Power cooking (long)

We still do power cooking for David, even though the portions are for just one person.  He likes to make sure that not to eat the same basic protein source for more than 2 days in a row.  So the frozen meals are interspersed with something else.  Mind you the "something else" is often boneless chicken breast that still comes out of the freezer.  We usually only buy meat/protein once a month, break it down into meal size portions and freeze it.  What did our parents do without a freezer??  I know, during winter, they would store food in a little shelf under the tiny roof over the back door.   But that's another story.  I think that freezing single portions saves me hours, and making it in a slow cooker saves me more hours.  But one meal we no longer eat is lasagne.  I don't dare eat it and David isn't fond of it.  Have I mentioned that David is down over 20 lbs since I started my diet?

Sunday, while David was visiting the studio, I casually mentioned that the flannel wall needed washing.  This isn't a task to be taken lightly, as I means taking the whole thing down.  It is held up both top and bottom with wooden boards and dry wall screws.  We've only done this once before since we moved in.  (Yes, that means the flannel hasn't been washed in about 10 years.)  Shouldn't have mentioned washing it. Sunday evening after blowing snow all day, David comes down to putter in the basement, complaining that he is falling asleep in his chair, and needs to move.  He putters for about 20 minutes and then decides that it's time to take down the wall.  I'm in the middle of a project with stuff all over the place, but that all gets quickly gathered up and put "somewhere".  Most of the furniture is moved, and the wall comes down.  Chaos.

The flannel gets torn in the process.  The decision is made to replace it, and calculations done about how much is needed to be purchased--and more importantly where should it be purchased to get the best price for the 10 m the calculations indicate are needed.
Two stores come to mind, both on the other side of town. We don't like going over there, especially on streets that are still snow covered and still covered with heavy snow removal equipment, but first thing Monday morning off we go.  We try to get as much shopping done while there, as possible. We find both flannel ( extra wide flannel! bonus!) and muslin in the first store we visit, both with an excellent price.  The off to the quilt store for black batting and white marking pens.  The clerk, who has been there a long time, assured me that they didn't sell black batting, and she had never heard of such a thing.  I explained that I hadn't bought it in a long time, but when I did buy it, I had bought it there.  Off we go into the back room so she could show me another product that might be used instead,  The store owner overheard the conversation reached into a different space and pulled out a bolt of black batting.  While it was being cut for me, other clerks came over to see and touch it, expressing amazement.  Well, they won't have it for long, as the two m. I bought took most of it.  We got to the till and it came up at a price from several years ago.  Again Bonus!

But out excursion didn't end there.  We next agreed to look at a new  Western hat for David.  Got a bit lost finding the store he had found via the internet, but did find it, and they had hats.  He tried on several.  Then put one on, and both the clerk and I looked at each other and smiled.  He said nothing but he look on his face told the story.  He now owns a new black Western hat.  The brim is a little wide than on the old one, that was lost, but I like it on him as well.

Then it was back to this side of town, where I was dropped off for coffee, while he went to Home Depot for wood strips and dry walls screws.  Then a bit of grocery shopping, a trip to the library and finally home.  We both slept well last night.

Today, my Tuesday Stitchery Group is meeting over lunch.  We used to do this every December, but did it in January last year and found it to be much more relaxing without the pre-Christmas crowds.  This group has been meeting for about 40 years.  There are only two of us original members left, and I'm considering leaving as my days of hand stitching are over.  ( Most of the other previous members have passed away)

So, just about time to leave for my lunch.  We are going to the Fanco-Manitoban Cultural Centre restaurant.  I remember eating there years ago, but it has changed hands and is more up-market, so I don't know what to expect.