"It looks like home again"

As Justin put the boxes in the fridge, our to-go containers from Koko's (Saigon Tokyo), added to the other two already in there, he said, "It looks like home again...", the shelves lined with such boxes. Yes, back to normal! The first two boxes were from LongHorn, my leftover steak and baked potato with the other being my free dessert.

At Koko's, where we had our dinner on Wednesday night, the owner came up to give me a hug and wish me happy birthday. She is the one who told me once that I turn her face upside down...nice! The chef also knows us and didn't have to do his whole show, just made me my fried rice and made me a happy girl. Justin got his sushi and he was a happy boy!

We had talked about going to Publix after dinner but he was tired from working all day. Besides, Justin was not working on Friday, so we could go then. He also went along to Breakfast Club with me, and got fawned over by the ladies. He got his name and face out there now to help more people with their phones and electronics. 

(He was employed by one of our neighbors during the holidays to get their WiFi system up and running. Hugh wrote a nice note to all our Owners and neighbors touting Justin's skills and good customer service attitude! Love it!)

Late on Thursday afternoon, I got a phone call from my next door neighbor, Patti. Her husband and she had tickets to the symphony but she feared he might be too worn out from physical therapy to go. Sadly, I again declined her offer, being so short the notice, etc. I like how she always thinks of me first when she has them to offer. My plans were to finish The Palace newsletter that night and I did it! 

The mail on Wednesday brought me an invitation to a baby shower, again short notice, on Saturday. It was downtown at a place not familiar to me. The young lady had sent me a message about it prior to the mail getting here, but I respectfully declined. I wished Olivia all the very best, of course, but I wasn't going to be there.

This is a picture of the fluff from my small pillow which exploded in the washer a few years ago. More came out than was inside!!

Little by little the suitcase is getting emptied. My sweaters and tops are 'hung up to dry' all around my house, hoping no one comes to visit me! I made the mistake of not checking my jeans pocket so made a huge mess with a nose napkin. As soon as I shook out my items to drape them over chairs, it looked like a snow storm! And Justin had just vacuumed the floors before I came home...I am a mess maker with a tissue. You'd think it was the whole box and not just one. Never have one otherwise but I took it before I left Mom's house 'just in case'! Yes, just in case I needed a grand and glorious mess!

Back to normal here

Yesterday about midday, I sent Nancy a message about going to lunch at Long Horn, since I had a free dessert coming for my birthday, and it expired today. She called me right back saying she was on River Road and would pick me up in 3 minutes. Now, that's what I like!! Fortunately I had showered the night before so only had to put on shoes and grab my purse. When I got downstairs, there was a crowd gathered in the lobby. Heather, my upstairs neighbor, said they were my welcoming committee! I couldn't believe it...Connie was there, Heather and her two dogs, Betty and her daughter, Kathy, and Kathy's daughter, Jamie. What a commotion there was! Nancy had pulled up so off we went, after the hugs were exchanged all around. It's good to be home again!

Nancy and I had a nice lunch, she not being a frequenter of LH. She asked me about the ribs and I couldn't really answer her since I never had them. They were delicious, she said, and I enjoyed my small rib eye steak. I gave her a sample and she loved it, too. Bet next time she orders the steak! My free dessert was boxed up for me since neither of us had room for it after our meals, me taking the Chocolate Stampede. I still have some left in the fridge as it feeds several people.

Nancy dropped me off again after lunch, having to meet a contractor at her home who was dropping off a ladder for her. Julius, from The Club, is painting her living room for her. She is trying to keep him busy since there is little work for him right now with The Club on shut-down for maintenance.

Little by little I am whittling away at my luggage unpacking. The washer was pressed into service on Wednesday morning, washing my sweaters and other cold weather wear for me. It was only after doing a load or two that I noticed how the drum of the washer had a terrible ring around it at the top. In the past I'd tried to scrub it off, using sprays of chemicals intended for such removal. This time I tried Soft Scrub which I'd had out to do the kitchen sinks which had stains in due to my absence. Some of the stains smeared around, almost oily, which I am sure is from Justin's filthy work clothes. 

When discussing it with Linda later on, she recommended using OxyClean to soak in the washer, but I'd have to put something in the water to raise the level high enough to do some good. I already tried doing a cycle of bleach water but it doesn't reach that high with nothing in the water.

Justin had to work today to make up for being off on Tuesday, due to the cold temps, so I went to Bible study by myself. Did get to talk to Mom on the ride over though, as usual. She had Ladies' Aid in the afternoon, planning to go in the terrible cold. What a trouper!  

Bible study was great, 15 of us around the table, excellent discussion. Two new members came to the class, but two others announced they are moving back to Green Bay. I was stunned, and yes, I wept. Wayne and Suzanne have weighed all their options and the only one that will work was to move back home. While they will surely be missed, I know I can see them when I go back up for visits, since I usually get together with their daughter, Karen, too! Suzanne said, "Our vacation is over...." So sad about this, but glad for them.

I have good scents!

Yes, my house and I smell so very good from all the products intended for that purpose. When I got home on Tuesday night (eventually!!) Justin bestowed upon me a bag of goodies from Bath and Body Works to complement those he got me for Christmas.  He had a coupon!!! For my birthday he got me hand lotion which not only has a marvelous scent but also makes my hands feel like I am wearing a glove! My skin was quite dry from being in the cold so it feels good to have this lotion. 

He also bought a plug-in device and refills for it which send an aroma through the rooms, choosing Warm Vanilla Sugar for that. More foaming hand soap and a couple more hand sanitizers to round out the scents. He also gave me a warm knit infinity scarf in magenta and pinks.  All I gave him were cheese curds---which he just loved.

                    
Well, let me tell you about my round about trip home from WI. My flight was scheduled for departure at 8:40 am, so Linda picked me up from Mom’s at 5:00. I was ready to go when she pulled up, loading my luggage into the car in 15 below zero temps. Yikes! Our trip to MKE was flawless, no traffic and no problems in the cold. There was nothing about which to be concerned as far as the drive down. 

Once dropped off, I went inside to wait in a long line to get checked in. So far so good as to my flight being on time/not cancelled. It wasn’t cancelled, either, until it was my turn to get checked in, however. The nice lady at the counter was able to rebook me on a later flight which would take me to Washington, DC, and then to Atlanta, and then home. I’ll take it! All in the same day, yes, I can do that!

I did a whole lot of sitting Tuesday and then had a burst of walking between my gates in ATL (in Washington the group of us being rerouted were told to stay on the plane). Former vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan was on the flight with me from MKE to Washington. He was about midway up the cabin, in coach, and I was in the second row from the back. I did manage to snap a photo of him, however, which will be posted later, after I have them downloaded. (I've been so busy since getting home last night!!)

My original plan was to have Nancy W. pick me up from the airport since Justin would still be at work. Then, my flight and the delay out of ATL was putting me in JAX about 5 hours later, Justin instead came to get me. We had thought about grabbing dinner at the LongHorn near the airport but since the flight was even later than expected, decided to just go home. We did a drive-through visit to McDonald's so had a quick bite upon getting home again.

I have something funny to add to this: Justin was about 15 minutes behind my landing at JAX, going according to what the Internet told him my arrival time would be. Since it was 29 above zero, VERY cold for our area, he thought I would wait inside for him. I was outside and sitting on a ledge, talking to my mom when he called me to report his location. He wanted me to stay on the phone to watch for him, and come out when I saw him come around the curve, so we could both exclaim our delight upon sighting each other. What a character! He was shocked to see me outside, in what almost felt balmly after my -15 departure temps that morning! My boy missed me!

Beginning to wrap things up

As I am sitting here in Mom’s house, nice and warm (though I wouldn’t mind being warmer) while the world outside the doors it is bitter cold. By bitter I mean around 14 below zero with the wind making it feel that much colder. Fortunately I do not have to venture out anywhere, got my visiting done when it was (cough, choke, choke) warmer out…Jill had to go to work this a.m., leaving here around 5:30. Mom heard her start the car and said it popped right off. Jill kept her son home from work today as well. Lynn didn’t have to go to Sheboygan today to watch the boys even though they don’t have school in this area due to the cold. Their other grandmother is taking care of them while Lisa and Noah are working.

As I mentioned, the area schools and some businesses are closed today, and there are flight cancellations at some airports. Even those not directly affected by the snow and cold, because their crews come from other airports and are stuck elsewhere. I hope I can leave tomorrow morning, I am excited to get home!  Justin is off from work today (Monday) but does have to work Tuesday and Wednesday, both of which will be below freezing at the start of the day. I am leaving here and going into more cold. Trust that the space heater will be waiting for me, sure to be pressed into service.

I have to retrace some of my steps a bit: in the past few days I had the opportunity to visit my ‘old’ friends at Shady Lane Home, including the young yet, Teresa. When she introduced me to her assistant, she said we grew up together at SLH. Teresa has worked there since she was 16 years old and has moved up the ranks in administration, even having an assistant now!  I went upstairs to see my friends, Harvey and Clara, finding only Clara in her room. It seems her husband was being taken to the ear doctor by my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. I just missed them! I had a very nice visit with Clara, though.

My mom and I went to see my auntie Thursday, after she and I had had lunch at The Charcoal Grille. I just love their rib eye steak sandwich and onion strings. Mom had the beer cheese soup. My sister, Jill, was also dining in this place with many of her co-workers, after a work meeting. What a coincidence! Anyway, Mom and I had been shopping at Wal*Mart, picking up her scrips and some other items. We did eventually get to my aunt’s house, with me dropping off my mom at the driveway before pulling further in. I instructed her to wait there for me, but she proceeded to the front of the house and up the stairs. That rascal! She said it was easier for her to walk than to stand, even for those two minutes it took me to get out of the car.

Once we got inside, my aunt was struggling with her phone, trying to answer but not getting it just right. She IS 92, after all. The phone rang again so I answered it and heard my cousin on the extension line (yes, still have those!) speaking with someone, reporting ‘an old lady on the front steps’. It was my mom! One of the neighbors spotted her heading up there and called to report someone coming to the door. Small town charm! We had a good chuckle over that.

While we visited with Auntie Marie, my cousin, Cheryl Lynn, came with a lovely floral arrangement for her grandma. I loved getting to visit with both auntie and Cheryl Lynn in one stop like that. My other cousin, who lives upstairs from his mother, had to move our car so that he could leave to run errands. The place was a bee hive! It was great to see these folks again.

My cousin’s wife, Sandy, I saw at church after Christmas. Her husband, my Auntie Marie’s oldest son, passed away in the fall rather suddenly. As you might imagine, all the ‘firsts’ after losing someone are the hardest but Sandy seemed to be doing okay. Yvonne, while whom I had lunch at Perkins last week, is Sandy’s daughter-in-law. It turned out that Yvonne’s lunch didn’t sit well with her but a day or so later, she was fine again. I was sorry to hear that happened to her.

On Saturday, I went to visit my sister-in-law, Sharon, who lives in a group home. When I walked in, I signed in at the table near the door, and then heard someone yell, “Kim! You just missed our Open House!” It was Annette, the director of the Home, with whom I have become quite friendly over the years. Annette filled a plate for me of meatballs, ham, and a roll, telling me that I was the only one from the family to come, even though I was late. I didn’t even know it was happening or I’d have come sooner. Sharon was in her room trying on a top that ‘Santa’ got for her, so I went to see her, carrying my plate of goodies with me. I read Sharon’s Christmas cards to her as she is blind. The staff is supposed to read to her and likely did, but she has some short-term memory loss to deal with besides being blind, and doesn’t always remember. She did recall going to her brother’s house after Christmas one evening which is good.

Cheryl Lynn’s mom, Rochelle, used to work here and was Sharon’s caregiver designee. Rochelle died rather quickly from a brain tumor not long after my father-in-law passed away. Sharon lost two people in less than three months and really misses having Rochelle as her advocate. There is nothing I can do about that and just hope that her siblings will fill in the empty spots for her.

I guess that’s about it, until I can get back home to my own Internet and get the photos downloaded, etc. This won’t be posted until some time on Wednesday I expect so will be old news. It’s already old, so what’s the difference, right?

A cooking fool!

The day after I arrived in Manitowoc, my sister, Kerry, and I went grocery shopping.  I bought a bunch of ingredients from which to make main dishes while at Mom’s house. We really stocked up, getting stuff for her pantry as well as for making our meals. The first big thing I made was Beer Cheese Soup which turned out great for my first time making it. I used the recipe Justin told me (not written down) and it was delicious. We enjoyed that during half-time of the Packer game. At some point I also made sloppy Joes for us plus enjoyed a pack of natural casing hot dogs periodically that first week there.

 

Besides the cheese soup I made chili, escalloped potatoes and ham, chicken ‘n dumplings, and slow cooker lasagna. I made good use of Mom’s slow cooker including using it for my sweet and sour meatballs on Christmas Eve. Kerry brought ham and Lori brought ring bologna that night, plus Jill’s cheese and sausage tray and Lynn’s goodies. There was also shrimp and tons of homemade cookies and candy, some of which were made my bro-in-law, Randy.

 

Yesterday morning it was bitter cold out, all schools closed in the area, and some businesses were closed or closing early.  When I got up, I made up a cylinder of cinnamon biscuits that Mom had in the fridge, warming the kitchen a bit with the oven. Later I boiled some fingerling potatoes and for dinner baked some stuffed pork chops Mom had in the freezer. Anything to have extra warmth around us! I even suggested we vacuum to get warm, that’s how cold it was. Almost like Mom’s electric baseboard heaters could not keep up. After all, it was in minus 30’s range with the wind, etc. Brrrr! Thankfully the sun was out, fooling us into thinking it was warmer. Or it tried to fool us—but I’m not buying it!

Wearing layers even in the house!

Mom keeps her place nice and cozy but both us like to be warm, so layers it is! It would be foolish to sit around all day in our nighties with the heat cranked up. I hate to use her electricity that way, but also wish for her to be comfortable. Kerry and I bought Mom a heated foot warmer for Christmas which she says does the trick. Because it’s sherpa lined, it keeps her feet warm even without the heat/massage portion turned on. The bad part is that she has to keep her feet tucked into it, limiting her dashing for the phone or answering the door. Kerry and I also got her a new home phone with an extra handset so Mom can keep one with her at all times. Like I am with my cell phone!

Monday was my birthday and oh my!, the greetings! Thanks to Facebook, I got upwards of 200 wishes for a happy birthday. Linda invited me to spend the day with her which I did, doing much of the same stuff Linda and I do when she’s at my house! She fixed me up with a fold-out lap desk for my computer which I was able to update via her Internet service (and so it seems her neighbors!).  We had a nice lunch at home with Tommy joining us and then watched some Blaze TV, a first for me, as Linda has DISH service at her house which carries The Blaze. Her little granddaughter, Amanda, was there so she put a movie on for her entertainment while we grown ups talked. Good thing I can multi-task!

Three of my sisters and Mom helped me celebrate once back here. Kerry stayed overnight as she had the next day off, and made a trip to the grocery store to get some caramel corn for me and a case of Diet Coke. She wouldn’t let me pay her back, as these were my birthday presents. Nice! On Tuesday morning my mom and I went to the funeral service of one of my teachers, Lorraine Liese. She had taught a few years at First German and later at MLHS, typing. I had sent her a note a few years back, thanking her for teaching to touch-type. I appreciate it now, but back in high school, not so much! The service was nice, as Lutheran funerals are, and I saw many folks I know. Sadly, not as many people came as I expected.

From the church, we went just up the road a bit to meet several of my other family members for lunch at The Covered Wagon. It’s a diner-style place which my former spouse and I used to frequent when we were building/living in this area. It was almost too cold to take our coats off, even indoors, but we managed nicely. Jill, Kerry, Alayna, Mom and I had a nice meal together before Kerry was heading for home. This was my last time seeing her as she now has to work straight through for over a week and wouldn’t be back to see me off. It was so good spending time with her!

I’ve been cooking up a storm here making a roast, chili, sloppy joes, brats with peppers ‘n onions, escalloped potatoes, among other things. Last night I made chicken ‘n dumplings for Mom and I. Some went into the freezer and the rest remains for leftovers in the fridge. One day I went to Festival and came home with pea and cheese salad, a delicacy in these parts. Oh my!, so tasty! Also, got spinach dip plus some ham salad, which we enjoyed on pretzel rolls. Divine!

The cold has been quite inhibiting, that’s for sure. I am so very thankful for Justin sending me a pair of slippers with fur lining which have been a blessing to me here. Ethel, my church friend, sent along two pairs of fuzzy socks to use here also, one pair of which I wore at Linda’s house Monday. Today our high is just above zero and the day I go home, the high might be -8. Miserable! I do hope nothing happens with the flight arrangements for my departure on Tuesday morning. Linda is taking me to the airport in the wee hours of the morning with my boy quite anxious to see me again---he claims!

Wow, what a game!

My hands hurt, in a good way, from clapping!  The Packers beat the Chicago Bears in the last few seconds of the game, clinching the divisional title yet again. Yes! Lynn and I had a good time, sometimes an agonizing time, watching this game today, and at the end, did a victory dance together. My apologies to the downstairs neighbor for that brief, but thunderous, celebration!

After worship today (marvelous sermon, Pastor Schaefer!) we went to have breakfast as a group to Perkins. I had lunch there yesterday with Yvonne, but I sure don’t mind going again. Lynn treated us all---Mom, Alayna, Jill, and me plus herself to a wonderful meal. I got my standard fare of potato pancakes with crispy bacon of which I brought half home with me. Perhaps Mom will enjoy the remainders for breakfast tomorrow.

At the next table sat some old friends of mine from the building days, Mike and Judy. I used to joke that he paid us to leave town---there’s only so many new homes to be built in our small town and folks would get bids from the three to four custom builders, which ended up being a friendly competition. We shared many fond memories of conventions attended both in-state and around the USA together. Oh, those crazy home builders! And now they are grandparents!

Back to worship---my young friend, Naomi, was the organist today and really did a fantastic job. Especially noteworthy was her use of musical dynamics in the hymns, adding volume where the stanza texts called for it, and playing more softly when the text spoke that way. Our communion distribution hymn was “Where Shepherds Lately Knelt”, one of my new favorite Christmas hymns.

Tomorrow I am spending much of the cold, daylit hours at Linda’s house, taking my laptop with me to catch everything up online. Oh my, I have taxed my Internet usage on the cell phone, which Justin had assured me would be a sufficient amount. Oh no, it wasn’t! I will have to pay for overages but last year I had to pay Verizon for the Internet connection thingy which drove my laptop crazy, so I’ll pay this way, except for the time I spend at Linda’s on her service. She assures me it’s no problem at all and I have to take her at her word on that. Amanda, Linda’s little granddaughter, will be there, too, which could be fun. She is a little cutie pie, and quite entertaining. I will take pictures to share once I get home again. Can’t wait to share all my pictures, if not in my blog, then on Facebook. I shall have to wear every warm piece of clothing I brought along tomorrow as a cold blast is coming in tonight, dropping us to -8 overnight. Yikes! A high temp of 10 will be mine tomorrow---yes, happy birthday, Kim!