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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Landowner's Conference

I'm always amazed at the knowledge of these people speaking at these conferences we go to. We've been to several over the years, in different places, and other small affairs on people's land. Each time we attend I have the same reaction to their remarks about trees and invasive plants - kill them all! To me it seems completely against everything these people (forest rangers, naturalists, and otherwise extremely intelligent and highly educated in their field of science) should be professing. Maybe they were naive, like me, about these things when they first started out and then the more they learned about nature and how basic principles still exist, they were able to be more objective. The first time we were taking a walk on someone's property, they were talking about thinning out the forest and proceeded to show all of us how to kill a tree. All you do is make a couple of hatchet marks on the sides of the tree and spray it with Round-Up (by the way, is still the weapon of choice). Voila, that tree is basically dead! It was killed for numerous reasons such as being misshapen or hindering the growth of other, more valuable trees . Yesterday's talk focused on killing these plants on the invasive plant list and more specifically what will get the job done. Some of these are very pretty plants but this guy had no use for them at all. At the end of the day, we listened to a girl talk about encouraging more wildlife on your land and for awhile I actually thought she felt like I do about all the ferns we have at the cabin, but then in the end she said her thought was to use chemicals to kill them (not all of course). Oh well, that's probably the closest I'll come to having someone agree with me.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Two in the Kitchen

I just love watching the house hunting shows like House Hunters, Property Virgins, My 1st sale, My 1st Place, etc. I even got my husband watching one day and we really got into it. One guy in particular built his house himself, hired his girlfriend as his realtor and had definite ideas of how he wanted it sold (no sign and he wanted to be there for the open house). One thing has always amazed me is when they say this beautiful kitchen isn't big enough for the both of them. That has never been an issue for me since I'm usually the only one in mine, until now. It seems for lunch, anyway, my husband and I are both in the kitchen making something different to eat and we are starting to run into each other. I've been trying to wait a little longer to have lunch and give him time to finish up. Of course, that's really the only meal we're in there together so I think we can work it out. The other thing about these shows that we can both relate to is how they do their staging in order to sell the house. This might come in handy when the time comes to put our house up for sale.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

3 Fast Miles

I decided to write a review of sorts about my new exercise video I've been doing lately. I tried getting this through Netflix several times but with no luck. Of course, I think they thought they sent the right one but it wasn't. The first dvd in this set was a 2 mile walk from Leslie Sansone which I received but as I requested the 3 mile one, I got the same 2 mile. When I found this at Giant Eagle for $7.99 I grabbed it knowing all of these in Leslie's Walk Slim program are great. I wasn't disappointed in it. It doesn't have the intervals like the 4 fast miles but it keeps your heart rate up and gives you a good workout. She does some different moves in this, has alot of upper arm movements, and uses popular music throughout the dvd. On the downside, her cues are a little off at times, the camera isn't showing what it should at times, and as she hands off to friend Mary Kay to lead, we're at a loss because Mary Kay doesn't have a microphone on. We can figure it out of course, especially with Leslie talking throughout the segment. It was a very energetic workout that takes about 45 min. including warm-up and cool-down. I'll be able to see how it corresponds to Bob's (Biggest Loser) Power Walk dvd that I have coming through Netflix in a few days. According to the package, Bob does 16 min. walks which are not that fast compared to the Walk Slim program so that's why I didn't buy that one. I have a feeling he might use some weights along with the walk which I don't like at all. I don't mix my cardio walk with strength training except for squats or lunges which use my own body weight. I'll let you know how I make out with it.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Max Weber

Max Weber was the son of the founder of Smith's Provisions in Erie that make Smith's hot dogs and bologna. He just passed away and my husband shared some memories of him with me this morning. When he and his dad, Grandpa, would go into the store (used to be located at 26th and Elmwood), Max would give the kids a free hot dog. It must have made quite an impression on him even then. I sounds like a precursor to the free cookie but with a savory twist! We are very lucky in Erie to have the quality of foods that we do and sometimes it's not until you move away and try and find something comparable that you come to appreciate it. Even my grandchildren enjoy Smith's bologna! Anyway, it was a very nice write-up in the paper this morning and I'm going to try and leave the link for you http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/erietimesnews/obituary.aspx?n=magnus-weber-max&pid=148056505&fhid=8584&sms_ss=favorites&at_xt=4d3d7b3608e69a28,0d.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Strong Female Leads

I like alot of different kinds of movies and I'd be hard pressed to pin it down to any certain type of movie that appeals to me but Netflix doesn't seem to find it difficult at all. They have recommended movies to me based on my interest in movies with a strong female lead. Hmmm, you know I think they may have something there. I never really thought about it that way but I do tend to gravitate in that direction. I know there are certain actors that I shy away from, probably based on other movies they've made that I didn't like, but there seem to be few actresses (Ok, I can name a few) that I don't like. Of course, when I do like a movie with one of those actors, such as George Clooney in Up in the Air, it takes me by surprise. I just watched The Kids are Alright, which fits into their profile of me and the last movie was a drama with Juliana Moore. Now, my question is whether they can tell my husband is watching instant play movies on the computer and if they know we are 2 separate people with completely opposing interests. I'm still getting the "based on your interest in Zombieland and Dead or Unalive" comments along with the suggestions for movies with a strong female role. They'll really hit the jackpot if they recommend a horror film with a strong female lead! I'll have to tell my husband to let me know when one shows up.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

More About Spain

I've been thinking more about Spain lately and wanting to share some of my thoughts. Yesterday I was out with my friend (born in the Azores) and as we were walking on the icy parking lots we interlocked arm to help hold each other up. I'm not sure who was holding who up because if one went down the other was soon to follow. It reminded me of Spain and how all the adult women there would walk arm in arm wherever they were going. Even some of the younger girls could be caught doing the same thing - it was kind of nice. We (the other girls in our class) noticed that of the adult women we saw there, the widows all were black, for a long time if not forever, and the rest of the women just liked the color. Once the men reached a certain age they all wore those berets. Just about everyone smoked and probably not a nice filtered menthol but the hard-core stuff. Of course, wine was the drink of choice and everyone drank it, even the kids. I'm sure it's changed since I was there and hopefully for the better in alot of ways. I remember Grandma talking about her time in the army much the same way I am and I understand how she felt about it. It was the last bit of time completely to ourselves, with our girlfriends, in a different country doing something unique for us and for many other girls at that time. She often said it was the best time of her life and I know what she meant.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Snowballs

These aren't the kind with real snow but the other kind when one thing happens and then it just snowballs. I had a doctor's appt. yesterday and when I went to leave, I found my car was dead. It was going to be too late to get to it so I called and rescheduled for next Mon. Ok, not my ideal day as I had my other doctor's appt. on Tues, but what could I do. I still had my day planned as far as other shopping I wanted to do while I was out so I did my shopping (good buys at JoAnn's, by the way). Then later in the day, the girl from my other doctor's office called to say he wouldn't be there Tues so we had to reschedule that also. That turned out to be the following Mon. Well, that worked for me as long as weather permits and nothing else develops. Just last week I received a letter from my ob-gyn saying I needed to reschedule my upcoming appt. in March. For the life of me I have no record of making an appt, and I'm pretty good at writing it down somewhere. Anyway, I called and rescheduled that. As I side note, I wish when I was at the ob-gyn office last year and they told me they were moving the office to downtown Peach St. they also would have informed me they were affiliating themselves with Hamot and part of the new Hamot Women's Center, just so I'd know. It probably doesn't really matter unless I have a major procedure that needs to be done but now they are also with UPMC in Pittsburgh. See what I mean by the snowball effect! If I were still working this would have caused enormous problems with my leave slips. I'm just not sure what to expect next.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Brrrrrr

Man, it's cold outside! Yesterday afternoon I watched the temperature plummet on the thermometer and my body felt it, too. I've noticed a dramatic change in my body temperature since retirement. Even with a new furnace, better insulation and new windows the house still doesn't seem to be warm enough. I'm sure part of it is because I'm just sitting and the level of my activity has diminished considerably. I used to be on my feet most of the working day and short-sleeved shirts were a staple of mine. Now I still wear the shirt but have a sweatshirt on over top but my legs are still cold. Now I understand why the secretaries at work usually had that extra sweater on the back of their chair and a small space heater under their desk. I feel bad for them now that the new study came out saying if people are sedentary most of the day, it doesn't even matter if they exercise. What do they want people to do then? Even sitting on an exercise ball wouldn't solve the problem! This sort of study just makes people feel frustrated and without any power at all. What good are they? Let's put money where it will be more beneficial and not a wasted study.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Lentils

I've had an epiphany of sorts, I guess, about lentils. It all started when my daughter made me a soup jar with lentils, noodles and other spices for Christmas. I realized then that we like the soup and it provided alot of protein and fiber. The lentils cook quick unlike dried beans and don't really impart much flavor. They do have some texture to them though. So I bought a bag and intend to throw them in other dishes as a filler to boost the nutrition. This isn't the first time I've experienced lentils - when I was in Spain we had lentil soup all the time. At first when Carmina, the widow we lived with made it, we were a little turned off, especially by its appearance. It reminded me of the black bean soup that I make, which is delicious but it doesn't look appetizing at all. We enjoyed it in Spain and when I returned home I even made it but I don't think it got its due respect. There were other foods I had while in Spain that were unique and I even made some of those when I came home. I remember the Spanish tortilla and the Monte Cristo sandwich we would have at our evening meal, which was about 10 pm. They were both delicious and I even bought a special pan for the tortilla. My husband eventually took that over for his corks during wine bottling. Another dish I remember was Albondigas or little meatballs in a brown gravy spiced with bay leaves - yum! I came home with a cookbook but I must not have saved it - probably because I couldn't read half the instructions or ingredients and they didn't taste the same as I remember. I often think of that time and remember how Carmina would keep eggs on her little porch outside instead of the fridge, chicken were whole (and I mean whole) in the fridge, we would get a three-cornered pouch of unpasteurized milk on the doorstep every morning and we drank cola-cao (a version of hot chocolate)for breakfast. We (the other girl I roomed with) made a pizza for them while we were there. Only the bakeries were allowed to have yeast so we used baking powder for the crust. It left much to be desired, as I recall. I also tasted octopus and squid for the first and last times while I was there. They would cut the squid in rings, bread them and fry like onion rings. They were a little too chewy for me and then serving them with their own ink was a definite turn-off. All that really made me appreciate what we have here. Of course now that I'm thinking about recipes, maybe I'll try adding some to my blog if it doesn't turn into too much of a project.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Texas Red Grapefruit

I don't like grapefruit, or so I thought. My son gets a box of citrus for Christmas and gives us a few of the grapefruit for my husband to eat. I've never tried any until this year when, as my husband was eating one, it looked and smelled really good. Maybe in my old age I'm finally willing to try some different foods. I tried a half with some sugar and found it to be very tasty, not at all what I've experienced in the past. Just the thought of it has brought a pucker to my lips but not in a good way like lemons. The bitterness also turned me off. I was pleasantly surprised when I found these grapefruit are different than the others and really don't need sugar - and they're good for you! We like them so much that we even bought ourselves a big bag at Giant Eagle yesterday. I just hope they're as sweet as the ones we got from my son. Now that he knows what they're like, we might not get anymore at Christmas.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Red Kettle Woes

I just read an article in this morning's paper about the Salvation Army still out with their kettles, even though Christmas is long gone. I've noticed them still around but didn't think much of it. They said donations were down considerably so they extended the season, so to speak. I'm afraid I haven't been as generous this year as in the past, unlike my husband that doesn't pass a kettle without reaching deep in his pocket and pulling out something to put in. I guess my attitude stems from an incident the winter before this when we went to Erie County Farms. As we were leaving, I grabbed a dollar bill and headed for the kettle intending to put it in myself. The guy attending it saw me and reached his hand out to take the money and said thank you. As I turned, out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn he put his hand in his pocket, not the kettle. It left me with such a bad feeling that I just don't look at those kettles the same way anymore. How could people who are good enough to donate their time and stand out in the cold the way they do, take advantage of a situation like that? Maybe it was my fault in the first place - by giving a bill instead of coins, was it too easy to resist the temptation? It probably shouldn't have mattered to me as I was donating to the needy and if he needed it, then all was good. But my expectations of people that I perceive as a step above me, that is clergy, politicians and those working in non-profit affiliations, is that they should do the right thing. I'm not saying that because I'm not involved in one of those areas, that I have free rein as far as what I do, but when you are in the public eye, you have that responsibility to set an example. I guess it comes down to morals and each of us doing what is right despite our station in life.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Driving in the Snow

I'm amazed at how our attitudes can change when we get used to things. I'm talking about when I was working and we got our first big snowfall of the year. I paced the floor in the morning as I watched the cancellations, hoping EUP would be on it. The worry accelerated as I made the decision to go or not to go, all depending on how much time I had to play with. If I decided to make the trek, it was usually white knuckle all the way, but I was proud of myself when I arrived. After that it wasn't nearly as bad because I had gotten used to the journey. By Feb. it was pretty much old hat - just leave a little earlier, go slow and bundle up. As retirees, most of the time I don't have to be anywhere so the decision is a little easier. But will I ever get to that point where it doesn't bother me anymore? Who knows. Today I have my WW meeting at 10 am and I'm fairly certain my friend will not want to venture out in this weather. I refuse to resort to making my husband drive me there as this defeats the purpose of having this "me" time. Our alternative is to go to the 5:30 meeting at the same place, unless I see it in the list of cancellations. Sounds like a good compromise!
P.S. to Anonymous - Spoken like a loyal Giant fan if I ever heard one!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Trauma-induced Savant

I was intrigued by the story a while back about the guy who suffered a head injury and became a savant. I guess after the injury he could play musical instruments. I've often thought about that sort of thing happening - I guess it's taking the easy way. I'm sure things could have gone the other way for him and he might not even be able to use his hands . You have to wonder if it's permanent or just a temporary thing, if there was something else now that he can't do, if there was also a behavior modification and how his life has changed in other ways. It would be fascinating if he wrote a book about this experience. I know it's crazy, so bear with me, but I wish I could sing and for just a second, I almost think I would suffer a minor, maybe concussion level, head injury if it would help me hit a note. Don't worry, I'm not thinking of doing anything stupid, it's just a rambling thought. I'm not interested in changing places with anyone else and long ago I heard someone talk about jealousy. She said whenever she starts having feelings like that she asks herself 1 question - Would you give up everything and everyone in your life to change places with that person? I've tried it over the years if I feel like someone else is getting all the breaks and there has never been a time where I've said yes to the question. It cured me of feeling jealous of anyone. So, with that said, I'll still sing in the car, despite my daughters criticisms, and even though it'll sound awful, I'll still enjoy every minute of it.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Kids in the Kitchen

It's not all about kids in the kitchen - they grow up and sometimes they cook better than the parents. I'm feeling that way about my son after spending New Year's at his place and tasting his home-smoked pork shoulder. I have to admit that I'm all about having someone else cook for me and I was very impressed. My son was probably the last of my three that I would have expected to take a shine to cooking but it's happened. I recall the first real cooking experience he had which took place the summer I was in school. He developed a recipe called Eggs are Andy. I can't remember exactly how he did it but I'm sure he will. At Christmas each of the kids would make some sort of candy to give as gifts and while the girls were making Seafoam and Peanut Butter Balls, I had him make White Chocolate Peppermint Bark. He could crush the candy canes, melt chocolate, spread it in a pan, break it apart and put it into bags. He did a great job! He's certainly expanded his repertoire from baked hams to turkey to pigs-in-the-blanket to soup to "his famous pumpkin pie" to the culmination in my opinion, outdoor smoked meats. This is where he's left his poor mother on the sidelines. The pork I thought was cooked to perfection, though he thought it could have been cooked longer. I was eyeing up the ring of smoke (I think that's what it's called) right under the outside. This is key in any of the real barbecue shown on Food Network or Travel channels. I'm pretty sure in the not too distant future, I will be the one calling him for his cooking tips and tricks instead of the other way around. Maybe it's true what they say about the apple not falling too far from the tree and the littlest apple named Audrey just got her first EasyBake oven for Christmas.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Crochet Projects

As I've stated earlier, one of my goals is to empty my 3 craft supply bins this year. I started on the yarn bin and already completed a couple blankies for Audrey and 2 baby blankets. The baby ones were just done in a big Granny square which is quick, doesn't need a pattern and comes out in a perfect square. I really don't like Granny afghans or at least the traditional ones so I've modified them into ones I do like. I'm not sure what it is that I don't like. At first I thought it was too much black so I did the Granny's Daughter afghan with an off-white but I've done multi-colored afghans with black before in a different pattern and I love it. So this is my problem in coming up with a scrap afghan pattern for the rest of my yarn. I found one that resembles a stain glass pattern but in stripes of varying lengths. Each section of color is done in 1-3 small granny squares, sewn together then edged with black. It looks nice on paper but whether it'll look good once it's done and if I'll have enough yarn in shades that look good, time will tell. My hope is to have an afghan for each bed in the loft at the cabin, along with a quilt and a pillow. I'll keep you informed of my progress (aren't you lucky!).

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Giant Eagle Fuelperks

This is just another reason it's been good being in DuBois so much lately. They just opened a new Giant Eagle in town and they've had some good specials going on. They are specific to that area such as boneless pork loins for 1.77lb and eggs for .99 doz. Anyway, the last couple times we were down there they had a number to call to exchange your fuelperks for cash in the store. At first it didn't mean much to me since I use them but before we went to my son's for New Year's, I was faced with a dilemma. I had .20 of fuelperks that were due to expire at the end of Dec. and almost a full tank of gas. It just happened we had been in Cleveland the week or so before and got some cheap gas over there. Of course, I wouldn't use it unless I got at least 10 gal. of gas so I had to pass. Then when I saw the number again, I called and they put the cash on my card (it has to be in increments of .50 or $5.00 cash). That took care of my problem. Then when I was on empty, I got the other .20 in fuelperks. I guess they are doing that down there because, as of yet, they have no GetGo's. I think it's great and have been telling everyone I know. Of course at my retirees lunch this week, they didn't seem to be that impressed because they usually give their perks to their kids. I've never seen it advertised up here at all. We probably won't be travelling much for a couple months so I might have to use it again. We'll see.

Friday, January 7, 2011

My 100th blog post

Today I'm writing my 100th blog post! I think I did pretty well with keeping up with my posts, at least better than some others. I tried the mobile blog a couple of times but had difficulty with it, but at least I tried. This has been a wonderful outlet for me whether anyone is reading or not. I can't say I've been totally successful based on my initial intention for the blog. It was meant to be a list of things I've put off and then finally did. I feel like I accomplished many of those things but there are still many more to do. Maybe I shouldn't judge those things by what I have left (supplies, etc.) but what I've done. I should probably go back to those adjectives I talked about in another blog and say I think I've become more flexible in my list of things to do. I know I've become more lax in my routine since Oct. and that I'm not as proud of. I definitely haven't been cooking and trying new recipes like I had intended and I've allowed a bunch of excuses to limit my exercises. I've done some of the crafting I wanted but there is still so much to do. This is the part that is overwhelming. I find myself watching TV with my crocheting instead of tackling the pictures for scrapbooking. I know I have to give myself permission to fail or at least lag behind in doing some things. So here are my 3 things I'm most proud of:
  1. starting my blog in the first place
  2. finishing the t-shirt quilt and name pillows as Christmas presents
  3. being able to take off when I want and be with my family, such as Audrey's field trip and concert in Cleve

Then the 3 things I'm not so proud of during this time are:

  1. not following through with my exercise like I should have
  2. watching too much TV
  3. not developing and keeping a better routine during the day and night

Well, there you have it - my self-evaluation. I think I give myself a B- which isn't too bad. It's that incentive to do better that I'm going for. Now I think the next evaluation will be a year from the day I started my blog and I'll see how many I've done then. Thanks for reading!

P.S. Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I found out how to print my blog into a book, pictures and all, so I'm thinking about that for my 1 yr. anniversary!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

New Area Code

There's such a buzz around this area lately about the new area code (582) coming in 2012. We knew it was coming a while back but the details as to who would get it and the exact numbers were not divulged until recently. Ken Springhurth, our local activist, seems to be concerned primarily with the businesses and how they would be affected. My response to all the businesses is you have almost a year to use up your supplies and order new to correspond to the new area code and you'll probably be able to get a grant to do it so stop griping. You have all this technology at your fingertips to let your customers know about the change and also plenty of time, in my opinion. I feel it will be more of an inconvenience for the rest of us to redo our contact list and inform them about the change. But I still think it's doable and the decision has already been made. My only concern is how it will affect us with our eventual move to the cabin. That area is expected to stay 814 and I'm not sure if we'll need to get a new cell phone number or not. I'm not quite sure what will happen in Erie through Verizon. Will they automatically change our area code to 582 if we are still living here when it changes? There are many questions to be answered. One in particular showed up in the editorials this week. What happens to the numbers that have been disconnected and no longer in service? Someone said she recently called her old number and it was still out of service. I wonder if there are enough of them to make a difference and maybe not have to get a new area code. Hopefully they have thought all this through. One thing you absolutely don't do is mess with our phones, right ladies?

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

New Year's Resolutions

It's funny sometimes how my train of thought goes. Last week I got an offer in the mail for Oprah magazine for $12.oo plus an O bag. I didn't want to get it without first browsing the mag itself so during one of our stops at Sheetz, I bought one ($4.50) I read an article about new year's resolutions that stated instead of using nouns or verbs to describe what we wanted, we should use adjectives. It made sense to me. It makes you think about how you want to feel and how to get there. Take weight loss, for instance. If you say you want to be healthy and confident there are different ways to achieve that, not just through weight loss. I think it sets us up to be successful more often. The article also stressed that we should be thinking about positive things we have going for us instead of just things we want to change. Anyway, I read the whole article and decided maybe I'll subscribe, especially for that great rate, plus a bag. I'm a sucker for a bag I guess. I've never been a huge fan of Oprah, even though I admire her. I think what really ticked me off was when she would praise Bob Greene and how he helped her lose weight and then promote Hoodia (sp.) and the Secret when it takes will power and hard work. She, of all people, should know that.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Christmas Wrap-Up

It's time to wrap it all up for another year - tree, decorations, wrapping supplies, cards and sweets. For me it will be fairly simple and I'll do it at my leisure. It will give me time to sort through some stuff to make next year easier. When I take down the cards, I want to cut any part out, probably with some scapbooking scissors, to use as tags next year. I just have to remember to put them with the wrapping supplies. I already bought my cards for next year but in the past, putting them with the Christmas decorations has not been the best option. I get my cards ready early and I've forgotten that I had them and bought new ones. In a recent article, I read that I should put them with the Halloween decorations. The last couple of years I've not even gotten any of that stuff out so I guess that wouldn't do me any good. Besides putting away all the Christmas stuff, there are a couple others things that are typical of this time of year, such as browsing through the mail order garden mags, getting a folder out for 2010 tax stuff and making soup from all the bones I froze over the holidays. That one will certainly fit into my new diet plan for the new year!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone out there. I'm finally back at my blog. I'm writing today about innocence as seen in children. We bought my daughter-in-law a dance video game and played it with the kids Sat. night. I was so thrilled at how my grandson loved to dance and of all songs, he enjoyed "Girls just want to have fun"! He was totally uninhibited and enjoying the moment. I'm sure the competition involved spurred him on a bit but he was very good-natured even when he trailed behind. I'm afraid my kids inherited some of my husband and my lack of spontaneity and inhibited nature. When I was young I never would have tried anything new like this, especially in front of anyone else. As I aged, I began to spread my wings a bit and not care so much what others thought. I certainly don't care if someone else acts like a fool around me. So as I watched my grandson dance I found myself hoping he keeps it up even into his teen years and resists the urge to squelch his free spirit. I hope he stays young at heart forever!