Steel Magnolias #26

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  •   #1  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 07-16-2018 07:47 PM
    Well because I am not getting an answer to why they closed our last thread, I am starting a new one. Very hot and humid today again. We are expecting rain most of the day tomorrow. Jack was home today as he went and got his permanent crown on. $836 went bye bye today. We finished dinner and are watching the last Harry Potter movie.

    I ordered some storage boxes from QVC that are supposed to be delivered tonight, but nothing so far. I did get my new driver’s license though so am good for another 8 years. Guess next time I’ll have to go in and get a new picture taken.

    I need to go and get my nails and toes done

    Jean: Hope you’re doing well.

    Have a good night all.
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  •   #2  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-17-2018 01:12 PM
    Good Morning! Sunshine, lower humidity, and no wind makes a beautiful day in my neighborhood! We are done with baseball for this summer. There will be a tournament game, or two, but in a town further away so we won’t go. Ian had a good game but they lost 12-0. In listening to some of the dads grumbling, Ian’s team is all soon to be sophomores and most are 15. Somehow they were in the league of 16 year olds who will be juniors. SD school baseball season starts in March (dumb ?) and ends when the school year ends. These kids are playing in a league sponsored by the Legion. Anyhow, don’t know if the coach screwed up or his thought was the kids would be challenged and play harder/smarter to win. That didn’t work so well, especially after being in first place last year. I needed orphan food so made a trip to WM first thing this morning. There is an area farmer who grows the absolute best sweet corn and sells it from a pickup. We bought some after church on Sunday and I got more today. Yum, yum, yum! I could just eat sweet corn and nothing else for a meal. It is “in season” for such a short time I usually overdose.

    ”Gma,” thanks for starting another new thread. I was afraid maybe we were locked out for good. We are supposed to get some rain later this evening but lately it has swerved around us and gone north. We saw some sad looking fields on our way to the game yesterday. Most are a total loss because it is too late to replant; a couple just had a small area affected so they will have a smaller crop to harvest. How big are the storage boxes? I need something to organize clothes; I should just get rid of some. A friend did the “put hanger backwards when something is worn.” Whatever hangers are still forward means the clothing hasn’t been worn for a period of time and time to get rid of it. I’ll bet Jack is glad to have his crown done. Nothing is cheap anymore.

    I need to unpack the orphan food and clear off the counter. I have cookie containers to wash and put away too. Hope you have a terrific Tuesday!

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  •   #3  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 07-18-2018 12:05 PM
    Good morning. They keep talking about rain, but we haven’t gotten any so far. Looks like this weekend I am going to have to get out and spray for weeds again. I think Jack has found a guy to rip off our old deck and haul it away. He does a lot of work for the Hoa. The deck is starting to rot and a couple places cave in so time to take it off. I doubt we’ll put a new one on. Maybe I’ll put down outdoor carpeting that’s like grass. Not in the near future though.

    I slipped in the bathroom night before last and messed up my hip, back, and bad knee. If I hadn’t grabbed the door handle and the toilet, down I would have gone. I am pretty sore still and my knee aches when I walk, but I have a couple things I want to get done today.

    I have to say this dentist did a great job on Jack’s crown. It matches his front tooth almost exactly. Hopefully it will last quite awhile.

    Jean: I posted a picture of the storage boxes. There more for food storage or smaller stuff. I also got two 9x13 ones for things like brownies and such. They are air tight and waterproof. Poor Ian and the other boys. I grew up eating sweet corn almost every meal in the summer. Like you, I love it. Unfortunately, hard to get down here except what is trucked to stores than you pay more. We used to have sweet corn, fried potatoes and sliced tomatoes in the summertime a lot. As soon as temps cool, I am sorting and pitching. I have a huge amount to do, but I can do a lot sitting down so can tackle some each day. It’s too hot upstairs to do it now.

    Everyone have a good Wed. I am off to clean.





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  •   #4  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-18-2018 12:41 PM
    Good Morning! It is kind of a hazy morning; there are shadows from the trees but the sunshine is not bright. I have been watching a squirrel dig in my flower pot, he finally came up with something he ate. No wonder my flowers look a little ratty. Every once in awhile I have a corn plant growing in with the flowers, which I promptly pull out. I went early to do cat chores and the couple had just gotten home; they drove all day and night from Alabama. Bob was just given a quarter of beef from his farmer friend so we will be shopping for a small freezer. Guess that means I will be cooking more than usual. I wish I had a cooking fairy!

    “Gma,” do you ever make fried potatoes? I have trouble getting them crispy the way Bob likes them. I buy frozen hash browns and he uses butter to brown them a little. Bob orders them well done in restaurants and they are usually brown on both sides. I bought a small food container similar to your boxes. The lid fits so tight I have to have Bob open it. As I’ve gotten older I have less strength in my hands. Beth gave me a handy dandy Pampered Chef tool to open jars and I use it all the time.

    I need to get busy and sort through a pile on the island counter. Sometimes I wish we didn’t have it as it seems to attract the clutter. But then know I would miss it if I didn’t have it. Bob is grilling steaks for lunch and more sweet corn! Hope you enjoy a wonderful Wednesday!

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  •   #5  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-19-2018 12:47 PM
    Good Morning! It looks like it could rain any minute, the sun was out earlier but rain is predicted. Bob has a gift card to a local restaurant for reading over two different insurance quotes for a friend. I got a gift card to the same restaurant for cat sitting. We are going there for lunch! “My” ducks are here to eat critter corn and I haven’t put any out yet. The one has different markings on his head so know it is the same two who have been here before. They will check out under the bird feeders next.

    I have a load in the washer that should be done by now so need to keep moving. Enjoy the rest of a terrific Thursday!
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  •   #6  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 07-21-2018 08:00 PM
    Here it is Saturday and once again I’ve been remiss getting in here. I think FB is the enemy in this. It has been and will continue to be hot here. No rain in sight.

    Going through one of those sleepless periods. I am so darn tired from not sleeping. I was up until midnight last night rolling around in the bed. I finally got to sleep using a rolled up towel as a pillow and sitting up. I did wake up 4-5 times and gave up at 6 O’clock. I sure hope I can sleep tonight.

    We are watching the Cubs game, but I am going to take a night warm shower in a little while and watch it upstairs until I fall asleep. I sleep better with noise.

    Jean: I don’t buy regular bagged potatoes except a couple for baking. I buy refrigerator container mashed potatoes and freeze them and canned sliced and whole new potatoes. I buy fresh bagged hashbrowns because Jack likes them. I do fry the canned slices, but have to get them as dry as possible because the “spit.” Bob would have loved my mom’s fried potatoes. They were so crispy they would come out of the pan in one big piece. Fresh market has some great beefsteak tomatoes and I have been enjoying them sliced. I havee been trying to get more fruits and veg in me. I bought a bottle of spicy bloody mary mix. I drink it without alcohol straight from the bottle like tomato juice. I like to have it as a snack with a couple small pieces of cheese and a couple crackers.

    Everybody have a good rest of the weekend.
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  •   #7  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-22-2018 12:05 PM
    Good Morning! The sun and clouds are sharing space again today. No breeze and low humidity, beautiful day! I finished vacuuming the basement so Bob could put the new freezer down there, did some laundry at the same time. I need to dust and vacuum down there more often. Then I pitched “old” food in the fridge and am trying to space the door shelves so I can free up a larger shelf in the fridge. I’m not having much luck; Bob is better at that sort of thing. Next on my list is the Sunday paper. The famous RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) begins today so that will be in the news all week. Register refers to the Des Moines Register which is the state newspaper sponsoring the ride. Thousands come from all over to ride bikes from the Missouri River, across Iowa, to the Mississippi River. It has quite a history!

    “Gma,” I had trouble with FB yesterday. It wouldn’t let me read comments nor share anything. Sometimes I think when Bob is on (mine) it rearranges posts. He will comment on something I didn’t see and may not see until the next day. I asked Beth if she could fix it but by the time she saw my email it was working again. : dunno: I know what you mean about sleepless nights. I’ve had a few where I’m sure I didn’t sleep at all. I try not to watch the clock but don’t think that makes much difference. I only buy a couple potatoes at a time too. Much as I like them we don’t have them every day. I try to talk Bob into ordering a Bloody Mary because I like the celery. The last few times there hasn’t been celery in the drink.

    Not much planned for the rest of the day. I need to check the calendar to see what is on tap for next week. Hope you enjoy a nice day!
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  •   #8  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 07-23-2018 07:38 AM
    Good morning all. I need to get out before it gets hot and spray those weeds again. A couple of them are quite aggressive and have gotten big fast. I thought they would all be dead, but looks like that is not the case. It is going to be hot as usual so want too get it done the first thing this morning before the sun gets out strong.

    I got a PM yesterday that Jack's aunt died last Thursday. His mom had two half siblings that were much younger than she and this woman, who was only a couple years older than Jack was married to his mom's younger brothers. The brother didn't get married until his 40's so their first child is just a little older than my son. Anyway, this poor woman was diagnosed with liver cancer the middle of May and was told she had about 6 months without chemo, a year with so she chose not to have the chemo. It was inoperable. She only lasted a couple months and her daughter said last week she was in excruciating pain they could do nothing about I guess. I can't imagine. She lived in TX so we just sent flowers. I always get nervous sending flowers if I am not going to be there. I did use a local florist there in Lubbock so I am hoping they will look good. I guess I should ask Jack's cousin (his mother's sister's daughter) to check and make sure they got there ok and looked ok.

    I did some housework and we went out to dinner last night the round about way then back home. They had the interstate loop closed because of putting in two new bridges. Of course, Jack knows very little about city streets as he is an interstate junky. I told him exactly how to go, warned him not to try and get back onto the interstate at Poplar Ave because I was sure it was part of the closure, but Mr. "I know what I am doing" didn't listen so of course it was closed, which made another detour to get back to where I told him to go. He then griped about how stupid it was. I finally got tired of the grumbling and ask him if he thought having it closed during rush hour this week would be a better option because it had to be closed to put those bridges in. It shut him up. We then get to the restaurant, he misses the turn, then misses the handicapped spot to park in all because he saw 3 police cars at the restaurant. Drama, drama. Come to find out, it was a homeless person who asked to use the restroom, was told yes, but was in there a long time. The manager went in to make sure he was ok, said he acted like he was on something so they called the police. When we got there, there had him cuffed and were going through all his stuff in his backpack. They had just driven off when we got through with dinner so I wonder what took so long. They kept his backpack and sent him off in another car I guess.

    Jean: I noticed the autosave on the website locks up my pc on and off for some reason. Jack pretty much drinks two things, champagne and margaritas. Hope you like your new freezer.

    Gotta go this pc is acting up.

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  •   #9  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-23-2018 12:32 PM
    Good Morning! It’s cloudy and cool this morning, with rain on the way later. It didn’t take long at church this morning, we balanced on the first try. I stopped by the bank with the gift shop money and headed home. Towels are in the washer and the vacuum is waiting for a trip upstairs.

    “Gma,” a relative took a picture of flowers that we sent to a funeral in California. She took it on her phone and then sent it in a text; I was surprised but thought it was a good idea. I, too, worry about sending flowers long distance. This summer seems to have had more road construction and detours than usual. We have so many potholes here in town and they haven’t been fixed yet. I pretty much know where they are so can avoid them. I just enjoyed a fun drink made with pink Moscato, pink lemonade, and vodka. I need to figure out how to cut the recipe down because it calls for the whole bottle of wine and lemonade. I sure can’t drink all that in one sitting. Good luck in your war against the weeds!

    I have some birthday cards to write for church so better keep moving. Wishing you all a marvelous Monday!
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  •   #10  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 07-24-2018 08:29 AM
    Good morning. It is nice and cool this morning so am going out for round two with the weed killer. I swear the guy next door is growing weed. The kind you smoke! Anyway, I took my spritzer and gave it a good soaking! Whoops, did I do that? It isn’t going to be quite as hot today.

    I am going to try a chicken and rice casserole out on Jack tonight. It calls for cr of chicken soup and mushroom so have to decide whether to do double chicken or pulverize the mushroom soup in my blender! He won’t eat it otherwise. It sure looked good. I made the salisbury steak last night and it was very good. It uses 1/2 c of burgundy and made the gravy really good. I get tire of the same stuff so have been trying out new recipes on him that I think he will eat. I have a pork chop and sliced potato one to try out on him.

    I guess I need to start list making for our trip. We leave a week from Sunday and I haven’t even thought about it much. We are staying at a brand new Homewood Suites hotel in KC so that will be nice. It’s only about 5 miles from their home so it’s convenient. When we get back I’m hoping they will have mailed my medicare card. I also have to go out to the base and get a new ID card. You have to because you’re on medicare. I will then have new cards all around as I renewed my DL earlier this month.

    Jean: I am not much on alcohol at all. I like drinks where you can’t taste it like Fuzzy Navel or Sloe Gin Fizz. I did get a Fuzzy Navel on the cruise that about knocked my socks off though. It was so strong I couldn’t drink it. I tend to drink what I call foofoo drinks. Hope you got all those chores done. I need to clean upstairs bathrooms again. I’m not sure filling in potholes does much good. The next rain or snow and there they are again. It’s ongoing for sure.

    Better get out back and spritz those weeds. Have a good day.
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  •   #11  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-24-2018 12:44 PM
    Good Morning! A beautiful cool sunny morning in my neighborhood today! I finished vacuuming upstairs this morning so can cross that off my list. Got a phone call that my shower will be installed August 13th; I was hoping for sooner but they must be really busy.

    ”Gma,” I don’t think I would know a marijuana plant if I saw one. A teacher got caught growing it; they lived out in the country and the dish tv guy turned them in when he came to install the dish. The wife was a professor as the college and lost her driver’s license while the teacher resigned his job. They both got hefty fines. Now they have antiques and raise purebred (?) tomatoes. She is a master gardener and no longer works at the college. Their place reminds me of the old Ma and Pa Kettle movies. Your menus always sound delicious!! Bob and I both got our Medicare cards on the same day. My stepmom has Tricare but since she has been in the nursing home hasn’t had to go to renew it in person. She has often remarked how lucky she is to have it, thanking my dad. The railroad is supposed to be working on their local crossings to make them smoother. They are mad at the town because they wanted to close several crossings; people pitched a fit so the city council said no.

    I need to think about something for lunch. Last day for the roast leftovers I hope! Wishing you a terrific Tuesday!

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  •   #12  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 07-26-2018 02:24 PM
    Good afternoon. Looks like those darn weeds though dying, haven’t kicked the bucket yet so will be spraying them again, I guess. Not today though, as it is really hot outside and I didn’t get out early.

    After I post, I am heading upstairs and cleaning bathrooms. I wish I had Samantha’s nose twitching ability. I don’t mind the cleaning, but the climbing stairs kills my knees. It needs to be done as I put it off yesterday.

    Catherines was having a big sale so I bought 2 prs of capris and a top on clearance then because of a coupon, saved another $50. I wanted red capris to wear with my Cubs jersey to the game and bought a white short sleved tshirt that laces up the side to wear under it. I had bought a tank to wear when we went to Indiana, but whatever the fabric is, it wrinkle terribly and I am not standing and ironing at the hotel. Besides the game is at night and I don’t want to be walking around all day with a Cubs jersey on. I also bought the cutest red and white thong sandals to wear. I do have to get stuff organized this weekend, though. It is grocery weekend but because we are going to be gone a whole week, I am just getting stuff for next week.

    Jean: Jack loved the casserole and never knew there was mushroom soup in it. It was pretty darn good and easy too. It has gotten so I can’t stand for long periods anymore so have to have things I can do in sections, ie I mixed up the soups and chicken broth and cut up the chicken, refrigerated them then when it was time to cook, mixed the soup mix, chicken and rice together and poured it into the baking dish and baked it. I do that kind of thing with a lot of what I cook. I do prep then finish it later. Oh my gosh, haven’t seen one of those movies in a long time. Don’t you wonder if they’ve started up a little garden of it again amongst their tomatoes. Why anyone would want to smoke that nasty smelling stuff is beyond me. It has such a disgusting smell.

    I guess I have wasted enough time and better get the bathrooms cleaned. Jack will be home in a couple hours. Tonight is bbq from across the street. They make the best bbq chicken. They have great potato salad and fried okra too. I am not a big okra fan, but whatever they do to this, it tastes great. lol

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  •   #13  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-26-2018 06:03 PM
    Good Afternoon! The sun has disappeared so maybe the rain will come after all. I went for a much needed pedicure and nail fill first thing this morning. Came home to change clothes then met the two gals we cruised with for lunch. We went to the Italian restaurant; I ordered lasagna and it had no taste to it whatsoever. I was disappointed! Bob and I have eaten there and it’s been good. The restaurant closes at two so they went to grocery shop and I came home. Needless to say I haven’t accomplished much today!

    “Gma,” you must have some pretty hardy weeds if you have to spray them multiple times to kill them. The new clothes sound cute! It’s always a bonus to save money with a coupon. Did your casserole have cheese in it? It sounds delicious! I sometimes “cook” in shifts if I think far enough ahead. I am concerned about a freezer full of meat because I will thaw something and then am not in the mood when it comes time to fix it. I usually fix a so called meal at noon and that doesn’t give me a lot of time to fix and bake, cook, or whatever. I’d like Samantha’s nose to do my cooking! The marijuana couple had a greenhouse before their weed was found. Since then is when they’ve added more greenhouses, remodeled the barn and another building for their antiques. People dump stray dogs and cats on them and they take them in, spay and neuter, shots, the whole deal. They are so typical hippies it’s spooky!

    I need to make a grocery list. Bob is going to Sturgis to help Jason set up his toy hauler/camper for the motorcycle shindig. I have a request for chocolate chip cookies to take along. Hope you’ve had a good day and enjoy your evening!
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  •   #14  
    gma22's Avatargma22 , 07-27-2018 08:32 AM
    Sticky and rainy at our house this morning. I’ve been upstairs cleaning since 6 AM so I didn’t have to climb the stairs again. I am pooped. So now I can goof off the rest of the day.

    Here is the chicken casserole recipe:

    Chicken and Rice Casserole

    preheat oven to 400 degrees, grease a 9x13 pan, I like using a glass one if you have it

    You may combine any three of these soups as long as 1 can is cream of chicken, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of celery. I use 2 cans cr of chicken, 1 can cr of mushroom. I’ve even had people use a can of cream of cheddar

    5 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into small bite sized pieces
    2 cans cream of chicken soup
    1 can cream of mushroom
    2 cups chicken broth (I use low sodium because soup having salt)
    2 cups uncooked Minute rice
    1 stick of butter (or less to taste but I use the whole thing)
    salt and pepper to taste

    in a bowl mix soups, broth, rice, and chicken. Pour into pan. smooth out, dot with butter, bake for 60 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with 1/2 to 3/4 c of grated cheddar and put back in oven 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
    *Feel free to add cut up asparagus, bag of mixed veg, etc if you want to sneak veg in for your family.


    Good thing I wasn’t desperate. I just received my bag of undies yesterday. It took a month to get them. My clothes all ft and my lace up top should be here today. I put my red capris in vinegar water overnight to set the color and will launder everything today so I can get my packing list going.

    Our Mr. Coffee tea maker bit the bullet so had to order one from Walmart. Hopefully, it will be here today as Jack drinks gallons of unsweet tea. The things only last about three years and tend to leak when they are getting to go bell up. Amazon wanted $46 but I got it at WM for $20 and free shipping.

    Jean: I hate it when you go to a restaurant expecting something yummy and get blah. Our favorite Italian restaurant has good lasagna but it’s huge when it comes out. Looks like a mini pig trough! I always get their spaghetti and meat sauce as it’s really good. They make homemade sour dough rolls and they’re always warm when them come to the table. I read your FB posts about kids disappearing and people having issues with kids being followed. Kids can’t walk anywhere by themselves anymore.

    Hope you all have a great weekend!!
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  •   #15  
    Jean's AvatarJean , 07-28-2018 11:41 AM
    Good Morning! It is a cloudy cool day in my neighborhood this morning. I am home alone for a few days while Bob went with Jason to set up his camper for the motorcycle shindig in Sturgis, SD. My favorite animal shows have been on tv so I’m not even dressed yet. I need to return a book to the library then pick up bread, a couple WW meals, and lettuce. I wish I could get a half head of lettuce as it seems to turn brown once it is unwrapped. I know you’re not supposed to cut it with a knife but I get in a hurry and do it anyway.

    “Gma,” thanks for sharing your recipe. It is similar to one I’ve made except mine has a box of wild rice and only one can of soup. Bob likes it too. Did your undies come from China? This restaurant serves their lasagna in an oval shaped bowl with melted cheese on top, covering everything. They also cut their noodles in thin strips. I like the lasagna at Olive Garden better because it stands up and you can see the layers. Mine is in layers when I take it out of the pan but then it kind of all slides together in a pile. I worry about Maddy and Kolby walking home from school. It is several blocks but this year will be even a little longer for Maddy as she moves to the high school. They both have phones but phones can be tossed or smashed. Zowie is bussed to and from school unless Ian doesn’t have practice then she rides with him. The missing U of Iowa student is really scary. The latest tv report said her brother and boyfriend had both been “cleared.”

    Off to get dressed and run my errands! Have a super Saturday!

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