Being Normal...at least trying to be...

(Larry and I will be trying to learn how to use a new air fryer that's being delivered Friday... this will be me! lol.... More on how it's going, next time.)

Good morning, friends... Well, it's been a week around here.  Went to my consult with my surgeon and got all the preliminary things done, preparing for my surgery.  The doctor seems kind which I really appreciated.  I come back in for Genetic Testing on the 8th...non-fasting...blood draw...takes about an hour, all together.  It takes that long for counseling, signing forms and going over what the test itself is looking for.  Supposedly, it'll be a blood draw instead of saliva sampling or the buccal (cheek) swab.  They then go over my family history, past medical issues, symptoms I'm now having...and medications.  Now I understand "why an hour"!

After that, they want me to have an MRI...on a different day...just making sure the cancer is where it's supposed to be.  Thennnn...a few days before surgery, I go in to have some dye injected to make sure the cancer hasn't metastasized or grown into any other parts of my body.   Thennn...getting the date for the actual surgery.

Thennn...our sweetheart little Buddy, left us for home...last Thursday, the 27th of August.

Our hearts broke...but it was a natural passing.  He was just tired and wanted to go home.  Early on, when he started showing signs of wanting to pass, we refused to put him down!  So many times, they stay with you, weeks and months longer if you just let them.  But if he was in pain...we would have helped him cross.  I didn't mind the meds...extra special foods to prepare...when it was close to time, he just refused everything...took small bits of water but nothing else.  I knew then his time was close.  

We miss you baby boy!!  He's with the rest of our crew!  That makes us glad to know...Now there's only our pug, Libby.  She searched for him for several days but now has accepted his absence.  We are enjoying her all we can...she's 13...sigh

Our Libby....

I did manage to get my Exploding Pineapple quilt finished, labeled and binded.  I put a crazy, bright yellow backing on it...It works.  

Larry made me this binding wheel!  It works great...I put it on the right side of my machine and just pull what I need as I sew.

Can you tell what we're watching while we eat lunch?

Of course, thighs!  With cheesy potatoes done in the air fryer.

I made taco salad...really good!

Potato soup because I just craved some...

We ate at Longhorn Steakhouse after church...these chicken medallions were so good!

Breakfast was two eggs over medium...ish...lol...with hashbrowns & onions, and white gravy.

This morning's breakfast was a layer of fried onions...tomatoes...and cheddar cheese.  So good!

Larry made our Winter's quota of Gumbo!  Chicken & shrimp...We had some and froze the rest.

Well guys, I guess I'm off to tend to business...I hope you all are safe and happy and free from floods or fires!

Until next time...

Hugs,

Donna

 

New Sofa...and a Sweet Weekend

Good morning, Friends!  

Just a little (lolol) post about the happenings here in blogville.

My sister Ruth Ann (see earlier postings) is still doing well receiving her chemo treatments.  No sickness, thank God.  I believe she has nine more treatments to go before her check-up telling us if the cancer has been eradicated.  Still asking for prayer!

On to lighter blog fare...lol...even though this pan meal is anything but light.  But so easy to prepare and twice as easy to eat!  

Flat Pan Chicken and Veggies

Place your chicken down the middle of the buttered dish...arrange vegetables of your choosing, along the sides of the chicken, like you see in my photo above.

I chose new potatoes, zucchini and green beans and onions. 

Bake at 350 degrees F (176 C) for an hour, checking on it until you reach the right amount of color for you. (browning)

Lime cupcakes with strawberry frosting sprinkled with crystalized sugar.

I fried up some salmon patties for lunch along with a crunchy salad.

Did I tell you we're getting a new sofa and carpet?  The brown one in the photo was donated.  What a mess the room was and still is...Trying to find new door carpets that match the grey sofa and carpeting.

Larry being his usual smarty pants self while I'm trying to take pictures of things to show you...He has his earphones in trying to ignore what I'm doing.  And Libby (pug) isn't amused! lol

Sorry about Sleeping Beauty but here's the sofa and carpet.  It'll take forever to redecorate the room!  

We Love the two-sided remotes for the sofa!  The key feature for us is the lumbar button!  We both needed that feature...nice!

Also having a new electrical outlet installed.  The company we used started the job on Thursday morning.  The office got my work order wrong.  They said I ordered an outlet to be CHECKED on... I said I ordered a NEW outlet!  So much time wasted!  Poor service tech was running back and forth to his shop and our house and still isn't finished!  Coming back Monday...sigh

BUT!  On a happier note, our daughter Crystal came up from Magnolia Tx to babysit our sweet Sloane.  Being 2 1/2 hours away from their first grandchild is no fun!  We all hate it but they both have great jobs and can't pull up stakes to move back to Waco...so they travel back and forth...it is what it is, I suppose.  We all miss them terribly.  

Larry and I ate breakfast out on Thursday...biscuits and sausage gravy!  Delicious.

Well, that about wraps things up for me.  I hope you're enjoying a sweet and peaceful weekend.  Until next time,

I'm still alive...

Yep...still alive.  This babysitting gig is so special.  Yes, I get tired...Some days Samantha's scheduling of clients runs over the usual 6–7-hour day.  Monday through Thursday's it's usually 9-4pm with Fridays being light, 9 to 12.  She's still waiting to hear from the daycare, but I believe it'll be a long wait.  Oh well...I'm really getting attached!  If much longer, it'll be too hard to let her go.  Oh well, will just have to deal with it.

Our Sweetie Sloane

Halloween suit

Our daughter Crystal, and Baby Slone's grandmother (Lolli)

Sloane was Three months old as of yesterday... Teething has begun!

A sheet pan lunch I made yesterday.  Potatoes, bell pepper, yellow squash, onion and chicken thighs.  It was really good.  You can add whatever you like...

This was an ornament I was going to order at one of those online stores...$17.00 each...When I went to check out, it showed $81 dollars!!!  NO WAY...so I took a screenshot of it and backed out.  Talk about thieves!   I wonder how many people never looked at the bottom line and got "took"!

Made some Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies...

Here's the plating of our pan lunch...yum.

Hubby (Larry) is really enjoying his laser.  I asked him to make me some ornaments for the tree...he did...!!Lolol  I especially wanted two for our dogs, Buddy and Libby.

Libby

Buddy

Hope you all are enjoying your week...I'll be around to check on you in a bit!  Be safe out there...

Hugs from

Donna

Cake Experimenting...

I'm experimenting with different recipes for Italian Cream Cake.  Samantha said it was a favorite for her fiancé, Everett.

They're going to have a December 7th wedding and she wanted me to make the Groom's Cake.  Never have I done anything like this but, I'll try anything once.  This is their sample cake...  She'll let me know if I need to keep trying or if we have a winner.

Everett and Samantha (granddaughter)

Larry said (hubby) I'd been working too hard on that cake...I needed a break...geeez...I can Not stay on my locarb diet routine...no will power!

Makes getting the cake out of the tin, effortless!  Aluminum handles!  I cut a cardboard round,  placed two strips of foil under the round,  folded over the tin's edges...Placed the ice cold cake on the cardboard round and placed it in the tin.  When the kids go to eat it, they can take it out easily!

And it was Libby's dreaded day to visit the vet for her nail clipping... :o(

Not a happy camper...she stresses out, poor baby...but it always ends up well and with a treat.

SO...That's been about all I've been up to this week.  It rained here earlier in the week...almost four inches!!  We have great drains for just this reason in the back yard but hard and fast is always overwhelming.  It let up about the time we started to worry!  But, all ended well with nothing in the house ruined.  The water came up on the patio but not high enough to reach the back door...dodged a bullet!

Well, y'all be safe and warm or cool my friends!  Hopping over to check on you!