Mike has had a really good week this week in spite of the nasty weather. There has been just enough break in the rain so he was able to get to his silver sneakers classes. He got his free meal at "Whata Burger" and free cookies and a sandwich at Subway! What more could a man want?
Last week I made him spaghetti and pizza using the no tomato recipe I found. Now he is requesting spaghetti about every other day. I promised I'd make it again this weekend. He's a hoot!
Well, more rain today but then sunshine for the next 8 days! hooray - we need the water to soak into the ground before we get anymore rain.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Birds in the belfry
Well our neighbors on either side managed to mow their yards yesterday putting us to shame. Our backyard is still a swamp and we don't like mowing mud. Our front yard is still recovering from the great grub and mole cricket invasion. The grass is coming back up but very splotchy. The lawn man told us not to mow it until what little grass is left has seeded. That may be awhile......
Meanwhile Ron and I went to Lowes last night and bought out their black mulch. That had it on sale 5 bags for $10.00. So we bought 20 bags of mulch! We just need to top off the front flower bed but we are also going to use some in the back yard after it dries out.
Birds are building nests under the new carport. Ron tries to move them before they lay eggs and so far so good. The problem is they rebuild during the day. If they weren't pooping all over the cars we would probably leave them alone but yo what a mess!!! I've got to find something that will work as a deterrent. Any suggestions?
Meanwhile Ron and I went to Lowes last night and bought out their black mulch. That had it on sale 5 bags for $10.00. So we bought 20 bags of mulch! We just need to top off the front flower bed but we are also going to use some in the back yard after it dries out.
Birds are building nests under the new carport. Ron tries to move them before they lay eggs and so far so good. The problem is they rebuild during the day. If they weren't pooping all over the cars we would probably leave them alone but yo what a mess!!! I've got to find something that will work as a deterrent. Any suggestions?
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Still wet!
Well, this Memorial weekend was a wet one for sure. We received another 4 inches of rain over the weekend. We've only had a brief glimpse of the sun in the past 4 weeks. The weatherman said we have another 5 days of rain and then we will dry out the week of June 1st. Crazy weather! Today we have a chance of tornadoes.
We've decided to join the crowd and play Oklahoma Weather Bingo......
I've heard that some people have made this a drinking game but I'm not sure that's a good idea. I want to be sober enough to make it to the shelter when the sirens blow.
A town just south of us is almost completely under water due to the massive flooding. Unfortunately the flooding has also cost several lives. One firefighter drowned while rescuing some people from high water. There are 13 people missing.....and a few other drowning victims.
So far we have only been inconvenienced by the storms. Temporary power outages and a backyard that is looking like a swamp. (I don't know when we will ever be able to mow again)
Another byproduct of all this rain is mosquitoes....and they are swarming. I got out of the car yesterday and a swarm of mosquitoes attacked. They love me for some reason and I claim to be a human bug zapper!
But Oklahoma has been in a drought for some time and the panhandle probably still is so I'm going to be grateful for the rain. I'm sorry so many people have been negatively impacted though. We watched two homes fall into the river yesterday and that was heartbreaking.
On a lighter note this is the latest story about my brother Mike. It seems he has been calling the "Whata Burger" corporate office frequently. We think he was asking for coupons for free hamburgers or trying to take surveys for free hamburgers. Well, he evidently was driving them crazy so they notified their franchise here in Norman and told the manager to write up a contract and have Mike sign it stating that he will not call the corporate office in exchange for a free meal once a week. It's signed by the manager and notarized and he has a copy of it in his wallet. He has decided Tuesday will be his Whata Burger Day! OMG.....the manager also asked to meet his sister and brother-in-law!
We've decided to join the crowd and play Oklahoma Weather Bingo......
I've heard that some people have made this a drinking game but I'm not sure that's a good idea. I want to be sober enough to make it to the shelter when the sirens blow.
A town just south of us is almost completely under water due to the massive flooding. Unfortunately the flooding has also cost several lives. One firefighter drowned while rescuing some people from high water. There are 13 people missing.....and a few other drowning victims.
So far we have only been inconvenienced by the storms. Temporary power outages and a backyard that is looking like a swamp. (I don't know when we will ever be able to mow again)
Another byproduct of all this rain is mosquitoes....and they are swarming. I got out of the car yesterday and a swarm of mosquitoes attacked. They love me for some reason and I claim to be a human bug zapper!
But Oklahoma has been in a drought for some time and the panhandle probably still is so I'm going to be grateful for the rain. I'm sorry so many people have been negatively impacted though. We watched two homes fall into the river yesterday and that was heartbreaking.
On a lighter note this is the latest story about my brother Mike. It seems he has been calling the "Whata Burger" corporate office frequently. We think he was asking for coupons for free hamburgers or trying to take surveys for free hamburgers. Well, he evidently was driving them crazy so they notified their franchise here in Norman and told the manager to write up a contract and have Mike sign it stating that he will not call the corporate office in exchange for a free meal once a week. It's signed by the manager and notarized and he has a copy of it in his wallet. He has decided Tuesday will be his Whata Burger Day! OMG.....the manager also asked to meet his sister and brother-in-law!
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Building an Ark
Well, we have had so much rain this month that the ground just can't hold any more. We are experiencing a lot of flooding throughout the state and here as well. Yesterday we received almost 4 inches of rain in about an hours time. Someone in town actually found a fish in their yard and the lake is probably 20 miles east. One street is so flooded they were riding jet skis and getting stranded motorists out of their cars.
My daughter has a huge sink hole in their backyard. It is about to take their shed and it's heading for the swimming pool. It is probably 25 feet deep.
It is supposed to rain every day for the next 5 days. There is no where for the water to go now. We have been fortunate so far and no water has gotten in to the house but I'm not sure for how much longer. Our back yard is a lake.
Oklahoma, the state of extremes! Drought and floods, tornadoes and earthquakes....extreme heat....ice storms...it is never dull here!
My daughter has a huge sink hole in their backyard. It is about to take their shed and it's heading for the swimming pool. It is probably 25 feet deep.
It is supposed to rain every day for the next 5 days. There is no where for the water to go now. We have been fortunate so far and no water has gotten in to the house but I'm not sure for how much longer. Our back yard is a lake.
Oklahoma, the state of extremes! Drought and floods, tornadoes and earthquakes....extreme heat....ice storms...it is never dull here!
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Befuddled
I feel like such a weenie.....fraidy cat........spineless......ok, I'm getting carried away with myself. I'm just full of indecision.
My daughter called to tell us that a duplex came up for sale right around the corner from her house. She has wanted me to move closer to her for some time in anticipation of the future. This would also allow us to have Mike live on one side where we could take care of him without him being in the same house. All these reasons make perfect sense.
So, we went to look at the duplex. We could only go in one side since the other side is rented at the moment. It's not my dream house or anything but it has potential. I'd have to gut the flooring and the main bathroom is a total gut job. It has a blue sunken bathtub for goodness sake. I'd replace interior doors and woodwork and paint the kitchen cabinets. Replace counter tops, sinks, etc. Pretty extensive changes but it would be really cute when finished.
Now, even though I know it all makes sense my concerns are....the $ (it is over priced) and what the repairs would cost, having to sell two homes, and just sentimentally......I've lived in my house 46 years and I've put so much of myself in it I hate to leave it.
I've got a lot of thinking to do.........but I don't have much time to think about it or it will be sold. I'm considering making an offer (way below their asking price) and just seeing what the response would be.
I sure wish I could get a sign from the cosmos as to what I should do.
befuddled in Oklahoma.
My daughter called to tell us that a duplex came up for sale right around the corner from her house. She has wanted me to move closer to her for some time in anticipation of the future. This would also allow us to have Mike live on one side where we could take care of him without him being in the same house. All these reasons make perfect sense.
So, we went to look at the duplex. We could only go in one side since the other side is rented at the moment. It's not my dream house or anything but it has potential. I'd have to gut the flooring and the main bathroom is a total gut job. It has a blue sunken bathtub for goodness sake. I'd replace interior doors and woodwork and paint the kitchen cabinets. Replace counter tops, sinks, etc. Pretty extensive changes but it would be really cute when finished.
Now, even though I know it all makes sense my concerns are....the $ (it is over priced) and what the repairs would cost, having to sell two homes, and just sentimentally......I've lived in my house 46 years and I've put so much of myself in it I hate to leave it.
I've got a lot of thinking to do.........but I don't have much time to think about it or it will be sold. I'm considering making an offer (way below their asking price) and just seeing what the response would be.
I sure wish I could get a sign from the cosmos as to what I should do.
befuddled in Oklahoma.
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Today I take Mike to see his psychiatrist. He's a really nice fella who is a child psychiatrist in his private practice. Guess that's why Mike relates to him so well.
A few weeks ago I had a list of things I wanted to discuss with the doctor but now I can't remember any of them. It is usually when I'm at my wits end that I think of things. Then we smooth things out and I just forget about it.
I am going to ask if he can write a referral for a neurological exam. I requested it from Indian Health but they denied it. So I'm willing to go to a private neurologist. I just can't get an appointment without a referral. I want more information concerning Mike's diagnosis and prognosis. Mainly want to know if I'm dealing with a form of dementia along with the Schizophrenia.
We are having a lull in the rain today. Still cloudy and gloomy but the rain comes back tomorrow and possible tornadoes on Saturday. It will be a bumpy ride.
A few weeks ago I had a list of things I wanted to discuss with the doctor but now I can't remember any of them. It is usually when I'm at my wits end that I think of things. Then we smooth things out and I just forget about it.
I am going to ask if he can write a referral for a neurological exam. I requested it from Indian Health but they denied it. So I'm willing to go to a private neurologist. I just can't get an appointment without a referral. I want more information concerning Mike's diagnosis and prognosis. Mainly want to know if I'm dealing with a form of dementia along with the Schizophrenia.
We are having a lull in the rain today. Still cloudy and gloomy but the rain comes back tomorrow and possible tornadoes on Saturday. It will be a bumpy ride.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Bon Appetit
Because my brother is allergic to everything known to man and because I feel so darn sorry for him, I'm always on the lookout for recipes he can eat. He is allergic to tomatoes and all things dairy. One thing he really craves is spaghetti....so I found a no tomato spaghetti sauce recipe. Now I had my doubts but I was willing to give it a try. It's very simple.
2 (15 oz) cans sliced carrots, drained
1 (15 oz) can sliced beets, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup red wine vinegar.
You place the carrots and beets one at a time into a blender and blend smooth.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over med. heat. Cook & stir garlic and onions until onions are translucent. Stir in pureed carrots & beets then add the bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and red wine vinegar. Cover and cook until the sauce begins to boil. Remove lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer up to 4 hrs or at least 30 minutes.
Now, I found the sauce a little think so I thinned it with some vegetable broth. Could use beef broth too I guess. Then I added some browned hamburger crumbled to make a meat sauce.
I served to myginney pig, I mean Mike, and he loved it! I can't tell you what I thought about it because I couldn't get past the idea that it was beets......I don't like beets. But if Mike's happy, I'm happy!
I'm going to use the same recipe to try and make a pizza for him. I learned of a non-dairy cheese, Daiya cheese. There are a lot of options such as shredded, block, sliced in a lot of flavors as well. They say it melts like real cheese so it might be worth trying. I'm sure it is expensive though. But I'll give it a try!
2 (15 oz) cans sliced carrots, drained
1 (15 oz) can sliced beets, drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1/4 cup red wine vinegar.
You place the carrots and beets one at a time into a blender and blend smooth.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over med. heat. Cook & stir garlic and onions until onions are translucent. Stir in pureed carrots & beets then add the bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and red wine vinegar. Cover and cook until the sauce begins to boil. Remove lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer up to 4 hrs or at least 30 minutes.
Now, I found the sauce a little think so I thinned it with some vegetable broth. Could use beef broth too I guess. Then I added some browned hamburger crumbled to make a meat sauce.
I served to my
I'm going to use the same recipe to try and make a pizza for him. I learned of a non-dairy cheese, Daiya cheese. There are a lot of options such as shredded, block, sliced in a lot of flavors as well. They say it melts like real cheese so it might be worth trying. I'm sure it is expensive though. But I'll give it a try!
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Maxine
Salty old Maxine is fond of zingers such as:
“I have inner
beauty and I have the video from my colonoscopy to prove it,”
“I’m at the age
where I can achieve ‘that layer look’ completely naked,”
“I once caught a
peeping tom watching me undress. I was going to call the cops, but I figured
he’d suffered enough,”
“I’d keep my cell phone tucked in my bra, but I can’t
hear it ring from that far away,”
“I just thought of a good way to spice up my
funeral ... I’m hiring a ventriloquist,”
“I garden in the nude, it’s a lot
cheaper than a scarecrow,”
”I don’t want to say I’m old and worn out, but I
make sure I’m nowhere near the curb on trash day.”
A
Perfect Marriage?
A
man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared
everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets
from each other, except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the
top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or
ask her about.
For
all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day,
the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not
recover.
In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside.
She
agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When
he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling
$95,000.
He
asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said,
"my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never
argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep
quiet and crochet a doll."
The
little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two
precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two
times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with
happiness.
"Honey," he said, "that explains the dolls, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"
"Oh," she said. "That's the money I made from selling the dolls."
Monday, May 11, 2015
Building an Ark
Our crazy weather continued through the weekend resulting in flooding. This is after the tornado last Wednesday. We have received over 13 inches of rain in the last 5 days. Our backyard is a swamp. It will be dry today and tomorrow and then rain again on Wednesday.
Oklahoma really needs the rain but just not all at once! We will be begging for rain in August when the temperature is 110.
I had a wonderful Mother's Day. I had lunch with twin #2 and we got pedicures. Both the girls got me a Fitbit. I'm still trying to figure out everything it does. Twin #1 is sick and she was in bed all weekend. She sounded awful when I talked to her Saturday. It never fails.......she gets sick at the beginning of a new school year and at the end. They have 10 days of school left.
Yesterday we took Mike out to lunch since he was worried he wasn't going to celebrate Mother's Day. He's a mess!
Hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day.
Oklahoma really needs the rain but just not all at once! We will be begging for rain in August when the temperature is 110.
I had a wonderful Mother's Day. I had lunch with twin #2 and we got pedicures. Both the girls got me a Fitbit. I'm still trying to figure out everything it does. Twin #1 is sick and she was in bed all weekend. She sounded awful when I talked to her Saturday. It never fails.......she gets sick at the beginning of a new school year and at the end. They have 10 days of school left.
Yesterday we took Mike out to lunch since he was worried he wasn't going to celebrate Mother's Day. He's a mess!
Hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Ding Ding Round Three
Well here we go again! Round three of the terrible awful weather. Last night Ron and I did manage to go out to dinner for our anniversary just before the sky opened. We had a wonderful dinner...Ron had steak and coconut shrimp and I had grilled tilapia with stuffed crab. Mmmmmmmmmm and we had crab stuffed mushrooms. It was soooo good.
Poor Ron, he got me pearl earrings and I put them on and the pearl immediately fell out of the setting. Ron was so upset. I was just glad it happened at home. They are beautiful and I'm sure the jeweler will make it right.
We are expecting storms to move in again today about noon. They are saying golf ball to baseball size hail! Of course it would hail while I'm at work. No shelter for the cars. I'm seriously thinking about taking off this afternoon and going home to ride it out. They say tomorrow is even going to be worse with possible tornadoes!
I haven't paid attention to what is going on around us. I don't know if Arkansas is getting pounded as well. These storms usually move east but I guess they die out before they get that far.
Won't be long and the weather won't be as much of a headache when I'm retired and can choose whether to go out or not! Can't wait!
Poor Ron, he got me pearl earrings and I put them on and the pearl immediately fell out of the setting. Ron was so upset. I was just glad it happened at home. They are beautiful and I'm sure the jeweler will make it right.
We are expecting storms to move in again today about noon. They are saying golf ball to baseball size hail! Of course it would hail while I'm at work. No shelter for the cars. I'm seriously thinking about taking off this afternoon and going home to ride it out. They say tomorrow is even going to be worse with possible tornadoes!
I haven't paid attention to what is going on around us. I don't know if Arkansas is getting pounded as well. These storms usually move east but I guess they die out before they get that far.
Won't be long and the weather won't be as much of a headache when I'm retired and can choose whether to go out or not! Can't wait!
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Lions and Tigers and Bears
Well, we were pounded by storms last night. Tornado over my daughter's house but they were safe in their cellar. We'd no more finish one round of storms than another cell would form and we'd start all over again.
Tigers and bears escaped a wild life refuge and I thought we were going to see Dorothy and her house fly by at any minute. At one time the wind was 70 mph and then we got hail. Some places had golf ball to baseball size hail. Fortunately we had about quarter size but the wind was blowing it so hard.
Now, we are looking at storms again tonight through the weekend. I'M TIRED!
I've lived in tornado alley all my life so I'm pretty accustomed to tornadoes but now that we are having earthquakes that's a whole new bag of marbles. With tornadoes I know how to get out of the way.....those earthquakes are devious devils. There is no place to run and they sneak up on you.
Which would you rather deal with......?
Tigers and bears escaped a wild life refuge and I thought we were going to see Dorothy and her house fly by at any minute. At one time the wind was 70 mph and then we got hail. Some places had golf ball to baseball size hail. Fortunately we had about quarter size but the wind was blowing it so hard.
Now, we are looking at storms again tonight through the weekend. I'M TIRED!
I've lived in tornado alley all my life so I'm pretty accustomed to tornadoes but now that we are having earthquakes that's a whole new bag of marbles. With tornadoes I know how to get out of the way.....those earthquakes are devious devils. There is no place to run and they sneak up on you.
Which would you rather deal with......?
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Get to know the candidates.....There is quite a list of declared candidates for the Republican nomination and I'm sure the list isn't complete yet. There are a lot more exploring the idea.
I was surprised at the number of Democrats seeking the nomination.
Be informed.......read something about these people no matter which party you subscribe to.
I was surprised at the number of Democrats seeking the nomination.
Be informed.......read something about these people no matter which party you subscribe to.
Declared Republican Candidates
Declared 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate Army child and business owner |
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Skip Andrews | |||
“Skip” Andrews is a diverse candidate who probably has at least one opinion to please anyone. Few politicians are able to satisfy both a pro-legalization marijuana advocate and a staunch pro-lifer. Of course, this also means most would object to a majority of his platform. | |||
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Get to know the declared candidates for the democratic nomination.
Declared 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate BBC's World Historic Figure for Anti-GMO Activism |
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Andy Caffrey | |||
A strong environmentalist and advocate against genetically modified organisms, Andy Caffrey is the first Democratic candidate to run on a platform of truly green politics. He is an accomplished and passionate man with campaign experience, and has turned his focus to the White House. | |||
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Declared 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate Former college football coach and 2012 presidential candidate |
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Robby Wells | |||
The former football coach turned public servant is a moderate libertarian seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination in 2016. Wells has made it clear that he isn’t afraid to call out politicians on both sides of the aisle. He finished third for the Constitution Party’s nomination in 2012. |
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