I'm All Abuzz

Jean flew a mercy mission, again. Thank you Jean for the Cranberry Relish recipe. I plan to make good use of it this Thanksgiving Day.

I've discovered even bad biscuits taste good on a cold, cold day, however bad pumpkin bread is bad no matter what.

I was teasing Ian early the other morning and asked him if he wanted some pumpkin bread before he left for work in thirty minutes. Little smart aleck said "Yes" knowing there was no way I could do it. When I asked I was teasing him, but then I remembered I had some left over bread in the freezer from some distant past holiday baking. I defrosted it while he showered and presented it to him as he was leaving, with a flourish, "Here is your hot pumpkin bread." He scooped it up, with a flourish, and said "I'll share it at work." Taste it first, I pleaded, it has been in the freezer for a while, make sure it is share-able.

He texted me later and said it wasn't share-able.

Bad pumpkin bread is just plain bad.

My awesome scar at my eye is disappearing. I complained to Jean that it was turning into a "cute" scar. Jean reminded me a "cute" scar was better than no scar at all. Jean is always right.

The doctor's have determined my wobbliness and tremors are probably due to low vitamin B-12. I will start a series of shots for the next six weeks. I canceled the neurologist appointment, I don't really want him poking around in my brain. I'm scared of what he will find, or not. All my other tests were sort of normal.

Jeff if you really really want a handicap-hangy-down-thing you have to be wobbly.

When I went to the medical supply place with my prescription in hand they only had an ugly black cane and an ugly grey cane. If I am going to wobble around with a cane, by golly, it is going to be interesting, I'll just buy the dern thing. Haven't yet.

I somehow wrecked a knee and it is giving me fits. About 15 years ago the doctor told me I needed to have something inside fixed, a meniscus or something like that, of course I didn't do it. Ever since, ever once in a while, it goes out of whack, but this time it seems a little more serious. Oh, woe is me. I need that cane.

My Godzilla plant apparently hates warm weather. I used to pull 20 dead leaves a day off the plant, now that it is cold I get 1 or 2. I think it's holding onto its leaves for dear life.

I bought a fricken newspaper. I have no idea why. I was in the grocery store looking at cookies, lovingly I might add, and almost ran my cart into the salesman. He said, "Whoa there partner, have I got a deal for you." I could get three months for 4.95 a month and they would give me three 5.00 grocery gift cards right then. Okay, I kinda like a newspaper, although not as much at some other family members, and it was for the Everett Herald, Mary's favorite local paper, so I said yes. I still have no idea why, but I didn't buy the cookies and my 39.00 worth of groceries was 24.00 that day. Did I win or lose?

What if you only had six months left to live? You know, the Earth will explode in six months sort of scenario. How would you spend those six months? I knew I never should have read The Last Policeman by Ben Winters. Would you go for the Bucket List, continue on, commit suicide, commit an act of revenge on a long held grievance, forgive a long held grievance?

As I pondered this it seemed to me life is like a river, I live life forward, towards my children, and their children, but this doesn't account for my friends who don't have children. They live life forward also. We won't get out of life alive, but we continue forward somehow. Actually we do all have a metaphorical asteroid heading for us personally, we won't get out of life alive, but in this novel we all go boom together. If we are all going to go boom -- what then would you do? Interesting question that I have no answer for.

I am saddened by bad things happening to good people.
Look at Buffalo.
I am really saddened by bad things happening to good people and there is nothing I can do about it but love them.

I made a comforting soup to help drive away thinking about bad things. I think I would still cook soup if an asteroid was headed my way. You will not be sorry if you make it. I found the recipe when I went through a thousand recipes some time ago. I have no idea where the recipe came from, who gave it to me, or anything else about it, but there are seven other soup recipes on that same sheet of paper and now I plan to make all of them. This is soup weather and this soup is delicious.

Savory Cheese Soup
1 large onion chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, I used more
2 cups chicken broth
2 carrots chopped
1 large potato cubed
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

Saute onion and celery
Stir in flour, mustard and Worcestershire until vegetables are evenly coated and mixture is bubbly.
Stir in broth, carrots, potato
Bring to boil stirring occasionally
Cook about 25 min
Add milk
Cook over medium heat until almost boiling
Do not boil
Reduce heat and add cheese
Not a heritage recipe, but absolutely yummy.

I read an article about de-cluttering your life and all it did for me was clutter up my brain. But my asteroid isn't here yet and I have some things to give away. Summer do you still collect tea sets? Are you interested in antiques, glitzy stuff, sentimental stuff, jewelry, Native American, heritage linens, hankies, turtles, frogs, clowns? Have I got a collection for you, except for a tea set, I don't think I have one of those, but I have everything else on this list. If you want some it's yours just let me know what you collect or what you would like to collect. Love you.

I found some more grapefruit scented soap and that made me happy.
I made soup.
Washed all my throw rugs.
Wrote the blog.
Planned my Thanksgiving dinner
Wrote my grocery list.
Watched a movie, La Danse.
Not bad, documentary about the Paris Opera Ballet.
Talked to Jean for a bit.
Ian told me he wanted a new iron and ironing board for Christmas.
Only Ian.
I'm buying groceries tomorrow since Ian will be available to haul them in and put them away.

Just how delightful can life be, asteroid or not.