Cats Like Sun, Too

Pepper the Cat stretched out on the bedroom floor soaking up the rays on a beautiful sunny fall morning.

Five years ago today: New Thing #262--Safeguard

Operation Dust

Our kitchen ceiling project finished up yesterday.   It took a little longer than we expected (the contractor didn't work on the weekend, then he had a sick kid to take care of) but the results were worth the wait.  For the first time in years we have a pristine ceiling without cracks or spots.

Installing drywall is a tedious, multi-step job that I would not want to tackle:  Attach the material with screws.  Spread a layer of joint compound over the screw holes and seams, apply tape to the seams, and let dry.  Put up the edge bead, mud it and add another layer of compound to the joints. Sand everything, prime, and paint.

As I was making out a check to pay the contractor he told me how he'd used a  low-dust joint compound, covered everything with plastic before he sanded, then swept the kitchen floor after he pulled up the plastic to keep things clean, but I know from past experience that didn't mean much. Drywall dust is fine and attaches itself everywhere on surfaces horizontal and vertical no matter how much you try to contain it.   Now that the construction job was done it was time to do some cleaning.

The wood floor in the front hall sported a thick film of dust. I wiped it off with a damp cloth, then continued my wiping on the dining room floor. I got a new rag and tackled the furniture.  Several rags later the furniture was dust-free and I went back to the kitchen to wipe down the counters and cabinet tops.

The next time I left the kitchen and walked down the hall I turned around I saw a trail of dusty footprints behind me.  The floor was NOT clean!  I grabbed the mop and buckets and washed the kitchen floor.  Twice.  When I was done it looked and felt much better.

 However, I know the drywall dust battle isn't won yet.  When I sat down at my kitchen desk this morning I saw a white deposit on top of the white chair rail I'd missed last night.  There's also a lot of floating dust that will land in the next few days.  I'm confident that if I'm diligent I'll come out on top.

Five years ago today: New Thing #260--Recipe for Repotting

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Two weeks ago my local Aldi had cabbage for 75 cents a head. That was a good deal, so I grabbed a large one. There was a lot of food in the refrigerator, and the cabbage got shoved to the back of a shelf behind a bowl.  By Sunday the refrigerator had emptied out, and I spotted the cabbage  Its outside leaves looked wilted and were sporting a couple of dark spots.  Time to figure out a way to use it!

I threw the outer layer of leaves into the compost pile, then julienned  the next layer and added them to a pot of chicken vegetable soup.  Even after that there was still a lot of cabbage left; I wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap and put it back into the refrigerator.

This morning was about cooking, mainly figuring out a way to use the cabbage.  I love stuffed cabbage, but the full-fledged rolls take hours to prepare.  I didn't have that much time, so I used the basic ingredients to make a casserole.  Less than an hour later tonight's AND tomorrow night's dinner was done.  All it needs is a quick reheat in the microwave.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
(serves 4)

1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 head of cabbage, roughly chopped (or approximately 8 cups)
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth
2 T. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. In a large pot over medium heat brown the turkey, onions, and garlic until the turkey is no longer pink.
2. Drain juice from tomatoes into a measuring cup. Add chicken broth until you have 2 cups of liquid.
3. Stir cabbage, rice, tomatoes, liquid, and seasonings into pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Five years ago today: New Thing #258--Are You Up To The Challenge?

Just A Little Creepy

I was working at the mall Customer Service desk today when a customer came up and inquired about something she'd lost at the mall last week.

We turn lost things over to Security, so I told the customer I'd call their office and ask if they had the item. The dispatcher answered with the office's standard greeting, then added a "Hi, Kathy" at the end. I was taken aback, and a bit disquieted. The Security office isn't anywhere close to my desk; how did he know who was working at the desk?

(Then I remembered--mounted on the ceiling not too far from the desk, next to a couple of light fixtures, a stereo speaker, and a head for the sprinkler system was a security camera. They could see me.)

I knew the camera was there, but had conveniently forgotten. Until today's reminder.

I decided to give the officer the benefit of the doubt; the mall was very slow and there probably wasn't too much action to keep on top of.  However,  for the rest of my shift whenever I had to do any potentially embarrassing things I stepped into the desk office where the camera couldn't see.

Five years ago today: New Thing #256--Tattoo You

Change Yourself First

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world.

As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But, it too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

--Written on the tomb of an Anglican Bishop buried in Westminster Abbey.

Five years ago today: New Thing #255--Are You Interested?

Gah-run-teed

I love Land's End clothes, especially their shirts which are comfortable and wear like iron. If you looked in my closet you'd see long and short-sleeved tees and casual shirts or all seasons.

This spring when I was getting ready for our New York City vacation I needed to replace a white shirt in my travel wardrobe. I searched for weeks for a boxy all-polyester model that would pack well and easily wash out in a hotel sink with no luck.  Everything was too form-fitting, too short, or just not right.  I was browsing through a Land's End catalog one day and found their "Women's Athletic T-Shirt".  It looked like it might meet my requirements so I stopped by my local Sears store to see it in person.  They didn't have it in stock, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn I could order it in the store and have it delivered to my house.

When the shirt arrived I tried it on.   IT WAS PERFECT!   Long and boxy enough to cover my midsection, lightweight, and wrinkle-free. It went to New York with me, and to Nashville later in the summer. In between trips it was my "go to" shirt for church and casual events when I only needed to dress up a little. I wore it maybe seven or eight times and looked forward to many more.

Sadly, the last time I took it out of the dryer I noticed there were several large snags on the front of the shirt. I figured I'd have to use it as a gym shirt, and then only when I didn't care what I looked like.  A couple of weeks later I was browsing through yet another Land's End catalog and noticed their guarantee, which says

"If you're not satisfied with any item, simply return it to us at any time for an exchange or refund of its purchase price."

I called the customer service number and talked to a nice representative.  I explained the situation, then pessimistically sat back and waited for her to tell me why the guarantee didn't apply in this case.  Boy, was I wrong!  Five minutes later I had a new shirt ordered and on its way to my house.  They charged my card for it, but when I took the old one to Sears I got a refund so my net cost was zero.

I'm looking forward to wearing the new shirt for a very long time.

Five years ago today: New Thing #253--Extra Credit

Where To Eat?

The drywall on our kitchen ceiling is cracking and peeling.  As we got estimates for repairing it we found out the easiest (and most effective) fix would be to add an additional layer of drywall on top.

The job started today, when the contractor dropped off his tools and went to the store for materials.  I removed all the breakables from the area, and the contractor helped Hubby Tony move the kitchen table and chairs out.  When I got home from work there was a stack of drywall leaning against the wall in the garage and the kitchen floor was covered with tarps.

The job will take portions of several days.  In the meantime, we have two choices for eating our meals:

 "Table" in kitchen

Kitchen table in family room

Five years ago today: New Thing #252--Get Well Soon

No Seedlings Wanted!

A couple of years after we moved into our house we were gifted with a cutting from the Rose of Sharon shrub that Hubby Tony remembered from his aunt's yard. I planted the small shoot in the back yard.  Now, more than 20 years later the bush is about 9 feet tall. We keep the bottom branches pruned off to make it easier to mow around it, but above that line the bush is about 6 feet wide.

Every year I enjoy the plant's beautiful white flowers with pink centers. However, since the plant is a heirloom variety it doesn't have some of the improvements newer cultivars have. Every flower on our bush produces a seed pod, which if not removed ripens and releases seed, which leads to hundreds of seedlings sprouting in the spring.

The solution is to make sure those seeds don't end up on the ground.  One option is to deadhead the flowers right after they bloom, but the bush attracts so many bees I usually leave the job until the fall. Last year I forgot to do it until after many of the pods had ripened, and I was pulling tiny Rose of Sharons out of the grass around the bush for months. I was determined not to repeat that again this year.

After dinner last night I began the removal process by pulling off the eye-level seed heads (which are about an inch in diameter and look like a fat bud). The shrub is much taller than me, but the branches are very flexible and I could bend them down to my level. Each branch had somewhere between ten and fifteen seed heads on it. Most of them were still green, but there were a handful that were turning brown and a couple that were almost ripe.

I spent a half hour on the job and only stopped when it got too dark outside to work. The debris filled half of the 2-gallon bucket I was using. This morning I went out to check my work and found there were a lot of branches in the bush interior I'd missed, so I began pulling again This time my bucket was about a third full.

I think I'm done now. Even if there's a few left that ripen and fall from the bush there won't be too many seedlings to take care of next year.

Five years ago today: New Thing #250--Not Just For Kids!

Apple Pear

There was a new-to-me fruit in our produce basket this week.  It looked like an apple, but tasted like a pear.  Appropriately enough, it was called a apple pear.

Source

According to wikipedia, Pyrus pyrifolia (colloquially known as apple pear due to its appearance and texture) is a pear species native to China, Japan, and Korea.  The variety in our basket had skin the color of a Bartlett.  When I took a bite it was perfectly ripe.  And messy.  The juice ran down my arm as I was eating it.

Five years ago today: New Thing #248--Garden Garments

Thanks For The Information

Every couple of weeks I see a woman standing at the bottom of the highway exit ramp I take to get to work. She looks like she might be about my age, and she's always holding the same cardboard sign that says she's homeless and looking for help.

She may be homeless, or she may be a scam artist. I don't know.  I make donations to several organizations that help homeless people, but I choose not to give individuals money when I see them on the street. For the first few months when I saw her I'd always find something to look at in my car when she passed by, but after awhile I decided that was silly and started acknowledging her.

Today she was in her spot. I happened to be the first car in the turn lane, and I looked over and gave her a little wave. She waved back. I realized I had a raggity fingernail, so I grabbed the emory board I keep in the car visor and started filing it, but I sensed the woman was still looking at me. I glanced over again, and saw that she was trying to get my attention.

I rolled down my window, hoping she wasn't going to ask me for money or food. She held up a large plastic cup that had seen much better days and told me that the fast food restaurant across the street had a water main break today and she hadn't been able to get any water.

I thanked her for the information, and told her to stay cool; it was going to be a hot day. She nodded, I nodded, then the light turned green and I moved on.

Five years ago today: New Thing #245--What Does It Mean?