was against dancing. Holy Cow! I am not an intentional sinner, but I love to dance (or did before my legs and feet started going 'bad' on me...) I believe in being as good as I can, but if a guy can't hold a woman in his arms during a dance without becoming overwrought, well I just think I really am not interested in that kind of fellow. It would be a constant battle trying to keep him at his distance...no thanks! Passion is one thing, but I have no need for a drooling, sex-maniac escorting me.

I made an effort to consult with Homer Larsen when Vern and I were going through the estrangement that preceded our divorce. I told him about Vern's 'wandering' eye, and that he had more time for golf and football than he had being a companion to me. Well, good ole' Homer, Christian soul that he was, told me that 'men are like that,' and that I should make more of an effort to be attractive to him, like getting 'cleaned up' before he got home from work, and meeting him at the door with a smile and a hug. (Holy Shit! Shades of 'Fried Green Tomatoes!') I think Homer Larsen was a good man, and had a bucket full of talent as a preacher and speaker. However, dealing with modern day male/female issues, he lacked sorely. I left that meeting feeling like our problems were all my fault, and I knew they were not. Besides, obviously he had little understanding of meal-preparation. I suppose Eunice did all the cooking (until those later years after she became ill, and he took care of her...maybe he better understood the need for careful watching when a meal is being prepared, especially for the first time...) I simply cannot imagine, with three children ages 7 to 14, one would have time and/or patience to get all dolled up and come to the door to welcome a often emotionally-distant man into his home 'after a long day's work.' What the hell did he think I did all day? He might have soothed my agony at the break-up of my marriage by suggesting that Vern take me out for a meal now and then....or at least one some kind of date without children in tow. But...I know that would not have helped at that stage....way too late....too much irreparable damage done.

I do hope that Homer Larsen became more adept at counseling than he was when I met with him. I'm sure some more 'sheep-like' women were helped by him. Unfortunately, I am anything but 'sheeplike.' I've become Helen Reddy, and I sing 'I Am Woman' all the damned time! I think Homer met more than he knew how to handle when he met me. I simply did not stay in the shy, silent, submissive shell that I wore when he first met me. Not who I AM!

(So, dear Blogspot, now you know... I salute Homer Larsen as he moved to the next realm, but I knew he had shortcomings. I hope whoever is standing there at the 'pearly gates' knows them too, and will still let him in. He did not intend to be dismissive or 'sexist' but he was...and it hurt me.)

Just a small aside... it is the exact same kind of 'certainty' about the ideas of some so-called Christian people that have made me less of a religious person. Most of the 'holier-than-thou' attitudes I have experienced in my life have come from members of a church (excepting my own mother who was as much a true Christian as one could want to know...) I have met some really wonderful people who call themselves 'Christian,' but I've also known many who call themselves that but behave in ways that tell me they are mistaken. In my book, being a 'Christian' is more about how you treat your fellow man than it is about how often you attend church, how much you put in the offering basket or how 'superior' you are to the guy next to you. Here, I'm going to quote Mahatma Ghandi who said, 'I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians.' Until those who profess to be 'christian' act like they believe what they say, I don't have a lot of time for organized religion...

More later...on a lighter and different subject, I'm sure!

Excellent Mexican recipes for supper...and one of David's excellent beers!

This afternoon I made a couple of recipes from Mexican cookbooks that we have. The idea was to cook some ground pork and make tacos using authentic corn tortillas sold at a Mexican grocery store in Waterloo. These tortillas are just not quite like what you get in most regular grocery stores...they are made with fresh ground masa harina (corn flour). The corn kernels for this special ancient tortilla are dried, boiled, and soaked overnight in a mineral lime solution to remove the outer shell. This soaking also imparts a distinctive flavor to the corn. The inner kernel is then ground on the metate stone to create a flour which is used for the dough. There is just no flavor like it...

You will want to make the salad dressing (recipe below) a day before you serve it to meld the flavors.

To go with these tacos, I made a Tomatillo Cilantro Sauce from a recipe out of Mexican Family Cooking by Aida Gabiolondo (ISBN: 0-449-90162-9) I made just half the recipe since there are just two of us to eat it.

Tomatillo Cilantro Sauce

1/2 lb. fresh tomatillos (those husk-wrapped green tomato-like fruits in the grocery store)

1/2 c. cold water

2 garlic cloves

1/2 of a jalapeno chile, seeds and all, with the stem cut off

1/4 of a medium-sized white onion

1 c. cilantro leaves, washed

2 T. salad oil (I used peanut oil)

1 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar

Remove the outer paperlike skins from the tomatillos and cook them in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Drain them and place them in your blender container with 1/2 c. cold water, the garlic, jalapeno, onion, and cilantro leaves. Puree the mixture until it is almost liquid.

Heat the salad oil in a deep saucepan and pour the sauce from the blender container directly into the hot oil. (If you want a thicker sauce, you can make a roux of 1 tablespoon of oil and and 1/2 tablespoon of flour and cook this mixture until it is thickened, and slightly browned.) Once you have added the tomatillo mixture, season the sauce with the salt and sugar.  Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. If it is too sour to suit you, add a little smidgen more sugar.

This sauce is great on tacos and can also be used to flavor any stew with pork, chicken, or beef. It is a pretty bright green color.

Since our spinach is very productive right now, I made a salad with the spinach and some sliced jicama. Here's the recipe, also from the same cookbook:

Spinach Salad with Jicama

(I used half of the recipe, again because there are just two of us, and this salad is big!)

15 oz. of fresh spinach (a medium-sized bowl-full)

1/4 lb. (or more) fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c. (or more) thin slices of jicama

Mexican-style Italian Dressing (recipe follows - also from this cookbook) to taste

1 T. sesame seeds

(The recipe calls for 'Maggi' which is something I am not familiar with...I'll have to ask at the Mexican grocery store, and try it some time!)

Wash spinach, discarding stems. Spin in a salad spinner, and pat dry with paper towels. Tear into chilled salad bowl. Add sliced mushrooms.

Peel jicama and cut in half from top to bottom, then cut into quarters (I just used two of the quarters). Slice as thin as possible and wash in ice water. Dry with paper towels. Layer on top of the mushrooms.

Pour about 1/4 c. of the dressing over the salad and mix it thoroughly, lifting the leaves from bottom to top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with extra dressing in a sauceboat. 

Mexican-Style Italian Dressing

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. vegetable oil (I used peanut oil)

3 T. wine vinegar

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. mashed garlic

1/2 t. dried or fresh rosemary

1/8 c. ice water

Combine ingredients in a jar; cover and shake. Allow to ripen in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or overnight, thus allowing the rosemary to flavor the dressing. If you wish, you can strain it over the salad, but I like to leave the pieces of garlic and rosemary right in the dressing.

Enjoy with a glass of good, cold beer. I also served some chopped avocado, and you could add cheese or other toppings for your taco, if desired. The tomatillo sauce is excellent with these tacos, but some might like to offer regular tomato salsa as well.

Ole! 

 

Today turned out to be a 'brandy' day...

I had an appointment with my endocrinologist today, so I got on my purple 'boyfriend' jacket and gathered my shopping list, and off I went! The sun was shining and all seemed good...but things are not always the way they seem...

First, I stopped at Home Depot (David told me to go there because their employees actually seem to know something about the department they work in...) I went to the paint department, and asked about some porch and deck paint. I want to get something with a bit of texture since our front porch (made of wood) can be a bit slick when it rains. The guy there did know a lot about paint, and he told me that we would have to strip the old stain completely off, then wash the wood with a special cleaner, and then we would have success in applying a paint with a textured finish. (Sounds like a bit of a job, but the front porch is not large, so I guess we can get it done...) I took some of his folders that show the colors available, and went on my way.

Then, I did a bit of shopping at Target. I'm going through old VCR movie tapes and watching them to see if I want to replace them with DVDs, so when I saw 'Bridget Jones' Diary' for $5, I thought, I'll just snap that one up! Then, I found 'Robin Hood' with Kevin Costner, and since I really liked that version, I decided to get that one as well. 

By that time, it was close to noon, and I decided to grab a sandwich at Panera Bread and eat it in the parking lot at the doctor's clinic so I could get to my appointment 15 minutes before time, as requested in the literature they gave me at the last appointment. So, I was there in plenty of time, and checked in. I sat in the waiting room for 20 minutes or so, and then was called. The gal weighed me, and measured my height, and then directed me to an empty patient room. She took my blood pressure, my temperature and my heart rate. All of that was good. She left the room and I began to look around for something to occupy myself. Should have brought my Nook because the magazines were sparse, very dated, and leaned toward celebrity gossip types. Time slowly moved, and after about a half hour, a gal opened the door and said the doctor would be in soon, as she was delayed by a couple of patients... 

Finally, after waiting for an hour, the doctor came in. Usually, I like this gal. She is from India, and is obviously quite intelligent and is also nice. But, the appointment was only so-so. She wants me to take a medication for my bone loss, and I am against doing that. The one she first mentioned I have taken previously, and ended up with acid reflux (had an endoscope, and my esophagus was inflamed...not a good sign). So, I quit taking the stuff. Also, my dentist was concerned because apparently many of those medicines can create havoc with your jaw bones, causing you to lose teeth, and even have a broken jaw. Hmmm...supposed to strengthen your bones, but causes potentially serious issues with teeth and jaws. Guess the choice is between having a broken hip, or losing your teeth. I sort of like to keep on eating...so was happy to quit taking that medication!

In the meantime, I've had surgery to remove a large part of my parathyroid gland which is the culprit that is causing me to have excessive calcium in my blood. This gland, when it gets overactive, 'sucks' calcium from a person's bones, and dumps it into their blood, thus they have consistently high blood-calcium readings, and their bones keep getting thinner and thinner. After my surgery nearly two years ago, the levels of calcium in my blood went down, but not as much as this endocrinologist gal would like. So, I was told to ingest a lot less milk, ice cream, yogurt, cheese, and to quit taking the calcium tablets I had taken for years to help keep my bones strong! Well, I did all of that, and eventually the blood-calcium readings came down.....but not enough to keep her happy.

So...no more morning cereal with milk on it...and you do know that plain cereal is just awful. I now only drink about 1 glass of milk a week, and eat a tiny bit of cheese now and then. No ice cream to speak of...and not much yogurt, although I do eat a couple spoonfuls of Greek yogurt with my strawberries or blueberries... probably one time a week.

Anyway, this visit, the doctor once again suggested I take a medication to help my bones (I do wish they would read your charts more closely before they come in to see you!) I said I didn't want to do that, and she said 'Well, you could take the shot...' (She is referring to Reclast, a medication that is given by infusion. You get it only once a year.) Apparently, insurance will not cover that unless you have full-blown osteoporosis, which I don't yet have. I have the precursor...osteopenia. I think I've heard that the infusion costs about $3,000.00. If insurance won't cover it for me, I am not interested at this point. So, we are back to 'step one'.....try to avoid ingesting a lot of calcium, do exercises that help to strengthen bones (wish I actually enjoyed exercising...) and come back in 4 months with new blood work completed a few days before the visit. As my only sister still living has said more than once,  'Getting old is not for sissies!'

After seeing my lady doctor, I got the car washed. Then, I went to get groceries. I started to feel a bit happier buying my groceries...but I was still a bit down over the doctor visit, so I bought myself a package of red licorice...not at all on my diet, but sometimes you have to spoil yourself when you need a pick-me-up! 

After walking all over the huge grocery store... searching for some items that were hard to find...so I had to do quite a lot of extra walking... my ankles were screaming, and I knew it was time to call it quits for the day.

I headed home. David was gone when I got there (donating blood at a nearby blood drive...), so I went into the house with a few of the bags. David got home just about then, and with his 'good' arm, he carried in the rest of the bags, and I put the food away.

I told him about my day, and then I looked out the front window and noticed that the bowl of my new ceramic birdbath was on the ground. I went out to put it back on the base, and thought I would move the base a bit so it would be more level. Well, I picked the base up by the top and it came completely apart down near where the 'foot' of it flared out from the column. Clean break...not chips....just a very clean, albeit not straight, break. Dang! That was an expensive bird bath, and it is only about 2 weeks old. That was just about enough to make me really mad! I went in to tell David about it, and he suggested that I have a drink...as I seemed to 'need' one... So, I did! I got a little glass and poured myself a brandy, and sat down to mull over life.

I will tell you that I really didn't feel much like writing in this blog tonight, but now that I've spilled it all out here, it doesn't seem quite so depressing anymore. So, thank you, Blogspot. I'm sure you did not start out to be a 'counselor,' but you have become one! 

I think I'll go now and watch one of the old VCR tapes so it can be sent to Goodwill, and at least feel that I have accomplished a small task today that was sort of enjoyable...

Later, peeps...

One of those really sleepless nights...and no caffeine this time.

It was just too darned chilly in our bedroom by the time I got to bed. David likes to sleep with the windows open, and I usually don't mind a 'crack' in one window, but after I got to bed the cold front finally arrived, and it got cold very quickly. After hearing our chiming clock hit 2 o'clock, I decided if I was going to get any sleep, I needed to brave the chill and get up and close both windows, leaving just one only about an inch open. That helped, but I still was cold. So, I pulled the down comforter up over us again. (Thought we were done with that until fall, but I guess not!)

Then, my shoulder started to hurt again (bursitis, and yes, I know you can get a cortisone shot for that, but I've already had at least two in that same shoulder, and they don't like to put too much of that steroid junk into your joints...one friend was told it would make her hip like 'jelly.') So, I have decided to try to 'tough' it out...but that means that sleeping is not very good. It doesn't matter how I lay...that danged shoulder starts hurting and I wake right back up. I heard the clock strike three and four...and eventually (must have dozed off for at least a little bit)....five. So, I got up and put on my wool sox! 

I gave up trying to go to sleep by six, so got up and fixed myself some breakfast, and had some hot cocoa...thinking it might help. Well, I did crawl back under the covers and slept until about 9 a.m. You can imagine that tonight I'm weary, and will be heading to bed a bit earlier, thus I am writing on this blog earlier than usual.

We did laundry today. David insists on hanging the sheets, towels (yes, they get hard like a board when they are hung outside, but I have decided to be choosy with my battles...so I don't say anything), his shirts, all the jeans and his undershirts. I do love the smell of fresh, clean laundry that  has been dried in this way, and as long as he wants to hang them out there...who am I to argue? We changed the sheets today, so the bed will smell fantastic tonight...hope that helps me nod off...

I'm also typing recipes from a book I borrowed from David's sister's husband. It is titled, 'The Jungle Effect' and is written by Daphne Miller, MD. It takes research about the healthiest diets from around the world (these locations suffer from very little diet-related disease such as diabetes, coronary, depression, cancer, etc.), and tells you how to use these ancestral diets to help improve your health. There are a lot of recipes from each area where these diseases are practically non-existent. So...I'm typing those recipes into my already huge collection of recipes on my computer. Many of them use ingredients we grow right here at our acreage, and if one is determined, it is possible to incorporate most of these healthy foods into our daily meals.

So, I have my work 'cut out for me.' That is probably one reason I'm not sleeping as well (besides the sore shoulder and other factors...) I just absorb way too much of that computer screen glare to allow my body to recognize that it is indeed nighttime, and I need to shut my brain down, and sleep. We'll see if stopping earlier in the evening helps me relax. Of course, after so little sleep last night, one would think I will be able to easily drift off...but that is not always the case with me. I remember my dad took sleeping pills to help him get to sleep. I don't think those are prescribed as frequently these days. At least, they should be a last resort. 

Wish me luck...

 

Not much...

Not too much went on today. The wind blew like crazy, and I worried that my newly planted flowers would get pretty beaten up. But, they did okay. And, then we put them down on the ground because David said he would wash the deck tomorrow to get ready to stain it. That will be wonderful...then I can put my chair out there and get ready for a nice, sunny day where I can sit out there and read. And, I can put the planters on the railing where they belong. 

The ducks are growing, and so are the geese. At this point, their pen next to the garage is fairly large, and they like to spend most of the day outside. The geese are getting bigger than the ducks, even though they are two weeks younger. At least now the ducks accept them, and much of the time they all lay together in the grass. It will be interesting to see how much being 'bigger' makes them more 'in charge.' Already, when they get up to go get a drink of water, the ducks follow them...

I spent much of the morning finding a motel that will allow our dog so we can attend the wedding of my nephew's son. Now, we are hoping that the venue will have a shady spot where we can park our car so that he won't get too hot while we are in the wedding. We love our dog, but it sure can be a problem when you need to be somewhere that dogs aren't allowed... If we can't get the owners of this place to give us help with the shade issue, we may have to board him, but that would probably mean that we couldn't pick him up until the Monday after the wedding...not such a great plan.

I'm also busily typing recipes from several magazines into my recipe file on my computer. I will donate the magazines to our local library when I am done. Hopefully, sometime I will find need to use one of these recipes. They all sound very good...

Since we were pretty laid back most of the day today, I don't have a whole lot to talk about...I guess that is what Sundays are for...not doing too much!

So, until tomorrow then...

Sorry, not happy with no 'cash refund' at store....merchandise only. So, now I have a new purse...

I took the two flowing tops back to the store where I got them, but found out they don't refund your cash. Instead, they gave me a credit. That would not be too bad, but they just don't carry enough in my size, so I ended up taking a new purse as part of the credit. I suppose I'll just look there every time I'm in town to see if there is something else I can use for the rest of the credit. Once I've spent all the credit I'm due, I won't be shopping there in the future. Not my favorite kind of policy...

Before I went to the store, I potted up the pretty flowers that I bought in Toledo. Now, I have five 'railing planters' each planted with a combination of three flowers. I have a sage-colored vine in the center of each planter. This plant has small leaves and a very good trailing habit, so they should 'flow' nicely down the front of each planter.  I also put in a bluish-purple trailing verbena and a violet-colored flower that has a more spiky habit. I set them all on the floor of our deck, to give them a chance to gain strength and recover from the transplanting process. They all got watered well, along with the fiber basket where I planted a plant with spreading and trailing blue flowers. That basket is now hanging in a folding wrought iron stand that I've had for a very long time but have never used. It's really quite pretty standing in one corner just opposite the door from our bedroom where I can easily see it when we have the door open to the deck. 

I still have one more railing planter to fill, and I think I will get some other kinds of plants for that...maybe some impatiens, since there are several places where the deck railing is in the shade much of the day. Then, I still need some flowers to put in the two large terra cotta pots that have imprinted designs on their sides. They are larger, and I hope to put them on the front porch, but right now David is using them to hold the fencing for the outdoor duck pen steady next to the garage. Once the ducks and geese have all their feathers and can stand to be outside all the time, they will be moved into our 'chicken tractor' and I can have my pots back... I'll probably buy the plants pretty soon, though, and will put them into smaller clay pots until I can transplant them into the larger ones. 

After my planting was done, and after I got back from taking those tops back to the store, I fixed David and I each a 'mint julep' to get ready to watch the Preakness. Of course, mint julep is the Kentucky Derby drink, but I had not researched to find out what kind of drink is standard for the Preakness. David looked it up after the race was over, and maybe next year I'll get the ingredients ahead of time so we can fix those cocktails then. Now, I need to find a recipe for the drink that is classic for The Belmont Stakes...in three weeks. Wouldn't it be great to have American Pharoah win the triple crown? I'll be cheering for him...what a great race today...in heavy rain with a very muddy track. But, he apparently enjoys running in the mud...perfect day for him!

Now, I'm weary, so I'm heading to bed. I still have to wash the windows in the library so I can put on the screens...it's getting warm enough that we need to be able to open windows in each room, and those windows are the only ones that aren't ready for that....maybe I'll do that tomorrow...

Nite, all!

It was marked 'one size fits all'.....but that's not quite true.

I bought a couple of cute long vests. You know the kind...they flow, and they are worn over a tank top or, if it's a bit chilly, over a long-sleeved t-shirt. They look so youthful and fun, and are usually pretty colorful. Well, I bought two of them, and didn't try them on at the store. She said 'one size fits all...' Turns out...they look great on people who are quite slim, but seem to make all of my 'curves' seem way too much curvier! So...tomorrow, they are going back. 

I have an all-school reunion coming up in July, and I always try to wear something pretty to those events...something that doesn't make me look quite as large as I am....you know how that goes. We just don't like to admit that we are never going to be lithe and youthful looking again. So, we try to find something that 'disguises' the fact so we can at least feel nearly as skinny as we were, back in the day...

Oh well...I'll keep looking. Maybe the shop where I bought these two darling tops will have something that is more in tune with my X-sized shape (but I'm not going to hold my breath...) 

This afternoon David wanted to go to Toledo to pick up some flags to designate the part of the ditch in front of our property where he has planted the wildflowers, and where he doesn't want road crews to spray. He wondered if I wanted to go to the nursery and garden center down there, and of course, I did! So, I bought pots of flowers to put into the railing planters my sister had (that I got when I bought some of her things following her death three years ago...) There are six planters, but I thought there were only five, so I may have to buy a few more plants to fill that last, forgotten one. I got some trailing verbena in a pretty medium purple color, some violet, not-too-tall flowering plants and some viney plants in a sort of gray-green sage color that hopefully will trail down the sides of the deck rails and make it all look quite handsome. I also got a single lavender blue flowering plant that trails and spills over the side of the pot to put into a hanging basket for which I have a wrought iron stand. I think I need some white or other light colored plant to make a nice contrast, but at this point, I'm going to put the ones I have into the planters tomorrow. We also got a bag of their potting soil, so I have some work cut out for me first thing in the morning. 

Later, I plan to take those tops back to the store where I got them, and take another look at what they have to offer...just in case I can find something, and leave the shop not feeling like I've made the gal there feel 'cheated' out of a sale... maybe a pretty purse since the one I have for summer seems a bit worn.

And, in the afternoon, about 3:30 p.m., I'm going to hopefully be back home, and will make myself a mint julep and sit down to watch The Preakness. I'm back into 'horses' now that we've been to a real horse farm in Kentucky, and have seen some valuable horses... It can be a bit exciting...

Anyway, that's how things are on this day.... tune in again soon!

 

Nice, new task chair....and skin lesions...

Some news is good news, like the comfy new task chair I bought a couple of days ago to replace the one that kept wanting to 'throw' me out of it! It was delivered today while I was at an appointment with a skin doctor. I don't know if this counts, but I actually 'broke a sweat' trying to put the darned thing together! (When you get old, things that once seemed very easy, become hard, and turning the little wrench tool that was included in this chair package was almost impossible...but I got it done!) So, now I have a nice-looking, comfortable chair to sit in while I work online.... I am thinking my light may be on even later at night now... oh, dear! This chair makes me feel 'scholarly' somehow... but I don't think I'll start smoking a pipe or anything...

Today I went to the clinic in a town not too far from us. I have an appointment next week with my endocrinologist, and the first part of June with a physician's assistant who is working with the former patients of our doctor who left the practice. Each of these doctors wanted a different blood test...one needed me fasting for 12 hours, and I had a glass of lemonade at about 11 p.m. last night, making it necessary to get the blood work done after 11 a.m. today. I did that, and this very nice clinic gave me a little white sack with a nutrition bar and a small container of juice to give me a 'boost' after the blood work was done. 

Then, I went to the downtown area, and had pizza buffet at Pizza Hut (sometimes I treat myself to a 'no-no' food, but only on rare occasions). I also did a little shopping and got some paint remover at the hardware store. Plus, I found out that a new ladies' clothing boutique has opened up in this town, and they have a tea room, and serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. That's where I'm going next time I am here to see a doctor!

I saw a skin doctor this afternoon, and she removed several keratosis pilaris from my back (that's what you get from all of that sunbathing without sunblock, over decades...) She also checked me over completely, froze a couple of 'pre-cancerous' itchy spots on my face, and told me to make an appointment to come back and have a biopsy of a 'suspicious' bump on one side of my nose. (This bump has been there quite a long time, and it has not grown or done anything suspicious, but I guess it's better to know than to not know, and get a rude awakening down the road.) Ain't growing old fun? Not especially...

But, all in all, I'm pretty healthy, as a general rule. So, I'll go get this done (at the end of the month...) and deal with whatever comes next. (Really would rather not lose part of the end of my nose, but of course, that is always a possibility.... I'll keep you posted!) Funny thing is, I always hated my nose as a teenager....thought it was too long! Interesting how the idea of maybe losing a chunk of the end of it gives me the 'willies' now...

Drove home in a chilly drizzle, and found the big box with my new chair inside sitting on the landing just inside the front door. So, I pulled the box up the stairs, got out my tools, and sat down to assemble the chair. Now, I'm sitting in it, writing this post, and thinking I was foolish to put up with the other wobbly, poor quality one all this time. This chair has a high back, arms and an adjustable height lever.... nice!

Some good news, and some news that I'd rather not think about....such is the day in the life of a 70-something lady here in the Midwest.

See you tomorrow...

Feed the birds...tuppence a bag (nope...a whole lot more than 'tuppence' these days!)

This morning I put out the big cake of suet with seeds that cardinals like in the new, big cardinal suet feeder I bought. I also refilled the oriole feeder with Welch's grape jelly and some oriole food that you mix with water. My feeder has four depressions in the top for jelly, and beneath the top there is a compartment for the liquid food. You could also spear half an orange with the post that fastens the feeder to the 'hanger,' but I didn't have any oranges so I skipped that part. We'll see if any orioles show up. After I first hung the feeder on our deck, the jelly all disappeared, but I didn't see any orioles. Now, I'll keep an eye out for them. Unfortunately, it is supposed to rain much of tomorrow, so that may keep them from visiting the feeder.

I also put some of the hydrangea food on my new blue hydrangea plant that David put into the ground this morning. Now, we'll see some pretty flowers and this plant growing into a lovely bush in the front yard. I can't wait...

The ducks and the two little geese now have a fenced in pen just outside the garage door. In the morning, if it is nice like it was today, David gets the pen all set up and opens a 'door' on one side of the cardboard pen where these little guys live (in the garage) until they get feathers and can stand being outside all the time in the mobile 'chicken' tractor. After he gets the side of the cardboard box open, he puts their feed trough and their watering trough out into the little pen, and pretty soon all of the little webbed-footed guys go traipsing out in a row. The ducks have made peace with the geese, so now they all cuddle together in a pile, once they have explored the grass and pen fully. The geese especially love eating the grass. The ducks...not so much. But, all of them seem to enjoy being outside, especially on a pretty, sunny day like today.

I spent the afternoon putting more of my books onto the newly refinished bookcases, and trying to get the library room more organized. This entire move to a different home has been an ongoing effort, and we still have more work to be done. We hope to get the old, cracked concrete removed from outside the mudroom door, and some new retaining walls and new patio put in using 'tumbled' Belgian bricks. Once that gets completed, and the deck gets it's new coat of stain, things should be pretty much done, except for the ongoing projects like the garden, and planting things in the yard. David says his wildflowers that he planted in the ditch along the road in front of our property are coming up...that will look pretty nice, I think.

Tomorrow I have an appointment with a dermatologist to see if all those years of sun-bathing up at the lake in Minnesota have created a bunch of work for him....I seem to have a lot of scaly, itchy spots on my back, and I'm hoping he can remove some of them. When you are young and your skin is smooth and supple, you don't think of how awful it will look with spots and scales on it.... Well, kiddos, many sunburns have left me with a full slate of icky skin spots. We'll see if anything can be done about it, but I have a feeling my skin is on the 'downhill slide....'

I bought myself a new desk chair since the one I bought just a little over a year ago was a piece of junk, and the seat wiggles and wobbles so badly that I get a sore back trying not to fall off of it. I complained to the store where I got it, and they did give me a coupon for half of its purchase price (but not a full refund because the chair was not made by their company...) I did remind them that I purchased the chair on their web site, but be forewarned, if a product does not bear the company name, they won't be willing to 'own' any problems it might have. But, it was not an expensive chair, and I definitely did not want to keep trying to sit on it (although my daughter did tell me that it would probably 'work my core' sitting on it...!) So, hopefully, tomorrow my new, better quality, company brand desk chair will be delivered, so I can put my kitchen chair back at the kitchen table where it belongs!

I found a shoebox full of photos of my deceased niece, Bonnie. I inherited them when Bonnie's mom, my sister Merry, died in 2012. I hated to throw those photos of that darling little girl away (even though Bonnie was in her 50's when she died), so I've decided to scan them into my computer, transfer them to a thumb drive, and keep them that way. Then, I'll take the actual photos out to our burn pile, and David and I will have a memorial pyre and burn them. At least, I can still look at them if I want, and they will be available for printing, should a need arise.

I hope you all had as glorious a day as it was here in central Iowa. It was a bit windy, and rather cool, but the sun shone all day, and everything looked so lovely. I even picked some lily-of-the-valley and put them in the pretty crystal vase my friend Kate gave me, and now my living room smells absolutely wonderful!

Until next time...

Home-made Bread and Clean Teeth....

Yesterday was a busy day...we did laundry (David hangs jeans, bedding, towels, etc. on the clothesline), I made four loaves of my really good home-made bread, gave David a hair cut (I've been his barber for 40 years...and so far, no one has said he needs to find a new barber!), and I finished printing out an entire package of 4x6 photos of the Civil War battle sites we visited on our recent trip for my cousin, Jim Cooper, who also does genealogy. 

My bread recipe is printed at the end of this post. It is taken from The Tassajara Bread Book, which was published by Shambhala Publications, Inc. in Berkeley, California in 1970 (and reprinted for several years after that...)

Today, I got my teeth cleaned as part of my 'spring tune-up.' I always hate to eat lunch after that because those fantastically clean teeth just start getting gummed up all over again. 

Tonight were invited to have dinner with several other couples who are also clients of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. The location was Montage in Cedar Falls, a very nice and elegant eating establishment. We had a good time, talking, laughing, and enjoying the company of the two nice (young) agents who invited us to the dinner, along with their pretty spouses. It was also nice to meet some other folks from the area who also have insurance and investments with Thrivent.

Tassajara Yeasted Bread

(Four loaves.) 

I. 6 c. lukewarm water (85-105 degrees F.)

   2 T. yeast (2 packages dry yeast)

  1/2 to 3/4 c. sweetening (honey, molasses, brown sugar - I use honey from a bee-keeper here in Iowa)

   2 c. dry milk powder (optional)

   7-9 c. whole wheat flour (I use a mixture of grains and seeds here - about 1 c. rolled oats, some sunflower seeds and some pumpkin seeds, about 1/2 c. of flax seed meal, some gluten flour - but you don't have to add that, wheat germ if I have it, about 1 - 1 1/2 c. rye flour, and good quality whole wheat flour - organic, if I can get it)

II. 1 T. salt (I use sea salt)

    1/2 - 1 c. oil (I use peanut or some other oil that is high in omega 3)

    6-8 c. additional flour (depending on what I have on hand, this could be bread flour or more whole wheat flour - using bread flour makes the loaves a bit less 'heavy' - I go light with the additional flour until I see how quickly it seems to 'firm' up... you can always add more flour, but once its in there, you can't remove it!)

    2-3 c. whole wheat flour (for kneading - just spread out part of this amount...depending on the humidity in the air, flour can be dry or more moist, and it is better to knead in more flour if the dough is sticky than putting in too much flour, which can make the dough more tough)

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water (if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your bread will be hard and won't rise much)

Stir in sweetening and dry milk.

Stir in the first amount of whole wheat flour (and/or other grains/seeds) until a thick batter is formed. I use a large whisk to get all the ingredients well mixed.

Beat well with a spoon (or a whisk!)

Cover your bowl (I use a very large Tupperware bowl with a matching lid), and set your timer for 60 minutes, to let the 'sponge' rise.

Fold in the salt and the oil.

Fold in the additional flour, except for the amount you are using to knead the dough. Stir with a wooden spoon (the whisk won't make it through this thick dough at this point...) until the mixture is well-combined and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Knead the dough on a counter top or board which has been well-floured with some of the 'kneading flour.' I keep adding more of this flour until the dough is no longer really sticky, and starts getting smooth and 'elastic.' Continue kneading your bread for 10-15 minutes total, until the dough feels and looks 'smooth.'

Put the dough back into the big bowl, and cover it. Let it rise (preferable in a warm spot) for 50 minutes (set your timer again.)

Punch the dough down, and put the cover back on the bowl.

Let rise 40 minutes.

I knead the dough briefly, and then gather it into an oval shape, and cut the dough into fourths, once from top to bottom and once across the middle, trying to get approximately the same amount of dough into each segment.

I shape my loaves by taking each segment and starting at one end, I make a roll of dough with my fingers, and then continue rolling the dough toward the opposite end to form a loaf. This loaf will have somewhat elongated ends. Just fold them under slightly, and put each loaf into a well-greased bread loaf pan. Repeat with the other three segments, and place the bread pans on top of your oven, which has been turned on to 400 degrees to preheat. 

Set your timer, cover the loaves with a clean tea towel, and let them rise 20 minutes, or until they have begun to rise above the top of the loaf pan a bit.

Bake the loaves until they are golden brown on top, and sound 'hollow' when you tap the top of them, about 45 minutes. Check to see if they seem 'done,' and put them back into the oven if they are not. At this temperature, they will bake rapidly from this point on, so be careful to not let them burn. (Sometimes the bottoms of my loaves look pretty dark, but often they are not really burnt, but just a nice, firm crust on the bottom....you will learn how to tell when they are 'just right!')

Remove the loaves from the pans onto a wire rack and let them cool, or eat some right away (with butter or honey!) I let the loaves get completely cool, and then put them into clean bread bags, or other plastic bags that can accommodate a loaf of bread. We put three into the freezer and eat from one loaf at a time.

Note: Sometimes I mix an egg and some water, and use that to coat the tops of the loaves before I bake them. After brushing on the egg mixture, I sprinkle the loaves with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, oatmeal or other nice topping. Then I brush them once again with the 'egg wash' to seal the seeds in so they won't fall off after the bread is baked.

So, there you have it...the Rueber secrets to make a healthy, tasty loaf of home-made bread!

Have at it!

Caffeine is the problem...

So, yesterday afternoon, I made myself a cup of coffee, and drank it the way I usually drink coffee....all afternoon. No wonder at 2 a.m. when I finally went to bed, all I could do was lie there and think of all the things I wanted to get done.

It does no good to stay in bed when you are wide awake, so I got up and worked on typing up the information from markers and posters we saw on our Civil War trip in April. I'm making copies of the pertinent photos for a cousin who does family research, and who has been instrumental in getting me records and information that I can use in my family tree. You see, his great-grandfather is the brother of my great-grandfather, so we have a common interest in the two Cooper brothers who joined the army to fight during that great, sad war. Even though this cousin's great-grandfather was unsuccessful in joining his brothers in the fight with the Confederates, he did become a soldier - against his mother's wishes. He lied about his age in order to serve. The family has a copy of a letter written by Great-grandmother Rebecca to the government, asking to have her 'under-age' son returned home to help with the farm, and for the sake of his health, as she told them he was not a strong young man. As it turned out, he did serve eventually, but in the so-called 'Indian' wars, not in the great battles of the Civil War. 

Even so, this cousin is a genealogy buff and loves any bit of information he can get about our ancestors, their lives, and their various military experiences.

So, I took lots of photos of the battle sites where my great-grandfather and great-grand uncle fought, and as mentioned above, I'm making copies of those photos to send to him for his files (both brothers would be his great-grand uncles). Since many of the pictures are of markers and posters that explain various battles and strategies, and since the photos of the text on those markers and posters make the words small and hard to read, I decided to magnify each of those photos on my computer screen, and type out what they say so my cousin can easily read about them. You see, unfortunately, for him to simply enlarge each photo after scanning them into his computer doesn't work well, since once they are printed out, they become digitized and blurred when you magnify them. Also, now I will have a written copy of the text on those photos that I can myself refer to when needed.

There I was from about 2:30 a.m. until about 5:00 a.m., typing away, bringing up photo after photo and copying the information into a Word document that I can print out and send to this cousin, along with the photos I am copying for him.

Needless to say, at 5:00 a.m. my eyes gave out on me and I crawled back into my bed, hoping to get at least a few hours of sleep before my day began.

I did sleep about 4 hours at that time, and a few more after I had eaten some breakfast, but tonight I can feel the need for better sleep creeping up on me. So, I will say a few words about the day, and try to retire earlier than usual. I'm hoping that the storms that keep popping up west of us calm down, or my sleep will again be disturbed tonight.

This morning I got an email from our daughter in the Dallas area. Apparently, her suburb was hit with a tornado, but her apartment was not affected. Her email was much appreciated, as I do tend to be a worrier. She also wished me a 'happy Mother's day, and said a card is on its way...

Then, David brought in the bookcases he has been refinishing in the garage, and it was time to move out the plastic crates I've been using for the books and other materials in our library. We do have some nice cabinets with shelves, but I seem to have accumulated quite a few family dishes and keepsakes that I have not yet been able to part with, along with my art books and other materials, so those cabinets are full.

Putting the new bookcases in place required me to unplug all the myriad cords going into my computer, and move the desk down the wall a bit to make room for the new bookcase on that side of the room. Moving the desk necessitated moving a framed photo that was on the wall behind the desk, because with the computer monitor in a new position, that photo was hidden behind it, and I enjoy looking at the picture of my folks' former cabin that once stood on a pretty lake in northern Minnesota. So, out came the tools. After I got the desk and picture where I wanted them, and my computer tower moved to a different spot, I tried to plug in each of the many cables, back into their proper spots on the tower back. I was a bit frustrated because the monitor did not seem to be hooked up properly, and would not turn on. 

But, I was in luck, because just about then, my son Dave and his wife Carol came and brought me a Mother's day gift - a beautiful 'Endless Summer' blue hydrangea! Dave is good with computers, so after showing them the baby ducks and geese, I brought him in to see if he could make the monitor work. Well, I don't know how, but when I turned on the computer, the monitor came right on...guess I had it all plugged in the right spots, in spite of myself!

After they left, I returned to the job of getting my books put onto the new shelves. I still have one entire bookcase left to fill, but things look so much better. Eventually, this room we call 'the library' will look quite smart and orderly, I'm sure.

For supper we had some delicious corn tortillas I bought from a Mexican 'tienda' in Waterloo. They were wonderful, and I fried some fish fillets, and cut up an avocado and some red onion slices to serve with them. David brought in some fresh leaf lettuce from the garden, too. We had homemade salsa and fresh lime juice with the tacos. For beverages, we enjoyed some very good beer. 

I made 'hush puppies' with the leftover Panko crumbs/flour mixture and the excess beaten eggs. Our dog, Suny, liked his 'hush puppy,' and now we expect him to be a very quiet dog tonight.

Our usual Sunday evening is spent watching some favorite dramas on PBS, and reading the Sunday paper.

There will not be any computer work tonight. I need to go to bed!

I am also grateful for the nice greetings on my Facebook page from my kids/spouses in Arizona and Nevada. How lucky I am... family is so very important... 

Good night, all...

Got Rhubarb? Make Beer... or Bars!

Rhubarb Beer

(Recipe quoted to me by David...)

Before you start, all equipment should be sterilized using 1 T. regular household bleach to 1 gallon of water. You can purchase supplies from MidwestSupplies.com online. You will want to read the entire recipe before you start making this beer. You may have to order some of the ingredients, but Midwest Supplies is pretty quick to get them to you.

7 lb. cut-up rhubarb, previously frozen and then thawed to allow the most juice to be extracted (save these for later in the process)

6 lb. gold liquid extract

3.1 lb. wheat liquid malt extract

2 oz. Cascade whole hops

3 gallons of water

Boil gold and wheat extracts, hops and 3 gallons water together in a pot that will hold all of those ingredients. Keep at a 'rolling' boil for 1 hour (it will foam, so be sure your pot is large enough to allow that, and avoid having to clean up your stove top)

Cool to 90 degrees F.

Strain mixture through a strainer to remove hops. Add cool water to make 5 1/2 gallons of total liquid. The temperature after adding the cool water should be between 60 degrees and 70 degrees F.

Add 1 package of Salfale US-05 dry yeast (Midwest Supplies has this also)

Let ferment in a closed container with an airlock for one week. David uses a 6-gallon plastic bucket with a lid and airlock (pre-sterilized, of course). 

Siphon off the top (clear liquid), leaving the yeast and other non-clear elements behind. Run the siphon tube into a pre-sanitized 6 gallon glass jug with an airlock. If there is more liquid than will fit into a 6 gallon jug, you may want to have a 1 gallon glass jug pre-sanitized and ready to take the excess. It will also need an airlock.

Add all the juice you can extract from the thawed rhubarb pieces. Mash the pieces in the bottom of a large strainer to extract as much of the juice as possible. Repeat as necessary to get all of the rhubarb 'juiced.'

Add 3/4 lb. corn sugar (available from Midwest Supplies)

Let ferment in container with an airlock for 1 week or until it stops bubbling.

Boil 1 c. corn sugar and 1 pint water for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add to rhubarb mixture. (Don't stir after adding because you don't want to add air at this point. It will incorporate into the rhubarb mixture on its own.)

Bottle the beer and cap the bottles. Store at least 2 weeks before drinking.

Enjoy!