What the week holds and rainy days

This week I am off five days in a row, which always feels like such luxury to me!

the prickly pear is starting to bloom here

There's a chance of  rain for most of the week, and hail one of those days.  So I will need to practice parking Brigid in the empty side of the garage.  Why have I not done this yet?  The garage has been under control for some time now.

Also this week:

*I am determined to get further on the photo album project.  The photos are stacked in chrono order, waiting for their new home, and I am making slow progress.  I ordered two more empty albums from Hob Lob, and once all albums are complete, I will scan in the pages.  I knew this was going to be time consuming.  What I didn't realize is how hard it is to review the last 40 years or so, in photos.  I take breaks from it often.

*I need to replace the weather stripping on the attic opening in the hall and I have a new roll of that. Might as well do the front door, too, since I bought the supplies over a year ago.  Procrastinate much, Gina?

*I will pick up filler groceries from HEB Curbside.  The savings in gas is negated by the slightly increased cost of food from curbside ordering, but I need a break from both temptation and general grocery shopping.

*A book will be finished: Not All Bastards are From Vienna.

*I'm on call one evening

*I will take a walk all 5 days and log my food into the Vida app

*Perhaps I will take a day trip to Burnet 

Its gonna be a good week - what do you have planned?

Gina

5 thing Friday - photo project, pizza, Christmas, cooking, changes

The photo project I am working on is much bigger than I initially thought it would be.  I addition to going through all of the albums (which number in the tens), I also have photos in a couple of places in the house (memory boxes, cedar chest, cigar boxes), and an impressive collection of negatives dating back to the late 70's/early 80's.  Oy.

I stood there looking at the boxes where I had meticulously organized and labeled negatives by decade and thought "no one is ever going to print these".  Instead of leaving it for my kids to deal with some day, into the recycle bin it went - along with the second round of emptied photo binders.  Not gonna lie, that felt good.

I have already purged the albums and recycled the binders.  Now to pull out the photos I am keeping, organize them, replace them into new albums, and scan all of the pages into my computer and then onto thumb drives.  I'm working on this project an hour of two at a time, because its hard on the mama to trip so hard down memory lane.

TMI: Last week I enjoyed some TJ pizza, with roasted garlic, pesto, and added cheese.  Delicious!  But I have decided that after Christmas Day, I will go back to my simple meals featuring salads with added protein and such.  The older I get, the less my body likes certain foods (pizza).  And since I'm trying to find a good balance of eating out/eating in, I need to prioritize things that will not bloat and dehydrate me for the rest of the day. It was good - but it did not love me back.

I got industrious on Christmas Eve and made two quiche - sausage with green chilies, and bacon with green onions.  Also a walnut raisin pie with rum-soaked raisins.  I made a big pot of stew and did some rolls as well.  Leftovers were sent home or stored in my freezer.  But I would like the food prep to be even easier next year.

Church on Christmas Eve was lovely.  I am so glad I have added this in as my tradition.  It was something Mark and I did regularly before kids and even when they were small.  Maybe as time goes by, my peeps will want to join me, but for now I'm not pushing it.

This church holds deep and personal happy memories for me. The whole time I was sitting here watching the church fill up, I reflected on how absolutely blessed and lucky I am to be able to sit here and freely worship in warmth, surrounded by beauty, feeling the peace of the Christmas season like a big hug.  I was there by myself and never felt alone. That being said, I am happy to be moving into January and an even slower season.

The Girl kept saying "a pony" when I asked her what she wanted for birthday or Christmas.  So I could not resist adding this horse ornament to one of her gifts. Ha!  But already I am making plans in my head for how I want to handle gift-giving to my adult children in the future.  I will likely keep making stockings (since those are so fun!) but I don't think I should  "be" Christmas for them - they are adults and maybe we can all figure out how to do Christmas for each other going forward.

  Anyone got any tips for me?

Gina

Art from the ordinary

I downloaded an app to my phone that makes your photos into watercolors.  They're just ordinary photos, but the app makes them really pretty!

Now such an app is nothing new - it was just fun to play with.  These photos are all from Instagram posts of mine of Highlands.

I picked these scenes to play around with because I knew the colors would turn out so pretty.  And I wanted to fill a space in the den bookcase with something besides candles.

I picked the one of the swing to print.  Its bittersweet to look at the picture of an empty swing for two at Highlands, but a true reminder of the many times I sat there with Mark, talking about life, watching the sun set.

A couple of months ago I made and printed one as a wedding gift for Scout and Dutch.  You can't see her face, true, but you do see a deep and joyous hug.  I might make another one for them with a picture of her wiping a tear of joy from her eyes - so sweet.

Not so ordinary after all.

Gina

*the one I used is called QniPaint, and its free, but there are many!

5 thing Friday - fake plants, feet, herb garden, lunches, photos

The pretty orchid that I had pictured in a previous post? 

{was left at our front door by a work friend of Mark's}

Well it didn't like where it was placed I guess, and it bit the dust.  I don't have time to nurse exotic plants!  So I dug around in my stash and found some fake greenery to use in its pot.  Fake plants never let me down.

The spa treatment I did on my feet a couple of weeks ago made my feet peel and slough off dead skin.  That's delightful and all, but looks terrible while it is happening.  It also dissolved my nail polish, which tells you how potent it was.  So I've been soaking and pampering my peeling feet and gradually they are looking and feeling better.

The Girl's herb garden, which turns out is a favorite spot for Mr. Squirrel, hence the plastic owl.  I want to dress up this deck for fall and make it a sweet spot to sip my morning coffee, so I think the herb garden can't live here forever.

Yesterday was the last day the hospital fed us breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  It had lasted 2 months, which seems weird to me at this on-going stage in the pandemic.  But I guess hospitals are feeling the pinch with people reaching burnout and deciding to leave healthcare entirely.

I've been skipping the hot plate and opting for the salads.  I can bring a fruit and something else from home to round it all out.  Then I go park myself outside at a picnic table. I am usually very hungry by lunch time and dinnertime.  I have stayed out of the gift shop at work and do not eat junk as much as possible, packing fruit or almonds for snack.  I feel so much better physically and have managed to keep a 10 pound weight loss.

The bright frame on the last shelf of the bookcase above is one of those electronic frames that plays a slideshow of photos.  It was on Hubby's desk at his office.  I added more photos from Scout and set it up in the den.  I may add more photos as it has a ton of storage, but here are some of the ones it cycles through:

This one was Hubby's favorite:

Hubby and Scout climbed Mount Baldy at Philmont when Scout was a teen.

I'm glad he had this experience with his dad, one he will remember forever.  And I'm glad I get to enjoy Scout's beautiful photography every day.

Happy October!

Gina

Portrait album

The family portrait album is complete for now.  

This is my family of 5 - Jeannette, Marlin, Gina, Melissa, ca. 1964 (my mother was expecting my brother, Kurt) and the portrait on the right is the only picture of all of my mother's children in one place, ca. 1976.

 Hubby as an infant and his mother's second wedding.

Casual family portraits made their way in, too

School portraits of The Girl - I had so. many. school. portraits.  

  

Here are some of my favorite portraits that I have missed seeing:

Firstborn and The Girl, 1993.  

Scout and Bubbie, age 5 and 3.

 Bubbie and me - I had a feeling he wouldn't pose by himself.

Our young family: The Girl on the way and Firstborn on my lap.  

Now all that's left to do is get a vinyl transfer for the front of the album that says "The Cannary Family" and I have a favorite Etsy shop I order from for that.  The album will live in the lower shelf built into the coffee table in the front room.  And whenever anyone wants to trip down memory lane, it will be there. I am happy to have this project crossed off my list!

Gina

Mealplan Monday #239

A pretty picture of crepe myrtle blossoms by my favorite photographer:

Monday - Thai Chicken Salad, fresh fruit
Tuesday - Tuna Salad on Toast, 3 Bean Salad
Wednesday -Skillet Elgin Sausage, homemade mac and cheese, carrots
Thursday - BBQ Pork Chops, coleslaw, (freezer) pintos and brisket, watermelon (mom works)
Friday - Aztec Quiche, sauteed brussels sprouts
Saturday - YOYO
Sunday - (freezer) Pulled Pork on buns, potato salad, chips and queso, leftover watermelon (winery pick-up party until 5 p.m.)

Gina

Photo gifts

Shutterfly sends me free offers from time to time.  Recently I ordered a shopping bag for my mother's birthday that came out really nice - it had photos of Gus and her garden with a garden quote.  And I ordered a personalized bottle opener for some friends of ours - it will go with some beer or wine at Christmastime.  Last night I created coasters for Firstborn's apartment after perusing his FB page for pics of his beloved car:

 

And a notepad for me featuring a spunky three old from long ago:

Last Fall I ordered an inspirational notebook for Dutch that came out really nice, and some coasters for Scout that featured some of his nicest nature shots.  Both were paired with a purchased item making a fun set - coffee for Scout, printed pencils for Dutch.  The "free" coasters and notepad I ordered last night cost $19 to ship which seemed a little steep, but I guess it all averages out.  And I do love the idea of using photos to make gifts!

Gina

Mealplan Monday #231

Monday - Crockpot Beef Stew (using carrots, potatoes, onions, and leftover smoked rib drippings)
Tuesday - Pork Chops, sauteed cabbage, mac and cheese
Wednesday - Black Bean Chili, Fritos and cheese
Thursday - Apricot Chicken, rice, peas
Friday - Fish Tacos with shredded cabbage, monterrey jack, purple onion, cilantro, sour cream
Saturday - YOYO {Mom finished with the Week of Overnights!}
Sunday - Meatballs and linguini, salad, garlic bread

Gina

Mealplan Monday #209

Monday - Mrs. Ringle's Chicken, salad, mashed potatoes
Tuesday - Fruited Chicken Salad on croissants
Wednesday - Quick Black Bean Chili*, fritos (The Girl will be here!)
Thursday - Parmesan Bow Tie Skillet*, salad
Friday - Pesto Tilapia*, garlic toast, peas and carrots
Saturday - YOYO
Sunday - Taco Chicken Bites*, seasoned rice, borracho beans, Tomato Soup Cake*
*all recipes I need to share soon!

Hooray for September!

Gina

Mealplan Monday #179

An oldie but goodie from my favorite photographer:

Monday - Lazy Daisy Meatballs, mashed potatoes, peas with carrots
Tuesday - Beef Taco Rio in crispy shells, taco fixin's, chopped salad
Wednesday - Crockpot lima beans with ham, garlic toast
Thursday - Southern Fried Cabbage and Kielbasa, carrots
Friday - Crockpot Apricot Chicken, rice, green beans
Saturday - YOYO Hubby and I are going to two wineries!
Sunday - Parmesan Chicken, scalloped potatoes, brussels sprouts

Mealplan Monday #170

Monday - Buttermilk Baked Chicken, rice,veggie
Tuesday - BBQ Pork Roast, potato salad
Wednesday - Pot of beans, corn muffins
Thursday - Johnny Marzetti Casserole (freezer), salad
Friday - Apple Pecan Chicken Salad on Texas Toast, chips
Saturday is YOYO, Sunday is One Pot Tortellini with Sausage, salad

Mealplan Monday #168

Monday - Dr. Martin's Mix, corn
Tuesday - Beef Stew Crockpot, garlic toast
Wednesday - Omelette, hash browns, fruit
Thursday - Pinto beans in crockpot, corn muffins
Friday - Garlic Roasted Chicken crockpot, mashed potatoes, veggie (we never had this a couple weeks ago)
Saturday we grill and and Sunday we'll press the Easy Button and do Chinese!

Gina

Mealplan Monday #167

Monday - Shredded Pork for tacos
Tuesday - BBQ Meatballs, mashed potatoes, veggie
Wednesday - Buttermilk Fried Chicken Salads (last week for salad meal!)
Thursday - Leftover Chili, Fritos, grated cheddar
Friday - Pizza Night
Saturday is TBD
and Sunday is Chicken Enchiladas, salad

Mealplan Monday #165

Monday - Roast Beef and Swiss on potato bread, chips
Tuesday - Pot of beans and corn muffins
Wednesday - Fajita Pork Salads
Thursday - Chicken Burrito Bowls (heat and eat)
Friday - Pesto Chicken, veggie, mashed potatoes
Saturday and Sunday TBD, but probably Hubby and I will grill on Saturday at Highlands

Gina