Tuesday Ramble

Life is too short to be little. Often we allow ourselves to be upset
by little things we should forget. . . . We may lose many irreplaceable
hours brooding over small grievances that in a year’s time will be
forgotten. So let us devote our lives to worthwhile actions and
feelings—to great thoughts, real affection and enduring undertakings.

Andre Maurois

Good morning, everyone.  First off, I want to apologize for my tirade yesterday.  I must have sounded like a whiny baby, "If I can't have my seat then I am not going anymore."  Reminds me of my youngest when he had his little temper tantrums.  It's just that it is only because I enjoy being with my friends that I continue to go.  The center offers little else anymore.  All those groups I used to enjoy are gone.  So, if I can't sit and socialize with my peers, what is the sense of going?

Meanwhile, I am fit to be tied with hubby...and this is a genuine rant.  I hate to be angry at him knowing he is so sick, but sometimes he just doesn't think...and especially when it comes to our nest egg,  I think I have every right to be mad.  When hubby finally received his SSD he received a nice chunk of change.  Hubby gave me a few thousand because I'd been taking care of all the rent and bills while he was fighting his case, and my bank account was nearly down to nothing.  He took some of it for new tires that were badly needed, and the rest was placed in a bank account.  This was our emergency funds as well as if, God forbid, something should happen to him, I'd have almost a year's worth of rent and bill money to fall back on.

Now, he tells me his sister and her daughter want him to become a silent partner in their newest day care center, (they already have two),  and he is expected to invest all but a few thousand of our money.  They assure him he will make his money and then some back in six months.  (They showed him the figures of the business income.) Now, I am a realist and my head is not up in the clouds someplace, so I cannot see this happening and pointed out that one must also take into account what has to be laid out--rent, insurance, electricity, salaries, etc.) and that must be subtracted from this 'fabulous' income they showed him. 

And this is one of those sisters that doesn't like me.  I pointed out to him that if he invests all this money and God forbid something happens to him, they would give me nothing. I hated to say it because I hate thinking that something will happen to him, but his health is deteriorating, and I know he thinks he is doing this for me, but  I don't trust her.  When I tell you this story, you will see why.

Hubby's liver condition didn't just start recently.  He's had it for many years and was pretty sick for a good while, and all that time I was the only one working.  Then, I started him on a regimen of alternative herbal and vitamin treatment, centering around milk thistle which have kept his liver pretty much stable until recently.  That is why when word spread about an herb that was only available in Puerto Rico was showing remarkable results, I agreed when the family got together and decided that we would all chip in to send hubby and his mom to PR.

With everyone chipping in, it only amounted to $150 per person.  All seemed to be going well until I received a letter from my bank.  Both her and her sisters check had bounced.  They literally wrote me checks with no money in the bank.  So, there I was, the only one working, struggling to pay for the rent, bills and food, while making sure I had enough to buy hubby his alternatives.  In those years, I had absolutely NOTHING for myself.  I couldn't even buy a new nail polish.  And they had the nerve to stick me like that.  I ended up paying not only their share of the trip, but also the bank charges for the bad checks.  Can you blame me for not trusting them?

Last night we had some turkey soup for dinner.  It's my yearly tradition.  I used to take a huge bowl to a lady at my job, but when she left, I just began putting it into containers and freezing.  Last year I was still eating turkey soup in January, but this year, I only managed to save three containers.

Each year my turkey soup seems to get better and better.

Well, that's about it for today.  I'm off to art this morning.  We're going to be making Christmas cards.  Sounds like lots of fun.  I've miss so much in my life.  I'm glad to be healthy enough to make up for it now.  Have a good one.

Monday Morning This and That

Good morning.  It's Monday again, and as another week begins I look back over the week that was.  My goal this year was to make this the best Thanksgiving ever, and it was. Miss Minga was in rare form for a kitty celebrating her 23rd Thanksgiving, and she feasted on liver and white meat. (She snubs dark meat).  My sons, my hubby, and I enjoyed our time together.  We shared some laughs and memories of Thanksgiving past.  And the food turned out delicious.  

On Friday I decorated the tree and hoped to complete all the living room decorations, but about an hour after eating a salad I got so queasy I just curled up in bed and slept for a few hours.  I guess all the excitement  caught up with me. That and the fact that I ate the salad way too fast because I wanted to get done.

Every Christmas I purchase something new to add to my Christmas decorations.  This year I added a Celtic Cross Trinity Advent Candle in honor of my Celtic ancestors.  This shall become a cherished part of my Christmas tradition.

Hopefully I will be able to complete my Christmas shopping today.  I shop online now because I can no longer travel nor carry bags like I used to.  I will not use my debit card so I went out Saturday and bought a couple of gift cards.  I will use them to place my order. When you get older, it is so much easier to do it this way.  

Sunday was a gorgeous day.  Almost felt like the beginning of spring when I stepped outside.  Headed off to church and then came home and finally had a restful day.  It was the first time I've really been able to put my feet up since Tuesday what with all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and decorating.  I didn't think I had it in me anymore.

I'm off to the old center today.  I don't know, this might be my last time going there, depending what happens today.  See, they really don't offer much anymore in the way of activities so I ONLY go to because I have made friends with a few of the clients, and I so enjoy our lunch hour together.  Our table always has so much fun.  But, lately there is an older Italian couple who arrives earlier than everyone else so they can grab seats at our table.  Last Wednesday I found a scarf tied to my chair when I arrived.  That means they had already staked their claim to MY seat.  And what is really annoying is that they aren't sitting there because they just LOVE our company.  No, they totally ignore us which, sorry to say, puts a damper on all of our fun. 

I didn't complain, though.  I just took the seat at the other end.  It worked out because our whole crew wasn't there.  There are only six chairs, and if Betty and her daughter had come, and then there was Anna and Frank, there would be no room for Gloria and I.   If that should happen, and I am to be seated elsewhere, I won't even stay for lunch.  I'll just get back on the bus and head over to the new place where one doesn't care where they sit because there are just so many activities to participate in.  

Oh well, that's about it for now.  We'll see what happens.  Right now I off to shower and grab a bite of breakfast.  Have a good one.

The Day After....

Thanksgiving is the holiday of
peace, the celebration of work
and the simple life. . . a true
folk-festival that speaks the
poetry of the turn of the seasons,
the beauty of seedtime and
harvest, the ripe product of
the year--and the deep, deep
connection of all these
things with God.

Ray Stannard Baker

Good morning.  Well, the holiday has come and gone.  Today I take down the autumn decor and decorate for Christmas.   I used to decorate the tree on Thanksgiving Day, but as I get older I don't have the energy to cook and decorate. 

The nurse came for her monthly visit on Wednesday.  She was not the same one as last month, and hopefully she will be my regular.  She was so pleasant that I was immediately put at ease. I had to ask, "Why are the sending me a nurse?"  Personally, I don't understand it.  Yes, I have health issues and chronic pain, but I do my own cooking, clean my own house, and am able to get out and about.  Her reply, "Because of your emergency room visit.  We want to make sure you stay healthy and out of the emergency room."  I like that Emblem does this.  It shows that there is some 'humanity' there, even though we all know that emergency rooms and hospital tests costs a lot more than a few prescriptions and doctor's visits.

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Quality time with family.  Miss Minga drove me insane, of course.  She never naps on turkey day.  Just follows me every time I go to the kitchen and whines.  I sure do love her.

For dinner I served:

Turkey

Stuffing

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Arroz Gondule (for hubby)

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Turnips

Roasted Broccoli

Greek Style Braised String Beans

Baby Spinach with garlic and oil

Baby Spinach/Arugula Salad with homemade Vinaigrette dressing

Cranberry Sauce

Fruit Cocktail and Cherry Dump Cake 

Notice I made a lot of veggies.  Took WW advice and filled most of my plate with veggies and salad and the rest with a small amount of those favorite foods that contribute to extra poundage.  Sent my boys home with bags of food, and left us with enough for some turkey sandwiches, a meal of leftovers, and my homemade turkey soup.

Well, that's about it for today.  Hoping your Thanksgiving was as happy as mine.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful for the glory of the old Red, White
     and Blue,
  For the spirit of America that still is staunch
     and true,
  For the laughter of our children and the sunlight
     in their eyes,
  And the joy of radiant mothers and their evening
     lullabies;
  And thankful that our harvests wear no taint
     of blood to-day,
  But were sown and reaped by toilers who were
     light of heart and gay.
  Thankful for the riches that are ours to claim
     and keep,
  The joy of honest labor and the boon of happy
     sleep,
  For each little family circle where there is no
     empty chair
  Save where God has sent the sorrow for the
     loving hearts to bear;
  And thankful for the loyal souls and brave
     hearts of the past
  Who builded that contentment should be with
     us to the last.
  Thankful for the plenty that our peaceful land
     has blessed,
  For the rising sun that beckons every man to
     do his best,
  For the goal that lies before him and the promise
     when he sows
  That his hand shall reap the harvest, undisturbed
     by cruel foes;
  For the flaming torch of justice, symbolizing
     as it burns:
  Here none may rob the toiler of the prize he
     fairly earns.
  To-day our thanks we're giving for the riches
     that are ours,
  For the red fruits of the orchards and the
     perfume of the flowers,
  For our homes with laughter ringing and our
     hearthfires blazing bright,
  For our land of peace and plenty and our land
     of truth and right;
  And we're thankful for the glory of the old
     Red, White and Blue,
  For the spirit of our fathers and a manhood
that is true.

Edgar Guest

May your Thanksgiving
be filled with
Peace, Love, and Harmony! 

See you on Monday.

Today I am Grateful For....

Hard to believe, isn't it?  Tomorrow is thanksgiving.  It is a time to gather round and give thanks and remember the blessings of the past year. I'll be fairly busy today with cooking, but I am thankful I chose to do it all yesterday so I don't have to go out in this inclement weather.  There are many things in my life I’m grateful for.  Here is just a few.

I am thankful right now for waking up this morning and for being alive. 

I am thankful for my  loved ones, my hubby who, without his support, I am not sure where I would be today,  and for my two sons who melt my heart with love every time I see them. As a family, we have our ups and downs like everyone else, but they really are my foundation.

I am thankful that Miss Minga is here with us for another Thanksgiving.  

I am thankful for that 1.2 pound weight loss of yesterday, for with each loss my health gets better and better. 

I am thankful that I have a roof over my head and food on my table.  So many people in the world do not have this privilege.

And, along that line, I am thankful for having enough to pay my bills.  I don't need any more than that.

I am thankful that I  have access to public transportation for without it, I would be pretty much homebound.

I am thankful that I the freedom to choose the kind of life I want to live.

I am thankful for my mistakes, for without them, I would not have been able to learn.

I am thankful  for every sunrise and sunset, for the stars in the sky, for the beauty of nature.

I am thankful for the Internet, without which I would never have met all of you.  

I am thankful to you, my friends – for being there for me whenever I need you.

Tuesday Ramble

Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative
decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions
when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient.
The storm will pass. The spring will come.

Robert H. Schuller

Good morning.  Not much to blog about today.  It's going to be a busy one, for sure.  The city has issued a snow alert for Wednesday so all Wednesday plans are now scheduled for today instead.  So, in the morning it's art class and afterwards a trip to the fruit stand. I've some special new healthy recipes to try.  Hubby keeps telling me not to go overboard with dinner, but with so much going on, I want to make sure this one is extra special.

I made an appointment with the eye doctor for December 10th.  I definitely need glasses, but the opthamologist can't write prescriptions so I have to see the optometrist. Time was when you had one eye doctor and one general practitioner.  Now there is a specialist for everything, and we're the ones who have to do all the running around.  My insurance will only cover one pair of glasses, so I am going for the ones to see in the distance.  I can get buy with my 99 cent reading glasses quite well. 

I also called and made an appointment with the social worker.  I definitely need someone to talk to.  I've got no family...and no close friends that I can confide in....and I just need to get it all out.  I know all of you are there for me, and I so count on you all for support, and for that I am so grateful.  You mean the world to me.

Well, time to get a move on.  I'm still debating if I want to stop at WW for my weigh in today instead of going out in the storm tomorrow.  I'm just going to play it by ear.  Have a good one.

Monday Morning This and That

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart

sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find,

in every hour, some heavenly blessings!

Henry Ward Beecher

My two newest tree angels.  Whenever I see an angel in the store, I can never resist.  I have to buy it.

Happy Monday to all. The temperature has warmed up, but it's raining.  Have to go to the center today, though, to pick up my Avon order.  Bought some cologne for my sons to stuff in their stocking, and this will be the last time this week I go.  Tomorrow is my art class at the other center, and Wednesday will be a cooking day. 

On Friday I left early in the morning to take care of my banking so I could avoid running about on Black Friday.  It was brutally cold out with a chilling wind.  The buses all ran slow, and my feet haven't felt so cold since I was a child waiting for the school bus.  I hope this isn't a sign of a rough winter, but with all that snow in Buffalo, I have to wonder. 

After the banking, I stopped to see if I could find some boots, and I found the perfect pair.  Trouble was, I couldn't get them on.  Not that they were too small.  They were the perfect size.  But, the pain kept me from bending to pull them on, and every time I came close, my foot would cramp up.  After twenty minutes of struggling, and the shedding of a few tears, I gave up and bought the shorter version. 

And coming home was a nightmare.  I'd also bought a few long flannel gowns.  It is so hard to find them in my size, so when I do, I buy them.  So here I am with my boots, my nightgowns, and a bag of salad ingredients.  Not much.  But, when one is in pain and uses a cane, well, let's just say the trip home was torture.  So much so that when I finally arrived home, I sat down and the tears just flowed.  It is just so hard dealing with the fact that I just cannot do the things I used to do. 

On another note, hubby did quite a clean out over the weekend.  After all my months of nagging, all it took was a visiting sister from the Dominican Republic.  Each time she visits, she collects clothing from family members to send over there.  Usually it is only me who participates, but this time hubby really went to town.  He must have gotten rid of at least 25 pairs of shoes (one of his addictions) and three huge garbage bags of pants and shirts.  What a huge difference in his closet.  Now we finally have some storage space.

Made a tray of lasagne on Saturday.  Haven't made it in a long time. Hubby's sister was visiting, and hubby said she didn't want Spanish food, she would prefer something Italian.  I am pretty proud of myself.  Ate a light breakfast and lunch and filled my plate with salad and a small portion of lasagne. Not only did I not go over my daily points, but didn't even have to dig into my weekly bonus points. That's the great thing about Weight Watchers.  You are allowed to eat anything you want, in moderation. 

Well, that's about it for today.  I'm off to shower and breakfast.  Talk to you all tomorrow.