Holy-ween

I went out for a short time this afternoon. I should have taken my camera. There was one house that was super-decorated for Halloween. However, the batteries are very low and need to be recharged



Halloween is an ancient Celt tradition/practice. The Church has tried to avert the practice by naming this day as Holy Eve. or Evening and the next day as All Souls Day. Anyway, the Church was not very successful in eradicating the devils and demons from the minds of man steeped in ancient memories.



We really have not progressed very far up the ladder of civilization and easily revert back to our lesser qualities...trying to scare people and demanding tummy yummies. We are base, vampiring creatures and characters.

I started to read a paperback last night, but lost interest in it right away. It is a fantasy, but too fantastical for me. I will try to get into it tonight, but prefer a fantasy with some reality in it. I did finish one good book entitled THE TREASURE OF ST. WOODY by I. J. Farnham. I think
it would be a good, lite-hearted movie.

i moped the kitchen floor today using my one dollar mop. It did OK, but I thought the floor would never dry. It is a cheap mop from the Dollar Store, but it is lite weight and easier for me to handle. For $1.00 I can't complain, but next time I will use a small fan to make it dry faster.


Anyway, I have run out of ammunition and will shut my little gun down for the eve.

END
P. S. FALL BACK...DON'T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCK BACK ONE HOUR.

Bugs 'n Viruses

It's coming. It's on the way. It's traversing up through the South American countries. Arriving soon in a place near you. If you think H1N1 is a poor house guest just wait until the H3N2 Virus comes knocking on your door. It is more virulent and deadly than what is skipping through the country right now. Whereas H1N1 has targeted the young... pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems..this unwelcome relative wants to visit the older generation, unpack its lethal bag and stay a while. Gee, a virus that targets the young and another virus that wants to vacation with the elderly, the weak and ill and anyone over 50. A designer bug....population control?



I tried to get a regular flu shot and there are none to be had here where I live. I did post that. I can't get the H1N1 shot, either. Too bad, so sad.



My "weather arm" has been telling me to stay home, dry and warm. It kept me awake most of the night. It is a bit puffy and sensitive just where the plates are, my hand is stiff and some of my fingers are numb. Think it might rain...again?



When I was planning to retire I thought I might start painting again. Now, I don't have the fine motor control in my hand. Sometimes when I try to lift something as small as a cup of coffee my whole arm and hand will become tremulous. I wanted to drive my Motor Home into the west and pan for gold. Every since I was a little kid I have wanted to pan for gold. I don't know why, but I know now I can't...so I blog. Oh Well.

I didn't go out the door today as the rain was coming down and the wind was blowing. I do want to get out and about, but I will wait. I am good at waiting. I am still waiting to win the lottery, waiting to lose a few pounds, waiting for my hair to turn back from silver to black...and stuff like that. Good thing I am the patient sort as I may have a long wait.

END

I am one of those people that likes to be prepared. Of course, you can't be prepared for everything, but you can have on hand some of the ordinary items needed if a storm comes up, the lights go out, a blizzard blows in or the winds howl at your door and rattle your windows. In the years that I have lived in Kentucky all of these weather events have happened here. So I have what I need, in the short term, at least.

I have a box full of candles, flashlights, a wind-up weather radio with it's own lite and kerosene. In the back storage room I have a kerosene heater and on the front porch I have hanging lanterns. All are usable, working and I have had to use them in the past. The silver flashlight I hung around my neck while taking care of residents(the home generator did not work). I have more candles than in the pictures and when the power went down during a summer storm my neighbors came over because I had a crank-up radio with a light in it.

Contrary to some opinions, Kentucky is not a bit backward in culture and modern technology. However, geographically, this state is in the cross hairs of unpredictable weather patterns and vagaries and the grass isn't blue either. Parts of Kentucky are poor, but so are parts of every state in the Union. As it says in the Bible, "The Poor are always with us." For the most part Kentucky is a rich state and diversified-like the weather.

Speaking of weather, it continues to rain..and rain..and rain some more. The air is damp and chilly and I have cold toes. I turned the heat up.

There is nothing on TV and I finished off all the books I got from the library. I guess I will maybe look for some more books to read tomorrow and take myself out to eat...maybe.

END

Bathroom Humor

I have these cute little pictures on my bathroom wall. They are slightly blurry because I have to get up close to get the shot: I hope you can make them out.

There isn't much going on in these dreary, rainy days. We are well past the normal rainfall for this time of the year, for this area. The farmers are having a hard time getting the soybeans in from the fields and the winter wheat planted. The ground is just too soft and muddy.

I walked out to the garden this afternoon. I saw a couple green tomatoes that I hope to get tomorrow. There are some greens left, as I have mentioned. There are some second growth cabbages waiting for a dryer day for harvesting and the radishes that have re-seeded. Some really hot peppers are hanging on the vines, but they can stay there. Too hot for me.

My niece called me and said they are getting ready to put their house on the market. She is thinking of moving to upstate N. Y. where there are no jobs, no money, long, cold winters and high taxes. N. Y. State is bankrupt and if it were me I would be moving south where the taxes are lower, utilities are cheaper and land and houses are more reasonable. But that's just me...my way of thinking.

A friend of mine is buying a smaller house and says she will give me her console TV and a really nice computer desk. She will be getting new stuff for her new house. Experience tell me not to hold my breath in anticipation. We will see.

There just isn't much to write about when I can't get out and about.

Radishes

In the late season of gardening you may find some odd produce that you have missed, become to large or have reseeded without help from any green thumbs. One plant that can and will do that is little radish that you consider a spring delicacies or a salad garnish. When a radish gets bigger or "too big" it gets hot, something like a hot pepper and you can be breathing fire out your nostrils, like a little bi-pedaled dragon....hot, hot, hot! I have been telling a friend all summer that when a radish gets too big or too hot, you can fry it or them. She says "I have never heard of such a thing!" Well, you can and I have. Frying a radish takes the heat out of the radish and it has a good flavor. Here is the recipe.

FRIED RADISHES

3 BUNCHES OF RADISHES

2 TABLESPOONS OF FAT, BUTTER OR OLIVE OIL

1/2 TEASPOON SALT

1/8 TEASPOON PEEPER

Wash radishes and slice

Fry in fat, butter or Olive Oil for 15 minutes

stirring frequently

Season. Serves around 8

I prefer to fry radishes in butter. You do not have to have 3 bunches if you are only cooking for yourself. Use less. If you decide to use a deep fryer they will come out like little chips. There are other ways to cook radishes and if anyone happens to show interest I will post them.

It is a cold, deary, rainy day and I cant' really get into the garden without getting into mud. I want to cover my big, ol' smoker and firewood with a tarp, but just don't want to get wet. Sissy me.

END

Salad and Food

Here is my masterful salad. It contains lettuce, spinach, Swiss Chard, baby dandelion greens, cherry tomatoes, baby radishes, a boiled egg and lots of bacon, with dressing. The picture is just a bit blurry; I must have been too close. It was compiled from what is still growing in the garden and was very filling. Some things simply re-seeded themselves. Yum.

Gumbo is a more southern dish, than a Kentucky dish, but I happen to love good gumbo, so I am including a recipe for anyone that enjoys a good, rich "soup."

CRAB AND SHRIMP GUMBO

1. 3. qts thinly slice Okra
2. 1. qt. peeled, deveined shrimp
3. 2 cans whole tomatoes
4. 2 lbs. claw crab meat
5. lb. gumbo crabs
6. i bell pepper, chopped
7. 2 bunches green onions, chopped
8. 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
9. 3 cups celery, chopped
10. Salt, Tabasco, Lea & Perrine's, Thyme and Kitchen Bouquet for color

Fry Okra until not ropey. Sprinkle with flour lightly. Brown. Add tomatoes with 1 t. spoon of sugar. Cook again, then add onions and other seasonings. Cook 1/2 hour , stirring frequently. Add crab meat and shrimp and simmer 1/2 hour more. Serve over cooked rice.

I have and use frozen Okra, and left over fish if I have some. I also use an envelope of gravy mix in my gumbo toward the end of cooking. This a recipe you can deviate or change, according to what you have on hand.

Reg. gas went down .10 cents from $2.59 to $2.49. The newscaster on the radio said "analyst's don't know why" the price of oil and gas has that jumped again. I am sure most of us can guess. Winter is coming and profiteering is viable for the cold season. There is a glut of gas right now and the consumer has cut back, so the oil companies need to pay the shareholders...right?

I bought some real butter today. It was said by the all knowing government, nutritionist and scientists, that butter was bad for you...or your cholesterol. Now they say that it isn't the case after all. Just in case you want to know, I don't really care. I wanted it for cooking and because it is good.

JOKE: The Sunday School teacher asked; "Now Johnny, did you say a prayer before eating?" Little Johnny replied, "No Mame, I don't need to, my Mom is a good cook."

And that's the way to cook...maybe...

END

Coffee Tips and Information

1. Four Catholic ladies were having coffee. The first Catholic lady tells her friends, "My son is a priest. When he walks into a room everyone calls him "Father."

The second Catholic lady chirps, "My son is a Bishop. When he enters a room everyone calls him "Your Grace."



The third Catholic lady speaks up and says, "My son is a Cardinal. When he walk into a room everyone defers to him as "Your Eminence."



The fourth Catholic lady quietly sips her coffee as the first three Catholic ladies give' her that subtle "Well?" look.



She replies, "My son is a gorgeous 6 ' 2" hard bodied dancer. When he walks in the room people say "Oh My God!"




For best brewing results always brew a pot of coffee t its fullest capacity.

1. Never leave coffee in an open container longer than 1/2 hour.


2. Don't re-heat brewed coffee. It is never as delicious as fresh made.


3. Each pound of coffee when properly brewed yields around 52 cups.


4. Non-dairy creamers should be in the cup before the coffee, so the coffee will not cool down below 160 degrees, when the creamer will not dissolve properly.

It is cool today. I went out into the garden to check to see what is still growing besides mud. Chuck came and mowed and planted my Blueberry plants for me, so that is done. Maybe I will have some Blueberries next year. Until Monday....

The End

Found treasures.

My intentions were to write more about coffee, but I decided to write about the stuff I found at the Salvation Army. I found a cast iron griddle and brought it home. It needs to be cleaned up and seasoned and then I will add it to my other cast iron cookware. The typewriter is a nice Brother electric with a daisy wheel. It is in very good condition-a good buy. I have another, bigger and heavier electric typewriter, but can no longer lift it. I think I will take it to the pawn shop and see if I can trade it for something.

After my little shopping expedition my van diverted itself straight into the Golden Corral parking lot. Well, since I was there I naturally had to go in and have a meal...right?

I will write more about coffee on an other day because I do have some good information on how or how not to make coffee.

I am thinking of starting a second blog, but at this point I am only thinking about it. I will let you know.

END

Coffee

I have always had the impression that coffee was a South American product and export. I was wrong, but also right. Coffee first appeared in the 9h century when it was consumed in Ethiopia. In the fifteenth century it spread from Ethiopia, to Yemen and Turkey, to Africa and than to Italy. From the Muslim countries it spread to the rest of Europe to the Americas...that's us. It is now the most consumed drink in the world. It is the world's most inexpensive luxury. The best coffee is the Arabica species and 72% is grown in Brazil and Columbia.

The picture above is my coffee supply. It will last me for quite some time because I only drink one cup per day. It is a rare occasion that I would drink two cups. It is a mild diuretic and a mild stimulant. LOA's...I don't need another diuretic.

There are various ways to make and drink coffee. I like lots of milk in mine. My brother-in-law once asked me if I wanted a little coffee in my milk. I think he was being cynical...or snotty. Each to his own, I just don't like strong, bitter coffee and that is how my sister made it. Now she is deceased and I would be happy if she were around to make strong coffee. I would drink it dregs and all.

I have stayed in most of this week other than going to the Goodwill Store and to the Doctor's office. I have lots of books to read at the moment and plenty of food. I could camp out...in. I will possibly go to The Salvation Army Store and/or Goodwill Store. I am still looking for and old fashioned percolator. I know I will find one, sooner or later. By the way, do you think I need more coffee? HeeHee!

THE END

P. S. Coffee by itself has no calories, but does have vit. B complex... so it is sort of good for you.

Knives

Here is a picture of my favorite kitchen knives. I did have a lot of knives, but took some to the Salvation Army. I have more knives, just less of them.

I know that I have not really taken proper care of my knives. The blades are stained and I know I need to restore them to their former glory.One thing even I know is that you never leave your good knives in water-dishpan. What I didn't know is that you should never put your good blades through the dishwasher. The dishwasher/chemicals damages the blades. You can get rid of stains and rust with a metallic cleanser and buffing. Also, you should rub vegetable oil into the wooden handles because over time the natural oils in wood are lost. You shouldn't place your knives in leather or plastic sheaths either as they could contain and hold moisture. I have done that.

There are special knife holders you can buy or leave them loose in your knife drawer. There are also magnetic knife holders you can mount on the wall. Mine are generally loose in the drawer and that may not be a good thing, either. I opened up my knife drawer and there was a nice Guardian Of The Blades looking up at me...a big fat spider about the size of a fifty cent piece

My best knives are of carbon steel. They hold an edge better and have a little weight to them. I don't have the neat, expensive cutlery that you see on the cooking shows, but then I am not a chife, either. One of my favorite knives in the kitchen is a fish knife. Yup, I do like it.

Now then, the whether forecasters were wrong again. It never got into the 70's. It was overcast and in the cool 60's. I walked out to the garden to see what is still viable and I may yet get a few things, but the tomatoes are goners.

My appointment with the eye specialist is set for Nov. 3rd. That would be my brother's birthday if he were still here.

THE END

Some books and trivia

R

I've been to the Goodwill store. I went looking for an old fashioned percolator coffee pot. I didn't find one, but I will eventually. I would like to add it to my GO BAG. Instead, I came away with some paperbacks; 5 for $1.00. I could have, should have...looked for a few more.

A very good book to read is LORD OF DEATH , a modern investigator in China. Also, read the LITTLE GIANT. It is about a child with untreated growth condition. Both are fiction novels and worth reading.

I went to Rite Aid to see if I could get a regular flu shot. They are all out and don't plan on getting more. My Doctor is out of flu vaccines and doesn't plan on getting more, either. I was told that the nearest pharmacy that had any was in Princeton, Indiana, a 50 mile drive. Is this a great country or what? I guess we will have population control one means or another.

The government has put the fear of the devil in us; in this case fear of a flu virus. There must have been a run on the regular flu vaccines and the H1N1 vaccines, as well. I have never, ever before had trouble getting a flu shot. I don't know what we would do if it were not for the our Big Brother, Our Salvation, the Government.

I am going to predict that the Ohio Valley will have some showing of snow by November 3oth. I had the heat on overnight and for a while this morning, but had to turn it back. Tomorrow it is supposed to climb up as high as 72, then rain on Thursday and cooler weather with more rain.

I stopped by Wendy's for a .99 cent double stacker. I will eat some bean soup later tonight. Variety is good for the soul, is it not?

I was watching my neighbors move out. They have moved in and out of that house so many times that I lost track. Anyway, they didn't have a dolly for the heavy stuff so they dragged the refrigerator out across the yard and along the sidewalk on it's side. I imagine that side of the at appliance looks like someone went over it with some rough sandpaper. They laid it on it's side in a trailer, too. Someone told me that you never lay a refrigerator on its' side because you will lose the coolant. These are the same people that pile their garbage and trash in the garage and never walk it out for weekly pickup. Rednecks? Call them what you will, but I will call them GONE and that makes me and the neighbors happy.

And I am off... THE END

The I's have it.

Well, I went to the eye Dr. for a repeat of the field vision test. Now I have to go back to the
specialist that I was sent to two years ago. At that time I had a leaking vessel in the back of my left eye. It was sealed with a lazier treatment. I don't know what is going on this time, but I expect I will find out.

Last week I read three novels and went back to the library and got three more. I just finished two.

I started bean soup yesterday. I soaked the beans overnight. It took another 18 hours in the crock pot to cook the beans. I guess the beans were old and hard. The flavor is OK, but I have made better.

Tomorrow I intend to sleep late. I read until 3 A. M. and then had to get up early to get ready for my appointment. So I am sleepy.

The first frost came and went. The average frost is around Oct. 15; we had a lite frost last night, 17-18 of Oct. Pretty close.

No much going so on I am going close for the day/eve.

END

I dragged out my "go bag" to check the contents, sort of an inventory. I noticed that there were some things that were lacking. I have no small pots or or pans; not even a cup. You can't make coffee without a pot and it is hard to drink without a cup. I have raided the bag on occasion so most of my snacks are gone and need to be replaced. So it is time to replace some items, go out and find some as well.You will note that there is coffee, but no sugar or creamer. A couple of items to add, for sure.

I do have clean socks, underwear, and a set of sweats to wear in the bag. I need to add a few more clothing items to the bag, such as regular cloths.

When I first made a "go bag" it was in 1977 and we had a blizzard come in from the northwest. When I went to work that day the temperature was in the 70's. The storm came roaring in and it dropped 50 degrees in about two hours. There were 19 employees stuck at work and we couldn't get out. That is when I packed a bag for any future weather surprises. I called it a "go bag" way back then; now it seems to be be a popular expression among some bloggers. I keep another bag in the van with similar items as found in the larger bag.

I did get to the library and get some more books. Now I can read a little when I am bored with TV and that is becoming more often. I picked up some more odds and ends at the grocery store and headed home. I noted that gas has shot up to $2.59. I was going to stop at the Goodwill store, but it was packed so I kept on going.

Tonight I think I will soak some beans overnight and make some bean soup in the crock pot tomorrow. I love bean soup.

I tried to delete the smaller picture, but I didn't know how to get rid of it. You can make them larger if you want to and see what is missing.

End

Cravings

I think that I have mentioned that I am having food cravings. I just don't know what I want. I know my body wants something that I haven't been feeding it. I guess I will buy some snack cakes or something. I have not been consuming a lot of sugar and have cut back on bread, too. I have been eating a lot of chicken and some fish...maybe a big, fat juicy steak will still my desire for something. I am not hungry, just not sated.

Tonight I cooked rice with left over chicken and chopped broccoli. It was pretty good and I ploughed through two big bowls of it, smothered with butter. While I know that rice is a high carbohydrate food I think it helped my stave off my hunger for...something.

I was looking in my fat book and read that eggs is one of the few foods that can be boiled without losing its nutrients. That is what I had for lunch: a hard boiled egg salad on wheat bread. I haven't had bread all week and I do need to use it up so it won't turn into penicillin.

Everyone knows that most beans are good for you; just loaded with proteins, and are fat and cholesterol free. Bean sprouts are even better. I am going to try to make a good salad tomorrow with some canned bean sprouts I have In the pantry.

Here is something that I didn't know. Peanut butter and cheese crackers sandwhiches are not a good snack. I eat...take... Peanut butter crackers every morning with my medicine and occ. in between. Fig cookies(which I dearly love), are among a list of no-no snacks.

No wonder I have cravings; I just can't have nuttin'.

We are supposed to have that elusive frost on Sunday night and then shoot up to 70 on Monday.. Mother Nature, make up your mind. Today was no prize, either.

I guess tomorrow would be a good day to get some stuff done...like go to the library and maybe buy a few odds and ends at the grocery. I have lots in the freezer, but no milk. The city won't let me keep a cow...mooo...in the back yard...or chickens.

END

Posting

When I started this blog I told myself I would post something every day except I Sunday. That was before I realized how empty neurons can become and have nothing to fire off. Like...what can has I write about that is fresh, new , original...like Duh. The gray matter is just gray and doesn't matter...LOA.

Both my computers are up and running now. I did have to call Insight back to install broadband into the "new" Dell tower. If I could lift the big computer I would move it to a different location, but I can only lift well with one arm. Even the tech. guy grunted when he lifted the old one. Ugh.

I haven't been out to take any pictures because of the wet, clammy weather. I am afraid to download any graphics because of wormy things. I was not alone in having my Window Explorer go bonkers this past week.

My friend Debbie is back from Rome. She had a wonderful, exhausting time. She is a pizza-holic, but said the Italians can't make good pizza with the exception of one pizzeria. I think she is glad to be back home; she said she walked so much she got blisters and sore feet and she is used to being on her feet.

I have turned the heat on a couple times just to take the chill off. It has been about 20 degrees and more, below normal. I know it has been snowing in parts of NY state. Even if they are a bit "north" it is early for the southern parts of NY. Button up your overcoats.

END

back in the saddle

I haven't had my computer since Monday. Now I am back. I have been finding and downloading the sites that were lost. I have most of them back with a few exceptions. I will continue to find and add them to my favorites.

I got pretty hungry this afternoon as I didn't have lunch. I just eat; now I feel better. I put some left over chicken, chopped broccoli and some sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker and cooked away. A meal was on my plate in short order and I devoured it.

I have to go back to the eye Doctor to repeat the field vision test. They found a "spot' on..in my left eye. This is the same eye I had to have a laser treatment on last year for a bleeding "leaking" vessel. We shall see..or then...maybe not.

Rain. Cold rain. We haven't had a frost yet, but the garden looks like Jack lumbered through. Our temperatures are very below normal, or so the weather guy says. I did turn my heat on. In years past I never turned the heat on until November or later. Last year I had to kick it on early, too. Does this sound like Global warming to you?

Tomorrow I will try to do a better job at posting. Maybe I will think of something new, exciting or never been written about before(not likely).


End.

Humble Pie-Oatmeal Pie

Today I am going to post an easy pie recipe. It isn't my recipe or my Mother's. It is the recipe of Sister Francis, LSP. She was the cook at the home where I worked. She is now deceased, but was famous for and well remembered for her baked goods.
I will relate what little I knew of her. I believe she lost her parents at an early age and she and her siblings were in an orphanage. When she turned 18 she went and got each of them out and I guess raised them thereafter. She joined the army and became an army cook. When she was sitting on the front steps of an army barracks in Texas she heard a noise near her feet. When she looked down there was a big Rattle Snake at her feet. I suppose she moved pretty fast in those days; fast enough to live and tell about it. When she left the service she became a Little Sister of the Poor. She was a humble, good person. Sometimes when I would go past the chapel to check on the residents I would hear here snoring in her pew. I would go in and wake her up so she could go to bed. She was elderly even then. Anyway her is her recipe. Whenever the home had a bake sale her baked goods were the first to sell out.

SISTER FRANCIS'S OATMEAL PIE

1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

3/4 cupbrown sugar

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup white syrup

1/3 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs

2/3 cup oatmeal

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie shells

Mix butter, sugar, cinnamon, salt, syrup, vanilla, eggs and oatmeal. Pour into unbaked pie shells. Moisten edges of pie shells. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

The sun was out today, but it was a watery blue. The predictions are for more rain, off and on most of this coming week. So be it. Better than snow.

END

Rain and green tea

There just isn't much to write about unless I mention the copious amounts of rain we have had the last few days. The ground is saturated and some of the lower areas are having flooding. I have rain in my kitchen where the water has seeped through. It isn't a lot of water, but it is annoying. That is the trouble with building houses on slabs. The rain has no where to go. Well, it hasn't poured like this for a long while so I guess I can count myself lucky.





I will post a little about Green Tea. I have posted that I am a rabid tea drinker and I like most kinds of tea. Tea is calming and also good for you.





Tea is good for the soul and relaxes the smooth muscles. It helps with eliminate fluid retention, is a stimulant, but acts differently than coffee. Coffee contains caffeine whereas tea contains tannic acid and caffeine. Both will make you busy in the bathroom. Some people drink Tea to help prevent cancer, atherosclerosis or plaque buildup. It is also good to prevent dental cavities, but don't drink it with sugar. It is also said to prevent high cholesterol. Do not drink Green Tea if you have asthma.





I seem to be craving food. I just don't know what kind. I gave up Little Debbie Cakes and most bread. I did cheat and got a loaf of bread out of the freezer. I made a chiken sandwich, but it didn't satisfy me. So I am going to boil some eggs and make a late evening snack. Maybe that will fool my brain.

END

Oldie but Goodie-no electricity needed

Here is a picture of my old fashioned "Kitchen Aid." I guess you can call it an antique , but it is a usable antique. It chops and shreds and makes good Cole slaw. No electricity needed. It works and I do use it. I guess I have all the attachments. I found it in the Goodwill Store years ago. It has UNIVERSAL stamped on the side and MADE IN THE USA on the handle.

After my Mother passed away I wanted to retrieve hers, but most of the attachments were missing and the wooden handle had lost or split way. I suspect that it had been left in a sink full of water and it ruined the wooden handle(brothers can be slobs...LOA). I didn't retrieve it; it made me sad that it has been abused and misused. You can buy them new, even now, but you will pay a good price.

I also found a "food chopper" at the Good Will Store. It also has all the chopping cup attachments. I remember when my Mother got hers in the early fifties. It was pretty nifty in those days. As with the grinder, it had been used and abused. I left that behind, too. Now I wish I had salvaged what parts and attachments that I found, but who knows what you can need or run across in the future...my favorite place...the Good Will Store.

I spent a few hours cleaning out files and defragmenting my computer. I deleted some junk and will get rid of more. I deleted over 1000 e-mails. I may change my e-mail address just so I want get so much junk mail.

It has rained most of the night and all day. I didn't go out to get this computer looked at. I am hoping it can be "fixed" while I wait...LOL's. It is just a pain to work around Explorer Windows shutting down all the time.

Thusly, mostly..the ENDLY...for the DAILY

Beans and Rice...Rice and Beans? Nooooooooooo!

I like rice and I like beans, just wouldn't want to eat them every day. Some of the Survivalist Bloggers advocate such a diet should the "grid" go down or the economy fail...not like it isn't in free fall already. I guarantee if you had to eat beans and rice every day for up-teem days, months or even years, a lot of marriages would soon waft away on a malodorous breeze or the spouses would be all sleeping on couches or out in their "bug out vehicles" Their wives would be spraying lots of "Fresh" air deodorizers. Evan Dave Ramsey, the credit guy, advocates "Beans and Rice" as a means of getting out of debt, but I bet he doesn't eat beans and rice now!

Here is my Mother's recipe for a pretty good vegetable dish. It is far better than beans and rice. She would add to it either chopped chicken, tuna or canned corn beef. We loved it.

BISCUIT-TOPPED VEGETABLE PIE

2 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg beaten

1 cup milk

4 cups cooked mixed vegetables

(peas, carrots, celery, Lima beans)

1/cup vegetable stock

2 Tablespoons butter

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening. Combine eggs and milk: add to dry ingredients, stirring until mixed. Arrange hot seasoned vegetables in a greased shallow pan. Add vegetable stock. Dot with butter and cover with biscuit mixture. Bake at 424 F. for 20 to 25 minutes. serve with mushroom sauce or tomato sauce. Serves about 6. If a tomato or mushroom sauce is needed just mention it and I can type it up into the next post.

You can make this dish with canned mixed vegetables. Use the liquid in the cans for vegetable stock. If you use canned vegetables you will not need to cook them. You can add a small amt. of flour to the liquid and stir well if you want it to come out creamy., but it isn't really

necessary.

I started the day with good intentions, but as usual didn't get much done, but not because I didn't try. I got one load of cloths washed and dried, the dishes done, and the guy from Corner Home Care came to check my O2 concentrator and Pap machine. I hate it when I plan to get stuff done and can't because I have to hurry up and wait for someone to show.

I didn't take my laptop out either...darn!

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Something for fun

Above is the 1776 Centennial Clock I bought in 1976 to celebrate the 1776 Centennial. We were 200 years into the "Great Experiment." I wonder if we will make it another 100 years...or even survive the next 50. On the front glass the preamble to the Constitution is lettered in gold script. Once in a while I get ambitious and wind the clock.

In the right hand corner is the poor man's Colon Cleanser. You know that stuff that is advertised on the radio all the time or you can buy online for ridiculous amounts of green fiber(money... paper). Of course, I am a 'do it yourself-er kind of person and these items are really good "Colon Cleansers." All kidding aside I do believe that toxic tummies are the cause of a lot of health problems, but I also believe that "natural" is better and far cheaper.

This morning was my trip to the eye Doctor. He asked me why I was using a certain eye drop..well, he is the one who prescribed it to me...and it is darn expensive at that.

It is raining and there is a definite chill in the air. I had been planning to try to do a little yard work...or as much as my arm could tolerate at any giving time. However, it is supposed to rain all week so that plan is out.

When I was at Wal-Mart yesterday I bought a roast chicken. Now I won't have to cook much for a few days. I found Chicken Noodle soup on sale so I got a few cans of those, too. My pantry runneth over. I am not the only one that seems to be stocking up. One lady came out of Wal-Mart with her cart loaded with several large packages of TP...toilet paper. It was the only item in her cart. I think she may be using my "Colon Cleanser."

I have had to get up early for the past few days and now I am sleepy. I don't want to take a nap because if I do I won't sleep tonight.

I am still having problems with Explorer Windows shutting down all the time and having to work around it. I don't know if I can buy a disk to correct the dysfunction or not. If cats and dogs are not dropping out of the sky tomorrow I may go over to Office Depot to see if they have anything to 'fix' windows. My new Norton security is doing OK so far.

Its time to eat some of that chicken from Wally-World. P.S., have you ever wondered about the origin of words? For example, why is toil-et paper spelled thus; toilet paper. Is it a job. occupation? Hmmm.

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Computer Woes

My little pharmacy; the mainstays are Vitamins for Seniors, Cloves Turmeric, and Vitamin E. These are just the basics. I forgot to add the vitamin C Calcium and vitamin D. And it isn't a good shot, either.

I went to the Orthopedic Doctor today and he said that he could "knock" that overgrowth/formation out of my elbow and give me a joint replacement. I have had enough surgery. I want no more. As long as I can feed myself I am a happy person..I will live with it.

I am having a lot of trouble with my computer. Internet Explorer keeps shutting down to protect my files. I work around it with difficulty. No doubt I have downloaded a virus, worm or Trojan. It has also affected my Norton Antivirus. I went to Wal-Mart and got a new one as Norton was going to run out in 89 days. I have installed it, but I don't know how to fix the Explorer Windows. I have tried everything I know, but nothing works. I hate to have to take it to a tech. guy and spend the money.

The night are cooler which means that I have to get into the garden before a frost. There are some little, second growth cabbages I want to harvest. They are not much bigger than a baseball, but they are good and make good Cole slaw.

As I said on Saturday I have more Doctor appointments coming up. Tomorrow I go to get my glaucoma pressure checked and have the field vison test done. I know I have a dental appointment pending, also.

Because I am having problems with this computer and it is doing wacky things , I will stop here

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Trash

I have come to the conclusion that I am becoming a trash addict; or a hoarder of minor proportions. The reason I say this is because I pulled a bunch of junk out from under the sink trying to determine where the ants were coming from. No, I'm not going to show a picture. I thought I might find a leaky pipe or connection somewhere, but I instead I found my least favorite little things. Mouse droppings prevail. I have been trying toss out any thing attractive to Micky and Minnie.

I had been saving used plastic baggies. Even though they were washed, clean and dried, I suppose the residual food aroma lingeres. I tossed them all out, vacuumed and cleaned. I found white shoe polish and that went, too. I am not wearing white shoes to work anymore. Some odds 'n ends went out on the back porch. I found several canisters of Comet and some bathroom cleaners. You know, I went through most of this stuff not too long ago. I have a few other things to consider tossing out, including a cookie sheet that I burned and couldn't get clean. Out it goes and I will use up some of the cleansers right away.

Some of the cleansers I was using contain Lysol in pressurized cans. When you spray you should pray. That stuff gets in the air and you get to inhale some of that fine mist. No matter how carefully you are, it is like the flu bug; its in the air. I think in the future I will buy liquid cleansers in bottles. It cleans just as well and may be cheaper, but I haven't really done any price comprising. You don't have to worry about the cans going bad or losing pressure. Our parents didn't have all this cabinet junk around and lived better, cheaper and safer.

I am waiting for the cabinets under the sink to dry before I put things back. I lot less is going in than came out. Mickey and Minnie need a new home. I have tried hard over the years to keep mice and insects out of the house...I don't like sharing my humble abode with them. My house is built low to the ground and is in "perfect walking distance" for creepy, crawly visitors from the yard and gardens. I thought I saw a little sign in the yard...saying "OPEN HOUSE."

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Getting Ready for Freddy

Do you think I have enough to get me through the winter? I have 20 cans of soup in the van and the kitchen pantry has a lot of canned food in it, too. The freezer is full, but I have been slowly using some of the frozen food. There are still a few things left in the garden such as green tomatoes and a few green beans. I think all I need is a large pack of TP and Old Man Winter can come kick butt and I will kick right back.

It is still windy, but cooler than yesterday. We had rain and thunder in the night. Rain is better than snow. I think it will just be in the 50's tomorrow.

On Monday I go to the "Arm Doctor' and on Tuesday I go to the "Eye Doctor. It will be good to have all the appointments out of the way at once. I think I have a dental appointment coming up soon, too.

I took books back to the library today and picked up a couple more. We have a 3% library tax included into our utility bill. It is the only one I don't mind paying.

There is not much going on, but I intend to get out while I can. There will be time enough to stay in when the weather turns unpleasant.

P. S. I wish my cans were better arranged and in better order, but this way I will have forced variety.

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Plants to plant

This has been a kind of gray day; not overcast or cloudy, but just a gray day and cool. I don't mind. It is better than what I feel that is coming around that northern bend in the road. I am really not fond of "The Ice Man Cometh" kind of season. I like spring and fall just fine and wish it would be like this all year long.

I went to Lowe's and bought two blueberry bushes/plants. They look really healthy. My mother used to pick wild blueberries "up on the mountain" and pick Elderberries in the swampy land in Montague, NJ and along the railroad tracks in Port Jervis, NY. She made wonderful Elderberry Pie. I guess if you were to try to harvest Elderberries along the tracks these days you might get in trouble for trespassing. Life and the world has changed since I was a kid.

The plants are still in the back of the van; I can't lift them, let alone plant them. I guess Chuck will plant them for me. There were apple trees and peach trees on sale, too. My Golden Delicious tree was taken down by a storm one year and my Peach tree was attacked buy a bark biting weed whacker in the careless hands of a yard man in years past.

I stopped at the Golden Corral on the way home, but I stayed within the perimeters of my little diet. I didn't go to the dessert bar, I was good...LOL! For supper I will have some soup and a salad. I got new batteries for my wt. scales so... we shall see. Mostly I just want to "eat healthy."

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