title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Friday, September 22, 2017

The Atumnal Equinox

What a beautiful, sunny day.  A nice day to look out at all the fallen leaves on neighbor's lawns or go for a nice walk, up the Service Day, scuffing along in the leaves, smelling their fragrance.














Did I do that?  NO!  It's 92 degrees with humidity at 71% out there.  It is stifling!!

A week ago I had the furnace on during the night and in the morning.  Now I have the A/C on--all day long!



We are setting records, or so they say.  The pressure from Jose' out on the east coast, is keeping a cold front in Minnesota from coming in and cooling us off.



It is the weirdest feeling, to look out and see what appears to be a normal, September day and yet it feels hotter than July.



I am not liking this one bit!!!!

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Yesterday afternoon, I decided I wanted to make a casserole that I really like and it freezes well for future dinners. Got all the pans and ingredients out. 

Trying to chop the veggies, with my hand tremor, I narrowly missed cutting my left thumb. Sauteing the veggies, in the dang copper skillet, that I bought because I thought it would work great, the dang thing is so slippery that, again because of the tremors, stirring, veggies wanting to ride up the walls of the pan and escape onto the stove top or floor.


20 minutes into the process, my back was screaming so bad, I had to turn everything off and sit down.

10 minutes later--Turn the gas back on, get everything back up to heat again, add the rest of the ingredients and pour into the casserole dish. However, the skillet was so heavy, loaded with everything, I had a hard time getting it over to the casserole dish.

Now to sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Dump some cheese in my palm to sprinkle, a hand tremor occurs and the cheese goes flying, onto the stove, counter top, floor.

Hm-mm. Okay, just dump the cheese, outta the bag and in the middle of the casserole dish concoction and spread it around that way.

Sit down, rest back, wait for oven to pre-heat.

How to get heavy dish down and into the oven. I actually braced my legs like I was going to lift a bar-bell! Into the oven, slide it back to the middle. Oven heat feels like it is melting my glasses.

Now, I wait 35 minutes and hope the pot holders don't slip and I can get the thing on top of the stove to cool.

I used to love to cook elaborate dishes. Each vegetable chopped to the exact size. Standing at the stove for an hour, stirring and adding ingredients. Now--it is a tedious, painful, experience and one I won't repeat very soon.

    ARGGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Dar called last night around 7:00.  "Dad has no energy.  He's been sleeping most of the day and now seems confused.  I just took his blood pressure and it's 80 over 50.  Do you think I should take him up to the ER?"


"Yes, as quickly as possible.  He could be going into heart failure."



"Okay--I knew that you'd know."



Wait.  What?  I am no nurse.  I don't want to be responsible for her Dad's health--for any one's health.  Wouldn't anyone with a lick of common sense know that the BP reading was too low to not get checked out?



I called her at 9:30.  They were still in the ER.  Dad was dehydrated.  He has been sneaking at not drinking his water again--for the 3rd time in 6 months.  Dar hands him a bottle of water and goes off about her business.  When she checks, the bottle is empty.  He confessed that he pours half the bottle in the plant on his chair-side table.  HAH!

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Sheila, Dar's friend stopped in late yesterday afternoon.  She is having a get-together this Sunday for dinner.  She has invited the two new neighbors that have moved in on both sides of her, also Dar, her Dad and me.


Of course, my first instinct was to give an excuse, but I couldn't find one, so I said, "Yes."



Sheila is an odd duck.  The antithesis of Dar.  Short and squat and very quiet.  Never married, about 60 years old.  She is Dar's pet, will do anything she asks and runs errands for her.



She is grilling a turkey that she was given last Thanksgiving, from her work.  It has been frozen all this time.  She's having dressing and mashed potatoes and Sweet Potato Pie  I have a few qualms--like her cats are allowed to sit and roam up on her counter tops.  Her trailer is crammed with all sorts of knick knacks and other stuff.  I will go with an open mind and meet the new neighbor's and try and be nice.  It is suppose to be only 88 degrees on Sunday. I hope she has air conditioning.

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I wrote about this Tuesday and still enjoying and watching the PBS, Ken Burns documentary on the Viet Nam War.  So many things that happened in the beginning years, I did not know about.  The government told us nothing of what was going on, except to report that we were winning.  Which of course, we never were.


The more I watch, the madder I get.  It was in 1967--or 1968, when most of my friends and others our age, lost their trust and belief in our government.  We were supportive in the early 60's, but by mid to late 60's, totally against it.  



We were born and brought up during WWII.  Our grand father's served in WWI and now our Uncles in WWII.  We were patriotic and very much believed in our government and supportive of their causes.  They were there to protect and guide us.



One reason I didn't vote in the 1964 election.  Oh, I voted, but I didn't check the box for either Presidential candidate.  Goldwater stated he would go over there and use everything we had to bomb North Viet Nam into submission.  Johnson stated, "I will not send your boy's to Viet Nam", which was a lie.



All any of the Viet Nam, north and south people, wanted was for the French to get out so they could form their own democracy and run their own government.



Ho Chi Minh, had written a letter to President Truman for talks and how to form their democracy.  The letter was never given to the President to read.  Ho went along with Russia and China (communists) who sent him aid and weapons.  Perhaps, if the President had read that letter..................................?



We never should have gone there in the first place.  Advisors--reminds me of what is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan right now.  Advisors.  Than, more and more troops will be sent in.



Pardon my crude language, but Viet Nam was F.U.B.A.R. from the beginning.



It's a good documentary though.  Not slanted to any political side, just shows interviews and phone calls between the President's and high ranking military men.



Every night at 8:00 on PBS.

18 comments:

  1. sorry about your weather, we have the same thing here today!! and in canada, they were having their summer, 85 every day, which is a little warm for me!!!

    everyone, especially, dar, puts way too much pressure on you!!

    and i don't like eating food in homes where the cats roam around on the counter tops. it's just me i'm sure but it really bothers me!!

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    1. Ah no--it's not just you. I don't want to find hair in my food--people hair or animal hair!!

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  2. If you took that photo of the fall leave by the road this week, your colors are far advanced from this side of the state. We've got the muddy brown and yellows but no reds and oranges yet.

    I don't get why older people think they can get away without drinking the required water all living things need! It's so common and so unnecessary when you end up in ER over something so preventable.

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    1. I am doing real well at drinking more water now.

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  3. For a second there, I thought you were trying to cut your veggies with your hand trimmer, and wondered why anyone would want a hand trimmer. LOL You never said what kind of casserole it was, or did I miss that? After all your hard work, I at least hope it turned out delicious.

    I had those problems with Dad, too. At times, it was hard to get him to drink enough. I don't know why some older people do that.

    Gee wiz, our weather is cooler than yours, and our humidity is lower. I hope you get some weather you like soon.

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    1. The casserole turned out yummy. Tuna/Macaroni casserole with cheese, that gets all brown and yummy on top.

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    2. I love tuna casserole, and I haven't made it in ages. Now you've got me going. I'll have to make it.

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  4. "pressure from Jose'" Well, at least you have a "reason" for the awful heat. not that that helps any of course.

    heavy pans are badddddddddddddd!

    Dare I ask, is there any help, for the hand tremors? Answer. Well, if there were, you would have a doc, give it to you.

    Ahhhh Dear Ol' Dar again. With her unique way of asking, and then, not hearing. At least she did take him.

    Hmmm, if he is purposely not drinking water, he sounds like he has more issues, than just being dehydrated. -sigh- "Hardening of the arteries" as they used to call.... Not thinking straight.

    Mmmm, are you supposed to freeze a turkey that long??? I'd do a search on that, before eating it. Maybe you can turn vegetarian, over night? the night before!

    Gotta' break up this comment. You really pack it in, in this one. :-)

    Luna Crone



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    1. I am also wondering about the nearly year long frozen turkey. Might it not be freezer burned?

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  5. In regards to your blog about visiting the Food Bank in your area, I am wondering if you are aware of many churches that sponser a food truck in their area monthly. I'll bet if you call around it is offered in your area too. No one is turned away.Our church hosts such a truck. We help 60-80 people who receive a wonderful selection of fresh fruit,vegetables, dairy, bread and desserts. Hope you will explore this for yourself.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, we have other church sponsored food banks.My church has a garden that they give all their harvest to this food bank.

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  6. Vietnam War... I have nothing good to say, about that!!!!!!

    Remember, I bought "The Pentagon Papers" book. (Did anyone else, who is reading here?) I was INTO being against that war!!!

    But... I do not trust PBS. No way.

    Did you ever listen to their commentary???? L-I-B-E-R-A-L.. Using our tax dollars, too!!!

    Sooo, I would not believe that Ken Burns' documentary, is without ANY bias. Bias is a sneaky son of a bitch. It can be injected, without anyone realizing it.

    Repeat! Vietnam War... I have nothing good to say, about that!!!!!!

    But I would not swallow any "Nam" documentary, "whole-cloth." If I wanted to re-visit that time, I'd choose to do my own searching.

    But, I have no wish to revisit that horrible time. -sigh-

    Luna Crone

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    1. Ken Burns doesn't work for PBS. He makes other documentaries--I have purchased several of his DVD's. You should watch it and then form an opinion. I'll bet you would see a lot about the goings on in that war that we were made aware of. Very interesting.

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  7. Judy, you won't have to "try" and be nice on Sunday because you ARE nice. :)

    And, yeah I don't want cat hair or any hair either in food.

    xoxo

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    1. I decided it would be a good thing for me to step outside of my comfort zone. I need to experience things I'm not used to in my everyday life.

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  8. I hope you ended up having a good time. I think it's wonderful that you try to step out of your comfort zone. Most of all, I hope there was air conditioning!! : ) xo

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  9. Tremors :( I have them too. One Thanksgiving Day I dropped a big dish of potatoes into the oven. I couldn't help but let out a little squeal and everyone came running to see what I'd done! I'd probably not eat any of the turkey either, in fact I don't even like to eat potluck food. :)

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  10. I, too, have tremor, Judy. I hate to go out and eat anywhere, and I don't like to even notice it so much. If I measure something out--it will inevitably fall and I'll drop it. I hate it!

    And I tried to whisk a lemon filling for a pie when I was at the kids' house. My son had to come and whisk it for me, my hands are so weak.

    You've had a busy time!

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