Patty's Thoughts: It's been an interesting week

Monday, October 7, 2013

It's been an interesting week

grasshopper on the chicken feed bin--he's a goner soon

Time has been flying by and already it's been October for a week!

I have been making "slider buns" for Amelia's party, not something I've made before. I have 47 in the freezer...I have about that many that are too dark and we are eating them. They are pretty tasty. I think they need to be a little smaller. I've been experimenting a bit with the recipe. I need to bake 153 more this week, not as hard as it sounds. For one thing, it is supposed to be cooler. I hate to use the oven when it's already hot in the house. We actually turned the AC on yesterday for a bit.

We had a great rain in the night, which the garden really appreciated. I have watered several times, trying to convince my plants to produce. My Dad picked some beans the other day. I froze about a cup and we ate some. They have to be trimmed. They have lots of eaten places in them. I saw a huge grasshopper eating them one day, but she got away. It would probably be a lot worse if it weren't for the chickens. I found a scorpion yesterday and they were nearby, so I called them over. They thought it was a tasty treat. I have lots of blossoms on the zucchini, which are still alive, but they are only male blossoms (useless!). Maybe they only put out female blossoms when it's warmer? The cucumbers do have baby fruits; we'll see if they make it. We set out some lettuces that my Dad started indoors, and they look pretty good. The bok choy are mostly eaten, but a few will make it. Broccoli look good--we bought those plants at Cofer. Something ate part of them, but we have dusted with dipel and they are on track to produce in a few more weeks.

Barney and Joe at sunrise

My tax class is going well. I have gotten 100 on all the computer assessments. I need to apply to work at H&R Block and they will probably hire me. It's depressing because the pay is so low, but at this point, it would be good to be working and hopefully will help my chances of other employment. The midterm is today and I completed the review. All tests and quizzes are open book. The work is challenging, but I like knowing all about the rules. I am sure I can re-file my past three years and get some money back, plus use the skills in the future.

We had a lovely visit to Fripp Island with our friends Deb and John last weekend. The weather was gorgeous. We did what we always do--go for long walks at sunrise, eat and drink, sit on the beach, play in the surf, play bocce ball, eat and drink--and play cards. The hardest part is the 5-hour drive to and from. I drove both ways, so Ray could work. One other sad thing is I don't body surf any more. It is too risky for my back.

We went dancing yesterday with Gini and John. It was great to see Natalie again, our dance instructor. They are in a "new" building, over by the Classic Center. It's a renovated warehouse with nice brick walls, etc. I don't think the acoustics are as good...and it's downtown, but it's still nice. We had lunch first, at Square One, a seafood restaurant near there. It was good. I had two Mimosas! And peach custard for dessert. Also shrimp and grits.

On the way over, I was driving up Lumpkin. A car ahead of me was stopped to turn left, so I stopped. A few seconds later, wham! A car hit us from behind so hard, I could feel it in my neck and head. So, I guess that's what whiplash feels like. We pulled around the corner and they followed us, thank goodness. I didn't really want to get out of the car. The other driver came to us and asked if we were okay. She assured me there was no damage. I asked for her insurance information. She is a student at the university named Julie. We said we would let her know if we had any long-term effects that needed treatment. She said she would hate for us to suffer any pain. She was a little too cheerful, but I didn't see any point in lecturing her and I was too lazy to call the police and wait for them to come. Probably I should have. I did call my insurance company and Ray said you can see damage when you look closely, so I'll have to follow up with them today. I can still feel it, but appreciate that it doesn't seem to have any long-term effects. I am worried about Gini, though, who said she had pain running down her leg. We both took some Tylenol with our Mimosas...