We have switched to online grocery shopping.

The stores are just too scary.

In fact, rumor is the store will be going to order/pick up only. I think that will be really smart. Safer for everyone. Less contamination for everyone.

Pick up is today. I started clicking on Saturday or Sunday.

My neighbor warned me that I will probably get 2/3 of what I ordered.

If I get 100%, we are going to be disinfecting for a very long time.

Tupperware

I go thru cycles of using and storing Tupperware.

We mostly eat and store food in glass containers these days.

But I have kept the Tupperware.

Mostly, recent years, the Tupperware has been used for transport. Middle baking and taking food somewhere, for example.

However, in these days of potentially contaminated packaging from the store, we are moving food to other containers. My husband and I do it together. He has the dirty pair of hands and I have the clean. He opens the store package, I hold the clean container, he pours and then takes it right out to the recycling dumpster. I put the lid on the clean container and put it away.

Five big and three small packages of oatmeal fit in these (below) four containers; yes, my husband eats a lot of oatmeal.

Recipes

This was dinner on Friday night. We are all eating two meals a day most days.

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-veggie-supreme-egg-bake-242506

I use kale instead of spinach.
I put the kale thru the food processor.
I use skim milk instead of half and half.
I do not use the cheese.
I use red potatoes instead of frozen.
I put in larger volume of veggies.
I use a huge glass pan.


Middle also made drop biscuits.
http://www.shutterbean.com/2020/simple-drop-biscuits/
I like this recipe because there is no yeast, simple ingredients, and it makes a small amount. We had 1 and 1/2 each.

Middle had never made anything like this and had never used a pastry cutter. She was pretty impressed with herself.

Everyone thought it was a really great dinner.

If a chef came to my kitchen, of course there would be things he/she would find missing. But for the average person, I have a well fitted kitchen. And everything is organized and pleasant.

We liked it a lot, yes we have watched a lot of TV this week

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/06/amazon-heidi-klum-tim-gunn-making-the-cut-show

It is different than Project Runway.
Contestants are established designers.
Prize is $1 million.
Each designer has a seamstress who sews over night.
They do not interact with the seamstresses.
They communicate directions via written note.
They travel during the competition (first two are in Paris).
Different judges than Project Runway.
We overhear judges’ comments during the runway show.
Fabulous runway shows.
Heidi and Tim are comfortably themselves.
I think Heidi is softer.
We liked it a lot.
And it is just different enough than Project Runway. Fresh.

Also caught up with the last season of Top Chef (Amazon Prime) which we enjoyed. Now watching current season.

We enjoyed the new cast!

We did not mind the cast changes. We have always loved Christian.

We thought the challenges were more creative. And the show was fresh and interesting.

We loved the most recent two seasons (Amazon Prime) and are now current with this series.

Great re-do! Their guest room turned into an arts/crafts homework room.

https://www.younghouselove.com/kids-art-homework-room/

Amazon must be a hopping and a bopping

The little things, that one is use to running out to grab, I assume nationwide, we now order from Amazon.

We have also been ordering from Best Buy.

To be honest, before seclusion, I use Amazon (and Best Buy) a lot, because most of the time I do not have a car. And if I go to a store, probably I buy more than the one thing I went to get. Ordering on Amazon, I just get the one thing. Yes, free Amazon shipping. And the cardboard boxes go to recycling. And I look carefully that I am buying from Amazon and not a third party.

Somethings, masks and wipes and tp, Amazon is OUT. (I had ordered masks, long ago, when I saw this coming, for youngest at college. Middle and I use masks regularly, crowds and planes. So we each  keep a supply.)

We now have two people working from home and one finishing a semester of college from home, so I ordered (Amazon) ink cartridges for the printer yesterday. I had one cartridge of each (4) color in my stash. I ordered two more black ones. That was my biggest concern. They should be here Wednesday.

We have 3 pleasant, spacious work stations set up in separate rooms with doors that close. No one is in the rooms that I use. Youngest’s bedroom and workstation are both upstairs. She does not have a separate kitchen, but it is like a little apartment. She has her own bathroom and “living room” with a TV and all the game systems are up there. So she is doing okay at home. Her friends are all going nuts at their homes.

It is very weird not to have any extra kids. One kid we normally would have had, possibly had been exposed (student teaching in a big town with cases). And the other kid had in person interviews and appointments scheduled, youngest told her if you leave, you can’t come back, and at the time, she wanted the interviews, so she is not here.

So all weekend, I barely saw the girls (or my husband) even though we are all under the same roof 24/7.

I hear from my brother via text every day. I hear from my mom via email on occasion.

Youngest has now been home for almost two weeks. Her college acted very fast. She was one of the first kids sent home, nationwide.

Great activity

“Robert Norman Ross was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He was the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on PBS in the United States, and also aired in Canada, Latin America, and Europe.”

I happen to keep a well stocked supply of art and craft items.

So no shopping was required. My husband and both daughters had a very good time painting a Bob Ross project. (His videos are online).

(These types of supplies are probably available for immediate shipment from Michael’s, JoAnn’s or Amazon.)

Sinus surgery

I had major sinus surgery in 2005 when I discovered my left side was blocked and probably always had been.

A few weeks ago, I realized it was difficult to breathe thru my nose, particularly left side.

I had my routine 6 mos check up with my new GP on 3/10. He confirmed there was something wrong with nose and sent me to ENT. I saw ENT on 3/11 and had surgery on 3/16. So I am efficiently in isolation and recovery simultaneously.

One of my favorites / PBS

We no longer have cable.

New shows appear on PBS’s website and app for a short time when they are broadcast. Or PBS members have access to them all the time.

Forcing bulbs

I hunted very hard for a Valentines decoration for my kitchen island (this year and last year).

No luck.

By pure chance I was in a different grocery store and saw containers of forced bulbs a few weeks ago.

I got tulips to try. When they bloomed and were very fun, I also got a started container of crocuses, and I got an identical empty container and started my own paper white narcissus bulbs.

There is a plastic device in the bottom of each base to keep the started bulbs up out of the water. The two started containers came with the plastic piece. The extra vase was missing the plastic piece. My husband cut 5 quarter/coin size holes in a plastic oatmeal lid and it works perfectly.

So I have three sets of bulbs going, all at different stages.

We all think this is very fun. Even my husband thinks it is a creative and interesting winter thing to do.

I will order bulbs next fall, put them in the refrigerator, and then start them at a staggered pace after the first of the year. I will reuse these 3 vases.

So far, not bothering my respiratory system.

This would make a great gift.

Silly project

I am a very good recycler. Better than average.

I use real dishes, we have stainless kanteens, not a plastic person.

One area where I could improve is paper towels.

Yesterday we bought a ten pack of white feed sack cloth kitchen towels from Walmart. We are cutting them in 1/4’s and hemming the cut edges.

Then these will be our kitchen paper towels for hands and washing counters and wiping up. I will probably still use paper towels to scrub kitchen sink and bathrooms.

My listening this week

Fleece dog bed covers

Yes, JoAnns always has coupons and sales, but fleece fabric is still fairly expensive and I am not a fan of the colors/prints.

Walking thru Walmart, I realized 90” x 90” fleece blankets were $10. That is a lot of fabric for $10.

I bought one tan blanket and made two dog bed covers from it. I made them like pillow cases, one end open, that slip over the dog beds. Super easy to remove for washing.

 

I have kept old beach towels on these two dog beds previously. It is shocking how dirty they get. And not very attractive.

Yes the dog beds are made with zip covers that can be removed for washing. But keeping original cover clean and using something else for wear and tear keeps the beds themselves really nice looking.

My third dog bed has a double sided/thick fleece blanket covering it. It is tucked out of sight and the pup really likes it. And it is a good use for an old blanket that was not big enough for anything else.

Yes, that is three dog beds for two dogs, but they all get used daily and the dogs really like them.

Surprising

Most people would look and think “Holocaust” which of course it is. But to me, the genealogy theme is stronger. And maybe that is why so far it is not sinking me. It is her hunt and what she discovers that I see. The tragedy feels like a long ago part of history.

This is not a book I would normally expect to like, but so far, I really do. I am on 11 of 17 chapters. I am listening on audible. The reader is very good. It is very well written.

Injustice and __________ (I will add the word when I think of it) are topics I usually avoid, but somehow here, as I said, I see “genealogy”.




I first heard if it here -

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/family-secrets/id1441824608?i=1000465492685

When I am finished reading, I will listen to this one too -

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/travels-through-time/id1447550574?i=1000463876625



Many moons ago, my niece, deep in the Harry Potter world of books, made a big character list. And when I used to go to my classic book group, I used to go in early and put a character list on the massive white board. The lists had all the names grouped in relationship order.

When I started this book, I thought for a bit that I was not going to be able to handle all the names. I almost started writing and then I just relaxed into it when I realized I really only needed to keep track of the main characters. When more distant relatives were mentioned, it was often fleeting, and I really did not need to know exactly where they fit on the tree.

Probably in the bound version of the book, there are all kinds of pictures and maybe even a genealogy   Chart. So while I am an audible girl, reading the hardback version might be better for a lot of people. Or having the hardback version open, looking at the pictures, assuming they are included, might be better with audible format. It is also possible they are online.

Walmart warning

This happened to me a couple weeks ago:

I ordered something online from Walmart and it was not available for shipping to store, it had to be shipped to my  house. It arrived in an Amazon bag. ???

It was not what I expected. I tried to return it at the store. They told me it was from a third party vendor and could not be returned to the store.

Customer service at Walmart directed me to Walmart's 800
 Number. I called from Walmart’s parking lot incase I needed to back in and find a manager.

The 800 number person was very kind. I was very nice but made it clear I was confused and not happy.

800 # person explained that Walmart now is a “marketplace” with third party venders. So like amazon, now have to look carefully to see if it is fulfilled by Walmart or is a third party.

This totally threw me. But it explained the Amazon shipping bag. It is a company that runs their business thru Amazon.

I like Amazon. I use their easy returns thru Kohl’s. But since I had not ordered my item thru Amazon directly, I could not return thru Kohl’s.

When I order from eBay or amazon, I expect to have to read carefully. I know to check about returns and who is actually fulfilling the order.

When I order from Lowe’s or Target or Kohl’s or Walmart - I expect to be able to return anything to their store.

I use ship to the store often, at Walmart and Target, my first clue that something was fishy with the Walmart product should have been that there was no option to have it shipped to the store.

The end of the story was Walmart immediately gave me a $25 certificate for my trouble. I heard from the third party vender by that same evening. They gave me a full refund and told me to keep the item.

Miss and a hit

Gretchen or Elizabeth mentioned both of these podcasts.

Gretchen did warn that the first one would not be for everything and she was right. It was not a hit with me.

ADDED LATER: It turns out, this is a staged bit/routine that the radio show writes and then dramatizes. That explains a lot. And it makes me feel better. So it is not irresponsible as I first thought. Instead it is just stupid. . .

I felt several of these could easily turn into bad stalker situations. I could not stand the laugh track guy in background. So I listened to several on Tuesday and then deleted the whole thing.




I loved Dani Shapiro’s book and I also like her voice and the quality of the podcast editing. Diverse stories. Enjoying it so far.

I wondered how Dani tracked down the family secret guests. In the beginning, first of her podcasts, they have a book or a documentary or are a speaker. This is a bonus. If the story is of interest, can track down the person for a more in-depth story. For example, Steve Lickteig’s Open Secret and Lacey Schwartz’s Little White Lies are both on Amazon Prime. I can see from the titles that once she got going with her podcast, she started hearing from listeners and airing their stories.

🐱

Friend saw Cats many years ago.

She just saw the new traveling production and said SO GOOD. Much much better than original.

Middle and I got tickets for later this year.

And then I just happened to read this :
https://www.amalah.com/amalah/2020/01/a-cat-so-clever.html

Austen

I discovered all of Sanditon was available on Passport/PBS. So my husband and I finished series and  really enjoyed it.

My husband commented he was not sure he had read any Jane Austen or seen any of the movies. So I pulled up a list of her books in order. And I looked for the BBC (what used to be called miniseries that are now called seasons) multi part versions. I would rather watch 3-6 hours/parts instead of a 2 hour movie. And I love BBC.

I appreciate the fact that one can pick up one month of Brit-box on Prime or Passport on PBS for $5-6. Sign up and then immediately cancel it and it runs for 1 month and does not automatically renew.

So we watched Sense and Sensibility and I do not think I had seen that version previously. Very good. Fabulous scenery.

Pride and Prejudice is next. Rewatching THE version, Firth/Ehle.

I guess Sanditon should be added to that list, only as BBC series, not a book.