Monday Morning This and That

How you spend your time is more important

than how you spend your money.

Money mistakes can be corrected,

but time is gone forever.

David Norris

So, here we are again.  Monday, the first Monday in January.  This was a very busy weekend for me...food shopping, cooking.  I never did get around to taking the Christmas things down.  I've gotten tired of chicken soup and chili, so I hunted up a few new recipes. Made myself a huge pot of low sodium lentil soup, below...

Sorry the picture isn't better.  I didn't remember to take a shot of it until 'after' I had it in the one-serving container...and since I don't have a camera, it's taken with my cell phone.  Trust me.  It tasted better than it looks. Found the recipe online. It calls for ground beef, lentils, carrots, celery, cabbage, thyme, bay leaf, low sodium chicken broth, and some garlic.  It takes fantastic.  

I also made some black bean soup, (no photo, already in the freezer) and something I actually made up.  I'd plan to make pea soup as well, but ran out of time, and since I don't want to cook tomorrow, I tossed my pea soup items, all but the split peas, into a pot with some chicken and tossed in some spices.  

And it turned out fantastic.  I browned four chicken legs, tossed in some carrots, cabbage, onions, no salt diced tomatoes, low sodium tomato sauce, low sodium chicken broth, cayenne pepper to give it some pop, garlic powder, and celery.  Amazing how they all melded together...and, it has given me four meals.

Well, there is trouble in paradise.  My little hamlet that has given me so much peace has now been invaded by a teen-age boy who must have received a stereo for the holidays, and the noise from his music is driving me up a wall.  We're trying to be civil about this.  I've banged on the pipes, and hubby has even paid a visit.  And every darn weekend it is the same crap.  In the evening when I am done with my chores and want to sit in my rocker and relax, the base from his stereo throbs over my head.  And we all know teenagers and how they love the base. Call me Scrooge if you want, but I can't much more of it. Excessive noise, especially base, beating through my house, and, yes, it is so loud that there is no room in the house that one can hide out in to get away from it, makes me very nervous.  At times I have literally felt my blood pressure rising.

You should respect each other

and refrain from disputes; you should

not, like water and oil, repel each

other, but should, like milk and

water, mingle together.

The Buddha

Yes, his mommy is home and allows it. When my boys were growing up we lived on the first floor of a two-family home. The landlord had also fixed the basement up into another apartment. I was always on top of my boys about loudness and taught them we always had to respect our neighbors. Respect, to me, is a very important factor in life. We get what we give, and to receive respect, we must give respect. I know I get up hours earlier than they do to go to work, and I always make sure my television is turned down so as not to disturb them. All I ask is the same.

Well, it is time to jump in the shower and get ready for work.  Wish me luck today. Talk to you all tomorrow.

Be respectful to others as you grow. . . If we lack respect for one group,

then there is a tendency for that attitude to spread. It becomes

infectious and no one becomes safe from the ravages of prejudice.

Walter Annenberg