It's May! Grands, Museum, Grands, Laundry, Grands, Stove

It's May. Even though May 1st in Northern Ohio felt like July. We have days of more rain in the forecast and tractors are in fields right now going about 100 mph trying to finally get things planted before it comes.  Our rain totals for April were the second highest in the graph I saw somewhere . . .  

And speaking of weather, a Toledo television station traveled to my granddaughter's school and she became a tv star (just ask her) when her picture was shown at 6:30 am today.  

Let's see, where did I leave off. . . We survived the wedding.  A week later I attended a 3 day state genealogy conference. Somehow driving in my comfortable car and sitting in a chair for hours and hours aggravated my back, my sciatica nerve and my feet (I diagnosed myself with a sprained Achilles but that is according to Dr Google).  I did win door prizes galore again, two books about real life history mysteries, tickets to two Amish museums in southern Ohio, and tickets to a special exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

We left at 7am on the next Saturday for our assigned time. On the way up there I realized that the prize table had given me a certificate for the tickets to the special exhibit, but did not give me the actual tickets, LOL.  They were only fifteen dollars a piece, but when I told the story at admissions, they gifted me the tickets anyway.  It was an awesome day with gorgeous paintings and exhibits and I would share 1,000 photos, but I won't. AND we were so overloaded and awestruck we even missed part of the museum so we will be going back. 

Not too awestruck to order lunch at the cafe in the atrium where Mr. Merry had a cheeseburger platter and I had a Monet themed lunch special of Beef Bourgeon over noodles with greens dressed with vinaigrette, priced $1 more than a cheeseburger platter.  Delicious! 

And one photo just because I have to share at least one. This is a Fragmentary Burial Shroud, circa 120-150, Linen and Tempera paint, from the Roman Empire. 

Okay, one more. Portraits are my favorite. This young lady was painted by Rubens.  So many great artists, Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, Sargent, O'Keeffe, Picasso (not my husband's favorite) I could go on. It was just fantasic

The next 10 days I visited my teenaged grandchildren and granddog while their parents attended a seminar in the Sanibel Island region of Florida which is still devastated by a hurricane in 2022.  They did not know this until they arrived and saw all the damage and some new construction.  They had a great time in the sunshine while I washed several loads of clothing and uniforms a day. This is one days' load of hoodies. 

And kept track of several pairs of sports shoes and tennis shoes, mostly twice the size of my swollen feet. 

This guy helped me get them up and on buses, feed them supper at three different times between activities, get everyone to sports practices, track meets, games and cheerleader tryouts and slept with me at night. 

Fortunately I was able to make it to my own home and bed and spent a few days in my recliner with my special sciatica pillow. I feel much better. Not ready to enjoy this weather with a walk, but better.  Unfortunately I ordered the boys some microphones that change your voice that turned out to be megaphones. Silly Mimi. 

And I wanted to share this.  During Covid the computer in my stove went out. This makes your stove flash codes to you but does not allow you to use the burners or oven. We braved the stores in masks to choose a new stove from the limited availability and bought one for more than I wanted to spend. Then we got a call that they were out of that stove and would substitute a more expensive stove which I have HATED from day one. 

It has four electric burners that only seem to like to be on instant boil no matter where you set the dial. And there is something up with the oven that causes it to smoke every time I use it. I have cooked for over 50 years and know how to use a stove, but in the limited time that Mr. Merry has used it, he had to agree that it has an evil mind of it's own. I calculated the cost and I have three more years before I feel I can replace it.  

Meanwhile, at Christmas I saw this Ninji oven thing on sale at Kohls for almost half off. And there was a coupon special for I think 20% off that. I informed Mr. Merry that was what I wanted for Christmas and an enormous box arrived. I wrapped it because I didn't want to deal with it and unwrapped it at Christmas. Then it sat until at least February because I had to decide how to rearrange my kitchen so that it would fit. The good news is that it is a double toaster oven, air fryer, regular oven, confection oven, and broiler so that I was able to eliminate the toaster oven and air fryer I was using to cook. 

This photo does not do justice to the size of this oven.  It came with two baking sheets and the basket for air frying. And an instruction book printed on paper which I need.  It is just a bit too narrow for a 9x13 pan but we are two people and it is more than enough for us. I can easily put four large burgers under the broiler with no smoke and cook a side dish in the second oven. Or bake chicken in the top and a potato casserole in the bottom. It is so smart that after I put the cooking method, time and temp on each unit, it makes all the food ready at the same time. It's magic. And my kitchen isn't filling with smoke and my food isn't burnt. 

I would like to recommend this Ninja thing. (I'm looking it up now). I think it is a Ninja 12 in 1 Double Oven with Flex Door.  Retails at $329, but it is usually on sale and I got mine for $160 including tax and delivery with all the different discounts. It was worth EVERY penny. Cheaper than a stove and if I didn't need the burners to scramble eggs (by lifting the pan when it's too hot and stirring), I would just put it on top of my useless stove. 

Can I add the air fryer is large enough to put 6 crab cakes from Aldi on the basket at once in case you would need 6 crab cakes to put on salads for family and friends?  I love this Ninja thing! 

I hope everyone is having a great May and special prayers to those who are struggling.  Don't get me started on current events either.