UNCLE JIMMY wrote:Macaroni salad, and mashed potatoes. ( I will make gravy for my potatoes ).
Good -- no need for a pat of butter then! Am laughing, but I know Tina meant well. Like me, she could've expressed herself a bit differently but she was just looking out for your health, I'm sure. But I did laugh at your "five hours" comment!
Brian woke up like a bear this morning. I said something to him and he didn't respond. I then asked, "Are you listening?" and he replied, "Yes, but I'm hurting." I replied, "Well, I'm sorry as I'm over here dancing through a field of daisies myself" (mornings and evenings are the absolute worse times for my back pain). Boy, he blew up at me, jumped out of bed, got dressed (fussing at me the whole time!) and headed downstairs.
I hated to holler down to him about 15 minutes later but I went out on the balcony and noticed that the neighbors' recycling cans were still out for pickup =and noticed that he'd forgotten to put ours out so I hollered down that if he felt up to it, there was still time to get ours out (it was really, really full). I thanked him when I saw him putting out the can from my perch on the balcony. A few minutes later back inside he announced, "Coffee time," which meant he was meeting me halfway on the stairs with a cup of coffee and a big glass of iced coffee that I use in the morning to take my pills. And shock of shock, he apologized to me for hollering at me as he said he was hurting and grouchy, and that I had said nothing wrong. I thanked him for the apology, and remarked how I wasn't used to hearing too many of them (!!!) and he said, "I know. I'm trying to be less annoying than I usually am and I'm trying to apologize when I'm an idiot." Must be 'cause we had our 38th anniversary on Saturday! Whatever the reason, it was really, really sweet and greatly appreciated.
Speaking of the balcony, we got a big storm yesterday (it hit a lot of states very very hard with tornados but we were lucky -- it just got dark as 9 p.m. and we got about 3 inches of rain on our rain gauge, which we needed). But today is GLORIOUS! It began in the low 60s and is now in the mid 70s -- and LOW HUMIDITY, my best friend! I put the cushions out on the balcony chairs so we can go out there later on and enjoy the gorgeous afternoon. It has already been ghastly hot a bit earlier than usual so this nice cool, dry day is a pleasant surprise.
Jazz Fest was this past weekend and also runs this Thursday thru Sunday. The weather was so bad yesterday that they postponed opening the fairgrounds until the storm had passed in early afternoon. Though it's pretty today, the fairgrounds infield will need a day or two to dry out. By Thursday, it will be hot again and I think more rain is expected. A couple of years ago, 2011 I think, Brian's late cousin Colleen, who lived in Salem, MA, came with a friend for the first week of the Fest and the weather was absolutely perfect -- just like today -- the whole time they were here. I was so glad. We were even able to go to dinner in the French Quarter in the evening and sit outside on the patio; they don't even open the patios for serving when it's hot and sticky! I was so glad as Colleen, who had been battling brain cancer, which had recently come back, died in early Spring 2013. We had soooo much fun while she was here and we remain friends with her friend Susan who stayed at our house with Colleen. Colleen was a pretty impressive person -- she retired in early 2012 -- had worked for the National Park Service for 31 years (she was 60 when she passed away), and retired as Chief of Marine and Special Programs at Salem Maritime National Historic Site. She loved her job and had devoted many long hours to planning and organizing the construction and operation of Friendship of Salem, a 171-foot replica of a 1797 East Indiaman. When she died, they cock-billed the Friendship of Salem's yards (dipped the yard arms nearest to the wharf downward at a steep angle) in Colleen's honor and they remained that way for a week. We couldn't go but we were told that never had the Maritime Museum seen so many staff and volunteers turn out for anything as they did for Colleen. There was a super article in the local paper there with the headline "Friendship has lost its Best Friend." Sorry to go on but it's nearing the four year anniversary of Colleen's passing and I just felt like bragging on her all of a sudden. Here's a pic of Friendship of Salem:
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