Reporting from the scene

 

in the slow lane. 

..... where I don't know what to wear.

Truth!

Feeling so thankful we don't need a new car!
When Tom discovered my battery had gone kaput, he ran to Auto Zone and installed a new one -- hoping the 'check engine light' would go away.  

Nope.  I'd been Googling all the possible reasons and (of course) going to worst-case scenarios.  Poor thing has 339,955 miles on its ticker.

I could have hugged the mechanic who (correctly) diagnosed a couple minor thingies and sent us on our way for a little more than $200.

💜

So, Tom turned 79 years young yesterday.  Yeay! 

Backing up...  

It may not come as a surprise to some -- but being an only child, my birthday was always a Big Honkin' Deal.  I enjoy being celebrated. (Sorry, not sorry.)

I don't know if it's a 'man thing' or what.  But every year I get to asking Tom, "What would you like?"  "Where should we go?" 

Nada.  "I don't need anything."  (Um, that's not what I asked.)

I felt like sacrilege, but okay. That's what he got.

  

See, the couch on which he lives is pretty disgusting; we've begun looking for a new one. But everything's back-ordered 14 weeks!

I thought he was ready to get a fire-pit, but now he wants to wait until the deck comes down and a new patio gets poured.  (Whole 'nother story ...)

He did ask that I make him a 'real' German Chocolate cake.  My middle name's not Betty Crocker, and yes. I'm the one who once said, "a kitchen's the most useless room in the house."  But okay.  I can read instructions.

So Thursday morning I lined up the sugar, flour, cocoa, etc., on an old beach towel.  Then promptly knocked over the flour onto the floor.  (A dictionary word or several may have been uttered.)

[Just an FYI to the husbands:  If your wife's not whistling a happy tune, it's generally not a good idea to say things like, "Well, I'd have used wax paper to coat the pan."  Or, "That icing's not as creamy as I remember." "But that's OK, you're cooking."]

Patty-cake, Patty-cake ...

All's well.  I'm not fond of chocolate, but he loves it and was even bragging on me to his daughter.  

Thanks to Ma for her tip about using only 3 candles:

1's for the Past, 2's for the Present and 3's for the Future.

🎂

Not so entertaining, but we saw the eye doctor yesterday and scheduled Tom's cataract surgery for mid-April. 

I'd bought some nice rib-eyes that he grilled and enjoyed with asparagus and sauteed mushrooms.   It's true. The fastest way to our hearts is probably through our stomachs!

What's yours?

😍

More later!

Thank you for visiting me!

Hugs, Myra