Can we talk?

Assorted Thoughts

         I made old fashioned potato salad the way my mother used to make it. I put extra onion in it because my dad likes extra onion. He liked the salad. I talked to my uncle tonight, so I mentioned I made the potato salad his sister used to make. He asked, "Did you mix the potatoes hot?" Yes, I did. I forgot I shouldn't, because it makes the potatoes mushier. He told me, "Good. That's the way my mama used to make it. Mix it while the potatoes are hot for a creamier salad."  Actually, my mom did it that way, too, but I prefer the lumps of potatoes. Oh, well.

         I didn't have quite enough strawberries to make strawberry pie and leave some strawberries for Dad's breakfast and mid-morning fruit. So I added a sliced banana and blueberries with the strawberry glaze and sliced strawberries instead of whole berries. I'll check it out eventually.

         I tried the homemade weed killer of white vinegar and Epsom's salts today. It's supposed to be cheaper and safer than the chemicals, even though you have to repeat it every two weeks. Alas, an afternoon thunderstorm snuck up (that's how we say "sneaked up" around here) and washed it all away. So I won't know if it works or not. It's supposed to be safer for the environment, too.

         I've been having lunch every day out on the back porch. It gives me a few minutes of quite time out in the sun. Not exactly quiet: the neighbors on the back side with the big fence and lots of trees have a pool. The grand-kids and friends come over day. They don't believe in mixed bathing, so men and boys one day, girls and women another. You have to have your swimsuit pre-approved. So there is the noise of kids in the background, which I can tune out since I can't see them. Our bird sanctuary has songs all day. And there's usually some construction or work going on in the neighborhood. But no radios, no one talking to me.

         I hate dealing with insurance companies. You can do everything they tell you. The medical provider can do everything they need to. Still they won't pay, or they find a reason for a penalty. They get worse every year, but cost more. You almost need a special secretary to help you decipher what's going on and meet the deadlines. God forbid that the provider make a mistake in coding or authorizations. The patient has to pay for human error made by someone else! The mail comes late in the day. So this is a terrible way to end the day.