Christmas Fun - Ornaments

                                                              

This year Brandon, Brody and I made the flour/salt/water Christmas cookie cutter ornaments.  So easy, I can't believe we have not done this in the past.  Brandon really got into it and we made a whole bunch.

The receipt for them is so easy.  4 Cups of flour, 1 Cup of salt and 1 1/2 Cup of water (more or less as needed).  Mix it up into a dough, roll out about 1/4 inch, cut with cutters and place on a ungreased cookie sheet.  Put in oven at 250 degrees for at least 60 minutes (more if needed).  Cool down and let them further dry out.  Brush out extra flour and get ready to paint. 

The Cook

 

So Brandon loves to cook.  Thanksgiving is definitely his jam.  He loves putting all the butter and spices on the turkey.  Of course he has to taste all the different spices, individually and mixed together.  Tonight he made a margarita pizza using tortillas.  As you can see from the above photo.  So proud.

He is also a great eater...just about anything you put in front of him.  He does not however, like milk and anything that is milk.  Kind of odd I think.

He will try at least one bite which his grandpa would be so very proud of him as this was his rule on trying different foods.

Dogs and Cats

I can remember having a dog growing up on the farm.  Mostly a Collie.  Not like now days, dogs were not kept inside and our dogs never were given dog food bought at the store, only food scrapes from the table.

We also had a huge tom cat.  He was not fixed so at night he roamed outside.  He was a scrapper, as many times when the next day came you could tell he had been in a "cat" fight the night before.  However, I remember my siblings, etc. also dressed this huge cat in doll clothes and lugged him all around.  He was so gentle.  He loved to be held and purrrrrrrrred like a kitten.

We also had barn cats (probably some of those messing with Tom Cat) that we chased all around the hay loft.  They usually tried to avoid us and were not friendly.  They were there to keep the mice, etc. population down to nothing and did a good job.

We had other animals on the farm, some I was too young to remember and some I just have forgotten.  I remember at one time having sheep, hogs, cattle, etc.  Of course I always wanted to have a pony but we never had one of them.

We did have a lot of fun just growing up on the farm.  Plenty of trees to climb and a barn and barn loft as our playground.

Everyone needs...

 that one true person that cares, but really does not care.  It is hard to explain.  Be there to listen, but not there to lecture or to fix the situation. Maybe give a hug and just give you a release.  I'm sure that has been a quote by someone in the past as it is sooooooooo true.

Travels

Traveled to AZ from Chicago before Thanksgiving.  I was prepared for a nightmare but was not so bad.  The plane that was to go from Chicago to AZ was 1/2 hour late but everything went very smoothly from boarding to arriving.

I was very happy to depart the airplane to really nice AZ weather.  A little wind cooled the night but the next week was very nice.  I even had shorts on.

Had a nice chat with friends and a very nice dinner with Matt, Kelley and the boys.  Brandon, as usual, was excited to butter and spice up the turkey.  I think he likes the spices more than anything.  Matt, of course, had a ham steak (he just is not a turkey/chicken fan) and the sides were delicious as well. 

I made sure to take my meds but did end up laying down for most of the rest of the day. 

No downers

I know that with this health issue I will have lots of downer days.  I am most upset about just being sooooo tired.  I am a go go type person and to be able to lay around with a heat pad and literally not move or do anything is hard for me mentally.  I really do try to stay in an up mood around people and keep my down moods to myself.  I do not want people to pity or feel pity for me.  But, I do realize that I need to have those down feelings at times.  It is just part of the process and I need to realize that it's okay to have them.

 So, I will try to post  more good vibes and touch on the downers.

True Friends

I would hope that everyone has had or have that one or two true friend and going both ways are so giving and willing to receive as well.

i have this one friend that I went to school with.  Kept in close contact throughout after school years and adult years.  Can call at anytime for anything.  Always there, like we see each other every day even though not close in proximity to each other.

Another friend that she and her husband were actually my work boss but so close to Ron and I.  We did so much together.  I have loss my Ron and she has lost her Ron.  She does not live close, however this is a friend that we can talk once a year and it's like we live next door to each other.  We have both moved closer to our families, but we will always be close.

I still have lunch or get together with a very dear, elegant lady that I worked with.  She is everything I wished I was...tall, thin, pretty without all the artificial stuff, gentle, caring and so giving.  She will always be there for whatever is needed.  We talk about everything.  I always feel so calm when we meet and that she truly cares.  No, she's not perfect and I get to listen as well which means we are so much alike in so many ways.

My last boss and his wife are also very dear friends.  We don't get together as much as we would like but when we do we talk about everything.  I love that, talking about everything, not just held to one subject, etc.  They too are so nice and treat me with such true caring.  I love getting cards from them with notes of hope and uplifting words.

Then there is our best friends/neighbors.  We were like so different, yet so much the same.  We did so much together.  We were considered "first responders" to each other.  They were there for when Ron died and there after for me.  I could always depend on them for anything.  We are separated by many miles, yet still so close.  

And than my two besties.  Who would have thought that one of my former bosses and her husband would be my best friends.  I can ask anything of them.  They treat me as if I was their family (maybe closer than family).  All I have to do is ask and not ask any they are there for me.  There is so much to say...

My family is my family, but my friends are priceless and I am so privileged to have collected so many over the years.  And it seems that I have had the privilege to work with so many good, caring people...as Yoda would say..."so lucky have been I"

11/11/13

 Today, 11/11/13 at 8:03 pm.  8 years ago...seems like forever and then again just like yesterday.  I miss him every day.  Love you Ron!

Medical Day

Monday:

I had a CT Scan scheduled. .. Joe was exhausted and just did not overall feel good...  Joci was sick and Jennifer has not felt well for a week.  So,

Joe stayed home from school and did a catch up  day, slept most of it.

Joci went to the urgent care and has ear infections in both ears.

Jennifer has pneumonia, x-ray, IVs, and two nights in the hospital.

Me, only change is as we suspected, all areas the cancer is growing and has expanded into new areas.  Left kidney is in danger of not operating at full potential, as the cancer is in the lymph system it is pressing on many nerve endings and is probably the cause of my voice sounding very horsey.  

There is always good news with the bad.....hey, NO Covid!