Last Thursday was a daddy/daughter date for Steve and Sarah. He escorted her to a local restaurant and then to the Manteo waterfront where they had ice cream, chatted with people they knew, and enjoyed listening to our church drummer playing in a dixieland band.
I love seeing the two of them together. They often have coffee together in the morning and the sound of their conversation and laughter drifting upstairs is such a sweet sound.
Until Sarah has a fella of her own to date (and to marry) Steve will be the guy who gets to takes her out.
Last week brought a momentous occasion into my life as my old laptop was retired and a new one took its place. The old one was about 8 years old and had been passed on to me by Sarah after she got a new one for college. I was totally intimidated by transferring all the stuff from the old to the new laptop and she jumped right in and got ‘er done.
The funny part of this story is that two days before the new laptop arrived, Steve accidentally spilled a huge glass of water right into my old laptop. Talk about perfect timing! The replacement was already on the way.
Amazingly the old laptop (an ASUS) continued to boot up and work fairly well the next day, at least long enough to get the stuff off the hard drive. It started having some problems as we went along but at least the data was safe.
A couple of months ago, I was talking with Terry, who works at the church’s preschool and leads worship on Sundays. We got to talking about Instant Pots and I said, “I’ve always wanted to have one but it never seems like the right time to spend money on getting one.”
A couple of weeks later she burst into my office and said, “I found a used Instant Pot online and I am going to get it for you!”
I was certainly surprised and grateful about that bit of happy news. She said she would bring it by my house the following Monday.
On the scheduled day, she marched into the house carrying a very new looking box containing the Instant Pot. I said, “Wow, Terry, that looks like it’s brand new!”
She burst out laughing and said, “Oh, now I’m going to have to tell you!”
Turns out the used Instant Pot deal had fallen through. However, since she really wanted me to have one, she went out and bought a new one for me! And then she started worrying because she thought I would make her take it back if I found out she had spent money on a new one. She told her son and daughter, “I’m just going to tell her it was used.” They said, “Mom! You can’t lie to the pastor’s wife!”
And so her next idea was to take it to her daughter and tell her to cook something in it so it couldn’t be taken back.
Too funny!
At any rate, I am now the proud owner of a new Instant Pot.
I invited Terry over on my first night of cooking because I was a little overwhelmed by it all. We made a wonderful and easy spaghetti recipe that her daughter gave me. (I’ll include it at the end of the post.)
Thanks, Terry, for a very generous and much-appreciated gift–and also the story that went with it.
I don’t know about you but I love to clean and organize things. It is so therapeutic. Last week my goal was to go through the closet in the spare bedroom and see how much I could pare things down. My goal was to make a space big enough to store our luggage since we had been storing it on the far side of the guestroom bed. (Which meant guests couldn’t get into bed on the far side which was sort of a bummer.)
Here’s the process.
The clothes stored in this closet are euphemistically called, “Wrong size, wrong season.” Wrong season is self-explanatory. Wrong size means that a few extra pounds crept on when I wasn’t looking and therefore some clothes have to make their ignoble walk to the WSWS Closet and lurk there until I jettison those pounds.
Happily, I was successful in my pruning and paring down; here is the luggage stowed away. (With smaller cases stowed in larger ones.)
I had meant to post this photo a couple of months ago when then this bag first came in. Liz, a reader from Raleigh sent a collection of cheer to me back during the time when I was getting the news about my obliterative bronchiolitis. She said she and her children often put together collections of yellow items and give them to people going through hard times. Their favorite thing to do is drop a collection off on someone’s doorstep, ring the doorbell, and run!
In an increasingly dark and dreary world, it is lovely to reminded that kind hearts still remain. It made me so happy to see all the cheeriness contained in this bag.
Steve and I are going to be seeing these fabulous folks in about 10 days! (Sarah can’t go because she has to work.) Steve really wants to see Noah play t-ball and of course, BOTH of us want to hug some kids and grand kids. Wishing a happy Father’s Day to our wonderful son who parents his four blessings so well.
About two weeks ago, the facility where Steve’s dad, Ken, is staying, hosted a parade for the residents. At the designated time, the families were invited to drive around the loop in front of the building, showing off decorated cars and sharing waves and smiles. The staff of the facility (Courtland Terrace Gastonia) got some great photos.
Of course, there was one particular picture we were all waiting for–the Ken Smith picture!
They allowed Tippie to get out of the car and have an up close and personal visit. This photo was actually published in their local newspaper.
So many smiles.
1 lb. ground beef or dark meat turkey
10-12 oz. spaghetti noodles-broken in half
jar of spaghetti sauce 24 oz.
1/2 t.dried basil
onion and garlic, as desired. I use about a quarter of an onion and a tsp of the jarred garlic.
What about you? Are you an Instant Pot-ter? Do you have tips, tricks or favorite recipes for this newbie?
What nice thing has someone done for you lately? Or what nice thing have you done for someone else? In times like these, we need to celebrate niceness!
I have spilled drinks on laptops on two separate occasions. It’s one of those moments when you just want to rewind time really quick. Glad I’m not the only one!
I so admire people who enjoy cleaning, especially finding it therapeutic because that’s two birds with one stone.
Kristen,
Yeah, that fraction of a second it takes for the drink to make its way to the laptop seems to stretch out for a very long time . . . and yet there’s not a thing you can do to stop it.
I don’t find cleaning as therapeutic as I do organizing; I guess organizing seems to take more creativity which somehow energizes me.
Becky,
I do enjoy your “Things” posts. I always find your news tidbits interesting and fun to read. A great way to get to know the Smith family.
1) Steve and Sarah look great and I’m sure they both enjoy their special time together on these dates. Simple pleasures making treasured memories.
2) A new laptop, how exciting. I look forward to reading many more Smithellaneous posts written on it!😋
3) What a nice thing for your friend to do. Enjoy using it. I do not have one, but would like to get one. Friends who have them love them. I do use my crock pot quite a bit, so someday…
4) Cleaning out closets and cupboards. I have gotten some of that done while this covid-19 has kept me at home more. It is always such a good feeling to clean out and pare down!
5) What a great idea of spreading cheer with yellow things.
How can you help but feel better seeing all the cheery yellow things someone was kind enough to choose and give to you. I love the idea of dropping them off, running, hiding and watching the reaction your cheer brings! I will have to start doing that!
6) Enjoy your time with Nathan, Meaghan and all the grands. Make the most of making memories! Enjoy the hugs! Treasure all the time together…no matter what you are doing. And then, share the memories and photos with your Smithellaneous family!
7) The parade was such a terrific idea. The smiles on Vernie and Ken say it all, and Tippie and Ken look so happy to be reunited!
Again, have a wonderful, safe time in Florida! Take care, stay safe and healthy and God bless!
Hugs,
Linda in Pittsburgh
Linda,
You get the Most Diligent Reader Award this week for commenting on every single Thing! Thank you for taking the time to do that.
I am not going to comment on every one of your Thing Comments because then we would start a never-ending circle. 🙂 But you really made my day.
I WILL say that I hope you can get an Instant Pot soon; I think you will love it.
Another favorite of my husband’s is Pulled Pork. If you like Barbecue Pulled Pork, you might enjoy this recipe We usually get the smoker going and in about 10 – 12 hours you have a great pulled pork. We tried it in the Instant Pot and now I cook the pulled pork in about an hour – he likes it better. Mix together 1 Tblsp brown sugar, 2 tsp paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin. Season a 3 pound boneless pork roast that has been cut into 3-4 inch cubes with spice mixture and set aside. In medium bowl whisk together 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 cup BBQ sauce and one cup chicken or beef broth. Turn instant pot to saute setting, add 2 Tblsp Olive Oil and allow to get hot. Add half of cubed pork, saute 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove cubes and repeat with rest of pork cubes. Remove pork cubes, turn off instant pot and deglaze using wooden spoon and 1/4 cup broth. Add all meat along with BBQ sauce and Vinegar mixture. Close lid and set to seal. Cook high pressure 40 minutes. Allow to pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release. Remove from pot and shred and add additional bbq sauce. This is great as is, or on buns.
Laurie,
Wow–thanks for writing out that whole recipe! It looks wonderful. The hardest part would be cutting the meat but I could have Steve do that for me. Pretty cool that you can cut a time-intensive dish down so much. The spice mix sounds delectable. Thanks again for sharing such a great recipe!
I am not an Instant-Pot girl. They look like they would be really handy. However, I just don’t want it on my counter and really have nowhere to store it. My daughter has one and she loves it!!!
That picture of Ken and Tippy made me tear up. Tippy looks SOOO content being in his lap. How sweet!!!
Have a really great trip to Florida! I am sure that you are super anxious to hug up those kids…big and little. 🙂 We were going to head to Denver this weekend but due to the rise in cases, the traveling out of state mandates and the fact that my dad is 90 (although he is incredibly healthy), is keeping us at home this time. We are just going to be patient (not really…) and see what it’s like in another month or two.
LeeAnne,
No, I am definitely not leaving mine on my counter. It’s sitting in my dining room now but I am planning on clearing out space on a laundry room shelf. I love my kitchen countertops to be as empty as possible.
So your dad is in Denver or you were going to take him with you TO Denver? Nice to see “healthy” and “90-year old” in the same sentence!
No, my dad lives in Denver and we were going to go see him and my brother & sister-in-law. It has just been way too long….. 🙁
LeeAnne,
Hopefully . . . soon. I know how hard it is to be separated from an aging parent.
Yay! I love Thing posts!!
The Dad/Daughter looked like it was a lot of fun. It’s so awesome that they do that.
Computers! Ugh!
I’m so happy you love your InstaPot. I bet you’ll find many recipes to use in it. There are cook books just for them. Easy and tasty! So happy you got one!
I, too, love an organized room. Luckily, we just moved last September and I went through EVERYthing and tossed and donated A LOT!!
Yellow is such a happy color. And what a great idea to send random yellow things to brighten people’s days.
WooHoo for a visit with the Nathan Smith’s. I bet that family is so fun to be with. You are blessed!
What a great picture to start the post and end, too. I literally cried at my desk looking at the huge smile on Ken’s face. And the light in Vernie’s eyes. What a special time!
Hope you’re all having a great week!
Krista,
Moving is definitely the best way to pare down your stuff because who wants to move stuff you never use to another house? Good for you for tossing and donating.
Yes, Nathan’s family is definitely fun and energetic. Steve and I have to run to keep up, but we love it.
And I loved the looks on Ken and Vernie’s faces, too. A happy picture but also a sad one, knowing that was as close as they could get.
Thanks for taking the time to comment on every Thing!
Wow, so many ‘things’! The smile on Ken’s face with Tippie on his lap just warms my heart. Nothing like the love of your dog. I wish they could allow him more time with Ken, maybe soon. The parade was a great idea!! Love the enthusiasm.
Woohoo on going to visit with the grandbabies, they have quite a tribe now and the kids are gorgeous. I have a soft spot for Grayson, not sure why on that one yet lol.
Sarah looks good,maybe she has put on a few of those lost pounds. Whatever she’s doing looks good on her.
I have no idea what an instapot it, I’m thinking it is a fancy crockpot. Too funny on the giver of this gift thinking of having her daughter cook a meal in it first to make it ‘used’. Very clever and thoughtful.
Finally, i love a good closet cleanout. I just did my Sarah’s with all her suppplies and I’m up next. Its hard to remove the clothing that I am hoping to fit into again when I lose those pounds. So I just keep closing the closet LOL. Denial gets me nowhere 🙂
Stay safe down there, I see numbers are rising in the southeast.
r
Lesley,
I love that you have a soft spot for Grayson. He’s certainly struggled the most with his health and has such a great smile!
Sarah actually went to meet with an M.D./dietician today to get some help with her weight. She’s put on a pound or two but not as much as she would like.
Yep, closing the closet is definitely an option. I’m right there with you! 🙂
Hi Becky: I would like to re-iterate what Paige said. Please be careful. My husband has COPD and I really do not let him go anywhere currently. Being from Canada, we seem to have a pretty good hold on this currently but someone with your compromised immune system can never be too careful. This warning is meant with much love.
Now, thing two. 🙂 I LOVE my instant pot. A completely frozen chicken, spiced anyway you want, put in with some chicken stock and put on pressure cook is done in 40 minutes and is so moist. Baked potatoes from the instant pot are the best. I wouldn’t to them any other way now. I also do peameal bacon in it with orange juice. Lots of recipes out on the internet now for them.
Enjoy those grandbabies and of course take lots of pictures.
Mel,
Yes, we are definitely going to be careful and take extra, extra precautions. And thank you for expressing your concern in such a loving way. With all the ugliness going on, it’s lovely to read a comment from someone who has not lost sight of diplomacy and courtesy. Thank you!
I’m curious about your Instant Pot comment. Is peameal bacon a typo or a real thing? I would love to try baked potatoes. They never turn out well in the microwave and take so long in the oven. Thanks for the idea.
Hi Becky: Peameal bacon is a wet-cured, unsmoked back bacon made from trimmed lean boneless pork loin rolled in cornmeal. It is found mainly in Southern Ontario. Toronto pork packer William Davies, who came to Canada from England in 1854, is credited with its development. We also call it Canadian back bacon. We always laugh when we go to the US and a menu lists Canadian bacon and it turns out to be ham. Although ham does come from pork, it is totally different than what I am talking about. If ever in Southern Ontario, you will have to try it.
Mel,
Aha! Thanks so much for taking the time to explain that. That was a new one for me and I am glad to have an official explanation. 🙂
Another great Thing post! So nice to read about and see from the pics some of what makes up your days.
Love to you all!
Deb
Deb,
Thanks for the comment! It’s actually very interesting for ME to do a Thing Post because it’s like, “Oh, is THAT I’ve been doing lately!” A nice summation of the snippets of life.
Love you back!
I loved this post too. A lot going on and a lot to look forward to. I have to say I just loved seeing the picture of Steve’s parents and the puppy visit too. What a great idea to have a car parade at a nursing home. I have seen this idea with schools, but this is the first of this kind. Have a great trip visiting Nathan, Megan and the grandbabies.
Catherine,
I know. Wasn’t that the best picture? I’m not surprised the newspaper chose it to publish. So much to look at in the photo–so many emotions. And of course, having a darling dog is the icing on the cake!
So much going on here with my fall, Jim having Issues and then my brother-in-law’s passing June 17. Graveside service today and it was wonderful. God answered prayers and things went well today. Continue praying for us and especially my sister. People have been so good to us as neither Jim nor I can drive now. Hoping I will be better soon.
Ann,
So glad the service went well yesterday. I saw pictures on FB; it was a such beautiful weather and a beautiful setting.
So happy to hear that you are surrounded by friends who love you and take good care of you. You have done so much for others over the years; wonderful to see it returned.
I love all the things in this post, but the picture of Ken and Vernie smiling at each other and Tippie on Ken’s lap made me smile. It must be so hard not to jump out of the car for a quick hug, but I guess waving from the car is something special too. I have an instant pot and love it! I hard boil eggs weekly to put in our salads for lunches. They are so easy to peel! I’ve also cooked some great potato recipes and chili! Download the Instant Pot app…there are tons of recipes there! Have a great trip to Florida, and have a really fun time with the grands!
Gayle,
Thanks for the tip about the Instant Pot app. I will be downloading that tonight. So many things I want to learn how to do. It really is an amazing technology; versatile, quick, and easy!
I know Vernie would have loved to have jumped out of the car for a hug. So hard to be so close and yet not be able to actually touch and hug. A sweet picture, indeed.
Love my Instant Pot! My weekly staple is french green beans (I prefer the ones from Sam’s Club). Put cleaned green beans in the instant pot with about a cup of water, salt, pepper, and chopped up onions and bacon or bacon grease if desired. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes and then quick release. If it’s ready before your meal, they stay just fine in the pot with the lid on for quite a while.
Laurie,
Thanks so much for the green bean recipe. I have always been frustrated cooking green beans because they’re either over- or under-cooked and I can never get the right seasoning and then they end up tasting bland. Am definitely trying your recipe.
Oh Becky, loved this post. Hard to decide which part to comment on, but I’ll choose the IP gift. I started chuckling at your friend’s decision on delivery options. Too funny! Also, an inspiration. Hmmm, need to think on who to pass on a kindness too. Thanks for this awesome post. You continue to be a blessing, my friend. 🥰
Cheryl,
Hmmm. It seems like I just saw you recently! We need to get someone to take our picture during one of our lunches. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the IP story. It was so funny to hear Terry telling it; I absolutely loved it.
I always enjoy your “Things” posts! Congrats on the new laptop and the new InstaPot – love the story that goes with it. The photo of Ken with Tippy is priceless! I hope y’all have a great time in Florida, stay safe!
Sue Ellen,
Glad you enjoy the Thing Posts. They are fun to get together.
Yes, it’s definitely been the week of new technology. Thankful for Terry’s and Sarah’s assistance in walking me through the newness.
I don’t have an Instant Pot but I do have an electric pressure cooker which is basically the same thing. My favorite thing to cook in it is a roast with potatoes, carrots and onions. I brown the roast in the pot, then cook it by itself. Once the roast is done, I add the potatoes and carrots. You can’t beat carrots that have been cooked with a roast.
I have had so many nice things done for me lately. A Sunday School friend took me for surgery, then picked me up. Due to COVID, no one could go in with me. A long time friend spent the night with me that night. Neighbors brought dinner for me both the night of surgery and the next night. Sunday School friends brought meals Thursday, Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. My Sunday School teacher/minister’s wife took me for my follow-up last Thursday. Old co-worker brought dinner and took me to pick up a prescription. Another church member is bringing dinner today. The list goes on and on.
Glad Ken got to see Vernie and Tippie. My aunt’s nursing home has been on lock down since around the 10th of March. Since she’s in a locked unit for dementia, not sure that they could do the drive by parade even.
Phyllis,
All I can say is your church has wonderfully spoiled you!! I love reading stories like that when people go out of their way to help someone during a tough time. It’s such a luxury to have home-cooked meals without having to actually “home-cook” them!
Wow, 3 months is a long, long time to be in lockdown. I would imagine, as you said, a parade wouldn’t work for the dementia patients, but I know they would sure enjoy it!
The picture of Tippee all snuggled in so content in Ken’s arms brought a tear to my eye! Love Vernie’s big smile also. How nice to have that parade for the residents and the family as well.
Exciting to go see your family in Florida. Just be careful and keep your wipes nearby to keep your hands, door handles etc. clean.
I also want an instant pot. It’s on my Christmas list for my kids 🙂 Think it would be fun and so helpful for cooking for my daycare crew.
Love that Steve and Sarah go out on dates and enjoy their times together.
Wendy,
Yes, you’ll definitely enjoy an Instant Pot. I hear of so many people who were given one and stuck it in a closet for months, or even years. Doesn’t sound like you are going to be one of those people. You’ll probably be cooking your first day!
I agree, that picture is one that brings tears. Such love, joy, sadness, and poignancy all wrapped up together.
I love Vernie’s smile too! And I have to say, I agree with Paige about traveling to Florida, I am watching CNN right now and they said Florida has just passed 100,000 cases of COVID. Miami alone reported a 75% increase in cases…..I know how much you all miss each other but just be so careful…..
Dale,
Yes, taking extra care is definitely the order of the day, both here in Manteo and anywhere we travel. We keep the sanitizer close and, now that our governor made masks mandatory, wearing them even more than we were before.
Thanks so much for your words and your concern.
love the Tippie and Ken photo with Vernie’s big smile. we had an auto parade in April. i’m on the 6th floor so I couldn’t see faces. we are having one on the 4th of July, and it is okay to go out on the sidewalk. looking forward to it.
Mrs. Pam,
You will LOVE going out to the sidewalk. Hopefully, the picture of Ken’s parade gave you a little foretaste of what you might expect. Enjoy!
I love my instant pot for hard boiled eggs, black beans, pork ribs (baby back or homestyle) and pork shoulder. We have dairy and egg food allergies so I often can’t do the fun recipes, but it is great for some basics!
Erin,
I keep hearing about making boiled eggs in the IP. We love eggs so definitely going to try that out.
I love my quick cooker! I got the pampered chef one a while back and it is a staple now! Hard-boiled eggs are perfectly done in about 10 minutes and they peel SO easily! There is no more losing half the egg trying to get the shell off! I did ribs in it yesterday in 35 minutes ( I will reduce the time by about 5 minutes next time – it was a 2.75 lb rack of baby back ribs) they were AMAZING! I cook chicken breasts and veg every week for my dogs too. So simple and fast. I also do cheesecake, rice pudding, stuffed peppers….the list goes on and on. I hope you love yours as much as I love mine!
Desera,
Yeah, I have peeled a thousand eggs where half the egg went along with the peel. It will be nice to not have that happen anymore! I’ve heard that cheesecake in the IP is very good; so many things to look forward to trying!
Be careful traveling to Florida Becky! The Covid cases are on the rise. I know this Covid is a terrible drag (and has become politicized sadly) but science would say it’s probably not the best idea for you to travel to a Covid hotspot especially with your COPD. JMHO but I’m up in Massachusetts where we are taking things much more conservatively regarding Covid (and we are one of a handful of states with declining cases). Thinking of you!!!
Paige,
Thanks so much for your comment and your concern. COVID-19 IS definitely a drag, to put it mildly!
Right now, FL has fewer cases per million people than NC does so I feel like we’re not going from a place with few cases to a place with a lot of cases. If we lived somewhere with minimal cases, I’d feel a lot more strongly about staying put. I guess for us it comes down to that difficult-to-achieve balance of living life and practicing caution. At this point, we are still going to make the trip, practicing all the safety measures possible–just as we have been doing for the past few months.
Certainly, things could change for us between now and next week but we’ll take the days as they come. Definitely trying to keep an open mind.
So glad to hear that Mass. is having a decline in cases. That is wonderful!