walking backwards and other un-interesting things...

 Did you know that walking backwards strengthens different muscles than walking forwards ?  It's part of a protocol to heal up knees, so I've been doing it a little.  It doesn't take long to feel the burn in the thighs.   I am TRYING to be more active.  

Today was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining, and it was a perfect temperature.  I sat on the deck in my shorts and tank top, and talked on the phone to my daughter Suzanne for a while.  Camille brought out some of her history work, then Sonja got home from class, made some lunch, and joined us.  The dogs and cats were out there too, enjoying the weather.  It's funny how even the cats like to be near us.

Before I went outside, I did some usual housework, then I cleaned out my closet.  I try to get in there every six months or so, and take out what I haven't worn for the season.  I mean, theoretically, if one hasn't worn a winter garment for the entire winter, will one wear it next year?  This should be a yes or no question, and for a normal average person, it probably is.  I take the sweater off the hanger, look at it from every angle, and think, maybe if I wash it, I can wear it a few times this year...or if I lose a few pounds, I'll definitely wear it next year.  I did ditch a dress I never really liked, another one with a stain, and a few tops.  I rearranged things, and washed three loads of stuff that I might wear sometime.  (If you haven't worn things in a while it's nice to wash them.  Especially the spring/summer stuff that's just been hanging there).  I also washed my bedding.  One of these weeks, I'll fold up the flannel sheets and trade them out for some cool cottony ones, but not quite yet.  It may have been seventy degrees here today, but the nights are still cold, and I am not so certain we aren't out of the woods as far as more snow....

So this fine afternoon, I was rummaging around in the 'fridge, trying to think of something fantastic for dinner:  healthy, nutritious, delicious, and that will come out just perfectly with minimal effort, that all will praise me to the skies for, thank me profusely as they dig in to seconds.  Since this meal doesn't actually exist, I decided to make the corned beef I so smartly bought last week and forgot all about.  Oh yeah, it's St. Patrick's Day!  

Good thing I have an instant pot!  I forgot to rinse it though, so it'll be salty.  I put in a bottle of beer, listen to this:  Blue Moon Iced Coffee Blonde.  Someone bought it last summer, but didn't like it, and since I can't really tolerate anymore than a few ounces of beer (or any alcohol), I poured a bottle right into the instant, then added the garlic, and some water, then the corned beef.  Will it taste good?  Will it taste weird?  We'll soon find out, but I sure as heck am not telling them what's in there.  

The carrots and red skinned potatoes are all washed, sliced and quartered, and in a bowl of cold water...they'll get a ride in the instant pot when the corned beef is done.  I haven't made corned beef in one of the pots yet, but I've heard good things, like how tender it is.  Making it in the crock pot has worked okay, but then you have to actually remember that it's St. Patrick's Day IN THE MORNING.

Shh, I also forgot to buy cabbage.  oh well.  

The time change has been harsh this year.  Miss Sunny sleeps in our room, she starts out on her little doggie bed, but oh no, she cannot stay in that comfy thing, nope, she needs to be closer to us.  She sleeps at my feet, then wiggles up more, hogs more room, stretches out like a baby elephant.  Last night she was restless, so I woke up so many times, ugh.  Then when I got up, who wasn't in the kitchen yet?  Miss Charlotte Claire!  She was awake, but not ready yet.  She ran through that kitchen right as the bus pulled up, out the door with no lunch.  I grabbed the first thing I could from the pantry and shoved it into her empty lunch box:  the remains of a bag of mini M&M's.  Better than nothing, but honestly, throughout the day I would think of her at lunch, and re-imagine myself standing there at the pantry, and grabbing better things.  I didn't bring her a lunch to school, and felt a little bit bad about that, so when she texted me that she needed to stay after, I offered to pick her up, ease that guilty conscience a little.  (okay, my kids do grow up to be quite self sufficient, I don't want to be a 'copter mom, they need to learn how to get up in the morning and to pack their own lunch.  I am here, I help when needed, but it's not actually good for them for me to do everything for them.).  But shhh, when I picked her up from school I had a Target bag with:  half a bag of kettle potato chips, three homemade sugar cookies, an oatmeal cream pie cookie, a capri sun drink pouch, and a package of pepperoni, so she could eat something on the way home from school.

(she didn't eat it all, of course!)

This coming weekend I'm doing something fun:  I'm going to a Finger Lakes wine tasting event with Mariel, Evelyn, and our friend Karen.  It's been planned for a while, and I didn't realize it was back to back weekends with my last weekend get-a-way.  Paul said he doesn't mind, he likes when I get to have fun with our girls, and with my friends.  Besides, now that we don't have little ones, we do get a lot more time together.  We can have actual uninterrupted conversations!  So if I'm gone for an entire Saturday, oh well.  

Tomorrow morning, Camille and I are going out and about to get her some face cream she's been yammering about...(I just wanted to write yammering.).  We also have to get a small list of food for a church work weekend...we are building more cabins on the property, and mostly every weekend there is someone in the kitchen making those meals.   I won't be there this weekend, but I will buy some of the food.

That Instant Pot will be beeping soon, so I can put the veggies in for their turn...I didn't make any shamrock shakes or cakes....oops.  Have a very good day!  A lucky one....