Here's hoping that all of our Florida friends are safe and dry?  Irma is such a horrific weather event, that seems to be never-ending.  Just watching those poor news reporters trying to stay upright in the driving wind and rain, is enough to exhaust me.  Evacuating to those shelters would be so difficult for seniors.   

Mary Ann - Every time you mention "tuna-melt", I get so hungry for one!  I don't know of any place around here that still has them on the menu?  In years past, Denny's used to serve them, but they no longer do.  Most restaurants or small cafe's now have on-line menu's, so I'm going to have to do some research.     

Marilyn, it's funny, but the tuna melt they make at Mr Burger that we go to is the best as far as I am concerned.  I've had it at other restaurants and also at other Mr Burgers and they aren't quite the same.  I would think we could make a tuna melt ourselves and not have to go to a restaurant to get it.  Of course, going to a restaurant, we don't have to do the work!

My new dishwasher is installed.  I really don't care for the stainless steel front, but it would have cost at least $50 more for a white front.  This was a special promotion on the stainless steel front, so we took it.  The installers even left a clean/dirty magnet.  I have always had one but I thought it was nice they included the magnet.  It's more colorful than my old one.  The new dishwasher is more quiet than the old one, but both Tom and I said the sound of the old one wasn't so loud that it bothered us.  I think we get used to certain noises and ignore them.

Mary Ann

All is well here! We were spared any damage to the house and very little in the yard. I have a niece in Daytona Beach and a long time friend in Jacksonville, both bad places to be with this hurricane. They are okay but clean-up will be difficult.

Larry - No, we don't have the storm shutters. They don't seem to be common this far inland.

Marilyn, there are tuna melts and tuna melts.  I just looked for a recipe and those I found from the Food Network were nothing like what we get.  Ours have light rye bread (Kimmel Rye in our area) with a mixture of tuna, mayo, and some veggies.  The mayo mix makes me think of the Sandwich Spread I used to buy.  I imagine there are seasonings in the mayo mix, but other than salt and pepper, I do not know what.  Oh, there is cheese and I am not sure if they use slices or grated cheese.   

Now, experiment!!!  I might even do it myself!

Beverly, I'm glad to hear all is well with you.

Mary Ann

Beverly - good to hear that everything is okay at The Villages.  I hope we hear from shirley and Flajean soon.

Mary Ann - I recall trying to make a tuna melt, in years past.  It was acceptable, but not as good as those I used to get at local restaurants or even at Denny's.  The best was a place in Long Beach, (Southern Cal), called Hof's Hut.  Every time we would visit my cousin and her husband, they would take us there for lunch.  Now I hear it's closed . . . as have too many independent, or "Mom and Pop" style, casual restaurants in California.

Marilyn, I looked for recipes for Tuna Melt and found many.  I found one that looks much like what we get.  I know the proof is in the seasoning and that probably is the difference in the tastes of the ones I've tasted.  I just wish I could send you a sample to see how it compares with what you've had.

I'll send the recipe to you by e-mail.

Mary Ann

We weren't impacted from the storm at all.  We did take the chairs off the front and back porches and put them in the garage, but we didn't have any wind.  We are about 140 miles west of Tallahassee and in the central time zone.  My daughter's in-laws live in Miami.  Their condo has storm shutters and they were fine.  They lost power for a few hours.  We were glad to hear that because they are not well.

I'm glad to hear that all S&F Floridians seem to be OK, and hope those in Georgia and SC are doing OK.  Larry, I don't think Irma will bother you---this time anyway.  Hurricane season lasts until Nov. 30th.  So we never know what the future holds, but if we think a hurricane is coming our way, we sure won't stick around. 

Jean, I'm glad to hear you were not affected by the hurricane.  Pictures I saw were horrible what with the flooding and the winds. 

Mary Ann

Just wanted to check in and let you all know that we are OK.  We have some gusty winds and some rain but not really bad.  We were really relieved not to have to evacuate to somewhere else. Some of the Florida evacuees have ended up here in Myrtle Beach.  Charleston is having a rough time today with the storm surge bringing water in at high tide (12:30 PM) and they are saying that the Battery bordering the harbor is under water right now and some of the streets to the battery are closed.  Our daughter and her husband live on James Island, on the south side of Charleston, and I got a text from her that they began to get water in their street about 12:30.  Their houses are built up about four feet above ground level so they will probably be OK and the water will probably recede as the tide goes out.  However they lost power this morning also and travel across the bridges has been restricted because of high wind gusts.  She received a message saying that the VA Hospital is inaccessible at this time.  She works for both the VA and the Medical University of SC, supervising their animals who are used for biomedical results (mice, rats, and guinea pigs)
.
Sure hope Shirley and Beverly stay safe.  I saw Beverly's message on Facebook as well as here.

Joan, I'm so happy that Candy made it to Santa Cruz OK.  My daughter worked in a vet clinic there in 1989 -1990 and was there during the Loma Prieta earthquake in the fall of 1989.  It was a little scary for her.  She was extracting fluid from a dog's lungs when it hit and she managed to extract the needle with her right hand and grab the dog around his body with her left hand and they both fell on the floor with bottles of stuff falling off of the shelves around them, but they both ended up OK , thank goodness!  She says she can weather this tropical storm OK.

Marilyne,  I have dry eyes too and use gel drops in them 3-4 times a day.  I had cataract surgery in 2012 and still have 20/25 distant vision, thank goodness, because I'm doing all the driving these days.  I do still use glasses for reading and for the computer.

Mary Ann, so glad that you and Dot can still get together occasionally for a meal.  Kendrick sounds like he is very entertaining!

Lindancer, that was so sweet of your neighbor to insist that you join them.  I'm sure that you are still getting fatigued easily with your lung situation but it's nice that you can participate when you feel like it!  Glad you are not in Charleston right now!

Larry, sounds like you and Pat are prepared for whatever weather you get from the storm.  We are getting some pretty gusty winds here right now and some rain, sort of like a nor'easter but so far we haven't lost our power.  Hope things go well for you!

Sandy, bless you!  I think you will know when the time is right to bite the bullet and get the cataract surgery.

Hope you all have a safe day!

Good to see that all is well with Johann, Jean and Beverly!  I hope we hear from shirleyn before too long.  I read that tens of thousands are without power, across the state, so she may be one of them. 

The intense heat has returned here once again. Ninety-four degrees right now, and it's only a little before 2:00 pm, so it will likely go higher.  I hope this is the last hot spell of the summer, but we usually have one right at the end September.  The only good part, is that the days are shorter, so the sun goes down much earlier. 

Johann - The doctor gave my husband a new eye drop med for dry eye, called Xiidra.  He likes it much better than the Restasis. 

Johann, I was so glad to see your message.  I have watched the Weather Channel much of the day, in fact, during much of the hurricane.  I see Larry's area is getting rain, also his former area.  I hope Shirley checks in soon so we will know about her.  Beverly has already checked in.

Mary Ann

Shirley N. commented on one of my Facebook posts today indicating she was okay and also had no damage. It's possible she's without power now, as much of Florida is.

My niece in Daytona Beach has a big mess to clean up. Their house has two floors and the lower floor was flooded with 2 ft. of water. She posted videos on Facebook. 

Chape's youngest sister lives near Tampa and evacuated to Atlanta. They were in Vermont while we were there but flew home to secure their place. They're returning tomorrow.  She's been told her house is fine with no water or wind damage. We were really worried because the hurricane hit hard on the west coast.  Everyone I know in Florida is safe and that's what is important!

FlaJean - Glad to hear you weren't affected by the storm.

Johann - I hope your daughter is safe and dry tonight.

Larry - Hoping the the remnants of Irma missed you!

Mary Ann - All the talk about tuna melts makes me hungry. There was a restaurant in Vermont where they made a version of a tuna melt that I loved.  It was made with an English muffin and tuna salad, a pineapple slice, and topped with Swiss cheese. I've made them at home also.

We (especially Chape) were exhausted today. We made the drive home staying only two nights and Chape did 99% of the driving. The first day was through heavy rain. Since we got home we've been running on adrenaline but today we could relax.

Chape has been in bed for an hour and I'll be turning in soon. Good night all.

Beverly, I am glad you had no hurricane problems.  I've watched a lot of it on TV (Weather Channel) and it's been horrendous. 

As for the tuna melt, I sent Marilyne a recipe that I got online that looked as near what we get as possible.  I did see a recipe for one with English muffins. 

To me, we are suffering from a lack of rain, however, I don't want any of Irma's rain; it's too damaging. 

Again, I'm glad  you're safe and sound.  Take it easy until you both recover from your trip home.

Mary Ann

Hi everyone. It is a quiet and overcast cool morning.  The effects of the hurricane have now passed our area.  I am very grateful that we really had no impacts from the storm other than the 3 1/2 inches of rain and a lot of very gusty wind.  There were  3 or 4 shingles in my driveway but an examination of my house roof shows they were not from it.  I think they came from a trash pile in front of a new home being built on the next street. I looked at my roof this morning and all seems to be in place.  We did lose power for  about 3 hours starting a little before 3 pm. We sure were happy to see the lights come back on before night time. 

I have already put most of the things I had out for an emergency back in place.  I still have to move the patio furniture back into place and move the plants back outside.  I also need to take our cooler back up to the attic.  There were trees down in certain areas of Augusta and North Augusta. 

It sure has been good to see the messages from or about our folks living in Florida that they had weathered the storm.  Pat has a lot of relative in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area and it sounded dire for them but the storm also pretty much left them alone.  I haven't heard anything from friends over around Atlanta but know they also got a lot of wind and rain.  I just see on the Weather Channel that over 7 million people are without power this morning. 

The main thing on my schedule today is to see the foot doctor this morning to get my toenails trimmed.  I have been looking forward to this appointment for several weeks as my big toes have been very sore to any pressure on them.  I plan on taking it easy the rest of the day. I found the uncertainty  yesterday to be stressful and was very tired when I went to bed last evening.  I had a good nights sleep and feel rested this morning.

Mary Ann, glad you have your new dishwasher.  We have never had an appliance with stainless steel doors.  They look nice but Pat has stayed away from them due to the ease of fingerprints and the surface care needed. You mentioned the new dishwasher was quieter than the old one.  When we lost power yesterday one of the things we noticed was the lack of noise in our home as the AC and dehumidifier or other electronic devices were not running.

Beverly, glad you were spared any damage to your house.  There sure are enough people left in Florida with a lot of damage and as you say the clean-up will be difficult.  Thanks for sharing the info regarding the safety of Shirley N and that they had no damage.  Hope you and Chape can relax today. 

Marilyne, one of the distinct memories I have from my first visit to California when I was 16 and went there with my grandmother, was of a mall and having an Orange Julius.  I also remember the delicious salads they served in the restaurants. 

   

Marilyne, I have never understood the necessity of the weathermen standing out in the severe rain and wind of a hurricane or other major weather event.  I am sure that must be a very unpleasant assignment.  We had several small churches not far from us that were opened as shelters for people from Florida and the coastal areas of South Carolina. We are having a few days of cooler weather but tomorrow and the rest of the week we will be back into the mid-80's or higher.  When Restasis first came out Pat's eye doctor prescribed it for her but she didn't like the stinging effect and didn't continue to use it. 

FlaJean, like you I took my front porch chairs and little table and put them in the garage.  They are back in place this morning.  I think they would have been fine left on the porch as they are heavy but why take a change. So glad you were not impacted by the storm at all.  We did get some very strong wind gusts probably in the 50 MPH range but they were just gusts.  I lot of people evacuated to Georgia only to have the Hurricane cone follow them.  This was the first time in history all of the counties of Georgia have been declared disaster areas at the same time. 

Johann, glad you didn't have to evacuate and that you were fine.  It sounds like you experienced pretty much what we did here in the Augusta area.  Hope your daughter on James Island is fine and is not without power too long.  It does sounds like a real mess in the Charleston area as it is in Jacksonville.   

Got up this morning to find that everyone had their trash and recyclables out for pick-up so I was able to put my "contribution" out.    The announcement must have been in yesterday's paper. The usual day for both is Monday.

Larry - They used to have an Orange Julius place in one of the malls in Burlington, VT. I really liked them but haven't found them anywhere since. Glad the storm has passed by you. My cousin, who lives near you, has a lot of trees so I hope his home is okay. I'll be calling him today.

Mary Ann - The pineapple slice added a touch of tartness to the English muffin tuna melt, which I liked. I'd also like the recipe you mentioned.

Larry, stainless steel was not my choice, but that was the "special".  I do have some stainless steel cleaner for pot and pans but if left up to me, any fingerprints will show until someone else cleans the front!  As for quietness, we have been without power a few times and I can't say I noticed the lack of noise.  Maybe my refrigerator was quite quiet because the last time we were without power was in February so the a/c would not be running. The dishwasher was the last original appliance I replaced - after 36 years.  I'm on my third refrigerator, second range, second microwave, third disposal, second water heater, second washer and dryer and now second dishwasher.  We bought the washer and dryer from Sears and about two weeks after that, Sears announced they were closing several stores and the Grand Rapids store was one of them. 

Larry, don't overdo it when you put things back.  I'd have a hard time getting things to a different level and fortunately, Tom is here.

I'm glad all of my eastern coast friends are safe but it must have been terrifying for some to even think of the hurricane coming close.  At least there were warnings so people could get cover.

Bev, the recipe is on its way to you - Classic Tuna Melt

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - Please DO NOT use the stainless steel cleaner for pots and pans on the dishwasher door. It's abrasive. We had to get a new dishwasher recently and our only choice was stainless steel. Our other appliances are bisque, which is no longer available. I love how quiet our new one is.

Thank you for the recipe.

Remember back when we had kitchen appliances in pretty colors, or trendy colors?  Now they're only available in stainless steel and white.  We went to Lowe's recently to look at washing machines, and I saw that there were a few front loaders in a dark red color.

In 1961, we moved into a house with a turquoise/aqua stove and dishwasher.  The counter tile was in the same aqua color, and it very attractive.  My next door neighbor had a PINK kitchen!  Same appliances as mine, but in a soft pink color.  Sounds horrible, but it was really pretty.  Other houses I remember on the block had yellow, and a mint green.  We all had white refrigerators. 

After those colors went out of style, the next trend was Avocado green, and Harvest Gold.  Also a brown color was popular at the time.  Then came Almond and Bisque.  We still have our almond colored fridge, ovens, washer and dryer.  Yes, they are all old! We replaced the dishwasher a few years ago with Bisque, because we could no longer get almond. 

So now you know more than you ever wanted to know about my kitchens!

Thanks, Bev, I won't use the cleaner (if I still have it).

Marilyn, having been in the appliance sales department of our local electric utility, we had all colors at times - yellow, white, copper, turquoise, avocado green, almond/bisque, black.  I bought a copper range and left that in the house when I moved.  I also had a copper, bottom freezer refrigerator that I took with me because there was a copper surface unit where I moved.  I had to leave the refrigerator there because a refrigerator came with the condo when I bought it.  It was kind of the last of the Mohicans because the crispers and meat tray were metal.  The refrigerator was a 1967 model and I moved in 1981 when plastic bins came into being.  I was able to get almond appliances for the condo and now the range and refrigerator are white. 

For some reason or other, most people wanted colored surface units but someone ordered a white surface unit and built-in oven, then didn't take it.  About that time, I had a cottage built and I bought them for the cottage.  They really looked very nice.

Mary Ann

Good afternoon, very cool this morning, but it has warmed up very nicely. Sun shinning bright.

FlaJean, my GS called and said they also made it through the storm.  Also glad to see your post.   My friend that is taking  me to the doctor to morrow is still trying to find out about their place in Naple.  They bought it in March and stayed in it a month.  Plan was to go down in Oct. to stay.

Beverly Glad to see you are home safe and sound.

Johann, also glad to see your post.  I hope your daughter is OK.  I see where Charleston has a lot of water damage.  When we first went to Charleston, we lived on Broad st.  not far from the Battery.

MaryAnn, you now have me wanted a tuna melt.  that is something I can fix for my dinner.

Larry you mention Orange Julius, I had forgot all about them.  I use to get one in the N.Charleston Mall.  Also glad to see you are OK. Now we have to worry about the next one.

Marilyne, You remind me of our kitchen years and years ago. I had white and stainless kitchen appliances but in summer I hung aqua curtains and in winter pink. I had 6 windows in my kitchen, loved my large kitchen also had a dutch door.   When I moved here to this little kitchen I kept saying I wish I could have bought my old kitchen with me.

Mary Ann - I had forgotten you worked in an appliance department, so of course you would know all the colors that came and went, over the years. Copper, was the color I was thinking of when I said brown.  Do you remember the soft pink, that my neighbor had?  I doubt that it was very popular, but it actually looked quite nice.  You can go to Google and type in something like, "kitchens from the 1950's or 1960's", and you'll see lots of ads for appliances in the different colors", as well as pictures of well coordinated kitchens.  I love to look at old stuff like that! 

This afternoon I'm going shopping for the tuna-melt ingredients.  I'll make them for dinner either tonight or tomorrow night, and will let you know how they turn out. 

Marilyn, I'll have to get some tuna so I can make a tuna melt.  I'll be interested in how yours turns out and how it tastes. 

Mary Ann

Good morning still, (11:41 here); from a chilly, windy and wet Interior. I have kept up with the hurricane news and Texas flooding in the online news and hope all here and families came through okay. 

Our fall began last Thursday when all the deciduous trees' leaves began turning and the seemingly ever present winds have blown many tumbling off. Our temperatures have ranged from the twenties to thirties for lows and fifties and low sixties for highs. Our summer, such as it was, is apparently over a month or so early.

Farrah is well, she is still watching the birds and following me from room to room. The other day I was given some raw liver which I detest but didn't want to tell my friend because she included it as a thank you. Since the only canned cat wet food Farrah likes in very small amounts is liver, I cooked some up and while I was cutting some of it up for her, she became so excited she actually jumped up on the counter next to me. That was a first and only for her but she ate only a tiny bit of the food so unfortunately, it went into the trash.

I finally found friends who took the three pieces of furniture for me to recycling, two large end tables, and a rocking chair, so those are gone and I purchased a five shelf wrought iron shelving unit, three orange lidded storage boxes and two green/white baskets for all my office needs to use on the shelf. I also plan to use two shelves for the books that I kept after donating several hundred to the Literacy Council and the libaries on each of the five floors here. And no that number of books is not in error. When I moved in I had 38 boxes of books in storage as well as those I had accumulated since. That clearing out was really overdue. We won't talk about the ones on my two kindles. 

I donated my small one-quart pot and large nonstick scratched frypan as I read about the chemicals leaching from scratched nonstick. Not good reading! I donated all my range metal and rubber utensils and purchased new silicone ones. I purchased a good stainless steel two-quart pot and a new copper coated nonstick so my kitchen is finally pared down and cleared out. I did buy a three drawer dresser for my bedroom. However, I need to reevaluate and donate more clothes I saved but really don't see myself wearing and also many blankets, throws and pillow cases I want to let someone else enjoy, including four throw pillows.

I still need to reassign some living room tables to my bedroom and some bedroom tables to my computer area and find or purchase a new computer chair and I will be hopefully done. This has been a four year, a first time in my life attempted clutter bust and I find once you start, it becomes addicting. Someone asked if I planned to continue that idea with my computer and I guess the look I gave her actually made her take an involuntary step backward. 

In my defense, I did purchase a new 4T backup external drive to go with my online Cloud system. The trick is to keep it unplugged except when used. Too many folks leave them plugged in so that any attack then affects them as well so all your preparations are useless.

Here's hoping all are having a good day!

So Good to read that most of us in S And F connected to family and friends all over the areas having the the terrible weather. Looks like it is ending now. Just all the damage. Looks awful but it will be unbelievable just how fast things will get cleaned up. So much work to be done.
We had that Tornado just 8 miles from me 2 years ago. Half the village  all gone but now I drive through it and looks just like such a beautiful area again. Some older homes all gone but new homes have taken their places.

Mary Ann. It is hard now to find anything that is not Stainless Steel. I need a new fridge but all my kitchen is Beige colour . Had to get such as MW and other things in Steel. I don't like it. One piece I must have used something chemical to wipe it over and darn thing looks awful.

Well they launched  Apple IPhone 10 out today. $990 for it. No deals on trading them for cheap price.  Not stopped people from lining up over night in order to get one. Thousands in Chicago and NY.

I guess that I really am not a US Football follower. Can't under stand the game. But just had the local news on.  I live in the Town that has the University of Illinois in. They have a Out of Town game Saturday and will be Playing Tampa.Florida University team.  Showing how bad it was and that they were not letting people back into the area to see what happened to their Homes and telling people not to be driving on the Interstates.
THE GAME WILL STILL GO ON .  Urbana have said that they would arrange for them and the Games to be played here in Town. Was turned down. They want it playing in their town.. With all the work that must be needed to be done In Tampa  to me the day could be put to better use. Its just a football game. Not even a Pro game. Now the Police of the city will be tied up with the football traffic. All the looters will have a good time....

FlaJean,  I've been thinking of you and wondered how your fared in the storm. I just wrote on the Library site and then decided to check around to if you had been posting elsewhere.   Glad to hear that everything is ok on your homefront.   

Jeanne, when I moved here in 1981 I bought new appliances and they were the almond/bisque color.  As I've said I have now replaced all of my original appliances.  My microwave is black,could have been white, but I don't mind the black.  I liked my kitchen floor but it had grooves in it and held the dirt.  I am not a neatnik so the dirt did collect in the grooves.  It and the kitchen counter both had texture and I've replaced both.  My floor is white squares with two-tone blue/green squares at intervals.  I like it OK, but I liked the other better; it had more character.  Anyway, I expect what I have will outlast me.

Jeanne, for many people, College football is bigger than Pro football.  It is from colleges that the pros get their players. 

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - I went to Safeway today and got everything I needed, except for the bread.  I was set on getting white bread, but they only had the thin, flimsy style, that mashes flat when you try to make a sandwich out of it.  So tomorrow I'll go to Whole Foods, and get a nice sturdy loaf with some body to it!  I looked at the pickle relish, but decided instead to get the Best Foods Relish Sandwich Spread.  I'll mix half regular mayo and half sandwich spread. I'll make it tomorrow evening for dinner, and let you know if it was a success.  

Patricia - nice to see you posting today.  Let me know how you like your copper coated pan?  I was looking at them at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but decided to get the ceramic coated skillet instead. They were about the same price, but since I had never heard of the copper coated, I decided to go with the ceramic, since I had seen good reviews.  I admire you sticking with your "clutter bust".  Very inspiring . . . If you can do it, so can I!

Marilyne, I'm not familiar with ceramic pots and pans. However, copper cookware is very well made, conducts heat evenly and is really expensive so this copper alloyed over steel was a nice surprise. I don't use high heat and I now have all silicone stove and oven utensil gear so as not to scratch or burn. What is almost comical is the way the food, with very little oil, slides all over the pan and slides right out of that pan and onto the serving dish. It reminds me of those old, old stainless commercials.

As to clutter busting, I am at the tail end of a four-year attempt and it has taken me the majority of that time to really get serious! I love my home, the spaciousness of admittedly small five rooms,(860 sq.ft.); and how everything is neatly put away and easily accessed. Go for it and you won't be disappointed!

Hi to all.  First I want to apologize for not coming in to let you all know how I fared. For some reason I had not received messages from B & T, so wasn't prodded into answering.  That being said, I want to tell you about our experiences with Irma.  First of all, Danny and I had a big job getting everything from the yard into our screen room to protect them from being flying objects. Then we heard from his son, who lives in Key West, who was on his way to come up to be with us thru the storm.  Thru the storm we had a horrid night.  That afternoon it rained and blew hard.  At least we thought it was hard.  After dark the wind began to blow.  Sustained winds over 100 mph, with gusts stronger. What a scary night that was.  It just lasted for hours, and in the dark we had no idea what was going on outside.  We got so tired of listening the wind blowing.  And our whole house and walls seemed to tremble.  I was so scared.  But thankfully we did not lose electricity.  No windows broken.  No roof damage, nor any other damage.  Prayers do certainly work.  There were some less fortunate people in our park.  I continue to count my blessings.  We do have our yard almost back to normal.  Son sure was a big help.  We lost almost all of the grapefruits off the tree.  But the oranges didn't fall.

His son is still here.  The Keys got hit so hard, they are not allowing people back down there.  They do not know what kind of damage was done to the bridges.  Plus they do not have electricity and the cell thing is broken.  Plus they still have deep water all over the islands.  Horrid stories coming from out of there.

Again, I apologize for not getting in here sooner.

shirleyn