Monday Musings

So you can see that I’m moving my weekly update to Monday mornings in 2012. [Please be patient as I adjust to this new schedule -]We didn’t do a big new year’s celebration this year – we had an early dinner with friends at Olive Garden and came home so I could finish up the Christmas stocking while Craig watched the game on television.

I had a few long work days at work as I covered the phone for the big office – one call in particular was sadly amusing – “I’ve moved in with my sister and am supposed to pay the water bill but I don’t have a job. What can you do about that?” I had to bite my tongue to not tell this young person to get out and get a job! But I didn’t. I referred to local agencies that might help on a one-time basis…
We enjoyed some time with our boys as we met for a meal a couple of times this week. Love our traditional Wednesday night Mexican and we had a little lunch stop too.The aunt came through her surgery with flying colors and cancer free – Praise the Lord. Please continue to pray for her as she recuperates and adjusts to the changes in her body. She had pizza the day after surgery and was up making biscuits on post-op day three [maybe two?]
I have another aunt whose health is frail and the family is facing care decisions and a cousin who is actually a year older than my mom who is also in need of long-term care – difficult times as we all make the best decisions we can with the info we have, while trying to help our loved ones maintain as much independence as possible. So thankful Mom is able to make good decisions for herself!And she’s doing great! [Photo from a few years back -] The only thing she can tell that hasn’t fully rec overed from the mini-stroke is her eyesight, and sadly, she’d already lost much of it to macular degeneration. Still, she’s adjusting and sees well-enough to get around and do most of the things she wants to do independently.
We had a good Christmas celebration with my family on New Year’s Day [we’ve done this a few times to accommodate travel and work schedules for different ones of us] – kind of extending the Christmas Spirit a few more days. There’s never enough time to just visit though –
And we got a few more things out of the house. There’s just a couple of more things that I need to get and some papers [my elementary school work – lol] that I need to go through –
And I got all the Christmas packed away – yay. I do enjoy having the house decorated for Christmas but I love it re-stored to everyday comfort too. And the pull-up skinny tree? It’s a winner! It was down and in the box in about ten minutes.
Recipe of the week: Cheesy Shrimp Grits – mix up instant cheesy grits and stir in a ½ - ¾ cup more sharp cheddar. Stir in shrimp [already cooked in olive oil, garlic, and red pepper,] serve with a salad [and for us, leftover prime rib – lol] – Yum. [I’m such a “cook” – lol.]