Month: March 2016

Made loan payments at the credit union and a quick trip to Job Lot for shampoo and socks(!) before our meeting with Larry yesterday; we’ll get refunds.

Dug up grasses and some chunks of yarrow from the corner garden.

Worked yesterday and for a few hours today.

Got a lot done today: drove Ron to and from his PT appointment. Stopped at Roche for coffee on sale and some nice bargains. Found the exercise ball and air pumps for Ron. Turned on the water to the back yard faucet and hooked up the hoses; Ron tightened everything with a wrench. Cleaned the tree garden of leaves.

Ron flipped the compost and made his killer Turkish coffee.

I got my act together early enough this morning to figure out the capacity of the slow cooker (5 quarts) and put up the corned beef with 2 Tbl. of pickling spices and the nice little used vegetable soup collection. It turned out great!

I finished compiling our 2015 tax info in preparation for our meeting with our tax preparer tomorrow.

Coincidentally, someone posted a calculator that compares our tax burden under proposals from Trump, Cruz, Clinton and Sanders.

We’d pay less under Trump and Cruz and about the same under Clinton.

Our primary income is from Social Security, which puts our income at about 1/2 of the average in Mass. Our taxes would increase 15% under Sanders’ proposals.

Much of this cost would be allocated to providing free tuition, but here, students can already attend state college tuition-free if their grades and test scores are high enough.

The rub is that tuition is a tiny fraction of total college costs: about 11%. This means that we’d be paying for Bernie’s Brave New World for people who either haven’t worked hard in high school to get decent grades or who don’t even live here. That makes no sense to me as a practical New Englander.

Ron did laundry and washed dishes, his contribution to our mutual well-being.

I vacuumed and cooked, breakfast, lunch (matzo ball soup) and dinner (ham). Ron fixed veggies, asparagus and carrots. Superb.

Picked up Alpha at 1, and we did the transfer station run. Piles of recycling. The transfer station has a strange schedule: closed only on Christmas, New Year’s Day and Fourth of July.

Alpha Bona’d the kitchen floor, planted the window boxes and helped me change the sheets.

Worked at the bakery four days this week. Got grocery shopping done and checks deposited last evening.

Ron had PT again yesterday. He’s doing very well. Peter drove him home so I could work.

Made a mess of my GoDaddy renewals yesterday but they straightened it out today.

Got out of work early, picked up pansies at Soares, groceries at Shaw’s and beer and wine at Kappy’s. Burgers for supper. Too cold to work outdoors.

I finally put up the fowl bought on sale a while back with celery, carrots, onion, tomatoes and a few green peppercorns.

The aroma is old-timey and comforting.

Ron is doing better and better. I’m scheduled to work tomorrow through Saturday.

The first day of Spring snow was less than half an inch and never accumulated on the driveway or the street. I shoveled it off the decks.

Carpenter dropped by this morning to talk with me about cabinetry and a backsplash for Edgewater later this year. He has some good ideas.

Fixed a problem for one of John’s clients this morning.

Ron wanted to get his hearing aids adjusted and the nearest Beltone is in Hyannis, so after his appointment, we redeemed my birthday gift from Not Your Average Joe’s. What a meal, and great service! We stopped briefly at Keyes Beach, too cold and windy to linger, and took the scenic route home through Craigville and Osterville.

Ron slept much better and although he was still in pain, did the cellar stairs and even made coffee! He’s been sleeping in his recliner.

Alpha helped at the transfer station and baked gluten-free chocolate chip cookies! She also helped me change the sheets. Grateful for her assist. Leftovers for supper.

I picked up an Edible Arrangment for Laura. Her birthday was Sunday.

Threw some Chickity on the front gardens before the snow. Doesn’t look like it’s going to amount to much.

Splurged on an armillary for the back yard and a shelf for the bakery.

Ron had a rough night but he’s doing quite well now. We’ve had the ice machine going all day. Eric brought over more ice so I didn’t have to go out. BIG help, I’m hurting and tired myself, fell asleep after work.

Everyone at the Lion has asked after Ron. We are lucky to be part of such a good group! Had 4 hours of yesterday’s dishes waiting for me this morning.

After dropping Ron off at the surg center yesterday morning, I stopped in to the Coffee Table for cookies and ordered a quiche for today. Picked it up this morning; it made a nice light supper with PDF greens.

Put in a few hours at the Lion.

We unloaded the wood at Emma’s; she gave us four bags of sheep compost!

Ron had his eyes checked at VisionQuest.

Called Darlene to get us lined up for Meals on Wheels during Ron’s recupe.

Corned beef and cabbage for supper.

Day 3 of the brush cleanup at Edgewater. Made two trips to All Cape.

Met with the Library Director and two Trustees to talk about roles. Could have used a translator at times; I have never been good at foreign languages!

Laundry.

Take out clam platters from Cooke’s for supper.

Cardinals on the deck this morning!

Cathy and Cindy took me to brunch.

Did the transfer station run and cleaned up the tree hackings at Edgewater. Can’t believe we fit so much into the truck.

Greens and sauteed shrimp for supper. Watched first episode of Bosch, season 2.