Wild Wednesday

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Toaster oven is tested. After 15 minutes I checked the temperature inside and it was, indeed, 450 degrees, which was what I had it set to. So far, so good. The convection fan is a bit noisy but it looks like I can set it to 'toast' and not use the fan. I'll have to confirm that.

It fits: one of my 6x8 pans, two small loaf pans or one large, one small loaf pans, my mini muffin tins (and because of the two levels it means I could bake 24 at a time), my 8" baking dishes, my old toaster oven's broiling and baking pans, my mini-stone (6" across), my smallest roasting pan, and 3 of my cast iron fry pans, including the one that I use when making a small roast beef. So it seems like I'll be able to use it for a large number of things.

It fits where my old toast oven was and leaves me room for either the mugs hanging above it or to store my best frying pan on top, but not both. (My frying pan has a glass lid and long handle and doesn't store well anywhere else in the kitchen.)

Now that I've finished fussing over that, I'll get to work on the housework. Ds is coming in about an hour.

[Harriet]

I've made up a tray of chicken salad sandwiches (after sanitizing my hands like a surgeon, but I am SO much better today - yay). Tobias is amazed I can cook (after all, he would have no evidence of this), wants some for himself. My ddad has already had his meal, his sister has called to say HBday, and I have stopped him (barely) from changing into pajamas for a nap. I just had to go ahead and admit he probably had company on the way - supposed to be a surprise, but he would have been unhappy if he had not appeared ready.

Kathryn, I remember my dmother's frustration trying to get the right toaster oven after she had quit driving but my ddad was still determined he could handle shopping trips without her. He would allow a salesman to tell him what to bring home, forgetting her dimension requirements, etc., then they couldn't agree on whether it had to go back, and this would repeat, repeat. Actually, that's how WE got our toaster oven, come to think of it!!! It was a left-over!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harriet: Well at least you got a toaster oven out of it! This has been frustrating but I'm feeling positive about the outcome. I moved it to another spot and all agree it looks better there and now both my mugs and fry pan are accessible. Yay!

Weekly kitchen chores are done. The printer has new ink in it (this time I put the date on the cartridge because I'm sure I replaced the ink in January) and I've got the main floor vacuumed with the electric broom. Ds helped me put my pantry purchases away.

Ds is here and dinner will be in 30 minutes. The kitchen table still needs clearing off.

[Elizabeth]

I'm off to pick up DD10. We will eat at Arby's then go to Girl Scouts.

[OKay]

I'm home!!! Time spent with DSon and family was greatly enjoyed.

Yesterday travel was just on the verge of being horrible. I checked the weather before I left home and it looked like the big storm cell would be past the way I was traveling. OH how wrong I was!! As the hours passed more storms appeared (seemily out of no where). I drove in weather that was so severe but I couldn't come up with a way to escape it so I just kept driving. The rain & wind was so intense that it made it hard to see the road. Most of the vehicles on the road were driving with flashers (emergency lights) on in an effort to not be hit. The heavy rain eased up about the time I reached DSon's home but then the next wave of intense weather arrived with golf ball size hail and a couple tornadoes headed our way. Thankfully the tornadoes lifted and passed over us.

The trip home this afternoon was nice and boring......just the way I like it! I enjoyed looking at miles upon miles of green grass and trees. Sooo very different from what it looked like since last year when the wild fires burned so many thousand acres and the extreme drought caused the tree leaves to drop. I was thrilled to see many of those drought effected trees survived.

[Harmony]

OKay, I am glad your trip was safe and that you had a good time there.

Harriet, I made beef stew in the crock pot (DH craves red meat if I don't have it often enough) and I had a few carrots and potatoes and a little of the celery. I have noticed that potatoes any way I eat them never seem to bother me, both my tummy stuff and my AR. Happy birthday to your DFather.

In the interesting fact category: has anybody ever made any of that fiber drink, the kind you stir a spoonful of powder into 8 oz of water? The powder disappears and leaves a little bit of flavor...but it's not sippable. I left a glass full of it to sip and last I picked it up it had turned to a solid gel, very unappetizing!

Have worked in my sewing room a bit, and typed 3 proposals for DH and faxed. Talked with our tenants and wrote out receipt. Must bring in the laundry next.

[OKay]

Harmony - DDad sometimes gets relief with digestive troubles by eating a few coconut macaroons. I've heard coconut & bad bacteria aren't friends.

Happy Birthday to Harriet DDad!!!

Indiana - LO doctor recommended following the guidelines on myplate. I like having such easy visual guidelines to follow.

[OKay]

After noticing so many of the landscaped homes included the BEAUTIFUL double knock-out rose bushes, I stopped and bought some. I filled the back seat of my baby car with 8 of them. Next up is getting them unloaded and placed. Tomorrow I'll work on getting them into the ground and wire put down to keep the dogs from digging them up.

[lucylee]

No wild weather here, and it has been a fairly calm day all around.
I finally got up my courage to make a dreaded phone call, and found out the person's phone was disconnected! So that will have to wait until tomorrow. * sigh * (Phone will still be disconnected, of course, but maybe someone at school has a cell phone number.)
Ordered a baby gift.
Made another phone call to give my "regrets" re: baby shower, which I cannot attend. (Spring football game w/dh that day.)
Talked to ddad, who sounds kinda discouraged that he doesn't feel better than he does, but who DID sound better to me when he answered the phone. He gets another chest x-ray tomorrow, so maybe he'll get more encouraging news re: his progress. He is NOT a good sick person -- he is a VERY IMpatient patient.
Straightened up a LOT of stuff on my desk at school, did some filing.
Visited dmil w/dh.
Ate supper.
Wrote (what I hope will be) the last thank-you note for dfil's flowers, etc.
Addressed and signed all three birthday cards I will be sending this month.
Watered plants.

Need to exercise & grade some papers.

Sooo glad everyone is safe from the storms, OKay!!! The scenes from Texas are just amazing.

Happy birthday to your ddad, Harriet! Sounds like a great party. Lemon cake and snow cream ice cream... mmmm... that sounds delicious!

Waving to all!!!

[Harmony]

Lucylee, what's going on with your DDad's business? Is it still running? I'll bet he's missing his work.

Hmmm, cocoanut. I believe that is a problem for me. But as for the bacteria part, I believe you're right. My DSisiLaw swears a fresh pineapple will clear the tracks! My problem is a little place that is narrower than normal. I'm not sure technically it can be called diverticuli (sp?) since it was never called that to me, but there is a problem spot. It can back up the plumbing. I had lower GI done, also an ultrasound as the area made us suspicious of ovary problem..but it wasn't. I've probably gone 5 years without a flair-up, but Monday's was a doosey.