Friday, April 18, 2014

Friday-10:30am

Woke up to snow Wednesday.
No surprise.  Been known to have snowstorms in May up here.  We definitely returned to some winter temps again for a little while, but that Wednesday snow was basically gone again already by Thursday.
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Caroline came and she moved the table over for me, now that I removed one leaf, far enough for Karma to be able to sit in "her" chair by the window once again.  Tada!     
She has her Cat TV spot back. 
I put away the TV tray and moved the cat bed elsewhere...but I have now created a monster--LOL!  She wants to sit next to me regardless of whether she has her chair back or not.  The old TV tray is perfect for her to see what I am doing when I am writing or working on cards like I was here on Wednesday. 
I think she was a dog in her last life. 
Truth is, I think she misses the loveseat (that was so bad for my back) where she could lie right next to me and paw at me to give her some lovin' and just keep a hand on her while I watched TV.  (She often startles me when I am deep in thought or concentrating on a task--lol!)  
But at the table my hands are busy all the time.  So, sometimes I just sit and watch some youtube videos on the McLap and rub & scratch her like when we had the loveseat...and Karma is very purry with that. 
Wednesday night Dagan and Leah came over.  Leah worked on cutting brown baby buggies, I was still folding the green card stock for card bases, Leah let me feel McBaby rolling & kicking (made it more real!), Dagan showed me how to clear my browser cache, and he started putting together the boxes they picked up for me at IKEA. 
They look gray here, but they are really black.
Here's the rest wrapped in plastic.  You can see better in this pic that they are black. 
The boxes are not super sturdy, but for those cheap prices I can put them to good use.  If I recall, the largest ones were only $9.99 for a set of two and the smallest ones (on the art table picture) were like $4.99 for two!  I wouldn't want to put anything really heavy in them, but I do like them.
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Anyways, Dagan and Leah had to leave early because they had Cashwise delivering between 8-10pm.  They'll be back this coming Thursday again because we missed so many times due to illnesses and such--and we want to get some cards done.  ;)
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Leah was more comfortable in my desk chair so we did a switch.  Decided that since they were coming back sooner than the regular two weeks that we'd just leave things out as they were so we don't have to set up all over again in a week.  I went to take a picture to show you that my place does get messier when we are in the middle of projects--and I didn't even notice Karma down there--observing, quite suspiciously, the desk chair in a different spot--LOL!   
She has since raced through the living room and up that chair several times like a crazy person...of course.  ;)
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So, we have thank you cards for Leah in progress... 
...and supplies for the many winter scene Christmas cards ready to go, too. 
I do clear off my end of the table to do my writing stuff in the mornings (journaling and letters), but then I work little by little on card stuff every day, too.  I was thinking yesterday how much I do love having my new little art table!  Even when the craft/writing table is all filled up with stuff, my little black and red table can be free for art play.  What a life I lead, eh?  Well, even though I haven't gotten over to the art table really since I got sick--LOL!  It has been calling me softly lately.  My junk journal has been patiently waiting for me there.  ;)
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But I have been so wrapped up in other things that my days have been flying by.  Been reading The Plan and printed off the free downloads I found on her website for the vegetarian adaptation (there are vegan, celiac, dairy-free, pescetarian, men's, fall and spring adaptations, too).  I also found grocery lists and a cooking plan for making up the meals ahead of time for the first three days.  Nice!
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Since I could finally get back onto my Cashwise grocery cart, after Dagan and Leah left, I spent all evening--well, and ever since--searching out foods for The Plan.  Some so alien to my kitchen and pallet that I get that icky jumpy sensation in the back of my throat just writing them down...like those raw beets.  Feel free, unless you hear otherwise by some miracle of culinary magic, to picture me shuddering every time you hear me say the word beet.  
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Note:  My mother loved beets.  Made us try them.  I remember the smell lingering in the kitchen...almost as awful as lutefisk!  So my dislike is not because I have never tasted them or shared air space with them.  ;)
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Let's change the subject to what I consider yummy food!  I made a wonder-what's-in-the-frig veggie soup. 
 Nappa cabbage, matchstick carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes!  Vegetable broth, spices, and added a big can of crushed tomatoes at the end.  Scrumptious!!
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The only safe parts would be the carrots, celery, onions and broth on the beginning of The Plan.  So you know I will be testing my reactions to tomatoes, cabbage, and potatoes early on--LOL!  I'm getting kind of excited to find out what my personal yes and no foods actually are.  :)
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Oh!  Oh!  And I have been working on my budget and shopping carts...still have the rest of the month to tweak and adjust, of course...but it looks like I will be able to start The Plan in May!!  Whoohoo!  I don't think I will have to wait till June after all.  :):)
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I like the fact that you start adding in test foods (pretty safe ones, odds-wise) on like the fourth day.  So you already will have tested quite a few by the time you finish her 20 day regime.  ;)  Then I will start to test all my favorites on my own after that.  Coffee and chocolate will be high on my test priority list--LOL!  Anyways, enough food talk.  ;)
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I forgot to tell you that the neighbor next door moved out this month...and took their Christmas wreath with them.  It was still green, too!?  So they'll be no more watching it gradually fade to a golden brown...faithfully hanging there as the stalwalt reminder of baby Jesus...till November when the new green wreath arrived to replace it.  ;)
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Well, the clock ticks by and it is already lunchtime!  Veggie soup awaits me!  Have a super duper weekend, folks!!  Keep smiling.  :):)
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"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it."
Rumi

P.S.  I posted this at noon and it said it had published and I even went and checked it over to see how it looked online--and yet I just discovered this post was still sitting here as a draft??  So I am going to try again.  Blogger sure has glitches sometimes.  I hope it works.

14 comments:

Beth said...

That soup does look good. I had beets as I was growing up too and to this day I can't stand them. Good luck with your diet!

Harvest Moon by Hand said...

We got snow too here...7 inches worth! Your soup looks delicious - something perfect on those cold, snowy "spring" days. Karma looks so comfortable lounging by the window.

GrandmaG said...

LOL We had pickled beets with dinner tonight and both remarked how good they tasted. We don't have them often, but probably should :)

I have those IKEA boxes in white, the small ones. They're surprisingly sturdy for the price. And I love how they look on my black shelves. I have to remember to get more when we return to Chicago.

Have a good weekend!

Anonymous said...

Loved this post--you've been busy. Blogger sometimes drives me crazy, too!!

andi filante said...

NOOOO!!!! Just say no to beets!!!!

Happy Easter!!

-andi

AliceKay said...

It worked the second go-round. ;)

We had snow here Wednesday morning. Had lots of snow mixed in with the rain and sleet Tuesday afternoon. The snow didn't amount to much here in the valley, but the mountains still had it there for a couple of days. I think the sun has pretty much melted it now. We had temps in the low 60s today.

The soup looks good. I hope this new diet works for you. Will be looking for your updates once you start.

I enjoyed seeing the pictures of Karma. She's very photogenic. :)

Deb J. in Utah said...

I have some IKEA boxes like those only mine are white. I've had them for years - they are very nice for storage. You will enjoy getting organized with those. Have an enjoyable Easter!

Anonymous said...

I always avoided beets until I had a salad at the California Pizza Kitchen with fresh beets. (Cooked and cooled.) Very yummy. I've cooked and cooled my own.

Victoria Zigler said...

I know some places can get snow until May. It snowed just after I moved to Canada back in 2003, bearing in mind I moved there at the end of April, and had been snowing for at least a few days when I left Canada at the end of October that same year. I miss decent snow... *sigh*

Glad Karma has her cat TV back. Sounds like she loves her special time with you while you watch TV, and does sound like she misses the loveseat.

My parents like to do beets with a white sauce, but the sauce is so bland I actually think it makes them taste worse if anything. If you find a way to make them taste good, I'd be interested in hearing it.

Your lunch sounds pretty good though!

Happy Easter to you, Karma, Dagan, Leah and McBaby! :)

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

Oh how I would love to have a desk like that near a window to work at but not going to happen for many reason not at least being I don't have a window with a view even if it is only a view of a parking lot........lol

I am not a soup person, I do have soup at times during the winter months but I am just not that into soup.

Dee said...

Dear Rita, your days are just jam-packed with creativity. Even "The Plan" is really creative. I just ordered the Kindle version of the book so as to give it a try along with you.

I'm glad Karma is so happy with her renewed seating arrangement. She's contented and you are too. That's a gift. Peace.

Intense Guy said...

Goodness. Spring just ain't gonna come to Fargo... it will just suddenly be Summer... someday in July!

Darla said...

I like beets, might be in a minority though. We roast them right in their skins, the skins slip off easily when they are done. Never heard of The Plan, will have to look it up.

Darla

Queenie Jeannie said...

I spy assembly line crafting! :D You are so good to help Leah with all those cards.

Soup looks delish!!! Snow does not, lol!