They Don't Make Stuff Like They Used To

The other night I wriggled around on the couch and realized that it was scooching like a glider rocker.  It's not a glider rocker, not close.  This is a piece of furniture that was purchased in September or October, too recently for it to need fixing.  But I snagged the socket set on a trip downstairs yesterday and this morning I turned the couch on its back and tightened the legs.  Legs plural because both of the legs on that side were loose.  In fact, I need to tip the couch forward so I can examine the back leg because it looked wrong.  I may have to call the store and get a replacement for the whole darned thing.

This afternoon I met my friend ACJ at The Attic to write and talk writing.  I read her what I wrote last weekend and said that I thought that was The End.  She agreed.  Oh goodie goodie goodie.  Next I go through the manuscript again to find places to add thoughts of the main character's late husband because it occurred to me last weekend that even though the husband has been dead for 2 or 3 years she should think of him, shed a few tears in his memory, which will make the novel more true and more real for readers.

After writing I went to the Y and walked a podcast's worth.  When my thigh muscles started complaining I sat on the leg adductor (inside thigh muscles) weight machine, did 50 or 60 reps which helped make the outside thigh muscles stop complaining quite as much.  Tomorrow afternoon I meet the trainer again to get the program of exercises that she's developing to help me strengthen my ankles and work on my balance.

For supper I made the Egg Roll Noodle Bowl recipe I yoinked off the internet the other day.  I'd never made rice noodles before.  Instead of boiling them in water like regular noodles you boil the water, take the pot off the heat, and soak the noodles in the water for 8-10 minutes.  The recipe turned out okay.  I used shrimp instead of ground pork because shrimp doesn't cost any points and ground pork does.  And I had shrimp on hand.  The recipe could use some tweaking; there are three more servings so I have a few chances to figure out what, how, and how much.  For starters, next time I'll saute some more onions with the shrimp.  I just scraped in about a scallion's worth and I suspect it could use more for more flavor.  I'll figure it out.  (I just realized that I ate supper at the table.  I eat breakfast and lunch at the table but usually eat supper on the couch. Hm.)



I realized this evening while sitting knitting at a friend's house that I've never taken a picture of or said a word about this dishcloth.  It's nothing fancy, just row after row of garter stitch, but I do love the colors of the yarn.  I'm calling it the Sunset Garter Stitch Dishcloth.  Creative, huh?

9 January--Tropical Obsession. You can see it in her face. The little girl dressed all in red with lovely long black braids and a bright white smile is the darling of her family. You don't wear a smile like that when you're eight years old unless you know you are special. It says below the photo that her name is Clarinda, a pretty name for a self-confident girl. I can see little Clarinda on her way to school decked out in her carefully ironed white blouse and navy and white plaid pleated uniform skirt. No room for the distraction of fashion when a child's education is at stake. Our little miss probably wears shiny buckle shoes instead of the more casual tennies, and I'd lay odds that her sock tops are even and never scootch down to puddle around her ankles like mine used to do. Reality comes as a bit of a shock to girls who have had such a carefree childhood as I imagine for our Miss Clarinda. It's not easy coming to the realization that not everyone cares to smooth the way for you forever. Maybe it's better to have a little heartache when you're young, to have to fight a bit to get what you desire, then reality won't be quite as much of a shock.

Okay.  Here's my attempt to get the bottom, sign-off paragraph of the blog post to be left-justified and in not faded print.  (and it worked!)  Once again 11:00 is creeping up on me.  Cross my heart I won't go anywhere tomorrow night; I'll sit on the couch after supper knitting and get myself to bed at a decent time.  Really.  And this weekend I plan some investment cooking because there are only 2 more suppers' worth of pre-made food left in the freezer.
--Barbara