Lovin' my Saturday afternoon

When dusting the frames today, I decided to scan this photo into the computer for sharing purposes. Timmy was 2 1/2 when this photo was taken...he is posing with giant crayons which I cropped out of this photo.

The morning began early, awake before 6:00 but I had a good night's sleep. Immediately I wanted to find out what was happening in Egypt since they are so many hours ahead of us. One of my FB friends had heard or read that the Museum of the Antiquities had been looted and this was so upsetting. In searching on-line I could find nothing indicating they had been able to breech the security, and in one article, it said young men had formed a human barrier to prevent folks from taking over the museum. It was just over 10 years ago that I was there and saw such amazing things, including some of King Tut's belongings and Ramses II, who looked pretty good for his age! It would make me sick to think of hoodlums making off with ancient artifacts and treasures. Like my friend said in his posting, thinking that the museum had been violated already, Ken reported he felt less badly about stuff from Egypt and its treasures being spread around to other countries. At least some of it will be safe, at least for now. Let's pray the unrest will settle out soon so the oil and other trade can continue without skyrocketing prices. A week ago, who was concerned about the security of the Suez Canal?

On with my day---I got busy in my kitchen, cooking up a kettle of vegetable beef soup, using the recipe obtained years ago from a Realtor at Eagle Harbor. She had brought a giant tub of this soup to our house for consumption during the funeral week, and those that had some simply raved about it. She shared the recipe with us and I am using it today, in fact, last night already, as I made a batch of vegetable beef soup without beef for my downstairs neighbors. The recipe suggests letting the soup sit overnight so I took it down to them around noon today for their dinner tonight. The hamburger for my portion of the batch was already browned so this a.m. I got it from the fridge, and began pouring the ingredients into the kettle. It will also sit overnight for serving tomorrow if anyone wants some. Justin discovered my electric soup pot in the pantry yesterday when putting something away (out of sight, out of mind!) so I might get that out...I don't know yet.

Last night I baked a store-bought 5 cheese lasagna which I took down for their dinner. After I dropped it off, I went upstairs and was busy in the kitchen, cleaning up the mess from my cooking, while reheating some leftovers for my dinner. Not long after getting up there, Jeff came to knock on my door, wondering if I was not going to join them. I have a rule about that---if you get another invitation, take it! Not really expecting Jeff and Tracy to be up to company on the first of their moving days (finished it up today), it turned out to be a nice time. Cassidy went to dinner with her friends but we grown-ups enjoyed the lasagna and some mushroom hors d-oeurves Jeff made. Tracy had run to Mandarin to visit MamMa before dinner so we waited for her to get back before eating. I brought my own soda down with me and some raspberry rum to have with my dinner since I do not drink wine. I must be the only one in my building, besides Ellen, who is not a wine drinker as a rule. I am the first one in the building to get a look at the finished project, sort of a bittersweet tour since this happened from my pipe breaking! You know? They made some other changes as long as the place was torn apart, adding closets, moving walls, enlarging the laundry room, adding a shower in the master bathroom, and the best part, in my opinion, a motorized retractable screen for their open patio. It can be used almost year round now, since they have a fire pit for warmth. Not sure I would be warm enough but they might be!

I digressed! Go figure! My former waitress friend from Longhorn, Patty, was able to come today to do the dusting and polishing, getting things ready for tomorrow. Hopefully the clean will last two weeks, and even longer. Sherry had come to do it November but has gotten a full time job in home care so was unable to come. Good thing Patty was available though she usually does not clean on Saturdays. It was so good to see her again, I even took a picture to show the other Bible study ladies. Patty always has a story to tell, her latest beau, planned trips to Italy where her extended family lives, and so on. She is a good worker and 'swept' through the formal rooms, river room, and mine in about three hours. She told me the family room was the dustiest of them all, which so surprised me since I find my bedroom to be the worst! Of course, I spend all my time in here which would make it seem that much dustier. When she was dusting off my shelves and such, I did the shelf along my desk, where my hymnal lies. No sooner did I dust the cover, it was white again! This time I am blaming the construction going on downstairs but when it's over, then what will I blame for the dust???

The day was bright and sunshiny, not cold at all, nearing 70 above! I am so glad it is nice for Hal and Rosalie's visit, would hate to have nasty weather while they are here. At one point I stepped outside and had a chat with Sabin, my Turkish friend. He told me that he spoke with his brother, Osman, who is retired and living back in Turkey, telling him that he saw me yesterday. Osman moved us several times over the years, both household and office, and asked Sabin if I still had my Turkish flag. How funny is that??!! All those miles and all those years and Osman wonders about me. Sabin told him I did have the flag hanging up in my room. When I saw him last fall when moving Jeff 'n Tracy out, Sabin told me that if I want to go back to Turkey for a visit, I can use his condo. Today he told me this again, telling me that the train and bus stations are within walking distance from the condo, only 30 minute ride from Istanbul. Hmmmm.....maybe someday, but right now, things are not favorable or safe for international travel.

Last night, I had to chuckle a bit, because Jeff was so excited about being back in their house. He missed his ovens, he said, telling me that the kitchen is his domain. Jeff is a pilot for FedEx and is gone sometimes weeks at a time, and then home weeks at a time. When he is home, he cooks and cooks. I told him about buying the house on the lake, which was pitched as having a gourmet kitchen. I asked, "Does it have an ice maker and a microwave? If so, we're good!" Who needs a five-burner gas stove and all that---not me?! At least I got to practice my cooking skills in making the kettles of vegetable soup. And again, when I make my breakfast casserole to serve Monday for breakfast. I have to make it on Sunday as the recipe, again, suggests it sit in the fridge overnight before baking. Justin suggested I bake some of my sugar cookies which I bought before CHRISTmas but was too sick to bake. He thinks they will make the house smell good....but he is also hungry for some sugar cookies. Let's go make the house smell good!