THE PAST WEEK

Even though here and there I still see snow, it's nice to know that Spring is finally here.  Most of our temperatures have been in the 40s and 50s but yesterday it got up in the 70s.  Nice!  Today it is colder again.  Ah, well.  It won't be but a few weeks until all is green and blooming.  Then my allergies start!

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted.  Every day I was going to do it but life got in the way.  I humbly apologize for not even reading any of your blogs.  That is something I am going to do this afternoon.  I do want to know what is going on with my friends!

On Monday I tried another new recipe.  This was supposed to be a quick and easy swiss chard leaves stuffed with ground turkey, rice and veggies.  You put the mixture on the leaves and roll them up as you would for stuffed cabbage.  Then there was a chicken broth sauce to put on top and they were baked.  Quick?  NO.  Easy?  NO WAY.  It took me over three hours to make.  I was almost an hour just chopping up all these veggies -- carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms.  Give me a break.  Then I had to blanch the swiss chard, cook the veggies, cook the rice and make the broth before I could even begin to put it together and put it into the oven to cook for 20 minutes.  To make matters worse, I hated it.  Joe said it was OK but I couldn't stand the taste.  Guess what I am not making again.  But if you don't try new things, you don't know.  I'll have to see what ShopRite's menu of the week is this week.

Tuesday's Bible study had two new ladies from church show up.  We did the first eight verses of Colossians and it was really good.  Everyone got involved which is how I like it.  I understand that some people are shy and don't talk.  I used to be that way.  But even if you don't say anything, it's good to be there and take in other people's ideas.

Tuesday afternoon Joe had his first visit to Physical Therapy to get the use of his hand back from that terrible fall he had.  It went really well and I like his two therapists Matt and Monica.  They are great and both specialists with just the hand.

Wednesday we were supposed to get our new dishwasher delivered.  I have been cleaning this mess of a house like crazy.  It is still a mess, but so much better than it was.  Home Depot never called and they never showed up.  I finally called them and they said they called here and we hung up on them.  Uh... no!  So they rescheduled for Saturday morning.  OK.  At least my house is getting cleaned.

Thursday morning we headed to the VA Hospital's Sleep Clinic.  Joe needed an adjustment to his CPAP.  Most of the time I sit in the waiting room and read.  Then he comes back and tells me everything is fine.  This time it was a woman therapist and she insisted I come back to the office with him.  She said if there is a man and his wife or significant other is there, she does not go to the office alone with him.  Good thinking.  She said the wife is the one who gets them to do the right thing with their equipment anyway.  Her name is Sue and she was wonderful.  He has a new schedule, new mask and we go back in a month to see how he is doing.

From there we got something to eat and headed to Physical Therapy again.  The therapists always bring me along to sit with Joe as he goes through things.  So there I am at a table with him watching him going through everything.  At the end Matt gave his finger and hand a massage that broke up a big knot in a muscle and even though it hurt at the time Joe now has a little more movement in the finger.

Friday morning Joe and Pastor Ralph headed off for a two day Pastors/Elders conference at Pinebrook which is our denomination's conference center.  So for only the second time since we've been married I was left alone.  It was a strange feeling.  But I lived alone for 27 years before I got married so I kept telling myself it was just like that.  Sheesh I've become such a baby.

Late morning I had a doctor's appointment.  Yes, for me for a change.  I knew by the way I was feeling I needed the dosage of one of my medications changed.  And I was right.  Taking less of anything because my body is starting to work again is good to me.

When I left there I picked up my friend, Donna, and we went to East Coast Wings for lunch.  We both love it there.  I got wings with honey garlic sauce and chips.  Donna got a Cowboy burger and fries.  We were both starving so we also got pub pretzels as an appetizer.  They are so good!  Soft pretzel sticks (more like bread sticks actually) covered in melted butter with a pepper jack cheese sauce.  Oh my!  That could be my whole meal.  I was so full that I didn't even eat dinner that night.  I just munched on a few snacks so I could take my medicine.  But I could have done without the snacks if I didn't have to have food in my stomach for the meds.

So that brings us to yesterday when the dishwasher was supposed to be delivered.  As with all week I was furiously cleaning the very messy house.  I wasn't finished, but finished enough that they could get the dishwasher in.  I got a call from a guy saying he would be here in 30 minutes.  OK.  A quick go through the house moving things to the side to make sure everything was great to get through.

Sure enough, these two young men came with the dishwasher.  They went out to the kitchen and said, "Uh oh.  You have a wooden kickplate under the appliance.  We can't take that off because it will ruin your cabinets.  We can't install your dishwasher.  We can leave it here in the middle of the room, but you will have to have someone install it.  We'll refund your money though."  What?!  I told them there was no way I was able to take that kickplate off by myself.  So they told me to get a friend or a handyman to do it.  Uh huh.  I told them to take the dishwasher back with them.  So they gave me a number to call to reschedule when I was ready to have it installed or to cancel the whole thing.  They will hold the dishwasher for 30 days.  What to do?

When Joe called me at lunch time from the conference I told him what was going on.  We decided I should call our regular plumber to see if he could help.  So that's what I did.  I told the lady who answered what the problem was.  She told me that they do free estimates and they could come on Wednesday to see what was going on and if they could help me.  But it's almost certain they can.  So that's where it stands.  The dishes are piling up because with my bad back I can wash only a few at a time.  I do this several times a day to keep up with things.  It's always something.

Joe came home last night around dinner time.  I was so glad to see him.  My next-door-neighbor, Chrissy, called and asked what we were doing for dinner.  I said probably calling out.  She said she was in the mood for sushi and did we want to go to the Hibachi Grill.  Yes!  I am always up for that place.  So the three of us headed there for dinner.  Chrissy and I loaded up on sushi and tempura.  Egg rolls and chicken on a stick.  Oh so good.  Joe had meat.  Lots of meat.  He said he hadn't had any for days and he was craving it.  Of course he also had veggies, but he was loving that meat.
 
So now I have to get going and get to church.  I have the treat for Fellowship Time today and I didn't bake anything.  I think I will stop at Dunkin' Donuts on the way over.   Sorry I've been so busy I haven't even taken any pictures this week except for my 6 p.m. pictures.  And I didn't even get that taken last night because we were out.

MARCH @ 6 P.M.
 

March 20

March 21

March 22

March 23

March 24

I hope you all have a great day today.

Kathy