Tag Archives: food

Where we speak of brains, groceries and memories that make us cry.

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It never ceases to amaze me what’s currently popular on Amazon.

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Is there really a plethora of suburban housewives eager to present a Jello brain at their next dinner party? I have my doubts, but whatever.

Being retired military, my husband and I try to take advantage of all the benefits that provides. For years we bought cheaper, tax free groceries at the commissary…. until George W. Bush closed our local base. There was a huge outcry from retirees in our area and talk of shuttering the base but keeping the commissary open. Sadly that didn’t happen, and now the nearest base is over two hours away. A four and a half hour round trip for groceries seems extreme but with the prices of everything going sky high, we decided to take a day and check it out.

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Perdue boneless skinless chicken breasts for under $3.00? I’ve been paying close to $9.00! Needless to say I filled a cart and then some. Even using half a tank of gas I still saved mucho dinero. Looks like we’ll have to make a monthly pilgrimage from now on.

If you’re on Facebook you’re familiar with the “memories” that pop up on your feed. I don’t normally pay much attention… ten years ago today I posted a picture of a woodchuck? Shocking! Please alert the press. But the other day this picture gave me pause..

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Not because we were younger and thinner.. although, damn. I really do miss thin… but because when I took a closer look, I realized four of the 13 family members pictured have passed. My husband’s brother, brother in law, mother, and aunt. Being an only child of an only child, my list of relatives is ridiculously small. I’ve lost both parents so I’m pretty much done. But the husband is one of nine from one of six, so the chances of someone missing from his side of the family photos increases exponentially.

😰

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So much thinking.

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The husband has a standing Sunday afternoon pool game with the little old man up the road. He’s a widower my other half met years ago at breakfast, and as soon as we remodeled the barn into a man cave… the weekly game commenced.

Last week a few other friends showed up and team play got underway. There was a lot of laughing.

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And a great deal of thinking.

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It seems like every time I went out to refresh the snacks, there was one shot taken…

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And then more thinking.

So much thinking…

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More often than not, the mild mannered 85 year old widower cleaned the table while the rest of the men continued thinking.

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He may be small, but every little bone in is body is competitive.

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No matter. Beer, chili and cornbread are great equalizers.

😉

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Backyard training grounds

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We have a young Coopers hawk who enjoys using our backyard bird feeders as a training ground for hunting. He’s not very adept at capture yet, but he sure does give it the old college try.

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He also drives Lord Dudley Mountcatten completely insane. The poor feline is confused. It’s a bird, so he’s fascinated. But it’s a predator, so he’s scared.

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It’s only a matter of time before blood and feathers will be scattered on the ground.

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And while that’s hard to take….

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Hawks really are beautiful creatures.

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And deserve to eat just like the rest of us.

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Odds and ends.

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While I enjoy a sweet treat as much as the next girl, and am seriously pro dessert…

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The word dump tends to take a little bloom off the rose for me.

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Lord Dudley Mountcatten. He tries to hide, but isn’t very good at it.

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A very clever use of faucet handles to be sure. And now that I think about it, a spring flower that even my dastardly woodchucks couldn’t eat.

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Facebook. It’s annoying… but still the best way I know to keep up with old friends. And speaking of old, this was my FB memory from the other day. A photo of me and the hubs in the French Alps many moons ago. Yes, I was rock climbing in flip flops. Oh to be young and stupid again..

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This and that

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I’m not a hot tub type of girl. The thought of sitting in a warm bucket of water, pruning up with friends is not high on my list of preferred activities. And while the idea of free floating ray shaped cleansers is compelling….

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The idea of a scum covered pool of my bff’s exfoliated skin hasn’t changed my mind.

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One of our local grocery stores is now posting trivia. How fun is that?

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A combination of Scotch and Amaretto? I’ll refuse it and take my chances. Blech!

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The fact that there are people who will buy this product instead of just picking one up off the ground makes my head hurt.

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A nice surprise.

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The husband and I tried a relatively new restaurant/pub last week.

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And from the quality of their cocktails, I see a return trip in our future.

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The snow covered cranberry was delightful.

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As was the gin sipper, but it was this sign that got my husband’s attention.

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Now that’s a great idea, and clearly quite popular.

When our spinach flatbread appetizer came out to the table without the aforementioned spinach? The owner immediately came over and said a replacement was being made which he would box up for us take home, free. As was the fabulous error flatbread we were already halfway through. And when he saw my husband’s USMC hat? The beer was free as well. I could get used to this place.

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A fried haddock sandwich with dill aioli and a harvest salad with blackened chicken later, we were replete. After tipping large and dropping $10 on the bar to pay for a couple of veteran’s beers later… we walked out past this.

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Clearly there’s a history of service at this restaurant/pub.

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And while I’m not a religious person, I do appreciate the honor paid to our veterans.

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