Ramping Up

 

 

               We’re ramping up for the end of the year holidays, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror and I’m still full!  Ha ha!  Maybe it’s just that all the delicious food is sitting around my waist making my pants too tight?  Oh well! Maybe all the running around preparing for Christmas will remove some of that although part of preparations include lots of treats baking so…..oh well!  We did have a very nice time Thanksgiving Day, as we usually do.  It was weird being without brother Dan; this is the first Thanksgiving without him that we’ve been able to get together with anyone not living here, although he passed away June of 2020 during the shutdown.  We talked about him and told stories also about our loved ones no longer with us, and I think that’s part of any holiday family dinner.  It helps keep their memory alive and gives the next generation an idea of what kind of people they come from.  I think it’s comforting.

               We decorated outside the weekend after turkey day and that always is a cheery thing to do although a cold thing to do.  It was windy that day, too, so the wind chill was probably making it feel like it was in the 20’s. Of course, there had to be a quick run to the corner store for another string of lights and lots of hot coffee and turkey soup afterward to warm up. It was a fun thing to do with my daughter and her boyfriend helping.  A few days later we had a dusting of snow and that was nice, it made the deck tree and lights look pretty and Christmassy, and since it didn’t stick to the roads we didn’t mind it at all.  I wonder if we’ll have any snow for Christmas Day.  I really do like it when there’s a little snow on Christmas morning, but not so much that we need to shovel and our family can’t safely travel to get here.  I guess we shall see!

               I made a new wreath during a caregiver’s support group crafting zoom, and it was fun to do.  I hung it on the door to what will eventually be an office/guest room but is currently a holding room for things we don’t know what to do with.  I didn’t want to hang the wreath on the door because I’m afraid it wouldn’t survive the opening and closing of the front door. I plan to start decorating the inside of the house next week.

               I’ve been trying to get my gift shopping done early, partly because the news about supply chains is a little concerning, but mostly because I do have the time and would rather be able to take my time wrapping and avoid a last minute rush while I’m also trying to bake and prepare for Christmas dinner with my family.  I’m finding that the one thing stores don’t seem to be stocking this year is the candied fruits and fruit peel for fruitcake!  I happened to be in Walmart before Thanksgiving and saw the red and green cherries so I picked up a couple packs so I’d have them, but I wanted more because I also us them in a cookie recipe.  I have one more store to check and then I guess I have to either order from Amazon or just use what I have this year and make another kind of cookie.  It seems curious to me the things that are in short supply periodically since the pandemic began almost 2 years ago. It’s so hard to believe that’s how long we’ve been masking, and arguing about all things covid related, and staying away from others as much as we can while still living our lives. It’s a little bit wearying, but humans are resilient and I guess we’ll just keep on moving forward to the best of our abilities.  What else can we do, really?

I love my door cane, simple yet pretty. It was a gift from a coworker many years ago.

This is the wreath I made with the caregivers crafters. I like it, although it looks a little top heavy.

The light dusting of snow which made the deck tree look like Christmas morning.  My daughter and I made the foil chains as one big long chain when she was much younger.  I recall making them as a kid with my brother Dan.

Thanksgiving 2020

 Thanksgiving may be different,

For many this year, sad,

We miss the ones not with us,

But for those still here we’re glad,

We may not be together 

As we have been in the past,

We’ll help each other through this,

Until we can be together at last.

There’s no denying that this year everything is different, and usually not in a way we ever thought things would be. While it was disappointing to be planning a small feast instead of the bigger one we usually have, there were still bright spots to the day.

To start with, the food was delicious and the scent of roasting turkey filled the air while we watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Although I feel that the broadcasters and performers had a slight air of desperate happiness about them, they did a good job making it seem like the extravaganza it usually is. It must have felt really strange to have silent, empty streets where there are usually noisy crowds cheering and clapping as they proceeded down the route. Also strange feeling was the lack of marching bands one would typically have in the parade. All in all, they did a good job of keeping up a much loved tradition in an untraditional year.

Our food was delicious and we ate our fill. There’s plenty of leftovers for future meals which is nice as it will give me a break from cooking for a few days. After we ate and rested a bit, my older daughter and I headed outside to put up the Christmas decorations. It was quite balmy out, so no need for coats and no frozen fingers fumbling with the lights. While we were outside the adorable little family that lives on one side of us came over to give us some of the most beautiful and delicious cake pops that they made. It was a nice surprise and very much appreciated. They were also hanging Christmas lights this afternoon. The house across the street put theirs up a week ago, and an extended family member who was visiting them today told us our lights look nice. I am so thankful to have nice neighbors!

We ended our day with coffee and desserts, and watching Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune together. There was, of course, all day texting going on with various family members and friends. Even though we couldn’t all be together, we were able to share parts of our day with each other. 

Next year we should be able to be together for Thanksgiving. This year we made the best of it, and it was still a nice day.

Thanksgiving

   

     Thanksgiving is a time of family and feasting. I host the day for my brothers and their families at my house. This year I made three desserts, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and a custard called “Spanish Cream Supreme. It was the last one I made the evening before Thanksgiving. I had the bright idea to snap a picture of my desserts together for Instagram. I arranged them for the picture and before I could snap the photo the apple pie started sliding off the edge of the counter. With quick reflexes I reached my hand out to catch it and stuck my hand right into it. It doesn’t look too bad, and I’m glad I was able to stop it because I used all the apples I had on hand to make it. We couldn’t  have Thanksgiving without apple pie!  It simply isn’t done in my family.
     This year wasn’t the first time I had a pie mishap. One year a juice glass fell out of the cupboard above where the pumpkin pie was cooling and fell right into the middle of it. On Thanksgiving I filled the hole with whipped cream before serving. No one would have known but of course I told them. We might as well all laugh together over dessert!
     In between our meal and dessert, we sit around the table talking and picking at the remnants, another spoonful of stuffing, or a little more of the sweet potato casserole; or maybe another roll topped with butter  and cranberry sauce keeps the conversation going. This year we were looking at old pictures that my cousin sent me the previous weekend. She had been sorting through some things for her grandmother, my aunt, and thought I might like them. There was one of our family, our mother, father, the family dog, all of my brothers, my sister in law, and my husband. It made for some lively chatter and laughter as well as some good-natured disagreement about the year and event where it was taken. It also gave rise to speculation as to what my father said just prior to the picture being taken. The most interesting part of it was my father, the smirk on his face and the way some of us were turned toward him obviously giggling and snickering all point toward him probably having made a comment about another relative, perhaps the one with the camera. It’s likely the shot was from a yearly family reunion at my parents’ house. Whatever it was, the photo brought back some good memories for us all, and our children (the youngest is 16) got to hear some stories about their grandparents and parents, aunts and uncles.

     I'm happy I have a good relationship with my brothers and their families.  I think the holidays would be no fun if we didn't get along.  Thanksgiving was wonderful, I hope it was for you as well.  On now to the next major holiday: Christmas!

This is the picture I described.  I am turned toward my father, on the end.

Gratitude and Attitude

Today I have much gratitude
For the freedom to choose my attitude,
On this nineteenth day of November
I'm thankful I don't often surrender
To the negativity all around,
With optimism I am usually found.
2013

I wrote this little ditty in 2013, I am not sure what was happening in my life that inspired me to write it. It was Hilly’s final year of school, and there were many unknowns about the future for both of us. Her in regards to where she would be going instead of school after graduating and me in regards to employment. It would have been easy because of those two situations alone to fall into pessimistic and negative thoughts, but I didn’t.  I may have visited that way of thinking sometimes but I chose not to dwell there. I still choose not to live in the negative; I find it exhausting.
*****************

Well my pies may not be pretty,
And the stuffing from a box,
I’ll be wearing comfy jeans,
And maybe slipper socks,
But the food will be delicious,
And the company divine,
‘Cause all we really care about,
Is having a great time.
Happy Thanksgiving!2017

This one I wrote the night before Thanksgiving after spending the day preparing for the feast with my brothers and their families Thanksgiving Day. Television programs and social media were filled with images and tricks for the perfect day, everything from what to wear to dinner time subjects to avoid. Well I don’t think I’ll ever be featured in a “perfect Thanksgiving” segment, but it suited us and that’s what matters to me. We are not a noisy, drama driven family. We talk, reminisce, and laugh a lot; we compliment each other’s offerings to the meal, and eat too much. If someone falls asleep, nobody is offended, in fact, Hilly got up in time to watch the parade on TV in the morning, then went back to bed and didn’t want to get up until dessert! I guess that’s the best part of the meal for her, and that’s fine. We are all unique, and accept each other as we are. That’s what helps make gatherings pleasant in my mind. Good food, no drama, respect and love for each other. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving Day, and choose to live in gratitude with a positive attitude.

Spots & Stains

Yesterday as I was cleaning and cooking in preparation for Thanksgiving I noticed how used and worn my house and appliances are; especially in the kitchen.  We've lived here nearly thirty years and of course replaced things from time to time but not for quite a few years. (Thank goodness because things are so expensive!) the linoleum is looking a little tired with a scratch or a crack in a couple spots and some staining which I think just can't be helped because of its age and amount of use. The kitchen really is the most used room in the house, the place where everyone goes for warmth, comfort, sustenance and me. Many conversations happen in the kitchen, usually in front of the stove.  My stovetop, I'm afraid, is showing its age. There are stains around the burners that just won't come off no matter how hard I scrub. I was thinking as I was cooking and cleaning that all the wear and tear are silent witness to the life we have here. There's the scratch in the floor just under the front of the fridge that happened when a jar of pickles fell and broke leaving a chunk of glass which left its damage when we moved the icebox to clean the pickley mess. The high traffick areas just never seem to look as clean as the rest of the floor even though I mop them regularly, testament to the number of times feet make contact there. The stovetop especially tells the story of family and friends being fed and cared for. Whether it's a box of macaroni and cheese, a cup of tea or a Thanksgiving feast that left a small spatter or stain there's a certain comfort I take in knowing I've loved and helped sustain the important people in my life in such a basic, beautiful way. So this Thanksgiving I give thanks for the spots and stains that are a testament to our family's love for one another.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Remember November

The ghosts and goblins have come and gone

A new month starts with the dawn

This is the month we most give thanks

For veterans, voting, and (fill in the blanks),

Please don't rush through this month November,

Take your time so you can remember,

Everyone you are most thankful for,

Feeling thankful for them is not a chore.

by S. Donald

Welcome to November, the most rushed through without acknowledging it month. It seems we go directly from Halloween to Christmas in a rushed haze barely sparing a thought for any of this month's events. Election Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving are all pretty important days but seem to be an afterthought.  How hard our ancestors fought for the right to vote, and some people in other areas of the world still don't have that right. Yet how many of us simply blow it off because either it's not an "important" election such as for president or because we don't like any of the candidates. Well I'd say every election is important because it gives each of us a chance to send a message. Even if the candidate we chose doesn't win, someone notices that x number of people don't agree with the person who won. Doesn't that help (at least in theory) send a message that there is important work to do in bringing all points of view into play? That may be too simplistic for some people's taste but hey, I'm just expressing my opinion which I have every right to do largely because of the people we honor on Veterans Day. Those brave men and women who gave service to our country so that we might all be able to sit around reading blogs where others share their thoughts on any subject they like from the comfort of our cozy homes. That's a pretty important day! Then there is Thanksgiving which has been diluted to be an excuse to over eat, over drink, watch football and plan Christmas shopping strategy. I hope we all pause in our indulging to be thankful for all that we have, material things and food but also our friends and family. The people who help make our lives as rich and full as they are. This is another important day!  So we have 30 days to try and keep a slower pace and bear in mind all we have to be thankful for. Let's not let the month go by in a blur, but live it one day at a time savoring the feeling each event brings.

Thankful

This year I decided to make a list of the perhaps lesser thought of people and things for which I am thankful on our national day of Thanksgiving.  I am quite thankful for my beautiful daughters, loving husband who puts up with me, and my brothers, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and nieces and nephews, also my surviving aunts and uncles. What follows is a list of some of my other thanks.

-the lovely, fun, fabulous, hardworking, loving women I work with.  They make every work day pleasurable.

-Jackie who takes care of Hillary at school every day. 

-the chiropractor without who’s expertise, knowledge, interventions and guidance I would be most uncomfortable to say the least.

-my favorite pharmacy technician.

-having a “merry heart” and Helen Hooven Santmeyer who introduced me to that term in her book “And Ladies of the Club”.

-my smart-aleck phone which allowed me to keep in touch during our 8 day power outage following
“Superstorm Sandy”.

-the members of my writers group. 

-my Facebook friends who enjoy my nearly daily status rhymes.

-electricity & heat.

-the opportunity to share my story of caregiving with a live audience last summer.

-Alexandria Bay, NY (SIGH)

-NCIS and The Mentalist reruns

-butterflies

-free pie

-the freedom to write whatever I want without fear of repercussion

-fond memories, and funny memories

-curbside garbage pick up

-the random scraps of songs that float through my head and cause me to hum throughout the day

-readers

A Long Overdue Post!!!

Well, I've no excuse except for having some computer problems and a full life, but I did want to do a Thanksgiving post!  So, my scattered readers, I offer you the following "list" post of things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for the memory of a perfectly clear, bright, deep blue sky with puffy white clouds day from last summer that I spent with Princess Hillary at the park, having lunch and looking at Horseshoe Lake from a bench under the most wonderful tree which provided us with dappled sunshine that danced as a breeze played through the leaves.  I go there in my mind frequently.

I am thankful for a husband who understands that even if we can't afford to go away on vacation, we can do "vacationy" things, such as going to the zoo and out to dinner as a family, or taking a drive over roads we don't usually travel, stopping for lunch where we don't usually eat, and capping it off with a few hours on a warm Novemeber afternoon on our patio by the chiminea feeding it wood and junk mail until it's dark out.

I am thankful for a wonderful grown daughter who still enjoys being with her family, even going on "staycation" with us!

I am thankful for being able to host Thanksgiving dinner and sitting around the table over pie and coffee reminiscing with my brothers and sister-in-law about the past while all our children listen intently, learning all they can about our pasts.

I am thankful for a work environment that allows for laughter, discussion, and some argument without becoming hostile, and for a wonderful group of ladies who make it all possible.

I am thankful for having a comfortable place to live, and enough food in my pantry and freezer to feed us as many meals daily as we wish to have.

I am thankful for all of my friends; those who have known me for 40+ years, and those who have known me for 1 year, and all of those friends in between.  Their acceptance and encouragement are priceless.

Last, but not least, I am thankful for all of you who read my blog!