SHORT ‘N SWEET GODDESSES, 2021

I missed your birthday, JoAnne—Happy Belated Birthday!

Sounds as if the country is freezing!  We had a crazy short lived but bad wind storm on Sunday—not too bad here but very destructive in some parts of town.  70+ MPH winds. 

Tomorrow I go to see a new dr—looking for a new primary care dr as mine seems to have just quit.

Wednesday is the second shot day so I made Bean/kale soup today to have on hand in case we don’t feel like working at cooking meals.  Made a quiche—veggie—for dinner tonight. First time I’ve made it in quite a while—was so yummy.  It has about 5 cups of veggies in it, 5 eggs, and 8 oz of cheese—no milk or cream—-hoping all the veggies offset that cheese!  LOL

I packed up 8 mugs over the weekend and have them ready to take to the PO tomorrow.  So fun—none of the recipients know I’m sending them a mug.  My son took a great picture of some of my mugs in the sun on my backyard fence and my DD had it made into a gift card enclosure for me.  Tomorrow my former yoga teacher should get her bunny mug as I mailed it on Friday—can’t wait—I think she is going to cry—it has a baby bunny in it—looks like her baby bunny she found and raised—may have already told you all about her and the fact that the bun died this year.  Sorry—I know I already did!  Oh well.  Sent my son a new little espresso cup with a spout for easier pouring.  

We ate the second broccoli out of the garden last night—was so tasty.  DH told me he will take over the gardening—oh I hope he does—it would be such a good hobby for him.  I’ve always wondered why he didn’t offer before.  I don’t mind doing tomatoes because they are all in pots but I hate getting down on the ground and kneeling so much to do the other—and there’s so =little space that I really find it uncomfortable.  I’ve suggested taking out the flat beds and getting two or three more really large pots and just do container growing—That would be so much easier. And things would grow better because of the deep soil available.  

Hope everyone is well.
It's rainy and drizzling today but it is getting warmer here now and we have had many sunny days recently.

I have been trying to get a vaccine appointment for my mom, it's really difficult because she doesn't want to have to go too far from her house. She isn't really in a hurry to get one and prefers to wait until it's more convenient for her. Hopefully, her county will be getting more vaccines soon.

Joan, yes I was at Columbia for 3 years for grad school. Loved it. SO and I took turns going back and forth every weekend between Philly and NYC.
Did you find a new dr? SO and I have to find a new eye dr now, we had been going to him for at least 10 years. I'm going to try to track him down first.
How did everyone like their surprise mugs?

We have also been dealing with sickness news. It's been a tough year. Well, at least SO was able to get his first vaccine shot here in the city, he got the Moderna vac. Had sore arm the next day.

I haven't been able to lose much weight, but at least it has stopped creeping up when I started using the stepper. I just need to cut down on the carbs, but these days it's hard to get rid off the comfort foods.

I am loving my dyson stick vaccuum. It is so easy to use I'm vaccuuming almost every 2-3 days, it drives me crazy now when I see dust/hair/crumb on the floor.

So, yes, Sue, I went to my new doctor and really like her.  SHe’s much younger than me which is good, I think she is Indian American, seems very smart, up to date—referred me to a cardiologist to check out my heart murmur—went this week and have an echocardiogram scheduled for April but the dr. Thinks it is a long way off from needing any attention in terms of valve replacement.  But this way we will have a baseline that is up to date—it’s been about 13 years since it was checked and we do not have those records.  She said my heart appears to be very healthy and strong.  So I have two women drs—-yay!

She also referred me to a nutritionist who whom I went yesterday.  We met for 1 1/2 hrs—I feel that I know a lot about foods and eating and still I can’t lose weight—but I learned several key things—also she set up My Fitness Pal to reflect the correct number of carbs and proteins and fats that she wants me to reach daily.  Three goals—lose about 15 #, reduce cholesterol by 20 pts and avoid being labeled prediabetic which could happen on next blood test without addressing this.  We will meet again in 3 weeks and I gave her access to my tracking in order to have her analyze what I am eating and give suggestions if necessary.  I will discontinue weighing daily—will do every Thursday only—that will be an adjustment but I know it’s a good choice.  DH has decided to try to join me in management of our eating.  So we have been having lots of discussion about what to eat and when.  He has been eating way too many frozen Amy’s dinners for lunch—She gave me a chart that I showed him—the processed junk totally impacts cholesterol and he is on meds for that for years.  

We are excited that DGD20 in NYC got her first Pfizer shot yesterday!  And the second is scheduled.  She is still working at the little takeout place so is considered a food service worker which in NY are eligible.  

I ordered a kiln—a baby kiln—meaning it is small for doing maximum of about 4 mugs and a couple small flattish plates.  But it’s main purpose if for testing glazes out—so excited—got a great deal because of a clay conference on line last week.  It will probably get here the end of May.  

We are having BF’s over tonight for first time in over a year—inside—to have dinner and play cards—yay!  We are both two weeks post shots so we can be together relatively safely!  

We are walking daily—such beautiful weather here—love springtime in Vegas! 

Oh, all but two of my mugs reached destinations—mailing the last one out tomorrow—one has arrived but my cousin has yet to pick it up at the PO because they are moving this weekend and PO is holding their mail.  Everyone loved theirs.  My friend in SC just got herS after three weeks but am shocked she did as I put her old address on by accident—SC figured it out after the homeowners returned it (very honest!) and forwarded it to her without sending it all the way back to me.  That was exciting news!  

Hi!

Well after more than 2 weeks of all day, every day on half a dozen websites and constantly refreshing I finally got my mom her first shot at a drug store 10 minute drive away from my sister's house. It was like winning the lottery. I can't believe how difficult it was and believe me when I am determined to do something I make sure it's done. My mom was about 55,000 on a list of 180,000 people who preregistered, and since the start of the vaccination period they are still only on the first 35,000 people.

Despite what Biden has said about all adults being eligible to have get a vaccine by April , the suburban towns around Philly say that it is impossible to actually get a vaccine without a drastic increase in supply from the state or fed govt. My mom's town said they won't get beyond phase 1A for another 5 months!!!

Philly's supply is not coming from the state but directly from the federal govt. FEMA set up a mass site a couple of weeks ago and I got an email to get my shot. I think it is because I have high blood pressure. So I was happy to get the Pfizer. I only had a slightly sore arm the next day.

Holly, I loved Gourmet magazine, I think it is better than Bon Appetit, its' closet rival back in the day.
Is your school opening up more yet for in person class?
Did you ever find out what was causing the pain in your right side?

My youngest nephew took this semester off. The isolation as a freshman in college really affected him and the last 12 months has taken its toll on him mentally. I hope he can go back to in person classes in the fall.

Joan, sounds like you are doing well with your new nutritionist. All the data and analysis is right up your alley! Glad your DH is on board with this as well. Frozen dinners, even Amy's, are really not healthy and to me, never filling. When I first went on a diet in the early 90's I lived on Lean Cuisine.
Let us know about WI tomorrow!

I have lost a little, edging down on the carbs. My rice bowls had been getting bigger and bigger, so I'm now using a different bowl.

Well, SO keeps selling his books, he has more than 500 listed on ebay. Each of his books generally sell between $150-250, one set sold for $1800! He is also still painting.

We are both getting our second shots within the next 2 weeks, then about 2 weeks after that we are going to Tucson to look at some houses. Yikes! We haven't traveled in so long. SO is determined to look at 2 particular houses. There is such a short in supply, houses are selling fast. Hopefully, there won't be a surge from variants.

Oh my gosh—the shot situation sounds terrible for your mom’s area, Sue.  April 5 they are opening ours up to 16 and up. I wish they would go 50-65 first.  Seems like such a huge group.  But they are adding more sites here.  It was a stretch for many of my neighbors to get signed up—mostly because the web sites were overwhelmed.  But almost all my friends are now done.  Hoping my DD in CA gets one—she is on a waiting list—CA does that so that when people are no shows they can call people to show up right away.  

Hoping to get our whole group done before July!  Seems like a pipe dream tho.

Holly, your book—gentleman in Moscow is one of my all time favorites.  I love the writing and the character.
I just read Olive Kitteridge and Olive Again.  Also We Run the Tides.  All were good.

this time switch has me so tired—why does it affect me this much==just an hour and it seems it throws me off!

Wow, the book sales are amazing, Sue!  We want to go to Tucson—One of our neighbors just sold their house and are moving back to Tucson—they came from there about ten years ago and now he’s retiring.  We are going to Sacramento April 25-28–DGD20 is coming home from NY for 6 days—we are going to surprise her and her sister by showing up the second day she is home.  Then we will see DGS20 in Reno also on the way there—for lunch together.  

Hoping for a good weigh in—yes, Sue, I can intellectualize this eating and take it to statistics and it seems to work for me!  I’m eating almost no fruit—only one apple a day and a half cup of blueberries about every other day.  My carbs are way down.  

It’s so good to hear from both of you—I’m excited for you to take a trip, Sue!  

Another mass killing—when is it going to end?