Friday, April 4th, 2025
Friday Five
TGIF!!! Why am I always surprised by Friday? Seriously, it shows up every week, so after many decades, I should be used to it! Anyhow, it’s now time to share five random things about our week. Here’s mine:
- Today is Wizard’s birthday! It’s a bit of a lowkey birthday but still hopefully he’ll be happy. He doesn’t want a cake this year because he says he’ll just keep eating it, LOL. But we’ll probably go to dinner.
- I found my packaged seasoning for stew! I’m making it for Thursday night, and to celebrate, I’m making breadsticks to go with it. But I need to learn to build the flavors in stew myself without the aide of my packaged seasoning that has stuff in there I don’t really think is ideal
- On Wednesday, I went to my granddaughter’s house to take her and her mom for a mini girls lunch for my DILs birthday. Baby Girl was so good! Here she is dressed up like a Little Lady with her sweater and necklace (and no socks because she takes them off, LOL)
- Yesterday was a marathon and today looks busy too, but it’s all good. But I was pretty impressed that yesterday I walked a couple miles, lifted weights, went to Trader Joes and Costco, washed floors, made stew and breadsticks. Now we’ll see if I can get out of bed today
- Saturday, Middle Son, his wife and Baby Girl are coming over. I’m planning to make Balsamic Flank Steak for an early dinner. It’ll be really nice to see my son. Wizard saw him when I had the cold, but I haven’t seen him in a while. We will miss Turbo’s baseball game, but we’ll get to the next one!
That’s my five, now I’d love to hear yours! Hope everyone has a good weekend!
April 4th, 2025 at 10:54 am · Link
Happy Birthday, Wiz! OMG! Look at Baby Girl! She’s soooo big. And cute beyond all measure! 🥰 What a wonderful way to spend the day. Wow! Busy day indeed.Yay for family time and good food. My five:
1. I don’t know what’s in your stew seasoning mix but I make “Scarbourough Fair” stew: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. With a little celery salt and onions to go with the beef broth base. (Cheating a little because I’m low on stuff today.
)
2. I managed to conk myself Tuesday. I bent over the pull the bag out of the kitchen trash can and caught the corner of the counter. It isn’t rounded. Gave myself a headache, a bruise and a bump, but luckily did not break skin.
3. Rain. Glorious rain. It’s rained a couple of times this week and forecast is for rain through the weekend, including a chance of snow. Go home, Mother Nature, you’re drunk!
4. I switched the wreath on the front door from St. Patrick’s to Easter. I also FINALLY changed the tablecloth and centerpiece decor on the dining room table from Christmas to Spring/bunnies. The evergreen wreath (real) would have still been “green” if I’d remembered to water it.
5. No Pete story. Instead a Jake/Dennis the Menace story. DM was evidently dumped. I’ve posted him to all sorts of neighborhood apps and no one has claimed him. He’s a creamsickle (orange and white). He is loud and demanding. He wants in the house so lots of dodging to keep him out when I go out to feed in the morning. The other day, Jake was in and at the door right beside me when I opened the screen. Frankly, I was hoping DM would freak a little and back off. Nope. He and Jake booped noses like besties.
Now I know DM is not a feral. He still can’t come in. Allergies will not allow 3 cats and my two boys are already lined up in opposition to another male invading their territory.
It’s First Saturday but we’re due weather so probably no siren test, family lunch, or outdoor soccer. Waiting to hear if they’ll be moving games into one of the indoor facilities. Otherwise, I’ll be curled up working and watching sports on TV. Have a fun weekend, all!
April 4th, 2025 at 10:56 am · Link
Happy Birthday, Wizard! I hope you day is awesome. Yay for stew! OMG, Little Lady is super darling! Those cheeks! They’re begging to be smooched. I hope you recovered from yesterday. :hugs: Yay for Middle Son and his family coming for a visit!
1) It raining a gusher today. I’m so glad I brought all my little baby trees inside. They would’ve drowned out on the deck.
2) Speaking of which, all those tree seeds I gathered last fall… a few of the dogwoods are doing well, but I think the redbuds and the spicebushes are a bust. The Carolina buckthorns just got pushed into dirt, so time will tell on those.
3) They’re called buckthorns, but they don’t have thorns, so I’m not sure why they’re called that. They have dark purple berries the birds seem to love, though. Yay.
4) Sawyer has me trained, so when he walks up beside my chair and starts pushing on my thigh, I get out so he can sleep in it. I have a backup chair I’m relegated to when that happens. It’s not that comfortable, but it’s just easier to let him have the chair.
5) I’m almost out of cinnamon rolls, but I’ve told myself (and Hubs) that I’m not making any more. My thickening middle needs to cut back on the baked good intake. We’ll see if I listen to myself. LOL
April 4th, 2025 at 2:31 pm · Link
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WIZARD!
1. Since he didn’t want a cake did you give him one of those cookies he loves 🥰?
2. That’s wonderful that you found your seasoning mix for the stew. I hope you can determine how to mix one up yourself w/o any of the questionable ingredients.
3. Baby girl looks very pretty and all dressed up for lunch. I love her necklace.
4. Wow were you busy yesterday. I hope you got to relax a bit today.
5. Have a lovely time Saturday with Baby girl, middle, and DIL.
1a. Tonight we’re picking up fish dinners. Hubs wanted to and I’m okay with it. Saves me from having to cook salmon.
2a. When the storms came through the other night we were spared. We had heavy winds and rain but nothing real bad. In TN, Harrison and family spent Wednesday night in a closet because of the tornadoes. Nashville is pretty much closed down because of flooding. They don’t think Harrison will be back to school until Tuesday.
3a. I went to Aldi Wednesday morning and found Shepard’s hooks and bought two. These are taller than the two I already have. I hope I can put out some bird seed for a change. The hummers will still get the deck ☺️.
4a. A friend in TX said she puts up fake wasp nests to keep the bees and wasps away from her hummingbird feeders. I bought a couple. Sure hope they work.
5a. Next Tuesday we’re supposed to get snow again. Nothing major. So I think I’ll have the house sprayed for ants and flying insects the following week.
Have a fun with Baby girl and have a fantastic weekend!
April 4th, 2025 at 3:44 pm · Link
Silver, Baby Girl is getting big! And she’s just a delight (like Turbo!).
1) I will look up that stew, thank you! And I also now have celery salt since my last stew attempt (I always have the other spices). It was $6.99 at the grocery store and I was annoyed, then I went to Target and found it for a $1.89. So my stew was not a win, but the celery salt was! It’s just weird that I can cook more complex stuff but have some mental block on stew
2) Ouch! Those head bashes hurt and like to be sore for a while. I’m glad you didn’t break the skin though — head wounds really go for the drama with bleeding. At least you were spared that, but so sorry you got bonked!
3) Mother Nature needs to take a peek at the calendar and get onto the spring program! Some rain is good, but not too much!
4) I laughed at “if I’d remembered to water it.” I’ve been there! Congrats on getting the decor changed in time for Spring and Easter!
5) Aww, poor Jake was probably thought he’d have a new friend! But I get why the cat can’t move in. It sounds like you’re going to have a battle on your hands since Creamsickle Cat seems pretty determined! However, he seems smart and adaptable so he should be fine.
The weather does complicate plans, doesn’t it! Hope whichever way it works out, you enjoy the weekend!
April 4th, 2025 at 3:56 pm · Link
B.E., yep, those cheeks
I did recover and then did a bunch more today, but I don’t mind because none of it is under pressure. I just got motivated which is how poor Maggie got tricked into a bath with some cheese, LOL!
1) Wow you guys are getting hit hard by the rain! You were smart to get the baby trees inside.
2) Yay for some of the seeds taking. Maybe the others still will? In any case, I’m impressed with your green thumb!
3) That’s a good question on why the Buckthorn is called that without thorns. I looked it up — it’s pretty and I’m glad the birds like the berries (which I learned are not edible for humans. Now I know!).
4) Go Sawyer!!! I’m sure those who don’t have animals won’t get it, but I do! I feel certain that if you really wanted the chair more than you though Sawyer needed it, you’d take it.
5) I hate not being able to bake for stupid reasons like health, but I sure understand it! And since I’ve had those I vs Myself debates, I know to stay out of it when others have those battles! I just support whatever you choose to do.
Hope you have a great weekend and the rain lets up!
April 4th, 2025 at 4:04 pm · Link
Viki, I have some cookies he loves in the freezer, and I have a small batch of cheesecake cookie dough in the fridge for tomorrow. Wizard can have whichever or both if he chooses
I’m just supporting whatever he wants to do. Today is good for me, but not relaxing cause I’ve been on a roll, but it’s all stuff I wanted to do so all good.
1) I’m glad you’re getting a break from cooking!
2) I saw TN got hit hard! I so glad Harrison and family were safe, but sorry it was a rough night in the closet. It’s going to be a mess to get everything cleaned up and running on schedule again.
3) You should have a lot of winged visitors with the bird feeders. And Aldi can have some great deals. I just don’t get over there often enough.
4) Oh I hope the fake wasp nests work! If they do, let me know.
5) It seems late in the year for more snow (says me who doesn’t live in a snow climate). Waiting until the following weeks for the house to be sprayed is smart.
Thanks I’m looking forward to the weekend, and hope you have a good one too!