Chinese Fortune Sticks- you pick one and read your number!

I haven't written in so long, people might have thought I left the building!

I've just been...fortunate. You thought I was going to say busy, didn't you? Aren't you busy? 

I'm fortunate because I am wealthy. Wealthy with love and family and friends. I stay fortunate and wealthy because I choose to do so. 

I absolutely adore homeschooling my granddaughters. They are so eager to learn, and I am eager to teach. I don't know everything, but what they want to learn that I don't know can be googled. I am a googling granny. Wait, did I just say granny? I'm too young to be called granny. That's why I'm Nana. 

I am so in love with my hubby, Madley. How can a person fall in love more each day? Because I choose to. Madley is not perfect. There, I said it. He has his faults. So do I. I am FAR from perfect. We choose daily to love each other...even when we don't like each other very much. We're not fighters, never have been. I'm more controlling than he is, but I have let go of my control. 

What a lovely feeling. I think menopause makes a woman calm and happy...once you get through it. Hot flashes and mood swings are a right of passage. Now that I am on the other side...I'm mellow yellow.

Okay...sometimes I blow my stack, but not very often and someone has to really push my buttons to get me madder than a wet hen.

I have wonderful friends. Some I've known forever, some I've never met in real-live-person...but I know them. I read about their lives everyday. I'm particular about who I let in my world...other than what I write about here or on Facebook. Private things are...private.

Cooking has become something I finally understand. I can now make a steak that tastes like an expensive one from an upscale restaurant. I don't eat a lot of meat, but when I want a steak...I want it to be tender, juicy and yummy.

Photography is calming and fun. I love to take pictures. Who doesn't? Documenting our lives with photos has become a way of life. I've heard it said, "Photos or it didn't happen." Are you taking enough photos?

After you pick up your fortune stick, you get your fortune from one of the little drawers with corresponding numbers.

So...count yourself fortunate. Count your many blessings.

I Give! Not Really.

The Virus that Won't Let Go

Having Rheumatoid Arthritis means taking some scary drugs that keep it at a tolerable level, most of the time.

I live a wonderful life, though I am in some level of pain every single day. I won't let RA define who I am. I am a stubborn woman. Just ask Madley.

I haven't gotten a virus or the flu in over 5 years--until now. 3 weeks ago, I caught a cold. It was short lived, and I stayed in bed for 2 days. I was very glad. 

A few days later, I was hit with another one. Different. It knocked me flat. I went back to bed.

This is day 10 of the second virus. I am slowly recovering, very slowly. I've heard that others are having the same reaction. It just hangs on. It's not a bacterial infection, so I don't need antibiotics. Just time and rest.

...and no immune suppressing drugs until I know I am over this. 

Time and rest. I hate resting!!!! I have things to do! Holidays! 

It's been sunny and cold. I've watched my family from the window as they put up Christmas lights outside. Ordering around Helping my husband isn't happening this year. He is going with his own design. He worries that he doesn't have an eye for the aesthetic--but he does. He's doing just dandy peachy keen wonderful without me.

My daughter and I made a simple Thanksgiving dinner together yesterday. It turned out delicious. All from scratch. It was very low key, but I overdid it. It was just our little family, and it was lovely.

 I'll rest today. I promise.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

I love you to the moon and back!!!

Lindyluhu

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

This is the first Father's Day without my dad. I miss him, but I am glad he is in a place where he isn't suffering or can't remember things.

We got Madley a new BBQ for Father's Day...a gas one. I am making up for making him buy a charcoal grill last year. He hates it. We don't even BBQ much because he makes a face whenever we ask him to start the grill.

Now, my Madley is very easy. If I keep him fed, he will do anything for me. 

So, even knowing he will be fed a lovely BBQd meal, he still hates starting the grill.

It's the smoke and ash that he hates.

Now he can push a button and leave the rest to me.

I'm brilliant.

It's red, his favorite color.

Confession time...it was my daughter, Little Indy who suggested the gas grill.

She's brilliant.

But I paid for it. So I'm still brilliant.

Make someone happy. Buy them a grill.

Trying to Get Back in the Blogger Saddle!

Truly. I am such a slacker. I love to write, and I have not been writing enough. I have been busy.

I am still homeschooling my twin granddaughters. I am still a pathological picture taker. I still cook. I still love my Madley...madly. I still ride my recumbent trike. I still have RA.

I am feeling much better and am ready to blog about food and life and give the joy of pictures of the world around me.

All the sappy stuff out of the way...I am still a geek. Still a jokester. I am on Facebook too much. I still can't figure out how to turn on the TV in the man cave. 5 remotes. Madley has a combination of 5 remotes to watch TV. So, I don't watch TV unless he's with me.

Here are some pictures of our new kitty, Hermione of Downton Tabby to keep you entertained for a few minutes...I'll be back after a while to fill you in on what I've been up to...

Here is her very own Facebook page :0) 

Hermione of Downton Tabby

Gone but Never Forgotten

1972-Dad is on the right side end of the picture of the remaining siblings at that time

...he was the baby of 10.

My dad went into hospice about a month ago on Monday August 6th.

He was surrounded by angels when he arrived. It was like watching the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and her band of friends were being prepped to see the wizard himself.

The hospice house was homey. He had a lovely room painted warm colors with decorations just like we would have at home. They covered him up with a quilt.

He spent his last days in comfort. They did everything they could to see to his every need.

We visited him everyday and the girls played on his bed with their stuffed animals. He giggled with them.

He would ask how long he had been there and basically didn't know what was going on.

Each day it was getting harder and harder to wake him up. 

2 days before he passed, he only woke up for a few minutes at a time. We felt bad waking him, but wanted to have our last moments with him.

On Monday the 13th of August, one week after arriving at the hospice house, Angel and the girls went to see him. He barely woke up at all. But he did see them and spoke a few words with them.

Brad and I went about 3 hours later, he wouldn't rouse for us. He was fitful and hot. Funny...he was always cold and wanted the blankets pulled up to his ears...not this day. He wanted them off. I noticed his breathing was labored. The CNA who was in the room with us didn't think so, but I knew he was different. She was just not familiar enough with the situation. Everyone is unique in how they die. I knew it would be sooner than later.

At 4:20am on Tuesday morning, August 14th the RN called me. When my cell phone rang, Madley said,..."uh oh"...I answered and she softly said, "Lindy, your dad just passed a few minutes ago. We had just checked on him a couple hours before when he had called out. He went back to sleep and when we came back in, he was taking his last breaths...we had no time to call you, so we sat on each side of him while he passed." She also said it was very peaceful. I thanked her and that...was that. .

May 7, 1929-August 14, 2012 RIP Dad.

Forgiveness

Stinky clothes on a clean bed

For me, I have to forgive someone everyday. Every. Single. Day.

I confess, that often times, it's me I'm forgiving.

You see...I love neatness in my outer world. My closets and drawers are hidden, so I don't care :0)

I need to walk into a room and see nothing but what should be showing. If it's showing and isn't supposed to be showing...please pick it up and shove it somewhere where I won't see it. I say won't...not can't. I won't see it if you shove it in a drawer or a closet if I don't go in there. Which I won't.

Please don't lie on my freshly made bed unless you see I am already messing it up by lying on it myself. If you accidentally break this rule...please spread the covers out perfectly straight before cowering back out of my door on your hands and knees pleading for forgiveness.

Please don't leave a spec of a crumb anywhere...because I can SEE it. Lick. It. Up.

Please put your dishes in the dishwasher where I can't see them. They make me crazy. Wait...there's a dish in the sink!!!! Who did not follow my rule????? Oh...it's mine. Sorry.

For the love of all that is holy, good and crazy...please...please...please...throw your jacket in the closet where I won't see it. Shove it in there quickly and shut the door before I pop a vein.

This is my Swamp. I am Shrek. I need order in my swamp.

But...I love you. I forgive you. Can you forgive me?

Truly, I am doing my best...

My dad was diagnosed early this year with Alzheimer's. Moderate to severe. It manifested quickly, though I suspect he was hiding symptoms as best as he could for a couple of years. I guess he knew my rule and I wouldn't see it.

I have been caring for him in his apartment for months. Taking him food, paying his bills...taking him to doctor appointments...trying to make sure he was safe.

Well...I saw him on a Friday. He was good. I went to see him on the next Tuesday to take him to the doctor...I got a phone call on the way to his apt. from the office saying he hadn't picked up his meal in 2 days. They'd last seen him Saturday afternoon...

The social worker in the building met me at the front door of the building and we went up to his apartment together. He rarely answers his phone...but he usually calls me back within a couple of hours when he notices I've called. He hadn't called me back that day.

We went in and found him lying on his chair...still in his underwear. His apartment was a shambles with newspapers and candy flung everywhere. He said he couldn't get up. He said he had fallen that morning and could barely get back to his chair. His mouth was drooped on his right side and he couldn't raise his right arm. I immediately called 911 and got an ambulance there. The hospital doctors determined...

...he'd had a stroke. a mild one. But it left him without the use of his right hand.

He was also in acute renal failure...still is.

He was in the hospital for 4 days and then went to a skilled nursing facility when his blood work showed a slight improvement in his kidneys.

3 days later...his blood work showed his kidneys to be worsening and his appetite (which was already very small) was gone...he was vomiting. Madley and I took him to the Nephrologist at his primary care doctor's request and this very sweet doctor looked him over...looked at his labs and had us take him straight to the emergency room. They admitted him to the hospital...again.

Hard Decisions 

Dad has NO appetite and can't hold down anything but water. He had a UTI and his kidneys are damaged...but not necessarily beyond repair. We got is UTI managed and now he is on temporary dialysis to make him more comfortable. His first treatment was last night. He did great. 2 more this week to see if his appetite returns at all.

His short term memory is now completely gone. He remembers 20-30-40-50-60-70 years ago just fine. He remembers us...though at times, he thinks a nurse is my daughter or my daughter is a nurse :0) But he asks the same question or makes the same statement over and over and over again. He doesn't remember the previous day, let alone the previous minute.

He flirts (innocently) with the nurses...they love him. He jokes with the doctor...who is not amused.

So for now...we will see if we can get him feeling better. If not. I have some very hard decisions to make. I will go along with his wishes he conveyed to me long ago when his mind was still intact.

Life is a journey...he is moving on to the next part. 

...and I will have to forgive him for putting me through this...because he is so darn stubborn and shoved his mind in a closet where I wouldn't see it.

Oh Where, Oh Where have I been?

I'm here! I've just been so busy and off in other directions! I will be back to post some updates ASAP!

Enjoy these pictures from my most recent excursion... 

Sunday Reflections

Caracal Kitten at our local zoo.

Deep thoughts haunt me this time of year. It is my favorite time...I wish it could always be Fall. 

I won't share my deep thoughts today. You will thank me.

The little guy in the photo above hasn't a care in the world. Play, eat, sleep. Wouldn't it be great to have at least one day to be like a child again?

Yesterday Madley and I planted some bamboo in our back yard. Whenever I'm at our local zoo, I look around to see what I like that's growing there and find out what it's called. They have little signs around naming different plants. If it grows there, it will grow in our yard! So we also planted another Japanese maple tree.

I have plans.

We've hacked through the bush cutting out azaleas that are ancient and seen better days. Nasty little buggers. They don't want to die.

I have a corner in the front yard that is the bane of my existence. I cut down most of the "plants' and will dig them out and we plan to put a bench and a tree there...

...but we work very slowly. So this will take time. Slowly but surely, we are getting things done.

Only 4,091 projects to go.

Good kitty in an enclosure at the zoo.

We have cats. Not our cats. We don't own any kitties. We chase them off. They poop in unsuspecting places that our Crocks find. Bad kitties. I'm planning on putting up a white picket fence, 8 feet tall with barbed wire atop it. Maybe an electric fence. Or a solid wall with cameras. My neighbors will be so jealous.

If these kitties roamed the neighborhood, we'd be eaten by now.

Today is Sunday. We are resting from our labors. Pretending to be kitties or children with no worries. Nothing to do but sleep, eat and poop.

Don't worry, we are house broken.

Guilt? Never.

I wish this were me. I miss this me. I need some horsey in my life.

Thoughts flow through my head like ghosts in and out of windows in a haunted house.

Fleeting...yet sometimes filled with guilt, sometimes joy. Sometimes a longing for past pleasures.

This is what getting older and having rheumatoid arthritis feels like for me.

The monthly injection I give myself keeps the beast at bay, somewhat.

But my hands and elbows manifest the disease. You may not notice it.

Without the medication...I can barely do this. These are Little Indy's hands.

It's Fall. My very favorite time of year.






With my RA, and the medicine I take...which lowers my immune system so it stops attacking my joints...I am very aware of my surroundings.

 I need to avoid sick people. Little people can be very snotty and green.

I have two little green snotty people living with me.
But I can avoid them when they are sick.
Since we homeschool...they don't get sick as much.

 I get my yearly flu shot and a pneumonia shot.

My family gets their yearly flu shots for me.

I was called to work with the children in our ward.
I had to say no. I've never said no to a calling.

In our church we share the load and are called to different positions.
This is one calling I just can't do.


Guilt?


No.


I need to stay healthy for me and my family.


But I wish I didn't have to say no so much.

I do like being healthy.

So there you go.

Tom

Tom

This is my friend Tom. He called me to do some simple shots for him.

It doesn't get much simpler than this! 

Madley is remodeling our garage. Which means all the stuff that was in the garage is all over my patio and inside my house.

 

So Tom had to pose for me situated between our lovely garden and garage stuff.

Now don't misunderstand. Madley is working very hard and as fast as he can to finish our garage. So he can work on making his workbench. So he can build the new bathroom sink/cabinet for Little Indy. So he can remodel my kitchen. I expect all of this to be finished when his mother comes to visit late November. I'm not too demanding.

Tom is a good sport. He understands man stuff. See. He is a man. He likes all the stuff all over. It's like paradise to men. 400 bottles and cans of man stuff. 

WD40 type stuff.

Me...not so much. I am being patient. Really. My eye only twitches once in a while. Really. I'm o.k.

Toms wife passed away unexpectedly last year. She was an awesome lady and I miss her terribly. But Tom's doing great. He's lost some weight. He needed new photos to prove to the world he's gotten himself in shape.

He's now ready to brave the waters of socializing, networking, Facebook... 

or whatever.

Go get em Tom!

I think he needs a new football...if he wants the other boys

to play football with him.

I could be wrong, I am a girl. But someone needs to buy Tom a new football.

I hope these photos work for you Tom!

Rose Cottage

Roses from Our Rose Garden

We have 40 different rose bushes around our new home. 

Plus tons of other plants and flowers...and bees. Lots of bees.

This is new for us. We've never had so much vegetation in our yard. It's a wonder for us. We will be spending lots of time at our local nursery with about a trillion questions. 

I'm in love with roses

We've decided to call our humble abode...Rose Cottage. We have an antique teacup set we found at the local thrift store that has roses and is called "Rose Cottage". I liked it! I think it fits! Now I need some white picket fencing.

I made a Pear Crisp from our pear trees. I'll post the recipe and pictures at a later date. I hope you have flowers and I hope you dance.

Home Away from Home

Why would she ever want to leave? ...a swing on the beach.

We went to the beach last week...I have no idea why we don't live on the beach.

Oh yeah...I just bought a house NOT on the beach.

What was I thinking?

Maybe the fact that home prices on the beach are at least double what they are 2 hours from the beach.

She could spend all day and evening here...just playing.

...in her own world. She reminds me of me when I was her age.

Twins, Sisters, Best friends

Broken sand dollars are still treasures at our house.

As long as the beach is so close, I will settle for an occasional visit.

For now.

Kitchen Makeover Beginning

We took off the upper front doors to do a Martha Stewart open cabinet style!

This is just the beginning...I'm not taking all of the doors off.

Next we need to rough up all the surfaces and then paint.

I'll post as we go along...this could be a very slow process since we have quite a few projects going on all at once...and some take priority over the kitchen.

I'm not bitter.

My IKEA Island-LOVE!

WOW! I've been away from you for too long...

 

 The winds of change they are a blowin' ...

I took a long hiatus from my blogs and even shut this one down for a while.

I'm not sure where I will go with this one yet...I am still determined to finish the PW Cookbook, but I'm not putting a time limit on it. No! I can't...I find too many recipes to try every single day.

So...since we last blog-conversed...

My dad moved into his own place...a cute little apartment downtown in a round building. It's a "Senior Citizens Only" complex with a very nice staff. He is still independent and he's happy there.

It took him a few weeks to get used to the idea and the location...I am happy to report that this has been a good move for our whole family. Mine and Madley's stress levels are much improved. I don't worry about my dad nearly as much. We've communicated more in the last month than in the whole 4 years he lived in our home.

Glory Glory Halleluiah! 

Little Indy (our daughter who lives with us along with her twin 8 year old girls) is graduating with honors from college (Anthropology with an emphasis on Archeology) this Saturday. She made the President's list! Straight A's. I'm prouder than an Arabian stallion prancing in front of a pretty mare :)

Next Little Indy will prepare to take her GRE and go to Grad School to get her PHD. So...3 more years of college!

We went to her grad party held at her college last week; her teachers all told us what a great student she is and they love her to pieces. YAY!

Next item of business...

We're buying a house after 4 & 1/2 years since we sold our last house. We only looked at 4 houses and when we walked into the fourth one...I fell in love. It's a retro 1965 ranch style with a full finished basement. LOVE!

Now...I have been telling everyone that we are downsizing and getting into a smaller home. I was determined. But then...our Realtor showed us this home. It's in his neighborhood. It's a LOT bigger than we'd planned on...but the price is phenomenal! (If I'm anything, I'm frugal).

It took a little convincing to get Madley to stop looking at anymore homes and look at the possibilities of my dream mansion...but when I showed him where he could have a retreat/man cave in the basement...he flipped head over heels and is now just as much in love as I am.

The yard is like an English garden. The house had the same owners for 35 years and they loved to plant things...everywhere. Plus! there is a nice area all ready to plant a veggie garden...and trees! Mature trees. AND! a new roof and all new windows throughout...always a head turner for a man.

We may or may not gut the kitchen and put in an IKEA kitchen. TBD. If you can believe this...it's Madley trying to convince me :) I love the retro look...he promises I will love it more when it's done.

So I may be without a kitchen to cook in for a while. I guess I'll get a 2 burner cook stove and get used to microwave cooking and BBQ. I'll be sure to post before and after photos...if I'm still coherent after a major remodel.

Tonight I am shooting (no pun intended) a benefit basketball game between our city officials (including our mayor) and some retired Harlem Globe Trotters. This should be frighting interesting. I've never done sports photography before...but at least it's basketball and I can be on the court dodging giant men and basketballs. All I can say is.. MEEP!

I've missed you all so much...

Lindy the Sports Photographer/Homemaker 

New Home. New Adventure.

From my new front window

We have been working our little hineys off for a month now!

We decided we would take the whole month to move and clean. 

You know, save ourselves the stress of moving all at once and not being able to find anything.

Well...it's been a good move. It's been a bad move.

The new house is almost put together. Little projects aside, I liked this part. Bring some stuff here, put it away. Bring some more stuff...yada yada yada.

But with that came the utter lack of motivation to go back to the old house to clean or finish grabbing those last little things...Madley STILL can't find his remotes for our TV system. Life is not the same for him.

So this week has been a rush to get it all done. STRESS was my middle name.

But I am happy to report that with one day left in the month. I am done!

Madley is over there as we speak grabbing his last minute things and then he will be done.

I'm tired to the bone. 

 I may squeeeeeee! 1960's retro home!

3000 Sq Ft with a basement.

I do have lots of projects lined up for our new home. But they can all be done one at a time and in no hurry.

We've been puttering in our lovely yard...pruning and cutting and enjoying every last minute of it.

Our old rental neighborhood was really...The Hood. Teenage boys (and some girls) lurking about doing things I consider ILLEGAL, IMMORAL and possibly fattening. Dead behind the eyes and mischievous to the nth degree.

Scared to go out to my driveway at night. This was supposed to be a quiet, good neighborhood. But the teens from hell made everyone nervous and cranky and stay inside.

Fast Forward to new neighborhood...

We just got an invitation to a block party. A family friendly BLOCK PARTY!

Our neighbors have all been stopping by to welcome us to the neighborhood.

The teens here say HELLO! to me when I am outside. They smile and have life in their eyes.

I am solidly in love with our new digs.

I'm glad I didn't waffle too long on this one...

 

 My new toy.

We were at our local warehouse store looking at frozen waffles and decided that we didn't like the prices or the ingredients. So we went looking for a waffle maker and on the giant shelf was this perfect little gem.

 My friend Pam had bought one...not sure if it's the same...but it is similar...I wanted one. Now.

I waffled.

But not for long.

Well, because this was the last one.

No, seriously...LAST ONE

So we snatched it up and bought it.

Now we make waffles non-stop.

Thanks for the idea Pam!

When we took it up to the checkout to buy it, the clerk was mad that we got the LAST ONE. She procrastinated and missed her window of opportunity.

Not my fault.

I feel like we won a prize...but had to pay $29.00 for it.

It was regular $39.00

So not only was it the LAST ONE...but we saved $10.

Now I am going to make brownies in the waffle iron.

mmmmm...brownies.

Cookies and Milk Day!

 

Today was a cookies and milk day... so I decided to try this recipe.

It has a bit less shortening and sugar than my regular Chocolate Chip Cookies and the oats make it more substantial. It reminds me a little of the old Neiman Marcus recipe that's floated around the internet every decade since the 80's. But I love the addition of almond extract. My good friend taught me that one...works in brownies too. You could possibly add almonds to this recipe. I may have to try that tomorrow next time.

I just really needed some cookies and milk today and no one in my household complained. I hope they get some :)

I like these the best of all the CCC recipes (not to be confused with dreaded cupcake cakes) that I've tried so far. So there!

Bet you can't eat just one!

Makes about 2 1/2 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 Cup Butter, softened
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Almond Extract
3/4 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350∘. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Grind oats in blender or food processor. Add to a medium bowl with flour, baking soda and salt, mix together. Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy, add in oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extracts. With the mixer running, add in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets at least 1 inch apart. Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time until firm around the edges and golden, between 12-15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for a couple of minutes and transfer to wire racks until cooled...if you can wait that long.

Pour a big glass of ice cold milk and eat them all.

Enjoy!

Potato, Broccoli and Kale Soup

Potato, Broccoli and Kale Soup

Ingredients

5-6 medium Potatoes, cut into small pieces
1 cup carrots, diced
2 cups Broccoli Florets
1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
1 large bunch Kale, rinsed and chopped
1 32 oz. box Vegetable Broth
1 cup Water
2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs Flour
1 1/2 cups Soy Milk, warmed in microwave for 1 minute *Milk, half & half or cream are also fine*
1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated *Vegan Cheddar is fine*
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation

In a large pot, bring veggie broth and water to a boil... add veggies (except for kale). Turn down heat to medium high and let simmer for 20 minutes and add kale and stir. Turn heat to low.

In a saute pan over medium high heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute until smooth and add warmed Soy Milk (Milk) slowly while whisking and whisk until smooth and thickened (1-3 minutes). Add cheese and whisk until blended. Pour milk and cheese mixture into veggie pot and stir until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes and serve with a crusty French bread.