CONVENIENT (A Five-Minute Friday Post)

When I got home from the hospital after my knee replacement, I had to set up a sort of command center - a place I could spend most of the day where everything would be convenient for me to reach.  So the recliner became my base of operations.

I've spent most of the past two weeks ensconced on my comfortable throne, cable remote, cryo-cuff, cold drinks, and rehab exercise instructions conveniently at hand.

That Man did a great job getting me through that initial time home.

"Please fill my cryo-cuff!"

"I'd like Taco Bell for lunch."

"How about KFC?"

"Could you bring me the walker?"

"I need a Coke."

So demanding!!!  But he has fetched and carried and driven me to a doctor appointment and several physical therapy sessions so far.  Not to mention his attentiveness at the hospital!  I'm supposed to be doing a lot more for myself now, so he's gone back to work.  It was really convenient to have him home the past couple of weeks.  Plus, I miss his company.

I still have control of the recliner, though, so that will have to be my consolation for now!

New Year, New Knee! (Part 1)

Twelve days ago, I had knee replacement surgery, the most major surgery I've ever had.  I still have all my original equipment, except for one tooth (yes, I have ALL my wisdom teeth, thankyouverymuch) and my gall bladder.  Tonsils, appendix, spleen, and adenoids present and accounted for.  I had two tendons in my right hand reattached a couple of years ago after The Nasty Cat bit me.  The only other times I've spent the night in the hospital were when the kids arrived.

It has been an experience.

My knee had been incrementally curtailing my normal activities.  Walking more than a mile at a stretch was out of the question.  Don't even talk to me about running.  Ugh.  Scrambling around on the sailboat was nerve wracking.

Finally, late last summer, I stood up from a picnic table, and the knee betrayed me.  It refused to hold me up.  So, off to the doctor.  X-rays taken, surgeon visited, physical therapy evaluation performed, surgery scheduled, cortisone injection administered.  RELIEF!  I did my prescribed pre-op exercises.

Then the pain returned.

I REALLY started looking forward to surgery.

Things got interesting (and busy).  I visited the cardiologist and attended a joint replacement class.  I went to a pre-op appointment with my family physician.  I went to the hospital for pre-registration and a pre-surgical visit with an anesthesiologist, who performed a crazy procedure called "cryoneurolysis" on a couple of nerves around my knee.  He located the nerves using ultrasound, then used a probe to actually FREEZE them in a few places to minimize incision pain for several weeks after the surgery.  What will they think of next???

Everything's about preventing infection, so the night before, I had to take a super antibacterial shower and dry off with clean towels, then sleep in freshly laundered pajamas and sheets.  In the morning, I had to repeat the shower and put on clean clothes.  No breakfast allowed - wah!  We headed to the hospital - VERY early.  I got checked in, taken to pre-op, and handed a bunch of antibacterial wipes - more infection prevention!  Wiped down and got into one of those highly fashionable hospital gowns.  Then into surgery, knocked out, knee replaced, and back out again.  The dressing they put on my incision was impregnated with silver - more infection prevention. 

After surgery, it's about managing pain and swelling, and getting up and moving around.  I got up to walk a little - with supervision, of course.  I did pretty well that first day, but when they got me up to walk, I got lightheaded and had to sit back down.  The second day, I felt pretty good and did physical therapy but still couldn't walk far without getting dizzy.  My blood pressure kept dropping so I couldn't go home.  They had me on oxycodone for the heavy duty pain relief, and it did its job - too well, apparently.  The third day, when I should have gone home for sure, I didn't feel well.  I had no appetite, my brain was foggy, I wanted to sleep all day, and every time I'd get up, my blood pressure again plummeted, plus I started having chest pains.  Ugh.

Long story short, they did a bunch of tests (blood tests, EKGs, and a crazy non-treadmill stress test) and determined my heart was fine.  I had bad heartburn, and oxycodone is not for me.  EVER. 

It is an evil evil evil drug.  Avoid it at all costs.

So they replaced oxycodone with tramodol, and the fourth day I was fine.  No lightheadedness AT ALL.  I had an appetite.  The fog was gone.  The heartburn was gone.  I did my physical therapy.  I went home.  HOME!

Now comes the hard part.

Stay tuned!

I Made the Marley Cardi Sweater!

That Girl found a sweater pattern online she liked and dropped some not-so-subtle hints, so I spent a few weeks of intense crocheting and finished it New Year's Eve.  A slightly late Christmas present.

The pattern is called the Marley Cardi and can be found on Ravelry or here.

Usually, I prefer knitted sweaters to crocheted, but this one looked great, and it's what That Girl wanted.  It's crocheted holding worsted weight yarn and standard (#10) crochet thread together.  The pictures on the website showed the sweater made with white yarn and black thread, but I wasn't happy with the look - too stark or something - but it was good for the detailed close-up photos in the instructions.  I used gray yarn and white thread instead, and we were super happy with the results!

That Girl is tall and wanted it to be longer than shown online, so I needed to buy more yarn and thread than the pattern called for, but not much.  Because it's loosely crocheted, it worked up quickly, is soft, and drapes nicely.  So, maybe my prejudice against crocheted sweaters is unfounded!

Now she's found some yarn and wants a pair of socks.  Heavy sigh.  Oh well!  Guess I'd better get busy - LOL!

Oatmeal Raisin (or Date, or Craisin) Cookies (A Non-Trendy Comfort Food Recipe)

Here's the new mixer with
 the old one visible in the
 background.

I bought myself a new mixer during Black Friday weekend and decided to try it out.  I have a heap of cookie recipes, and some are harder than others to mix by hand.  I used my old 350-watt Sunbeam Mixmaster to make cookies now and then, and it generally did pretty well, until I tried to make cookies with heavier dough.  I finally caved and bought a 525-watt Kitchenaid Professional 5 Plus mixer.  All that lovely extra power really helped when I made the dough for these cookies.




Oatmeal Raisin/Date/Craisin Cookies (about 4-5 dozen)

1 c butter (2 full sticks), softened
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
4 t cinnamon
1 t salt
3 c old-fashioned or quick oats
1 c raisins, craisins, or chopped dates

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time, mixing well after each.  Dough will be stiff.  Drop by spoonfuls on a lightly sprayed baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees 9-10 minutes.  Let them cool on the baking sheet about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.

You can put the dough in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next day if you like.  It will be VERY difficult (read "nearly impossible") to scoop when you first take it out.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 13 minutes.

UFO Sighting! (In My House)

I rearranged my craft closet a couple of months ago, and during the excavation activities, I uncovered evidence of several UFOs.

That closet is sort of my own personal Area 51.  Nothing to do with extraterrestrials, however; the UFOs are UnFinished Objects.

I found a pair of socks I'd mysteriously abandoned, some crochet projects (including a large lace bedspread), and assorted counted cross stitch items.  All begun, none finished.

I have a problem with enthusiastically starting a project, then jumping to another before the first one is done.  Thus, all these half-finished THINGS languishing in the craft closet.

So one of my goals for the new year is to find ALL the UFOs in the house and work on them, one at a time (here's the key!) until each one is DONE.

There are some rules:

1.  Work on only ONE project at a time.

2.  Don't start on another UFO until the current one is completed.

3.  Don't start any NEW projects until all the UFOs are done.

4.  Don't buy any more crafty materials/kits/equipment until all the UFOs are done.

I did finish the socks this past weekend.  I discovered that I had stopped because I'd dropped some stitches (the knitter's nightmare!) and didn't have the patience at the time to fix them.

So, one down, and an unknown number to go!

BETTER (A Five-Minute Friday Post)

It's the first Five-Minute Friday of 2019 and the word of the day is "BETTER!"

Here's the evidence!

This year, I'm working at making the house better.  I have a heap of boxes to go through - some have been stored in the garage and attic for a long time (please don't ask how long - it's embarrassing!), and some are from our parents' houses, stored in one of the bedrooms.  I actually took one of those blasted boxes from the garage and emptied it today.  Easy-peasy lemon squeezy!  I decided to keep about half and donate the rest.  I only pitched one thing.  Someone will enjoy the items I "released."  I'd like to do that once a week.  Just think of the stuff I can jettison!!!

Also, I've been watching "Tidying with Marie Kondo" on NetFlix, and even though some of the things she does make me shake my head in disbelief (for example, thanking the items you're letting go), it's been kind of motivating.  You know, if Those People can do it, by gosh, so can I.  I've gotten some ideas for how to store some things that I would have never come up with on my own.

So, like the old motivational mantra says, "Every day in every way I'm getting better and better!"

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This post is part of the Five-Minute Friday link-up.  Today's writing prompt was "BETTER."  For more information on Five-Minute Friday, click here.

Amazing Eggnog French Toast (A Holiday Leftover Recipe)

That Man and I like to have eggnog for Christmas and New Year's.  YUM!  But we (well, I) tend to overbuy and we end up with too much eggnog to drink before its expiration date. 

What to do?

Eggnog is mainly milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, so I use it to make french toast.  That Man says it's the best he's ever had, and that's high praise indeed, especially from someone who usually tells me a dish is "not bad" when others would say "really good" or "great."

Here it is on the griddle.

Amazing Eggnog French Toast (8 slices)

1 1/2 cups eggnog
3 eggs
1 1/2 t nutmeg
1 t vanilla
8 slices round-top bread (not what is packaged as "sandwich" bread)

Preheat griddle until a drop of water dances on it.  Whisk together the first four ingredients until foamy.  Dip each slice of bread into the eggnog mixture, covering both sides, and place on the griddle.  If there is any liquid left, pour it evenly over each slice on griddle.  They will be well soaked.  Turn slices after they have puffed up a little, are browned on the bottom, and can be easily turned with a spatula.  Cook on the other side until browned on the bottom and set.

I Prolly WON'T Get a Sammie - EVER

What is it lately with the toddler talk?

I recently read a post on one of my favorite blogs, and the blogger had used the word "prolly."  Someone (not me - honest!) commented "Prolly is not a word."  She defended her choice as basically being the way she talks to her friends - casually.  Really?  You use the word "prolly" in a spoken sentence?  Really?  Really?

And the menu of one of my favorite local breakfast/lunch/brunch places has a section for "Sammies."  I don't know what to make of that.  I can almost see "samwich" in conversation - almost.  Barely.  But certainly NOT "sammie," and not on a written menu.  Shudder.

Now, I wouldn't comment on that blog about "prolly."  It was her choice, and even though it bugs the heck out of me, I wasn't going to say anything - there.  And to make a stink in the restaurant about the  menu wording wouldn't do any good.

But HERE is a different story - my house, my rules - so here's my rant!

I suppose "prolly" came from texting; that's where I first came across it.  Even in texts, it makes me cringe.  I mean, if it saved a little time, then maybe.  Maybe.  But in most text programs, if you just start out with "prob," the word "probably" usually shows up as an option to choose.  In mine, if you put in "prolly," it suggests "probably."  So what's with "prolly?"  Why do so many bloggers use it?

And then there's "sammie" instead of "sandwich."  When my kids were little and were learning to talk, they would say "samwich" and we would correct them.  Then I started hearing grown people, so-called adults, using the word "sammie."  As in, "I'm going out for a sammie.  Wanna go with?"  (And that's another pet peeve - "go with."  How difficult is it to add "me" to the end?  Or just leave off the "with" altogether?)

These are just a couple of examples of what I used to call "lazy talk."  I climbed all over my kids for using lazy talk.  I worked hard to get them to speak and write in a way that would make them at least appear to be intelligent and grown up, but now I see this kind of stuff everywhere. 

Maybe people use it because they think it makes them sound on trend and smart.

But it doesn't make them sound smart; it makes them sound infantile and immature.

It's just lazy talk.  Toddler talk.

They need to grow up.

Books I Read in 2018

It's the beginning of the new year and time to look back at last year's accomplishments.

My reading goal this past year was 100 books, and I beat it!  I read either 108 or 105 books, depending on how you want to count The Spiderwick Chronicles since they are technically four separate, but very short, books.  I'll admit I got irritated by a few books, and so quit reading them before I got all the way through, but I finished almost all of them.

So here's an overview of my reading adventures this year, plus some recommendations - both books to read and books to avoid.

I had a thing for books about World War II this year, and I didn't get stuck with any dogs.  The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, The Baker's Secret, Dear Mrs. Bird, The True Story of Hansel and Gretel, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society are all books I'd recommend.  All.  Of.  Them.  I think Dear Mrs. Bird was the best, though, closely followed by The Baker's Secret.

Memoirs were a big part of my reading this past year - seventeen books!  Hiding in the Light, As You Wish, Belles on Their Toes, I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had, and Reasons to Stay Alive are at the top of my recommendations.  Hiding in the Light (Rivqa Bary) is about a Muslim girl who converted to Christianity and her escape from her family - in the United States.  As You Wish (Cary Elwes) is about filming The Princess Bride - inconceivable!!!  I'd Like to Apologize (Tony Danza - yes, THAT Tony Danza) is about the year he spent as a history teacher in an inner-city high school - excellent!  Reasons to Stay Alive (Matt Haig) chronicles his struggles with mental illness and how he has been able to deal with it.

Religion included Hiding in the Light (TWO categories!), Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Answering Jihad, and three more.  The Cost of Discipleship (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) is not only long, but dense and repetitive.  I just couldn't get through it.  I admit I gave up.  Probably something to do with the translation from German.  And German theologians.  Whew!

Lots of cozy mysteries.  I found a new author to follow - Sophie Kelly's Magical Cats series is just plain fun.  And I found a couple of authors to avoid - Miranda James and Maddie Day.  Miranda James's main character is boring.  That's the only way I can describe him.  Ugh.  And I thought I'd enjoy Maddie Day's books because they're set in southern Indiana.  The plots aren't bad, but the reader is beaten to death by the heavy-handed way she gives clues.  Again, ugh.

Several self-help type things.  Top of the list is The ONE Thing (Gary Keller) - WOW.  The Art of Thinking Clearly (Rolf Dobelli), not so much.  In fact, the bottom.  He can't get past his own biases, saying that anyone who believes in God or practices a religion can't think clearly.  The Art of X-Ray Reading (Roy Peter Clark) is an excellent look at how to read great books in order to improve your own writing.

A few books for kids.  I enjoyed Nim's Island (Wendy Orr), and I re-read Henry Huggins (Beverly Cleary) - WOW.  I'd forgotten just how great this book is.  I plan to work my way through her books this year.  I can hardly wait!

Another book I re-read is Christy (Catherine Marshall) - another great book I'd kind of forgotten about.  It's the story of the author's mother, who went into Appalachia as a young, single, female missionary (unheard of!) in the early 1900s.