Corn muffins and 'maters and chili rice... oh, my!

Corn muffin mix was on sale at the grocery this week for some outrageous price (19 cents).
 

OJ gave a suggestion in the comments on my last blog about how to use some of those fresh tomatoes from the neighbor. I expanded on it just a bit, adding rice and beans.  Soooo yummy!  Plus chili powder, and it goes so well with the corn muffins!

It does not take a lot to add excitement to my life.  I got a jury survey in the mail on Thursday, which indicates they could pull me to serve in the two weeks beginning November 7th.  

The last time I had to do this was probably ten years ago.  I was asked to report, and got to sit through jury selection, but I wasn't pulled from the random list.  Still got to listen to the questions they asked the jurors, and the judge's explanations, which was fascinating.  Since they got enough acceptable jurors from the first draw, the rest of us were given the "thank you for your service" exit speech and sent back to our regular lives.  The whole thing took maybe an hour and a half.  At the time I worked within walking distance of the court house, so it was an excuse to get outside and walk, both to and from.

Friday was laundry day.  And grocery day... with the change of seasons the idea of firing up the oven to warm the house has started to enter the calculation of what to buy.  I did a check in with the niece and she waved off doing garage sale this weekend, as she's still feeling after effects of the covid.  Wise woman.  Get fully recovered first!

I've had check ins from the Florida cousins in the Tampa area, and from Marsha down in Lakeland, and the people are all OK (the trees are not, the fences are not, the power is not)... but where they were they did not suffer the ravages of the storm surge or flooding, thank goodness.  I even heard a brief "I'm OK will write later when I get internet back" from Debra T who lives in the Naples, Florida, area, and an e-mail from Sandi who used to go by some form of ThatGirl (7, maybe?), in Tampa Bay.  

Prayers continue for those who were not as fortunate, the news is scary.  And for that matter, prayers for the rebuilding efforts.

Saturday morning I listened to some of the coverage of the clean up in the aftermath and they mentioned not knowing the counts of the folks who might have hunkered down in some spots due to:  part-year residents!  I had known about this particularly Floridian "feature" because I used to live across the street from a couple of "snow birds" in our little village in the Southern Tier of New York.  They would button up their house about the first of November (they liked to stay around to see the trick or treaters at Halloween) before heading south, then show up again when the blossoms appeared in our corner of the state in April or May.  The TV  commentators mentioned that for many of the part-year residents, Ian was early in the season.  While their property could have been damaged or destroyed, the people who haven't yet arrived are probably fine.  People first... that would indeed be a blessing, wouldn't it?

Rubia hopes things are well with all of you out there in blog-land, and of COURSE firmly believes that this table was put here just for her, nothing to do with it being an organizing space!

Take care of yourselves, get your rest, and be kind!

Life is good.  Spark on!  🔥✨✨💖