Things I like Thursdays Oct 29

 Greetings!

Lee Anna at Not Afraid of Color encourages us each week to focus on our “likes”. So, here goes:

1.  COOL WEATHER!!!

I am so happy.  I wish it would snow.  I know some of you are having snow and I’m envious. But, don’t worry cause it will be back in the 90’s on Sunday.  We’ll have 3 days of fall.

2.  Surgery is a go for Friday.  I had my pre admit tests Tuesday.  EKG, COVID, BLOOD drawn for 5 people etc.  FYI- the real Covid test is not painful or bad.

3.  Leaning owls painting.  

Every time I look at this I smile!  For some reason, my photos are blurry. Sorry.  I painted his last year but put  it up for fall.

4. This centerpiece from Facebook. 

They are wide mouth mason jar rings with ribbon or tape wrapped around them!  I was so impressed with this creativity and those prints!

5.  My current read

This book is different from her other books as it’s more of a mystery.  There is a sisterhood of lawyers going against a big law firm of The Chessmen in Washington D.C. I’m enjoying the storyline.

6.  Amazon.

I cannot believe how quick it was for me to have a new regulator for my oxygen tank delivered in a few hours! The one that I had stopped working and the oxygen home delivery company couldn’t get me a new one for 2 days.  This was for my portable tank so I couldn’t take oxygen outside the home.  Anyway, I ordered the new regulator at 10 AM and it was delivered at 5 PM.  Thank you Amazon. 

Ok peeps that’s it for this week.  Got lots to do before being gone for a few days.

Stay safe. 

Vote

Wear a Mask

Mary

Things I like Thursdays Oct 22

 Greetings!

It’s Wednesday morning as I’m writing this and it’s 63 degrees!!! Nice.  I can’t believe it is snowing already in the northern states.  You lucky people; even though there’s still leaves on your trees.  Lol

I’m afraid, once again, my list Of likes is short because I just can’t think of any.

Here’s my list of my likes for this week:

1. Instant potato soup.  I used the recipe from Jacques Pepin on Facebook.

5 minutes.  Basically, sauté a little chopped onion in a little olive oil, add 2 c chicken broth, simmer 2 minutes, add a cup or so of instant mashed potatoes stir and sprinkle with finely chopped chives( I use dried in a jar) and some shredded cheddar, done and really good. 

2.  My current read

I’ve started this series of Christmas books to escape. I like this author anyway so this was a nice surprise.

Waiting for my surgery on the 30th, now (as they cancelled the first date ) is driving me crazy. I keep buying extra groceries etc because I won’t be able to do much for awhile.  Ugh.

3.  Candy Corn without yellow no 5 dye which I’m allergic to.

Unbelievable that I found this at Michael’s craft stores. It’s my favorite candy so I was thrilled.

BTW- yellow no 5 is banned in Europe-its poison.  Just sayin.

4.  Framed paintings.

I invested in matting and backing boards, some artist tape and Velcro hanging strips. I then hung some of my paintings in the hallway.  I just couldn’t handle leaving all my paintings in a folder in a cabinet!

It took some time (all afternoon) to frame them properly but this way, I can change them out if I like.

Well peeps, I hope you are cooling off, enjoying the fall.  Please join us at Lee Anna’s site, Not Afraid of Color , for more likes.

Wear a mask.

Vote.

Take care.

Mary

I like Thursdays Oct 15

 Greetings!

For those of you keeping track- we will be breaking our heat record today with 144 days with 100 degrees or more.  It’s so bad outside I’m going to look at a cheap treadmill today so I can walk. Also, today is the first day in a long time I can see the blue sky.  We have had polluted air for weeks. 

However, we will “tread” on because we are strong women. Yeah.

Here’s my list of “likes” for this week;

1. New bloggers joining our group.  We are all so talented ! Welcome to all. It’s wonderful to see how different we approach life and what makes us happy.

2.  The privilege of voting.

     

Yes, that’s my sticker  for voting by mail the day after we received our ballots.  I’m praying for our country.  

3.   Burts Bees products but especially this one:

   

I have been trying everything including prescriptions to clear up my dry, itching, peeling hands and fingers.  This finally worked if I use it several times a day.  Many years ago I used it but, for some reason, stopped.  My hands are much better..

4.  I hung the Christmas frames so I didn’t have to pack them away for only a month.  They are so pretty.

5. The Hallmark Christmas Movie  list is out

Yay!!!  You’re welcome.

Well peeps, that’s it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you are safe and happy. Please join us for more likes at LeeAnna’s site, Not Afraid of Color.  

Take care.

Mary

Things I like Thursdays Oct 8

 Greetings!

This will be short as it’s one of those weeks when I just can’t think of many things that I liked.  

I do have a few though:

1.  One more day of 100 tomorrow.  I hope they are correct.  The mornings are nice in the 70’s for an hour or so.  

2.  Convenience of pasta.  Check this out:

60 seconds and just like regular pasta. $1.49 a pouch.  For me it was 2 servings.  No sauce so I just made cream of mushroom sauce.  Great in a pinch.  I told my daughter so she could take it to work.  I bought it at my Safeway.

2.  My new pajamas.  I wanted something nice and comfortable for when I have surgery later in the month. 

I splurged and purchased PajamaGram via Amazon.  High quality navy blue cotton knit and they fit!!! At least before washing.  I usually wear Xlarge but I knew they would be too long so getting the Xlarge petite was a good idea. It beats wearing an old soft tshirt and non matching  bottoms for pajamas. 

 I love the piping-even on the leg bottoms and recommend them even for costing $50!

  3.  “Escape to the Chateau” on Peacock.  Thanks to LeeAnna for sharing this with us.  I binge -watched 2 seasons and was so impressed with the husband’s engineering genius and the wife’s eclectic designing ideas.  They bought a run down, almost 200 years old Chateau in France and are repairing  it while raising 2 toddlers. 

4.  The birth of my great grandson Bentlee on the 6th. Mom and baby are doing well.

Please join us at Lee Anna’s site, Not Afraid of Color, for many more likes from our group. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic day.

Mary

Things I like Thursdays Oct 1

 Greetings!

We are still at 100 degrees days here but less smoke.  But, the 2 new fires in CA will probably blow this way tomorrow.  So, I still haven’t gone for a walk.  We need to wear masks regardless of Covid.  I’m back on oxygen so I don’t want to add smoke to the mix. 

But, I do have some like this week:

1.  My current books: 

Lee Anna was correct- this was good. 

Also:

This was both bizarre and funny.

2.  Family photo for my brother’s birthday

One of the few times I’m not taking the picture. So there’s My Pumpkin Thomas, brother Frank, daughter and best friend Tina and me (violating the distance rules but both of us holding our breath till the photo was done and she jumped off the sofa). LOL

3.  My new “tea” for aching muscles and joints:

This does not have real tea leaves, it’s just ground herbs in a tea bag. Ginger fights inflammation and turmeric works on muscles and joints. They are both anti inflammatory and are  antioxidants.  Surprisingly, it tastes good. Ginger and turmeric can taste bitter but not here.

That’s about it as I have been very busy organizing papers, updating bookkeeping and writing up a living will and medical POA.  I have an abdominal aorta aneurism that needs to be SURGICALLY fixed! When it rains it pours. I have an appointment next week with the surgeon.

Hope y’all are doing well.

Take care

Mary

I Like Thursdays Sep 24

 Greetings.

We are having cooler weather (still over 100) so we are liking having cold water most days. It’s the little things.   I have been sick for a week and finally went to urgent care and was diagnosed with diverticulitis which is not fun.  So, I hope this gets posted in time.  I only have a few likes this week:

1.  This Grinch Christmas Tree.

 

I love this photo from Facebook.

2.  The Dresser Topper is done.

And my daughter loves it.

3.   Fall decorations are up

I wish I had more space to make little vignettes like these.

4. Photos from my daughters annual trip to Payson Az this week

Payson is a small town 2 hours north east of Phoenix where we like to go for cooler weather and clear skies.  I wasn’t able to go this time so she sent me the photos of our favorite park.

5.  My current read

This is another in the Winter series of the Quinn’s family life in Nantucket.  I’m appreciating this author.

This family is so relatable with all the dysfunction, caring, and crazy choices they make. Very entertaining.

I was sad to hear about the passing of Justice Ruth  Bader Ginsburg, the champion of justice and an inspiration to all.  Her legacy will live on for many years to come.  I like the way people are paying tribute to her. It’s called respect.

Thanks to CNN for this photo.

 I’ve been taking it easy with reading and tv.  I hope you are all taking care of yourselves as well.  Thank you so much for stopping by.  I love hearing from you. It’s fun to support each other.  Please join us at Lee Anna’s site, NOT AFRAID  OF COLOR, for more “likes”.

Stay safe and please wear a mask. Thank you.

Mary

I like Thursdays Sep 17

 Greetings!

We are doing well and I’ve had a great week.  I spent the weekend mostly with my daughter and that I like.  Saturday we did our annual Christmas craft together and Sunday I went to her house to play with her and Thomas and lots of eating.

Here’s a list of my likes for this week:

1.  Christmas hanging decos that we made. We purchased the frames at the Dollar Store and added ornaments and ribbons.  

Ignore the nails and hooks.  I had to hang them somewhere out of the way so later they will be moved.  The red is Tina’s and the blues are mine to blend with our different Christmas decors.  They were very easy to make  but a little time consuming.  So, we were able to visit with no interruptions!  Priceless.

2.  Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco.  We are watching him on Prime.  I love everyday humor and he delivers.  I had seen him over the years but now we can watch his specials 

This is a link to a short video on You Tube. I hope

https://youtu.be/5CznoAW2k1I.  

3.  Current book

This Great  book is historical fiction about a young female packhorse librarian delivering to the poor hill people of Appalachia.  She is also one of the blue skinned people in that area.  She experienced prejudice and suspicion while providing hope and light from books.  I was not familiar with this part of our history so I enjoyed the many photos and facts after the novel.  I recommend this book.

4.  Almond milk for emergencies.  (Like when I don’t want to go to the store)

I got a case of these 8 oz milks months ago in case of a shortage on milk.  But, I like them for their size.  I also buy the large 32 oz size if I know I’m going to need it for puddings or baking.  But this little one came in handy. It has 12 g sugar but has vitamins and minerals that add to my protein powder drink.

5.  The Easy Garden Tool from Facebook. If I were gardening I would get this;

What a fun way to dig holes for plants.

Women with power tools-watch out.

Ok. That’s it for this week. Please join us at Lee Anna’s site,  Not Afraid of Color , for more likes.

Stay safe and wear your mask.

Mary

Never Forget

 

Things I like Thursdays Sep 10

 Greetings!

September is just flying by and I’m starting to think about Christmas gifts.  Good grief.  The 115 degrees are gone (knock on wood) and this morning it’s in the 70’s.  But, I can’t go outside due to the pollution.

I can’t even.

So, I’ll find good stuff to do inside. Here’s a list of my Inside likes for this week:

1.  Current books:

There’s nothing like delicious pastries and a murder.  Thus is part of the Bakeshop Mysteries and they include recipes.

This was an appropriate title based on the three sisters with their romantic (not realistic) memories of their brother. I really enjoyed this book till the ending when it sorta petered out. Weird.

2.  CLEAN AIR.

This is not. Our mountains disappeared!  They are only 10 miles straight ahead from this spot by my house.  We have smoke from California fires and our own fires.  You can’t even see the outline of the mountains. This is a first.

3.  Flowers and leaves painting 

I was kinda foolin around using black with colors and delicate flower petals.  I don’t think the black works but I’m glad I tried it in my journal. 2 hours of relaxation. 

4.  Nightstand toppers for my daughter.

Two of these will go with the dresser topper. They are about 15 x 26 each. All made from fat quarters, charms and jelly roll pieces. 

5.  New show on You Tube: Home Is Where The Art Is.

This is so interesting. People choose and pay for a piece of art made for them by an artist. I apologize if the video doesn’t work but you can go to YouTube  and type in the title. There’s a whole series of them.

Please join us at Lee Anna’s site for more likes: NOT AFRAID OF COLOR.

I hope you have  clear skies and safe homes. Be good to you.

Take care.

Mary

Things I like Thursdays Sep 3

 Greetings!

We had a little bit of rain in my neighborhood but we’re still at 112-115 each day. 

I hope the rain comes back soon since we’ve had the hottest summer on record already.

Here is a list of my likes for this week:

1. LeeAnna’s post on Choices  on Tuesday. Plus, her post on Monday about a list of things I want to do instead of what needs to be done.  On the Choices post, I had to come to grips with how rote  my life is so I think I would like to make a more concerted effort to “change” things up.  Thanks Lee Anna.

2. Not feeling guilty about “dropping” a book. Some history: we did not have books in our house growing up. So when I entered the library at school or the public library in our city, I was like a kid in the candy store. I couldn’t believe I could borrow a book. I checked out as many books that were allowed every week. Even as an adult, when I first entered Barnes and Noble I stayed for hours and had difficulty keeping to a budget. I’m still in awe of authors.

This past week , I started reading 2 different books and just did not enjoy them.  I returned them to the library. I used to feel guilty returning an unread book. Now, it’s ok. Not everyone thinks or reads as I do, so that’s acceptable.  Sometimes, I search for a book recommended by a famous person or book clubs, maybe recommended by a librarian or even a friend.  Other times, the title or cover of a book intrigues me.  

If I really enjoy a book, I’ll stay up reading into the wee hours because I can’t put it down.  I usually read at bedtime because it’s the only “quiet “ time. My brother has the tv on ALL DAY LONG and I need quiet to read, which means I wait till bedtime. 

3. My current read:

I’m enjoying this mystery  of 3 senior men returning to the beach of their youth.

4.  My new shirt

I haven’t felt well this week so I had to stay home on oxygen. I haven’t been able to wear this shirt and show it off. Hopefully , the humidity will clear away and I’ll feel well enough to go out.  I love this statement.  I don’t own many shirts with words on them, but I just couldn’t resist purchasing this one on Amazon.

5. The start of a table topper for my daughter:

It’s for a 5 foot long dresser. Tina does not like a lot of color and prefers quiet designs so it’s a challenge to come up with patterns and colors that blend in with the quilt and headboard I already made for her. Especially, since I downgraded my stash to a minimal amount. Challenging but fun. Only 3 more toppers to go for other pieces of furniture in the room.

6. “Tennison” on Amazon Prime.  A 1970’s  era British police woman in her rookie year- series.  (I keep watching stories about women and the glass ceiling, regardless of the time period.  What is that all about?  Hmm.). Anyway, the lead character is feminine but strong in a quiet way.  And, the background music is GREAT. Petula Clark, The Doors, Stones, Beatles.....And, everyone smokes. Wow.  I started smoking when I was 25 (1973) thinking it was sophisticated too.  Oh well.

7. “Music From Another Room”.  A movie starring Jude Law ( a very young one).  A 5 year old boy accidentally helps the delivery of a baby at home but leaves for Europe with his military dad the next day. 25 years later he returns and accidentally runs into the same family. Of course, he wants to marry the same girl he met at birth. Quirky characters, fun years, heartbreaking and fulfilling story at the same time. I think this movie was made in the 90’s.  This is still on Amazon Prime.

8.  “The Paradise” on Prime.  A series following a young Victorian woman going to work in a department store named The Paradise.  If for no other reason than the costumes, I love this stuff. Fluff, but intrigue as well.

Thankfully, there were more “likes” this week but I probably won’t remember them until I hit “publish”.

LOL

Have a great day, stay safe, and join us at Lee Anna’s blog, Not Afraid of Color for more fun.

Mary

Things I Like Thursdays Aug 27

 Greetings!

• This is supposed to be a post about things I like, but I need to share with you this little thing first:

We don’t have enough smoke from our own fires or California, so a high pressure system is pulling smoke from the Colorado and New Mexico fires into Az.  So, with no measurable rain in months, and 115 degree temps we have really dirty skies for almost a month now.  If we didn’t have Covid, I still can’t go outside.  This is crazy stuff.  I pray for the thousands of people affected by these fires!  I can’t imagine losing your home and loved ones in this devastating manner. 

As well, I am praying for everyone in the path of Hurricane Laura.  As I write this it is listed as a very dangerous category 4 to land between Texas and Louisiana.  I was living in Houston in 1983 when Hurricane Alicia arrived and it was pretty scary. 

Back to our original purpose of focusing on “likes”  with Lee Anna at “ Not Afraid of Color” which keeps us sane!

1. Amazon Prime. ( Ok- Amazon period.  I’m still keeping Amazon in business since I can’t go shopping outdoors).

   Since there’s nothing to watch on cable tv, I’ve taken to finding good movies or series on Prime that are free.  Recently, I enjoyed “Radioactive” starring Rosamund Pike.  This is the story of Marie Curie who won 2 Nobel prizes in Chemistry in a man’s world while raising 2 daughters. Excellent. 

Note- her daughter received a Nobel prize also many years later.  Just sayin.

We also watched a series called “White Dragon”, a story of a British man who receives a call that his wife has died while working in Hong Kong. He travels to Hong Kong but makes a shocking discovery of her secret life while there.  It was an 8 episode series which we binge watched.

2. My books this month

The Other Einstein. This was so good , I read it in 2 nights!  This is a fictional account of Einstein’s first wife, Mileva.  But, there are many accounts of her that portray a similar telling of her genius mind in a scientific world dominated by men. I really enjoyed this book. Someone in our “likes”group recommended this book and I’m grateful.

here’s another:

This is number 2 in the mystery series based in Leavenworth, WA. Sloan Krause is an amateur sleuth. It’s a light and cozy read.

3.  freezing rice.  Cooked that is

I just cook up a batch with chicken broth in my Rice Cooker, then freeze individual servings for later. I love a bowl of leftover rice with a soft fried egg on top for breakfast.  It only takes a minute or 2 to defrost the rice in the microwave.

My daughter has requested some table toppers so I will be quilting again for the first time in quite awhile.  I  spent a long time with her just pulling fabrics! I’ll update you later. 

Thanks for stopping by.  

Stay safe and take care.

Mary

Things I like Thursdays Aug 20

 Greetings

Happy August!  Not here-we are past 40 days this summer of 110 degrees and many over 115.  The mailbox is so hot the junk mail is hot and sticky. Unbelievable. Thank God for air conditioning.

But, I do have some “likes” for this week:

1.  The DNC convention.  It’s so nice to watch intelligent speakers and professionals give me hope in the future.  I prefer the roll call from each individual state rather than the old chaotic convention center.

2.  My new air fryer.  My son showed up one day with this gift:

It’s pretty easy to use but takes up half of the counter and weighs a lot.  I tried zucchini but need to keep tweaking the time and temp to get it to come out the way I like them.

Then I tried frozen onion rings:

I followed the instructions but used half the recommended time and they still came out burnt! So, I guess I need to keep trying. My son has been using his fryer with great results and wanted me to have a good experience as well.  He even cooked beautiful Cornish hens in 20 minutes!

3.  My new Visco soft mattress topper.  My orthopedic mattress is only 5 years old and was a disappointment from the second week. It’s already caved in the middle.   I shopped around a lot and luckily settled on this 3 inch foam topper. My bed is cooler and supportive. It’s been about a month so it’s good.

4.  RECLAIM HER NAME.  Republishing books by women that were originally published under a man’s name in order to get them published!   I am currently reading “Middlemarch” by George Eliot but really by Mary Ann Evans. It’s not a book I would have chosen but is listed as one of the Best British novels.  It was written in 1871.  I would describe it as proper English prose of the time period and about the Puritan life.

You can read more of the project at womensprizeforfiction.co.uk.

5. My new Solid as a Rock painting.

Thanks to CEECEE CREATIONS for the tutorial. I had a lot of fun playing with this. 

Whimsical but solid, dude.

And so we come to the end of this week’s  fun.  I hope you’ll join us at LeeAnna’s site at lapaylor.blogspot.com for more “likes”.

Stay safe.

Mary