Enough already, Oncor

Our power went off again last night for the second night in a row.  It never stays off for more than an hour or so but still...I'm over it.  Not sure what the problem is (Oncor), but when I asked my spouse what he thought the problem was (rhetorical question) he responded "someone's hacking into the power grid".  OMG.  Paranoid much?  Never mind I don't have a more plausible answer-- this one was just too Homeland for me.  After two cups of joe I'm still laughing.  He says the funniest stuff.                     

                                                  
Tonight I'm going to go around the house and unplug extraneous stuff since it seems to go off at night.  Why does it not power down during the hottest part of the day?  Beats me, girlfriend.

Update:  I am full on addicted to Orange is the New Black.  I have one more show of season one to watch, and it is just beyond good.  Now I understand why everyone is so nuts about it.  The characters are just mind blowing and the in depth character development makes you care about them, even if some of them are like psych patients I once had. 

Thank you, Nellie!

I am making Nellie Connally's Perdnales Peach ice cream with my Mr. Lemley's peaches from yesterday's Farmers Market run.  I can hear the soft purr of the electric ice cream freezer from where I am and it's music to my ears.  I have not made this recipe in over twenty years so converting it from the old timey ice cream freezers to the upscale smaller whipper snapper ones is taking some adjusting.  For example, the recipe doesn't say how much whole milk (liquid lard) to add.  It just says fill to within two inches of the can.  The can she's referring to used to hold a blubber ton more than today's cans so I am experimenting.  I have put my taste buds to the test and am guesstimating. 

My assistant gets sort of snooty when I ask for his help as ice cream making is usually his domain.  He'll take over if you waffle for even a second so you have to constantly let him know who is boss.  (You'd think he'd know by now, wouldn't you, but whatever.)  Example:  As I was reasoning through how to adjust the recipe and asked how much each freezing container held, he took the the measuring cup with my mix in it and allllllll most dumped it in-- before I stopped him.  After that, I just fired him.  I don't need an assistant that goes rouge on me.

I just checked and we are about at this stage:

Not much longer before we dump it all out and put it in the freezer to ripen, and commence the next batch.

Truth be told, I had to sweet talk my assistant into coming back-- briefly--to help me dump out load #1 and get the next batch going. I paid him in ice cream and he helped wash (lick and eat) all the remaining ice cream out of freezer container #1.  He was eyeballing the dasher, but that part had to go back into service but it won't be long before he can have that part too.  And then this:
                                                         

Need a spoon???

Hudson!!!

I'm so excited I can hardly stand myself.  Hudson's two weeks at camp is over today and he's on his way home with his mom and dad, and sisters.  Word is, he's a much more grown up young man and I bet is ready to get home and sleep in his own bed and see his dog, Finley.  He had a blast and the picture his mom just texted me speaks volumes.  Camp.  What a wonderful gift for parents to give a child. I can't wait to see him with my own eyes and hear all about his adventures!!  Yay, Hudson!!!

Today I'm all over the map

Despite what a lot of us are hard wired to believe, happiness is an inside job.  It begins with each of us being grateful for what ever is going on in our lives and looking for the lesson.  What am I supposed to be learning from all this?  Sounds easy?  It's not.  Most of us need help along the way and that brings me to sharing.

Sharing with a trusted friend (one who is safe) lightens the load and can alter my perspective-- it can give me a new way of seeing something or even just someone to commiserate with me.  I end up not only feeling better but laughing my tail feathers off.  It's the willingness to say where I am that can be tough.  I have to admit that 1) life's not all hearts and flowers 2) this is how I really feel and who I really am 3) and take the risk of putting it out there and being known for who I truly am--not who someone may want or need me to be, so they can be OK.

And finally, a friend said the most genius thing the other day that just spoke volumes for me.  She said she'd spent her entire life trying to be seen by people who could not see. Wow.
                                              

Happy 87th!

Today is mom's birthday.  My brother just texted me to find out exactly how old she is today.  I was about to text back 86 but then I did the math.  Nope.  She's 87.  Holy cow.  All year long I've thought she was 85.  Then my sister chimed in on the text that mom was actually a preemie and weighed less than 5 pounds at birth.  I'd never heard that.  No wonder she's still alive.  She's one tough old bird.  It's so funny finding out stuff you never knew about family.

The day is young.  No telling what else I'll find out today.

Ahhhhh...

I don't even want to discuss what's going on in the news today.  Too sickening so I'm going to pretend I'm Scarlet O'Hara and not think about it.  Instead, I'm going to look forward to seeing two pals who are coming over shortly for coffee and a good gab session.  IMO, that's what this world needs:  more gabbing and less arguing.  Fresh coffee and flan or banana bread, depending on what strikes your fancy, and suddenly the world looks a tad bit better.

The rain is exactly what I needed today.  A forced case of slow down further, listen to the sounds of the rain, throttle back my motor, and simply enjoy... the... day.  It doesn't hurt that's it's a lot cooler either.  After years of going pedal to the metal, slowing down and savoring time is a HUGE gift.  In my younger days, I felt guilty if I wasn't always doing something, like somehow I was wasting my life.  Today I feel like nothing could be further from the truth.  It's MY LIFE.  I get to do it any way I want and as long as I'm happy in my own skin, and not hurting anyone else, where's the bad news?  There's not any.

I've also decided getting older is the absolute nuts.  Yes, it's a trade off with losing your eyes or hearing, your metabolism screeching to a halt and not having the stamina I used to have.  There is that.  No question.  But the fun and freedom to finally be myself and who I truly am, is exponential.  Today I laugh more and angst less than any other time in my life.  I feel like my inside and my outside match.  I'm congruent.     
                                                   

 

Cold, crunchy....oh yeah

Because I've got other things to tend today, I'm thinking wrap sandwiches for din-din.  If you haven't tried Zoe's slaw, grab your keys and go get some.  In a pita or a wrap--meat or no meat-- or even all alone, it's THE BEST.  Throw some cold chicken on it and there's dinner in my book.  I've got one of those smaller watermelons, some other fruit, some spreadable Boursin cheese for celery or carrot sticks, or even as a spread on the wrap, so I'm thinking dinner is DONE.  In the can.  OVER.  And did I mention some naughty 'tater chips?  Yep.  Got those too.              

And speaking of wraps, the weekend wrap up goes like this:  Sis is still recovering (non-stop napping) from playing hostess with the mostess to Fin all weekend.  (Having guests really takes it out of you especially when you are expected to share and you've sort of forgotten how that works.)   She and Fin got along great--it was just the thought of having to share that fried Sis.  No, you can't sit in my dad's lap.   No, not my mom either.  They are MINE.  Get your own.  Oh....yours are out of town?  Cry me a river, honey. 

My book (Gone Girl) has finally caught on fire and I can barely stand taking a reading break to do other things.  The first two hundred or so pages took way too long to get to the action part for me, but we are in the thick of it now.  Lordy.

Shhhh....time to go read.

Sunday

Here's a list of the things I know (or think I know) today.

1.  Finley is the funniest thing on 4 legs.  Her growl sounds like something from Disney animation and if she wants into the bedroom where you are napping, all kinds of sounds are going to emit from her.
2.  I have decided that Finley has RLS--my personal diagnosis.  Since she twitches and kicks in her sleep, I've decided she has a dog version of restless leg syndrome.
3.  She's perfectly comfortable with us because: at first she thought I was my sister, her grandmother, who she adores and adores her.  Second, she and Sis just kind of hang and she no longer defers to Sis, and last, she has begun to do that what.....I didn't hear you thing all dogs do, when they want to do what they want to do, and you want them to do something else.
4. Wiggles could do the same look and look smashingly handsome-- all at the same time-- so you couldn't possibly get mad at him.  I called it The Man Dog look.  With Fin, it's just pure cuteness.
5.  Today I know I have three shadows.  Most folks just have one.  Sis and Fin are the other two.  If I change rooms, guess who else does?

6.  And finally, add another scalp to Fin's belt.  The chief has fallen hard for her despite trying not to appear disloyal to his main squeeze, Sis.  And... another one bites the dust.                                                        

Hud and Fin

The experiment begins.  We are critter sitting the Small's dog, Finley, and so far, she is a PEACH.  Because none of the usual grand-dog sitters were available, we got to have her.  I've already kept her when Hudson was a baby so we're "acquainted".  She even slept under the covers with me back then so I already know this teeny little Malti Poo is zero trouble.

I wish I could say the same for Sis. Sis has already "sampled" Finley's food but the reverse is not true.  Let's just say Fin's manners are w-a-y better than Sis's and Sis's food is probably not near as tasty as Fin's.  Given that Sis is a big fan of alley trash, that's not saying a lot.  After another round of stomach upset following an episode of trash binging, she's back on antibiotics.  After this, I think her dad has dropped the hammer on further alley trashing at night before bed.  We can only hope so.   Sis will eat anything.  I think she's part goat.

Sis is also suddenly very "needsie".  She needs reassurance that she's still numero uno, biggest and bestest, Queen of EVERYTHING.  After that, and a kiss or two, she's fine.  Not a growl, not a peep.  Nada.

The Smalls are taking Hudson to camp and that's why Fin was not invited.  This is his first time at spend the night camp and two pals he knows are going also.  My bet is, he will have one bout of homesickness just like everybody does the first year, and then not want to come home.  I'm so excited for him.  A new world is about to open up for him and he's going to absolutely love it.  Yay, camp!!!!!  Love you, Hudson! 

 

***This was intended for yesterday but I had technical difficulties.  Bummer.

Happy 4th!