Working With Photos

I have less hair this afternoon than I did this morning.  I've been working on Christmas presents that involve photos and I've pulled a load of my hair out.  Some of my photos were just so darn big and I couldn't or didn't know how, to reduce them.  Those were the ones from my camera---I need a new camera before we go back to Japan next year.  The ones from Mac's camera we put on a disc, connected the disc reader to my computer, looked at previews, reduced the size, saved, uploaded to the project I was working on and dragged the pictures in.
Those I couldn't reduce took forever to upload, so instead of sitting here staring at the screen I went out played a couple of pages of piano music, came back and dragged the photo (I had to do them one at a time) into my project.  When I got tired of playing piano I cross-stitched in between photos.
I finally got two projects done and I have one more to do, hope I have enough hair left to get it done.

How Old

I was looking at my Fall/Winter dishes and I was wondering how old were they.  I know I bought them before we moved to Georgia and we've been here about 14 1/2 years.  And I know I didn't  buy them when we lived in Hemet, California because there was no Pier 1 store in Hemet.  We lived in Hemet about 6 1/2 years, so the dishes were at least 21 years old.  Then I realized that I had to have bought them when we lived in Murrieta, California.  We lived there about 6 1/2 years.  So they could be up to 27 years old.
Then I looked on the back and saw that they hadn't been made in China and Lord knows everything is made in China and has been for years.
Wonder of wonder they'd been made in England.  I didn't know England even made dishes any more. These still look brand new so I'd love to know who in England made them.

Out to Lunch

I did take Mac out for lunch yesterday to celebrate Veteran's Day,  and feeling an urge for Italian food we went to the Olive Garden.  When we came in they offered him a special Veteran's Day Menu to pick his free meal from.

He chose the Chicken Parmigiana  that came with spaghetti.  I ordered off the regular menu and had Shrimp Scampi on a bed of Fettuccini with  Asparagus.  Both meals came with endless salad and bread sticks.  What a nice treat.

We also went plant shopping and we got some gorgeous Chrysanthemums and Pansies.

Veteran's Day

I wrote this originally back in 2011 and I feel today is good day to reblog it.  My Mac was named for his uncle who was killed in WWII shortly before he was born.

Today is Veteran's  Day and we say thank you to all the veterans who have served this country.  I have no relatives who served in World War I, my grandfathers were too young.  In World War II I had uncles from both sides of the family who served, but not my father, bad eye sight (which I inherited), and thankfully all of them made it home.
Mac's family was not so lucky, he lost an uncle in World War II, his uncle Mac who he is named after.  He had served in the South Pacific, met a girl in Australia, got engaged, and then near the end of the war he was killed.  Below is the letter his commanding officer sent to his mother.
                                   
Mrs. Mary Hernandez,
927 Watkins St. ,
Hayward, Calif.

Dear Mrs. Hernandez:

     Your son, Corporal Modesto Hernandez, served in this battalion since February, 1942.  He worked in the message center, and I always saw him several times a day.  I knew him quite well.
     On March 20, 1945, we made the assault landing on the beach at Zamboanga.  We immediately began to shoot at the Japs and they fired on us with artillery all through the day.  About five o'clock in the evening one of the shells burst right in front of the dugout where Modesto was working.  It killed several of our boys and wounded many others.  A fragment flew into the dugout and killed your son instantly.
     He was buried in the United States Armed Forces Cemetery No.1 Zamboanga, Mindenao, Phillippine Islands, on March 11, 1945 with full military honors.  The services were conducted by Father Terwood, Catholic Chaplain to the 41st Division of Artillery.  The  Father knew Modesto quite well.
     Your son served in battles at Salamana, New Guinea, Hollandia, Biak Island, Dutch New Guinea and Zamboanga, P.I.  He was very brave in combat under enemy fire and always performed all of his duties in an exemplary manner.  He was willing, cheerful, industrious and efficient as a soldier.  Everyone in this battalion knew him and liked him.  We called him "Shorty."
     We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to you at this time.  You may be justly proud of the fine record your son made in the Army and the splendid service he rendered to our country.  We who were friends and fellow soldiers with Modesto in combat will always remember him with affection.


                                                         Yours sincerely,
     
                                                         Ralph E. Cole
                                                         Lt. Col. F. A.
                                                         Comdg.  205th F. A. Bn.

Mac's Mother told me that it broke her mother's heart when Mac (his name was Modesto, named for a family friend, but everyone called him Mac) was killed  and I can well understand.
My Mac spent 21 years in the Army and each day I'm grateful that he didn't have to serve in a war.
So I say thank you to all those who've served this country
                                            

Well Friday, Finally

Happy Veteran's Day to
my favorite Veteran

I'll say it again, it's felt like a long week.  But is has finally cooled off and it's glorious.  Felt like Autumn when we walked this morning and though none of the leaves have changed color there's a nip in the air and I'm happy.
Plugged in our electric blanket this morning to see if it's ready to go and unfortunately it appears to have died, still a nice blanket, but no heat, so I've ordered a new one, should be here Sunday.  Which means it will probably warm back up.
Called our propane provider, we're an all electric house except for our fireplaces and the stove, but they said our tank wasn't low enough to fill yet.  Maybe in another month.
Finished another book, Mr. Churchill's Secretary  by Susan Elia MacNeil  and I didn't like it at all.  Everyone was beautiful, everyone was strong and brave and quite frankly everyone was boring as all get out.  Won't be continuing with this series.
Watched Pirates of the Caribbean -Dead Men Tell No Tales and the kindest thing I can say about it was that it was ok, but I really think it's time to end this film series.
I made so much Chili the other day we're still eating it, perfect for the weather.
Tomorrow is Veteran's Day and most of the restaurants around here are offering free meals to Veterans.  We've never taken advantage of that before, but I think we will tomorrow.  And while we're out I can go in search of some Autumn flowers.

Is This A Long Week or What?

Even though I don't work I'm sure today should be Friday.  It all started with our walk this morning, someone stretched it out so that it felt twice as long.  Of course the weather is a factor, it was 85º yesterday and it doesn't feel much cooler  today.  They keep teasing us saying tomorrow will be cooler, kind of like the old joke "free beer tomorrow".
We went to WallyWorld yesterday in search o Chrysanthemums and Pansies.  They had no plants!  Their whole big garden section was filled up with bikes.  So no flowers to decorate my front steps.  Did some other shopping and left, not my favorite store.
Today I had to make bread, strip the beds and wash sheets, cool off, clean bathrooms, iron pillow cases and make the bed.  I get tired just thinking about it.  Also made a pot of chili we'll have later, it tastes and smells delicious.  Actually got all that done except for the bathrooms, guess it's going to be toilet Thursday tomorrow.
I'm actually reading an Agatha Christie novel I've never read before, I thought I'd read them all.  It's They Came To Baghdad.  No Hercule Poirot, no Jane Marple, no Tuppence and Tommy, but quite good.

Just Another Monday in the Swamp

Though it hasn't rained in so long that parts of the swamp are drying up.  But a lovely cool down and rain storms are in the forecast for later in the week.
Little bit more energy so that's a good thing.  The people came and picked the couch up yesterday (YEAH!), though I worried that they'd get it home, give it a good look and bring it back.  Mac locked the garage, so if they change their mind they can't---LOL
Cleaned up my desk today, discovered I was down to one postage stamp and had to order some.  I pay most of my bills online, but I do send cards and other stuff through the mail.  Went ahead and ordered some Christmas ones too.
Made a couple of donations, I have a couple of charities that I support---Wounded Warrior Project, The Salvation Army and local Food Banks.

I finished a wonderful book this weekend, an oldie, but a goodie, A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. Written in 1950 it tells the story of Jean Paget who along with a group of women in Malay are captured by the Japanese during WWII and are marched around the country till nearly half of them die.  The first part of the book was about that and the second part was about her life in Australia where she goes to look for an Australian soldier who had helped her in Malay.  This book was partly based on a group of Dutch women and children who were captured by the Japanese in Sumatra.  I loved this book, such a smart, gutsy heroine, her story will stay with me for a long time.
Playing on the Mp3 as I exercised this morning:
Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
Mambo #5 by Lou Bega
Enter Sandman by Metallica
You're One of My Kind by INXS
Just Another Maniac Monday by The Bangles

Fried chicken for lunch today, what can I say, it's the South, having fried chicken on a regular basis is mandatory.

Doing the Happy Dance

Mac, in a fit of pure genius, on Friday asked  why didn't I put the couch on our local bulletin board----NextDoor-- it goes out to everyone in our area.  Well, within 20 minutes of putting a picture of the couch and the price--FREE--someone responded that they'd take it.  They're due sometime this afternoon to pick it up.  I'm doing a Happy Dance, can't wait to see it gone.  Have hated it almost since I bought it, but I kept it and used it till I absolutely had to get rid of it or move.

Saturday in the Swamp

My new pan,

Up reasonably early, walk done, coffee, orange juice and toast for breakfast, load of laundry done and out on the line----boy was there a lot of it--, a new pan ordered--my go to cooking pan has started sticking and that's a no-no---now I must make bread.
I make honey wheat bread and it's so good, tastes like cake.  I use a bread maker and it makes life  so easy.  How many of you make your own bread and do you use a bread machine?  I decided a number of years ago, as we got older, that the fewer strange ingredients we injested the better off we would be.  So I quit buying margarine, God knows what's in there, and started making my own bread.  I'm working on my second bread maker and it makes life to easy.
Going to be way too hot around here this week until a much anticipated cold front comes through at the end of next week, so it's go slow and stay cool time.
Hope you have a great weekend.

Just Another Thursday

Is there anything more fun than mopping your kitchen floor?  Obviously not, for as I gained some energy that's how I decided to waste/use it.  I like my steam mop and it does make it fairly easy to do, but not the most exciting use of  my limited energy.
I than had a sit down at my computer and did some Christmas shopping.  Hate going to stores and so hopping around the net is how I do most of it.
Enjoyed game 7 of the World Series, fun to see the underdog win.  I'll miss baseball.
Nielson Ratings called me yesterday to see how I was doing with my TV Diary and I said fine, but all we'd watched were reruns of The Big Bang Theory and the World Series followed by Football.  She said that was fine.  I need to mail it in today.
I've enjoyed our cooler weather, but they're saying we'll be in the mid-80s by the weekend, BOO-HISS.
If there is anyone out there who has not sexually harassed a woman please raise your hand, we need to know who you are.  Are you surprised that men in Hollywood harassed women and young boys too?  Surprise, surprise.
Just finish reading The Western Star by Craig Johnson, the 13th in the Longmire series and WOW.  Hope it's not too long until the next one comes out.
That's about all from the swamp.

The Day After

The Trick or Treaters who came in the golf cart caravan were the only one we got all night.  So now I have a bowl of candy even though I was very generous in giving the candy out.
A question for those of you out there who use Safari, since I downloaded  the latest version of this I can no long scroll down on Amazon when looking at lists of  things.  So I had to download Firefox and use it when shopping on Amazon.  What a pain.
I'm trying to donate a couch and having problems.  Goodwill flat won't take furniture and the Salvation Army will take it, but I'm having trouble scheduling a pick-up.
I'm wondering if my neighborhood is going to have a yard sale this fall, I'd give the puppy away.  Mac ended up cutting the last one up and says he'd rather not do that again.  Don't want to use Craig's List, too many unsavory people use is.
The worst part of getting sick at our age is that it just takes so long to get your energy back.  Today is the first day I've done any real cleaning.  Yesterday before going to the doctor I made a new soup, Chicken/Corn Chowder.  It turned out well, but very rich, I definitely won't use as much butter in it the next time I make it.  And I truly made a mess of my stove, thank goodness it's easy to clean, I gave it a good going over this morning. The last stove we had I'm sure was designed by someone who never cooked,  it had all sorts of grooves and places to fill up with gunk.
To those who celebrate All Saints Day today or Dîa del Muerto  tomorrow hope you have a great day.