Tuesday before Thanksgiving 2020...

Clock and Christmas Elf

So many of us these days feel that we have nothing interesting to post about... and since we're not getting out and about much, this is probably true. Those of you that have wonderful areas to walk or hike or those who have acreage with blooming plants or wildlife that can be shared seem to have an advantage.

But... even though I love to read these posts and see the pictures (where I can virtually share the experience) to be honest, I also love hearing what goes on in your daily life even if it is only what you do from dawn to dusk... or what your cat/dog is doing. 

I had to laugh when I read that someone was worried about Joanne (Cup on the Bus) recently since she couldn't be contacted. I had a similar experience this week with a friend that I play Animal Crossings with. She texted me one day this week and said that I hadn't been on the game all day. Was I alright?  It made DH and I laugh... as yes, I generally get on the game often, but it had been an especially busy day. 

And we are also putting up Christmas decorations early this year. Usually we wait until the day after Thanksgiving (which would be this Friday anyway) when we go out and purchase a 8-10 foot Douglas fir.

We've been doing this ever since we got rid of the small artificial tree that we purchased in 1969 when the doctor told us that we couldn't fly home to New Orleans that year as I was in danger of losing the baby.  It was right before Christmas and we had a 14 month old. This was supposed to be his first Christmas with his grandparents. Since we hadn't planned to be at our house in Florida for Christmas, we didn't have a tree. 

So we quickly ran out and bought an artificial one from Sears. That tree lasted for many many years (even went off to college with my daughter - who was that endangered baby in 1969) before it was discarded. 

But once we were settled here in Texas, we started buying 'real'... to the delight of our kids and the cats. The smell of a real tree is wonderful... and covered with all the decorations that the kids made over the years or tiny critters we bought in an old bookstore in Wales, etc. make it special. Nowadays we even put New Orleans Mardi Gras beads on it.  

Since we retired and the kids no longer live close enough to help with the large Douglas Fir, we considered going smaller... and have.  Now we get one only 6-7 feet - but we couldn't go artificial,  tried, but returned it. I'm sure that one day it will be necessary to bite the bullet, but not yet.

This post (as many before) seems to have taken on a life of it's own. I was planning to talk about daily activities in a sheltering at home  house. Oh well, sometimes the story tells itself. 

A few pics of Christmas past...

Happy Thanksgiving! The holidays will be different this year, but we have our memories and the hope that things will be better next year.  Sending all of you my prayer that your holidays will be healthy and safe. (Please don't let down your guard!) 

Hugs,

Rian

Thinking about Thanksgiving... and other things

Grandkids and me Thanksgiving 2019

Tomorrow will be a week until Thanksgiving here.  Ours will be a small, but memorable one... with just the 3 of us here. The boys will be celebrating at their own homes with their immediate families and my daughter, son-in-law, and grand daughter in San Antonio are planning to have Thanksgiving with friends there. This worries me some, but she assures me that they are retired friends whom they have gotten together with before and feel it is safe. I hope so.

Anyway today I'm posting about unimportant stuff that is going on here. I noticed yesterday when I was going about the house that almost every room has some project going on... 

crocheting on the sofa in the den

rock painting in front room (book sent to me by a cousin)

making more face masks - also in front room

writing and reading blogs in computer room

tea in the kitchen (actually it's water, lemon juice, and honey)

And these are only my projects. If we were to take pics of DH and grandson's projects (which I don't think they would like) you would also see puzzling, guitar playing, and various computer games set up throughout the house.

By the way,  I know tea is not a project... but it is part of my day. I've been using just hot water, lemon, and honey to soothe my throat. I don't have any problem, but I've always coughed a lot (radiation cough I was told)... and a friend suggested this. 

And I didn't mention the game "Animal Crossing" which I do play. This morning a friend who also plays, visited her son's island and brought back some beautiful blue pansies, hyacinths, and wind flowers over to my island. I love the blue and they are hybrids so not easy to get. 

OK... all trivial information aside, I did get the results back from my genetic testing. All 84 cancer genes I was tested for came back negative. They even repeated the Brach test that I had several years ago. It came back negative again. So happily I can report to my kids that I cannot pass on any to them. The BC I have was not genetic. I've always suspected it came from taking estrogen for 20 years after my hysterectomy at 34.

Now this does not mean that my mother or father didn't have any genetic cancer genes. They just didn't pass them on to me. Both my sister and brother died of cancer. They could have passed them on to them. 

Anyway, that's enough information for today... some important, some not so much.

Time to start thinking about the Thanksgiving menu. It really doesn't change much from year to year. I'm sure this is true at your house also... tradition! 

We always have smoked turkey,  jalapeno pecan stuffing (used to have oyster stuffing, but changed over the years - my mom made the best oyster stuffing and oyster pie), bourbon sweet potatoes with a brown sugar and pecan topping, green beans with garlic and almonds, cranberry sauce, and a special deep chocolate dessert with a cookie crust that the boys always request. We will have the same this year, but in much smaller quantities. Usually we are about 12, this year just 3. Other desserts we sometimes have are cheesecake (DH makes a mean cheesecake) and a bourbon chocolate pecan pie. We won't have these this year... way too much for 3 people.

past Thanksgivings

Have a wonderful week! Stay safe... 

Hugs (virtual), 

Rian

this past week...

my basic philosophy

I know it's been over a week since I've posted. But despite sheltering at home, we have been busy. It was grandson's birthday Wednesday as well as my first genetic counseling meeting at the hospital. For the birthday, we simply picked up a Raspberry Mousse cake at Central Market (which was fabulous) and the 3 of us had a quiet celebration here at home.

His parents will get together with him this weekend for their own masked quiet celebration at a local park. For those who don't remember, they moved from Hawaii (where they have been living on Oahu for the last 3 years) to Texas a few months ago and settled in a small town about 2 hours from here. She works as a nurse at a local hospital there - which apparently is getting Covid patients shipped in from El Paso and elsewhere. 

As for the genetic counseling... this is something my Oncologist recommended as we have quite a lot of cancer in the family -maternal grandmother (Ovarian), father (Gall bladder), sister (Gastric), nephrew (Leukiemia), brother (Pancreatic), and myself (BC). 

The consultation was very interesting. The woman who talked with us for about an hour was extremely friendly and knowledgeable.  I asked a million questions and she was able to answer them all. The reason for getting tested to see if you carry the genes for specific cancers is to give you the chance if you are positive to be monitored more often. It's also to let your kids know that if you are positive, there's a 50% chance that they are also. At my age I'm not sure if I care to know, but do think it might be good for my kids to know while they are still young.

Also a few things happened this week that kept us either on the phone, texting, Skyping, or Zooming. My son-in-law's father died, as did a good friend of my daughter's. My son's stepson has been diagnosed with Covid in Kentucky as has another friend's son here.  Two fathers and one mom of my pottery group friends have Covid. Things are getting a bit closer to home. We haven't seen any of these people, but still it affects us. My prayer list is getting longer every day.

With the holidays coming, I'm praying that people will not let down their guard... but I'm afraid that they will. We won't. The 3 of us will celebrate alone - but possibly Skype with other family members. I truly believe that this won't be forever... and when it's all over, we will get together and make up for this lost year.

So... keep the faith!  We will get through this. And thank goodness we have these blogs to share our thoughts and feelings. Reading yours and sharing mine is good balm to my soul. 

I'm going to leave with just one mention of the election. Someone brought this up somewhere and it made me stop and think. If some consider the voting fraudulent, doesn't that make all the people on the ballot in jeopardy - not just the president?  Something to think about...

Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoyed reading everyone's blogs today even if I didn't comment on all.  Enjoy reading the comments too!!

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Election days 2020

Election 2020

This Wednesday has been the longest day ever... and will probably go on through today and possibly even further. I don't know about everyone, but I imagine it's the same for many - this 'on edge' feeling, waiting for the other shoe to drop (in this case the other states to finish counting). 

We try to stay busy and keep the TV off... and only check in at various times. DH is working outside and I'm too antsy to write on my book, so am trying to think of little things to do around the house. Household chores and playing Animal Crossing help some, but even that doesn't keep my mind occupied enough to calm my nerves. 

What will be, will be... and life will go on.  But good lord, I don't want another 4 years of this division in our country.  It's possible that a new person in office (any person) might not change that... but we can only hope. And I really would like someone who has a bit more concern for the lives of their citizens... and someone who has respect for the medical profession and science... lets face it, someone who has and shows respect. 

I know all of this is just 'my opinion' and I do choose to respect others' opinions. And I know this is a 'choice' that not everyone makes - not everyone 'agrees to disagree' . I'm OK with that, but this country was built on the idea of freedom to choose. What good is that freedom if it is not respected?

That's it. Just wanted to see if I wrote some of this down if it would help calm me. Has it? (maybe) Think a cup of tea might help.

Anyway, I hope you have a good day! 

(maybe I'll bake a peach dump cake - know the boys would like that...)

hugs (virtual),

Rian

Happy Halloween - yesterday

 

Halloween bat cookies! 

Happy Halloween - a little late. Hope everyone had an 'interesting' pandemic Halloween. We had our outside lights off for the first time in the 35 years we've lived in this neighborhood. There was probably little door to door activity, but I know some just put buckets of candy out front... and from Ring and Nest doorbells, one could see that most of the little ones took one piece, but some of the older teenage sized kids not only helped themselves, but came back several times for more. 

We have twin 5 year old girls that live next door. Friday I had DH bring them a bag of goodies (Halloween coloring books, bat cookies, and candy)... and told their parents that we wouldn't be leaving our lights on this year. Our 7 year old grand daughter lives about 30 minutes away. I knew they were having her do her schooling online and that she wouldn't be trick or treating either. But she did get to wear a costume and walk around the neighborhood. Her dad said she had a good time.

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Well, the 2020 election is this week. I have to say that I will be glad to have it over and done. I really hope it can be 'over and done'  without problems. But the way things have been going, this may be too much to hope for.

The pandemic we are learning to live with. We are all in this together and together we will survive it (I hope so anyway). But I also hope that we won't have to continue to live with this political unrest. Our country is better than this.

That's all for me today. Stay safe! 

Hugs,

Rian