Busy, Busy, Busy

 Hubby and I are enjoying his Christmas/New Year's vacation time. He actually started early, leaving work on Wednesday, at lunchtime, and we've been productive ever since. 

I did cook a Christmas Dinner, and we have had extra goodies, but my Christmas Day was spent defrosting and reorganizing freezers. My son gave me money for Christmas, so Christmas Eve we went to Home Depot and picked me up an upright freezer. I have the side by side fridge-freezer and 2 smaller chest ones, but it has become increasingly difficult for me to reach things in the chest ones, hence getting the upright one. 

So, Christmas Day, I emptied one small chest one, and then defrosted it. That one is now breakfast stuffs, my frozen fruit "grabs" and breads. 

Then I emptied the fridge side freezer, and defrosted that one. That is now "need to use ups" and stuff for the upcoming week.

The new one is meats, fish, and all of our "batch cooked" meals that I make for our lunches (his for taking to work). 

The largest chest freezer is still being emptied, that's a slower process as many items are going to the chickens, so I'm only taking out a few things at a time. Once I get that defrosted, it's going to my granddaughter for her family.

We've also been doing more decluttering. I took my remaining Mrs Albee statuettes to Miracle Hill, dropped some books off at the library, and we took beaucoup boxes of recycles to the skips at Conestee Park.

Today, we hit up Hobby Lobby, and got a load of paints, brushes, etc for our model railway that we are finally starting to. work on. Hubby's had his trains for years, mine was a gift to myself for Christmas out of money given to me by my sis. I used to have a Flying Scotsman many many moons ago (almost 5 decades!) and had rued the day my ex had got rid of it. Now, I have that loco again, and so I am fired up to get a layout done.

We're waiting now for the glue to dry where we put a polystyrene sheet on plywood, for the base surface. I'm patiently impatient,

I'm making headway with one of the stray cats and today put flea prevention on his neck, unfortunately, the other one doesn't let me get anywhere close. He/she stays about 2 feet away, although is quite happy being at that distance and talking to us. Slow progress.                                                                                                                                             

Maybelline seems to have taken over as the ruling queen of the chickens, and herds them and acts as "the boss" when they are out. We've had to be careful letting them out recently, as the hawk has been hovering around and eying them as lunch, and I don't intend to let that happen. 

The wild birds are flocking to the 2 bird feeders outside the window, and the great-grand-cat, Snuggles, aka Brat and Madam, loves to sit on the shelf and watch them.

This nice weather has given us the opportunity for Mark to get on with some more of the brickwork for the front stoop area. He's trying to make it easier for me to be able to get down the steps with my walker, by making them longer and only half as deep.

We're just enjoying getting on with everything.

Yes I Remember Lockerbie

 Yes,

I remember Lockerbie,

the flames that lit the Winter sky

as Pam Am's remnants rained from on high, 

not knowing as we watched that night

that 4 loved friends died on that flight.

Yes, 

I remember Lockerbie,

the tears we cried, the shock we felt,

and on Christmas Day, more tears of guilt,

that we were there and they were gone,

no more to sing a Christmas song.

Yes,

I remember Lockerbie,

the shock that turned to righteous anger

when we learned that others were warned of danger,

but our friends weren't worthy to protect -

not officers or government diplomats.

Yes,

I remember Lockerbie,

and still it grates within my soul

the pain, their loss a gaping hole, 

2 children never to grow old, or be

parents, or their grandkids to see.

Yes,

I remember Lockerbie,

the tolling of that final bell -

their killer freed from his Scottish cell.

Demeaning further those lives lost

his murderous spree now with no cost.

Yes, 

I remember Lockerbie,

it's seared forever in my mind

and those of all that were left behind.

The years pass by and still we grieve

We just weren't ready for you to leave.

Yes, 

I remember Lockerbie,

As fresh as if was happening now

And stand with others as I vow

to keep your memories and say each year

We loved you Dee, wish you all were still here. 

Pan Am 103

 A chill wind blows over the desolate landscape.  

The head of the giant bird lies broken, around her, the bodies are strewn like confetti.

Innocents all.

Laughter will never again be heard from their lips,

their voices quiet but seeking acknowledgement.

The wind carries their souls in its mournful wail,

an elegy to the loss of their love

in lives around the world.

December 21st 1988, an infamous day of horrific carnage,

of pain and sorrow. 

The guilt of those of us who knew them

as we celebrated Christmas,

the joy went on

but we cried for our loss

and that of our families and friends.

Dee Woods.

Joe Woods. 

Jo-Jo and Chelsea.

Names now on a commemorative plaque,

lives ended on a Lockerbie grassland,

memories locked in hearts worldwide.

Angels forever by our side 

Playing Chef in the Kitchen

I used to love to cook, but somehow - along this journey called life - I lost that mojo and it became a chore of sorts. Recently, I've rediscovered the pleasure and today I have the crockpot on making glazed chicken tenderloins and mushrooms, and I had a flash of inspiration in Publix, and grabbed some sausagemeat to make Scotch Eggs tomorrow for dinner. I don't even remember the last time I made them. Now, with my 4 chickens laying every day, it seems like an awesome way to make use of some of their eggs.

With the colder days and evenings now, I've also started going back to an old favourite - jacket potatoes. I tend to do either a curry filling/topping, or ham and cheese. Either make a tasty and satisfying meal that's quick and easy to make (and I'm all for quick and easy!).

I have no room in the freezers at the moment, so can't be doing any batch cooking for now, but I love cooking and freezing portions of chicken tikka masala and rice, savoury minced beef and dumplings and various curries.

I'm no Chef Ramsay but I'm enjoying cooking again.

Cold Weather Woes and Life Update

The older I get, the more I respect those who have taken this journey before me, and those who do so alongside me. It is so easy, when we are young, to take it all for granted, even if we don't consciously do so. We just assume we'll stay the way we are. 

My life changed when I hit 30, but it took 20 years for doctor's to finally give me answers. 

I put on over 140lbs in 16 months, and despite going back and forth to the base hospitals in both Little Rock AR and Sembach Germany, their observations were to do with me now eating American food and needing more exercise. Nothing had changed in my life. I still walked all over the place, danced, and cooked "English" with lots of veggies and smaller portions of meat, plus since I don't like butter, marg, oil, pasta, gooey sauces, and a lot of other foods that people trying to lose weight have to "give up", I disagreed with them but had no idea what was going on with my body.

It took my current doctor, back in 2004, to test me for thyroid issues and that was the answer. Medication followed but my body responds weirdly so we had to take down the dosage, meaning my metabolism stays slow, unfortunately. My resting heartrate is 45-50 bpm, but cold affects me badly and can take it down to mid-30s which feels very scary.

Winter also aggravates my arthritis, and I joke that it's a better weather forecaster than the meteorologists on tv. Last night's rain caused me a lot of gyp. Thankfully today the pain is less, muted somewhat, for which I am very thankful.

On a good note, today I made a step forward with the feral cat we call Roger (if he turns out to be a she then it will become Roja). He followed me into my laundry room when I put his food outside, so I closed the back door. He wandered into my kitchen and began yowling loudly, and I kept telling him he was ok. He came back into the laundry room, still yowling, and I closed the kitchen door. At that point, he started to get stressed, so I stroked him a couple of times and then opened the back door so that he could go out again. My goal is to try to get him comfortable in the laundry room so that he can come in out of the cold over the next few months. Then I can also get him/her shots and spayed. I have been able to put flea and tick drops on him with no problem so his life is a little less irritated.

My chickens are laying now, we are getting 2-4 eggs daily, and we let them out of their pen to roam free when we are outside with them. We have hawks flying around so I can't let them be free range all the time or they'll become hawk entrees. Their personalities have evolved, and Maybelline is def the boss now and "herds" the others. I love the feathering on her legs  Pollyanna often goes in the opposite direction to the other. Poppy tends to be the pain in the butt when we are trying to put them back in the pen, and Henrietta has lost some of her viciousness and settles more easily when being held.

Our 2nd birdfeeder, outside the bedroom window, is a winner with the smaller birds although the cardinals still tend to go for the large block feeder.

The sun is coming out now, so I'm hoping it'll dry up some of the yard before the next lot of rain.

Have a good day