My sister sent me a text message yesterday afternoon and suggested that I pull out my raclette grill for our dinner meal. She had to pick up her step-son (age fifteen) at 5:00, and could be at my house by 5:30. If you are reading this, and wonder what a raclette grill is, go back in my archives to early January, 2007, and read my raclette post. If you don't want to do that, do a Google search for raclette (there's an article on Wikipedia, too), and you'll get the picture.
I had not used the grill since early last year. It holds eight portions, and I haven't had very many people here to eat since DH passed away. I had looked at the grill the other night when I was putting dishes away, and thought that I needed to get it out and have some people over to use it. So my sister's suggestion was just right.
I sliced and boiled potatoes while I put away the rest of my groceries and got the toppings together that we were going to use. I had ham, smoked sausage (low fat, and it tasted pretty good), pineapple, mandarin oranges, thinly sliced sweet onion, artichoke hearts, sweet pickles (bread and butter), green olives, baby corn, mushrooms, and grated cheese. My step-nephew caught on quickly, and he's all up for another round this afternoon so that his father (my BIL) can join us.
Since I've been exercising and eating a little more responsibly (all right, a LOT more responsibly) after the first of the year, I feel better, and might be up to inviting some non-relatives over to eat. The raclette grill is rather unusual for this part of the country, and I know several families with teenagers that would get a kick out of it. I can handle visiting with people in my home (or theirs, but I don't get many invitations); it's just going places where I would have gone with DH that still upsets me.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
On My Day Off...
in honor of Dr. King, my friend Wanda and I accomplished a lot! She got here at around 10:30, and we started with my linen closet. (I think Wanda could do some work as a professional organizer, but right now, I'm glad she just works for me and three or four other families!) We emptied everything, decided what needed to be discarded, and then rearranged what was going back in a more efficient way. The closet is small, and not very deep front to back, but we were able to store my extra pillows, and move some things into the closet that had been taking up room in my bathroom...and we have half a shelf left over.
From there, we moved into my craft room. I had worked in there on my own yesterday, so today we finished emptying the closet (Wanda has probably watched those organization shows on television), and moved those shelves into my laundry room. We emptied the laundry basket Wanda was using to store cleaning supplies, and moved everything into the shelves. It's now easier to access the upper shelves in that room, and the room actually seems larger. We went back to the craft room and moved all my plastic drawer units into the closet, which made the rest of the craft room seem larger, too. When we moved into the house, I had a vision of putting a small chair and ottoman into that room, but I think that's really not feasible. It is the smallest bedroom in a 1960s ranch house, so it is SMALL, and since I'm alone in the house, I have my choice of places for reading, drawing, and thinking.
We went to eat lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. We usually just get carry-out plates when I'm off from school when Wanda's cleaning my house, but today we decided to eat AT the restaurant. It's in the middle of downtown, located in the Cultural Arts Center, and next door to the art museum. They do a huge lunch business; for $5.95 we got a meat (from a selection of four or five), and all the vegetables of the day (Lima beans, fried green tomatoes, mashed potatoes with gravy, creamed corn), and the dessert of the day (sweet potato pie). The dessert serving is always small, which is a perfect, not-so-guilty way to finish off a substantial meal!
From there, we went to Lowe's, looking for an air-conditioner cover. My bedroom does not have vents from the central unit (it is a garage that was closed in to make a huge master bedroom), so there's a small window unit mounted in the wall. It is NOT sealed well, and we've had temperatures in the low teens during the past week. That means there's cold air coming in from the outside just over my head. Bad news at Lowe's--they have sold out of the air-conditioner covers, but the helpful salesperson told us to go to the building supply department and buy the thickest plastic we could find plus a roll of duct tape, and make our own cover. It's not pretty, but the unit is WELL sealed on the outside. As I sit here and look at the unit from the inside, I think I'm going to replace it this spring with one that fits better into the opening and is probably more energy efficient. At the least, I'm going to get covers for both the inside and the outside, even if I have to order them on the Internet.
We went to Wal-Mart and bought a rack for my shoe collection. I had done REALLY well at not indulging my shoe passion, but Belk's had a really good sale last weekend, and then there was that trip to T.J.Maxx with my sister...Anyway, we got a rack that holds eighteen pairs of shoes and fits in the corner of one of my closets. Now to QUIT buying shoes...
From there, we moved into my craft room. I had worked in there on my own yesterday, so today we finished emptying the closet (Wanda has probably watched those organization shows on television), and moved those shelves into my laundry room. We emptied the laundry basket Wanda was using to store cleaning supplies, and moved everything into the shelves. It's now easier to access the upper shelves in that room, and the room actually seems larger. We went back to the craft room and moved all my plastic drawer units into the closet, which made the rest of the craft room seem larger, too. When we moved into the house, I had a vision of putting a small chair and ottoman into that room, but I think that's really not feasible. It is the smallest bedroom in a 1960s ranch house, so it is SMALL, and since I'm alone in the house, I have my choice of places for reading, drawing, and thinking.
We went to eat lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. We usually just get carry-out plates when I'm off from school when Wanda's cleaning my house, but today we decided to eat AT the restaurant. It's in the middle of downtown, located in the Cultural Arts Center, and next door to the art museum. They do a huge lunch business; for $5.95 we got a meat (from a selection of four or five), and all the vegetables of the day (Lima beans, fried green tomatoes, mashed potatoes with gravy, creamed corn), and the dessert of the day (sweet potato pie). The dessert serving is always small, which is a perfect, not-so-guilty way to finish off a substantial meal!
From there, we went to Lowe's, looking for an air-conditioner cover. My bedroom does not have vents from the central unit (it is a garage that was closed in to make a huge master bedroom), so there's a small window unit mounted in the wall. It is NOT sealed well, and we've had temperatures in the low teens during the past week. That means there's cold air coming in from the outside just over my head. Bad news at Lowe's--they have sold out of the air-conditioner covers, but the helpful salesperson told us to go to the building supply department and buy the thickest plastic we could find plus a roll of duct tape, and make our own cover. It's not pretty, but the unit is WELL sealed on the outside. As I sit here and look at the unit from the inside, I think I'm going to replace it this spring with one that fits better into the opening and is probably more energy efficient. At the least, I'm going to get covers for both the inside and the outside, even if I have to order them on the Internet.
We went to Wal-Mart and bought a rack for my shoe collection. I had done REALLY well at not indulging my shoe passion, but Belk's had a really good sale last weekend, and then there was that trip to T.J.Maxx with my sister...Anyway, we got a rack that holds eighteen pairs of shoes and fits in the corner of one of my closets. Now to QUIT buying shoes...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
I've Been a Good Girl
Early in December, I bought a recumbent exercise bicycle. I used it sporadically throughout the month, and then slacked off during the holidays. I told myself that I was going to get on track before I went back to school after Christmas. We got home from Florida on December 30, and I started riding again on December 31. I've ridden every day except two; I set my goal for twenty minutes each day, and I've beaten my goal every day except two. I am keeping up with my minutes and with my food intake on SparkPeople.com; I'm not doing quite as well with my food, but I think I'm doing better than I was before I started keeping a record. I have a couple of personal weaknesses that I haven't indulged at all since the first of the year, and I can tell that I feel much better.
I am an adult diabetic, and I have learned to judge my blood sugar level by the way I feel before I check it with my monitor. Since I've begun exercising again regularly, my blood sugar is much better, and I feel better in several other ways. I am in the midst of a rough patch of days--my dad died three years ago today; DH went to the hospital a year ago on January 21; DH's birthday would have been February 1; the anniversary of his death will be March 10. The exercise has helped me emotionally; I still have days when I cry while I'm taking a shower, but I haven't had as many of those, and I am sleeping better most of the time.
I kept a paper journal for several years before I married DH. I got away from it after we married, and only did it sporadically when my parents and DH were hospitalized for long periods (keeping a record of all information, visitors, etc.). I have started again on a regular basis, and plan to keep that up through the year. I can type faster than I can write, but there's something about the flow of ink on paper that can't be duplicated online.
I have a stack of pictures waiting to be scrapped. I started in that direction Thursday night when I started working on some all-occasion cards to have ready when I need one. While we were in Florida after Christmas, I visited the Scrapbook Clearance Center in Destin, and bought about $50 in supplies. I've enjoyed looking at them; maybe soon I'll be using them again.
We had an VERY slight accumulation of snow Wednesday evening, so I have those pictures, plus the pictures of my great-niece as she explored the beach in Destin, and when she got to eat with the grownups at a "real" restaurant (as oppposed to fast food!). I've put lots of my pictures of her into small photo albums so I could show them off at work, but her mother and uncle love looking at the books I've made over the years, so I need to get her one of her own to enjoy when she's a little older (she's almost twenty months old).
I am an adult diabetic, and I have learned to judge my blood sugar level by the way I feel before I check it with my monitor. Since I've begun exercising again regularly, my blood sugar is much better, and I feel better in several other ways. I am in the midst of a rough patch of days--my dad died three years ago today; DH went to the hospital a year ago on January 21; DH's birthday would have been February 1; the anniversary of his death will be March 10. The exercise has helped me emotionally; I still have days when I cry while I'm taking a shower, but I haven't had as many of those, and I am sleeping better most of the time.
I kept a paper journal for several years before I married DH. I got away from it after we married, and only did it sporadically when my parents and DH were hospitalized for long periods (keeping a record of all information, visitors, etc.). I have started again on a regular basis, and plan to keep that up through the year. I can type faster than I can write, but there's something about the flow of ink on paper that can't be duplicated online.
I have a stack of pictures waiting to be scrapped. I started in that direction Thursday night when I started working on some all-occasion cards to have ready when I need one. While we were in Florida after Christmas, I visited the Scrapbook Clearance Center in Destin, and bought about $50 in supplies. I've enjoyed looking at them; maybe soon I'll be using them again.
We had an VERY slight accumulation of snow Wednesday evening, so I have those pictures, plus the pictures of my great-niece as she explored the beach in Destin, and when she got to eat with the grownups at a "real" restaurant (as oppposed to fast food!). I've put lots of my pictures of her into small photo albums so I could show them off at work, but her mother and uncle love looking at the books I've made over the years, so I need to get her one of her own to enjoy when she's a little older (she's almost twenty months old).
Sunday, January 13, 2008
I Was Married to a Difficult Man
His father is/was a difficult man, and I suspect that DH's younger son is/will be a difficult man for the woman who is fortunate enough to be married to him (he's still single, but has been dating the same young lady for about a year). I once told my mother-in-law that she and I were married to the same man, just at different stages in their lives. She laughed and agreed.
I don't mean difficult in a particularly negative way. In fact, I always considered my marriage to DH to be an adventure, and one of the most interesting adventures I've ever had. I didn't marry (for the first time) until I was 45, and DH was 48. He had been married several times, but the longest marriage was to the mother of his sons, and that lasted for around fourteen years. If DH had been able to stop drinking while they were married, the marriage might have lasted, but who knows?
DH had very high expectations of himself, and therefore, he had very high expectations for everyone else in his life. When he didn't live up to his own expectations, he became very frustrated, and the same thing could happen when one of the people in his life didn't meet DH's standards for them. He was never deliberately unkind; in fact, he was one of the most tender-hearted people I've ever known. He was sometimes gruff, but I think that was probably to cover up his sensitive side. He was always willing to help anyone who needed him, and because of his past, he had a special place in his heart for those struggling with addictions.
I once told DH's sons that I had never met anyone who didn't like their father. I told them that there had been some times when their mother wasn't particularly fond of him, but that they had both worked through their issues and she even liked him again by the time he passed away (at my invitation, she came to be with us at the hospital while we waited; they boys needed their mom since they were losing their dad).
I don't mean difficult in a particularly negative way. In fact, I always considered my marriage to DH to be an adventure, and one of the most interesting adventures I've ever had. I didn't marry (for the first time) until I was 45, and DH was 48. He had been married several times, but the longest marriage was to the mother of his sons, and that lasted for around fourteen years. If DH had been able to stop drinking while they were married, the marriage might have lasted, but who knows?
DH had very high expectations of himself, and therefore, he had very high expectations for everyone else in his life. When he didn't live up to his own expectations, he became very frustrated, and the same thing could happen when one of the people in his life didn't meet DH's standards for them. He was never deliberately unkind; in fact, he was one of the most tender-hearted people I've ever known. He was sometimes gruff, but I think that was probably to cover up his sensitive side. He was always willing to help anyone who needed him, and because of his past, he had a special place in his heart for those struggling with addictions.
I once told DH's sons that I had never met anyone who didn't like their father. I told them that there had been some times when their mother wasn't particularly fond of him, but that they had both worked through their issues and she even liked him again by the time he passed away (at my invitation, she came to be with us at the hospital while we waited; they boys needed their mom since they were losing their dad).
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Happy New Year!
I made it through Christmas. I spent time with DH's family on the Saturday before Christmas, and that was nice. I stayed for about two hours, and then I had to leave. I cried most of the way home, then blew my nose and went to my sister's house to visit with the great-niece. I went home after dinner, and my sister called me at 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning and asked me to take her to the emergency room. Her husband works second shift, so he had just gotten to bed, and she was afraid that he would be too sleepy to drive, so I was happy to take her.
When they realized how much pain she was having, they began to move quickly. She had a CAT scan, and it showed the 7 mm (about 1/3 of an inch!) kidney stone that her body was TRYING to pass. She got a morphine drip shortly afterward! She was in a room by 6:00 a.m., and the ER doctor had talked to the urologist on call. The nurse came in at 9:30 for her to sign the surgery release papers, the doctor came in at 10:00 to talk to her, and they took her down for surgery at 11:00. She was back in her room by 12:30 p.m., and my niece had come to take over and let me go home. My sister was home by 4:00, and feeling MUCH better! She couldn't pick up the baby (19 months old) during Christmas, but that was a small price to pay to get rid of the pain!
We left for Destin, Florida, on December 27. My niece, her husband, their daughter (the 19-month-old), my sister, my nephew, and I spent four days on a condo across the street from the beach. We took the baby to the beach twice (she LOVED sand, but did not like the water...probably too cold) since the temperature was in the sixties while were there. We shopped at the outlet mall, ate seafood (we ate dinner at 4:30 in the afternoons so that the baby could go with us without being tired and fussy...easier on us and on the other diners!), played games, and just enjoyed each other's company.
I am back at school, and this year will be over before I know it. I still plan to teach three more years, and then retire. I will have been in the same school for more than 35 years when I retire, and while I have enjoyed it thoroughly (and still do, MOST of the time), I am ready to spend more time with my family and play with my art projects. I may even get a little part-time job or do some tutoring. I've always tutored kids from church for free, but I might turn it into a small for-profit enterprise! My niece is planning to have one or two more children, and I want to have time to enjoy them as much as I enjoyed my niece and nephew when they were growing up.
When they realized how much pain she was having, they began to move quickly. She had a CAT scan, and it showed the 7 mm (about 1/3 of an inch!) kidney stone that her body was TRYING to pass. She got a morphine drip shortly afterward! She was in a room by 6:00 a.m., and the ER doctor had talked to the urologist on call. The nurse came in at 9:30 for her to sign the surgery release papers, the doctor came in at 10:00 to talk to her, and they took her down for surgery at 11:00. She was back in her room by 12:30 p.m., and my niece had come to take over and let me go home. My sister was home by 4:00, and feeling MUCH better! She couldn't pick up the baby (19 months old) during Christmas, but that was a small price to pay to get rid of the pain!
We left for Destin, Florida, on December 27. My niece, her husband, their daughter (the 19-month-old), my sister, my nephew, and I spent four days on a condo across the street from the beach. We took the baby to the beach twice (she LOVED sand, but did not like the water...probably too cold) since the temperature was in the sixties while were there. We shopped at the outlet mall, ate seafood (we ate dinner at 4:30 in the afternoons so that the baby could go with us without being tired and fussy...easier on us and on the other diners!), played games, and just enjoyed each other's company.
I am back at school, and this year will be over before I know it. I still plan to teach three more years, and then retire. I will have been in the same school for more than 35 years when I retire, and while I have enjoyed it thoroughly (and still do, MOST of the time), I am ready to spend more time with my family and play with my art projects. I may even get a little part-time job or do some tutoring. I've always tutored kids from church for free, but I might turn it into a small for-profit enterprise! My niece is planning to have one or two more children, and I want to have time to enjoy them as much as I enjoyed my niece and nephew when they were growing up.
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