CRAZY TOWN WAITING ROOM - TESTS coming up? All Stages Welcome.
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no pics from me but have to say my neighbors are great to enjoy dinner with. No drama or arguments among their group.
got some leftover turkey and just making some stuffing and gravy to complete my dinner
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I love leftovers! Enjoy yours, Iris!
I'm glad everyone had a good day. I suffered a bit missing family and was quite teary-eyed. But when my friend got here I felt better. Tomorrow my niece comes and we make the turkey dinner. So as not to do turkey twice, last night we had a Frenched pork roast with an herbed marinade (which I for once managed to turn into prefect gravy with NO LUMPS) and mince pie with my mom's recipe for crust (pate briseè sucre) but I burned it a little. Tasted good anyway. Mashed parsnips, and Gogo's sweet potato and Brussels sprouts medley. My friend claimed she never would eat sweet potatoes. Well that was until she encountered the life force of Gaia! We were fighting over that dish and there were accordingly no leftovers of that!
So I'm still a bit weepy today and any stupidly emotional holiday commercial is making me cry. And when the bad woman wanted to take Dorothy's dog Toto away I had to leave the room. And thank god I haven't seen the Budweiser horses! Goodness me!
Well anyway, here's a couple of pics. I might be buying stock in Kleenex this month. I'm just hopeless.
I found a live fresh herb basket for my centerpiece.
Herbed marinade/rub (garlic, shallots, EVOO, fresh sage and fresh rosemary) made a great gravy base, because the herbs were fresh it wasn't overpowering and we used the parsnip liquid in the gravy).
Mom's mincemeat pie, a bit burned, but deelish
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Katy, that roast sounds delish! I made the turkey gravy yesterday, nobody else will even attempt it. Well, maybe if my nephew was here, but he hates gravy, so I doubt we could get him to make it either.
I think this might be a good year to steer clear of holiday specials, myself. I can just imagine how much kleenex I would need to get through a Charlie Brown Christmas this year!
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Thank you Lucy....it was soooo good!!
Cubbie, Yes, you're right!! Carb overload is definitely a requirement.
Katy, Your table looks so inviting. I love the fresh herbs as a centerpiece. Everything looks wonderful. I can almost smell it through the computer. Gentle hugs to you today. The holidays can be a mixed bag of emotions. The schmaltzy holiday Hallmark movies really to it for me. I don't think I ever thanked you for being interim major!! You are so awesome.
Thank you Queenie for being vice-mayor. You and Katy make a great team!!
Iris, I'm all for the NO drama at the holidays. I'm glad you had such a good time at your neighbors.
I just finished a timeline project with my 7 year-old niece. We compared life to her and her great grandfather's (my dad) from birth to age 8. It was a fun project. Took us three hours!!
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{{{{burp}}}}}}} Turkey soup and turkey pot pie for the win the next day.
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Morning Crazies
Great to hear some of the Thanksgiving stories rolling in. The holidays can be a mixed bag of all sorts of things, even under unstrained conditions, so I think the emotions are perfectly normal and letting it roll out rather than keeping it stuffed up is certainly a wise way to go. Stuffed up emotions cause all sorts of trouble down the line. Just my dime store opinion for the day.
Katy you table looked lovely and the fresh herb centerpiece is perfect! Have a good turkey day with your niece. Have you still nixed the idea of doing the tree with her? It's good to turn people on to foods they never thought they would enjoy. I've been known as a beet whisperer too. Got Seth hooked on them in the first few months of our relationship.
Slow the timeline project sounds fun. Are you still surrounded by family this weekend?
Italy, how are things going with your mom and ex and your friend? Quite a lot in one week. Did you still do a big thanksgiving with all those dietary hurdles?
Tomboy what did you do Thursday?
I'm woefully behind on reading what each of you did.....let's see I know ducky had a milk disaster and was breaking in her golden shows for her granddaughters wedding yesterday. Pics soon ducky?
Sula how was the ferry building adventure- I am imagining a smash success!
Octo where did you celebrate your grandbabies were/are with you right?
Rain did you make the feast or was it a family affair? Edited to say- right the water main break and the lasagna hope things settled down without too much damage to the 'timeline'
Cubbie the gravy is an important job and warrants a dedicated gravy-meister.
PTS sounds like you had a very adult Thanksgiving, how was your pie?
Chi did you spend the holiday with your friends family? How is she doing?
We did the turkey day at my uncle's home in Beermerville NJ. He lives across the street from Space Farms. Any of you Jersey girls recall Space farms? He's an agricultural anthropologist and a real DIY type. Built a stone oven out back several years ago, in which he bakes all his bread and this year, the Turkey. It was a luscious feast and I probably ate more than I have at any holiday. We didn't take any leftovers which was fine because i wanted to do some cooking myself this weekend. So yesterday I made pear and parsnip muffins with rosemary, sesame seed oyster crackers and an oyster stew - the basis of s=which was cream infused with celery and shallots. A little decadent bowl of goodness. My dad came over to my mom's house - they've been apart for 25 years- but remain good friends, and we enjoyed a yummy meal. Nit sure what's going on the plate today, but we are going to a wonderful indoor farmers market in Stockton NJ so I'm sure we will figure something out from there.
Ok ladies, I'll check back more later. Hugs to all.
ox gogo/aka gaia
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afternoon all, well all the food is looking great.
My apple pie went over well and sort of think it will be the norm for me as what to take to dinner at anyone's place!
sort of watching PBS show with Jose Andres on a visit to Haiti, my neice spent time there so especially interesting to me and anyhow, Andres is funny as well as being an amazing chef
I have never heard of Space Farms or that town, sounds like a good place to look up and I think Gala that you must have had a great day
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well my niece's BF issick so they aren't coming. Kind of relieved..... Really don't need to get exposed to anything right now. Now the big question is- do I still make the turkey? I think I just might and have endless leftovers and casseroles.
Channeling Queen {{{{urp}}}}
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Gaia, I went to a buffet at the Ojai spa and resort ( I think that's what it was called) in a great big old ballroom, so pretty, and the food was pretty good. I was invited there by my man's sister, she invited everybody. She is very successful, and older by 15 years than my man. She used to host us at her house, then we did a few thanksgivings at his dad's house, (he wouldn't have it any other way) until he passed. And we did a few at his other sisters house, and we did a couple here at my house, but, his sisters don't come here anymore, because you really have to be a mountain goat to navigate the twisty turny very steep stairs to my house! They stayed at the resort two days before, and did all the spa stuff. they made me do a mud bath! I was really not wanting to do any of that, I myself am not at that discretionary income level, and found it kind of weird, but fun. Being a tomboy, I got into the mud, but was not so good at the other part: Looking polished when you're finished! I guess I am just a diamond in the rough! His sisters did a salt scrub, thanksgiving day, and they were positively glowing, and raving about how good it felt! Now I could get into that! Too fancy for my pocketbook at least for now! I would recommend anyone who is near, to go to that spa and resort. Made by a famous architect and populated at times by hollywood legends, it still has a mystique about it, and the grounds are just awesomely lovely, acres and acres of it.
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Katy.. Hmm.. Decisions about whether to cook the big bird or not. .... What size turkey do you have?? Loved your food and table pics !
Gaia.. Your Thanksgiving sounded wonderful...Enjoy the markets today.!!
PTS.. Glad you had a lovely time at your neighbours house..
I feel like turkey too now.. But guess I will just have to wait until Christmas 🎄 !!
Slow.. The project does sound fun.. It would of been a real eye opener for ypur niece.!
My daughter, her Hubby and 2 little ones ( 3 and 5) slept here with us last night.. Everyone's still asleep.. The calm before the storm!! The kids will be on the go from when their eyes first open :-)
Love to all x
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Hi Ladies.................Wedding was beautiful.................just wanted you to see my grandaughter......our bride.
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Gorgeous, Ducky!
Gaia, thanks for asking. Our friend's husband & son hosted us and four other mutual friends at the Fireside Inn one neighborhood southwest of us. They had moved her into assisted living (with home hospice services) in the Clare the night before, where she's comfy but rather heavily opiated and somewhat disoriented (unfortunately, her glasses got mislaid during the transfer, so they'll have to get another pair made for her and hope the fit's okay--she has only one eye, as she lost the other in an equestrian accident decades ago). Still immobile because of the fracture--the plan is to let the bone knit in place even though it'll be a “malunion," because the fx is too high up to be splinted and surgery would either kill her or leave her permanently intubated. They hope that in a few weeks she'll be able to be lifted into & out of a power chair or scooter. She's able to eat on her own--the Clare provided turkey lunch with all the trimmings. By the end of the week, she may be settled in and oriented enough for visitors again. I'm glad I saw her when I did. Her life expectancy in her pulmonary/orthopedic condition is right on the cusp of hospice eligibility, i.e., six months or less; but the expectation is that she'll live longer than that and be transitioned to a less-intensive part of the assisted-living floors. The Clare is pretty posh, and is a continuum-of-care facility--from independent living apartments with a deeded parking space all the way down to one step above skilled-nursing; the SNF residents are discharged either to the adjacent Warren Barr Pavilion (where my friend had her fall) or the SNF of their or their families' choice.
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Ducky, your granddaughter looks lovely
Sandy, seems like your pals family has a plan to handle her changing needs
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Slow, what kind of things did your niece put in the timeline? Things like differences in the way life is now vs then, or differences in the way kids were raised (school and such)? It sounds like a really interesting project for the kids. Makes me wish we had some kids under 25 in my family.
Gaia, sesame seed oyster crackers sound good - how do you make them?
Iris, I'm not surprised your apple pie was a hit. I'm sure you'll be a frequently invited guest if you're bringing that treat!
Katy, that's too bad your niece's BF is sick. Can they come over a different weekend to do the tree? I love turkey, I would make it anyway, and have endless turkey sandwiches, yum, yum.
Tomboy, LOL about the mud bath. I don't know if I would do it, but I know I wouldn't look polished afterwards. I am hopeless at all things aesthetic. I'd probably still have mud in my ears or something. It sounds like fun, though.
Lucy, they are 3 and 5? Oh my, those are the most exhausting ages, I think (for us grownups). Boundless energy, and three year olds need so much watching all the time because they have no sense of self-preservation.
Ducky, what a beautiful photo!
Sandy, it sounds like the one bright spot in this situation is that your friend's family can afford top of the line care for her. I wonder if she'll get to the point where her hip will heal enough to at least allow her to ambulate with a walker and assistance.
Not sure what I'm doing today - I really need to do some housecleaning (and fix the vacuum cleaner!) but I'm having some trouble getting going on much of anything. Just a bit blue.
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Ducky- your Granddaughter is a beautiful bride. Glad you enjoyed the wedding.
Tomboy- you sure brought back some memories. I stayed at Ojai many years ago and we were in love. A magical place I think.
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Cubbie, I think non-powered ambulation will be out of the question for my friend. Because of her osteoporosis and weakness, she lacks the upper body strength to use a non-wheeled walker; a wheeled one requires bilateral weightbearing, and because the best-case scenario for her broken hip is a “malunion” she will likely never be allowed to bear weight on that leg. (I’ve had to use both types of walkers--the wheeled ones before transitioning to a cane after my knee replacement surgeries, when I was weightbearing from the get-go; and the non-wheeled one while rehabbing from open reduction/internal fixation surgery to repair a shattered tibial plateau & tibia after being hit by a car--was non-weightbearing for 10 weeks in a hinged cast from just above the toes to just below the hip; and to reinforce that was put through a week of upper-body strength training while seated).
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Sandy, that's true - I didn't think about the general osteoporosis. I don't suppose she could tolerate the upper body conditioning either. A power chair might give her some mobility and independence, at least.
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OK, I fixed the vacuum cleaner, mostly so I could report back here and say I did it! The floors are now much cleaner.
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Good Afternoon Crazies,
Gaia, Family is all gone now. My DH is on a mini vacation so we've been trying to get some things done around the house. The stone oven sounds so interesting. I bet the turkey came out tasting really good!! I'm glad you had such a good time at your uncles. It's wonderful that your parents remained friends. Hope you enjoyed the farmers market today!!
Katy, I think you should make your turkey. It will make your cozy home smell so wonderful. I can picture you, Jack and Tutti sitting by the fire. I hope you take pictures!! Did I mention how much I love a cozy home???
Tomboy, I think it's great that you went to the spa!! It would have been so much fun watching you in that environment. I would be like a fish out of water. Can you imagine if the two of us would have done that??? What a hoot that would have been!! haha I must admit that I really do enjoy my pedicures though. I haven't done my own toenails in years.
Lucy, It sounds like so much fun having your DD, DDs hubs and grandkids spend the night!! I bet you'll be exhausted when it's all over!! Such a good exhaustion though.
Ducky, Your granddaughter is absolutely gorgeous!! I hope you took pictures of your golden shoes!! haha After seeing your granddaughters picture, I must admit, I felt a tiny twinge of sadness that my DD eloped. She would have been such a beautiful bride.
Cubbie, We did a timeline showing a comparison of life for my niece and my dad at the same age. We compared fashion, communication, favorite toy, transportation and a few others. It was fun digging through the old pictures. We even compared a class picture from 1929 vs. 2014. I think I had more fun than she did!! haha Here's a hug for you...((((((Cubbie))))))...I hope it helps to chase the blues away.
YAY on the vacuum!!Sandy, I'm glad they were able to make your friend comfortable. The shattered tibia sounds so painful. I hope you don't suffer from any long-term effects from the accident. How awful to be hit by a car!!
Shorfi, You're quiet. You doing ok this weekend??? Thinking of you!!
We put our outside Christmas lights up today. That took a big portion of the morning. Now I'm making a big pot of broth with chicken, beef, celery, carrots and onions. I'm trying a new recipe for cornbread dumplings. I hope it turns out well. I will take a picture if it doesn't look too bad. haha
Here is my Christmas tree. I should have turned on some lights. The picture came out looking really dark. Looks so lonely without any prezzies!! <---------------- Lucy....that word was just for you!!
Hugs to all...quiet crazies too!!
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Thanks everyone...................she was beautiful...............
Slow......your tree is so pretty........
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Thanks Ducky! Did you dance at the wedding???
Am I the only person that didn't know that the rubber part of the spatula comes off for cleaning purposes? I was very disturbed to learn this on a cooking show. This may very well keep me awake at night!!
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Ducky, the tibial plateau fracture was 19 years ago next week. Yet every now & then, the hardware in my tibia makes its presence known in the form of fleeting twinges in cold wet weather sudden nocturnal shin-splints. (There’s not enough natural bone remaining for the hardware to be safely removed Magnesium seems to help a bit. When I had that knee replaced in 2012, my orthopod had to remove the top 4 of the pins to make room for the tibial tray of the knee prosthesis. The space-cadet driver who hit me wasn’t well-insured, but I was able to stack my underinsured motorist coverage atop his policy limits, which paid all my medical bills, the lawyer’s share, and financed the recording & pressing of my first CD.
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Hi all: I am back home in front of my fire after three lovely days with the grands and my DD and SIL in LA/San Fernando Valley. We had a lovely and low key Thanksgiving, but never made it to Griffith Park: SIL came down sick late Thursday night so DD, hubby and I took the grandkids to a local park nearer to their house, ate leftovers for lunch and dinner, and i made some turkey soup....the soup must have revived SIL, plus all the rest he got while we got the kids out of the house, because he was much better today when hubby and I left to come home.....Hubby and I stayed at a local hotel, but spent as much time as we could just hanging out with DD and family. Brought over lox, bagels and cream cheese this morning...went for a walk, then hit the road after breakfast.....and hopefully I won't catch whatever SIL had!
It is cold here at home (actually, it was cold in LA by LA standards), the first hard freeze of the winter hit while we were gone.We were expecting it so the stuff that needed to get protected got protected before we left...but the tomatoes froze. Oh well, it was time to rip them out anyway....
now I am feeling a bit blue. I miss my daughter and the grandkids. I guess I need more time to be with them...plus not having a big family Thanksgiving left me a bit sad. My son on the East Coast spent Thanksgiving at his GF's parents' in Boston (GD had fun comparing weather: it was almost as warm in Boston as in LA during the day, and definitely warmer than in the Central Valley at night!) : we had fun texting him and sending him pix of his niece and nephew but of course that isn't the same...He is coming out for the December holidays, but I missed him!
I do feel rested, which is good, just sort of sad. I drove most of the four plus hours to get home, mostly so I would be busy and alert and wouldn't start crying. (well, ok, I admit it is fun to drive my brand new car., but it didn't cheer me up as much as I hoped it would...). Hubby is going to make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight which should help with re-entry. That reminds me: Katy, I hope you cooked the turkey. Wishing I had some of the turkey soup I made right now!
your GD is gorgeous, ducky. Sure hope I am around to see mine get married (she is just seven....)
Gaia, I love oyster stew!
Tomboy and SDB: I'd love a spa day with the two of you! and SDB, I had no idea about the rubber part!
Sula, hope all went well at the Ferry FM.....
Hugs to all of you!
xoxox
Octogirl
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Beppy- pretty tree!
Octo- sorry you are blue. Hope you steer clear of the bug. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Ultimately, it was just too much work to justify cooking the whole gamisch. (Sp?) My friend came and we ate take out Chinese and watched a movie. We were both really glad we went ahead on Thursday and had a great meal. It wasn't turkey, but it was festive and we were thankful. I will maybe make the turkey in a couple of weeks. my niece says they will come for a tree trimming.
It has been as cold as it ever gets here in coastal Oregon for the last few days. Not particularly motivating. It's been crystal clear and sunny, but I've had to break the ice in the bird bath every morning. And my murderous Toots brought in another bird today, still alive. I managed to save it. It was still alive, but in shock. I got it into a protected nook in an arborvitae and it later flew away. She looks so sweet and feminine but she's a cold blooded killer.
Wishing a peaceful rest of the weekend to all.
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Slow...........yes I did .........all night, and OMG....did I pay for it today..........knees, hips, back, but damn it was fun........
Did the Nae Nae with one of my grandsons.....Shout with the fam;ily....Hawaii 5 0 with them.............and the final was "the Mummers Strut..............................and with the flowy chiffon dress I had all I needed to Strut..........but realize now......I should stay in the chair and watch...............LOL..........of course I slow danced with my grandchildren and my sons......it was nci......real family time............0 -
This is Hawaii 5 "0"......and that is my kids on the floor.....a son, 2 daughters, SIL (brides Dad), and another son with hi back to the camera....I am the one in the burgandy dress.....my grandaughter is in green (maid of honor)
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This is my son in law, his two boys on the floor doing "Shout" (kick your heels up and Shout)......LOL
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This is my daughters 2 of them doing Hawaii 5 O...........my son sat the bottom in the blue shirt.....my grandsons, .....SIL.......and the worman in the black dress with sequin top is my daughtr (bride's Mom).....and the lady in the burgandy dress is "yours truly".
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Shouting out to all my favorite Hannakuh gals... Adam Sandler still so funny. Yeah, I'd rather have Jonas Salk than a fat guy in a red suit I think!
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Evening Crazies
Sitting in my mom's kitchen at her amazing stone 'island'. My last night here, feeling some twinges of resistance about going back to NYC. Seth started a new heavy duty restaurant gig and is very busy, so although I miss him, I'm really going home to a lot of quiet and alone time. Mostly that's ok with me but after spending time with family and just being in a country setting I'm not exactly feeling like running back to the city. Sure I'll be fine once I am in gear and on the road. Just sharing.
Ducky you grand daughter is lovely I too want to see the golden shoes
Tomboy I love that type of rustic spa, but yes they are pricey. Glad you gave the mud a whirl and sounds like a nice out of the usual routine experience.
Slow that's a great tree. I am thinking of getting one this year. It's been an on and off thing with me, but leaning in to it this year. Cornbread dumplings... I am not sure I compute this.
Chi wow you have certainly had your share of trauma- a tibial plateau break ugh, i had a 'mere bruise' 3 years ago. It's definitely unsettling to have ones legs out from us.
Cubbie Yay for vacuuming
Katy did you make the turkey? How was your day?
Ok crazies turning in for the night hugs to all
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