One Positive Step

 Stream of consciousness meanderings:

I finally had a good blood pressure reading this morning.  Not great but so much better than the last few months.  Nothing new as far as miracle discoveries as to what is making me so fatigued, but I'll be doing some physical therapy to try to build up strength and balance.  I do feel better but not even half as well as I did before I fell, even considering a few added years.  I'm happy and content though, and that's a good thing.  

I talked to several people by email and text, and that was fun, all from Georgia or Tennessee.  They're getting hot down there now, and I'm not minding a few more days of cool.  

I got to see Katherine only this afternoon, and she went over to the park to play until she had to get ready for martial arts. She noticed I had the Blogspot blank page to write a new post and said they did something like that in Coding - could she play with it?  I told her what it was all about, and she gave her story a title and typed in the first line.  Then she showed me how you could use the writing instruments and highlight words or sentences..  Or write in a different color.  🐫🌼💮👊🐑🗰ሥሥ🌻🗯 She found special characters.  I'd better enlist her help with some other things I'm confused about.  

Other than that, I made an excellent dinner of air fryer chicken tenders.  Who knew that soaking the pieces in pickle juice could give them such a good taste.  And tender!  I don't think I've eaten better ones, although that may have been the air fryer's doing.  I made a dipping sauce with yogurt, dill, onion powder, and one more thing.  I'll have to check.  Not the best but okay.   Stayed away from sugar and flour for the start of the second week.

I'm listening to The Women by Kristen Hannah, a story of women volunteering for nursing positions in the Vietnam and how unprepared they were.  Well-written and interesting although a terrible subject.  

I watched Fried Green Tomatoes yesterday just because it was the first thing that popped up on Netflix, and it's been decades since I first saw it.  Fanny Flagg.  That's a name from the past.  An Alabamian with several good and very funny books that we enjoyed back in the younger days.  I'll have to find out if she has any books I haven't read.  Or really any books, because I won't remember the old ones.  Another movie I found recently was an old Meryl Streep/Robert Deniro one from I believe 1989.  Falling in Love.  I love watching some of my favorite actors in their younger days.  Those styles from the 80s and early 90s!

Slow day but got my groceries home and put up.  I was exhausted.  It was a 5 bag day, and no checkout people were at their posts, so I had to stand and scan and load all those bags.  And then drag them in and put them up.  Sad that simple things are so hard now.  If I had gotten questioned about a scanning mistake or anything else today, I think I might have snapped pretty fiercely at the accusing person.  

I'll try to get a normal night's sleep.  One night, it's going to happen.  

Challenging Project

I now know why I've procrastinated so long in creating a new blog - or at least renaming this one.  It's a challenge.  I really want both of them, but I'm afraid the old content is going to disappear, and I depend on that for my memory!  I've spent way too much time this morning working on it and have gotten very little done.  I have a picture but can't figure out how to make it smaller.  I think the scary thing is when I start writing there permanently.  I hope to find out how to put a link on both blogs directing to the other and not having a clue how to do that.

So I'm putting that behind me and moving on.  

I have nothing noteworthy to write about now.  I have been doing a little recipe testing lately, and I'll record those.  I don't know or have time to learn all the fancy ways people put their recipes on their pages.  I can't even figure out how to save them in my files any more.  I just pin to Pinterest and hope for the best, wading through everything.  A day or two of cleaning out those pages would be helpful, I guess.

My next-door neighbor, Noreen, likes to cook, and we're friends in spite of my not liking to.  No, maybe because of it, because she's always bringing over just a little of this and a little of that, which makes my life so much better!  Here's the soup she brought over one rainy day that was just perfect.  It was enough for three meals, and I was so thankful every time I ate it.  

We ate a salad at her place one day, and it was just the best one I have had in a long time.  I knew I had to copy it as closely as I could, so I got the recipe and got all the ingredients.  When I read, "you probably have all these ingredients in your own kitchen," I know not to believe it, but in this case, all I needed to buy was the orzo and some olives and spinach.  

Here's a picture of my version.  So fresh and springlike.

Noreen was nice enough to make me a copy with her changes, so I'll include that here.  I also made some changes, and this is a recipe that just works with whatever you have on hand or like.  My printer is still not scanning, so I'll just have to settle for photos.

I'm also in search of eating foods that will hopefully help me feel better.  It's hard when I don't know what's wrong with me, but I know I can't go wrong with salmon.  I made two dishes last week, and I'm not sure which one I liked best.  

I'm not even sure where I got the recipe for this dish.  I'll post the one that looks most familiar, but I think I looked at a few.  

https://iheartumami.com/bang-bang-salmon-bites/

My piece of salmon was so small, having used half of it earlier, that I used just the whole filet rather than chopping it up.  I also was too tired that night to get out the air fryer - which lives in my hall closet - and so just cooked this in a pan on the stove.

I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and regular paprika and left off the honey since I'm trying to leave off sugar altogether.  Then I swirled the sauce over it along with chopped green onions and poppy seeds - not even toasted.  So good.

I varied my sauce ingredients too, and whatever I did was out of this world.  I had made enough for 2 or 3 pieces of salmon, so I put some in the refrigerator for something else, but not before licking the spoon.  Maybe twice!  I enjoy showing the messes I make too.

I mixed mayo with yogurt and added some rice vinegar and just a splash of Bragg's liquid aminos.  I was out of Siracha or really any other kind of hot sauce, but I found some buffalo wing sauce that I hoped would work, and it was perfect.  I tossed in some grated garlic and a little ketchup, and it was that easy.  

This half I just seasoned with salt and pepper and pan seared on both sides.  When it was almost done, I added a few pats of butter and cooked a little longer on both sides, adding some baby spinach and tomatoes and then some feta over it all.  Tasted great to me!

I've overdone it on cooking this week - for me.  Maybe I'll come up with something new next week, but I don't see anything wrong with repeating these 3 things. 

We're going to have two more days of rain and cool weather, and then we'll see the 60s.  For Mother's Day, I've requested only help with my front porch.  It needs pressure washing really bad.  I'm not sure anyone has ever done it before.  

I've touched up the rocking chairs and will probably repaint the table.  I think the cushions are good for another summer, but I might get some back pillows if I find some that match.  

The evergreen tree that was so pretty has died.  I'm not sure why.  That's the second one I've lost.

The apartment people left my front flower bed in a mess because they couldn't get permission to take down those boxwoods that are half dead.  So I have some nice new ones and then those scraggly ones.  I also am not allowed to plant hostas or anything else on my own because they'll just dig them up "when we do our planting."  Like maybe in a couple of years.  Meanwhile, I just have a blank bed. 

 I'm going to try to get away with putting hosta cuttings in pots and burying the pots in the soil.  I'll get a couple of ferns and a few other shade-loving things, and it will look a lot better.  Maybe a rug, but I'll have to see if the sprinkler wets it first.  Then there are two bird feeders to be hung and a hummingbird feeder as well.  The cats are going to be happy to sit in the bedroom window and watch them.

The pansies and primroses I got last month have done really well, even if they were in sad shape when I bought them.  And the creeping Jenny pot is ready for some coleus, I think.

I can see Noreen's porch over there, looking pretty inviting.  She also has a little side porch that gets sunshine, and that's nice to have right now.  

I'm going to start my idea board today.  It's such a small space that I don't want to overwhelm it, and it's hard not to want a little of everything.  There is a sunny spot near the garage in back - sometimes too sunny - and I'll plant some geraniums there.  

I don't remember seeing any Lady ferns, but I think I like them better than the Boston ones, and they need complete shade - which I have an abundance of.

Maybe an asparagus fern for the tall planter.

A Coleus pot

I love caladiums too - red ones and green-white ones.

Hostas, of course

I need a new watering can and could use a new wreath.  I'd love to see about having a birdbath.  I can't wait to get started.  

Just Keeping it Going

 I'm thinking about finally starting a new blog since this one has been untrue for 8-1/2 years.  I think Just Keeping it Going might be appropriate now, but sometimes I worry about that part.  I just hope I am able to do it with all the computer changes that have come about.

I am somewhat keeping on, but it's a big change from when I first started.  My life has changed in almost every way - some good, some bad - but lately feeling good has been my main concern.  It seems to be the center of my life - trying to find out why (besides getting older) I have no energy and what I can do about it.  I see my doctor so much that I know she's wanting to find a reason as much as I am.  I will go back Tuesday to see if there is one more lab test I can gladly subject myself to, one more medication we can try, or one more clue we can find to let me just stop centering my life around whether I'm going to have energy to do what's necessary.

And that's it about how I feel - maybe.  It kind of creeps in when I don't really plan to say anything.

Life otherwise is lovely.  I'm still interested in all the things I was before but just don't get much done.  

My blessings are my family and my friends, and that is enough to make me happy every day.  

It has bothered me all year that I haven't kept up with even the small things that have happened in my life.  Just because of that, I've overlooked lots of good mundane things that have made me laugh or given me a lot of contentment.  If I can just post a picture every day and say something, that will be a big plus for me and maybe an encouragement for delving into creating that new blog.  

The thing that works best when I'm overwhelmed with so much going on is to take my last pictures and try to remember what happened then see where that takes me.  So here goes.

This big regal-looking creature is nothing but a huge baby who had been left in my care for over a week while his beloved family took a trip.  I took care of feeding him and got lots of cuddling and face-butting and kissing and sprawling in my lap and covering me with hair.  I tried different games and some treats and sitting around with him for an hour or so.  He seemed appreciative enough, but he was looking out the window, up the stairs, and at the front door a LOT.  After living your whole life with a noisy family and a crazy dog, it must seem like the worst thing ever to be left with a boring Mimi.  As of 3:00 a.m. this morning, at least the human people were back under his roof, so I hope he's doing a lot of purring.

Besides Gus, I took a few pictures at the WinBin home while they were gone.  There is some nice-looking landscaping going on, and I can't wait to see how that's going to end up.  I captured this lonely little beauty on Monday, and the next day the yellow one was blooming.  I can't wait to see how it's going to shape up  There is a healthy Lenten Rose behind this and hostas coming up like crazy.  

 

The barberry bush is one I don't remember growing up with, but I see them a lot here.  They grow all around the apartment complex, and we've come into contact with those sharp little thorns too many times.  This is a pot near their front door with Lenten Rose at the base.  That, the Lenten Rose, was a special plant to Mike and he was very proud of his one plant, so therefore they're special to us too.  I allowed the original traveling one to die, so I'm going to make a special effort to get another one going this year.

There are so many things blooming around town.  The cherry blossoms are especially pretty right now.  This is the little green corner between our houses that is always pretty.

After a good lunch.

The pictures I take of the WinBin kitchen don't do it justice.  There may be some last things to be done, but it's pretty much finished and just perfect for them.  I'll look for a before picture to post with this one.

That island!  It is just beautiful and exactly what they needed for 4 people to be able to eat and sit and craft and cook do whatever they need to do.   The bay window was one of the best ideas for letting in the sun and providing a place for all the cuttings and plants Emily has collected.

I just like to stand here and gaze at this pantry.  I love everything about it, from the tiny sink to the microwave hidden away up high.  Again, lots of thought going into this.  

When looking for a toy for Gus, I found that the former laundry room has been changed into a mud room of sorts.  Not only the girls' shoes and sports equipment but all the pet things and a big space for extra groceries.  Still unfinished, it seems.  I guess the pantry will have doors, but I kind of like it this way, for quick grabs!

Gus in deep thought.

I know I'll have a lot of pictures from Maui.  I got just a few already, and I'll post them here as I have time.

There was a lot of discussion about them buying some plumeria cuttings, and I'm not sure whether they did or not.  Our history of loving plumeria goes back to 1996 when Gray and Stephanie brought us a little plastic bag with what looked like a small log in it.  We planted it in a little black plastic pot, not expecting much, but it did grow.  I'm not sure how long it took for it to grow leaves and then bloom, but it was worth the wait.  I took pictures of it all through the years, getting an inch or so taller every year.

This is the only one I have in my phone.  It was taken in 2006 in Columbus, GA, so it was 10 years old and had branched once.  I miss that little porch and patio and almost everything about that house!

We would forget every year just how beautiful it was when it bloomed.  It wasn't much to look at between seasons - just a long branch stuck in dirt.  I don't even remember how it died, but it lived in Georgia (twice), Mississippi, North Carolina, and Alabama. I hope they got one to try.  I know my porch is too shady for one.

This is how the plumeria looked at their hotel.

Once I get started writing, it's hard to stop, but I need to get a few things done.

UPDATE:  I did get a plumeria, so we can try and see what we can do with it.

Life is back to normal for Gus again.  I got this picture but none of Woodrow.  I don't imagine he would be still long enough.

I did set up a new blog - Just Keeping It Going.  I'll post a link from here as soon as I get everything organized and laid out.  That's hard to believe.  I even wrote my first post. 

Egg Day

The snow is all melted, and the rain has settled in for at least as long as a 10-day forecast.  There will be a few snow days in there, but hopefully they will be just flurries and not here to stay.

I had Katherine only today after school.  I miss Graysen when she doesn't get to come, but her soccer practice is three or four days a week, so I hardly ever see her any more.  

I decided this afternoon to boil some eggs because I've not been liking eggs too much lately and neglected the 18 I have in the refrigerator.  When I checked the date to use by, I noticed that it was tomorrow.  I know those aren't exact, and you can do the float test, but I figured I was pretty close to having to share some.  I boiled 8 anyway, and I asked Katherine if she liked deviled eggs.  We need an interpreter for our egg conversations.  There are yellow eggs (scrambled) and white eggs (boiled) and round eggs and galaxy eggs (fried), but even the deviled eggs have descriptors.  "The yellow parts are mashed up, but I don't like the green things in them, but I do like the red stuff."  I translated that to paprika and knew I was good to go.  Sometimes one will like deviled eggs plain and the other will like it with pickles, but they hardly ever like the same kinds at the same time.  

Anyway, I was excited because I would get to use up some eggs and get to offer a healthy snack too.  

Katherine asked if she could have the carton to keep her squishies in, and I told her she could if she would transfer the eggs into the plastic bin in the refrigerator - something I obviously didn't think was important enough before.  

I had to hold my breath as she had the carton across the room and carried them two by two to place in the bin.  An 8-year-old doesn't like a ton of instructions from anyone, especially this one.  She did great though and played in the china cabinet while I prepared the eggs.  

Last week she brought home 3 noodles from school - filched probably from art class? - and asked if I would get her some more interesting ones.  Like a good Mimi, I bought a box of colored pasta, and she's just discovered them.  I know my limits, so I didn't ask why she wanted the pasta, but I noticed a lot of arranging in there.  I shouldn't be surprised at what children come up with to entertain themselves, because I was the same way.  It didn't take much.  She was just as thrilled with that box of noodles as she would have been with a new toy.

I worked on the eggs and absolutely was not in the mood for them, so I sent them all home with her. 

 

When I finished them, she popped a couple in her mouth and took the rest home to her sister.  

I wonder if those round yellow centers reminded her of Twister, because as soon as I got the kitchen cleaned and sat down, she came in and put the Twister game in my lap.  She knew I wasn't going to join her all twisted up on the floor, so she let me be the "spinner" while she and an imaginary person played.

I figured it wouldn't take long to get tired of playing with an invisible person, but it didn't seem to matter.  I had to spin and call out her position and then the partner's position.  Over and over and over.  Such fun.  You'd think she had a crowd playing with her.

I'm just not taking many pictures lately, especially since I've not been outside any more than I have to.  Also the girls don't really want me recording the things they say and do as much as they used to, so I have to be sneaky.  

To is Friday early release, and I'll have four of them walking here.  It's still a little wet and cold to play outside, and I don't want to be responsible for other children crossing the street, so they'll probably play in the house.  I have a couple of new card games and plenty of art supplies available.  You never know what kind of moods they're going to be in, so we'll see.  

Progress

 I've written a few more posts than I thought I would this year, although having no incentive to do anything and less incentive to write about that lack thereof.

I'll add some pictures I had forgotten and see how that goes.

The amaryllis finally bloomed, and it was beautiful for days.  It was almost white with just a little outline of pink or purple.  Now comes the decision on whether to plant it outside or leave it in a pot outside - or what.  

Emily's finally came in about a week after mine.  

I wish we knew how and when to plant them to enjoy them again next year.  I think mine did bloom twice last year in the same pot.  I'll have to go back and check.

Pictures from school.  Making their Valentine boxes.

And opening them after school.