Where did February go?

Wow, long time since I posted. February flew by. So did January!

Absolutely nothing is going on! I job hunt, go to the Y, cook, clean, read,  and find other amusements to pass the time. I am not bored. Probably because I have a busy brain and doing nothing feels like something. I learned that from an interesting article about introverts. 23 Signs you May be an Introvert. Look it up. There are other ones too, 9 Signs You May Be an Introvert, 10 . . .  I am one. Anyway, I think this is what being retired is like? LOL  Except for that damn job hunting. I go to John's and we diet. Or not. Currently it is Tim Ferriss's slow carb program. It's like deja vu all over again! I did have a job interview at JJC, nice to get one under my belt. Especially since my last one involved taking a letter down in shorthand and typing it up on a state of the art IBM Selectric typewriter! I've giggled over that many times. This time I had to compose a memo and prepare a spreadsheet on Works. Whew, I had no problems. In fact, according to the girl there, I was pretty speedy. The times they are a changing. I did not swear during the interview. At least not that I noticed. Good for me.

I had a nice lunch with old softball friends at Hayden's over in Wilmington. Yes, they are old friends AND they are old. Like me. :)  Had an awesome burger and some beers. Good stuff. Having dinner and drinks with some work friends here in town on Wednesday evening, that will be fun. Have a fun St. Patrick's Day party to look forward too. Best party food ever, corned beef, colcannon and creamed cabbage. Wow it is great.

After some spring-like weather, we are in for some ice/rain/snow tonight. Yuck.  I was thinking about the garden and how lovely it would be to see some zinnias and sunflowers again, I even went out and dug around a little bit, so I am probably responsible for the bad weather coming in.

I had Midge to the vet. Noticed she had some  bald spots. Seems she has a head problem and is over grooming herself. Only cost me $45.50 to get Midge's head problem diagnosed. Sigh. Two white kitties have been coming into the yard and acting like they live here, and Midgie is having a fit. A conniption fit. Hopefully she will get over it soon. I've been talking to her, telling her to just show them who is boss and stop licking herself too much. Knowing everything, I'm always very helpful with advice. Just ask my family. Anyway Midge thinks I'm nuts. She always has.   Now that I wasted that money, I see Finn has an actual wound! ARGHHHH I'm watching it and keeping it clean, much to his annoyance, and hopefully he won't require a trip to the vet too. Thank goodness he is not as cantankerous as Midge.

Boring Kay, Over and Out!

John -10

http://cookieandkate.com/2013/sweet-potato-black-bean-veggie-burgers/ with oven home fries

http://cookieandkate.com/2015/vegan-sweet-potato-green-rice-burrito-bowls   

http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/smashed-chickpea-avocado-salad-sandwich/  

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Corn Burritos

We had mushrooms, sauced, on polenta.

http://cookieandkate.com/2013/sweet-potato-black-bean-veggie-burgers/ the burgers unadorned. 

Sweet Hera waiting for me to get up so she can beg me to play with her and get underfoot.

John took the huge flight of stairs up from the parking lot to the lodge at Starved Rock. I drove!

Lots of questions about vegan food. Here are some photos of some of our meals. My very fave so far, and I've liked them all, is one I don't have a photo for . . . http://ohsheglows.com/2015/01/21/warm-roasted-winter-salad-bowl/.  The burrito bowls were also wonderful. Once you start looking at recipes you just find more and more. Everything has been delicious and filling. My least fave so far was the mushroom polenta dish, and even that was still good. Oatmeal for breakfast with a little peanut butter and some vegan chocolate chips . . . and some lentils! Try it. It is delicious and satisfying in this cold weather. I just made the veggie burgers and home fries last night, so leftover tonight. They were excellent. I never thought I'd be saying that! They truly were delicious. Next on the menu:

 http://www.connoisseurusveg.com/2015/08/sticky-sesame-cauliflower.html

and

http://cookieandkate.com/2015/thai-pineapple-fried-rice-recipe/  No eggs for us though, we are substituting in some Crispy Baked Tofu from the same blog.  Love this blog, the recipes have been bit hits. 

Kay :)

Mallaney Cousin Get-together

Had a great lunch at Maria's today with the Mallaney girls. Lots of fun to be together and NOT at a funeral or wake. Saw lots of great old photos. We are gonna do it again in May. Don't Mom and Aunt Kay look terrific! Mom is 78, Aunt Kay will be 83. Of course the rest of us are good looking too. Good genes.  We really can't help it, it's just the way it is.

I'm coming off a bug, even missed a few days at the Y tsk tsk. But I went back today. In fact I may have picked up my bug at the Y M C AAAAAA.

I am heading to John's tomorrow for another Vegan Week! In preparation I had a great hoagie for lunch. With cheese. And garlic butter. I'm ready!

I forgot to say that I got my red hair back thanks to Loreal Medium Reddish Brown. Next time it's going to be Carribean Caramel, Light Reddish Brown. No fear now!

January is going by freakishly fast!  I'm doing my job hunting, nothing really promising has reared its head yet, but I'm ever  hopeful.

Kay :)

Happy New Year

One year anniversary of Dad's passing.

We had a good Christmas, quiet, quiet is good, and are looking forward to 2016 being a good year.

I'm at John's for a few days. He started his Biggest Loser competition at work, and is eating vegan, so I've been the chef. I'm doing a good job. I predict he will win the first weigh-in! It is good for me too, lots of beans and veggies.  We had too many cookies over the holidays. I feel like a veg-o-matic. And it is fun looking at new recipes, vegan or not.

John's cats had their annual Friday, and I rode along. Gosh they were loud. Hera was 11.9 before she got sick, 7.3 whe she got sick and now . . . 15.1# Oh lordy. So we are all on a diet. Hera is supposed to be eating low carb, kind of the opposite of vegan. Lucky cat . . .

Nothing else exciting, I'm pretty boring and blah right now. I've been job hunting, going to the Y every day that I'm home, and pestering my kitties.  And I can be perfectly happy being boring and blah, at least for right now.

Kay :)

Mutant Root Vegetables

The Claw vs. Mega Carrot, and Methusacarrot.

More interesting garden veggies. Weird and delicious.

No Roommates for Midgie

My cute display in front window before Midge  . . .

I thought I'd tuck my smiley face Santas in the door of Midge's cat tree. Kind of cute, huh?

After Midge!

But Midge will not have it! She never gets in that little house in the cat tree, but she will not share.

Isis supervising puzzle assembly.

The delightfully non-anorexic Hera wants us to do a puzzle with a bigger box.

Cookie Day at Mar's yesterday. A lovely time had by all.

Mar and Mark, the twins, with the Super Cool Lucas, Mark's son, Mar's newphew. There will be a pop quiz later.

 

 

Photobomb! That Donna Lou!

In other news I lost my glasses in Streator. I super glued a drawer to my hand.

Kay :)

Uncle Jim

Uncle Jim, Aunt Kay, Dad and Aunt Joan.

Brothers at the reunion.

So sad to lose Uncle Jim this week. Cousin Peggy had a lovely celebration of life (94 years!) for him yesterday. He is back together with Aunt Shirley now. And what a joyous reunion in heaven, back with his family. The world would be a lot better place with a lot more Uncle Jims. Like Dad his faith was strong, and his morning prayers took a long time as he prayed for everybody by name. He knew someone wherever he went and could talk to anyone. He would call and check up on the happenings in Morris. I will really miss that. And he wrote the best cards and letters. I remember Dad sitting at the kitchen table, reading a card Uncle Jim sent. Uncle Jim advised Dad to "root for Notre Dame, stay loyal to the White Sox, and vote Republican!" Dad laughed out loud at the thought . . . of voting Republican! LOL  Uncle Jim had a great memory and even this past year laughed as he remembered one time when he was at our house, gosh over 30 years ago I think, and we always had cats around, and one of the cats, Pudgie, was showing off for him on the end table in the living room and settled in for a nap . . . with his head in the ashtray! lol A wonderful and generous husband, father, brother, uncle and friend, a another tremendous loss to our family. And Cousin Peggy losing both her folks within 6 months, that is heartbreaking. I commented to her that we were sure lucky girls to have had such fathers for as long as we did.

We cousins were and are lucky to have such uncles. The best ever I think. John remarked at the funeral dinner yesterday that all the male cousins resemble the uncles, but not necessarily their fathers, and it is true.

Cousin Peggy toasted her Dad yesterday, and remarked that she couldn't wait for 2015 to be over and the entire family heartily concurred!

Dad's birthday today, he would have been 96! So thankful he is in heaven, whole in mind and with his beloved family.

Peace.

Kay