Gardening Time

Dad and I went to Fred Meyer yesterday to pick up his medications. Then we went to check out the seeds they have in there and he picked out all of the things he wants to get started for going in his garden.

Mom always did the plants and stuff, and dad wants to have a garden out in the yard, so I am leaving it to him to pick 99.9% of what we put in the garden.
So far we have:

Seeds I have saved:
Acorn Squash (I saved seeds from ones I bought)
Sugar Pumpkin for pies (Again, from seeds I saved in November)
Cantaloupe (if I can find the seeds I had saved)
Apples (from seeds saved from apples I bought)
Popcorn corn (from popcorn bag in pantry)
Red Potatoes from pantry
White potatoes from pantry

Seeds I got at Fred Meyer:
Nasturtiums (two trailing single, one Alaska mix)
Crimson Sweet Watermelon
Yellow straightneck squash (could not find crookneck)
Zucchini squash

Seeds Dad picked out for garden:
Sweet Corn - Early Sunglow
Pole Beans - stringless
Peppers - red and green (organic)
White bunching onions
Cucumber
Little finger carrots
Radish
Chives
 
We will, of course, add to this list after the start of May. Dad wants to pick up some tomato plants and strawberries and a lot of raspberry plants.

I think I better get to work getting the garden back in garden shape.

Gold Investing

As the full-time caregiver for my dad, I have a lot of time to lean back in my chair and take a good long look at my life and thinking on where I want to be in my own retirement years. This, invariably, leads one to think about investment in retirement.

I know that it is a direct result of my mom's love of hunting for gold that has made gold one of my favorite investment possibilities.

Over the years the price of gold has risen steadily, even with occasional declines, which makes it an ideal investment for long term investing - particularly for investment for retirement. Those looking to diversify their portfolio might buy gold coins to be put in their private collection or deposited in a bank or depository.

The United States Gold Bureau, a precious metals investment company headquartered in Austin, Texas, can assist investors in buying gold and other precious metals in coin or ingot form, with the coins being available for personal delivery or the hard asset professionals an assist in arranging for storage in an independent bank or depository.

This post sponsored by United States Gold Bureau.

Stride Trainer

I spent yesterday moving things around until I was able to unearth my Stride Trainer exercise machine in the bedroom. Now I have it where I can use it once again, and a determination that I am going to get on it for a few minutes at a time throughout the day - whenever I need to get up and stretch my legs. It lets me do some 'walking' while still being in the house where I can hear my dad if he needs me for something.

I'm contemplating now setting it up where I can walk on the stride trainer when I watch television. Make myself a rule that I have to be exercising if I am watching TV.

Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

My dad loves to snack on cheese and crackers, but I don't like him eating too many crackers because I am watching his sodium intake, so I have been experimenting with different things for my dad to enjoy as snacks.

At his suggestion I started buying the mini loaves of cocktail bread. The rye bread and pumpernickel. I use the mini breads to create mini grilled cheese sandwiches for him, then quarter each sandwich to create a bite sized mini grilled cheese sandwich.

They are very fast to make. All you do is spread butter (or margarine) on one side of each slice of bread, place one slice butter side down in hot pan, lay a slice of cheese (your choice in variety) on top of the bread, place the second slice of bread on top - butter side up.

Heat on medium high until browned, carefully turn over and brown on second side. Cut into quarters and serve warm.

Dad can eat four mini sandwiches cut into quarters, and even with just two kinds of bread, the choice in variety of cheeses and stuff that can be added such as ham or chicken make it a very versatile snack.

Regency Beauty Institute

As family caregivers, there is not much in the way of work experience to fall back on when the caregiving is, eventually, at an end. If you are like me, and still young enough that you will most likely be working toward your own retirement after you are no longer providing your loved one's care, then you might be considering your options for training. Long ago, like so many young girls, I used to draw pictures of my own designs for dresses and outfits, and owned one of those doll heads that girls could apply makeup to. Then there was a friend at one time that was going off to train at a cosmetology school and helped me whenever I had to fancy my hair up or apply makeup. I guess it makes sense that I might consider getting into cosmetology, huh?

If you might be considering it with more than the passing 'maybe...' that I am, then the Regency Beauty Institute would like to invite you to take a look at their growing network of over thirty campuses in nine states. Visit their website and browse through the information they provide for their cosmetology school in Wisconsin and find out if they have a school nearer to where you live (or would like to live). With over 30 schools in nine states, chances are they have one or the other.

Regency campuses mirror upscale salons and provide students with cosmetology training that is fully accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS). As a fully accredited cosmetology school, Regency is able to offer federal financial aid to those who qualify.

Regency Beauty Institute got its start in the 1950’s as Myndall Cain Beauty Academy, assuming the name of Regency in the 1980’s. Regency got its latest makeover in 2002.

This post sponsored by Regency Beauty Institute

Lazy night leading up to taxes

I've been relaxing for a few, watching Anderson Cooper with dad and lazily catching up on the Facebook games I was snared into playing before I dive headlong into taxes.

Dad's off to listen to Coast to Coast now until he falls asleep, so I am going to go watch an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then get my tailbone to the chair and work my fingers to their bone getting work finished and taxes sorted out.

Can anyone else say "Eeeeeeewwwwww!!!!" ?

Me and dad got the brakes on the Cadillac repaired, and tomorrow my brother is going to help us install a new radio in a hidden location if it is not raining. I'm going to hold off until the end of the month to get the studded tires off, they don't have to be off the car until May 1st, so I'll get them off at the end of this month.