Bits and Pieces Right Now

The beginning of May seems like a good time for a Bits and Pieces post, so here's what's going on for me right. I've used both Bits and Pieces and Right Now as labels, but since I couldn't choose, I'm calling this one Bits and Pieces Right Now. 

Making -  Lasagna, bread, and brownies. We've got some friends that are caring for their 98-year-old mother who has dementia, at home. They have a visiting nurse that comes three times/week, but that's really just to check vitals. Some stories about their mother are funny, like the one where she swears she sees monkeys and otters in the back yard, and how she has forgotten that she has eaten so she often asks for six meals a day. She can't be left alone and needs assistance almost hourly throughout the night, so caring for her is exhausting. I'm not sure how I can best help, so I made ziti, garlic knots, and brownies before and decided that another meal was in order. This lasagna is really not my best effort, but next time I'll make sure to use a deeper disposable pan.

Looking Forward To - My turn in the library queue for some of my holds, like Broken Country, The First Gentleman, The Names, and Turning to Birds.

Also Looking Forward To - Seeing what happens in the NJ Gubernatorial Race. I knew we would be voting for a new Governor in 2026, so I was quite surprised when a ballot showed up in my mail last week. I had completely forgotten about Primaries, and it seems as if everybody and their brother might be running. All I knew about some of the names on the ballot was who had posted the most signs in the neighborhood, and there were quite a few I hadn't heard about at all. Luckily for me, they all had websites saying they were the best and their opponents were the worst, but I did finally decide on one after seeing what he has accomplished as Mayor of Jersey City. The actual Primary election isn't until June 10th, but after that the field of 15 candidates will be narrowed down.

Hoping - That John plants something in the garden that I actually want. I use a lot of cherry tomatoes, chives, and shallots, but he doesn't know if there will be room for them. I have started chive seeds in a pot that I can use here, and I also have tomato seedlings, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see what gets planted in the garden.

Drinking - Peppermint tea, raspberry lemonade, and Yuengling. I hardly ever drink alcohol any more, but I really felt like having a beer. After a quick trip to the liquor store, now I have six five of them.

Watching - Jon Stewart's Weekly Show podcast on youtube. Jon Stewart has in-depth conversations with a wide-range of guests, like Bernie Sanders, Chris Christie, Michael Lewis, Rory Stewart, and Pete Buttigieg. I like the fact that both Jon and the guests are respectful of each other, actually listen and don't talk over each other, and I learn things and viewpoints that I didn't know and hadn't considered.

Wondering - If we are going to be experiencing another toilet paper shortage. Jon Stewart made an offhand comment about it in one of the episodes I watched yesterday, and I wondered what the reasoning might be. After reading about how tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber might affect the availability of northern bleached softwood kraft pulp (NBSK), a material derived from wood chips that is used to make toilet paper and paper towels, I understood. NBSK makes up about 30% of standard US bathroom tissue and 50% of paper towels. I can live without paper towels quite easily, but not toilet paper. Yes, I realize that by buying extra toilet paper now I'm contributing to shortages and possibly even creating one artificially. But aside from not seeing loved ones and the constant worry, the pandemic was awful because of shortages and I'm not looking forward to going through that again. 

Knitting - Socks again. I love bright blue and green together, so I've wound this sock yarn and will cast on soon for a pair of short summer socks.

Ready For - High pollen season to be over. My car is yellow, my eyes are red and itchy, and I wake up feeling congested and headachey. 

Grateful For - Sudafed, Motrin, and antihistamine eye drops. 

Avoiding - Housework. I really should dust, vacuum, and mop the kitchen floor, but every day I say, "Fiddle-dee-dee!" like I'm Scarlett O'Hara and sit down to read or knit. 

Strangest email I received this week - From a neighbor asking if I had lost my peacock (or if I knew who he belonged to). He's not mine, but I wouldn't mind it if he wandered into my yard so I could get a closer look.

 What's going on in your world right now?   

Right Now: July 2024

I couldn't think of anything to post about until I remembered that it might be time for what's going on Right Now. I'm still not sure I have enough to say, but maybe if I just start typing, some words of wisdom will flow from my brain to my fingers and keyboard. 

A red-spotted newt I saw in the woods
(but he doesn't have anything to do with the rest of the post.)

Making -  A few things with garden produce. We've frozen 20 quarts of snow peas, and I have two small zucchini and two lonely cherry tomatoes. I'm going to make air-fried zucchini tonight. I love eating fried zucchini but I hate making it and the breading doesn't stick well. Hopefully, the air fryer is the answer. 

Drinking - This chai. I drink a cup (or two) of tea every morning but it's getting a little boring. I like chai but don't like making a big production out of it by making it myself with milk and spices, so these tea bags make a delicious and easy cup of chai. 

Watching - The Repair Shop. This is kinder, gentler, old-person TV, but it's pretty much the kind of thing I want to watch now. It's a British show where a bunch of different craftspeople repair family heirlooms. They really do remarkable work, especially with ceramics, clocks, woodworking, and even teddy bears. You can watch it on Britbox and there are some full-length episodes on YouTube. 

Keeping Up With - Riding my stationary bike. It's nothing fancy, but I started riding it about six weeks ago, working up to 30 minutes a day. I got really lazy when John went on his fishing trip and didn't ride at all for 10 days, but the nice thing about exercise is that you can always begin again. There's an added bonus that I can also read while I'm doing this, so sometimes I get involved in the book and forget about watching the clock.

Wishing For - A good soaking rain followed by a week with low humidity. That doesn't sound much like summer in the east, but I can wish! 

Slightly Disgruntled About - My perceived lack of customer service at Lowe's. I went to get water softener salt and I usually get six 40 lb. bags at a time. There were no cashiers, just self-service checkouts with three Lowe's employees standing around chatting near the salt. I asked one of them if he could help me and he said "No, he was only helping self-service checkout customers." I said that's what I was and could he please use his scanning gun to help me purchase six bags of salt. He said he couldn't do that; I would need to take one bag to the checkout myself and then I could change the quantity to six and pick up the other five bags on my way out. That's what I did, but I figured that three men that looked to be about half my age could have helped by helping me lift at least one bag to take it to the checkout. Am I just an old curmudgeon who expects special treatment based on her age and gender? Feel free to let me know!

Wondering - What happened to my black-eyed susans and poppies. I used to have a whole bed full of them, but that was back when we had an above-ground pool. We took that out long ago, but I'm left wondering where my flowers have gone. They seem to have disappeared over the last few years, and I'm wondering if John mowed them off since they were no longer contained with a fence. 

Considering - A haircut. I always wear my hair up in the summer, but am wondering if I should give in and just get it cut short. The last time I thought about this seriously was nine years ago, and the only time I've actually done it is when we moved to FL 44 years ago. I was so unhappy then that I cried, so that is certainly entering into the decision process. I have started a folder on my laptop with photos of short hair that I like, so maybe someday ...

Planning - Some painting. Last year we had our enclosed box gutters fixed and this year it's time to paint them. This is all high second-story and roof-level work and John does not feel secure enough on a ladder to attempt it. I don't think he should be up on a ladder either, so I put together a list of 10 painters and told him that he could make the calls now that he's retired. The score so far stands at 10 painters called, five calls were returned, four have shown up to do estimates, and two have actually submitted estimates. One of them looks good so we'll probably go with him, and now John has a better understanding of why I used to complain so much when I was the person in charge of procuring electricians, roofers, plumbers, etc. 

Laughing At - This skateboarding turtle chasing a cat. (I'm tempted to see what Nugget might think of a turtle on a skateboard, but I don't have access to a turtle or a little skateboard.)

What's going on in your world right now?

Right Now: February 2024

I last did a Right Now post in October of last year, so I think it's time for one. The picture below doesn't fit with anything I'm doing right now; it's just a photo from Justin's trail camera that I liked. 

Watching - The West Wing. I know it's a fictional TV show, but there are a lot of seasons, interesting characters/actors, perfect to knit to while watching, and most of all, it helps me avoid real-life elections and politics. I'm not sure what I'll watch when I finish The West Wing, but hopefully, it will be equally diversionary.

Listening To - Supreme Court oral arguments on Trump v. Anderson. I'm not interested in any news about Tr***, but I am interested in Norma Anderson and what the Supreme Court has to say about Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (the Disqualification Clause). It's not a bad thing for me to learn what "self-executing" means or to maybe understand more about the Constitution. 

Avoiding - Any other news about Tr***. I know he'll most likely be the Republican nominee and I'll have to face that fact eventually, along with the possibility that he may get re-elected. All things in good time, but this is not the time for me to hear or even think about him at all. 

Hoping - That Medicare and Social Security have finally arrived at a decision. I've been signed up for Medicare for two and a half years and I thought everything was fine. I reached my full retirement age in December 2023 and thought that a little extra money might be nice so I signed up to receive Social Security benefits. Since then, Medicare and SS have made various decisions (sometimes three different ones in a week) ranging from yes, we'll pay you your full SS benefit, to we're holding your SS benefit for some unknown reason, to determining that I owe them $3800 in back Medicare payments. I hope/think/have my fingers crossed that it's straightened out but will know for sure once I (hopefully) see some $$ by direct deposit on the 17th of this month.

Making - Split pea soup, homemade soft dinner rolls, venison pot pie, sausage quiche, meatloaf, and chili. I don't care about The Super Bowl at all but may need to make some loaded potato skins in the air fryer to celebrate Taylor Swift's boyfriend and all those other guys who will be playing. 

Enjoying - Eating my Funfetti cake. I've even had a piece for breakfast. I think it tastes better if I'm wearing my Funfetti Hitchhiker. 

Drinking - Peppermint tea and sometimes when I want to go wild, I add a glug of Godiva chocolate liqueur. 

Knitting - Something special that is not a Hitchhiker (more about it on Wednesday). But I've also realized that a Hitchhiker is my comfort project, one that is easy to carry with me and work on for a few moments when I need to. I will be casting on a new Hitchhiker shortly. 

Treating - My hands right. That means doing my own manicure (I don't use polish), buffing my nails, and using plenty of Happy Hands hand cream. Knitting is much more fun when I'm not snagging my yarn with rough skin and hangnails. 

Very Glad That - I finally admitted I didn't know what I was doing where taxes were concerned and found a tax guy. I was in tears three years ago when we had to file NJ, MD, DE, and CO (from selling Ryan's house) state taxes along with federal income taxes, but this guy is great and he is well worth whatever we've had to pay him. I delight in simply putting the tax forms that arrive in a folder and taking it all to Brian in March. 

Not Buying - Any chocolate candy for Valentine's Day. I often have my grandmother's cut glass candy dish filled with Hershey's Kisses or maybe even peppermint patties if they're on sale. That was okay when the boys lived here because they ate most of it, but now I'm the one that eats it all. I've got some dark chocolate that Jess brought me from Madagascar and so far I've limited myself to breaking off two pieces and enjoying them occasionally, but I'm going to try not to buy any more candy for the candy dish. 

Trusting - That the universe is unfolding as it should.

What's going on in your world right now? 

Right Now: October 2023

Here's what's going on in my world Right Now in this full last week of October.

Patting myself on the back - for doing all the mending that had been piling up on my sewing machine. It was really only a few nightgowns and shirts of mine along with a few shirts of John's, but I finally quit procrastinating and just did it.

Paying - property taxes. They are so high in NJ that we have to pay them quarterly. Usually, I just grumble about them, but when I went over to the borough office with my check and third-quarter coupon, I was pleasantly surprised to find a plastic pumpkin full of Halloween candy. I took a Reese's peanut butter cup, and then because I was also paying my water and sewer bill, I took a second one. It was a nice bonus and I suggested to the borough clerk that they give out candy all year. 

Buying - these washable and reusable sponges. I handwash my dishes and usually use Scotch Brite sponges, replacing them as they get worn out and/or smelly. It seemed like I was throwing away a lot of sponges this summer, so when I saw the washable and reusable ones, I decided to give them a try. I've used four of them and they are wonderful. I've washed them (in the washing machine) three or four times and they look almost new. It's a little strange to get excited about dish sponges, but I am!

Watching - Madam Secretary. It's political but still entertaining; I can listen while knitting and still follow the story, and there are six seasons. I'm often looking for shows I can knit to and this is a good one. 

Meeting - Dee and Vera on November 4th! Dee had a great suggestion for a place to have coffee, knit, and then have lunch and Vera should be done with her incredibly busy time at work, so I'm excited!

Making - venison stew, homemade bread, and zucchini bread for dessert. This makes sure I keep using all the deer meat and shredded zucchini that are in my freezer and also makes some fairly good meals. 

Chopping - all the end-of-season tomatoes and peppers along with onions, shallots, lime, and cumin to make salsa. It's one of the best ways to enjoy vegetables and use up whatever is left in the garden. 

Looking forward to - watching the Swedish Death Cleaning show. Later this week I'm heading to a good friend's house because she's got a subscription to whatever streaming service it's on. We both enjoyed the book and are always decluttering and getting rid of crap we don't need. I'm anxious to see the show. 

Excited about - finding my crochet snowflake patterns, hook, and thread. A long time ago I crocheted a bunch of snowflakes for my mother to take to Sweden as gifts for relatives. I was thinking about them and found what I was looking for after only five minutes. I even found a few completed snowflakes in the bag and will try my hand at crocheting a few this year. Crochet is just like riding a bike, right? ;-)

Wishing For - a Gobbler from WaWa. For those of you who might not be on the East coCoastWaWa is a convenience store and they make a hoagie that contains turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce. It might sound slightly awful, but I do like them. It's only available for a limited time and I missed it last year, so I'm going to make sure I get one this year. 

Trusting - That the universe is unfolding as it should, and sometimes wishing that I could nudge it to unfold in slightly better ways. :-)

What's going on in your world right now? 

Right Now: September 2023

Here's what's going on in my world Right Now in the second to last week of September.

Reveling In -  Cooler temperatures (finally!) and the slow approach of fall. It's been delightfully cool at night (in the upper 40s to mid-50s) with 70s and 80s during the day. I have been leaving the windows open and the house smells wonderfully fresh. Of course, this also means allergies, but they make drugs for that.

Patting myself on the back - For cleaning out my pantry cupboard. I threw away some old spices and organized all the things I kept. I know I don't lead a very exciting life, but sometimes I just like to open my pantry and enjoy the view. I'm making a concerted effort to actually use the items on the pantry shelves before I buy more (which happened after I found that I already had 480 PG Tips tea bags and didn't have to order any more). 

Drinking - Now that I can find and see all of it, I'm choosing from my assortment of tea. There is nothing like a nice warm cup of peppermint tea (or any of the other nine types of tea I have) to end the evening. 

Listening To - Bach Trios, delightful arrangements of Bach's works played on cello, mandolin, and bass. After this, it's The Goat Rodeo Sessions from the same musicians with the addition of Stuart Duncan on fiddle, banjo, and mandolin. These guys are good!

Watching - Unforgotten. Kym mentioned this show last week, and I've become slightly obsessed. It's a British police procedural where they investigate historical crimes, with Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar playing the main investigators. I love how the stories are slowly unraveled over a season, with thoughtfulness and sensitivity and without the usual US violence. I have to make myself do laundry, vacuum, and prepare food before I sit down to watch so I don't end up just sitting and watching all day. 

Learning - How to patch a tire, the easy way! I got a roofing nail in my back passenger tire and developed a slow leak. Ordinarily, I would have gone to the auto mechanics, they would have taken the tire off, told me they tried to patch it but were unsuccessful, and then they would try to sell me two new tires. Justin offered to show me how to fix it, in four minutes without taking the tire off. Using this kit, first, you remove the offending nail, then ream out the hole with the reaming tool. Then you take a really sticky plug strip, push it all the way into the tire with the plugging tool, and then pull it out, sealing the tire. It's been three weeks and no leaks! I'll probably regret saying this, but I'm excited to try this myself the next time I get a nail in my tire. 

Getting - The new covid booster later this week. I still haven't had covid (unless it was so mild I didn't even realize it) but I'm anxious to continue that streak since I'm 66 years old with somewhat compromised lung function from a pulmonary embolism. I made the executive decision not to get my flu shot for a few weeks, mostly because I felt poorly for 24 hours after both vaccines on prior occasions. I was afraid the effects would be multiplied if I got both vaccines at the same time.

Grateful - That my vertigo seems to be resolving, albeit slowly. I still have to be careful for a couple of hours when I get up in the morning, but with some meclizine and continuing repetitions of the Epley maneuver and vestibular exercises, it is dissipating. I made an appointment with an ENT but the first appointment I could get isn't until October 13th.

Reminding You - About the Read With Us discussion of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida on our blogs and Zoom tomorrow. Please RSVP to Kym via the link on the right-hand side of her blog if you would like to receive an invitation to the Zoom discussion at 7:00 pm tomorrow night. I hope that many of you can join us!

What's going on in your world right now?

Right Now: June 2023

It's always a good time for a Right Now post, especially because I seem to have skipped them in April and May. Here's what's going on Right Now. 

Grateful - That the smoke here has dissipated. The photo above is a smoky sunrise last Thursday, and the one below was taken on our way over to Ryan's last Wednesday. Ryan said that he thought he was leaving wildfire smoke behind when he left Colorado, but that was not the case last week. At least he doesn't need a go bag, packed and ready, and he does not have to sweep up ash and cinders. But the people in Canada are still enduring wildfires and I do hope that many more of them can be controlled soon (and then there is the causal issue of climate change which isn't going to just go away).

Chuckling About - My sister called me last week to tell me not to hang my laundry outside. I think she was just being funny, and I hope she doesn't think I'm senile (yet). Thanks, Jill!

Eating - Watermelon rind pickles! They are delicious and I can see myself making more of these this summer. I even ordered whole allspice berries from Penzey's for the next time I have some watermelon rind. 

Eating With Ryan - John and Justin went walleye fishing in NY last weekend, so I took the opportunity to go to Ryan's so we could eat something that John has no interest in. (Ryan thinks that John doesn't like flavor in his food.) Our choices were flavorful tacos, Thai, or Indian, and we decided to try tacos. They were delicious, flavorful, and just the right amount of spicy. 

Eating From the Garden - Snow peas. They are prolific, and of course, John planted four rows, so I'm also blanching and freezing them. That's good because I have no garden vegetables in the freezer and have been forced to buy them at the grocery store. John thinks this is a sad state of affairs but I'm starting to remedy this. Every night at dinner he asks, "Don't these peas taste great?" and they do (but I like them better raw).

Talking About at Dinner - Besides commenting on how good the peas taste and discussing the merits of raw vs. cooked snow peas, we seem to be talking about carburetors. John bought an old Jeep last year when he retired so he would have a project. It's been entertaining to me because nothing worked for a long time. He's worked on the gas tank, turn signals, and wiring in general, but after doing those things, he still had the issue that it wouldn't start and idle. So he painted it. That didn't solve the not starting problem, but the Jeep is now green instead of an ugly purple-brown. He installed a new distributor and can now start it, but he has to rebuild the carburetor and fix the connection with the gas pedal. This involves things I haven't yet learned about, but I'll be sure to tell you all about them when I do. (Ha! Just kidding!)

Making - Crispy Oven Pulled Pork that Kym told us about a while ago. I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. John and Justin were returning from their fishing trip and I wanted to have something ready that I didn't have to rush around and make when they arrived and announced that they were starving. This was the best use of a pork roast I've had in a long time. Our dinnertime conversation was centered around fish (which was an improvement over carburetors)!

Grudgingly Keeping Up With - My PT exercises. These are not difficult but should be done two or three times each day and are painful. My hips and back felt pretty good after the cortisone injections and when I began PT but I think I'm working new muscles and feeling some pain. (At least that's what my physical therapist says.) I do usually feel better after doing the exercises, but I have to make myself do them and usually have a good audiobook saved for that purpose

Enjoying - a nice long chat on the phone with a friend who is fixing up a house in Connecticut that she and her husband bought for their son and his wife. Their son is finishing up his PhD at Cornell and his wife is starting her PhD at U Conn. Usually, we try to get together in person, but talking to her on the phone was just what I needed.   

What's going on in your world right now? 

Right Now: March 2023

Just for the record, these are not my grape hyacinths blooming. I wanted a pretty spring picture and all I have is some grape hyacinth foliage barely beginning to show and minuscule buds on a few trees. But even though I'm impatiently waiting for spring, I haven't done a Right Now post for a while, so it's time for one today. 

Looking Forward To - Getting some of my retirement money! In the 1980's I worked at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. They were affiliated with the State University of New York system, so our retirement plan was a 403b with TIAA/CREF. I contributed money, it got matched by the hospital, and then I forgot about it for 30 years. It's grown quite a bit, and I've finished the somewhat lengthy withdrawal process. I should start to see money in my bank account soon, and that's always a good thing. Because of the way the 403b was set up I have to make my withdrawals over 10 years, so I figured I better get started. 

Considering - Signing up for Social Security. I've been delaying it because my full retirement age is 66 years and 6 months and I won't reach that until December of this year. It makes a difference of < $100/month, but maybe I should just be a little bit patient and continue to wait. I could buy a couple of nice skeins of yarn with the difference! 

Helping - John decide what he wants so he can sign up for Medicare. I signed up last June, but he is a year younger than I am and won't turn 65 until August. He's easily overwhelmed by all the choices but I think his choice should be based on more than "just sign me up for whatever you have". Enough old person stuff!

Enjoying - Using the many, many boxes and packages of tea that have filled up an entire drawer in my pantry. I love tea and often buy from Celestial Seasonings six boxes at a time. But I've reached the point of Way Too Much Tea, so it's time to use up what I've got. This will take a while but since I've stated it here publicly, I have a better chance of actually doing it. 

Resisting - Jelly beans. I really like them and while I've resisted buying any so far, grocery stores aren't helping me at all by stocking more Easter candy than pasta or produce. 

Wondering About - empty shelves at the grocery store. I've been doing most of my grocery shopping at Walmart and Aldi. Aldi doesn't carry everything that I use, but the prices and quality are generally good. I dislike Walmart a lot, but the prices there are ~20% less than at Stop and Shop. But Walmart is always out of something different every week. Sometimes it's spaghetti, other times it's cucumbers or tuna fish. It's not nearly as bad as the shortages at the beginning of the pandemic, but it's still aggravating and makes it difficult to plan meals. 

Planning - A trip to Ricketts Glen State Park. It's a PA state park north of Allentown and a little less than three hours from home here in NJ. We're going with friends that have a cabin nearby and they seem anxious to go (like next week). The park is known for its 20+ waterfalls accessed by hiking trails. Right now the trails are closed because of ice, so I'm in favor of waiting until it warms a little and I don't have to face the prospect of hiking on ice. 

Reading - Two pre-publication novels from NetGalley. I have to make myself finish one and review it before it gets published early in May. It's not that the book is bad, but I just received Abraham Verghese's new novel, The Covenant of Water, from NetGalley. I really want to start it but I'm making myself finish the other book first. 

Sorry/Not Sorry - That I had to sit and read yesterday. John asked what I had planned and I told him about the loads of laundry I would be doing, making dinner, and the books I needed to read. He said, "So you have to sit and read all day on this rainy day? Poor you!" It was not all day, just all afternoon (and maybe much of the evening). 

Possibly Overthinking - Easter dinner. Ryan and Justin are rarely both here for dinner at the same time, but I thought I might make something for Easter dinner. Easter is not a big holiday in our house, but it is just as good a reason to get together as any other weekend. Jess (Justin's girlfriend) and I don't like ham, and since I'm cooking, it won't be ham. I have a prime rib in the freezer, but Jess is also not a fan of that. Maybe lasagna? Hamburgers on the grill? How about egg salad sandwiches? We'll see what I feel like making as it gets a little closer. 

Watching - The Detectorists Movie! I loved The Detectorists, a funny British comedy about metal detecting, but they only made three seasons and then stopped. The idea sounds a bit ridiculous but it's one of my favorite shows ever. When I heard they made a movie, I quickly signed up for Acorn TV just so I could watch it. 

What's going on in your world right now? 

Right Now: November 2022

Tempus fugit and Happy November! November 1st seems like a good day for a catch-up post, so that's what I'm doing today.

Excited About - The fact that I've cooked enough over the past several days that we can have a smorgasbord for dinner. Don't confuse these with plain old leftovers, these are much better. I think that venison barley stew, chicken bacon ranch pasta, and cider-roasted turkey breast are all delicious so I'm already thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner. 

Making - I already made turkey stock and picked all the meat off the turkey breast. For anybody that lives on the east coast and has access to a WaWa, I will be making a Gobbler for dinner some night this week. For those that have never had a Gobbler, it's turkey, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, on a hoagie roll. It's also available as a bowl, but I like the sandwich better. I realize it may sound disgusting to some, but I think it's delicious. It's only available for a limited time so that may add to my enjoyment. 

Making Part 2 - I'm going up to Ryan's today to pick the rest of the hot peppers, help John clean up the garden, and make chili paste with Ryan. It seems like a good way to use up lots of these peppers and Ryan will use the chili paste in soup, on pasta, in eggs, etc. Any remaining hot peppers will go to Justin to take to his Hispanic co-workers.

Grateful For - The fact that we did not get topsoil delivered to Ryan's last week. It had rained for four days and the topsoil guy said it had been too wet for them to sieve the soil. I talked to him on the phone and he said that topsoil needed to be sieved to remove rocks, glass, and all manner of things. He seemed surprised that I didn't know this but now I do. We don't have any estimated delivery for the future, but I was glad to put off what I imagined as back-breaking work. 

Planning - Thanksgiving dinner. It's actually my favorite holiday, mainly because I enjoy the food and adore the leftovers (like fried stuffing and pumpkin pie for breakfast the day after). I also like it because it doesn't require gifts, decorations, or much of the stress of other holidays. We just have the usual turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc., but I always make homemade crescent rolls and cranberry-orange relish. 

Glad - That I got my flu shot last Saturday. I looked around for appointments and the only place I could find that would do it within two weeks was Walmart. It was my first year for the 65 and over HD dosage. I usually have a slight reaction to the regular flu shot, and I don't know if it was the power of suggestion due to the warning from the pharmacist, but I felt awful on Sunday. I woke up with a fever and shaking chills at 2:00 am, and had a headache and muscle aches through Monday. But it's done and I feel better for having done what I could. I'll continue to wear a mask in public and wash my hands and I don't want either flu or covid. 

Dreading - Paying bills. I've never enjoyed it, but since John has retired we no longer have income coming in every month. We've both decided to wait as long as possible to get Social Security but may need to start that next year. We were quite thrifty while he was working and we have a 401k, but before we start tapping into it we are living off of our savings account. It's painful to see it decrease so rapidly each month. 

Made Me Laugh - It's a little bit mean and childish, but still funny. It's from an NPR article about Bob Woodward's release of his original interview tapes with Trump. NPR has since corrected it, but I'm not above laughing at Trump.

Watching - Nothing, because the power is off for the fifth time in the last week! When I reported it they said it would be off for another four hours. So I'm glad I didn't do the load of sheets I had planned because I wouldn't be able to dry them in the dryer. I do wish I had turned the heat up above 62 though.

Grateful for Part 2 - Electricity! After seven hours, it's back, along with internet and wifi. I found out I can knit with just a flashlight but some sort of light that goes around my neck would be much better. I've also added AA and AAA batteries to the list because I've gone through all of them. The heat is turned up to 65, I have light to knit by, my phone and iPod are charging, and things aren't looking quite as bleak as they did in the dark. 

What I've Just Ordered - This! 

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Right Now: July 2022

The summer doldrums have given me posting doldrums. I was casting about for some Friday Letters ideas but ... nothing. It finally dawned on me that I could do a Right Now post. When I searched through my archives, it turns out that I haven't done this since August 2021, so the last Friday in July seems like a good time to catch up. 

John's tomato jungle

The bean, cucumber, and zucchini jungle

Making - Things with garden produce. Cucumbers in sour cream, tzatziki sauce, zucchini fritters, zucchini marinara ... and hopefully some ripe tomatoes soon.

Looking Forward To - Visiting my SiL, her husband, and our niece in northern PA next week. We had planned a visit two years ago, but then covid. I still have the vodka and bottles of tonic I was going to take, so all I need to do is get plenty of limes and I'm ready to go.

Grateful For - No longer having to make the drive to MD. When I looked back at past posts, I'm reminded of how much that shaped my life (and how very much I disliked it) for more than three years. I'm glad that chapter in my life is finished!

Look how she's smiling! (I don't think that was exactly how I looked.)

Celebrating - That I'm finally all signed up for Medicare and its associated Parts. I started researching the whole process in April and May of this year, turned 65 in June, and finished the signing-up in late June. They sent me some new piece of information every week, and I finally received my Medicare card earlier this week. You can't do much until you get your card, but once I had that official piece of paper I had to choose a prescription plan and supplemental (Medigap) insurance. That took much of yesterday and I just shook my head at that system - Plans A, B, D, G, K, L, M, N, and each one is offered in NJ by 12 or 13 different insurance companies. I finally found a plan and a company that seem like they will work for me, but I haven't yet been to the doctor with Medicare. Wish me luck in August (and when I decide to sign up for Social Security)!

Found under the stove: 51 cents and a motorcycle.
Justin called dibs on the motorcycle, so Ryan gets the 51 cents. 

Cleaning - My kitchen, quite thoroughly. It started about a month ago when I saw a few little black ants on the counter. I cleaned, sprayed, and put out ant baits. John sprayed outside. Ever since then, these ants have been the bane of my existence. Each time I went into the kitchen it seemed like they had appeared at some new location. I've removed and put away lots of things that were on the countertop, cleaned more and often, and sprayed often (being careful around food and food preparation surfaces). Last night we pulled out the stove to make sure the nest and queen weren't behind it. (They weren't, just a lot of greasy dust, 51 cents, and a motorcycle.) I'll spare you a picture of that whole mess, but I think that everything that can be cleaned and sprayed in the kitchen has been cleaned and sprayed. I even tore out some insulation underneath the kitchen in the basement and sprayed there. I haven't seen any live ants on the counter in 24 hours, only dead ones, so I'm hoping that the little buggers have taken the bait back to the queen and they're all dead. The only good ant is a dead ant. 

Some of these ant names seem less than scientific.

Wondering About - The phrase "bane of my existence". Supposedly the word bane comes from "bana" which means destroyer. The ants did not exactly destroy my life, but they sure caused me a lot of unhappiness and frustration. Someone recently told me that filling ice trays was the bane of their existence and I just laughed at the hyperbole. (Ants are clearly more of a bane than filling ice trays.) :-)

Wishing For - A good soaking rain (really any rain would be most welcome). 

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Have a good weekend and see you in August on Monday!

Right Now - August 2021

The beginning of the month of August seems to be a good time for a Right Now post. 

The garden and tomatoes in May

Enjoying - Watching the garden grow in MD. 

The garden and overgrown tomatoes in August

Holding - My tongue. I rescued most of our tomato plants as volunteers from the compost pile and planted them in groups of three in the tomato cages in May. I went out one day to thin them, and John said I should leave them all. I disagreed, but is mainly his garden, so I did as he wished. You can see that they have become quite overgrown, and even knocked over some of the cages. We're barely able to pick any tomatoes, and I desperately want to say "I told you so" but have resisted so far. We've been married 40 years so I'm finally learning. 

Looking Forward To - Ryan's moving day. We'll clean carpets and maybe paint a little bit starting August 16th, and then move some of the boxes and get them unpacked that week.

Also Looking Forward To - Help from family with moving Ryan's heavier furniture on the 21st and 22nd. The storage facility is only 3 miles away from the house, and we've got three pickup trucks and lots of willing help. 

Worrying about - The Delta variant. With the recent CDC report, revised mask recommendations, and the surge in cases yet again, I've returned to mask wearing indoors once again. I don't really mind wearing a mask if it protects me and others, but the surge in cases (especially in vaccinated individuals) is worrisome.

Making - More masks. I've had four or five "f***ity f*** f***" masks cut out and sitting on my sewing machine for months, but I abandoned them after we were fully vaccinated and was glad not to sew masks for a while. These masks express my feelings pretty closely, so I'm finally sewing them. 

Watching - Downton Abbey. I've watched it before, so it's a good show to have on while knitting. I do find myself wishing that I had servants to tend to some of my more onerous tasks (like freezing and blanching mountains of string beans and making tomato sauce). I think that I can manage to dress myself, so I won't be needing a lady's maid. 

Grateful For - Full freezers. I complain about the work of preserving and preparing food from the garden, bit I am grateful that we can eat from it during the summer, our full freezers, and that I don't have to buy vegetables in the winter.

Cleaning - The full freezers. We've got two in NJ and one in MD that are full of venison and vegetables. I've just been filling them up, so I will be cleaning them out, organizing, and giving Ryan some venison and vegetables when he's got his own freezer to put them in. 

Feeling - Scattered. This is mainly a result of going back and forth between NJ and MD. Fingers crossed we'll be done with this early in 2022. 

Discovering - That a large Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee makes the drive to MD more bearable. It was my turn to drive two weeks ago and I had a headache. I wanted to take some Tylenol but didn't have anything to swallow them with, so I pulled into DD and ordered a large black iced coffee. I took my Tylenol, got rid of my headache, and had a somewhat enjoyable drive. I'm sure the 297 mg of caffeine didn't hurt, and Justin thinks I'll enjoy it even more if I put my iced coffee in a Yeti. 

Wondering - How you communicate with your grown/adult children? Up until now, much of my communication has been by phone, text, or email. Justin has been around in person a bit, but both boys are now in NJ much of the time. I'm grateful, happy, and pleased, but still finding it an adjustment to do laundry and cook for four people when I've been used to doing it for just two. Ryan will be moving out toward the end of August, and Justin will probably go back to living with his girlfriend much of the time, so it's not forever. I've delegated and asked them to help, but am still getting used to the change. 

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Right Now - end of June 2021

I haven't done a Right Now post for at least four months, so it must be time for one. I've been really busy driving to MD and back to NJ, getting everything in order to close on buying Ryan's new house, and selling his house in CO (so many details!), getting ready to fly out to CO and help him pack, and then drive 1800 miles back. This is a good way to tell you about some of what's been going on.

Happy to See - This Red-Spotted Newt. I took a walk in the woods in PA over the weekend and spied this sweet little newt. They are my favorites and I haven't seen one in years, so I felt lucky to discover this fellow.

Avoiding - The heat. It's been 90-95 degrees here recently, so I've been walking early in the morning and trying not to be outside when the heat and humidity is at its worst. 

Enjoying - The central air conditioning in MD. We don't have it in NJ, and it was 81 indoors when I left on Monday morning. Ugh!

Appreciating - Ice cubes! Even the sound of them clinking in my glass makes me feel a little bit cooler.

Making - Lots of salads. John sowed some leaf lettuce seeds in the garden this year and we've got tons of the stuff. He said, "It's only half a row," but we've got enough lettuce for everyone on our street. We don't yet have cucumbers or tomatoes, but they're coming. (if only we could grow croutons!)

Reading - I have been listening to audiobooks, but I'll save the specifics for Unraveled Wednesday tomorrow. 

Knitting - I did a swatch where I finally tried knitting with beads. The technique was successful, but I don't think I want these beads on this project. (More details tomorrow.)

Considering - What books and knitting to take to CO. I'll be traveling light, so I'm thinking I'll just take one Hitchhiker for the plane out and 3 days in the car driving back. I may make one last in-person visit to The Loopy Ewe when I'm in Fort Collins and try to limit my purchases to a skein or two. (If not, I'll just have them ship my purchases!) All the books I'm considering will be on my Kindle and ipod. 

Looking Forward To - Being done with closings. John and I signed papers for Ryan's new house last Friday, and a notary is coming to MD this morning so we can sign documents to sell his house in CO. I'll be happier when all these details are wrapped up and done (hopefully successfully) and then all we have to do is fly out, pack, and drive!

Hoping - That the moving process goes smoothly. The sellers of Ryan's new house in PA are building a new house in SC, and they had hoped it would be finished by July 15. That's the official date for the closing on that house. It turns out their builder needs another 2-3 weeks to finish their house, so we will be moving his stuff into a storage facility nearby and will then have to move it again when they vacate the house. We knew about this possibility when we bought the house, but had hoped to be in by July 15th. They have to be out by August 15th, so that's my new hopeful date. 

Smiling - Because I have new sunglasses. My prescription glasses have Transitions lenses in them that get darker, but they never seem to get dark enough for me, and I'm always squinting when I take walks and drive. I saw my nephew's wife over the weekend, and she was telling me about the $20 pair of polarized sunglasses she got at Walmart. They fit over her prescription glasses and voila - no more squinting! I had a headache when I drove down to MD yesterday, so I went right to Walmart and got myself a pair. We laughed because we know they aren't the epitome of fashion but they get the job done well. We agreed that we looked cool enough and the cashier at Walmart told me I looked like a rock star. That's good enough for me!

I'm much happier than I look!

What's going on in your world right now?