Sunday, September 29, 2013

Goals for Next Week

Goals for Week Ending Saturday, October 5

Home
     Make appointment for grandfather clock repair
     Finalize Fidelity allocations
     Quarterly Financials--done. 
     Progressive Forum tickets??--not done b/c we decided not to go. 
Quilting
     Block #16
Garden
     Remove rose bushes
Reading
    The Gift of Adversity by Norman Rosenthal
     Oil and Honey by Bill McKibben
     What a Plant Knows by Daniel Chamovitz
     Breach of Trust by Andrew Bacevich
Cooking
     4 dinners
     4 batches of muffins for freezer

 Make dental appointment for having crown replaced.  :((




Friday, September 27, 2013

Retirement Finances

Retirement Finances

It is all coming together:
     FM Social Security--received my letter from SS today approving my full SS to begin when I turn 66 in December. 
     FM 403b--done. I rolled it into an IRA, spiffied up my asset allocations, and arranged for my monthly withdrawals. 
    JMM Social Security --done. He began receiving his full Social Security when he turned 66 last January. 
   JMM 403b--this still to be done when he retires in February, 2014. He will roll it all into an IRA, make his asset allocations, and set up his monthly withdrawals. 

I still have to sign us up for Medicare Part B and the Humana Medicare Advantage plan.  But the hard part is done (deciding what Medicare Supplemental or Advantage plan) and I have all the paperwork. 

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Meditation

May we remember our role as guardians of the Earth, custodians of its sacred ways, and return to live once again in harmony with its natural rhythms and laws. 

     from Spiritual Ecology by Thich Nhat Hahn, et al. 

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Goals for the Week

Goals for Week Ending Saturday, September 28

Home
     Make appointment for grandfather clock repair
     Finalize Fidelity allocations & return paperwork
Quilting
     Block #15
Garden
     Remove rose bushes
Reading
    The Gift of Adversity by Norman Roaenthal
     Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd
     The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott
Cooking
     4 dinners
Health
     Exercise 5 days
     Weight Watchers
     Check to see if high potency flu shot is available 
     
     
     
     

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Soup Project - October

 

One of my goals for this year has been to make one new soup recipe each month. Some have been scrumptious and added to the family cookbook; others, well, best left unspoken and certainly never repeated.

I have been looking through some cookbooks from the library for some soups for cooler weather but came across this one on the Whole Foods website. It looks good and not complicated.

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage & Kale

 
 
2 (32 ounces) boxes low sodium chicken broth, divided
1 (12 ounces) package The Original Brat Hans Chicken Sausage, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
7 cups cooked white beans (cannellini, navy, or great northern
1 bunch organic kale, stems and tough ribs removed, leaves roughly chopped
 
Heat 1/4 cup broth in a large pot over medium heat.  Add sausage slices and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated  and the sausage is just browned, about 10 minutes.  Add onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 10 minutes. (Add a generous splash of broth to the pot if onions begin to stick.)
 
Meanwhile, put 3 cups beans and 2 cups broth into a blender and puree until smooth, set aside. Add remaining broth to sausage mixture in pot and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.  Add kale, reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted and softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover, add remaining 4 cups beans, bean puree, salt and pepper and simmer until hot throughout, about 5 minutes more.
 
I know I will add some grated cheddar cheese on top and serve with a slice of toasted crusty bread. I will let you know how it turns out. 

 


Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Bang, bang--you're dead once again

The following was posted by Peggy on the Simple Living Forums and sums it up succinctly:

"Well, at least we don't have to go through yet another phony hand wringing 'conversation' about what we can do...If 20 dead children didn't cause a blip in the 'actual gun control' effort, I doubt a dozen naval personnel will. And, as Wayne LaPierre would say, 'More Guns!'
I mean, sheesh! Just how many times can we be expected to go to that phony 'I wish there was something we could do..' well?

We can move right into the "I love my guns and here are nifty pictures of them" portion of the posts. Along with the requisite 'responsible gun owners...if only they were all armed...George Zimmerman...blah blah blah...."

Sunday, September 15, 2013


“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Goals for Next Week

Goals for Week Ending Saturday, September 21

Home
     Make appointment for grandfather clock repair
     Make October budget--done. 
     Meeting with Fidelity--done. 
Quilting
     Block #14--done. 
Garden
     Remove rose bushes
Reading
    The Gift of Adversity by Norman Roaenthal--in progress. 
     Hawaii by James Michener (Audio CD)--in progress. 
     The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson--in progress. 
     The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott--in progress. 
Cooking
     4 dinners--done. 
Health
     Exercise 5 days--3 days 
     Weight Watchers
     Check to see if high potency flu shot is available --done. Not available until next week. 
Spiritual
     Daily Bible reading--done. 
     ABF/Church--done. 
     Women in the Word--done. 
     
     
     
     

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Minding My Health

Minding my health

I have come to the conclusion that just about everyone has something that they just have to deal with. I have a neuromuscular condition for which there is no cure or even treatment. It will never get better and will slowly get worse. It will progress slowly enough that in all likelihood I will die of something else at a ripe old age. It is just something that I have to deal with.  

Yesterday I had my annual physical. Other than my neuromuscular problem, I am in very good health.  I got a pneumonia vaccine which is a one time vaccination and will not have to be repeated. The clinic did not have the high potency flu vaccine which is recommended for those over 65; it will probably be available in a week and I will go back and get it.  I don't like to be sick and if a vaccine will keep me well, that is 2 less problems to deal with. 

I had a bone density scan and my bones are fine. I have taken a calcium plus vitamin D supplement daily for 30+ years and I think that helps. 

Blood pressure was a bit high for me but I had been on the run all day and that may have contributed to it. I will have it checked again when I go back to get the flu shot. 

Blood work was drawn and results will be back in a day or so. 

I still have my gyn exam and mammogram due this year. I usually do this near my birthday. 

I do Weight Watchers to keep myself at a reasonable weight. Exercise is a problem because 1.  I would much rather read about exercise than actually do an exercise. 2. I can't walk much less do Zumba....However, I can do the exercise bike or a Sit and Be Fit DVD. 

Anyway, I do what I can to stay healthy because my neuromuscular condition is more than enough to deal with. 

What do you do to stay healthy?

Syria, again

We seem to have hit the pause button.  I hope it remains on pause permanently. There's no doubt Assad is a bad guy,  no doubt some of the rebels are good guys, and no doubt some of the rebels are even worse than Assad. There are civilians who are suffering.  It is a horrible situation.  But I do not think that cruise missiles will make the situation better. 

The latest turn of events beginning with John Kerry's off the cuff suggestion that Assad put his supply of poison gas under international seems to have slowed our national trigger finger for the time being.  It will be a big surprise to everyone if it actually comes about though. 

It is a sad fact that this world has many places where the leaders are cruel and corrupt and the people are suffering.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

RIP, my sweet LuckyDuck






He was my sweet, peaceable, happy black cat. He had a good life and he has left a hole in my world.
This is his grave.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Goals for Next Week

Goals for Week Ending Saturday, September 14

Home
     Make appointment for grandfather clock repair
     Make October budget--not done. 
Quilting
     Block #13--done
Garden
     Remove rose bushes--not done. 
Reading--done. 
    The Rule of St. Benedict by St. Benedict of Nursia--Finished. 
     The Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson
     Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky--Finished
     The Priory by Dorothy Whipple
Cooking
     4 dinners--done. 
Health
     Exercise 5 days--3 days done. 
     Weight Watchers
     Annual physical exam--done. 
Spiritual
     Daily Bible reading--done. 
     ABF/Church
     Women in the Word--done. 

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Meditation








Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”