Conversions

This is the link to this page:  https://www.online-convert.com/

It should convert ibook to epub

Find text msgs on Mac

This is how you can find you're text messages on a Mac.

From the Finder Menu select Go and scroll down to Go to Folder

Type ~/Library/Messages

You will find all your messages by date and conversation.

To find email downloads go to:
~/Library/Containers/com.apple.mail/Data/Library/Mail Downloads

Pesto

Since I have tons of basil and I'm going in for surgery in 4 days, I better make some pesto soon!!

I sort of used this recipe from http://www.closetcooking.com/2010/08/basil-pesto.html
I made two batches

In both batches I doubled the recipe but I used walnuts instead of pine nuts because that's what I had, a little more garlic and in the second batch I not only doubled the entire recipe I used twice as much basil.

Grandkids Photobook

I had to make a photobook because I bought a Groupon from Photobook America and it was expiring.  I decided to make a book about my grandsons from birth to present.  It came out so good I made another one for Greta.

The cover is my favorite.

New Car

Wednesday (7/26) I went to Hoselton for service on my car.  The past few weeks the Maint Req light was on but I kept ignoring it.  I finally made an appointment and as soon as I was checked in, I was approached by someone from the service sales force asking me if I would like to look at some new cars since my lease was up in 4 months.

Friday I picked up my new car.  A 2017 RAV4, I am definitely in a rut.  This is the 5th RAV4 I've gotten but at least I got a new color.  It's dark blue and in the sunlight it looks like it has glitter sprinkled all over it.

They changed a couple of things I didn't like about the 2015.  They added back the sunglass holder over the window and the small tray in the console box.  I also like the way the direction you're going shows on the rearview mirror.  I got a hitch with it for a bike rack, now maybe I'll go somewhere with my bike, and cross bars so I could get a kayak carrier, if I want.  The safety features all came standard like a beep if you change lanes without putting on the blinkers - GUILTY and a warning if your close to other cars or walls, etc.  I also like how the car will automatically slow down when using cruise control if you get too close to the car in front of you.

No more smell from the smoothie Tucker accidentally left in the back seat that spilled down under it, although that had dissipated over time with much cleaning and air fresheners.

Note:  11/29/17 - Noticed I can open the car with thin gloves on, not sure if it will work with heavier ones but this is also a plus over the last car.

Banana Split Cake

I looked online and couldn't find a recipe like the one I have that I got in the 1970s from Rosella from Garden Club.  This recipe was so good that I decided I would make it rather than try one of the others although I substitute 8 oz cream cheese for 1/2 cup butter and 2 eggs in the original recipe since the eggs would be raw which wasn't a problem back in the 70s.

Banana Split Cake
Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix and line a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes

1st Layer:
2 cups confectioners sugar
8 oz cream cheese

Beat until creamy.  Spread over crust.  Cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

2nd Layer:
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple well drained.

Spread over crust and Layer #1

3rd Layer:
3 bananas

Sliced over layers

4th Layer:
1 cup fresh sliced strawberries or 2 (10 oz) packages frozen strawberries drained.

Spread over earlier layers

5th Layer:
1 large container of Cool Whip spread over top
Sprinkle with chopped nuts

You can make the crust ahead of time and then add the other layers on the day you serve it.

A Garden this Year?

For the first time since all my plants got drowned out a number of years ago I decided to plant some herbs.  But instead of planting them in pots I planted them in the ground.  When I did my last batch of plants in pots I had one lone oregano plant left over.  I was on my way to drop it in the trash and then it made me feel so guilty, after all it was just a baby, so I stuck it in the dirt alongside the garage.  It thrived.  And thrived.  And thrived.  This year we thought we pulled all of it out but it has now mingled it's way in with the mint that we can't get rid of either.

Here are some shots taken in June of the plants, although the chives died instantly and just yesterday I replaced it with a strawberry plant because I couldn't find anymore chives.

 Front row:  parsely, basil, cilantro  Back row:  rosemary, chives, missing strawberry

I did plant a tomato in a pot which is doing well.  Larry took very good care of them while I was at Greta's.

Flowers already on the tomatoes

And our apple tree is loaded with apples.  Last year we had none.  I may have mentioned that before.

June 9 - just babies

June 21 - growing up

I'm not Shrinking

These are a series of shots that were taken over the last 3 visits to Greta's which are only 3 months apart.

Myles at 13

Hunter at12

Tucker at 10

Congratulations to Myles

Today Myles won an award at school given annually to one outstanding 7th grader "who exemplifies the highest qualities of leadership, scholarship and service to the community".  We are all so proud of him.

Greta sent the video in a text and when I asked her if she knew she said, "We just knew Myles or Hunter were getting something but we didn't know who or what."

Bridge Club Related Deaths

Kay's husband died the other day and his obit was in the paper today.  I thought I should probably keep track of these things and then I remembered that I should add Beth's husband too because he was the first of the husbands to die.  But then I remembered about Ellie's husband who committed suicide so long ago and I can't remember what his first name was.  Maybe I should just keep it to our most recent members.  Then I better add Bob Chan too.

Walk

I walked 2 miles in 36 minutes today.  Maybe I don't need hip surgery after all :)

manage appleid

Found this today on the apple support communities page and don't want to lose it because this is similar to my problem.  I use one account for itunes and another for icloud.  One of my warranties is under the icloud account the others under the itunes.


Q:  AppleID, MobileMe, iCloud, iTunes mess

Can apple fix the appleID mess it's created?

Happy Birthday Larry

From Karen and Michael for Larry's birthday

You think??

Mother's Day Weekend

It was my slowest moving day.  I just couldn't get moving.  Usually I pack the night before I go but this time I packed in the morning.  It was only for a weekend and I wouldn't need that much and I actually did a good job of not overpacking.

On the drive Greta said if I got to her house by 5 we could drive together to Tucker's lower school concert.  I was 20 minutes away and all of a sudden my GPS showed a delay of another 20 minutes.  So I went straight to Brunswick and got there an hour before the start and got us the best seats right in front.

A jazz number

Tucker plays drums

Vanilla Vinaigrette Salad

Audrey invited us over for dinner the other night and I was bringing a salad.  I had fresh strawberries and oranges so looked up a salad that would have those ingredients.  I found one called "Salad Greens With Oranges, Strawberries and Vanilla Vinaigrette" at food.com and then remembered I had vanilla balsamic vinegar from F. Oliver's and made it "my own" as they say about singers.

Proportions aren't necessary.  Just use what you like or have on hand.  I'm listing what I've included in various versions I've made this past week as a reminder of options for next time.

My Vanilla Vinaigrette Salad

chopped romaine
small slices red onions
sectioned oranges
sliced strawberries
blackberries
grape tomatoes
toasted walnuts or pecans
blue cheese

Vanilla Vinaigrette
3 parts EVOO
2 parts vanilla balsamic vinegar

Cruise & Barcelona April 1-26

We have so many good pictures and memories from this trip, too many to put here especially since I need to do a magazine to document the trip but I'll post some of my favorite highlights here as we drank our way around.

Bermuda

Funchal, Portugal

Florida - Week 3 - short week

Tuesday I met Dennis, the brother (who works at Vistana Beach) of the woman from the wine and cheese the previous Tuesday night.  Glad I got to meet him because she had already told him about the circumstances of how we had met.  If I don't explain that here now will I remember 5 years from now?? Hint:  It was at a game to meet people where you had to list some facts about yourself on a paper that was given out to others and they had to find you.

From the Beach Club we went to Orlando for a few days at the Vistana Villages before the cruise and were able to get into our favorite section.  This was probbly the first time that we were in Orlando that we didn't go to an outlet mall.  Something must be wrong with me, I seem to have lost my desire to shop.  Or maybe it was that I didn't have one inch of space in my suitcase or weight for the plane when we were going to have to fly home from Barcelona.

We left on Saturday to head to Port Canaveral and return our rental car.  On our way to return the car where we thought the rental place was we came upon it in a different location.  Our timing was perfect, we dropped the car off, got on the van to the port and almost immediately got onto the ship with no lines and very little waiting.  However, that was probably the last time we didn't have to stand in a line for the entire cruise.

Florida - Week 2

Mon- March 20
Michael and Doris came to visit today.  After hanging out for awhile we went out to get some lunch.  We didn't know where we were going but then decided to go to downtown Stuart.  Doris remembered being on the street we were with her Grandmother and going to a jewelry store.  Laura also has mentioned this is a good area to go to for lots of restaurants and shops.  We had lunch at the Osceola Street Cafe

photo courtesy of my copying from Google maps

I wasn't too hungry so couldn't decide what to get but finally decided on a veggie melt.  It was delicious and I brought half of it home.   We wandered around Stuart on our way to the car and from

there we went to the Harris Museum which was filled with all kinds of old things especially cars that are in mint condition.  We had 1 hour and 10 minutes before they closed and thought that was just the right amount of time until we came to the photography room.  Here were all these great shots with the behind the scenes story of how each photographer was able to catch the shot.  This is something that shouldn't be missed because you'll want to read all the descriptions.  The people working there were so nice when they noticed how we were engrossed and they wanted to kick us out so they gave us four complimentary tickets so that we could go back.
For dinner we went to Shuckers around 6:00 and we ate inside because we would have to wait for an hour to eat outside.  I got my normal fish tacos and they were as good as always, even indoors.

On Thursday Nadine and Michael came and we went to Shuckers again, this time for lunch around 3:15, the best time when there never seems to be a wait.  I decided to get something new so I got a Tomato Mozzarella Panini, it was good but I think I'll stick with my tacos or the ahi tuna burger.

Friday became dark, windy and later in the afternoon we had a lot of rain.  We all went to the Harris Museum in the afternoon and I got to read the descriptions with all the pictures.  From there we went to a Mexcian restaurant, Cinco de Mayo, in the Publix shopping center for a late lunch, early dinner. 

Friday morning we all went for a walk on the street.  It was windy again but nice for walking as long as you held on to your hat.  Since we ate out for the last two days today was the day to help eat what we have in the refrigerator plus the ice cream that we bought last night and everyone was too full to eat.  Nadine and Michael left around 7:00 - a fun few days with them.

Saturday Audrey and Steve drove up from where they were staying at Marriott Ocean Pointe in Palm Beach Shores.  We sat out on the deck, ate popcorners, hummus and peanut butter pretzels and caught up on our travels.  They watched IVs game while I went to the pool and then we went to, where else, Shuckers.

Sunday I finally got a chance to take a walk on the beach again.  I walked all the way down to the CVS plaza and saw that there was a public beach and huge parking lot which wasn't noticeable when we walked on the street.

Monday morning, our last full day here, started out like a "real" Florida day.  It was hot and sunny and then the next time I turned around it was grey clouds and rainy.

Florida - Week 1

I can't believe the first week in Florida is over all ready.  I've washed the windstorm, no power, sleepless night and having to pack out of my mind (even though I just finally blogged about it last night).  We arrived down here around 11 PM after a nice, short, direct flight from Rochester.  We stayed at the Fairfield Inn Orlando Airport using Larry's free night from his credit card.  If we didn't have to change our flight we would have forgotten all about that night and lost it.

The next day we took the shuttle from the hotel back to the airport to get our rental car from Dollar.  I was really concerned about the price we were told we would get when I booked the car because it was so good using a AAA discount.  When we went to get it we did upgrade to a medium priced car and it went up $200.  We got this really cute KIA Soul.

We drove to the Vistana Beach Club and our room wasn't ready so we went to Shuckers for lunch.

When we came back our room was ready and found out we got a room in the beachfront building. Later on in the week I realized it was the same room we had last year based on photos I took from the beach.  This is the picture from last year with Larry out on the deck.

We started off out stay here mostly doing some grocery shopping and some walking either on the beach or on the street.  On Friday, St Patrick's Day, after a corned beef and cabbage dinner, we went to The Barn Theatre in Stuart and saw Neil Simon's Chapter II.  The cast did a great job and we were so glad we went.

On Sunday Larry got a picture of me from the deck as I took a walk on the beach.  It was the first day nice enough to walk with a bathing suit.

Blizzard

Saturday night, after we had our power back I was lying on the couch watching TV and for some reason I went to the Southwest app on my phone.  I noticed they were talking about an impending blizzard that was forecast and were offering people with flights on various days from various cities to change their flight at no extra charge.

Our flight was scheduled for Tuesday morning and they had Tuesday and Wednesday as the days that could be changed if you were scheduled to fly out of Rochester.  I changed our flight to Monday morning and almost instantly realized I had an important dental appointment Monday morning to take care of some things before we would be gone for 6 weeks.  I called southwest and was informed that there would be 76 minute hold time or I could have a call back.  I chose the callback and more than 90 minutes later, at 1:06 I got the call.  I was on hold for 10 minutes before a real person came on the phone and after another 45 minutes and some begging and pleading we got on the Monday night flight.

I booked us a room at the Fairfield Airport hotel and by then, since the clocks were also moved ahead an hour, it was too late to go to sleep since it was almost time to get up.  Who knows what else I was doing but I was probably pretty wired by then and too tired to be tired.  I made it through all of Sunday without a nap and finished packing and got ready for the trip.

Karen took us to the airport where we shared a Subway sandwich for dinner.

Our plane was about 1 1/2 hours late but we got on it with all the other people who had switched their flight and flew direct to Orlando in 2 1/2 hours.

During the day the flights for Tuesday were cancelled and between Tuesday and Wednesday there was a snowfall of 27 inches in Rochester.  We were so fortunate to get our power back when  we did and get our flight out when we did.