maison rustique

I had been dreaming of a margherita pizza since I had home grown tomatoes and basil. I stopped by Aldi yesterday and picked up some flatbread and fresh mozzarella. Then when I went to make it, I discovered that my basil was too far gone. So I subbed in some jarred pesto. Worked just fine and was delicious. Nothing like home grown tomatoes.

@Diancecht I don't have the specialty ingredients on hand, but my sister brought me a lot of home grown tomatoes this weekend, so I may need to fake it. Those look/sound delicious. Last night I had a pre-baked potato to use up and little bits of taco leftovers, so I topped the potato with taco beef, fresh salsa and shredded cheddar. It was filling and delicious.

My sister and BIL came in from Topeka yesterday to help me with some things. We got a lot packed up, some photos taken of furniture I want to sell, etc. I've been working on this for months, but it actually looks like something is happening now. I'm tired and aching, but happy to make progress. Bonus: They brought me home-grown tomatoes. I have all the cable equipment disconnected and ready to turn in to Spectrum. I love Google Fiber!

I don't watch a lot and am years behind on movies and series. I just finished The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart last night and am ready to start The Beekeeper tonight.

I was stunned that there were just as many fireworks (bombs) last night as there were on the 4th. And of course, they go on until around 1 am. Where do these people get all the money they spend on these things? Don't they realize what they spent on fireworks could feed a family of 4 for a month? I can only hope this is not going to go on tonight, too.

After ten July 4ths, Lucky the cat suddenly decided last night that he was terrified of fireworks. He is a big burly black cat--usually fearless. He was glued to my ankles last night. And as long as I'm in this thread I'll post this here because I don't know where else to stick it. I went to see my husband day before yesterday--he seemed to be getting sick, but as they kept saying, "the crud" was going around and he was probably getting it. Yesterday I got a call from the facility. They said he had taken yet another really good fall and asked if I would come in right away to meet with them to discuss some treatment options. So, I aborted what I was doing and headed over. When I got there, the RN on duty who had called me was in the lobby. She said he had just tested positive for COVID. Lovely. I wear a mask when I am there, but I always pull it down to give him a hello and goodbye kiss, which I'd done. So, I went in to see the Director and he said they are all very concerned about his rapid decline. He is now falling multiple times a day and getting weaker and weaker. Mentally, he is not my husband anymore. His hallucinations and delusions have completely taken over. Much of that is due to the Ativan but that keeps him from the rages, so they've kept him on it. Long story short, they suggested it was time to put him under hospice care and after discussing what that would mean for his care, I agreed. The hospice folks were there on standby. His caseworker is a woman who also has 2 of the guys that Don sits with in the dining room, so we already know her a bit. We are transferring his primary care to the hospice physician so they can better work on managing his meds. They are already taking him off the Ativan and putting him on haldol to see how that works. I'm putting this in Fear, though it is actually somewhat a relief for me. I feel more like I have someone there to give him a bit more personal attention so I can relax a bit. Especially since I do not plan to go see him until he is over the COVID and it has worked its way out of the facility. I have too much on my back to get sick. Just can't take a chance. I did take a slightly expired COVID test last night and it was negative. I'll keep checking. But I cancelled my plans to celebrate the 4th with friends and stayed home. I did not want to risk getting friends infected.

I bought another of the small but tasty meatloaves from my milkman. That and the tater tots were impulse buys. Pardon my presentation. I mangled the meat loaf getting it to my plate. All is delish. Have my German potato salt on the tots. And a glass of my cheap but good cartignan.

Curse you! Now I've got one in my cart. I wish someone would make something for all the medicine bottles and other things with the lids that you have to push down and turn. My hands will not do it.

I'm off to find a recipe for cacik. That looks/sounds fantastic, @MitchW. No pix but I met friends for happy hour at Osteria Bianchi again. They have the best pizza in town! I had the mortadella pizza which has a pistachio pesto on it. So delicious and their crust is perfect.

Really too hot to eat. Had a salad with nuts, brioche crumbles and crispy pepperoni. With toasted buttered Organic Super Bread from TJs.

Taken yesterday around 3:30 pm.

OK, I am over this extreme heat. Supposed to be 101 F today. Lord only knows what the heat index will be. I will be boiled alive by the time it is August at the rate it is going. </whine>

Yes, all is secure. There is a doggie door in the basement that we have never used since we have no animals that go outdoors, so it is well-sealed off. And attic entries are secure--at least they were as of 2 months ago when I had the roof checked. I'm more concerned about snakes getting into the house than anything.

I've mentioned before that I feed all the wildlife and birds. I have had 2 smallish raccoons coming late afternoon/early evening to eat. I strongly suspected they are nursing mothers. Sure enough last night, one of them brought the babies. I almost hate it when they bring babies because they are so adorable to watch as the run around playing and exploring that I can hardly tear myself away from the windows. I could watch them for hours!

I asked so many questions at the Meet & Greet that the doctor quietly came over to me and gave me her personal cell phone number so I could text with her. I was the only family/caregiver present. The other attendees were from assisted living. This entire thing is being terribly mis-managed. They couldn't even answer basic questions about insurance, how to contact them, etc. And yet, officially they start tomorrow. The doctor said she will arrange to come in and meet with my husband and me on Friday prior to my signing him up with them. (Although it doesn't sound like there will be much choice in choosing them or not, as eventually the existing physicians will be leaving.)

When I went to see the husband the other day, I just happened to see a note on the reception desk about a Meet & Greet with their new medical group. I feel like changing physicians and medical care warrants a phone call or at least an email rather than a casual flyer on the front desk that no one I asked seemed to know anything about. The Meet & Greet is today (not much notice about it) and I will go. I looked up the medical corporation (because they are a national corporation) and it sounds like their focus is on telemedicine which I can't imagine how that is supposed to work with memory care residents who have no computers or phones. I will have many questions for them. I do not think a change of doctors for someone with dementia is going to go very smoothly.

My Google Fiber is installed and working. Well, couple of minor glitches, but I will get those worked out today. I hope. Very fast. I'm waiting a week to pull the plug on cable, just to be sure. The wildlife dug up the line they installed from the main box out front and they still have not come to fix it. I figure if the wildlife doesn't chew through the cable, the lawnmower will, so want to make sure that is taken care of before I cut all other ties.

Well-deserved!

Oh, no! On top of the plumbing crap! Interesting that you are (I think) the third person in the lasts 2 days who has said they have it. Step-daughter in Oakland is suffering with it, too. I hope this isn't a sign that it is ramping up again. I still mask up when I go out--especially to the assisted living facility--everyone there coughs constantly. Get well soon!

I'm drooling over that galette. And craving pizza!

I'm just glad someone besides me remembered her. RIP

Not quite the thing for hot weather, but I made a mock posole verde to use up some stuff that was lingering.

That is infuriating! If it does happen again, put up a camera so you'll have them on video and can file a police report.

Happy Anniversary!!

Incredibly hot and humid yesterday. My sis brought me some pulled pork so I topped a salad with some pork, almonds, parm and brioche croutons. Lemon vinaigrette.