Week 7 - 2020

It’s been a quiet week on the home front, as we watch the stock market drop and listen to the news of the Coronavirus.  I will admit I am getting sufficiently frightened by it all.  So, the CDC is saying the question is “when” not “if” this will become a pandemic.  I am reading that we should start stockpiling at least two weeks’ worth of food, medicines and other supplies as may be needed as we may have to hunker down for a bit.  This is particularly scary to me as I have a sick husband with a compromised immune system. 

I am sorry to say that I backed out of going to little Italy in the Bronx, for this reason and we are also considering taking the house off the market for a while.  While the number of showings has increased, God only knows who, with what, may be walking through our home, touching doorknobs and whatever else.  We have not received any offers, so it isn’t as if people are beating down the door to buy it. 

While MHN does not want to put anymore money into the house, aside from maintenance, I am thinking we may need too.  But, that’s a debate for another day.  What would you do?

As far as money, we are “cash” people (funny that I work for a wealth management firm!). But I do have some investments in my 401k.  Should I move everything to cash or let it rip?  It’s not a lot of money but to me it’s a few months’ worth of income.  I was getting around 13% but now it’s -0.3%.   I should be asking the advisers I work with, but it’s such small potatoes and who knows if I will still be working by the time the market repairs itself (if it does.) We are due for a correction.  I think I just answered my own question.  But if anyone would like to share an idea or two, please do!

I have also decided not to partake in the couple of classes I mentioned last week.  Let things ride…there will always be classes and trips.

Shayna had her second birthday on Tuesday.  MHN bought her a couple of new toys and is she happy??!! We should all be so lucky!!  Have a good week, my friends.  Please be safe. xo

The resolutions:

Lose pounds. Something is wrong. (Could it be my food consumption??)  See item below “Cook”.  Going forward, I am going to list what I eat for an end of day meal and for snacks, to keep me accountable.

Start doing some form of the e-word.  Not this week.

Sell this home and find a new one.  And then, decorate new place with some new furnishings and be in love with it.  Feeling very discouraged.

Continue packing up the house.  Yes.

Have big tag sale in the Spring.  Yes. 

Read 100 books, about two per week. (Not going to count cookbooks.)

13. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (so great!!!!)

14. Divide Me by Zero by Lara Vapnyar (just started)

15. Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown (didn’t start yet)

Cook.  For breakfast, I always have the same thing:  coffee and ½ English muffin or ½ bagel.  Lunch is always Chobani yogurt (usually coconut), celery and a fruit, usually grapes.  My supper this week:  roast chicken with sides; I made chicken salad with leftovers, served on bed of lettuce with salad fixings. (2 x); pasta with vegetable meatballs (ala Beyond Burger); split pea soup with a bagel/bialy; homemade pizza.   I did have a Junior Whopper and fries from Burger King one night.  My problem times are in the evenings.  Not telling what I ate for snacks.  I am ashamed. ☹  Going forward, I am going to list what I eat for an end of day meal and for snacks.

Weed out my recipe stash.  Worked on this a little more.

  

Blog once a week.   

Participate in one holiday craft fair, probably November 2020.  Maybe

Go through each craft and art magazine (There are lots!!) and save the projects that I want to try.    Went through 3 more.

In line with the previous goal, go through my craft stash and list each project I have started that has fallen by the wayside and finish them: Nothing new; I listed them but haven’t done a damn thing about them!

Have 50 mini dates with MHN – #3 We gallivanted around Branford and Guilford while the house was being shown (that’s when I was Burger King-ed); Stopped at the Four Seasons in Branford for some veggies.  The point was that we were out the house, together.  I am such a cheap date.  lol

Week 6 - 2020

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Not much going on this past week.  I am over my stomach bug, though yesterday, I did something very nasty to my back, shoulders and neck!   There were two forty pound bags of solar salt for the water softener system that needed to go from the garage into the basement.  <sigh> Considering MHN’s condition, he cannot do these heavy-duty chores anymore, so I did it.  Yes, it was a mistake.  Took a pill for pain, got in bed on the heating pad until Shayna woke me up at 3:30.  I'm still hurting today but nothing like yesterday.  

I was supposed to meet my brother, SIL, sister and aunt for lunch but there wasn’t any way I was going to be able to do this, so I rain-checked.  

Granddaughter coming in a little while with her Dad for a visit.  Haven’t seen them since Christmas Eve.

      I miss this little girl so much! 

Have a couple of ideas I am kicking around - Depending on the date that is chosen, I may be taking a bus trip to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.  Little Italy. This is through a FB group, Wooster Square Cooks and it was my late, former husband’s first wife who invited me!!!  Isn’t that one of the coolest things you have ever heard?  😊

There is also a pasta making class sometime late March-early April; just one night, to learn to make gnocci and cavatelli. 

Lastly, there is a collage class at the Guilford Art Center.  I can’t do them all. (Time, energy and expense), so I’ll be prioritizing over the next couple of weeks.

Daylight savings coming up in a couple of weeks.  Excited about that, but also disappointed that we didn’t have one nice big, close the schools kind of snowstorm.  I know it’s only mid-February and it could still happen, but I kind of doubt it.

It’s seems like a quiet week ahead…no appointments for either of us.  Planning on catching up on housework and reading my books and a bunch of magazines.  Wishing you all a wonderful week!  God Bless!  xo

The resolutions:

Lose pounds. Did not weigh in this week.  (Yeah, well I did...we won't talk about it)

Start doing some form of the e-word.  Not this week.

Sell this home and find a new one.  And then, decorate new place with some new furnishings and be in love with it.  Prayers. 

Continue packing up the house.  To continue this project....

Have big tag sale in the Spring.  Yes!  I think I will also participate in the St. Mary Church, Clinton tag sale in June.

Read 100 books, about two per week. (Not going to count cookbooks.)

9. Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith

10. The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams -  Finished

11. The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

12.  The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

 -   Emily, The Cookbook by Emily Hyland

Cook from scratch at least once per week:  Made a split pea soup in the crock pot on Saturday; Just finished my sauce today.

Weed out my recipe stash.  A little bit.

  

Blog once a week, even if I have nothing to say.   Present!  I am rethinking this; when there is not much to say (I mean, how boring can I be?  The answer is “very”!!)  I may skip a week.

Participate in one holiday craft fair, probably November 2020.  Depends on where things stand….

Go through each craft and art magazine (There are lots!!) and save the projects that I want to try.    Nothing new

In line with the previous goal, go through my craft stash and list each project I have started that has fallen by the wayside and finish them: Nothing new

Make Christmas cards for 2020.  

Have 50 mini dates with MHN – Still waiting in #3

Week 6 - What a Crappy, Suckie, Lousy Week....

So, it hasn’t been the greatest week.  I have been sick.  So fricking sick.  Mostly stomach issues starting last weekend continuing through Wednesday.  I missed work on Monday & Tuesday. (Way to go, Nancy, using sick days in February).  Wednesdays are my days off, so I went in Thursday & Friday.  Definitely not 100%.  

MHN and I were going to have lunch at Quattro (that was going to be Date #3) but I was a little nervous because of my earlier issues, so what did I do?  Instead, I picked up takeout from a little Italian place in town.  Got SO sick from it.  I was craving eggplant parm so I order the chicken parm and eggplant parm dinner with a side pasta.  The piece of chicken looked so gross I couldn’t eat it.  I did eat the eggplant and some pasta.  Got even sicker Friday night, and here we are Monday and I am still not 100%.  

My head is BANGING.  No fever but I have the fever dreams...you know the weird…REALLY weird dreams that are so jumbled up, you have to wonder how the mind is able to pull together random thoughts and make a story from it.  

Needless to say, it was a bust of a week.  I was able to do some reading in between headaches, worked on a couple of crosswords, but other than that, nada.

Little Shayna has been by my side tending to and kissing me to no end.  (Is it true that dog saliva is an antiseptic??)  

Let’s hope this week is kinder and gentler.  Be well, my friends.  xo

--------------------------

The resolutions:

Lose pounds. Yes, but will probably come right back on when I am feeling better.

Start doing some form of the e-word.  Not this week.

Sell this home and find a new one.  And then, decorate new place with some new furnishings and be in love with it.  Prayers. 

Continue packing up the house.  To continue this project....

Have big tag sale in the Spring.  Yes!  

Read 100 books, about two per week. (Not going to count cookbooks.)

 (still reading all of these)

9. Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith

10. The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams

11. The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Cook from scratch at least once per week:  Nothing new this past week

Weed out my recipe stash.  Nothing new here.

  

Blog once a week, even if I have nothing to say.  Wednesdays!  Present!

Participate in one holiday craft fair, probably November 2020.  Depends on where things stand….

Go through each craft and art magazine (There are lots!!) and save the projects that I want to try.    Nothing new

In line with the previous goal, go through my craft stash and list each project I have started that has fallen by the wayside and finish them: Nothing new

Make Christmas cards for 2020.  Decided on idea and working on the cards, BUT….stopped in beautiful Sachem cards and party for a Valentine for my man (Was making him one but after got sick, never got to finish).  They had a few leftover boxes of Christmas cards for 90% off.  So, for about $3, I got some lovely cards!!

Have 50 mini dates with MHN – Didn’t do date #3 …see above!

Week 5 - This Was the Week that Was....

Does anyone else remember that television show?

If you are a FB friend, you already know I lost a childhood friend this week.  She passed "suddenly" in her home...a heart attack?  I am so saddened by this.  When we were young, I adored her.  Besides all of the stuff I already shared on FB, I will add a couple more memories.  We both had the chicken pox and our mothers let us sit on the front porch, full of scabs and we demanded of each other that we not scratch.  I do have a couple of scars on my forehead.  When we would go to the Grand Spa (very often - just a block away) for orange juice squeeze cups.  (One time, we were walking back home and she needed to "go".  She handed me her cup and started running home, but stopped at every tree, to lift her leg.  She made it home...but, I wet my pants, laughing so hard.)  When somehow we got permission to go to the theater in New Haven (maybe her sister was with us on the bus?) to see a film with lots of 50s-60s singers' acts.  I don't remember much about it but I was scared in this dark theater full of screaming teenagers.  She was a dancer and when she let me try her pointe shoes,  I wanted to dance on my toes forever.  She taught me "shuffle, ball change".  She taught me the Charleston.  We both loved the television show, The Roaring Twenties, with Dorothy Provine. (wow, I pulled that name out of nowhere!!)  We were both in love with Fabian and we each wanted to be Annette Funicello when she was a Mouseketeer. We liked the Lennon Sisters. We collected chestnuts.  We gathered worms.  We tried to collect lightning bugs but always set them free.  The kelly fish we caught weren't so lucky.  (I just googled "kelly fish" and was asked if I meant "jelly fish".  No.  My Dad called them kelly fish and that's what we called them.)  We made mud everything...pies, cakes, pastas.  We skipped rocks in the river, played hopscotch, jacks and pick up sticks, war and old maid, dolls from Tiny Tears to buxom Barbie.  We lived next door to each other, each on the second floor, so we used to holler across the yard to each other.  We tried the can and the string but hollering was easier until we started with the telephone.  I still remember her childhood telephone number.  <sigh>  

Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind

Memories, sweetened through the ages just like wine

Quiet thoughts come floating down

And settle softly to the ground

Like golden autumn leaves around my feet

I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories

from Memories by Elvis Presley

Those resolutions:

Lose pounds…. The number I have to lose is going down. YAY    

Start doing some form of the e-word.  Um, yeah, didn't even do the stretching this week.  BUT, I have been moving boxes around...some of them heavy;  also have to bring 3 @ 40 pound bags of solar salt to the basement and also have to make several trips from 2nd floor to basement to carry down more tag sale crap.  That should count for something!!

Sell this home and find a new one.  And then, decorate new place with some new furnishings and be in love with it.  Prayers.  We had two showings in the past week.

Continue packing up the house.  To continue this project....

Have big tag sale in the Spring.  Yes!  Will need help.  So much stuff; might have to hire a handyman to lug it up to the garage when the time comes.

Read a minimum of 100 books, about two per week. (Not going to count cookbooks.)

1. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert… 3* predictable but enjoyable

2. Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman… 3* easy reading but junior high-ish; read   for on-line book club.

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison… 4* found this to be very sad

4. Too Many Men by Lily Brett * 5* (spoke about this one on FB)

5. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal.    4* (Those Punjabi Widows sure love erotic!) This was a Reese book club choice; Never knew she had a club.

6.  Eat Joy - Stories & Comfort Food edited by Natalie Garrett  Essays by literary writers with their story and comfort foods, each with a recipe.  5*   Recipes didn’t interest me much, but the essays did.

- Now and Again by Julia Turshen Cookbook with menus, recipes and then ideas of what to do with the leftovers.  3* Garnered a couple of recipes from here.

- Smitten Kitchen Every Day:  Triumphant & Unfussy new Favorites by Deb Perelman 3* Copied a few recipes from this one, too.

7.  All This Could be Yours by Jami Attenberg… 4*

8. The Less People Know About Us… by Axton Bets-Hamilton…4*  Read about the mother who stole her young daughter's identity.  Unfortunately, non fiction!!

9. Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith.  Just started; was on my bookshelf, so why not?   (I have several library books on hold so as I await them, I am reading what I have on hand.)

Cook from scratch at least once per week:

 1.  Stir fry with stuff on hand...voila!

 2. Vanilla Bean Scones

 3. Eggplant Risotto

 4.  Strawberry muffins

 5. Pizza ala Nancy (this was spinach, riced cauliflower, mushrooms              & tomatoes)

 6. Tofu and eggplant with a peanut pesto.  Making Sunday.  Will let you know!

Weed out my recipe stash.  Nothing new here.

  

Blog once a week, even if I have nothing to say.  Wednesdays!  Present!

Participate in one holiday craft fair, probably November 2020.  Still Thinking about it…

Go through each craft and art magazine (There are lots!!) and save the projects that I want to try.    Nothing new

In line with the previous goal, go through my craft stash and list each project I have started that has fallen by the wayside and finish them: Nothing new

To date:  Sew angel felt ornaments; Sew up ugly sweater & cactus ornaments; Finish rose needlepoint; Crochet market tote; color in coloring books; tons of yarn – finish block afghan and come up with other ideas.  Maybe learn to knit cozy socks? Have lots of fabric – skirts & jumpers, curtains, what else can I think of??  Candlewick pillow kit; Do something with wool roving; more resin projects; I have tons of scrapbook papers – do something!  Finish braided basket; Bought special needle to make braided rugs; Bought paint pens for use on rocks & shells; bought a pin vise to use on shells; Scrapbook for Sarah; finish making beach themed ornaments; Have tons of beads & old jewelry – what to do with them?  Yada, yada     

Make Christmas cards for 2020.  Decided on idea and working on the cards.

Have 50 mini dates with MHN – #2 this week.  While the house was being shown we took a ride to Madison & Clinton.  Got some Cohen's Bagels, hit up Shop Rite & got coffee.  Drove by the Madison Shore.  #3 has been planned but don't want to jinx it so not telling yet.  😍

Week 4 - Loss

Today, I have loss on my mind.  We have all experienced it in some form or another.  Losing a Barbie shoe or a roller skate key (I'm dating myself), then a pet, then a grandparent...  Here's where things really start to wind up and knot in one's stomach.

Losing my grandparents made me aware that my parents were next in line to leave.  I had dread of this thought.  When I considered it, I wept.  As a child, I remember my mother talking with me about death, explaining that we all have to pass.  I told her I would also die without her in my life.

There was a new layer of worry when I became a mother.  I HAD to live to take care of and raise this miracle child.  Any illness would sent me into throes of fear.

But then...something went haywire in my understanding of the plan and my sister who is 7 years younger than me, left us.  No. No. No.   Did that mean that I was also possibly - potentially - going to pass before what my mind considered the natural order of things?

Not only did I understand we all will pass, but there are no guarantees of the who/why/when/where.

As I aged, so did my parents.  I was blessed to have my parents until their mid 80s.  They left within 9 months of each other.  Dad had heart issues and left within a day or two after having entered the hospital.  We had a chance to say goodbye.  He wasn't able to communicate, but he heard and was able to squeeze a hand in response.  His leaving was peaceful and he sent a sign to us almost immediately.

Mom, on the other hand was diagnosed with lung cancer 7 months after Dad left; she declined treatment and was gone about 6 weeks later.  We did have a "goodbye talk" within hours prior to her decision to go to Hospice.  Once there, she was put on all kinds of drugs and she was completely out of it.  She did have her last rush of life, when she called me to say to come get her; she had a lot of meat in the freezer. (!!)  I felt a surge of hope then understood it was not real.  We all spent as much time with her as we could at Hospice, but she chose to leave on a Saturday evening, alone.  I think she held on to "see" SJT one last time as it was shortly after that visit, she let go.

My brain melted and then re-positioned itself. Those thoughts of dying with her were gone.  I had to be the strong one.  I was now the eldest female in our immediate family.  I will probably be next to leave, God willing.

My former husband left this past November.  I have no words to share with you.  It was (and continues) to be a deeply personal grieving.  My current husband of 21+ years is a Stage 4 cancer patient.  If I consider the odds, he will probably precede me, but maybe not.  Life is fragile and tentative at best.  No guarantees.  A wise person once said to me "do the next right thing" and live.  Live and love.

xoxoxo

The 2020 goals:

Lose pounds…. Hmph. That's all I have to say.  Hmph.

 Start doing some form of the e-word.  Does stretching count? Yes, I stretched this morning.

Sell this home and find a new one.  And then, decorate new place with some new furnishings and be in love with it.  Prayers

Continue packing up the house.  Yes!  I did some major work on the 3 unfinished rooms in the basement.  Packed all the holiday paraphernalia for moving;  Sorted through SJT’s stuff in basement & repacked for moving.  Put a ton of tag sale stuff together for the Spring.  (see below).  I have not completely packed up my craft stuff as I am working with it.

Have big tag sale in the Spring.  Yes!  Will need help.  So much stuff; might have to hire a handyman to lug it up to the garage when the time comes.

Read a minimum of 100 books, about two per week. (Not going to count cookbooks.)

1. City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert… 3* predictable but enjoyable

2. Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman… 3* easy reading but junior high-ish; read   for on-line book club.

3. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison… 4* found this to be very sad

4. Too Many Men by Lily Brett * 5*

5. Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal.    4* (Those Punjabi Widows sure love erotic!) This was a Reese book club choice; Never knew she had a club.

6.  Eat Joy - Stories & Comfort Food edited by Natalie Garrett  Essays by literary writers with their story and comfort foods, each with a recipe.  5* Recipes didn’t interest me much, but the essays did.

- Now and Again by Julia Turshen Cookbook with menus, recipes and then ideas of what to do with the leftovers.  3* Garnered a couple of recipes from here.

- Smitten Kitchen Every Day:  triumphant & Unfussy new Favorites by Deb Perelman 3* Copied a few recipes from this one, too.

7.  All This Could be Yours by Jami Attenberg…  In Process

8. The Less People Know About Us… by Axton Bets-Hamilton…In Process

Cook from scratch at least once per week:

 1.  Stir fry with stuff on hand...voila!

 2. Vanilla Bean Scones

 3. Eggplant Risotto

 4.  Strawberry muffins

 5. Pizza ala Nancy (this was spinach, riced cauliflower, mushrooms              & tomatoes)

Weed out my recipe stash.  Cleaned out recipe box & small accordion folder.  This week, I worked on 1^st big red rope with meats & entrees recipes.  Dumped a lot of beef recipes.  Next will be to work on chicken folder.  It’s about 2” thick!

  

Blog once a week, even if I have nothing to say.  Wednesdays!  I will change this to Sundays the weekend.

Participate in one holiday craft fair, probably November 2020.  Thinking about it…

Go through each craft and art magazine (There are lots!!) and save the projects that I want to try.    Went through 6 magazines (I was close when I estimated #100; there are 88 left ( I counted); Ripped out interesting pages for yet another folder! 

In line with the previous goal, go through my craft stash and list each project I have started that has fallen by the wayside and finish them: Nothing new

To date:  Sew angel felt ornaments; Sew up ugly sweater & cactus ornaments; Finish rose needlepoint; Crochet market tote; color in coloring books; tons of yarn – finish block afghan and come up with other ideas.  Maybe learn to knit cozy socks? Have lots of fabric – skirts & jumpers, curtains, what else can I think of??  Candlewick pillow kit; Do something with wool roving; more resin projects; I have tons of scrapbook papers – do something!  Finish braided basket; Bought special needle to make braided rugs; Bought paint pens for use on rocks & shells; bought a pin vise to use on shells; Scrapbook for Sarah; finish making beach themed ornaments; Have tons of beads & old jewelry – what to do with them?  Yada, yada     

Make Christmas cards for 2020.  Decided on idea and working on the cards.

Have 50 mini dates with MHN – Well, we did go out to do some errands this week, in conjunction with another appointment.  We had Shayna with us; we stopped at Goodwill to drop off a bag of stuff, the library to pick up a book; drove around the woods of Guilford and then to the water…picked up a Grand Apizza mozz on the way home (for me).  It was nice being out, chatting, laughing and singing.

Take a long weekend getaway with my daughter.  Not sure if this will actually happen…she has so much on her agenda…will be happy to have her home for a visit…