FOTO FRIDAY: GREETINGS

 FOTO FRIDAY: Thank you for all the birthday wishes as I finish up this last rotation around the sun before entering a new decade...

The celebrating continues...

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was :TWO FEET

TBT: A MONTH OF CELEBRATING THE BIG 69

TBT: And the number 69 holds a big throwback as my Cheerleading/ Drill Team number was that number and I had to yell out My Number is 69 and the entire gym broke into laughter. Celebrating this birthday is one that will continue with a lot of laughter for an entire month, that is a lot of cake/ bites of cake as it won't end until Atlanta.

My Former Elementary, Jr High and High School friends  

                                            Kaye, Ginger, Polly and Katy 

Last FRIDAY 21, PHO & BANH MI  some of the crew...

SATURDAY , 22

HIBERNIA FOLK CONCERT, What we couldn't talk right, Ellen? 

SUNDAY, 23 FINES ARTS GRILLE & DOCENT TOUR

Mimosa lunch with L to R Emily, Martha, Ellyn, Doris, Silvana,Valerie and me...

MONDAY,   24

FUNERAL SERVICE  Cycle of Life : Pimiento Cheese, a southern must

TUESDAY,   25

BONE FISH 

Pomegranate Martinis & dinner followed by

adda side trip to FRESH MARKET with Chris .LOL

WEDNESDAY 26

TRIOS   

Spinach Dip of course with Lou Ann... plus a bowl of Tomatillo Gazpacho

Thursday, 27

Newk's Signature Salad   with Terri and Marc

Friday 28

                                Taziki's Greek Chicken Lemon Soup with Trish & John

Check next week as the celebration continues...

MIDWEEK MUSING: BECOMING A MOM

 One of my favorite writing projects for my university language classes was a 5-minute write. As the student entered the classroom on the whiteboard would be their writing question of the day. Each student had been provided with a little blue composition test booklet which was used as their daily journal. It was time to turn their English off and just start thinking in Spanish and probably the only opportunity to write during class.  At the end of the 5 minutes the students would break into small groups to share their writing and thoughts with their classmates. Today one of these questions is my musing for the day " What is the most important job you have had and why?"

Don't worry I am not going to tell you in Spanish. 

We enjoy birthdays in my family and today is my first born Lori's birthday. Yes, she was a birthday gift I got the day before my birthday in 1982. Being a Mom has been my most important job. 

Yes, I had some previous training being the eldest with two younger brothers and a long history of babysitting from age 11 on through college but being a Mom is a 24 hr 7 day /week job for the rest of my life.

Now that first born has a wonderful family of her own as she enters her 41st year today. I don't know how those 4 decades passed so quickly. But the photographs and videos help us remember special moments along the way... Each year as her eldest turns a year older she receives  her Mom's album of becoming that age so she can share and see how their lives are similar.

I love this job. The pension is great.

Happy Bday Ms. Lori and many more... 

TUESDAY TUNES: DANCIN' IN THE MOONLIGHT

 TUESDAY TUNES  is a blast to the past with King Harvest as one of my favorite things living out in the middle of nowhere was the absence of street lights and being able to take moonlit walks. I miss those summerflies (lighting bugs) and Dancing in the Moonlight too...

MONDAY MUSINGS: BDAY BINGING

MONDAY MUSINGS BDAY BINGING: You all know that once I love a show, I will be a loyal fan but in order to enjoy my newest wanna binge I needed to subscribe to HULU.  As long as my bday was approaching why not throw it out there to my son if he wanted to give me something I really wanted this was it... 

And thanks to the kids in California I have already finished the first season of THE BEAR and working on Season 2.  Two thumbs up for this edgy story of a Chicago Italian family trying to save the family sandwich business after the tragic death of one son who leaves the business to his youngest brother. 

It's the chaos of running a restaurant with both familial and working relationships which keep this viewer returning for more. Great acting and a little too real feel of what it takes to keep an eatery afloat much less sane...

As they say: Too many cooks spoil the broth.  Let's see if that's true...

Looking forward to hearing what you think...

FOTO FRIDAY: TWO FEET

FOTO FRIDAY says one foot may be good, but two is definitely better.

This sculpture now has two feet ... 

Restin' easy.

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was RATATOUILLE

TBT: WATCH YOUR STEP

 TBT: 3 years ago on this day had we driven home after nightfall we might have needed a tractor to pull our car out of the missing end of our one-mile dirt driveway.

That is quite a hole.  Flooding was not every year and to have this happen in July was very rare.

I do not miss this part of Mother Nature...   

We didn't go anywhere for a couple of days.

MIDweeK MUSINGS: A LITTLE ROMANCE

When one is not feeling well and one is tired of moving and one just wants to be entertained,  one will sit through anything on the screen. Even if the promised comic relief is nonexistant. Maybe laughter would have been too tough on me anyway...

But finally after a lot of foreign flicks, I hit upon something I started before and decided to revisit. Yes, call it a glorified Hallmark movie but the storyline was good enough and the actors easy on the eyes. A hunk of an author, bright , beautiful, smart young U.N. translator want to be and-  Ava, the perfect dog. It was Netflix's Noelle's Diary. Of course, I cried. Numerous times. Everybody wants to know they are loved. 

Questions answered from the past and the truth that sometimes things are not what they seemed... New love, old love, LOVE. No rocket science. The kind of love we want to grow old with...

Let me know how you like it... 

TUESDAY TUNES:: WHO YOU LOVE

 John Mayer and Katy Perry bring us Tuesday Tunes : WHO YOU LOVE

MONDAY MUSINGS: SPROUTS

 So I have had a week to muse on what foods went past my lips when trying to pinpoint the culprit of my demise and you may not believe what I learned about food poisoning. 

Raw Sprouts

"Often stuffed in sandwiches and wraps to add a crunch or used as a garnish on a beautifully plated entrée, raw sprouts like alfalfa, clover, mung and bean sprouts have been linked to many food poisoning outbreaks.  

How come these little leafy veggies cause so much damage? “Sprouts are grown from non-sterile seeds that carry microbial spores or colonies, which are kept in a moist environment at a temperature of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit,” Le told HuffPost. “As this is well above refrigeration conditions, these temperatures allow microorganisms to grow fairly rapidly. They are sprouted in soil or a porous material such as coconut coir, peat moss or perlite. These are also not sterile materials. A number of pathogens can grow, including salmonella, E. coli and listeria. Because it can take up to three to four days to complete the sprouting process, the cell counts for these microorganisms can reach billions.”

Washing the sprouts doesn’t remove the microorganisms that can cause foodborne illness. Instead, cook sprouts to kill any bacteria, though this diminishes their crisp and fresh texture."

There you have my culprit it was the dang sprout salad I had for lunch one day  which I thought was so healthy for me. I personally will not be buying any more sprouts. Once was enough.

My sore stomach muscles are slowly healing.  It has been a very painful recuperation...

FOTO FRIDAY: RATATOUILLE

 

FOTO FRIDAY: RATATOUILLE  Made last week's veggie sides with a new ratatouille recipe. Maybe you'll like it as much as I did...

Easy and tasty.

• 2 T olive oil, or as needed

• ¼ c thinly sliced red onion

• • 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 yellow squash, chopped

• 1 green zucchini, chopped

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 yellow sweet pepper, chopped

• 1 orange sweet pepper, chopped

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• 1 c chicken stock

• 1 T herbes de Provence (optional)

• 2 t dried oregano

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Directions

2. Heat olive oil in  medium-high heat skillet. 

3. Add onion and garlic... Sautee 3 minutes. Remove from pan.

4.  Add  chopped squashes and peppers. Cook and stir until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes.

6. .Pour chicken stock into skillet. 

7. Stir in herbes de Provence, oregano . Stir well. Continue to cook and stir, adding more liquid if necessary, until vegetables are cooked to your preference, 4 to 8 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

If you don't have herbes de Provence, you can substitute 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs on hand (parsley and/or rosemary and basil are good). You can use seasoning salt.

You can mince the red onion if you have picky eaters who would be suspicious of the strips.

You can use water in place of chicken stock if desired. 

A 'P' 'Day

It has been a rough 48 hours as I spent all day yesterday moving between my bed and different sofas trying to get comfortable in order to regain some shuteye. 

I did relent to go into Urgent Care on a Monday no less. I was there when they opened and I went prepared to be there a long time. I brought with me a barf bag and a couple changes of clothing in case needed. I felt a bit queasy while waiting so I stepped outside to breathe the cool, fresh air which calmed me down a bit...

After receiving negative testing for both COVID and flu, the food illness was confirmed.  I got an anti-nausea shot in the tusch with a 'p'resciption and instructions to rehydrate and call if there were any adverse reactions.

I had pulled a stomach muscle and been alternating with cold and warm compacts.Who knew our stomach muscles do so much work?

Thank you to all those who texted, emailed, called/ commented on FB with get well wishes. I read on the internet this is usually a 2 day affair with food poisoning. I am looking forward to regaining strength and being 'p'ainless.

Since I am Feeling 'p'uny  I am willing to try the 'P'eptoBismo again and see if it can help... Hope the 'p'ink stuff stays down.

TUESDAY TUNES: BILL WITHERS

 TUESDAY TUNES brings back an oldie after a phone call to cancel my week's plans due to a bout of food poisoning. When I excused myself from some dinner plans. This is what I heard " So sorry you can't make it because you know there ain't no sunshine when you're gone." Hence a flashback with Bill Withers. '

"Bet you'll remember this one:BILL WITHERS

MONDAY MUSINGS NOT AMUSING AT ALL

I was a royal mess yesterday afternoon as I got gobsmacked  with all the symptoms of the stomach flu:

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

• Stomach pain or cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Feeling ill
• Headache
• Low-grade fever
• Muscle pain

I was so lucky my brother and his wife stopped by with relief helping me replace meds, linens, removal of garbage. I could not keep anything down so the symptoms also could be food poisoning. One neighbor had one anti nausea pill that gave me a bit of reprieve.

Today will be spent catching up on sleep because I could not get comfortable. I certainly don't wish this on my worst enemy. Delay plans if friends voice stomach discomfort. This is no fun. 

And yes I did test for COVID. Negative.

FOTO FRIDAY: PREHISTORIC/ WHAT IS IT?

For Foto Friday you are going to see something I had never seen before.  

Take a read and a look...

I discovered this prehistoric-looking creature residing in the irrigation control center box.  The space had filled up with rain water and this ? was resting atop one of the valves. Luckily, the control I needed to turn off was on the opposite side. There was no way I wanted to touch this thing...

The following day I returned with my camera to take a picture but he was nowhere to be found and sticking my hand in the muck was not in the game plan. Heck no. A couple days passed and upon telling my fears to my neighbor that the next time I pulled the lid off and put my hand in to get the control this monster would have grown in size and  would open its big mouth and take a chunk out of it.He had doubled in size when I saw him again 

                                Do you know what this is?

They actually can grow to 6 inches and has a life expectancy of 2 years. Yes, I know what it is, do you?

Thank you for all your guesses Salamander/skink, snake, newt... My friend Sue got it correct with slug.

Limax maximus (literally, "biggest slug"), known by the common names great grey slug and leopard slug, is a species of slug in the family Limacidae, the keeled slugs.^[4] It is among the largest keeled slugs, Limax cinereoniger being the largest.

Limax maximus is the type species of the genus Limax. The adult slug measures 10–20 cm (4–8 in) in length and is generally a light greyish or grey-brown with darker spots and blotches, although the coloration and exact patterning of the body of this slug species is quite variable.

This species has a very unusual and distinctive mating method, where the pair of slugs use a thick thread of mucus to hang suspended in the air from a tree branch or other structure.

MOTHER NATURE is really interesting so I found you a video of these slugs mating. Do watch it to its completion...

ASTONISHING SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

TRANSLATED you know I don't have a mate. LOL

This cartoon version is worth your time if you watched the first video. I can't stop smiling seriously this is the title : IF YOU THINK YOUR SEX LIFE IS HARD , TRY BEING A SLUG

Last  week's FOTO FRIDAY was YA GOTTA HAVE HEART

TBT: GOURD CONVERSATION

TBT: The proud group photo below of our first gourd creations appeared in FB memories from 13 years ago.

 Terri Schmitt, the gourd artist and our teacher, is seated on the first step. You see I had admired Terri's  beautiful handiwork at the Driftless Area Art Festival and we struck up a conversation. Imagine that! 

One of Terri's stunning gourd creations

I learned not only was there was a Gourd Society but that Terri taught gourd classes. She had 3 classes coming up on the other side of the state if I would like to join them. 

Then, she said if I could get at least 5 people she would be glad to come to my house and give a class driving over 2 hours from her home.  

I limited her October class to 8 students and we had a ball with our gourd creations.  In fact, we enjoyed it so much she returned for a second class for us to create gourd women. 

See you just never know who will meet ... if you just take the time to visit.

THE BIG QUESTION: HUMAN BE'ING OR HUMAN DO'ING?

Graduation month is behind us but I never got around to talking about those graduation speeches. One in particular 's message spoke to me louder than the others. It was delivered by a wise young graduation speaker who realized after an accident, the big graduate question shouldn't be  "What are you going to do next?" but rather "Who are you going to be?" 

Yes, our roles in life are going to change. I think it is why many men are so much more at a loss upon retirement because their job has been what defines them.  We are so much more than what we do. 

After Natureman died, everybody asked me so "What are you going to do?"  They knew I was retired from University teaching and supervisory positions.  They knew I wasn't really a farmer.

I appreciate how this young lady placed the emphasis of labels of seeing others not for what they do but their attributes. I also continually strive to remind myself of the importance of keeping a positive attitude, how I treat others and what makes me unique.  

I know the following will speak to you no matter what stage of graduation you are at in your own life... 

Here's the link :

  THE BIG QUESTION: HUMAN BE'ING OR HUMAN DO'ING

TUESDAY TUNES:MEMORIES

 Holidays bring back memories... and as important as I think lyrics are I didn't realize these lyrics until I saw this version on YouTube.  It's not dreams that bring back memories but rather drinks. I like my version better but...

This really is quite ironic because as those who know me know I am not a big drinker. In fact, I gave away all the house alcohol to the movers 2 years ago and never replaced it. This past week with all this heat and seeing the bag of limes in my frig, I thought I need to go buy some gin and learn how to make my favorite G&T ( gin & tonic). Well, one drink is always enough for me and whether I made it just right/ too strong when this song came on my play list, these eyes were as leaky as the heavens had been yesterday. It was not a pretty cry.

By my favorite guy band Maroon 5's MEMORIES

MONDAY MUSINGS OF CELEBRATING THE 4th

This 92 degree day with a 50% chance of rain became real as the thunder boomed close by and dumped rain combined with hail.  The backyard became a water park and in the front, a pond feature was added. Waterfalls at no extra charge...

The rain did not relieve the oppressive humidity one bit and another

storm rolled in... It didn't deter the mosquitoes either. In less than 10 minutes, I got bitten 7 times while emptying containers filled with water... Mosquitoes love me no matter where I live.

As it wasn't depressive enough with the old days of July 4th memories of going up to a bluff above the Mississippi and watching fireworks go off up and down the river towns from the convertible. Our down the highway neighbors also had their yearly dinner spread with a private fireworks display for their birthday kiddo.  He must be 10? by now.                 

 Ah, those were the days. Musings and missing those 'ole times and my 2 extra special Balto guys z"l...    'Just musing...