Crowding Out

We had another good dinner last night.  "Is it Wildtree?" Bud asked.  Sorta, just the seasonings on the chicken.  Easy "roast" chicken, sweet potatoes, stir fried green beans.  We ate it all, minus a bit of the chicken which will go in soup on this rainy day.

We have a family goal to eat more fruits and vegetables.  We're each aiming to increase our intake.  Sis is aiming for three a day; I'm looking at four to five.  Bud just eats.  Yesterday, we hit our goals, which was good.  My thought is--using an idea from Heather Bruggeman called "crowding out"--that the more fruits and veggies we eat, the less junk we eat.  We'll see.  But if it can already go well in February, when good produce is pretty limited, we should be doing really well this summer and fall.


-=-=-=-=-

Easy WT "Roast" Chicken, adapted
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon Rancher Steak Rub
2 tablespoons Hearty Spaghetti blend
1 1/2-2 lbs chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients and let marinate 4 hours or overnight.  Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, turning chicken over halfway.


Baked Sweet Potatoes
3-5 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
cinnamon, enough to generously sprinkle over the top

Combine ingredients and bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until tender and caramelized.

Miss JR


Stir Fried Green Beans
1 lb green beans, washed and cut into 1/2" pieces (with scissors is easiest)
grapeseed oil to sautee
soy sauce
garlic powder

Preheat skillet with oil until drips of water pop in oil.  Add little green bean pieces.  Stir Fry until green beans begin to wrinkle.  Reduce heat and add soy sauce and garlic powder to taste and 1/4-1/2 cup water, covering to steam until desired tenderness.

Mama Hungry

Purr On, Mr. P!

The cardiologist we saw on Saturday has every hope that Mr. P will be around for a check up in three to four months, once we tweak his meds some.  In fact, besides the congestive heart failure, the vet thinks Mr P looks great for his almost 16 years.  Still, we have to watch his eating (he needs to eat more--he's lost almost 20% of his weight, which isn't good under the circumstances) and his breathing (rapidity--more than 22 breaths in 30 seconds--indicates he's not getting enough oxygen.)  So, we've been doing both.  And he seems pretty good.  To say we were thrilled with both Mr P's improvement and the vet's prognosis is putting it mildly.  Of course, things could always change, but we hadn't dreamt of months, only just days or weeks.

"I'm too sexy for that bald spot."

Goodbye and Hello

We bid a fond farewell to our Honda Odyssey (onetime nickname: Homer), which we'd had for almost 11 years.  We bought the minivan when I was so pregnant I couldn't get behind the wheel much less test drive it; they were born about 3 weeks later.  We brought them home from the hospital in that car, drove around for endless car naps almost to Massachusetts and back while discussing all manner of things (often after church on a Sunday), and went on several family trips, before we switched to Mama's 2011 Subaru Outback for travel.  I loved listening to my music (too loud) and toodling around town, with my rainbow MOM bumper sticker on the back (it even attracted attention from other lesbians once in awhile, who would give thumbs up or comment at lights!)  I almost didn't have music--early on, Sis "fed" quarters in the CD player, stopping the whole system, which was still covered by the warranty and a recall, by just days.


And now I have a jasmine green 2015 Subaru Forester, which sits and drives a lot like my Honda and is roomier than Mama's Outback.  I like that it's partial zero emissions and gets better fuel mileage; Mama is glad that it has four-wheel drive for ice and snow (if we ever get that again.)    I was really impressed at how well (and hard) she drove a bargain--they tried a few things, but she stuck to the price and got us a good deal.  I was a bit sad to say goodbye to my MOM bumper sticker; they don't make them anymore.  But I added the one below this morning and it gives my car some character.

Otherwise, I almost had a mild heart attack when I realized:  this is the car the twins will learn to drive in not too long from now.

Doodle Therapy

Trying to maintain some equanimity this week, I have been doodling more, both repeating previous designs and experimenting with new ones.  I found a couple of magazines, with some designs and ideas I hadn't seen.  It's been quite the release.

And today, out of nowhere, my Zentangle Kit for my workshop in April arrived today; I didn't even know they were sending it, much less now.  So I have some new supplies and materials to work with, which is exciting.

Allegiance

We took a break from our kitty hospice here (we had someone feed the patient, though) and went into the city last night to see Allegiance, the musical about Japanese-American internment camps during WWII inspired by the life story of actor and cultural icon George Takei.  We had been on the fence about going anytime soon, but the closing of the show was announced and I realized how much I wanted to see it, especially after a few friends really recommended it.  So, Mama found this great opportunity through her audience rewards membership (for frequent Broadway attendees, and we're not all that frequent) to attend a Q&A with the tree main cast members, George Takei, Lea Salonga, and Telly Leung.

Musically and structurally, it is not the strongest of shows--I've seen worse (Whistle Down the Wind, anyone?)--but emotionally it was extremely powerful, especially in light of current world events with Syrian refugees and the vitriol spewed against them (and Mexicans and Muslims and women and people with disabilities) by Trump.  The musical follows one Japanese-American family's experiences and reactions to its experiences when they are incarcerated in miserable circumstances after Pearl Harbor; the son is very patriotic and joins the Army but the daughter comes to resist the internment, pulling their family apart and separating them for the rest of their lives.  Gaman, a Japanese word from Zen Buddhism meaning "to face the unbearable with dignity and patience"--a kind of mindfulness in the face of crisis--is a key tenet (and song.)  The show also addresses the worth and dignity of all human life, the importance of social justice, the scourge of racism, difficult decisions in times of war, standing up for one's beliefs, the nature of loyalty and allegiance; you could say it's a very Unitarian Universalist musical.  But it doesn't give easy answers--both the patriotic son, the resistant daughter, and ancillary characters are often sympathetic--and, even though there is a technically happy ending (when the now aged son is reunited with his niece), as Bud put it, "it wasn't a very happy show."

The performances were marvelous, though.  Takei, of course, is best known for Star Trek and his work as a gay rights advocate and now leading cultural figure.  He was in turn funny as the old grandfather and touchingly tragic as the aged Army soldier son.  Salonga, whom Mama saw in Miss Saigon some 22 years ago, has an amazing voice and sings many of the show's most touching songs.  And Leung was an exuberant and then devastated young man.

Best yet, we got to hear from all three of them after the show!   It was fascinating to hear them talk about the different iterations of the show. Apparently at some point there were two brothers and no sister, a mama, the nurse was actually just the daughter of the warden, Sammy was a minor character with asthma who only had one song. Leung talked about all the changes in the six years he's been with the workshop and the show. Salonga talked about how her Chinese-Japanese husband has relatives who managed not to be sent to camps because they moved to Colorado where the governor refused to lock anyone up. And of course Takei talked about the seat he is leaving open for Trump  to come learn about the very real effects of discrimination and racism in our world today (Trump even recently said he would have supported the camps during WWII.)  I saw the seat--it was down the row from us during the talk-back--and it had remained empty.  It wasn't very long, but it added an extra-dimension to the narrative and to our understanding of the process of the creation of musical.  

On another note, beyond my beliefs in social justice and anti-racism and my appreciation for Takei's work (I've donated to Takei's legacy project), I was just so glad to see a musical about, created by, and performed by a mostly Asian team.  No other show has that.  And with my two half-Asian children, it's very important to me that they see beyond stereotypes (of Asian doctors, science geeks, straight A+ students, prodigy violinists, and wimpy conformists who always follow the rules) and also that they see strong role models standing up for what's right in the world.  

And so, while I can't hum any of the songs this morning, the story and images will stick with me for a long time.

-=-=-=-=-

I'm going to try, later, to fold the origami flower that played such a role in the show.  

A Little Kitty Mystery

I'll start by saying that Mr. P is doing very well, considering his terminal diagnosis of congestive heart failure.  He's having good days and nights and we're enjoying them together.

But yesterday, there was a moment . . . .

I had gone upstairs to feed him because he still needs to be encouraged to eat.  I opened the door--and no cat.  Not on the bed, in the litter box, or at the food.  I even checked the closet.  Then my foot brushed a warm, soft mass under the bed, the same place our dear Morgan would hide when he was dying.  Oh, no, I thought.  What happened?

But as I knelt to check Mr. P, I noticed he was very alert, not lethargic and indifferent . . . .and then something out the window caught my eye.

A gray and white cat.

At the second floor window.

The gray and white cat, standing on the little roof of our porch to get to the window must have scared Mr. P.  And now he was "waving" and "knocking" to get my attention.  I closed the curtains.

See, the same cat had been at Bud's window, also above the porch, the evening before.  We had called his owner, as we pulled him off the roof, to make sure he wasn't lost, but apparently he's a regular outsider and even more regularly gets into other people's houses!  So, we put him back outside.

I guess he was coming back for a second visit.  Well, Mr. P won't be inviting him in.  Mr. P was so scared, he curled up in my arms for a few hours, head tucked.  Poor thing.

I still don't get how the visitor got to the second floor.  The little tree in front doesn't overhang the porch roof and is too slight to hold a cat's weight anyway.   I guess he could have gone from my minivan to the garage, across to the small roof at the back of the house, under Sis's window, and then up and over the rabbit run to the front of the house and the porch roof.

But the foot prints in the snow seem to suggest he shimmied up the gutter . . . .

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of the visiting kitty.

Life Everlasting

“Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.” 

The mother-daughter book club met last night to discuss Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.  I won't give away the big spoilers but will say that the book explores questions of the meaning of life and death and the meaning that death gives to life.

But the meeting wasn't all serious discussions--though, the majority of girls opted for the choice the protagonist Winnie Foster didn't make (except my Sis, and a couple, who agreed with Winnie)--we were treated to flapjacks, just like the ones Winnie enjoyed with the Tucks.

Even better, the hosts served them with buttermilk syrup!!  I had never heard of such a thing, but it is amazing, sweet deliciousness--all sweet creamy buttery-ness.  I bought buttermilk today to make some with pancakes later in the week.

Sis, during the discussion of life and death, said that if she could, she would grant Mr. P immortal life.  So sweet.  He is doing remarkably well, all things considered.  We put him on an appetite stimulant and he ate almost two small cans (which is what he needs to eat to avert liver failure.)  He is also moving more--he's been downstairs twice (he's here right now!)--and being more like himself. He has even made his usual "mac" sound that we haven't heard since before last Wednesday.  And he's been sitting on me and leaning up against me, even curling up in my arms.  It's good to see our Mr. P's little light shine brighter.

Of course, we recognize that he is at the end of his life.  Stats seem to say that cats with congestive heart failure--and 40% don't make it through their first episode--usually live just months (which makes sense--I think humans only live about 5 years?), so we know our time together is short.  But knowing this reminds us to appreciate every day.

Which, in many ways, was the lesson of Tuck Everlasting.


Buttermilk Syrup
via Six Sisters Stuff

¾ cup buttermilk
1 cup of sugar
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, and buttermilk and bring to a boil. Once it's at a complete boil, let it boil for 1 minute. Take off heat and whisk in baking soda and vanilla. It will foam up during the boiling, and especially when other ingredients are added. Serve with your favorite pancakes or waffles. Best served warm.  Good on pancakes, fruit, with a spoon!

Winter Fun: Blizzard Photos

Yesterday

Today

Winter Fun: We're Having a Blizzard

Yep, it's been snowing and blowing since 7 a.m., dropping upwards of 12" on us, though it's hard to tell with all of the drifting.

We skipped ice skating, kung fu, and haircuts (cancelled yesterday.)

Instead, Sis and Bud went sledding with the neighbor girl and then made a snowfort, which they stocked with snowballs for later.  Then, all cold and damp, they all came inside to share snow ice cream and hot chocolate.  Later, Bud built Legos.  Sis read a book and then read another book.  Mama played "Spit" with Sis and "Blink" with Bud.  I doodled and crocheted a new hat (with yarn that I ordered just yesterday and was amazingly delivered during the blizzard!  I would have specified, "No need to deliver during natural disasters.")  The kids played Minecraft.  Mama napped.  We all petted the various cats (Mr. P continues to recover.)  We had eggs and Irish bacon with toast and marmalade, then tortilla soup and quesadillas and finally mini Victoria spongecakes while we watched "The Great British Bake Off." We called Gommie, Ma and Gong, and wished Lambeth a happy birthday.  I took some pictures and looked at everybody else's on FB.

Tomorrow, it should be sunny and we'll get some great snow photos.  But, for now, here are some taken, mostly, from the safety and warmth of inside.  The last two, contrasting night and day, are my favorites.

Happy Birthday, Lambeth!!

Wishing you many happy returns from across the pond!  I hope you have a good day and a great year.  We love you.

First 24 Hours

Mr. P had a big day, his first full 24 hours home after his medical emergency.

We made an appointment with a cardiologist, talked to the vets at the ER place, consulted our regular vet.

We medicated him, supervised his visits with kids and other cats, and kept him comfortable, safe, fed and watered him.

The biggest responsibility was making sure he moved around safely, i.e. that he didn't face plant off the bed, with one gimp from leg.  Unfortunately, he was very anxious and easily startled today.  I moved the computer on the covers and he jumped out of his skin; Mama brushed a tray with her foot and he threw himself off the bed.  I caught him twice, but once he got right past us both.  He then bolted down the stairs and then down the basement stairs; I was practically frozen in place with worry that he'd break a leg or his neck in a fall, but he made it all the way down.  And then used the litter box and lay down exhausted on the treadmill.  Even though there is a litterbox not five feet from his spot on our bed.

But the part I thought might be the hardest was pretty easy:  the NYCats' first owner came for a visit today, the first time he's visited since depositing them in our care 13 months ago.  We had always agreed that we would tell him of health emergencies; Mama called him early yesterday when it looked so dire, but when things settled down, he decided to visit today instead.  Mr. P was pretty sedate but let Mr C pet him; I couldn't say if Mr P recognized him, but Mr C thought he did.  Same with Mojo, who was ensconced on his warm dryer and welcomed the attention.  Hermione even got some pets.

It was nice talking to Mr C, who calls Patron his "lion," albeit a kinda failed Alpha one.  He recognized P's casual indifference to some of the pets by the turn of an ear and he said he was always a big purr-er.  He also characterizes Mojo as a sneaky little cuddler.  He thought it was funny that Mo burrows in blankets, something new.  He still loves his cats, of course.  But he also has been keeping his distance to respect our relationship with them.  And he is so grateful and happy for our care.

And so the day has come to a close with Mr. P sound asleep in Mama's spot on the bed, breathing comfortably.  It was a long day for all of us, but better than the alternative we thought was in store.  And that's great.

First Snow 2016

Storm Jonas, or Snowmageddon 2016, or whatever you want to call it, is bearing down on the Eastern  Seaboard and Mid-Atlantic states as I type.  It's been snowing in DC for hours now and apparently it has started in NYC.  I don't think it'll get here til after midnight--I won't really be watching for it.

There have been some fun memes floating around--the maps with forecasts of how many wine bottles/books/skeins of yarn you'll need to get through the storm, the "Be Like Bob" bits ("Bob won't post about the snow.  He knows people have windows.  Bob is smart.  Be Like Bob."), the open letter from the Bangor, ME police department, and various funny articles like cliches weather forecasters swear never to use again.  Plus tons of serious articles about forecasts and preparedness and such.

I've written my own posts in years past about snow--things to do with the kids (and here) and how to prep if you're unfamiliar with snow.  The kids are older now so we're not exactly making obstacle courses with painters tape; they have puzzles (a 1000-piece Pixar ones), games (the dominoes and checkers Gommie and Pop played), books, movies, Lego kits (two Star Wars), and of course videogames (always Minecraft, sometimes Dimensions)--longer more sophisticated ones than they did when they were 3-years old.  I have yarn and Zentangle supplies; Mama is finishing a puzzle.  And of course, there is the snow.  The kids will have snowball fights and build snowpeople; they've already put out the bowls for snow ice cream.   Maybe they can go sledding on Sunday (because we've cleared the whole weekend, due to snow and cat.)  I have makings for hot chocolate and popcorn, as tradition requires.  I imagine we'll have some soup, maybe some biscuits.  There will be a lot of cat petting.

All of which is to say, we're looking forward to this storm, our first for the year.  We don't need 2' for it to be special; 6" is just enough.  In fact, recent reports of 12-15" aren't ideal, but our snow blower is working and we have all the necessary supplies should we lose power or the ability to leave the house.

Stay tuned for snow photos!

A Good Night

It was a good night.

Though, it reminded us a lot of having newborns in the house, when we were anxious first-time parents:  very little sleep, fitful sleep, tracking input and output, no verbal communication, difficulties and worries about feeding (and meds!), fear of falling/rolling off the bed, just general anxiety . . . . and so much love!

He slept on our bed all night and purred and purred.  Purr on, Mr. P!  It's one of our favorite sounds.

Purr On

No news is good news....

Up from Down

A little bit of good news:  Mr P is breathing a little better.  Still not out of the woods by a long shot--more clots, the underlying heart disease, breathing on his own, more fluid, a quick downturn after this upturn--but we're glad for a little hope.  As long as he's comfortable....

In the Fading Light

The light of hope grew dimmer overnight, our beloved cat Mr. P not improving and in fact worsening despite treatment.

We will get an update around 10:30, after rounds.  Barring any change, we expect to make that last decision then.  In truth, it is already made, but we hold out a shred of hope that we won't have to implement it today.  Still, we will not subject him to treatment indefinitely and do not want him to suffer.

We have called his first owner so he can come say goodbye.

The kids are home today so we can all go say goodbye together.

We are all so sad.

Thoughts and Prayers

Our dear sweet cat Mr. P has congestive heart failure and a blood clot.  It is touch and go now, with some hopes that the emergency vet can relieve the symptoms and stabilize him enough to come home and be with us awhile longer.  We've consented to palliative care and signed a DNR in the event that he deteriorates.  We don't want him to suffer and won't go to extreme measures to keep him with us.

Today was just normal.  He slept on our bed, between our pillows, all night, then was his normal self today, until Sis noticed him limping around 7 p.m.  I picked him up (which he didn't fight) and his whole right paw was cold and limp.  I knew it wasn't a sprain or break when he didn't object to my touching it.  I thought stroke so we went straight to the ER vet; Mama and Bud were at kung fu and joined us later.   We learned pretty quickly that it was congestive heart failure and a blood clot in his foot.

They have him on diuretics, in an oxygen tent for comfort.  Later, if possible, they'll tap his abdomen in a fairly non-invasive procedure to release the fluid.  If all goes well--and he doesn't develop another clot--we'll bring him home in 24-48 hours (probably the latter) and keep him comfy on meds; he might even stabilize for who knows how long.  Apparently, cats can live like this, happily but on meds, for awhile and through several episodes (though, apparently, they get harder to detect.)

But let's get through the night first.

Understandably, the kids are extremely upset.  So are Mama and I.  We love our boy.  We've given him a good home for the last 13 months.  We'd just like to have him as long as possible.

Purr on, Mr. P!

Ready

Whether it's a blizzard or just a coating, we're ready for the weekend.  I have enough groceries for several meals--more chicken tortellini soup, ham and cheese quiche, sausage and pepper pasta, chicken stir fry, Welsh rarebit. Dutch baby pancakes, even sweet crepes.  Of course, if we don't have power (which I doubt will happen), we can have sandwiches and cook on the fire pit or propane stove (on the porch, with good ventilation.)  Really, though, I don't think it will come to that.

And I have makings for snow ice cream, of course.

If it does snow and blow as much as they're saying, we'll probably skip ice skating, kung fu, and church, as well as their haircut appointments.  But we have books, movies, Legos, arts and crafts supplies . . . and sleds and snow pants and boots, for sure.

I've been to hospice, the shipping store, Goodwill, and other errands.  I went to the beach yesterday looking for the owl and I hope to go again tomorrow.

Otherwise, there isn't much left to do but wait and watch the forecast change several times . . . .

Areas of Gray

People rarely believe the comments we get out in public sometimes, specifically when people don't recognize Mama for who she is, namely, my wife.  But here are three, from the last month:

1.  Mama went shopping on her lunch hour with a co-worker who is not much older than she is.  The clerk intimated that Mama was her son. (Okay, this was a co-worker and not me, but it's the same principle.)

2.  We were being seated at a restaurant and were asked if we wanted THREE kids' menus, including one for my son.

3.  We met the family of our GP at the movie theater and apparently later that night the teenagers in the group asked about my teenage son!

 . . . so not only does Mama look like a boy (which, admittedly, I can see) and my child (harder to see, since I'm only 4 years older), but she must be cute enough to be cruised by some teenage girls.

As I told the restaurant server, I can only hope she goes gray before me so that people realize I'm not her mom.

R&R

It was a nice, quiet weekend.  Just what we needed as Mama and I get over our secondary infections.

That's not to say we did nothing, only that we did very little.

There was kung fu and ice skating as our major outings.

And we went car shopping.  We're in the market for a replacement for my 10-year-old minivan, probably getting a Subaru Forrester--it's good for tall people, will be great in the snow with four-wheel drive, and even has heated seats!!  Plus it's got partial emissions.  I drove it a bit and it's a lot like my minivan, only a bit smaller.  We're considering our options but hope to decide this month.  Of course, I'll have all the memories of our van--bringing the babies home. long drives after church with the kids asleep (or not) in their seats, and all the rest--but I'll mostly miss my bumper stickers, especially my rainbow "MOM" which it seems I can't replace.

We spent a lot of time relaxing downstairs--crocheting, Zentangling, reading, doing SW Legos, doing a Pixar movie puzzle, napping, petting the cats.  And we watched Mockingjay, Part 1, which continues our journey through the dystopic trilogy.   We love following Katniss and her struggles, rooting for her and the rebels.  We have awhile to wait to see Part 2, since it was just in theaters--I'm in no rush because many of our favorite characters will die.   Then today we did some chores, namely laundry and putting away the last of Christmas, to get ready for the coming week.   At least it's a light week--no night meetings for me and no other real appointments.

We did manage some great meals, though.  We went for Chinese on Saturday at Bud's favorite place--we had fried rice, chicken pan fried noodles, spicy chile chicken, stir-fried bean leaves in garlic, and a ton of steamed buns.  Plus tea.   Last night, I made our favorite orange poundcake, adding cranberries.  Yum!  (Though, it would've been better as two smaller cakes--the cranberries made it so big that it didn't quite cook through.)  And then today we had a delicious breakfast out at one of our favorite places.  Gingerbread latte (with a cookie), mint hot chocolate with candy and marshmallows, crabmeat quesadillas, African spiced lentil hash, sweet potato corned beef hash, peach-stuffed French toast, and a very delicious chocolate babka French toast with toasted almonds.  So good.  And tonight, we had a great homemade chicken tortellini soup.

The best part, perhaps, was the snow.  Just enough, falling gently last night, to cover the grass, road, and cars.  Pretty.  Our first significant dusting this year, still no accumulation though.  But reports say this weekend.   Maybe.