First Quarter 2023

It has been quite a while and I was considering stopping the blog but have rested now and ready to get back. This is going to be a catch up post, a lot has happened, not many pictures.

December ended quietly, we're not New Year's party people and were ready for the new year. Or so we thought.

January

• January 6th while grocery shopping my husband experienced a TIA. We were at Publix, the store people were wonderful, also the fire department and ambulance people.

• FYI when we called 911 from the store, we were put on hold for at least 5 minutes before an operator could start to get information about our emergency. On hold.

• January 6 through January 11th husband had very successful surgery for a stent to his extremely narrowed carotid artery.

• January 13th through the end of the month pretty much, husband recovered from the surgery, an infection from the hospital and covid from the hospital. I of course also got covid but we were both lucky to have mild cases with no need for more doctors.

February

• February the whole month is pretty much a blur. Just getting back to normal after January. Back to yoga, women's group, knitting, meals not delivered to the hospital.

• We took Tracy to AWARE and then to lunch at my favorite Arepa Mia. Arepa Mia was also a favorite of my friend Rosemary who passed away at the end of January. Tracy is Rosemary's husband and it was a very nice day for all of us I think.

• February I also had a little KitchenAid work. And did a library program making pasta in Newnan.

• We saw an owl in the back yard.

March

March felt like we were in pretty good shape. Things were back to normal and we were in a good rhythm. We added Fish Fry Friday to the meal plan and sampled a couple different churches.

I met two good friends for lunch at Tam's Tupelo and we had a wonderful time. The food was good too.

I went on a little vacation to let me be responsible for nothing but me. I didn't want to plan anything major, didn't want to deal with planes so decided on Dahlonega. I stayed at The Hall House Hotel which was perfect for me. I had good food at Shenanigans Irish Pub , Spirits Tavern , Foothill Grill and Dutch Monkey Doughnuts on the way home.

Foothill Grill breakfast

Quarterly alone vacations will be ongoing for me.

In November of last year I was contacted by Angi at Carrie Dorsey Perry Memorial Library in Nashville Georgia to see if I could provide a program at the library. I had never heard of Nashville, discovered it was almost 4 hours south and explained that it was more than a one day thing.

She assured me that they would provide a hotel and she was applying for a grant. I said sure and waited to hear. She got the grant and husband and I headed to Nashville. We stayed at Our Place Hotel and it was so lovely. We set up on the 31st and presented the program on April 1st. I was slightly concerned it was an elaborate April Fool's Day prank but it was real.

Angi was wonderful, I also met her husband and daughter and I presented shopping and cooking on a budget, storing food and we tasted two recipes.

We headed home after the class on Saturday the 1st and had a very, very long drive home. The trip that said it would take 3 1/2 hours took 5 1/2. We made a couple quick stops but spring break traffic delays were real.

Luckily we had a cooler with us. Our first stop was to get strawberries on a tip from the class. We got a flat at Southern Grace Farms, we did not pick them, they were ready to go. Next stop for pork products - chops, sausage and bacon at Carroll's Sausage and Country Store.

I had never been to Buc-ee's and perhaps I75 on spring break weekend was not a good time to go for a first visit. I don't enjoy crowds and this was crazy. We picked up to sandwiches and chips, ate in the car and carried on our drive. We knew we needed dinner so that worked. And it was pretty good. But not in the store. Maybe another try? Not sure.

Once home we washed dishes, unpacked, accepted complaining from the cats and slept really well. Really well.

And it's April. I made stuffed pork chops we bought from the pig stop on Sunday and went meatless Monday after porking out.

I made vodka sauce and it was delicious. Will make again.

I was convinced I was done blogging but missed it. So for now I'll keep it up. Once rested from January things didn't seem so daunting.