Turns Out I'm Off All Week

Mrs. Boss called yesterday asking if I wanted Mr. Boss to work for me today, and I said yes, for two hours.  She said no, all day.  So I said okay since I don't want to miss Durwood's appointment.  That means I worked 6 hours on Monday and that's all for the entire week.  Will I even get a paycheck next Monday or will it all be sucked up by taxes, etc.?  I'll get something, some small pittance (I know that's redundant but it'll be that little, I know it); good thing this week's check was so massive, I can save some for next week.  Otherwise we'll starve!  See, my pay is the grocery money and prices are going up up up as it is but Durwood's a good shopper, he squeaks every penny of that money.  It seems outrageous that two middle aged people need $70 for a week's groceries but we eat a lot of fresh veggies and they're pricier than frozen or canned, I think, I don't really know since I don't shop anymore.  I used to feed all of us for $70 for 2 weeks but that was long ago, wasn't it?  Good god, it was nearly 20 years ago when I started working and started making a 2 week menu and shopping list that I filled, then left a pack of recipes in the recipe clip DS made in Cub Scouts for DS & DD to make on their nights to cook.  DS was 14 and DD was 12 so it was time for them to learn to cook anyway and that's when I started working so I was getting home too late to make meals.  DS cooked on Monday, DD on Wednesday, and Durwood on Friday and he always made something spaghetti-y.  He'd pack up plates and silverware and all the food into a special cardboard box he'd fixed up with towels and he and the kids would come down to the dive shop so we'd have supper together.  I worked until 9 PM then so it made sense, plus we enjoyed it.  I'm sure the kids didn't like it as much as they pretended to but Durwood & I liked it and it was a family thing, and therefore good.  DS practiced juggling using lead shot pockets; I'm guessing that bulked him up a bit.  I found some of the menus when we moved.  I started out with Bisquick and Campbell's Soup recipes since they're so easy to make.  We had lots of casseroles and skillet one-pan-type dishes but we always had lots of veggies and a good variety so I feel like they were able to feed themselves when they were grown up and moved out on their own.  Both of them are creative and enthusiastic cooks now, DS even married a real chef (lucky him, lucky ALL of us), so I think we made a good job of it.

I stayed up so late last night, midnight (gasp), that I just fell into bed and didn't write.  I've also kind of lost enthusiasm for following Photo a Day too.  Actually I'm not as thrilled with this month's themes so I decided to just give you a picture that I took yesterday.  I saw a bright, red-orange reflection in the neighbor's windows yesterday late afternoon and went out to see the sun blazing its way toward the horizon.  Who could resist? 

 Be safe if you're driving "over the river and through the woods" today.  It's really foggy here; I'm glad we don't drive to Shawano until tomorrow afternoon.  Making Mom's green bean casserole, the cornbread for the dressing, and pumpkin bread pudding with sauce today.   Time to cook!
--Barbara