Before and After

I’ve discovered I like cooking. I’ve always had a fascination with cook books and cooking shows. I just never had the desire (or the encouragement) to try the stuff I found.

I loved reading the list of ingredients and the directions and I thought “I can do that!!”

So . . . . I’ve started trying some of the recipes that I find . . .

I made Shepherd’s Pie for St. Patrick’s Day. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I found a fairly uncomplicated recipe, gathered the ingredients and started cooking.

What I didn’t realize is that cooking is a messy job . . .

How could there be that much mess for a meal to feed two people!?

It took a while, but I got the mess cleaned up . . .

I still love to cook . . . I just need to find someone to do the dishes!!

Home Sweet Home

The Little House was built in 1923.  I’ve lived here since 1990.  From the minute the realtor showed it to me all those years ago, I knew it was my dream house.

I’ve lived here over 20 years now . . . some of them were happy years . . . some of them were not.  But through it all . . . it was my house!

And now that Prince Charming is here with me . . . it’s finally Home Sweet Home.

Wallflower

This is my 7th grade picture.  It’s one of Prince Charming’s favorite pictures of me.  This is how I looked when we he met me oh so many years ago.

Prince Charming wasn’t feeling well last weekend and I thought I’d change the profile picture on my Facebook account to this to cheer him up.  He says it always makes him smile when he sees this picture of me.

I thought I was a bit of a wallflower when I was in junior high and high school.  I wasn’t a star athlete, or on the honor roll, or one of those kids that was always in some sort of trouble.  I was always referred to as somebody’s sister, or somebody’s friend, or that girl going out with you-know-who.  Just another face in the crowd.

Imagine my surprise when I started reading the comments left on the post announcing the change of my profile picture . . . comments about remembering this cute little girl, or her cute smile, or some other memory from junior high . . . comments from people who I thought had no idea who I was way back then . . . and who I thought hardly remembered who I was when they “friended” me on Facebook.

Guess I wasn’t such a wallflower after all . . . and not only did I succeed in cheering up Prince Charming . . . I cheered myself up as well!

He’s Only Human

First, a little background info . . . in my previous life hearing the words “I need you to come here and see this” always struck fear in my heart.  It usually meant that one of the animals  had done something that I would have to clean up or that something had broken and a long complicated (read “expensive”) repair process about to start.

I took today as a vacation day to reward myself for surviving a rather hectic and very busy Christmas holiday week at work.  I’m downstairs enjoying my morning chocolate milk and surfing the internet when I hear the dreaded words from Prince Charming.

“Honey, I need you to come here and look at something.”

Me: (crap) . . . “Okay, I’m on my way.  Did the cat poop in the bath tub again?”

Him (amused): “No.  It’s okay, just come here.”

Me (double crap): Turning to Millie as I walk up the stairs “What did you guys do this time?”

Him (still amused and smiling): “We have a problem.”

Me (fairly panic stricken at this point): “What happened?”

Him (huge smile on his face): “Uh, I didn’t double check the setting on the trimmer before I started trimming my mustache.”

Me (finally seeing what he’s done and now I’m laughing): “Uh oh this isn’t good.”  (The middle of his mustache is pretty much gone at this point)

Him: “I don’t think I can salvage it.  I’m going to have to shave it. “

Me (still laughing): “Oh, honey, it’s okay.”

Him: “You’ve never seen me without a mustache and I didn’t want to just come downstairs and shock you.”

Me: “Well, I do appreciate that.”

He shaved it off and he’s already planning the schedule for when he can grow it back.  It’s going to be very cold here this week and he’s already noticing a huge difference in how his face feels without the mustache.  I think he was a little worried about my reaction . . . when I finally stopped laughing (and I did apologize for laughing) I got a good look at his newly clean shaven face and I told him that he’s still my Handsome Green Eyed Man and the decision to grow it back is entirely up to him.

It’s going to take some getting used to looking at his face without the mustache, but kissing him goodbye this morning without getting poked by mustache hair was kind of nice!

 

 

I Know Why Old People Are Grumpy

After years of hearing the “as you get older” speech from the family doc, I decided it was time to follow his advice and do some of the “old lady” tests he’s been advocating.

I had a colonoscopy.  The found a benign polyp that was removed and because of that development I get to repeat that test next year.  Yay for me . . . not!

I had a bone density test done.  I have something called osteopenia which means my bones are thinning and I’m headed towards osteoporisis.  Not a big surprise there, my mom has osteopenia and her mom had osteoporisis.

Because of those two developments, I have to make some changes to my diet.  After the colonoscopy, I was told to add more fiber to my diet.  Whole grain bread, more veggies, and take a fiber supplement.  After the bone density test, I have to add a calcium supplement and a Vitamin D supplement to my daily diet.

All that is in addition to having to add potassium to my diet to replace what is being lost with the water pill I take to help with the swelling in my feet and ankles caused by the circulation problems in my legs. Who knew that wearing three inch heels all through high school, college, and my early working life would cause such problems.

And then there’s the usual recommendation to lose some of the weight I’ve gained since my hysterectomy which prompted Prince Charming and I to join a gym.  The exercise routine will help reduce my blood pressure and cholesterol (yea, they are a little out of whack, too!), help with the circulation problem in my legs, and help strengthen my bones.

So at any given time I’m trying to figure out if something I’m about to eat will help my bones or my potassium or will it hurt my blood pressure or my cholesterol.  Or I’m trying to figure out which exercise machine will help which health issue.  You should see all the health info apps I have on my iPod Touch.

The conversations I have with myself sometimes are absolutely hilarious but most of the time I’m upset with myself for getting into this shape in the first place.

 

I Should Write A Book

The on-again, off-again relationship with Princess and the GrandGirls is in the off-again stage.

(While I’m sad to be missing the GrandGirls’ graduation, I’m doing a happy dance to not have to deal with their drama for the time being.)

There was an argument and some mean and hurtful things were said to me.

I would have probably said mean and hurtful things, too, if I had been able to get a word in edgewise.

Apparently, XH is also upset about what’s happened.  After 30 years (yes, you read that correctly) of this nonsense, XH has decided it’s finally time to stand up to Princess and wants Princess and GrandGirl apologize for the disrespect that has been shown to me.  (Uh, who is this man and what has he done with my ex-husband?)

Princess told XH she doesn’t owe me anything and she’s done with me.  (And this time she means it!  Excuse me if I’m not completely convinced she’s gone for good this time!)

Her last words to me were to “have a nice life” and “good-bye”

Then to top it all off . . . Princess’ Mom told XH to tell me (are we still in jr high?) that if I don’t stop harassing Princess and the GrandGirls . . . they are going to put a restraining order out on me.

Wait . . . you call me, pick a fight with me, call me names, hang up on me and YOU are going to file a restraining order on ME?  And you have your mom tell your dad to deliver a message to me?

Seriously, folks, I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried!

 

Life is Good

(This one is for Beth!)

Cassano’s pizza for supper.

Prince Charming watching is favorite show.

I’m trying to figure out my iPod touch.  It didn’t come with an instruction manual so I had to buy one . . . and it reads just like (duh!) an instruction manual!

Rocky and Millie are outside playing with the puppies next door and chasing lightning bugs.

It’s been rough couple of weeks with Princess and GrandGirl Drama and Allergies From You-Know-Where . . . but I’ve survived . . . I always seem to survive . . . and that’s always a good thing!

But the weekend is here . . . and that’s always a good thing, too!

Summer

I’ve been whining all year about no snow, early allergies, too early to turn on AC.

But not today. Look at what I saw when I put my flag out today!

Does mean it’s finally summer?

What?!

I got the news yesterday that a friend of mine from high school died unexpectedly.

I saw him at our 30th class reunion in August. He was as funny and friendly as ever.

I saw him at the funeral of the parent of my bestest friend in November.  He smiled at me and hugged me when I saw him.

I had planned to call his office to get an insurance quote because I was thinking of changing insurance carriers.  But I never got around to it because all of the quotes I was getting were way higher than what I was already paying.  I regret not making that call now.

He was part of the group that got together every few months for beer and pizza at the pizza place in the little town where we grew up . . . we’re realizing that 50 is just around the corner and mortality is starting to hit us between the eyes.  Losing parents, losing former teachers, kids starting college, the birth of grandkids.  Yea, we’re starting to feel kind of old.

If someone has been sick, or has a serious medical problem . . . you are sort of prepared for them to pass away.  But when it happens out of the clear blue sky for no apparent reason . . . and to someone you “just saw a month ago!” . . . it kind of shakes up your world . . .

And Now For Something Completely Unexpected

You go through life thinking you have a grip on things.

You make plans.  You have a “road map” for your future and you know where you want to go and how to get there.

You plan your work and work your plan.

What we always forget is that God sometimes has other plans for us.  And God rarely shares those plans with us.

We thought that Prince Charming’s Dad was going to beat the cancer and be in remission in a few weeks.  The chemo and radiation treatments were working.  Even though the treatments were rough on him physically . . . they were working and we had hope that it would end up being okay.

But  God had other plans for Prince Charming’s Dad and called him Home on Tuesday.

It was quick.  It was completely unexpected.  It was unrelated to the cancer.  It was a massive heart attack that took Prince Charming’s Dad away.

To say we are in shock would be an understatement.