This is better!

Wow! Two weeks in a row and I didn't do Dinner with the Ladies on Friday night! It's absolutely amazing to me how much better Friday felt not having the obligation of going to something I didn't want to go to felt! Once more, I wasn't completely honest about my reason for not going (cited the Fletcher Family Reunion), but the event I used was true, I'm just not going. I'm guessing that next week I'll just have to say "no".

Thursday was a busy day for me. I planted 2 crape myrtles (pink), a Coral Bell Azalea and 18 daylilies in the back yard around the patio. Yesterday (and again this morning) my lower back is killing me. I guess I'm just getting too old for that sorta stuff. I weeded a very large area, removed grass, too, but there's still lots more I'd like to do. I only had one bag of mulch left over from last year and was able to spread it out pretty well. Doesn't look wonderful, but looks tended.

I worried about Jazzy and the stuff I'd planted, but it seems that since she was out there with me (as were Shirley, Goodness, Mercy, Bandi and Smokey!) and I told her it was mine she's pretty much left it alone. I think she ate one daylily as I can't find it, but so far everything else is in place...sure hope this holds!

Then Thursday night Leah Jane had me over for supper. Soup and pie. Delicious! We visited for a while and I got home right when Survivor started. Boy, those people on that show are so stupid!

I have a pot of stew simmering on the stove now and it smells so good! A couple of months ago I bought 2 pot roasts (buy one get one free). I made pot roast with one and froze the other one (also froze several bags of pot roast and gravy for later). So yesterday I partially thawed the whole frozen roast, cut it in half and refroze half (it still was partially frozen, so I'm not worried about that). Then I cubed the remaining half and seasoned and floured it and put it in the 'fridge. Of course by this morning the cubed meat had pretty much turned the flour into a paste so I added more flour and tossed it around. Browned the meat off really nicely and added some finely chopped onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery. While that was all making merry in the pot I diced an onion and a potato and tossed those into the pot. Added some brown gravy that I made earlier this week with garlic and red wine and added a little more water and a half a cup of black coffee. Wish you could smell this! It's fantastic! Later I'll add some frozen green peas and I may make a pot of rice to serve it over. Yum! I'll take Leah Jane some and freeze some and still have enough to eat on for a couple of days!

I'm really enjoying having things in the freezer that are ready to thaw, heat and eat. Even though I only work 5 hours a day, some days I just don't feel like cooking when I get home, however, I ALWAYS feel like eating. In general I enjoy my cooking much more than anything I can get out and the selection is broader. It's also so much cheaper to eat at home and healthier, too!

I'm trying to figure out how to make a slip cover for one of the chairs in the living room. It seems like it should be a simple thing to do, but for some reason I just can't get my head wrapped around it. Those folks on the home improvement shows make it look so easy. I guess I'll Google it and see what comes up.