Today is Jim's birthday and Allie's due date. Allie is married to Matt, my oldest nephew. Matt and Allie already have a daughter, Anna, who turned three April 30. Now Henry will soon be joining the family.
My parents are truly blessed. From three children, they have nine grandchildren and, so far, four great-grandchildren after Henry's arrival. Of course, it's unfortunate that mom cannot appreciate the gifts God has given her. Truth is, however, even before Alzheimer's took her memories, mom's depression never allowed her to simply enjoy life.
I used to waste a lot more time fretting. But now I like to view life as a "glass half full." There will always be "things" to worry or be depressed about. But I prefer to count my blessings, which includes a loving husband. Happy birthday Jim!
*17 Grandma Days until End of School Year*
May 2018
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Cooking Fun
The sun is out! It's still a little cool, but I plan to tackle some yard work as soon as Emily picks up Jonah. With that in mind, I've been in the kitchen a lot today while Jonah's been taking good naps.
First I made asparagus pesto for a pasta dish later this week. I then cooked and mashed sweet potatoes for tonight's meal. The Meal Plan for the week changed slightly. We're having pork tenderloin tonight instead of Wednesday. I started marinating the pork yesterday afternoon.
I also made icing and decorated cupcakes (previously baked and frozen) for Jim's birthday tomorrow. Tonight's dessert will be strawberry shortcake. I began macerating the strawberries late Sunday and baked biscuits today.
I'm back in the (cooking) game!
*18 Grandma Days until End of School Year*
First I made asparagus pesto for a pasta dish later this week. I then cooked and mashed sweet potatoes for tonight's meal. The Meal Plan for the week changed slightly. We're having pork tenderloin tonight instead of Wednesday. I started marinating the pork yesterday afternoon.
I also made icing and decorated cupcakes (previously baked and frozen) for Jim's birthday tomorrow. Tonight's dessert will be strawberry shortcake. I began macerating the strawberries late Sunday and baked biscuits today.
I'm back in the (cooking) game!
*18 Grandma Days until End of School Year*
Monday, May 2, 2011
Meal Plan
It rained all night and there's no sun in sight this morning. However, AccuWeather.com shows full sun icons for the entire week. Clearly, weather forecasting is more a guessing game than science.
But since the sun isn't out and everything is soaked outside, I took time this morning to pull recipes for the week. My cooking, for the most part, was pretty boring and repetitive in April while I spent more time outdoors. Now I'm ready to be creative again.
Tonight or tomorrow we'll have steak and peppers. It depends on when I decide to just make a salad to go with yesterday's leftovers from Chevy's. Then, on Wednesday, dinner will be pork tenderloin. Thursday's meal will be pasta, possibly with asparagus pesto. And, on Friday, we'll have some type of chicken dish. Typically on Saturdays and Sundays we eat out.
Of course, all planning can quickly "go out the window" if Jonah isn't consistent with his naps. As a safeguard, I should probably consider cooking this evening for the entire week. Yes, that definitely sounds like the safest bet to -- bon appetit!
*19 Grandma Days until End of School Year*
But since the sun isn't out and everything is soaked outside, I took time this morning to pull recipes for the week. My cooking, for the most part, was pretty boring and repetitive in April while I spent more time outdoors. Now I'm ready to be creative again.
Tonight or tomorrow we'll have steak and peppers. It depends on when I decide to just make a salad to go with yesterday's leftovers from Chevy's. Then, on Wednesday, dinner will be pork tenderloin. Thursday's meal will be pasta, possibly with asparagus pesto. And, on Friday, we'll have some type of chicken dish. Typically on Saturdays and Sundays we eat out.
Of course, all planning can quickly "go out the window" if Jonah isn't consistent with his naps. As a safeguard, I should probably consider cooking this evening for the entire week. Yes, that definitely sounds like the safest bet to -- bon appetit!
*19 Grandma Days until End of School Year*
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Finally Able To Vent
Jim turns 60 on May 4. Since that's a weekday this year, we celebrated today with lunch at Chevy's. It's one of Jim's preferred restaurants and a fun place for a party. (Sadly, however, today's experience and service was not up to par.) The guest list was intimate, the four Jorgensens and my dad, which is just the way we like it. And now I can finally vent!
I wanted to do something special for Jim's birthday this year without spending too much money. Since he's a Cardinals fan, I decided to purchase Inclusive Tickets to a game for us and Mike and Emily. Inclusive Tickets include a buffet and bar in addition to reserved seats. There are several options. I chose the Champion Club for Memorial Day. The Champion Club includes a large indoor room with comfy seats and several big-screen televisions, a full-service bar, a food buffet offering a large selection, and good outdoor seating. Each ticket cost me $130. But to get a decent seat, and also purchase several food and drink items, a person unfortunately could easily spend close to $100. So an Inclusive Ticket can be a good option, and even better if the price drops to $85, which is exactly what happened a week after I made my purchase!
The Cardinals are doing what they call Dynamic Pricing this year. That means different deals are offered frequently, but they're only good for a short period of time. You have to react quickly. When I got the email about the drop in price for the tickets I had just purchased, I was immediately angry. But then I thought surely there weren't seats still available for Memorial Day. Wrong! I could have saved $180 if I had waited just one week! I did call the box office to see if anything could be done. I got a rep who was clearly reading from a script. However, he did finally admit that they had received a lot of calls from unhappy fans.
I've had the tickets for over a month now. That's given me time to somewhat "get over it." By Memorial Day, I'm sure I'll just be ready for a fun day at the ball park. But right now I am still one annoyed fan!
I wanted to do something special for Jim's birthday this year without spending too much money. Since he's a Cardinals fan, I decided to purchase Inclusive Tickets to a game for us and Mike and Emily. Inclusive Tickets include a buffet and bar in addition to reserved seats. There are several options. I chose the Champion Club for Memorial Day. The Champion Club includes a large indoor room with comfy seats and several big-screen televisions, a full-service bar, a food buffet offering a large selection, and good outdoor seating. Each ticket cost me $130. But to get a decent seat, and also purchase several food and drink items, a person unfortunately could easily spend close to $100. So an Inclusive Ticket can be a good option, and even better if the price drops to $85, which is exactly what happened a week after I made my purchase!
The Cardinals are doing what they call Dynamic Pricing this year. That means different deals are offered frequently, but they're only good for a short period of time. You have to react quickly. When I got the email about the drop in price for the tickets I had just purchased, I was immediately angry. But then I thought surely there weren't seats still available for Memorial Day. Wrong! I could have saved $180 if I had waited just one week! I did call the box office to see if anything could be done. I got a rep who was clearly reading from a script. However, he did finally admit that they had received a lot of calls from unhappy fans.
I've had the tickets for over a month now. That's given me time to somewhat "get over it." By Memorial Day, I'm sure I'll just be ready for a fun day at the ball park. But right now I am still one annoyed fan!
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