Tuna? Again? Not if I can help it!

I enjoy this retirement phase.  It can be relaxing ~ it’s nice to not have much of a schedule to meet so I can be a bit more “ready on a dime” and just take off and do, no timeclock to punch, doors to unlock or lights to turn on.

   

Now, the other shoe drops…I find if I don’t schedule myself and keep an eye on the clock I get NOTHING done.  I am experimenting with a bit of a daily schedule now because I can get lost on any one of a number of different things in my day.  From hitting the snooze button one or two more times, to walking the dog and finding a nice spot to sit a spell, to pulling weeds.  Even cleaning off the stove for crying out loud! I can get tied up and not move on to the next thing I really wanted to accomplish.

My day requires 3 or 4 hours or so in computer work (okay, not fully retired, still do a bit of virtual customer support) and it works out pretty well as long as I am not distracted by checking Facebook, my email, or working on photos or my budget or catching up on the news, or binge watching something on Netflix … my day, once open, is suddenly gone.  I didn’t get done those things I need to do like grocery shop, or clean the kitchen, laundry or take a darn shower.  I am a procrastinator you see and can get lost.  I can’t tell you how many times I have stood at the pantry trying to figure out a meal because I didn’t make it to the grocery store, and couldn’t tell you what I did that day. 

So scheduling it is.  Today is Tuesday and it’s blue hair day at the grocery store - my peeps.  I’ve allowed two hours to tackle that job, to get my discount and to have a pantry full of goodies.  If I don’t get there, well, tuna casserole sounds good, again.  

Not that kind of spring fever!

Ever had one of those weeks that was chock full of both great and not so great? That was my week. 

It started last weekend when I brought 3 of the 4 grandchildren home with me for a visit, after going to Indianapolis for the granddaughter’s talent show, which was great.   We had great fun, not so great weather but we managed to make the most of the one nice afternoon and paid the grandkids to pick up sticks.   There are millions down in the yard from the winds and winter, as you know.  We said “This is what we’re gonna do…” and they were sold.  A little monetary reward and a trip to the dollar store, which one grandson kept calling the money store (I wish), and we had ourselves a great day. 

We also had one grandchild with a 24-hour flu bug.  A very surprised look on his face, let me tell you, as he sent hot chocolate and toast onto the kitchen floor.  It is not the first time a grandkid has been sick while here so we dealt with it, like the champs we are.  He soon felt better, just the one incident, and we were back to fun.  We met parents the next day and had a nice Sunday evening ourselves, started the week as normal as pie.  

That flu bug though…it was quick and aggressive and made the rest of this week not so great.  I was sick first, and a message mid-morning to hubs brought back “I’m coming home”.  Oh, no, sillies, not to take care of me but because he was not feeling so great himself.  Rather than wait it out to see if he really were sick, he was preemptive and came home…good idea. I nodded my head to him in greeting as he laid in his recliner.  So, here we both were, sick.  I really was out but was a bit miffed, I admit, to not be allowed to wallow in solitude.  I laid in the guest bed or the couch for the next day…having abandoned our king size bed for him.  

Along about 2 a.m. as I laid on the couch, for someplace different, here he came, shuffling out of our bedroom and down the stairs, presumably to lay on the bed downstairs.  Okay, I thought, I’m not thrilled about that bed getting all buggy-buggy but there’s laundry solutions for that I suppose, crashed back to sleep.  Around 4 a.m. I made my way back to the guest bed, my haven, and HE WAS IN IT!   

Now, I don’t know how any of you would feel about this but I was seriously ticked.  First, in the throes of my being sick, I abandoned our bed, made it up, sprayed it with Lysol, fluffed his pillow so when he got home, if he were indeed sick too, he would have a comfortable spot.  I eked out a small, narrow cocoon in the guest bed to rest my weary head.  My germs, my spot and here he was.  I dragged my bone tired body to our bedroom to find the bed with sheets and blankets tossed and turned, and not at all what I left for him.  I smoothed out sheets, grumbling the entire time, set the blanket back in place, thanked him begrudgingly for not using my pillow or that would have been the end I fear, and crashed for another few hours.

Fast forward to the afternoon, now we’re both doing pretty good.  We had some toast and ramen.  I had some work to do in the office and soon heard the washing machine.  He was stripping beds.  The kid’s bunkbeds, because they needed to be, our bed, cause well, you know, and the extra bed downstairs.   He explains he is doing our bed first, in case either of us should need it and then will work on the rest later. 

Okay, fine.  I am a grouch and you are a good guy.  Again. 

Signs of life!

Spring is springing! I would not say sprung, but darn close, so springing!

Little dog and I took a long walk around the property this morning because, well, there's a lot to see and a LOT to think about.  I have three distinct areas that I will be landscaping this year and it is generating a very long list.

Last year, I moved a sculpture (known around here as Esmerelda) my son-in-law did in college to an area in the woods that hasn't gotten a lot of light over the years.  The snow storm at the end of February and the resulting limb and tree removal has opened up that space a bit so more light will come in.  Years ago, I was treated to a visit to a lovely home here in my town and the owners had a "moon garden" - all the flowers in this small section were white, and in pretty bright sun through out the day.   I have wanted to do something like that beautiful spot for a long time.  Problem is, there aren't a LOT of white flowers that do great in the shade. Now I have a bit more sun, and with my beautiful white statue, I have a start.  I have been researching white shade loving flowers and plants and will be scouring local nurseries for just the right thing.  I have a list and a checkbook.  I'm ready.

Secondly, there's the space around the new shed.  It needs some help ya'll.  It's in a pretty spot and surrounded by trees, so also quite shady.   I really liked it until the week of the snow.  The tree trimming done in the middle of the night took out two pretty big dogwood trees. I'm seriously ticked off. However,  I also have to reign it back in and think, okay, IF this is the utility easement and you want them to take care of it...those were their trees.  UGH.  While I wish they would have talked with me first, it is their easement.  I don't understand trees they left standing, and butchered up pretty badly,  and there will be more conversation, perhaps with their forester even.  Back to the landscaping! The shed needs some help and that's going to be a bit of my focus this year.

Finally comes removing plants and shrubs from areas that will be abandoned during our spring remodeling.  Yes, people, it's happening.  There will be a new room, a new screened porch and some new deckspace.  I have three established shrubs that I am going to move and a handful of plants.  The shed area will be prepared early this spring to receive these plants.  That's going to be happening as soon as the ground loosens up a bit more.  I'm nervous, I'll be honest, as these are good sized shrubs.  I love them and hope to keep them.

I've got a fair amount going on as you can see and I hope having this to focus on will keep me from losing my mind as we start the remodeling project.  Somewhere to escape to for me, while workers are here and hubs is tied up managing the reconstruction.  We are starting a little bit later than I had hoped but the plans are solid so we will be underway shortly. 

Hang tight! Things might get bumpy!

Worth it, so worth it.

Hubs and I have been very lucky in the past few years to travel to a warm climate in the middle of winter for a business trip of sorts. Some say monkey business but that’s another story! It’s been glorious to be able to attend these week long get-aways and I will miss them when our time to fully retire comes.  I think I have two more trips left before hubs is completely done with working, if our plan holds true.
 

This year we came home to 17” of snow; a utility company repair for power outage and a small limb that hit the back windshield of my car just right and shattered it, with a plate size hole.  We didn’t discover it until hubs cleaned off my car, which was several days after it happened.  The glass repair company came to the house on a lovely, icy day and replaced it and I am as good as gold as they say.

The utility restoration project also left me with a crumbled fake landscape rock and a busted well head.  Now, in reporting this damage to the utility company, which I believe occurred when they had big trucks in the yard, I tried to explain to the woman in the customer service department the wiring was exposed.  She could not get past downed wires.  I tried to explain many times that no, I do not have a downed wire, no I have not lost power, no it is not affecting my neighbors.  Just me…ya ran over my well head, exposed the wires to the elements and now I have no water.  Maybe a short or a blown fuse, but, I have power.  I do not have water.  Finally, I just agreed that yes, I have a power outage and wires are exposed.  I think that utility guy is going to be a bit annoyed when he arrives to inspect my emergency and finds out what is really going on here, but I hope he is more amused than annoyed.

Vacations are fun, for sure.  Sometimes the week after is more stressful than the weeks leading up to it! Only 51 more weeks until my next warm weather get-away, but, who’s counting?

Say yes.

My girls come to me every once in a while for cooking advice or recipe clarification, especially the younger one.  However, she came across a soup recipe years ago that is one of the best I have … Chicken Taco Soup for the crockpot.  If you haven’t had this soup, Google it, or find it at the link below.  You won’t be sorry to have this one up your sleeve.  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/70343/slow-cooker-chicken-taco-soup/

Back to life on the lake.  It’s been cold this week, bitterly cold, as you know if you live in the Midwest to Northeast.  It dumped some snow, is now calming down and will be back to mild in a couple of days.  Little dog varies from wanting to go on an adventure in the yard to not making a move off the front step.

I sit at the office window and watch deer cross our drive and tip toe in to our small woods, cross the busy road and somehow manage to make it through the neighbor’s yard and beyond without causing much of a scene or screeching tires.  Sometimes only one or two, sometimes up to six.  The lake side of the house is a bit more still.  It’s relaxing to have nothing going on, but, I am very ready for the next season, a little pizazz to my day.
 

Even though pretty darn cold and raw, we drove about an hour to see our great nephew play a game of hockey over the weekend, which was successful for him, yay, and then stopped for lunch at a place hubs has been wanting to try.  He sometimes has business to attend to over there and the need to take someone to lunch.  So, we tried it, it was fine and casual. We were back in the car in under an hour.  As we headed back towards home, we reminisced about our rare New Year’s Eve out and decided to swing by the hotel bar to have a drink, something warm and sweet.  We again had the place almost to ourselves, had the same nice young man as bartender and enjoyed a little break.   Now, this has not been our life, folks..we don’t do this.  It was fun, it was spontaneous and it was great. It’s nice to be at a time in our life that we can be these new people.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this “time” in our life.  It’s more like us than ever to say “Wanna go to ____ “ or “Wanna stop here?” The “I’ve been curious about this place” is more often heard in the car now than “What time is it? How far do we have to go?”  A few weeks ago we noticed a neon sign way off the highway as we were coming back from a visit to the grandkids.  “What do you suppose is back there?” I said.  “Well, let’s go find out”.   Turned out to be a bait shop, of all things, but it led to a half hour drive around a lake we had no knowledge of, took us off the beaten path for a bit and now, we know.

We can be a bit more relaxed about things, a bit spontaneous if we wish, less tied to the clock or the calendar.  Oh, hubs is always going to be more reserved and not throw caution to the wind quite like I do, and you know, he isn’t retired, but, it’s a good time to be us.  Yes, we still plan and we budget and we make lists, but, it is so nice to go rogue, to go off course and a little unscheduled.  If you can do it, do it.  I know not all of you are quite here yet but, trust me, you’ll like it when it comes. 

Lofty goals, lofty lists

I am looking out my office window this morning after a fresh snow and it is beautiful…stunning really.  White, crisp…I can tell it’s cold and I’m glad to be inside.  I did shovel a pathway for little dog to have a place to “go”  and shoveling is not usually my chore, so it is a bit janky.  When I look out like this, into the woods, it is easy to become a bit overwhelmed by the spring to-do list.  We are taking on some big projects and while I am excited, sometimes I think “What are we doing?”

I have several lists going including construction, landscaping, boating, summer, travel.  Things I want to accomplish or at least consider seriously.  I am an old lady, I think to myself, why am I making such ambitious lists?  I have to admit that I am very much enjoying the planning.  I like making lists, I like adding to lists or taking things off, scratching things out.  I do it with budgets, too, every day.  Most of the time it is helpful, some of the time it is depressing other times, overwhelming.  Like today.

I get so behind and I check the lists.  I use spiral memo books, along with my spreadsheet, for lists.  I have too many of these in current circulation and have somewhat lost control.  I found one the other day that I had started my Christmas list in…not for things I wanted, but, for things to buy others.  I purchased not one of those things for Christmas because I set that memo book down somewhere and started a new one, with a new list, when something occurred to me as a great idea.  You know what? That first book had some really great gift ideas in it, that may or may not hold true for next Christmas, so I set that book aside for later.  Remember how I said I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions? Well, if I did, my 2016 resolution would be to keep track of my memo books!

One spiral notebook I have going right now is from when I talk to a provider of services…particularly the cable company who tends to slam my bill with charges, promises to credit and then never does.  Nor does anyone I speak to there seem to make a note on the account like they promise. Which sets a bad tone for me…seriously bad.  I develop quite an attitude when I call again and no one seems to know what I am talking about.  So, I have a black spiral memo book that I make notes in regarding my calls to the wireless provider, the internet service provider, my doctors billing office…anyone who wants money from me for some reason.  Should I need to call back I am armed with my little black spiral memo book, which is black cause I am serious, like Johnny Cash serious.  Oh, they do hate it when you say “Yes, I spoke with Jane on 12/3/2015 and she provided me this information and promised blah, blah, blah...”  The key here is to make really clear notes because I sometimes doodle and abbreviate or only write down one or two words.  I’ve learned that I cannot remember like I use to, like I use to pride myself on, so write it down, Cindi, write it down.

I had a red spiral notebook for years, and I mean years and years, that held my credit card information.  In 2009, when things got nasty with the whole world’s finances, including ours, I had to make more notes than I care to admit for credit conversations and agreements, who I spoke with, what the deal was going to be.   We are past that now, thank God. I came across my little red spiral notebook, with my account numbers and passwords, and columns of figures for payments and balances.  Pages of notes, numbers and dates.  I considered tearing it apart and shredding the pages, but, it was gratifying to look through and not recognize any of those accounts or institutions, to know that list is complete.   I decided to hang on to it as a reminder as I am adding to my already lofty goals not to let things get away from us. 

A perfect little friend in the kitchen.

I have made a product recommendation in this blog a few times over the years…the big yellow bowl, the nested green strainers, the red spatula.  I believe in each of these things and use them every day. 

While preparing dinner last night I felt a wave of affection for my paring knife.  Chicago Cutlery circa 1977 and may have been a gift from my mother-in-law who had a few favorites of her own. This paring/boning knife is their smaller version – super skinny 3" steel blade that runs down into the wood handle.  This little beauty if perfectly balanced, is sharp as it can be and well, just an all-around great paring knife. I understand it is still made, the Walnut Tradition 102S.  If you don't have one, consider one...or gift one. 

My fondest memory of this paring knife is dinner at my in-laws on Sunday.  She would set out a big bowl, and I mean big, of lettuce and many small bowls.  On the top of the lettuce would be a full cucumber, a tomato and nearby, this Chicago Cutlery paring knife.  If you wanted either or both of those extra items in your salad, it was up to you to take care of it.  There were also several varieties of salad dressing on the table.  Just short of a stampede, this would happen about 20 minutes, before dinner was ready.  This was so different than the way my own mother would set out salad, in little bowls and set at your place at the table.  It took me by surprise the first time, as we leisurely went about our salads, in front of the TV, or out on the porch, gathering up the bowls as we finished and ready for the main meal.  I loved those days. 

The paring knife played a vital role in the coming together of the salad as there would be knife wielders of all skill levels.  Some sliced, some diced, but the trick was to leave enough for everyone who might want some cucumber, some tomato.  You couldn’t be haphazard as these were like the fishes and loaves and had to feed a multitude.  A sharp knife was needed so the slices and cubes were reasonable, not chunks. 

As we get ready to start the Grand Remodeling Project, including updating cabinets, I have started to think about the things I will be changing and considering things to replace or give up.  I held that sharp little knife in my hand and thought there may be 10 knives in my existing kitchen that I can do without, but not you, my little friend.  You will always have a home here.