November 30, 2019 – Gel Air Freshener – homemade

         I recently received a book entitled, Grandma Putt’s Old-Time Vinegar, Garlic, Baking Soda, and 101 more Problem Solvers, 2500 Super Solutions for your Home, Health, and Garden, by Jerry Baker Living Well Books.

         I do read these books to learn tips and tricks which the media now calls “hacks”.  [I will always envision a hack as a wheeled vehicle pulled by an animal – yes, I am old school.]

         Back to the book:  On page 338 was a secret formula for GEL AIR FRESHENER.  It caught my attention, how interesting.  It listed water, unflavored gelatin, fragrant oil and food coloring; how simple was that!

         I went on a hunt for little glass containers – my favorite haunt – Mighty Dollar –  had plenty to choose from.

         I picked out two aqua blue small globes for our bathrooms with the rest of the batch planned for little Christmas giveaways and a few for the Church Christmas Fair.

         I went top shelf with the fragrance oil, going to another favorite haunt during their yearly Christmas sale and took advantage of a 20% off on Yankee Candle Scent-plug-refill.  The fragrance is Snow Dusted Bayberry Leaf – and yes, it smells like a snowy morning in a grove of pines.

         I also pulled a copy of a DIY recipe off line – which had a smaller batch as part of me was skeptical on how this project would turn out. [Yes, it does gel in 24 hours!]

         I rounded up a half dozen small, quilted design Mason jars – the ½ cup size with rings.   On line had metal frog tops for the Mason jars, but I thought they were too pricey.  So, I ad libbed cutting white mesh circles from a new lingerie laundry bag I purchased at a dollar store. [I glued them onto the inside edge of the Mason jar rings. The mesh has little holes that let the air circulate yet keep little fingers out.

         It took longer to assemble everything than process the hot water, the mixing and the pouring.  So simple – anyone can do it. One DIY website is noted below.

         Once I was done with my little project, I left the house to run errands.  Upon my return, entering my home, I was so surprised how fragrant my whole house was.  Sadly, I’ll be packaging most of them up and giving most of them away.

         But, this is one project that I can control the amount of fragrance, the type of fragrance and know what chemicals are not in the mix.  A win-win on all points. I can make these anytime.  I understand they dry up in 4 to 6 months – so next June – I will try another fragrance.

         If you want a little bit of Christmas aroma that is not fattening, like cookies baking, this is the project for you.  I tinted mine blue/green. [The picture I snagged from the internet. My camera is suddenly not working! Oh well, another thing to add to my pre-Christmas to do list.]

 NOTE: https://www.instructables.com/id/Homemade-Air-Freshener-Gel/

November 26, 2019 – Mushroom Patties - Recipe

         If you are like me: What do you do with the rest of the stuffing mix package after Thanksgiving.

         Recently, this recipe caught my attention – Better Homes & Gardens, November, 2019.

         We are having a non-traditional Thanksgiving Dinner – no turkey or ham this year, I am making Steak au-poivre – just the two of us this year.  That in itself will be a relief.

         But, I still bought a package of stuffing mix – just in case I got nostalgic and needed to create a “Thanksgiving” dinner for two after the fact because we missed it – no, only because I might miss it.

         Saturday I grabbed the 4^th to the last bag of Stuffing Mix on display at the local grocery store.  I sure hope they had more in the back . . . .

         Last week, when I saw the recipe for the mushroom patties I had to admit, I have always wanted to try them in a restaurant, but didn’t like the price.

         Of course, I changed up the recipe to suit us.

         I also reduced it to serve only two – basically cut the recipe in half as we are tired of leftovers.

         Ingredients:

         8 ounces of mushrooms – I chose the Baby Bella type – sliced

         1 large clove garlic minced

         1 ½ cups bread stuffing mix – I used herbed

         1 egg

         Dash of rubbed sage

         Butter, oil and Crisco shortening

        

         Serve over:

         Shredded Lettuce

         Sour cream

         Lime juice

         Fresh cracked black pepper

         In a large skillet heat 1 TB butter, 1 TB olive oil, pinch salt  and sauté sliced mushrooms 3 minutes – add diced garlic – continue the sauté  for total of 5 to 6 minutes until lightly browned.

         Transfer to a food processor.  Add stuffing mix, egg, sage, pinch salt, several grinds of ground pepper.  Cover and pulse until the mixture comes together loosely. [I did not process for very long, as I wanted to see the mushroom pieces.]

         Spoon mixture out into 6 mounds on parchment paper.  Flatten to ½ thick.  Dust with flour.  [They can be chilled for a few hours, if necessary.]

         Shred your lettuce, place in low bowls. Mix enough lime juice with a couple of tablespoons of sour cream so that you can spread it by spoonful on your lettuce.  Dust with fresh cracked pepper. Set aside.

         In a large skillet heat 1 TB Crisco add patties to skillet, dusted side down.  You can then dust the other side while they are cooking. Brown patties 1 to 2 minutes on first side, turn gently for second side.  Do not over crowd the pan. 

         Serve Mushroom patties on top of shredded lettuce with dollops.

         I found this a simple, yet fulfilling dish, perfect if you are trying to reduce your red meat intake.

         Enjoy.

November 24, 2019 – “No longer manufacture them” - or – “out of stock”

         It is “shopping” time and I hate most of it.  First we will tackle the no longer manufacture them.

         Every year for the past 20 years, I have used an At-A-Glance Weekly calendar that has a soft leather cover.  The last five years it has become more difficult to get the new calendar inserts.  I eventually started to order them directly from the manufacturer in August or September for the next year as they had an advertising page in their calendar.

         I have been due for a new leather cover – mine is worn and frayed and this year I was going to bite for the new leather cover when I ordered my 2020 replacement insert.

         They no longer make them – well not the kind I want.  The version of leather cover I have has a pocket in the front to slip business cards in and a section to slip documents behind and only last year did they add a plastic pocket in the back.  Every year I used to get a fresh address book that slipped in the back, as well.

         Friday, I trotted up to my local Staples and looked at the available calendars.  Why do we have to have the “zipper” bit?  I guess no one has a desk anymore as they are on 24/7 and have to be organized where they happen to be; I guess they have to zipper it so that their little bits and pieces don’t fall out in travel.  I also bet the older workers long for the old days when things were simpler and more sedate.  I guess those days are gone for good. 

         I fingered them all and was just about to toss my hands up in the air when I finally spotted a stylish, navy blue embossed leather weekly calendar.  Not the size I prefer – 8” x 9” - it is 9” x 11”.  There are no inside front or back pockets, no address section in the back.  It lacks four features I was looking for.

         It does have gold tone metal edges at the cover corners making it stylish looking; it is uncluttered on the page – due to no small calendars on the page for reference.  It does lay flat when opened due to the wire ring – not as posh as my prior calendars.  It does have the tabs for the month at a glance and that page has the prior month and the next month calendar on those pages for planning.

         Since it was the only one I could touch and finger and assess, that I could live with, I bought it.

         At the cash register, I met someone I know who suggested, “Wait until the first of the year when they go on half-price sale.”  I laughed at her – “Wait? There were only two of this type – wait for what – something I don’t like?”

         So, I acquiesced to a new calendar and perhaps this could be better for me.  I have less desk space now at my new computer location and my other calendar being open all the time took up too much desk real estate.  This I can close and prop up in my metal divider.  I will just have to get used to it – that is all.  But, I hate change!

         Second item of the day – “Out of stock”.

         Can someone tell me why the major grocery stores, actually all stores, went to these UPC codes if they can’t keep items in stock?  Was not that the point – inventory control and stock re-purchase ease?

         Two weeks ago, my husband could not find decaffeinated Earl Grey Tea by Bigelow at Wal Mart where he likes to food shop.  “They are out of it.”  He said.  That was two weeks ago.

         I slipped around to Ingles grocery store last week and they don’t even carry Bigelow – they carry Twinning’s and I must say – I don’t care for the Twinning’s taste – I think it is weak and not fragrant. Besides, not decaffeinated.

         I don’t like shopping at Wal Mart – too spread out – but I had a mission to find a new electric coffee pot, and the only place in town that has those “winter berry scented” black trash bags is Wal Mart along with my quest for Earl Grey Tea.

         I travel with a list and went from one location to the next in the store to find my handful of items.  In the tea section – no Earl Grey Tea of any kind – what seems to be the issue?  The week before Thanksgiving and it is bare?  What if I waited until next week? 

         There were only three bags of stuffing left on the shelf – what?  I got the last box of “Winter Berry scented” trash bags, what?  There were hundreds of shoppers in the store.

         Is it management‘s style not to care about their customers?

         At check out the cashier asked gaily, “Find everything you were shopping for?”

         “NO,” I immediately said and listed off three items and the young man said, “Yeah, I used to work in stock control, there is nothing you can do about it.  If we have only one in the store, they won’t even order the item.”

         That was a telling conversation – think of it – if there is only one box of tea on the shelf – they can’t order more?

         I traveled to another store and when I found the decaffeinated Earl Grey Tea – I didn’t buy one, or two – I bought them all [3], cleared the shelf so that the store would re-order. And, I will make note in my new calendar which store that was!

         When I went to Staples, I was also looking for printer labels for my Brother’s machine.  They used to have a display of the printers and a selection of labels.  NOPE, just prongs with a tag of what I wanted. I had to come home and order them on line. 

         At some point, we will all be ordering everything on line to be delivered to us and there will be no brick and mortar stores left.  Just think of it – we’ll have hours of extra time to pursue our leisure instead of circling around to three grocery stores to buy a simple commodity like tea.

        

        

November 23, 2019 – Inevitable change – DAH to AHA

         First, the “Dah” moment that was pointed out to me by my brother Ken who is four years my senior when he was visiting in October.  Gosh, I hate to look “dah-dumb” in front of him. We were discussing something about my smart phone and he argued with me, “Yes it is a USB – go get it – I will show you.”

         So, I trotted to the bedroom where I plug in my smart phone at night, unplugged the cord from the electrical outlet and brought out the cord.

         He immediately pulled the square box that had the two prongs for the electrical outlet from the rest of the cord and voilà, USB cable and an electrical outlet plug.  He put them back together for me and handed them to me with that knowing smile.  What did I say?

         “Oh!”

         So, you can see that many of these new technologies I am embracing I don’t fully grasp.  I was dumbfounded and enlightened at the same time.  Not a sensation I have experienced much over the years. 

         Bring that thought forward and think about my new found ‘enlightenment’ and we will move to the shopping for a light box.  I have drooled for one these last six months after I took a Calligraphy class this last spring and had the opportunity to test one out.

         As I was shopping, I kept noticing that they were connected with a USB cable and many indicated that the electrical connection was not included.

         I am simple – sometimes too simple for my own good – I don’t have another USB connection to my computer – so it wouldn’t do me any good if I didn’t have an electric connection.  Besides, I don’t want to use it at my computer, I want to use it at my kitchen table where I have more room to spread out. 

         On the one hand, I can often give you the botanical name of a plant in my yard as well as its complete horticultural care, but on the other hand, when I am looking at new technology – I am often in the dark, literally this time.

         I wanted the light box for my new ministry – I am on the Sunshine Committee for The Ladies Guild at the Immaculate Conception Church and I wanted to be “fancy” with the lettering on the monthly cheer cards to our folks in the nursing homes [that is my group].  I thought it would give them a little thrill to see their names in fancy calligraphy – make them feel a little special for a moment.  I find that older folks admire good handwriting and this would give them a flicker of “Oh, that is nice!”

         Three days I prowled the internet for a light box and concluded – no electric connection.  Then waking up one morning I suddenly remembered my dumbfounded enlightenment about the smart phone electrical cord.

         AHA! - I immediately ordered a light box.  It arrived yesterday and I trotted to the bedroom, retrieved the electrical connection plug, and started it up. 

         OH my, what fun!

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!

November 9, 2019 – Report on the continuation of paving the driveway.

         Finally, after over four months of being mostly “off” my right foot due to a broken foot back in June of this year, I am back in the swing of laying pavers to complete my paved driveway. 

         I am coming down the winning stretch as you might say.  I’ve passed the back sidewalk where it adjoins the driveway – in fact – I am three inches past the sidewalk now. I just have to lay pavers to the existing apron around the front of the shed, the area where our two vehicles will be parked. It is wider, but there are less issues with tree roots in this area, so it will be quicker, I am certain! [Sounds like optimism to me – does it to you?]

         I’ve used about half the 18 cubic yards of sand in the midst of this project and expect to use up much more of it.  And I may have to carry off  excess sand, but I will see how the raw materials work out as I get to the finish.

         And, of course, temperatures dipped today and we expect them to dip for several days into the artic express plunge – so I may need to resort to “long johns” under my work clothes and a thermos of hot coffee close at hand for the remainder of the project.

         But, it really has been a private journey of ONE BRICK AT A TIME.  When daunted I put one foot in front of the other and move through the mindless paces – smooth the area, lay the sand, level the sand, then retrieve the alternating long pavers 6” x 9” pavers with the short 6” x 6” pavers.  I walk halfway up the finished drive to the wooden pallets that the pavers were delivered on and retrieve two large pavers, one in each hand.

         I walk to the edge of where I have paved and set each paver two rows back from the edge on their coordinating 6” x 9” sized sisters so that I can easily grab hold of them.  I walk back and forth until I’ve a line of them like giant standing dominoes from one side to the other.

         Then I retrieve three of the small 6” x 6” pavers by stacking two in my left hand and one in the right and carry them to the paved edge and proceed to space them between the standing course on end.  I make several trips, always carrying three pavers, not wasting walking time if I only need one paver, I save the extra for the next “row” as I call it by setting them at the end.

          Sometimes I have to pause at this junction and take a breather – that amounts to a sit down in a lawn chair located near the edge of the project to admire the fall sunlight and the falling leaves for a moment or two.  Then I start on the south end and pick up one paver at a time, line it up with the edge and pave down the row grasping, one short, one long, one short, one long, alternating until I get to the end, then straighten up and verify that my design is consistent.

         Whereupon I am smug with myself for a moment and sometimes even say out loud – “Row number ___” [whatever row I happen to have accomplished].  I strive for more rows per day. Or,  “YES” and add an occasional hand pump of victory and then this empowered gal starts setting out the next group of long and short giant dominoes and continues on as I listen to my own footsteps. 

         I listen to the crunch of fallen leaves under my feet, the whisper of the fall wind in the air, and the chirping of the birds at the feeders keeps me fine company.  Occasionally the feral kittens come along and knock down a few of the waiting domino standing pavers or scamper under my feet chasing fallen swirling leaves.  It is all good – all this fresh air and quiet time in the dappled shade.

         It makes me feel powerful – hopefully I can say – “I’m back” when I get into a familiar rhythm of paver laying, day in, day out this next coming week.

         The shed is looming larger, the sand pile is close now, the pavers on their wooden pallets are a further walk away now, but the stacks of pavers are getting fewer and fewer in the middle of each pallet like miniature skyscrapers surrounded by wooden slat streets.

         Baring snow, I will get there – one brick at a time.

November 5, 2019 – My cat isn’t on standard time yet!

         Day two, no, day three and my cat, Jasmine, is still on day-light savings time.  She is now hungry at 4 a.m. instead of 5 a.m. and I am not enough of a good sport to get up in the dark and walk the full length of the house to give her a handful of kibbles to tie her over until morning – real morning – like 6 a.m. which is still before the dawn breaks.

         “Leave me alone!” I snapped at her as I awoke with the full weight of my  plump cat standing on all fours on my left shoulder.  No wonder I have a sore left shoulder – this is day three of this nonsense.

         Jasmine pops me with her paw and I feel her dangling claw on my lower lip – gosh, I don’t need to be scared for life just because I don’t know how to find the reset button on this cat from day light savings time to standard time.

         I pull the covers over my face and say, “Go get up Daddy, he will feed you,” even though I can hear his sound asleep breathing.

         Then the meowing – next the scratching viciously on the back of an old chair I saved for her scratching post,  then, more meowing and then her galloping up and down the hall, skidding around to get our attention.  Next, she attacks the rug in the writing room – scratching it – “pop, pop, pop,” as her claws snag and release it.  In the end, Jasmine runs and leaps onto the bed and pounces on Daddy and he is obliging enough to get up with her before the crack of dawn as I feign deep, deep sleep.

         We, like most homes have an assortment of clocks.  I have an old-fashioned, non-electric Big Ben alarm clock that runs on batteries and it’s ticking ten feet away from my bed which can keep me awake.  [See Blog July 27, 2018].  I dutifully changed that clock Saturday night knowing we had to “Fall back” as my Mom and Dad always called it.  That is a good thing – “Spring ahead and Fall back” – a simple axiom to remember over the years.  My  problem is – I can’t figure out how to fix certain electronic clocks.

          How did we get here discussing this – oh yeah – I have a sore shoulder and I keep my reading light directly over the left side of my chair in the living room.  I was wondering if I was turning to the left too much to read and causing a sore shoulder – now I don’t think that is the case.

         This morning, after hearing my husband deal with Jasmine – the fat cat who thinks she is starving, he feeds her and makes coffee early.  Meanwhile, I luxuriate in the bed – oh yes, extra time finally to snuggle in.

         The aroma of coffee finally gets me out of bed and after I pour my cup and walk to my arm chair in the living room I stop dead like Sherlock Homes pouncing on a clue and ask – “Why is my light moved?”

         Now, wasn’t my husband startled about that,

         “Doesn’t take you long to complain, now does it?”  He shot back as he thought he had done a good deed. He continued,  “I was changing the time on the clock on the wall, the screw that holds it up is loose, it will probably fall down.” 

         Hearing this explanation, I pull my chair out and successfully catch the clock coming off the wall under my mere touching it.  He was right about that.

         “So you wanted it to break?”  I don’t mince words before I have half a cup of coffee in my gullet in the morning.

         “It shouldn’t be there to begin with,” is his next retort.

         “That is the only wall available for it.”  Is my definitive answer.

         After half a cup of coffee, I vacuum and dust behind and under the chair and around the lamp. While I am at it, I empty the entire eight-shelf coffee table between our two easy chairs and dump all my junk on the couch to sort out later.  I love the organization of it – hate the dusting of it – you can’t have both I have deduced.  I dust his side and put it back and then I settle down to my coffee to mine my grey cells for where I put those new packages of picture hangers.

         At the end of my first cup of coffee, I have a flash of where those picture hangers are and retrieve them along with a hammer.  New picture hanger installed, clock successfully rehung, I proceed to the stove clock in the kitchen.

         First I have to remember how we do this – after several false starts – I finally get it to the right time after several minutes of pressing the + arrow to “dink, dink, dink, dink . . . .”  in order to move the time by minutes and make the hours flip up.  I was “dink-ing” the wrong way and after I realized how far I had gone – it was a long “dink-ing” process until I got it to the right time.

         Now, when I remember the “Spring forward for day-light savings time” I can also remember to “dink forward” correctly of “dink backwards”, I might get this changing of time into a routine – a twice a year routine. Yeah, what kind of a routine is that?

         My husband has a digital clock he uses and I will leave it up to him to change “his” time.  This morning – Tuesday, I am gently reminding him again to change his clock.

         Oh, I forgot the clock on the electric coffee pot – I no longer use it since I’m enjoying my Melitta coffee filter/pot system [See Blog May 7, 2018] – let the husband deal with that one, too.

         Just now I look at my newly hung clock, “Honey, the time is 10 a.m. – not 11 a.m.”

         “I changed it – you must have changed it back when you were messing with it.”

         I squinted my eyes at him thinking it’s too early for a serious argument about who did what. I’ll need another cup of coffee before that skirmish.