So another month went by. It's leaving us with a most welcome rain. I took Lulu for a walk outside and she got soaked! she does NOT like getting wet. Right now I took her out again, still raining quite heavily, and we got on the grass and she just sat down and refused to move! she's strange :)
OK here's what happened in November. It was a fairly quiet month for me. As a matter of fact there's not highlights to speak of. Both my daughters got to travel, although it doesn't seem like they had a ton of fun since it was work related. My grandson went to his first school related date.
My friends are all acting strange, Norbert is still obsessed, Jennifer still mourning the break up, and Lolin she's in pretty bad shape, she's in a wheel chair, half paralyzed from a stroke. So in comparison, my life is good :)
Lizzie was here the weekend after her birthday and we had a nice time, and a nice meal at Cha Cha's and at home. She had a birthday the 19th :)
Thanksgiving was just Marvin and I, and since it was dialysis day, we didn't do a lot of celebrating. But I wrote about it already.
So now here are the books I read this month:
Linda Francis Lee - the glass kitchen
Susan Wiggs - Candlelight Christmas
James Patterson - Private L.A.
Emma Straub - The Vacationers
Hester Browne - The Finishing Touches
Marivi Soliven- The Mango Bride
Sarah Strohmeyer - Bubbles Unbound
My favorites were The Mango Bride and The Glass Kitchen
And here are the movies I watched:
Girl on a Bicycle (2013) German
100% Cachemire (2013) French
The One I Love (2014) US
The Hundred Foot Journey (2014) US
St Vincent (2014) Bill Murray US
Le temps de l'aventure (2013) French
Menu degustacio (2013) Catalan
10 items or less (2006) US
Ismael (2013) Catalan
No Swedish movies yet Mia, although The Hundred Foot Journey was directed by a Swede Lasse Hallström
I am so happy that I am getting to watch some movies in Catalan!!! :)
Until next month!
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Another day
This year's Thanksgiving was pretty quiet. Marv had to go to dialysis 1 hour earlier, we took some muffins for the staff as a thank you for taking good care of him. There was hardly any traffic, everything was pretty quiet.
I got back home and since I woke up an hour earlier than usual, I decided to go back to bed, which I did, with Lulu laying on a towel by my feet. When I woke up it was around noon and I was going to take Lulu for a walk, but it was 90 degrees, so I decided it was too hot for both of us. I didn't know what to have for lunch, so I had some camembert-cranberry roll ups from Trader Joe's, I was going to open a bottle of Freixenet but I decided to wait till after I picked up Marv. I was going to bake a chocolate meringue pie, but I didn't have my favorite pie crust from TJ's, I would have sworn I had, so instead I watched a movie in the computer, a Catalan movie with Spanish subtitles !, it was called "Menu degustacio" or in English "Tasting Menu". I enjoyed the movie, the food, the scenery and of course the speaking in Catalan.
By the time it finished it was time to go pick up Marv, again no traffic. We got home and he was tired and had a snack, watched TV and went to nap. I opened my Freixenet and I told him we'd eat earlier because I didn't have much for lunch, so I cooked the roast turkey, made mashed potatoes, and green beans, and baked a frozen mini apple pie from Marie Callenders. We ate around 7PM. Then Lizzie called to wish us a Happy Thanksgiving :) Sandy had sent a Happy Thanksgiving text earlier in the day. I missed them and Tristan. but I'm looking forward to Christmas. Later I took Lulu for a walk around the neighborhood.
Today we had Thai for lunch, pho chicken noodle soup and egg rolls; for dinner I had leftover turkey and Marv had eggs and toast. Not much in the area of leftovers!
I talked to my friend Jennifer and asked her if she could come sometime and help me get the Xmas lights up. After his fall I am not asking Norbert to go up the ladder! I have not seen or talked to him very much lately anyway, although he called me today and he's doing OK, I had invited him for Thanksgiuving but he said he might go to Las Vegas, then decided not to. Whatever.
This evening I took Lulu to the park,she's so funny. She got all excited and couldn't wait to get in the truck. When we got to the park she walked around, sniffing everything and enjoying the walk. There were lots of geese and ducks and some other kind of fowls, they were loud and getting in the way. Lulu was totally oblivious to them! as if they were invisible. Didn't stop or look at them, nothing. A woman came by walking a large dog and then she acted really silly, flirty like. Then some kids came by and said what a cute dog and she just almost drooled of happiness. After a while she started pulling me with the leash and started walking really fast towards the pick up, she was in a hurry. We got in and drove home. When we got home she went to drink a gallon of water, then I had to walk her up and down the street till she did her business, right ion the front lawn.
Black Friday? not me. I can't think of anything I would hate more than go shopping on Black Friday!
So much nicer to take a walk in the park.
I got back home and since I woke up an hour earlier than usual, I decided to go back to bed, which I did, with Lulu laying on a towel by my feet. When I woke up it was around noon and I was going to take Lulu for a walk, but it was 90 degrees, so I decided it was too hot for both of us. I didn't know what to have for lunch, so I had some camembert-cranberry roll ups from Trader Joe's, I was going to open a bottle of Freixenet but I decided to wait till after I picked up Marv. I was going to bake a chocolate meringue pie, but I didn't have my favorite pie crust from TJ's, I would have sworn I had, so instead I watched a movie in the computer, a Catalan movie with Spanish subtitles !, it was called "Menu degustacio" or in English "Tasting Menu". I enjoyed the movie, the food, the scenery and of course the speaking in Catalan.
By the time it finished it was time to go pick up Marv, again no traffic. We got home and he was tired and had a snack, watched TV and went to nap. I opened my Freixenet and I told him we'd eat earlier because I didn't have much for lunch, so I cooked the roast turkey, made mashed potatoes, and green beans, and baked a frozen mini apple pie from Marie Callenders. We ate around 7PM. Then Lizzie called to wish us a Happy Thanksgiving :) Sandy had sent a Happy Thanksgiving text earlier in the day. I missed them and Tristan. but I'm looking forward to Christmas. Later I took Lulu for a walk around the neighborhood.
Today we had Thai for lunch, pho chicken noodle soup and egg rolls; for dinner I had leftover turkey and Marv had eggs and toast. Not much in the area of leftovers!
I talked to my friend Jennifer and asked her if she could come sometime and help me get the Xmas lights up. After his fall I am not asking Norbert to go up the ladder! I have not seen or talked to him very much lately anyway, although he called me today and he's doing OK, I had invited him for Thanksgiuving but he said he might go to Las Vegas, then decided not to. Whatever.
This evening I took Lulu to the park,she's so funny. She got all excited and couldn't wait to get in the truck. When we got to the park she walked around, sniffing everything and enjoying the walk. There were lots of geese and ducks and some other kind of fowls, they were loud and getting in the way. Lulu was totally oblivious to them! as if they were invisible. Didn't stop or look at them, nothing. A woman came by walking a large dog and then she acted really silly, flirty like. Then some kids came by and said what a cute dog and she just almost drooled of happiness. After a while she started pulling me with the leash and started walking really fast towards the pick up, she was in a hurry. We got in and drove home. When we got home she went to drink a gallon of water, then I had to walk her up and down the street till she did her business, right ion the front lawn.
Black Friday? not me. I can't think of anything I would hate more than go shopping on Black Friday!
So much nicer to take a walk in the park.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Fall
I know that comes as no surprise, but it is Fall in Southern California. By this I mean we have warm days and cool nights. The days are short and it gets dark by 4:30PM, but I guess I shouldn't complain about it because it gets a lot darker (and colder) in Sweden.
It will be Thanksgiving in a couple of days. Today we took 2 dozen muffins to the dialysis clinic, to thank the staff for the care they give their patients. Marvin and I are grateful for their professionalism and for making him feel comfortable .
This year it will just be us. He goes to dialysis at 10AM and will be done by 3PM. As you all know, we are not very traditional at Thanksgiving. Sandy is having some of Marty's family over, and Lizzie and Jeff will have some of his family over. I invited Norbert but he's going to Las Vegas.
Of course I had not decided what to have, I just didn't feel like cooking, and we wouldn't go to a Restaurant because is dialysis day. Yesterday we went to Costco, and I found something that is traditional plus it doesn't entail cooking...here it is!
It will be Thanksgiving in a couple of days. Today we took 2 dozen muffins to the dialysis clinic, to thank the staff for the care they give their patients. Marvin and I are grateful for their professionalism and for making him feel comfortable .
This year it will just be us. He goes to dialysis at 10AM and will be done by 3PM. As you all know, we are not very traditional at Thanksgiving. Sandy is having some of Marty's family over, and Lizzie and Jeff will have some of his family over. I invited Norbert but he's going to Las Vegas.
Of course I had not decided what to have, I just didn't feel like cooking, and we wouldn't go to a Restaurant because is dialysis day. Yesterday we went to Costco, and I found something that is traditional plus it doesn't entail cooking...here it is!
Roast turkey breast with turkey sausage and cornbread stuffing. It's already cooked all it needs is to heat it up. I will make fresh mashed potatoes and green beans and I will bake a chocolate meringue pie, and we also have fruitcake. I will let you know how it comes out :)
I will sign off for today with a picture of one of my rose trees in bloom taken today.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Bye Bye SSR
On Wednesday we sold the SSR. Marvin had been thinking about it for quite a while
I put a note in Craig's List and also in the SSR Forum advertising it for sale, but we didn't get any takers, so Marvin went to CarMax in Buena Park, and had it evaluated, then came home and we discussed it, he had hoped for a higher evaluation but was satisfied with the offer, and that same afternoon, we took it to CarMax and sold it. That way we avoided trying to deal with private buyers etc. It was a lot easier for us.
There were a few reasons to do it.
We haven't used it very much in the last 2 or 3 years, Marvin took it out a few times to go shopping, or when we went out for lunch. We don't take long trips anymore for obvious reasons. And I was never comfortable driving it, as a matter of fact, I never did drive it.
The insurance is quite high, and so are the repairs, tires etc. It had a couple of scratches that if we didn't fix right away would get worse and/or start rusting.
It took quite a bit of room in the driveway, and it was hard to move the 3 vehicles back and forth. It has been kept outside for the last couple of years, and before that it was in the garage, covered, and not in use.
With both of us not working and retired, selling it helped keep our joint checking balance a bit healthier. It was getting a little tight.
Marvin loved that car, he put quite a few miles in it. He got to take it to Utah a few times, and to San Diego, etc. He enjoyed it fully. As it is now, we still have the pick up and my Mustang, so we are not short of transportation :)
I put a note in Craig's List and also in the SSR Forum advertising it for sale, but we didn't get any takers, so Marvin went to CarMax in Buena Park, and had it evaluated, then came home and we discussed it, he had hoped for a higher evaluation but was satisfied with the offer, and that same afternoon, we took it to CarMax and sold it. That way we avoided trying to deal with private buyers etc. It was a lot easier for us.
There were a few reasons to do it.
We haven't used it very much in the last 2 or 3 years, Marvin took it out a few times to go shopping, or when we went out for lunch. We don't take long trips anymore for obvious reasons. And I was never comfortable driving it, as a matter of fact, I never did drive it.
The insurance is quite high, and so are the repairs, tires etc. It had a couple of scratches that if we didn't fix right away would get worse and/or start rusting.
It took quite a bit of room in the driveway, and it was hard to move the 3 vehicles back and forth. It has been kept outside for the last couple of years, and before that it was in the garage, covered, and not in use.
With both of us not working and retired, selling it helped keep our joint checking balance a bit healthier. It was getting a little tight.
Marvin loved that car, he put quite a few miles in it. He got to take it to Utah a few times, and to San Diego, etc. He enjoyed it fully. As it is now, we still have the pick up and my Mustang, so we are not short of transportation :)
It is what it is. It was Marvin's car, and it was his decision, and he's happy about it :)
On the way to CarMax...bye bye SSR
Thursday, November 20, 2014
A book in me (bis)
I didn't have anything to write about, so I decided to "steal" Sandy's subject. Hope she doesn't mind I'm a copycat.
Both my daughters are excellent writers, my youngest one is a poet and has had many of her poems published. I also marvel at their posts, they are descriptive, witty, just great. I am sure either one of them could write a book if they put their mind to it, and have the patience, the discipline, the drive and the time to do it.
I was a pretty good writer, in Spanish. In English, even though I am a teacher, I still have problems with my grammar and my sentences -only thing I excel at is my spelling and vocabulary- But I look at "A book in me" differently , I know I wouldn't be able to sit down and write a book of fiction. However I think that I'd like a ghostwriter to write about my life but in a fictionalized way, I think I have had a lot of different experiences that would make a pretty interesting reading. A lot of things you already may know, and a lot of things you don't, both from my life in Spain and in the USA.
It's not going to happen, but I have to confess I wrote an outline a few years ago, during one of my boring school meetings, and I kept refining it and adding to it. Nothing came out of it and I have no idea what happened to the outline. Maybe one day I will find it :)
Today I didn't do much (surprise!) but my rose trees in the front yard are blooming, and it made me happy! And I am looking forward to seeing LIzzie tomorrow, that makes me happy too :)
Both my daughters are excellent writers, my youngest one is a poet and has had many of her poems published. I also marvel at their posts, they are descriptive, witty, just great. I am sure either one of them could write a book if they put their mind to it, and have the patience, the discipline, the drive and the time to do it.
I was a pretty good writer, in Spanish. In English, even though I am a teacher, I still have problems with my grammar and my sentences -only thing I excel at is my spelling and vocabulary- But I look at "A book in me" differently , I know I wouldn't be able to sit down and write a book of fiction. However I think that I'd like a ghostwriter to write about my life but in a fictionalized way, I think I have had a lot of different experiences that would make a pretty interesting reading. A lot of things you already may know, and a lot of things you don't, both from my life in Spain and in the USA.
It's not going to happen, but I have to confess I wrote an outline a few years ago, during one of my boring school meetings, and I kept refining it and adding to it. Nothing came out of it and I have no idea what happened to the outline. Maybe one day I will find it :)
Today I didn't do much (surprise!) but my rose trees in the front yard are blooming, and it made me happy! And I am looking forward to seeing LIzzie tomorrow, that makes me happy too :)
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
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