This & That

/ Ally Bean

{march – monday – morning}

√  How great is this unprecedented warm midwest winter weather?  It’s so great that I wore shorts, a long sleeve t-shirt and birks this weekend– and I was too warm.  I needed to stop for an icy cold bottle of water from the vending machine outside of Kroger before we did the shopping.  Never in my life here have I seen winter shift directly into summer– skipping over spring entirely.

Me likey this year’s revised winter.

√  Well, if it’s going to be summer then I’m thinking that it’s time for me to make some The Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Iced Coffee.  I tried her method last summer and enjoyed the results;  the effort was worth it.  I don’t have to have a pot of hot coffee each morning [did I really just say that?] when I can have a refreshing glass of pre-made iced coffee with a teaspoon of sweetened condensed milk instead.

Try it… you’ll like it!  🙂

√  We planted a few pots with some pansies that we bought at Lowe’s.  They had the prettiest/healthiest/cheapest selection anywhere, so I am happy.  Of course, I’m always happy when I see pansies.  Did you know that in the language of flowers pansies represent thinking?

And with those cute little smiling faces and those bright cheerful colors– what’s not to like?

√  I went to the doctor late Friday afternoon.  My stomach has not been right for months now, so I finally decided to go see what the doc had to say.  Bottom line: I’m middle-aged + probably nothing really wrong with me so no tests + take some OTC meds in the way he prescribes = feel better.  I like this guy’s down-to-earth approach to practicing medicine.

Having followed his advice for 2 days I like how much better I feel already.

√  A bit of self-awareness never hurt a soul, now did it?  I’ve been thinking about my use of the internet.  How often I go online, what I do, what I expect to happen when I’m online.  I realized that I’m spending less time surfing the web than I used to do, but more time connecting with people via comments or tweets or pins.  I realized that for me technology is a tool, and will never be a lifestyle.  I realized that while I adore the immediacy of the internet, I also take pride in the fact that I can walk away from it without any sense of anxiety when I so chose.

Yep, I like this newfangled thing called the world-wide web— as long as I use it on my terms.  😉

Later, kids.  The out-of-doors beckons to me.

18 thoughts on “This & That”

  1. Wow! That coffee concoction looks and sounds fabulous. I will try to make that this weekend and see how I like it. It’s almost like a dessert. Will definitely use the condensed milk version. I’ve been thinking recently how I don’t dash about from blog to blog and madly post anymore. I just regularly read the blogs I really like and comment on those. My internet use seems to have settled down into some sort of recognisable pattern too. More about the coffee another time, I’m sure! Polly x

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    • Polly, I know what you mean. I have a simple pattern of what I do online now. I read & chat here almost every day, but don’t feel compelled to be online like I once did. It seems more optional now for me.

      Hope you enjoy the coffee. It was a fun change of pace for me last summer.

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  2. The links you add are a very nice touch to an already delightful blog post. Where else can I get the latest on Kroger, pansies and women’s health all in one place?

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  3. I’m considering hauling my plants outside – in March! I don’t think I’ve ever switched to my summer quilt this early. Lovely, lovely spring and I’m already promising not to whine too much about the heat this summer.

    I used to make iced coffee by that method but I got seriously tired of straining and dealing with the grounds. Now I brew a cup before bed (I use a Keurig), put in the same amount of milk or creamer I would use anyway, and stick it in the fridge for morning. No ice.

    I, too, don’t really surf that much anymore. I keep up with a couple forums and I read blogs, comment on a handful. And I game.

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    • Zazzy, I know. All this warmth is so wonderful, but so difficult to wrap my head around. Shorts in the winter? Can’t be… yet it is.

      I’d never heard of brewing coffee like this recipe suggests. It is messy. You’re right. I can see how your method is much easier and gets similar results. Will keep it in mind.

      I was all about surfing when I hit the www about fifteen years ago. But now I don’t feel like I need to explore anymore– or that I’m going to be left out of something if I’m not there all the time. Today, I just use the internet for info on specific topics of interest– and for chit-chat connection with ppl.

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  5. Well I’ve enjoyed meeting you via your blog and I have yet to get back on FB. See, life still continues on without me on FB :). Leaving for Italy tomorrow. Hope to see some beautiful scenery while there, including happy little plants!

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    • Cheri, I’m looking forward to your trip. I know that you’ll have stories to tell & photos to post. I wonder if pansies are blooming in Italy right now? Or maybe they’re called violas over there? Doesn’t matter– enjoy your travels.

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  6. That’s a great way to put it–you use it as a tool and not a lifestyle. Me too, I hope. I live my life, but enjoy the on-line relationship and ambiance, WHEN I feel like it. 🙂 By the way, we have your winter over here.You can come get it.

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    • Margaret, I like what I can do and who I can connect with via my computer BUT I refuse to let computers and phones and tablets take over my life. And lately I’ve noticed quite a few of my peers (irl & online) almost surgically attached to their machines– unable to walk away from the www. Weirdness.

      And speaking of weird, I know that you are having our usual despicable winter gloom. I’m sorry. It sucks. Spring will happen for you very soon. I’m just sure of it.

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  7. Hi Ally. I am an obsessive coffee (but decaf) drinker. I blame my NJ heritage. It’s just in my blood (literally by now probably, ha). I drink hot coffee all the time (even on the beach), but this iced coffee idea kind of appeals to me now that you mentioned sweetened condensed milk. Hmmm…

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    • Kristen, I liked this recipe. I found it to be so easy to make in the morning when I’m at my least alert that all the bother of staining it ahead of time was worth it. I’ll be interested in knowing what you think of it.

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    • WP has a mind of its own sometimes. I knew it was you, but for some reason your comment didn’t go through. I’d worry about it, except that I’m constitutionally incapable of worrying about it. Que sera, sera…

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    • Melisa, Z-D is a goof. Always making me laugh or see the reality of a situation– which often is the same thing.

      I can only keep some annuals alive. Pansies are one of the few, so I gloat when they’re growing for me. Now if we were talking marigolds here…

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