Sunday, November 28, 2010

Happy Holidays are upon us!

I hope everyone has had a happy Thanksgiving weekend, sharing food, love and laughter with people you care about. We had a quiet day watching the wind blow everything around, and did the same on Friday!

I have received an early Chanukah gift, as if Chanukah wasn't early enough this year (first candle is Wednesday night). Lill and Jack got me a wireless mouse. To most computer literate people this probably is one of those "duh-uh" sort of things, but to me, who doesn't get rid of anything that still might have a useful life no matter how inconvenient, it's a luxury! Right now, the coffee table is shoved closer to the couch to allow Lou's wheelchair to roll up to the love seat, so the space to move on the couch side is very narrow, not to mention clogged with the cords of my laptop and mouse. Now, I get to take away one, cutting the chance of tripping by 50%! Thank you, kids!! Now the other wish list things move up a notch-nothing really spectacular-I'd like a timer for the kitchen that continues to make noise rather than one beep or ding, I'd like a new turkey baster since ours got cracked in the junk drawer. And that's about it. Everything else is non-material; I'd like continued health for myself and continued recovery for Lou, I'd like my girls to continue to grow as women taking on the world on their terms and to keep thinking I'm cool no matter how I age or what I wear:-), I'd like my sib and sibs-in-law to be happy doing what they are doing. I'd like my friends, both physical and online, to know they are appreciated in ways I cannot verbalize-imagine, an English major having trouble with words.

So, now I'm off to sew Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas chotzkes for the folks around here and get my chocolates started. Next thing you know, it'll be cookie press cookies.....

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving 2010



I have much to be thankful for this year: my body remains cancer free, my family and friends remain close to my heart and sources of joy to me, and most importantly, Lou is back on his feet! "Das Boot", the huge boot given to him at the last doctor visit to protect his foot while he begins to stand and move about again, is working well enough that he is back in the kitchen--a huge relief to me (and though he has been good about my cooking, I'm sure it's a huge relief to him!) I took this picture about 10 minutes ago while he was happily starting sloppy joes. So, once again we'll eat well at the O household.

It's very weird that no one will be home for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. It's a good thing we had one last weekend in Cleveland. Lou directed, I cooked, and it came out really good. I still do not, and never will, understand how people enjoy cooking....

We've got a relatively quiet weekend planned, I will continue to file paperwork and hopefully get some sewing done. Between the boot and the wheelchair, Lou is fairly mobile on his own, which I'm sure is a great relief to him instead of having me push him all over the house. Although, I have to say, for a man with a PhD he can really be dense sometimes. He was feeling a little cabin feverish when I got home today from work, and suggested he come to the store with me for the short list. Excuse me, the afternoon before Thanksgiving? When everyone and their brothers who hasn't gone out of town is in Safeway for their short list? Well, we went, and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Just being out and about- picking ribeye roast for New Year's, chickens for when the girls are home- really lifted his spirits. So, we are getting back to a.b.normal around here, and that's a good thing!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Good day!

Today I feel like I got a lot accomplished though I haven't left the house! I finished my blocks for the first month of the second run of the Bee Balm, but I have to find my camera to take a picture of them to show. I learned a few things from this month: I need a new blade for my rotary cutter, I can follow directions after I read them numerous times, my stash is sadly depleted and I definitely do not have selections that blend with green. My five inch squares were mostly in the green group-a color I have never been fond of except in the out of doors. I wanted to be cool and make three blocks or so, but I didn't have anything to "flesh out" Elaine's choices, so I stretched to use a basic yellow/gold sort with green highlights. Sorry! and oh-I guess I will have to get myself to the fabric store to beef up my stash. I realized it is mostly Chanukah prints for aprons, and some cotton blends for blouses I will eventually make for work.

I got bills paid-always a good thing.

I made a big pot of stuffed cabbage to lift Lou's spirits during this recovery phase. Of course, when I told him I had a big surprise for dinner: stuffed cabbage, he asked where I'd gotten it. Such little faith-there are a few things I can wipe up in the kitchen-so I told him from my two little hands. Hopefully it will taste as good as it smells simmering right now, we will know in about an hour.

I signed up for a second online quilting bee, and this one will really stretch my learning curve. there is a wonderful blog about taking 15 minutes to play-the premise being to take 15 minutes daily to experiment, create, move outside your box or comfort zone. One of the criteria for this round is that one does not use an established block pattern, so it will be interesting to see what others come up with. Fortunately, my block is in the second half of the year.

Tomorrow I hope to take Lou out for a ride to the orchard to get apples for homemade apple sauce. It may be one of the last "top-down" weekends for Miss Lucy, so I want to be out enjoying the sunshine. And since both girls will be home in December, we will have a late latke party with homemade apple sauce.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Snow, already!

Maybe I'm a bad person, but I am REALLY glad that we didn't go to Cleveland this week for elder respite. While driving to the football game, my father-in-law went from snow to rain to drizzle. When he left at halftime and returned home, there was already two inches at the house. I am not ready for snow. I am okay with cool/cold weather, but I am not ready for snow.

Lou's dressing change went well. His foot is not nearly as weird as I think we both thought it would be-right now with the stitches still in, it looks sort of like a hot pocket-you know, the curved edge with the ridges. Most of the ball of his foot has been saved, so that's a good thing, too! He took a nap when we got home, then we had some quality personal hygiene time. He is still not allowed in the shower, but he shaved, rolled up to the sink in the wheelchair and I washed his hair, then we did a sponge bath and fresh clothes. I think this part is just as important as the healing of his foot-he feels better, he looks good, and he's taking more responsibility for dealing with things himself. I think the one time I shaved him after his stroke was enough for him to realize he needed the manual dexterity to do it himself. Tonight, another milestone: he rolled himself over to the dining room table for dinner. Granted, it would have been pretty sloppy trying to eat soup and skirt steak on the couch, but we didn't have to. Of course, Omi wants to see a picture of his foot; so I'll take one when I change the dressing tomorrow.

I haven't gotten any coasters done, but I did make a major dent in the paper on the table. A lot was just recycling that needed to be organized-lots of circulars, etc. but I had to go through it to make sure there wasn't any mail mixed in. I have a neat stack of bills to write out tomorrow morning, then file the receipts and the table will be presentable for eating. We are having our good friend Mariann visiting on Monday night from CA. She is at a conference this weekend in DC, and staying over for a few days of sight-seeing. After our visit, I may bring up one of the portables and put it on the corner of the table (shades of junior high and high school sewing!) so that I can sew up here while we listen to music. I've realized that if I'm keeping Lou company in the bedroom when he stretches out to watch some TV, I'm getting nothing done. He's content to stretch out and listen to music as much as stretch out and watch TV-probably more so. We've always watched TV like a movie house-no lights on. At least when we elder respite I can crochet or knit in the den. If we're listening to music I can be sewing in the corner, I think I'm safe as long as the ironing board doesn't move up here to the living room. (Again, shades of junior high and high school...) that ironing board was a fixture in my mom's home-not only did it get used for ironing, it was convenient for mail, magazines, and sometimes books. I think when we had the party for out of towners the night before we got married, lots of our friends expected to walk in and see the ironing board set up to be used as the buffet.......

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Thursday Nothing

A million years ago, my bro-in-law Jeff and I used to listen to an album from the Fugs. They had a song that started with "Monday nothing, Tuesday nothing...." you can imagine the lack of creativity of this song, or maybe not. Well, today was Thursday Nothing for me. I think I needed to do nothing, and I did. After I got Lou settled into his "office" with his snacks, liquids, pills, etc. I went back to bed and just dozed on and off for most of the day. It was raining and a good place to be. I got up late afternoon, and we had a wonderful conversation on gvoice with Sarah. She sounds good, had a profitable day at school, then found a few items of clothing and was on her way home to study while we chatted. Almost as soon as we hung up Lilli called, and was letting us know she'd be working on her paper or whatever out by the pool. It's so good for her to be in that great weather, not to mention how healthy she looks and feels.

Tomorrow we have the first dressing change on Lou's foot, and will get our next set of instructions. I'm ready, and I think up to the challenge. i think I might actually get some stuff done around the house, too. I have lots of coasters cut and ready to put together, and then I can concentrate on aprons. My friend, Angie, even in SC is badgering me about keeping to the schedule we made for getting "product" created. She should talk, since she moved I don't even think she can FIND her jewelry fixings....but, that's what friends are for.