shirleyn
So pleased to read your post and also to realise which Shirley you are.  We have been seeing dreadful news from your part of the world.  That was an awful experience for you and hope it never happens again.  June

shirleyn, happy to know that you and family came through unscathed from Irma and home was not damaged.  I hope your son's property in the Keys are not too badly damaged.  Maybe the grapefruit had enough sugar content to be edible even though they came off the tree.

Shirley, I'm glad to hear you are safe and sound.  I think we posted here instead of sending messages to you directly and that is the reason  you didn't hear from us.

I watched the Weather Channel almost constantly and it was horrendous what I saw.  And the storm was almost continuous going up the east coast.   

It is good that Danny's son was there with  you and I hope things get back to normal soon for him. 

Keep in touch.

Mary Ann

Hi everyone.  It looks like it will be a beautiful day with it getting only into the low 80's this afternoon.  I think I will go to coffee with my men friends this morning and then this evening we have dinner at the Church and Scott and Jennifer will be coming to the house afterwards.

Beverly, sure hope your cousin had no tree damage.  We did have a tree fall on one of the North Augusta police cars with an officer in it.  He was shaken up but not injured.  It sounds like services are returning to normal in your area with the trash collection back on schedule. 

Mary Ann, those fingerprints aren't going to be of any significance and with no little ones in the house it is not likely there will be many on it anyway.  It is generally only the handle of the dishwasher that we touch on a daily basis. Where we live is seldom quiet as we are close to I-20.  Of course, it wasn't really quiet as the wind was blooming all during the time we were without power.  It is a failing of mine that I like things back in place and so once I start on a job like that I will usually pursue it until it was done.  I was pretty tired the rest of the day but a good night's sleep has revived me and will take things easy today with no lifting and carrying unless we go grocery shopping. 

Marilyne, we have never been interested in a front loading clothes washing machine.  Getting the clothes out of the front loading dryer is hard enough. I'm sure that some day we will again have appliances and homes decorated in many colors.  It seems things cycle. The new range we bought shortly before we decided to move and had to leave in the old house had a cobalt oven lining and it was really nice.  The heating coil was also under the floor of the oven so you didn't have to deal with spills over the coils. 

deAngel, so far I think all of our friends and relatives made it through the storm in good shape.  Glad your grandson is among that group.  When we hear the news reports we get the impression that all homes and businesses in a given city have been damaged or destroyed and that is never the case. 

Patricia, so nice to see your posting.  You are sure getting some much cooler weather and an early end to summer.  It sounds like you will have a nice office setup.  At least the books on your Kindles don't require desk space and book files really aren't that big in computer usage memory.  I hope to be able to start reading again once I get my cataracts taken care of.  Right now I only read on the Internet and listen to audiobooks. You sure have been making a lot of changes in your apartment setup. 

JeanneP, I watched the Apple presentation via the computer yesterday afternoon.  I hope to keep my iPhone 6 plus for a long time and would have to think long and hard before spending $1,000 for the new iPhone.  While it sounds nice I didn't see anything on it that I really need or even want.  I felt the same way about the iWatch.  It appears it would be great for fitness buffs but those times are over for me.  It does seem some priorities are out of line regarding avid football fans. 

ShirleyN, glad to see you post and know you had no damage and that your son didn't get caught in the Keys.  Has your son heard how his home fared in the storm?  It sounds like you have a well built manufactured home that is tied down well.  I don't blame you for being scared but not being in the dark certainly had to help.   

Larry, I'm not going to worry about my stainless steel dishwasher front.  I'll keep it as clean as I can; we don't have a show place anyway.  The range we have now has the lower oven unit under the bottom and I can't say I like it because it makes the storage drawer too small for our utensils.  I have my pots and pans and Tom has his.  He does 99% of the cooking so I moved most of my things to a lower cupboard so Tom can have the drawer.  His utensils are quite large and all of them don't fit in the drawer.  I can't say mine would fit in there, either.  Consequently, some pots and/or pans are on the counter and neither of us likes that. 

I think Tom did not contact Jan about lunch today, so we probably will not get together.  Dot cannot go today anyway as she has a book club meeting.

Mary Ann

Good morning, another lovely day.

Sherlyn, So happy to see your post, and to know you are OK.

I have and appointment with my primary doctor to day. He will decide if I need the nurse to still come in.  My friend who is taking me to the doctor still has not found out if she still has a home in Naples.

MaryAnn, I have the stainless dish washer, but I never see finger prints on it, as Larry said I mostly just touch the handle.  I am having
trouble with Taffy, she wants to play with my oxygen tube.

Gloria, you do have a problem with Taffy wanting to play with your oxygen tube.  Kendrick wants to go out our front door and I don't want him to, so when he's near the door when I'm going out or coming in, I say "NO" loudly and he understands and leaves the door.  I use it other places, but seldom, because I want him to understand going out is not going to happen.  Perhaps you can teach Taffy that "NO" means it is not allowed.  I suppose your tube moves and that is a signal for cats to play.  My toilet roll is above the register in the bathroom and when the air is on, or the heat, if the paper is loose, it flutters and I find I have shredded toilet paper.  They do learn some things.

We are having a nice day today, it is to be in the mid 70s and is 67 degrees now..  Tom and I are going to meet Jan and her parents at The Score sports bar and we'll eat outside.  If it is too chilly, we can always go inside. 

Mary Ann

Good morning.

"Stainless steel appliances look amazing, but grease and fingerprints can make a fancy fridge look dingy. Weblog The Kitchn shows you how to get a streak-free shine with just vinegar and olive oil.

All you need is a spray bottle, a soft cloth (microfiber is best), white vinegar, and olive oil:

Find the direction of the grain. You'll see it going horizontally or vertically.
Spray the white vinegar on the surface liberally. Then wipe it down with your cloth going the direction of the grain.
Dip the soft cloth into the olive oilâ€"not too muchâ€"and polish your appliance going in the direction of the grain.
If you don't have olive oil you can use any other kind of cooking oil you have in the kitchen. You can also use dish soap to wipe down your stainless steel if you prefer. Just make sure to wipe in the direction of the grain!"


This is from and it works. I use it. The trick is in not overusing the oil. But let it do the job by not over scrubbing. Let the vinegar and oil work a moment or two to cut the diet before scrubbing.
http://lifehacker.com/clean-stainless-steel-with-vinegar-and-oil-1599347975

Thanks, Patricia, for the information about stainless steel appliances. I saved it in case I find it necessary.

Tom said a friend of ours has a home on Big Pine Key in Florida.  She doesn't know how her property has fared.  She has a house, not a mobile home.

We ended up going to Jan's today for lunch because Jan's father did not feel well.  He turned 86 in June and in early stages of Alzheimer's.  He still knows who we are.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - The tuna-melts turned out better than I was expecting!  It's definitely a recipe that I'll make again, and probably soon.  AJ liked it a lot.  It tasted just right on a warm evening, with a nice salad and some ice cream for dessert.

Larry - Same problem here, with the idea of a front loading washing machine. We're still limping along with our ancient Whirlpool, but when we get a new washer, it will be another top loader.  As you said, it's hard enough getting the clothes out of the dryer! I usually use my "grabber", so I don't have to bend.  I set the laundry basket in front of the dryer, then I grab and pull the clothes into the basket.

Hi everyone. After some rain late last evening we start today seeing the sunshine and it is suppose to be nice all day.  In a little while I will pick up my friend and we will go to coffee and then I hope to attend the Wisdom Group at the Church after taking my friend home. 

Mary Ann, I have found we often have to do what is needed and not what we necessarily want, such as you are experiencing with your pots and pans.  For some reason they are making the drawers under the ranges much smaller.  We are in the process of getting installed the slide out shelves in our lower cupboards as it is hard for both Pat and I to get things out of the back of the shelves and we are wasting a lot of storage space.  It will be several months before we get them all purchased and Scott gets them installed.   

deAngel, what tension your friend must be under wondering about her home in Florida.  At least she has a place to live in your area so isn't homeless as so many people are.  Cats love tubes and things that move.  I hope Taffy doesn't decide to test her teeth on it.  The cat we had liked to leave teeth impressions on things.

Patrica, I am surprised you would use olive oil to remove fingerprints.  I know vinegar is a good cleaning agent.  That website has a lot of interesting tips.

Marilyne, I think I need to suggest to Pat that we have the tuna melt for a meal as it does sound good and we both like tuna.  We also keep a grabber in our laundry room.  I think we have about 6 of them located throughout the house.  They are very useful tools. 

You know Larry I offered to have drawers installed in our cabinets and my wife said absolutely not, they waste too much space.  What's a guy suppose to do?  I tried.  You can never figure out a woman's mind. 

I personally hate trying to get a pan or the muffin pan out of the bottom shelf of our cabinet.  I end up having things all out trying to get to the muffin tin especially.

Good Morning Everyone from the cloudy,
but still very pleasant,  rocky coast of Maine...

All is well here...  My daughter has a humongous
front loader washing machine and dryer.   
The installed them  up on a high bench so getting
in and out of  both is very easy  (just about chest high)..
That solves the problem of having bend over and under
to get to the clothes. 

I Wish  everyone a very nice day...
Sandy

When we bought the washer and dryer, since Tom does the laundry, I let him pick and while he mentioned bending over, he did pick a front loader.  He has thought of getting the lower part that would raise the appliances, he hasn't had enough money to do so.  I don't go downstairs yet, so I don't care.  If we ever have the chair lift installed, I will be able to do my own laundry.  As it is now, I will put my laundry basket out and it takes several days before it makes its way to the lower level.  Then it takes a few more days before I get my clean laundry back.  Such is life!!!

It has been suggested that we have pull-outs in our lower cabinets and while it is a good idea, nothing has come of it.  Tom is a procrastinator and I don't push him where it isn't important.  He does a lot anyway and I'm trying to get him to quit burning his candle at both ends.

Marilyn, I'm glad you and AJ liked the tuna melt.  I have tuna on the grocery list and it is something I might make for myself for lunch.  I think Tom might like it but he's trying to lose weight and I think is not eating much bread.  I think he's lost 30 pounds since April when Terry died. 

Today is starting out to looking beautiful.  At 10:30 am it is 68 degrees.  I notice we don't have weather statistics under our posts and I wonder if the hurricanes have anything to do with that.  BIG BOX doesn't work in my case.

Mary Ann

MaryAnn,  glad you have the new dishwasher installed and hope you will find it more efficient than the old one.   It always takes a while to get used to something new.

Having my own laundry room is something that I really missed when I moved out of my condo.  Here there is a laundry room on each floor with 2 washers and 2 dryers.  One of the washers is a front-loader one.  I never liked using is as I felt it didn't hold as much as a top-loader. But, I watched a lady one day put so much in it, that I did try it a couple times.  And, although I still tend to use the top-loader one most of the time, I will use it if the other one is in use.  At one of our community meetings, it was suggested that we have a larger washer and dryer to be able to wash large rugs or bedspreads or other large items.  It is being considered, which means could take a long time to get approved.

Sandy, my oldest son just had a new set of washer and dryer installed and they sit up on a raised platform. I am sure it is very helpful not to have to bend over to get clothes out.

I, too, will take my picker-upper to the laundry room with me to get things from way back in the dryer.  That is, when I think about it.

I sure don't like having to pay to do my laundry.  As long as I have lived here now, almost 10 years, both the washer and dryer have cost $1.25 per load. Now there is talk they will raise the price to $1.50.  I know that is a lot cheaper than if you take things to the Laundromat.  I usually only do laundry about twice a month, so it doesn't cost that much.  If I had my own,  I would do it a lot more oftener.  But, it works out ok for me.

Hope everyone will have a great day.

Joy

Just checking in.  Our weather has gotten cooler so we are in the 70's and low 80's which is delightful.  LOL  Am so happy to be rid of those 100 plus temps.  Have a great day all and HUGS all around,

Morning everyone...

Mary Ann, could you post your tuna melt recipe either here or in the "What's for Dinner" discussion?  I haven't had one in years and it really sounds good.  I looked online and there are several different recipes with different ingredients. 

When we replaced our washer and dryer about three years ago, we got both the front loader washer and dryer and paid extra for the pedestals that raise them up about 12".  They say the front loaders hold more than the top loaders and I think they do. I did look at the top loaders but since I am only 5'1", I would need a step stool so I could reach items at the bottom .  And I don't dare get on a step stool anymore.  That's another story!!!

I would love to have pull out shelves or even drawers for pots and pans.  I can't bend over either.  If anything on the bottom shelf isn't right in front, it's lost as far as I am concerned!  My daughter has looked into pull out shelves, but they are still on the "bucket list".

The weather has been gorgeous here the last couple of weeks - mid 80s, low humidity and even down to the high 50s at night.  They say all good things must come to an end though - 90s and high humidity on the way.

The "old-timers" weather forecast is in for North Texas this winter .  It's going to be a colder and snowy winter as the Junebugs have burrowed way down into the soil.  Last year they only went down 2" and we had a really mild winter . 

Y'all have a good day.

Mary

Mary, I'll send the recipe to you as soon as I get my computer to copy it; I haven't been to the recipe for a couple of days and when I highlight it, I can only paste it, not copy.  Strange things are happening!!!  Comuputers do have minds of their own.

This recipe is the one that looked most like what I had in the restaurant, however, I would have used more mayo than what it seemed to be in the recipe.  Our recipe used a light rye (we call it Kimmel Rye here) and it was toasted and/or buttered. 

Mary Ann

Good morning from a cool and breezy Interior.

Three things about this building I really liked on move in is one, the door set into the wall of each floor's laundry room for trash and two, the recycle bins available there for newspapers and for cleaned cans and bottles.

The last is all the lower cabinets in kitchen and bath are equipped with pull up and out wooden shelving. I'm five foot six and the top kitchen cabinets are too high for me to use more than the bottom shelf. The second set of shelves has items only in front and the third shelves go unused.

I have to say there is plenty of storage and cabinets available, most of mine sit empty. We also have three walk-in closets, one in the entry, one in the bedroom, and a larger one with both shelving and racks at the end of the hall between bedroom and bath. But then you are paying for this in your rent here.

I had to laugh at Joy's complaint on rising laundry costs. Here each floor has one top loading washer and one front loading dryer in a laundry room hidden behind the elevators. While the dryer is a dollar per 40-minute load and does a good job if you don't over stuff, the washer is two dollars a load unless you select either heavy load or hot water, which raises the price to two fifty per load.

Laundrymats locally tend to be four dollars for a regular machine and eight dollars for a large machine for heavy items or a separate spinner. The dryers are a quarter each for either five or ten minutes.

So, here there are prominent signs in the laundry rooms reminding tenants that these are for tenant use only. Usage by CNAs or family and friends is a lease violation and results in fines or eviction.

Patricia, the top shelves of my kitchen cupboards are too high for me.  When I was  younger, I would and could get up on the counter to get to those shelves, but no more.  I am probably four foot nine inches and I manage to reach the fronts of the bottom shelf and I can manage the fronts of the second shelf.  I let Tom get anything I might need.

I never was over five feet in my "prime" so I've always had to put things where I could reach them.  When Tom and Annie came here to live, everything got changed - things were put where there was a space and that is still true.  Since Tom does 99% of the cooking I let him do what he wants. 

Mary Ann

What don't I understand is why the tall shelves in the kitchen while in the bathroom, you have to duck under the shower head? Just think of those taller folks having to bend to shower!

From the outside, this building looks like one large block. While inside, at each floor's two ends there are split offs into two hallways. Each of the two apartments in each of the four splits is smaller and has either walk in showers only or a type of roll or walk in a separate unit that you have a door to close.

I would love to have someone here to occasionally help out. As it is, I cannot afford a CNA or CPA, (Certifed nursing or personal care assistant).

Patricia,  I wasn't really complaining about the cost of the laundry,  but, I was so used to having my own, that I just hated to have to pay to do laundry. There were a few other changes that I had to get used to, also.  I had never lived in an apartment before, so it was a new experience.   I know that is one of the drawbacks of senior living places.  But, there are some here who are already complaining about the raise in the prices. 

Our dryers run f0r 60 min. and I usually wash my lighter things first and I use my timer to time the first load for 30 min.  and by that time the second load is done.  I can add extra money in 25 cent increments,  so I can get 2 washer loads from 1 dryer load.  One of my neighbor's told me about that idea.   Your's  does seem like a lot. But,  I guess you just do what you have to do.  A lot better than taking it out to the Laundromat. 

Joy

Joy, I'll complain for you. I want your prices. Here you can go in and shut it off and on to add or delete clothes but for 40 minutes it isn't worth it. Neither washer or dryer is oversized.

Oh the vanity of some of us...I had fallen in the tub early last year and banged the back of my head. It was one of the reasons for my medi-alert. I tried to grab the long bar bolted to the back, but my wet hand slid along instead of gripping. Anyway, I asked maintenance and the office if there was a way to attach something to the bar to really grab on to. "They" had the effrontery to suggest a bath chair!    So, since I obviously was too young to go that far, I rigged up a solution. I used a long strip of velcro and a scrubber that you can also detach and use for cleaning.   

Mary Ann, if you can get that recipe to work, please send it to me, also.  Sounds good.

shirleyn

Classic Tuna Melt

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Recipe Yield: 4

Ingredients:
1 (6.4 oz.) Pouch or 2 (2.6 oz.) Pouches or 2 (5 oz.) Cans - Chunk Light or Albacore White Tuna (if using cans, chunked and drained)
2 Tbsp. dried chopped onions
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. finely chopped celery or pickle relish
8 slices bread
4 slices cheese (cheddar, American, pepper jack or mozzarella)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine tuna, mayonnaise, onion and celery; mix well.
Top 4 of the slices of bread with 1 slice cheese each. Spread tuna mixture over cheese slices and top with remaining bread slices.
Spread each sandwich with additional mayonnaise; place in skillet. Cook on medium heat until lightly browned.
***********************************************************************************
I copied this recipe from an online site and I don't know which one.  I didn't expect others would like it so I didn't pay attention to the source. 

This recipe is the closest to what we had at the restaurant.  It is something you can experiment with as far as the veggie ingredients are concerned.  When/if I make it, I will use more mayo and I might include some red pepper or pimiento, chopped up fine.  The rye bread we get at the restaurant is a light rye which we call here Kimmel rye.  I don't know if the bread is toasted or "fried" because it is buttered and you don't put buttered bread in a toaster. 

Mary Ann

MaryAnn,  thanks for the recipe.  I don't think I have ever had a Tuna Melt, but I have saved the recipe because it does sound good.   I guess I just didn't think
I would like "hot" tuna fish.  I will definitely be trying this.

Joy

Joy, I used to fix tuna, onion, mayo, place on a piece of bread and put a cheese slice on the tuna mix, then broil it for a few seconds.  It was hot but by the time I got it to the table (or wherever), it was cool enough to eat.  If I had only known, I could have put a slice of bread on top and made my own tuna melt!  I never thought about cooking the bread in a skillet. 

Mary Ann

Hi everyone. It is a beautiful sunny morning and we are headed up into the high 80's this afternoon.  The main activity for today is to do some grocery shopping at Costco and perhaps Aldi's, although Aldi's may wait until tomorrow.  I did go to coffee and the Wisdom Group yesterday but was so tired when I got home that I skipped lunch and laid down and rested.  Last evening the weariness seemed to leave and I am feeling good this morning. 

Hal, I have a feeling if your wife could see these she might change her mind.  It will open up storage for us.  It is true there is a little loss on the sides but that, for us, is more than made up for by having easy access to the back of the shelves.  However, all you can do it try.  I sometimes have encountered the same type of opposition until it becomes my wife's idea. 

Sandy, installing the washer and dryer on a platform is a great idea.  We have had our dryer on a platform for many years and that does help.  Glad your weather continues to be nice.

Mary Ann, you do a great job of adjusting to the reality of what is with Tom.  Installiing the slide out shelf took my son no more than 5 minutes and it comes with a template to be sure you get it installed corrected.  There are just four screw holes to drill and install.  With Tom's heart situation it isn't best to be burning the candle at both ends but that has to be his decision. 

Joy, my sister-in-law has to take her laundry to a self-serve place and wait for it.  She has a basement and I think she still have a washer and dryer but it is too difficult now for her to get up and down the steps to use them.  Actually with the washer and dryer on platforms it would make using them easier especially in getting the clothes from the washer to the dryer. In the two apartment places Stacey lived her laundry facilities were on other floors.  The first building was 13 stories high and they had a very large laundry room in the basement of the building. 

Joan, nice to see you are enjoying cooler weather.  I know I sure enjoyed the three or four days of cooler weather and now we are at least having cooler mornings.

Mary, the pullout shelves we are getting are very study metal and the rollers are so smooth.  I think they are about $55 each and I was very pleased with the quality of the item.  We had slide out shelves built into our cabinets by a carpenter years ago and they were heavy and the roller guides were not good.  If you are interested in what I have purchased just let me know and I will give you the link.  I expect those June bugs know what is coming your way.   

Patricia, your apartment arrangement sounds to be much like the last one Stacey had as she had nice closets including a hall closet and a linen closet.  It was such a nice change that the place she lived for 6 years.  The laundromats are a little pricey up your way!  Glad you have less expensive alternatives in your building. 

Larry, I get a bit stubborn myself (German and Danish backgrounds!) but when something new works well, you'd think it was my idea.  As for Tom, he is a great delegator.  I may have posted this before about his two lady friends and my needs:  If Robin needs help, he'll drop everything to go help her.  If Mary needs help, he'll be there Saturday (she lives in Holland).  If I need help, he'll see if James or Annie can help.  James lives in Holland and Annie works seven days a week and lives with her boss/boyfriend.  On the other hand, Tom still is a big help for me such as for appointments because he can take a computer with him and do a certain amount of work in his car.  He may not always fix a meal for me, but he always makes sure I have some source of food.  After all, he has to look after his 93-year-old aunt!!!  Tom doesn't do much to take care of the living area, but he does try to make sure the kitchen counter has enough room for him to work.  I don't do much myself, so I don't say too much.  No one expects a 93-year-old to do much, anyway!  (I say some of this tongue-in-cheek).

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - I think your tuna-melt is going to be a big hit, throughout S&F!  We loved it, and I plan to make it again soon.  I'll try not to overdue it, which is something I tend to do when I discover a quick and easy new recipe.

Larry - I also have the pull out shelves in the kitchen, and they have made life a lot easier for me. Even though you still have to bend somewhat, it's a huge improvement from before.  Our son, who loves woodworking, made the shelves and he and AJ installed them, with the metal rollers.

shirley - It was good to hear that you are doing okay.  It must have been a nerve wracking night for you, but good that Danny's son came and stayed with you.  You said that he lived on The Keys?  From the pictures I've seen on TV, it looks like that whole area has been totally devastated?  Where does he live on The Keys?  Will he be able to go back and rebuild?