Aunt Lalah's Topping for Fruit

Yes, there really was an Aunt Lalah in my life ~ and yes, I am going to make her topping for fruit for a pot luck tonight. My fruit this time: peaches - fresh from the Farmers' Market.

I had to look for the recipe ~ and I didn't have to look far. There it was where it has always been, in an envelope that is torn and held together with a rubber band and labeled "up to date recipes". Hah! Also on that large brown envelope is a hand-written "address": Susan Mix, Director of Oklahoma. I directed Oklahoma in the early 70s at Fredonia High School in Fredonia, New York.

This envelope brought thank you notes from a third grade class perhaps who practiced both etiquette and writing by thanking the cast for the fun show. Somewhere along the line, I put the letters in a scrap book and used the envelope for some newer "up to date" recipes and so it stayed for all these years. And one of those recipes is Aunt Lalah's topping for fruit.

The dessert is going to a pot luck where we will be talking about the future. And the past will meet us, comfort us, and continue to push us forward with warmth in our hearts and in our stomachs for both what has been and what is still to come ~ with blessings

Missing the Moon

There has been a Gorgeous moon this week -- a low hanging, huge Harvest moon.

Last night about 2 I was up and looked out to the deck. Everything was clear and lovely and moon washed. And I stayed inside. Why?

When Cowboy (a 4-year-old yellow lab) came to live with us, he needed to go out in the middle of the night and I started going out with him. First I put him on a leash. Then I just went out with him and waited. Then I stood at the door. And finally I would just go back to bed and he would wake me again when he came back. As this was an almost every night occurrence I am sure I started staying indoors just because it was easier. And -- standing there last night, I remembered the mystery and bliss of sitting outside in the moonlight or on a moonless night, covered with a blanket of stars. Magnificent.

And so last night as I crawled back into bed, I wondered why I didn't slip on shoes and a robe and step out on the deck for a few moments and bask in the moonlight. Such glory needs no reason, no dog to share it with. The doing of it is enough ~ with blessings

This, That and The Other Thing

Good drive to San Jose yesterday. I settled in the back seat where I could stretch my leg and even get ice and drinks for us without a lot of effort.

How nice to have my cell phone pick up my emails. Meredith and I emailed a couple of times - I more than she of course because she is deep in writing. Still I knew she was receiving and I was glad to get what she did send - all while zooming down the highway.

I also listened to the News from Lake Wobegon a couple of times. Very nice - and time filling.

Dean pleased me: if I see the surgeon on the 12th and he can do surgery right away, we won't go to Texas. It helps I think that he is thinking of not going anyway - and it was good to hear him so positive about getting me well first and foremost. I also know he is as tired of this as I am.

Supper at Fresh Choice - and back there again tonight with Mindy's family. It is one of those places where I could eat several times a week.

Dean bought a blue blazer at the outlet stores. He really needed one. His present one is shiny. And like a woman's little black dress, every man needs one. I bought a classic blue button down oxford. Do you realize how Hard those are to find?? I've been looking for several years. Nice.

After checking into the hotel we ambled over to the bookstore where I picked up several new mysteries and a Starbucks hot chocolate. :)

Today I am thinking Mexican for lunch - and maybe tomorrow and Friday as well. Unfortunately the place I had hoped to go is closed. Thank you, Google - I am not in shape to walk over there and have to walk back without lunch in my tummy. There is one right outside the hotel however and I will enjoy that for three days running. I can even sit on the patio. Lovely weather in San Jose -- even if they think it is chilly. For mountain folks it is very pleasant. I had just hoped to mix up the menu a little.

When Dean made the reservations here, he requested a first floor room. We are on the second and I am waiting to hear from the front desk - hoping to move and not really necessary. Just more convenient. Less steps for the ole hip. And I will make it.

Looking forward to seeing two of our grandsons tonight. We will also see them play soccer on Saturday. Don't know how often in between and I hope to take them to the bookstore sometime while we are here. That is always fun for the Mama Susan ~ with blessings

A Woman has to do What a Woman has to do

I have always said, they will never write on my tombstone, "She suffered in silence" - HA!

And last night and today I was certainly living up to that prediction. Every step, every Move Hurt and I was in tears and crying and making noise and in general being totally non-functional. Not Fun!

Dean was wonderful, making breakfast, seeing to me, helping when and where he could.

Finally I decided this was crazy. My body is fine. I will now take the anti-inflammatory pills with a meal to off set the possibility of an ulcer - and at lunch I went back to my regular dosage of the pills that had worked. I will be fine. Certainly more fine than if I had spent the next three weeks screaming in pain, crying and not wanting to move.

The first dose started to work almost immediately. I was also able to take a Sunday afternoon nap - slept really well and woke feeling better than I had since Thursday. With dinner I took another 2 pills. I'm back. Phew!! Of course I still hurt - and hurting and being in pain are two Entirely different things. So for now I am happy again - functioning again - and able to live and even travel between now and surgery. So many blessings for which to be grateful ~ and I am!!

Dilemma

So - here it is. My dilemma.

I can take this wonderful shot once every week to ten days and it helps lower the inflammation in my leg, around my joints and takes away a Lot of the pain and makes movement easier ~ for about a week when supported by an otc anti-inflammatory round the clock. That's the biggie -- Around the Clock.

An otc anti-inflammatory can mess up your liver in as few as three to five days -- and give you bleeding in your belly if you take them long enough.

OK. So now you get it. I can live until hip surgery either in constant and sometimes almost debilitating pain or get a bleeding ulcer (maybe). And there is no way of knowing until it happens. You know you have internal bleeding when the outward symptoms appear - no bell dings to say "10 minutes to ulcer. 10 minutes to ulcer, please." *sigh*

So - what's a person to do? I have found an answer to being able to sleep: a teaspoon of Bailey's in a cup of hot chocolate before bed. :D

I'll just keep on keeping on - keep doing my research - stay as comfortable as possible - and make it through. Dilemma or not, the appointment with the surgeon will finally come, the surgery will finally be scheduled and the hip will finally be replaced. It will all happen and in the meantime, there are lots of blessings to keep me going.

My Journal

First of all ~ journal is a noun, not a verb. I do not journal. I write in my journal. *sigh* And that may show just how behind the times I am.

I have a shelf full of thirty or more years of hand-written journals. Then I switched to writing on my computer. Not quite as convenient has having the journal in my hand, my purse, my bag so I could jot down thoughts whenever. Still I was writing daily.

Then folks began to say, "you write in a journal. You should blog." I realized many people who blog do so as a journal. And so I began to blog. Except now I realize that there are just some things I don't want to say for public consumption - even my very small public who read this blog. What I write in my journal is for me. If it is philosophical enough or can be public thinking, then I will copy it and paste it to these pages. I connect this blog to my Facebook Account - or sometimes I just jot a quick thought on FB.

And so I am back to writing in a journal. There is now a September page on my desk top and a Journal 2010 folder in my document file. I have already written a page and feel very good about it. It felt good. It feels good. Three places to write different things in different ways. That's good. It may even mean I write here more often because the things that show up on a journal page just happen sometimes without my having to think, "What shall I blog today?" ~ with blessings for your own writing

Hope for a bookstore

Sadly, we have been thinking our local bookstore was going to close.

This morning an email said they were having a downsizing stock sale - in order to stay open in another smaller location!! Yay!!

I don't like for this to have to happen to them and at the same time it is better for us and them if they can downsize, move and we can still have a bookstore in town.

I know the state of the world. Kindles and all other electronic readers are going to make holding a paper paged book obsolete very soon. Still the state of My world is that I like to hold the book in my hands, turn the pages, mark significant passages -- and yes, I know I can do all of that on an electronic reader. Still -- I like wandering through a bookstore and I am glad my local one will stay open for a while even if it is smaller. I plan on taking advantage of the sale and doing my Christmas book shopping for most of the grandkids early this year. :D

Professionals 3

Today it was the Window Cleaners. Like ants on an ant hill, they swarmed over this house. Not only are we on a hill but we also have windows, windows and more windows.

They were great -- good, efficient and sure-footed.

Luke is the leader and boss - although also an ant - and he knows his stuff. And he's getting married in a couple of weeks so he wanted to do our work before the wedding.

Happy Wedding, Luke! And thanks for being a professional ~

Professionals 2

Today it was Bruce the Chimney Sweep.

I made no comment about Burt from Mary Poppins nor did I ask him to sing for me. I did ask him to carry a load of corn to the lower floor so I could put it in the fridge down there as the one up here is Full. Otherwise, he and a young man did their job and didn't leave an ash or grimy film anywhere.

Yay, Bruce!

Professionals

Professionals who know and do their jobs well come in all areas and industries. This morning it is Steve, the Orkin Man.

Best news: no termites

Not so good news: carpenter ants, mice, spiders and rampaging squirrels.

Really best news: Steve is on the job - now and every three months from now on. :D

Old Books

I have mentioned re-reading books in my library. I enjoy re-reading. Authors like Agatha Christie, Phillipa Gregory and Andrew Greeley get read and read and read again. Now I know who done it and I don't care. I enjoy the language, the plot twists, the character development even though I know the outcome.

Yesterday we visited a little used bookstore where I had turned in for credit a lot of books that were either doubles or I really didn't like enough to read again. I came home with some old delights - in my case mysteries only this time; Dean bought hiking, mountain type books.

Immediately I began to read one of my very favorite detectives ~ an old friend I had not visited for a long time, Henry Tibbett. I also bought three Miss Seeton books - and will share them with my daughter once I have read them because she loves Miss Seeton too. I also bought a new one - an author and detective I do not know. I will fit them in between two old favorites.

I always carry a book with me ~ to any appointment, to anywhere I may sit while Dean does something, to . . . anywhere. Just have the book with me and I never mind a wait of any kind. That also helps me read a lot more than I might if I waited to be able to sit down at home and read. I plan on doing that this weekend though -- surrounded by old and new friends, I will enjoy the warmth of the deck and time to visit again. ~ with blessings