The Damage is Worse

We lost some huge branches out of the flowering pear tree and the other tree that had both white and pink blossoms and an occasional hard apricot. So much damage all over the area!

Iced Over

This is the north side of our screened-in back porch this morning. The door is frozen shut but the doggie door was open. I didn't watch to see if the doggies slid down the ramp to the yard. Today is trash day but the polycarts are frozen shut too so no pick-up for us. I wonder if all the neighbors who have their carts next too the curb thawed out the lids before the trucks arrived. We'll just wait till next week and hope it melts by then.

Happy Thanksgiving

We decided not to have turkey this year. I did buy a box of sage dressing to go with some baked pork chops. And at the deli, I got a quarter pound cranberry sauce. (I'm the only one that eats it.) So this evening, the doorbell rang and our neighbor brought us a covered dish full of turkey. She wondered if we would be having turkey so she shared some with us! We have the best neighbors. She uses her mower to pick up our leaves; the retired lawman across the streets mows; the neighbor to the north shovels snow. They won't take $$ so I've shared some food items from time to time or gift cards to favorite restaurants. We are so lucky to have such nice people around. I hope everybody has a happy day tomorrow. We will have turkey after all!

Knives

With all the chopping and cutting and cooking, I have been making good use of this set of knives. We saw them at the hardware store a couple of years ago. I thought it would be nice to have new, sharp knives that match. Too bad they don't seem all that sharp.

Cooking From the Internet

This did not post in the format that it was typed in! Sorry it runs all together.... Chicken Pot Pie 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup celery, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 3 or 4 medium sized carrots, chopped 3 or 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 (15 ounce) can mixed vegetables or veg-all, drained 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted 3/4 cup chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme Topping: 1 cup original bisquick 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1 egg Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. Melt butter in skillet on top of stove and add onions, celery, chicken pieces, pepper, garlic, and salt. Saute until onions and celery is tender and chicken is cooked. While chicken is cooking place carrots and potatoes in 2 quart casserole dish and cook in microwave for 8 to 10 minutes on high until tender. Remove casserole from microwave and add cooked chicken, onions, and celery to carrots and potatoes .Pour in mixed vegetables. In a bowl combine the chicken soup and chicken broth and thyme and whisk together. Pour over casserole and mix with a spoon. In a separate bowl mix the Bisquick, evaporated milk, and egg. Whisk well. Pour over vegetables and spread evenly over the top. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown on top. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Enjoy! Note: You can make this with ham, hamburger, and beef, too. I had everything except potatoes and canned mixed veggies. I used some leftover rice and some frozen broccoli and cauliflower.

After the Baking

Why is this photo tilted? I straightened it in Picasa but it remains askew here. Anyway, the pot pie was delicious. I plan to freeze some serving sizes today. Even L. liked it!

Chopping

I've done a lot of chopping and peeling in the last two days...baked spaghetti yesterday and chicken pot pie today. Made from scratch! In the photo I am ready to pour the Bisquik batter over the top. It looked pretty thin so I added a little more dry Bisquik. I'll see how this comes out after 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Light My Fire

Today we were advised to use long matches to light our fireplace gas instead of the handy dandy Bic lighter we had been using. So off to the hardware store. Two boxes of Long Reach Matches were purchased. That ought to last us for a while. I decided to light a candle. Couldn't get that match to strike. We haven't had matches in the house for years. No need for them with a BIC. So what is the deal? The match wouldn't light. Struck it on a rough trivet, some sandpaper, and finally went outside to try cement. Nope. I had looked at the box and noticed that the matches were made of wood from a responsibly managed forest. What I didn't see was the square brown space that was labeled "Strike here." Always read the instructions.

"Homeland"

I know that terms we hear every day have different connotations to different people. The term "homeland" is set in my brain to the time I first heard it during WWII as applied to Nazi Germany. I have visited Germany once. It's a beautiful country and people who are very dear to me have been born there and lived there. I would love to go again in a peaceful time which may not be in my lifetime (what's left of it.) Germany is a beautiful country and like other things in this world, it became known as the birthplace of an evil idea. So now when I hear people talking about the United States as "homeland," it is not a pleasant feeling. Why do ideas stay in the brain that relate to things that are no longer pertinent? It could be worse. They could be talking about the USA as "The Fatherland."

Kindness

At the store, in the fifteen items or less aisle, I had no discount card for the clerk to scan. My card is on my key ring and I had left my keys in the car with hubby. I did have a coupon for my one purchase. The woman behind me told the clerk to scan her card! So besides the dollar off, there was additional seventy cents subtracted. Every little bit helps. You can be sure I thanked her for being so neighborly!

Armistice Day

Of course, now it's Veteran's Day. Yesterday. I remembered I have this crocheted version of the doughboy of WWI. We honor all our veterans...just a day late here.

Second Door on the Right

Visiting a new office (new to me) yesterday, I was directed to the second door on the right for my acquaintance. I dutifully walked in and no one was there. Soon a stranger entered and I explained who I was looking for. "Oh. She's next door." I thanked her and went out, looking back to where I counted from - Yep, this was the second door. In the next room I found my friend and told her I guess I couldn't count. She said, "Well, this is the second office." Duh. I didn't look in the first door to see what it was. Maybe it was the broom closet but when someone tells me the second door, I think I can count to two. Life is strange. I'd like to tell the receptionist that there are three doors on that side of the hall - but I refrained.

Surprise

I don't have a photo because no camera was near and it was more important to dispatch the critter in the kitchen. Wednesday was a day to chop, slice, and dice after browning the stew meat. I love home made beef stew so that's what I was constructing. Lee came into the kitchen, pointed toward the floor and said, "Look!" I looked and saw nothing on the floor. It seem he was pointing at a large brown (I hope not recluse!) spider hanging in mid-air right behind me. "Get the fly swatter," Since I was nearest the pantry and the fly swatter, I did as I was told. The trip there did not cross the strand of web that was holding the spider who had reached the floor by the time I handed over the swatter. The intruder was quickly taken care of. I was just glad he didn't lower himself over the stew pot.

Stitches

I've been crocheting up a storm. Some afghans and hats and pot holders. This hat was made from the large instructions. I believe it might be too large. I have found a future owner who says she has two friends with big heads. I hope she can decide which one to present it to!