Dec 16 - 31 Cough, Sneeze, Sniffle

Friday the 16th was 56 windy degrees in the AM. Time to dig out the box of oatmeal!

Blood sugar 134 - not bad for the morning after potluck! BUT, I took plain steamed veggies and a couple of the guys brought baked fish. Must have been some good fishin' that week! Of course Tony brought his wonderful chicken & dumplin' soup and Carole brought her wild rice and mushroom soup. Even avoiding the standard pasta and noodle casseroles, I still had plenty of carbs! AND, Pat brought her 'to die for' bread pudding with lemon sauce for dessert. So much for my diet last nite! But I did enjoy the fish and the soups.

Lady's lunch was at the I-HOP down in Portland. I bummed a ride with Connie, just didn’t feel like driving the truck to Portland – was supposed to rain and didn’t want to drive home in the rain! I'm getting to be a real Whimp when it comes to driving unless I have to - especially now with all the road construction!

What an experience. We waited until they could get tables together - like they didn't know we were coming! Took forever to get our food - people being seated long after we were there were fed and gone before our food came. I had the Senior Sampler breakfast platter. It was good - can't complain about the food or the price - but the service sucked. Would recommend it for groups of 4 or less! I'll go to IHOP again IF I'm down that way shopping - just won't go with a group - they don't handle groups well!

Propane guy didn't have his truck so couldn't fill bottles, only motor homes.

Al delivered the Christmas box from my sister. I had checked my mail before we went to lunch - guess UPS didn't get here until late. I didn't even have my tree up and I had presents! I opened the “kids” gifts. Li'lBit loved the treats and Caleb loved the balls. He took one over to Li'lBit and dropped it in her bed. She picked it up and dropped it back out! Guess she didn't want to play!

Tinga was asleep so she didn’t know she had presents until later! Holly just wanted the treats!

Why the hell does everyone take the skin off of chicken breasts? I want chicken breasts WITH THE SKIN! That's why I like Fareway in Marshalltown IA! Here I usually end up getting a whole chicken and cutting it up myself! Hate that - all I want is the breasts. I’ll peel the skins of myself AFTER I’ve cooked them! Oh, Well!

59 sunny degrees on Sunday. Hard to get in the Christmas spirit! Just can’t seem to catch enough “good air’ to walk up the hill to church and for the ice cream social.

I stayed close to bed all day Sunday and didn't finish the cookies so Monday was cookie baking time! I promised 2-3 dozen cookies for the cocoa and cookies after caroling Monday nite. No, I don't go caroling!

Made some really good cheddar salmon chowder for lunch.

I was so proud of Caleb; he didn’t even carry on like a barking mad dog when the carolers came by Monday nite!

Tuesday I finally decided to crawl out of bed and go to lady’s coffee even though something blew thru during the night when the rains came. Allison brought the best nut rolls and poppy seed rolls to the coffee. They are absolutely to die for!

Definitely NOT a good air day! 68 dreary damp humid degrees. At least it wasn't the 50 mph winds and foot of snow they had predicted for the panhandle. Propane truck is back and I got propane! Bring on the cold! I’m ready!

Cold front came roaring in with wind chill in the lower 50s - gettin' kinda windy out - still dreary and damp. I stayed in with a cup of tea and a piece of saffron cake (Thanks to my brother! Sure glad he keeps that tradition!) My place smells like Christmas and all is well with the world! I certainly didn't expect THREE loaves! I feel like Aunt Louise (my mother’s aunt) - wrap it tight in aluminum foil, put it in the refrigerator, and take a little piece out at a time! She could make one loaf last all year long! I don't think I have the will power to stretch it out over a year!

Wednesday Dec 21 Happy Solstice to all and to all a Long Night! 58 degrees but we did have sun and not too much wind. Weatherman says it is to continue getting colder until after Christmas. Glad I have propane, sweaters and plenty of blankets!

I'm going to have to find some heavier flower pots so my poinsettias don't all blow over every day!

That crazy Caleb likes to eat the acorns that fall on the ground. He will even dig up the ones the squirrels bury! Guess he has been a scavenger for so long, he still thinks he has to eat that way! I'm surprised he is as good as he is when I'm feeding in the AM. He doesn't get too piggy. He'll let Holly & Li'lBit eat, but he sometimes is a little short on patience and must think they eat too slow!

Thursday the 22nd, 52 degrees, wind chill 47. At least we didn’t get the snow that fell in the pan handle! Gonna be a damp, humid, dreary kinda day today. Good day for me to stay in. My lungs just aren’t ‘rebounding’ like they usually do. Put some lentil/barley soup in the crock pot for Hanukkah. Ready in time for supper, I fixed some potato pancakes and apple sauce.

Friday I took the left over steamed veggies and added them to a creamed soup base. I found a small pack of shrimp, cooked them up and put them in my cream of veg soup. I'm set for the cold weather now!

Dec 24th my friend in town ended up in the hospital awaiting surgery to ream out his carotid arteries. To make matters worse, his wife was limping around on an infected foot. Definitely not a Merry Christmas at their place!

My oyster stew was in the crock pot and ready for when I got home from the gift exchange and candle light service at the activity building.

Amy's little girl, Maddie, 8 yrs old, is home from the hospital for Christmas but had to return to have her spleen removed on Tuesday. Not a cheery What I Did On My Christmas Vacation!

Christmas Day, still dreary and chilly. Headed up to the activity building for Christmas Dinner, didn’t go up for church. Really took a chill being out in the dampness/rain Christmas Eve so stayed in bed Christmas morning. Probably should have stayed home Christmas Day, too. By Christmas nite I was really ‘down and out!” Came home, went to bed, slept until 6PM, got up, drank some tea, and went back to bed! It sure is rough getting OLD!

Monday 26th, definitely should NOT have gone to dinner Christmas day since it was still damp and chilly, but you know me - never pass up a meal!

I didn't go up to coffee on the 27th. In the 40s and I just didn’t want to go OUT. A week of 40-50 degree weather and rain/drizzle/fog burns up the propane! I just switched tanks Christmas afternoon.

Tuesday was propane day - left my tank with a check on it at the front of my RV. I just didn't feel like staying outside and waiting for him so crawled back in my bed planning on checking it later and putting the tank away. All of a sudden I heard clunking sounds and my storage door opening and closing! Cleo had come down to make sure I got my tank in. I had trouble connecting my last tank and he had helped me, cap just wouldn't screw on straight! So when he saw my tank setting out, he just came by and put it in, connected it - I'm ready to go...just how spoiled is THAT!

Wednesday was a nice 60 degrees and sunny day. Needed to get out and get some fresh air – as my mother used to say – get out and get the stink blown off! Went to lunch with Kathy, Dan, Bobbie and her friend, Bobbie's daughter, Jim, Ed, Donna, and Vickie. Quite the bunch - but we certainly increase the cash intake for lunch! We met at the Lunch Box. I love their Reuben sandwich. I had a cup of their tomato basil soup (excellent!)

Stopped at WallyWorld and picked up dog & cat food (and kitty litter!) - Essentials! Went by Castaways and found a $3 blender, a nice Cabin Creek grey/tan tweed looking linen jacket and two pan lids to go with 2 pans I don't have lids for, but I do now! Got out of there for less money than lunch.

Stopped by the office and picked up my mail. I keep forgetting I've sent change of address in on some things and now I need to remember to check my mail box at least a couple times a week.

YIPPEE! Keith and Pat got in just before Christmas. Marv & Bev showed up about 6:30! They are down the end of my street and Marv has to back all the way down there. Most folks that have to back down the street do it ever so slowly and have a person walking down ahead of them. Not Marv, he backs it up in one swift shot! So good to see them.

Thursday I was back to staying close to the oxygen and my bed. I'm beginning to wonder if all the road construction in front of the park has something to do with it. Just had to head off to the laundry – it was either that or go naked! Then back home to suck up on oxygen and hit the bed. I even drove to the laundry room, just hard to catch a decent breath when I’m walking. Didn’t even wander up to Friendship Supper.

Friday 60 degrees and dense fog. Feeling better today but the cough is back! The fog makes it a little rougher trying to suck in heavy air!

December 31st 64 foggy, foggy, foggy degrees! Feeling better - even with the fog - except I just can't keep going too long! I've really gotta talk to the doc about getting my portable oxygen back. I’ve tried it without, but it is just too much effort, and too painful for the lungs, to exert myself to do anything on ‘bad air days.’

It’s New Years Eve but no celebrating here at my place! They are having a pizza party and game night at the activity building, but I'm still fighting the lung crud. I'm feeling lots better, but it is humid and foggy (and not supposed to get any better tonite!) so I'm staying in and WARM!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!