Eating the Elephant!

So, this morning the Husb and I were in the yard early and worked for two hours on the elephant.  So hence forth our yard will be called the elephant!

Husb got the stone border in on the left side of the House and is leveling the dirt for mulch. (Still need to buy mulch).  I managed to pick a lot more rock (oh Joy) and get two more rose bushes fertilized.  Also moved one rose bush from the right side of the house and I hope it makes it.  We shall see.

To fertilize I had to dig a trench 18" from each bush 10" deep and this was a chore. Each of these trenches were just full of small rock.  Remember this house is 100 years old and I think rock was the old mulch.

I then mixed organic rose tone in fresh dirt from a back garden bed, and it was full of worms!  Good dirt!

Auntie and Sissy were over for dinner last night and we had prime rib sandwiches and a large salad. Sissy and Dan then went to Home Depot to get a new rototiller, and Auntie helped me with dishes. It was so nice to be in the kitchen with her and we just laughed and talked and solved the problems of the world.  She is so thankful to be able to hear.  Her whole life is opening up again!

Tonight, it will be prime rib stew and gluten free popovers.  I put the three bones, covered with meat along with homemade bone broth, and beef broth in the crock pot and it is cooking away.  Will sauté mushrooms, onion and carrot when I get home this afternoon and then do the potatoes.

I learned long ago that to make a good soup or stew it is the layering of flavors that starts with a rich broth that you then thicken.  I will use gluten free flour to make the rue as a Friend is coming to dinner who is gluten free.

WE will be very tired of prime rib, but I just did not want to freeze it as I think is loses the great flavor.

Husb and I did not get to Home Depot yesterday as the weather was terrible and just worked around the house.

We will definitely go today once we get cleaned up.  I also need to stop by Winco for eggs, xanthan gum and some berries.

I think I will make Creme Brule for dessert.

We are getting stronger every day and this is good.  My thighs and knees are no longer so sore.

Sissy is with a Friend today, and they drove to a Temple to do genealogy work and will be back later this evening.  I will have dinner for them.  Auntie is at Kim's, and I will pick her up after we get our errands run today.

Now it is 10:09 and I must clean up and do my morning chores.  I must also get our gardening clothes into the wash as they can stand up by themselves.

 Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Hugs,

Kay

 

I am so sore!

Yes, I have discovered muscles I did not know I had. Husb is also very sore, and Sissy is used to this kind of work, so she is just tired.

I left off Friday when we were going to Sister's lunch.  Auntie did very well, and no adjustments were needed.  However, we were in a secluded tall booth so this might have helped.

Her next venture out we will aim for a more open dining experience.

The weather was glorious this weekend and Sissy and Husb worked in our yard all day Saturday and I cooked and cleaned and entertained Auntie.  I was so sore I could barely move from Friday's garden workout.

I had pulled a prime rib from Sissy's freezer and cooked that yesterday with baked potatoes and asparagus hollandaise.  Sissy made her homemade rolls.  It was delicious!  We had her Neighbor and Friend from Church and there is still a ton of leftover rib, but I have plans.  Sent everyone home with leftovers. I also whipped up a pistachio dessert (Auntie loves this) and made the bottom layer with gluten free flour as one of the Guests is gluten intolerant to the max.  I wanted her to enjoy also.  There was absolutely no difference in taste!

I am trying to establish a new habit and that is to work in the yard every morning I am home for at least two hours, weather permitting.  I was able to get 1.5 hours in before I got rained out!  I am also less sore.  It will take time for these old muscles to adjust!  If I do not put this time in it will take two years if not longer.  So much hardscape to move.

This morning, I was able to get two of the four rose bushes fertilized, so two more to go and then I can move in more soil from the front, and Husb has to set a hardscape border for me, but I have all the stones I need placed, so he does not have to get down on his knees so much.

I now need to clean up and do my morning chores.  We are then going to go to Home Depot for the edging we need for the front and the side path.  We may go to a Nursery in Clarkston and look at Hosta's.  I know the price at Home Depot, and we need ten of them, but I trust a real Nursery more, so we are going to compare prices. A little more expense will not bother me as I feel that the plants are healthier.

Need to call Sissy and see if She and Auntie want to come for dinner.  I will make prime rib sandwiches and a big salad.

Now I must get to work!

Everyone have a wonderful day!

Kay

 

Friday and a beautiful day!

Up early this morning and got my morning routine done.  Put on my gardening clothes and spent three hours outside eating the elephant.  So much work to do, but eventually it will get done.

I am working on the right side of the House where we have two very large beautiful rose bushes, and we are getting rid of the rock and placing mulch.  Getting that rock out of the dirt is a lot of work. We also have two small tea rose bushes to move from the left side of the house to the right and hopefully we can get that done this afternoon.  We will then get the water turned on and I will fertilize the large bushes.  Then ground cloth will go down and new red mulch.

Husb is working on taking the dead from the large rose bushes at the rear of the yard.  This project is going to take so much put and take and I am very sore.

I am inside now to clean up so I can get to Sisters Lunch.  We will take Auntie for her first visit out to a Restaurant with her new hearing aids. Restaurants can be tough so we will work on how to adjust the aids if necessary.  This is one of our assignments for the week from the Audiologist.

After lunch I must take Auntie to get a prescription filled and then to TJ Maxx to do a return.

I will then come home and don my gardening clothes again and work for a couple more hours.

Sissy and Auntie came for dinner last night and we had such a good time as Auntie could truly participate. She said it is whole new world. We had a lot of laughs over the new sounds she is experiencing.

Sissy and I have decided we are ordering pizza tonight as we will be too tired to cook!  I did pull a prime rib from Sissy's freezer on Wednesday to thaw and we will have that Sunday and invite some People over to share.

I see prime rib sandwiches next week and prime rib soup in the future.

Now I must go get cleaned up, I am a mess.

Have a wonderful and blessed day!

Hugs,

Kay

Pure Joy!

 Yesterday was simply pure joy!  No other way to describe it!

Auntie can hear and when the aids were fitted the Dr. went and stood behind Auntie and said very softly; Anne can you hear me?  She said yes and the tears came flowing without bidding.  My mascara was in my armpits, and I did not even care.  A rebirth of sorts.

It has been so long since She could hear anything.  She was afraid of her own voice, but this will pass.

The appointment was long and very thorough.  There is a huge learning curve, but she will be with us for almost another month, and we have time to get the bugs worked out.

We will extend her stay if we think it will take more time.

The Dr.'s office is very soundproof, and the outside world is now opened up.  Traffic, the blinker on a Car. the flushing of a toilet...all the little white noises we ignore have come rushing back to greet her.

Going deaf is such a gradual thing for most people, that the random sounds of life are forgotten.  It will take time for her brain to relearn all the sounds and then to ignore them.

But suffice it to say, when I wrote that check I did not even blink, so worth it in every way!  I would do it again and again!

Now I have to get to work!

Hugs,

Kay

Busy last several days!

 Okay I left you all on Saturday when I was taking Auntie to Moscow to do some shopping.

Well sort of a bust!  Still crappy fast fashion clothing and nothing I would buy or wear that I needed.

We were able to find Auntie two new pair of jeans and a pair of high-quality bell-bottom jogging trousers and that was it.

To buy anything of quality one must either go five hours south to Boise, four and a half hours west to Missoula Montana, or two hours north to Spokane Washington.  I refuse to buy clothes online as they are usually poor quality and do not fit!  But Auntie and I had a nice time.

Auntie at 90 is really frail and she tires easily, so any journeys longer than an hour will require and overnight stay so she can nap.  We shall, see?

On Saturday while Auntie and I were out and about, Sissy and Husb worked very, very hard on her garden project and it is coming along, but so much more work to do.  Sissy cooked Saturday night, but I do not remember what?

Sunday morning, I made eight dozen chocolate chip walnut cookies to empty the freezer a bit more. Took half of them to the neighbor kids across the street.  Some went to Kim's for the Grands and some for the Husb this week.

We then went up to Sissy's and she was going downhill fast.  So, I spent the night to keep things on an even keel.

Worked on her Freezer on Monday morning and cooked all day long.  I was able to use up four large heads of cabbage that were turning and made six large pans of stuffed cabbage rolls and two pans of porcupine meatballs in tomato sauce.  I have pulled a prime rib for this coming Sunday.

I also spent Monday night with Sissy and let her lounge all day Monday (except for two bride visits) as she was not feeling well and exhausted.

Home on Tuesday to try and get things caught up. thank goodness my Husband was at home and on top of things.  I had several loads of laundry to do which I got done and was able to do more organizing of both freezers.  It is apparent to both Sissy and I that we can go at least another month with very little grocery shopping.

WE got a phone call yesterday that Aunties hearing aids were in and will take her this afternoon for her first fitting and we are very excited.  I will not be excited when I write the check!

It was just so crazy this weekend and on Monday Auntie said to me, someone left you a Birthday gift and I opened it to find a beautiful quilt wall hanging which will be going in my guest bedroom (purple room) and will be perfect.  I have been searching for the right thing for above the bed and this will be it!  Will do a reveal when I get it hung.

Today I ran to Albertsons for some loss leaders and then worked for about two hours in the yard.  I also planned meals for the next three days.  

I also set my budget for this month and last month was horrible, but I was able to fund my sinking accounts and a little to savings.  It will get easier when Auntie goes home.  Eating out was a disaster!

I now need to go into the kitchen and process two large bags of walnuts (as in toast and grind) for future baking as I used the last in the cookies.  I also need to shred a three-pound block of cheddar cheese and flash freeze it and then get it in small bags for future use. The shredded cheese that can be purchased in grocery stores is just yuck! But I have been known to use it in a pinch!

When I get that done, I will clean up and head to Sissy's to get Auntie and get to her appointment.  I live a crazy life!

Hugs.

K

Whew, March was a spendy month!

 Just went over my budget for the month and I knew it was going to be bad, and it is but...

Company is expensive and we take care of Auntie for the most part, as in clothes and necessities when she gets here for a couple of months. I always send her home with an extra-large suitcase.  Filling that suitcase it wicked this year.

Because Sissy has some major expenses this year, I agreed to take Auntie on and well let's just say that when I write that check for her hearing aids in April it is going to be ugly.  (Sissy will help with this also but just puts her behind on her goals) I also need a crown in May.  So even though I was able to bank all my sinking funds, my regular savings goals will have to be cut in half for the next five months and maybe six.  That is okay.  

It is imperative to Sissy and I that Auntie have good quality of life for as long as she has it, I am just shocked at the price of things for seniors.  Especially those living on a very limited budget.

I am taking Auntie and getting her out of Dodge for the day.  We will drive north to Moscow (about an hour away) where there is a little more shopping than Lewiston.  Auntie needs some new jeans and sweaters.  Hers are looking tired, and she has always been such a fashionista, and I want it to continue.  It brings her joy.

So, more money spent.

Auntie and Sissy came for dinner last night and I was trying out my new air fryer.  I am not that impressed, and my Fish sandwiches were good as well as the tots, but after following the recipes to the letter, I found that things were not as crisp as I would have liked, and it saved me very little time.  I could have done better with the oven and my deep fryer for flavor as far as I am concerned.

I will keep trying and my Husband loves the appliance. So, if any readers have any suggestions, I am all ears.

Strawberry shortcake for dessert and then we played a rousing game of Yahtzee as we all love to play games and with Auntie being so deaf, she can participate.

I also think my Apple watch is taking a dump as it would not charge this morning and it is five years old, well past its prime, but a new one will be $500.00.  Yikes!  I just put it back on the different charger and it seems to be charging.  We shall see.

Now the Husb is going to help Sissy in her yard while I take Auntie on a field trip.  Have no idea what is for dinner and will cross that bridge when I bring Auntie Home for a late afternoon nap!

Now everyone have a great day and thanks for listening to me whine!

Hugs.

Kay

Yard work like laundry is always with you!

If I allowed my Cat Bud outside this is where he would be!

I had a wonderful me day yesterday with a quick trip to Sissies to take her a 1/2 gallon of milk, bananas and apple juice as she had a sick Grandchild.

I got all my ironing done and the basement completely dusted and vacuumed.  Halleluiah!

Got to the grocery store for a few things and worked on my upstairs freezer.

I then did two more hours of hard weed and stone removal, and we had leftovers for dinner.

Fish Sandwiches and Tator tots for dinner tonight (we always practice the old Catholic ways during lent) as I am going to try my new air fryer my nieces bought me for my birthday.  I have wanted one for a long time and just could not make myself buy one.  It is big and I will have to do some rearranging in my lower cupboard where I pulled my dishwasher.

Storing large appliances is a pain and I have a ton of room in the basement, but I hate going down those wicked stairs.  I am truly a work in process and the storage will come to me as I live with the space.

Was up early this morning and as soon as the sun came out, I went and spent another 1.5 hours on the front stone removal, and it is done for the large stones.  All weeds are pulled and now I must move small rock from one side so I can have a large stump ground out and then move it back.

The weather is rainy and much colder today, but I persevered.  I am now a wicked muddy mess and must get downstairs and clean up so I can meet my sisters for sisters' lunch.  I also wore out a good set of gardening gloves.  A pair usually lasts me two days.  I have tried them all, so invest in relatively cheap ones.

Now off I go to get cleaned up and finish my morning routine.

Everyone have a lovely day!

Kay