Friday Five

Friday Five

  1. It looks like I am done with my facial reconstructive surgery! I had my stitches out on Wednesday, brought a small gift of my jams & jellies for my doctor, and we said our good-byes.
  2. Sad really. I admire Dr. P. greatly and have valued the friendship we have shared. He helped me to believe in myself again and to see myself with new eyes.
  3. I’m going for a girls lunch today with my next door neighbor.
  4. I have this favorite little place. The Meredith Bay Coffee House. Just perfect for an intimate little lunch.
  5. Saturday is the last of the Christmas Bazaars. My friend Laurie and I will hit them all and then, we will be done.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Thursday Thirteen

Scav Sat

I’m starting to make up lists and recipes for our Thanksgiving. Which is really amusing, as there will just be the two of us. However, I take my job as chef seriously, and so I plan out each and every detail before hand. So far, here is the menu.

  1. Turkey. I have a ten pound young turkey for the big day. I’ll use butter to rub it down and then sea salt and pepper to season it.
  2. Stuffing. Usually I make a chestnut dressing, but this year I asked Hubby what he wanted and he asked for a sage stuffing like his mom used to make. It’s fairly simple, but delicious.
  3. Gravy. I make my own pan gravy. Yum!
  4. Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. I love their slightly yellow tinge and sweet flavor. What a great mashing potato!
  5. Green beans. They are flash frozen in our freezer from the garden last summer.
  6. Butternut squash. I cooked all my squash from the garden, cooked it up and then mashed it, seasoned it with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and then froze it.
  7. Cranberry sauce. I’m not sure if I will make a cranberry/orange relish or just use normal cranberry.
  8. A relish tray with olives and pickle relish.
  9. Apple cider.
  10. Champagne.
  11. Homemade apple pie.
  12. Classic vanilla ice cream.
  13. Alka Seltzer! (lol)

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What lesson has failure taught you?

To keep trying. I may have failed at things, but I am not a defeatist. I just stop, think, regroup and try again!

2. What decision are you glad you made?

Lets see. Most recently it would be to keep both Arnie and Anneliese. I was just saying to Hubby the other day that it is such an amazing feeling to have two pups that you helped deliver and have literally been part of their lives since they took their first breaths!

3. I’ve been a little bit surprised to see fully lit and decorated Christmas trees popping up for the past several weeks in friend’s Instagram feeds. So tell the truth-is your tree up and decorated, and if so when did that happen? If not, when will you be decking the halls?

No mine is not up. I was ‘thinking’ about it yesterday. Perhaps the day after Thanksgiving.

4. Solitaire-Poker-Rummy-Hearts-Go Fish-Old Maid…which game of cards would you most like to join?

I play solitaire on my computer when I am bored. Lately I am reading two books, and working on projects, so needless to say I have not been bored.

5. This question comes to you courtesy of a Facebook friend, who once upon a time had a blog…When you’re feeling stressed do you snack a lot or are you more the ‘can’t eat’ type?

I am a stress eater. Which explains my weight gain this year. My sister can’t eat at all. Which is why part of the time I want a DNA test to make sure we are really related!

6. Have you ever reviewed a product or service on line? Was your review favorable or less than favorable?

I review for Trip Advisor as well as Amazon.com. And yes, I have give a couple scathing reviews. I do not like to, but when it deserves it… Mostly I can find good in almost anything.

7. What was the best conversation you had yesterday?

Ones with Hubby as we drove down to the VA for his appointments and then back afterward. Sometimes I think we talk the very best when we are driving around in the car.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I get my stitches out today. I can hardly wait to see what my eyebrow will look like now!

Day 1

Monday was day one as a fifty-five year old woman! It wasn’t bad, really, but as it was Hubby’s medical day at the Veteran’s Administration Health Center, I was up and out of here pretty early on Monday.

I am amazed and appreciative of the quality care Hubby is getting through the VA. His service to our country in Vietnam has cost him dearly health-wise. Finally I feel like he is getting the testing and medications he has needed for some time.

I went with him to keep him company and also to make sure I could take notes and such. So when we got to the VA and I went to open my car door, I broke two finger nails! (Which up to that point, had all remained long and beautiful!)

I’ve decided I love Hubby’s podiatrist! Oh how I wish he was in private practice because I would go to him myself! He was able to treat Hubby’s feet and make a plan to treat the diabetic neuropathies in his feet.

I got home and I found a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my dearest best friend, Uschi!

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The flowers are so lovely and were such a surprise!

What a wonderful birthday I had.

Fifty-five is actually pretty darn good!

My 55th Birthday Celebration

Ah yes. I woke early on my birthday and got myself all washed up, hair done, and make up as well. I was feeling good.

I know the numbers are adding up, but it doesn’t matter when your family is around you. I had called a local restaurant that we all love and made reservations. Hubby and I got there early so I could make sure it was all set up. Hubby teased me, because I am always early, and my cousin is always late! lol

But soon everyone arrived and there we were all together enjoying some champagne and some delicious food! After we ate, I opened up my gifts, with Savannah helping me, of course!

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Opening dachshund book ends. Savannah helped!

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Listening to a card that Savannah made for me. Telling me Happy Birthday and love you!

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Me with my daughter, Mandy.

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I loved all of my gifts!

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Having a nice Cappuccino.

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The newlyweds, Dave & Janet.

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All too soon, the luncheon ended and it was time to go home. Savannah’s Daddy Matt, picked her up and carried her to the car. You can see, she looks a lot like her Daddy!

Christmas Bazaars

Last weekend my friend Laurie and I hit two local Bazaars. Today there are four of them scheduled and we are going to hit them all. We both love the atmosphere and also buying little gifts supporting the various churches!

I also love the cute Christmas ornaments that you can get there. This is one I got last weekend.

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I know it is mid November, but I’m looking forward to Christmas. Probably because of Savannah! The world just looks brighter, through a child’s eyes!!!

Friday Five

Friday Five

Another week has flown by and I find myself quickly approaching my 55th birthday on Sunday. I don’t feel any different than I did last year, despite the rather rough and tumble year that I have had. But here are a few thoughts on Friday.

  1. My surgery went well this past Monday. Although I had a little bit of pain early on, it has not been too bad.
  2. It has been cold! C.O.L.D.!
  3. To combat the chilliness, we have had a small fire in the hearth almost every night.
  4. I’m extremely good at laying a fire. It’s a gift! lol
  5. Today I have my yearly physical. I am looking for only good news here!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Describe a typical Sunday from your childhood.

We always went to church. Sometimes the children’s choir sung and then I would be in church, other Sundays I would start in church and then run down to the parish hall for Sunday School. After church there was always a Sunday Dinner. Sunday was always family day.

2. How comfortable are you with uncertainty? Explain.

Oh I hate it. I fret, worry, and it literally makes me ill. I like things cut and dried, and with no doubt in it.

3. What have you accomplished recently that might be described as crafty, as in ‘arts and crafts’ crafty? If crafty doesn’t work for you, how about handy? Or both?

I have been going through my three year old file pile! I’ve been organizing and cleaning and the office is slowly taking shape. I saw a great Christmas decoration at a local Christmas Fair, and now a friend of mine want to make them! Details to come!

4. Have you ever worked in a ‘food place’? What did you take away from the experience?

My home is my food place. I guess I’ve learned that disasters can happen along the way. Poor Hubby claims that he is my guinea pig!

5. Cold turkey, talk turkey, what a turkey…in recent days, which turkey phrase or idiom best applies to you and why? Click on the word turkey if you need to read more about the meaning behind each phrase.

How about find a turkey? I went into our grocery store the other day for a “few things”. That’s when a nice small turkey (10 pounds) jumped into my basked for 59 cents a pound!

6. If you could have any one guest join your Thanksgiving dinner table, who would it be?

Easy. My daughter Katie!

7. What is one thing you must accomplish today?

Nothing much. I need to have a quiet day on orders from my doctor. I need to allow my forehead to knit.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I want to congratulate Joyce on 150 Wednesday Hodgepodge questions. I love the Hodgepodge and look forward to it every week! Thanks Joyce!