how about drinking?
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illimae- the drinks and the whole get together with the neighbor sounds delish!
Karen - with my first granddaughter I used to say "oh, here comes Emily and her drivers". My son used to just give me a look … kind of a glare…that he was reduced to her chauffer.
Goldi- how devastating to find her dead. It is good he is staying for the funeral. It sounds like just a couple days delay for him to arrive at your house.
Reader - I have noticed ChiSandy being absent from posting, I didn't know if she went traveling somewhere or what.
Happy Friday Eve.
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Sorry for being AWOL so long—too much to type here, so check it out on the "Older People" thread. Apologies to anyone whose issues I've failed to address.
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Told DD#2 about the surgery this afternoon when she was face timing with her sister and the baby - I told her that I was going to wait till I saw her but afraid that I would slip up. She also knew about the calcium and parathyroid concerns. Her big questions were to be sure there was no more cancer and about the surgery itself. She's the one who expresses her worries about my health the most. I forgot that I slipped about seeing the nephrologist when she was here as the appointment was cancelled. She knows his daughters. The kids seem to be taking all this in their stride. Like I said, cancer is their biggest worry.
I talked to the MA at the doctors office this morning and she wrote the letter for HR. After reading it, I'm a little worried about going back on Feb 5th. Of course the post op on Jan 30th will determine if I need/want to be off longer. I'm most worried about fatigue. The restrictions are no lifting greater than 10# and no strenuous activity till after Feb 13th. My work backpack is heavy due to my computer. I'm not going to push myself.
This morning I participated in 3 meetings via google meets till 11:00am then took off sick the rest of the day. A friend reminded me that we now get 4 paperwork days, so I'm going to take one on Monday. It is finals week at the high school so nothing to do there so might as well work at home. I will work on paperwork in between spending time with my DD and GD. I'll also do paperwork on Sunday. It is so nice to have the time with them and to spoil my daughter a little. She loves having mom's food and mom and dad helping watch the baby at meals and for her to shower and relax while doing so.
Sweet dreams
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Short explanation for my absence: Heidi, who just turned 19, is dying. (We spent the past couple of weeks—besides my flu and recurring backaches—trying to boost her appetite). She has tumors in her abdomen (likely sarcoma, but no point in torturing her with image-guided biopsies requiring sedation) and in her jaw, which explains her inappetance. Took her to urgent care vet today who did all the testing for which the regular vet's office is not equipped. She also has a heart murmur & gallstones and is down to only a little over 6 lbs. Everything but the gallstones & tumors are connected to uncontrollable hyperthyroidism (she no longer tolerates the medication), but there's no point in trying to treat that now, just make her comfy. We will be giving her palliative care to get her to eat and feel better and see if she improves or at least stabilizes over the weekend till the regular vet can see her Monday. Time will tell by then whether we need to call the in-home euthanasia service, giving those who love her the chance to say goodbye. She may well be our last pet.
And my annual screening mammo yesterday (12/6) came up BIRADS 1 on the L (yay) and BIRADS 0 on the R (gulp). Shades of 8 years ago. Only this time the irregularity was not a "focal asymmetry" but a "new calcification in the tumor bed of prior lumpectomy." And 8 years ago, the report was read & posted in my portal the morning after my mammo; but yesterday the mammo was done from 3:50-4:05, they sent me on my merry way to finish running errands. Got home before dinner, and the report—signed at 4:16 (!)—was already in my portal. So tomorrow afternoon (soonest I could get) I go in for a spot compression mammo and possible ultrasound. This radiologist is new—her office claims she compared yesterday's films to previous ones, but she couldn't possibly have done so that quickly, much less pulled up my history and the report by the head of the department (who's listed among Chicago Mag's annual "Top Doctors" list for radiology), which mentioned scar tissue surrounding the tumor cavity seroma with crystallized fat necrosis. I saw something in there about "medication imaging," which I hope doesn't mean "if the ultrasound is suspicious skip the biopsy, go straight to PET scan" because if there are mets, no point in surgery.
And there's still the Bar Show to be dealt with. Short solos, but the choral stuff gets more intricate every year. And then there's the choreography—but the director knows about my osteoporosis, dyspraxia and possible balance issues.
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Sandy - hope the news is good from the spot compression mammogram. Sorry to hear that Sandy is struggling.
Haven't managed a walk yet today but between the grocery store and lots of walking in the house I have 6+K steps. DH and I will probably go for a walk after candle lighting - it is the 2nd night of Chanukah and Shabbat - this time of year Shabbat comes in early, before 4:30.
I made potato latkes for Shabbat dinner as well as pargiot (boneless, skinless thighs), brisket cooked in chili sauce (my son's request, green beans and squash. It doesn't look like a lot of food but I know there will be plenty of leftovers. Dessert is cookies from the freezer.
Loving my little munckin!
Cold and gray out tonight and maybe snow.
Have a good Friday night and Saturday.
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Sandy - you sure have a lot going on. I am sorry to hear about Heidi. Is she in pain? I hope that all of your testing will bring good results. I will be thinking of you.
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Spending the evening home alone with Heidi—Bob insists on going to the Christ Hospital holiday dinner (a freebie sit-down) all the way out in OakBrook, but he won't get off work till 6 and it's a hellish hour-plus commute out there during rush hour. Stupid for us to take two cars, too (if I were to cab it down to the clinic and we drive together in his car, at least he could drink). I'm tired and not feeling too celebratory, though. And the last thing I want to do tonight is get all dressed up. But he says this is the last year for him at that dinner, since after this year he won't be admitting his Union Health patients anywhere but UIC or Little Co. of Mary.
At least I got the breast imaging out of the way. As we suspected (and I hoped), a whole lotta nothing (the radiologist's words were "looks pretty benign") but I'm back on the 6-month diagnostic schedule, at least for that breast. Heidi is hanging in there as best she can, thanks to appetite stimulants and availability of gabapentin, the latter of which she doesn't need yet. She's daintily "grazing" tiny amounts of wet food and drinking often. Can still get to her litterboxes, which is good. I couldn't give her Zofran as a pill (not even the tiny half-pill) because no matter how I tried, she still spat it out. So I crushed & dissolved it and squirted it in, holding her mouth closed till she swallowed it. (The Zofran is both anti-nausea and appetite-stimulant—she gets that BID and an "ear-rub" of Mirataz daily, also to make sure she eats enough to be comfy). We're hoping she doesn't suffer yet, at least not until next Sun the 17th, which is the first day of rehearsal-hiatus. There's no point in treating the hyperthyroidism, which in her is "paradoxical" (most hyperthyroid kitties eat ravenously and are constantly running around burning off energy, but she's just the opposite) and she can no longer tolerate the methimazole, which worked well for 7 months…until it didn't.
Chag sameach for night #2 of Hanukkah. At least I'm doing the menorahs (candles in the kitchen, LED in the window) and the blue & white lights. (We also have the multicolored lights year-round on our arborvitae & white ones on the magnolia out back. The colored lights are not only cheerful, but it helps people (especially cab drivers) find the house. Maybe latkes and salmon tomorrow night if we don't go out after rehearsal ends and Bob gets off work.
I need a drink, but forgot to buy eggnog when shopping at WF after my mammo. So I'm having a decaf cappuccino instead. Took the bubbly out of the fridge and put it back on the wine rack to make room for Bob's "light" lemonade—as I said, I don't feel very celebratory. Perhaps some cognac or bourbon after dinner.
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Karen, you make the potato latkes ahead of time? I've been wanting to make them but thought they had to be made and served immediately.
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I will write soon but just some fun pics from a local farm doing some fun holiday stuff
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Carole - I made them and then heated the up in the over and on a hot plate. They were great. Of course it's best to eat right out of the fry pan, but with candle lighting so early, there is no way for me to make them and eat right away. I don't normally make for Shabbat dinner but my son was coming for dinner and I wanted to make them while he was here.
Having a blast with the baby and my daughter. My granddaughter has so much personality and the best smile. When my daughter was born, she was given this large white teddy bear - bigger than her an we bought a rocking chair that I think I used once to nurse - well DD wanted to take a picture of her daughter with the bear and the rocking chair. The pictures came out great. There visit is going by all too quickly. Tomorrow we are going to DSW to look for snow boots for my daughter and Target to look at baby toys, not that my granddaughter needs any. Between grandpa and me and her aunt and uncle she has 10 or 11 new toys - though not all are big as well as 4 books. Monday I'm taking a paperwork day so I'll have more time with her, though I will have to do some paperwork.
Woke up to a couple inches of snow and cold. It's currently in the teens but with wind chill feel like 7. Windy tomorrow but temp will be a little warmer.
Sandy - good news on the mammo.
Jazzy great photos.
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Karen, I made the latkes yesterday afternoon and warmed them in the oven and they were good. Now that I realize I can make them a little ahead of time, I will make them again occasionally. Glad you're enjoying the visit with your daughter and granddaughter. Special times and memories for all of you.
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I used to work in a Jewish skilled nursing facility and their food was the best! Or at least it looked and smelled good. I worked with patients who had swallowing problems, so I'd work with them at mealtime. They'd usually offer me some of their food. I'd tell them I wasn't allowed to eat their food, but they kept offering it to me. Good memories!
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My brother made and we got home late yesterday afternoon. So happy to have him here! Heading back down to Phoenix Tuesday morning for chemo and then an endoscopy on Wednesday. Chilly here this morning, only 15 degrees….but sunny!
Sandy, sorry to hear about Heidi and your mammo scare, but all sounds ok there?
Karen, I know you are just having a ball with DD and grand! And yes, it goes by way to quickly!
Jazzy, cute photos!
NM must still be having computer issues.
Wasn't sure what potato latkes were, so I looked them up. Look pretty easy, similar to just some hash browns, with flour and egg. I probaby won't be posting every day, but always thinking of everyone here. Hoping all are having a great FUNday SUNday!
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Goldie, you are right about the latkes being similar to hash browns. In fact, some of the recipes use frozen hashbrowns or the dehydrated ones in little boxes. My neighbor in MN, Mary, uses those little boxes of dehydrated hash browns to make cheesy potatoes, a great favorite in MN. You open the little box which is similar to a milk carton and pour hot water into it. The potatoes plump up to be cooked as hash browns.
Glad your brother is with you.
Missing NM who probably is having computer problems.
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Hi ladies- hope everyone is doing okay this weekend. Reading on up life here for folks and hope things are improving for everyone needing encouragement here. Holidays are never any easy time when you are going through treatment or anything else difficult (I went through my treatment back in 2012-2013 over the holiday period). Sending everyone much love and hoping whatever holidays you embrace this time of the year are peaceful and spent with those you love.
I got called to jury duty last Monday but was quickly dismissed as the trial I was being considered for was not quite ready. I guess the judge was still working on finishing another trial (on hold with some Covid issues) so they quickly let some of us go and I was told to be expected to be called back when they were ready. That had me working the full week and on Thursday, I was told to come back tomorrow. It was really packed that room last Monday and they said they were trying to get the pending trials finished from all the Covid backlog. So I guess tomorrow I will find out if I am on a trial or not. Don't laugh but I kind of hope I am in some respects as I would like a break from some of the nonsense at work right now.
Weekends are always busy recovering from one week and getting ready for another, but this weekend, I am letting myself have some holiday fun time with doing some things here in town. Went to the farm event going on yesterday (those are the photos I shared) and caught a photo with Santa. It was pretty cold and windy in the morning so I didn't stay too long, but then took a break at home and later went down to our historic old town where there was a tuba concert, and did some shopping as well as made a final visit to the art museum to see an exhibit before it leaves end of December. I got myself in the "holiday spirit". I am heading out shortly to the Santa Fe Chorale annual concert here in town which is a fav this time of the year.
Karen- so glad you are enjoying the family visit and your new granddaughter!
Chi- I am sorry to hear about Heidi and hope she is made comfortable. Sounds like your imaging came out okay?
Goldie- I am glad that your brother has been able to make it and will be able to help you. Good luck with the chemo and procedure this week. It will be good to have someone to help with all that driving you have to do to PHX and everything else too.
Hello to sunshine, Teka, Mistyeyes, Reader, NM and anyone else I may have missed.
Time to get changed and off to my concert. Hope everyone has a good week.
P.S. I love potato latkes too!
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Heidi crossed over this morning—her regular vet was able to perform the procedure while Gordy & I snuggled, kissed and petted her. Our HK said her goodbyes before the procedure started, because she couldn't bear to watch. It was gentle—she was in a little pink cat bed with blanket. She is not in pain any more: the jaw tumor turned out to be an aggressive form of feline squamous cell carcinoma that caused her to be unable to open her mouth to eat or drink—it likely metastasized to her abdomen & thorax (I have the X-ray images), which made eating painful and the thyroid treatment stop working. She is at peace now, meeting her predecessor kitties.
My imaging was okay—basically the "calcifications" are "evolving fat necrosis" floating in the seroma. But I need to go back every 6 mos. to monitor the situation.
Latkes are basically between hash browns and flapjacks made with potato flour. Closest thing would be German "kartoffelkuchen," which is usually served as a side with wursts & kraut. I remember reading a recipe somewhere that claimed they weren't authentic if they didn't have a tiny bit of "the mama's knuckles" to prove the potatoes were grated by hand. I have some boxed mix—but it's the sweetened kind (yuck).
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chisandy, I'm so sorry about your Heidi!
Latkes are wonderful when made correctly. It not, they can be a mushy mess. I like the part about "mama's knuckles".
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Sandy, I’m sorry to hear this, pets are so hard to lose and are so much more than pets.
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Sandy, Condolences to you and family. It's hard to lose a family member, especially during the holidays.
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Sandy - sorry to hear about Heidi. Glad that Gordy was with you.
I make my potato latkes from scratch, but I use a food processor to grate the potatoes and onion. The recipe is grated potato and grated onion, tablespoons flour, eggs and oil. Pan fry. We like our plain with just salt and pepper, but many people eat with either sour cream or applesauce. They are best right out fo the fry pan but they also do well re-heated in the oven.
The visit with my daughter and granddaughter has come to an end. They leave in the morning to go home about the same time I leave for work. I will miss my little munchkin. She has so much personality. I'm hoping to extend my FMLA following my surgery to be able to go see my kids. I want to take off till restrictions are lifted then an extra few days to see the kids. I'm really worried about fatigue after the surgery as I'm already tired by the end of the work day. For now, I'm schedule to be off work 3 weeks but I want to take 2 more weeks. Restrictions last a month, so only a week after they are lifted. Since I already turned in my paperwork for FMLA, I will need to wait till my post op visit, but I think we will buy tickets before then.
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Chisandy- I am sorry about Heidi and glad you were able to help her transition. May she rest in peace and know you will miss her.
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I, too, am sorry about Heidi but she had a good home.
I had a prosecco with Chambord on Sunday at a restaurant. It tasted so good that I bought two bottles of prosecco and a cute fat little bottle of Chambord at a not so cute price yesterday. A friend gave me a bottle stopper for fizzy wine bottles some years ago and I have not used it. I will give it a try if I can figure out how it works. Here we come, Google.
Last night dh and I had winter cocktails, bourbon old fashioneds.
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Chisandy, my heart goes to you over Heidi's passing. She had a good life with you. I hope you and your household find peace and ease.
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I drank to Heidi's memory last night with a 2023 Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau. I still see her in every shadow and hear her footfalls in every creak of the floorboards & her meow in every squeak of the door.
I reheated the latkes last night on the "airfry" setting of my toaster-oven, on the airfry-basket rack. I've found that anything that had originally been cooked in oil will drip onto the heating elements, so I place a sheet of foil on the rack beneath the airfry tray.
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The house is way to quiet. It was so hard saying bye - kissing Sara Faiga for the last time for a couple months.
Tomorrow is my team's last meeting of the year, book study and holiday party. I may tell my friend who does our assignments that I might be out till February 20th. I really don't want to go back till the restrictions are lifted and that is Feb 13th so the 20th is only 2 more days off work. If I take off only till the 5th that is 11 days off work - going back on the 20th is another 8 days off work. I have 575 hours sick leave which is almost 72 days - so if I take the extra 2 weeks, I'll still have plenty of sick leave.
It is damp, gray and very cold today. Feels and looks like a midwest winter day. But it will be 60 by Saturday.
Only 1 week till we leave. Start date for University is now December 31st - DD#2 says it's pretty much definite as they were given their schedules. So she'll get to spend the whole time with us which will be a treat. She is bored. She will volunteer with us. We are bringing 2 duffle bags with supplies for soldiers. WE will bring them to one of the bases and do some other volunteer work for soldiers - one is making and serving dinner to soldiers and their spouses and we will also pick fruit and veggies on farms. At night we want to connect with a few good friends. It seems like we are there longer but when you account for loss of a day due to time change and leaving just after midnight we are really only there 12 days counting the day we arrive. Short visit. DD#2 is already saying she hopes we come in the summer - my answer is of course. I would like to go for at least 3 weeks.
Well, I have to go write a goal for an IEP meeting tomorrow morning.
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Just got back from our studio's holiday party. Our studio owner hosted, and it was a fun gathering. She had soft tacos and very tasty grazing foods.
But I have got to stop participating in White Elephant gift exchanges. I always lose. I was the last person to pick and totally should have stolen something instead. But everyone was so excited about what they had, I didn't have the heart to steal. So I took the last gift, an insulated mug with a floral pattern that was so not my style. Someone meant well….
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Hello goils!
it’s been so long since I’ve posted. My neuropathic fingers keep me away.
plus I’m usually too drunk.
I wanted to say hi and mention that I’ll ketchup soon.
Hugs goils!
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mirilandra, I'm sorry you were at the end of the line for the White Elephant exchange! Maybe that can be your gift for next year!
Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Carol
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HA! There ya' go. That's a great idea. 😆
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Dara - great to see you. Looking forward to your update.
Goldie & NM - you are both in my thoughts.
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