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You certainly can! Hey, none of that cheap stuff for me. You're hired!

The more the merrier! And messier!

She has no idea how much wine I can drink. Happy Birthday! We paint with the wine. Join in the painting with us. If we're drinking wine, we won't mind painting. Lenda, we don't need wine to be messy. I don't think it would make me any messier than I was today. These conversations make the painting worth the effort. Now I'm glad I'm painting. Maybe I'll do the last two rooms by myself. Time for dreamland.

I don't have a painting partner, but I bet I could match you there. I match everywhere else. If you saw me right now you'd think I did get down and roll in the paint. My legs and feet are covered in it. I need to go back and do some touch up. I left the hallway for next week. Under the blue painter's tape. Yep, check that one off. Thankfully, the paint is coming up off the wood floors pretty easily with a fingernail. Yes, @Cruising-along Carolyn would.

You want to hire a messy painter? I'll have paint all over everything. I am so talented I can get paint under the drop cloth! That's what I thought! Great minds. I've called three painters so far and no one has called me back.

Messy painter checking in! Another couple hours of work and I'll be done. I read that a professional painter takes 3-4 days to do a room with prep included. I'm right on target! I have learned something from this project. Spring for the expensive paint. It is so much easier to work with!

Good morning, everyone! It is a cool start to the day but should be sunshiny bright and warm up to a reasonable temperature. One more day of painting and then I take off to Michigan to go house hunting. Tortellini are pasta originally from the Italian region of Emilia (in particular Bologna and Modena). Traditionally they are stuffed with a mix of meat (pork loin, raw prosciutto, mortadella), Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, egg and nutmeg and served in capon broth. The origin of tortellini is disputed; both Bologna and Modena, cities in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, claim to be its birthplace. OxfordDictionaries.com traces the etymology of tortellini to the diminutive form of tortello, itself a diminutive of torta ("cake" or "pie" in Italian). The recipe for a dish called "torteletti" appears in 1570 from Bartolomeo Scappi. Vincenzo Tanara's writings in the mid-17th century may be responsible for the pasta's renaming to tortellini. In the 1800s, legends sprang up to explain the recipe's origins, offering a compromise. Castelfranco Emilia, located between Bologna and Modena, is featured in one legend, in which Venus stays at an inn. Overcome by her beauty, the innkeeper spies on her through a keyhole, through which he can only see her navel. He is inspired to create a pasta in this shape. This legend would be at the origin of the term "ombelico di Venere" (Venus' navel), occasionally used to describe tortellini.[4] In honor of this legend, an annual festival is held in Castelfranco Emilia. Another legend posits that the shape comes from Modena's architecture, which resembles a turtle. This first recipe is a lightened up version, meaning it only calls for 1/3 cup of heavy cream. The crushed red pepper flakes give it a little bite. https://www.aspicyperspective.com/creamy-chicken-tortellini-soup/ This next one takes out the heavy cream and red pepper flakes and simply has a nice, rich broth. https://www.saltandlavender.com/easy-chicken-tortellini-soup/ This next recipe has a different blend of seasonings making the flavor more complex. https://thecozycook.com/chicken-tortellini-soup/ Here are directions for making the soup in a slow cooker. https://therecipecritic.com/slow-cooker-chicken-tortellini-soup/ This last recipe has a tomato broth. https://www.nospoonnecessary.com/easy-chicken-spinach-tortellini-tomato-soup/ On to painting! Wishing you all a wonderful day.

I am so sorry to hear this. May she find peace and comfort. When one of my sisters was living in France I spent the summer with her. One Sunday we decided to go for a hike. I picked out a tres facile trail from a guide book for the Vosge mountains. We loaded her dog, all 135 pounds, in the car and set out. Somehow we lost our trail and our 2 hour tres facile hike turned into a 5 hour torture. Normally Moose loved to go for walks and for a long while he was out in front acting like a trail guide. When we realized we didn't know where we were going, Moose decided he had had enough and laid down on the trail and refused to budge. It took a bit of coaxing to get him to continue on. We found him a lake to swim in and then he was happy. The ceiling is all done and tomorrow I start on the walls. Besides the living room I have to do the staircase and the upstairs hall. If I can find someone who can do it, I am paying someone to finish the last two rooms.

This is one of my favorite beach pictures. An evening stroll along North Beach in South Haven.

I booked Rowe's water taxi the last time we were in Boston. I called them as they requested and told them we were leaving the ship. They said call back when we had our luggage. Ten minutes later I called and said we had our luggage. They replied that they had just left without us and it would be at least an hour before they could come get us. And, they do not refund what you paid when they leave you behind.

Good morning, everyone! Right now it is a pleasant morning but storms are moving in shortly. At least it has cooled down a bit. It was so warm and muggy yesterday that I broke down and turned on the air. Today I'll finish up the ceiling in the living room and hallway and then start on the walls and trim. I want to get this painting project done before I head up to Michigan to look at houses. I am happy to announce that Tina @0106 will fulfill the Meal of the Day responsibilities while I am in Michigan. I am staying with my sister who shuns technology and does not have internet. She actually likes it and uses it when she is at other people's houses, but won't get it for herself. Today's meal was a tough one. The recipes were all identical. I kept searching and pulled up one recipe that had a picture of a nicely roasted turkey. Hmm, not what I was looking for. While the recipes were identical, the pictures weren't. You can get a dark pink sauce or a light pink sauce depending on how much half and half you use. One recipe called for heavy cream. That is not one for those watching calories! This first recipe is the one you'll find on most sites. The only variation is the amount of half and half and whether you use white wine or chicken broth in the sauce. I'd go for the wine myself. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/blushing-penne-pasta/ This next one is a totally different dish, but uses what the author calls sun blush tomatoes. https://simons-sauces.com/2012/09/11/spinach-and-homemade-sun-blush-tomato-pasta/ Ok, so what are sun blushed tomatoes? They are really quite easy to make. I love the measurements in this recipe. A glug of good olive oil. That's the way I cook. https://thegreeneyedgirl.co.uk/2014/06/08/homemade-sunblushed-tomatoes/ This last recipe calls for heavy cream but you can substitute something lighter if you wish. https://simplegraytshirt.com/pink-sauce-pasta/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

The problem does need a solution because it could morph into something more serious. It is causing my body to harvest calcium from my bones. There are other symptoms I am dealing with but they are more annoyances than serious. My recent bone density scan did show a noticeable decrease in bone mass in my right hip. So, the sooner I get it taken care of, the better. It isn't a difficult surgery at all. Outpatient and done quickly. Recovery is a couple days.

I think that someone doesn't like it when patients aren't meekly submissive. All I wanted to do is be sure it was covered by insurance. Why is that such a threat? My endocrinologist agrees with me. He said this is not someone I want treating me. We decided that I would wait until I moved to Michigan and got established with someone up there and they would forward my records. I think it sounds like good news, too! Let's celebrate!

Well, I just had an odd thing happen. I was supposed to have an appointment with an endocrine surgeon on Wednesday. He wanted a bone density scan of my forearm. The reason I was given was because he requires it. Huh? Why does he require it? No answer. So, I called the insurance company to make sure it would be covered since I just had a scan in June. Insurance said they would need a preauthorization request for an additional scan. So, I called the surgeon's office with that information and they claimed they did have preauthorization. Last week they said they didn't and the insurance company had to record of it. So, she sent me over to the department that has the preauthorization information so I could get the confirmation numbers and call the insurance company back. Well, less than 5 minutes later, while I was still on hold with the preauthorization department, the surgeon's office called back and said the surgeon had reviewed my case and determined that I did not need surgery. She added that they would be referring me to a medical endocrinologist. I said no thanks to that because if the surgeon had reviewed my records he would see no need to make that recommendation as I had been referred to them by my medical endocrinologist. I'm not sure what to make of this. I have a call into my endocrinologist to see what he thinks.

We visited Montreal on the Rotterdam in 2018. It was a b2b Boston/Montreal/Boston and Montreal was our turn around day. We didn't take any excursions as they all were airport transfers. One of the things we did do on this trip was explore the cuisine. Montreal was smoked meat sandwiches and poutine. We did like the gardens we saw. And, we enjoyed coffee at a sidewalk cafe.

Good morning everyone! Today has dawned with abundant sunshine and abundant heat and humidity. Thunder bumpers are supposed to roll in this afternoon and cool us down a bit. That would be a good thing! The only thing on my agenda is painting the living room. The room is bigger, but there is more room to maneuver around than in the kitchen and dining room. I think that will help make it easier. Today's meal is pure comfort. It is thick, rich, and creamy. It would be wonderful on a cold night in January. It is not for the calorie or carb counters. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-gnocchi-pesto-soup/ This next one is a little lighter on the calories and the carbs. More broth used helps do that. https://thekitchengirl.com/10-minute-pesto-chicken-gnocchi-soup/ This is a vegan version. The chicken is left out, but could easily be included. https://www.delishknowledge.com/gnocchi-pesto-soup/ If you want to skip the soup version and just go for the chicken gnocchi pesto, here's the recipe. https://www.chiselandfork.com/chicken-pesto-gnocchi/ One last version: https://www.healthyfood.com/healthy-recipes/pesto-gnocchi-and-chicken-bake/ Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone!! It is another nice start to the day here in northeast Ohio. It is going to be a scorcher, though. Temps in the low 90s are forecast. I am packing up Grandma's Belleek china and Mom's Waterford crystal in preparation for painting the living room. One more box and I'll be ready to unload the room and tape all that needs taping. Then, on with the paint!! Today's meal is a nice one and would be excellent for a hot day like today. Fattoush is a Levantine salad made from toasted or fried pieces of khubz (Arabic flat bread) combined with mixed greens and other vegetables, such as radishes and tomatoes. Fattoush belongs to the family of dishes known as fattat (plural of fatteh), which use stale flatbread as a base. Fattoush includes vegetables and herbs varying by season and taste. The vegetables are cut into relatively large pieces compared to tabbouleh which requires ingredients to be finely chopped. Sumac is usually used to give fattoush its sour taste, while some recipes also add pomegranate molasses along with the sumac. We'll start out with this recipe. Most of them are very similar and only vary in a vegetable or two or in the dressing. This one has a lime vinaigrette which sounds lovely. I'm not sure where to get the sumac though. https://www.themediterraneandish.com/fattoush-salad/ Oh, my! Doesn't that look delicious? I might have to stop by the store and get some pita bread. I found the sumac: https://www.amazon.com/Ziyad-Gourmet-All-Natural-Preservatives-Flavorful/dp/B00B03X2XI?dchild=1&keywords=sumac+lebanese&qid=1620534950&sr=8-4-spons&psc=1&smid=A2R4B1L3A6K3AY&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzTEw5MlRWODNHN000JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTIwODUzM1EzR0lTMzZXVzJCVSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTczMDUzMUJPWFRVQkYyNU9GUyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU%3D&linkCode=sl1&tag=feelgoodfoo03-20&linkId=60fadd98e2d98f018049c9782e88e7ea&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl You can also get sumac from Penzey's. Ok, now that we have our sumac, we can proceed on to the second recipe that calls for a lemon vinaigrette and includes green pepper. https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/lebanese-fattoush-salad/ This next recipe uses red onion and includes some mint. https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/fattoush-salad/ This next one is the meal version and contains some chopped chicken. https://www.simplyscratch.com/fattoush-salad/ All the recipes say there are no rules as to which vegetables are included and which ones aren't. It all depends on the season and what if available fresh. So, be creative! Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Good morning, everyone! Today is starting out cool and crisp with abundant sunshine in northeast Ohio. I will celebrate Speak a Kind Word Day happily today. That should be a daily event. What a difference we could make in this world. @Cruzin Terri I'm happy to read that you are going to put the incident behind you and move on. Better for both of you. I am going to finish packing up Grandma's china and mom's crystal today and get the living room ready for painting. I'm hoping it won't take as long as the kitchen and dining room as there are no cabinets to do. It should be an easier job. Penne alla vodka is a pasta dish made with vodka and penne pasta, usually made with heavy cream, crushed tomatoes, onions, and sometimes sausage, pancetta or peas. The recipe became very popular in Italy and in the United States around the 1980s, when it was offered to discotheque customers. The recipe thus became an icon of the fashionable cuisine of the time, which preferred the use of cream in first courses. Penne alla vodka remains popular in Italian-American cuisine. Our first recipe comes from Ree Drummond of The Food Network. There is a whole cup of vodka in the sauce! One caution is to cook it long enough for the alcohol to evaporate leaving just the flavor. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/penne-alla-vodka-recipe-2014981 This next one only uses a 1/2 cup of vodka and cautions us to use only fresh ingredients. No bottled garlic! https://www.cookingclassy.com/penne-alla-vodka-sauce/ This next recipe only uses 2 tbsp of vodka. It gives directions for including pancetta, bacon, or Italian sausage along with other vegetables. https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26556220/penne-alla-vodka-recipe/ The other recipes I found were all the same, only the amount of vodka changed. So, enjoy and let us know if you have a secret ingredient. Wishing you all a great day!

We were in 8197 and loved it. There was an occasional sound of chairs being moved, but nothing that woke us up or prevented us from sleeping. We did get sunshine on the balcony, but the big overhang was great when the weather was a little wet. I'd book it again in a heartbeat.

Good morning, everyone. Today is another beautiful day in northeast Ohio. It isn't supposed to be as hot today as yesterday. We shall see. Today I am putting my kitchen and dining room back together. My packing boxes came yesterday from U-Haul, so I am set to go! Halászlé is a traditional soup enjoyed both by locals and famed with tourists. An important ingredient is a broth made of fish trimmings such as fresh carp heads, bones, skin and fins simmered with vegetables that may include red onions, green peppers and tomatoes for two hours. It is then strained, and ten minutes before serving hot ground paprika and two finger-thick carp fillets, the roe and coral are added to the boiling soup. Traditionally, fisherman prepare the soup in small kettles on open fire on the river banks. When prepared in kettles, chopped onion is fried in the kettle with some oil until it is caramelized. Then, ground paprika is added and the kettle is filled with water. When the water comes to a boil, other seasonings (such as black pepper, white wine, vinegar, or tomato juice) are added, and finally the fish, chopped into large pieces. Entire fish, including heads and tails, are often added to the soup. The soup is usually prepared with mixed fish, most commonly carp, catfish, perch and pike. It is famous for being very hot and spicy. When prepared on-site the soup is served directly from the kettle and eaten with bread. Competitions in preparing the soup are popular and are usually held at fairs along river coast. White wine (such as Riesling) is served with halászlé. Diluted with soda water it forms a sort of spritzer, called fröccs in Hungarian. Halászlé is a traditional dish for Christmas Eve dinner in Hungary. Here is our first recipe for the dish. While this fish soup is traditionally made with hot paprika, you can substitute sweet paprika if you prefer. https://www.mygoldenpear.com/traditional-hungarian-fish-soup-with-red-paprika-powder-halaszle/ A number of versions exist, some are served over pasta, others include cream, but all are made using freshwater fish such as carp, perch or pike. Fried fish are also served at the festive dinner, along with warm potato salad. https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/fishermans-soup-halaszle You can use any mild white fish you like. Cod is often substituted for the carp. https://www.bestofhungary.co.uk/blogs/recipes/fishermans-soup Enjoy! Wishing you all a wonderful day.

I'm here when you are ready.

Terri, I know that pain. Reach out if you'd like.

I am staying at the Chateau Frontenac for one night, fulfilling my grandmother's dream. I get in at 3:41 pm on the 7th. The area around the Frontenac has some fun shopping. I booked this last November so I didn't have to wait as long, but I also had Norway in July to help me through the wait.

That is so sad. Prayers for Linda for recovery and support and healing in losing David. That is so sad. Living alone that is a great fear as one ages.