I believe I’ve discussed in a recent post about our lack of rain this year.
Then, I was ecstatic because we actually had a rainfall of a some significance just after that posted.
As it turns out, France is getting all of rainfall, and not bothering to share it, or send it our way. Bother.
I’ll show you a few examples of the vegetation in the park most recently. Notice how everything is shriveled up, on the verge of dying.
This jade is a perfect example of how dry it has been lately. Those leaves should be plump, and a beautiful green. Instead, they’re thin, and shriveled. In this photo of a couple of fiddle leaf trees, the top 12” of each is coming back, but just look at the darker, dried up leaves closer to the branches. This barrel full of succulents is thriving in the drought. It’s just across from our condo, so I see it every time I take a walk. Just a closer view of the one above. These are some of my favorite succulents. I can see them in the park, and not have to worry about killing them with too much water.
So, if you have any influence at all with the Almighty, I’d really appreciate it if you’d convince Him to send more rain our way before all of His plants die of the lack of water.
Thanks in advance.
Until next time, please, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
First thing, former President Donald J. Trump was found guilty of 34 undeclared, completely fictional charges, with sentencing to follow on July 11th. What a joke. The entire world is laughing at the US right now.
Then, we woke up yesterday morning to discover that Mexico had its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, who won with over 60% of the country’s vote.
Unfortunately for me, I know nothing about her as I didn’t realize the magnitude of the election that took place. I thought it was for Governor as all of the signage was for Jefe or Jefa de Gobierna. That was a big mistake.
Anyway, that’s why we couldn’t buy any alcohol over the weekend; it was a Presidential election. Duh!
I’ll try to follow both presidencies, and let you know how either, or possibly both, go along.
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
Ivan had been having to disconnect, then reconnect, the electrical plug to our 4+ year old modem every hour for the past 2, or 3 weeks.
The other day he decided he’d had enough. He finally called our internet provider, called IZZI down here, and had them check on our connection.
Of course, they said everything looked fine, but to call back when it was acting up.
So, he did. Six times. No problems from our end, they said. He asked if they would please send someone over to exchange the modem as there had to be a more modern one in existence by now.
After the 6th call, they sent a very nice gentleman to check everything at our end. He noticed the prior service man, who had come out 1 1/2 years ago, had connected a cable incorrectly, so he fixed that, then exchanged our modem for a sleek new one. We’ve been up, and running ever since.
I can’t tell you how annoying it was to be in the middle of doing something on line, just to have the connection dropped every 65 minutes of every day. Ugh!
No longer. We’re sailing smoothly, for now.
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
Post script: the internet couldn’t be faster done here if it tried. I can upload photos to the blog in less than 10-12 seconds. And, they aren’t trying to reload, and reload, and reload, ending up with 4, or 5 of the same photo.
Did you know that, when boiling chicken for enchiladas, as an example, if you wait until the water is at a full boil, you won’t have any of the foaming protein rise to the top?
Totally true. I learned that from Rachel Cooks with Love, on her YT channel.
As it happened, I was getting ready to boil a couple of chicken breasts to make said enchiladas, and remembered her saying that. So I tried it.
It worked. I let the water come to a rapid boil, placed the ingredients I had for a nice chicken broth, to be used later, into the pot along with the chicken breasts. It came to a second boil, and nothing. It just boiled. I reduced it to a simmer for 30 minutes without having to remove the scum which was normally floating on top. (If you don’t remove the scum/protein, your broth will be cloudy instead of clear.
Happy day.
So, now I’m off to put together said enchiladas, and get them in the oven for lunch this afternoon.
Until next week meet, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
The other day, all of the power went out in the apartment.
My fault. Entirely.
Our, seemingly, hundred year old breaker box, which holds all of 4 breakers, is only capable of me using 1 electrical appliance in the kitchen at a time.
I forgot.
I started roasting some green bell peppers, then put a piece of short rib to reheat in the microwave.
Everything got quiet.
We had need of an electrician recently, that helped us replace a breaker, and I watched him, knowing that someday, in the future, I’d need that bit of stolen knowledge.
Yup.
I got my little step stool out, took off the face plate of the breaker box, and turned off all 4 of the breakers. My hands were shaking like leaves. I have an acknowledged phobia when it comes to electricity.
I pulled the 4 breakers out of their positions, knowing that the second one was the culprit, and went about “fixing” it. After said “fix”, I put the buggers back in place, which took a bit of umph for sure, flipped the switches, and voila, there was light. Or, in our case, electricity.
Mind you, that actually took about 15 minutes because I thought I had to bend the wire around the screw, in between the 2 metal plates, but that was not the case. It only needed to go beside the screw, but between the metal plates.
The power came back on, to our bedroom, as well, which had been out since just after the electrician left; go figure. We’ve had an extension cord running from the hallway to the bedroom so I could use my CPAP machine, and the air circulator; 2 modern marvels I can’t live without. (Ivan’s bright idea of the extension cord from the hallway. Thank you honey.)
I guess I can add fledgling electrician to my resumé now. Hahaha.
I am going to save up money, and have someone come, and update our breaker box. If I can, I’ll educate myself with some YT videos, and do it myself; shaking hands be damned.
That’s it for today folks. Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
Here’s a photo of the POS breaker box, and its unholy contents.
We haven’t had any rain since last year until the other night.
That first rain lasted almost 15 minutes, pummeling all the cars in the parking garage downstairs.
It was Heaven!
Of course, I had to go to the bedroom window, and open it to its fullest capacity, and just stand there, watching, listening, and enjoying the smell of rain; one of my favorite scents.
It also cuts back the heat. It’s been in the 30’s here, over 90º, for the past several weeks, and it’s stifling. The rain is a welcome relief.
I’ll have a look at the dried up plants in the park when I’m out walking. Hopefully, what little rain we’re getting will help them somewhat. They look so pitiful.
Did I mention it was Heaven?
Well, it was. I have to take my walk soon, and it’s supposed to rain again while I’m out. That, too, would be Heaven.
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
You’re probably getting tired of me telling you I’m doing this, ok, not this, but that, in my quest to return to a modicum of better health, better shape, better life style.
I’m getting there, slowly, but surely. (You don’t need to call me Shirley 😉 I’m concentrating my efforts with, as I have said, using the One and Done program with Meredith Shirk, from Svelte. Her program, now that I’ve finally opened it, and embraced it, is working extremely well for me.
I just had to open the program, and do what it said to do. Go figure.
I work out about 10- 15 minutes in the mornings, M-W-F, than go about my day. I walk for 20 minutes T-Th-Sa, and on Sunday, I do my usual nothing.
My body is slowly changing. I’m getting stronger, a bit leaner in places, my bat wings are almost gone, my belly isn’t as “pregnant looking” as it was, 😉 less bloating, more defined. My legs, and rear have always been good, so not much to improve there, but less cellulite all around.
Well, that’s the way it appears today. Let’s wait, and see how it looks next week.
Until then, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
I don’t think there are many opera written by Sir Andrew that I don’t love, and know all of the words within.
Recently, I found, on YT, of course, The Phantom of Opera, performed at the Royal Albert Hall, in 2020, starring Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, and Hadley Fraser as the leads.
I have never heard of these performers, but I cried through 75% of the video.
The whole thing is 2:40:13, and let me tell you that I remember almostevery word of the musical.
Then, at the end, he came out on stage; Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. I cried like a baby, How can he make music like he does unless he’s inspired by God?
Music is the portal to my soul; it always has been, and it always will be. I love music. I love to sing.
I don’t sing enough in my life anymore, and it breaks my heart. I need to sing, really sing, everyday, all day.
My resolutions for the coming year are to walk, and sing everyday.
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
I’m sitting at the table, my space in the living room, and enjoying the smell of the air coming through the windows.
It is fresh, clean, sweet, relaxing.
(I am trying to ignore the music someone feels we ALL need to listen to, and am concentrating on the aroma.)
Today I am feeling relaxed, sedate, and complete. That doesn’t happen often so I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts.
Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
Post script: As I have done quite a bit of scheduled post changes, I may have already said this but, on the off chance I didn’t, tomorrow, the 21st. of May, is our 48th. wedding anniversary. So many people told us we would never last. Hah! Here’s to all of you. We’re in it for another 20, or 25 years.
