5 thing {late} Friday - cooking, humidifier, cereal, cactus, eczema

 Not all of my cooking efforts are loved by my family.

But Hubby and I like just about the same things.  For instance, we both think that cheesy grits, topped with scrambled eggs and bacon, pumpkin bread on the side, is pretty wonderful.  Firstborn said the mashed potatoes were "gritty".  Eyeroll.

In desperation, I tried making a DIY humidifier by setting a water-filled crock pot on high and adding essential oils.  Didn't work as well as just simmering it on the stove.  Good to know.

Its my habit to combine cereals when we get down to the last few dregs in a box.  That way, it doesn't go to waste.  Sometimes, Hubby is none the wiser.  Like when I add a non-sweet cereal into the sweet stuff.  Can't hurt him.

My cacti on the back patio weathered the crazy winter storm just fine.  All of the other plants got taken inside and that's where they will stay until the end of March, I guess.  That little blue stone is a glow in the dark pebble.  I need to order a bag of them for Highlands.

I am struggling with eczema this week so I have my plan of attack all lined up on my bathroom counter.  Wish me luck, because this crap is terrible!  I have some large patches that are purple-y red.  I give it until Monday then its to my doctor I go.

Gina

Still with me

 The snow is gone.  Our houseguests are back in their own home.  My house is clean - sheets, floors, bathrooms, you name it. And I think all of my peeps are doing better this week than last.

And after many days of making our way through most of the food in the house, I was finally able to get groceries!  You wouldn't know it from the empty spaces in the fridge, but trust me, it was much, much emptier.  It gave me the excuse to wipe it down thoroughly, too.

I got very creative with meals - I had a Plan A and a Plan B this week, just in case I didn't get the shopping done.  I can tell you right now that Stewed Cabbage and Carrots with Ham did not get my Hubby's full endorsement. {but I LOVED it}  

We wasted no food.

I'm only feeding two people, and we have plenty.

******

Its not lost on me that any of my complaints about last week are lame.  So I won't complain.  We were warm, had water, kept our jobs, fed ourselves just fine.  And though it still feels like a little of that bad ju-ju is still with me, I am moving on and looking forward to a couple of projects this spring.  It feels good to look forward to something, after all!  And overall, I am very grateful.

But, anyone else still feeling the effects of last week?  That was rough.

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #78

 Last week's menus didn't go as planned.  I had to get creative on food as I usually just feed two.  My grocery list is HUGE now as we ate most of what we had - hopefully I can shop today or tomorrow.  Thank God we had enough to feed ourselves as the long lines and packed parking lots at HEB were awful!!

 Hopefully, spring is on its way.  I so hate ice and snow.

Monday - the Mole Chicken we didn't eat last week, made into enchiladas, sliced apples

Tuesday - Stewed Cabbage with carrots, and spiral sliced ham from the freezer

Wednesday* - Salmon, fresh green beans {follow up hearing appt.}

Thursday* - Crockpot Honey Garlic Pork Chops, zucchini

Friday* -  Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore with onions and peppers, buttered linguini {payday}

Saturday - Grill at Highlands, maybe go check on Bubbie

Sunday - Take-out

*If I can't get to the store to shop, we will eat a lot more take-out and move these menus forward to the next week

Gina

The end of house arrest is near!

 I wish I could say that I used my time wisely this week, while trapped inside of my house all of these days.  But aside from cooking up all of our food, washing dish load after dish load, doing chores, stitching, and surfing the internet, I come up empty-handed.  Oh. Well.

Instead, there is MUCH to be grateful for during these stressful times:

*Firstborn and LA were here safely with us, warm and fed.

*The Girl is safe in Houston with power and plenty of food and bottled water.

*Scout and Dutch are also safe, have electricity and water, the kitties are fine, and they are keeping each other sane.

*Bubbie managed to get some things from HEB and has had water and electricity intermittently.  No internet, but he does have phone service.

*We did not one time lose heat or water.  I don't even know how that is possible.  Time will tell if we have a broken pipe, and we don't know the condition of things at Highlands, but I am marking us as safe.  I can only imagine how craptastic it has been for MILLIONS of Texans.  We are out of food, drank most of our wine, and are a little stir crazy.  But things can only improve after today.  And hopefully, I can go to work today...

Gina

What year is it this week?

We knew we were going to get some atypical weather this week.  But on Sunday, I wasn't all that worried about it.  We had enough food for both of us for the week.  I was on call and had to work a bit on both Saturday and Sunday, but Hubby made sure I got there safely and back.

I even cooked us a great meal on Sunday - pork schnitzel, homemade mac and cheese, pintos.  Yummy with a glass of red wine.  We had a light dusting of sleet.  No biggie. Not worried.

This scene looks like a broken arm.

I woke up suddenly on Monday at 3:30 a.m.  Maybe it was just too quiet outside.  Snow had started up. {I am not a fan of snow, except to the extent of how pretty it is on a painting of the mountains}

By the morning it was apparent.  Lots of snow.

People in Central Texas don't know how to handle snow.  Roads aren't built for it, and Austin has lots of hills and overpasses.  The houses aren't built for temps in the single digits.  We have lots of trees, which means that snapping branches down power lines.  Rolling outages stretch into days because the power goes offline for so long. {guess what wind farms do when hell freezes over?}  Pipes burst. People can't get to work, so grocery stores close.

It was un-naturally bright outside all day.

Somewhere under there we have steps leading out to a driveway that we are definitely not going to leave.

Nope.

I stayed inside and stitched all day on Monday, then Firstborn and LA arrived, having made a trek from Round Rock.  They had no power and no water - we have both, and warm beds to boot.  Then Tuesday dawned with more of the same, and I was not about to die trying to make it into work. 

As of this writing, Wednesday is anyone's guess.

Firstborn and LA will be here at least two more days as Williamson County is shutting off water and there is no electricity.  The Girl lost power in Houston for several hours.  Scout can't go to work since HEB is closed.  Bubbie is stuck in San Marcos in student apartments where they keep getting evacuated due to burst pipes and he can't get groceries.

Are we still in 2020?

Gina 

Empty Nest Menu #77

 At this writing, it appears that we are about to have full-on winter in Central Texas.  Usually winters here look like this:

It won't last long.  But Hubby is still worried about the pipes...

Monday - Mole Chicken in the crock pot, pintos, yellow squash

Tuesday - Shrimp and Grits, kale {off - taking Mother to eye doctor}

Wednesday - Crockpot Chili for Two, with Fritos, chopped onion, and cheese {oil change, working til 11:30 p.m. today}

Thursday - Crockpot Ribs, baked sweet potato, corn

Friday - Chicken Piccata Meatballs, rice, broccoli

Saturday - BBQ at Highlands

Sunday - Eat out!  Texas Taco Kitchen OR Liberty Hill Beer Market

Stay warm out there!

Gina

5 thing Friday - a sign of spring, work, crafting, wreath, haircut

 Baby bluebonnets at Highlands:

Spring cannot be that far away, right?  I hope this weekend's weather doesn't kill them all!  It's supposed to be in the teens here.

Work has been very challenging lately.  And really, I feel like I have been saying that phrase for months.  What a sucky time to work in healthcare.

I'm pretty much living for the weekends, trying to stay sane.

I'm taking down all of the winter looking greenery and pinecones and such this weekend and adding a few things that look fresh.  Here is my inspiration:  creamy white containers with greenery and natural twine.  I think it will cost me less than $10 as well.

I made a very inexpensive wreath for Highlands.  That wooden bird was a found object, the burlap is from my stash, the wreath was $1, and the plastic eucalyptus was $3. I hope the birds will leave it alone!

I still hate this haircut.  Month one of growing it out.

Well-meaning people who tell me it looks great?  Consider the feelings of the person actually wearing the hair!

Gina

Weekend re-cap: Highlands and wine club pick-ups

 Weekend in a nutshell:

We started out at Highlands, just unloading the truck and checking on things. Then we headed to 7 Creeks where I took exactly zero photos.  It was very very windy and the BBQ and Carignan were delightful, as was the music, but we didn't stay long.  We couldn't build a fire at Highlands due to the wind, so we watched the footage from the wildlife camera (nothing too terribly exciting) and took it easy in our comfy chairs.

The next day, we ate breakfast, putseyed around a bit, then headed to Perisso's for yet another pick-up.  Lunch was chili frito pies which we enjoyed with a 2017 Syrah.  The weather was amazing, though still a bit breezy.

Lucky us!  Same musician from yesterday.  We stayed a couple of hours, then headed back to Highlands to prep the outside faucets for some chilly weather headed our way.

We used bits of insulation board leftover from the barn buildout and tape we already had to make sure that our pipes don't freeze and cause a catastrophe, draining as much water out as we could beforehand.  Inside this box we stuffed more insulation.  Here's hoping.

We also moved that beast of a canoe, that Hubby and Bubbie had stored just inside the overhang of the barn, over to the fence behind.  We don't need a critter canoe hotel right next to Mabel.  I think its pretty well camouflaged and besides, it weighs a TON.  Come steal it if you can lift it!  Bring a big truck.

I want to be able to see all the way around Mabel. 

It was hard to leave, but we had stuff in the garage at Camp Rustown to put out for big trash day.  We ate leftovers for dinner and called it an early night.  It will be two weeks before I'm up here again as I am on call all weekend.  And by then February will be almost over...

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #76

I'm not sure I totally agree with this sentiment, but it can't hurt to not feel miserable when things are out of your control.  Even if things aren't awesome you don't have to suffer needlessly.  My opinion.

Monday - Southside Sausage Slammer, potato salad for two, kale {Big Trash Day! Goodbye to some big junk in the garage}

Tuesday - Salmon, baked over veggies (yellow squash, bell pepper, green onions)

Wednesday - Zucchini Stuffing Casserole with Lemon Chicken {Gina doc appt.}

Thursday - Weeknight Enchiladas, chopped salad

Friday - Italian Chicken, baked potato, Brussels sprouts {Gina on call this weekend}

Saturday -  Bubbie is coming for the weekend so we will grill!

Sunday - Pork Schnitzel, California Coleslaw, pinto beans

Gina

Five thing Friday - thankful edition

 I felt super productive Wednesday and yes, I did have a To Do list....why do you ask?...Its probably time to list some things I am thankful for as well!

I got my tires rotated and balanced, then got groceries, gas, and washed my car.  It was like Spring outside so my newly shaved chick head felt great.  I am thankful for sunny and beautiful days off from work!

We discovered a problem with our heater earlier this week (the fan burned up) and it was under warranty.  However, the labor and diagnostic wasn't cheap.  No sense in stressing, it has to be fixed.   We paid the bill, changed the air filters, and went on living our lives.  I am thankful for that savings account!

My publisher offered up a 1960's tee that was the wrong size for him...I guess I should have asked what size it was when he listed it on Facebook.  Oh. Well.  It made a cute pillow along with some groovy fabric pieces from my stash and some pillow filler.  Cost = zero.

I cut along the sides of the tee, leaving a small rectangle of  the design, so I zig-zagged top stitched a border of said cute fabrics. 

I am thankful for my creativity and sewing machine!

I spent about an hour out in the front yard, raking our dirt (aka dormant grass) and filled four garden bags.  Pound for pound, I am a healthy and strong 60 year old, and can work as hard physically as Hubby!  I get a crap ton done every day.  I am thankful for my strength in body and spirit.

My ficus tree loves the kitchen and probably never wants to leave this spot, but Spring will be here and it will go back outside to live.  This kitchen probably needs updating, but when I sit here in the mornings sipping my coffee and getting ready for the day, I feel relaxed and happy.  We have been so fortunate to live here and I know I will miss this house someday.  But for now, I am thankful to have a clean and pretty space to call home!

Have a great weekend,

Gina

Shared with Marti at Inspire Me Tuesday

File this under "What was mom thinking?"

One morning a couple of weeks ago I paused for a selfie I thought I might post to Facebook or the blog or some such.  And me being me, I was all about the flaws I saw in my own reflection.  I wish I had that day back to repeat.  I might have done a better job of building myself up. 

That lady was pretty.  She just didn't know it.

Bye bye.  See you again in a couple of years.

But no.  What I saw was dry and thinning hair, and on closer inspection I discovered that my hair was indeed falling out at a more than normal rate, as evidenced by areas that were very thin.  Hairclips were not working any more.  I can't do headbands with these hearing aids and a mask.  I needed a haircut, I thought.  Something really easy.  Fast forward to Friday, haircut was on the list.  I won't bore you with details.  

I got a very bad haircut.

It is so short now that I cannot comb it.  Which might be good.  So short I don't have to wash it daily.  Which also might be good.  But also so short and choppy and misshapen and terrible that it will be weeks before I can go somewhere else to get it remedied in order to simply grow it back out again.  Because I have decided once and for all, I'm done with very short hair.

I bought two scrub caps and wear them to work daily.

I ordered some densifying shampoo.  Got a new BP medication prescription which may curb the unwanted side effect of hair falling out. And ordered some biotin gummies to add to my vitamin/fish oil/calcium routine. There's not to much else I can do, besides forgive myself.

Have you ever had a supremely bad haircut, and what did you do?

Gina

Empty Nest Menu #75

When the winery has a sweet kitty who decides your lap is just purrfect:

Monday - (freezer) Buttermilk Chicken, carrots and peas {pay bills today}

Tuesday - (freezer) Bean Soup, garlic knots

Wednesday - Ham and Swiss Quiche, chopped salad {I'm off today!}

Thursday - Link Sausage with crock pot BBQ beans, frozen corn

Friday - Lemon Pepper Chicken, kale or chard, new potatoes {put out stuff for Big Trash Day}

Saturday - Free choice all day {BBQ and music at 7 Creeks for wine club pickup}

Sunday - (freezer) Porcupine Meatballs, green beans or broccoli {lunch and music at Perissos for wine club pick up}

*Lots of things in the freezer to eat = not having to spend a lot of time shopping!*

oh yeah...Happy February!

Gina