Have been piddling around in the kitchen preparing for tomorrow night's dinner party here at 5 p.m.  One of our 8-some won't be with us, but we shall persevere best we can while we can.

The boyfriend and I work very well together in the kitchen.  Whenever we have company, we make the food together.  Don't think many couples married 55 years get along as well as we do.  That's not saying that we don't have our bumps, but we are quick to make a joke.  Both of us are even-steven when it comes to minor glitches.  I'm probably more apt to screw something up than he is, but I'm okay with that.

Put together part of the ramen noodle coleslaw salad, leaving the almonds and crisp noodles right before serving.  To give the salad a pop, I'm putting in red grape halves.  That adds an extra tier of flavor, plus looks pretty.  

Trying a new appetizer recipe.....spinach balls baked in the oven.  The recipe calls for a box of stove stop chicken stuffing, 3 eggs beaten, finely chopped green onions, salt, pepper, 1/4 t. thyme, 1 tsp garlic powder, 6 T melted butter, 10 oz. frozen spinach thawed/drained and 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese.  Mix all together really well.  Think that's all that was in them.  Will let sit in the fridge so the flavors marry until tomorrow when we'll make them into 1-inch balls and bake at 350 until brown.  Will put an appetizer toothpick in each one for easy eating.  

Plan is to have a bowl of mixed nuts, plus a tray of Havarti cheese and fresh blueberries and sweet gherkin pickles on toothpick skewers.  Part of the fun of entertaining is choosing goodies for our guests.  It's fun trying new recipes.  If the ingredients are good, how can the end result not be good.  That's how I roll.

We're taking a break now.  Watching the damage in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian.  On a better note, our friend who had the open-heart triple bypass is doing so well, he may be returning home on Saturday.  Best part is he won't need to go to a rest home or swing bed for rehab.  He'll be coming right to Venny.  We're SO happy.

It's a gorgeous autumn day here.  Earlier as the sun shone on my beaded sun catchers, tiny rainbows danced on our walls.  Rainbows are a nice way to start the day.  

HURRICANE IAN HEADS FOR FLORIDA

Yesterday was fairly somber, with our friend Ricky undergoing a triple bypass in Rochester.  Late last night we learned the procedure went well.  Whew!  

As the messages came from the operating room, they were forwarded to us so we could know the surgery was on point.  We've been asked to tag along the day he'll come home, hopefully in a week or less.  That will be a celebratory trolley.

We live in an amazing time in history.  Our grandparents wouldn't have had the luxury of a bypass surgery.  The use of "luxury" is a bit wacky, yet it's an accurate way to describe it.  Enduring such a surgery is filled with fear and apprehension we cannot understand until we ourselves must endure the ordeal.  That's the way much of life is for us.  We can sympathize, yet we cannot know the whole of another's suffering.  

The boyfriend picked up the groceries for our Friday supper party, so we're all set.  It's hard to wrap our minds around the fact that we've been married now for 55 years.  That sounds incredibly old.  Neither of us feel any different mentally than we did when we were dating.  Physically, is another story.  Remember our younger days when we raced around like our pants were on fire, and now we'd rather kick back with our laptops and a batch of soup bubbling in the crock pot.  To us, that contentment is definitely a well-earned luxury.    

Hurricane Ian hit Cuba with what they're calling apocalyptic force, and now it's moving from south to central Florida.  It looks like Ft. Meyers will get the brunt of the soon category 5 storm.  Up to 24 inches of rain is expected, with flash flooding.  High winds will likely knock the power out.  Wind velocity is expected up over 140 mph.  

Last night the first frost of the season arrived.  The morning is absolutely gorgeous, cool with the sun shining.  The corn field out front is an elegant gold carpet.  If plans for the new rest home unfold as planned, next year there won't be a corn field.  The plan is for the grounds to expand from Venny's 55-and over community to a new rest home complex across the street from where we live.  

Many rest homes across the country are closing due to lack of help.  That's a scary thought, because, like it or not, the human population continues to age and require late-life assistance.  Our friend Ricky, who just had the triple bypass surgery is likely going to a rest home to recover and go through rehab.  It's not something any of us want, yet what choice do we have.  When the actual time comes, a rest home just might be another one of those aptly named luxuries.  

Today we're gonna rearrange the pictures hanging on our walls.  We have some treasures, and it's fun to change things around every once in awhile.  Our small #216 entry in the hallway is up for a change with the fall season upon us.  Variety does spice up life.

THOSE CAPTURED MOMENTS

Have been deleting old photographs from my new I-phone, some taken back in 2015.  Don't know why there are numerous copies of some.  Figure if a few are deleted every day, eventually only the most meaningful ones will remain.

In going through the pictures, came across this one that struck me as quite interesting.  Taken at sunset, it captures a glorious sky and the silhouette of a church in the forefront.  The fact that there's an oncoming car with lights on adds one more layer of interest to the captured moment. 

What's neat is that there's light inside the church, which adds an element of reverence.  Perfect for a Sunday.  Lots of times we take pictures and then forget about 'em and maybe never bother to look at them again.  It's good to go back and review where we've been and what we've seen.

Our I-phones 13 take exemplary photographs, better than the Model 10s.  It's beyond my understanding how they're transferred from one phone to another.  

Today is truly a gorgeous autumn Sunday.  Cuddy is laying out on the deck.  He's eaten his breakfast and the sun must feel nice and warm for him.  His parents are sharing their D.C. pictures through text messages.  Especially liked the picture of the statue of Jefferson holding the Declaration of Independence in his left hand.

Thinking about baking a dozen kolaches with frozen bread dough today.  Will put the frozen loaf on the deck to thaw.  The boyfriend likes to sample them when they're warm out of the oven with a swipe of real butter.  Yum-O.

The boyfriend is grilling pork chops for supper.  He's been working in the shop and cleaning our garden plot.  Picked the last of the peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes.  Calling it quits for the season.  Our mini harvest has been more than we could eat ourselves, and sharing with our Venny friends is another worthwhile benefit of growing a garden.  

Some sad happenings here.  The sweet lady who repotted our Christmas Cactus has moved on to assisted living.  One of our 8-some fell and is recuperating in a local rest home.  Probably doubtful that he will return.  The hardest part of living here is exactly this.  Another of our dear Venny friends is scheduled for a quadruple bypass surgery next Tuesday in Rochester.  He stopped by this afternoon, as they're leaving tomorrow.  I was able to give him a big hug and wish him well.  

Right now it's happy hour.  Am busy planning a dinner party this coming Friday to celebrate our 55th anniversary plus the birthday of one of our friends here.  I absolutely love parties, and will take every opportunity to entertain.  Along with that comes planning what to serve.  We don't find it enjoyable to eat in restaurants anymore for various reasons.  

The clouds are dark blue-gray, typically fall-like.  Dale saw flocks of birds gathering, would imagine in preparation for the fall migration.  

This is the first day I can say my knee feels the best since the diagnosis.  Am taking care like the doctor advised.  If it keeps improving, there won't be any need for a cortisone shot.  They never seem to work for me anyway.

Cuddy just finished supper and begged for a greenie treat.  He is the sweetest creature of habit.  Now, he's laying down until it'll be time to go out before bed.  I dread relinquishing visitation rights in a week.

One week has passed since my knee was diagnosed with a torn meniscus.  Have been taking good care not to interfere with the healing process by allowing it to be elevated and rest.  Am taking the prescription pills and applying the topical gel three times a day.  In one week I'll know if a cortisone injection will be necessary.  Until then, I am being a good girl and staying put in my cocoon.

First day of autumn, and what a beauty it will be!  Sun is shining and the air is crisp and cool.  Those of us who do best in cooler temperatures are thrilled to bring sweatshirts and long-sleeved t-shirts to the front of our closets.  

A while back I ordered a black sweatshirt with Andrea Bocelli's photo on the front.  Cannot wait to wear it.  All my sweatshirts and t-shirts represent somewhere we've been, someone I've seen, or something that I especially like.  That's the fun part of today's casual tendencies.  In some instances, perhaps too casual, but that's for the wearer to decide.  There's one of my sweatshirts that was bought for $1 at a garage sale, and it's from a Barefoot Bar.  The cuffs and neckline are tattered, but there's no way I'll part with it. 

Comfort is paramount.

UP ABOVE THE WORLD SO HIGH

Cuddy needed to go potty at 7 o'clock this morning.  While outside, Dale took these splendorous photos of the sky......

Only from the heart
can you touch the sky.

The sky takes on shades of orange
during Sunrise and Sunset.  The color 
that gives you hope that the sun will set,
only to rise again.

Sometimes the clouds
are as grey as age.

The skies proclaim the
work of His hands.
Psalm 19

Clouds make a painting
out of the sky.

How sweet to be a cloud.
Floating in the blue!

Those clouds are angels' robes.

"The sky is an infinite movie to me.  

I never get tired of looking at what's happening up there." 

 ~K. D. Lang

A gorgeous autumn day....ideal for those who are washing Venny's windows today.  Our windows are sparkling!

Have been watching the Queen's funeral.  Couldn't hold back the tears as the bagpiper turned and walked away and the pipes lessened until all was silent....as the Queen's two Corgis looked on as their beloved mother was leaving them behind....as the casket lowered until it was gone.  A silent, yet screaming, symbol of our mortality...how we arrive in this world with nothing and leave with nothing.  Quite the sobering reminder, yet one we need to shake off this world's nonsensical daily drama.  

Am taking care to allow my knee to heal, spending quiet time.  Will do whatever necessary to reduce the inflammation and heal.  No sense playing hero at this stage of the party.

With that said, ta-ta till the morrow.  

ROYAL RITUALS

What a beautiful morning.  Think a storm front may likely pass through later today.  

Every day the cornfield out front is turning more golden.  All summer it's been a carpet of green, and now it's a carpet of gold.  Nature is one amazing Lady, that's for sure.

Watched more of the royal rituals yesterday.  Took a couple screenshots of the grandchildren standing guard over their grandmother's coffin.  Was pleased to see Harry wearing his military uniform.  Despite all the royal family's internal affairs, Harry did serve in Afghanistan whole-heartedly.  Maybe this concession will put one stitch in William and Harry's relationship.  

High Speed Chase

Not much happening today.  In case anyone has a half hour to fill, I'm sharing a link to a YT video of a high speed chase of two women in an older model RV.....my suggestion is that you watch it to the very end.

https://youtu.be/bMmu9sq62QU

The Only Fear is Fear Itself

Am here to loudly proclaim that FEAR is definitely the acronym for False Expectations Appearing Real.  Yesterday's post captured my unrealistic fears prior to going to a routine doctor's appointment.  Had myself twisted in a knot over preconceived lab results.  This goes to show the power our minds have over us.  

Let me begin by saying that all my blood work came back spot on.  The stabbing pains and the dull aching in my left knee is the result of a small tear in the meniscus.  Was prescribed a topical gel to be applied three times a day plus an anti-inflammatory pill once a day, for two weeks.  If the pain persists after two weeks, then a cortisone injection would be the next step.  I am not to exercise the knee, but rather allow it to heal.  Whew!  My crazy head had me needing another knee replacement.  This diagnosis was music to my soul.  

This is a top-notch lesson for me.  This business of listening to our minds as they race to unrealistic conclusions is utterly silly.  This post cannot end without paying tribute to my primary caretaker.  He is a two in a million guy.....sharing ranks with another beloved surgeon who is currently a professor at Harvard in Boston.  Yup, I am blessed.

Not one word was mentioned about my weight.  I tried bribing the young guy who asked me to step on the scale, by offering him $25 if he'd deduct 25 pounds.  All I can assume is that no one had ever tried bribing him before, cuz he busted out laughing and completely lost his professional demeanor.  A girl can only try.  My crazy humor has gotten me in some medical situations in the past, but a person can't help what comes naturally.  My goal is to die laughing.

Both of us got our second Covid booster shots while at the clinic, plus our flu shots.  We're all set in that regard.  

So, that's where we're at today.  The boyfriend is going to pick up some groceries, while Cuddy and I snuggle in.  Gonna have grilled chicken for supper.  Till the morrow.......

HEADING TO THE CONFESSIONAL

Today it feels like I should begin by saying 'Bless me Father, for I have sinned.'

That's what it's gonna feel like at 11 o'clock this morning at my routine doctor's appointment.  Might add that it's well timed, considering my knee pain.  My doctor is kind and never harshly calls attention to my weight, because he knows how much it bothers me.  When the nurse weighs me, I tell her I do not want to know the number.  Am here to say that at my age, the mirror is my worst enemy.  

Have said before in my posts that us wiser women morph into two types of body shapes......the tree stump or the scarecrow.  Isn't that a fright?  

Lab work at 10, appt at 11.  Am expecting my numbers to be skewed.  The ones that should be high will be low, and the ones that should be low will be high.  

Am hoping for a knee x-ray, unless it's a simple diagnosis like tendonitis.  Want to get that under control.  One thing for sure, I am my mother's daughter and my gramma's granddaughter, two ladies who suffered the woes of severe arthritis.  They, however, didn't have the opportunity for joint replacement, while I've already had a shoulder, a hip, a knee and a thumb joint replaced.  Guess I'm the lucky one, but those surgeries drained the sap out of me for sure.

Sounds like this girl is crying in her soup, which is what I don't want to do.  Guess it's all about the thing called FEAR.  Recently read that FEAR stands for False Expectations Appearing Real.  That about nails it on the head.

So it is that I'm off to shower and get ready for the mental massacre.  The tree stump is about to get the axe.  Tomorrow I shall report the good, the bad, but not the ugly.  For me, two mottos apply:  Flat's Where It's At........and...........Fat's Where It's At.

Time for my penance, and hopefully absolution.

SCATTERED THOUGHTS

The most powerful woman on Earth has departed to claim her place in eternity.  Portraits and photographs remain, but my heart chooses to remember her this way.........

QUEEN ELIZABETH II and CORGIS

BAKING ROLLS

We've spent a relaxing Labor Day weekend.  It's Monday afternoon, and two pans of rolls are rising on the stove top.  As I sprinkled the poppyseed, I remembered watching gramma do the same thing many years ago.  Our intention was to make kolaches, but hesitated to use the canned filling when we checked the expiration date.  

The original kitchen cupboards in our first home had a pull-out breadboard.  That was pretty cool back then, in the 1960s.  Now, we use a marble board on which to work the dough.  Wouldn't trade it for anything.  Plus, the marble board serves as an appetizer tray when we entertain.  

Don't know what's gone awry with my left knee, but it hurts something awful when I stand/walk.  Am taking Advil and put on a knee support that I used before my right knee replacement.  The aging journey is a wild adventure, all we can do is hang on for dear life.  Best not "woe is me," cuz I don't like crying in my soup. 

Thought I'd drop by, being I've been away from the keys for a few days.  My new chromebook is being christened in fine fashion.  My latest research is leading me into the history of the mob, going back to Sicily.

Ta-ta for today.   

NEW PHONES

As of yesterday, we're the owners of new Iphone 13s.  Couldn't help but remember as a little girl talking on the wooden wall telephone, crank on the right side, black mouthpiece protruding out from the center of the wooden box.  An operator lived in a nearby town, and in her home was the phone switchboard.

The purchase process took a couple of hours, which included downloading and deleting from the old phones, which we traded back to the cell phone company for $180 credit, which we applied toward phone accessories.  As mentioned some time ago, we opted not to pay $30 per month for the protection plan.  Sometimes a person has to evaluate the sense of some of this stuff.  When the gal explained that we had "only today" to decide on this coverage, that said a lot to us.  This is an impulse offer, taking advantage of the customer.  

My new phone is red, Dale's is blue.  We opted for the wireless charger that won't overcharge our phones.  So, we're all set for another three years, hopefully.

We were going out to eat Chinese after the phone business, only to learn that the Dragon is closed now on Wednesdays.  So, we utilized our buy-one Quarter Pounder get-one-free coupon at McDonald's.  

Went to my eye doctor for a follow-up, had more testing, a bit of improvement, but not what she expected.  I'll continue with 3 drops of prescription eye drops per day in both eyes, plus a Refresh eye ointment at bedtime.  

Came back home, relieved to kick back for the rest of the day.