Thursday, May 16, 2019

And So It Goes...

Mothers Day was a quiet, relaxing day.  Both of my daughters called.  One sounded awful.  She was nursing a nasty cold and said she was getting off the couch just long enough for her two adult kids to take her out for lunch and then she was headed right back to the couch.  Poor thing.

The other called from the road.  She was headed to North Dakota to help my grandson in college move into a different dorm room.  He was able to get a single room and was happy to have a room to himself.  And she was stocking up his supply of snacks.

I was happy both of my girls could spend time with their offspring on Mother's Day.  We have plans for shopping trips later this summer.

David called in the afternoon.  He said the plans to come see me had to be set aside because he had to take Maddie Mae to Urgent Care.  Poor kid has strep throat.  It just wouldn't have been right to leave her home while the other kids visited Grandma, so I talked with each of them on the phone instead.  David stopped by this afternoon with a card signed by all of them, each writing a nice greeting, and a lovely bouquet of spring flowers.  He said he didn't bring me a plant because he knew I would just kill it.  He knows his mother well.  :)  He also had a DQ Blizzard for me, which made my day.

Duane had to work Sunday, but he showed up in the afternoon with a carry-out box full of ham, turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy, and another with chocolate cake.  With chocolate frosting.  He knows how to put a smile on Mom's face.

Last Friday the contractor came in to do the touch-up painting on the window trim.  He promised he would be back Monday to finish the job.  This afternoon I called my landlord and told him what was going to happen if the contractor didn't show back up by Friday.  I was going to pack up his paint and tools and set them out in the hall.  I was going to have my boys move my furniture back where it belonged and I would not, under any circumstances, allow that man back into my home.  This may be just a little apartment downtown, but it is my home and I will not take any more abuse.

One hour later the painting was done, the tools were packed up and my furniture was back in place.  And I didn't have to call my boys.

I did call the landlord to thank him for getting the guy over here so quickly.  I figured if I call to complain, I can call to say thank you.  My landlord told me to deduct more than half my rent for June to compensate for all the trouble and because my mother raised no fools, I accepted.

I had about 8 lbs. of potatoes and 4 lbs. of carrots that needed to be taken care of, so this morning I peeled and diced and blanched an got them into the dehydrator.  They will go into the bags of dried vegetables I use for soups and stews.  I need to get my grocery order ready and am trying to decide what to get for storage this time.  I think I may go for some of the packaged rice and pasta mixes, as they are always good for a quick meal.  I'm holding off on the meat for canning until David takes me to Sam's Club where I can get it cheaper.

I managed to get the dust from the construction cleaned out of my sewing machine and have been working on finishing some quilt tops.  With any kind of luck I will have pictures in a week or so.

I know Spring is here for sure.  I watched three or four little boys practicing with their skateboards in the alley across the street.  They are fun to watch when they are working hard at mastering a trick, and when mastered, moving on to another.

Takes very little to amuse me.  :)

12 comments:

  1. I'm glad things are back in order, Vicki.

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  2. Good for you to put your foot down on that painter! And nice to get a break on the rent. Sounds like you have a decent landlord.

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    1. One Family...I have a landlord who is more decent than most. Every little bit helps and the savings on the rent was a goodly chunk of change.

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  3. Like I said before, you put up with those window guys WAY longer than I would have. Plain and simple; sometimes you gotta fight! 'Glad everything's done and that you had a good Mom's day!

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    1. Pete...I guess once in a while a person has to just stomp their foot and pitch a hissy fit in order to get results. I did and it worked. :)

      I'm glad it is all done, too, and I can get on with my life without the interruptions and the construction mess. And even though I didn't get to spend time with my kids on Mother's Day, there is some 'one on one' time planned and I'm looking forward to that.

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  4. I am so glad your sewing machine is ok. Also that this whole ordeal is over and you can get on with sewing and life.
    I feel the same way about my little old apartment. The bi-fold door to my little linen closet fell off, maybe broke off. I tried to rehang it but it's just too heavy and awkward for me to do it. Now, I'm debating whether to put in a work order or just hang a curtain. I too don't like any worker bees coming into my apartment and may just make due.
    Off to get the Friday sales. Still waiting to hear if there are puppies on the way, keep praying! Cheers, SJ

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    1. SJ...I was really relieved that my sewing machine was OK after I cleaned it. It seems to be running just fine. I was afraid I might have to buy a new one. I would have a hard time living without one.

      I have always said that this may be a dumpy little city apartment, but it is MY dumpy little city apartment. There are those who forget that just because we live in apartments, they are still our homes. This one has been my home for going on 22 years. And like you, I dislike having workers come in for any reason. I have often tried fixing small things myself instead of having someone in to do it. I have enough coming and going with just the cleaner and the nurses. Part of that I think is because I don't want to advertise the amount of food I have stored. It is kind of tough to hide it all when limited to three rooms.

      Still praying. The puppy that belongs to you will show up. I am sure of it!!

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  5. This is the year that we all are sick. I saw a Dr yesterday came home with a bottle of antibiotics 825mg horse pills. Glad things are finally down at your place.

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    1. Thanks, Rob...It is good to be back to what passes for normal here. Hope you get to feeling better soon.

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  6. You have been busy! So glad your sewing machine is going to be in good working order for you. Also happy that your nest is back in order. Getting the reduction on your rent makes the inconvenience of it all a little less aggrivating.

    We finally dried out enough to get our last field planted. Several hours after the guys pulled out of the field we got a pounding 1.4 inch rain. Now we are expecting storms and 2-3 more inches of rain. We are still much better off than so many who still have their homes and fields under water. This spring has been challenging.

    Vicki, when you prepare your carrots for dehydrating do you simply slice them quite thin before blanching? I have dehydrated many bags of frozen mixed veggies with carrots but never just fresh carrots.

    Have a great weekend...CW

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    1. CW... I was relieved that my sewing machine is still in working order. I'd be lost without it. And being able to walk around without climbing over furniture is wonderful! I have to say, the reduced rent was most welcome.

      So glad you have been able to get into the field and finish planting. Sounds like you have been getting pounded with rain much more than we have. We have had a couple of small thunder storms, but the worst of it passed us by. I hope this summer is better than last winter and spring.

      When I get fresh carrots from the grocery store to dehydrate, I peel them first. I think they are likely sprayed with chemicals to prevent them from sprouting. And they have a slightly sandy feel to them. Then I either slice them about 1/8 inch thick using a mandolin slicer (any thinner, they dry down to paper thin and are hard to remove from the dehydrator trays) or I use my Vidalia Chop Wizard (best kitchen gizmo ever) to dice them into about 1/2 inch cubes. I blanch them for just a couple of minutes and spread them out on the trays using the plastic mesh inserts, (they dry down to tiny nuggets) setting the heat to 135 degrees. Drying time varies, depending on how humid it is that day. I use them for soups, stews, etc and they rehydrate well in the slow cooker or simmering in soup on the back burner of the stove.

      It is cool and wet here today. A good day for banana bread, which I baked this morning. :)

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