Friday Feast 91

Friday, April 28, 2006
Feast Ninety-One

Appetizer

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how polite are you?

About an 8, I think
Soup
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

My Uncle Cliff’s email to me the other day. He always gives me a smile, and this time I really laughed.  Odd tho., now I don’t remember what exactly it was about.

Salad
Who is your favorite cartoon character?

I have two…Mickey Mouse and Bambi.  I love Mickey Mouse because he’s a happy fellow, who can always make situations comical, even when he’s angry.  He always comes out smiling.  Bambi is my other favorite because of his curiosity and strength he had to show; the gorgeous animation is another reason I favor Bambi.  The fluidity of the scampering animals, but especially Bambi when he ran or explored just cannot be topped, 3d or 2d, as far as I’m concerned.

Main Course
Tell about the funniest teacher you ever had.

I had great funny teachers throughout my education, including college. I was lucky that way. However, one stands out from my senior year in high school, my Anatomy & Physiology class.  It was a tough class, and he always had a wry comment to make, but besides that, he was funniest when he did not intend to be so.

Dessert
Complete this sentence…I strongly believe that If our country would pay slightly less attention to other countries’ problems and pay much more attention to our own challenges, then other countries might not rage against us so much.

Poppy and Our Updates

Sorry, I haven't really updated my blog for awhile besides with joke-y stuff...and really, there isn't much new with Dad. Plus it's time for my monthly snail mail letter, isn't it.

His kidneys have begun to fail; he had another urinary tract infection that would not clear with two rounds of I.V. antibiotics, and the docs tested him. Sure enough, his kidneys were not processing the toxins, nor the antibiotic well enough to fully treat the infection. He's lost about 15 lbs, too. But the good side is that he's alert, very happy to see us when we visit, which is only about twice each week, just because of the girls' schedules.

We've snuck him a chocolate malt, a small scoop of ice cream and a cake (at different times). Well we didn't sneak the cake--that was for his birthday. He loves the sweets, but his system cannot tolerate them. So we are only able to take him sweets, especially with cream in them on rare occasions.

Dad loves good food. He's always prided himself with his cooking and baking skills. When he and Mom lived in Hesperia, there was always a freshly baked cake on the side table, waiting to be offered any guests who might come visit. There were always visitors, too. So about twice each week, Dad would bake one of his delicious cakes. With that said (written), it's tough to see him eating what constitutes blended gruel...one scoop each of green, beige and a darker beige glump. I am not exaggerating. It looks awful. I think Gerber's baby food would be better for him. And taste better, too.

Other good news...we got Aid & Assistance for him from the VA for his WWII service, so instead of being allowed to keep $35/month after State Aid takes their "pound of flesh," he'll be able to keep an additional $90, which is good, because that might cover his prescriptions, and sundries, etc. Plus, the VA has helped me get him approved to get his prescriptions from the VA, which may run a lot less expensively than the $400 we are paying now. So, all in all, the financial situation may be more nearly settled than it was last month. Whew!

So, that's the update for now...As for the 4 of us plus Hamlet, we keep on keepin' on...the girls are doing very well in school; the dog only misbehaves only occasionally; Scott still loves his work--in fact, he took Sarah with him today for "Take your kid to work" day. They are both very excited about the plans Disney has made for the kids.

Me? I'm good. More like Very good. I've lost 17 lbs since the first of the year, and I'm beginning to feel much better. I have consultations with a neurologist and a surgeon for different reasons.

The surgeon will discuss my options with me for my baby gall stones and the neurologist will test the nerves in my hands and my feet. I get weird tingly sensations in them...similar to falling asleep, except much more sharp and intense than even when the blood starts circulating again. Plus, it itches at the same time, causing me to have to rub or scratch my fingers and toes until they nearly bleed.

Enough about me, I'm sure everything is stress-related. That's what they usually tell women with odd problems anyway.

Today I'm baking cakes for a birthday party at which about 110 people will attend. I'll make 4 1/2 sheet cakes and decorate them. Wish me luck!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer List 3 things you keep putting off.
Cleaning out my Dad's things.
Washing my car.
Making Em's Jacket and a quilt I started nearly 2 years ago

Soup What do you feel is your greatest responsibility?
Helping my children become responsible, kind, intelligent and caring adults, and showing them by example.

Salad If you could have starred in any movie, which one would you have wanted to be in and why?

The Big Easy. Great scenes with Dennis Quaid. Need I say more?

Main Course What is an expectation you had as a child about being an adult and, now that you are grown up, you realize you were wrong?That people in my extended famliy cared about me and my immediate family.

Dessert When was the last time you had your car serviced?About three weeks ago. Had to take it back once, and found I have to take it back again, as the repairs made caused other problems.

What, Me???

Ok, so I did have a birthday the other day.  I do maybe think I might be having a small midlife crisis.  But I couldn’t help myself, really!!  I just had to try it.

I SKIED!!!  I hadn’t been for over 12 years…since before I was pregnant with Sarah.  I have wondered many times if I’d ever get to do it again and yesterday afternoon I found myself at the top of a slope connected to skis and poles with the boots on.

We took my girls to their first ever experience with skiing (not boarding, but skiing) yesterday. While watching them, my legs arms and body began to itch and twitch to be out there with them.

All morning I watched these two darling little girls ski, make “pizza slices” (wedges, or snowplows) and “French fries” (parallel skis). When I mentioned I wanted to be up there in the snow with them, my beautiful, generous husband said, “why not get a half day lift-ticket and try it?”  I nearly choked!

So, at precisely 12:30, I bought a half-day lift ticket and rented the whole package.  Sarah and I rode the lift together; she gave me some “pro” tips the whole ride.  We got off the lift (Whew!! I didn’t fall and sprawl!!), and there I was, at the top of the bunny slope, wondering what I had done.

But I did it—I DID IT!!!  It was FUN!!! I loved it and remembered why I had become addicted to it before, going into debt for great skis, poles and boots, driving 8-10 hours each way to find good enough snow, flying hours to find even better snow, living and breathing for the ski season, even planning all my vacation time around ski seasons (1 day off every week so I could have several 3-day skiing weekends consecutively).

I felt so rejuvenated! So full of Life!

Today, I could barely move, but yesterday, oh, yesterday!!!  It was all worth it.  

Now I can’t wait to do it again.

Happy Easter!

Frid

Friday, April 14, 2006

Feast Eighty-Nine

Appetizer
What movie soundtracks do you own?
Footloose, Dirty Dancing, Don Juan de Marco, Brother Where Art Thou? and a few others...

Soup
How much cash do you usually carry with you? wait a minute, do you know where I live?? Seriously, about $20-$50

Salad
Are you more comfortable around men or women? Why?

Used to be men, now I'm fairly evenly comfortable with both genders and others, too. I used to find women petty, catty, gossipy and hurtful. I have found that men and women generally are equal in those qualities. Besides, my husband has taught me the saying, "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity (or carelessnes, or thoughtlessness)."

Main Course
What is the most mischievous thing you remember doing as a child?

When I was five years old, walking home from kindergarten with a couple of friends, we hid in a trash dumpster (yes, we climbed up one of those big ones) to hide from a police officer. I don't know why we did it, and I think I might have been the instigator.

Dessert
Who is the funniest member of your family? My 4 yr old daughter

Evidently

...someone reads this thing...thanks! I think maybe I now have 5 readers!!

April 13, 19**

It’s My Birthday!

I send a heartfelt “thank you” to you for remembering and sending me cards. I love getting snail mail that isn’t a bill! Your very kind words to me (you know who you are) just warmed my heart so much that I blushed.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!

FRIDAY'S FEAST

Feast Eighty-Eight

Appetizer Name a trait you share with your parents or your children. only one?? I bite my lower lip when I'm stressed or concentrating (my 9yr old daughter) I twiddle my thumbs like my father; I eat when stressed, like my mother. Soup List 3 qualities of a good leader, in your opinion. compassion, ability to see a bigger picture, ability to change if decisions made turn out to be wrong. Salad Who is your favorite television chef? The Food 911 guy--don't know his name, but he seems to be quite knowledgeable and a good teacher. Main Course Share a story about a gift you received from someone you love. Just Tuesday of this week I received an early birthday gift from my husband--a new Nikon 200D camera with a lens!!!!!!! It's beautiful! When I tried to use it, I found he had purchased the wrong memory card--so at least I got to practice focusing and playing with all the gadgetry! Dessert How do you react under pressure? I go to sleep. If unable to get sleep, I tend to get very focused, and ignore all outside "distractions," including my children and husband, which annoys all of them. I get very annoyed when they try to interrupt me, too, especially if I've warned them about the pressure. Other than that, I function fairly well under pressure! 8^)