Saturday, May 30, 2009
Clearing the Chip
George and Oscar
the true meaning of cat nap
Lucas, the owner of a Master’s degree in Mathematics,
NOT marching in the ceremony (he did not for high school, nor his Bachelor’s, either)
and his Dad, three days out of the hospital
bookmarks for grads, raffle prizes, sympathy
there are 12 here
along with 5 sent to my mom
and 2 mailed away
which adds up to 19 crocheted in a month
the gal sitting next to me at Yarn Group says the size 8 hook just seems to be too small to work with very easily, but I think the finished items are so nice to give away
by the way, I have a request to make a pair of potholders for a friend because she says her daughter tried to pilfer her gift out of her kitchen, so I gotta unearth some pretty yarn
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Friday, May 29, 2009
the Internet as Back-up
As anybody who has been around me for awhile knows, I have quite an ‘ooo-la-la’ thing going for Alex Trebek, the host of the tv show JEOPARDY! and often rearrange my day to be able to watch the program.
Mahalia usually is my companion as well.
Today was the day Lucas was done with his apartment in Urbana. He left it nice and clean, then needed me to fetch him and a few items, take the keys to the realtor’s office during business hours, so forth and etcetera.
Along with the drive back home, I completely missed the show, and gosh darn it all, the champion has already been winning all week.
Never Fear, My Dears, all I had to do was go to the home site of JEOPARDY! and read a few of the messages.
I learned that Justin won again, even though he missed the Final question.
there is a photo of Alex with his best “I’m the host” smile
Not quite as good as watching the show in real time,
but close enough until next time.
Lucas gets on a plane Monday, so our weekend will be quite busy.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Recipe for Bread Pudding
there has come a request for the recipe of the treat mentioned in a previous post
my Betty Crocker cookbook was a wedding gift and has the picture from 1972 on the cover
use a casserole dish which will fit inside a pan holding water
put the tea kettle water on to heat
pre-heat oven to 350oF
serves 6
Bread Pudding
5 slices bread (I use 3 whole wheat, 2 country white)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine (or more if you like)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
cinnamon in a shaker
1/3 cup raisins (or more if you like)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
dash of salt
2 1/2 cups milk, scalded
(I put in in the microwave for 1 min 20 secs)
***************************************************
toast bread slices lightly
(I put ‘em in the oven a couple minutes while it heats)
Spread slices bread with butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon
cut each slice into 4 pieces
arrange half the bread in a greased 1 1/2 or 2 quart casserole dish
with the butter side UP
sprinkle with some of the raisins
layer rest of bread, butter UP
sprinkle with rest of raisins
MIX Eggs, white sugar, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl
slowly stir in hot milk
Pour this mixture over the bread in the dish
Place casserole in a pan on oven rack
Pour very hot water into outer pan, at least an inch deep
Bake 65 minutes or until a butter knife inserted halfway between the edge and the center comes out clean
you may need to refill the hot water pan
Remove casserole from hot water
Wait 15 minutes to serve warm
or good anytime
Store leftovers in fridge because of the eggs
my sons and daycare kids loved this when they were little
Husband’s request was the first time I made it in a decade
~~love and Huggs, Diane
With Great Admiration for her Efforts
Over at Gifts of the Journey
and took pictures of the workers who must have highly coveted spatial reasoning skills to be able to get all the stuff into a crate
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Different Hook Busy these days
My steel, size 8 crochet hook has been getting quite a workout the last few days. Having already sent off 5 bookmarks to my mom for her own gift-giving pleasure, given away 2 for graduation achievements, there are 9 waiting to be wet and stretched on the pins.
my camera battery needs some time in the charger
Even though I am busy here beside the window, using natural light to best advantage, I am thinking of my friends far away who also do crafty projects for good.
This morning’s e-mail brings the news that a friend’s dad has passed on,
so I will be crocheting something for her and for her mother.
This morning’s paper, in the Ask Amy column, the writer mentions that the charity request by a family of the deceased is not to her liking.
Amy says to just send a note of condolence without making a contribution.
I’m glad I am able to have something handmade to tuck into the sympathy card. Apparently, it’s okay to not spend money while being sincere.
Husband’s get well card pile is growing.
I am a bit of a ‘visual’ admirer, so I like to look at all the pictures and different signatures. He watches from the other table with a fond expression on his face.
The washer is on its last spin, so I gotta go.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Out of the house for a little over an hour
Husband and I had a little venture outside the house together in the late morning. He wanted to go visit the folks in the building where he works, and since he is not allowed to drive for awhile, I played chauffeur.
One more reason I want to watch the movie Driving Miss Daisy, which was my gift request for Mother’s Day, but the viewing has been set aside for other situations.
Anyway, the shopping list had a pair of suspenders written, so finding some meant he could be dressed a little nicer than the drawstring sweatpants. A belt is too confining and irritates the incision area. He showered and shaved, saying he wants to prove he really is on the mend.
We don’t have a Handicap tag, but I parked as close as we could get to the building, considering all the construction.
He was able to walk in, but headed for the elevator rather than use the stairs. Only the second time I have been in the elevator there.
All the guys in the Tech room greeted us warmly, then we made our way to different offices. All said they are glad to see him up and around, sympathy that he cannot ride his bicycle for weeks, grateful for good medical resources.
Then we went to McDs for carryout. It being a week since he left the hospital, he is getting more comfortable with foods in small amounts. We shared a southwestern dinner salad at home, and both of us are fine with that.
He changed back into comfy clothes, then went to our bed for a nap because Oscar had claimed the couch while we had lunch.
His latest request is bread pudding, the way I always made it when the boys were toddlers. I found the recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook (which had been a wedding gift) have the ingredients laid out, the dishes ready, but seem to be very reluctant to have the oven on for the 65 minute baking time.
My schedule book says this was to be the day I would be driving back from Ohio. Good thing I write in pencil, because I erased the message.
the last 16 days have zipped by with a blur
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Thursday, May 21, 2009
So Glad the Sons are Bigger Now
found via Google Reader, hat tip to George
Iffen I were not so tired, I might have a few stories of mine own to go along with what he said
No, your kids are not adorable
but there are others who did not agree with me when I ushered a toddler out of the hot and busy church kitchen
or sent a 16 month old away from the table because he was dropping art items on the floor beside his chair
I raised three strong-willed sons, worked daycare for years
children learn early how much they can get away with
and very little gets by ME
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Square Piles Getting Taller
A little over a month ago, Friday 10 April, I was in the audience when Christopher’s roomie Patrick performed his percussion Senior Recital in the Kemp Auditorium on the ISU campus. Chris also accompanied with his guitar for a couple music pieces.
I sat in the fourth row, close enough to the stage to be able to use the lights to do some crocheting. I’m not sure how many actual granny squares I did then (probably 4) but when I was out in the hall, I stopped and counted how many were in my bag.
on Good Friday, there were 18 squares completed
a nice 10% of the total needed for Lucas and Milly’s aphgan
Patrick was impressed that I made use of the time
the last week, I have had hours many beside my husband’s hospital bed, so of course I had hook and yarn in my hands
the Done basket has 5 new potholders and 3 new bookmarks without any specific destination
also, on the peg looms, I knitted 3 newborn hats
given to the front desk for the Newborn Nursery
(Husband says hearing the lullaby music in the middle of the night was NOT an ideal desire)
and one 6-month size hat given to a nurse whose baby is due in July cuz my thinking is the baby will be big enough to use it by Christmas
This morning, my crochet bag seemed kinda heavy, so I emptied it out and put the squares into the bin where they are waiting until I am ready to start sewing together
out of curiosity, I decided to count
Now have 139 finished granny squares
Lucas says he is “really pumped” about cottony softness for the bed, and he loves the way the colors work, that there’s gonna be a great cover when it is done
I did not crochet at all yesterday, since I needed to drive Lucas to Urbana for an appointment, then we fetched a couple things from his apartment, each of us bought new shoes, stopped at a bakery, then the drive home
my wrists do not like holding the steering wheel
but today is a new day, lovely outdoors, so I may get the summer started early and take a chair to the porch and get going on the square tally
Husband is resting on the couch, water bottle by his side
I don’t have a call light, but I will keep my ear alert
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Sunday, May 17, 2009
We’ve got Sunshine!
the view from 6West floor of the hospital
looking toward the north and east
the walkway connecting the second floors of the garage and buildings was quite a blessing during all the rainstorms
I sure was glad to see sunshine today
the high building there beyond the trees
is Watterson Towers of Illinois State Uni fame
for awhile they were the tallest dormitory in the world
Husband was out of bed from 2pm until 8pm
allowed to swallow clear liquids
our two younger sons were visiting and walking the halls with him
I watched from the doorway
when a nurse passed by, I exclaimed proudly
“That’s most of my family!”
she said they look good together
just as I was leaving the building, the lullaby music came over the speaker
it is played when a new baby gets borned
that new momma is facing the greatest adventure of life
Tomorrow, I have a list of stuff to do with/for Lucas while he’s in town
Right now, a girl cat is nibbling for attention. It is difficult to type when whiskers are brushing against my knuckles.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Some Writing Over There
for those of you who are looking for something new
you won’t find me writing here right now
updates for my husband’s stay in the hospital
are in the comments at Decrepit Old Fool
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Thursday, May 14, 2009
that Darn Cat
Dear Ones,
Last evening when I went to bed, I thought Oscar was in his safe spot under the basement steps
the place where he goes when there is thunder
at 3:20 when I woke up to use the bathroom,
the sky was quiet so he should have been on the bed in his usual place beside my shins
He Was Not
I went to see if he was on the back porch waiting to get inside
No again
I went back to bed anyway, was not quite alert enough to put on a bra and shoes then go hunting
he was waiting on the front porch when I opened the door to bring in the paper
Good thing the boy kitty is still with us.
When Geo was passing a kidney stone in early Dec 1992, there had to come a transfer from our local hospital to
one in Urbana covered by our then insurance.
I picked Geo up at Brokaw, chart and X-rays in hand, brought him home
we took a very sick Leica cat to the vet for the final trip
came home, he dug a hole in the back yard
saying the moving would help pass the stone
when the boys got home from school we buried our kitty
then I drove Geo to Carle hospital in Urbana
I don’t think my husband could stand another cat dying while he was dealing with physical pain
so Man oh Man, was I glad to see the whiskers, gray and white head-to-tail fur ball this morning
I alternated between hugging and scolding him for 10 minutes
and then I set a nice spoonful of 9 lives in a dish in front of his koot widdle face
he’s on his shelf by the window now—I made sure of it
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Water, Spouse, Game Show
The deluge of rain today brought some water in the basement.
this house is old, without a sump pump
this morning, I had put down a couple old towels to catch it, and squeezed them out in the mop bucket.
Not even a half gallon to pour out.
The dehumidifier machine is running nicely, and it is easy to empty.
Here’s hoping we don’t have to pull out the wet vac machine, cuz that is usually Geo’s duty and I would have to figure out how to even turn the thing on.
Chris called to say the sump pump at his house had quit.
I said “it’s a rental, call the landlord”
which had already been done and they found a broken piece of an old Game Boy in a very important place
All Righty then, not caused by the current guys.
When I was getting tired of the hospital, Geo’s boss was there, and it seemed he needed to get some info about the job,
so I decided to come on home in time to watch JEOPARDY!
Mahalia and I have a date every afternoon.
When she hears the music, she jumps onto the couch and we watch Alex together.
There is a regularly scheduled monthly meeting this evening, and my husband is insisting that I attend. He says he wants me to have something else to talk about tomorrow. He says the nurses are doing a fine job of taking care of him.
Gotta go put a load of laundry from washer to dryer before I go out.
Thanks for reading!
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
When I’m hungry, I eat
Many folks have offered to bring a meal or to do whatever else is needed during a time of crisis.
I mention that Geo is on a Nothing diet, but I’ll let ‘em know.
Apparently, some of the meal plans include me.
Well, I’ll tell ya about my day.
6am, Mahalia is playing with my hair telling me to get out of bed.
After feeding them, and taking my thyroid pill, I make a pot of Red Rose tea, then come to the computer to have a looksee.
My breakfast around 8am is a bowl of cheerios cereal, 2 fig newtons, and a homemade peach/yogurt smoothie
my 14 ounce For Better or For Worse mug full of tea gets sipped while we (the cats and me) are sitting on the back steps watching the morning open up
Then I shower and get ready to go to the hospital.
I remembered to carry a bottle of water today.
Around 2pm, I remember that I am supposed to eat lunch.
Husband is resting nicely after our walk in the hall.
I go down to the cafe in the atrium of the hospital and order a ham and swiss panini sandwich, and grab a bottle of cola from the cooler. After paying, I discover courtesy cups of ice water on the far ledge, so I don’t bother to open the pop.
the sandwich is put in front of me, it looks fine, and tastes fine
while I watch folks go through the rotating door
and Valets bring up or take away vehicles
(why would anybody want a job driving other people’s cars?)
when I’m done eating, I go to the restroom
get on the elevator because I have not yet found the stairs to climb and be getting some exercise
in Husband’s room, Chris is sitting in a chair watching his dad sleep
so I say Hello, and of course, this wakes the old guy
so I get admonished by the kid about somebody sick needs rest
At 4pm, I come home to be able to watch JEOPARDY! in peace
to let the cats out so I don’t have to clean the litter box
the bottle of pop is resting on the counter
a little after 5pm, I go back to the hospital, where Husband tells me he had another walk in the hall and an arm tube got loosened so the evening nurse worked to set things right again
at 6:30pm, he is snoring and looking so much better without a tube in his nose
so I leave at a quarter to 7 to come home and watch NCIS
in the fridge are some chicken tenders bought last Thursday, and today is the due date
after my show, I turn on the oven and prep the chicken
at 9pm, I ate four pieces with a little ranch dressing, and put the rest in the fridge for another time
In times like this, I tend to eat when I am hungry
Eating on a schedule happens when I am on a job
so having folks do a meal for me would take more planning than I can do right now
I would have to meet somewhere at a certain time
this will work for about a week, which is all the longer I had to do so before, when Geo was passing a kidney stone
except then, there were 3 sons at home, and kids do like a better schedule
I do feel less pressure now, with only the cats to bother me
I guess I’m okay, coming and going as I choose
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Procrastinating the whirlwind
Back when Lucas first asked me to crochet an aphgan, queen-size to fit over all 6 feet of him, cotton to please Milly and her quest for natural softness, well, I knew I should be willing to try.
I had no idea that I would use up hours crocheting granny squares while sitting beside a hospital bed.
Folks passing by say the colors are beautiful, so much love obviously goes into every stitch, a very good way to pass the time.
There might as well be a recording and just push the button on the comment.
Inside my head, I feel the need for the hook to be in my hands, to feel the rhythm, as if I am not doing anything correctly until I crochet just two more stitches.
a way of coping with other feelings
of being helpless
of needing patience (the doctor says my husband cannot have nourishment pass his lips for-at the very least- 3 more days)
of making mental notes about when he will be able to come home but not really finishing any task towards the goal
knowing our old cats are lonesome and want attention
but also very much aware of every bit of hair and dander
surgical incision cannot be contaminated
I can feel myself closing inward, crochet hook in hand
at least something pretty comes from it
He’s still on an IV drip.
Sometimes, rather than count stitches, I count drops.
Each of us holding on to life.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Monday, May 11, 2009
Some Things are Just Fine
Over at Decrepit Old Fool, his birthday post there is a long list of comments about what’s happening with us.
When I called my mom to tell her, she said that Mother’s Day should be more happy than what we’re going through.
Although, I did get a gift from our youngest son Christopher.
George would not let me bother Chris in the middle of the night, not even because of a trip to the ER.
he said the boy needs his rest, nothing to worry on
My guess is, he doesn’t want the kid to think his dad is a mere mortal
When Husband went into surgery, I went as directed out into the waiting area. It is rather large, holding over 50 seats, and looking out over the escalators.
At 5:00 on a Sunday morning, I was the only person waiting. And George was unconscious and no longer had any say-so in what should be done.
It was then that I used the phone to get Chris.
He is the youngest, the son who stayed living at home the longest, the kid still in town coming by for laundry and to raid the fridge.
And that room is really big.
Not even 15 minutes later, I glanced up from my crochet hook and saw a shadow pass the corner of the hallway.
there he was, tall and and strong
T.H.E.R.E. because his mom had called
He and I have been through some times together.
when the neighbor’s cat got hit by a car,
he gave them the report
taking Finals at the community college the same week
a trip to Grandma’s in Ohio when he was 12,
and another when he was 21
2 people in a car with a broken cd player, for TEN hours
my son opened wide his arms. . . and I ran into them
and that was when I stopped holding back the tears
while he held me close
and his own fell silently down his cheeks dripping onto the top of my head
When I left the hospital this evening, Chris was asking if his dad wanted more ice chips while they were waiting on a Tech to come help with the walking.
Gifts come in many forms.
My Mother’s Days have turned out a-okay.
~~love and Huggs, Diane