Sunday's project

 

Tree decorating for me is not a design project, it's a walk down memory lane.  With a smaller tree now, I did not put up every ornament in the box, but chose a few combinations that spoke to me.  I didn't take photos of them all, either, but here are a few.

This little angel's box says "Jo" on it.  Jo was my mother's name.  It's a birthstone angel, with a topaz, for November.

Does it feel like you are seeing double, with another topaz birthstone angel?  You are.  This angel's box is labeled with my name on it.  

My birthday and my mom's are within a week of one another.  She purchased these angels as Christmas gifts the year that she passed, and we found them when cleaning out.  My sisters each got one angel from their own birth months, I believe.  They gave me both my own and mom's, because of the coincidence of birthdays.

Larry Bird, my favorite historical basketball star is at his prime, in Celtics green.  I watched him in college.  Hidden by the branches a bit is Shaquille O'Neal in a Magic uniform, dunking.  We bought the two of them together one year, one for my favorite player, one for my son's favorite player.

Also in this shot, the Pinocchio that came from my business trip to Italy in the 1980's.  The green Triathlete ornament was from my work team the year I first completed an Olympic distance triathlon.

Toward the top of the shot is an antique icicle ornament that had belonged to my paternal grandmother.

Going backwards in time, at the top of the tree is a papier mâché unicorn that my kid sister Alicia brought back from her ninth grade trip to Mexico.  Also featured is Woodstock, the very first ornament from my very first apartment.  A University of Nebraska Husker ornament is a more recent acquisition, I think it came from my son.

Another year I bought a couple of dog breed ornaments, a boxer and a Rottweiler.  The boxer was for an on-line friend's dog.  To Rottie was for a dog named Maxie who lived next door to us when my son was growing up.

Throughout some of these shots you can see the Mardi Gras beads, which I did NOT get at Mardi Gras, but at various running events, over the years that I participated in them.

Later in the day, more decor came out.  This includes my friend, Frosty the demented cookie jar.

I have to have a candle light display.  That is my ritual for the darker months of the year.  Either before sunrise, after sunset, or both, light the candles and savor the glow.

During the Christmas season, the angel choir of candle holders joins the array, along with the Christmas tree..

Life continues to be good.  Spark on!

Black Friday and the weekend

 

My neighbors from Uzbekistan made me a plate of leftovers from their feast, and walked it across the street Thanksgiving dinner-time!  People are so nice!

Shokhsanam is an excellent cook, by the way!  Every time she's brought me something, it's been marvelous.  This was no exception.

And, as anticipated, the morning after the feast day the scale responded as it would.

Friday morning I fulfilled a promise to a fellow military mom.  Her son is in uniform and will be away from his family for Christmas.  The card is sitting in my mailbox with the flag up, ready to head for his APO address.

I don't do Black Friday shopping.  I haven't for years.  My whole marriage was spent avoiding it because my husband was not a fan of crowds.  I think I went once or twice in my lifetime, once with my youngest sister, and once when I was a 20-something single (I think I went with a girlfriend).  

Friday was laundry day.  Leftovers day (yummy, but easy to overdo).  The weather was overcast and cold (high was under freezing).  I filled the time with binge watching of old West Wing episodes, taking short breaks to check on the hostage release in the middle East.

Saturday we have some snow predicted.  The weather sites differed in their predictions of when it was to start and how much, of course.  The traveling party was to be driving home from their family thing.  The snow started here between 10 and 10:15 a.m.  Half an hour later, got a message from DIL that they had crossed from Missouri into Iowa.  They had encountered flurries, but it wasn't sticking yet.  

About noonish, the message came of their safe arrival home, and before snow had really accumulated here.  Yay!  A successful holiday trip!

On Friday I got the "new" Christmas tree out.  I bought this tree online after Christmas last year.  It was because the old one wasn't lighting right.  Drove me nuts!  

So... first time out of the box... the new tree did not light right.  And of course it is now long since any possibility of returning it.  

This tree is a foot and a half to two feet shorter than the old one.  The old one had five plugs that you had to organize to get it to light up the way it should.  The new one has only TWO plugs.

I could not keep away from it... kept tracing the wires.  I kept futzing with it, and finally on Saturday afternoon, with a twist of the bulb closest to the juncture... lights!

With the lights finally working, I ran out of gas!  I will save that annual trip down memory lane of setting up ornaments for a Sunday afternoon activity.

Sunday morning I got up to snow on the ground!  Welcome back, Winter!

Drive safely, everyone, the Holiday weekend is almost over!   Hope your hearts are full, you got exactly as much family gather as was right for you THIS year, and you're ready for the next few weeks.  We have only twenty-five days of shortening daylight before it starts to grow again!  

Life is good.

Keep on Sparking!

A Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Sunrise in cirrus cloud layers.  I love my neighbor's tree, to my east.  It frames many of my sky photos!

Same tree, from a different angle, to capture moonrise, the afternoon before the sunrise photo above.

Wednesday morning, I darted over to the grocery store.  I shopped masked for those few items I felt I needed "just in case" to make the house smell right on Thursday.  Even though I'll be on my own, Thanksgiving has its own aromas... you know the ones, the turkey roasting, the spices in the dressing, the pumpkin pies baking... there's more to food than the eating.

Our regional grocery chain is closing on Thanksgiving Day, so it was a throwback feeling to get those last few things the day before.  If it's not on hand tomorrow, that recipe might have to be altered!

Alicia made it over for sister walking.  We moved it an hour earlier, since it worked better for her holiday / work / homelife schedule this week.  I let her know that I was opting for a solo holiday, thanks for the invite, but I was looking forward to the quiet.

"The kids" and son's in-laws safely made it to their destination hotel in Kansas City for the family reunion Thanksgiving.  But I got the IM from my son that a delivery had been made to their house unexpectedly early.  "I hate to bother you with this..." it started.  I certainly understood his situation... he won't be home until Saturday, and to have a package on the porch that long?  I had just had that early delivery strike at my house, too.  My Winter coat wasn't supposed to get here until Friday, but it was placed on my porch Wednesday afternoon late!  An early delivery can be problematic if it conflicts with holiday travel plans!

I packed myself into Dexter (my little Honda Fit) and drove over to son and DIL's house.  I slipped the package off the porch and into the garage for them, then made my way home.  IM back to him to enjoy his holiday.  Mom is on the job, still needed and useful!

Even with that side trip, Fitbit tells me I was asleep at 8:09 p.m.  It should be no surprise that I woke up at 4:35 a.m. Thursday.  Good sleep!

By 7 I was ready to start chopping veggies and putting the turkey breast chops (turns out it was chops I bought) into the crock pot along with the celery and onion and spices.  Put on high to start.  

Since the kids are not having the traditional meal, DIL requested photos of the meal, so of course we had to do one before the cooking even started.  

Meanwhile my DIL posted video of her newest cousin crawling around the hotel, and grinning up at her photographer.  We all know who the real stars of any family gather will be!  At least if your family is anything like my own.  Babies!

Tradition is to have the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on the TV while getting the cooking done, and yes, I'm following that tradition, too.  And I had to re-wind the coverage to capture a screen shot just for my DIL.  (Remember, she's a huge Dino fan.)

I paused to sit and sip my latte, grateful that I did not have a table to lay out for a crowd.  

I layered on the mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup about 9. It would be ready by a noonish meal time.  All the aroma and flavors, without the hassle of a turkey carcass.

Then it was time to clean the work surfaces and make the pie.  I know my kid sis is having pecan this year (whether she knows it or not, this is a nod to our brother; he used to make a mean pecan pie).  As a kid, my favorite was not pumpkin, but vanilla custard.  I would request custard pie for my birthday.

But pumpkin pie is one of the essentials of Thanksgiving for me. 

When it comes to pie dough, I am a traditionalist.  I've tried the pre-made crusts, and sorry, if I want it to be right, I have to do it myself.  I learned in childhood.  I start at the beginning.  Simple flour, salt, shortening, and water.  My  well-used cookbook refers to it as "plain pastry".

It may not be pretty, but it's perfect in its own way.  

Add pumpkin, sugar, spices, eggs, and milk.  Mix the filling well, and pour it into that hand-rolled crust.

Into the 400℉ oven it goes for 50 minutes (no peeking).

 

Cool on a rack until after dinner.

It may not look like classic Thanksgiving turkey meal, but the spices made it taste that way.  Very good.

I cut the pie for peace.

 And topped it with Cool Whip. 

Another Thanksgiving tradition, a bracing walk in the chilly breeze.  It was mild on Wednesday, the cold front came through overnight.  I did not go far, but I was testing out the new Winter coat.  The coat performed fine (and it fits well).  The new gloves?  Meh.  I have issues with gloves.  This is nothing new.

Ahhhh!  Stress free holiday.  Hope you all enjoyed the same.

Life is good.  Spark on!

Feeling like myself again

 

It's Tuesday, the day after birthday, the second day of my next year breathing on the planet.  I was well enough to go workout with the trainer this morning, but tired afterwards.

I clipped this photo of Carl and me from a video my DIL took on Sunday during our outing at the park.  Carl has become very skillful at avoiding knocking humans off their pins.  We brace ourselves, just in case.  He somehow manages to dodge and weave around us.  What a joyful outing that was.

Monday, my actual birthday, was graced by many, many online greetings from friends gathered over a lifetime.  From family, of course, but also from former school mates, co-workers from various jobs, and the "invisible friends" gathered over the Spark years, plus some in-person running / triathlon friends, several friends gathered over my son's service years via the Yellow Ribbon events the Army Reserve put on, and a smattering of "son #2" friends of my son.  The whole exercise of social communications reinforces what a rich tapestry a life spread over decades can be.

Tuesday afternoon I did a Kevin memorial viewing of one of our favorite movies when we were young:  "What's up, Doc?" starring Ryan O'Neal and Barbra (who always spelled it wrong and ruined life for those of us who spell it right) Streisand.  It came out in 1972, which was while Kevin was still in high school, and a year after "Love Story".  It has so much slap stick, mistaken identity, mis-direction... it's funny!  

So while watching this, the phone rang, and my calendar continues to fill.  My elder sister has medicalizing coming up.  Her other cataract is "ripe", and she needs a driver/watcher in mid-December.  That would be me.  Extra ears for the doctors.  

And then she has another medical thing in January, then my own medicalizing will kick in, after that.  Welcome to "senior" life, eh?

Life, even "senior" life, is good.  Keep on Sparking!

Birthday decisions

I've been ignoring an upcoming birthday.  But then the first card came in the mail on Thursday, and another on Saturday (thank you).  It's not a "big" birthday with a zero at the end, or anything like that, but my son has gone and married into a family that does things like birthdays.

In any case, when the Mythical Son showed up to collect Carl on Tuesday evening, he brought up the subject, with the casual "What do you want to do for your birthday, Mom?"

"Birthday?  I have a birthday?"

"Well, yes.  Do you want to go out to dinner?  Or we could go to the dog park."

Given the choice, it's obvious to me!  I'm still not entirely comfy eating out at sit-down places.  "Weather permitting, the dog park!"  

Of course after he left, that got me to thinking about "weather permitting".  What if it's cold (I mean, it is November, after all)?  And that brought to mind my creeping girth.  Sigh!

So a decision to be made:  commit to once again "slimming down" for the Winter to fit into the existing coat, or spring for a new one.  One has to understand that the old coat was purchased sometime between 2011 and 2014.  When I was at my running trim.  Last year I went on the intermittent fasting about this time on the calendar, and slimmed myself back into the old coat.  

I ordered myself a birthday present: a new Winter coat that will fit me at my current size.  It will also allow for losing a bit or (sigh) a little more creep, but I really don't want the creep.  (Remember that, Barb!)

The website claims it will arrive the Friday after Thanksgiving.  I'm changing coat colors.  You have to do that, or nobody will know you got a new coat, right?😁😁

Speaking of the more immediate Friday, I awoke to 36℉.  This was perfect for the heating check that had been re-re-scheduled to Friday.  I put on my mask (just in case), and proceeded to show the guy around and let him do his work.  I moved the laptop up into the office, as opposed to at the kitchen table and puttered while he did.

His visit, as needed as it is to have this done each year, left me feeling wiped out.  

Saturday I hunkered down, but I did order groceries for curbside pick up.  

I anticipate that I will be on my own for Thanksgiving.  The distaff side of my son's newlywed family is gathering at a pet-friendly hotel and they are packing up birds and dog and all for the trip, about 3 hours down the road.  I opted out.  The Prisoner does not travel.  I did stock turkey breast filets and stuffing mix, and I will make a pumpkin pie for myself!  I am thankful that their family can gather, for the first time since pre-pandemic (that makes it three skipped Thanksgivings and Christmases).  I know they are all looking forward to meeting the latest child born to a cousin.

I received an invitation to spend Thanksgiving with my walking-partner sister's family.  As of Sunday I'm in "wait and see" mode.  

Sunday morning, we started out with overcast skies and rain predicted.  The Prisoner wanted to be outside while he could be. 

My son and I had left the dog park outing as a "weather permitting" thing.  We got very lucky with the timing, and had "mostly cloudy" for the duration of our stay at the dog park.

Carl did the agility course "his way", balancing on top of the "tunnel" tube, instead of going through it.  DIL insisted on a family portrait of The Mythical Son with his Mom and Carl.

Despite there being fewer than the normal numbers of canines out at the park, Carl got his zoomies on, stretching those springs he calls legs fully.

DIL with Carl, getting him to "hold it" (keep a treat on his nose) while sitting atop the obstacle.

Carl does not do "weave" very well, but runs straight through the weave pole obstacle.

A nice outing for Barb's birthday treat, just about as long as it needed to be.  It had started to rain, so the kids headed home with a wet Carl.  He was due for a bath, anyway, as my son noted to me before we set out.

Life is Good!  So keep on sparking!

Carl Day Care day on Tuesday

 

The Prisoner put a monkey wrench in the works.  He didn't go out when Carl arrived.  Then when I went downstairs to move the handkerchief laundry from the washer to the dryer, he tried to come out of his hiding place (revealing it to me), Carl came charging down the basement stairs, and Prisoner had to back up and reverse course back into hiding!

Great way to start day care, right?  I then took Carl outside to help with yard work.  We were back inside before 10 a.m.

I brought out another interactive toy:  the vacuum.  Many of you have dogs that are not vacuum cleaner fans.  At least Carl does not attack it... he does try to flee from it, get out of its way.

Then the lawn care guys showed up and I thanked the heavens that we were inside, and I didn't have to persuade Carl back in while they were there.  He jumped up to a good viewing point at the bay window, and I stood right with him, petting him while they unloaded their machines, used them got out the leaf blowers and used them, and eventually re-loaded and departed.  I was SO PROUD of Carl.  He did not bark at the lawn service guys!

Granted, he did bark at other dogs being walked past, after the lawn guys left, but he was such a good boy!

Carl:  "I know that cat is up there... I can smell him!"

Grandma:  "So we'll just close the laundry room."

Carl sulked for a bit, resigned over being at Grandma's house.  He had no clue how confining his day would have been had he been "at home."

At Grandma's house, there's the Purple People eater to deconstruct!

And there's a squeaky ball that Grandma will toss for Carl to retrieve.

And when Grandma opens the sliding glass door, there is the interactive Squirrel that runs up and down the fence-top highway for Carl to chase and bark at.  During this episode, Grandma was giggling over Carl's 4-foot vertical jump in pursuit of that pesky squirrel.  Grandma wasn't quick enough with the camera today to capture the image of the squirrel.

Carl got Grandma motivated to work on the weeds and volunteers again, too.  By end of day, four of the five available bins had been filled.

By the time his daddy came to collect him it was dark outside.  Daylight wasting time (my brother used to call it that) is in full force.

After Carl and the Mythical Son left, I opened the laundry room door and announced to the Prisoner that the house was once again his.  Prisoner squirted right out and demanded a trip outdoors.  The request was granted.  And an exhausted Grandma went to bed as soon as she could manage it.

Wednesday had me feeling a bit of relapse of the respiratory crud.  I thought it was "progressing", but I did wish the energy was back at full. Nodded off in front of the TV, unable to concentrate on anything serious. 

I did manage the "sister walk".  Being a school secretary, she's not scared of the crud... she's already had it.  We wryly mused over whether it doesn't matter what we go out and do, post-Covid, we seem to come down with something.  No wonder we turn into hermits!

Thursday morning, I woke with a sore throat.  I examined my throat in the mirror and saw that one side of my tongue looked raw (as opposed to coated), inflamed.  Sigh.  I confirmed not coming to the trainer.  Between the dust being kicked up and the dry leaves being blown about, and me getting out in it... yuck!

So, life goes on.  And despite such inconveniences, I'm still breathing and grateful for it.  Life is good.  Spark on!

 

It's been over a week since I blogged

 I'm playing catch-up, but you know, the minutia of a day eats up the time, and when I start feeling sickly I lose all track of the passage of time, and don't much feel like sharing.  It's the Thumper's Father's issue:  "If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nuthin' at all".

In any case, there were a few days before THAT shut-down.  With my Friday LAST week, I was whisked off to the symphony with my older sister.  You see, I'm her back up plan, for when her primary group are busy with other things.  Besides, this was to be a program of baroque pieces, and she knows I'm a fan.

I took one photo for "proof of presence" during the intermission between Vivaldi's Four Seasons and the rest of the concert.

I can appreciate the aerobic workout that the violin soloist who is standing and playing all Four of Vivaldi's Four Seasons!  I can appreciate the conversational style of the various instruments, the panache of the conductor who is directing the ensemble from the keyboard, which he also plays.  

The concert ended with Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks, another very familiar piece.  On the drive home, sis and I gushed at one another about how interconnected music, math, systems, architecture, etc. all are.  Oh, and psychology and the brain, too, in how the patterns expressed in music result in "happy" chemicals in the brain.  A good time was had by all!

Saturday and Sunday I pieced at the never-ending chore of the weeds/volunteer trees.  Carl got me started, but I was not done.  Three of these bins came from the backyard, two from by the front of the deck.  Friday the 10th, the garbage men took them away, so there is the opportunity to fill the bins again, weather permitting!

The 5th of November, 2009 was what my son once referred to as "the more horrible day of my life".  He ended up with survivor's guilt and PTSD in the wake of that horrible day.  It was no picnic for the families at home, either.  

There is never a shortage of people who have lost their lives in service to their country.  This was just the closest one, personally, in time, space, and relationships.

My son's most challenging time of year is around this anniversary, and it is challenging for me, too... because mothers, you know.

One thing I seem to have trouble with when consulting with medical professionals is the calendar:  "when did this start?" is always a challenging question for me.  Looking back at my Fitbit sleep statistics, showing the disruptions, and remembering the appointments I have waved off, I'd have to say this set in last Monday, the 6th.

I did burn a Covid 19 home test on Tuesday... negative.  Symptoms remind me a bit of the RSV thing I had in July that was confirmed by testing at the Dr.  I have already re-scheduled next Monday's dental appointment, but couldn't get in until mid-December!  Better safe than sorry.  If I waited until Monday morning and still was not ready, it wouldn't be fair to the dental office.  At least this way, they might be able to get someone else into my Monday slot.

And that's about it for my "away from keyboard" time.  I mindlessly soaked in episodes of The Forsyte Saga from PBS.  I had never watched that show, remembered its existence from the late 1960's, but this version from 2003, I think it was, has Damian Lewis and Amanda Root in it. When you like certain actors, it piques the interest.  

Bumps along the way, but still Life is Good.  Keep Sparking, my friends!

Protectors in the night

 

Carl:  "I have saved you from 21 potential murderers so far tonight!"

This from his house, across town.  As of lights out, his paw-rents have had about 90 trick or treaters.  I had 8.  Sigh.

Prisoner:  "I want out."  "No, in."  "No, out."  "No, in."

Best interaction with a child?  I asked the little girl on my doorstep who she was, and she replied, quite literally, "I'm your neighbor!"  Her mother at the foot of the steps and I both started to laugh, "No, I meant who is your costume?"

"Oh, I'm Wednesday."  Of course she was.  It was a great Wednesday Addams costume, and I was embarrassed that I didn't recognize it at once!

Unfortunately, only 8 trick or treaters came, in total, so I'm going to have to find someplace to give a lot of candy away... I'm thinking the hair cutting place!

Life is good!  Keep Sparking!