how about drinking?
Comments
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Well, it's good to read that a little drinking might not kill me…after my diagnosis…had the surgeon, oncologist, and several other doctors tell me no drinking as it makes your body produce estrogen…I had surgery a year ago and 10 radiation treatments…tried 3 estrogen blockers…which made me very sick…not taking anything now…am drinking 2 glasses of wine a day and I feel good…I am tired and want to keep my blinders on and trust God…
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Hi pegkel
I have enjoyed my wine for 30 years and figure what doesn't kill me makes me stronger 😋
I remember getting all the nay's about drinking and all the advice about diet and different studies, etc. etc. etc. well I'm still here after my first diagnosis 30 years ago and hanging in there , don't stress the small stuff and enjoy what gives you pleasure!
Cheers,
Jill
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Quality of life is as important to consider as quantity of life!
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Black Friday……
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Twofer Tuesday! I got woken up early this ayem by the phone, a robocall from the school district that I work in a few years back notifying me of no school today because of the winter storm that is coming in. Snow is expected to start here around 10 ayem, and in about an hour where Mom is. 3 to 6 inches predicted. Looks like we'll have a white Christmas this year.
Mom seems to be settling into her new room. She really likes some of the "girls" who work there, isn't quite so happy with a couple others, which is about normal. I've not been down to see her for several days now to give her time to get to know the staff and for the staff to get to know her and for them to establish a bit of a routine. The last couple of days Mom has sounded a lot better on the phone. She's going out to all 3 meals a day and most of them she likes quite well, and the staff are starting to remember her preferences. She's started spending some time in the public areas between meals, watching TV or looking out the window at the ocean. I'm starting to feel less anxious and guilty, even if I still jump every time the phone rings until I see it's not from the facility. I've even started getting some little things done around my place again. The puppers seem to be happy to have me home more.
Jazzy--I've seen Cupcake wine in the stores, havn't tried it yet. The Red Velvet sounds like it's pretty good!
Wally--I've picked up some nice roses from cotes du rhoné at Sam's Club from time to time, good wines made there!
Morning, Minus!
Pegkel--welcome to the HTL, great to have you here! Also glad to hear you are feeling good.
Bigred62--I'm with you, enjoy what is pleasurable without going overboard is a good approach to just about everything as far as I am concerned.
Miriandra--AMEN!
Teka--LOL!!
Mulled Wine
Ingredients
• 20 whole cloves
• 8 whole star anise
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole nutmeg, smashed
• 2 (750-ml) bottles dry red wine (such as Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt, or Pinot Noir)
• 4 (6- x 1-inch) orange peel strips (from 2 large oranges)
• 2 vanilla bean pods, halved lengthwise
• 2 ounces pure maple syrup
• 2 ounces honey
• 6 ounces applejack brandy (such as Laird’s)Directions
1. Heat cloves, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg in a small skillet over low, stirring often, until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer spice mixture to a large saucepan over medium-low; stir in wine, orange peel strips, vanilla bean pods, maple syrup, and honey. Slowly bring wine mixture to just below a simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let steep until spices bloom and infuse into wine, about 30 minutes.
3. Return saucepan to medium-low; stir in applejack, if desired, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Pour mixture (through a fine wire-mesh strainer, if desired) into a large heatproof bowl. Ladle mulled wine into glasses.From
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NM, good news that your mom is adjusting to life at her new home. Stay warm!
It's 43 degrees here, windy and cloudy. DH and I have switched from martinis to bourbon Old-Fashioneds for our cocktails. And we've been lighting our gas logs in the fireplace. Very cozy.
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Only 38 in Houston this morning. It's time for me to switch to bourbon too Carole.
NM - glad to hear the news about your Mom adjusting & maybe actually liking some things. I know the puppers are glad to have you home more.
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H & I did plenty of shopping on Cyber Monday.
Christmas cards are in the mail.
We're looking forward to supporting local stores while shopping for stocking stuffers.
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NM when our mom went into assisted living, they asked that no one visit for a bit to help her settle in. They know how to help them adjust and find new routines. Overall it sounds like things are working 🙏
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Minus two that's cold for your neck if the woods. We've been down in the 20s at night and getting snow this week
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It makes sense that family members shouldn't hover when an elderly person is adjusting to assisted living.
My mother was in a nursing home for three years. She was 93 when she had a stroke. She spent time in the nursing home's physical therapy program and then transitioned to full time resident. My younger sister and I were in the position to set up a schedule where one of us visited her every day except Sunday, when my middle brother visited her and attended church service with her. She was quite happy after years of living alone after my father died. We had holiday gatherings that she was able to attend. Her six children all did their part to make her feel loved.
I still miss her a lot. There are many reminders, like chocolate-covered cherry candy. I spotted some recently and thought about how much she enjoyed the candy.
One humorous memory. My mother "graduated" from hospice care. The hospice nurse adjusted my mother's medication and she improved so much she was discharged from hospice care. My mother was proud of herself.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Saturday! I'm beginning to feel like things are going to be alright with Mom. She's sounding more like her old self on the phone, and when she asked if there were any more moves coming up and I told her she was where she is going to be permanently, she actually said "Good. I like it here." She's been going to programs and spending time in the common areas and chatting with the other residents. One of the staff calls her a social butterfly. She's gained 8 pounds. I've been able to listen to what she does complain about (and complaining is a bit of a long-time activity for her) and not feel like whatever it is I need to fix ASAP or that it's my fault she's in that situation. I suspect that getting to know the staff is helping with that. I've been reminding Mom that it takes time to get to know the staff and for the staff to get to know her, but I forgot that it takes time for me to get to know the staff and learn to trust them, too.
Some good old-fashioned Arctic air has arrived, temps are below the donut overnights, just getting into the double digits during the day. The big chaise has become my favorite place to hang out, and the puppers seem to have the same opinion. I love having enough space in the chaise for all three of us to be comfortable. Zoe, however, has decided that instead of lying beside me or across my feet/legs that she prefers curl up on top of the back of the chair, with her butt resting on my shoulder. It must be the weirdest looking position, I wish I could get a pic.
Carole--Love hearing about your Mom "graduating" from Hospice care! Just goes to show that treating the symptoms and quality of life is as, or even more important that treating a disease or condition. And you are right, family shouldn't hover while someone is adjusting to a new setting. I wish Mom didn't have so many appointments during the first couple of weeks she was there, she hardly spent any daytime in the facility. I've rescheduled some of her December appointments so that she is not going out more than once a week.
Morning, Minus
Morning, Teka!
Holly Jolly Christmas Citrus Cocktail
Ingredients
• ▢2 ounces vodka
• ▢1/2 ounce St. Germain (elderflower liquor)
• ▢1/3 cup fresh squeezed clementine or blood orange juice
• ▢ginger beer, for topping
• ▢pomegranate arils, for topping
• ▢1 sprig fresh thyme or mint
Instructions
Fill a cocktail glass with ice. Add the vodka, elderflower liquor (if using), and clementine juice. Top with ginger beer. Add the pomegranates and thyme or mint. Enjoy!From
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NM - so glad to hear Mom is beginning to adjust. And you are starting to learn to let go. Repeating again:
"Remember to take care of yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup."
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My morning venturing out to fill the seed and suet feeders and cast seeds on the ground. Also, feed the crows and squirrels.
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My twin, in WI, is also showing off with their great temps. I cannot believe we may hit 60. That is NOT fall/winter. Not that anybody cares, LOL. Enjoy the season and animals, lucky gal!!
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Hump Day! Had to do a reschedule of plans for today. Mom had an appointment this afternoon, scheduled to start just about the time the snow, ice and rain was supposed to start here. Mom is terrified of driving in the snow, and it would have been an hour's drive from her place to the appointment, then an hour and a half for me to drive home from her place after, so I got the appointment moved to Friday afternoon. At least it's warmed up some, temps are running 20 degrees warmer this ayem than yesterday. Mom got her toenails trimmed at the facility yesterday, so that's one appointment that I can cancel and not have to worry about taking her to going forward.
Minus--I have been reminding myself of the empty cup analogy since you first posted it. It's been helpful. Thank you!
Teka--looks like you are about where we are this ayem! Brr, but not as bad as yesterday's single digits with a breeze!
Morning, Wally!
Frosted Berry Spritz
Ingredients
• 1 oz vodka
• .5 oz blue curaçao
• 2 oz white cranberry juice
• Prosecco
• club soda
• Rosemary for ice cubes
• cranberries for ice cubes
• white sugar for rimInstructions
To make ice cubes put a few cranberries and rosemary sprigs in ice cube molds. Fill with water and freeze.
Cocktail:
• Rim your glass with white sugar, and add the ice cubes
• Add vodka, blue curaçao, and white cranberry juice
• Add your prosecco and top with club soda.
• Stir and serve immediately. Cheers and enjoy your Frosted Cranberry Spritz!From
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Thirsty Thursday! Well, it was a good thing we rescheduled Mom's appointment yesterday. The snow started mid-day, and by her appointment time of 2 peeyem roads were being closed due to accidents. Mostly slide-offs, which are usually pretty minor and without damage or injury, but a number took out power poles and brought down power lines and were more problematic. Thank goodness I didn't lose power. This ayem it's warmed up and I can see from the snow pack that it rained some overnight. The snow now is very heavy and wet and yucky, but the temps have found the 20s and 30s so at least it's not as cold.
The puppers were NOT thrilled with their ayem let out—both got ice balls between their toes and came back in limping and wimpering, especially Colt, the big boy. Usually they aren't too crazy about me messing with their feet but neither one seemed to mind very much today!
Icy Winter Cocktail
Ingredients
2 oz. Vodka (choose a smooth flavored vodka-we used absolut)
1 oz. blue curaçao
1/2 oz. lemon juice ( fresh squeezed is best)
5 oz. Champagne (sweet not dry, Prosecco or Moscato)
Instructions
fill your shaker with ice
Add the Vodka, curaçao and lemon juice to the shaker.
Seal and Shake the cocktail until the shaker is very cold.
Strain the shaker contents evenly into two champagne flutes
Fill the glass (gently) to the top with champagne
Garnish as desired. We used three sugared blueberries on a cocktail pick set over the glass.2 -
NM, glad you're able to stay off the road when the driving is hazardous. It's already looking like your mom is better off in her new home.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Saturday!
I took Mom to her hearing evaluation yesterday and she is getting new hearing aids. I didn't realize how much she was missing, 57% of conversation around her according to the testing. We go back and she gets the new hearing aids next Wednesday.
I got an email this ayem from the facility, another room in the Assisted Living wing has opened up and looks like it's bigger than the one she has now by quite a bit. Mom is on the list for a bigger room when one opens up, and it would be a bonus if it also had an ocean view. It would be really nice for Mom if it is both bigger and has an ocean view.
Carole--Mom is better off. And now that I'm not having to make the drive almost every day I am better off, too. I underestimated how much of an adjustment this move would be for me, but now that things are settling I can see the good in it.
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
A Partridge in a Pear Tree
Ingredients
- 2 oz - Gin
- 1 oz - Pear Nectar
- .5oz - Elderflower Liqueur
- .5oz - Lemon Juice
- Topped - Club Soda
- Garnish: Mint Sprig, (Elderflower and Pear Optional)
- Glassware: Wine
Preparation
- Add all ingredients besides the club soda to a shaker tin without ice.
- Add ice and shake for 8 seconds.
- Strain cocktail into glass over fresh ice and top with club soda.
- Garnish and enjoy.
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That's good news that a larger room is available. I'm hoping for an ocean view.
We're having almost too much of a good thing this weekend. Two Christmas concerts, one this afternoon at a huge Baptist church. Our neighbor Belinda sings in the choir. She invites us every year and this year we decided to go. Tomorrow's concert is at a Methodist church. Its choir is excellent with a director who has a doctorate in music and teaches at a university. There are also symphony musicians. We attend this concert with another couple and go out to dinner afterwards. We have a reservation this year at Rip's on the lakefront, a favorite of mine.
Every year a little drummer boy walks slowly up the aisle, pretending to play his drum. He's some member's little boy or grandson. And every year a few girls perform some ballet movements up in front of the stage. More involvement of the church membership. I could skip these two entries on the program, but the concert is free and nobody consults me. LOL. I particularly enjoy the solos.
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My eldest's freshman Engineering classes presented their final projects today. The assignment was a video game escape room that had at least three puzzles for the player to solve to get out. A lot of the games were pretty repetitive (mazes, Simon, find the clues, etc.), but the themes were so varied and creative. For the shooter games, those of us who grew up at mall arcades in the 80's had a distinct advantage. 😆 My kid's team won best in their section! We're very proud of them. Their team maybe didn't have the cleanest user interface (the prompts weren't very clear, and they disappeared after a few seconds instead of letting the user click to go to the next prompt), but their overall "room" was much more cohesive than a lot of the other projects. They all did a great job working together.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Sunday Funday! Not much new and different going on around here this weekend, just trying to keep warm and waiting to see if it's going to snow again. Not supposed to amount to anything today, though, but it could be really pretty.
Carole--the concerts sound like they are a lot of fun and something to look forward to. A trip to a favorite restaurant is a wonderful treat.
Miriandra--now that sounds like a really fun way to end a class! There are only so many types of games in the world, so there would have to be some repetition there but the themes give endless opportunity for creativity. Congrats to your kid's team! I bet their next project will be even better!
Two Turtle Doves
Two Turtle Doves
Ingredients
• 1 oz - Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz - Chocolate Liqueur
• 1 oz - Hazelnut Liqueur
• 1 oz - Espresso (Preferably Fresh)
• Garnish - Chocolate Shavings
• Glassware: Martini
Preparation
1. Add all of the ingredients to a shaker tin without ice.
2. Add ice and shake for 8 seconds.
3. Double strain cocktail into glass over no ice.
4. Garnish and enjoy.From
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Happy Hanukkah to those that celebrate. I'm having the Costco Cotes du rhone. YUM.
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Good Morning and Happy Hanukkah Loungettes!
Three French Hens Sangria
Ingredients
1 bottle - Red Wine
3 oz - Apple Brandy
3 oz - Orange Liqueur
Garnish: Sliced Oranges, Lemons and Apples
Preparation
In a pitcher combine all of the ingredients including the sliced fruit.
Refrigerate covered, for at least two hours before serving over ice in a wine glass.2 -
I'm trying a new addition to my jellies. A neighbor has a bountiful choke cherry tree, and he said I could harvest the berries. I also had frozen sand cherries, raspberries, and blackberries from my garden last year, so they got blended together to see what would happen. It has a nice flavor, with the cherry taste firmly on top. Hopefully people will enjoy them as gifts.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Twofer Tuesday!
Miriandra—the jellies sound really yummy! I've not heard of sand cherries before, are they a variety of cherry or something a little different?
Four Calling Birds
Ingredients
2 oz - White Rum
1 oz - Blackberry Syrup*
1 oz - Lime Juice
3-4 Sprigs - Mint
Topped - Club Soda
Garnish: Blackberries and Mint
Glassware: Double Old Fashioned or Collins
Preparation
Add all of the ingredients besides the club soda to a shaker tin without ice.
Add ice and shake for 8 seconds.
Dirty dump the cocktail into a glass and top with fresh ice and club soda.
Garnish and enjoy.1 -
Home-made jelly. What a special gift!
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Good afternoon ladies:
Quick message to wish everyone holiday greetings. I can't remember when I was here last but maybe a month ago in between weeks off (CA in early Nov, then week off and local time here at Thanksgiving). Things have been slowed down at work but the rest of life moves very fast at the end of the year.
I had a good friend visiting from the past week who left today, and we had a good time!She has always been my most frequent visitor here but has not been here in some time due to things like eldercare, pandemic, estate work, starting a new job, etc. With the new hospital open and things not so crazy, she asked this fall if she could come for a few days and said "lets do this." The photos above were of our time out and about looking at fun decorations in Santa Fe (top photos) and in Old Town in Albuquerque (bottom three pics). We had some good catch up time, some good eats, talks, walk abouts and shopping time during her time here. I have not had any company here overnight since before the pandemic (2019 was the last stay overs here with family) and for many other reasons and found going day and night (including with some work time) with a visitor to be a lot to keep up with. Whew, time to get back to routines and more rest too!
More to share soon but just wanted to say hi and tell you about the photos above. Hope everyone is having a good week!
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Jazzy - photos are great. Thanks for sharing. I too pretty much cut back to zero on overnights during Covid and never revived that old routine.
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