Norm Thoughts and Contemplations
*names have been changed to protect the innocent...*

  Updated 3/26/24 

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March 2, 2024 - I finished the Lord of the Rings books. Barely...my eyes fell out twice. Smile. Today when I had breakfast with my boys, they suggested audio books. I shall look in to that. I enjoy the Tolkien books, but Peter Jackson did bump it up a notch in the movies! Made it more exciting as it were.

I just changed the water filter upstairs and I am always afraid it will leak, if you don't get it just right - it will. However, when I left it, it was not leaking. The O ring was changed last month. When I was reading the directions on the filters, it says to change the O ring every third filter! This made me laugh, because I'm pretty sure my husband only changed it once a year if even that... Yesterday would have been our 44th wedding anniversary had he lived. I was a bit down, I must say.

I made a lovely Italian sausage soup the other night. I could TASTE IT! Yay! I got the idea from my BFF who described how she made hers. It was kind of like a fancy potato soup. I gave some to my neighbor Justin, who said it was awesome. I have had it every night since I made it and I will be finishing it up tonight, and I didn't mind a bit. I put in a hot pepper flakes which I liked. I was making it in my new soup pot and with my new knives. I only cut myself six times. (Pretty good, I thought, since I've never had a really decent set of SHARP knives. Only one stab needed a band aid, really...) Wow - a sharp knife makes a difference in the 'chore' of chopping!! I will have to practice my knife skill, avoiding damaging my hands. It did look like a feral cat got a hold of my left hand there for a day or so...

Off I go to finish up the soup. Have a wonderful weekend! Seize the day!

March 17, 2024 - I am sitting here eating a plate of heated up scalloped potatoes. Yesterday afternoon I wanted 'real food' and spent an half hour on line searching for a place that would deliver 'real food' but there was nothing around here. I finally told myself, "Get off your fat ass and MAKE SOMETHING." I had all the fixing for scalloped potatoes, so I made a dish of those. Taters, ham, onions, cheese - it turned out very good. I can even TASTE it! I thoroughly enjoyed that supper last night and there was enough to share with my neighbor and my sister in law, PLUS still have two dinners out of it! I am getting better with my new knives and only cut myself once this time!! Hahahaha.

I had breakfast with my boys on Saturday and my sister in law came for lunch today. Wednesday is the second anniversary of my husband's passing, so I am meeting two friends for supper (they are also widows) and we will 'toast the ghosts' as it were. On Tuesday I have my six month cancer check up. It's been five years I hope they tell me I only have to go once a year now, but we'll see. Next weekend my daughter and son in law and my grandson come for a visit. I hope to have the whole herd here for a visit. My daughter called and had a video visit with me and Irving and I did so enjoy that. Irving actually seems to try to talk to you. He has the cutest faces in the world. (I'm not just saying that because he's my grandson - her really DOES have such cute faces.) He is growing like crazy and you can tell he has more and more control over his arms. I bet he rolls over soon...

The other day it was 73 degrees here and sunny and beautiful. (Mind you, it is 30 degrees today and snowing...I have come to accept this in Michigan now. Mother Nature is bipolar.) When it was so nice out, I sat outside letting Norman meander and pee on things that needed peeing on apparently, and just sat there enjoying the turkey buzzards. They were high over head just riding the updrafts. They always look like they do this for fun - not just to search for road kill. They seem to ENJOY this so much -no wing beating needed - just riding the 'waves' as it were. Such a huge wingspan! It is peaceful to sit there and admire their agility in the sky. Kudos to them for enjoying life.

I GOT MYSELF A KINDLE! I have to say it is marvelous.
You can make the print as large as you want and it's takes the strain off my poor old eyeballs. I've been reading like crazy. I always loved reading - now I can do it again with little eye strain!!! Yay! My BFF has used a Kindle for a long time as well as my neighbor Sue. I am glad I finally broke down and ordered this. I could kick myself for not doing it sooner. The thought of audio books didn't make me happy, so I had to find another way to read. Viva Technology.

I am off to do dishes and READ SOME MORE!! YAY!! It's the little things...Have a good week!


March 26, 2024 - Burrrrrrr. It has dropped almost 10 degrees throughout the day and the wind is gusting. We got a barrage of showers earlier. March showers bring March mud. Norman wanted to go out a bit ago, so I took him. He chased he ball for me a few times but he was ready to come in. He isn't sure about the wind...that kind of wind normally indicates thunder boomers and he was not taking any chances.

The kids came for the weekend. I got to spend Saturday with my grandson. What a marvelous time. It is good for a grandma's soul. He rolled over on his own for the first time, but you could tell he had no clue how that happened or how to correct it. He seems shocked - "HELP, WHAT JUST HAPPENED!!" I blew bubbles for him and he was amazed and stared at them with wonder. He 'talked' to me and he has the cutest smiles. He was also out of his normal pattern so when it was time to sleep, HE JUST CONKED OUT - BAM. Hahahaha. Poor little dude. My daughter said he slept a lot on Sunday and Monday - catching up and getting back in the groove. They switched him to a bed 'sack' instead of swaddling him since he had rolled over and all. So far I've not heard if he's tried rolling again or not. I think the look on his face after he rolled was the same look I had on my face after my first roller coaster - AIN'T DOIN' THAT AGAIN EVER! I really wish I could post pictures of my grandson, he's so damned cute - but I respect their attempt to keep him off social media. However, it kills me I can't share with the world. Smile.

To me it feels like time is going faster since the whole 'spring forward' thing. Sigh. Time goes faster as you get older anyway - but this time change has thrown me for a loop. One of my coworkers is leaving me (yes, I take it as a personal thing....) so we'll have a department lunch for him on Thursday and have a beer Friday night after work. He's a gem and I will miss him horribly, but he is young and can shape his own future and I wish him well. It just makes me sad, though.

There were 20+ crows out back in the trees yesterday. They were having a meeting or a funeral or something. I researched it and crows will gather to look for mates and/or share information. They are smart birds. They are also loud birds. I wish I understood bird calls. I bet there were some very interesting conversations.

I made salsa last Friday and have been eating it every night for supper ever since. I gave a lot to my neighbor Justin since he came over to fix my toilet. (He ended up having to make two trips to the hardware store to fix it so it would work again.) Tonight I will finally finish it off. I think homemade fresh salsa has to be one of the best and healthiest things for you except when you eat it every night for five nights.

Sunday I will have Easter dinner here for my sister in law and my sons. She has surgery next week, so I figured she could use a decent meal. She thinks she is coming to have a sandwich. I will surprise her! The boys are not ones to turn down a real meal - so they will eat anything I produce. Smile. My oldest couldn't be here this last weekend - he was stuck in Omaha. Being a semi driver can suck sometimes, especially with the winds today. I hope he does OK. (I am glad he was not Baltimore when the bridge went down...) Normally when there is an incident where semis were involved, he will send me a text to tell me "that's not me" which I do so appreciate.

Apparently Norman is hungry for supper since he just slobbered my keyboard and zoomed in the screen - so off I go to feed the beast! Stay warm!