Yesterday we bought the crock for the sour kraut.  Then this morning an Email from Mrs Dof sent me running for my credit card.  The message contained a link to Lehman’s which advertised a crock lid, a crock board, and a paddle.  All items Jay had mentioned that would be good to have.  Well they are on their way and I expect to see some tasty kraut soon. 

A delivery from the people who furnished my wheel chair came yesterday. 

The chair came with the standard leg lifts.  My legs however are longer which resulted in the foot rest hitting mycast on the lower part of the heel.  Also I could not rest the back of my leg against the pad without pressure to the bottom of my foot.

The new lifts are called SMART LEGS.  As the lift is raised the ends telescope out allowing the leg to fit into the area comfortably and the back of the leg to rest on the pads reducing stress on the back of the leg and knee.  So if heaven forbid you need a wheel chair and you are long legged don’t forget to ask for SMART LEGS. 

We say goodbye.

(picture from The Flint Journal)

The first movie Jay and I ever saw together was THE STING starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.  We have seen many of his performances since.  We have read of the work for children he has done with his Newman food products.  His love for car racing.  His long marriage to Joanne Woodward.  His political activism.  But for me it will be those beautiful blue eyes I will miss the most.  Rest easy now your work is done.

Two days from now I will know if my healing is on track or if my careless walking on it has done some damage.  I’m getting antsy to know!

Now on to the campaign for the President and the Vice of these United States.  I have avoided this subject but I must confess I have been annoyed, upset. and even confused by the actions taking place.  I won’t even pretend to know all the issues, or the personalities, or the ‘what will happen ifs’!  I will however state that this crisis our nation is in will not be cured by a new President immediately.  Like losing weight it took a while to gain it and it will take just as long to lose it. 

I am so tired of hearing ‘what is wrong with my opponent and the opposite party’.  I want to hear that the leaders of this country are aware that people are losing their homes, that not every citizen was able to get a degree in a job that is left in this country,  That milk costs as much as gasoline, that people are getting sicker and even dying due to lack of decent health care.  I have sat through “let us make fuel out of corn” and then hearing that converting it is expensive.  Not to mention what do we eat when this is an accepted method for fuel.  How long will crops like beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. be grown when corn is the ‘cash crop’? 

When do we stop hearing about the noise the wind generators make and the dangers they may present when we need all the alternative energy sources we can find.  What happened to using flowing water to generate electricity.  Surely every river, stream, or source of water has not dried up in this nation.

We seem to be the target of ‘make them run scared and you can lead them like sheep’.  Well I’m not a sheep!  I want my right to privacy, my right to make a living and pay my bills, to raise my children to respect other people rights and property.  To lead this country you have to have people who will take a chance, change an accepted way, yet still look back on the ideas that built this country. 

We as a Nation have lost our credibility.  We have been so full of ourselves about how all people of the world should live, should worship, should raise their families, and rule their people that we feel we are the only ones that are right. 

The President’s speech the other night was very informative but where were the facts about the job losses due to the greed of companies for higher profits.  True, many of the jobs sent overseas are entry level, sit and talk type things but that leaves our untrained people with no way to make a living, pay their bills. and afford to increase their knowledge through education.  I must say I can’t buy your cars, trucks, appliances, your stock and bonds, and your houses if I don’t have a job.  He also omitted the money sent over seas to help other countries. The fact that we have to borrow from China to survive.  That many tax breaks helped to plow us under.  That our major companies are being bought by foreign interests.  That the little incentive bonus we got this summer will cancel our tax returns next year. That his leadership has caused a good amount of our deficit as well.

Then the debate was a farce.  One man saying I know those people, I’ve been there, so I can do the job.  Well he certainly wasn’t using his wealth of knowledge here lately.  The statement, “He doesn’t understand” repeatedly used about his opponent was annoying.  More time was spent correcting statement of half truth than presenting ideas to help cure the current crisis.  The time spent could have been used better standing on a corner with a sign saying will work for food.

This business that women will swing to McCain’s camp because Clinton didn’t get the nomination makes me wonder if our females are so prejudiced or just ignorant that they would do this. 

I am so looking forward to the VP debate.  I know nothing about Senator Biden (no I didn’t Google him) and I’m curious to know if Palin is as scattered as she appears to be or is it an act.

Please feel free to argue with me—it is how I learn.  Or you can just ignore this post If you have had enough.

If you haven’t figured it out my choice for President of these United States of America Is Barack Obama.  ( I for one don’t care what color he is if he does his best). For Vice President who ever ends up running with him. 
 

Last Thursday our Brandy was back at Doggy Depot for a bath and trim.  She was starting to look like an Ewok again and the eyes were beginning to weep so it was a necessary trip.  I drove and sat in the truck while Jay walked her in.  We went out for breakfast ( a big treat for me) and then went by the Chevy dealership to get a running light replaced.  We then picked up Brandy and headed home. 

Yesterday we were out shopping again, with me in the truck, and Jay doing the running.  See Jay’s Jammin’  for our objectives. 

The highlight of our day today was having Shawn drive 40 miles one way to do this because she is our dear friend.

Yes both Jay and I got our hair cut on the deck today.  We fed her Herb Tomato soup, grilled cheese sandwiches with Tomato Chutney, and peach cobbler.  Jay took her down to the food room and she picked out some things to take home. 

Tomorrow we will go pick up the crock so Jay can start his sauerkraut.  This is something he has wanted to try for a long time but the crock he got from his cousin had two chips in it.  We decided it was easier to buy a new one than to try to patch the one we have.  The size of the old one is too big for our needs anyway.  So again I get to drive and he does the walking.

It is now four days to appointment day!

———that needed doing for a long time.  Somehow yesterday we got on the subject of spices.  In the conversation I mentioned that the Rosemary jar was very low and needed refilling .  This led to what else needed to be ordered and before you know it the big plastic box and the smaller blue one had been dragged from the cabinet and unto the kitchen table.  Jay got a small yellow pad of paper and an ink pen to note the shortages. 

Being a household with someone ( hubby) who loves to cook and can there is a multitude of containers—-glass, plastic. and cellophane envelopes piled into the two boxes, on the counter, and in the cupboards.  To try to find a specific spice took a few minutes that could have been spent actually cooking.  So it was agreed that we would go through this stash one container at a time combining the small packages, transferring from envelops and plastic containers to glass jars.  disposing on old or unused items, and labeling clearly what was in each jar.  Also Jay noted each item that we were low on to reorder. 

The process took around three hours but the results were amazing.  In new glass containers frequently used items like Hungarian Paprika, brown mustard seed, whole nutmegs, rubbed sage. dried ginger, Rosemary, Thyme, and allspice were placed on a Lazy Susan on the counter top.  The Parsley leaves, Oregano, garlic powder and salt, cinnamon sticks and powder, chives, and basil for example were placed in one of the upper cupboards.  The large plastic container contains lesser used items like coriander, star anise., ginger nibs, poultry seasoning, sesame seed, dill weed, and caraway seed.  The yellow mustard seed, turmeric, and celery seed that we use primarily for canning were placed down in the food room.  I didn’t name every thing we have because I can’t remember it all.  However we do now have a semblance of order in our storage and have already order the items we were short on.  The little blue box has been freed up to use for another purpose.

It may not sound like a lot to accomplish but it does bring a bit of satisfaction to my mind that we got it done. 

Two years ago at this time our deck was being completed off the back of the dome.  We were delighted with the results and even sat out at the umbrella table a couple of times to read last year.  But basically it went unused due to the bees swarming.  I had promised Silver Fox   that I would send her a picture of us sitting on the new deck, using the beautiful mugs she had sent us, enjoying our coffee.
But it seemed every time someone was here to take the picture we forgot to have it done.  Maybe soon Maria!!!

Basically I wanted to mention that yesterday my sweet hubby brought our grilled cheese with homemade Tomato Chutney out on the deck and we had lunch for the first time out there.  We still have some bees but as long as we didn’t bother them they left us alone too.  Sitting there I thought of all those precious times we wasted over the last two years by not being out there.  After the cast is off I have promised myself I will sit out there as long as the good weather holds and I’ll definitely use it next year. 

For now the 74 degree weather is gorgeous.  I may try walking to the swing with the walker for a while this afternoon. I could use a little fresh air with my Jeffrey Deaver novel.  I have been ignoring Brandy’s time with me in the swing lately.

Well it is now eight days until I go back to get the cast changed.  I’m hoping that my some times walking on that foot didn’t do any real damage but we will know soon enough.  We will have to do what we have to do if it needs correcting.

Here is a picture of Jay’s Green Gage plum tree still holding it’s own in the side yard.  Unfortunately the peach tree didn’t make it so we will have to decide what to do about that this fall.

Well my friend the sunshine is calling me so I’ll close for now.  Keep Laughing!

A trip to McDaniel’s farm market on Saturday evening had us ending up with Sunday’s project. 

To see the results please visit Jay’s Jammin’

When getting ready to post today I glanced out the French doors and spotted a visitor in the back yard.  He came from behind the shed, investigated the planting barrels,and crawled into two of them to find lunch.

Jay says it was a ground hog.  The best I could do picture-wise was his body in the melon barrel.  Attempts for a full picture didn’t turn out.

This is what you have to do when you don’t do what the doctor tells you to do. 

1. You don’t walk on it! 
  But old brain dead me keeps stepping down on it without thinking.
2. You don’t spill water on it or walk on wet floors with it.
  If you do the bottom wants to fall out of the heel of the cast!
      (see rule one).
3. You try to keep it dry when you lean over the tub to wash your hair.
    I find water splashing on my leg. the cast. and the floor after this project.
    (see rule two)
4. Keep the foot elevated.
    Easier said then done. (you know the whole thing is going to swell but it feels so good at the start to let it hang down).
    Of course the pain from the cast againist foot and leg remind you to put it up stupid.
5. Call the nurse at the Doctor’s office about what to do.
    Explain the cast disintegrating under the heel ( feeling stones when you walk on it), tell her when it is do to be changed (within two weeks), not knowing
      whether to come in or not.
6. Nurse’s advice:
    Find duct tape and reenforce the heel.  Try to follow rule 1, 2, & 4 until your appointment time and call her if any problems occur.

So another worry is floating away like a feather on a breeze.  Will I do it——I’ll try but you know being an old lady automaticly mean (yeah right, whatever you say, and maybe).

Our label for the 20 pints of Cinnamon Pears looked like this.  After Edna gathered them up for us we felt she and Bob should be named on the label too.  She laughed when she saw it today. 

I started the job of peeling this morning.  It is a good thing I don’t need feet to peel pears—only a faithful Brandy keeping an eye on me from the floor. 

With Jay starting the jars, setting up the counter for filling them and making a syrup with Ceylonese cinnamon I didn’t have stand or carry anything.
I knelt with the cast on a cushioned chair to fill the jars as Jay took care of getting the jars from the dishwasher, the lids, rings, and getting the jars in the canning kettle.

He also took care of getting them out of the kettle and onto a towel to cool. 

The results sitting on the counter this evening testify that this is teamwork to accomplish another delightful taste come winter time.

It was back out to McDaniel’s Farm Market tonight for a half a bushel of Roma tomatoes because we figured we were short on the amount of plain tomatoes we are going to need.  We also thought we might make a little more Tomato Chutney while we were at It.  So that is tomorrow’s project.

There is this little voice in the back of my head that keeps whispering you thought you were done didn’t you and I have to smile!!!

A beautiful 70 degrees outside with blue skies, and several spears on the Butterfly bush almost through blooming.  It did take on some height this last month as you can see by the white stake beside it.

Yesterday Cindy and David came up to help us do what needed to be done and it was quite a day.  David moved the air conditioner out of the kitchen window and down into the basement for the winter. He put the screen back up for me. He set up my sewing machine so I could do some mending for Cindy. His next assignment was to take me shopping at the grocery store.  I chose to use the wheelchair rather than the motorized chair provided by the store.  A fear of running some one down was the basic reason.  Any way we started with a list about 30 or so items long.  I took the lead and David followed behind me pulling the cart.  The things I could reach he took from me to place in the cart.  Those that I couldn’t get he reached for and place them there also.  He did a retrace for a couple of items that I had passed by originally without complaint.  Actually a very pleasant time spent together for me at least. 

Cindy made my bed with clean sheets while I mended some things for her.  She was busy getting my thread box, the scissors, and patching material from around the house.  She generally straightened things and then she took Jay to Sam’s Club for the needed staples there.  The list wasn’t as long as the grocery store but the store being bigger meant getting around needed more stamina than I had. 

When both trucks were back home and the groceries were put away we went out to Millington for supper.  After supper Cindy, David and I played Rummy and Jay slept on the couch.  We played only one game and I won it.  We had accomplished some chores, did the shopping , and still had time to chat a bit before they left for home. 

Today was a bit of a lazy day.  I worked on my needlepoint while Jay was at dialysis. I did the usual feed the pets, gather up clothes for the washer, fill the dishwasher, and straighten the counters and tables. 

This evening our friend Edna showed up with this project for us to do tomorrow.

You are looking at what we hope will be home canned Cinnamon Pears before we are through.  They came from a tree in Edna’s yard bless her heart.  Even with a hubby under the weather she still took time to gather these for us.  Thank you Edna.

Roughly a month ago, lacking 8 days,  I left the hospital promising my roommate at that time that I was going to send her homemade jam.  I finally got around to packing up three jars of jam, an Apple Rhubarb Chutney, and a Bruchetta In A Jar.  The box is now sitting on a table at my front door waiting for my mail lady to pick it up. 

It is on it’s way Helen—-Enjoy!

But not just one bad day—-at least three or four so I am requesting that all right handed people form a long line at the right.  Now all left handed people line up on the left hand side.  When you are ready raise your foot and plant a swift one in my ass.  I’m serious—-I have sat here for the last few days saying my foot hurts, I can’t think straight,  things are not getting better.  All negative and very convenient for a sad sack to wallow in.  So after this luxury of feeling sorry for myself (all unnecessarily I must add.) it is time to as they used to say straighten up and fly right!!!.

Jay’s shoulder with the new stent in it is giving him some pain also so we are a really sad couple of complainers. 

Cindy just called and said if she felt up to it she would be up Thursday to bring a little sunshine into my day and also beat me at a card game.  I miss the visitors but I also find it difficult to cope with them if they are here. 

Well it is pushing 6:00 pm and I’ve made up my mind to make supper. So I close with thought.—It is better to pee down the right leg into your slipper than the left into your cast which is hard to control without a penis.  Now sit and picture that for a while—-are you smiling yet????? 

I’m going to start supper now.