Meanwhile

I left us standing on the side of a road last Friday.  My daughter, who had borrowed our 8 passenger traverse for a birthday outing for my granddaughter was first to arrive to take us home.  Late afternoon on a holiday weekend meant no one would look at my vehicle until Monday morning.  All grandchildren headed to their homes and I believe we skipped supper after all that ice cream.  

Saturday morning I was up bright and early and my husband gave me a ride to the protest across from the library. There were three men in the gazebo when I arrived and once I got out of the car, two more women exited their vehicles. By the time our speaker started I counted about 61 in the crowd and at least a dozen more joined us as the morning progressed.  My daughter and three grandchildren arrived to pick me up and were chanting "Love, Not Hate, Makes America Great" along with the crowd when I got to them.  They want to come with me next time. 

Not my grandkids, photo by permission

We had a lovely birthday lunch for the nine year old at Bob Evans. I had three cups of coffee since I was afraid to eat or drink before the protest - I wasn't sure the public restrooms were open for the season yet.  

After that I returned home where I made the base for my asparagus soup (everything but the cream), 

Ready, set go

Cooking the base

(I love my emersion blender. )

Baked a 13 pound ham, baked a tray of split cornish hens flavored with lemon and honey and got ingredients ready for my red potato and spinach casserole.  

Easter Morning the ham and hens were reheated and put in crock pots. My plan was to reheat the soup base in my daughter's microwave and then add the cream in it's crock pot so that I did not have to try to transport soup in a crock pot.  Well, I forgot the cream. Not just forgot to bring it, but forgot it even was part of CREAM of asparagus soup. No one noticed.  And I baked the potato casseroles. I made 2 9x13 pans and it is one pan too many. Note for next year.  

They loved the amusement park drink passes. 

After the meal we were treated to a soccer game complete with a camera man, an announcer (with the paint brush microphone) from ESPN, bleachers and a concession stand. 

My daughter was wearing the cutest pair of jeans she found online at Walmart. They were almost like a bell bottom, but very cute. Both her mother-in-law and I found them on our phones and ordered them in "short" length because we are short.  They came yesterday and were miles too long, almost 12", and very unflattering. I returned them today in the store. 

They did not get a chance to look at my car on Monday. Tuesday we got a call it was the fuel pump which was replaced and we went and picked it up. The car only has 14,000 miles on it but, as I told my grumbling husband, now it has a fuel pump with zero miles wear on it.  It was all covered by warranty.  

We took the receipt from the tow truck to our insurance company and they wrote us reimbursement check on the spot which was very nice. And the insurance office is next door to the local appliance store. Of course I went inside to visit my stove. The price was still the same as it was in December and January and February when I visited and I decided the time has come. I should mention that the price is three times the price of my original choice as I have upgraded my stove dreams. I bought the stove.  It is being delivered next week. I am going to be scrubbing my stove and calling the offices of our local Catholic Charities who help people move into housing.  I can keep it in our garage until needed, but I bet they have someone in need.  There is nothing wrong with the stove really, I just dislike it. I purchased it during covid and I think the burners heat too hot and the oven is just wonky.  I do not recommend Samsung as a brand.  But it is better than no stove. 

I talked my husband into trying a new restaurant in our town. The owners formerly had a food truck with a few Irish dishes.  When a restaurant closed and later went up for sale, they purchased it and kept the same menu until they got their feet wet. They have a nice menu now and a liquor license. I have eaten there before with friends.  I talked him into a reuben instead of his usual hamburger order and he was very impressed.  I had a patty melt smash burger and it was fabulous. 

Last night my oldest son sent a message that a steam locomotive was leaving the yard where he works. My middle son and his sons were here for dinner and we left our plates and went to the crossing at the end of the street.  My daughter and her two joined us.

We were getting updates from other railroaders along the route and a little crowd gathered at our gate and others across the city. The locomotive was headed to the Cleveland area for excursions this weekend. As a plumber on the railroad Mr Merry used to fill their water tanks as they passed through. 

Today our apple tree burst into bloom and my husband is pouting.  I bought this tree in 1979 at a little farm market and it is some kind of heirloom apple. The apples are tiny and a little bitter and good for baking. Through the years I have had people stop and ask if they can buy the apples (which I can't remember the name of). We let anyone who wants some to have as many as they want. They are a lot of work to can into pie filling since they are so small.  The tree is fragile and won't bloom if the frosts hit at the wrong time.  Or as my husband thinks , the right time.  Some years we have blossoms and apples and some years we do not.  He took one look at the tree and said - well, I guess I will be making lots of trips to the city compost pile to keep the bees down. 

Every since I stopped PT I have had a sinus infection which is making me light headed so I have been skipping doing the therapy at home.  I am worse than a toddler.