Mustard Flowers on Farm,

Mustard Flowers on Farm, Washington Wallpaper

Love the art couldn't find a jpg print to add. There were many for sale.

The hills are covered with yellow mustard flowers

I went to the Farmers Market and to supermarkets this morning to get speciality items like leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, marble rye bread, crumpets, a bagette, a bagle,shallots, butternut and spagetti squash and strawberries and noticed the mustard is all in bloom.

It makes me so happy to go to the Farmer's Market. I have to take my knives to be sharpened. I like the grocery store too but it's not the same.

Napa will be selling and holding it's mustard festival soon. Scallions are up and 18 varieties of almonds are available.

Remember Dad eating scallions whole? I can't even eat them raw. Kit's of people put them in salad. (Michael you don't have to worry about this1)

I also got brie, fontina swiss and sundried tomato, pesto,cream cheese spread for the meeting. I need to make pita chips.

The fontina I'll use along with cheddar and cream for potatoes.

I'll make 2 souffles one lemon and blueberry and the other, cauliflower and broccoli.

My blood pressure has been high despite the atenolol.

It's such a beautiful day I opened all 3 screen doors and the blinds are all open. My johnny jumpups, yellow and purple and primroses, yellow and purple, pink and white I bought in Oct. are showing their happy faces out front.

Read picked up some dropped fruit, squose my o.j. and a lemon for the siuffle and made the souffle...boy is it lemony...o.k. maybe I did put an extra T but I;m not sure it sure is sweet thpigh and I;m pooped NO STAMANIA
My back brace helps

My feet are sore though.

When you get to be a certain age "the girls" head south. The bigger they are the faster they go. One you take a bra off forget about it....but having a back brace won't let them sink so I have some nightgown cleavage to share with Lacey.

I have to rest between souffles...maybe a day. It was funny I forgot to put on the whisk beater first and had to change it. Even with all these modern conveniences, a mixer, juicer, food processor. I'm tired. Time to put my feet up.

There were a lot of steps, juicing, making a lemon pudding with sugar and cornstarch and zest and the egg whites....:-) Won't do that one again.
My other souffle recipe is tried and true.

I've got a chicken cooking for stock and a butternut squash for soup I forgot to mention that!I also have to saute leeks fir my potato leek soup and spinach for the eggs florenteen.

The girl scouts have arrived selling cookies. I like the lemon sandwich and shortbread. I ordered at school and her dad told me I had a leak on my water valve and my wood was rotting. .... (thought I could just paint it) I knew the bill was 20. more time to call the plumber.

He's the type of neighbor whose jeans ride low and show the crack to all when he bends over. The best thing he's done is marry Michaela and adopt Rosemary, a beautiful bi-racial 3rd grader.

Had my first asparagus of the season. I love thise packages you slit, cook for 5 min in the micro or boil and eat, There are green beansm baby carrotsm baby zuchini and now asparagus.

I also got a bunch of the real asparagus that was on sale.

I made this potato, onion,mushroom dish for dinner with cream and cheese (guerere, fontina and parm.)

Now onto peeling the butternut squash, talking the seeds out and pureeing it for soup.

I like this. It's rich in beta caradine but when we made soup in crockpots at school no one voted for this one. Lentil and split pea went over well though.

Donating

Finally vacation~ A little late but I gor red and pink cyclamin and pink and pinker azala's and a pin lilly today.

I may go in Tues.

Instead of donating my clothes to GoodWill and Career Closet, I've been taking warm clothes to the clothes closet at school and to the church, Sacred Heart, Sacrada Familia, they have a food pantry and stuff on hangers for people to select from like a store.

It makes me sad to see kids at school with no jackets. I have a lot of tennis shoes too.

I worked for 3 hrs. last night on my book list. It's up to 900.00. I have 21 to spend.

Got a new copier at wk. yesterday. I had decided not to buy one at 1,300. but it showed up without me ordering it. It/s convenient to have it in the office and saves time.

Did some shelving with a student one sharp one not boy is he slow.

Cleaned up the upside down books, those out of place, backwards...there were a lot of them.

Made a red stuffed pepper for dinner.

Gonna make a blueberry lemon cobbler today. The recipe is in Feb. Bon Appetite. Just subscribed to Gourmet.I need to squeeze some more oranges.

I'd like Vegetartan Times and Cooking Light, Oprah and

Martha Stewart Living

.

Doing the laundry and time to cook breakfast. Lacey is on my lap with the laptop. When she feels left out she wants to walk across the keys. That's only happened once. today.

She is not too demostrative. For the most part, I have to catch her to cuddle or pet her but she does come to snuggle and recently she's decided she likes to sit on me.

I went to the grocery store to stock up for next week's librarian's meeting. I signed up for treats knowing everything would be 1/2 price. I got kisses, plates, napkins, will make oastmeal rasin cookies, veggies from the farmer's market and dip, pits chips or tortillas and pine nuts with hummus (garpanzo bean and garlic and tahini with a little lemon)another dip, and water.

At the farmer's market they have this marbel rye bread I love. I'm looking forward to a week off. I can cook. I'll do a souffle of either cauliflower or broccoli. Chicken is on sale for .69 so I'll make and chicken stock and some soup. I love potato leek.

I got vegetarian potstickers. yum

Did you know no to store potato and onions in the same basket? I wonder if in the same pantry is o.k.

I got my prescription filled at Safeway last time and this time at Safemart. It look 45 minutrs. I couldn't believe this woman. She wasn't going t o fill it because she was missing a number. I gave her my social security number she got the nymber and volia. She didn't know what she needed from me though only that she was missing a number. This chick got through pharmacy school. I was ticked. I popped a stronger hydrocodone on the way out of the store and that helped my back.

Bob and Pat and Michael are attending an Elder Hostel program on St. Simeon's Island and Savannah. Wish I was going. I really like Savannah and my time in each spot was too short. I love the hanging moss. It's been in the 90's this week there that's a bit hot for me.

Here it's in the 70's that's perfect with a bit of sun. The hills are there winter bright green and golden is far away from the ming. They are so beautiful. Soon the mustartd will bloom its yellow flowers. Fortunately all these trees and flowers in bloom doens't make me sneeze.

Happy Valentines Day!

I need some flowers and a Valentine. Armando is freezing and working in Indianapolis till March.

The trees are snowing pink blossoms and the kids are making Valentines with the flowers I scored yesterday. I have 4 colors or 5 and I made mini boquets for a teacher I like, the bookkeeper, who I try to not tick off, the attendance clerk, my Assistant, and for the kids I gave them school "bucks".

The kids got chocolate brownies. I only had 5 kids for making Valentine's and only 2 for the literary magazine. I was there an extra hr. I'll give the Burger King gift certificate to one who made one for his mom who works 3 jobs and whose uncle killed himself 2 days ago.

I go to the chiropractor today. I have been working my tail off on the computer so my neck and shoulders ache. I got referred to a new Dr. too.

I sent off my Christmas/New Years photos as well. I made a Valentines posstcard too on snapfish.

I had some chocolate and a nap and now I feel like I can function some more.

I found out we print 50 copies of the magazine and borrow the money from an acct. and repay it after the sales.

Asparagus is on sale.


I made scallops with sherry, mushrooms, lemon and risotto for dinner.

With break starting Monday and my need to get my list done to purchase over break and get all my book fair books cataloged and the literary magazine ready to be sent to the printer I need twice the time. The regular stuff gets done too.

I figured I would haul my stuff home over break and work on my book order over break. I'll borrow a workbook from a seminar I missed to help. The English dept. head went but I didn't see the notice. It also was 700. and I felt guilty goin, didn't know the other librarian's were going or that the district would fund it.

Ya gotta know the questions to ask No-One offers anything!!! (I knew that)

I just got the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the Caldicott winner and need to go to the library to pick it up.

Just finished one by Iris Johanson called

Pandora's Daughter

. and am starting the latest Spenser novel. I also need to read Body Surfing because my LIBRARY ASSIsTANT challenged me on the content.

Armando called me last night and we spoke for an hour or three. He almost talked me to sleep in Spanish. He's working hard in Indianapolis 12 hr. days.

He says there are a lot of black people there, not too many whites or Mexicans. I laughed. I told him the white people were there but they moved to the suburbs just like in D.C.

Free for all

4x a year the school district opens up trailors to all its teacgers to grav stff.. You never know what is there and today I got KLEENEX, POST IT's, scrap paper, c/d;s floppies, pendaflex, manala folders, flowers, handing folders, a desk chair, a plastic thing to cover the desk organizers, book cases, file cabinets, t.v.s. copy paper, a plastic thing for under the desk, or a high chair,and mailing folders. You grab it , fill the box u bought or 2, and put on the card u brought and load it up. The first time they gave all new teachers a 30 min lead. I was in and out in 15 or 20 min.

There was also an English department meeting.

The Spenser novel, jesse Stone novel is

Stranger in Paradise

I didn't even stop for lunch I was so busy cataloging and everything else. More books came today too. It was an early release day so I got to eat my salad during my meeing. I wore my back brace all day. That and my pillow on my chair helped.

Then I went to the dentist for a new crown.

I decided to hold a Valentine's contest. I got paper, glue, flowers, and gifts. We'll see if anyone comes.

My red Starbuck's thermos was leaking so I got fed up and return it again and this time changed the model...stay tuned.

If I know IHOP was giving away free pancakes I would have gone, I thought Gwen was just having some in Columbia!!

I could do without

pictures of poop in the potty. I'm glad there is progress for Clare. My friend's son just goes on the floor because she does not diaper him on the weekend to force/encourage him to use the potty.

Glad I'm not attached to this.

There was a nice Dora the Explorer book at the Book fair for $29.99 but after hearing about Gwen's garage sale finds for .99 I didn't spend the money. She is the bargain and remake princess.


The weather the last 4 days has been in the 70's.

There were strawberries at the Farmers market for 4.00 a basket and blueberries in the store for 1.99. The market had bread, cookies,fish, cauliflower, broccoli, apples, oranges, flowers, lemons, carrots, leeks. potato, onion and a few other things. I got oatmeal raisin cookies and carrots.

I think I'll make either a cauliflower or broccoli souffle.

I love going to the Farmers Market!

Went to the chiropractor today. There was less to "crack".

Doing my book order this week, during break too for the year. Know any YA titles?

Working hard

Trying to get all the book fair books cataloged, a spread sheet made, new TA's trained,some less able than others,and everything else I do, the literary magazine is about to put it over the top.

Fortunately, the volunteers are actually showing up and I have some library groopies that help me after school. In addition, I tell the kids that have fines they have to pay or work it off.

I'm making the sirlon mushroom recipe in balsamic vinegat marinade from the Post.

Picked my own oranges today

Nice to save some cash growing your own. I have 2 trees so a lot of fruit. Not so many lemons.

I forced myself up at 10.

Read a book today, Bungalow 2, and cooked risotto with mushrooms, potatoes with heavy cream and cheese and carmelized onions and cube steak. I

need to do some watering outside.
My sweetpeas are drying out,roses are in bloom.

I think I have a leak in the float of the master br toliet. Armando kinda fixed it but I did too and I still think that is why my water bill was 20. higher.

Now its's 1 a.m. night....

Had to pick someone up at 10, got gas, got the dexk and tard cleaned up and roses trimmed. Then he mpced a heavy box of decorations back nto the garage.

Got my shopping done. I also got dome brake fluid but when I went to put it in all looked fine so I';; take it back.

It's been awhile since I checjed transportation prices. WOW. air, train or bis are all about the same.

All the fruit trees are in bloom

Well my literary magaine might actually get off the ground at school. No-one has been showing up. Finally, I called a mandatory lunch meeting. 2 showed. I may have 3 more. We have to type, compile and print by the end of the month. I have no idea how many to print that we might sell....60, 100,150? The school population is 900 or so.
I've got to talk to some of the teachers who have done it in the past.
No-one else volunteered. It is a non extra pay job. I didn't know how busy I'd be this time of year.
we sell them to students and parents on back to school night in april.

Took a nap when I got home. Actually, I was on the computer reading the NY Post Page 6 and fell asleep.

For my birthday I got this great hot chocolate mix from Serendipity 3 in NYC from my Soft Surroundings catalog along with a lavender neck roll to heat booties and an eye cover. I finally got around to making the hot chocolate. I rarely have milk in the frig. Its suposted to be frozen 1 c milk, 3 c ice but it's cold out so i used a bit of 1/2 and 1/2 and 4 c of fat milk and heated it, Considering it is nonfat milk in the choc. mix it was really good.


Don't know where they money comes from either? maybe they print them for free?

I'm playing bridge on-line, it's almos 4 a.m. I need to sleep.

R and R

I took 3 hrs off this morning and slept in. It was great. I felt better.

I had stayed up till 5 reading T is for Trespass , which was good, then I couldn't get to sleep thinking and worring about how I spent the 2100. proceeds from the book fair and my assistant.

I nap when I come home.

My back feels better. I took a pillow in for my chair and that helps too.

It was so beautiful here today I only needed a sweater.

My friend Inna, a special ed. teacher was not invited to return next year.

Tax time. I need to get all my papers together. I kinda do.

I couldn't get to sleep after 2 hrs of trying to align my chakras and stop my mind from racing so I took a sleeping pill at 3 and woke like a slug at 7.

The Dr. said the MRI showd a 3 mm bulge and protrusion on my c5-6 disk and a 1mm disc protrusion on T8-9 So basicly I have less pain, I got my meds on hydrocordozone uped and I am limited to lifting 15 lbs. and sitting standing for 2 hrs. I also got another referral to a Dr. for this new super sharp stabbing pain that hits me when I walk. It makes me want to sink down ont the spot. Fortunately, it only lasts a moment but for that moment it has you thinking I can't even get to the phone. What do I do now. Then, it's gone.

TGIF

The spring bulbs are blooming

Armando is in Indianna freezing and we are pushing 60.

The book fair is finally over and I'm working on the financials. We took in 3900. then you have to subtract the sales tax and get x for all these hoops we jumped through. The bottom line is I get 125. of free under the table books. and can take another $2100.00 in books from the sale for our library. It is a hard way to make money. I did not rest my back.

Yesterday the chiropractor said I looked exhausted and I had slept 11 hrs the night before. I need a day off maybe a long weekend...I'll take Friday as mental health.

We have a week from the 17th to the 24th off too. I'll get my car and taxes done.

Couldn't care less when the Super Bowl is

or who is playing but it has been brought to my attention that Boston and New york are at odds and it might be this weekend. I do like the half time commercials and sometimes the show.

My back is killing me. The chiropracter doesn't work, the drugs don't work, rest helps but I have been at work putting on the Book Fair. We seem to be doubling the money each day. It's a lot of work though.

I had a pantry made and it is done and due to be delivered and installed this weekend.

Armando is in LA for work.

It's been cold and rainy and we've had our annual snow on them there hills at 1500 ft. elevation. Since we just see it in the distance and don't have to shovel or drive through it, it's pretty.

Book Fair

I'm getting ready for the annual Scholastic Book Fair. We have Mon. off and Tues is an in service day. All the containers should arrive on Wed and on The followwing Monday they come. We hope to made a thousand dollars or so

I got upgraded to Vicodin for my back.

rain and cold

We've just begun and I'm already tired of it. There is snow on the hills.

Armando may go to LA for business.
He promised to help me take down the Christmas tree and put up the ornaments. Then again, he promised to help me roll out christmas cookies too and frost them.

Once he told me that he apsolutely was going to stop drinking. That lasted one day. He siad he was the kind of person that once he decides to do something, that's it. well I see how acurate that was...like me and loosing weight.

Glad to have a new raincoat

With 5' of snow in the mountains I'm glad I'm not on the roads or traveling.

It poured yesterday and just to go 15' from one building to another with a huge umbrella I was drenched from my knees down from the blowing rain. The kids were soaked.

The last two days have been difficult physically on my back. By the end the the day I was ready to head home.

Had some comfort food, pasta last night and may make bread and beef stew tonight. Stick to your ribs stuff.

I took the wreaths down on the front doors, Now it's time for the tree and all the decorations. It's 3 kings day tomorrow. I may make a 3 kings cake - la rosca de reyes with apples. (actually it would be a good thing to do with cranberries or those dried nectarines I don't like. It's a yeast bread.

I went out on the patio to pick a lemon for my tea and was soaked. Lacey is so funny. She wants to go out and explore but doesn't want to get her feet wet so she shakes them every step.

Back to work

I should have left a list of all the things I was in the middle of because I can't remember all of them. That's what day timers are for. I had to pause to remember all the passwords I use here too.

At least there are kids to take down the Christmas decorations here.
Well I have someone at home too to take them down. Boy were the boughs dry when we tossed them from the table in the library. Glad Armando has been giving my tree at home a lot of water. Not that I think that will help much.

I have a physical therapy apt. today and I can already feel the strain in using the keyboard and lifting.

I went to the chiropractor at 3 by then I was wrecked. He put on ice and heat in 2 places and cracked my neck and hip back into alignment. It felt better like the energy flow was improved, My endorphins were flowing and I felt dizzy if I didn't puke. I was sweating like in labor when he pushed down on my back.

I was glad to get home.

I go back tomarrow.

...the last day

I go back to school tomorrow. Vacation was nice and the 2 weeks went quickly.

Today after physical therapy I saw the Dr and now start seeing a chiropractor too.

My back seems to be better but I am still limited to lifting 15 lbs. I'm sure that will thrill my assistant.

Marilyn's son Jesse is coming to stay 2 nights a week rather than commute and hour each way from Berkeley to his job in San Jose. He works 6 to 6.
He's an electrician.

I'm going to replace the fixture I put up before Christmas and return it and today Armando painted the area and sanded, not in that order, so it's ready to go. Unfortunately the color paint I got was not quite what I had before. 10 years later sometimes they just don't make the same ones. I had a book on all my household stuff I don't know were it got to.

He also painted some wood near the door on the patio and the mailbox flag. Last time he painted it white not knowing the flag was red.

My pantry maker came today and I got to show him a picture the had space for cookie sheets and cereal boxes on their sides. I compromised and made it only 28 in deep and 3 ft wide.

I decided I'll take my lobster straight or in better not in carrots and celery and shallots..it takes away from the glory of the lobster.

Happy New Year 2008

Wishing everyone a healthy and safe New Year.

We left Karen's shortly after the ball dropped.

She and her boyfriend, an Israeli and his mom were there with his 2 kids and her son Max.

Got up just in time to miss the parade, finished my book and started Rosie's Celebrity Detox. I had a bagle and some fresh squeezed tangerine juice and a bath. Then I made a high rise apple pancake.

Armando's roommate is over and they are being macho over the grill lighting wood from by bushes and adding lighter fluid to self lighting charcoal because they say it may be damp. (It was inside)

THEY ARE MAKING CARNE ASADA, sausages and ribs. Such a healthy way to start the year. They forgot my caso fresco.(cheese) Aren't you glad you tutored me in Spanish on the bus Karen!

I have carnitas and tortillas and made a salad. Later, I'm making lobster!

New Year's Eve

Happy Birthday Aunt Mary Helen 78 years young.

I had Armando's brother, wife and baby over for dinner last night. I made a pork shoulder roast with dried chili, salt, oregano and pepper in the rub then garlic, a head, more chapolte chili's dry and 3 more poblano. I cooked it for 375 in 2 c chicken stock. rico.

It took 4 adults to keep that baby fret less. She likes to hit and when I stop her she cries...too bad,,everyone but mom stops her. I got salsa lessons too. Cute baby girl though. She is walking more. She loves Lacey. Lacey isn't so enamoured; and runs away.

Today I went to breakfast with my 3 library friends to celebrate my birthday. It's nice to get together quarterly and catch up. Then I was off to physical therapy.

After holding the baby and running around all yesterday my back was killing me. They had me on a bike with my arms. then current and ice in 3 spots, my lower back, my middle back and my neck. I go back 1/2, then see the Dr.

Tonight we are going over to my friend Karen's, the immigration attorney, to celebrate and welcome the new year. We're bring crab and tidbits including hunus with pine nuts.

Lost a day

I thought yesterday was Thursday. I think I blew off a physical therapy appointment yesterday which turned out to be Friday. I couldn't figure out why the newscaster wished us a good weekend.

Armando cleaned up the yard in preparation for the rain. Haven't seen it yet.

I ran out of meds. I called Kaiser and fortunately I have one refill on record so I can pick it up tomorrow.

I'm making risotto with crab and mushrooms. You heat chicken broth, fortunately I have somemade on hand. Then you get arborio rice and saute in butter and add a cup of broth. Saute diced onion in olive oil, the oil should be warm first. This cooks for about 7 min. Add 11/2 c. rice to the pan and stir until all the grains are coated. Then add a sovion blanc of wine. Add chicken stock one half cup at a time. Stir and add a bit of salt. I like to add mushrooms too. As the rice gets thick add more broth, stir in this softens the starch. Add parmasean cheese about 1/3 c. and crab and asparagus or peas stiring constantly ,add cream. Top with cheese. This should be creamy. Add butter, stir and cover for 5 min.

I need to make a run to the store I took all my food to Marilyn. She is so infirm and in such a tiny community I want her to have stores for when the power goes out. Her roomate eats it. Marilyn has someone who cooks and delivers meals 3x a week. Armando said she eats a lot and seems hungry. She is tall and skinny and frail.

I'd like to get a tiny kitchen aide food processor.

I want Lobster for New Years. Armando probably prefers carne asada. He made it for us in Trinidad.
May do a lobster gratin with macaroni and carrot and celery, butter, cheese, basil, thyme in a bouquet garni, cubes sauteed lobster mixed with this cream sauce and topped with more. Put under the broiler and voila...heaven..

I thought my t.v. hit the dust last night but the sleep setting turned it off. I had visions of buying a new t.v. today.

I'm watching my cooking shows.