Thursday, October 21, 2021

Experiment

 "But we wouldn't do much if we didn't do things that nobody ever heard of before."
 Ma Ingalls in The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder, page 32

I tried something new. While I was sick some link sausages went bad left in the fridge and I don't like wasting food so when I bought a new batch I decided to try something different.






Our son does this with bacon so I figured it would work with sausage. I put it in the freezer so we can pull out what we need and microwave it. 

Have you ever done this? 

 

 

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

We Survived the Plague and I Read A Lot

TopDad came home from a weekend working on the house we still own in Iowa and gave me a little kiss. I said, "Don't kiss me like we're married, kiss me like we're lovers!" So he did. And the next day he began having symptoms of Covid. And four days later so did I. (He was "vaccinated" last Spring so that they could go back to in person school. I did not get any shots.)

I went to the hospital first because I couldn't stop vomiting and had severe abdominal pain. I was dehydrated and spent three days and two nights in the hospital. I came home on a Thursday, and TopDad went to the hospital on Friday. He was there a bit longer because he got pneumonia. 

We are recovering, but this is a totally perverse disease and we keep having little flare ups that knock us back. 

I've been reading lots of books as that's about all I have strength for. So here's the list for September:

1. The Kalahari Typing school for Men by Alexander McCall Smith; continuing the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
2. The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict; story of Hedy Lamar*
3. Anna's Crossing by Suzanne Woods Fisher; a fictional account of early Amish immigrants*
4. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
5. Pianos and Flowers by Alexander McCall Smith; a delightful collection of short stories inspired by antique photos.*
6. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
7. The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
8. Love's Faithful Promise by Susan Anne Mason* (I can't even remember what this was about.)
9. Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton; a look at why most of our giving does more harm than good.
10. Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella
11. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith; next in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.
12. These High Green Hills by Jan Karon
13. I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella
14. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith; No. 1 Ladies etc.
15. Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith; No. 1 Ladies etc.

So many of the books I read were old friends from the past. I just needed uplifting, encouraging, non-challenging reads while sick and recovering. *Only four out of the fifteen were books I'd not read before.

We've had gorgeous Autumn weather, warmer than usual, which is okay by me. The colors have been lovely too. I make an effort to enjoy each day and soak up as much sunshine as I can knowing it won't last forever. Last year on this date we had our first snowfall. I hope we don't get any snow until late November.


My pretty Oak tree.