Things I don't like

Greetings all....there are a lot of things that I don't like.  I don't like knowing that roaches are crawling over the dishes in my cupboard, on my stovetop, on my cabinets and everything else that is anywhere.  I detest the critters but once they get into your home, they become entrenched.  I've just had to let the aversion of these nasty insects go by the wayside and  trust  my immune system to deal with any germs I may come in contact with.  I have my house sprayed once a month, but I really don't like having to do this.  I know the chemicals are bad for you, but what else can I do?  I do open all of my windows for several hours after spraying and I'm sure this helps a lot.

I also hate having to intensely look all around for snakes every time I open any doorway going outside my house.  I've also had to learn to live with this aversion.   We had a snake in the house once last summer for three days and when I finally found it, and my husband shot it, I realized just how tensed up I was.  I can remember breathing deeply for the first time in three days.

I also hate it when we have a very dry, hot summer.  I'm getting to the age that having to water plants is a real chore.  I have to hire someone to do this now and even to weed my flower beds, as the heat really bothers me; hot flashes and 90 degrees just don't go together.  I really don't like summertime because of the heat.  I usually have to stay inside most of the summer in the air conditioning.

There are a lot of other things that I hate, but the list is too long to iterate.

On my next blog, I'll list the things that I love.  Farewell all, Nana

Getting ready for Christmas

Greeting, all - Hope today finds all of you well and prosperous.

  Today is the first day in 6 wks. that I haven't had to do something for someone other than myself.  What a great feeling!  I slept until 9:30 AM, something I never do, got up and piddled around and now it's lunch time.  I have to go to the bank and to the post office, but I wanted to post my blog first.  I don't know why I keep doing this, because I don't think anyone reads it but my cousin and I.  Oh well, maybe one day someone will find this site and find what I have to say, if not informative, interesting.

I've got to get back to beading.  I had a request for some rings from some of the girls who work at the bank where  my granddaughter works, but really don't have the time to make anything right now, as  I want to make my granddaughter and daughter some items for Christmas, and also my great-granddaughter.  Also, I have to start on my great-granddaughter's Christmas dress this week.   So much to do, in so little time.  I did sell a pair of earrings yesterday to a customer of mine.  The crazy thing is, I really didn't want to sell them; I want everything I make.  I guess I'll have to make another pair for myself.

I'm having ambivalent feelings concerning putting up Christmas decorations this year.  I really don't want to do anything, but feel guilty for having no Christmas spirit.  I'll probably relent right before the big day and do something, although it won't be much, maybe decorate the mantle and set a few poinsettias
around.

Well, time's a wastin', so I'll close for now.  Adieu, Nana

After Thanksgiving

Hello everyone,  hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and fantastic food.  I didn't cook a turkey this year, it was just too much to even think about.  I baked a large chicken and  did a lot of different things to it.  I squeezed lemon juice all over the chicken and put sliced lemon and fresh rosemary in the cavity.  I also added lots of fresh rosemary on the top and a cup of white wine.  After doing all of this extraneous stuff, I couldn't really tell that much difference in the flavor of the chicken, although it was very moist.  I also made two pecan pies using the pecans from our trees across the street.  Needless to say, they were very, very good.  So good, if fact, that I ate nearly a whole pie.  It's been twenty years since I've made a pecan pie, so I thought I'd better eat as much as I could because it will be another twenty years before I make another one.  I also had candied yams, stuffing, peas, rolls and tea.  Not too fancy, but good enough.

My husband is still in the bed, going on five weeks now.  Hopefully, he will have the Meniscal tear in his knee arthoscopically mended Thursday.  He doesn't have to have a knee replacement, thank the Lord, so his recovery will be much faster.  He's been amazingly patient through all of this, for someone who hardly ever sat down before.  

We're both looking forward to being able to do our own thing once again.  Freedom is an awful thing to lose.  It's something we don't think about until it's taken away from us and then we realize just how precious it is.  It's being removed from the American people, day by day, by our current administration in Washington, DC.  I know a lot of Americans are very upset that they voted for such a liberal Democrat; in fact, the most liberal Senator who ever served (?).   The parties have changed.  The Democrats used to be conservative but now are liberal and the Republicans used to be liberal but are now conservative.  It's very hard for older Democrats to believe this.  In fact, a lot of them just refuse to believe it and they really don't see it.  I guess not, listening to the liberal media brain washing them, day after day, with their liberal swill concerning the Obama administration.  The only news to watch is FOX  news.  At least, they are "fair and balanced."

Time to get off of this computer and get some things done.  Have a wonderful day.  Nana

Quote for the day - Don't be so humble - you are not that great - Golda Meir

  Greetings readers - Well, my husband didn't have surgery today.  The medical transport  people picked him up, took him to his supposed appt. for surgery and, guess what, all they did was talk to him about his MRI.

Needless to say, he was irate and let them know it.    To date, his scheduled surgery is to be on 12/10/09 - two more weeks to lay in the bed and writhe with pain.  His GP is trying to find another surgeon to operate but with the holidays looming, I don't know if he will be able to.

So, we'll just have to make the best of a horrible situation.  Neither one of us has ever been in this sort of situation before and, believe me, it is very hard.   All in all, I hope this trial will produce more  patience, tolerance and acceptance.  Everything happens for a reason.

Because we both have suffered so much, we decided to really treat ourselves to a good supper tonight.  He had jalapenos stuffed with cheddar and a steak sub on whole wheat bread.  I had fettucini with tomato sauce and antipasto salad - YUM YUM !!!  Somehow, really good food always helps one to feel better, especially when there'll be leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

Haven't had time to bead today, too busy changing and washing sheets, towels, etc. and fixing food to eat and taking a nap to recharge my system.  A nap really helps me to recharge.  Even if I don't do anything but doze, just putting my head down on a pillow, even for twenty minutes, makes me feel like a new person.

I guess I'll be home for Thanksgiving after all.  I had planned to spend this Thanksgiving with my parents and family out of state, but my husband has to have someone care for him.  My children have already made other plans, so I guess it'll just be me and the spouse.  I'll probably just cook a chicken and have dressing, sweet potatoes, corn, tea and a dessert.  I just can't deal with a turkey right now; it requires too much energy to deal with.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving with  your respective families and we'll talk later.  Adios - Nana

What's Happening?

Hello all, I haven't been able to post for a while now, as things have been pretty hectic around here.

My husband has been in the bed for 13 straight days now with a bad knee.  This has been very hard for him as he's a very active person and hates to be still.  He's held up remarkably well, though, and I'm proud of him.

Of course, I've had to wait on him, hand and foot, but that's okay, too.  I'm surprised at how well I've done, also.  Needless to say,  this has been a very trying experience for both of us, but, hopefully it's coming to an end tomorrow when he will have knee replacement surgery.

A lot of his friends have had this surgery with very good success and I know he'll have success, too.

I've been busy, when I'm not waiting on him, beading.  Of course, I've been beading.  This is my new favorite pastime.   So far, I've made 25 beaded rings.  The ones I make now are my own designs and, when I look at them on my fingers, I can't believe I made them.  (I wear one on each finger, including thumbs...just kidding.)

Hopefully, after my husband's surgery, I'll have time to start my great-granddaughter's Christmas dress - time is really getting short now.  I can't believe Christmas is only 4 weeks away.  I still haven't done any Christmas shopping.  I really don't have to do a lot because I give money, but the grands need to have some presents to open Christmas morning, don't they?

The leaves are still hanging on some of the trees (no pun intended).  We had a bad nor'easter a couple of weeks ago and the wind was very strong at around 60 mph sustained.  There was a lot of flooding, but not too bad in our area.  Norfolk, Va. had a lot of flooding and tree damage.  I'm so glad that's over.  I got very tired of listening to the wind howling.  It gets on ones nerves after a while.

I went to Sam's Club for the first time in years yesterday.  I didn't buy very much, but the price sure looked like I did.  I want to go back and take my cooler and really take the time to look at everything.  The great-grands were along, so we had to keep checking on them.  All in all, it was a very nice day and I did get some cleaning supplies and enough toilet paper to last a year.

Until next time, adieu - Nana

QUOTE FOR THE DAY - Growing old isn't for sissies. Betty Davis

Greetings Neighbors:  What's going on in your part of the world?  Same old same old here.  Another day spent totally in the house, although it was beautiful outside.  It was 57 degrees this morning and felt so good when I stuck my head out of the front door.  Today was babysitting day, therefore I didn't have time to go anywhere.

My great-grandson had the croup for the first time this year.  He was croup-free all summer.  His doctors thinks his episodes could be allergy related.  He had to go to the doctor for a nebulizer treatment but seems to be feeling much better.

I spent most of the day playing with my great-granddaughter.   She was rather sedated today; not her usual animated self.  When she left with my daughter at 2:00 PM, I decided to do a little beading.  I made a lovely beaded ring.  It's approximately seventeen centimeters wide and has several colors in it.  It is made totally of number eleven seed beads.  It was very hard to do and took over one and one-half hours to make.  Hopefully, the next one will take a lot less time.  It's too small to wear on my ring finger, so it will have to worn on my pinkie finger.  I will wear it; I wear everything I make and enjoy wearing it.

As you all can see, my life is not very exciting.  I did get excited today, though it wasn't from happiness, when I found out that Barack Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  Unbelievable!  There are so many more people in the world worthy of this award; Obama isn't.  Since his election, there's been nothing but unrest in this country.  Why is he trying so hard to kill America?  I pray every night for God to protect us from Obamanation and his administration.  I know he's reached out to the despots of the world but I don't believe that you can communicate or reason with fanatics, namely radical Islam.  Their main goal is to kill Christians and Jews and to impose Sharia law over democracy;  they're making great strides in this country, as well as Europe, concerning this although America is finally beginning to see that radical Islam is the biggest threat to the world in the twenty-first century.

I challenge all of you to get on your computers and research Islam and what they really believe.  Go the the website americancongressfortruth.com.  The author of this website is a former Lebanese muslim whose family was befriended by the Jews and finally saw that everything that they had been taught, since birth, concerning the Jews, was a lie.   Her book, Because They Hate, is very informative.  I would highly recommend it.  It will really open your eyes as to what is really going on in this country and around the world.

Time for Fox News.  Have a good evening all of you liberals and conservatives out there.   Nana

QUOTE FOR THE DAY - Laughter is an instant vacation - Milton Berle

Hello everyone,  I haven't been able to blog for the past few days due to my busy, busy lifestyle; eating and sleeping really takes up a lot of time.

All kidding aside, I am always busy.  As one ages, it takes considerably longer to keep the house, pay the bills, pay our businesses bills, buy groceries, put the groceries up, wash the clothes, fold the clothes, put the clothes up, iron (yes, I still iron; I wear cotton clothes and don't dry them so they won't shrink), cook (?) three meals a day, put dishes in the dishwasher, take dishes out of the dishwasher, put the dishes up - well, you get the idea.  There's always something to do.  I'm one of those crazy women that actually like housework.  I like my house clean and uncluttered but I can't always keep it that way.  Now that I'm babysitting the great-grands, my home definitely is cluttered, but that's okay, they're worth it.

It has been a beautiful, cool day here in NC.  I haven't even been out of the house.  I wanted to go "out of town" but I waited too long and then I got tired.  I'm actually exhausted because I babysat yesterday and had to watch the children all by myself as my daughter had to take my grandson to the dentist "out of town".    After I watch the kids, I have to rest up the next day.  I lay down for a nap today and slept nearly two hours; I hope I can go to sleep tonight.  (I looked up "lay" or "laid" and the dictionary said to use "lay down".  This doesn't sound right to me but I guess the dictionary can't be wrong.)

I made a lovely little black ring the other night; it only took me thirty minutes to make it.  This is the quickest I've ever made a ring.  Of course, the ring was very simple.  I'm planning on making lots of them in different colors to sell at the shop where I have my jewelry.  I know they will go like hot cakes.

I just had supper.  I didn't have a frozen entree tonight because I was too tired to even put it in the oven so I had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with rice milk, and a slice of high-fiber whole wheat bread with Promise and a tablespoon of "real"  fig preserves.  These are the absolute best fig preserves I've ever eaten, other than my mamas.  I don't know how many carbohydrates are in each tablespoon, and I don't care; I ate them anyway.  This is my second jar and I hope the person that made them doesn't give me anymore because I really don't need the calories.  The best part of the preserves, other than the fig, is the preserved lemon rind in them.  I'd like to have a jar of just preserved lemon rind, but I don't suppose they'd taste the same without the fig.  I found a recipe on line for preserved lemons and I'm going to make them - one day.

It's getting dark earlier now.  Soon, it will be dark at 5:00 PM.  Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner - again.  It seems that all we ever have anymore is Christmas and summer. Time goes by so fast it's scary.  Another birthday is coming up and then next year the big 70 will be here.  I think I'll have a BIG party to celebrate the fact that I don't think, act, sound or look my age.  I wonder what I'll be like at eighty; I don't want to think about it.

Well, it's time to do a little beading as I haven't had time to do any all day.  I'll get started on those tiny little rings that are so easy to make.  Have a wonderful evening and be blessed.  Pat

WORD FOR THE DAY - EXIGUOUS

Greetings friends,  what's happening in your part of the world?   I guess I'll  never know, since no one is reading my boring blog.

It's been a wonderful day here in NC.  Right now, it's 65 degrees;  that's pretty cool (pardon the pun).

I  finally got to go out of town today  to pick up a few things. When I say I have to go "out of town," that means that I live in a small town and we don't have much in the way of shopping here.  Out of town is usually an  hour away but it doesn't seem that far.

The first place I went was Michael's.  Of course, I went there to buy some more beads.  As many beads as I have, I still don't have the kind I need to make beaded jewelry with a needle and thread; I do now.  I bought enough seed beads and focal beads to make quite a few rings, earrings and bracelets.  I don't know if I'll be able to sell these because I'd have to ask a lot more for them than I do my regular items because of the time involved in making them.  I'm going to make something for my granddaughter to wear to work and maybe the girls that she works with will want to buy some.

I had a good day.  I love to shop, but don't do as much "out of town" shopping as I used to because of the distance and my age.   A lot of things change as one grows older.  I do a lot of shopping on line now.
It's very convenient and the shipping usually will equal the amount of gas it takes to travel "out of town".

My granddaughter and her two children had dinner with my husband and me this evening.  My husband  cooked chicken on the grill and I fixed some veggies and bread to go with it.  It was nice to see them all again, although it's only been a few days since I saw them last.

It's time to retire.  My shopping trip has worn me out.  Two hours on the highway plus walking around stores looking for stuff can be very tiring.   I look forward to tomorrow; I have everything caught up so I can bead all day.  Hooray!

Have a good evening, all        Pat

WORD FOR THE DAY - PREDILECTION

Hello readers,  I won't be blogging much tonight, as I'm extremely exhausted from beading all day.  Believe it or not, beading is very tiring.  For one thing, I have to use a magnifying glass hung around my neck to even see the size 11 seed beads.  I'm very happy, though, with my accomplishments today.  I've made two rings and one earring, plus worked on my bracelet which is very labor intensive.

I was going out of town today but decided to stay home and work on my projects.  It's been another beautiful day here in NC, although I haven't been outside.  My grandson has been with me today and we've had a nice day together.  He likes to get on the computer and research  animals.  He knows everything about every animal that is, and has been, on the face of the earth.

I have stopped to eat my meals and to read a little.  I'm currently reading Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell.  I really like her books.  In this one the protagonist, Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist, is working in Norfolk, Virginia, which I'm very familiar with.  It's nice to read a book that mentions places I've seen and been.

I haven't watched the news today, so I don't know what's been going on in the world.  I hope all of you have a nice evening.     Adieu - Pat

 

WORD FOR THE DAY - EXCURSIVE

 Greetings All  -    If you're wondering if I know all of the words I'm asking you to look up, the answer is an emphatic NO.  I'm learning some of them also.

I've had another busy day on the computer.  My sister, who lives in Virginia Beach, just contacted me via facebook and we've been talking back and forth.  I really resisted facebook but when I finally decided to be a participant, I found  I really enjoyed it.  It's nice to read others thoughts and impressions concerning different aspects of their lives.  I also enjoy looking at their photo albums.

It's been another lovely day here in NC; cool in the morning and warming up in the afternoon.  I think it's getting ready to rain; good, my newly-planted red tips need some water.

I went outside yesterday and spruced up my front porch.  My porch is covered and only one side of it is exposed to the elements.  Sometimes, when it rains or the temperature changes, condensation forms and the tile floor gets very wet.  I put down a piece of outdoor carpet (gray, not green) the length of the porch.  This will give all who come to my door a secure footing and will  hopefully prevent falls.  I also put some fall-looking stems in the large urn that I have sitting by my front door.  It also has lilly pods, bamboo reeds, pussy willow and eucalyptus.  It looks pretty nice and it makes me happy to look at it.

I need to make a fall wreath for the wall of the porch, but just can't seem to find the energy, or desire, to do so.  I've got six very large plastic containers, across the street in the barn, full of silk flowers, etc.  I used to make flower arrangements but haven't done so in quite a while.  I enjoy it, but there are lots of other things I also enjoy.  (I enjoy too many things!)

I was surprised last night when my granddaughter and two great-grandchildren came to spend the night with me.  My granddaughter said that she had jumping-crickets all over the house.  Her husband was working that night; he's a fireman.   We all had lots of fun.  My great-grandson started showing me his "moves".  He's another Jim Carrey in that he loves to show off and act "crazy".  He started dancing and jumping around and looked like a contortionist the way he was moving his body.  I started laughing and couldn't stop. ( Why is it that we laugh so much more at something a member of our family does or says, than anyone else?   I guess it's because they are ours.)  Anyway, he made my night.  They say laughter is good for the soul and is like medicine; well, I got a large dose last night.

I've been considering ordering more components for my jewelry designs.  I've got at least 65 boxes of beads and I keep ordering more beads. What's wrong with me?  I try not to order anything else, but my fingers just love to type on this keyboard and I can't stop them.   My favorite new site is Amazon.com.  I have found lots of great things on this site.  I can't believe they have "everything".  I even ordered some organic grains for my diet.  I like to order books from them because I can order used ones at a much lower price, which I've done and they have been very satisfactory.

Well, readers (?), it's time to stop typing.  My neck hurts and so do my fingers.  Hasta la vista - Pat

WORD FOR THE DAY - EXCORIATE

Greetings,  It's a cloudy Sunday morning here in North Carolina.  It poured down rain last nigh; much needed rain.  I won't be writing much today as I have to read how to set up my web site.  I want a site for my jewelry line and it will probably take me a while to figure it out, but I will.

I was averse to acquiring this computer, but my son insisted.  He bought it for my husband and me and since I got it, two years ago, I've really learned a lot.  I still don't know all there is to know about this IMac and I probably never will.  All I know is that it's a wealth of information.  I used to spend a lot of  time looking in the dictionary and in encyclopedias but now all I have to do is go to Google and type in what I'm looking for.  Ain't life great!

I'll be back later,  as I've got to have some food in the house if I want to eat, so it's off to the grocery store.
Later - Pat

WORD FOR THE DAY - PERSIFLAGE

Hello again readers.  Each day I'll have a word for the day that you can look up.  I love words.  The larger ones vocabulary, the more one can understand.  I  believe there are three things God gave to man that are the most powerful, and they are:  love, music and words.  Love can conquer anything; it's the greatest power on earth.  Music has the power to soothe the savage beast - the one that's inherent in all of us.  Words can heal or hurt; they're very powerful, so choose your words carefully.

Keep a dictionary handy when you're reading and look up any word you don't know and try to use that word.  You'll be amazed at how quickly your vocabulary increases.

I have a book I'd like to recommend to you, it's entitled The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher.  I read this book in May of 2008 and several years from now, I plan to read it again.  It's one of the best books I've ever read.  I write the date that I read the book on the first page, that way I know when it's time to read it again.

Well, it's time to get some things done around the house.  Have a blessed day all.  Pat

I Love Birds

Good morning, friends. You'll never guess what I just saw when I opened the shades in my kitchen - an albino dove. I've never seen one before. It was mostly a off-white color with tan splotches all over it. How amazing. There are albinos in every species. Hunters in our area have seen several albino deer. I sure would like to see one.

Bird watching is one of my favorite pastimes. I have three feeders close to my kitchen windows and have safflower seed and sunflower seed in them. I also have a dish of sunflower seed and corn in a dish for the squirrels. I'm trying to attract Bluejays to the feeders, but they are very elusive. I mostly have Carolina Chickadees, Nuthatches, Wrens, Sparrows, and Tufted Titmice. When the sun starts to set, I have Cardinals come but they are mostly ground feeders and eat the seeds I've strewn on the ground.

I called my husband and told him that I saw this certain type of dove and he told me that his friend, who is a hunter, had seen them and had killed one. OH! How could he kill something so rare? I don't understand some people's mentality. I do believe in hunting, though. God gave man dominion over the animals, but I don't believe in killing just to kill. My husband and his friend are fishing today. They love to fish. They'd go every day if they could. They're catching speckled trout now. This is the time for them here.

It's cloudy here today and supposed to rain for the next two days; I hope so, we really need it. Thankfully, we haven't had any hurricanes this year. Here in the Mid-Atlantic region, we are always wary of hurricanes from June to the last of November. The last one we had was Isabelle in 2003. It was horrendous. My family and I stood looking out of our kitchen, den and bedroom windows and watched the trees fall. We, fortunately, didn't have any fall on our house, and only lost one pine tree that fell away from the house, but my neighbor had four huge pine trees fall on her house; we saw them fall. Luckily, she was staying at her sister's house but when she called me to access the damage, I hated to have to tell her the condition of her home. It took a long time to clean up after such a horrible storm. It cost her thousands of dollars just to have the trees taken off of her house and $35,000.00 to fix the damage done by the trees.

I know some of you will find my postings totally boring, but I have a need to compose on the computer. I love to write and would like to write a book but don't think I have it in me to do so. Later - Pat

My Very First Blog

Hi, this is my very first blog. I'm a 68 -year old Nana from North Carolina. I wanted to start my own blog because I have a wealth of experience to share. I am interested in many different things and would like to share my experiences, thoughts, ideology, recipes, etc.

I saw a great movie the other night - Julie and Julia. It was very entertaining and Meryl Streep was wonderful as Julia Childs. If she isn't nominated for an academy award, I'll be surprised. Amy Adams was also very good as Julie, the young woman that decided to buy Julia's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and take one year to cook all of the recipes. I highly recommend this movie. There was only one BAD word in it. This movie actually inspired me to, believe it or not, COOK. I don't do a lot of cooking these days, having succumbed to the lure of frozen entrees. I wanted to cook Boeuf Bourginon but the recipe was too involved for my time constraints; I decided to fix beef stew instead.

It took forty-five minutes to get all of the ingredients in the pot. It took nearly as long to get the pot out of the cabinet as it's one of those heavy black pots that weigh a ton.

I used three-quarters of a stick of butter to brown the stew beef chunks. I would normally never use butter because I am always aware of calories and fat, but I decided to cook it like Julia would. Julia always said, "you can never have enough butter." It took awhile to brown three pans full of beef. I also peeled and cut up carrots, potatoes, celery, and mushrooms, which I placed on top of the browned beef. On top of all of this I added two cans of organic, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. (I also added a little water to the pan drippings and dumped this in the pot.)

Needless to say, the meal was delicious. Even I was surprised, although I used to be a very good cook when my children were younger. I took the dinner to my aunt's house and we ate with another aunt and a cousin. They all highly praised my efforts and ate the leftovers today for lunch.

It's getting late and time for bed. More news tomorrow. Nana