St Valentine's Day...Breakfast, Lunch and Dad

 

Good morning, friends...another week has flown by.  It also seems that even when I tell the Universe that it needs to slow down time...no one seems to be listening to me...figures.

Great granddaughter Sloane...

Thank you, Ann!!  She always sends her cards out right at the time I most need it!

We went to Los Coucos Restaurant for our Valentine's Day lunch.  We filled up on those darn chips and sauces even before the meals made their appearance! lol ... But we forced ourselves to eat them...so good.

Lol...too cute and most probably, true.

I made French Toast Casserole this morning.  I used the lighter French bread cut into cubes.  I just threw together the ingredients, let it soak for about 15 minutes...added more cream, butter and some milk. Lots of sugar and cinnamon...and it made a great custard.  The secret is getting enough cream, butter and/or milk added.  I've had several of these casseroles that were too dry.  It's all about the custard...bake for 50 minutes at 350*.

Larry had his second cancer BCG treatment on Friday.  He did well.  The evening is always the roughest but he's doing better now.

No one is above the law...No One.

Disgusting...

I made wings and potatoes the other day...seriously good.

I use this recipe to create my own onion soup mix.  Make it up then store in a Ziploc bag or mason jar...whatever you have.

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The ingredients seem to make me envision a more lush and moist cake.  I'll be trying it.  If you make it, let me know how you did!

Well. Larry's Dad, Gerald, is still in the rehab center.  I went to his house early the other morning to do some cleaning and clothes washing, sorting mail and emptying trash.  Then, yesterday we both went to visit Dad...oh my...Now he's using his pent-up anger at not being able to do for himself, on the poor workers.  One nurse we spoke with said she went to administer his meds and he just launched..."You don't have any brains in your head!  Get out"... just to name a few phrases.  I know he's tired... (new roommate = loud TV of which I asked the guy politely, to turn it down...he was nice and did so...)  Then we went to the nurse's station, and we began our "chat" about things.  Mainly, getting him out of that bed...on his feet...and when can his catheter come out!  He feels locked into that bed... so after the fire was lit... they went to his room and the "ballet" began.  When we finally left, his room was clean, bed changed, hearing aid found...fresh water on his bedstand, bathed and hair combed and wheeled to the lounge area still looking like he's like to do serious harm to anyone within arm's length!   You'd think he'd be glad of this, but he got another "shot" in at Larry!  We think, he thinks, the boys are just going to leave him there.  Larry stood his ground after Dad screamed at him, politely telling him to just stop yelling at him!  We are doing everything we can to help!  And to stop insulting the staff!  He then preceded to clam up...I know old age sucks...but you'd think after reaching 99, you'd be a bit more graceful about it.  I wouldn't know...I don't think I'll make 99.  Larry has gone this morning to check on him...We'll see what he says when he gets in...

SO... cliffhanger, I know but you'll just have to wait until next week to hear the rest of the story! lol

Until then...Have a sweet and safe week and...

Dad...Larry, Ruth and Rodger

 

Good morning, friends...It's been an interesting week.  I cooked...did some canning in my favorite canner from Presto.  It's electric and works like a dream.  You heat then fill your jars then (20 minutes) then basically, set it and forget it!  I got up early (3am) as usual, got all my supplies out and put it all together then canned hamburger meat.  Usually, 5lbs hamburger makes 5-pint jars...usually.  I got 4 jars of finished meat.

For just Larry and I, 2 lbs. of canned hamburger should do us for a while. The white stuff you see is fat...also some spice.

I also canned some Great White Northern beans. We love most beans...at least Larry does.  I can't eat Black Beans...never have been able to wrap my head around a bean that was black...It's a mental thing...they look like the dirt wasn't washed off...lol

I had the set since the '80's but the salt one broke years ago.  I kept the pepper one in my desk at work filled with salt... for years.  I still keep it at my desk here at home.  I had no idea it was such an expensive little shaker!

Larry has his 6-month round of BCG cancer treatments starting once a week for the next 4 weeks on Fridays...I guess he'll do these for the rest of his life...don't know yet.

In the photo above, the waiting room was full when we arrived...and then...

You all remember my sister Ruth?  Well, she's doing great and has had a knee replacement since her colon cancer treatments.  Everything has been rocking along pretty well...she still would have anger issues occasionally...but nothing I couldn't deal with... until 

Jan 27th.  

We usually can talk about most things...life, cooking, canning...sewing...you know, the casual stuff.  

Larry had been checking out our property tax payment online (making sure the payment was attributed to the correct account) ...it had been...so he looked at Ruth's account...You can look at other people's accounts here in Texas because it's public record.  Ruth pays a couple of hundred on her account...whenever.  Says she's done it this way for over 20 years...well it's now up to over $6,ooo.  I happened to mention that she might want to start picking up on her payments because the amount she owes was growing.  I offered to help her with the money to try to catch her up... (you know, being we are sisters) Okay...no big deal...she nodded her acceptance of my suggestion, said no thanks to my offer... and we moved on to her birthday gift I had brought her... (a planner for 2025...we both love them).  And then after several hours of visiting, I went home.  

Boom!

24 hours later, I get a text from her saying how dare I look at her account and get into her business...(I know...I shouldn't have said a thing) Now get this...She says she never wants to see me again...that I will never inherit anything from her "estate" (what estate) and that I'm to never contact her ever again...I'm suppose to "do" my family and she'll "do" her's...What?

I'm so tired...It's in my nature to run out to her place and try to straighten things out when she gets like this, but she's never let it go this far.  Words mean something and you really need to watch how you use them...Larry says to just let it go...she's always been this way and will never change.  There have been other text that were downright nasty, but I'll just let you know...I think I'm done.  She has always had a mean streak, just like our mother...and doesn't try to curb what comes out of her mouth.  "I want my way, and I want it now" no longer works on me...so...I'll let her have her way...because I'm just numb from dealing with her weird way of looking at life and how to treat people and especially, family that has tried to help her.  It's always someone else's fault.  So be it.  I'm tired of walking on eggshells and trying to remember how not to offend her.  She's been "angry" since we were kids...I'm not going to be able to fix it now.  Next step will be hers...if ever. Am I being too cold about it?

She's watching my other sister Mary (long story) and this is Bryan, her son.  I'll go through her ex-husband and his wife Laura to see him...and will ask Laura to check on sister Mary... (cerebral palsy...and another long and ugly story). Ruth has guardianship of sister Mary so there's little I can do except keep a close check on her.

Oh!  I'll bet you wish now that you had just kept rolling on by! lol

And then...lol

I had made Chicken & dumplings the day before, but we'd had a "problem" with Larry's Dad checking himself out of the rehab center...He is doing so much better from the pneumonia now but at the time, they found he also had a UTI.  Well, he got pissed at the place he was at (private room and bathroom...the nurses weren't doing enough for him) so, feeling SO much better... he checked himself out!  Well, Larry's brother Kenny, fell for Dad's threats...picked him up and took him home...got Dad settled then left.  Hey!  Dad demands he gets his way!  So... he got his way.  Later that night, Dad calls Larry...who at this point, is SO tired...zombie tired at this point....get's up and goes to get Dad and return him to the ER because he's demanding they take his catheter out!  He said he just wants someone to come in (24/7) and take care of him...sigh...I told Larry to stay home and I'd go take care of him but he said absolutely not, he'd deal with Dad.

Needless to say...Once YOU check yourself OUT of a rehabilitation center...ADO... (against doctor's orders), the rehab will NOT take you back...no matter What you do or say...and neither will most others in town!  It's the state ...check your own state's rules...  We were SO fortunate to find a lesser quality one that decided to take a chance on him...thank you Jesus...He just needs to gain his strength back in order to function at home again. Getting up, walking...bathroom.  Well, he knows he messed up big time...he now has a roommate that runs the TV nonstop and likes to chatter.  Dad does not like to chatter and definitely does not want a TV on when trying to sleep...he's a bit miserable...but there may be a miracle on the horizon.  There's a rehab about two miles from us that might take him...Encompass.  Please say a tiny prayer for us!

Maybe you're saying to yourself, "why don't you just bring him to your house..."

There is no way we can take him in... we can't give him the rehab he needs, and we both aren't willing to put up with his crankiness...I'm 73 and Larry is 77.  Gerald is 99 and still doing well (other than this recent bout with pneumonia).

I'm really not against bringing him here if he really needs it and have told him so...but Larry says...just no.

Because these are seed oils... (cause inflammation) try using a natural oil...tallow, lard...etc.

I have been trying to get the snap lid to open on this bottle of cleaner for ages...always ended up unscrewing the lid.  Well, I got the bright idea (not many of those left in me...) to use a bottle opener.  It worked!  The liquid had dried the lid shut...now I can open it.

And lastly, we lost a sweet soul last night.  This is Larry's cousin, Rodger.  He didn't answer his son's phone calls so son called the Sherriff's dept for a welfare check...he was found deceased.

Most of our family are now on the other side so I know he's having a blast meeting up, once again, with his wife, parents and great Granson...Fly high Rodger!  We love you.

So... until next time...count your blessings and I'm sorry to have strained your eyes on all this news...we are just in a rough patch right now...hopefully Dad will realize what wonderful sons he has, and Ruth Ann will remember who's been there for her when everyone else ran when they heard about her colon cancer...until then... 

Gerald and Gadgets...

 

Good morning friends...Sorry that it's been a while since my last post but it's been another busy time for us.  Larry's Dad is in the hospital for pneumonia...he's 99.  We thought at Christmas he didn't look or act like he usually does.  It takes pneumonia a few weeks to get started and a while longer to get rolling.  Larry went for his usual Monday visit with him...took him to the doctor's office then after 14 hours in the ER...Larry slipped into bed, exhausted but feeling confident about his Dad's condition.  I've been several times to the hospital but Gerald just hasn't really felt good enough for visits.  Today, Larry left early so he could catch the doctor...we've tried several times to catch him butttt....you know what I mean!  So, Larry left this morning at 7am to try to catch him...we'll see.  Larry's brother has also been helping out which is a good thing.

I'd run out of bread for our morning toast so I made a loaf.  I love my bread machine!  I let it do all the kneading and rising then just before it starts to bake it...I turn it out on my counter, knead it a little more then grease my bread pan...stick it in the warmed oven and let it rise a bit...then baked.  Turns out great.

I made chicken thighs again with fried corn...

Another gadget alert...warning...lolol...This is a Mason jar vacuum sealer that I found on Amazon.  I LOVE it!  You might like one, as well!

I'll be trying this although, I do put all my banana peels on my rose bushes...

And here's another fun gadget I bought!  I LOVE this keyboard...not so much, the mouse!  It goes to sleep mode and takes too long to wake it up...and I do not like that feature.  Can't figure out how to change that...if you even can.  But the keyboard reminds me of the old-time keyboards...fun.

So sad but true...I hate war!

This is Larry's Dad, Gerald.  Please pray a little prayer for him...

Hope you all are keeping safe, happy and warm or cool, where ever you are.

So, until next time...

Tissue...Quiche', Our Babies and Aunt Jemima

 Well, we haven't been doing much this week...mainly hanging out around the house watching the news and cooking.  Made a batch of cookies...ate them...lolol... not so good for the waistline.  

I found a cute idea on YouTube!  I usually have toilet paper rolls sitting out for convenience's sake.  Well!  You can either use colorful napkins or a piece of colored tissue wrapping paper to roll the toilet paper in.  Cut the paper large enough to totally cover the roll...It's so simple but the color combinations are endless.  Just depends on what you like!

You can really get creative!  And it's better than just the plain old tiresome white roll.

Made air fryer chicken with corn, bell pepper and hash brown potatoes.  Turned out really good.

Also made a quiche for breakfast...cheesy!

Also got to meet our girls for a Dairy Queen hot fudge sundae... and a quick visit.  They had been in town most of the day and were a bit tired.  Sloane was in full throttle...lol... sweet baby girl.  Nothing like seeing the babies for a perk-up...this getting old sucks.  There was an elderly man sitting by himself in the next booth from us...and was loving Sloane and her antics.  We apologized for the disruptions, but he told Crystal not to worry...that he enjoyed it.  I think about him often and hope he has someone he can depend on.

Oh my goodness, this was good!  Fried porkchops with gravy and a sweet potato.  

Have you heard this??  I am so in favor of her photo being put back on the products!  She worked her butt off to get where she got in life and for those PC Police in Washington, to take that from her memory, was disgraceful!  She is a family icon!  I hope this is true...

Haven't tried this recipe yet but probably will sometime this weekend.  Looks good!

Well, that's about it for me...Hope you all are doing great and have found something wonderful to smile about.

So... until next time...