Thursday, April 21, 2016

Chef Claude Is At It Again...

On Tuesday, April 12th, I came upstairs and found my hubby doing this!!
Ya just never know with this man what he will find. It seems he purchased corn tortillas for another recipe. It is just the two of us and they come in a package with 50,000,000 (that could be a slight exaggeration). What to do with all those corn tortillas? Why, make them into little bowls by cooking them on the wrong side of the muffin tins. I have not the inclination to do this. So very happy this is something he enjoys. I thought these were going to contain whatever he was thinking of making for dinner. Not so...not so.

When he called me up for dinner, this is what I found. This was a different recipe entirely and it was absolutely delicious. 
Definitely a keeper in our meal rotation. Several people asked for the recipe. We give Pillsbury the credit for this one. Claude found it in a magazine and thought it looked worth a try. Here is the recipe for this one.
On Thursday the 14th of April we finally had dinner using the little tortilla bowls. It was basically a taco in a bowl instead of a folded tortilla. So very yummy.
They were a little messy to eat but those little bowls have all kinds of possibilities. Go ahead. Give them a try. Not hard to do and very, very good.

A Day Out with Papa...

Time for another drive with Papa. What could we find this trip? And where would we go? Hmmmm....

Papa gave me the atlas he has of just Kentucky. We took it with us to the nursing home Wednesday, April 13th and I plotted a possible route as we listened to the DVD with the residents. This route would take us through the back roads to Versailles. For some reason Papa thought he wanted to go to Versailles (He thought he had never been there. We have been through there many, many times. He just can't remember anymore.) So, we would first go to Versailles and then around the outside of the Lexington area staying close to the Kentucky River. At some point we would have to cross the Kentucky River. There is a road crossing at I-64 at Frankfort and at the High Bridge south of Versailles. Then you must get back to I-75 to have a road across the river. I found two places where it looked like the road went to the river and one could then maybe take a ferry across. I picked one of them and then the road down through Richmond to Beattyville and, if time allowed, follow Hwy. 11 to Mt. Pleasant and then take Hwy 460 back to Georgetown. I had to attended a dinner that night with Claude so I told Papa we would plot that long a drive and then find a stopping place if it got close to when I needed to get home. Papa looked as I explained the route and pronounced it good. A lot of it was road we have not driven together in an area we usually don't drive.

Friday morning, April 15th, we left Papa's apartment at 10:30am and I returned him at 4:45pm. It was a beautiful day and he just loved being out and driving. 

When we got to the first place I thought was a crossing, it turned out the road went right down to a dirt area where you could put your boat into the Kentucky River. Sure enough the road picked up on the other side of the Kentucky River but there was no ferry and my little chariot will not float across the river. We turned around and found our road to the next potential crossing closer to Richmond. 

This turned out to actually have a ferry over the river. No fee was charged to use the ferry. It could hold three carefully placed cars at one time. You were not allowed out of your vehicle.
Papa loved it even with the limited views of the river. I posted these pictures on Facebook and immediately my sister, Junie, posted this, "How did he do on the boat? He could see the shore but does he realize yet that he's probably no longer capable of swimming to it?" You see, our father has absolutely NO desire to take a cruise or be in a boat from which he can't see the shore. But he really did just fine.

We drove on past the Bluegrass Army Depot and into the 'knob' country of Kentucky. The roads just wind and wind and wind, up and down and around these hills. It is gorgeous. Lots of red bud trees and dogwoods in bloom this time of year. Papa was in heaven. He kept saying how much he wants to do this drive again when all the leaves are on the trees. 

It was a good day. We had a new adventure with crossing the river on a ferry. We both do enjoy the drive. Nice to share that time with Papa.

Yards & Yards of Fun...

It's Springtime!! Finally arrived. So look forward to it after the winter. Actually being able to wear my Capri pants and sandals makes my heart happy. However, (isn't there always a 'however') this also signals the growth of weeds...lots and lots and lots of weeds. It is also the signal for new things to be planted, maybe rearrange how some things are in your yard or garden, deck furniture to take care of, grass to be fertilized and weed killer applied, and the list goes on and on. And, as icing on this cake of Springtime delight, I am allergic to some pollens and all that poison ivy that grows in the country. Yep, it is Springtime and I love it.

To begin the festivities we set Saturday, April 16th as 'Sadieville Clean-up Day'. We had a small crew of volunteers show up at 7am to help weed and pick up our streets. For two years now the discussion has been, among the ladies in the group, to remove the flowers around the Sadieville sign as you enter town. They are beautiful pink flowers but there are lots of them and their leaves look like weeds. They take over the other plants put there and choke them right out. This would be the day we took the first steps to remedy that situation. After 5 1/2 hours of weeding, the flower bed was devoid of these little pink flower plants. We emptied out one of the long flower beds along Warring Pavilion and filled it with the plants we removed. Then we just continued to dig up, by the root as much as possible, the remaining plants and empty the space around the Sadieville sign with the exception of the little irises and the day lilies under the sign. Other than leaving with a big hole in the back side of my pants from scooting around on the ground to accomplish this feat, it was a good morning. 

All who participated were given a nifty t-shirt. This would be Sadieville's effort to support Earth Day (Earth Day is actually April 22nd). 
We got home and I hit the shower. Did not know if I was going to make it though the rest of the day. After the shower I just laid on the love seat in the living room and tried to recuperate.  I finally had enough energy to get a banana and put something with nutritional value in my tired old body. That and a lot of liquid helped me to revive a bit. I determined I really needed a pain reliever. I am NOT a pill taker. For me to concede this point indicates the degree of my pain and basic undoneness. (I just created a word and added it to my dictionary! Yeah Me!!) I let that pain killer work for 2 hours and then took another. I was beginning to be able to move about a bit.

Claude and I had responded that we would attend a fund raiser in Stamping Ground that evening. A Stamping Ground fireman's wife has stage 4 cancer and they were having a fish fry to raise money for her health care. Noble cause if ever there was one. Claude and I only eat one big meal a day so we were ready to enjoy that fish fry and drove to Stamping Ground. We found the line and proceeded to wait. Clearly they were still getting ready. We were patient. As the line moved a bit it was clear we would go through a line to pay at the entrance to a barn-like building. There we would get our soda and then go to the next line which went outside to tables under tents where the food was laid out with firemen behind to serve you your portions. Only problem was, that line was not moving at all. Kayla Jones, Stamping Grounds Mayor, came over to chat and thank us for supporting them. We then waited more. We noticed a large pile on the grass of baked beans. We were pretty sure that was not their serving area. Clearly someone had dropped all the baked beans along the sidewalk. But, never fear, the city dog was there trying to eat as many as he could. I would not want to be around that dog that night...just sayin'! After an hour, Claude and I gave up. We had made out contribution and our poor, tired bodies really needed nourishment. The mini-bagel and banana I had eaten were completely used up at this point. We left this event and drove to Burger King and ate probably the best hamburgers we have ever had. Things are always sooooo much better when you are really hungry. Thank heavens the next day was Sunday and there would be NO yard work on Sunday.

Then comes Monday. Claude wanted to put new dirt in the three Bourbon barrels and flower beds. Two of the places he was going to put it are planters along the patio. I needed to weed before he did that at all. He also wanted to cut the grass. He can't cut the grass until the dew is off our hill or the tractor could easily slide and roll over. So, I got up and was outside at 8am to weed some in the back yard. I knew I wouldn't get it all done. Helps to have reasonable expectations. But I did get the two planters, the hosta bed and the three big flower beds on the slope of the back yard. 4 1/2 hours later I was again done in. Back up the hill I trudged and into the house for lots to drink and a shower. My favorite part of these days was the time between things. We each get something to drink and sit on the front porch and chat. That feels so good. It is how I pictured retirement. The two of working at a common goal (whatever it may be) and then having a quiet time to reflect on how our work was going. Very nice moments. Claude did get the grass cut in the afternoon. Then he moved all the furniture and plants off the decks and the patio. 

Monday afternoon was my time to get Papa's groceries and clean his apartment. I got the groceries and put them away. I filled his prescription things. But I just had nothing in me to clean. I still had our grocery shopping to do so I made a command decision. My father need me there more than he needed me cleaning. So we sat and visited for a couple of hours and then I left to get our grocery shopping done.

While doing our grocery shopping at Walmart, I took our City Clerk's advice and checked out their flowers. It seems our Walmart has a new policy now that they will put out their flowers and let them sit for two weeks. If they aren't sold by that time they mark them down 50%. If they aren't gone by another week, they mark them down 75%. I was searching for something for Sadieville around that sign. I also needed something for the planters on the patio. I was fortunate enough to find some deep red snap dragons for our patio and lots and lots of pansies for Sadieville. 

Tuesday morning found me out again in the front yard. Somehow I thought this would go more easily. Not so. Not so at all. Another 4 1/2 hours later, I had done in the front what I wanted to accomplish. Claude came out and took the snap dragons and planted them in the patio containers for me. Yep, I was again wiped out but it sure felt good to have that much done. Claude drove me and my plants to Sadieville and left me with everything I needed to plant while he went into City Hall to actually do some Mayor things.  I got all the pansies plants and then walked water to them. There will be lots more weeding to clean out the old plants as they try to come up. So many roots still in the ground but we'll get there. I came home and spent the afternoon cleaning out some more files in my office while Claude, bless his heart, power washed the decks and patio making sure to get the railing so I didn't have to go out and clean that white railing by hand. 

Wednesday morning I should have headed down the hill to work on those two big beds and the area around the bench. I just couldn't do it. My knees are killing me and I decided to stay off them for a bit. Claude and I did determine we needed to get one more plant to put in the front flower bed. I wanted one to match another at the other end of that bed. I showed it to Claude who was stopping at Lowe's that afternoon. He said he would pick a leaf and take it with him and find one for me. He found exactly what I needed and even got me the ant killer I needed for one of the other flower beds. 

Today Claude had an early morning meeting in Georgetown. While he was gone I put the new plant in the front flower bed. 

In Georgetown, Claude stopped at Lowe's to pick up some dirt for the rain garden in Sadieville beside City Hall. While he was there, he checked for trees. We had looked at them but didn't find what we really wanted. We have gophers who think they need to tunnel under the dirt on the hill that is our back yard. There is not much dirt and then rock. So, they really are just making ruts and the rain is causing serious erosion. Goofy gophers! Claude believes planting a tree at the top of the big rut and putting a wall around the lower side so it is like a bench will stop that erosion. My suggestion was a pink dogwood. We had one in front of our home in Maryland and both loved it so very much. Well, this morning Claude found a pink dogwood at Lowe's. He came home with a Jeep full of dirt for Sadieville and emptied that dirt into its spot before coming home. When he got home, he told me he found three dogwood trees with pink blossoms. I looked at him and said, "We need to go back and get one before they are gone!" He agreed. We got a couple of things finished here and headed to Georgetown again. We picked out that tree and then found another one for a place lower in the yard. The other tree is a Garnet Japanese Maple. Prettiest feathery-like leaves on this tree and a deep garnet red color. It won't get really tall but it should help that part of the yard a lot. Nothing will be planted today. Rain is in the forecast and we just aren't going to get caught in the rain doing this. We did get the furniture and planters back on the decks and patio. We bought a hanging plant for the front porch. And I have Irish moss to plant under the cedar tree by the concrete bench. Lots more to do but so very much accomplished in the last few days.

To get the decks stained (there are two in the back of the house), all the furniture and planters had to be moved. They all came inside the house or the garage somewhere since they would need a spot to be for several days. I took this picture yesterday and posted it on Facebook telling Claude I was kind of getting used to our 'new look'. What do you think? A real keeper!
I always thank Adam and Eve for our opportunity to 'eat bread by the sweat of our brow' this time of year. It is so much work. We know living on this hill will eventually have to come to an end. We keep being grateful we still have the ability to get it done, knowing full well that once we quit our bodies will just not stay as strong as they happen to be right now. Ah, aging and enjoying it! That would be that key. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Three Cold Tales...

First Cold Tale:

I received a Facebook post on April 5th from Diane Campisi George. We met Diane during our Gold Wing Road Rider days. She was a Chapter Director while Claude was the Maryland State Director. She road her own Gold Wing and was single when we met. She eventually married Bob George, the Delaware State Director, and they have been happily married ever since. We have remained friends via Facebook and Christmas correspondence. 

I had a HUGE goal to go through the box of pictures from our days with GWRRA, scan them, save the ones we might want and mail the others off to places they might be enjoyed. I managed to get through the project. I ended up with two boxes of pictures and mailed the one with pictures of anything that happened in Region B to Diane. The other box was things that happened at the National level. Claude became the National Director of Leadership Training and created an entire training program for the officers of GWRRA and eventually the general membership as well. Those pictures I mailed to the National Office in Phoenix. I did all this the first part of this year. I had some Omaha Steak boxes that were just the right size for these stacks of pictures. I used them to mail to Diane and the National Office.

Here is Diane's Facebook message to me:
     "Got home from 3 mos in FL last night. Neighbor picked up our mail while we were gone and left a 2' X 3' box full in our kitchen because he had to go to Annapolis. Bob went next door to check on his wife today and she had forgotten to give us a package she had in her freezer. Came in the mail, she said, and since it said "Omaha Steaks" on it, she didn't want them to spoil! Now why would Claude and Sandi send us Omaha steaks? Then we opened it. With all the unloading and unpacking today, I haven't looked at them yet, but THANK YOU! Thought you'd get a kick out of this. She's 83 and was just taking care of the package for us."

I totally enjoyed the laugh this message from Diane gave me. 

Second Cold Tale:

Last Saturday we started feeling cold in the house. Then Claude and I received text messages on our phones. It seems that lovely new HVAC unit we installed last year was not working properly. Claude started checking things and then we started plugging in space heaters. Claude called the HVAC people and he said he would come out Sunday afternoon. Turns out he had a bad sinus infection and was just starting medication for it. That was fine, we could deal with the space heaters. 

I got home from Papa's Sunday evening and found Claude and the repairman moving up and down the stairs checking things in the basement and upstairs with the thermostat. Bottom line...some 'board' that is very significant was not working anymore. He would get the right part and be back Monday evening. 

Monday evening I got home and he was just finishing up. We are back to normal. again. So very happy this didn't happen while Andie and the Mini's were here for Spring break.

Third Cold Tale:

So...what would you do if you were offered a free banana split?  Here's what I did...

I stopped at Dairy Queen for a late lunch. Just as I was finishing lunch the cashier came to me with a banana split and said that after it was made they were told they couldn't eat pineapple. He said I could have it for free. I only thought a few seconds before I said yes. Haven't had a banana split in ages. It was delicious.

So there you have it. It is Springtime in Kentucky and we are cold. But they assure use that by the weekend we will be sunny and in the 70's. Yippee!! Just in time for Sadieville Clean-up Day.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Pure Kentucky...

There are three things I personally believe are the foundation of the Kentucky economy: horses, tobacco and Bourbon. These three things are also three 'vices' that this Mormon girl doesn't take part in: gambling, smoking and drinking. So, sometimes I find it amusing that we moved to Kentucky and that I love this Commonwealth so very much. Kind of a little ironic maybe?

This weekend we spent yesterday afternoon and this afternoon at Keeneland. It is a beautiful race track for gorgeous thoroughbred horses located in Lexington, Kentucky.

Saturday the Georgetown/Scott County Chamber of Commerce held one of its fundraisers by selling tickets to opening day at Keeneland in the Kentucky room on the 4th floor of the above the grandstands. Claude, being a past president of the Chamber and a strong supporter of its efforts, purchased tickets for he and I to attend this event and support the Chamber of Commerce at the same time. Then Claude received tickets from Toyota for the Toyota Bluegrass Stakes at Keeneland today. These were given to us because Claude is the Mayor of Sadieville. I lovely perk if I do say so myself. Hence, we spent two afternoons at Keeneland. 

Saturday was a rainy and unusually cold day for April in Kentucky. We got into the building just before the first race and the rain coming down. We left just before the evening rain falls began. Whew. Today was a beautiful sunny day but very cold for April in Kentucky. 

Claude and I love the view from this lofty location. We love the great meal we are served. We love pouring over the program and trying to hone our skills at 'picking a winner'. We love to watch the race and cheer for the horses we have chosen or those our table mates have chosen. But...we don't bet on the horses. We have an uncanny ability to pick the horse that would be dead last almost every time. Today I did manage to pick the 4th place horse several times and the winner only one time. Claude never picked a winner. It is a good things we don't believe in gambling or we would be very poor people.

It was good to be at the opening for Keeneland's April meet. Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment and my memory.