how about drinking?

Miriandra, I made hats and caps and donated them to a cancer center, but I never got any feedback on whether they were welcome or useful. It's so warm here in south Louisiana for much of the year that other head coverings, like scarves, might be more comfortable. Now I'm crocheting lap blankets to donate to nursing homes but haven't found a "home" for the blankets yet. I need to make some contacts.

Thank you! That one was an experiment in combining different stitches that worked out well.

I make them 120 rows high and wide enough to cover laps with a little overhang. Mom tried to teach me a few years ago to knit and I could not get it. Taught myself to crochet from Youtuve videos. Have to always search for ones for left handers though.

It is. Most videos I find are for right handers. I cant get the hang of learning from those, so i have to add left handed in thr searches.

first blooms are always a thrill

Good news from the radiologist! The ultrasound confirmed that the mass is just a cyst that swelled up, then self-resolved. The little rice-sized bit that I was still feeling is probably the cyst's root. So as long as it doesn't keep changing, I'm back to regular follow up schedules. But they did recommend I discuss alternating mammos and MRIs each year with my onc.

I knew there was a good chance it wasn't anything too concerning, but it does feel so much better to have it confirmed. 😌

Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Sunday Funday! I'm going down to viist Mom today and trying to think of something we can do to get her out of the facility for a little while. It's too early for tourist season so not much open yet. Many Acadia National Park paved roads are still closed and all the carriage roads and trails are closed until the ground dries out. The weather is definitely warming up overall, I had to take the second duvet off the bed last night! Always a good sign. I expect Colt will start sleeping on top of the duvet pretty soon. Zoe will sleep under the covers all year round since I will turn on the bedroom AC when its too hot and muggy to sleep comfortably.

mOmmy--left handed crocheting instruction must be pretty hard to find. Good for you for figuring it out!

Carole--I'm trying to visualize left handed crocheting, too, but all I can picture is the kind of knitting that is essentially left handed, I can't remember the name.

Teka--so pretty! It's so exciting to see the first flowers coming up!

Miriandra--PHEW! What a relief to get the good news about the cyst.

Morning, Wren!

Benign Cocktail

Miranda - so glad it was only a cyst. Whew sister 🙏

Our crocus popped up in late January and the daffodils are almost gone. Pollen, aplenty. I'm going to try a Nighthawk boxed wine Malbec. Don't have high hopes but we'll see.

update: the nighthawk malbec boxed wine is not horrible.

Good morning, Loungettes! Happy Hump Day! We had an absolutely beautiful day yesterday, temp in the 60s, sunny most of the day. It was a great day to take Mom out, even if she was disappointed that she didn't get to take home the new dentures. It was so warm that Mom asked for the AC when we got in the car after lunch. Lunch was a bit of an adventure, that story is cooking in the back of my mind. I was disappointed that the facility grounds crew had mowed over the crocuses that had come up outside the entrance door. I was looking forward to seeing more of them in bloom. At least the green leaves where still there and looked bright against the mulch.

Jazzy--I've found that craft cocktails can be hit or miss. I've had some really good ones, and a few pretty bad ones, and a lot of "meh" ones. But it's fun to try something different. I hope the concert was as good as you anticipated.

Teka--that is one self-satisfied kitty!

Wally--the only daffodils I've got are the miniature ones in a pot that I picked up at the grocery store the other day. They don't last long, but they are pretty while they are here! Glad to hear the boxed malbed wasn't horrible!

mOmmy--you really are trucking right along with those blankets!

Daffodil Cocktail

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) peach nectar, chilled
• 1/4 cup (2 oz.) elderflower liqueur (such as St-Germain)
• 1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) prosecco or other sparkling wine, chilled

Directions
1. Gather all ingredients.
Credit:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
2. Stir together 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) each of peach nectar and liqueur in each of 2 (6-oz.) coupes or cocktail glasses.

Recipe Tips For Daffodil Cocktails
• Make sure you have the nectar and wine chilled so the drink is palatable when mixed. You don’t want to dilute it with ice.
• You can make up a big batch of the base—equal parts peach nectar and elderflower liqueur—in advance if you plan to serve several folks. Then just pour 2 fl. oz. (1/4 cup) into each glass and top off with 5 oz. prosecco.
• You can change up the flavor by using different fruit nectars. Apricot nectar should still yield a yellow-ish drink. Mango nectar might go more orange but would still be lovely.
• You can use orange liqueur (like Cointreau or Grand Marnier) in place of elderflower liqueur, or use peach schnapps.

From https://www.southernliving.com/daffodil-cocktail-11701896

NM, glad you had nice weather for an outing with your mom. Waiting for details about the interesting lunch.

Mommyof3, I finished a lap blanket and have started another.

Good Morning, Loungettes! One nice lovely spring day and back to rain we go! Looks like we're going to have wet, raining weather for a while now. Sigh.

Here's the latest entry in the Mother-Daughter saga for those who are interested:

Dentures, Dough, and Delusions of Bugs

Mother had an appointment to check the fit of her new bottom dentures — the replacements for the bottom dentures she got last June and lost in July. At this point, I’ve accepted that her dentures have a more active social life than either of us. They disappear, reappear, and take mysterious overnight trips. The last time she lost both uppers and bottoms, I found them soaking in a juice glass of water inside the microwave. Mother insisted she had taken them out in the bathroom and left them there. Someone must have come in during the night and moved them. I assume this same nocturnal intruder also placed her breakfast toast in a bowl and left it on the bathroom vanity next to the mouthwash. A very busy, very confused burglar.

On the way to the appointment, we began our ritualistic four‑round conversation.
Daughter: “Where do you want to go for lunch today?” Usual Response: “Oh, I don’t know. You choose.”

Actual Response: “Let’s get the railroad tracks pizza. We haven’t been there in a while and it’s always been good.”
I nearly drove off the road. Not only did she have an opinion, she had a specific opinion. And I knew exactly which place she meant — the same place she has sworn, repeatedly and with great ceremony, never to visit again. Once because she saw a single fly. Once because it was too noisy. Once because she was hungry and therefore offended by the existence of sound. But enough time had passed that all previous vows had evaporated. Conveniently, because I actually like the place.

The dental appointment went smoothly. The new teeth lined up, the bite was good, and all that remained was polishing.

Off we went to pizza.

Daughter: “What do you want on your pizza?” Mother: “I don’t know. What do they have to put in it?”I read the list of toppings. Three times. The first two were “too fast,” despite being read at the speed of a bedtime story.

“You usually get pepperoni. Do you want pepperoni?”
“Oh yes, I love pepperoni pizza. I didn’t think we were getting pizza. What else do they have?”

I read the list again.

“That one,” she said. “The one in the middle.”
“Mushrooms?” “No, no, the other one in the middle.”
I read the list a fifth time, slowly enough that the employees could have taken notes. At the end: “Onion.” “That’s it! Onions!”

Daughter: “What do you want to drink?” Mother: “Beer. I want beer.”
“Do you really want a beer?” “I want beer. I like beer with pizza.”

I went to the counter. No alcohol. “Mom, they don’t have beer. The closest is root beer.” She sighed like a Victorian heroine denied smelling salts. “I guess if root beer is all I can get…”

The pizzas arrived. I was enjoying mine, even though the center dough was slightly undercooked. Mother ate one slice with visible joy — until she spotted something.

She froze. Then began peeling apart her pizza like she was performing a crime‑scene autopsy.
“Look at that. I know you’re going to tell me it’s not a bug, but I know it’s a bug.”

I examined the tiny dark speck. It snapped when I scraped it off. “It’s a burnt onion.” I ate it. “Tastes like burnt onion.”

She was unconvinced. She pointed to another sliver. “I suppose you’re going to tell me this isn’t a bug?” And another. “And these aren’t bugs?” And a dark spot on the crust. “And that’s not a bug?”
At this point, she had identified more “bugs” than the state of Maine sees in a typical winter.

“They look like burnt onion and crust to me. I’m guessing you don’t want leftovers?”

“Not that awful food. But they better let me take the root beer home. It’s barely been touched.”

I capped the root beer, grabbed a straw, helped her into her jacket, and guided her to the car.

As we were leaving, she fixed me with a look of absolute moral authority.
“Do NOT leave a tip.”
“Okay, Mom.”

I sincerely hope she never discovers that I already left one when I paid. I’m not sure I could survive the cross‑examination.

Michelada

Ingredients
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 lime wedge
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 pinch celery salt
• 1 bottle Mexican lager beer, chilled
• Garnish: lime wedge

Steps
1. Add equal parts salt and cayenne pepper to a plate or shallow bowl. Rub the lime wedge along half the rim of the pint glass and then dip the rim into the salt-cayenne mixture.
2. Add the lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, black pepper and celery salt into the glass.
3. Fill with the beer and garnish with a lime wedge.

From https://www.liquor.com/recipes/michelada/

Oh NM - great stories. You are soooo patient.

Jazzy - just adorable!!!