Goodbye Marie

5 years ago, a friend who worked with my Husband for years, retired from Walmart.

Almost immediately, we set up a trip on the Red Line, to Langer's Deli, which you can read about HERE.

This opened up a new world to the recently retired person and she ran with it, taking friends and others to places, via the Red Line subway.

She then decided to be an Uber and Lyft driver, to make money to go on exotic trips to Mexico.

It got to the point when she was rarely in Santa Clarita...then suddenly, it stopped.

She had some bad health problems and had to stay in Santa Clarita for treatment.

She had looked like she was past the worst of it, when suddenly the Coronavirus came calling.

I personally do not think she died of it, but I think she was a person who maybe could not get the treatment she had been getting, due to being unable to visit Doctors, Hospitals, etc.

As with so many things right now, there will be no service for her, until maybe August.

She has joined the love of her life, Fred, in heaven.

God speed to you, Marie.

All The Roses In My Back Yard

I took this photo at the end of the April/May show, that I have been documenting.

Most have reached the end of their profuse blooming spring cycle.

In this very hard time, the roses have been my savior. Making me want to go out and see how they are doing, each day.

Onward to the heat of the summer. Sigh...

Victoria And Puget Sound

My Water Post For Today.

My final "Alaska" themed post is from Puget Sound, outside Victoria, British Columbia.

It is just in shades of blue and the water is so very calm.

You can just barely see the dock at the very bottom of the photo and 3 boats, doing what boats do, in The Sound.

A calm end to my mini-series.

I hope you enjoy.

Totals: Week 8 Of Quarantine

First off, Happy Mother's Day to the Mothers.

We are still holding our own, at the angel house. Still healthy and still staying home, for the most part.

Quarantine Week 8

Toilet Paper: 33 rolls left of the 40 roll score, from 3 weeks ago. Add to that the 12 Costco Rolls and the 15 rolls in the emergency supply and we are still rolling in TP.

Paper Towels: We scored with a web order on Costco dot com. 12 rolls! That was on top of 6 rolls of a no name brand at Vons, which was the first time I saw any paper towels in their store. We have the 5 rolls left from our original stash, so all is well with that.

Tissues: I used 2 packages of my stash, since some of the other ones ran out this week. That leaves 4 boxes in the closet.

Soft Soap: A large bottle under the sink in the bathroom. In addition I still have 2 new Lavender bottles that I got at Rite Aid. We are set, for quite a bit.

Wipes are the same as last week, thanks CVS.

Meat: I made a major score of 4 Chicken Breasts this week. I cooked 2 of them and placed the other 2 in the freezer I also got 2 Lamb Shoulder chops and Pork Sausage (because it was on sale) both went into our freezer. I still saw no meat shortage here in LA.

The inventory of our freezer hasn't changed too much. Several packages of pork and a package of lamb. 4 NY Strip Steaks.

Once again, the main reason we went shopping this week, is for some fresh produce. Fortunately, Vons finally got a delivery this week. Hubby is happy.

Pantry is, thankfully, still full of staples.

California started opening up a little bit, though we will continue to stay at home. I hope you are holding your own in these very unsettled times.

Peanut Butter Cookies

When I wrote the post about the Peanut Butter Banana Bread, I realized that I forgot to showcase the wonderful peanut butter recipe I found online.

What makes them so good is the fact that you put baking soda into the dough, to give them a crunchiness that most peanut butter cookies lack.

I ended up getting 4 dozen cookies from this batch and we are still eating them.

Recipe is from gimme some oven

Peanut Butter Cookies

Instructions

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
(optional: 1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling the dough balls)

Directions

Prep your oven and cookie sheet. 350˚F and parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.

Mix the wet ingredients. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in peanut butter until it is incorporated and smooth. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl down after each addition.

Add in the dry ingredients. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients until they are just incorporated and the batter is smooth, being careful not to over-mix.

Form your dough balls. Form the dough into 1.5-tablespoon round balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. (If you’d like, you can roll each of these balls in a bowl of granulated sugar before adding them to the baking sheet.) Press a criss-cross pattern into each dough ball with a fork to flatten slightly, being sure that each dough ball is at least 2 inches apart.

Bake. For about 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers are slightly puffy. Remove from the oven, and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool.

Enjoy! Serve warm, or store in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I had bananas, I am enjoying the peanut butter cookies I made last week and so I decided to find a recipe for a bread that incorporates both. It turned out delicious.

From Simply Recipes:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 to 3 very ripe bananas, peeled
1/3 cup (74g) melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk, (whole, 2 percent or even a nut milk works)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (200g) sugar
1/2 cup (113g) creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 cups (191g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (143g) chocolate chips

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray or grease a 4x8-inch loaf pan very well.

2 Make the batter: Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl using a fork. Whisk in the melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla. Mix in the sugar.

In another mixing bowl, using the hand mixer (or a whisk), beat peanut butter until smooth. Beat this into the banana mixture.

Scrape the bowl down and beat in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and flour. Fold in the flour until completely combined, followed by the chocolate chips.

3 Bake the loaf: Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake on the center rack of the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the bread is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4 Cool the loaf: Remove the bread from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely before turning out.

5 Enjoy! Store the leftover bread wrapped well in plastic at room temperature for 3 days. Leftovers are great toasted lightly in a pan with butter.

Birthday Clothes For Lucia

In this time of quarantine, I had to send my great niece a Birthday present.

I looked at different toys and things and I decided that the best idea, was to send clothes to her.

I figured that before they got onto sweet Lucia, her Mom would wash them.

It made me feel better about the entire thing.

To get free shipping, I ended up purchasing 4 little tops, these 2 and 2 pink and peach ones.

I have not found the other 2, but these photos show off one of my favorites, the lemon summer sunsuit.

Being they live in the South, they will get plenty of use out of a short sleeve top.

At just over a year, she is still not walking on her own, but as you can see, she climbs onto her slide.

With her Dad's help, she climbs the stairs to the 2nd floor.

She also crawls to the roomba, as it chugs along the floor, which I found absolutely hilarious.

In other words, she is coming into her own and will soon be attacking everything she comes into contact with.

Go Lucia!

The Dining Room Plants

2 weeks ago, I wanted to spruce up my tiny bathroom with a plant.

I found a narrow basket up in my vaulted ceiling and went around my house, looking for extra fake greenery.

The ones I found were so very dusty and after looking at them for a few days, last week I went to the extreme step of washing them. They took to that well and I decided to do the remainder of them. They are the plants on the bottom shelf of my dining room.

What started out as a small project, became quite the cleaning project and I even glued some of the leaves that had fallen off, over the years.

Polished up the glass objects and the furniture itself, which made the room look a bit better.

Picked off the dying leaves on my Spider plants (an ongoing process I do each week) and am quite proud of the look.

In Makenna good news, I found a fluffy ball with a bell in it that she loves to play with and she is happily playing with it, once again.

Archie Harrision

We were in Canada, when the news hit.

Kind of appropriate since Canada is part of the Commonwealth.

Megan Markle and Prince Harry's first child was born a year ago today.

As we all know, he was eventually named, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

A very Happy 1st Birthday to him.

I really love this couple and I hope that things eventually get better for them.

Reusable Bags

One of the things that has bothered me the most, is the fact that grocery stores now pack your groceries in heavy plastic bags.

They don't charge you for this, but several sites mention that you should throw them out as soon as you get home.

I have found this to be intolerable.

My current idea, is to just have the bagger place the groceries back in my basket and I pack them up, off site.

I then disinfect the groceries out in my garage and then immediately wash my reusable bags, in the laundry.

A small win for the environment.

Glacier Bay Via Cruise Ship

My Water Post For Today.

Glacier Bay, Alaska was the most beautiful parts of our cruise last year.

I have thoughts of going back someday, but with the Coronavirus, I don't see that in our immediate future.

For now, here is a photo of the ship in the midst of turning around and some of the mountains that surround Glacier Bay, itself.

Stunning, even in the rain and I hope you enjoy.

Totals: Week 7 Of Quarantine

We are still holding our own, at the angel house. Still healthy and still staying home, for the most part. Quarantine has been extended to May 15th, here in California, though there are hints that we may open earlier than that.

Quarantine Week 7

Toilet Paper: 36 rolls left of the 40 roll score, from 2 weeks ago. Add to that the 12 Costco Rolls and the 15 rolls in the emergency supply and we are still rolling in TP.

Paper Towels: 7 rolls, though I am almost out in our kitchen.

Tissues: 2 more packages were added to my total, this week. Scott tissues, no less. So I have 6 new ones and the dregs of the other ones, that are in use.

Soft Soap: A large bottle under the sink in the bathroom. In addition I still have 2 new Lavender bottles that I got at Rite Aid. We are set, for quite a bit.

Our Quarterly CVS supplies came in on Thursday and so we have 3 more Rubbing Alcohol Wipes for dealing with our groceries. Just in time, since we have maybe 1 or 2 wipes in our original one, pictured on the far left.

Meat: I made a major score of 4 Country Pork Ribs this week. We BBQ-ed them and have plenty for a few days. I also got 4 NY Strip Steaks and 4 Beef Short Ribs, that I added to our freezer. Many weeks I don't buy much, but with the threat of a meat shortage, I thought a few purchases were a good idea.

The inventory of our freezer hasn't changed too much. Several packages of pork and a package of lamb. 4 NY Strip Steaks.

Once again, the main reason we went shopping this week, is for some fresh produce. Unfortunately, Vons only had exactly 3 bowls of Caesar Salads. I wiped them out.

Pantry is thankfully still full of staples, I added some cans of beans and peanut butter to the stash, for extra protein.

I hope you are holding your own in these very unsettled times.

Roses, Roses And More Roses

I promised that as they bloomed, I would show off some of this year's roses.

This is just in the far corner of my backyard, by the kitchen. From the far left top:

Ketchup and Mustard
Perfect Moment
Julia Child
Peace (close up)
Peace with Princess Diana right next to it, on the far right. Note, she has not bloomed yet.
Peach Rose (I don't remember the name of it)

Too bad this week has been so hot. It is nice to spend a few minutes in their presence.

Rain Gauge

Unless I am totally off track, I believe we are about done with rain for this year.

Just when we got a rain gauge.

Maybe next rainy season, or maybe a thunder storm or two in the month of August.

It made my Husband happy and it wasn't expensive, so what the heck.

The things quarantine does to people.

His Son would just laugh at the whole thing.

Well 2020 Has Not Exactly Been What I Was Hoping For

As I pointed out on my New Year's Post, I had many plans for my "Gap Year".

Thankfully, the first few actually came true.

I went on my Birthday Cruise to Hawaii and even got remarried on the ship.

I went to 1 concert this year (too bad I won't manage to see much else this year).

Maybe if things calm down, we might get a small amount of travel in, but don't count on it.

Aquafit did happen in January, February and the very beginning of March. After that, no gym and no aquafit, so I am not fit at all. :-(

I was planning on taking ceramics, in April. That (obviously) can't happen at this time, due to social distancing.

The same with Iconography. I did get to a Pysanky egg making class (just before shutdown) and made a few of my own, from home. As to anything class driven, I am not hopeful.

Church, just not happening.

Seeing my Great Niece, also not happening, NAB and Tech Con did not happen in April.

We have a September wedding that I seriously doubt will happen.

As you have seen, I am doing crocheting, coloring and baking at home.

Gardening, too. At my own pace, which works for me. So I guess there is some good in the retirement/gap year at home thing.

I just can't get into making a new website for myself, I think I will continue using this free one. It is coming up on year 13. It works for me.

The one who won the most from this whole pandemic...my cat, Makenna.