Merry Christmas from our House to Yours

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Merry Christmas

Here’s a Merry Christmas trip down memory Lane from Christmas past. 

I love this picture of Rocky. He was the best cat. He only let me get this one quick pic then he went after the costume to get it off. 

Santa Rocky 2013 photo credit Deb Neumann

 

Meet the Snow Family. My little photo experiment. 

No photo description available.

The Snow Family – Photo Credit Deb Neumann

2014 Christmas House

Added a little Photo magic to the house in Taunton, Turned it into the 2014 Christmas House. All your favorite characters are visiting.

 

Christmas House 2014 Photo Credit Deb Neumann

A Christmas Fantasy

Here’s Rocky again in 2017 with his little friend, the Christmas mouse. 

Rocky & the Christmas Mouse 2017 Photo credit Deb Neumann

Is That Santa in the sky?

Taunton- The Christmas City

My city is proud to have the nick name- The Christmas City . Every year they try to out do the previous year when the set up displays on the green.

Taunton Green 2013 Photo Credit Deb Neumann

A Merry Disney Christmas

Disney world 2016 – photo credit Deb Neumann

 

Christmas Present

Things change and life goes on. This year I’m trying to get used to my new life of retirement. Rocky passed over the Rainbow Bridge a couple of years ago and even though I swore no more cats I am once again living with two tiny terrors. No Christmas tree this year. The Kids are too young and would make short work of any tree or decoration. 

 

Their names are Banner and Balboa and both are insanely funny, affectionate and royal pains. Banner is more of a gentleman than Balboa. Banner is sneaky in his destruction. Balboa is in your face. Banner steals my keys, my fit bit right off the charger and miscellaneous other items. But Banner is also willing to watch the birds out the window for hours and is content to sit near me, a quiet companion.

Banner Guarding the printer 2022 Photo credit Deb Neumann

 

Balboa has many aliases. He is Sir Talks A Lot, and Wreck it Ralph to name just a few. If he can’t find something to get in trouble with he will create it. I find cat toys in my bed. He likes the high road. Banner likes the floor. As frustrating as he can be, he makes me laugh because his antics are just over the top. This is just one example. It wasn’t “posed” I just hadn’t put the bowl away and I turned around to find he’d stuffed himself in it.  You can see the “insanity” in his eyes!

Balboa 2021 Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Like I said, Balboa takes the high road

Balboa 2022 Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Christmas Future

 Unlike the Spirits in Dickens, I don’t know what the future will hold. As the saying goes, nothing is certain except death and taxes.  So as we head into 2023 I wish for good health and prosperity for all my friends and family. Maybe next year I can have a tree!

Santa at Busch Gardens 2018 Photo Credit Deb Neumann

Natural Wonders of the USA Part 5

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Natural Wonders of the USA

After the last Natural Wonder’s post I got really excited. I’d been to 3 out of 4 and agree that they are wonders.  So it’s back to the list to see what wonder is next and have I been there.

17-Idaho- Craters of the Moon

Next on the list is Craters of the Moon, Idaho. I haven’t been there yet but it is on my bucket list. I shared my thoughts on that in a previous post. This natural wonder is a protected volcanic area with the best-preserved flood basalt in the country. While it may be on Earth, visiting the Craters of the Moon is certainly an other worldly experience.

18 – Nebraska- Chimney Rock

Well strike two for me on this post! I have not been to Nebraska either. The natural wonder for Nebraska is Chimney Rock. I could be wrong but I think it’s significance as a land mark for Oregon Trail, the California Trail, as well as the Mormon Trail makes this more impressive than it’s actual appearance although it’s height is impressive. It is approximately 286 feet high

Chimney Rock Museum (Bayard) | VisitNebraska.com

19 – New Mexico – White Sands National Park

Strike 3! I haven’t been to New Mexico either but it too is on my bucket list. You can check out my thoughts on a New Mexico Vacation right here. I didn’t have White Sands National Park on my list because I was exploring in another direction. Maybe I will need to reconsider that.

 

White Sands National Park is comprised of white sand dunes made of gypsum crystals. The desert stretches 275 square miles. Preserved in the dune fields are human footprints and animal prints from over 10,000 years ago

20 – Kansas – Monument Rocks

I can’t believe it. I hit another state I haven’t visited yet. I admit when I think of Kansas I think of tornados and the Wizard of Oz. 

 

The natural wonder for Kansas is Monument rocks. When I first saw the photos on the internet I thought they looked like Monument Valley, AZ.  The Monument Rocks in Kansas are made up of a series of chalk formations that are rich with fossils as far back as the Cretaceous Period (80 million years ago).

Well those are some impressive wonders but I hate that I haven’t seen any of them yet. I hope I do better when the list continues.

Honing My Cooking Skills

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What’s Cooking?

I have always enjoyed cooking but the busier I got at work the less cooking I did. I found I ate out a lot or ordered take out for lunch. When I did cook I tried to find casseroles or crock pot dishes that I could cook up on the weekend and then just reheat during the week. Now that I have more time and less demands I find I’m exploring more dishes. The only problem is that I am just one person and usually anything I make could feed an army!

I’m really glad I didn’t have any warning that I was going to be laid off. If I had I might not have bought my beautiful new stove. Like anything you do, having the right tools makes all the difference.

Lovely Quick Lunch

Everyone likes pizza right? Wrong I only tolerate it but I found a pizza recipe that has made me a true pizza lover and it’s quick! First you need to make friends will Belle from Beauty & the Beast so that she can get you some French Baguettes or you can go to your local bakery. I actually found mine at my local Hannaford’s Market in the bakery section.  Nice and crispy outside and soft as a cloud inside.

French Baquette Bread by Seven Spikes Bakery, french baquette bread from dubai | ID - 4361255

 

Once you have the baguette I cut mine in 3rds. (Portion control) If you want a larger piece just cut it in half . Now cut each piece lengthwise.

Spread your Pizza Sauce on each piece.

Pizza Sauce

The Pizza Sauce I used said “Pizza Sauce” right on the label but if you want to make your own it’s real easy.

  • 6 oz tomato Paste
  • 15 oz Tomato sauce
  • 1-2 Tbs Oregano to taste
  • 2 Tbs Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 TBS Garlic Salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar ( optional)
  1. Mix tomato paste and sauce in a medium bowl until all lumps are incorporated
  2. Add spices and mix well!
  3. Use in your favorite pizza recipe

The Cheese

The most common cheese is Mozzarella cheese. 

Some folks like to get a chunk of it and slice off pieces to lay on your sauce.

Homemade Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Recipe (Tasty & Firm) | Kitchn

I found I liked a mix of 2 cheeses, mozzarella and cheddar. I was able to find this “Pizza Mix” in the dairy aisle. It’s 2 cheese shredded Pizza cheese. 

Toppings

Let your imagination run free. Top your pizza with your favorite flavors. I like mushrooms (fresh works best), chopped onion and pepperoni. 

Pop it into your preheated oven at 475 degrees for 10-15 minutes. So good. 

Enjoy

Pepperoni French Bread Pizza | America's Test Kitchen Recipe

Natural Wonders of the USA part 4

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Natural Wonders List Continues

We’ve got 50 Natural Wonders to go through and we’ve only covered 12 so time to continue on. Besides, My life is boring. Who wants to hear about my issues with Medicare and unemployment.  Beautiful sights to see are far more interesting.

13. MAINE – Cadillac Mountain

Maine is one of my favorite states. It’s got lighthouses and rugged , scenic coastline. It’s even got Puffins but you need to take a special trip across the Bay of Fundy to see them.  Fun fact- tides in the Bay of Fundy are the highest in the world! They can reach an incredible 53 ft.! Now which thing is the Natural Wonder for Maine? 

Photo credit- Deb Neumann 2016

 

According to the list its Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park . During certain times of the year, it is the first place to see the sunrise in the US.

Photo credit- Joe St Jean- 2012

14. New Hampshire – Flume Gorge

Staying on the East Coast we’ll head to New Hampshire. That’s the Live Free or Die State. Another excellent state to explore with the beautiful White Mountains, The Kancamagus Highway and lovely lakes, streams and waterfalls.  The Flume Gorge is located in Franconia Notch State Park , Lincoln NH. Yes I’ve been there. Its an uphill walk with lots of stairs but I survived it and so can you. It’s beautiful. Very primal.

Photo Credit Deb Neumann 2011

15. Hawaii – Diamond Head

You are talking my language now. I love Hawaii although Diamond Head is on Oahu which is my least favorite of the main Hawaiian Islands. It’s the most cosmopolitan. If you miss crazy traffic and City life then Oahu is the island for you. Diamond head is the image everyone has of Hawaii. You know that post card image with high rises, white sand and a mountain.

28,842 Diamond Head Images, Stock Photos & Vectors ...

We drove up into the crater but did not climb the stairs to the top. I liked snorkeling in  Hanauma Bay more than I liked Diamond Head. 

16. West Virginia – New River Gorge

You got me on this one. I haven’t been to West Virginia so I haven’t been to New River Gorge.

The picture is gorgeous and I’d love to capture something similar but when I googled the New River Gorge Bridge it seems the thrill seekers have taken over. They banned bungee jumping after an accidental death deemed bungee jumping as unsafe but they still allow base jumping and rappelling!  No thanks. I admit I like an adrenaline rush as much as the next person but I still want to be safe!

That about wraps up todays post. More to come next time.

Progress on My New Life

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Making Progress

Isn’t it amazing how much progress you can make when given the right information? I finally got the information on COBRA from my former employer, a month to the day after they laid me off. Plus it was 18 pages of small print! My company insurance ended 11/30 so I’ve been uninsured since then. That can get expensive fast as I just had to pay full price for 2 prescriptions. They came to almost $350.00.

Medicare

I have Medicare Part A. I’ve had that since I turned 65 but I never added anything else since I had insurance through my employer. I got laid off in the middle of “Open Enrollment” so there were a lot of resources out there. Each one gave you different advice/information.  I did learn that I had to add Part B before I could get in an Advantage Plan. Thus began a frustrating quest to get signed up for Part B. 

Medicare Images – Browse 214,184 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock

The advice was to sign up online. One advisor even walked me through the links to get to the application. No luck. They system said my information on file was different from what I entered. That was the last straw. I took myself down to our local Social Security office and got in line.

Social Security

 

The wait turned into 2 hours for about 10 minutes with the social security representative. My meeting was quick because she just told me I couldn’t sign up online and handed me a form that my (former) employer had to complete stating they had been providing insurance and the effective dates.  So It’s back to Redfin again. Until I get that Part B coverage . No Advantage yet.

Dreaming Up A New Name For Your Business 3 - Wait For A Long Time - Free Transparent PNG Clipart Images Download

The Form

I must give credit where credit is due. Redfin set up a “Transitional Assistance Team” and provided an email, I sent the form to that email and got an immediate response. They sent to the Benefits Team. I expected that to take a few days but no,  they got the completed form to me the same day! I printed it out sent it off to Social Security immediately. Fingers crossed they are quick.

COBRA

Cartoon Cobra Stock Illustrations – 3,912 Cartoon Cobra Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart - Dreamstime

It all depends on how quick Social Security moves but if they get me my new card, I can select just dental coverage through COBRA and keep that a couple of months while we finish up my implants.  By being able to select the coverage I want it becomes much more affordable.

Life Insurance

I never considered Life Insurance as I had plenty through my work. Now I had none and being old and diabetic made me high risk. You’d think I was going to die tomorrow!  After collecting my denial letters I lowered my expectations and picked up a small policy to cover burial/ cremation expenses. No memorial service, no urn. My poor family will get handed a baggie of cinders.

Floral Heart Shaped Biodegradable Urn - Perfect Memorials

Still to Do

The insurance was the BIG item on my list but the only other thing I can think of is to close out my 401K. There’s not much in there as I’d shifted my attention to buying stock. My investment (Stock) account, which was my retirement, has to sit until the stock market recovers.  I kept investing even as the stock price fell because you buy low and sell high. Right?  I’m optimistic about the future of that account once this recession is past.