Two Days In

This is the third day that I have been in charge of feeding the dogs.

I don't know how I lost this job in the first place but no more roasts or steamed hamburger added to perfectly balanced food produced for dogs.

My theory is, put down the food at regular times of the day.
If they don't eat, pick it up until the next time for feeding.

Someone else does not approve of this theory. The finicky one, Jill, does not eat when I place the food.  This someone removes the food to another room, holds the bowl and then Jill will eat.


I expect the next step will be using a spoon to feed her.



GRRRRRR.

Thank God for Jack. He eats once a day with no ceremony but some days he skips and eats the next day. Vet says this is completely normal....about the only thing normal at dog dinner time here.

Passing Days

Our days seem to pass by with not much different happening.

Today, about noon, we had a dog that was not feeling well. She was trying to cough. Of course, someone wanted to call the vet immediately. (They close at 1:00 on Saturdays.)  I coaxed Jill outside where she tried to eat a lot of grass. It didn't look like she was getting much but after about half an hour of grazing, there were some results - twice.

After this she was calm and no more attempts to "cough." She wanted inside to get water. I brought it outside and she finally just lay down on the porch and has seemed fine since then.

I have talked someone into letting me feed the dogs and I have requested no more potato chips or French fries as treats for them.

Sometimes it takes a lot of talking and a harsh tone.

Stormy Weather

We did get the sirens today and radar showed a possible tornado headed our way. I put the cell  phone in one pocket and the charger in the other; harnessed the dogs and put leashes on them.

We were ready to head to the smallest bathroom. No basement here which is crazy in this state. Then we watched the weather guys in Wichita follow the radar. The funnels stayed mostly over farm country and so far no reports of damage. Then after heavy rain, the sun came out. The bad weather went south of us.

More rain tomorrow. My hope is for no more warnings!

Springy Storms

Today we have many warnings in the central plains.  Rain and high winds have occurred all over the state of Kansas.
Yesterday there were tornadoes west of Great Bend.

Not a peaceful time of the year.

And Jill doesn't like the thunder.

Unpleasant Encounter

Who knew it was so discouraging to order a sandwich.  I had the feeling that the clerk was being trained. There were long pauses between sentences. The speaker at the drive-through was not very loud. We couldn't hear the voice. "Please turn off your vehicle."  We still couldn't hear and Lee has excellent hearing.

I said I'd drive around. The window opened and an unhappy face appeared stating the amount of the purchase. I smiled and said I was sorry we couldn't hear. No response. Then I mentioned that she hadn't asked our choice of veggies. "No, you drove away."

Not a very pleasant way to help a customer. We got our sandwich. I saw her name was Mary Ann and smiled and told her I was Mary Lou. Not a glimmer of kindness or acknowledgement. So I said, "Your day will get better and again I'm sorry." Nothing.

So when we got home, I wrote on a blank note card, addressed to "Mary Ann" in care of the restaurant to "Keep Smiling. Sorry we had trouble hearing you."  No return address so she can't come and egg our house.

A Surprise Visit

Older son and his younger daughter surprised us driving all the way from Tejas!

We no sooner had them arrive than we had them at work. Two fence posts - up.  Two downspouts - up.  Plastic on porch - down. One shelf in the bathroom medicine cabinet had collapsed and we couldn't get it perched back up. Someone, sometime, had put the shelf holders in upside down. One finally broke and dumped the shelf to the rear so nothing fell out when someone happened to be sitting on the throne.

All the holders were wrong. We did some serious spring cleaning, tossing anything that was outdated or looked weird. We had a whole plastic grocery sack full.  On to the "en suite" where the same condition existed. More stuff thrown out or recycled. Shelf holders switched. What a job for visitors!
I helped by throwing out and replacing what we saved.

Fluorescent lights over the sink and in the laundry room were replaced. And at the opportune moment with helpers here, one of the lights in the garage died.



It may be a while before they return!

A Nice Invite

In my email there is an invitation for Mother's Day, addressed to my husband.

Lone Star restaurant is having a succulent steak topped with a grilled shrimp and champagne sauce. Margaritas are only $3.00. There is a chocolate dipped cheese cake topped with a strawberry. $22.99.



Too bad they closed a couple of months ago.

Latte at Home instead of To Go

Since I came to my senses and quit buying coffee at $5.00 a cup, I have discovered this product. Because I watch way too much television, you might know that's where I found it.

The directions say it contains six to seven servings when you press the spout for five to seven seconds (so many numbers to remember!)  Well, I have had it at least four weeks. I don't use it every day but I've kept track of the number of cups I was able to squirt out.  Twelve!

I think the price was $3.49 which is pretty cheap for a latte.  Oh yes. it comes in Vanilla, Mocha and Caramel. The Mocha was good. I'm trying Caramel next.

Warm - as in Eighty-one degrees

A nice summery day but with a little wind. We had to get out three times. That is unusual. We usually try to make it one trip a day - and some days no trips.

But when you forget something, back you go!

Such an exciting day.

Freaky Friday

I had to wait a day to comment on yesterday.

Everywhere we went, every errand we ran, and several persons were just unbelievably frustrating.
I have tried to learn to be more patient. For the most part, I think I have succeeded. In the grocery line waiting to pay, I don't sigh or shuffle my feet while waiting for the person ahead of me try to get their debit card to work.

I try to see the store clerk or worker's point of view -just like Gregory Peck as Atticus said in that great movie.

But yesterday at each stop we made, either the item promised us was not there or something didn't work out. The woman ahead of me in line had several items. Her card did not work when she swiped it. The clerk had told her on a previous visit to try putting scotch tape on the card.
 She had forgotten so the clerk left to go get some tape. At first there was a bubble. Tape off, more tape on. Success.  The clerk apologized and then we both wondered why people don't use cash anymore.

At the last stop, the record showed that I had not been there since August of 2015. I differed but computers don't lie. (People who key things in can make mistakes but they insisted.) Oh well.

Patience, Lord, patience - and I need it right now!

Soup from Seinfeld

Today it is cool and rainy so soup sounded good. I had everything for the soup Nazi's recipe except an apple.  How much difference could the absence of an apple make in a big recipe?

So I made it anyway. It was good and I didn't miss the apple.

2 skinless chicken thighs
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
1 cup chopped carrots
1 (15 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp. dried onion flakes (I chopped up some onion)
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. curry (I used only one)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup long grain  white rice (to be added later)

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. Place chicken thighs in bottom of cooker. Add all ingredients. I mixed the spices and lemon juice in with the broth and pour over all.
Cook on low 8 - 10 hours.   At the end you can separate the meat into shreds by using two forks.                    

You can put the raw rice in the last 30 minutes and turn cooker to high. I chose to cook the rice separately and add near the end. (I wanted it to be fully cooked.)

This is also known as Mulligatawny (sp?) soup.

Art at the Arena

Our town voted to improve the sports arena where the National Junior College Basketball tournament is held every March. I haven't seen the inside but it is greatly enlarged and  big new entrances on the south and west. The colorful circles seen here are also new. We are trying to figure out if they represent anything in particular. Maybe hula hoops; basketball hoops; halos; not sure.

Garden Phlox

Our pretty lavender stalks are coming up around the dead pampas grass that wasn't trimmed back this year. We'll see how that works out in the next few weeks. Will the grass green up?
Don't know.

Computer is Down

This was an eye opener yesterday. We went to place that has great hamburgers and the best fries (in our opinion) in town.  The voice from the speaker said their register was not working so we'd have to pay in cash. O.K.
I ordered two cheeseburgers and a medium order of fries. She asked me if I wanted cheese. Well, yes.
I repeated the order - that was two cheeseburgers and an order of medium fries.  The answer was is mustard and pickle all right?  Yes. No drink.
We drove around, paid cash $8.70.  Naturally we didn't look in the sack. At home there were no fries.
I called the restaurant and told her we had just placed an order there and I would like to know the price of two cheeseburgers. A lot of hems and haws. Finally she asked why. I told her we didn't get any fries. We could come back or they would send me a coupon. No. I just wanted to know if we had paid for fries or not. She asked if there was a receipt. Yes. Then I made the mistake of telling her the amount on the receipt.  $8.70.  Yes, that was right for cheeseburgers so we weren't charged.

Check the addition and what I assume is supposed to be the tax....$1.09? Our tax is about 9%.
If it were 10%, it would only be 80 cents!  I give up.

Poor clerks are so used to the computer/cash register doing the figuring. It was probably very frustrating doing the job and then some old lady calls in about it!