how about drinking?

Thank you for that Carole. Had no plans to go, I've got my own life to deal with.

Wren, you said what I was thinking. LOL.

NM, I do remember Israel. I was 4-1/2 when we left, so the brain of a toddler and what was interesting….remember the sand, the camels crossing "out back" behind us..playing with worms in dirt, the Med. sea and small black crabs my sis and I chased on the beach…fun times. I remember our little house/rooms….funny what kids take in.

Good morning:

Did everyone survive the blizzard back east that was impacted by it or are you still digging out?

Mommy- some good advice here from folks. I had both my eyes done for cataracts in 2019, worst one first then the other about six weeks later. Sometimes they do them closer together, but that was the way it happened for me. I needed help the day of with rides the day of and then the day after until I got cleared to drive. Then there are check ins the week after and then a month after that if you drive, you can go to on your own. The biggest thing was keeping up with the eye drops three times a day post-surgery.

I have family who sees me the same way. My family does not live near me (left for a second time 30 years ago) and visit those that remain as it suits me. But outside of my father who has been gone for quite some time, they always expect me to drop whatever I am doing to go to them for whatever. There were times I had to go because I was dual POA for my mother, but many times I did not. Now I just say no these days at almost 66 years old. It was just a pattern that got set early in the family by others and as an adult, we can just say no. When you say not available, they will be required to find another solution and hopeful. Hug sister, not cool about talking about your cancer with others, never mind making up stories about it returning. Ugh.

Jazzy, hubby and I tslked about it and he says if they keep pushing, he's going to step in. I've gone silent with them since the other night. All my friends say to let my stepdad and brother deal with it, that I did way more than my share over the years. Also said where was my stepdad and brother when I had cancer. Sure they acted concerned, but never stepped up really to help me. So now the shoe is on the other foot. Let them see how it feels and if makes me a bad stepdaughter and sister, oh well!

We may get another cold front of two, bringing some cold air, but spring weather will be the norm. Next week all our daily highs are 70's. I would be happy with those temperatures but not with humidity. And not with spring pollen that is definitely on the way. The Neti Pot will get a workout.

It's 68 degrees and sunny at the moment. The bare-branched trees will be leafing out. Gardeners don't usually put out new plants until after March 15th, which isn't far away.

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Saturday! The puppers and I had a lovely, lazy day yesterday. I treated myself to opening a bottle of wine that I brought back from the North Carolina trip last fall and lounged around with that and my favorite pub cheese and crackers watching old TV shows. The temp got all the way up over 32 degrees, so there was lots of dripping off the melting icicles on the eves, which was nice to see.

Carole--I'd like temps in the 70s, but will need to wait a couple more months for that. Still got a pretty good snow cover, but hopefully not for much longer.

mOmmy--If the aunt says flat out to let the local family handle Mom's needs, then that's final. God has spoken (through her!).

Tonight or Never Cocktail

Ingredients
• Gin: 1 ounce (3 cl, 1/4 gills)
• Dry Vermouth: 1 ounce (3 cl, 1/4 gills)
• Cognac: 1⁄2 ounce (1.5 cl, 1/8 gills)

Preparation
1. Chill Your Glass: Place a cocktail glass (approximately 4.5 ounces) in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before starting. A thoroughly chilled glass keeps the cocktail colder for longer, enhancing the drinking experience.
2. Combine Ingredients: In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, dry vermouth, and cognac.
3. Add Ice: Fill the cocktail shaker with ice. Use large, solid ice cubes for optimal chilling and minimal dilution.
4. Shake Well: Close the shaker tightly and shake vigorously for 15-20 seconds. You should feel the shaker becoming very cold. Proper shaking is crucial for chilling the cocktail and achieving the right dilution.
5. Strain: Double strain into the chilled cocktail glass. Double straining involves using both the built-in strainer of the cocktail shaker and a fine-mesh strainer. This removes any small ice shards, resulting in a smoother, more elegant cocktail.
6. Serve Immediately: Ce Soir Ou Jamais is best enjoyed immediately. Garnish with a lemon twist, if desired.
From https://easygfrecipes.com/ce-soir-ou-jamais-tonight-or-never-cocktail-recipe/

For those who like my little stories, here's the latest:

The Great Walmart Migration: A Mother–Daughter Travelogue in Three Acts

Taking Mom shopping has begun to feel less like an errand and more like a pilgrimage—one of those ancient, multi‑day treks where travelers walked slowly, contemplated life, and occasionally got lost in the spice aisle. Mom, bless her determined little heart, still believes that every aisle contains a secret message meant just for her, and she must walk each one to discover whether she needs anything in it. This is charming in a Dollar Store, where the aisles are short and the stakes are low. In a Walmart Supercenter, however, it becomes a full‑scale expedition requiring hydration, a Sherpa, and possibly a base camp.

🛒 Act I: The Aisle‑by‑Aisle Reconnaissance
The moment we entered Walmart, Mom’s internal grocery‑shopping autopilot kicked in. Never mind that she has no stove, little fridge space, and no way to cook anything more complex than a cup of tea. She was ready to stock up for winter like a pioneer woman preparing for a blizzard.

“I could make a stew,” she said, reaching for a family‑size pack of raw carrots.
“What would you cook it in?” I asked.

“Well… I’ll get someone to help me get a pot out of storage. Where is the storage unit again? Don’t forget to leave me a key.”

This was the moment I realized we had entered the imaginary cooking portion of the outing. Talking her out of buying ingredients for meals she could neither store nor prepare required the kind of verbal gymnastics usually reserved for hostage negotiators and kindergarten teachers. I had to keep her from feeling deprived while also preventing her from purchasing a 10‑pound bag of potatoes she would have nowhere to store except her lap.

🛺 Act II: The Electric Cart Ballet
Because her walking pace has slowed to a gentle glacial drift—and because my knee was staging a protest—she used the electric cart. These carts are designed to be driven from on the cart, not beside it, which is where I found myself, trotting along like a nervous border collie trying to keep a toddler from wandering into traffic.

Mom’s driving style was… interpretive.

• She drifted left like a politician avoiding a question.
• She took corners as if she were piloting a barge.
• She backed up with the confidence of someone who had never once checked a mirror in her life.

Every few minutes I had to gently redirect her before she clipped a display, a worker stocking a shelf, or a shopper who had wandered too close. I’m fairly certain we left behind a wake of startled customers and at least one pyramid of canned goods that will never be the same. Somewhere in that store, a stock clerk is still muttering about “that rogue cart.”

🧾 Act III: The Grand Finale of Absurdity
After dinner, we got back to her place, and I began unloading the bags.
“Mom,” I said, “do you want me to hang up the new dress you bought?”

She looked at it, puzzled.
“I bought that?”
“Yes.”
“In Walmart?”
“Yes.”
“Today?”
“Yes.”
She studied the dress as if it had been smuggled in by a passing magician. Then she asked, “What else did I get in Walmart?”
“You got paper towels, microwave popcorn, this new purse, cream cheese, and rice cakes.”
She nodded with great authority. “The cream cheese goes in the fridge. I wish I’d gotten some popcorn to have in the evenings. Did you get a new purse?”
“The cream cheese is in the fridge,” I said, “and the popcorn is next to the microwave. The purse is one you picked out for yourself.”
“I did?” She examined it like a museum curator authenticating a rare artifact. “Well, I’ll have to look it over later. It looks like a nice purse.”

I lifted another bag. “This one has the calendar, lipstick, batteries, and a few other things you bought at the Dollar Store.”
She frowned. “Shoot, I forgot I wanted to stop at the Dollar Store. I need some kitchen things to cook with.”
“We did go to the Dollar Store, Mom. What you got there is in this bag. I’ll put it next to your chair so you can decide where you want to put things.”
She blinked at the bag as if it had been placed there by elves.

Then—and this is the part that deserves a drumroll—she said:

“Well, I didn’t get anything I went out for. I never got to go down the last aisle in the Dollar Store because we had to leave for my appointment. That’s why I didn’t get what I needed.”
“What did you need?” I asked.
She sighed. “I don’t know. I forgot to make a list.”

And there it was: the perfect, shimmering pearl of absurdity. After all the aisles, all the steering, all the negotiations, all the groceries she can’t cook and won’t remember—the only thing she remembered was the aisle she didn’t go down, for the things she couldn’t name, on the list she never made.

NM - love the Mom stories. Thanks for sharing. For your sake, I'm so glad that she is now living somewhere safe and you don't have to worry 24/7.

Mommy - I agree with your aunt and everyone else. Figure out how to ditch the guilt!!! Not easy I know, but essential.

BTW - rough week. I'm drinking Tuaca at 3pm

Mommy - I'm glad you had a nice lunch with your aunt ❤️

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Sunday Funday! Looks like its going to be a dreary and gray day today, but at least not actively snowing. I thought I had a CPR class tomorrow, but when I checked the calendar I discovered class is a week from tomorrow, so tomorrow I can go get Mom, pick up her new glasses, and hopefully get an appointment to get her hair done. The facility has a hairdresser who comes in twice a week, but she talks too much about things Mom isn't interested in and Mom doesn't want to go to her again. I don't mind taking her out, but I have noticed it takes longer for her to recover from each trip than in used to. Time to find a way to make the trips shorter, I guess.

mOmmy--sometimes our best ally is a favored family member! The jeans sound really pretty.

Minus--sorry to hear you've had a rough week. I did find a bottle of Tuaca a while back, it is pretty good stuff!

Morning, Jazzy!

Breakfast Martini
Ingredients
• ▢1½ teaspoons orange marmalade
• ▢½ ounce lemon juice fresh squeezed
• ▢1½ ounces gin
• ▢½ ounce Cointreau or triple sec
• ▢orange peel
• ▢cinnamon sugar toast wedge for garnish

Instructions
• Add orange marmalade and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker and stir with a bar spoon to loosen up the marmalade.
• Add ice, gin, and cointreau and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
• Strain into a martini glass and squeeze an orange peel over the drink and drop it in.
• Garnish with cinnamon sugar toast if desired and serve.

From <https://www.sugarandsoul.co/breakfast-martini-easy-brunch-cocktail/