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Showing posts from April, 2020

Thursday 4/30/20 FREEDOM GROUP

Leslie called at 9:45 a.m. and we talked for a bit before I had to sign in to zoom for FREEDOM GROUP.  She said she went to Oneonta yesterday to do something related to last years income tax. FREEDOM GROUP on ZOOM was really good. everyone was there except Daria, who had to work. We only have three sessions left and then possibly going to Maryland for the one night conference which has been delayed until June. My former plans had been to join up with Peggy and David and the Christies (missionaries to Kenya) for lunch at the house they are staying on Locust Street while they are on hiatus.  But I didn't feel comfortable about it, seeing as we would have been compromising somewhat on social distancing.  So, I called Peggy and explained and cancelled. After FREEDOM GROUP, I took the Power of Attorney to M and T Bank and the associate (Kelly) made copies.   But they need the other original with Bianca's signature before they can process the P of A so I can pay Mary Anne'

Wednesday, April 29th, 2020

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First thing today, I delivered David's birthday gift (a batch of chocolate chip cookies), went to  Rite Aide and picked up the rest of my prescription (colestipol).  then picked up MA's mail and went to her house to get her checkbook and checks she wanted to deposit.   I was successful in depositing the checks in her M and T account.   Tried to pay her bill online, not working.  Neither was it working by phone.  I paid it out of my checking account later on in the day.  I called her lawyer and found out that I need to get a copy of the POWER of ATTORNEY to M and T, and then I should be able to pay her bills by signing her check as her POA. I finished watching DEADWATER FELL.  It was somewhat of a disappointment.  Definitely not as good as other British crime/mystery/detective shows.  David Tennant was as good as always, but the series was not all that good. Colored my hair, not happy with how dark it is.  It is definitely darker than the picture on the box.  I washed it wit

Tuesday 4/28/20

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I really paid for eating that pizza yesterday.  I could not get to sleep last night, which is sometimes a symptom of upcoming diarrhea.  So I was awake until four thirty a.m. when it finally struck.  So, I did not feel all that great in the morning. I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies for David's birthday gift.  I talked with Mary Anne on the phone and agreed to pick up her mail, and attempt to pay her bills over the phone tomorrow.  I called Paula and I will get the mail from her tomorrow morning.  I made sure that Kevin, Paula, Bianca and Alice all know about MA's brain surgery tomorrow.   Throughout the course of the day, I watched three out of four episodes of DEADWATER FELL. Peg asked me to find one of her baby pictures for a project she and her co-workers are doing.   I was able to find several, so I scanned them and sent them to her.            Here she is at four months old                                                                                  

Beautiful Monday 4/27/20

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I arranged with Peggy to drop off some oatmeal cookies and pick up two masks to take to Myrna.  I did that and then met up with Pam at Day Road Park where we had a nice walk. Some of the trees have decorations on them. Pam told me about a new park and trail that she noticed and I asked her to lead me to it.  Turns out it is the LYTLE NATURE PRESERVE.    I stopped at Crosby's and got  two slices of pizza and a 20 ounce pop for six dollars and took it home and had it for lunch.  I was fortunate to arrive at the store a few seconds before they took the fresh hot pizza out of the oven!   Mary Anne called while I was eating my lunch.  She has been told that they are concerned about the possibility of her having pneumonia so her surgery might be cancelled.  I took a chance with eating pizza (because of the mozzarella cheese)  but so far so good (about seven hours later) I picked out a new book to read about a nomadic family in Somalia.  I think I dozed off a bit

SUNDAY: 4/26/20

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I put some cabbage, onion and a pat of butter into my small crockpot so I could have it with the last piece of corned beef that Peggy and David gave me. I watched FREEDOM CHURCH online service starting at ten a.m.  Unfortunately, Mary Anne called to tell me that she will be having surgery on Wednesday so I missed the announcements.  The sermon was great it was about being in the waiting room.  We were encouraged to WAIT WELL during this uncertain time. I wrote letters to Judy and Linda.  I called Myrna and we talked for a half hour or so.   Myrna told me about the Methodist Church free drive through chili dinner on Wednesday at five thirty p.m.   Bianca's niece Antoinette called around 1:45 and we talked for 45 minutes or so.  I had my lunch while we talked.   Corned beef with onion and cabbage, yellow squash, baked potato and banana bread (which I took out of the freezer).  I had half of a biscuit from KFC with melted chocolate peanut butter on top for desert.  I also talked

Saturday, April 25, 2020

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I listened to part of Steel on Steel this morning, and will finish it later on. Both Louise and Vickie called this morning and I talked to both of them for a short while.   I baked oatmeal raisin cookies and made egg salad for sandwiches this morning.  Peggy called to get my grocery list, she will be going to the Amish store and to Aldi's.  Pam messaged me on FB and asked if I wanted to take a walk later on.  I agreed and set four p.m. as a good time since it will be warmer then.  After lunch I took a shower and then she called to cancel since she already took her walk.  I finished watching SAFE on Netflix  (another British crime story), which was excellent.  It appears to be only ONE season.  It had a surprise ending, like many British crime stories.  Mary Anne called and we talked for a bit, and then Peggy called to say she was on her way with my groceries.  She gave them to me and we chatted for a couple of minute.  She said something to the effect that "this kind of s

Friday April 24, 2020

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It looks pretty nice outdoors, even though it is not all that warm.  I tried to reach Marlene to see if she might want to take a walk.  She has not responded to my voice mail.  Betty called and she told me that she is sick, with the same thing she had the end of December, which seems to be similar to what I had in January. Mary Anne called.  I was happy to hear from her since I have been trying to get through to her via phone without success since early yesterday.  I guess the circuits are overloaded because of all the phone calls patients and their family members are making since visitors are not allowed. I decided to work on straightening and organizing the cabinet my microwave sits on in my dining area.  I was able to get rid of some stuff, and it is well organized now.   I organized one drawer and the left hand bottom section of the "china cabinet" in my dining area.   I listened to Nancy Pelosi on facebook LIVE, but she does not seem to remember how the Democrats fou

Thursday, April 24, 2020 Freedom Group, etc. and Paradise Lost

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This morning was our FREEDOM GROUP on zoom.com.  Everybody was present and it was an excellent study.  As soon as it was over, I went to the bank and cashed a check and then picked up prescriptions at Rite Aid.   They got my new prescription for colestipol mixed up with the old one (different doctors) and only two out of the three were a three month supply.  I called the store and they will make it right, I will have to go back and pick up the rest. I took a nap this afternoon.  When I got up, I tried to reach both Mary Anne and Karra (who called during the Freedom Group this morning) but could not get hold of them.  I watched President Trump's press conference.   I missed the FREEDOM CHURCH PRAYER MEETING on zoom tonight because I wanted to keep trying Karra and Mary Anne and I had not had supper because I was watching the press conference. Karra called and we had a nice long talk.  She is pregnant with her second child, another boy, due in August.  She and Roger are looking i

Wednesday April, Quarantine continues........YORKSHIRE PUDDING Recipe

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BIG SIGH...………………...I started my FREEDOM LESSON, and vacuumed and did some organizing, and threw a LOT of papers away and set some old cc bills aside to shred. In the afternoon, I watched the documentary CATFISH, which Carol Dupre kind of recommended.  And in the evening,  I  watched JUSTINE, a Netflix movie, and I finished up my FREEDOM lesson. Earlier in the day, I decided to make YORKSHIRE PUDDINGs, using this recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/70230/grandmas-yorkshire-pudding/ Ingredients:  2 eggs. one cup of milk, one cup of flour, salt, I substituted butter and bacon drippings for the beef drippings in the recipe. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F . Place about a tablespoon of beef drippings into each cup of a 6 cup muffin tin. Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until well blended. Stir in the milk, flour and salt. Fill the muffin cups about half way. Step 3 Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bak

Tuesday 4/20

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In the morning I finished watching BEN IS BACK.  It shows the devastation that accompanies addiction.  It is a very powerful movie.   But I vowed to NOT waste today.  I folded laundry, vacuumed the kitchen floor,  scanned some pictures for my flickr account and worked on updating beneficiaries on two of my accounts.  Two forms are ready to be mailed tomorrow.    I did some basic picking up and putting things away.  I talked with Elaine, Betty and Peggy on the phone. I called Rite-Aid and asked for a refill on my once a month generic Boniva, since I took the last one yesterday.  Rite-Aid agreed to deliver that and two other prescriptions to me after all three are ready.    Betty and I called several people to tell them about the DRIVE THRU/PICK UP Spaghetti dinner at Solid Rock. I saw Betty and Ron and Vicky there, and as I was leaving, Peg and David were pulling in.  The meal was great, spaghetti and meatballs, salad, bread and butter and pumpkin pie for desert.  Mary A

I guess its Monday again 4/20/20

I did not sleep well at all last night.  I stayed up reading and then had a hard time falling asleep. Mary Anne called early and I left another message for Father Augusten at Buffalo General and he contacted her and saw her today.   Connie called and we spoke for over an hour, I said goodbye just as I saw Mary Annes second call come in.   She asked me to go to her house and find the pink pouch I gave her, and I agreed.  When I went out to do that, I went to KFC and got the twenty dollar bucket, mostly because I really wanted some coleslaw. I took an hour nap or so.  Spoke with Elaine S. and Peggy on the phone. Watched TV in the evening.

ANOTHER PANDEMIC SUNDAY: 4/19/20

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I "attended" online church this morning.  Pastor Craig gave a wonderful sermon.  I made banana/egg/oatmeal pancakes for breakfast.  They were very good.  I talked on the phone with Elaine for a while and I recommended the movie MOLL FLANDERS to her, it is on EPIX today, for the last day of the free Showtime and Epix offered by Spectrum. I made myself a cup of hot chocolate using the recipe on this very much outdated product from my cupboard.  It is dated years before I moved here. I used almond milk because of my lactose intolerance.  The hot chocolate is certainly not like what I am used to, but I think I can get used to it and enjoy it.    I started a new book  NOTES LEFT BEHIND   It is a first person account written by parents who lost a very young child to cancer.  It is good.   I made myself a great salad for lunch  Fresh Spinach, scoop of chicken salad, half of a fresh pear, a couple of cooked carrots, craisins and a few potato sticks,  with a packet of a vi

Another Pandemic Saturday 4/18/20

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I made potato/oatmeal pancakes for my breakfast, using the leftover mashed potatoes I made the other night.  I didn't think they were very tasty, but I ate them, and was glad to NOT end up throwing all of the leftover potatoes out.  I guess that put me in a cooking mood because I decided to make baked rice pudding and no yeast dinner rolls.  And then I made chicken salad for sandwiches. I spoke with Mary Ann a few times.  Then a doctor called to tell me that she was being moved to Buffalo General/Vascular Institute. Peggy got me a few items at Aldi's and dropped them off.  Now I have sugar and chocolate chips so I can make chocolate chip cookies. I met Betty at Outwater Park a few minutes before three p.m. and we had a great walk.   Down the hill, left on Glenwood  (we could see Dead Man's Cave from the road, and then up the hill down past the overlook.  We saw the old natural spring, but it was too steep a walk to get to,   ANYWAYS, it was great to be out

Friday April 17th, 2020 SWEET POTATO and CARROT CASSEROLE

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I spent some time cleaning one corner of my bedroom.  I pulled out the "blonde" dresser that I got at a garage sale in 2014.  I cleaned behind it and put it back.  I put one of the scarfs that I got in Israel on it an also one of the antique lamps that were Bob's mothers.   When her stuff was divided up, they were set aside for Christa and I hope she can take both of them someday.  I decided to make a recipe I cut out several days ago, for sweet potatoes and carrots in a brown sugar/raisin/butter/orange juice  done in the oven. I had that with a slice of ham for lunch.   Here is the recipe: 1/2 cup golden raisins 3-1/2 pounds medium sweet potatoes (about 6 potatoes) 4 large carrots, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces 1/4 cup butter 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar 1/3 cup orange juice Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, cover raisins with hot water; let stand 30 minutes. Place potatoes in a 6-qt. stockpot; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, unc

April 16, 2020

Had FREEDOM GROUP on zoom this morning.  It was a full group and it went very well.  I went through a pile of old magazines, cutting out a few recipes, so that I can get rid of the magaines.   . I watched two movies THE BOOKSHOP and MOLL FLANDERS.  I loved MOLL FLANDERS. Talked with Peggy a couple of time on the phone.   She told me that the FREEDOM CONFERENCE is postpone until June and the LADIES GETAWAY has been cancelled.   I emailed Leslie.  Betty called to tell me that she got her twelve hundred dollar stimulus money along with her social security direct deposit. At seven p.m. I joined the FREEDOM CHURCH PRAYER MEETING on zoom. Kevin called around eight thirty, concerned that Mary Anne's car is gone and it looks like she is not home.  I suggested he look in the garage.  He did and the car is in there.  I suggested that he use his key to go into her house.  He and Rita went in and she was not there.  I called Paula and found out that MA went into Roswell this afternoon,

April 15, still in QUARANTINE

I slept late and then prepared ham, eggs, toast and grapefruit for breakfast.  I spent a good portion of the morning scanning old photographs into my laptop and then into my flickr account.  I talked to Myrna for a while and then I watched a movie on SHOWTIME, I thought it was going to be a comedy, but it wasn't.  I can't recall the name of it.  I vacuumed the "family room" which is really my living room. I took a late afternoon nap.  Peggy called a couple of times and we talked for a bit, and Betty called also.   I started making out a grocery list since Peg plans to go to Aldi's on Saturday.

SOCIAL DISTANCE GEOCACHING 4/14/20

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When I got up this morning, I saw that the sun was shining and I decided to NOT waste today.    I called Betty and asked her if she wanted to go to Outwater Park for a walk.  She said yes and asked if there are any geocaches there.  I told her I would look.  I called Pam to see if she wanted to join us and she agreed.    After I dropped some apples off at Peg's house and picked up some split pea soup that she made, I headed out to the park and met up with Pam and Betty. We parked and walked towards the overlook.  I turned my GPS on and we located the location of THE  SIXTH HOLE.   Betty found it almost immediately.  Then the three of us walked some more.  Pam decided to call it quits when she found out that Betty and I wanted to go find ROCK CAVE.  Once again, Betty found it immediately.  I don't think I had ever been in this area before.  I guess it must have been landscaped at some time in the past, since this is not a natural formation.         

4/13 Monday

I did not get up until around 9:30 and then I prepared ham, eggs and toast.  I was just finishing up eating that when Connie called and we talked for an hour.  Then Betty called and then Mary Anne called.  She was upset about not getting through to a live person at NYSEG in order to pay her three bills (her house, the apartment over her garage, and her cottage).  I suggested that she merely write a check and mail it but that idea did not appeal to her.  I offered to try to find a phone number for NYSEG that would work for bill paying.  I found a number online and tried it and got to a live person who said that number works for bill paying.  I called Mary Anne and gave her the number.  She tried it and it worked!!!! Basically, I wasted the entire day, and I had too many snacks.  I watched a LOT of tv, some online and some on TV.

EASTER SUNDAY 4/12/2020

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I decided to get rid of my pajamas and shower and get dressed for church, which was held online this morning.  It was very good, Between church and meeting Betty at the Community Garden in order to watch the parade, I finished up most of my Easter cooking. I met Betty at the garden and we watched the parade. Pam was supposed to meet us there but she did not show up.   This is our first view. Here are David and Peggy The parade was too short!!!    I went home and watched an episode of UNFORGOTTEN and then got back to cooking.  I baked the squash and the mac and cheese and it was ready when Peggy and David arrived.   I had a complete meal (minus the ham) packaged up for them.  They left a large chunk of ham here for me.  I packaged up a meal for Betty and took it over to her. I had been so busy concentrating on putting food/meals together for Betty and Peg and David that I forgot to bake the small casserole of squash that I had set