Every Rose Has its Thorn

I went to the grocery store the other day to snag some relatively inexpensive half gallons of milk. The limit of five has restocked my freezer. That and some fresh produce were my main goals but I couldn’t resist the plethora of flower bouquets marked down following St. Valentine’s Day.

My husband approved my purchase since my birthday was a few days earlier and I asked for nothing special...

They aren’t as fragrant as those I recall from the 1980’s. In addition, a lot of petals landed on the floor while the thorny, dry woody stems made trimming them a chore. While roses are much cheaper now, I’d be angry if my full price bouquet rotted in under a week.

Do you purchase cut flowers? If so, did you know that a slanted knife cut allows the stems better water absorption than a scissor's pinch?
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Bargain Buys, an Unexpected Neat Find, and the Golden Tooth

I popped into my local grocery chain store to pick up medications from the pharmacy and some food items. Upon entering, I discovered the unbelievable and repeating deal of buy one get two free (!) sleeves of soda. I gave up the stuff for the most part but the occasional can of ginger ale or Doctor Pepper are enjoyable.

Since my journey started at the pharmacy, however, I passed by the clearance shelves. And wow, did I score big. It’s a shame that many party planners passed up overpriced snack items. And I sometimes think many folks don’t realize these shelves exist along the back wall.

I do not care at all about American football
but this seasonal find is awesome.

My neatest find came about due to the fact I was trying to find a cheaper carton of eggs than what we usually purchase. These wheat free wraps are like pillow-soft flour tortillas. I ate two today, wrapping one around bacon and cheese and the other with cold fried chicken and lettuce.

I found these on sale, too;
otherwise, I may have to pass on them.

 

 

As for the golden tooth, it isn’t but should be. My husband’s twenty-one year old root canal failed and has an underlying infection. I figured he would just have it pulled at his advancing age. But I understand it’s about quality of life. Still, the cost of another root canal is around three thousand US dollars. And that’s after the other thousand dollar dental surgery he had on another tooth.

The front of this same grocer had shelves stocked with tasty pistachios at a way higher price...

To be petty and complain from within my happy household, I despair of ever traveling again. And I miss visiting North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a modest trip, really.

Do you make a point of checking clearance items, wherever you shop? And do you find yourself overlooking products new to you while shopping for staples?

A Very Productive Day and a Surprise Family Reunion

The first point is a long overdue post. On January 28th my husband needed a computer part replaced. Knowing this installation might take a few hours we wanted some diversion. I found the perfect place, Jungle Jim’s international market. He appreciated my idea; the man adores different foods.

Not only did driving surface roads prove easy but I discovered a branch of our new Internet service provider therein. My guy’s honorary military discharge grants some small discounts. This latest requiring in-person verification, we expected another road trip until that day.

We also replenished favorite foods. The shrimp chips were too pricey, as were many items. Various dried noodles are a different story. Despite the recommended shelf life, most types don’t spoil for a long while.

We also stocked up on pickled herring. It’s in the German section.

On that note, my brother and I planned a meeting with our spouses at a German style sausage house in Columbus, Ohio last Sunday. The distance is almost perfectly halfway between our residences.

What stores do you frequent? Does your grocer offer international products?

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It’s Another Day in Paradise

This title is an homage to my friend Scars. His lifelong crippling pain left him with acerbic humor. I like to think his commentary doubles as a positive affirmation; his spirit is inspirational, for sure.

Meanwhile, our cellar flooded yet again, the most recent of countless events. This time we’re going to remove the oft saturated carpet bits. We should have done it decades ago. The multiple times it’s been pulled up and replaced upon getting professionally dried have left ragged edges.

Our first occurrence happened in spring of 1995 (!) when I didn’t disconnect the garden hose before the previous winter’s freezing temperatures. Turning on the faucet poured water onto the downstairs carpet until I discovered the source of the sound. My father should have taught me this, but alas, no…

This week’s leak came from our furnace humidifier. It started small and my husband changed the filter, which should have ended it but instead made things worse. The serviceman who came out determined that the new filter wasn’t properly seated, disabling proper flow through the pipe system. The money spent wasn’t a total waste; this guy said the water flow was too high and turned it down. My restating this fact finally comforted my husband.

Fortunately, a fan running on high seems to be drying the carpet. Perhaps next month we’ll hire the junk removal service we engaged last year. Those folks will take away all the half empty paint cans, etc., as well as sections of carpet. Everything is reportedly recycled in an appropriate manner or receives proper disposal. I’ve been bagging up obsolete electronics and whatnot.

Can you believe three water heaters failed over the decades, each dumping their entire contents? Isn’t it a silly but fun theory that our home hosts a mischievous water sprite?
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Only Me

This year I supported a Youtube content creator by purchasing his page-a-day calendar about animals. Mamadou Ndiaye’s Casual Geographic clips are both witty and educational.

Dumb me, I bought a 2024 version. I decided not to let this bother me as the snippets remain enjoyable.

 

Do you enjoy nature shows? Is there one particular animal you most appreciate?

Lucky Us

The other day my husband and I foolishly didn’t assess the snow piled at the end of our driveway. I got stuck and we spent perhaps twenty minutes digging/rocking the car out, even adding some fresh cat litter for tire traction. It’s a good thing we left early for his dental appointment.

A neighbor helped me shovel upon our return home. He’s perhaps thirty years old and said he took a pain pill for his back, planning to clear our entire driveway. We convinced otherwise. Our cars can power through several inches, after all.

Interestingly, the young gentleman offhandedly reminded me that the paved portion between sidewalk and street is called an apron in US lingo. I suppose it’s due to tapered ends resembling an apron’s skirt.

Meanwhile more snow fell, as did darkness, and while shoveling gets harder as the years pass, I grew determined to retain passage. Discovering a light powder had fallen I grabbed my shop broom.

Dragging and even pushing light loads proved easier than expected. I proceeded to do the same for several neighbors. One fellow came and helped, shoveling more of my driveway after seeing me. He felt guilt despite the times he’s done the same winters past.

Our area seldom sees more than a few inches of the white stuff or we’d consider purchasing a snow blower. Perhaps we’ll hire a service in future years. I wish our drifts could be air dropped over fires around the world. ~sigh~ At least we’re getting plenty of ground water here.

My mother gifted me this
waterproof fedora
decades ago...
Cool, no?

Do you enjoy seasonal changes? Do you have a favorite? -

Another Loss

I’m always saddened when folks lose loved ones. Not too long ago I discovered a fascinating couple through the wife’s blog. Now both are gone. On the bright side, they lived long and fruitful lives.

Don’t misunderstand me; I believe every honorable human uplifts the species. But this couple’s contribution amazes me. For those who never knew their story, here is her obituary. I am sorry that my links will not work tonight and you must copy and paste if interested. Blessings to you all.

https://www.stanleyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Mariette-Van-Den-Munckhof-Vedder?obId=34153025

Yum

I regret being absent of late and hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. My brain seems not to have caught up with how much my husband’s health and mobility have improved. Some days I have trouble getting out of bed when my heart and mind should be rejoicing. Please do not feel bad for me, though, as I will get there.

That said, he keeps me entertained with Youtube videos, including one by a darling food blogger named Emmy. I don’t use social media beyond blogging and thus am grateful she covered a recipe for tuna salad shared by actor Mathew McConaughey. As my title proclaims, it’s fantastic (!) to someone who’s not even a huge fan of canned tuna.

The balance of heat, mild sweetness, and crunch proved astounding. I generally dislike raw onion yet didn’t omit it. And, wow, the small amount didn’t upset my stomach one bit. Also, I didn’t try any until it sat overnight; that might have helped mellow the small bits of onion.

In case you’re unaware as I was, the recipe is below. Please let me know if you try it and your resulting opinion.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise, plus more as desire

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons wasabi paste

2 teaspoons Italian dressing

3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped dill pickles

1/3 cup crispy jalapeño chips (my guy found these on Amazon)

1/4 cup chopped apple

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (I cooked them along with the peas for two minutes in the microwave and let them cool)

1/2 cup frozen peas

10 ounces quality tuna packed in olive oil, drained (my Albacore tuna came packed in water so I added a drizzle of olive oil)

Directions:

Stir mayonnaise together with vinegar, lemon juice, wasabi, and Italian dressing in a medium bowl until combined.

Add in onion, pickles, jalapeño chips, apple, corn, and peas, and stir.

Fold in the tuna until well combined. Add more mayonnaise if desired.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Do you enjoy any canned fish? And isn’t amazing how some foods, like many soups and stews, improve with a day or two refrigerated?

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