Sliders...Burritos, Bacon and Eyes.

Good morning, Friends. 

What a week...My daughter, Crystal had surgery on her left eye last Monday and will be having the second surgery (cataract) on January 22.  I also will be having cataract surgery on my right eye on January 22nd. lol...we didn't plan it this way but as she said, "Cool Mom!  We'll both be having bionic eye surgeries on the same day!"  She lives close to Houston and I'm close to Waco, Texas.

If you've had cataract surgery before, this next part may be boring...just keep scrolling.

The testing...forms...measurements...medications...web sites to create...took me almost all day to complete yesterday!  I was rattled by bedtime!  Didn't sleep well.  The actual surgery will be done at a surgical clinic, not a hospital.  They give you meds to sleep...procedure takes about 10 minutes then you need time to wake up.  About an hour and a half, all total.  No eye patches...you just get up and go home.  Sounds good to me!  The hardest part of it all is taking all the eyedrops.  Then, the next day, you go back into the office for them to look at the eye. After we left the clinic, I looked into the black bag they give to cataract patients...all that was in it were the glasses... :o)  No plastic patches...tapes...just the glasses.  Yeah! 

The amount of time we waited was 2 1/2 hours...!!  Beginning to end.  So glad to get out of there...

One day, I made some hamburger and cheddar sliders...turned out good!  

 

Another day, we ate breakfast out at a place called The Toasted Yolk in downtown Waco.  It was good...they served you more than you could eat at one sitting but there again...pricy. 

Notice they spelled Avocado wrong...Lolol...yep, only me!

And coffee?  $3.69??   Each...smh   (shaking my head)

Larry's Burrito plate...

I thought I ordered just one of these things...but two showed up!  They're called a "Southern Fried Arnold".... Had to get a doggy-bag to take home.

Coffee was pretty good...but it's not Larry's.  He roasts our coffee beans here at home...and the coffee is so smooth!

When microwaving bacon on a plate, pull the middles up...that makes for a no mess clean-up later on!  Grease doesn't drip off the sides of the plate.

Tim, our SIL and Sloane's "Pops", showing her the ropes of dirt biking! lol

He said she loved it... Taken pre-Christmas time while it was still in the 80's.

Larry made this cross on his laser...I love it.  Think I'm going to stain it. 

Well...guess that's going to be it for me.  Hope you all are doing well and staying warm/cool wherever you are.

So, until next time...

January...Styling, Cooking and Candles.

Good morning, Friends...  Well, it's finally gone...2023.  I just want to say, good riddance.  

I hope you all are doing well?  Getting over the flu or covid?  We did absolutely nothing for New Years.  At 12:05am, we were awakened by a loud "knocking" at our bedroom window.  Larry jumps up...well...sort of jumps up...more like a roll and jump maneuver...lolol...and went to check things out.  I grabbed my weapon...(yes, I am licensed and know how to use it)... because you never know what or who is doing the knocking!  Come to find out, it was fireworks down the street!  It's also illegal here in the city limits...morons!  I hope they had to pay a huge fine...  Police sirens everywhere.  Needless to say I was up for the remainder of the morning.  A nap was taken later in the day.  

I'd bought Libby the pug a new sweater for Christmas...she was not impressed.  She just stood there, not moving, until I took it off...lol

I woke up early needing a Dutch Baby!  So, waiting for  Larry to get back up, I started pulling out my cast iron skillet, and got busy throwing one together.  I made the blueberry topping first, then the pancake.  We loved how it turned out.  Can't beat lemon and blueberries!

I left out the orange zest and used just vanilla and also used whole milk in the Dutch Baby recipe here.

SO good!

I also came across a recipe for Ham & Potato Chowder...here's the link to the recipe...You will love it!  I love all of the Wyse Guide's recipes!

Then, of course, here in the South, we had to start the New Year off with black-eyed peas and cornbread!  I threw in ham...seriously yummy!

I try to keep it real here on the blog...This was our sweet Sloane about a week ago.  She's better now as you witness in the next photo.  This year has been a tough one for her.  Allergies...flu...ears...our poor sweetheart has had enough!  Please keep her in your prayers.  

This is Samantha's half-sister, Ema.  Looks like you should pronounce her name E-Ma...no... they call her Emma, but it's spelled, Ema...confusing.  Anyway, she turned 17.  Long story but she belongs to our daughter's Ex-husband,  Robert.  He remarried and had two more children.  

Well, I tried to cut back on photos.  We really didn't do much of anything between Christmas and New Years.  Caught up on paperwork...started pulling together the things I need for the Tax Man...oh yes...it begins.  

Everything that comes in the mail for taxes, I make a copy then put in my CPA file.  I have a cover sheet for the accountant so all he needs to do is check off the items on the cover sheet and if he needs the actual proof, I make copies to send along, as well. 

Larry & Donna____        Personal Tax List 2023

605 xxxxxx Street

Xxxxxx, Texas

Her cell#

His cell#

1. Property Tax Receipt:

2. CPA 2022 Receipt:

3. Larry SSA – 1099 Benefit Statement:

4. Donna SSA- 1099 Benefit Statement:

5. All Banks Savings Interest -(I list them all)

9. Larrys VA -PO Health Coverage Letter -

10. Scott & White Senior Care /Proof of Coverage - Larry

11. Scott & White Senior Care /Proof of Coverage - Donna

                                    12. Anything else that needs to go to CPA

When you're retired, there's not too many things you need to declare.  Most years we owe $0.   This is just the cover letter I include.  Our CPA likes it...saves him time and me...added expense and wasted time.  

I take care of everything that comes in the day it comes in!  Make copies, go into computer and add the item, save it.  I use the free software called, Libre Office 7.6... (you can download it from the internet) I don't procrastinate!   I usually have everything that comes in by mid-March.  So... I open my computer and print the list and a copy...open the CPA file...grab the Cover List copy...add the files I made copies of then, stuff it all into a large white envelope.  I add our address to the front, the CPA's address...what's inside...Personal Tax List 2023...then drop it off personally at their office.  It's usually back within days.  I file away all the originals and cover list in my file cabinet.  You never know if the CPA could misplace the files I gave him!  It happened to a friend of ours...she had no backup copy!  She had given her taxman all the originals!  It was miserable for her to have to find everything she needed, all over again!  

I don't know how you do it, but we've always used a CPA.  The same one that does our company taxes.  I don't do them myself...nor do I allow a family member to do them!  Years ago, Larry told me to let SIL do them...we ended up paying IN over $300 dollars to the IRS...I vowed, Never Again!  Larry never interfered again, in my book work...good boy.

Well okay then! Lolol...you probably aren't interested in how I get my IRS packet ready for the CPA...but you got it, anyway! Lolol

As we watch Santa head off into the sunset for a much-needed rest...have a great week...until next time...

Pooped...Partying, Eating and Love

Good Morning, Friends...Wow...It's been a whirlwind of a week!  There was lots of cleaning (I had been a bit behind on things...) Cooking...a little baking...wrapping presents...hanging more bobbles on the tree...I did most of the decorating and cooking this year.  I didn't want to ask Larry to do much of it.  He has two more treatments and a procedure (scope) to see how things look.  Hopefully things are going great.

We all had a fun time...Sloane was her usual happy self (except when she started slowing down...lol...as witnessed in the photo with mom Samantha, and granny Lolli, Crystal. The video was an unexpected fun gift of Sloane!  Too funny...to us, anyway.  We love her so much.

 

Getting ready to implode...

Implosion...Lol...She'd had enough.

Larry's 98 year old Dad, Gerald.

Larry and SIL, Tim

Sam's hubby, Everett and then Samantha

Sloane's Lolli (Our daughter, Crystal)

Crystal (and Samantha's Mom) helping with some cooking.

SIL Tim helping hold the sofa down...lol...We love him.

Crystal made some Rice pudding.

I made a fruit salad.

I made some apple dumplings.

We all made cookies.

I made Biscuits (not cookies, for my Brit friends...lol) and gravy.

Sloanes plate...she recognized the bear.

I made peanut brittle, crispy...not hard!

Crystal made cookies...

Sloane and Gampa resting earlier in the week when we needed to sit with Sloane.  Notice the sleight of hand...lolol...cheeky girl!

 

Samantha did the AI thing that's going around on the internet.  I think the photos look wonderful.

Crystal gifted me with this sachet from Bridgewater Candle Company.  (6 1/2  x  4 1/2 inches) 

All I can say is OMG!  After we'd all finished unwrapping gifts, I walked over to the tree and put the sachet onto a branch and went about my business.  In about ten minutes I started smelling this wonderful fragrance!  I've had sachets before...nothing worked like this one did!  Filled the whole house!  Later that morning, after all had gone, (we ate at 8am this year so everyone could progress on to the next relative's house.  Sam and Everett left here at 11am and still had two more homes and parties to attend...) :o0  

I think I'll plan on doing our celebration on an earlier weekend...so the kids aren't so stressed.  After all, we're now the "old" ones...and Larry and I are just fine with it.  Large families?  You have to be organized! lol)

Anyway, about the sachet, I got online to the company and ordered six more! lol...Only cost $30.10.  I love it!  Go check them out...

Well, I guess that's about it for me on this Christmas 2023.  I can't say I'll be sorry to see it go...we've had better years.  But I am grateful nothing more sinister happened!  I'm so ready for more laughter and sounds of happiness...

No more crying!  I forbid it! lol

Friends...I pray 2024 will bring us a better world...a peaceful one.  May God Bless you all and keep you from harm.

So, until next year...Thank you for putting up with me!  

See you in 2024!