Choosing Is Difficult

Our state School Employees Retirement organization decided to do something to help retirees pass some time and possibly win a little something as well.  They decided to hold a contest, well, two contests actually.  Each one has a prize of a $50 gift card.  I thought it would be fun to enter so I did.  However, I didn’t realize the difficulty I would have in making a decision as what to enter.  Let me explain.

The first contest was to list your favorite book on the PASR Facebook page.  The person who got the most likes would win.  Favorite book!  Only one!  How do I decide?  I have been reading books since I learned how to read.  How can I pick just one.  My favorites change as I read more.

Do I pick the book that I have read more than once?  In that case it would be Dracula by Bram Stoker.  What does that tell you about me?

Do I pick something epic like Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell or Les Miserables by Victor Hugo both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.  How about 11/22/63 by Stephen King?

Maybe I should pick one of my Kindle books.  I really enjoyed The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Potzsch.  The author is a descendant of an actual hangman.

Maybe a YA novel.  Double Dutch by Sharon Draper comes to mind.  Of course, there is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle or A Bridge to Terribithia by Katherine Patterson.

In the end I chose Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz.  This book introduces us to Evan Smoak who worked for an elite government agency no on his own helping people.  I won’t say much except that the book is action packed and each book in the series, there are 5 now, leaves you anxiously waiting for the next.

The second contest was to list your favorite recipe.  Again, this was a tough choice.  Do I pick a main dish a side, or a dessert?  I enjoy eating and I like cooking.

I admit I have a sweet tooth so desserts would be good.  I have some that are easy and not much work such as a pineapple cake with cream cheese icing.  I also have a complicated, but delicious no bake cheesecake recipe.  It is work, but the result is great for a special occasion.

What about a main dish?  Baked ziti is a favorite and not too difficult to make.  Veg pack is another easy meal using ground meat, hot dogs vegetables, and topped with dumplings.

I decided to go with something I have been making for 40 years.  It is quick, to prepare at least, tastes gook, and great for company because you put it in the oven and forget about it until it is done, two and a half hours later: Baked Chicken and Rice.

If you would like to check out the recipe and some others people have posted you can go to PASR’s Facebook page to see them.  Just log into FB and search pasr or Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

It seems like an eternity that I have been waiting

When in truth it’s just been three months.

With no place to go and no one to see

This shouldn’t even be bothering me.

 

Yet each time I pass by that looking glass

I pause and ask, “Who is he?”

For the reflection I see can’t possibly be me.

I know I don’t look like that.

 

That hair isn’t mine; I don’t have flips.

My hair doesn’t cover my ears.

Flips in the back hair over my ears

It hasn’t been that long for years.

 

I need a cut, am desperate for a one

Tracey please call me soon.

The call came on Monday, “I’m reopening Friday.

Can you come in Saturday before noon?”

 

At 11:00 I will be there

Ready and willing to sit in the chair.

Clipping here and cutting there;

A floor that is covered with hair.

 

In 20 short minutes she works her magic.

I knew it wouldn’t take long.

For me I feel that it is a win.

I leave lighter than when I came in.

Before:

After:

 

Before:

 

After:

 

Before:

After:

 

 

Some humor:

 

 

 

Crafting II

Back in March I wrote about making something for Kathy’s 2021 Quilt Show Quiltique.  I am not a quilter or sewer, but I do enjoy working with plastic canvas.  I wrote about making an Easter bunny door hanging.  Because I couldn’t leave the house, I wasn’t able to buy the trim I needed to finish it.

Well, last week we went to Jo Ann Fabrics and got what I needed.  Mrs. Bunny is now finished.  As a reminder, here is the picture on the pattern.

Here is my completer pattern.  I did decide to use darker colors just because.

The booklet also had other patterns in it as well.  As long as I was on a roll I figured I would make something else.  It will be used for a good cause.  Because it was a holiday booklet there happened to be a Halloween Witch pattern.

Here is my finished project.

There was one last project in the booklet and that was a patriotic eagle.

Why not.  I had nothing better to do.

Because the show is held in September and people like to buy things for Christmas I dug out a Christmas pattern I had.

Ho, ho, ho.

I had one more pattern I wanted to make.  It kind of expressed how I and I am sure many others felt during this time on staying at home.

Couldn’t resist a cat.

So, now I have some things I can donate to the guild’s Quiltique.  If each one can sell for $10.00 I will feel that I have helped out the cause.

We Are Now Yellow

Our county has moved into the yellow phase of reopening. What does that mean?

Well, we can now leave our house…but there is no place I want or need to go.

Churches are reopened…but I need to call to reserve a seat for Mass.

Dining in restaurants is allowed…but outside dining only.

Stores are open using CDC guidelines…but I don’t need anything.

For the last two plus months the only reason I had for leaving the house was for a weekly trip to the grocery store or to Wal Mart for a prescription refill. Throw in a doctor’s appointment and that was the extent of my traveling.

What was the result?  I saved money.  I don’t think I filled my car’s gas tank more than three times during these weeks.  Since I didn’t go shopping I have no new credit card bills.

What else happened?  I got outside and did some yard work.  I enjoy it.  Cutting the grass…weeding and cleaning up after the winter…planting seeds and bulbs…gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I also had time to start and finish some projects around the house.  Always a good feeling.

And let’s not forget the most important thing…there was more time to read.

Look, Up In The Sky

Watching the 5:00 news yesterday evening there was a short blurb about something that was going to happen that evening.  At around 9:52 that night the space station was going to be flying over our area area.  The sky was to be cloudless so it should be visible.

Well, about 9:50 Kathy and I decided to go out and look.  We stood on the porch careful not to step into the driveway or else the motion lights would kick on.  We looked, but the sky was not clear.  Oh well.

The station was to travel from NW to SE.  We stood gazing NW.  Nothing.  Suddenly, there it was.  A bright white dot piercing the black sky.

We watched as it quickly moved across the sky.

As it passe over our house we moved to the front lawn to continue watching its progress.  Here it is seemingly above the moon.  There was also a plane in the sky.

The station continued on its path leaving the moon behind.

It then traveled behind a cloud leaving our sight.  This is not the first time we have sen the space station travel over our area, but each time I see it I am left awed and amazed.  Did anyone else see this?

For today’s humor.

Relief

Relief.  Something we all crave occasionally.  What do you do to get relief?  Do you take a pill for that nagging headache?  Do you take a nature walk to relieve the stresses placed on us during these times?  Do you just go to bed and hope that things will be better when you wake up?

Well, Kathy was trying to find relief since last Thursday and today she finally got it.  What happened and why did it take so ling to find relief?

Well, last week I wrote about the surgery she was having on her ear.  The procedure was done on Thursday and everything went well, thankfully.  When she was discharged and came out to the car she was wearing a lovely (my word – not hers) gauze headband.  It was wound around her head, tied in a lovely bow and held a bandage and pads covering her ear in place.  No picture.  I wouldn’t do that to her.

Since Thursday the pressure bandage on her ear was pressing and annoying her.  It itched.  She couldn’t scratch it.  She also couldn’t wash her hair since she could not get the dressing wet.

Although she took ibuprofen to relieve the pain, and they did help, the pain never really left.  She had some heavy duty pain pills the doctor prescribed, but she chose not to rely on those.  She lived with it until today

This morning she had a doctor’s appointment.  He removed her headband and the pressure dressing and immediately the pain eased.  RELIEF!  She still has a drainage tube in her ear and she goes back to the doctor on Thursday.  She feels much better.

A bit of humor for today.

Changes

Kathy is having surgery of Thursday.  Somehow the top of her ear got infected.  It has been puffy and draining for weeks.  She went to the doctor and he gave her an antibiotic hoping it would fix things.  It didn’t.  He now has to cut and get out the core.

I mention this just so that I can talk about the changes in pre-op testing we went through.  In the past, whenever either of us needed to have a procedure done, the routine was the same.  Go to the hospital, park in the garage, take the elevator to the third floor, register, have whatever tests needed to be done, head back to the elevator. take it to the garage level, get into the car, and leave.

The procedure this time was a bit different.  Here is how it went. Go to the hospital, park in the garage don face masks, take the elevator to the first floor, exit elevator, have temperature checked, answer a bunch of questions about health and activity over the last 14 days, walk a winding hallway to the hospital elevators, go to the third floor (where we always registered), check in and go to the correct department for the test, stand sis feet from the win doe in the waiting room until called to the window for check-in, wait Kathy’s turn, have test, take winding hallway back to the elevator, go back down to the first floor, take another elevator to the garage level, get into the car, and leave.

As far as Thursday goes there will be some changes there as well.  I need to take Kathy because she needs a driver.  I am not permitted inside the bailing where the procedure will be done.  It is being done in a surgical center and not in a hospital.  I will need to sit in the car in the parking lot getting phone updates until she is ready to leave.  We didn’t get a be there time of an estimate of hoe long everything will take.  That phone call comes tomorrow.

I just hope the procedure relieves the pain and pressure in her ear.

Today’s humor:

A Little Sad

I feel a little sad today.  I read that Broadway is closed until September.  Why should this bother me you might ask?  Well, each year in August Kathy and I take an overnight trip to NYC to celebrate our birthdays.  Mine is August 4 and hers is August 9 so we usually pick a Wednesday close to one of those days to go celebrate.

Our trip always includes a matinee and evening show, a nice dinner, and an overnight stay at the Marriott Marquis.  I usually start planning our trip around September of the previous year so that I can get tickets for the shows I want to see.  I know I could just wait and stand in the discount ticket line the day we get there, but I don’t want to spend my day in NYC standing in a ticket line.  Besides, I like orchestra seats on the aisle.  Since we only go once a year I don’t mind paying full price.  It is my birthday gift to both us.

If you have been following my posts you know that I have already purchased tickets for this year.  We were going to see Mrs. Doubtfire at 2:00 and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at 8:00.  Well, this is not going to happen.  I already signed up for a refund for the Tina tickets and should hear shortly about the others.

I know that when Broadway does open and travel is safe I will be back on line searching for tickets for both shows once again.  I need my Broadway fix.

This week’s quarantine humor.

Another Victim of the Virus

A Nice Surprise

When you walk the same path or drive the same route have you ever done a double take because something catches your eye.  That something is something that wasn’t there before or is out of place with what your mind says should be there.

Maybe it is a piece of new yard art someone put out.  Maybe a tree that has always been there was cut down.  Well. I admit that I am not always the most observant of people.  However, yesterday Kathy had a doctor’s appointment so we headed out to the car to go to it.  Our driveway is paved and we have room to park at least three cars on it.  Having two cars there is always an empty space next to Kathy’s car.

Normally i walk to the car, look around just because, and then get into the car.  I did this yesterday but something caught my eye.  It was just a quick glance but something registered in my mind that something was off.   There was something on the macadam that was out of place.

I went to investigate and had to smile.  It seems our neighbor’s kids were busy with their sidewalk chalk.  Ignore the cracks and weeds growing through the cracks, something on my summer to-do  fix it list.

Now for a bit of quarantine humor.