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I don't know what a shrimp boil is, MsM. Is it a southern or northern thing? The only thing I do is steamed clams in white wine and butter, or scampi, but that is broiled. Simpler is better with the shrimp. Put in enough water to barely cover with lemon and salt and cook until they're pink. I know overcooking makes them tough. Then plunge them in ice water. That's what I would do. You are so good with the forgotten souls, Barb. Bless your heart:)
It's been two days with two charges and I'm exhausted!!!!!! At least James and I can chat about things. Mom is constantly whinning. I know she isn't feeling well, but she keeps wanting me to do something more for her. I'm out of ideas. Rossella, I know what you mean about the sleep. The sleep deprevation is what is killing me right now. I take my hat off to anyone taking care of more than one person at a time.
Cuz, Bobbie and 54j I am so sorry for your loss. Any words of comfort I can offer are so inadequate. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Congrats to the C's on the engagements.
Christina I am making your chicken soup for James. I'll let you know how it turns out. I had so many interruptions I hope I put everything in the pot. I'll have to check out the other recipes. Barb, you can make your own shrimp boil with paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and celery seeds. I just wing it so I can't give you any measurements. If you don't have cocktail sauce mix ketchup and horseradish.
I did manage to get James to go to church with me today. He is getting stronger each day but needs to take it slow. Tomorrow is the first doctor's appointment.
I know there were more stuff I wanted to talk about but the brain just went blank.
Have a goodnight my dear one and take care of yourselves too (look whos preaching). You are my life savers!!!!
Christinia I guess it is a southern thing. A 'shrimp boil' is a blend of spices usually in a sachet bag you drop into the water to flavor the shrimp. So I didn't have any - and my spice rack is sadly depleted. So I got my pot simmering and threw in some peppercorns, red pepper flakes, sea salt, dehydrated onion, paprika and lemon juice. The shrimp wa so large it was a breeze to clean, and once done turned to boil up to high and dropped them in for 4 minutes. While they cooked i made the cocktail suuce with ketchup, ground horsey radishes, a few drops of tabasco, and lemon juice. I didn't have any worcester. So chilling in my fridge now are 22 lovely pink shrimp preparing to meet their maker (as it were).
Michael just started the simple spaghetti. He enjoys cooking now and does a fairly good job. And I never complain when he doesn't!!
You know I'm not religous, but if there is an afterlife, and we do have to account, I'm hoping those lost souls will speak up and say a kind word on my behalf.
Kind of like when i used to do interviews at the old jail - and when I say old - you have no idea. I shall find a post a FB picture! So I did this for 8 yrs as an Investigator for the Public Defender, usually 4 days a week, 4 hours a day. I would go up onto the 2nd floor, in the back, in a cell than contained a table, 2 chairs, a toliet and a sink, and me and my defendant. (rape, murder, capital murder - all the really bad guys were mine), would be all alone until i stepped out to the call box and hollered for the jailer to bring me the next one. I would have on my pretty suit and heels as i'd come straight from court and we had to show our legs, and - well - these guys hadn't had a woman in a LONNNNGGGGGG time and I was quite a lovely young woman then in my 20's. So, the possibility of something bad happening was always there - and while I HAD been a cop before this and wasn't compltely incapable of self-defense, some of those guys were really BIG, and a few of them were downright EVIL. Anyway - I always hoped that if someone did assault me (and the only time I was assaulted it was by WOMEN - 3 times) I always hoped that the trustees - who were back and forth and in and out on my floor - would come to my aid - simply because it would be the right thing to do.
--Ah, glory days, huh? Those were some good times . . .
MsM, even Moses was reluctant, and look what happened to him. It is the heart, not even ones intentions, that tell the story. Dont think in terms of being religious, it's being available for whatever. I had a feeling the shrimp boil was a concoction of spices. Makes the shrimp more orange? Diane, geeze, Marathon Woman!! Xo
Barb, it's probably to late now but I will tell you anyway. I always add fresh garlic, Tabasco sauce, raw apple cider vinegar or quarter a lemon and squeeze the lemon juice directly into the pot then toss in the rest of the lemon and some sea salt. I would always add these ingredients to the crab boil spices.
I am really bad about following exact recipes, I always like to change things up and create as I go. I like to look at recipes though to get an idea of the ingredients and amounts and then take off from there. I hate using measuring spoons and cups to. LOL Cooking has to be fun and for me that means not to much complication with measurements. That's why you don't see me posting a lot of recipes or if I do I will say about this much or that.
Christina I read your recipe and I can definitely try to do it. I usually make asparagus with gorgonzola/mascarpone, it will be interesting to try this new version! I might try the other veggie recipes as well! Diane I am so happy about James. I hope you will find a little bit of time to recover from all this stress!
The only shrimp I know I call trailer park shrimp and as I lived in pone I use it with fondness...Triscuit spread with Philly and dab of cocktail sauce and tiny shrimp from the can on top. Very tasty had some last week..and meatloaf tonight hilarious. dry un flavory..I actually make a really good meatloaf and have no recipe, so I am not sure why and it pisses mom off, so I never do it anymore, whatever.
fp doc appoint for chocking issues a barium test we shall see and it appears I am expected to go as well. great great...
Glad to hear James is truly healing and getting about some!
Hi everybody. Another day and yet another fall! Ron got home around eight this morning and we heard a crash in the bathroom! Again, Dad is OK. He won't wear shoes so no traction!
Thanks for all the suggestions about the light! :) The light I am using has a very small bulb in it and is very dim. Dad just wants total darkness. Agh! I wish I could put it up high, but knowing Dad he would find something and try to climb up and turn it off! His mother, who was 97 when she passed, broke her hip the first time in her mid 80's falling off a ladder which she put on top of her kitchen table in order to string her Christmas cards! She was certainly a live wire! Dad is so much like her! Anyway she broke her hip again at 97 when she stepped in a hole while taking a walk! She came through the surgery fine, but threw a clot and passed in rehab! Her mother also passed from a broken hip, she too was close to 100 at the time! Dad's remaining sister is 87. Aunt Kay still drives and lives in a condo. Very sharp in every way! Clothes always match right down to purse and shoes! Other sister, Helen, passed a couple of years ago. She had Alz. Makes me think there has to be a genetic component to this disease! I don't want to know if I have it! Too scary! Just let the chips fall where they may.
Yes, Rossella I remember when you had to drive your Mom when she fell! Scary drive going down that narrow steep road by yourself! I remember you had trouble seeing while you were driving! Same here even with glasses I have trouble!
Cold,rainy and gray all day today! Gets dark around 5pm. A little sun would help so much! Maybe tomorrow!
Sweet dreams my dear friends! Holding my breath hoping no more falls tonight or tomorrow or ever for that matter! Good to see new friends here too! I usually can remember everybody, but for this instant I have lost my memory or perhaps my mind! I will get it! Love all of you! Kimmy,Kimbo,Kim
Yes, Cricket, you would like it if I said put a little of this, a medium bit of that, and cook it until the sky is between blue and black, then add something else. Haha. I hope the recipes taste the way I make them, or better. How were the Shrimp, BB? (beautiful barb) How was the soup, Diane? Jen, post your meatloaf recipe. We won't tell Mom. Heehee. My daughter's soccer team finished 3rd in their division. Yay! It was amazing to see the little girls develop their skills this season. Some of them had not played before. Very proud. They had a pizza party tonight. Hubby has not moved off sofa since 10am. He kept asking me as I was bustling about if there was anything he could do. Haha. No Dear. Mother was upsetting all the other women in the house. I hope the exelon patch will kick in. It seems like her brain is spinning and she is trying to verbalize what she "sees". How care giving changes our appreciation for so many aspects of life. Life itself. Night Night all you beautiful Caregivers. Peace be with you All. xo
Rossella, that is a good idea. He used to play sports and those things are well padded. We should give it a try! Hugs, Kim Oh while I still have a brain I am going to e-mail Lukes picture. You will be amazed at how much our two look alike and came to us when we needed distraction from a tragedy! Luke ate part of the wall that goes upstairs,purses, furniture, and Hannah's American Girl's doll hand! We had to send the doll to the hospital and she came back in a hospital gown! LOL
Kim will he wear the 'sticky' socks? Mom had like a dozen pair of these and I loved them. You could tell him the doc said they'd help keep him from breaking a hip.
You could put up some of those 'stick on' lights though I don't think the battery lasts long enough
OR how about stringing up some white Christmas lights? Put them above the bookcase or else along the top of the drapes. They put out quite a bit of light - make sure you use new ones that don't get hot and are for indoor use. I once used these in place of installing above cabinent lighting in my Atlanta kitchen. No one knew the dif and it gave me the effect I wanted for a $5
I love that the American girl doll came back in a hospital gown. How clever. I remember wanting to order the doll (I think it was American girl) that they make 'look' like your daughter, and you can get matching outfits. But with 3 daughters there was no way to afford that!
I was sad last night wishing I could see my girls for the holidays - and that this is the first holiday season EVER that I haven't seen my Mom. But then again - how lucky am I to have had so many great holidays together with them all. Too bad we can't had real time 'playbacks' of our happiest memories moment by moment - now that would be a wonderful way to pass thetime when feeling lonesome.
The shrimp was excellent! Were I a wealthy woman i would eat seafood every day.
Up since 6 - tt is very foggy here and supposed to rain through Wednesday. Driving from DC to my wonderful sister's house in Detroit for Thanksgiving and was supposed to leave crack of dawn Wed morning but am having 2nd thoughts as I have -0- desire to hit the turnpike in a foggy rains event . . . I HATE to spend the money but I'm thinking it would be less stressful to leave Tuesday afternoon and spend the night in a cheap motel . . . any ideas?
Much to do today better get to it. Love you guys. I hope for all it is a week of blessings.
Leave Tue on some highways they have booklets at rest stops that have cheap rates for travelers some about 40 dollars we use them when we go to Maine and you can usually order pizzia to be delivered -make it easier on yourself-if you don't who will? Have safe trip.
Thanks June. I just sent my sister an email to see if its Ok if we arrive a day early. If not theres a LaQuinta near Cleveland for $54 a night.
After my last trip home from GA I get super-stressed just thinking about being amidst all those speeding trucks on the turnpike in the fog and rain . . .
Hi everyone, just doing a quick checking in. All your talk about recipes made me hungry. But you won't be so hungry after you hear this one!
I can't even type everything that has happened over the last 15 days. Another emergency surgery for my mother; gallstones. My parents were at my house when it happened. Called the ambulance at 3am, she was hallucinating which I found out was lack of oxygen. What the whole thing DID tell me was that neither Dad or Mom are able to make a decision to call 911 or when things are really bad. They just keep falling, keep being in pain and do nothing about it. If they had the money for assisted living, that is where they would be, but they do not.
So here's the gross part -- I take them to church on Sunday, my kids come along which always pleases the older folk. Mom has to bolt to the bathroom in the middle of mass. I go to check on her after about 15 minutes and she opens the door and says, "all set." But she's not. There is crap all over the floor and all over her shoes and well, just all over! So I had to clean it up as people were waiting to use the bathroom. AND THE SMELL!!! I know many of you deal with the crap things all the time; but I haven't had too, until yesterday. So I was really bummed (no pun intended) that we are now at this stage.
Heard from my loser siblings? No way.....they stay far away, no phone calls or interactive for over 1.5 years. But, I am doing better accepting the fact that they vanished. I still hate them but I don't focus on it as much.
Luv to all you marvelous caregivers. You rock! xoxoxo Happy Thanksgiving!
Morning SS. Been thinking about you. Poor Mom: denial in a public restroom. Well, church restroom, which is public under a microscope. I'm so sorry you had to experience that. All these episodes lead to a huge conclusion, and you know. Hugs and prayer to you, Sister in Heart. Barb, it's rainy here, too. We're leaving early Wed. For San Jose. I keep breaking out in the Bacharach song. If I start too low, it's hard to sing, that low part. We'll take our time coming home down the coast, stop in central coast where wineries and 2 of our fav Italian restaurants. Have lunch the next day in Santa Barbara. The kids will stay here to house sit and tend to Sanura. About three years ago we had a burglary, so it is usually in the back of my mind... But guess what, potential Burglars? Here's another song for you: " I've got plenty of Nothin' and nothin' is plenty for ME"! So it will have to be plenty for the burglars. HA! they got all the good stuff, except my husband's guns and my personal baseball bat. Got to do my hair today, seal the kitchen floor, vacuum and clean wood floors. Will I burn enough calories to lose any weight? Probably not. I was reading one of those articles on the right, over there, and maybe I'll try fruits and veggies for a while. I am doing fine without wine, maybe it would be worth a try. Sending hugs and chicken soup all around to my wonderful friends. Love you. xo
Oh SS - my heart was right there with you in the bathroom at church. Had one of this group walked in we would have helped - what's a little Mom poo among friends? I'm so sorry. I hope the kids took it in stride . . .
I am so happy I have the one sibling - the one sister - who has my back always. But we did not share a Mom. My 'nutty' younger brother, the one who hijacked Mom's funeral after not laying eyes on her for more than 6 yrs - ALSO hijacked the private memorial dinner we had last years when my sisters 32 year old son Jon died suddenly of a heart attack. (I'd forgotten about this) He had only met Jon twice in his life, yet he stood up at the dinner and went on and on about what a great guy he was and how much he would miss him, blah blah blah, and at great length. What an egotistical jerk he is.
christina every time I try to switch to a mainly fruit and veg diet my stomach goes nuts. Extreme gas and bloating - all that. Any ideas?
Well my sister says come now if we want and stay through Sunday so thats good. Now husband says we can't go ANYWHERE until we get this and that from customers/vendors, many of whom are already on their Thanksgiving break . . .so we'll see. May end up leaving on turkey day! Arggh - but at least the weather is supposed to be vastly improved by then.
MM hope the trip goes well whenever you leave and that you have a great time with your sister I am lucky I have a great sister even though we were not friends growing up I was a preWW2 kid and she is a baby boomer but we are good friends now as grown up she did not know until recently how bad I had it growing with our Mom-now Mom treats most people like she always treated me but it made me a stronger person and a better mother for having gone through all of that.
Ditto, June. Good for you and good for us all who have made Lemonade out of Lemons. My sister was born during the war and I am a boomer. I thought that age difference is what kept us from having a close relationship, or at least cordial. No. About Thanksgiving: we are spending it with family we like this year, and from now on. I have so many great cousins I have known since childhood, and for the last 40 years, I have nurtured those relationships. It was a novelty at first to meet family who actually showed an interest in reciprocation, and kind people who did not make it a goal to humiliate me in front of others. Since they are family, we have childhood memories of shared Holidays. Fun! I can't wait:)
Barb, have you seen? Your brother just needs to be the center of everybody's attention. No matter what the event is! SS: I am happy Italian churches have no bathrooms. Kim: I see Luke was very proficient. Heathcliff is now eating the leg of the table where I have the PC, the TV, the DVD player.... If he goes on like this, and he eats always the same leg, in a little while I will have to work on a slope keyboard, I will see a slope television and slope DVDs. When I scold him he is very humiliated and he looks at me as if he were saying: "What have I done?" For the non- Facebook friends: Heathcliff is a black big dog who "occupied" my garden one week ago and he has decided to be adopted by me, I hadn't decided it. He is young and he chews everything. The only luck I have is that he is not noisy. He makes his mess very quietly. Sorry I didn't follow any of your recipes tonight. I had a very heavy day in Rome and so when I came home, after feeding cats and dogs, I put in a pan all the pieces of cheese I had in the fridge (the ones that can be melted, of course), some mushrooms and I used it as a sauce for the pasta (that I had cooked for the dogs). This was my dinner and my mother didn't have it because she is sleeping on her chair (after a day like this, it is only too normal she is tired)
Rosella, when my dogs were young and cutting their teeth I found that it helped if I gave them things that they could chew on.. they loved those chew rawhide sticks and the best bone type thing that we have found that the dogs absolutely love are the ones called Busy Bone. Get the appropriate size for them. The only way I could make sure I controlled what they were allowed to chew on was to give them these things but also when I worked I would give them these chews but crate them. They got into the routine of sleeping when I was away. Of course I was able to go home for lunch to let them out and then my husband was home a few hours after that and he would let them out. I realize not everyone has the circumstances to do this but it's what worked for me. When dogs are in their first two years they can damage all your belongings to satisfy their craving to chew. Maybe something I've said will help you. Good luck with your new baby :)
Rosella: You have a new doggy? Isn't interesting that he found you? How nice...didn't know dogs grew in gardens! Cricket: We are getting a new puppy next month. It has been forever since either of us had a puppy....we adopted our other holy terrier at 4 yrs. old. He came to us housebroken and with very few bad habits. So, I need puppy advice. Any good books? I liked your idea about guiding their chewing behavior. btw, what happens to their baby teeth? I am a little worried that he will be coming home in the winter with all the snow...do you stil take them outside to wee-wee? He will be 2mos old by then...Any advice would be helpful.
The recipes ya'll have been posting sound so good, and at the same time, I just know it isn't going to turn out the way it should if I make it. But I get an A+ for effort.
It has been a crazy few weeks here. Still trying to spring Mom for the hospital...she should be out today (I guess they wrung everything out of the insurance co.)Hospitals are horrific places. Once your loved one is admitted, they belong to the hospital and you have absolutely NO rights. Family caregivers are so exhausted, that they don't put up a fight or complain....just glad to have it all over. My advice: unless your parent is suffering from a severe illness or injury: So not admit them. Have them see their family doc or go to a family clinic for minor issues. When it is my time, put me on a sheet of ice and send me down river...I am so over the inhumanity of our system.
I hope everyone is having a peaceful evening/afternoon wherever you are. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and, hopefully, some peace and quiet.
lilliput - I totally agree going to the hospital should be a laqst resort if at all possible. My dear friend is an RN on a critical care floor at a University hospital in California. She has the sickest people there. They have had 2 staff members in their hospital - healthy, young nurses - DIE from superinfections acquired at the hospital. MRSA and worse. Of course sometimes we have no choice. Sometimes the hospital is the only option.
Since you are on the subject, Lilli: as you pass me on your sheet of ice, I will be heading for a cave somewhere in the wilderness, like an old cat, wanting to be left alone, finally. Ahhhhh.....
I haven't read the posts since last night so I don't know what's going on today. I just wanted to check in and say hello. I hurt my back today playing with my grandsons and I may not feel like sitting at the computer for a couple of days.
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Simpler is better with the shrimp. Put in enough water to barely cover with lemon and salt and cook until they're pink. I know overcooking makes them tough. Then plunge them in ice water. That's what I would do.
You are so good with the forgotten souls, Barb. Bless your heart:)
It's been two days with two charges and I'm exhausted!!!!!! At least James and I can chat about things. Mom is constantly whinning. I know she isn't feeling well, but she keeps wanting me to do something more for her. I'm out of ideas. Rossella, I know what you mean about the sleep. The sleep deprevation is what is killing me right now. I take my hat off to anyone taking care of more than one person at a time.
Cuz, Bobbie and 54j I am so sorry for your loss. Any words of comfort I can offer are so inadequate. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Congrats to the C's on the engagements.
Christina I am making your chicken soup for James. I'll let you know how it turns out. I had so many interruptions I hope I put everything in the pot. I'll have to check out the other recipes. Barb, you can make your own shrimp boil with paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and celery seeds. I just wing it so I can't give you any measurements. If you don't have cocktail sauce mix ketchup and horseradish.
I did manage to get James to go to church with me today. He is getting stronger each day but needs to take it slow. Tomorrow is the first doctor's appointment.
I know there were more stuff I wanted to talk about but the brain just went blank.
Have a goodnight my dear one and take care of yourselves too (look whos preaching). You are my life savers!!!!
Love ya,
Diane.
Michael just started the simple spaghetti. He enjoys cooking now and does a fairly good job. And I never complain when he doesn't!!
You know I'm not religous, but if there is an afterlife, and we do have to account, I'm hoping those lost souls will speak up and say a kind word on my behalf.
Kind of like when i used to do interviews at the old jail - and when I say old - you have no idea. I shall find a post a FB picture! So I did this for 8 yrs as an Investigator for the Public Defender, usually 4 days a week, 4 hours a day. I would go up onto the 2nd floor, in the back, in a cell than contained a table, 2 chairs, a toliet and a sink, and me and my defendant. (rape, murder, capital murder - all the really bad guys were mine), would be all alone until i stepped out to the call box and hollered for the jailer to bring me the next one. I would have on my pretty suit and heels as i'd come straight from court and we had to show our legs, and - well - these guys hadn't had a woman in a LONNNNGGGGGG time and I was quite a lovely young woman then in my 20's. So, the possibility of something bad happening was always there - and while I HAD been a cop before this and wasn't compltely incapable of self-defense, some of those guys were really BIG, and a few of them were downright EVIL. Anyway - I always hoped that if someone did assault me (and the only time I was assaulted it was by WOMEN - 3 times)
I always hoped that the trustees - who were back and forth and in and out on my floor - would come to my aid - simply because it would be the right thing to do.
--Ah, glory days, huh? Those were some good times . . .
I had a feeling the shrimp boil was a concoction of spices. Makes the shrimp more orange? Diane, geeze, Marathon Woman!! Xo
I am really bad about following exact recipes, I always like to change things up and create as I go. I like to look at recipes though to get an idea of the ingredients and amounts and then take off from there. I hate using measuring spoons and cups to. LOL Cooking has to be fun and for me that means not to much complication with measurements. That's why you don't see me posting a lot of recipes or if I do I will say about this much or that.
Diane, get some sleep. I don't envy you girl!
Have a nice night everyone :) Love Cricket
Diane I am so happy about James. I hope you will find a little bit of time to recover from all this stress!
fp doc appoint for chocking issues a barium test we shall see and it appears I am expected to go as well. great great...
Glad to hear James is truly healing and getting about some!
Thanks for all the suggestions about the light! :) The light I am using has a very small bulb in it and is very dim. Dad just wants total darkness. Agh! I wish I could put it up high, but knowing Dad he would find something and try to climb up and turn it off! His mother, who was 97 when she passed, broke her hip the first time in her mid 80's falling off a ladder which she put on top of her kitchen table in order to string her Christmas cards! She was certainly a live wire! Dad is so much like her! Anyway she broke her hip again at 97 when she stepped in a hole while taking a walk! She came through the surgery fine, but threw a clot and passed in rehab! Her mother also passed from a broken hip, she too was close to 100 at the time! Dad's remaining sister is 87. Aunt Kay still drives and lives in a condo. Very sharp in every way! Clothes always match right down to purse and shoes! Other sister, Helen, passed a couple of years ago. She had Alz. Makes me think there has to be a genetic component to this disease! I don't want to know if I have it! Too scary! Just let the chips fall where they may.
Yes, Rossella I remember when you had to drive your Mom when she fell! Scary drive going down that narrow steep road by yourself! I remember you had trouble seeing while you were driving! Same here even with glasses I have trouble!
Cold,rainy and gray all day today! Gets dark around 5pm. A little sun would help so much! Maybe tomorrow!
Sweet dreams my dear friends! Holding my breath hoping no more falls tonight or tomorrow or ever for that matter! Good to see new friends here too! I usually can remember everybody, but for this instant I have lost my memory or perhaps my mind! I will get it! Love all of you! Kimmy,Kimbo,Kim
I hope the recipes taste the way I make them, or better. How were the Shrimp, BB? (beautiful barb) How was the soup, Diane? Jen, post your meatloaf recipe. We won't tell Mom. Heehee. My daughter's soccer team finished 3rd in their division. Yay! It was amazing to see the little girls develop their skills this season. Some of them had not played before. Very proud. They had a pizza party tonight. Hubby has not moved off sofa since 10am. He kept asking me as I was bustling about if there was anything he could do. Haha. No Dear. Mother was upsetting all the other women in the house. I hope the exelon patch will kick in. It seems like her brain is spinning and she is trying to verbalize what she "sees".
How care giving changes our appreciation for so many aspects of life. Life itself.
Night Night all you beautiful Caregivers. Peace be with you All. xo
You could put up some of those 'stick on' lights though I don't think the battery lasts long enough
OR how about stringing up some white Christmas lights? Put them above the bookcase or else along the top of the drapes. They put out quite a bit of light - make sure you use new ones that don't get hot and are for indoor use. I once used these in place of installing above cabinent lighting in my Atlanta kitchen. No one knew the dif and it gave me the effect I wanted for a $5
I love that the American girl doll came back in a hospital gown. How clever. I remember wanting to order the doll (I think it was American girl) that they make 'look' like your daughter, and you can get matching outfits. But with 3 daughters there was no way to afford that!
I was sad last night wishing I could see my girls for the holidays - and that this is the first holiday season EVER that I haven't seen my Mom. But then again - how lucky am I to have had so many great holidays together with them all. Too bad we can't had real time 'playbacks' of our happiest memories moment by moment - now that would be a wonderful way to pass thetime when feeling lonesome.
The shrimp was excellent! Were I a wealthy woman i would eat seafood every day.
Up since 6 - tt is very foggy here and supposed to rain through Wednesday. Driving from DC to my wonderful sister's house in Detroit for Thanksgiving and was supposed to leave crack of dawn Wed morning but am having 2nd thoughts as I have -0- desire to hit the turnpike in a foggy rains event . . . I HATE to spend the money but I'm thinking it would be less stressful to leave Tuesday afternoon and spend the night in a cheap motel . . . any ideas?
Much to do today better get to it. Love you guys. I hope for all it is a week of blessings.
If not theres a LaQuinta near Cleveland for $54 a night.
After my last trip home from GA I get super-stressed just thinking about being amidst all those speeding trucks on the turnpike in the fog and rain . . .
I can't even type everything that has happened over the last 15 days. Another emergency surgery for my mother; gallstones. My parents were at my house when it happened. Called the ambulance at 3am, she was hallucinating which I found out was lack of oxygen. What the whole thing DID tell me was that neither Dad or Mom are able to make a decision to call 911 or when things are really bad. They just keep falling, keep being in pain and do nothing about it. If they had the money for assisted living, that is where they would be, but they do not.
So here's the gross part -- I take them to church on Sunday, my kids come along which always pleases the older folk. Mom has to bolt to the bathroom in the middle of mass. I go to check on her after about 15 minutes and she opens the door and says, "all set." But she's not. There is crap all over the floor and all over her shoes and well, just all over! So I had to clean it up as people were waiting to use the bathroom. AND THE SMELL!!! I know many of you deal with the crap things all the time; but I haven't had too, until yesterday. So I was really bummed (no pun intended) that we are now at this stage.
Heard from my loser siblings? No way.....they stay far away, no phone calls or interactive for over 1.5 years. But, I am doing better accepting the fact that they vanished. I still hate them but I don't focus on it as much.
Luv to all you marvelous caregivers. You rock! xoxoxo
Happy Thanksgiving!
-SS
Hugs and prayer to you, Sister in Heart.
Barb, it's rainy here, too. We're leaving early Wed. For San Jose. I keep breaking out in the Bacharach song. If I start too low, it's hard to sing, that low part. We'll take our time coming home down the coast, stop in central coast where wineries and 2 of our fav Italian restaurants. Have lunch the next day in Santa Barbara. The kids will stay here to house sit and tend to Sanura. About three years ago we had a burglary, so it is usually in the back of my mind... But guess what, potential Burglars? Here's another song for you: " I've got plenty of Nothin' and nothin' is plenty for ME"! So it will have to be plenty for the burglars. HA! they got all the good stuff, except my husband's guns and my personal baseball bat.
Got to do my hair today, seal the kitchen floor, vacuum and clean wood floors. Will I burn enough calories to lose any weight? Probably not. I was reading one of those articles on the right, over there, and maybe I'll try fruits and veggies for a while. I am doing fine without wine, maybe it would be worth a try.
Sending hugs and chicken soup all around to my wonderful friends. Love you. xo
I am so happy I have the one sibling - the one sister - who has my back always. But we did not share a Mom. My 'nutty' younger brother, the one who hijacked Mom's funeral after not laying eyes on her for more than 6 yrs - ALSO hijacked the private memorial dinner we had last years when my sisters 32 year old son Jon died suddenly of a heart attack. (I'd forgotten about this) He had only met Jon twice in his life, yet he stood up at the dinner and went on and on about what a great guy he was and how much he would miss him, blah blah blah, and at great length. What an egotistical jerk he is.
christina every time I try to switch to a mainly fruit and veg diet my stomach goes nuts. Extreme gas and bloating - all that. Any ideas?
Well my sister says come now if we want and stay through Sunday so thats good. Now husband says we can't go ANYWHERE until we get this and that from customers/vendors, many of whom are already on their Thanksgiving break . . .so we'll see. May end up leaving on turkey day! Arggh - but at least the weather is supposed to be vastly improved by then.
About Thanksgiving: we are spending it with family we like this year, and from now on. I have so many great cousins I have known since childhood, and for the last 40 years, I have nurtured those relationships. It was a novelty at first to meet family who actually showed an interest in reciprocation, and kind people who did not make it a goal to humiliate me in front of others. Since they are family, we have childhood memories of shared Holidays. Fun! I can't wait:)
SS: I am happy Italian churches have no bathrooms.
Kim: I see Luke was very proficient. Heathcliff is now eating the leg of the table where I have the PC, the TV, the DVD player.... If he goes on like this, and he eats always the same leg, in a little while I will have to work on a slope keyboard, I will see a slope television and slope DVDs. When I scold him he is very humiliated and he looks at me as if he were saying: "What have I done?" For the non- Facebook friends: Heathcliff is a black big dog who "occupied" my garden one week ago and he has decided to be adopted by me, I hadn't decided it. He is young and he chews everything. The only luck I have is that he is not noisy. He makes his mess very quietly.
Sorry I didn't follow any of your recipes tonight. I had a very heavy day in Rome and so when I came home, after feeding cats and dogs, I put in a pan all the pieces of cheese I had in the fridge (the ones that can be melted, of course), some mushrooms and I used it as a sauce for the pasta (that I had cooked for the dogs). This was my dinner and my mother didn't have it because she is sleeping on her chair (after a day like this, it is only too normal she is tired)
Cricket: We are getting a new puppy next month. It has been forever since either of us had a puppy....we adopted our other holy terrier at 4 yrs. old. He came to us housebroken and with very few bad habits. So, I need puppy advice. Any good books? I liked your idea about guiding their chewing behavior. btw, what happens to their baby teeth? I am a little worried that he will be coming home in the winter with all the snow...do you stil take them outside to wee-wee? He will be 2mos old by then...Any advice would be helpful.
The recipes ya'll have been posting sound so good, and at the same time, I just know it isn't going to turn out the way it should if I make it. But I get an A+ for effort.
It has been a crazy few weeks here. Still trying to spring Mom for the hospital...she should be out today (I guess they wrung everything out of the insurance co.)Hospitals are horrific places. Once your loved one is admitted, they belong to the hospital and you have absolutely NO rights. Family caregivers are so exhausted, that they don't put up a fight or complain....just glad to have it all over. My advice: unless your parent is suffering from a severe illness or injury: So not admit them. Have them see their family doc or go to a family clinic for minor issues. When it is my time, put me on a sheet of ice and send me down river...I am so over the inhumanity of our system.
I hope everyone is having a peaceful evening/afternoon wherever you are. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and, hopefully, some peace and quiet.
Love you all hope all goes well.
Ann