and so it goes...

my tea- time - reading 

DH and I have 'tea-time' every day around 3.  He has coffee and a snack and I have tea. I like to bake, so sometimes we have pie. Generally he watches sports on TV in the den and I read in the front room. It's just a time to stop whatever we've been doing... and take a break. 

 

We are over our Strep and antibiotics... finally. I think the steroid tablets I took really helped with my cough. Now that I'm off them, we'll see if it eventually comes back. 

I also took prednisoline eye drops to help my eye. I'm off them too now. Scheduled to see the new Ophthamologist in about 10 days. 

I imagine everyone heard about the giraffe that was missing around the San Antonio area. My daughter lives there in the hill country and she was keeping a look out for it. We laughed over the possiblility of the tall critter hiding... imagined it keeping it's head low... (made us laugh thinking about it). But luckily it has been found and is in good condition.

Our Geoge Cooney (raccoon that comes by in the late evening) has brought his family by again. Apparently he has a wife and 4 little ones, but doesn't bring them by every night. Oh, and we discovered that possums like apples! Didn't know that. I don't like the apple skin, so when I eat an apple I cut off the skin and throw it outside for the birds and squirrels. Well, I threw a large piece of apple out yesterday and a possum grabbed it and ran off. The box turtles like apple pieces also... and will even eat strawberry tops and tomatoes. The 2 feral cats that hang about stay pretty close by these days. The grey one (Shadow) and the black one (Missy) come by both morning and evening... and occasionally hang around on the patio chairs during the day.

Shadow and turtle

DH and I went walking at the Mall Friday morning. We try to get our steps in each week, but have been a bit lax about it. We stopped at Eataly's for coffee and hot chocolate... and took this pic of the lovely pink rose that was on our table in the coffee shop.

I love pale pink flowers. They look so delicate...

This is so 'not important'...  but thought I'd mention it as it is important to me. We have square brick tiles in our entry as well as down the hall to the bedrooms. They have been mopped over the years, but never really scrubbed. We've been in this house 41 years this December. I decided that they needed to be 'scrubbed'. So I got a hard bristled scrub brush and a bucket of soapy water and have been scrubbing those bricks 2-3 rows at a time each day. (Can't do more at my age... 81 next month... it wears me out, but love having them clean!)

Here's a pic of the entry tiles:

If you look closely (and no one will), but the 6 rows on the right have been scrubbed. I can see the difference... not sure anyone else can... but I love knowing they're clean.

Actually all the slate in the rest of the house could use a good scrubbing too... but not about to tackle that. (Possibly I could hire a company that does that... may look into it). But mopping may be all it gets.

OK, that's it for my post for the week. Sorry it's just mundane details, nothing exciting or terribly interesting... 

It is Saturday... so have a good weekend! 

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

 

Happy Father's Day Dad!

 

Happy Father's Day Dad!

My dad was born in 1907 in London, England. 

Came to America with his parents through Ellis Isle  in 1920.

Met my mom in New Orleans and raised a family there.

Miss you Dad!

and the beat goes on...

Life goes on... at least it does until it doesn't. DH and I are still coughing, but not as much. Here's the thing...

As I mentioned in the previous post, we had company from June 4 (Thurs) through June 7 (Sun). On Tuesday both DH and I were tested positive for Strep and negative for covid...and put on antibiotics.

As it turns out, our company (DH's brother and wife) started coughing the next weekend (about 5-6 days after leaving our house). I was sure we'd given them Strep. BUT... as it turns out, they tested negative for Strep and positive for covid ??? Huh???

They were told that since Covid was viral, they didn't need antibiotics, so they are on cough meds and nasal sprays.  We are finishing up our antibiotics and doing better, but just wonder at the  strangeness of all this???

(wouldn't that be nice??)

Update on critters:

Can't remember if I told you that the box turtles are now joining the cats and raccoons at coming right up to the French door window and stretching their little necks to look in. It's so funny... 

And... George Cooney (our night raccoon that comes by every night around 9 or 10pm) brought his family with him last night! If we're correct in this, he brought either a wife and 4 babies.  They climbed down the tree by the back porch and were enjoying the treats (which last night was left over steak fries and a part of a peach coffee cake). I would have taken a pic, but they were all over the place and it was dark.

Shadow (feral) climbing same tree

On the home front:

We're watching The Big C... on Netflix. It should be depressing, but it's not... kind of funny. Getting a little sad towards the end of Season 4. 

And I'm re-reading one of my favorite books, Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine - a story of a modern woman who seems to be a re-incarnation of Matilda, Lady of Hay, during the time of King John (12th Century). Jo's a journalist researching the possibility of  past lives, but through hypnosis and regression becomes hopelessly emeshed in Matilda's life... and death. 

And that's it for this week. Being handed off to other specialists... Eye surgeon wants me to go see an Ophthamologist to watch my eye. My immediate doctor is an Opthamology surgeon and if I don't want another surgery (I don't), he recommended someone to keep an eye on my eye. And my PCP sent me to a Pulmonologist to check on my chronic coughing. They ran all kinds of breathing tests (which weren't easy since I have bronchitis at the moment). But she is sending me to have a swallowing test with barium. I have to say that I liked her a lot. She listened and asked a million questions. Since I have a chronic cough, aspirate, and can't swallow pills well... she thinks this test will help diagnose my problem. We'll see.

a few pics:

and an idea for creating my small front porch out front:

something like this...

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

 

an overdue update and a few pics...

red pepper from our yard

DH brought in this new red pepper from our yard yesterday. It's so pretty I had to post it. Usually our peppers get eated by something before they get to this size... 

And before I continue this post, I need to say that I had written a post earlier in the week and was getting ready to publish it yesterday... when it just 'disappeared'. I was shocked... and tried to get it back, but no luck. 

So, I'm starting again today. As you know (if you read my posts) we had company (DH's brother and SIL) visiting last weekend. It was a great visit... with time spent eating out at favorite restaurants, visiting the Peach Orchard, and reminising and talking for hours at home. DH made his red beans and rice one night and I made stuffed artichokes as well as both a Dark Chocolate pie with bourbon whipped cream and a buttermilk pie (DH's brother's favorite).

However... during their visit, I started coughing (I have a chronic cough supposedly due to radiation years ago) a lot... more of a loose wheezing cough. This was different. Anyway, I went to my PCP on Monday to have it checked out. She gave me  a steroid injection and a Rx steroids and said it was probably bronchitis. Since I didn't have a fever nor a sore throat, she put off the Rx antibiotics for now.

Then by Tuesday DH was coughing also... so he went in the doctor's. They tested him for Covid and Strep. He was negative for Covid and positive for Strep! So... they asked me to come in and be tested. I did. Same result... negative for Covid, but positive for Strep...???

Neither of us has a sore throat, nor a fever. Doctor says sometimes that happens...?? Now both of us are on Rx antibiotics and had to call our weekend company and inform them. Sure hope they don't get sick.

So far, so good, talked to them yesterday (7 days since they arrived here lastThursday) and no one is sick. Fingers crossed!!

Now... enough of that. Here's a video of one of our larger box turtles that visit our yard and eat the dry cat food. DH brought him inside for a minute to show me. We have many smaller ones, but this is a big guy.

(always remember to click on small box to get video to enlarge)

... and a few pictures that I like:

and...

Have a great weekend!  (Two of my favorite bloggers were in hospital recently. Sure hope you are both home and doing well...)

feral resting under fern out back

Hugs (virtual),

Rian 

Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit! June 1, 2026

 

Rabbit! Rabbit! White Rabbit!

We have company coming in this week. DH's brother and wife come in every summer for a few days and we eat out at their favorite places... as well as visit Ham's Peach Orchard in Terrell, TX. 

So this past weekend we're getting things ready for company. This involves some de-cluttering and general clean-up (mainly floors and dusting). Actually, I've gotten a bit lazy about it all... things are pretty much ok as they are... but I use to do a major overhaul in the past... too old to do all that now. 

But we do always cook their favorites on the night we don't go out... DH's red beans and rice and my stuffed artichokes. The dessert varies - sometimes buttermilk pie and sometimes my favorite dark chocolate pie with bourbon whipped cream. 

Since we go to Ham's one morning and have their home-made peach ice-cream while sitting in their old-fashion rockers outside, we take home their fresh peach pulled pork sandwiches for lunch that day. These are really delicious! (I'm not supposed to have them as they are not gluten free, but I usually take a bite or two).

We also hit our favorite Italian restaurant... as well as a great crepe breakfast place.

So, yes, the days are spent mostly eating and talking. But it's a fun get-together that we all look forward to.

*BTW, I think I've figured out how to Zoom! Scheduled a zoom meeting with my cousin. Will let you know if it works out. 

(It didn't)  :(

Some memes I like:

I know there are...

Hugs (virtually),

Rian