Follow the fork 4

I had written Trader Joe's was closed much to my chagrin.  They are open it seems.  Who knew?  Beth was actually there and phoned to ask if I wanted anything and these carrots popped into my mind.  Roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper they are so addictive and I can probably eat every one of these on the tray.  They are ready to go in the oven to be caramelized and roasted to perfection. Bella, the dog, and I fight over carrots.  Go figure. She can take a whole carrot, raw, and chew  it down to a nub in no time...and talk about roasted, that's when she really gets excited.  Less work for her.

I am just starting the book A Man called Ove.  My niece is excited about this book. I read a bit and was hooked so I had it sent to my Kindle.

Follow the fork 3

It is a good thing the family in crisis did not need the ham and beans that I had prepared for them this week.  They have food coming in to get them through several days.  I'll do it when they need it.  Beth will let me know.  What happened to the ham and beans...Johnny's three guys came to give the property a bath.  The power washer went all day and when it came to lunch, they enjoyed the entire crock pot of ham and beans.  Now, this is not a tiny crock pot...it is my biggest one.  I watched from afar and I believe they each had 3 large bowls.  It was so much fun to see them enjoy the food outside on the glorious day that it was.  I had a tub of water with Lysol and they took care of clean up and then after washing the dishes one guy loaded the dishwasher. They declared this job was like a vacation considering the enormous roofing jobs that they do day in and day out.  Thank God they have work. Many Branches sparkles.

Yesterday was our 61st wedding anniversary.  We had Chinese take out and sat around the fire pit and talked.  Oh, we had Perseco too.  We enjoyed the evening with Beth, Mike and Nate. I am not sure how correct this is but I think I have been on this property for six weeks straight.

  (My last hair appointment was the first week of January and I look awful now!  I have a mullet!  Can you imagine?) This too shall pass.  I just want to warn you how scary I look in case you drop by to shout hello from 10 feet away.

Follow the fork 2

I've been cooking already this morning.  I have a giant pot of ham (bone) and beans burbling away for a family in crisis that Beth knows about. I could do this several days a week because I am soup girl.

The family is having pasta tonight and after some work, all I have to do is boil the pasta and put it all together.

Saturday Andy and I will have been married for 61 years.  We will be at home as we have been for five-six weeks.  I am losing count; not of the married years but of the in-home isolation. We will have Chinese take out.

I have to report about the pool opening after all the whining that I did last year at this time. It was almost perfect when the cover came off.  It was amazing after the two weeks of irritation that we went through last year. Andy is pretty excited about that.  (See, it does not take much to cause us to celebrate the little things now days.)  That and the fact that all five of us are well and healthy.  I hope you are too.  Have a good weekend.

Andy was driving past Oakland Park Nursery and noted the parking lot was packed. 

Follow the fork

How are you all doing? This isolation isn't so bad. Before long there will be beauty and planting and sitting in the sun.  Our pool opened beautifully this year and there is very little to be done with it.  Last year it looked like the creature from the black lagoon lived there all winter. We are looking forward to the house and building's bath this Saturday.

It seems like I am cooking for a crowd every day since Nate has started eating here again.  He has discerning taste and it is a pleasure getting a compliment now and then. Tonight it is fried rice and a bowl of 3 different sausages and two different beans in the soup.  There is a salad, but nothing to rave about there.

I am hearing from my friends around the world and I think they have it much worse than we do.  They are really scared. Alex and her new husband Kyle are both new doctors and really young.  They are on the front line at a Dayton hospital with 18 hour days. It is a real worry for the family.

Hang in there.

week five

Outdoor workers are coming tomorrow, Monday (the 30th) one to give the house and buildings and bricks a power wash and another to open the pool. These are outdoor workers, of course, so we will have little or no contact.  It gives them work and it certainly helps us.  With the pool, everyone who lives here will give time to its spring cleaning over the week end...or whenever they have the time.  Our guys are still working outside too with little or no contact necessary.

Today I have a nice pork roast from Carfagnas.  I am out of carrots so it is with cabbage and potatoes and onions--slow roasting for several hours.  The guys finished off the soup today and so another pot is called for.  Thank God for soup. (I am thanking him for everything day and night.)

I am having fun entertaining myself and others, I hope, with pictures on Facebook from years back. 2011 is featured today.

I have also started a puzzle and wish my sister-in-law was here to help.  She's a whiz at puzzles. In between these activities, I try to keep the house in order and clean.  It's been five weeks since Monica and her crew have been here.

Stay positive and safe, my friends and family.

order food on line

We have just placed our first-ever order of groceries online to be picked up at Kroger.  Evidently, we just drive up and there are the bags of groceries in the hands of a happy worker. It will be interesting to see how much of our actual order is in the bag...and how fresh the produce is. We just don't want to take the chance of going in-store especially when they are saying on tv that if there are two respirators left and the contest is between us and younger persons then arrivederci to us.

I've started putting on happy pictures of the past to Facebook to cheer people up.  I know we are probably tired of news and doom and gloom. .. are you tired of soup stories?

Nate caught us having a drink at noon today.  He said to go for it.  By the end of this thing who knows how we will end up.  Right now we are very happy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

Sun tan in March

Yesterday was lovely and I started a suntan while soaking up vitamin D.  The sun is out again today but does not feel as strong, maybe this afternoon will bring on the glaring rays.  I love the sun.

I have a lovely chicken pot pie prepared for dinner.  All I have to do is pop it in the oven. 

I am just finishing up a Bend in the Stars and have ordered (to Kindle) Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. I liked a Bend in the Stars but found it a little too long or maybe I am just ready for something lighter since I feel an end to this virus madness coming on. I could be wrong and we are not taking any chances but I have faith in America.

I have no faith, however, in finding any good television in the evening.  I never watch during the day but I do like a good evening of television.  It would not hurt them to drop some of the new episodes or new shows in this time of sheltering in place. The public television programmer is simply confused. It's annoying the interruptions in shows that we endure.

Remember the 80 pounds of rice that my son bought from Walmart?  We have yet to cook a grain of it. If we can ever have guests again they can be sure of a rice dish in the mix...

Week four

Well, how are you all doing? This has started my fourth week at home.  I have been reading up a storm.  My seat mate on the Italy bus tour is a real reader.  She went on vacation to the beach for a week and read five books while she was gone.  She is sad that her library is closed, but I am sure she will find a way to books. I just ordered Fly Away by Kristin Hannah.  I told you about some of her books that I had read so I am eager to start this one although I have one that is gripping me at the moment.

Nate, our grandson, has decided he likes my cooking after all the years he has lived here and I am finding it a challenge to keep up with his appetite.  He has restarted his business after traveling all winter and since he works outside all day his appetite is BIG. Luckily he and Andy like pasta and I have enough of that to last for several months.  Every time I see a bag of a different shape, I buy it and add it to the collection.  I even brought home two bags of miniature colored pasta from Italy that I was going to show off at the Easter party.  Sigh.  That's canceled too, so it will keep until we are all free once more.

I have been cleaning cupboards and drawers and the kitchen floor, a bit a day.  I shutter looking out the windows and cannot wait for the 30th to arrive.  Johnny comes to give the house a bath and all the bricks and cement  as well.  We leave the tennis court to Eric as well as the outside furniture.  The pool is to be opened this week because I wanted it clean and pretty for Easter. Sigh. Eric has extra work because vandals broken into the padlocked backyard's fence last night and then came near the front of the house and knocked over our gas meter.  I think they stood on it to heave themselves over the locked front gate.  There is nothing to steal here except daffodils, boys.

I have no inspiration for cooking dinner tonight. I usually like to get it going in the morning, but I am slow on the draw today.  Andy has gone for a whiskey run.  He is wearing a mask and rubber gloves.  I hope they don't think it is a hold-up

Three weeks and counting

I know this virus is serious but I still have to laugh.  My son, Michael, bought 80 pounds of rice at Walmart.  I don't think he had ever been to Walmart to shop and why all the rice?  He said I would change my tune when we run out of food (which is unlikely for about a year.) I told him he would have to keep me alive because I was the only cook available. Mike is on one of those diets (that is really working) that sends the food Fed Ex, so he is not worried about having to eat rice I should imagine.

We got so much rain last night.  The lightning lit up the bedroom and the thunder...Andy and I got up around 4:00 and I made a frittata--cooking soothes me in times like this.  Also, I have been in the house or on this property for three weeks now and I am a bit squirrely. (You should see my hair!) I need an appointment!

 I looked in the basement because I heard gurgling and there was water on the floor.  Clean water and we are still discussing where it came from. Cooke Rd. had high water, yet cars still tried to get through and ended up turning in our driveway. (I thought people were meant to stay home.??) The sewer down by the end of our driveway was plugged up and gurgling with rain water.  Who knows the underground secrets, not I.

I am reading a lot and playing computer games.  I am also cooking big because Nate has discovered that he likes my cooking after living here several years.  Also, he wants to check on me every time I am out of sight because in traveling the world for three months he was afraid he had brought home the virus even though he self quarantined in Miami before coming home.  We are all well and safe, thank God. I hope the readers of this blog are too. The sun has just come out so I feel happy.  I can't wait to bake in the sun and to enjoy the summer ahead.

A final whine:
Andy drove by the welfare office and there are lines outside.  I thought we were to stay put and not congregate or does that just apply to some of us?

What to do What to do

While many people are self-imposed quarantined they may be looking for ways to spend the day.  I can think of hundreds of ways, but daytime television is not one of them nor lately is evening TV. With all of the talent out there they cannot seem to put out a good show anymore.  I was relying on Public Television to rescue my evenings and they had such a great line up I had full confidence in them only to be let down.  Their programmer cannot seem to get it together.  One begins a lovely series like Escape to the Chateau and I for one cozy down for the show and up pops Country Music marathon, or an info commercial or a plea for money.  The show does not come on for weeks, and sometimes, like Jamestown, never. (Well, that one was a good idea to can.) A series should not be interrupted unless it is a national emergency of some kind.  If the series is important enough to put on in the first place then stick to the date and time that it should be on. Don't try to 'top' it with a new show; it breaks the spell. I have given up on tv in general and then I go to bed, sleep a few hours and wake up fresh as a daisy not being able to go back to sleep.  So, I cook. That's another way to spend time.  Try out recipes or create your own in the silence of the home with no distractions. Trust me, someone will appreciate and eat your creation. Note: To watch episodes of Escape to the Chateau go to Dailymotion on your computer.  It is free and better than free Youtube.

Now the sun is out many days leading into spring.  Andy has gotten an early start on planting.  That usually does not work out and we lose all the flowers, but we do it again and we so appreciate those lovely blooms.  Anyway, he is spending a lot of time in the yard right now and discovered many ways to fill his time and mine.  Eric is coming Saturday to cut down a couple of trees, fertilize the property, and to do away with wayward leaves that fell late in the season. Then Johnny comes the 30th to give the house and buildings a bath with power washers. Then the windows will need a shine...you see, I can fill your days with ideas.

Maybe you won't need any of these suggestions.  Andy just came back from the bank and store and everything is going on as usual.  Kroger was packed and the bank ATMs had lines of cars. (There was even enough toilet paper for everyone.)  No shortages.  Maybe it is just the media hype. Here we turned down a trip to Cincinnati to be with some family members at a luncheon today.  We were following the president's what to do and not do and here it is business as usual in Columbus. Well, I for one like staying home now days, so either way I'm covered.

Waaa Waaaa

Collecting friends will tell you I am an exceedingly lucky woman.  Therefore they showed no sympathy 
 when I told them how difficult a trip to London and Paris was.  Getting from six to fifteen trunks home on a regular flight is no small feat and actually impossible in this day and age. At that time, in America by the time you see trunks and boxes swirling and thumping around on a luggage carrousel, there is not a porter in sight to help. After a particularly grueling but lucrative buying trip in  September and October a long time ago, I begged a United agent to allow two porters to come to our aid.  He called them down, one too old to be doing that type of work and one too lazy to be doing anything.  The United agent graciously lent me a flat bed trolly since the porters were not allowed to bring theirs down to that level.  After my spending $800. in excess luggage fees I felt I had actually bought the flatbed trolley, but I intended to keep it safe and take care of it anyway.  Everyone who had luggage wanted my flatbed and my two guys.  I had to hang on to all three.  Andy, my husband, was watching for the boxes and trunks on the carousel. I saw that he let a really big box go by.  Thinking he didn't see it I called out to him. He smiled, shook his head and said it is not our box.  It went around another time so I hailed him again and he said, "believe me it is not our box." Third time around I risk losing it all by leaving the porters, the trolley, and my sanity in order to check out the box no one was claiming.  As I looked up, each weary traveler was looking at me, a frantic woman with a flat bed trolley and three men... screaming for one of them to pick up the big box marked condoms.