Sam's taking his driving test in December~ is this my future?
more animals
Two more people laid off at work...
more animals
Chris got up & into the shower, before realizing it was only 3:30 am
more animals
Saturday work is back on the schedule, but I have managed to squeeze in a little knitting time~ here's Chris' vest he requested
I am rather pleased with the results & he's even worn it out in public 
I’m back & reasonably refreshed from my travels this weekend; it helps that I don’t have to be back to work until Wednesday morning & the guys are both occupied. Can we hear it for alone time?
I spent the past 3 days in Louisville, Kentucky, participating in my very first ever “Girls Weekend Getaway”. The most exciting part wasn’t just spending time with a group of great women, but that I was meeting each one of them for the first time. Yep, you read that right; self-professed shy person Meg flew across country to spend the weekend with people she’d never met- talk about a leap of faith!
Now, these ladies weren’t strangers to me; it was a gathering of blogging friends that I’ve come to know over the past two & a half years. Most of us started our blogs around the same time, & came to know each other through our writing, swapping comments, & emails. Over time, phrases like “If we lived closer, we could…” or “Wouldn’t it be fun to…” were sprinkled through our conversations, so it seemed a natural step when the idea of a get-together was introduced six months ago.
So, Friday afternoon, I was met at the Louisville airport by the others & we embarked on an adventure in friendship. The first order of business once reaching the hotel was taking pictures & exchanging gifts; I brought small collections of seasonal stationary, local jam, apple butter, & honey, as well as small hand-knits for each person. Then it was off for dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, a favorite spot for each of us, followed by a real surprise treat: a horse-drawn carriage ride thru downtown & back to our hotel! It was the first time for a couple of the girls & even though it was pretty chilly, we had a rousing good time.
The next morning, we had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before heading to Louisville Stoneware, where we spent a couple of fun hours painting our own ceramic pieces,. The pieces will be fired, packed, & mailed to us within a couple weeks. We took some pictures with our creations, & explored the store & museum, before heading down the street for an awesome lunch at The Cafe.
Later, it was off to Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby; this was a real treat for me, as the love of horses runs strongly thru generations of my family. We saw the horses paraded around the paddock in their racing silks, chose our favorites, & even made a couple of small wagers. One race was watched from the track rails & another from up on the second level; we even had 3 winners (talk about beginner’s luck!) before doing some souvenir shopping in the store & heading back downtown to the Fourth Street Live area. Some of us wandered through the bookstore & a couple others walked down to the Louisville Slugger Museum (which unfortunately had already closed), before meeting again for dinner at the Hard Rock Café- another first for me. We wound up the eventful day by talking & laughing until the wee hours of the morning- my stomach still hurts!
Sunday morning meant getting ready to go home to reality; we all had breakfast together at the hotel & then began taking girls to the airport- two had to be there at 10:00, & another at 12:00, so after they were seen off with hugs, pictures, & tears, the remaining three of us went to lunch at the Cracker Barrel & a bit of last minute shopping. We said our last goodbyes at 2:30, with plans to get together again, possibly out this way next time; I would be tickled to be the hostess & be able to share the wonders of my part of the world. A long, uneventful 7 1/2 hour journey found me back home with my guys & felines, all of whom needed some attention. Evidently, Chris has been sick since Friday evening- head, chest, & the full spectrum of gastro-intestinal distress- so both he & Sam did little more than watch movies & order in food. Oh darn~ I am sooo sorry to have missed out on all that fun!
So, there are my escapades in a nut shell; today was spent cleaning up, unpacking, doing laundry, & running some errand, while the guys went back to work & school. I’m so glad I was able to able to schedule in some down time to recuperate, but you know that it was all worth it. Thank you, girls, for creating treasured memories of becoming Real!
I cannot tell you how glad I am that this election is over- contentious, vicious, duplicitous, deceptive, posturing jackanapes- and that was just the media!
Seriously though, no matter what your feelings are about the outcome (no, I’m not telling who I voted for- I don’t talk politics & my choice is nobody’s business but mine) it is time to put the campaign rhetoric & partisan politics aside, joining together as a nation to support this man as he takes on the most difficult job in the world, President of the United States. If you don’t think it is tough, just look at some of the “before & after” photos of our former leaders- they age much more than the 4 to 8 years they serve in office. 
Wouldn’t you know it: just one day after completing the unclaimed property reporting (safely with in the deadline, thank-you-very-much) & heading into the first of the month craziness- not one, but two separate auditing organizations turned up for our annual checkup. What was already going to be a hectic short week (because I’m headed off to the wilds of Kentucky on Friday) has turned into a three-ring circus, complete with dancing elephants & creepy frenetic clowns. Honestly, I’ve had two simultaneous conference calls going on, while trying to answer email questions, collate data lists, & locate billings from last December. I swear- if my supervisor comes by my desk to ask, “So, how’s it going?”
One.
More.
Time.
I will not be responsible for my actions.
The physical therapy is going well- I’m able to straighten my arm much further & the strength is slowing increasing- but no answers on surgery as of yet. The ortho specialist wants to “wait & see” a few more months, taking x-rays periodically to track any changes in the damaged area. I’m okay with the “not going under the knife right before Christmas” part, but I am a bit concerned that further degeneration of the area will nullify any potential improvement the surgery might bring me. The doctor essentially “pooh-poohed” my apprehensions (have I mentioned that she doesn’t have much of a “bedside manner”?) but my therapist has told me she wants to continue seeing me at least monthly to monitor my condition.
Okay, I really need to get busy- I have work to get done, laundry to finish, stuff to pack- & I’ve been hanging around here stalling long enough. Have a wonderful few days & I’ll be checking in after I return on Sunday.
5:10 am, somewhere in central California: our intrepid heroine is snuggled under the comforter with her cat-kids, blissfully sleeping to the sounds of purring & gentle rain falling on the roof.
Suddenly, a voice pierces through the veil of slumber-
“Uh, Meg, could you give me a hand?”
As she attempts to pry her eyelids open, the first conscious thought is:
“Go away- I don’t have to get up yet!”
followed swiftly by:
“Who turned the *&^%$#@! bedroom light on?”
Slowly, as her vision begins to clear, the face of her beloved husband comes into focus, peering at her from about a foot away (third conscious thought “I certainly hope he’s brushed his teeth already!”) It takes only a split second to realize something is different- there are strange shadows along his neck & chest…the side of his head seems to be wrapped in a red striped towel…only they don’t have any red striped towels…
Fully awake now, she pops straight up, smacking foreheads with her ever-lovin’; once the virtual meteor shower dies down, he explains that he nicked his earlobe while shaving in the shower (without a mirror- big twit) & can’t seem to stem the flow long enough to get a bandage on it.
Okay then- her devoted spouse requires first aid- no problem.
Well, except one small thing- hardly worth mentioning.
Meg doesn’t do blood.
Honestly.
Boom-boom, out-go-the-lights time; really not dignified at all.
But, a loved one is in need, so into the fray she goes.
She follows him into the bathroom, lays out all the supplies on the counter, & turns to face the patient; he removes the bloodstained washcloth from his ear & she begins to wash away the bright red marks covering his neck & shoulder, when blood begins to ooze again, dripping on her hand.
All of a sudden, there are stars sparkling in her peripheral vision & the sound of buzzing hornets in her head; seeing her visibly paled countenance, her better half slaps a wad of tissues to his head, yells for the young son-and-heir to haul tuckus in here, & leads her quickly back to the bedroom, suggests that she might want to lay down for a minute. Their son, remembering his first aid course, advises that her feet need to be raised above the heart, but there aren’t enough pillows, so…
5:25 am finds the lady of the house arranged at the foot of the bed, feet propped on the blanket chest & the comforter draped across her form, while the cats stare in a confused fashion & her men folk are in the bathroom, patching up Dad’s ear & doing their level best not to giggle.
The Queen is not amused.
Due to a huge mistake I made 18 months ago & only caught on Thursday (no, there is no way I can blame it on anyone else, because others steadfastly refuse to share the in the annual responsibility), my 25 property report has become a 160 property report, with the same due date & guaranteed associated fines.
Crap. 
Crisis mode has taken effect & my co-workers will be flying to my aid, taking over the majority of my daily duties, until I can get the report done.
Once I recover, that is.
Yes, I succumbed to Sam’s flu bug; I don’t have it as bad as he did, but I’m sick enough to stay out of the office for the past two days. On the one hand, I know I could be toughing it out & working after hours, so as not to infect everyone; one the other hand, I know it will be there waiting for me when I’m feeling better.
Duty or comfort?
I’d rather make applesauce.
Don’t look so impressed~ it really is quite easy. Saturday morning, Chris & I took off for our postponed trip to Apple Hill, & came home with all sorts of goodies, including this great antique apple crate & a quarter bushel of apples (approximately 30 medium sized). I picked out a mixture of mostly tart apples, with a couple sweeter ones thrown in: Granny Smith, Red Rome, Gala, Fuji, Winesap, & Arkansas Black.
First step is to wash & peel the apples; I rough-peel mine, leaving bits of skin, because, well, I’m lazy & I like the skin. Next you need to remove the cores, using a handy-dandy apple corer (definitely worth the $5 investment) which also slices it into wedges- all that’s left is to chop them a bit more.
I like chunky applesauce, so mine are cut into one inch cubes- cut them up smaller if you like a smoother texture. Toss them into a thick-bottomed dutch oven or large saucepan, add about an inch of water or unsweetened apple juice, & put the lid on it.
Bring the mixture to a full boil, then turn it down to low & cook until the apples are soft, maybe 10 minutes. Stir them first with a wooden spoon to check the consistency- notice that most of it has broken down into sauce texture- & if you want it smoother, either cook another 5-10 minutes or use a masher like I do.
At this point, add sugar to taste if you want- I use about a quarter cup of brown sugar if it’s really tart- & put in your seasoning; I use about ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, my favorite, per 8 cups of applesauce.
Now you are pretty well done; put your sauce into sterilized quart jars & it will keep in the fridge for a month. Or you can take the next step & hot bath can them, which will preserve it for 18 months- its super simple & worth the extra 30 minutes or so of work time. Fill a large, deep pot with water & heat to boiling, while boiling the lids in a smaller pan for about 5 minutes (which activates the rubber seal).
After filling your hot, sterilized jars with the still warm applesauce, leaving ¼ inch head room, put a lid on it & tighten down the ring to seal. Using a jar lifter (kind of like a giant pair of tongs, but wider to hold a jar), lower the jars into the large pot, making sure there is at least one inch of water over the top of the lids, & process them for 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove the jars from the pot & allow to cool, which will cause the vacuum seal to form; check the tops after the jars cool by pressing on the lids- they should be rigid & tight.
So, for an investment of $7.00 worth of apples, ½ cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of spice, four one-quart jars (left over from the case I bought for last Christmas’ Soup-in-the-Jar gifts), & less then 1 ½ hours labor time, I ended up with 4 quarts plus 2 bowls of applesauce & a house that smells wonderful!
Oh, yeah~ & a bowl of comfort food
Elizabeth Cranmer of PigTails and Snails is giving away a lovely quilt of her very own design. It is so pretty and so kind of her to be so generous. Rush right over and throw your hat in the ring~ she has runner up prizes too and there are only 800 entries so far :-)
Crazier things have happened :-D
Hello again.
Long time, no write.
Sorry about that, but “life” keeps getting in the way.
Nothing particularly exciting going on around the garden- I’ve just been in powerdown mode for a couple of weeks, compensating for the deadline pressure at work. I get off work around 5:00, take care of that day’s particularly pressing errand (ie, groceries, gas in the car, pay the rent), ferry Sam to whichever activity claims him for the evening, and then park my carcass for the rest of the evening (or until Sam needs to be picked up again.)
The weekend was looking a bit more promising, since I was one of the lucky few to have Columbus Day as a paid holiday and Chris was “forced” to take some vacation days. Unfortunately, he got called into work Saturday, which postponed our plans for another week, and Sam came down with a rip-roaring case of the flu. Poor kid came home early Friday, after having the barfs at school, manned up to take his last driving lesson so he could get his certificate (and not have to shell out another $45 missed lesson fee) and taught both karate classes, before collapsing in bed with fever, chills, and body aches. The cats and I played nursemaid Saturday, alternately feeding him acetaminophen and turkey soup, while he watched all the episodes of “Heroes” and slept.
Sunday was my week at Ravenswood; it was a surprisingly quiet and chilly afternoon~ I didn’t do a single full tour all day, just a brief outline for a waiting photographer and answering questions for some potential wedding party people. When I arrived back home, I found remnants of an impromptu pizza party and Sam sound asleep on my bed; our friend J had his kids visiting this weekend and brought them to church, so Chris invited them all back to the house to entertain Sam. He finally wore out while they were watching a movie and retreated to the quietest place in the house, and the others headed over to the park to wear the kids out before the 2-hour drive home. We spent the evening quietly at home, doing a bit of laundry, making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, and watching “Sherlock Holmes” on PBS.
We left Sam home yesterday and drove into San Jose to see the Da Vinci Experience at the Tech Museum; the exhibit was very interesting and worth extra cost~ we spent more than two hours looking at the scale models created from the drawing of Renaissance artists and engineers, and were allowed to view two paintings done by disciples of Leonardo Da Vinci.
The rest of the museum is a great place for kids- lots of hands on exhibits and learning stations, as well as an Imax theater- though not really my cup of tea. We had a surprisingly good and reasonably priced lunch in the museum café, then took a late afternoon stroll around the campus of San Jose State University before driving home. We did stop off at our favorite pumpkin patch and cornfield maze, to pick up discount tickets for the outing Sam is planning for the church youth group (he was recently chosen as second-in-command and is responsible for events) and to look for pie pumpkins; I was visiting a new blog- A Place of Quiet Rest- and she did an entry on “Pumpkin Economy”, which has inspired me to try preparing my own pumpkin puree for pies this year. This patch didn’t have any, but the girl running the shop gave me a couple leads for other local pumpkin patches that should have them at a reasonable cost (which, of course, is the whole point, right?)
So, here I am- back at work and drudging along on my report, hoping that I don’t get sick- while Chris has another two days off; he had a dentist appointment, a doctor appointment with subsequent xrays (his shoulder has gotten really bad- please pray, since he doesn’t get sick time pay), and even volunteered to make the weekly trip to Costco today, which is probably why I haven’t heard from him all day. Yes, I know~ I am blessed.
FOR TODAY October 6th...
Outside My Window...
A line of finches perched on a long cane of our Banksian rose bush, silhouetted against a clear, bright blue sky
I am thinking...
Work stuff- another deadline looming
I am thankful for...
Paid sick leave; while contemplating possible surgery, it’s a wonderful feeling to not worry about losing income while I recover
From the kitchen...
Meatloaf, grilled mushrooms & zucchini, & homemade cornbread
I am wearing...
A dark green sweater, black slacks, & black loafers
I am creating...
A page for my Sketchbook- “Starry Night”- & my third scarf for the Special Olympics Project.
I am going...
To have a long weekend; next Monday is Columbus Day, which is a paid holiday for us
I am reading...
Stealing Lumby by Gail Fraser; The Art of Beatrix Potter & At Home with Beatrix Potter for some inspiration.
I am hoping...
That the stretching exercises I was given this morning will help relieve the pain & stiffness in my arm
I am hearing...
Laughter coming from the break room, while my coworker watches the Vicar of Dibley DVD I brought from home
Around the house...
Lots of yard work looms- the cantaloupe, grapes, & cherry tomatoes are done, the roses need to be cut back, & I need to dig in plenty of compost into the large bed- think I’m going let that one go fallow this winter.
One of my favorite things...
My collection of full-length aprons; they are pretty, practical, & make me feel like I’m ready for any home challenge
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Wednesday is the monthly Garden Club meeting; I hope to make it over to knitting group on Friday- I haven’t been by in over a month; Chris has to take some vacation time, so we both have a three-day weekend- we’re hoping to go to see the Da Vinci exhibit at the Tech Museum in San Jose.
Here is picture thought I am sharing.
I ordered these adorable pincushions from Esty- they were made by one of my blogging friends, Cindy at Superior Living
Drop by Peggy's place, The Simple Woman, to visit the other Daybooks being shared this week.
