Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!


Brisket two ways, BBQ and with a dry rub. I'm not sure which one I like better, I'll have to eat more to make up my mind --- with cheesy colcanon, corn fritters, a simple salad with John's homemade dressing (wow it was good), and John's  homemade yeast rolls with sweet potatoes.

A pleasant day, a good time had by all.

Maybe later, much much later, you will follow someone's suggestion that some of whipped orange butter for the banana nut bread might be good on kringla. Thanks Donna, for the kringla, and John for the idea. Yum.


Kay :)

Monday, December 24, 2012

OH OH OH

If you decorate a Christmas cookie with HO HO HO and then turn it upside down . . .

House smells deliciously of brisket, which is main course for Christmas dinner tomorrow. Just like last year, I know . . . but it is tooo good. And way cheaper than prime rib. And honestly, I like it better. I'm doing brisket 2 ways, dry rub and cooked in a BBQ sauce. If it is blogworthy (who am I kidding . . . of course it will be!), I'll post some pics. I'm making colcanon and corn fritters besides.  We are so fancy pants here! LOL John is bringing some homemade salad dressing and those homemade sweet potato yeast rolls. I can't wait! I made some banana bread for breakfast, with some zesty orange butter to go with. I'm starting my diet on Thursday. I'm all done with PT for my foot, knee, shoulder, everything! LOL  Between all the exercises I'm supposed to do for those body parts, and a good walk every day, it will be a total body workout. At least for me it will be a workout.

John was home for Christmas Eve today, and brought with him some delicious chili, made with Bob Evans hot and spicy sausage (try it! you will like it!), and we had it with cornbread. Yummers. I saw his kitties yesterday and they are doing very well. Isis is filling out, I didn't even think about avoiding her bony backbone, and I really had to study them out to tell Isis from Hera, though clearly Hera is the BIG sister. It's funny those little kitties don't think a thing of the vacuum or any noise really. I mean they don't even flinch at the Vita-mix, and that even scared Dad one time when John made ice cream for us. Midge and Finn at 3 years are still terrified of the vacuum and any loud noise.

Dad cut himself shaving today, and said he hadn't cut himself shaving like that in 50 years. It was bleeding pretty good, as he is on blood thinners, but it finally stopped. I heard him comment to mom under his breath that he was really surprised by all the wrinkles on his face whilst he was shaving! LOL Not sure how old he is in his dementia world today, but it would seem it is way younger than 93! He was in a fine mood today. I cajoled John into taking Dad for a ride (even though he wouldn't remember it lol), and then I got Dad out again tonight, IN THE DARK (I know it sounds weird, but he doesn't go out at night!) for a ride. He confessed that he enjoyed it tremendously, and he was surprised he said yes. I told him I knew I could talk him into it, and he laughed. He knew too. He told he me thought this would be his last Christmas. I told him he has been saying that for 20 years, so who knows!?  He also asked if there was a baseball game on. I wish I had taped a really good White Sox game, we could play it for him and he'd be happy. Or I could have taped a game in which the Cubs get totally shellacked, and he'd be even happier! LOL


Hera and Isis. A girl at work commented that the girls look pretty big in their pics. They are 4 months old, and they are really really LONG cats, and their combined weight is 7 pounds. For comparison, Finnegan weighs 16. LOL  Midge and I have a pact not to discuss our weights with anybody else. She is the only one who can look at the scale when I weigh in. I don't even like to look . . .

My sweet Midge. What a corker!

Dr. Dave was right. Look at Finn's tail! You can't call him possum tail now! And yes he is a huge cat. LOL And though I can't say her weight, Midge is a sturdy girl like her mother. They look so cute on the cat tree, but I had to put Midge in the house to get this picture. Finn took some good natured swipes at the Smidge, and she took some deadly serious swipes at him! No direct hits, whew!



Have a great holiday people. Life is good even when it ain't perfect.

Kay :)


Saturday, December 15, 2012

Misc. December Stuff

Dad turned 93 this week. I forgot to take a picture. That's a lie. I couldn't find my camera! On his birthday he had an appointment at the Veteran's Clinic for a check-up with the neurologist or psychologist or something, which entailed another memory test. I had an errand to run, but Mom stayed with him and giggled through the test. Last time he did so horribly that I thought the doc said she probably wouldn't do it again. Had I known he was having another one, I would have stayed! LOL  It was pretty funny last time. You gotta have a sense of humor when you are dealing with dementia folks! Oh well. At any rate, he'll keep getting the medication that he is on, which is helping a lot. He's in a good mood and easy-going. Whew. And this time he knew who Mom was and how old he was! Of course we kind of quizzed him on the way up . . . lol. Cramming I guess. When he was done we got him some White Castles, he loves those stinky things! LOL He really does enjoy the ride too. Even though I drive too fast, and he is always awfully glad to get home.

Cookies at Mar's, just like last year. Except this year I did not have a colostomy or a surgery looming! Woo hoo!

Mar and Geo with beautiful granddaughter, Kristi.


Donna and her handsome swimmers, Jackson and Lucas, with Aunt Mar and Kristi. Jackson will be 16 in 2 days. Seems like just yesterday he was going to softball with us!

Yum. And wow I'm an artist,  at least one day a year, on Sugar Cookie Day!

Mark's (Donna's hubby, Mar's twin, Jackson and Lucas's Dad, and the Grillmaster), thumbprints. Double yum.

I have one more week of therapy on my foot/ankle/heel. What a pain it has been! The body part, not the therapy. I thought once I quit playing softball I wouldn't have that heel pain again. Wrongo! I've shaved my legs more in the last 6 weeks than I have in the last 6 years! I'm tired of that too. Finally my foot/ankle/heel is starting to feel better. Had another cortisone shot this week. I need to start walking. It's been months.

Lots of sadness about. Good people dying and that school shooting is horrendous. I had to turn TV off, but it really doesn't help. What a world. 

That's all folks.

Kay :)


Sunday, December 9, 2012

It's hard to explain . . .

Ahem.

John found the kittens balancing on the glider cushion when he got home one day at lunch. Hera appears to be . . . THE AMAZING COLOSSAL SISTER!

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Photographing Moving Kittens is Hard!

Went with John this a.m. and helped wrap/sort gifts for the Kiwanis this a.m. It was fun. My knee started getting sore after 2 1/1 hours, so I thought it best to grab a gordita . . . or 2, at the Mexican Market and head for home. Back home watching Hera and Isis cavort now, trying to get a cute pic for the blog. Honestly, the pictures don't do them justice. They are much prettier in real life.

Damn they are quick!


Hera

Isis
Watching The China Syndrome, and Isis and Hera now. LOL

Isis



John's new life. John's friend, Pat, made a comment to John that these cats could be in his life for the next 20 years. So I guess they are like a little mortgage! LOLOL

Kay :)

Friday, December 7, 2012

It's kind of embarassing . . .




John:  "It's kind of embarrassing . . . I hope they turn out OK."

When I told John I was coming this weekend, he told me I had to promise not to laugh at Hera . . nursing herself! LOLOL  I can't stop laughing. She kind of starts out like she's bathing, next thing you know, she has latched on . . TO HERSELF! Then Isis thinks there is some real action, and here she comes. 

John: "I hope that is not why Isis is so thin . . . because she thinks she is eating more than she really is."

Other than this, they seem pretty normal. And they have filled out a bit in the 8 days they have been here, they are not so gaunt. They really are sweet, peppy little girls. I guess bottle fed kittens might be a little disadvantaged, poor babies. 

I don't mind at all sharing my bathroom with the girls, but hopefully they'll get a little tidier as they grow up! LOL

Kay :)





Sunday, December 2, 2012

Hera and Isis?

John please post an explanation for these kitten names! Shazam!