In Memory

 

Review: Stouffer's Rigatoni with Chicken & Pesto

 This quick freezer meal was quite tasty and quick to make.  

I won't be having it again tho as my pesto in the freezer is much better.  Doesn't take much time to whip this up to have better and more.

They Made It!

Our medical gifts have made it to the Ukraine!  Our prayers are that they make a difference and are an encouragement too. 

Yeah... SO feeling it!

Flash of Red

 

There's been a lot of activity outside my window... 

...one of the cardinals is nesting in the bush.

They are always hungry so Mama makes a lot of trips.  It's been fun watching them.  I'll miss them when they leave the nest in a few days.

Don't Waste Your Money

 I keep a few frozen meals in the freezer for those days I'm too tired or lazy to cook.  My selections have gotten a bit boring lately so I picked up a few new products to try.

This photo says it all...  It was disgusting.

Roasted Cabbage Steaks

 

Roasted Cabbage Steaks

2 small cabbage heads (small = more tender)

3 tbsp. olive oil (or as much as you need to completely coat them)

salt to taste

paprika

garlic powder

 

Instructions

 Cut the stems off the cabbage heads and then cut each one in half, then in half again. You should have four flat discs of cabbage that are about ¾ to 1 inch thick from each head. Place the cabbage steaks on a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper, allowing some space between each one to even cooking.

 Brush the cabbage with the olive oil, coating them thoroughly. Then generously sprinkle the salt, garlic powder, and paprika on the cabbage steaks. Flip the cabbage over and repeat, brushing them with oil and sprinkling the seasonings.

 Bake the cabbage steaks at 400°F for about 30 minutes, until the leaves are browned and the center is tender. Serve hot out of the oven.

"The Wave" ~ Ergonomic Computer Keyboard

Himself started having issues with a wrist the beginning of this winter, serious enough to warrant cortisone shots every 6 weeks (OUCH).  One of the possible causes we investigated was his computer keyboard.  We found out that "The keyboard, in particular, is the main culprit behind Repetitive Strain Injuries and wrist pain."

 Hmmmmm...

 So a bit of researching lead me to an ergonomic keyboard on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MMY4WY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

  

 Weird looking thing.

  

But I could see where it could have its merits.  After all, one's fingers aren't the same length...

  

I gave it a shot and bought the one linked above.  It was love at first key-stroke!

 I wish I could say it fixed the issue for him but the damage was done.  But it hasn't progressed either.  I believe if he'd had this keyboard from the start he would not have a surgery scheduled in a few weeks.

 

 

At The Speed of Light

 

Sometimes it is great to be blue.  Recently we finally were able to join the 21^st century of internet service.  We now have fiber optic service on brand new lines supplied by our electric company’s spin-off business “Cumberland Connect Fiber”. 

When I moved out to The Sticks in June 2008, I found out that our in-town internet provider ATT didn’t provide internet service to the entire area we lived in.  But they assured me they would be in my location “soon”.  They still aren’t out here.

We had one choice of a provider for cable service… Charter (now Spectrum).  For 13 years, 6 months, 2 weeks and some odd days we have put up with:

 ~spotty phone service (calls not coming through, disconnecting while talking, heavy static, etc),

~on and off internet every day (up to 50 times a day),

~no internet when it rained, or was windy, or snowed,

~snail slow down loads & uploads (lots of timing out),

~TV service that would pixelate or freeze every single time we tried to watch.  About 5 or 6 years ago we gave up; I cancelled our TV service.

We had technicians out constantly.  The drop-line from pole to house was replaced, lines in the house checked & fiddled with, we had more modems than I could count replaced and so on.  My favorite “repair” was done regularly by “Mark” who would say he’d “set it to the middle”.  When I asked “set WHAT to the middle?”, his mumbled reply sounded rather like “the Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator”.   

After over 30 service calls, I just quit calling.  Seriously, if it wasn’t fixed after all that… it wasn’t going to get fixed.  I got that truth from a tech on his last week of work who told me the lines which ran through some woods about a mile from our house were probably damaged from years of dropped branches hitting them and they would not be replaced any time soon.

Uh-huh…

I had the BEST time when I called to disconnect our service.  The representative basically begged me to stay.  Offered a really great rate - for one year.  Offered free premium TV channels - for a year (right... with service so bad I wouldn't be able to watch).

After saying 'No, nay, never!' over and over, he asked in a rather crabby tone "What did our competitor say to get you to switch?"

I answered, "We're here!!"

So good riddance Charter/Spectrum.  We don't miss you at all!

Free National Park Passes for Veterans, Active Duty, and Gold Star Families

   In searching options for a National Parks Pass, I discovered that veterans and Gold Star families can get a FREE yearly pass.  And sometime in “later 2022” there will be a free LIFETIME pass offered.

 

Not letting this sweet deal pass us by, we headed over to the office at Cheatham Dam to get ours.  It only took  a few minutes (I had to show Himself’s military ID card) to do. 

This link takes you to the site for the information, including where the nearest location for you to get one

 https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/veterans-and-gold-star-families-free-access.htm