A very happy birthday to our brother in law Larry, Martha’s husband. He ushers out the old year, today, to welcome in the new one.
Well, we have birds, outside, somewhere on the premise.
I have been hearing a bit of birdsong lately. I have no idea where it is coming from; our building, or the one next to us, but it is lovely to hear. It cannot be baby birds; it is not the right season, plus, they usually start crying for food about five thirty in the morning.
No, this is in the afternoon, and does not last long. I am wondering if it is a bird looking for, or, possibly, talking to, its mate.
Two more holiday hurdles to jump- today, New Years Eve, and, tomorrow, New Years Day. Take care of yourselves so you can enjoy them both.
While we do just that, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
If you have never heard music, coming from a Bose sound system, you really are missing out on something spectacular.
We happen to be the fortunate owners of such a sound system, that we bought four, or five, years ago, from QVC. It was, and is, worth every dime it cost.
The music sounds like you are part of the audience, listening live, but sitting in your living room. As I am. Drinking a cup of cold coffee, enjoying some Trans-Siberian Orchestra, with a smile on my face.
It is a good day to be alive.
Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
We got our latest, and, actually greatest cell phone covers in the mail today. Here is what they look like.
The front. The photo I used for the Lock screen is of a beautiful moment captured in Los Altos last month. When it is not raining, that is what the sky looks like. Amazing, is it not?Yup. You guessed it. That is the back of the cover.
They completely enclose the cell phone, according to the advertisement that I saw, somewhere, right before I ordered it. It does completely enclose it, and it is amazing. If you have a previous screen cover on your phone it has to be removed, however, or the case will not close. It has two small tabs on the bottom that “lock” the top to the bottom, holding it securely together.
The bottom. It is a bit hard to see but on the outside of the speaker holes are two clear slides that lock the top to the bottom. Excellent design, and quality.
It took me about ten full minutes of dinking around with the case before I figured out how to close, and lock, the dang thing. I persevered, however, and, it works like a charm. It feels, (I know how this is going to read; it is true nevertheless), elegant. It is slim, sleek, and shiny. The buttons respond beautifully, as good as not having any cover on it at all. What is not to like? I just hope I do not drop it, and break it. That would be bad.
The instructions were, for the most part, in an Asian script, so that was useless. Time was in our favor, though, so I was able to figure it out. Here is what the advertisement looked like, in case you are interested. I do not recall what I paid for them, though $20 each sounds about right. Take a look. We both highly recommend these.
The band around the edge comes in four different colors. Mine is dark blue while Ivan’s is black.
Well, whomever gets our phones when we upgrade will have a nice new-looking phone, and cover.
Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
Post script: Ivan’s phone slipped off of his tray, and broke. Mine, however, is working quite nicely. Thank you very much.
I just read the beginnings of an email, from some herbal company, telling me to take a deep breath, and relax, regarding the hustle and bustle of the holidays.
Not a problem, I say.
I am almost three years retired, and, for the first time in my memory, completely unencumbered. I no longer have to keep others in the back of my mind, making sure that their needs are being met, making sure they are being fed, clothed, cared for. Now, it just the two of us, again, after all of these years.
Everyone else is on their own, from now on. I am going to make a serious dent in the credit card debt we have accrued from buying food, other supplies, medication, etc. for others. It may take me a year, however, it is the only outstanding debt we have left.
Until that happens, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
I believe I have told you about having to wash dishes in cold water, have I not?
No longer. I discovered something the other day; heat a kettle of water to boiling, which takes all of three, or four, minutes, and wash the dishes in that.
I bought a red plastic tub, probably Rubbermaid™, online, and use that to wash the dishes. Then, while I am washing, I heat another kettle of water, and pour that into a large mixing bowl to rinse. Hottttt!!
Yessiree Jimmy Bob, it is hot. I put the dish drainer, on a kitchen towel, on top of the washing machine, within arms reach of the kitchen sink, so, when I get the dishes rinsed, I set them in the drainer. In a matter of a only few minutes, they are all dry.
They look great, too. They finally look clean. It makes my face smile, but my hands are getting red, and dry. The price paid. Gratefully, I might add.
Not much else exciting happening here. We put up three strands of Christmas lights that look nice, and inviting, but that is going to be all for this year. Oh, my table runners came, as well, and they look pretty too.
Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
I discovered, a few minutes ago, that I messed up on the pattern of the baby blanket I am knitting for baby Brandon; Jesús and Lizbeth’s baby, due in March.
So, now I have to pay the consequences of not finishing a row before stopping to make dinner. I have to unknit, or, take out the rows of incorrect stitches by knitting them off the needles, or knitting backwards. A) it is annoying, to lose the progress one has made over the last bit of time, and B) it is time consuming, and I cannot unknit and watch my show on the computer.
I have made excellent progress over the passed few days; this is a definite setback. Should not take me more than an hour to remove the five hundred plus stitches, and redo them; it is the principal, as Mom always said.
In the meantime, I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season. Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
Post script: as it turned out, that was what the pattern looked like after the four row pattern was completed. It is not until I start row one again that it pulls the stitches into the hole that is made. I unknitted it twice before I figured it out. Why? Because, normally I knit the four rows of pattern and put it away, so when I pick it up again, I check my row counter, and continue on my merry way. A lot of needless work.
It is a CD of music we bought back in 1996, that we listen to every year, about this time.
It is supposed to be a “natural experience in relaxation”. We always played it when we saw the snow falling outside our front window. Obviously it will not mean the same now, as it did in years passed. We may not ever experience snow again, which is a thought better left for another day. We will, however, always have the memories.
The last time we shoveled snow. 2018.
And we will not have to shovel the stuff!!! My back considers that a win.
Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
Remember good body mechanics if you have to shovel snow.
Have we talked, yet, about dried bugs? Eating them, that is.
I feel as if I have already written about cooking with dried bugs, grasshoppers (chapulines), flying ants (chicatanas), and the worm found at the bottom of a bottle of Mezcal (gusano de maguey).
We bought a small bottle of each, online, of course, and are enjoying them immensely. Each contains one of the aforementioned dried bug, plus salt, and, to top it off, chile de árbol. Wow. It lights up a salsa even more than adding more chiles. It also raises the taste to the next level. I just wish I could buy the bugs, dried, by themselves. Not yet. Maybe in the future.
Newest food additives.
I only use a quarter teaspoon, probably less, in each of the preparations I add a salsa. I just sprinkle a bit on top, the mix it in. It ends up being one of those elusive flavors that you taste, but are not able to identify, yet it makes whatever you are eating just a bit better, somehow.
Right now, I am boiling some cactus (nopales), with multi colored grape and cherry tomatoes, and burning the outside of four poblano peppers, to add to my already cooked red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, with onions. Yum!!
As I need to do one thing to completion, I need to say stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
We had entertained an idea of taking Juan to Los Altos with us, to end his days there. That did not happen.
We were going to build an addition on to the existing house of Jesús’s parents, and spend the rest of our lives there. That will no longer be the case. Now that Juan is gone, the dream is gone as well. We will stay here, visiting Veracruz from time to time, nothing more.
It is such a shame that he/we will not live in one of the most beautiful states here in México; to be so close to the Gulf of México, as well. We had high hopes, even loftier dreams. We are back on planet Earth now, in our own little spot of terra firma.
Thank you, everyone, that shared with us their lovely memories of Juan; they meant so much to us. And, most especially, to our family, here, and friends, that helped us in our time of need, anxiety, and grief. Things will never be the same.
Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.
