CEA's progress report #6

Item #31:  Cook from a "found" recipe once a week
Progress:  I've cooked two more recipes.  One was a couscous salad with tomatoes, roasted red peppers, olive oil, and feta.  I don't know where I put the recipe, and I don't remember its source.  Last night I baked an apple skillet cake from the October 2009 issue of Sunset.  It was simple and good, requiring few ingredients, and more of a puffed pancake than a cake. 
Item #46. Drink green tea daily
Progress:  When I make my pot of tea for iced tea at lunch and during the afternoon (decaf), I add a green teabag.  Maybe I'll eventually enjoy drinking straight green tea, but until then, I'll mask it.

CEA's progress report #5

Item #20. Paint black iron chairs and Item #21. Paint green bistro chairs
I love having parties!  They get me focused on getting things done.  I've wanted to get these two sets of my uncle's chairs refurbished ever since I took them out of the barn a year ago.  The approaching May 1st luncheon gave me the impetus to get the painting done.  I hosed down both sets of chairs, then sanded the green bistro chairs before spray painting them hunter green.  I had to hand paint the black iron chairs because of the woven straw seats and backs.  The bistro chairs needed a second coat of paint, but the iron chairs only needed a bit of touching up.  Eight chairs painted!
During these past two days of painting, I also spray painted the propane tank in the back yard, giving it two coats of white paint on the body and a single coat of blue on the cap.  It looks so much better painted than rusty!  I also painted two black wrought iron plant holders.
I'm trying to fight the urge to paint my bathroom floor.

CEA's progress report #4

Item #36:  Get the bats under control: short and long-term solutions
Ah, the bat stories I could tell:  the Mexican freetails living between the boards above the kitchen, the occasional intrusion into the sun parlor, the strategies for evicting said intruders (trust me, wearing a hat is a good idea), stepping on a bat in my bedroom (trust me, going barefoot is NOT a good idea), driving twelve miles before realizing that the skittering sound was a bat in my car.  I have no long-term solution yet, but today I did buy two butterfly nets.  I've also had the chimneys blocked.  Did you know that you are not allowed to exterminate bats?  Nor can you kill the vulture that is roosting in one of the chimneys!  Ah, country life.

JR’s List Item #28 – (March Report) Listen to at least three audio books a month until my 60th birthday.

March audio selections

I love audio books.  I don’t know why.  Maybe it’s because of my elementary teacher who read to my class every day after lunch.  She was an excellent reader and story teller. No matter the reason, when an audio book is an excellent story with perfectly matched narrators, the whole experience for me is magical.

During March, I listened to Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer, Prince of Fire by Daniel Silva, and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.  I love Jeffrey Archer as an author.  He is masterful at the art of employing “red herrings” in his writing.  Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Alon series has been one of my favorites.  Silva has an interesting way of writing in which he describes the setting, the action, and the character(s) involved only as man or woman; before actually naming the character(s) and continuing the story.  Prince of Fire was not exception. I always find myself guessing who the characters are to whom he is referring.  Sometimes I’m right and sometimes I’m wrong.  My favorite audio book for March, was The Help.  Not only is the story incredible, but the narration features three individual voices for the three main characters in the story.  It truly was a magical experience.