Welcome Chris and Kay

18.VII.07 - MoM

I am writing this in the afternoon. Chris and Kay called from their hotel at the airport this morning. It had been late when they got in and got their car. They are coming here late this afternoon.

Paige cleaned this morning instead of tomorrow. I have put together the chicken dish and it is ready to go in the oven. Going to try adding the artichoke hearts and Greek Olives about halfway through the cooking time. (Changed my mind before putting it in. Didn't want to have to deal with messing with a hot pan so added them a little while ago during our storm -- see below.) I have the baking potatoes ready to put in, too. It is a little after three p.m. and I think I may go out and get the stuff ready to add to the romaine for a dinner salad.

It has cooled down to 80° from about 85° earlier today. I have the AC going in the "living area" but due to my infirmity, I can't get back in the bedroom corner to turn on that one, or up the stairs to put the one on in DoD's bedroom where Chris sometimes sleeps. Charlie and Sandy got the AC in the window earlier this week.

After that sleepless night I had, I got to bed early last night and slept like a log till about 4:30 a.m. Started my day then. I got in a couple of 15 minute back to back naps mid-day. I like to wake up long enough to reset the timer -- it keeps me from getting into a deep sleep, but it does refresh me.

It is 4:30 p.m. and I have shut off the AC so I can hear any local storm sirens if they happen. We are under a storm watch for a while and have been having some pretty good booms so I am unplugged. I also have the weather radio on. Seems as if that cell has passed us by. Hard to believe that as close as Dubuque had 10 inches of rain a couple a days go and we got only 1/10". Now sounds as if a new cell is approaching. Would be interesting if the power would go out when I have an oven dinner.

Chris just called so I wouldn't worry -- Kay is in a favorite "paper" store in St. Paul so it will be a while yet till they get here, especially as they will run into traffic. They said late afternoon and they meant it. I still haven't done the salad. My leg has been so good the past few days but decided to act up today. I took an Advil a little while ago and it is some better.

Since my very ancient large herb pot died last Sept while I was in CA, Sandy put together a beautiful one while I was in the hospital last month. It was spectacular. I could not believe it when I went out today for the daily watering on the deck to see that the center was mashed down and all that was left of the lush parsley were the STEMS! I am blaming the rabbit with a nest for years under the deck. I realize now that my previous herb pots did not have parsley. I grew it in a separate one in the sunroom. Guess I will have to grow my parsley in there again.

Oh Dear! I just found out that I have lost one of the lens from my reading glasses! I have no idea how long it has been gone or where I could have lost it. My glasses have a hard life with constant on and off all day, but I am not at all interested in bi-focals. I don't need them for the computer and can even read if I have to.

Oh! Oh! Severe thunderstorm warning over the Cities with possible nickel sized hail. Hope it misses Chris and Kay. Our thunder is back, too.

Thank goodness I had pulled all the computer plugs. I was standing in the kitchen doing some salad stuff when there was a major flash and clap almost simultaneous right overhead and all the power went off in the house, oven, TVs and all. Much to my surprise almost at once everything came back on, even the TV's. Amazing. Probably the mikro will need resetting, however. We only got a sprinkle and it seems to have moved on.

My neighbor, Rita, just called and they had that surprise loss of power, too, but when the lights came back on, it turned on one in the dining room that had been off.