p/t job

Life goes on after entering a nursing home. There's still romance, heartbreak, drama and even frienemies!
One feisty 75 year-old resident is having man trouble with her 64 year-old boyfriend (he visits his mother who is also a resident). She sat up front with me for over 3 hours bashing him while I commiserated. He's a slob, he's out-of shape, he's too domineering, he talks too much, etc. etc.etc. She likes a well-dressed man with good manners & a cute tush . Her words, not mine!! However, when he showed up to visit his mom that afternoon, it was all coochie-coo & sweetie-pie. Imagine that!
Then, one dear lady who is having a disagreement with another resident came up to me to ask if I knew whether pineapples grew on trees or on the ground. I said neither, they grow on these thick stalks above the ground....I think. Next thing you know they're both in front of me wanting to know who's Closer to being right. I was very diplomatic and watched them walk back to the dining room holding hands, still snipping at each other the whole way.
There's a sweet, sweet man that comes up to the front desk twice a day and sits on the bench by me either napping or telling stories. Now, he is deaf so sometimes it sounds like he's yelling because he always raises his voice so that I can hear him better. :) I love the one when he's in 8th grade and meets the most beautiful girl in the world. He was so shy and she was like a "pretty rose". He goes on and on...reminiscing - I thought for sure he had married his middle-school sweetheart. So I ask him "Did you marry her?" "No" he said. "She's the one that got away." He cracks me up!
There are the rare times where I just don't feel like going to work because it's the weekend and I'd rather be outside or doing something fun or productive but...I do love my little friends there who make time to come up and visit with me, chitchat & gossip about the going-on's. I wouldn't give it up for anything!

New Grand-Daughter Madeline

We're all in love with little Madeline Theresia. She looks so much like George to me, those eyebrows, that hairline...no telling what else will develop. Theresia's happy that Maddie has her earlobes. Kendall now has the baby sister that she always wanted! :) At first it was so hard with them moving away, really hard. At yet just a few short months later and I'm OK with it all. Of course, I did just spend 5 days up there with them and I intend to go back the weekend after this so I still see them all. Kendall started school and absolutely LOVES it! Yay!

LIFE CONTINUES

It's been a couple of months since Theresia and Kendall have moved out. I guess I feel OK after the initial shock of separation. I've taken my old bedroom back which is kind of nice. I've been going to the gym with Olivia more and more, but I haven't really pushed myself. Just walking on the treadmill, getting myself slowly back into the swing of things.
On the 1st of August, I plan to start going to the Y at 5am and start adding the weights in again. I have to get on and keep that schedule because when I do go back to school, I think my classes will be Mon-Thurs 5:30-9:30pm. I'm just really concerned on how everything will effect Rachael. I've always been here for her and she is my priority. I'd be gone for 4 days out of 7!
Decisions, decisions...maybe I can actually try those online classes. I just don't know how disciplined and organized I am. I pray that I do well. I don't want to just get a degree - I want to graduate with honors. Three goals - 1. get a degree. 2. get physically fit. 3. pay off my credit cards & loans. How much can I get accomplished in the next 3 years?
I have annual training at my part time job. This time I think I'll bring Lucky with me to hang out in the testing room. Dogs are allowed in the facility and it's not so far away that he'll get too car sick. I just hate leaving him at home alone for longer than I need too and training takes hours on the computer.

Poor Baby!

It's confirmed. Kendall has strep throat. Poor baby was so quiet, limp and miserable until that 1st dose of childrne's ibuprofen kicked in. It's amazing... 40 minutes later, she was outside while I finished mowing the back yard - picking flowers, inspecting bugs and kicking her legs on the swing. But meanwhile (before the meds made her feel better), I promised her that when she moved out (I get all Verklempt when I think about it!), I would paint the little bedroom all pink and it would be her room (and baby sister Madeline's, of course) where they could stay whenever they came to visit. That earned me a weak smile. I would have promised her the world for less!
Theresia did some grocery shopping and cooked the evening meal. Then I took Kendall to the video store to pick out a movie. Don't worry! She didn't touch anything. George came over for dinner and they all watched the latest Star Trek movie (b/c George hasn't seen it yet). Theresia thinks George looks like Spock. It's true! I pretty much high-tailed it to bed at 8:30, but now it's just after 1am and I'm wide awake. I let Lucky out and the wind (which normally thrills me) made me a little nervous for some strange reason.
It's my weekend to work - which pretty much sucks. I'm grateful to have the job, but today I just don't feel it. I want to do other things. I have things that need to get done. I want to visit with Michael and Lizzy while they're in town and celebrate Mother's day with my family
Papa Potts is in town with his wife Tammy - so pretty soon, my bathroom will get done. Yay!

On The Same Level...

After the race Saturday morning, I kidnapped my niece and we went to grab a bite to eat. Raw veggies were served with the worst artichoke dip that I've EVER had. Among the veggies was a stack of limp, sliced cucumbers. We each grabbed one, popped it into our mouths and chewed - all just smiling & staring at each other. Out of the blue Vanessa reaches over and pokes the gelatinous center of another cucumber slice and says "I'd like to live in the center of a cucumber." Hmmm... That's food for thought. "What do you mean?" I said. "Like a seed?" *Because THIS is important* There are a lot of seeds in a cucumber, it's pretty crowded in there. "Yeah" she said. "But I want to be the only seed." AHA!! You know me, I find this strangely fascinating! Then Rachael pipes up "I'd rather live inside of a tomato!" and of course the discussion builds from there.
Now being the mature adult that I am - I absolutely have to contribute to the conversation, so I say "Well, I'd like to be the only seed inside of something sweet & juicy. Like a watermelon!" Which was perfectly acceptable...until I elaborated. "The problem is that I love watermelon so much I'd be like a cannibal & end up eating my mother. I'd just keep eating and eating and eating until one day someone tries to cut open the watermelon and instead of red, sweet juiciness, there would be this massive shiny black seed right beneath the rind!"......You know sometimes I forget how weird I am! :)
At this point I'd like to say that the girl's stared at me with their mouths open in mild shock for a few moments, but that didn't happen. They just laughed and kept picking at what was left of meal and I thought ...... it's great to be a kid!

The Terminator

For my birthday I wanted my daughter, Lauren. to help me get rid of stuff and get organized. I'm a bona fide pack-rat. Nowhere near hoarder level, but I was working my way up there. It's hard to throw anything away because I know that I'll have some use for it someday. It's not what you see in my house, it's mostly what you don't see - in drawers, closets, cabinets, shelves. Even when I try to clean out my junk drawers - I end up putting 97% of it back. That's what I needed Lauren for - she has no such compunction. "Have you used this in the past year?" "No, but I might need it." GONE!! I came home Friday to find furniture moved and her car was loaded and locked (so I couldn't get in it). Tim (my son-in-law) came over he got off work and organized my shed, helped in the house, fixed closet doors, etc. I had to beg to get my Louisville Stonewear chip-n- dip platter back. I try not to think about whatever else was in that car....
On Saturday, more of the same. Timmy pulled my fridge out so that I could get back there (I never could get it to budge!) and clean (it was horrible!) but then, either he took pity on me or I was too moving too slow, he said "I can do that." and scrubbed it himself. Then he worked on my computer - cleaned it up, added protection & plugged it in behind the fridge so that we don't have to step over the cord a hundred times a day.
Then Lauren mentioned getting rid of my two $5 Henredon chairs that I found at the Ruckriegel Senior Citizen's Center yard sale. I LOVE those chairs! They are so comfortable for reading and relaxing. OK, it's true - they're really ugly to look at, BUT they are in great structural shape, even the cushions are like new in loft and spring - it's just the fabric! I had to negotiate a 2 month reprieve. On May 20th, if my chairs are not slip-covered, I'll come home and my chairs will be gone. See what I mean?
Thank God she gave me a chance to sort the cookbooks that were in my kitchen - I thought that was very nice of her. On my own, I went to the bookshelves in the living room to clean out the books that we'll never read again. Some I'll take to Half Price Book Store, the rest to GW. I cleaned out my linen closet so that the 2 shelves of half used paint are sitting in the driveway, opened and drying out ( I kept those - also just in case), my painting tools, supplies & accessories are out in the shed. Got rid of some linens that I didn't need and now, well, it looks nicer. So much space in there...
Saturday night, after working our butts off, we went to celebrate our birthday's at Oma's (Senior). Rochelle had cooked a nice dinner and made a pistachio cake, Olivia made an almond fruit tart and there was the traditional birthday cake. I dozed off when I got there, ate dinner, talked, laughed, dozed off some more - sang happy birthday, blew out candles, ate cake...this time fell sound asleep, mouth hanging open & all - woke up and talked laughed some more. Now this is "Normal" for me. I sleep best at my mother's surrounded by animated conversation & the clinking of coffee cups and forks on plates. Don't ask me why.
Today is Sunday. Lauren & Timmy are staying home today to relax and take care of their own house. I'm glad - for them. I was given homework to clean out my pantry (which is in the laundry room & also holds my desk and computer). OK, I do have a shelf of things like a box of glass mosaic tile, a brand new industrial stapler still in it's box, cans of spray paint, camping lantern, contact paper, etc. Lots of small appliances, pots and pans, kitchen towels but less than half a shelf of actual food items. So I'm going to sort these items out and move them to the shed as well.
Thank you Timmy and Lauren - for everything! I can breathe easier. I needed a strong push in the right direction and I knew that you would be the right people to ask for help. I'll even throw away the box of magazines that I hid from you in my bedroom closet last night. Because the bottom line is ...What's the point of asking for help and not following through?

Old Favorite - Resurfaced

I found this in the bottom of a box in my closet. It's one of my favorites. It's beaten, battered & worn, and I love it. By the time I've read a few pages I'm sucked in - I'm there at the cabin, breathing the same air, seeing the same sights - all senses engaged. I know what he knows, I have all the skills he has....by the time I'm done I'll want to move into the woods, build my own cabin, live the simplest life, and (I know this sounds corny) find peace & harmony with nature.

dishwasher blues

Well, my old dishwasher died and for a few months we were washing dishes by hand and using the dishwasher as a drying rack. My mom offered me her not-as-old & nicer looking dishwasher that she had sitting in the garage and Thomas brought it over. Well, Friday I took my half day from work and had the Sear's recommended contractor install it. AND...it doesn't work. I guess it sat in the garage too long or maybe I should have thought it out better. Who knows? So now I feel as though I've just thrown $179 dollars out the window. I'm sick about it and I really feel like bawling my eyes out but what good would that do?
I'm not remotely in a place where I can worry about it now. It will just sit here and make a nicer looking dish rack - maybe next year. Right now I have to make sure that I get my car worked on and also buy the materials I need to get the bathroom retiled. If I can just keep facing forward - it will all be OK...

Looks Gross - Tastes Great!!!

I also went ahead and threw this Zucchini Pie Oreganata together for tomorrow's dinner. I've tried to make this once before but added too much zucchini and the pie was soggy. It came out perfect this time. All I have to do is heat it up and toss a spinach salad together. It's from my New England Cookbook which I bought at a LFP Library Sale maybe 2 or 3 summers ago.

I've been tricked! :o)

Rachael and I were deciding what we were giving up for Lent. It didn't take her long - she's giving up all meat for Lent. Of course I have to support her since she's been asking to go vegetarian for over 3 years. She'll still eat eggs and milk products (lacto-ovo). Don't get me wrong, she loves steak, hamburger,etc! It's just that she feels that strongly about killing animals for food. And me? I've been procrastinating. I haven't done any grocery shopping to accommodate our new menu so tonight I just threw the 3 last small potatoes in a pan, drizzled with olive oil & seasoning and roasted it till almost done. Added the last yellow pepper and some zucchini and cooked that till tender. Sprinkled it with Parmesan and mozzarella, baked some more. Ta Da! ...well, Theresia opened a can of tuna to throw on hers.

Oma & Kendall

Kendall's a live wire! She loves to tell jokes, loves to entertain, finds humor in everything & - since she was a baby! She has one of those highly contagious hilarious laughs! If I turn on the radio in the car, she sings to just about every song that comes on. I'm so lucky to have this hip little prankster for a granddaughter. She's so cool!

The neighborhood kids have been busy! This guy was actually built in one of my neighbor's yard. We call her the cement lady, she has all KINDS of statuary. When spring comes I'll show you. Great snow dude!

I put Rachael to work sweeping the snow off of my car with a broom. I can't believe she never wears a jacket outside unless I force the issue. Every school morning she gets in the car with her jacket hanging over her arm, even if it's bitter cold! She says that it feels too bulky and makes her crazy. Hurrrmmph!

I love this picture of Kendall and Lucky. I wish I could do an oil/acrylic painting of them. Kendall LOVES books! and Lucky of course.

Flashback

While at Macy's putzing around, Rachael & I discovered a new line of fragrance and beauty products called LUSH. I'm always sniffing different fragrances to find something that won't nauseated me after the first 20 minutes. There was a tester of Karma perfume that niggled at me like a long forgotten idea. Could it be fond memories & good times? The ingredients sounded appealing; lemongrass, orange oil, heady patchouli & pine. I gave it a spritz, told the girl "This is stronger than I thought!" and walked away.
But after having having it on for a bit, it was all I could do not to run to the nearest bathroom and scrub my skin raw. The longer I had it on the stronger it seemed to get and I was getting queasy! Honest to God! I literally smelled like a stick of incense burning in the back room of a head/smoke shop - behind a curtain of hanging beads! woah! I almost puked! Needless to say when I finally got home, I had to jump in the shower again. What's the motto to this story? I don't know...

Bathroom Surprise!

So, once we were finished with our ice-cream, I walk into the bathroom at The Comfy Cow to find this unusual reception waiting for me on the other side of the door. I nearly jumped out of my skin! Still - I turned the paper bag head to face away from me while I took care of the basic necessities.

Happy Rachael

A Happy Rachael is a Good Rachael. Chocolate BrowniePoints Ice-cream. Yummy!

The Comfy Cow

Rachael & I went to her new favorite ice-cream shop, The Comfy Cow. We discovered it this past Monday when we popped into The Amazing Green Planet to look around. It's right next door! All their cakes, pastries, cookies & icecream are made on the premises. And all I can say is that Rachael's "chocolate browniepoints" ice-cream was one of the best chocolate ice-creams I've had. And I can truthfully say that their Peanut Butter ice-cream IS the best peanut butter ice-cream that I've ever tasted. It is a peanut butter fan's fantasy - seriously! Now I only had a taster spoon of it because I had already made another purchase, but now it's stuck in my head and I can't get it out!!! I took one look at their list of ice-cream flavors on the chalkboard overhead and thought "there's so much to try and so little time!". I'll be back!

Lazy Saturday

I finished the last bit of my training this morning before I went to collect Rachael from her dad. Neither one of us had eaten breakfast and since it was after 11am, we were starving. I wanted to go to Bardstown Road and find a new eatery, but she wanted to walk around Westport Village to check out their little stores. Both of us wanted a Burger, she mentioned White Castle (ha ha) and I didn't want fast food. We compromised and I ended up driving to Westport Village to see what they had there.
At first glance, some of the restaurants were closed - they had those "special" hours...you know, only open from 4pm - 11pm. A Chinese place was open, but honestly there was no way! But, lo & behold, I turned a corner and saw a young man actually outside grilling burgers and sausages! AND he was giving out samples! I looked up to see that I was in front of Mike's Best butcher shop. That's weird. But as it turns out, Mike's Best happens to have a deli and a decent area of tables and chairs. They make hot plate lunches and can grill anything you want in the back (on nice days they'll grill out front).
Rachael & I ordered 2 medium rare burgers, split a bag of chips and drank a Coke with sugar no less. The burgers were really, really good. Juicy and tender soft - which basically meant that the meat wasn't over-handled or processed. I learned that they even made their own rare roast beef that they claim is even better than the Boar's Head brand they carry (of which I'm a big fan). Boars Head roast beef is the bloodiest, rarest roast beast I've had since moving to KY from NYC more than 2 decades ago. If I had been going straight home afterwards, I might just have taken the Boar's Head/ Mike's Best challenge and purchased a scant half pound of each to compare. Unfortunately, we had other plans...dessert (then window shopping).

Misty Evening

Last night I had to run to my second job and do some training. When I finally stepped outside it felt as though I had stepped into the streets of London, heavy with thick swirling fog, streetlights dimmed with soft, golden halos and although it wasn't exactly freezing, there was that damp chill that reaches into your very bones. I would even say "soul" ... I was so thrilled with the ambiance it created. I could almost picture Jack the Ripper appearing in the mist under the stark, jagged branches of a naked tree or the glow of a wrought iron street lamp. The anticipation of the potential rush "fight or flight" tingled all the way to my fingertips as I walked across the employee parking lot to my car.
I didn't really want to go home. What I really wanted was to drive to Long Run Park, sit in my car (it's too cold to sit on a bench) with a good book, a blanket over my shoulders and a nip of (not too shabby) brandy, - to read & enjoy the atmosphere.

The girls loves this simple hat! On any day you can find it on 1 of 3 heads (28, 11 or 5 years old). It was probably a $5.00 hat from a Walmart bin. Or a hand me down from one of the cousins. Who knows where its humble beginnings originated? All I know is that it's a favorite.

Aromatics Elixir

I've been wearing this perfume on occasion for about 6 months and it's not my norm, but I do really love it when it suits my mood. So when I came across this review from the "Perfume Shrine" I was excited - and then I started reading...

Aromatics Elixir by Clinique: fragrance review

If you have ever wandered in a dark, damp forest you know the smell of dead leaves trampled underfoot and grasses soaked with bog water. But do you know what trolls smell like? Do you know what the enchanted forest vibrates of? You feel it in the air, you know it in your flesh, the waters speak of it in hushed murmurs...
Elixir. Aromatics Elixir.

The old scent by lab-coated cosmetic giant has nothing clinical about it. Except perhaps for its potency which is phenomenal, accounting for it being immediately recognisable and perceived within a 10-mile radius. It is the one singular scent, a very characteristic chypre, I always compliment on its wearers yet find stifling when I wear it myself. Maybe this is why it introduced the infamous "spray and walk into the mist" technique. It had to! But then "walk into the mist" is so evocative a phrase anyway.

Composed in 1971 by master perfumer Bernard Chant, the same man who created the headstrong Cabochard, it bears the powerful signature of intense patchouli and moss in the arms of sandalwood and vetiver. With a base like that it brings to mind the German forests of the Brothers Grimm and the Scandinavian mythology. The sudden entrance into an apocryphal cave where creation must have begun, in the guts of the earth, fans out powdery notes of coumarin and rose and the bitter taste of good soap. Humble chamomile is mocking you as you bend to pick up some to only come face to face to poisoned mushrooms.

With its dramatic, sad and intense tonality, it reminds me of Aase's Death by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, from "Peer Gynt" (Suite No. 1, Op. 46)

It's good to know that I smell like the "Brothers Grimm" movie - dead leaves, bog water, trolls & caves...wow! So now I absolutely have to listen to Aase's Death so that I can hear what I smell like! :o)

getting hitched?

Little Theresia still looks like a teenage to me at times and she's 28 years old. She and George are talking about getting married this summer and finding a place together. So soon! He knows that she wants to be close to her support system so he's started keeping an eye open in Jtown. I guess my main concern is that he really should focus his full energy on finishing law school - he still has 2 years to go. He's a super smart kid and has great ambition, but I also wonder, is he really the one for Theresia? I know that he loves and cares for her now, but they've been dating for less than a year (maybe even less than 8 months) - is that long enough? And what about her? In 2-3 years, or even 4-5, will he still be her soul mate? I'm afraid, and maybe those are my own issues - in fact I'm pretty sure that they are. On the other hand, I believe in all kinds of love...maybe I just need to have a little more of the kind of faith and hope that I say I do. I thought that I did - at least I like to think that I'm that kind of person.

Holiday Recovery

I am still worn out from the Holidays, although it's all of my own making. I decided to make food gift to give as Xmas presents - not unheard of....except this is me we're talking about. I don't cook for pleasure, just to survive and because I have to feed my family. I did it though! I made 8 large sausage, cheese and basil lasagna's from scratch out of my Bon Appetit cookbook. 5 Shepherds pies with Rutabaga topping from my Martha Stewart cookbook. 4 homemade tiramisu's from 3 different recipes. I was trying to find the one I liked best - which happens to be the one laden with Khalua (got a buzz after just 4 bites). And if you like molasses cookies, I finally made these awesome Giant Shaker Rosemary cookies. They are brilliant! I also made Martha's toasted walnut and cream cheese cookies (they are really super rich shortbread cookies - almost too rich, and I love creamy fatness....terrible). The crazy thing is that I was so glad it was all over and I told everyone "never again" but here I am a couple of weeks later pouring through all of my cookbooks again, trying to find something else to make. I actually want to torture myself some more. I've freaking lost my mind! WhatI really need to do is find some really incredible tasting healthy recipes. Low fat, low cal, lower carbs.
During the month of December I stopped going to the gym, stopped watching what I ate and basically gained 20 lbs in 5 weeks. Honestly - it was 25 pounds, but I've started slowing down my month long binge and now it's back to the long slow process of losing weight again! I do miss the gym though. I love weight training - it's just the taking that 1st step back, because I'd have to get up at 4:30 in the morning.
Well, my 50th birthday's coming up and for my birthday I'm going to give myself the present of losing 40 lbs between now and then. My body may feel 50 sometimes, but my spirit feels like 10 or 12 years old a lot of times. I'm still in love with life and this world - I still am so fascinated by everything, people, nature, miracles. There's so much to do, so much to see - and if I want to something as mundane as to learn how to crochet, or learn how to identify wild plants for the art of healing or make my own dandelion wine - I am going to do it with GUSTO!

Kendall's Cupcake

Kendall turned 5 years old and Theresia bought her a cupcake from this new cupcake store called GiGi's (I think?). Anyway, although it was as cute as could be, the icing was thick pasty and terrible And the cake itself was dry and flavorless. Kendall ended up throwing it away after a couple of bites. However, Lauren made a couple of dozen pink, funfetti cupcakes from a package and they were perfect, moist and adorable. Yeah for Lauren!

girl cousins - good grief! they are so, so weird...and wonderful!








Left to right: Anna, Rachael, Vanessa and Katherine.