how about drinking?

Happy Funday Sunday friends:

Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend last week and here we are already a week into December. Seems like a short season between the two holidays this year. I am a minimalist with Xmas decorating, more into the fall stuff which can stay up for months (usually begins in Sept and goes back in the storage boxes Thanksgiving weekend. I got a second pointsettia at the grocery store today and now have two which is enough plus a few minimal decorations.

I had quite a week this past week with both work stuff and some ongoing auto issues. My director (who hired me) told us he was leaving end of the month and then another key person on this project also resigned. Both got better jobs and not all that surprising to me anyways. But we had a critical deadline this week so it just added more of the un-needed chaos to the work experience. That being said, we met our deadline and a big whew for our team!

With any luck, I am hoping to have a new car by next weekend. I think I mentioned I was looking for one and really like the Toyota RAV 4 hybrid but when I looked in October, they only had one was at the top of the price range. I now see they have a couple on the way in and more in my price point so I reached out to my sales guy to see when they will be here and waiting to hear. I have had my primary vehicle in the shop several times this fall, including this past week with a reoccurring starting problem. I got her back on Friday and she's better but still think the car is not quite right. It's a 14 year old Subaru and just hit 100K in the past month, and knew it was time, but now after this fall, it's REALLY the time now. I have another older vintage car that is also not running and may try to get that fixed next but it also may get donated. Ready to come into the new year with less car hassles and a new set of wheels.

Reader- what a pretty living room and decorations you have.

Carol, I expect with the short season to Xmas, you are right that everyone is super busy getting xmas stuff done. I got my cards done early and some on line shopping done over Thanksgiving weekend. Concerts, craft shows, shop and strolls, etc. are well underway here.

I can't read back any further but hope everyone is having a good weekend. I hope to share the photo of my new car very soon!

Have a good week friends.

He had a stomach bug of 24 hours. Doing much better.

Started my Christmas shopping for hubby and our fur babies. Got him a book, a flannel shirt and three movies. Might buy one or two things more and I’ll be done.

Good Morning, Loungettes!  Happy Monday Monkey  

Day! I've got a busy week this week, the Jeep has an appointment today for routine maintenance. I am teaching a CPR class tomorrow. Mom has an appointment on Wednesday (with the cardiologist to go over the results of the tests done last August, finally) and then Wednesday, Women, and Wine get together in the evening. Mom continues to do very well, getting her stamina back little by little. The puppers are loving playing in the snow, even if they don't stay out long. Poor Colt keeps getting ice balls in between his toe pads and really doesn't like them, not that ai blame him at all! He's getting more accepting of letting me clean out his feet when he comes in. He generally doesn't care for having his feet touched and played with, although he will tolerate for very short periods of time. Zoe simply doesn't hold still long enough to let me check her paws, but she doesn't seem to have any problems with ice balls.  

Carole—I read about the etchings on the bullet casings, too. What bothers me quite a lot is all the social media chatter praising the shooter and suggesting all insurance company CEOs should expect the same treatment, implying that killing them is a good thing to do for society. The insurance industry is failing patients, and is a huge barrier to obtaining health care, and, IMNSHO needs to be totally dismantled and done away with, but killing insurance company officers is NOT RIGHT. Insurance companies exist to make money for their shareholders, and really cannot be condemned for doing that, even if they should be stopped and that sort of business not allowed. Fix the root problem, change the system, that will make a difference. Killing CEOs will not make a difference.  

MOmmy—I've read that the CEO killing must have been an inside job for the shooter to know where the CEO would be and when. I'm not sure that really holds water, technology these days is pretty sophisticated and, when tapped into, can provide a lot of personal info. My relatively unsophisticated iPhone apps talk to each other and when I get into the car to go somewhere the map app pops up with directions to where I'm going, including a stop at the gas station I use most often. Anyone with enough computer literacy could have hacked in and gotten that info,  which is kind of scary to think about. I'm sorry your ornaments got broken. That can be so disappointing, even more so that the company didn't acknowledge the breakage. A simply apology goes a long way but so rarely happens these days.  

Carole—it is a busy time of year!  I spent the weekend lounging around and trying to head off a developing respiratory illness. It never got past the sore throat and tired stage, so I think I've managed to throw it off. But I suppose it is time to dig out the COVID tests. That will be the first thing Mom will ask if she hears me coughing or sneezing. Her next question will be how I got exposed now that I'm retired and not working. That must have been a hard Christmas for your sister after being flooded in a hurricane.  

Wren—I stopped decorating years and years ago. It just seemed like a whole lot of work for just myself and whatever dog(s) I had at the time. I live just far enough out in the country that I almost never get company. Some years I will get a wreath to hang in the living room for the scent if I run across a reasonably priced one.  

Reader—Pretty tree!  

Carole—I hope the concert and dinner was fun! Nice annual occasion to have to look forward to.  

Jazzy—Wow, what a moment of chaos, indeed! Two resignations and a critical deadline is a lot to deal with, especially right in the middle of holiday season. Congrats on meeting the deadline anyway! Good luck with the new car shopping, I hope what you want comes available quickly. My experieince with Subarus is that the dependability really starts to drop off as the vehicle approaches the 100K mark. Car hassles are not fun.  Working in healthcare has been a bit of an advantage in that I do know who/where/how to file complaints that will get attention. Hospital discharge planning IS focused on getting patients out ASAP and on funneling hospital patients into he hospital's home health services on discharge. The discharge planner didn't even tell Mom she had a choice of companies. When she wouldn't sign anything without talking to me, the discharge planner called me, and when I asked for a list of home health companies (I knew which company I wanted, but couldn't remember the name) the planner got rather huffy, but finally read the list to me. My next trip is to Amsterdam and the Norway fjords cruise at the end of April into May.  

MOmmy—glad to hear the stomach bug ran its course and you are feeling better. Tis the season for that kind of illness, too!  

Wren—cozy is good!  

Very Merry Ornamentini (Christmas Ornament Cocktail) 

Ingredients 

• 1 cup vodka I prefer Tito's. 
• 1/2 cup orange liqueur I prefer Cointreau. 
• 1/2 cup cherry juice 
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice 
• 1/4 cup orange juice freshly squeezed with pulp removed 
• Sugared cranberries (linked in notes) and fresh rosemary sprigs to garnish 

Instructions 

1. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. 
2. Using a funnel, pour the mixture into four 3-inch clear glass ornaments that have been rinsed. Replace the topper on each ornament. 
3. Add sugared cranberries and a rosemary sprig to four martini glasses. Set the ornament in the glass to serve. 
4. Before drinking, slowly pour the contents of the ornament onto the cranberries. 

NM - glad to hear Mom is doing OK. That's a really pretty cocktail

As for cars - I'm still driving my 2003 Toyota Camry. I still have "real" keys and a CD Player. It will break my heart when it dies. Not to mention I'll have to go to school to figure out how to work all the stuff on the newer cars.

Reader - I have my grandmother's mantel clock that is almost a duplicate for yours - except not Roman Numerals. I believe they purchased the clock in the 1920s so it OLD.

Jazzy - thanks for all the news. Let us know when you do get a new vehicle.

Hey all! Got good news today, the poetry anthology that I have poems in, is now available on Amazon. The title is Oceans of Poems: An Anthology by Women Poets of the World

My poems can be found under Arlene.

m0mmy - yes, congrats.

Jazzy - thanks for the Chile Ristra picture. Even though I've been in Texas almost 50 years, things like those & luminarias really make me miss New Mexico.

I'm impressed, Mommyof3. A published poet!

Minus, I didn't know there was a name for that decoration with the tiny red peppers.

wow - that is so good @m0mmyof3. You should be very proud of your achievement - and it is a little like a belated birthday gift from yourself to yourself. Will you get your niece a copy of it? I hope you will celebrate and enjoy the triumph.

Wonder - good news on your DH

DH met with his GI doctor. All was good with his colonoscopy. Polyps were small and cancer free. GI doc said that DH will only have 1 or possibly 2 more. He typically does not like doing them past 75 or 80 as the risks outweigh any benefit. GI doc said that polyps were small, 1cm and they don't worry about the small ones and he also only had 3. Based on his GI doc, I'm guessing I'll only have 2 more but time will tell as my GI doc considers me high risk.

Tuesday I had my every 4 month peridontal exam. A tooth they have been watching, dentist feels its time to go ahead with a crown. He said it would last much longer than trying to replace the filling. The only appointment I could before the end of the year is tomorrow afternoon. The office is closed the 23d through after new years. It is my teams last meeting for 24 and our holiday get together. I will be late to it. I didn't want to wait till January as it would mean meeting a new deductible.

Looking forward to my one month follow up (it has to be a month since the second eye) so I can get a new Rx. My progressive lens no longer work. So I'm taking them off for distance and wearing them for close up. Not sure what is going on as in the morning and at night, I tend to close my right eye when on the computer or my phone. It may be nothing.

I have not been to work all day very day since I went back on October 1st! January 6th I have labs for my hematologist and the next week my 4 month check up. Plus I'll also have the second appointment for the crown. I think otherwise, appointments will slow down!! I don't see anything on my calendar for Feb, March. Let's hope it stays that way.

Sweet dreams!

It’s bitter cold here this morning! Me nor the dog are going out much!

Thank you Native!

Congrats Mommy

Good Morning, Loungettes!  Happy TGIF Day! The sun is out and it's breezy, which is great for drying out all the rain and melted snow from the last couple of days. For your entertainment, here is a highly fictionalized version of the phone call Mom and I had early this morning:  

The Great Meatball Mystery 

Daughter: "Good morning, Mother." 

Mom: "Good morning, Daughter." 

Daughter: "How are you this morning?" 

Mom: "Not good. Not good at all. It’s a disaster over here, absolute chaos!" 

Daughter: (Already bracing herself as she spreads peanut butter on her toast) "Let me guess… the coffee maker exploded, or the cat from next door staged a coup?" 

Mom: "Don’t be ridiculous. I can’t find the meatball recipe!" 

Daughter: (Puts down her toast, because here we go.) "You mean the recipe you said you’d keep on the counter so it wouldn’t get lost?" 

Mom: "Exactly! Except now it’s not on the counter, and I think someone broke in during the night and stole it!" 

Daughter: (Takes a deep breath) "Someone broke into your apartment and ignored your TV, your jewelry, and the pie cooling on the stove… to steal a meatball recipe?" 

Mom: "Well, yes! It’s an excellent recipe. It’s been in the family for years. Maybe it’s worth something on the black market. Or maybe—" (her voice drops to a whisper) "—it grew legs and walked away." 

Daughter: (Coughs on her coffee) "It… walked away." 

Mom: "Don’t scoff! Papers have a way of wandering when you’re not looking. Or maybe it was the neighbor’s Shih Tzu. You know how he likes to sniff around my table when he visits. He probably ate it." 

Daughter: (Leaning on the table now, pinching the bridge of her nose) "Mother, that dog weighs ten pounds and eats canned chicken. I’m pretty sure meatball recipes are safe around him." 

Mom: "Well, you don’t know. He’s always sniffing around like he’s up to something. Anyway, I’ve been through all the recipes on the counter three times this morning, and it’s not here!" 

Daughter: "Have you checked the side table by your chair in the living room?" 

Mom: (Indignant) "Why would it be there? It’s supposed to be on the counter!" 

Daughter: "You mean the same counter where you were sure you left it last week, only to remember that you hadn’t taken the ground beef out of the freezer to thaw, and we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches instead?" 

Mom: (A pause, then a mutter) "The peanut butter was good, though. Creamy, just the way I like it." 

Daughter: "Yes, Mother. But it wasn’t meatballs." 

Mom: "And don’t even start on Tuesday. I know I said I’d make meatballs after your appointment, but how was I supposed to remember you were coming over?!" 

Daughter: "The three phone calls we had about it might have been a hint. You even asked me to pick up fresh parsley on my way." 

Mom: "Parsley is overrated anyway. Who even notices parsley in meatballs?!" 

Daughter: (Smiling now because this is so them) "Why don’t you finish sorting through the counter, and then check the side table?" 

Mom: "Fine, but only because I’m desperate. And if it’s not there, I’m calling the police to report a recipe theft." 

Daughter: "That’ll make their day. Do you think you’ll be able to solve this crisis by lunch?" 

Mom: (Grumbling) "Oh no, I’ve lost my appetite for meatballs today. We’ll have to make them tomorrow. Assuming, of course, I don’t end up in jail for harassing the neighbors about their kleptomaniac Shih Tzu." 

Daughter: "Fine. Tomorrow. We’ll try again. Meanwhile, enjoy your detective work. Maybe the recipe will turn up in the fridge next to the milk this time." 

Mom: "Don’t be absurd! It’s not in the fridge." (Pause) "Although, I suppose I should check, just to be sure..." 

Daughter: (Laughing now, shaking her head) "Good luck, Mother. Call me if you need backup." 

Mom: "You’re just lucky I love you, or I’d be making meatballs for someone else tomorrow." 

And so, the recipe hunt continued, with Mom convinced the universe was conspiring against her and Daughter resigned to yet another unexpected plot twist in their ongoing culinary saga. 

MOmmy—I'll check my book out when it arrives—I got a paperback—and will follow up if anything odd shows up. OH, NO for the house across the street! That must have been nerve-wracking to watch! Glad no one was hurt, but that's still going to be a big loss for the residents. And right before Christmas, not the world's greatest timing for a disaster.  

Two Turtledoves Cocktail  

Ingredients 

For the Rosemary Honey: 

5 large rosemary sprigs (each about 5 inches) 

1/2 cup (120ml) honey 

For the Cocktail: 

2 ounces (60ml) Lillet 

1/2 ounce (15ml) lemon juice 

1/2 ounce (15ml) Rosemary Honey 

1 dash orange bitters 

2 ounces (60ml) sparkling wine 

Rosemary sprig, for garnish 

Directions 

For the Rosemary Honey: In a heatproof, sealable container, pour 4 ounces (120ml) boiling water over rosemary. Let steep, covered, for 20 minutes, then stir in honey until dissolved. Continue steeping until completely cool, about 1 hour. Strain before using. 

For the Cocktail: Combine all ingredients except sparkling wine and garnishes in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a large wine glass over fresh ice. Top with sparkling wine and stir briefly. Garnish with rosemary sprig, clapping it between your palms before adding it to the drink. 

Smiling at the Mother and Daughter conversation.

Congratulations Mommy. I remember being so excited