Month of Gratitude: Bits and Pieces

While I am trying to be more aware of my gratitude for various things, I haven't been posting daily.

I might also extend this practice beyond November.

But for today I am particularly grateful for 

• Self-cleaning ovens--no work but lots of satisfaction!  Just in time to get messy again on Thanksgiving.
• Mugs of Earl Grey tea, especially on blustery fall days, while I read Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey.
• A fully-stocked sewing box and bits of leftover fleece that Sis and Bud are making into sachets for their first lesson in sewing.
• My giant soup pot filled with chicken-tortellini soup tonight (with some tomatoes--Sis can handle them in the soup as long as she doesn't have to eat them.  Sound familiar?  They both still avoid carrots!)
• The (until Friday) readily-available camera that was my smartphone--you (and I) have missed out on pictures of fleece pillows and blankets and sachets and many other things in the last 4 days.  So, I am grateful for all of the moments I captured with my smartphone camera.

Cemetery Style

I suppose it's not every family that takes an impromptu field trip through a cemetery, but it's what we did on the way home from church on Sunday.  As I've mentioned, Mama and the kids play Ingress, the app game using local landmarks.  And there was a nearby cemetery with several "portals" as part of the game.

It gave us a chance to talk about a few things, since death had come up a few times last week and since we don't visit cemeteries often (and rarely pay too much attention when we drive by, unless it's a really old one):

• respect for the dead (as we debated whether playing a game in a cemetery was respectful.  We decided because we were just driving through peacefully that it was ok.); 
• the history of cemeteries (at least the modern Western history, namely as parks, a la Bethnal Green in London and Green-wood in NYC, both of which I've visited);
• the function of cemeteries and especially gravemarkers (history, memorial, status, kinship, style);  
• burial customs (different cultural traditions, like the need to bury those who are Jewish quickly, those who are Muslim without coffins, and Mama's Chinese ancestors as far up a mountain as possible) and cemetery visitations (on religious holidays, Dios de los Muertos, significant personal anniversaries, or not much at all--Gommie buys Easter lilies and poinsettias in memory of her mother, but not for her mother's grave.  I like that.)  
• the styles and traditions of headstones (how many Eastern Europeans have begun to put likeness on gravemarkers; how since Schindler's List the placement of rocks on headstones has grown in popularity regardless of faith); 
• and even the business of cemeteries (the job of monument makers; the rules on headstones and floral offerings at some strict faith-based cemeteries; the cost of a plot; the maintenance of the space--even the amount of chemicals used to maintain that weedless forever-green look.) 

We also discussed how Mama and I don't really want to be buried in cemeteries, instead being cremated (ashes sprinkled somewhere or not, up to our descendants.)

And all Bud could do was look out for Weeping Angels!!

It's Cookie Time!

No, not quite cookie-baking or swapping time.

It's Cookie-Time Bag donation time.

Yes, my Brownie troop is collecting self-contained bags of cookie-baking materials to donate to the local food pantries to sweeten the holidays of the people they serve.  It's similar to our Birthday-in-a-Bag donations in celebration of Juliette Gordon Low's birthday.

Here are the details, in case you'd like to try it with your service organization (but note that I'm not soliciting or collecting bags from people online):

We’re collecting

COOKIE-TIME BAGS

for local food pantries

What is a Cookie-Time Bag?  A Cookie-Time Bag is a self-contained bag with everything someone needs to make and decorate cookies during the holidays.

Who needs a Cookie-Time Bag?  Everyone likes to bake cookies, especially during the holidays!  However, sometimes circumstances occur that prevent this from happening.  A Cookie-Time Bag can sweeten the holidays.

Where will the Cookie-Time Bags go?  Each Cookie-Time Bag collected will be delivered to local food pantries, by December 13, to be distributed to the families they serve.

                                                                 

What goes in a Cookie Time Bag?

·         Dry mix for cut-out cookies, such as sugar cookie or gingerbread cookie mix  (no chocolate chip or peanut butter, refrigerated,  or frozen dough please)

·         Can or tubes of frosting

·         Sprinkles or other decorations

·         Cookie cutters (for example:  snowflake, snowman, gingerbread people, stars)

·         Disposable aluminum sheet for baking

·         Decorative bag to hold all the items

·         Optional:  napkins and plates for cookie party; cookie tin for storage

Be sure to include a note!  Suggested Text:

Happy Holidays from Girl Scout Troop #

Girl Scouts love cookies and we want to share them with you.  Inside you will find everything you need to make your own cookies for the holidays.  We wish you a happy new year!

Contact details:  If you would like to participate, e-mail your troop number, contact person and number of bags.  Bags must either be brought to the Adult Volunteer Meeting  or delivered to ____ by December 11.  Thank you!

CogAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhT!

This week, third graders in our town are taking the Cognitive Abilities Test or CogAT, which is the major determining factor in placement in the advanced classes.

I'm not primarily worried about those advanced classes--Sis and Bud will end up where they need to be (though, I would be stressed if one qualified and not the other, if only for the sibling rivalry.  Ugh.)--but I am a bit stressed about the instructions to parents to make sure the kids get a good night's sleep and eat a well-balanced breakfast.

Talk about two things I don't have any control over.  I put them to bed on-time pretty much every night around 8:30.  Tonight, they were asleep before 8:45; last night, after 9:30.  I offer them a relatively balanced breakfast most mornings:  sometimes they eat, sometimes they don't.

In fact, today, Bud won't up and became grumpy and wouldn't eat breakfast.  And all I could think was "thank heavens it's only practice test day."

Which just isn't right.  Especially because I REALLY don't want them to stress about it.  Or worry about advanced placement.

If I'm like this about the CogAT, how will I be about the SATs???

Fleeced

I'm covered in little bits of fleece fuzz.  In fact, it's been quite a fuzzy day over here.  First, I cut a yard of rainbow-striped fleece into three scarves, fringing the bottom in 1"-strips; one for me, two for the local community Coat Closet.  Then, one of the parent volunteers of our Brownie troop came over to help cut down to size the fleece we're using to make blankets for hospice patients at Thursday's meeting.  Then, while Sis was at gymnastics, Bud and I made a fleece pillowcase for a large 25 x 25" fluffy feather pillow.  And it is this light pastel rainbow micro-fleece which shed all over me, Bud, and the living room, including Albus the cat who kept trying to help.  I've cut all of the extra scraps into more scarves for the coat closet.  And the non-scarf-sized remnants were braided into "chew toys" which the cats actually chased around the house!  Who knew fleece could be such fun?!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Fleece No-Sew Pillowcase

pillowform, size of your choice
fleece, color(s) of your choice

Measure the size of your pillow.  Add 8" to each dimension.  For example:  our pillow was 25 x 25"  so I cut 2 pieces of fleece 33 x 33".

Place fleece wrong sides together (i.e. right sides facing outwards.) Using a piece of cardboard cut 4 x 4", cut a 4 x 4" square out of each corner.  Then cut fringe 4" long and 1" wide along each side.

Tie three sides of the fleece together using the knot of your choice.  Insert the pillowform and tie the fourth side.

Weekend Update

We had a relaxing but full weekend:

• Kung fu.  Ice skating.  Sis is doing forward and backward swizzles; her legs get so tired.
• Shopping at the Asian grocery for kitchen staples.
• Attended Russian Orthodox church food fest--with pierohi, halushki, pagach, kielbasa, sauerkraut--and gingerbread-house decorating.  Saw many friends and met Shelley's wonderful family--yay!
• Watched two Doctor Who episodes.
• Played Monopoly with Sis. 
• Church--gave four prayer shawls to pastoral care minister--and had a nice chat with a local high school teacher.  Liked the minister's sermon about how we look for the kind of religious home where we had our spiritual coming of age, even if that's not the best for us or our church (she also mentioned that we wear the style of clothes from the happiest time of our lives--I like black, from my NYC days; Mama likes college-like jeans and flannel.) Which means I'm looking for a strong pastoral-care minister in a small congregation where everyone knows everyone else.  Even if that's not what we have now--no wonder I don't feel quite at home yet.  
• Realized my upper back pain REALLY was a crochet injury, probably just repetitive stress.
• Skipped family after-church lunch to donate money to the Philippines.  Sis reminded us as we started craving fried chicken.
• Taught Sis single crochet stitch.  She's making progress.
• Played the game Life.  Sis had 6 kids!  Bud didn't want any.  :)  Mama and I reminisced about the spinner and the little cars with the pegs.  Sis won, with $4 million.  Winner has to clean up the game.
• Baked bread in new bread machine, breaking it in before Thanksgiving.

and 

LOST MY PHONE!!!

Yes, on Friday night, between 6-7 pm, I misplaced my smarphone.  I looked up a phone number for Mama and put it on the kitchen table.  Neither of us remembers it after that.  At bedtime, I knew I'd left it downstairs, but when I looked for it in the morning, I never found it.  We've turned the house upside down, looking in all likely and most unlikely places--washing machine, bookcases, freezer, pockets, purse, car, bedcovers.  Because I only thought I'd left it downstairs, I didn't panic and search for it; by the time I couldn't find it, the battery was dead (it woudn't have rung anyway--I always leave it on silent.)  And now it's been two and a half days.  I even had friends here this morning and they couldn't find it either.  We'll keep looking . . . but it's galling to think I might have to replace it, especially since I know it's in the house.  

So if you email/FB post/text me and I don't reply in a timely manner, I'm unplugged most of the day.

And am going through withdrawl.

Sing a Song

I've noticed something recently.  I sing a lot, making up lyrics to songs to fit the moment (this morning it was "Of all the Cats I've Loved Before" and something else to the tune of "Feelings") or singing snippets of lyrics that come to me ("Crazy" comes to mind a lot, but I also taught the kids my favorite elementary music class song "Don Gato" this morning and referred to "Super Turkey" at dinner), in addition to singing along to the radio or iPod.  Sometimes, they aren't even songs I really know.  But I've heard them all of my life.  Because Gommie does it, too.  In fact, many of the bits I sing are the ones she sang, like "Oh, I ain't got a barrel of money . . ." or "Roll out the barrel" or "First you say you do, and then you don't . . . " or "Sidewalks of New York" or "You are my sunshine" or so many others that don't come to mind right now because it's not really a conscious habit.  I'm singing before I know it.  Yesterday afternoon, I was singing along to the carols at the craft store before I even realized they'd started the Christmas music!  I wonder if Sis and Bud will do the same thing?

-=-=-=-=-
"Don Gato"

Oh Senor Don Gato was a cat
On a high red roof Don Gato sat
He went there to read a letter,
Meow, meow, meow
Where the reading light was better,
Meow, meow, meow
'Twas a love note for Don Gato

I adore you wrote the lady cat
Who was fluffy, white and nice and fat
There was not a sweeter kitty,
Meow, meow, meow
In the country or the city,
Meow, meow, meow
And she said she'd wed Don Gato

Oh, Don Gato jumped so happily
He fell off the roof and broke his knee
Broke his ribs and all his whiskers,
Meow, meow, meow
And his little solar plexus,
Meow, meow, meow
Ay Caramba cried Don Gato

Then the doctors all came on the run
Just to see if something could be done
And they held a consultation,
Meow, meow, meow
About how to save their patient,
Meow, meow, meow
How to save Senor Don Gato

But in spite of everything they tried
Poor Senor Don Gato up and died
And it wasn't very merry,
Meow, meow, meow
Going to the cemetery,
Meow, meow, meow
For the ending of Don Gato

When the funeral passed the market square
Such a smell of fish was in the air
Though his burial was slated,
Meow, meow, meow
He became reanimated,
Meow, meow, meow
He came back to life, Don Gato

Thoughts and Prayers

My thoughts and prayers are with my friend whose husband was being enrolled in hospice earlier this week. He died last night.  We are sorry for her loss and the difficult journey they have been on.

Goodreads Guilt

I set a goal at the beginning of the year through my Goodreads account to read 52 books this year, or one a week.  When I finish one, I enter it into my "read" list.  And for most of the year, it told me I was a certain percentage ahead of schedule.

Until now.  The last time I logged in, I was 5 books behind.

And my A-student guilt kicked in.  I finished off Being Well, a relatively short book on mindfulness and illness, and brought it down to only 4 behind.  Which still bothers me.  I've been considering reading shorter books, instead of the long and academic tomes I've been sampling for weeks now, including At Night's Close and The Greater Journey.  I could blow through The Five Regrets of the Dying or one of my Doctor Who novels, but I'm not really interested in those right now.

And so I have to remember that the point isn't the number (or the grade) but the experience--the pleasure, the learning.  I should read what I want to and not feel guilty about the computer's algorithm (though the goal was mine.)  I've really liked entering the books I've read and the encouragement the list-keeping gives me; I've read more books this year than I've read in a decade.  But I also really like 100%.

Funny how old student habits die hard.

Good Night, Day

Good night, trees....

Happy Hospice Month!

Today was our annual hospice volunteer luncheon, where the organization's staff cook for the volunteers.  The food is always so good!  And I am grateful for the appreciation--today, they even blessed our hands in a communal water ritual that we passed from one to another, saying kind things

And I got two more great recipes--Pea Pesto Salad and Layered Caramel Apple Dip--maybe even for Thanksgiving.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Pea Pesto Salad
1 bag frozen peas, defrosted
1 bag baby spinach, washed and sorted
pine nuts, toasted
Parmesan cheese, shaved
prepared pesto

Layer spinach, peas, pinenuts, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl.  Top with pesto.  Toss before serving.

-=-=-=-=-=-

Layered Caramel Apple Dip
whipped cream cheese
caramel (topping or dip)
granola (like Aurora brand)
Granny Smith apples, sliced

Spread cream cheese at the bottom of a pie plate, then spread on caramel topping.  Sprinkle on thick layer of granola.  Used sliced apples for dipping.

The Kitchen Clock is Ticking

Still tweaking my Thanksgiving menu, since it's only two weeks from tomorrow.  But after much consideration (and "Anticipation") and a survey, I don't think I'll actually be changing much.  Check out how everyone finished this sentence, "Thanksgiving won't be Thanksgiving without any _____":

Sis:  turkey and gravy and rolls and pumpkin pie
Bud:  cranberry sauce
Mama: horseradish cranberry sauce
Me:  dressing
Ma:  sweet potato casserole
Gong:  green bean casserole and pecan pie
[Ooops, we forgot to ask Goo.  Will check.]

Which pretty much leaves our traditional menu intact.  I can fiddle with the appetizers, but, otherwise, we're all pretty happy with one dish . . .adding up to all of them!!  And since my aim is to at least partly please everyone . . . .

Still, I'm considering a few changes, mainly altering the sweet potato casserole (Ma likes the sweet potato part and won't really care about whether it's marshallow or corn flake topping) and the green bean casserole (using a homemade cream sauce instead of cream of mushroom soup.)  Mama laughed that I should have a practice weekend, which actually entails making all the dishes that don't make the final cut, like cranberry-upside-down cake, New England Harvest bread or steamed bread (from KAF's latest  Baking Sheet), creamed spinach, chocolatey-nutty Derby Pie, any number of jeweled rice pilafs with nuts and dried fruits, various whole roasted pumpkin dishes (or my big beautiful Hubbard), and other dishes of kale, butternut squash, Brussel sprouts, green beans, or corn.

Hmmm, I wonder if Sis still wants regular mashed potatoes.

I surveyed my FB friends for vegan appetizer ideas, to suit my vegetarianism and Ma and Gong's dairy-free-ness.  Pretty much everyone said either olives or hummus.  Which just doesn't say Thanksgiving to me (and I hadn't added that neither Mama nor Goo really eat olives.  It's always something.)  So I'm thinking of a variety of pecans--candied, glazed, or spiced, all from Saveur--plus a baked brie (one of the only cheeses Ma likes, along with mozzarella.)  Mama and I also discussed home-popped popcorn with choose-your-own toppings.  Or even just some extra cornbread to nibble on. And I think Ma and Gong are going to bring a green salad and strawberry shortcake and maybe even cheesecake; who knows what Goo will think up--last year it was delicious and difficult scallion pancakes!

So, as usual, we are more than set.

-=-=-=-=-
Sweet Potato Casserole with Crunchy Topping

Potatoes

1 lb sweet potatoes or 29 oz. can, drained

3/4 cup milk

3 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping

6 tablespoons butter, softened

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

¾  cup crushed corn flakes

Beat together potatoes and next 5 ingredients.  Place in an ungreased 1 ½ quart baking dish.  Bake for 45 minutes or until edges leaves sides of pan.  Mix together all topping ingredients in a bowl until combined. Spread over baked dish.  Cook under broiler for 1 minute or until topping browns.

Gommie Hungry

Somewhat Homemade Green Bean Casserole

2 pounds green beans, trimmed, cut in half, and steamed (8 to 10 minutes or until tender),

6 tablespoons butter

8 ounces mushrooms, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon salt

Pepper, to taste

2 ½ cups milk

1 tablespoon soy sauce

French's fried onions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to let the flour burn. Stir in the salt and pepper.  Carefully whisk in the milk and soy sauce while scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a light boil. Whisk and cook until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a really thick soup, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Mix the sauce with the green beans and some fried onions in a casserole dish and toss to combine. Bake in the oven until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with French's fried onions and bake until brown.

adapted from 100 Days of Real Food (they make their own onions)

A Trio of Pecans from Saveur's article "Southern Belle" by Wendell Brock
Glazed Pecans
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup sour cream
2 cups pecan halves, lightly toasted
¾ tsp. vanilla extract

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk sugar and sour cream in a 4-qt. saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbling and thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pecan halves and vanilla extract until well coated. Spread on prepared baking sheet; let cool completely. Break into bite-size pieces before serving.

Spiced Pecans

• 2 tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• ¼ tsp. granulated garlic
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• ⅛ tsp. ground allspice
• 2 cups pecan halves
• ½ beaten egg white

Heat oven to 300°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Mix dark brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, salt, coriander, garlic, cumin, and allspice in a bowl. Mix pecan halves and egg white in a bowl until combined. Toss nuts with spice mixture to coat completely. Spread on prepared baking sheet; bake until browned and crisp, 25–30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Candied Pecans

• 2 cups pecan halves
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. flake sea salt

Heat oven to 325°. Spread pecan halves on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 10 minutes; set aside. Boil brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until mixture is foamy and slightly thickened, 2–3 minutes. Add pecans and cook, stirring constantly, until well coated, about 3 minutes. Spread on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt; let cool completely. Break into bite-size pieces before serving.

Everyday

As if one needed a reminder during the fall of decaying leaves, short days, and overcast weather, I have been with death and dying these last few days.

On Monday, the young woman up the street died overnight. 

On Tuesday, I comforted a friend as she heard from the facility where her husband lives and decided that it was time to enroll him in hospice, eschewing all measures beyond palliative ones.

And today, I tied knots in a fleece blanket with my own hospice patient.  For two hours!!!  And we chatted the whole time.

Thursday is the wake for the young woman; Friday, the funeral.  I plan to go to at least one if not also the other.

That's everyday this week.

And I've realized a few things for myself.  The dying of strangers is easier to witness and companion for me; the death and dying of friends, or even just acquaintances, is more emotionally fraught.  The expected dying of a person, for me, is easier than the sudden.  The old easier than the young.  And, of course, death and dying are as close and nearby as life and living and I'm becoming more and more comfortable and accepting of that.

Fall Snowfall

Snow.  Not flurries, but real snow.

We all cuddled in the warm bed, watching the snow dance with the red leaves.

Sweatshirts, coats, knit hats, not cold enough for mittens.  Hot macaroni and cheese in a thermos for later.

Traditionali call to Texas to wake Gommie and Pop with the news.

Photos of snow on leaves, not enough on pumpkins yet.  Maybe.

But definitely not enough for snow ice cream or snowballs.

Kids off, now a cup of tea with peanut butter toast.

Still snowing.

Today

Mama stayed home with a nasty cold.

I pondered Veterans' Day, always a challenge, as I deplore the military-industrial complex and blood-for-oil and Western imperialism/colonialism/revenge, as well as the creation of an underclass of very young, often minority, soldiers serving the needs of the upperclass 1%.  I don't buy that the majority of battles fought today are to protect our freedom (or not the freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but the freedom, for instance, of unlimited oil and its petroleum by-products so fundamental to our capitalist first-world society or freedom to make money for the war contractors or even freedom to exact some kind of large-scale revenge for September 11.)  I believe the jingoistic patriotism that is the dominant cultural comment on the wars and soldiers, especially today, belies (and might even be primarily made to distract us from) the ugly truths.  And so I am cynical.  Though, I do realize our freedoms have been protected by veterans now and in the past.  My grandfather fought in the European theater of WWII; my current hospice patient is a female veteran (possibly like the WWII code-breaker women on the BBC's "Bletchley Circle.")  I just don't think all wars are the same and I worry that all of our "I support the troops" blinds us to these problems.   Though, I can't blame our current soldiers and veterans for where their leaders send them, or why; even in such situations, so many soldiers show bravery, strength, and compassion  and offer up (along with their families) great and sometimes ultimate sacrifices that aren't tainted by the causes of the war or motivations of politicians.  For this we should raise them up as heroes and thank them.  See, conflicted.  Maybe friend Karen was right and I should look into Veterans for Peace.

Mama Teacher, my friend, was home recovering from yesterday's migraine but could come over for coffee and a chat.

We saw emergency vehicles up the street in the morning.  Tonight, I learned that the 22ish year-old young woman in that house had died overnight, probably of the heart condition she's had since birth.  It is devastatingly sad.  I cried tonight and hugged the kids tighter, especially when I thought of Christmas and her new baby niece.  She always waved at us from the steps of her house and talked to me when I shopped where she worked; she was friendly and lively.  I know she will be missed.  I hurt, almost physically, for her parents and older sister.

I ran errands to the craft store, finding yarn for teacher gifts and fleece for my hospice patient's project.  Lots of shoppers today.  Got yummy Chipotle lunch.  Couldn't find a bread machine I liked.

I received email that the Filippino pen pal of the youth in our church was not on the island with the most devastation but still hasn't been heard from.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her, her family, and her nation.

I learned that my in-laws like my sweet potato casserole and green bean casseroles.  I'm not sure we'll be changing any of our traditional Thanksgiving dishes!  Though, I've been looking for vegan appetizers to please us all.  Not easy.

I finished my binge of the new "Battlestar Galactica," with Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell.  I loved all four seasons and the ending--the original BG, science fiction, war, torture, the military, alliances, politics, spies, zealots, religion, fanactism, angels, spirituality, cults, death, afterlife, cancer, technology, AI, love, sex, romance, parenting, truth, memory, hope, peace.  Wow.  I could watch it all again.  The character Kara Thrace was a space-aged Xena.  And the love story of Adama and Roslin was one of the best.

I crocheted 5+ more rows on my new prayer shawl, in LB Thick and Chunky "Colonial" blue.

Mama and I have started to watch "Orange is the New Black."  And we like it.

Sis came home exhausted and missed gymnastics; I watched her all night for fever.  None yet and she got a second wind.

The kids made pandas on their Rainbow Looms; we listened to "Zoom Gully Gully" on the computer.

I skipped my Girl Scout meeting.

Bud just solved a completely random Rubik's Cube in 3 minutes and 34 seconds.

Now they are both reading books in the Percy Jackson series before bedtime.

Snow is in the forecast tomorrow morning, no accumulation.

Month of Gratitude: Health and Wellness

Generally grateful for our good health, even with a cold working its way through the family (everyone but me has it) and my chronic back thing.

Also grateful for our general safety . . . this time last year, my in-laws (and the Tri-State) were recovering from Hurricane Sandy (which totaled two cars and the entire contents of their basement, including all holiday stuff and family mementos) and now hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing such severe devastation in the Philippines.

Good Deeds

I'm proud of the kids on three accounts today.

First, they donated 11.4 lbs of candy to a local group collecting for soldiers on the USS Truman.  11.4 lbs! That's about a quarter of Sis's body weight.  It was their Halloween haul, plus our leftover candy for giving out (of which there was a lot), some leftover full-sized bars we bought from the Boy Scouts (I know, I supported them this year, just a bit, in recognition of their partial acceptance of LGBT), and then leftover candy from who-knows-what-else (probably Gommie!).  And now it's out of the house for a good cause.

Secondly, we talked about the typhoon in the Philippines this evening and voted to send some of our savings jar money as a donation.  This basically entails giving up our week's restaurant meal--and we all agreed.  We looked at the various charities and chose the Red Cross, mainly because they liked that the Red Cross had helped Ma and Gong after Hurricane Sandy.

Lastly, and connected to the above, they remembered that our church's CYRE (children and youth religious education) supports a UU girl in the Philippines, sending her money for school fees and other needs.  And they wondered if she were okay.  She lives on Negros Island, which is west of Leyte Island and Tacloban, one of the hardest hit regions.  We will keep her and her country in our thoughts and prayers.

Month of Gratitude: A "New" Friend

Today I am very grateful for my friendship with Karen, of Sew and Sow Life.  We have only known each other online, though through a mutual friend, but have been reading each other's blog and FB updates for years now.

And today we met in person, for lunch--you can guess where!  Yes, Bloodroot was the perfect place.

I'm still smiling with the warmth and connection of the almost-three hour lunch (yes, we both can talk!  I think I did more than my fair share.)  I really really enjoyed meeting her in person and look forward to more connections in person and, in between, online.

And so, Karen, thank you so much for being the wonderful you I've come to know.  Thank you also for the lovely sachet, a delightful, homemade piece of your "little bit of earth."  The picture below doesn't do it justice, but I thought you'd like it better than something staged.

Until we meet again . . . hopefully sooner rather than later.

Albus loves the woodsy scent (and the string! No worries, I got it away in time.)  

Month of Gratitude: Rain, Rain, Come Today

I am very grateful for the rain, even if it's measured in 1/100ths of an inch.   My part of Connecticut is in a state of drought.  Apparently, NYC and Westchester County have been declared in a state of drought, too.  So even a little bit of rain helps.  Besides, I like the way the fall leaves glow when its overcast.  And I like drinking mugs of tea and hibernating just a bit.

New Hospice Patient

I met my new hospice patient today, a woman in my own community.  I'll be visiting her once a week. We'll fill out a memory book on her childhood, marriage, children, and other memories; she seems absolutely fascinating.  And we're going to make fleece blankets for other people, at her request.  Someone had given her one and now she wants to make them for others.  I'll probably have to do most of the cutting and tying, but I'm glad to help her accomplish this.  We're also going to compile some of her favorite recipes, mostly Polish, which she made after her mother's recipes.  It will make a great Christmas present for her daughter. And I'm honored to help.