Tiny bubbles….

I hope the coming year brings health and happiness for you and the people you love…and that as a country we begin to turn around the negatives that have crept into our collective lives these past few months.

I have a love-hate relationship with New Year’s Eve. It’s kind of the same way I feel about Valentine’s Day. It’s supposed to be all happy and exciting…and for me – not so much.

My mother’s birthday was December 31. As we say in the south…Bless her heart! She was never remembered. At least not by me. I’d be sitting at a party somewhere, bored to tears and suddenly think, “Oh crap! I didn’t call my mother!” Every year. We won’t go into the relationship and why it was so easy for me to forget her birthday, but there was usually some point where my “celebration” would be tinged with guilt.

On December 30, 1960, my grandfather died. He was the blackest of black sheep. Nobody much cared…and some family members rejoiced. But, to me, he was my Papa, and I thought he was great. We spent all of December 31 driving to the town where he died. That night, I remember being outside at midnight, looking up at the cold, black sky, wondering if he would be cold in the ground and whether he knew it was the new year. (I was always having strange thoughts as a child.) When people began banging pots and shooting off fireworks, it made me angry, for some reason. I’ve never felt the same about the holiday since that night.

All during the 70s, I spent many December 31 nights alone, due to some stupid personal choices I had made. I ended up celebrating with Tom Jones and Three Dog Night and Dick Clark. They were pretty good companions, actually. None of them threw up on my shoes.

Many, many years passed. My most memorable New Year’s Eve was spent in that most holy of New Year’s sites – New York City. A terrible storm had blanketed the entire east coast in snow the last few days of 2000. The airports were closed down. But, the trains were still running. After a wonderful “Dr. Zhivago” experience on the train from DC to NYC, I felt as if I had been transported back in time as I walked almost-deserted streets from the subway to my hotel near Central Park. Friends joined me the next day, and we did lots of touristy stuff on the 31st…including visiting the World Trade Center. We swung by Times Square, just to say we had been there…but that was not our ultimate destination. We celebrated with the midnight run/walk at Central Park. It was wonderful. If you’re ever in the city over the holiday and don’t have plans…do it. Especially if there’s snow. It’s the perfect way to see in the new year.

When we came back to our hotel room in the wee hours, my friend and roommate checked her phone messages and got the news that her father had died! What a horrible ending to an otherwise wonderful day. Bright and early that morning, she left to start making her way back to Kansas, and I finished my day in the city alone. It only seemed fitting.

So, you see…the holiday holds many bittersweet memories for me. I will have champagne tonight, in front of the fire. But pardon me if I don’t wear a party hat. The Ghosts of New Year’s Past took them all away.

Downdate

I’d call this an “update,” but there’s nothing “up” about it.

You may recall the saga of the stray doggie that dropped in on us out of nowhere over Thanksgiving….and the neighbors who answered my prayers and “adopted” her.

Well….

A couple of days ago, they sent over their eldest son to tell us that they can’t keep Lola. Seems she poops. Yup…as strange as it may seem, this dog actually poops. They can’t deal with it.

To be perfectly honest, I thought they jumped too quickly at taking her. And, knowing that they have no more yard than I do…which is not much…I wasn’t sure how they could handle a large dog in such a small space. But, I’ve known dedicated dog owners who had two great danes in a mobile home, so…you never know.

These neighbors don’t speak English very well…and I knew all along that they thought she was “my” dog. Apparently, that concept still prevails. They seem to think she is MY responsibility and I am to take her off their hands. They informed me that once school starts again (a week from today) they cannot take care of her.

So, I went over to take photos for Craig’s List. I was absolutely horrified to see that they were keeping her locked up in a windowless, doorless wooden box with no ventilation and very little room. I believe in crate training, but this is abuse! I have lost hours of sleep over this poor dog since seeing her living conditions. I am sick. Just sick about it!

I’ve had three nibbles from Craig’s List, and two people have said, “Don’t turn her over to the pound…let me know before you get that desperate.” Two of the three “interested” parties apparently weren’t all that interested. They dropped the conversation after the initial contact. I am sitting here with my fingers crossed, waiting for the third one to call. She said she would call around 2 or 3. It’s after 3.

I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t leave her with these people! I don’t have room for her in my life (I am currently dealing with three dogs and 2 cats who refuse to peacefully coexist under the same roof.) I’m at my wit’s end!

All I can do is have faith in the power of prayer…and Craig’s List.

UPdate to the “Downdate” –

Late this afternoon, a nice young couple gave Lola a Forever Home. I am so relieved! And, yes…she was locked in that damn box when they came to meet her! I think that may have helped sell them. Such a sad situation!!! Anyway, here’s the contents of the email I got from them tonight:

“Lola is so sweet, we went and got her a harness and I decorated it and painted flowers and her name on it and put a little bow on it. We also got a clicker, Alan suggested we get one. She is a little scared of my boxer but other than that things are going good with her so far. I will keep you updated and send pictures and stuff as soon as I get a camera.”

How I pray this is the end of the uncertainty and bad time for Lola. She deserves better.

B-Ware

Well, you know what they say about someone who serves as his own lawyer? You know…something about having a fool for a client? This is a tale of a similar profession. It’s story of self-medicated woe.

Six or eight weeks ago, I began to experience increasing soreness in my mouth. My tongue and cheeks were so tender that almost everything was painful. Sweet, salty, sour, hot and cold…and let’s not even talk about spicy! Yikes! I was having trouble brushing my teeth, the tissues were so sensitive. And then there were the scalp zits. I know…not a lovely subject. But, nonetheless, they were there. Lots and lots of scalp zits. I changed shampoo. I changed conditioner. I shampooed more. I shampooed less. Nothing helped.

Flashback a year or thereabouts….

About a year ago, I got one of those ultrasound body scans. It was pretty interesting. The major finding was that I had 15% plaque build-up in one of my carotid arteries. Hmmmm….so I researched. I discovered some studies that recommended a B-vitamin cocktail that seemed to have a preventative and in some cases in a reversal effect on arterial plaque. That sounded good to me. I loaded up on B6, B12 and Folic Acid, and started taking the study-recommended dose. All year I faithfully downed my Bs. Along with some fish oil and pomegranate extract.

We’ll journey forward to Christmas week once again. All the Christmas treats were really making me miserable. I got to thinking and remembered that once before I had self-medicated a prophylactic aspirin dosage and ended up overdoing it – resulting in extremely sore mouth tissues. Perhaps I had done it again.

Sure enough….with just a little bit of research, I learned that I was taking toxic levels of B6 in particular. And, guess what? Side effects of B6 toxicity include sore mouth and skin eruptions.

Hellllooooo!

So, I guess the moral to this story is don’t DO that! Don’t self-medicate, even with over-the-counter substances. And, truly…when a little does some good, it does NOT mean that a lot will do a whole lotta good! It just ain’t necessarily so!

Merry and Bright

As the evening wears on, I can feel the cold creeping in through the walls. It’s 22 degrees here in the Mississippi Delta, and for us, that’s mighty nippy! I’m not complaining. It feels like Christmas. Maybe that’s what got me “in the mood.”

I started the day at 7:00 a.m. with stops at Walmart and Kroger. Nearly $300 later, I had most of the makings of our Christmas celebration, from a holiday DVD, to a new tablecloth, to way too much food for six people to consume in a short period of time.

Then the holiday really began. Three (or was it four?) batches of cookies, two recipes of candy, a batch of Chex Mix and two loves of banana bread later, my feet and back were killing me, but the house smelled great!

Time to get the decorations out of the attic! Thank goodness, DD was around to do the crawling. She is much nimbler and younger than I – and a good sport! Before long, I had my mini-forest of fake pine trees assembled, decorated and ready for the cats to inhabit.

Don’t you think Max looks regal under the tree? He’s been in that same spot since I first put the trees in place. He clearly thinks I did all this just for him. He’s not going to be happy when the packages move in! The gifts will be followed closely by three chihuahuas. This is what I’d call Ignorant Bliss.

Merry Christmas, Maxie! Enjoy it while it lasts.

Junk Food Junkies

Before I relate this story, I want to head off the negative comments at the pass. I am not exactly a teeny-tiny thing. In fact, I am definitely Queen Size. So, please understand…I get it. I totally get it. But….

Yesterday our family formed a small caravan and trekked to a major university medical center to attend a seminar about bariatric surgery. One of my sisters is considering this procedure, and the first step is to attend the seminar. They also suggest that all supporters attend as well. It was very interesting.

There were people of all sizes there. Several folks were smaller than me…which didn’t do much for my ego, I can assure you. One man was on a stretcher and couldn’t do much of anything for himself. It was sad. Most of the crowd was approximately my sister’s size or a little larger.

We learned that insurance companies pretty much call the shots as to who gets the surgery and the preparatory steps involved. Each company is different, so each patient will follow a different pre-surgery program. We learned that most companies will not approve the surgery for anyone with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 35. To check your BMI, simply enter your height and weight in the form on this website – it’ll figure it for you. I was somewhat uncomfortable to learn that I am in the approval group. Hmmmmm…. Some companies also require that you have other uncontrolled life-threatening conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, etc. We were not pleased to discover that my sister’s insurance provider is perhaps the most difficult to obtain approval from. Rats!

But, that’s not the reason I decided to write this update. I am still shaking my head about one incident that occurred. Just before the seminar began, two women came in. They appeared to be perhaps mother and daughter. Both were well over 300 pounds – probably nearing 400. They took chairs immediately behind me. And then began divvying up and consuming their bag of junk food! I kid you not! “Would you like to try these Classic Lays?” “Not now…maybe later. I want the barbeque first.” Can you believe it?

I would be totally embarrassed to be eating – especially eating junk food – in that setting. But, they gaily pigged out during the start of the lecture. Amazing!

What do you figure are their chances of success? Or for that matter…their chances of being accepted into the program at all? Nil, maybe?

It would have been sad, had it not been so outrageous.

Christmas Candy

In my circle of family and friends, I’m famous for making toffee. I have distributed bags of it for years and years. Back in Texas, where I worked for a much larger company and where we were involved in lots of activities, my list was quite long. One year I made nearly 75 pounds of the stuff!

Here in Tennessee, I know far fewer people. But, still…I’ll be making about 20 pounds or more. I started this weekend, so that I’ll have enough to give all my fellow employees at tomorrow’s holiday party. Make some along with me. It’ll make you famous!

This recipe can be made in any quantity. You just need equal parts of butter and sugar…plus sliced almonds and chocolate chips to suit your taste.

My favorite mixture is 2 cups of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of almonds and 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also add a quarter cup of water, to help the sugar dissolve. BTW…I use salted butter. I think salt is important in candy, and using salted butter just makes it easy to keep the taste consistent from batch to batch.

I worry about that white stuff (totally harmless) showing up later on the chocolate layer, so I also add a camoflage dusting of chopped up almond slices which I’ve toasted in the oven. Watch them carefully. They burn quite easily.

Once they’ve cooled, I break them up in the food processor. You can also just crunch them between your fingers.

Place the butter, sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

This shot was taken just as it began to color. It takes on a “ropey” look. I pretty much stir it constantly. This becomes important as the recipe progresses. It can burn if not stirred.

I make this candy by color and aroma. Once you’ve made it a few times, you will recognize the right fragrance. The color should be nice and caramel-y. Like this.

Once it’s reached the appropriate color, quickly pour it out on a piece of aluminum foil which you have ever-so-lightly spread with the lightest film of butter. The candy is quite fatty…you don’t need to go overboard with the butter on the foil. I like to use a piece of marble beneath the foil to protect my countertop. Before I got the marble, I placed the foil on a large wooden cutting board. All that heat just can’t be good for Formica glue. If nothing else, place several dishtowels beneath the hot candy. If you’ve got granite or some other indestructible countertop, you’re home free….and I’m totally jealous!

I like to spread the mixture just a bit with my spoon. I think thinner pieces are better. You may feel differently. It’s also possible to redistribute the almonds a bit, if there are bare spots. But, work very quickly. It starts firming immediately upon being poured.

After it has set for two to three minutes, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.

If you add the chips too soon, they will sink into the candy, and it won’t be as pretty.

Once the chips are all shiny, you will know that they have melted.

At that point, you can artistically spread the chocolate all over the top of the candy slab. I like to use the back of a spoon and make pretty swirls.

As soon as the chocolate is spread, sprinkle on some of the chopped-up toasted sliced almonds. Or leave this part out. I did for years. In some households, this candy doesn’t last long enough for the white “stuff” to form!

When the candy has cooled completely, the chocolate will return to a non-glossy state. Break it into rough chunks of various sizes and store – in airtight containers, if possible.

I bag mine for presentation and add labels I’ve printed on glossy paper. I don’t usually use the striped bags…it’s just all I had this year. I think it’s prettier in plain bags, but…most folks just rip right through the bag and make short work of the candy anyway.

Give it a shot. You’ll love the ease – and taste – of this recipe!

Handywoman!

I’ve been single since 1992. Sometimes I surprise myself when I stop and think about how long it’s been. In that span of time, I’ve learned to be pretty self-sufficient. I’ve painted the house, changed light fixtures, installed faucets, done low-level remodeling and reworked the innards of more toilets than I care to think about. This week, I’ve tackled a first.

This is my guest bath. It’s pretty ordinary as guest baths go. Small. Plain. Functional.

It has a major flaw, though. Through some perverted law of physics, it is impossible to keep water inside the tub during showering, no matter how carefully the shower curtain is tended. There’s always a puddle. It’s even been known to run through to the room on the other side of the wall! That much water loose in the house on a semi-regular basis can’t be anything but bad.

My daughter is moving in soon, and this bathroom will get lots of use. I decided there had to be a glass enclosure so that the water could be better controlled. After forking over about $300 for the unit itself, I was in no mood to deal with the expense of a handyman. I could do this myself! I was sure of it.

It came with fairly clear instructions – and pre-sorted and labeled parts.

What I didn’t know at first was that these neatly labeled parts weren’t all correct…and that one item was actually missing. But, those deficits were easily corrected with a quick trip to Home Depot. I was aggravated to have to make that trip, but at least the incorrect and missing parts were pretty common items.

Step one was to lay the bottom track in the preferred location. This required cutting to fit. I did have the necessary miter box, but had to buy a new, finer-toothed saw. Unfortunately, I was too conservative in my measurements and had to cut the bottom track twice (and the top one three times).

Once the bottom track was in place and taped down, the uprights were added. Holes were marked and drilled, and anchors were tapped into them so that the uprights could be firmly screwed to the walls. This formed the true foundation of the thing. The bottom and top tracks were just sorta placed there. The top track was held in place solely by the weight of the doors that were hung inside it.

Hanging the doors and adding the towel racks was the easiest part (doing all the aligning and straightening was the hardest). I could have finished this in an evening if I hadn’t had to make that trip to get extra hardware.

I’m not sure I really like it, but when I think about how much better the puddle situation will be, I’m glad I did it. I think the room needs a new, bright rug and towels. Don’t you agree?

Now, where did I put that rivet gun?

Scattershooting

There’s nothing major going on in my life this week – and that’s a good thing. A very good thing. I thought I’d just check in and report on a few items old and new. The picture is one of my manipulated images. But, there’s more to the story than a pretty picture.

This is Thomas Point lighthouse in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay. Several years ago, we were taking a sailing vacation to explore the bay. I was at the helm of our rented sailboat, when a terrible storm blew up. OK… it was a hurricane. But, it feels really wrong to say that we were deliberately out sailing when a hurricane was coming. Unfortunately, we were actually that stupid. So, anyway, this hurricane (smallish hurricane, but nevertheless scary) hit, and visibility went to zero. In the middle of the day. We could hear the huge ships passing nearby…but couldn’t see them. They could kill us and never even know it. We were scared. And I was at the helm. ULP! Our slip was down a river, and in the mouth of that river was this lighthouse. Suddenly, through the blowing rain, I could see the familiar lights. Then, the distinctive shape. We were safe!!! Ever since that day, this particular lighthouse has had a special meaning for me. I have a few pieces of Thomas Point Lighthouse art in my house, and this one is my favorite, because it’s one made by me. The photo was lackluster, but when I put it through Painter (a Photoshop plug-in)…I got this. And I like it. I have a framed version in my entryway, and everyone thinks I painted it.

On to current affairs….

The dog is doing fine. Her name is Lola. When I saw her early in the week, she had already put on noticeable weight, and she seems just thrilled with her new family – as they are with her. I am worried that she might be too much for these non-dog people, because with a little food in her, the energy level became much higher. But, they were building her a dog house, the last time we checked. And everyone is content…including me. That was SUCH a burden on my heart!

Family. My sister Bunnie is settling in for a longish visit. Lots of family “stuff” going on that she’s going to be helping with. Plus…we have spent way too much time apart. A little togetherness will do all of us some good. Her husband, Allen, got a great job offer – his dream job, actually – managing a new sustainable agriculture program at the University of California at Davis. So, somewhat reluctantly, he has headed back to California. We don’t know where this journey will ultimately end, but for now, it’s good and interesting, and we are all hoping this is just the beginning of many good things for him.

Another sister is contemplating bariatric surgery. She has to go to a seminar in a couple of weeks. It is suggested that the entire family participate, if possible. I’m trying to rearrange my schedule to make the trip to Nashville. I really hope that works out. This is a family project. We ALL have to buy into it and understand the big, and little, picture to ensure her success.

My daughter is beginning the planning that will lead to her moving back in with me – probably in January. Without going into her personal bidness…let’s just say this is a good thing, having to do with her regaining her health and coming off disability support while simultaneously starting college. It is a very good thing, indeed.

Work-wise, I have survived 3 sell-out concerts since November 15, and have one more coming up next Friday, followed the next day by what will be a near-sellout of the local orchestra’s holiday concert. It’s been a busy time – but at the moment, things are good.

Thanksgiving Day is in the past, but I’m still thankful that life is going well at the moment. I wish the same for you and those who share your world.

A Tail of Woe

There’s no picture to accompany this post. I’ll tell you why in a moment.

On Tuesday night, my sister Bunnie, brother-in-law Allen and daughter April were crashing at my place prior to our loading up and driving to our country Thanksgiving on Wednesday. Both April and Allen commented about the poor stray dog hanging around the cars in front of the house. I didn’t see it at the time.

The next morning, April admitted that the thought of the dog had kept her awake. Allen went out to his car and came back saying that the dog was still there – and described it as a “bag of bones.” I still hadn’t seen it.

At that moment, there were a total of four healthy, happy, well-fed and much-loved dogs in my house. The thought that there was one in dire need of care and love just outside the door ate at us all. Before the morning was out, Allen had given her a real meal and a bowl of water. I put a soft rug on the porch for her to take a rest. It was then that I finally saw the dog. She looks like a Great Dane/Pit Bull mix to me. It’s hard to say. Mostly white, with patches of brindle, she really isn’t what you’d call a pretty dog, but she has beautiful eyes, and a gentle and loving spirit. She was the skinniest living creature I have ever seen. Taking a picture of her would have been obscene in some way. I couldn’t subject her to that indignity. We eventually put her in my back yard, where she found a sunny spot and took what was apparently a much-needed nap. She trusted us completely and was clearly thankful for a safe place to lie down.

I like dogs, but my lifestyle simply does not accommodate a dog. It would not be the best situation for me to keep her. Plus, my daughter is moving in with me in a couple of months, and her Jack Russell Terrier is NOT a social critter. There would be blood and guts within a week. It just wouldn’t work. Hard as it was, I had to resist the charms of this dog.

We started calling the shelters I know of a woman who is a dog rescuer. I put in a call to her. I also know a woman who is a dog-sitter. She was called. We had to find at least a semi-permanent “situation” for this dog, as we had miles to go before we rested. And Bag of Bones was clearly not in any condition to go with us!

None of the shelters answered the phone…that is, except for the city pound, which was happy to help. But, they euthanize, and knowing how far gone this doggy was, we knew she wouldn’t make it very long. We held out for a no-kill solution. None came. One shelter finally did return our call, and she was very helpful in other ways…but couln’t take the dog. Full up. Apparently all of the local shelters are just overwhelmed.

Time was ticking on. We needed to be on the road.

Finally, out of desperation, I introduced myself to my nextdoor neighbors, who have two young boys. I figured the boys could use some extra money, and we were willing to pay for them to feed her while we were gone. Well, lo! You won’t believe! The boys fell in love with our poor, sad doggy, and the parents were willing…so she had a new home. Just like that!

And wait. There’s more.

This morning, I went out to deposit some trash in the alley container. I had missed our pick-up day on Friday, due to our travels. I was so surprised to see that my container was empty! Someone had taken it to the curb for me. It HAD to be the doggy neighbors. Nobody else knows me or would know that I was traveling and not there to do the chore myself. I was totally blown away by this small kindness.

I am ashamed to admit I had not taken the time to introduce myself to them prior to our desperate situation. I hate it when I have to face my own personality deficits. It’s hard. I’ve changed in a small but important way this week. I intend to be a better neighbor to them (and maybe ALL my neighbors) in the future.

I feel like the Thanksgiving version of Ebeneezer Scrooge. My heart has been softened. By a Bag of Bones.