Water Breaking and Bread Baking on the Horizon

 

Saturday, July 6, 2024

Ugh. The heat is too much. At 108 today, I'm melting I tell ya. Melting! Going to the store today was such a downer. I had sweat pouring off of my neck, under my hair. It was disgusting and that was only moments after I showered. I'm sure you're dealing with the same stuff and get what I'm talking about.  

Mallory came by and this meant some Bridgerton. We ran up to the store, grabbed stuff for dinner and a couple of munchies for our show, returned home and watched almost three episodes before reality set in. I needed to cook dinner. I hate when life steps in and interrupts the fun. Terry and I ate after Mallory left. We watched even more Scorpion, ending right before the fourth and final season. Have any suggestions for a good show to watch either on Netflix or Paramount Plus?  

Mallory and I made some plans to hang pictures and straighten out this junk-filled house next week. It's out of hand. Once my fall occurred, this house was filled with more junk from my medical equipment and various odds and ends. It's just too much. The office is full of the leftovers from my healing time, with a bunch of boxes I brought back from my daughter's house, plus more boxes of things that were ordered. We never really had the office completely set up anyway and now more has been added. It's time. Time to uncover what a junk-free office would feel like. I won't know what to do with myself should I have a clean, organized household again. OMG as it is said in the land of social media. 

In the meantime, we have today and Monday together. Monday possibly means another trip to Eugene to see the new great grandchild if she is born by then. If not, then we will work on the house on Monday, saving the travel day for when things are settled in the land of the wizard, in the Emerald City. Until then, there is Bridgerton and munchies and good company and household arranging to work with.  

I checked our channel out for any new comments on the videos or shorts I uploaded yesterday and the day before. We did. We grew our numbers from 4,400 to 11,000 overnight actually! I'm shocked. That channel was set up to be a place to hold our videos and shorts for the blog. Without advertising it, it has grown by 7,000 views. On top of that, we went from 42 subscribers to 64 or something like that. I'm pleased, but surprised. I can't wait to get our new videos from the two concerts we have coming up this month! 

We are driving to Portland, Oregon on the 27th to see Billy Idol. Billy Idol is playing with The Violent Femmes and Gossip, neither of which I give a rat's patootie about, but Billy will be there. 

The other group I speak of is Satin Love Orchestra, one of Eugene's favorite cover bands. SLO loves to play the 80s music we know and love, and will throw in a bit of current music as well. It's just a fun group to watch. This will be at Emerald Park in Eugene on the 14th of July. Lots of fun this month! But after SLO and Billy, I believe I would like to stop going to concerts for a little bit. It's hot and we are driving longer distances to see these groups play. Good times though! Good times!

Basically, that's all we today. Woo-hoo! A trip to the store and then sitting, watching our show. See how exciting getting old is? Nah, I'm blaming this one on the heat. It's just too hot to go anywhere. Wildlife Safari means the animals are far too warm to come out and do anything. Shade trees or their huts are the best places for them to relax on days like this. Driving anywhere else? It was burning us up just to run to the store. The air conditioning system was on in the KIA, but it's so hot that even full blast the air isn't keeping us cold enough. I don't know how people in hot climates really survive it. 

Missing out on the beautiful babies in the safari park. We have gone through the park several times last summer during the heat like this and they were not moving from their shaded areas. I can't say as I blame them. 

I love summer. I love the heat. The season is a favorite of mine, but I can't stand sitting in the blazing hot sun for a long time now. I used to love laying out on a towel, enjoying the heat. But now? It's either my age or the temperatures around this area have increased so much so that I can't take that kind of heat. Either way, love the sun, hate the heat and long periods in it. 

Sunday, July 7, 2024

At 107, the heat is warping all of us. Even the babies are laying around like stuffed animals with their plastic pieces melting in the midday sun. Togo and Kit don't trust each other and typically Kit runs from Togo, who is chasing him away from his platypus. Today? Laying together on the floor where it is cooler. We have had our air conditioners running for the past few days, however the babies just don't find that to be enough, I guess. 

July 4, Jessee is still without a newborn. This child is being super stubborn about coming out here to meet all of us. Although, I guess I can't blame her. It's scorching hot, we're all bitchy from the heat, and even though life is wonderful, we would be smooching on this child when she does appear. Here it is, July 7, and we still have no baby. 

Jess was induced this morning at 6:30 AM. The doctor found that little Novalee had not even turned yet, so we wait some more. Jess is having contractions now though, giving her some hope the child might actually come out at some point. 

We have all guessed the weight of this baby. My guess was 7.8. Terry guessed seven pounds even. We'll see. The rest of the family has guessed all around those two numbers, so somebody will win the prize. Jess and Dawn are recommending a small "treat" for the person closest to the birth weight. I just want to see a healthy, happy baby girl to tell the truth, although the guessing game is fun. 

 Mallory and I are at the ready. We are waiting for the "go" on the baby. When she is born and Jess has a chance to get home and settle in, we're saddling up the KIA and heading for the Emerald City. We will be off to see the wizard, or baby as it is in this case. I can't wait to meet my new great grandbaby! 

But alas, today is Sunday, a day of relaxing and cleaning for me. I have to take breaks in between chores, as it is not only hot, but because my foot tends to swell and hurt. Pain in the rear (and in the ankle obviously), but hey, at least I can walk now. Going to clean, sweep floors, and then finish the entire process with a good steam mop from the Crosswave. Yes, I'm still having affairs with my appliances. The Crosswave definitely sits high in my heart. Sorry sweet man.

I will clean as much as I can today, leaving the rest for later this week. I do need some help going down those steep stairs in the basement. I refuse to go down there without someone home, in case my clumsy right foot decides to give way or I trip or who knows what I can concoct to cause another accident? 

Baking some bread. Baking bread is another wonderful chore I would like to take on today too. I want to make a loaf for Terry and I and then one for Mallory to take home with her. She loves bread, as most everyone on the planet does, and freshly baked bread is the best. The rolls are a good choice as well. I may make some of those to send home with her tomorrow.

Love the bread maker during the summertime! Even with all the kneading, mixing, blending, and baking, the kitchen does not get hot. Perfect little apparatus. Bless the person who invented the machine that pumps out hot, delicious bread without any work. 

Actually, I researched who invented the bread machine. It was a man named Joseph Lee. According to the AI Overview:

Joseph Lee, a former slave and chef, invented the first bread machine in 1902. His machine mixed ingredients and kneaded dough, which reduced the number of people needed to make bread and lowered costs. Lee's bread machines were used in the hospitality industry and had a major impact on the restaurant, baking, and catering industries at the turn of the 20th century. His inventions increased productivity, decreased waste, and allowed businesses to operate more efficiently. 

Lee also invented an automatic bread crumbing machine in 1903 that could create crumbs from day-old loaves. The crumbs could be used for many things, including salad croutons, breadcrumbs and milk, and fried and battered fish. Lee's bread machines were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Bless this man! A former slave and chef. What a waste when this man had so much to offer the world. Amazing invention. Although the newer bread makers are a bit more advanced in that they can bake the bread as well as knead it, they come from the seed that was planted in 1902 by Joseph Lee. 

Perfectly fluffy, fresh, warm rolls made within a matter of a little over an hour or two. Like I said, I love this machine and the creative mind that invented it. 

Nothing else is happening in our corner of the world today, at least that we know of. We may have the birth of a child before the day is finished, but until then, it's all cleaning, resting, baking, and possibly a little writing. 

Until our next post, thank you for reading A Psychic and a Poet Walk Into a Bar ... We are happy to see each and every one of you who takes an interest. Today, we are hoping for water breakage and a new great grandbaby. Love to all of you and blessing galore in your life. Hug yourself and your fur babies extra hard today. You need each other.  

Update: Novalee Ricker was born at 6:36 PM. Mother and baby are doing well. She is a beautiful baby and looks just like Jess, her mother. This brings about a trip to the Emerald City, as I said above. I have to see this baby in person. She is so perfect and so beautiful. Congratulations again, Jess, Brandon, and Dawn, Andy, Lorenzo. 

Stay cool!