Oh August.....Not Sure I am Liking You

Hi there everyone. Hope you are having a good month so far. Thought for this post I would put some funny signs up that tickled my funny bone when I saw them. Probably got them from Penterest and Facebook.

I suspect you are wondering why I chose the title above...right?!?!  So far this month, JP has been steadily losing hours at work, which means the pay checks are getting smaller. I could not pay our house taxes in full this July 31st....now we will get penalized. I have to go to the Court house to pay the rest....I am scared. I am hoping we have enough to pay the mortgage also....won't know that till Friday, when JP gets paid.

Our little schnauzer/poodle was having a problem, so I got her in for an emergency appointment Tuesday. Her annul glands were giving her trouble, so the vet expressed them, took some blood for Heartworm. Gave her meds for that and flee/tick meds and off we went. Kylie is feeling much better, thank you.

Sunday, I was cooking some chicken breasts on the stove and suddenly the stove started buzzing at me....what the??? The clock was not working and I was getting messages to "lock" then I found that the oven was not working. I was very perplexed. We pulled the plug to see if it would reboot its self.....no after about 5 minutes it started buzzing again. Oh what to do, what to do. 

Yesterday I went to the store where I bought the stove....I have only had the stove for 2 years and 4 months...so the warranty is over. I am not sure they can do anything, except sell me another stove. The guy said it sounded like the computer board was shot. Oh yay for me!!! If we could get it to the store ourselves, they could fix it for more $$$$. I am just not sure what I should do at this point. 

Guess I will let it sit and cook with my crock pot, oven-net, microwave, Nu-wave, grill more and maybe pick up a fry pan at the second hand store. I am even thinking of putting the stove on the street for the garbage men to take. Buy a second hand counter for more storage....maybe a pantry. Do I really need a stove??? Gosh, no more pies and casseroles (sad face). Will have to weigh all the pros and cons on this one.

Good news though, was talking to a friend on the phone tonight, she wants to gift me with her old vacuum. Yes, I said, the one I have is not very strong. She said the one she has is so strong it would probably suck up the dog....lol! It even has a hose to clean the cobwebs off the ceiling...yay for that I have a few. She has another vacuum that she likes better.

Another exciting thing that happened. I signed up to be a consultant for DoTerra Essential Oils. Yep, I will have my own website, where people can order from me there. So as I get more acclimated to the oils and website, I will try and link it up with my blog. 

I have been getting hot flashes lately...whew...hot, hot, hot and I have to wave a fan in front of me. The lady gave me some spearmint oil to apply to the back of my neck....BOOM the hot flash went away.

DoTerra has an oil and ointment for pain, it is called "Deep Blue". For the last couple of months I have been dealing with a "Sciatic nerve" problem. I have tried 5-6 different products for pain...nothing has touched it. Then "Deep Blue" came along and POW the pain has subsided. Well, this morning I woke up with the pain, could hardly get out of bed....I rubbed some "deep blue" on my butt. Made my way to the bathroom. By the time I was making breakfast....the sciatic pain was gone. Gosh that stuff works GOOD!

YES...I can hardly wait for the Hockey season to start...maybe this year the Chicago Blackhawks will win the Stanley Cup!! Oh and another thing, we are one day closer to the return of Jesus for his Church....oh what a day that will be boys and girls!!!

So anyways...a few other things going on so far this month. I had my teeth cleaned today....they took x-rays, I have to wait till next week to find out if there were any cavities besides the ones I already have. But otherwise my next appointment won't be till February 11th...hope there is not a snow storm that day!!!

JP has some lab work to have done next Monday. Then Kylie has another appointment on Tuesday for an exam and shots. Wednesday I go to make cards at Betty's. Thursday, JP has an appointment with the foot Doctor...he has a few corns on his feet that cause him much pain. We tried some oils on his feet...has not worked yet as far as I can see. Looks like a busy week already...just hope the $$$ covers all the bills and extra appointments.

Well time to close, it is getting late, I want to go downstairs for awhile and maybe watch some TV. With JP home, it seems my schedule has changed a little bit. You all keep looking up....I am pretty sure better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Happy New Year!!!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year. May this new year bring you much happiness and good health. May all your needs be met by God, spiritually, physically and financially. Minus not too much sadness.

Thanks to all of you that followed along with me this past year. It's been fun posting about cards, food, flowers, gardens and ideas. Sometimes it is hard to come up with something to write, so I found that posting once a week was a bit easier for me. Didn't feel under bondage to produce a post when there was nothing to talk about. I just may do that again, so fear not, if you do not see me on a regular basis. I do visit many of you everyday, sorry I don't always comment on a daily basis.

But, maybe 2018 will be different. I like the new year, it's a new slate and a new beginning. Not going to make any resolutions here....because they are soooo hard to keep. And, there again, I don't want to put myself under bondage again, it's just too hard to live up to the expectations that I place on myself. Trying to do things that are just too hard to attain.

Live each day to the best of my ability, is all I can do. I tried to do better at everything, but that only led to a few bleeding ulcers over the years.....one of them, I almost died from. So, it takes me a long time to learn a lesson...but I eventually get it and hopefully am not too late learning it.

One thing I will do though....is draw closer to God. Read his word everyday.....that is doable, even if it's just a verse or two or a chapter. Being thankful for all HE does in my life and how HE shows Himself real in my daily life. Day in and day out. Yep, that's what I need to do.

As I type this post....the Green Bay Packers are playing the Detroit Lions. Packers are losing 11-35, the game is almost over. Whew, no more games till next season. Hopefully things will be better and Aaron Rogers will be back to play.

Well, I still have the Chicago Blackhawks to root for, hopefully they will be contenders for the Stanley Cup. NASCAR starts up again 2/18/18 so we have that to look forward to also.

Well, time to close this post for the year. You all have a great night and a Happy New Year. Keep looking up ~ better days are coming.
Cheers ~ Louise

The First Day of June......

Hi there everyone....wow!!! First day of June! Where did January - May go to???? What does it mean when time flies by so fast? Is it because we live at such a fast pace??? When we lived in the Chicago area, we left to live in Ladysmith, WI for a slower paced life. Yeah, we left the "rat race" to slow down a bit. We were so impressed by the way the farmers just took time to talk, work, eat, it sure was a slower pace.

Then we moved to Appleton and worked at the Salvation Army....and life seemed to speed up a bit and now......here we are back in the "rat race" again. Even in retirement, the days go by fast....so much to do and accomplish......so little time!!!

Last night I made a Blue Apron meal.....man, this was delicious. "Beef Tartines with Zucchini au Pistou"  Yep, I would make this again and again and you know what?? It tasted better the next day too!!

2 ozs of spinach was cooked down till wilted, Cooled down then chopped up (I think it would be better to chop the spinach before it is cooked down though), 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and the juice of 2 lemon wedges were added and enough olive oil to create rough paste; season with salt and pepper to taste.

In the same pan, heat olive oil and add the cut up zucchini till lightly browned and slightly softened. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add half the pistou and toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add oil to pan and add the bread slices, cook 2-3 minutes per side till brown and crispy. When the bread is cooled, carefully rub the sides of the bread with the clove of garlic. Transfer the garlic toasts to a sheet pan.

Cook the sliced beef in olive oil adding salt and pepper to taste. When browned and cooked through, remove from heat. Divide the cooked beef between the garlic toasts, evenly top with Fontina cheese and chopped capers. Bake 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and divide the baked tartines and dressed zucchini between 2 plates. Top the tartines with the remaining pistou. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges on the side....Enjoy!!!

I hope you could follow my instructions for the yummy meal....but if not, here is where to go for this recipe.

Well, the hockey game is over and the Pittsburgh Penguin's beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1. Now they go back to San Jose....maybe the Sharks will win in their own backyard. Then it will be tied 2-2!!!
The Sharks have never won a Stanley Cup in the 25 years they have been playing. So I am rooting for them. Of Course I was hoping the Chicago Black Hawks would have won....but maybe next year!!

Time to close, I need to get downstairs and make some cards for Hospice. Have a great day and keep looking up....better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise