A Sunday Potluck

So, how’s everyone handling that missing hour in the day? I’m trying not to complain too much, but I can definitely feel it. I got home from church and ended up taking a quick one-hour nap, but I’m still feeling pretty worn out. Can’t wait for bedtime, even though it’s only 4:41 p.m.!

But really, do we all have to complain so much about the time change?  I know I do and I'm going to stop it NOW! Seems, the grumbling is twice-a-year—Spring Forward and Fall Back. And you can count on the complaining to start one week before and one week after! 

It’s just what we do!

I'm done. 

Just as I thought, we had a fun mix of cabbage salads inspired by Asian flavors, along with chicken and pork served up with rice or noodles. To top it off, someone brought in two pizzas, a pasta dish, and some fresh fruit to share. It was a great spread!

Mochi Donuts - the delightful Japanese treat that brought a unique twist to the dessert table!

There were so many desserts, but I made the conscious decision, to skip them. I don’t really need them, even though they looked so pretty.  On Friday, I whipped up some white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie dough, and after dinner, I baked 2- 4 cookies so we wouldn’t go crazy eating them. We both don't do well, with cookies lying around, or we’d scarf them down every time we walked by!

Regarding the Fire Map

If they had these maps before, I had never seen them or even knew about them. 

After a robust rainy season, we have an abundant of water and snow here. 

The rest of the state, I don't know. 

I chose to rise above the victim mentality, fretting, and worrying - to embrace the truth that we are more than conquerors. We have been gifted a new identity in Christ that empowers us to live victoriously, no matter our circumstances.

If I can embrace victory after the loss of my son, I can certainly overcome losing my home in a fire. The loss of a loved one is a greater challenge than anything material. We'll do our part and trust God for the rest! 

🍔🍕🍗

Dinner time has arrived, and now it's time to eat! 

See you tomorrow...maybe. 

Debby

Socks, Wind, Church Lady, and Chicken Wings

I forgot to mention this...

I was determined to spend the rest of the Kohl's cash that I had mentioned a few posts ago - It was surprisingly difficult to find something for $7.50, so I ended up buying some much-needed socks for $11.50 to wear with my jeans and nicer shoes rather than my hiking boots.

Oh, they're so soft and cute. 

AND Yes, socks can be cute! 

So it's Sunday! 

We experienced a wind event from Friday night through all day Saturday, and a little bit this morning. This caused power outages for some customers throughout the area, several power lines came down, and a power pole snapped. We also had some spot fires, but they were quickly extinguished. Sometimes I wish they wouldn’t announce these windy conditions, as it seems to attract arsonists. Some neighbors mentioned they would stay awake all Saturday night listening to the scanner. Sadly, that is what it takes - you can't trust your safety to any Government agency. We didn't lose any power - we rarely do because we don't have PGE!

It was cold as well—not as cold as what you all just experienced but it was in the 50s during the day but it was that wind chill, it felt like the 40s during the day and the 30s at night. I had to pull out a wool coat that I only wear for such rare occasions, and I was grateful I hadn’t gotten rid of it. It’s hard to find really warm coats around here.

I had to be the old 

church lady today 

A group of teen girls gathered in the warm kitchen, at church and more of them continued to come in. No one wanted them in there, as they were in our way but no one wanted to speak to them. I finally asked if they were there to help. They all looked at me as if I had said something foreign. I told them that if they weren't there to help, then they needed to leave. They all gave me those looks I used to give grown-ups, grunted, and groaned, but eventually, they left.

We’re facing some challenges with the kids, especially the teens. A few of us have discussed this issue. At potlucks, the teens get in line first, and by the time the elderly get to the food, a significant portion is already gone. That’s not how I was raised. At the church I used to go to, in the Bay Area,  it was moms with little ones and then the elderly. Additionally, when I came downstairs to open the boxes of donuts, I noticed that half of them were already gone - with half-eaten ones on the table. They should not be eaten until after the service.

No one likes confrontation, but we need to address this. 

Dinner is calling to me...

For dinner tonight, I fixed some buffalo chicken wings.  The aroma is intoxicating.  I usually purchase my chicken wings from a local butcher, which offers exceptionally large and meaty wings, which is just right for the two of us. 

Have a great evening - 

Debby

 

Aurora Borealis in the North State

#1

Photos from around my area from those who captured its beauty. 

This one is my favorite, Mt Shasta. 

#2

On Tuesday, October 8th, a geomagnetic storm occurred as a result of the Earth being hit by a surge of charged particles, also known as "plasma," that originated from sunspot AR 3848 on the sun. 

#3 

Mt Lassen 

Looks like Lake Helen 

#4 

Mt Lassen 

Awesome! 

#5

A different look - very cosmic looking...

#6

Of course, I love trees, so this is a nice one as well. 

#7

A Country Road 

#8

Another favorite because of the trees

Today's potluck was a big success! Everyone loved my casserole – it disappeared in no time. There was also a mouthwatering, juicy grilled Tri-Tip that someone brought, and it was absolutely delicious.

I plan to make it again for us, this coming week. I will make a few minimal tweaks but it was very tasty. Oh and of course I will christen it with an official name. 

So which photo was your favorite?

 

I hope this finds you all well. 

Debby

 

Saturday Portions

Hey Guys, where's the feeder?

Oh, what a beautiful day we're having today. 

Today, there was a slight drizzle, and the temperature reached a high of 74 degrees. Although the rain wasn't substantial enough to extinguish the fire, the cooler temperatures and increased humidity will help the firefighters gain greater control over the situation.  

This morning, I was relieved to see that the major swelling on my thumb had reduced significantly. Although there is still a little swelling, I'm able to bend my thumb without experiencing any pain, which was not the case yesterday. I decided it was not necessary to go to urgent care. I plan to continue soaking it three times a day and applying Neosporin. It seems like it's improving day by day, and I just don't want to seek medical attention when it appears to be getting better. It's a day-by-day thing. 

Tomorrow is our church's monthly potluck. I decided to create a dish using whatever ingredients I had on hand. It's a combination of different ground beef casseroles, and even though it was a risk, it smelled delicious while the sauce simmered. 

_______________________

2 lbs. of ground beef

Two packages of Taco Mix

One can of tomatoes

One can black whole black olives

lots of garlic

some paprika

1 bag of the southwest blend of corn, black beans, peppers, and onions.

Two handfuls of noodles. 

*I might have thrown some other spices in there - I lost track! 

I told you I made it up with what I had available. 

I dumped it in my casserole pan -  added shredded cheddar cheese - 

and will bake it tomorrow morning at 350 for 25 minutes or so. 

We'll see how it is received—whether it was a bomb or a hit. 

It sure is colorful! 

_______________________

I hope the casserole isn't too spicy. Although I used to enjoy spicy food, my stomach issues have made it difficult for me to handle the spice as well as I used to.

If the meat casserole turns out good, I'll give it a name.  I might also make some changes. I think adding some green onions and cilantro on top would have been a nice addition, but unfortunately, I didn't have any on hand. At first, I wasn't planning to add noodles, but I felt like the dish needed a little something extra, so I found a bag with just enough noodles and decided to throw them in. I realized I was out of corn and flour tortillas, which I usually keep in stock, and I forgot to buy them yesterday. I didn't feel like going out to the market on a Saturday just for those items.

I have some BIG reservations about church potlucks due to a bad experience with food poisoning and finding hair in the food at other churches in the past. I prefer sticking to items I'm confident about, such as bread and butter, salad, or raw vegetables. I'm trying to get over this phobia I have...

 How do you feel about church potlucks? 

Tonight is pepperoni pizza night, so I'm off duty. Husband is in the kitchen, listening to Italian opera

Our Song!

Well, that's it for me. I hope you all have a restful evening. 

Enjoy Andrea Bocceli in my favorite version 

of Time to Say Goodbye. 

Debby