Tighty Righty Whities: Fly on the Wall

Welcome to our monthly Fly on the Wall, a blog post written in snippets. Marcia, Diane, and I invite you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes, at our writing desks, and in our worlds. Come on in, buzz around, see what we've been up to. Bet you laugh! 

I know I've mentioned about a million times over the years that I'm a lifetime Red Sox fan. I've also mentioned that PurDude buys us a season subscription to all the games each year. 

Mostly, it's made me so happy. Last year not so much, and this year seems to be setting up to be a repeat of last year {{sob}}.

But I keep watching. Every game.

Hubs and I are just settling in for a Saturday afternoon game.

Me: Know what the definition of insanity is?

Hubs: What?
Me: Watching the Red Sox play game after game, and expecting a different result.

Hubs: Funny. Sad, but funny.

Me: You know what that makes us?

Hubs: Certifiable?

Me: I prefer happily delusional.

Hubs: That works too.

So . . . we were watching a game, the Red Sox were actually getting runners on the bases (yay!) but couldn't bring them home (boo!).

Later in the game, there were runners on base, and the batter got a hit, actually scoring two runs. But the batter twisted all the way to the side almost in a full circle when he hit the ball, and the announcers said something about it looking like a break in his back.

Me: OMG!!!

Hubs: Worth it.

Me: A broken back? What kind of a person are you?

Hubs: Ummm, bat. Not back, bat.

Me (said in my best Gilda Radner, Emily Litella voice): Nevermind.  

Hubs is driving down the street on his way home when he sees me running towards him, about 1/2 mile up the street.

Hubs (pulling over and yelling out the window): What's wrong?

Me (out of breath): There's a hornet in the house. There's a hornet in the house.

Hubs: Where are you going?
Me (still running): Anywhere.

Hubs and I had been talking about the price of groceries. Some items seem to be coming down in price, but many are still way higher than they should be (like eggs and vegetables), and others seem to fluctuate on a day by day basis.

The next day, Hubs comes up to the bedroom:

Hubs: What's on the kitchen table?
Me: What do you mean?
Hubs: I was just in the kitchen and there's a plastic cup on the table with something in there.

Me: Oh, that. I'm growing scallions.

Hubs: You are? That's great. So we can lower our grocery bill?

Me: Yes, about 81 cents. With all that money we're saving, maybe we can start looking at bigger houses.

A few days later, I'd been making salmon and when I went to transfer it to a platter, a piece broke off and fell into a glass I'd been drinking from. Seriously frustrated, I set the glass aside.

Hubs comes into the kitchen:

Hubs (looking into the glass with a quizzical expression): What are you growing here?

Me: Salmon, should save us a whole lot of money.

Hubs: You can't do that.

Me: Yes, I'm aware.

Hubs: So what are you doing?

Me: It's a new recipe I'm trying. Salmon Under Glass.

Hubs: Oh, so we're having salmon for dinner tonight?

Me: No, shrimp.

Hubs: Then when is the salmon for?

Me: The next time we have a fight.

Kung Pao Shimp

with Take-Out Style Brown Rice

We'd had a long stretch of April showers that instead of bringing May flowers, brought May (more) showers. Our sump pump in the basement was petitioning for overtime pay. 

I was on my laptop when Hubs came upstairs.

Hubs: What are you doing?

Me: Shopping.

Hubs: What do you need?

Me: It's what you need.

Hubs: Really, so what are you buying me?"
Me: A machete.

Hubs: What? Why?

Me: Because if that lawn doesn't dry out soon, you're going to need a machete to get through it.

And the miserable weather seemed to be never-ending.

Monday, Hubs comes into the kitchen, looks out the window and says "rain."

Tuesday, Hubs comes into the kitchen, looks out the window and says "rain."

Wednesday, Hubs comes into the kitchen, looks out the window and says "rain."

Thursday, I'm on the phone when Hubs comes into the kitchen, looks out the window and says "rain."

Me: Ugh, enough already, I know.

Marcee (on the phone): Who are you talking to?

Me: Apparently I'm married to either Nicholas Cage or Dustin Hoffman.

Marcee: Huh?
Me: I've either got The Weather Man or Rain Man here.

I've talked many times, basically every spring, to be exact, about the woodpeckers who peck holes in our chimney siding this time of year. Despite running outside scaring them away pretty much constantly, we still end up having to pay about $1500 each spring to have the siding replaced.

Our neighbor (we all have this issue) found out about something called cement siding boards. They look like wood and are painted to match the house, but they're cement so no woodpeckers. He's having them installed and now so are we, but the wait is about 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, as if we don't have enough problems, swallows have built a nest inside the hole in our siding that the woodpeckers have made. Just great. But . . .

Me: Want to hear the meaning of irony?
Hubs: Sure.

Me: The swallows are keeping the woodpeckers away.

A pendant light over our kitchen counter had burned out and, of course, Hubs wasn't home. He could reach it more easily, I had to try to change it balancing on the counter. Of course, while I'm trying to unscrew it, I'm talking to myself.

Of course, that's when Hubs walks in.

Hubs: What are you doing?

Me: Changing this light bulb.

Hubs: But why are you talking about underwear?
Me: I'm not. I'm saying that righty/lefty thing while unscrewing the bulb.

Hubs (laughing): That's not how it goes.

Me: Huh?

Hubs: It's "righty tighty," not "tighty whities." Tighty whities are underwear.

Well, that's embarrassing.

The next day I was placing an order online for some kitchen supplies, when I yelled up to Hubs.

Me: Hey, I'm placing an order for some kitchen towels and oven mitts.

Hubs: OK.

Me: Is there anything you need?

Hubs: Not than I can think of.

Me: So you're all good with tighty righty whities?

 

Now click on the links below and see what my friends have to share:

Menopausal Mother 

On the Border

Kung Pao Shrimp

                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 TBSP oil

18 oz large, peeled and deveined shrimp

20 oz bag frozen stir fry vegetable mix, or you can use 2 - 3 cups chopped fresh vegetables of your choice

3/4 cup bottled Kung Pao sauce

1 TBSP sweet chili sauce

3 TBSP soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

OPT: serve with my Take-Out Style Brown Rice

Directions:
*Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add the shrimp. Cook for 2 minutes, flip over and cook about another 2 minutes until completely cooked. Remove and keep warm.

*Add the vegetables to the pan skillet. Cook, stirring, about 3 minutes until the vegetables start to thaw.

*Whisk together the Kung Pao sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil and add to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and bring to a boil, continuing to stir.

*Once all the vegetables are coated with the sauce and the sauce has boiled for 2 - 3 minutes, add the shrimp back into the skillet. Cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.  

Kindness Shelved: Monthly Poetry

 

 

 

Last Friday of the month is for

Monthly Poetry Group to rhyme.

Diane, Mimi, and I take turns,

"Kindness" is the theme this time.

 

As usual, today I'll try,

a poem to write . . . or fudge.

Whether I'm successful or not,

you get to be the judge.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kindness Shelved

I remember kindness past,

seems to have died out at last.

The times we'd put ourselves aside,

and just let kindness be our guide.

 

If someone needed help, just ask,

we'd try to pick up any task.

Volunteers wanted? We'd apply. 

Rarely let the chance go by.

 

Need a ride to get your car?

We'll help out, be it near or far.

Struggling strangers we might see,

as a chance, good samaritan to be.

 

Neighbor isn't feeling OK,

I'll take her kids, keep them for the day.

Bring her family dinner too,

it's the kind of thing we'd always do.  

 

Tortellini Dinner Casserole

 

 

 

Showing kindness we should treasure,

of our own character, it's a measure.

Doing for others lets all see,

the kind of person we've chosen to be.

 

Nowadays we're less engaged,

and this makes me just enraged,

often putting first ourself,

kindness languishing on the shelf.

 

Here's something I hate to hear,

and my answer, loud and clear:

"What's in it for me?" you say.

No, kindness doesn't work that way.

 

Before you go, stop by these blogs for more Collections poetry:

 

On the Border

Messymimi's Meanderings

 

 

Tortellini Dinner Casserole

                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 package (12 oz) frozen cheese tortellini

2 oz pepperoni slices

3/4 cup marinara sauce, I use my Homemade Marinara

1/2 cup half and half

1 small zucchini

6 oz x-small cooked shrimp

5 slices mozzarella cheese (can use shredded)

1 tsp Italian seasoning

 

Directions:
*Cook the tortellini, drain well, rinse a few times with cold water, drain again, and place in a mixing bowl.

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart round or 8 inch square baking dish,

*Set aside 6 slices of pepperoni, chop the rest and add to the mixing bowl.

*Trim the ends of the zucchini, cut in half, then slice. Add to the mixing bowl, along with the shrimp. Mix.

*Whisk together the marinara and half and half, add to the mixing bowl, mix well, and pour into the prepared baking dish.

*Top the mozzarella, then the Italian seasoning, and the reserved pepperoni slices.

*Bake for 30 minutes.

Raking the Forest

  

 

 

It started with a laugh. But by the end of the day, it had turned into insight. Surprisingly, the inspiration was Hubs who was, at the time, minding his own business, raking the front lawn. So yeah, insight from raking. 

 

Watching him, the laugh came first because what popped into my mind was trump's comment that the devastation from forest fires is the result of mismanagement. You remember, don't you? Mr. inject-yourself-with-disinfectant announced that the government should be raking our forests. 

 

I know, forest fires are dangerous, devastating, and deadly, not really something to be laughing at, but it wasn't the fires themselves, it was the absurdity of the ignorance, you had to either laugh or cry (and sometimes both).

 

That night, after a broiling hot day and a refreshingly cold dinner, I would sit down to once again watch the latest of the January 6th hearings. 

 

 

 

  Summer Shrimp Salad

 

 

When they started televising the hearings, I had an overwhelming sense of futility. At this point, I fully believed that there were two groups of Americans, those of us who understand the jeopardy our democracy is in, the seriousness of a bloody coup under the direction of a maniac, and those who are so ill informed or brainwashed that they either don't understand the ramifications of an autocracy, or just don't care. Two impeachment trials and dead capitol police didn't change any minds, why would these hearings?

 

But as I watched the hearings, and even later, as I witnessed the republican politicians push back with lies and repeated disinformation, I started to have a little hope. The people testifying were those who had actually been there, part of the administration. They were coming forward with truth, context, timeline, and insight.

 

The hearings, of course, are going on right as Bannon is going to trial for ignoring his subpoena.

 

Before these hearings, there were no ramifications, no repercussions, and therefore no downside to continuing the lies, deception, and misdirection.

But now we're witnessing testimony from administration loyalists. And, part simultaneously (and part as a result) we're seeing the start of accountability. There have been not just subpoenas, but raids, confiscation of electronics, demands for records, arrests, and even trials.

 

I realized, as more former members of the administration seem to be coming to terms with what they had been complicit in, understanding their patriotic responsibility to come forward and swear to the truth (or, of course, some less patriotic and more self preservation/jump from the sinking ship, I don't want to end up in jail motivation), that these hearings have done something meaningful for all of us.

 

 

We, those of us who have understood from the beginning just what was happening, are now bearing witness to exactly who have been able to find their inner strength, recalculate their moral compass, and come forward. And we understand exactly who's left, still determined to keep digging that hole, and ignoring subpoenas. 

 

The result of these hearings is simple. They're raking the forest.

Wheat from the chaff my friends, wheat from the chaff.

 

Summer Shrimp Salad        
                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

4 oz wide egg noodles

1/3 cup Everything Bagel Vinaigrette

2 green onions

1/2 red pepper

1 cup grape tomatoes

8 oz broccoli slaw

4 oz fresh snap peas

12 oz medium cooked shrimp

OPT: serve with Giant Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Directions:
*Cook the noodles to al dente. Immediately rinse a few times with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate.

*Make the Everything Bagel Vinaigrette. Refrigerate.

*Slice the green onions and chop the red pepper.

*Add the cooked shrimp, green onions, red pepper, grape tomatoes, broccoli slaw, and snap peas to the cooked pasta. Mix gently. Add the Everything Bagel Vinaigrette. Mix gently.

*Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, mixing now and then. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

 

Tender Trappings in Tiny Totes: Use Your Words

 

 

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I'm using:  tote full of kittens ~ scale ~ towels ~ pictures ~ toilet paper
They were submitted by Sarah of The Crazy Mama Llama.

                          

I told Sarah, I think I tell her every time as a matter of fact, that I always love when her word prompts for this challenge come in, they make me laugh. What I don't tell her is that I also, in my head, hear Mr. T saying "I pity the fool . . ." Because her words are really fun and funny, but they're also challenging (which, I suppose, is the whole point of a writing challenge). But tote full of kittens? Really? Smh, what the hell am I going to do with that? 

 

I guess we're both about to find out.

Lillian was actually middle aged, but knew she looked much older that day as she walked out of the grocery store. Grief will do that to you, tear at your looks. She didn't care. She used to pride herself in her appearance. All the pictures around her home bore witness. Stylishly cut hair, long curly lashes, a hint of blush and lipstick, matching purse and shoes. Not any more. It was all meaningless now. Everything was meaningless now.

Truth is, the only reason she was food shopping is because she'd given away all the "well meaning" casseroles. It's not like she could eat a whole one herself, and she refused all attempts to join her, to engage her in any way. She wasn't ready. Wasn't ready to talk, wasn't ready to be around people whose lives still had joy in them. She probably never would be. Jonathan had been the love of her life and he was gone. In a split second. Heart attack.

So here she was, buying, she thought, foods for one. Sustenance, nothing more. Looking down at the cart she was pushing out the supermarket door she saw a few bags, but honestly had no idea what she'd just purchased.

She looked up from her cart just in time, she'd almost bumped right into him. He seemed to have appeared right in front of her from nowhere, this strange little cherub looking man, carrying some kind of tote. As she stopped short, he reached into his bag and brought out a kitten. "Last one," he said, looking at her. 

 

 

"No," she wasn't trying to be harsh, she just wanted to be left alone, get home. "Actually, I'm a dog person," she lamely added. "That's OK," he calmly told her, "the kitten won't mind." "No," she repeated, but as she maneuvered her cart around him, he gently placed the kitten inside and began walking away. "NO," she yelled this time, not caring about harsh. She started to chase him but she was pushing a cart full of food, bouncing and scaring the kitten.

 

Furious, Lillian removed some towels she had in her trunk, loaded the groceries inside, then settled the kitten on the towels in her front seat. As soon as she put the perishables in the fridge and freezer, she'd have to go to the animal shelter and drop off the kitten. She couldn't even take care of herself right now.

She placed the towels with the kitten inside on the floor of her kitchen and got the groceries onto the counter but that was as far as she got. She lost it, eased herself to the floor and sobbed. And sobbed. And sobbed. Nothing new, she was doing that a lot lately.

What actually was new was the kitten curled up in her lap when she stopped. A kitten she'd been petting, it seemed. And the purring appears to be what had finally calmed her.

Lillian wasn't sure at what point she'd decided to keep Val. Maybe when she finally gave in and named her, or maybe even, subconsciously, that very first day. But at some point she visited a vet and bought some essentials, so despite not knowing when, it was clear that she had.

It wasn't easy, the adjustment, but Lillian soon realized that even the curtains she had to rehang and the toilet paper she had to re-roll served a purpose. Each minute she dealt with a mischievous kitten was one that she was concentrated on something besides being locked in grief. 

 

It was a long process, months and months, but she even eventually even started to cook again. For the first time in a long time, she stepped on the scale and the numbers had stopped going down.

 

Orange Chili Shrimp 

 

Grief is fluid, it comes in waves. Val was just the company she needed, no longer feeling so alone in the house, but even considering being around people again remained unthinkable. She would still sink to the floor and sob now and then without any warning.

But the day came. Close to a year after she'd lost Jonathan, and after considering it for months, she'd decided to join a widow/widowers' grief group. Not join, she told herself, just try it. Once. For so long she'd hated the word widow, cringed when it even crossed her mind, knew she did not have the strength to hear others' stories similar to hers, felt she had nothing to offer them, fought against being one of them. But she was. And she knew it. Now she'd face it. She would go.

 

The meetings were held once a month at the local community center. She stopped just outside the door, took a deep breath, and walked into the room. With a tote full of kittens. Maybe she had something to offer them after all.

Wishing you all a Valentine's Day full of love, in any and all of its forms.

Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:

On the Border 

Wandering Web Designer 

Part-time Working Hockey Mom 

Climaxed 

The Crazy Mama Llama 

Orange Chili Shrimp        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

 
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

1/4 cup orange marmalade

2 TBSP orange juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp dried red chili flakes

2# large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 green onion, sliced

2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
*Whisk together the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, orange marmalade, orange juice, minced garlic and red chili flakes. Set aside.

*Spray a large skillet with non stick cooking spray. Heat to medium. Add the shrimp. Cook the shrimp completely, until they are pink and no longer translucent. Drain.

 *Stir the sauce into the pan with the shrimp. Cook for 7 - 8 minutes, stirring now and then so all the shrimp is completely coated.

*Sprinkle with sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds for serving.