Susie's Notes and Pictures
Well it looks like it’s going to be a great Labor Day weekend The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny, and we have been invited to my brother’s house to hang around his pool and enjoy some grilled burgers and chicken. We plan to bring a nice grape salad to chip in with the food.
I hope that each and every one of you has a safe and happy Labor Day. Unfortunately it’s also the sign of Autumn beginning but that’s okay. All things must change!!
When Jim was telling me that he was thinking about buying a used musical instrument, I was a little concerned that he might regret that. I hate to admit that I am so suspicious about buying things that are used, but I have had some bad experiences with things that break down the moment I get them! But when Jim told me that he was being really careful, and trying to find what he wants through the selection of instruments through the musiciansfriend used selection, I felt a little better. I would imagine that the business would probably check them over pretty well before selling them.
I have a garden that I planted this year. It’s in the only spot of my whole yard that gets enough sun to grow anything. My neighbor lady is mad at me for planting the garden there – she says that I should have put it in my back yard instead of the side yard, because “no one wants to look at that!” I have to tell you – I was actually offended that she told me that. I don’t see anything wrong with having a small vegetable garden in the side yard, and there are so many trees in my back yard that nothing will grow back there – not even grass!
For the past several mornings when I go to check the garden and water it, I have found one of the bean plants broken off and ruined. I suspect that some kind of critter is getting into my garden at night and breaking off the bean plants. We have skunks, foxes, rabbits, raccoons and deer in my neighborhood. Do you think any of them are interested in beans?
I have no idea what kind of critter it would be – and I sure hope that it is not my neighbor doing it to spite me!
I found a great summer squash recipe that has become a favorite here too. It’s a New England Summer Squash casserole type dish. I thought you might like to give it a try.
Boil Squash and onion for 5 minutes and drain. Combine chicken soup and sour cream. Stir in shredded carrots. Fold in squash and onions. Combine stuffing mix and melted butter. Use a 12 x 7 casserole dish. Put half of stuffing on the bottom of the pan, then the squash mixture and top with remaining stuffing. Bake at 350 degree for 25 – 30 minutes or until heated through. Serves 6 unless they really like it and then it only serves about 4.
I love the 4th of July!! We really go all out to decorate, well we do that for every holiday but there’s just something about Independence Day that I love!! We always have a huge community picnic type party with grilled hot dogs and hamburgers with all the fixin’s and of course potato salad, baked beans and we can’t forget the banana pudding and homemade ice cream.
Then there’s the fireworks display. I love all of the laughter, ooohhh’s and aaahhh’s from the children when the fireworks start. It’s just a wonderful time for all!!! I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful 4th of July and remember what the celebration is all about, our independence!!!
Geoff was telling me that he wants to buy a new 18 subwoofer because someone stole his old one last weekend out of his car. He’s pretty upset about it, but I am having a really hard time refraining from scolding him for leaving his car unlocked overnight. He’s always been adamant about how he lives in a safe area and he never has to lock his doors. I hope now he will start locking his doors from now on!
One of the most useful office supply items is the binder clip. I’m sure you know what item I’m referring to – it is a black metal clamp that has two silver colored wire clips that you squeeze to make the clamp open. Some poeple call them “alligator clips” because when you squeeze the clips the metal clamp is a little bit like alligator jaws that slap shut with a lot of force. If you have an extra large binder clip that clamps down on your finger – it does hurt!
The binder clips were used in offices as an alternative to 3-ring binders to hold a stack of papers together. There are different sizes of binder clips that hold any number of sheets from extra small binders holding 2-10 sheets to the extra large binders holding up to 300 sheets.
But I use these binder clips at home for other purposes, too. My open bags of snack chips and pretzels are rolled and clipped to keep the air out and the chips fresh. When I have a big bag of fresh vegetables, like carrots or broccoli, I roll the tops of those packages and put a binder clip on them, too.
To hold batches of grocery store coupons together, I use a small binder clip on the bottom so that I can easily flip through all the coupons and easily read the expiration dates.
Do you keep any binder clips at home for a different use? I’d love to hear what you use them for, too.
I don’t know about you, but I’m all about saving space. Having grown up in a house that gave me a very small bedroom, I am always looking for ways to maximize my space. Because of this, I end up using a lot of the walls to store things. One example of this would be using wall mount speaker brackets to put my small speakers, so I wouldn’t have to use up any shelf space of desk-top space. One advantage of this is that it protects the speakers from being knocked over by small pets that may be going exploring when your back is turned!
Happy Mother’s Day everyone! I know that you may not BE a mother, but chances are you know someone who IS a mother! So, Happy, Happy Day to all!
Never took Latin in school but I’m pretty sure that the Ides of March is March 15, that’s today. I know the Ides of March was a bummer for Caesar – his friends turned on him and killed him. I have been betrayed by people who I thought were friends, too. I think of that horrible moment that Caesar actually realized that all his friends had betrayed his trust. At least in my case, no one has killed me – yet!