Hi! I know…I’ve been away for a bit, but sometimes life has a way of intruding on my blogging. 🙁 This has been a wonderful, laid-back weekend. Dear Husband went to the boat Saturday morning, and Elegante Mother and I took our time getting ready to face the day. The care giver arrived at 8:00 and we decided to make a trip to the Farmer’s Market.
There are several markets near our home. We went to the closest. EM agreed to use her transportation chair, and the care giver took the handles so that EM wouldn’t fly downhill. We visited with our favorite knife sharpener, and met his oldest daughter. We shopped through easily three dozen booths, buying cheese, mushrooms, peaches, zucchini, peppers, corn, garlic, raspberries, blackberries, a wide variety of tomatoes, mixed flowers and eucalyptus. We were really loaded. If I’d had one more pair of hands, I would have bought a beautiful Cinderella pumpkin, and some squash!
Oh…..and GREEN BEANS! And BASIL! And 5 ears of corn! (In the background I can hear Dear Husband saying, “And two hard boiled eggs.) My mind is turning to fall meals. I want to cook things that fill the house with great scents, and wake my tongue with interesting seasonings. Roasted garlic, homemade pesto, diced tomatoes and broiled rounds of French bread. Sausage and Orzo soup, with crusty bread. Bee met Friday night and I made Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Icing, and an Apple-Strawberry Streuse; Pie for dessert. Can a Dutch apple pie be too far behind??
Next week, I may visit the French Market, just to see what they have to offer. How can you not enjoy the variety they offer? And the following week, we hope to go to the Antique Market. We won’t be food shopping there, but we may find something to eat as we shop. *G*
I’m going to go make stuffed green and red peppers for dinner tonight, so I’d better get a move on. I hope you’ve all been well, and that life has been good to you.

Well, actually, I’m not, but I have about two days worth of STUFF to fit into one day, so I’m going to try to do a few quick paragraphs to keep you all in the loop.
Elegante Mother is doing well physically, but she’s still having memory problems. She will be on anti-seizure meds through September, and then we will see if her memory clears. She knows she is forgetting things, and having difficulty with sentences. It’s tough to watch her struggle, so I pray that things will ease for her when she no longer has to take the medication.
EM has misplaced a hearing aid. I’ve had to order a replacement. The remote for one of the digital picture frames is missing. I wonder if she’s got a little stash going somewhere for electronic things. I might just hand her the mobile telephone and see if she can stash that, too! Reminds me of magpies…
My family is springing me for three days. I’m going to central Indiana to spend some time with my sis and her family, and to see her oldest daughter march in her first college football halftime program. I’m excited. In a way, my niece is following in my footsteps. She is going to major in education. I wonder if her music will be a vocation or an avocation. No matter what she choses, I’ve enjoyed seeing the results of her efforts.
I get to spend a day communing with my sewing machine on Friday while Sis is at work, and I plan to make a salad for dinner, so she won’t have to come home and cook. I have NO IDEA what she plans to do on Saturday. We may weed, or sit and talk, or mall crawl. Perhaps there will be a late summer festival to see. No matter what she chooses, I’ll be happy.
Sunday morning, I’m going to have to leave that Indiana Idyll and drive back to Illinois, EM’s 23rd grandchild is going to be Christened, and since we share a name, I’d really like to be there for the Christening. While I’m away My-Sister-The-Nurse is going to take care of Elegante Mother. Dear Husband hopes to take the two of them to the Kane County Cougar’s game on Friday night, so that EM can see the fireworks. We’ll see how things work out.
I found a great blog that I want to follow (when I have time. Yeah…riiiiiiiiight…time). It’s all about one man’s efforts to learn what kind of carbon footprint he has. The blog is 365 Days of Trash. He is saving EVERYTHING…in his basement. Go visit, and read some of his back posts. He has some wonderful common sense EASY things to do to save on trash.
Edward Scissorhands, our cat, is coping with kidney failure. He’s a tough old bird, though. I knew there was a problem as early as Christmas last year, and the vet confirmed my guess in February. He’s still with us, bringing his prey to the front door for lunch. (UCK!!) He sits with me at night, and sleeps a little more now. I’m glad for the extra days we’ve had, and that he got to enjoy one more summer.
My keyboard died! I thought it was worse. I thought the computer was going, but my stepson figured out the problem, and we switched the keyboard with a spare. I have to go keyboard shopping next week. I didn’t realize how different the two keyboards are. I’m having a terrible time trying to fit my fingers into this narrower space.
I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend. May you celebrate with family and friends,and enjoy the last hurrah of summer!

It’s that time of year where parents across the nation are seeing their children go off to college. My youngest sis and her husband took their oldest daughter to college this past weekend. Number 1 Niece (N1N) is in the college marching band, so she had to leave for school a week early. She’ll spend this week in a tightly structured group of activities, getting to know the expectations of the marching band in terms of style of march and performance, and learning to interact smoothly with others in her rank and section, as well as learning her way around the campus and dorm. She’s in temporary housing for this week, so her parents (and boyfriend) will return in a week to move her to the dorm she is assigned to for the year. They will also bring the lion’s share of the things N1N will need in terms of clothes, and comforts.
This step, between high school and college can be a scary one. I think most kids embrace the change on the surface. What’s not to like about the idea of being in charge of your own life, getting do decide when you get up and when you go to bed, and when you do your homework, or not? Every kid lives for the day when they get to take charge. After all, they’ve been ready for YEARS, right?? But, under the surface, it’s a big step.
Leaving your circle of friends, and being thrust into a new situation where you don’t know anyone, and you don’t yet know your way around the campus is tough. Leaving your boyfriend at home is even tougher. In a while, discovering that you have to BUDGET, and can’t turn to Mom for a new pair of jeans, is tough! But, I think leaving the security of home has to be the toughest of all. Even if your relationship with your parents is testy, you still know where you stand, and you know that you are loved. Going to college is leaving the pond where you are a big fish, and discovering that you are plankton, and a WHALE is bearing down on you!
But, I think most of us would say that we wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything. In a couple of days, things don’t feel so strange. We’ve made our first friends, and have found out where to go for pizza. We get to know the campus better, and find places that speak to us. I remember places so beautiful that they satisfied my soul, and others that gave me comfort when I was homesick, or unsure if I was doing the right thing. If I wasn’t on deadline for a paper, there was always the pleasure of the library.
Number 1 Niece is just taking her first step this morning into that world. I’m excited for her, and a bit teary. Just where did the years go? Will I get to spend time with her again, before she is firmly on her life’s path? Will she remember that I love her?
Wow….I think I have a bit of Empty Nesting going on here. Let’s set that aside, and just focus on all the good things coming her way. The rest will work itself out.
Way to go, kidlet. I’m VERY PROUD OF YOU!!! Remember, you can call, any time!

I LONG for a day at my sewing machine. I’d like to put together some small quilt tops, just to have the chance to play with fabric and color. It would be fun to pull out all my fall colored fabrics and create a pumpkin wall hanging.
I think fall may be my favorite season. It’s a tough call. Spring is such a relief, coming on the heels of winter, with everything growing, and greening up. That’s pretty special, but there’s just something about about the weather cooling down, and the leaves putting on their fall display that speaks to me. I don’t care for the really hot days of summer, so it might just be the relief from the heat that draws me, but I love the corn stalks, the pumpkins and gourds, the scarecrows, and other fall decorations. I can remember a friend of my parents used to hunt for bittersweet early in the fall, to use for decorations.
My mind is drawn to fall baking recipes, especially apple recipes. I love cinnamon, and it seems there are more recipes we use from September to December that have cinnamon as an ingredient than the rest of the year. I don’t want to shortchange the peach season, or the sweet corn and fresh veggie, and OMG … TOMATO season…..but, cinnamon and apples just can’t be beat!
Then, there are the beautiful, sunny, cooler days that are perfect for parades and football games. I don’t care much for football, but I LOVE watching the bands at halftime. And, here in the Midwest, towns frequently celebrate Homecoming thru the local high schools. My hometown always celebrated Homecoming on the weekend of my birthday. It took me while to realize that was just a pleasant accident of scheduling. *G*
How can you not love a season that leads you right into the holidays?
So, maybe I will play with fabric tomorrow in an effort to prepare for one of my favorite seasons. Which season do you like the best?

Whew…it’s been a long week and it’s only Thursday morning!
We have a regular schedule of visitors during the week. Elegante Mother has had two physical therapist visits and by 8:30 this morning will have had two occupational therapist visits this week. We’ve had a nurse’s visit, and next week will have two more, as they draw blood to check the levels of her medicines and try to determine whether she needs further strengthening through physical therapy.
One of my nieces, her son, and one of my great nieces came to visit yesterday. They brought goodies from a local bakery and chatted with us for several hours. She plans to visit with EM each Wednesday evening, so that DH and I can get away for a bit.
EM seems to be suffering from “Sundowners,” an unofficial disease that is widely recognized. She starts out her day well but looses track of what’s going on around her as the sun begins to drop in the sky. Last night, she decided that no one loves her, and she tried to run away from home. Luckily, Dear Husband was there to walk with her and prevent her from stepping out onto the road. I truly don’t know what I’d do without the man!
This morning, EM can’t remember what happened, so we will move forward with today’s obligations and look for a lock for the door.
It’s quite eye-opening to become your parent’s guardian. I’ve commented on the role reversal we’ve experienced over the the past two decades, but the seizure has made that seem insignificant. I need to help EM choose clothes, and dress, and I do her laundry. She leaves meal choices to me. Luckily, I have someone to help with her bathing and personal care several days a week, and expect to have a bit more help, soon.
Things have been put on hold in the office, during the middle of this week. Our care giver could not find a baby sitter, and missed her visit yesterday. So, on Friday, I’ll need to get all the office work done that I had hoped to do on Wednesday. DH came home early so that I could make a run to the bank, and I’ll visit the library on Friday after exercise (provided the caregiver arrives).
I’m sure this all seems disjointed to you. You are getting a stream of consciousness post. It’s how I feel most days. I run to put out whichever fire pops up next.
I need to be off. It’s time to get ready for the OT visit! Have a great day, my friends. Keep in touch..

Hi, my friends! We are yet livin’ – just busy!
Elegante Mother has had occupational therapy, and physical therapy visits three times this past week. She is physically able to do all they are asking. We need to be better about doing the exercises when the therapists are not visiting, but EM is doing well.
Elegante Mother is still having memory problems, and will continue to have them. The medicine she is taking to forestall seizures could be part of her problem, and she may improve after September when she finishes this course of drugs. Or, she may not. We’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out.
This week has been CRAZY! In addition to all the therapist’s visits, Friday night was quilting bee. I love having these ladies visit, and needed the time, sitting and chatting with them, to recharge.
Saturday, we hosted a baby shower for one of my nieces. We have been participating in the trend where the prospective dads attend the baby shower, so this gathering was for both the men and women in our family. One of my nieces has been recuperating from surgery, and really needed something to occupy her time. We assigned the planning of the meal to her. Friday, she went with me to the grocery store to shop for the ingredients. What an eye opener! We had TWO carts filled with food, and managed to apply a 5% discount and a 10% discount to the cost. I was astonished at the savings.
Saturday morning, I started the day with my usual pre-party chores. I fed the birds, cleaned off the sidewalk, ironed the garage curtains,and made two pans of brownies (to be iced and decorated later in the day.) My niece arrived at 10:00, closely followed by My-Sister-The-Nurse, who was co-hosting the shower with me.
We began chopping, mixing, baking and generally preparing things, and then my second sister arrived. By noon, with the addition of Dear Husband, we had FIVE people washing, chopping, mixing and baking! It was just incredible! By 3:00 I went off to shower, and my relatives finished the decorating, wrapped a gift for us, and made pots of tea and coffee. I actually had the chance to chat with our guests because the food was so well organized.
We put out bruschetta, baked pita crisps with a hot spinach dip, crudités with a cold creamy dip and cubed cheeses with an endless variet of crackers. We noshed while we waited for the last of the guests to arrive, and then ooooh and aaaahed over the gifts as they were unwrapped. Since the guys were present, we did without the usual games.
This was my niece’s third baby shower! Her husband’s family hosted one, and her friends planned another. There was still a lot left on her registry last weekend, but it went fast! My youngest sis and I, and EM went together to buy the stroller with the car seat. One of my sisters volunteers at a local hospital, and she told us that it was amazing how many new parents come to take the baby home without the required car seat.
By the time the gifts had been opened, everyone was ready for dinner, which we did as a casual buffet. My niece had marinated beef and chicken in a teriyaki sauce overnight. The girls created shrimp and beef kabobs with onion, peppers and mushrooms, and chicken skewers with pineapple and cherry tomatoes. There was rice, Caesar salad, a romaine and tricolored pasta seven layer salad, enough fruit salad to feed Chicago, and four types of crusty bread. There were four desserts planned, and we actually forgot to make one of them. Fudge frosted brownies, cupcakes, and a lemon cake completed the meal.
By the time our guests left, sated at the very least, I had packed up three-quarters of the leftovers and sent them home. We still have a huge amount of food left, and I’ll have to plan meals around those leftovers. Let’s see….strawberries, blueberries, grapes, cauliflower, broccoli and peppers, and angel food cake. And BROWNIES! lol Should be an interesting meal.
We’re recuperating, having a quiet afternoon at home. I’ve checked my mail, done the Chicago Tribune crossword puzzle, and checked in with you. Now, I need to pay some bills, and write some thank you notes.
I hope you’ve all had a great weekend. If you’re in the heatwave, STAY INSIDE. Take the smart route, and stay cool. If you’re more fortunate, and the heat isn’t so bad…enjoy the day. Summer is speeding by, and soon we’ll be bundling up again.

HI, everyone! This has to be another of those quick posts, because the day has started and I’m already running late.
Mother came home Saturday morning. My-Sister-The-Nurse has been with us for the past two days, overseeing Mother’s care, and giving me an idea of what I need to do once she is not here.
This morning, a care giver will arrive at 7:30, and she will be with us 8 hours a day for the next week or two, and then her hours will taper off as (we hope) Mother adjusts to being home and can do more for herself.
We expect this week to be packed with visits, starting with a nurse who will determine what type of physical and occupational therapy EM still requires. We think EM will have PT and OT two to three times a week for perhaps six weeks. Tuesday, we will make our first trip out together, to see EM’s doctor.
A major storm is coming our way. I’m hoping that we will get the rain, but not the severe weather cells. I can ALWAYS use Mother Nature’s help with the watering.
Did I tell you? SOMETHING….most likely those rotten rabbits, has been eating the leaves off the newly planted hostas! Drat it all!
Have a good week, stay safe, don’t get too much sun or too much rain….and I’ll be back, God willing and the creek don’t rise!

…with those of you who have been reading here. We’re still on track for Elegante Mother to come home this coming Saturday (July 19th). We are marking the days off the calendar, and encouraging her to do all the therapists ask of her. I mentioned to her today that she would be having visits from therapists at home, and she wasn’t overjoyed.
Cop Car and Blue Witch left such good comments on earlier posts, that I wanted the chance to bring them to your attention. Their advice is “spot on.”
Cop Car wrote: “EM is not a child, but she is a very small adult. A smaller plate with smaller portions might help her address food that she has little interest in. As an ombudsman, I occasionally “counseled” an aide not to insist that a resident eat more than she cared for. For some reason, the staff were fearful that a resident might actually lose weight. Losing weight, contrary to my own experience, is a normal process of aging, unless one regularly lifts weights, etc. In the case of the nursing home residents, more food was replacing the lost muscle mass with fat. (Can’t you just see EM with an ounce of fat on her! *g*)”
CC….EM is supposed to be getting smaller portions, but her tray comes with a huge amount of food. She is already saying, “NO, I can’t eat that.” before she even sees what’s on the plate. I’ve been advised to use smaller plates with her. I’ll work harder at not overwhelming her with too much food. EM HAS lost weight. She’s down about 10 pounds over the past 6-9 months. It worries me, but it doesn’t seem to worry her doctor, so I’ll be quiet about it. Our physician told me not to nag her to eat, and I’ve been trying to behave. Today, she refused her entire tray. So I moved the peach pie, her coffee and the cup of thickened water to the side of the tray closest to her. I set a baggie of Wheat Thins near the tray, as well as a bag of Bing cherries. I sat quietly for a bit, and then buttered the hamburger bun they called a dinner roll. She ate close to half of it. I sat a bit longer, and asked if she would try a taste of the pie. She ate the entire piece. I gave her a note pad and asked her to write down what she might like to have to eat when she comes home. We talked about several meals that she said sounded good, and I was pleased to hear it wasn’t just dessert. I think the most difficult challenge we face is getting EM re-hydrated. She dislikes the thickened liquids, so I’m hoping the swallow test she is supposed to take will move her off that restriction before we go home.
Blue Witch said: “Refusing food is often the only way older (and younger) people have of exerting some control over their worlds. This is particularly true of those used to being very independent who suddenly find themselves institutionalised. It also secures a great deal of attention (albeit of a negative kind) for them as refusing to eat is something that is a very emotive issue. Does she enjoy fruit smoothies or soups? Often ‘drinking’ is a great way of getting good food into people who can’t face solids (and you can always add unseen vitamins or minerals to the mix).
Will you be able to get some extra help in to support you in caring for her if she comes home?”
Blue Witch, Elegante Mother IS exerting control by refusing her meals. She knows we won’t let her starve, and she enjoys all the attention she’s getting. It’s going to be more difficult when we go home, and she has to become accustomed to less attention. Still, I think she will do better at home. Smoothies are a great idea. My youngest sister and her husband have introduced them to us, and I know that EM would enjoy all the summer fruit blended that way. She also likes several of the soups I make.
On the subject of “help”….My-Sister-The-Nurse will be with us for the first two days, to help EM settle in. We will be getting occupational and physical therapist visits perhaps three times a week for up to six weeks. We are going to look for part time help to bathe EM, and provide her care while I work. My sister has posted a note to the family members on the computer, asking for sitting help, so that Dear Husband and I can get away at least once a week. We may also have to either alarm the doors, or find a nighttime sitter, if we can not get EM to stay in bed during the night.
It seems like a LOT to deal with. We’ll just have to see how things turn out. If she is not safe here, we’ll have to look into a facility, but that will be our last choice.
Ladies, thank you for your good advice. I appreciate being able to call on your experience. You make a fine support network! Thanks, again!

“Change For The Dollar,” in the Chicago Tribune fascinated me. As a country, we could save $522 MILLION a year, if we gave up our one dollar bill and switched to the one dollar coin. The US Treasury has tried to accomplish that with the Susan B. Anthony dollar, and the Sacagawea dollar, without much success. They are currently producing a series of one dollar coins with the faces of the presidents.
For those who are circulating an e-mail saying that “In God We Trust” has been dropped from this coin, please take a closer look. The dollar coin has a smooth edge (unlike the quarter, which has perpendicular ridges along the edge), and “In God We Trust” is cut into the edge of the coin. The coin is slightly larger than a quarter, and is a pale gold/bronze color.
Go read what Tom Hundley had to say at the Trib. It’s an interesting story.

Many of you know that I live in the Chicago suburbs. We receive the Chicago Tribune, and each day there is a crossword puzzle in the Tempo section. Elegante Mother used to do them in ink, and it never occurred to me to make a copy of the puzzles so that we could both do them. I discovered that the Monday through Saturday puzzle is available on-line, with the added bonus that the program tells you if you have entered an incorrect letter. (Master solvers have the option to do it without the assist.)
I’ve become addicted. I take my mug of tea and head for the computer at 5:30 in the morning. With the computer’s assistance, I can finish almost all the puzzles. Without the “wrong-letter” clue, I’d probably have to Google for some of the answers. I’m really glad to return to this form of entertainment. I used to do the Dell crosswords that were edited by Eugene T. Maleska. He designed “expert” puzzles. Of all the expert crosswords, his were the ones that I was most likely to solve. I think you find someone who “hears” words as you do, or perhaps has the same life experiences, and their clues are more likely to make sense.
While I was looking for crossword sites on-line, I also discovered a blog for those who do the Tribune puzzle. The blogger gives the answers for the current day’s puzzle, comments on the construction of the puzzle and quality of the clues, and those of us who are also doing the puzzle respond in the comments. It’s as though I’ve found a family! Some of them are my age, and some are younger. Both men and women participate. Some of the solvers have science backgrounds; others are more experienced in the arts.
The group is a nice cross section of puzzle solvers.
If you’re interested, join us. You can find us at the “Star Tribune Crossword Corner.”