Older but better...?: November 2023

Sunday, November 26, 2023

a Thanksgiving 2023 update...

I thought about putting away the Easter tablecloth and the Halloween pumpkins and just doing the whole table and room Christmas for Thanksgiving... but only 'thought' of doing that. Decided it much easier each holiday to just add something new. So I added a Santa to the middle of the table and kept the bunny tablecloth and pumpkins... not sure anyone noticed or cared.

Thanksgiving Table 2023

I do have a Pumpkin tablecloth as well as a Christmas one, but I just love the 'bunny' one... so I tend to leave it on. Anyway the family and the food take precedence, right?

And I try to take photos at family gatherings so we can reminisce later - but get so busy either cooking or talking that I never take as many as I'd like. Luckily daughter was willing to take on this job and got some good videos as well as still shots. She took this video of all of us gathering in front of the fireplace (actually this is the second attempt - everyone was acting silly in the first try so we had to go again.) Then she made the best part into a still photo. Here it is:

We actually didn't think to take any photos of the food... but there was a lot of it... so some was sent home with the kids.

Friday morning after Thanksgiving is our traditional day to get our tree... and we always go to the same place where they have the best freshest Frasier Firs (they last forever and don't even drop their needles by the day after New Year - which is when we take the tree down). Our SIL used his truck and we got the tree loaded and home pretty quickly.

Love the smell of a fresh tree in the house! DH and I tried to go artificial a few years ago, but just couldn't. We missed the tradition and smell of a real Christmas tree. It just wasn't the same.

Naked tree...

It will take a while to get it decorated. I'm very slow and only do a few ornaments at a time. But eventually I'll post the completed tree.

Also, while we were at the garden center where we bought the tree, we took pics there. They had some really cute places that were picture worthy. So we all took a few. Here's the one of DH and me.

We're not actually smiling, but it works...

And just for those who might be interested, the ferals did get their share of turkey too. So did Moose (daughter's Great Dane) who, by the way, was very well behaved. Here's a few pics of him:

OK, enough about Thanksgiving... it's over. Now on to Christmas!

Hoping all of you had a nice Thanksgiving and are preparing for a wonderful Christmas. Lots to do. Thanks for reading and letting me share.

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

(Also I want to say that it feels weird to post good things when around the world people are suffering... )

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

a pre-Thanksgiving post...2023

wish this was me today... but not!

Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving (tomorrow) as there will be no time once all the kids get in later.

Had a bad week last week with bp spiking again... but better now. Have Cardiologist appointment for another heart monitor scheduled (ugh!) Thought my B-12 injections had settled that problem, but I guess not.

Anyway, busy this morning making bourbon sweet potatoes, and our traditional Thanksgiving dessert (which is a combination chocolate and vanilla puddings with a pecan cookie crust, cream cheese, and cool whip). DH is smoking the turkey and the ham. Kids are bringing the stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, home-made sourdough bread, cranberry bites (not sure what that is - but daughter is bringing it as well as another dessert). We should also have bourbon pecan pie, apple caramel pie, and whatever else shows up.

We will be 9 or 10 around the table this year (would be 12 but oldest son and his wife are in Mission, TX and won't be in this year). Daughter is also bringing their Great Dane, Moose, as she found someone to watch the horses at their place, but no one to watch Moose. He has never been here before, but is a very well behaved dog... (although the feral cats out back won't like it).

No time for further blogging. Timers going off!

Wishing all of you a wonderful Happy Peaceful Thanksgiving!

Moose

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Update on annual Wellness Exam...

getting old meme

This will be rather short. Just had my annual Wellness Exam. Both my Primary Physician and Nurse Practitioner were booked this past week, so I took an appointment with the new Physician's Assistant. She was great, very personable and extremely thorough.

I know that as we get older, there are a ton of questions that must be asked that are required to make sure us elders are not depressed or physically or emotionally unable to take care of ourselves. But I do find some of the questions a bit strange... like: "Are you afraid of falling?" I know it's a legitimate question and the reason for it, but my silly side just wants to say, "No, not at all. I look forward to it". Of course I don't say this. I just say "no".

Then there's: "Do you need to hold on to something when getting up?" I had to think about that one. If it's from the ground, "yes"... or a low chair... but normally, no. I only answer "no".

There were a 'ton' of others that I don't remember now... but my silly mind finds them funny. She also had me do a bunch of physical exercises and asked me to answer questions like:

"What's the date today?" (easy one)

"What's the latest news you heard on TV?" (had to think about that one as I don't watch the news much anymore) But I knew about Israel vs Palestine and Hamas - so apparently that counted.

Then she told me a name and address and asked me to repeat it back a little later. I did this without a problem (although this one could have been a problem since words do disappear quite quickly sometimes).

Oh, and she asked me to draw a clock with it's numbers, etc. Then make it say 11:10. (This one I really had to hold back on because I wanted to draw a digital clock and write 11:10 on it - as I'd expect my granddaughter would do. I'm not sure she can read a analog clock.) But of course I didn't. I drew the round clock I knew she wanted with the clock hands saying 11:10. (the sad thing about this is that this drawing is what my mom couldn't do when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when she was 92).

analog clock

digital clock
(just in case you didn't know the difference)

All in all, this annual exam made me realize that DH and I are at THAT AGE where your ability to take care of yourself is under consideration/assessment. Luckily so far, we have no problems as of yet. Some things aren't as easy as they used to be... but still do-able.

Sorry this is as long as it turned out. If you kept reading, thank you. I was able to get my B12 injection and the blood test results will be in soon... so I believe all is well and I'm good to go for another year.

Leaving you with a pic of my bonded plants (Mary Maiden Fern and Hatch Pepper) - with their new friend Chris the Christmas cactus.

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

(Also it's Veteran's Day! My heartfelt thank you for your service and for your sacrifices in keeping our country safe.)

(It's also our oldest grandson's birthday! He's 25 today and a wonderful young man. We love him dearly.)

Thursday, November 9, 2023

a few ramblings...

These are my new resolutions... actually I never make new year's resolutions, just try to renew my focus on what's important now and again.

Sometimes it takes a child to make us realize this. Our granddaughter (10) was recently faced with a situation in school that ended her up in the Principal's office. What happened is that her music teacher told her to get up in front of the class and sing (by herself). She said "no"...

She spoke up. As it turned out, the Principal was on her side and said she was going to talk to the teacher. And I agree that it wasn't an appropriate request. But I do wonder if it had been me as a child, would I have had the guts to say no. (I can't hold a tune, but would I have given in to authority - probably).

Next is a picture of our Senior Center:

It's a really nice place, but very busy most of the time. We do go there to walk, have coffee, and check out the library... but classes and outings are almost always full.

Next I read this and had to laugh... thought who wrote it was pretty good... especially that last line.

And :

... and listening to my ramblings

Hugs (virtual),

Rian

Saturday, November 4, 2023

just a few of my favorite things...

Surfing through my iPhone pics and deleting some this Saturday morning, I came across some old sayings and favorite pics that I thought I'd share. Some I've probably posted before, so bear with me.