Just need to talk to my friends(201)

Mint

Crab stuffed Mushrooms sounds good.

HB I might look on eBay and see if I can find that book. Hope you are starting to feel better And that your mom isn’t aspirating. Sometimes speech therapy can work with them and help them, just depends.

Went to a little musical program they had where mom is at. It was too long and too loud. Mom and I enjoyed the cookies and the cheesecake. Just before I left, mom said to me, this is the ideal place for an old person. She said they give me three meals a day and stuck up three fingers . Said now I’m tired and all I got to do just go back and lay down. Music to my ears.

Realtor messaged me this afternoon and said the title company now has the money so it’s rescheduled for tomorrow morning. Hopefully it’ll happen. Might have made my final inspection Of the house today. A lot of things have happened at that house. My sister told me that house makes her sad. It doesn’t make me sad, I like the house, but a lot of sad things did happen there.I won’t miss the house. There will always be a lot of memories connected with the house. I hope the man that bought it has a good life there, and it serves him well. He is just a little bit older than me.

Judith, hope your Chicken turned out well. Capers is another thing I’ve never eaten, don’t even really know what they are.

Hope each one of you gets a good nights rest

JeriLynn66

picture doesn’t even do this evening’s sky justice. Just magnificent! Rest well tonight my dear friends ❤️

David1946

Beautiful photo

Lorita

Chilly and cloudy all day. FedEx delivered my Chewy order. Left the two, heavy boxes outside the yard and took off.. Label says to put them on the porch. So had to open boxes and get the heavy heavy things to the porch.. Two big cases of dog food. Two cases of cat food and a 35 lb. Pail of cat litter. Really bothered my costo so back is hurting. Did call FedEx and they will report it which might help. May have been a new driver. Most.of the heavy things are still on the porch.

Also gett delivery from WM just before dark. Saw the full, almost, moon last night and up it was so big and pretty reflecting in a different pond, what used to be in the hog pasture.

I am through for the night. OKC Thunder play tonight so will watch that. Judith, I had strawberry yogurt for supper. See you all tomorrow + rest well.

Carl46

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/231302#Comment_231302

Thanks for the youtube idea. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I found a two-hour recording of wind in spruce trees that is just perfect.

Carl46

I could just feel my blood pressure drop while I listened to the wind in the trees. Then I warmed a bowl of bean & pasta soup and returned to the video. Now, THAT is relaxing! Good night, friends.

Mint

Good morning

Beautiful sunset JeriLynn

saw the beautiful moon last nnight Lorita. It was right outside my bedroom window.

That is great Carl, glad you found it.

HB Found several copies of that recipe book on eBay. There’s another older recipe book I’ve been thinking about ordering from eBay, so might do that before too long, we’ll see.

harshedbuzz

Good morning all.

Today's forecast has improved— the rain will be arriving after dark which means I can get mom and cat to their respective appointments without anyone getting wet. I may even have tome to string some lights in mom's front bed. We redid the landscaping with smaller and dwarf plants that are finally robust enough to have lights in them. It'll be pretty, I think. For the first time ever, every single house on my cul de sac has some sort of Christmas lights. It's lovely at dinner. My own display is pretty modest, but I'm glad I made the effort. I only do it for DS who likes to see the lights when he gets home from work. There's one lady who is channeling her inner Clark Griswald— she even has music.
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Lorita— I'm sorry about your shipping woes. That sounds really frustrating. In the event your driver doesn't follow instructions, is there an alternative to you lugging them?

In addition to complaining to Fed Ex, I rattle some cages at Chewey. They might be more effective in complaining to Fed Ex when their customers aren't happy. Chewey isn't the only game in town if one of the other shippers has a better record of following directions.

Judith— Ah the bliss of obtaining your chicken "recipe ready". DH thinks it's an indulgence, lol. It is therapeutic at times. Especially when DH says something dumb like breaking down my own chickens.

The chicken with pasta and capers sounds lovely.

Mint— Good luck today for a seamless transaction. It'll be a relief to have this off your to-do list. It really sounds as though your mom is settling in well. Isn't it funny how sometimes it turns out to be the one you'd least suspect.

That cookbook is available through several resellers, but it isn't cheap. The copy I bought my niece as a housewarming was around $50. And to think I balked when DH found a copy in a thrift store in rural Indiana for $12. I'm glad he didn't listen to me. Mom's mom gave each daughter a copy when they got married. My nana was an exceptional cook who grew up on a potato farm in Maine. The kitchen was her sanctuary and she never allowed her children to invade it, so they are self-taught.

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I made it through the day yesterday. DS isn't faring as well. We were supposed to go out for pizza but at 4 pm, he announced that he needed a nap. DH offered to bring one home, but he declined. When we got home, he'd thrown up twice. This makes me question the food poisoning theory as we didn't eat any of the same things in the days leading up to me being sick. So far, his doesn't look like Norovirus, a phenomenon with which he is familiar— his high school marching band went on a performance tour of Argentina and only 4 of the 119 kids dodged it. The poor school nurse got almost no sleep for 5 days passing out the Pepto.

Today is veterinarian at 11am for the cat who is now strong enough to fight me on crating and 2pm for PCP/ mom who is generally more cooperative.

HB

BethL

HB, I missed the story on the cookbook. What is the name of it and what makes it special to you?

Lorita

Morning cold here this morning with North wind. Wind chill is in the thirties. When I feel stressed I listen to Chinese Zen music. Glad you found the wind in the trees, Carl. Beans and potato soup together? Oh bet it was white beans. I think I will have Brown beans today. Love potato soup!!

eaglemom

Good morning……… Lorita your cold north wind has made it to our house. Quite the change from yesterday. We had a brief rain shower over night but its sunny now and very windy.

I know what our dinner will be, beans. DH would eat beans every meal and every day if I cooked them. Matter of fact, his nickname is Chili Bean! How funny is that?

Something very nice happened yesterday. I've mentioned we have our Christmas light hung by a lighting company. That makes it easy for me. Most on our block do the same. There is one younger family and he installed those 'under the eaves of your house' lights. They do look nice and can do all sorts of things. Anyway their neighbor was talking to him and saying how nice they look, etc & the guy said he'd install them if they'd purchase the lights. Of course they jumped on it. Several evening ago DH was getting our mail and commented to our neighbor how nice their new lights look. Yesterday the neighbor showed up with the lights and installed them! I paid him for the lights but he just wanted to do this because he'd heard DH really liked them. Now, I will say DH was outside with him and so enjoyed talking with him, handing him this or that, etc. It just warmed my heart. I'm going to do something for them for doing this for us, I'm just not sure what yet.

Time to get busy. Let's be safe everyone.

jfkoc

wrapping…

Ron…?????

JeriLynn66

Praise the Good Lord, I’ve finished wrapping!

Lorita

Eagle, how nice of your neighbor and how good that made your husband feel so good to.be able to help.him.

I love brown beans. Living in the country where we grew and raised everything they were a staple. Nothing better than beans, fried potatoes, sliced tomatoes, cornbread and onions.

Looks like we're going to have to go to Louisiana to check on Ron. Does anyone know his last name?

Not feeling quite up to par today still have on town and robe. Did get to the mailbox to get cards in the mail.

Had a nice long visit with Todd last night. It was his 49th birthday and guess he wss feeling down without Sarah. I sent his card a few days ago thinking his birthday was the 8th. He's having a hard time and just needed to talk.

Hear the girls bawling so someone must be feeding or they heard a truck on the road. Better go check.

Lorita

Yep, it was a white flatbed down on the north road. Most of the girls are in the NE pasture but a few are east and they were bawling. They know the sound of the feedtruck. When we fed they knew the sound of our PU and would look and bawl wen we drove down the road. They're smart! I miss feeding them but can still go out and be with them when I need to. Darwin says he misses taking care of his, too. JeriLynn, any babies yet?

Iris L.

Lorita, do you have a wagon or cart to carry packages into the house? I have a small cart that I use to bring my groceries from the car into the house.

Iris

Carl46

Lorita, not beans and potatoes. Beans and pasta, Italian style. Not that there's anything wrong with white beans and potatoes. Mom used to cook peas and new potatoes together when they were in season and that was pretty good.

We had a poem about beans when I was a boy.

Beans, beans, the musical fruit!

The more you eat, the more you toot.

The more you toot the better you feel

So let's have beans with every meal!

Lorita

I do, Iris. It's like a wheel barrow but with two wheels. That gets me to the porch steps but there are three steps up and then through the house to the pantry or utility room. I have a dolly I can use for the cat litter and heavy dogfood cases. But, still have to lift them.

Used to lift 50 lb. Feed sacks but had to bear hug them. Charles would put the feed sacks in the feeders and I emptied them and that worked well. My back isn't bothering me today but still have dogfood and cat litter on the front porch to get in.

GPs wanted out last night after we went to bed and came in about 5. They have slept all day.

How are you today, Iris? Did you have a good night's sleep?

Iris L.

Lorita, amazingly, I slept through the night without waking once, and I awoke rested and ready to start my day! Hallelujah! I'm at the car dealership right now, getting my car serviced.

Only once have I picked up 50 lbs, and that was many years ago, when I was about 19. My muscles are not strong now.

Mint, I hope your closing was completed today. I like what your mom says about her AL, three meals snd then she gets to lay down!

JeriLynn, your Sunday dinner sounds delicious. What is a Boxing Club?

Carl, I learned that beans song when I was in school, all the kids loved to sing it. My family loved kale and all the greens: collard, turnip and mustard. I think I might have had bok choy once, at an Asian all-you-can eat buffet. I am not a fan.

My mom made bread pudding with fruit cocktail. I have eaten it with raisins, also with a rum sauce. Toffee bead pudding sounds delicious!

I don't think I have listened to wind blowing through trees but it does sound soothing. I'll have to search for this sound.

Judith, what type of meat market will pound your chicken for you? What chicken did you prepare?

David, I know you will enjoy being home for a couple of days.

HB, I hope you and your family recover from your GI woes soon! And hope that your mom gets her swallowing test soon.

Eagle, I like beans too!

Iris

Lorita

HB, I did call Chewy and he said he would contact FrdEx. No alternative I can think about. UPS is even worse. They tend to leave pkgs. At the main gate/mailbox. Complaining does no good. I understand they have big turnovers and that is partially the cause.

Several years ago it was always the same drivers and there was no problem. A couple.of months ago the main gate was closed - not locked. I had a big Chewy order and that time there were two men in the truck and they were actually carrying the heavy.boxes the quarter mile to the house.. I saw them and went down and met them. It's just individual drivers who are in a big hurry. The WM delivery is great, no complaints about it.

Mint, I certainly dread the time when.I decide to sell the farm. I wouldn't do it but no relative to follow through. When I do decide to do it I'll do the lifetime estate I think it's called, where I can live here rent free until —whatever. Mike and I have discussed it. I will probably need input from you and others because I have never sold property. I hate to think about selling,- really hard to sell a place where you were born and lived there almost your whole life. Do hope you get your house sale completed soon.

Mint

House sale was completed today.

Eagle what a kind neighbor you have.

My favorite beans are pinto and black. I like kidney beans pretty well too. I’m not too much for northern or navy.

loveskitties

Lorita, you might want to look into something like the attached to help you get things into the house…

https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Climbing-Capacity-Folding-Telescoping/dp/B0DJ74688M/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2SP8QEP3TCB8Y&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.2Me8KaWT2V_dHT1rTDY_MCUqwSZ4PEzIecoeIirzTHrcYTLeZBMWZuEKBdbTmh_zTQvTRKwQ-n7DZAyuNrYcc4MaYTiERnCqnWG5PPOoyIWDaeuEj9hEnJV4tFZYd3Wv8tMeE9esSfSimK-HbNdz76O6EByAnOMqvVyll35qPAyRfmvZnfmV2E5bjSxA5pfhReGVcDTB8VKdLLn_EDgMw2SwLWiJcqyBDT_X10tic10.pD_SbkP347r2qkFn2Dx9g0TsrMbKsQ2jMFBWUsWteDE&dib_tag=se&keywords=cart+which+climbs+stairs&qid=1734559801&sprefix=cart+which+climbs+stairs%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-4

BethL

Mint, so glad your house sale went through. It is a relief. HB, I am glad you and your mom are feeling better. JeriLynn, happy you finished wrapping gifts. Hope all will enjoy their evening and rest well tonight.

Lorita

Thanks, Matie. I think I saw those on QVC but would still have to pull them up the steps. Just have to be sure to get.out on the porch when FedEx comes and make them bring the things to the porch.

Congratulations, Mint. Bet you sleep well tonight. Good night, everyone.

Iris L.

Lorita, could you install a Ring-type doorbell on your gate so that the drivers could notify you when they make a delivery? I'm surprised that you are having so much difficulty, yours is not the only place with a long driveway, out there in the country.

Iris

Carl46

Mint, I'm glad that's over!

I am so glad to find a bean addiction support group. My mother told me she never realized how many beans I ate until I moved out. She had been cooking beans two pounds at a time for years and in a few days they would be gone. After I left, they weren't gone anymore, and she started cooking one pound at a time. I guess one pound was for me and the other pound was for five other people.

When we raised a large garden, we planted rows of bush beans and also planted pole beans with the corn. The beans put nitrogen in the soil for the corn and climbed the corn stalks, so we didn't have to stake them. The Indians did that and planted squash in the hill as well, so that the squash leaves acted as a mulch to suppress weeds and keep the soil moist. They called it the "three sisters."

Well, it's "bean" fun. Good night

Carl46

Iris, trees are soothing. A person's blood pressure drops just by walking under trees. I think the Japanese call it "forest bathing." There is a place in the Piney Creek Wilderness where a grove of tall pines lives. I remember lying on my back on a bed of pine needles and watching the tree tops move in the wind. Sometimes I close my eyes and go back there.

JeriLynn66

Good morning,

I finally slept. For some reason I've been waking up at midnight, 2 am and spend the day exhausted. But it rained really hard yesterday and DH had to come inside early. He was tired too. So we napped. Then I made dinner (really quick dinner, I cheated. A package of cheddar rice, asparagus topped with salmon in the oven and toasted hoagie rolls), fell asleep in my chair and went to bed at 7, Slept till 3 am. So I'm rested this morning.

Off to the Doctor for me, DH will drive me. Then the Accountant. Then tractor supply, Then the grocery store and bank. We pick up the 6 year old great granddaughter from school at 11:30 tomorrow. She and I will make cookies and deliver them down the road to my Aunt along with her gifts. Then we'll make a spaghetti supper for when her Mama picks her up. Sunday is Christmas at my house for my girls: daughter, 2 grands and the great grand. Then I'm done entertaining for this year. Oh, and a trip to Scottsboro on Monday to deliver food and gifts to my BIL. Christmas Day we will travel to each home to deliver treats and gifts.

The menu for Sunday is mostly finger foods. A ham baked on the grill, hashbrown casserole, stuffed mushrooms with pub cheese sauce, sausage balls, ham dip, deviled eggs, little smokies, cheese ball, fruit tray, veggie tray, chips, dips, crackers, 2 pies, maybe a cake. Cookies, brownies. We'll have leftovers so maybe no real cooking for a few days after that!

Both my daughters have birthdays coming up. Oldest is December 30th. Youngest in Ohio is Jan 2nd. Got those cards ready and done. 2 more December birthdays for DH's grands/greats. Done. 6 January and Feb birthdays - done! I've been on fire!!!! Why? Because this tax season will be the final for the Shop, my FIL's estate and I'm getting my mental obligation calendar cleared and ready for battle, lol.

Lorita, no babies yet. The goats hear our vehicles and coming running from the back pasture to see if DH is coming to feed or if I am bringing cookies, lol. DH has built shelters in each pasture and equiped each with a barrel to hold feed so we stock that instead of hauling feed to each pasture daily. Actually, when they hear/see my car - they just wait and watch me to see if I am coming. If they hear DH's truck - they know "that's the guy who brings the food; that lady brings treats!" LOL

Well, I have rattled on this morning. More rain today, which is why I get a chauffuer to drive me to town. That and buying 8 bags of feed. So, I'll stop for now. Hope you have a good day. Stay warm and dry.

Mint

Good morning

looks like we’re headed back for the deep freezer. I hope just stay in the house today. I do have to go to mom’s little Christmas party where she is at 5p Good Lord willing.

JeriLynn I think part of the reason you wake up early is all that you have going on in your brain and in your life. I know when I have lots of things I’m having to deal with I tend to wake up early. But when I don’t have all that to deal with I don’t wake up so early. I have trouble staying awake too soon as I sit down in the evening.

Carl I never did care very much for pole beans. Maybe it was just the variety that my grandma raised. I always preferred half runners or cornfield beans. When I was a child my mom grew a small greenbean that she called greasy bean. It was like 3 or 4 inches long and they were really good. She quit saving her own seed. I have tried ordering seed but not the same variety do I gave up. They weren't as good.

Hope to get my buckeyes made today, we will see.

harshedbuzz

Good morning to my fellow porch-dwellers.

Beth— The cookbook is the one my mom's mom used for most of her cooking. Since she never allowed her own kids in the kitchen, this is the only way to replicate some of the food they grew up on. The cookbook itself is a basic how-to kind of book that includes nutrition and special diets (as understood at the time), table setting, cuts of meat and recipes with variations. It's similar to Joy of Cooking or Julia' Child's Way to Cook in that respect. My mom's current copy (she wore the first one out), was her older sister's and even has WW II ration cooking and substitutions.

What's been interesting is that sometimes mom claims something her mom made was better or different. I made said bread pudding and mom commented that it was "way better than mine; it's like my mother's". Turns out she skipped the bain Marie when baking as "too much trouble". That tracks— she's never been much for following directions.

Eagle— That is amazing for your neighbor to do. I mean given the time and risk involved, it's so kind. Of course, now his view is brighter, too.

There are two newer neighborhoods near me that have identical houses but the folks in the newer subdivisions all opted for the Christmas light upgrade. It's pretty, but they're all set to white and identical. It reminds me of Philadelphia's Boat House Row.

Mint— I'm glad the sale is complete and you don't have to think about it anymore.

Carl— I hear you on the forest-bathing. Before my knees went, I walked on the local park trails through the woods most days. I would not have survived my parents' move and dad's dementia without. I was able to walk for a bit after my right knee was replaced, but now the left one is a mess, and I miss it. Sitting on the bench doesn't cut it for me. I didn't need BP meds so long as I could get out there.

Jerilynn— The more casual menu sounds absolutely crave-worthy. LOL, our family Thanksgiving was the day after, so I made a couple "heavy apps" for dinner and TV. LOL, I introduced DS to piggies and he's a fan. He was like "where have these been all my life?"

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Yesterday went sideways in spades.

Cat's recheck with the vet went badly. I'd taken her so mom could rest up ahead of her own appointment. The vets said the lungs are noisier than last week and that she has a significant arrhythmia. Yes, she had an EKG. The cat is 16 next month which informs care decisions. The vet offered an inpatient internal med and cardiology consult at the big animal hospital but said she thought the heart might be causing clots which are impacting her lungs. This is ominous. Mom and I were expecting better news. She is obviously devastated. Silly as it sounds, the cat carries a lot of the load of keeping mom engaged and entertained.

I brought her home with more abx and something to calm her tummy. We'll revisit on Boxing Day. Meanwhile I have the 24/7 ER (less then 2miles from mom's house) number should she go into distress. The vet thinks sudden cardiac death would be more likely but can't say when.

I did most of her wrapping. Between her tremor and the steroids, she just couldn't. Then we went to her PCP hospital discharge appointment. Her usually phlegmatic PCP brought up the nodule on her lung. I saw it in the X-ray report but I'm not sure she was aware of it. The doc said they may need to do further imaging; we'll see what the pulmo has to say at noon.

In the midst of all this, our closest hospital doesn't have a contract with mom's MAP carrier. She's a retired teacher and has excellent coverage for which she pays next to nothing. Her pulmo is there, but now they're moving to another health system. I really don't like the neighborhood in which their main hospital is located. It's my alma mater so I am familiar. I'm not sure how we work that out.

Off to finish wrapping.

HB