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  My blog was filled up. I'm too lazy to clean it out. So I started a new one. |
| I got an air fryer/pressure cooker for Christmas. We've been experimenting. So far, I like the pressure cooker part the best. The meat comes out so tender and moist. And it's not nearly as dangerous as the old-fashioned manual ones. It does have a lot of parts to keep clean and stored. I've made chili, beef stew, macaroni and cheese. all by the book that comes with it. I warn anyone who gets one of these, the book has a lot of errors. So far all of the recipes have been over-salty. Try two teaspoons when it calls for two tablespoons. Even that may be too much. I knew two was too much on the first one I tried, but even one tablespoon was too much. On the second recipe, I went with teaspoons, and that was borderline over the top. All the spices seem excessive, you just have to adjust to taste. My family liked the extra black pepper in the macaroni, and the cumin in the chili. We "air-crisped" a bag of French fries for the kids. It takes just as long as the oven method, but the result was a crispy outside with a tender inside. I air-crisped some cauliflower, but my dad thought it was too crunchy for hot cauliflower. I'm doing acorn squash right now. That may have dubious results, because I have a very difficult time peeling raw squash or pumpkin. By the time we slice off the green part, we might not like what's left. Steaming is another option. I have also used it to saute the meat that later went into the pressure cooker. I have not baked, broiled or made yogurt yet. I have used the "keep warm" feature. There is a cookbook on Amazon, but I want to be sure this isn't just a temporary plaything before investing more money. There are plenty of how to videos online. |
| I didn't make any new resolutions. There are always some things I want to achieve, the same old. I always want to lose 15 pounds (when I do, I know they're coming back). I always want to write more, exercise regularly, not sporadically, and read more books. I don't have to cut out smoking, or drinking or drugs. Not a problem. I don't overspend except on presents for the kids. I can't seem to be creative about resolutions or do something dramatic to change my life. Dr. Phil says that for a resolution to work, you must make it about something you're sick to death of. Like always being late to work and getting frowned at, or always being overweight. Or having a messy bedroom while the rest of the house looks fine. Or being in debt. You have to reach the sick to death of it stage before you are truly motivated to stick with your new resolve. You might be sick to death of never finishing the novels you start. That is your starting point. He also cautions not to take on too much at once. Concentrate on the two or three things, at most, that you feel will change your life. That means you must prioritize. Second, you have to make your environment work for your goals. If snacking too much is a problem, get rid of the snacks; if other members of the household need snacks, make them harder to get to, or go out of you way to avoid going near them. He also says you can't multitask and be efficient. Your boss may think it's a good idea (he's just trying to get what he thinks is the most for his payroll dollar). but don't do it in your own environment. You might be able to listen to a podcast while walking in the park, but you really can't do that while trying to write. You can't concentrate on a book, while plopped in front of the TV showing a movie you love. You can't take interruptions while trying to work on a project, but you should take 5 to 15 minute breaks at least every two hours; for some of us, those breaks need to be more often. Labor efficiency experts nailed the two hour break intervals at work. That was for the majority of people in order to get the most output. It was not an arbitrary decision. So I have no new resolutions. I do need to work on some underlying or supporting goals. Mostly, I have to deal with my own sabotage, those negative messages I've had since my teens and childhood. I can't succeed. It just wasn't meant for me. Intellectually, I know that's wrong. But my heart just clings to that negative programming. |
| My Dad us 91 plus. I know he's slowing down. He has more complaints about body aches and malfunctions. He's feeble on his feet. I have to yell to make him hear me. I won't let him drive any more. (There are dents in my car to show why.) He talks in his sleep and has trouble waking up and transitioning into reality from dreamland. On the other hand, he's never spent a night in the hospital, never has surgery, never any major illness. His eyesight and hearing are his biggest handicaps. The doctor told me today there are things they could try for some of his joint problems, back problems if he were younger and had a stronger heart. He can't address the sleep issues because of his age. Fifteen years ago, these things were still a possibility, but the risk is too great now. The most depressing part for me is that the doctor says he should not be left alone. The memory and difficulty waking up will probably get worse and could be dangerous. So now I feel like a prisoner. I sort of knew that already, but this drove it home. Now I feel guilty volunteering four or five hours at the local historic theater. I'll never be able to go on a vacation again. He can't travel, and I don't have anyone to trust caring for him in my absence. I'm not getting any younger myself. There is every reason to believe he may outlive me. He worries about getting in and out of the bathtub. I've told him we need to have a walk-in shower or bath installed. He doesn't seem keen on that. He worries about going up and down the steps in our split level entrance. He does not want a senior home, and really can't afford one on his income. There are so many things to study: the available senior homes/communities, home care, how to keep from losing all his assets in case he needs full-time nursing care or mental health care. (I could end up homeless while he's in the nursing home.) My brother and I want him to be safe and happy. He loves seeing his grandchildren and great grands. There are so many legal angles. A Power of Attorney doesn't always work. Transferring property and assets to your children doesn't always work either. When it does work, it has to be done five years before any long term nursing needs come up. You really have to plan ahead. You can't wait until the need is there. He had a lawyer and a financial adviser, and neither foresaw the problems or advised him of options. The bottom line is that the individual or couple need to plan as soon as they retire or at least by age 65. They cannot wait until their 70's or beyond and make plans. The children should never count on any inheritance, but should protect themselves and plan for their own retirement and final years. |
| Prompt: What is the best thing about January? Why? #1 No major holidays. No high pressure shopping or cooking. No decorating anything. No special seasonal shows or parties. #2 Days are shorter, which is okay on a short term basis. It makes you want to sleep in, go home early, be a homebody. (Short days, and therefore, less light are depressing for some people). I want to stay in and cuddle up with a blanket and a book, maybe, something hot to drink. Or if I want to be sociable, just chill with some friends in a low key way. #3 It just feels like something's finished or finishing, and something fresh is beginning. It could be conditioning from going back to school or work. Or it's the hype that goes with a new calendar or resolutions. But it's a quiet month to reflect, assess, plan, and rev up. #4 It could be a time to start a new project you don't usually do, like sewing, needlework, or a jigsaw puzzle. Or diet while no one is looking. #5 Sometimes it snows in January in my part of the world, like today. I've had some Januarys that were icy and hazardous all month. I've had some warm enough to play tennis! Most are fairly mild with occasional white stuff. #6 What's really good about January is Mother Nature's quiet work. The ground freezes, breaking up the soil, rotting the compost, and killing off the germs on the ground. It will be no time before the bulbs will be sending up shoots. Of course, the weeds and the kudzu are getting tougher and preparing to overtake us. The birds flock to my porch to gather up seed before the squirrels get it all. |
| It comes so quickly, and goes ever more quickly. I hate seeing it all go away. I want to linger, holding a cup of hot tea and admiring my lighted tree in the dark. There's too much stress, and too many deadlines, before Christmas, to relax and soak it all in. I'm going to try to follow Robin McGraw's lead this year, and have it all out and ready to go up by Thanksgiving, even it's stacked in the furnace room. By Dec. 1, I want it all up and ready, so I can enjoy it, and maybe feel ready to let it go in January. I also use the excuse of the church calendar. Prior to Christmas, it's considered Advent. Christmas starts Dec. 25 and lasts for 12 days. Technically, the wise men arrived in Egypt, not Bethlehem, when the baby was about two. So that date is usually honored as Jan. 6, marking a separation from the angels and shepherds and journey to the Inn. So I might take down the Santa faces, but leave up the greenery, the nativity, and my really cute magi sculptures. I have two attics to use, the main one, and the one over the garage. But I'm leaving the boxes stacked for a day or two to give my back a chance to heal from trying to pick up a two year old. Having just spent the day, trying to pack things compactly, I realize that putting it all away is nowhere near as much fun as getting it out. I threw out some things that were old and tattered. We lose some each year any way, since my dad with his large arthritic hands has started decorating the tree. I don't complain, the memory of him trying to do it, is more valuable than the antiques he smashes. We stumbled across what turned out to be practical and peaceful. We have a younger generation coming in with the little ones. They have to do Santa first. Then they go the mother's house for brunch (my brother's ex-wife). She has no other family, so it is proper that they go. They show up at our house about two, and the kids are thinking presents. They don't want a full sit-down meal. Then one of them has to go home to host her in-laws who bring all the food, so she does no cooking. She just provides the space for a large family dinner. My remaining brother comes from 70 miles away with his wife and son and arrive after 12. They can stay all day. (She has no family in the state.) I convinced my father, who generally prefers to do things the way he's always done them, to just have finger foods and appetizers. He took it a step further, finally, and bought bread and deli meats and cheeses. We put out sandwich fixings and desserts, and let everyone serve him or herself. It worked! The food was ready, they could come and go as they pleased. We even let the kids eat in front of the TV. The best part is that I wasn't up all night baking ham or letting rolls rise. I didn't have to brine a turkey or time casseroles or heat up things. Getting to Christmas Day was much calmer and easier on me. This marks a dramatic change in our family traditions. The ones who could stay late, did so, then took tired children home to rest. We'll still have a big dinner at Easter and Thanksgiving, but we took some stress out of Christmas. I still hate to see it go. The beauty, the lights, the cookies, the merry faces, the excitement. But maybe I can work on ways to make that happen all year long. t |
| My mother was superstitious, so I heard a lot of them when I was growing up. We had to have black eye peas on New Years Day for good luck. The rest of the menu just seemed to go with it: Greens, cornbread, stewed tomatoes (Southern style, not Italian), and iced tea. The meat would vary according to what we had or what was on sale. I'll fix all that tomorrow, but with ground steaks. We had a neighbor who said it was bad luck for a woman to visit your home on New Year's, and I remember thinking I hoped she wouldn't bring a curse on us by visiting, although I normally liked to see her. I've also heard that whatever you do on New Year's Day is what you'll be doing the rest of the year. I thought it was primarily to keep people from being hung over on the first. However, I always make sure I do something fun and/or relaxing on New Year's, if it's only reading a good book or binge watching old movies. Apparently, some of that superstition is ingrained in me. There is some work that day, because you have to go on with clean floors and meals, and so forth. But there's also the removal of Christmas decorations. My mom used to say you would get sick if the Christmas things stayed up. That probably had more to do with a real tree dropping its leaves and becoming a fire hazard, as well as other live greenery. I know plenty of people who leave it up longer without illness of obvious bad luck. Then there is the rare person who wants it all out of sight within a few days after Christmas. Never in my mother's house. I know two women with beautiful artificial trees who leave them up all year long. They dust them occasionally, but they have the room for them, and they're big and out of the traffic pattern. Some people have to have a hog's head for Christmas. According to a British documentary I saw, this was Tudor custom. But where I live, it's mostly in the black neighborhoods. I worked at a grocer who sold them. They are spooky looking. Some cashiers would freak out and couldn't pick one up. I'm tough. I would excuse myself to the customer who heard the cashier screaming next to me, go ring up the hog's head, wrapped in meat plastic with the usual label, and put it in a bag by itself so she wouldn't have to see it. They're also a little fragile; you don't want to break its snout or crack the skull before you get it home. It looked to me like there's hardly any meat left on it, but the documentary showed it cooked and decorated. It's an acquired taste. That store still sells them. They sell a ton of them, with none left over. I'm not too keen on resolutions. I always break them. I can make resolutions any time of year, not just January. I will also break them any time I make them. Happy New Year. |
| Seriously, seeing a child who is happy to see you and running to greet you is more joyful and fulfilling than any material gift. |
How exciting! It's almost here. Whether you are alone or surrounded by lots of people, get your rest and find a little peace, if only a few moments at a time. Peace, joy, hope and love to all of you.        |
| Prompt; What is the one thing you wish you knew how to do? Play the piano. There. A simple truth, but one that takes a lot of diligence. It's best to start early, in preschool or elementary. If you learn to play a band instrument first, well, you can only concentrate on one note at a time, not a whole chord. It takes effort to read a single line of notes spread over two staffs, but seeing all the notes at once is very difficult, made even harder when the rhythm is different in each hand.. I have thought about putting it on my bucket list. I don't own a piano, although I probably have access to one, at least most weeks for occasional practice. Daily, not so much. And I might be a little thick headed and temperamental for a teacher correcting me. And I wouldn't want to do recitals with the other kiddies. However, I would love to sit down and play some music for my own enjoyment. Again, no piano, I don't know when I could do that. If I got rid of my sofa and end table and spent my retirement money, I could buy a piano.(How to get it up the stairs?) I'd make everyone gather around to sing along, since they wouldn't be able to sit. It's something I've wanted all my life, but I am old now. It's not likely to happen. Imagine if I had started early. I could have played Bach, Mozart, and Schumann all these years, swing, love ballads, etc., even if I wasn't concert quality. It was just a missed opportunity. |
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