It was a fairly busy week last week - my vacation from work began late Wednesday evening; then Thursday was aqua aerobics with the ladies, followed by a trip to the city for a dental appointment. Spent a bit of time working outside after I got home; nothing major; just general clean-up. Another blasted dehydration headache hit me Friday about 3 am; I was useless until around 2pm - so I've been careful to push the fluid intake the past few days.
A local church had a collection point for folks affected by Harvey set up at the football game Friday evening; they'd rented a (one) truck. By the time I got there - an hour before the game - the first truck was full and a hastily acquired flatbed semi trailer that had been pressed into service was half full. I dropped off my donation of items that my family in the Houston area (4" of water in the house, but otherwise okay) told me were needed - several cases of water, bleach, laundry detergent, soap, toiletries and feminine hygiene products. My couponing paid off as I was able to load several boxes of the last 3 items boxes from my shelves.
As I walked toward the bleachers at the game, hand in hand with my grandsons, I realized again how blessed I am; not just in general, but to live where I do, and around the people that I do. Not just because of their generosity, but, well - everything.
Can you picture it in your head....Football game fare for supper - pork burgers and hamburgers (a local grocery store donated a new grill to the Sports Booster club), nachos with shredded pork, pork bbq sandwiches (all pork donated to Sports Booster club by daughter's uncle), pizza from the local pizza joint, tortilla chips with cheese, various sodas, HOT CHOCOLATE (it was in the 50's Friday night), water - which you definitely needed after a bag of the popcorn (and we needed 6), and, course, the usual table of candy. I was hoping for a bake sale but was disappointed
Sports Boosters Club ladies with tables set up selling sweatshirts, t-shirts etc... with the school mascot on them, 50/50 ticket hawkers working the bleachers..
Football players running out through a giant inflatable helmet and lining up on the sidelines. Then, a moment of silence for an armed forces member from our area, another for a local man, a veteran, and a man who had devoted a great deal of time to the school sports program. A giant US flag hung from a fire truck ladder, a reminiscing smile from me (okay, I will admit that I leaked more than a couple of tears) as granddaughter ran from the cheer squad area over to pick up her clarinet and join the band in playing the National Anthem, just as my daughter did before her (except with daughter the instrument was a saxophone - the same instrument her father played in the same school band!) Everyone - in the stands and on the field - standing, hats off for the National Anthem; youngest grandson was standing on the bleacher in front of me, older one beside me; hands over hearts. A firework in the shape of the school mascot, snorting smoke to start the game; granddaughter and her squad performing to the school fight song at half time - said song which I mangled, as usual
Not (entirely) my fault - my high school and daughter/granddaughter's high school both use the Notre Dame fight song, so my singing along is a combo of both songs....as daughter rolls her eyes Score a bit lopsided in our favor, a booming firework for every touchdown while our cheerleaders do a push up for every point; then a small fireworks display afterwards. The slow walk to the car, carrying one sleepy little boy; the other holding my hand because the parking area is busy... Yes, I am so very, very blessed...
Saturday morning, I mowed most of the yard, then hitched my trailer to the van and headed for town, aiming for the city yard waste facility where there was a large pile of free mulch. Hubby met me there after he got off work, and we filled the trailer with mulch in short order. A quick trip to Home Depot and he was off for home; I made stops at Aldi, Harbor Freight (looking for a tool bag to carry to football games), and Dollar Tree. I was about to head home when I got a text from co-worker Buddy.... a few more texts back and forth led to me making a quick stop at Wal-Mart for my co-workers, then backtracking a bit it to drop the stuff off at work - not sure my patients or co-workers recognized me at first in my off duty garb of yoga pants, t-shirt and flip-flops as I toted the bags into the unit
Today, Hubby did some reloading as I worked outside - weeded the east end of the gooseberry patch, watered it good, then flattened out some cardboard boxes I'd hauled home (an elderly lady whose daughter is a friend of mine was moving and needed to get rid of them, so I hauled 'em off for her), shoved them under and around the gooseberry bushes, then covered them with mulch to the extent of the load in the trailer. I'm going to have to get a new handle for the manure fork before I get more mulch, darn it! Then I hooked 3 hoses together and started deep watering a few areas around the yard - no rain for about 10 days now; maybe more; while I loaded the little trailer with jugs (cat litter jugs from a co-worker; about 2.5 gallons each) and 5 gallon buckets, then filled them from the rain water tank. While I was out dumping that water in various raised beds, the sweet tater patch, etc... Hubby took the opportunity to refill all our 5 gallon canning water jugs from the big rain water tank as well - rain water, around here at least, is soft water and won't leave lime deposits on the jars. It took 3 trailer loads of water to give the most important plants a drink - 12 jugs and 3 buckets per load. I need more cat litter jugs - those 5 gallon buckets are getting heavy for an old lady!
Tomorrows plans are still up in the air; there are two Labor Day parades nearby, but one is in the city and I don't go there unless absolutely necessary. The other is closer to home, but the grandkids have other plans, so we will probably skip it as well. I reckon I'll just stick to buying coffee for the union construction workers - some of whom have the sticker from my father's union - IBEW - on their hard hats - who are building the addition to the hospital where I work.
Hubby wants to go to town to look for work pants tomorrow; I'd go along and take the trailer to load with mulch but the temps are supposed to be back into the 90's and I'm just not quite that foolish! Instead, I'm hoping to make some low-sugar black cherry jam - picked up black cherries for 99 cents/lb at the store, so will pit those, chop 'em up and see if I can't get get a few jars of jam ready to go in the pantry. I like to fix a half pint jar about 2/3 full of yogurt, drop in a spoonful of homemade low-sugar jam, then top it with granola to carry to work for breakfast; cherry jam will be nice to add to the Dutch apple, strawberry, peach, black raspberry and blackberry I have lurking in the fridge at the moment Not sure how it will go with peanut butter, but I'm likely to find out! Daughter has some squeeze bottles that she loads with my homemade jams and jellies, then keeps in the fridge for the kids to use in making pbj's - have to watch out for the youngest one squeezing jelly right into his mouth; otherwise it works out pretty well - and saves the mess of dropped glass jars, or sticky knives on the counter.
I also need to pull the chicken I bought on sale last week out of the freezer and into a cooler to thaw slowly so that I can work on getting it canned Tuesday...
Vacation? What is the meaning of this word vacation.....
Take care all; wishing you a fabulous week!
A local church had a collection point for folks affected by Harvey set up at the football game Friday evening; they'd rented a (one) truck. By the time I got there - an hour before the game - the first truck was full and a hastily acquired flatbed semi trailer that had been pressed into service was half full. I dropped off my donation of items that my family in the Houston area (4" of water in the house, but otherwise okay) told me were needed - several cases of water, bleach, laundry detergent, soap, toiletries and feminine hygiene products. My couponing paid off as I was able to load several boxes of the last 3 items boxes from my shelves.
As I walked toward the bleachers at the game, hand in hand with my grandsons, I realized again how blessed I am; not just in general, but to live where I do, and around the people that I do. Not just because of their generosity, but, well - everything.
Can you picture it in your head....Football game fare for supper - pork burgers and hamburgers (a local grocery store donated a new grill to the Sports Booster club), nachos with shredded pork, pork bbq sandwiches (all pork donated to Sports Booster club by daughter's uncle), pizza from the local pizza joint, tortilla chips with cheese, various sodas, HOT CHOCOLATE (it was in the 50's Friday night), water - which you definitely needed after a bag of the popcorn (and we needed 6), and, course, the usual table of candy. I was hoping for a bake sale but was disappointed
Sports Boosters Club ladies with tables set up selling sweatshirts, t-shirts etc... with the school mascot on them, 50/50 ticket hawkers working the bleachers.. Football players running out through a giant inflatable helmet and lining up on the sidelines. Then, a moment of silence for an armed forces member from our area, another for a local man, a veteran, and a man who had devoted a great deal of time to the school sports program. A giant US flag hung from a fire truck ladder, a reminiscing smile from me (okay, I will admit that I leaked more than a couple of tears) as granddaughter ran from the cheer squad area over to pick up her clarinet and join the band in playing the National Anthem, just as my daughter did before her (except with daughter the instrument was a saxophone - the same instrument her father played in the same school band!) Everyone - in the stands and on the field - standing, hats off for the National Anthem; youngest grandson was standing on the bleacher in front of me, older one beside me; hands over hearts. A firework in the shape of the school mascot, snorting smoke to start the game; granddaughter and her squad performing to the school fight song at half time - said song which I mangled, as usual
Not (entirely) my fault - my high school and daughter/granddaughter's high school both use the Notre Dame fight song, so my singing along is a combo of both songs....as daughter rolls her eyes Score a bit lopsided in our favor, a booming firework for every touchdown while our cheerleaders do a push up for every point; then a small fireworks display afterwards. The slow walk to the car, carrying one sleepy little boy; the other holding my hand because the parking area is busy... Yes, I am so very, very blessed...Saturday morning, I mowed most of the yard, then hitched my trailer to the van and headed for town, aiming for the city yard waste facility where there was a large pile of free mulch. Hubby met me there after he got off work, and we filled the trailer with mulch in short order. A quick trip to Home Depot and he was off for home; I made stops at Aldi, Harbor Freight (looking for a tool bag to carry to football games), and Dollar Tree. I was about to head home when I got a text from co-worker Buddy.... a few more texts back and forth led to me making a quick stop at Wal-Mart for my co-workers, then backtracking a bit it to drop the stuff off at work - not sure my patients or co-workers recognized me at first in my off duty garb of yoga pants, t-shirt and flip-flops as I toted the bags into the unit
Today, Hubby did some reloading as I worked outside - weeded the east end of the gooseberry patch, watered it good, then flattened out some cardboard boxes I'd hauled home (an elderly lady whose daughter is a friend of mine was moving and needed to get rid of them, so I hauled 'em off for her), shoved them under and around the gooseberry bushes, then covered them with mulch to the extent of the load in the trailer. I'm going to have to get a new handle for the manure fork before I get more mulch, darn it! Then I hooked 3 hoses together and started deep watering a few areas around the yard - no rain for about 10 days now; maybe more; while I loaded the little trailer with jugs (cat litter jugs from a co-worker; about 2.5 gallons each) and 5 gallon buckets, then filled them from the rain water tank. While I was out dumping that water in various raised beds, the sweet tater patch, etc... Hubby took the opportunity to refill all our 5 gallon canning water jugs from the big rain water tank as well - rain water, around here at least, is soft water and won't leave lime deposits on the jars. It took 3 trailer loads of water to give the most important plants a drink - 12 jugs and 3 buckets per load. I need more cat litter jugs - those 5 gallon buckets are getting heavy for an old lady!
Tomorrows plans are still up in the air; there are two Labor Day parades nearby, but one is in the city and I don't go there unless absolutely necessary. The other is closer to home, but the grandkids have other plans, so we will probably skip it as well. I reckon I'll just stick to buying coffee for the union construction workers - some of whom have the sticker from my father's union - IBEW - on their hard hats - who are building the addition to the hospital where I work.
Hubby wants to go to town to look for work pants tomorrow; I'd go along and take the trailer to load with mulch but the temps are supposed to be back into the 90's and I'm just not quite that foolish! Instead, I'm hoping to make some low-sugar black cherry jam - picked up black cherries for 99 cents/lb at the store, so will pit those, chop 'em up and see if I can't get get a few jars of jam ready to go in the pantry. I like to fix a half pint jar about 2/3 full of yogurt, drop in a spoonful of homemade low-sugar jam, then top it with granola to carry to work for breakfast; cherry jam will be nice to add to the Dutch apple, strawberry, peach, black raspberry and blackberry I have lurking in the fridge at the moment
Not sure how it will go with peanut butter, but I'm likely to find out! Daughter has some squeeze bottles that she loads with my homemade jams and jellies, then keeps in the fridge for the kids to use in making pbj's - have to watch out for the youngest one squeezing jelly right into his mouth; otherwise it works out pretty well - and saves the mess of dropped glass jars, or sticky knives on the counter.I also need to pull the chicken I bought on sale last week out of the freezer and into a cooler to thaw slowly so that I can work on getting it canned Tuesday...
Vacation? What is the meaning of this word vacation.....
Take care all; wishing you a fabulous week!
I want to get another bag of cat food and some more dog food to stay ahead of the game. Got my order of toilet paper and deodorant from amazon and I picked up more tp at the grocer store for a good price. Restocking paper goods, laundry detergent and a few other non perishables so we will be in better shape as winter comes. I also found more pop lights, I will put a couple of packages in my storage tote then put new ones in the bathrooms and bedrooms. Makes it easier when the power goes out.