Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends from my little family to yours.  Even with the recent loss of my father I'll be cooking for my spouse and I this year.  Nothing big just the normal turkey meatloaf, cranberry sauce, pecan pie, mashed potatoes, rolls, and green bean casserole.  Maybe next year Little E will be able to sample a bite of it.

Friday At Last

I'm going to strive to enjoy today for various reasons of which I cannot tell you as of yet.  Maybe later next week.

My dad isn't doing well.  They'll be starting him on dialysis shortly because his kidney function is down to 30%.

My brother is flying in to "take care of things" over the weekend.  Ugh!  I can only imagine the damage I'll have to try to fix over Thanksgiving.  Well that is if J can get leave for Thanksgiving because his next mission is on the cusp.

I re-connected with an old friend from Fort Hood last night.  As I was making out my Christmas card list last night I found his old address in my book.  I miss this guy.  I remember when he was going through a rough patch in his young life.  Hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago.  Reminiscing makes me feel so old.

Little E is still refusing to roll over.  Today she turned as pink as her onesie while doing tummy time.  Yes her cries were that bad.

J saw me out walking with her and since it was cold out he stopped the car and picked us up and took us back home.  I was only about 1.5 miles from home.  E was bundled up with booties over her socks, a hooded sweater over her outfit and a blanket over that.  Geez I think she had on more layers than I did.  But of course when all you do is sit there you are going to need them.

Yes that pink for her face color.  I'm hesitant to just let her cry like that but she has to learn to roll over.  She has the swimming down pat and can rock but no roll!

A Journey Of Thanks

Twist, turn, left then back right.  The narrow black top curved back upon itself before we reached the destination we had in store.  Upon the winding road a once bubbling stream has swelled over its banks. Rushing noises seeping through the car's windows.  To the left a small waterfall that was almost dried up this summer now pounds the rocks below.  Ferns so green they glistened like emerald dew drops in the morning's mist ribbon the winding road on either side.

Crunch, skitter, creek the car came to halt on the the crushed stone driveway.  We are here at last.  Alighting from the car I tell J that I'll make sure the cat stays away from where J is trying to back into a spot.  Poor Benny, poor, poor Benny.  He is loved to death by the end of the day and looking for a hiding spot from all these strangers.

Oh no, Lucky!  Lucky, a black Labrador retriever is a Hurricane Katrina survivor.  I've forgotten about how he doesn't take to men in hats.  The red velvet, white faux fur trimmed cap with the antlers is too much for the dog.  He growls at J.  Getting down on knees in front of Lucky I reassure him that it is only us.  Later J and the dog are playing wildly with Lucky's toys.

J parks the car and we unpack the many boxes and bags to take into the house.  I've begun the ritualistic cleaning out of excess from our house that I do every time we get ready to move.  This trip only one box of  books will be given away.  Next box is the pie I slaved over.  Finally the last packages are in the house.

The family is gathered in the kitchen.  The smells of garlic turkey, and pies pervade the air.  We bow our heads while D says a prayer.  Aunt J states that there will be no throwing of the green beans this year since they are cooked in bacon.  Pleasant memories of holidays past wind through my mind with the thought of the inevitable food fight that ensue shortly after the food has hit the plates.  I can testify  with no guilt that I did not throw food this year.  I've been good for the past two years.

The night wound down with a Nerf gun fight amongst the men of the clan, professional photos (I am camera shy and declined), and desserts for those that wanted some.

Finding a bit of solace with dog on the settee I gather my thoughts.  Where did the years go?  This was our last Thanksgiving with this kin.  Next year I have no clue where we will be or with who we'll be sharing the holidays.  With not a few tears in my eyes I close them and give thanks for family.

Cold Weather and Stiff Hands

I listed this 3 to 6 months size striped baby hat in my shop
I don't know about you but I think this hat is rather cute.  I'm gathering ideas, while making baby hats, of making myself a hat to wear using similar colors.  But then since I love so many colors I can't decide on which yarn to use.

But I do know that I need to make myself a pair of fingerless gloves.  With this little cold spell we have had I find that my body is aching more and more.  This morning I woke up to find that my left hand, knuckle region, was badly swollen and stiff. 

I could blame it on the fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome or even the very fact that I crochet a lot during the day causing inflammation of the joints.  So yes, fingerless gloves would probably be a good idea.  I might end up purchasing the orthotic ones that constrict the swelling in the hands sort of like an ACE bandage would do.

Today if I get the chance I'm headed out to a retail store to purchase more yarn.  I have 7 more baby hats that I'll be listing soon.  I've been keeping quite busy.  I have to have plenty put aside since I'll be going on a mini holiday later this month to San Juan, Roche Harbor, WA.  Not that far and just what we need for a few days.


Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my Canadian friends!

Roasting The Chickpeas

I listed this 3-6 months size baby hat in my shop this morning.  I'm still busy making preemie to newborn size hats and will move on to the next size up soon.  I still need to make more booties too.  Winter is coming and I want to be prepared for sales.  Hoping to get more sales soon too. 

I did make a few sales last month and I'm still waiting to get feedback.  I'm terrible about doing feedback on other sites so I shouldn't complain too much about not getting it either.  But with ETSY it's a bit different because if you don't have many sales or much in feedback buyers feel like it's a big risk to buy from you.  So when I make purchases on ETSY, and I do, I always make sure to leave feedback as soon as possible.

I started adding in Canadian shipping fees today.  Hopefully that will draw in more sales.  I can't believe how much the cost of shipping has gone up since I first started my shop in 2006. 

Now to the blog title today.  I'm at this very moment roasting chickpeas in my oven.  I've made them before and J loved them.  Today they are going to be my lunch.  Instead of using olive oil I decided to use extra virgin coconut oil.  Did you know that coconut oil helps speed up your metabolism?  I've lost a pound in a day with using it in my cooking.  So that is my dirty little secret to weight loss. 

Not sure just how much of anything I'll be able to get done today.  After J's lunch I have to head over to the hospital for optometry.  I'm hoping for good news.  I have calcification of the optic nerve.  I really am hoping that it hasn't progressed.  It's bad enough that I have cataracts.  Yes, I know poor little me.  Not really.  I manage just fine.

Think I'll check on the lab and see if it will be open on Monday.  Monday is Columbus Day here or Canadian Thanksgiving up in Canada.  Since I have Canadian heritage we always celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with all the trimmings along with the American Thanksgiving when I was a kid at home.  Talk about weight gain starting early.

While I'm at the hospital I'll also stop by the RE clinic and make sure that they have put in the lab order so that I don't have to run around between the lab and the clinic waiting for the computer to send the order err...I mean the nurse to send the request order to the lab.  They are short handed at the RE clinic these days.

Personal Best

Back home from the best Thanksgiving yet.  The food was wonderful the company even better.  Three tables were set up in one of the dining rooms.

After securing a plate of grub I asked the kids at one table where I would be seated, I saw some milk and soda at a few spaces and knew those were reserved, they said at the adult table.  I guess I've earned the adult table at my age.  They had a smaller table that seated about ten people and another for the other spill overs from mine and theirs would seat six more.  Ten people sat at my table.  All adults.  Parents, grandparents and great grandparents.  With so many mature individuals at one table I would have thought the unexpected wouldn't happen.  However, the unexpected did happen.  I'm not sure who threw the first green bean at the kids' table but a full scale raw green bean war started.  I got beaned many a time.  I threw beans back and I went as far to sneak back to the kitchen for more raw green beans twice.  My husband threw a fist full at the kids after he got tired of just a few random beanings.  Green beans landed in milk, hair, down shirts, and my husband being a clown at heart stuck one in his ear and yelled out, "I don't know who threw this one but it was a good shot!".  Its a good thing the dog wasn't allowed in the house for this event as he's no toy poodle but a large black lab.

Today, much recovered from the beaning, we went shopping.  I dread shopping, unless of course its at an antique store.  HAH!  I've found, finally, that personal gift that my husband could possibly get me at the antique store.  Its something I've always wanted.  Its an antique I can wear.  I use all my antiques.  Even my daily dinnerware are antiques.  Here is a photo of a similar ring online I found.

The stone in this particular ring is much smaller than the ones in the antique store and at a third of the price of this one in the photograph.  The open work is typical of the Edwardian period and the two rings I liked the best were open work with different designs.  One was a bit more worn down than the other but the gem quality was better or so I was told by my cousin.  I'll let my husband make the final decision.  As long as he picks it out I'll be fine with it.  I can always get it sized to fit my finger later.  I've bought antique jewelry before from my home state.

The other personal gift I found today while out shopping is a table weight hand bag hanger for the restaurants.  I detest putting my purse on a dirty floor, or on the table when there is no chair left to hold my hand bag.  They are inexpensive at most being around $10 or less.

So this really was my personal best for a holiday weekend.  One and a half more holidays to go this year.  I say half because New Year's Eve is at midnight between the years.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday this year. If not then maybe the next one will prove better.

Morning Bliss?

Okay so I slept pretty good last night, only three pillows and partially sitting up position.  I have my nebulizer nearby in case the asthma gets so bad that I need it.  I was able to go one night now without taking my rescue inhaler.

I awoke for the final time, I get up several times in the middle of a normal sleep cycle for the bathroom trips due to the fibromyalgia, at about 0800hrs.  I was hoping to get a nice hot shower.  Um, well in a house with nine bedrooms, three full baths, one half bath and currently ten people I got to use the shower but there was no hot water. 

I was desperate enough to tough it out for the cold shower.  I haven't  had to tolerate a cold shower in a few months, not since my hot water heater blew its element this past Summer.  This week it blew a valve too.  Got to love military housing and its glitches.  So well I made it through a cold shower.  I moaned in pain as the cold water sluiced down my back.  At least the cold water is good for my hair, froze my scalp and woke me the heck up but yup I'm warm now!

Snow was falling again by the time I got out of the bathroom.  I love the snow. 

I think the true bliss of the morning was that I was able to enjoy a nice breakfast with family.  There is nothing to replace the noise and smells of a house full of family.  Family and a hot cup of tea is my morning bliss.  Maybe its not yours but I sure as heck enjoyed it.

So now with paper chains well started and several snowflakes snipped out we have some decorations started for the house.  My young cousin and I peeled apples for a pie and laughed at the mess of it.  Did I say how much I love family time?  If I didn't I should have before now.  Okay so its not my family but my husband's family.  But since they aren't my blood kin it makes it all the more fun to learn their odd habits and laugh with them when something goes awry.

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends, my Army family, and to those I've yet to meet but will someday.  May you know bliss this day.  I'm thankful to be able to have my husband and his family with me this year.

Family Time

Well we are doing the family Thanksgiving this year.  Last year my husband was deployed and his family that lives in the area had members with the swine flu so I opted to stay at home for the holidays.

Wish these folks had a cat. I need cat time.  There is nothing so soothing as having a cat in my arms.  Well maybe a good glass of wine would be just as soothing but since we are trying to conceive there won't be wine on my menu this season; at least none for me that is for drinking but possibly only for cooking.

Still trying to complete my wish list so that my husband knows what to get me this year for Yule.  So far it seems as though its a foot spa, a pair of silver earrings, two dvds and baking pans.  I'm not a person that demands a lot from the family for gifts.  I'd rather have something from the heart and especially a gift where the person has put some thought into realizing that they know me well enough to even give me said gift.  This is where we run into problems with the spouse.

Let see, he has been gone for almost three years and I've changed.  Does he remember my likes and dislikes?  Has he paid enough attention to my infrequent shopping trips to note when I'd say, "Oh, I'd like that"?  We'll see.  I'd like a gift where I don't have to share it.  I've always had to share gifts with others.  Its not as though I don't want to share them but it would be nice if I could have a gift from my spouse that doesn't entail me having to share it with him or others.  Dilemma there is that if I get the baking pans I want it does mean that I would end up cooking and baking for other? There is no way I could possibly consume all the calories in any batch of whatever without gaining so much mass I'd have to go up a pant size.

So should I ask for a baking pan type gift?  I'd like to get a few tart pans, preferably 4 inch size and six of those, or maybe a 13 by 4 inch tart pan for desserts.  I have the 9 and 10 inch quiche pans.  I love to cook.  But I'm thinking that since I don't take an allowance, ever, that I rather deserve to just go out and by the baking equipment of my choice when possible because I am the cook for our family unit.  What do you think?

So here I am with his family, I hardly know most of them.  I do love them all.  I'm looking forward to meeting them and getting to know them better tomorrow.