Breathing time

I feel like I’ve been on the run for days. I am now finally sitting on the couch with my Mac on my lap, the animals curled by the fire. Bill and Decky are in bed and the only sounds I hear are the washer and dryer running.

*deep breath in*
*slow exhale*

If I was smart, I would be doing yoga and walking regularly, just to show myself some love. But I’m not. And lately I feel very old. Since I stopped taking the methotrexate, I haven’t had any flareups of the scleritis or iritis (touch wood), but I have noted arthritic pain in the bases of my thumbs and big toes. I wince when someone tries to ‘high five’ me. I can’t use the hitting lanes at the tennis club, because I can hardly walk the next day. This makes me feel old.

I think about my options. I could just live with this arthritis, just like my mom and grandma had to. Or I could take this stupid, cheap drug that seems to help get rid of it, even though nobody really knows why it works or how it affects the body. While this internal debate rages on, I take my mobic when the pain gets too bad, and ask for help opening jars. I”ll probably just put it off until something forces me into a decision.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

The concrete piers for the deck posts are poured. There are large stacks of lumber in my driveway, with more to come. All the material for the deck has been ordered. Next week should show us some real progress, I hope.

The landscape guys got rid of all the leaves that blanketed my yard, and it looks so clean and nice again. It’s a good feeling.

Decky started basketball practice and he’s behaving and doing the work. I hope he enjoys himself this season, because last year was not so much fun. He goofed around too much and the coach got pissed.

I don’t have to work tomorrow, so I plan to take it easy and enjoy time with my men. It should be a beautiful day for a hike. Maybe I can find a little time for myself.

What do you do to show yourself some love?

11.1.11

I can’t believe it’s frickin’ November!

I didn’t experience it myself since I was at work all day, but it was about 78 degrees and sunny today. Right now, the windows are open and the fans are on. By the time we wake up, it will start to rain and the temperature will drop throughout the day. But we need the rain so desperately, I don’t mind a day of indoor activity.

The inspector from the city approved our deck builder’s post holes, so tomorrow Owen and I will go with him to start buying building materials. This will be a big fun thing for O’Boy. Then, hopefully the cement will be poured and the posts will be erected very soon. I can’t wait to see actual progress being made on this deck already.

We had a great Halloween. Owen and I went to Decky’s school party, where Decky performed yoyo tricks for his class, and Owen and I helped with games and treats etc. The girls all kept picking Owen up and fighting over him. He loved it. We came home for a rest and some TV time (while I vacuumed and finished making dinner), then everybody came over for food. After dinner, we went trick-or-treating in my friend’s rich neighborhood. Andrea and Charlie gave us beer, the kids got candy, and Koby got to scare people by jumping out of bushes at them. The kids ran up and down hills and stairs and were worn to little nubs by the end of the night. When we got back to the house, we stopped and visited at the neighbors’ party next door for a short time. Then we ended our day by collapsing in our respective beds.

Luckily, trick-or-treaters and neighbors saw some flames licking up Andrea’s and Charlie’s house before any damage was done. Seems a landscape light caught some dried pine needles on fire. We have a Fire Warning out here, you know.

Now’s my down time. Tomorrow will be busy and rainy and windy and cold, but at least I’ll be home and with Owen. And I received three pounds of sweet Missouri pecan halves in the mail today – I can’t wait to make some spiced nuts and trail mix with them!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be a crazy day.

In the morning, after I take Decky to school, I’ll pay bills, start a pot of chili, clean the house a bit, and enjoy a smidge of alone time.

After lunch, Owen comes over and shortly thereafter, we get on his costume and head to Decky’s school for the class Halloween party. We will park very far away, because EVERYONE comes to the school Halloween party. We will watch the parade, help with crafts and games and treats, then haul everything home.

I’ll finish making dinner, which will also include a vegetarian option, then get ready for our guests: Dani, Tommy, Miles, Cait, Koby and Owen (maybe Ryan?). After dinner, we’ll take the kids out to trick-or-treat, meeting up with Decky’s friend(s) along the way. We’ll dodge the neighbors partying in the driveway next-door, and hope they haven’t lit a fire – there’s a Fire Warning out for our area.

We don’t have to worry about handing out treats because we never get any trick-or-treaters. The weather should be wonderful, the haul should be impressive as usual.

Funny how I sometimes look forward to going to work, just so I can relax.

Proud as can be

I’m feeling kinda smug today.

I decided to take all the apples we picked a couple of weeks ago and make applesauce. The apples weren’t in the best shape, but I didn’t want to waste them. I figured How hard could it be? Then I thought I’d take it a step further, and CAN my applesauce. I went to the walmart and bought jars.

When Owen was delivered to my door this morning, he and I put on our aprons and got to work. He washed all the apples in the sink, then I cored and quartered them and cut off all the brown spots. Owen put them all into the eNORmous pot and stirred them so they would be coated with a citric acid solution (to prevent browning). This was very hard work, this stirring.

Then we set the pot to simmer on the stove until the apples were mushy and the house smelled like heaven. After gym class, Owen and I stopped at the walmart (again) and bought a canner (a special huge pot with a rack in it). While he ate lunch, I ran the mushy apples through the blender to make a smooooth tart pink applesauce. It was pink because I was able to keep the peels on – Fiberlicious!

I washed the lids and bands and jars, then kept them simmering in some water on the stove until I was ready to use them. Then I filled the jars with the applesauce, put on the lids and bands, and submerged them into the waterbath. After boiling the water for longer than the required time, I placed my beautiful jars of pinkish-tan applesauce on a towel on the counter. I could hear the lids seal themselves with a ‘thupping’ noise. They all were successfully sealed! I did it right!

I had extra, so I refrigerated some for immediate use, and put the rest in the crockpot. I simmered the applesauce all day until I had some tart apple butter. I like to use that instead of oil in my baked goods, especially in muffins.

I washed tons of pots and pans and utensils, but it was so totally worth it. I feel like I accomplished something I have wanted to do for a long time. I am proud of myself. And when Owen gave his mother two jars to take home, and told her that he and I made them with our own hands, he looked pretty proud too.

Next mission: cheese-making!

Notes from all over

I’ve been so busy lately, I don’t know whether to shit or go blind. So, here’s today’s catch-up post, in bulleted format.

– Declan had his tenth-year checkup today. He is 57″ tall (85th percentile), 101 lbs (95th percentile). His weight has actually come down a few percentage points since we changed our eating habits, so the doctor’s pretty happy about that. Decky also got his flu shot. Doctor says it’s too early to start his HPV series, but as soon as it’s time, I’m on it. I took Declan out to Panera for lunch to ameliorate the pain from the shot, and now he’s back at school, no doubt showing everyone his bandaid.

– We had Ron, Nina and Matthew out to visit from Chicago this past weekend. Bill was freaking-out-stressed-to-the-max and I was dreading what would be an “All Hail King Bill!” weekend, but it went really well. They’re great good people, and we felt so comfortable with them. I hope they felt the same. It was just so special and nice and wonderful to have Chicago voices and attitudes out here in Kansas. Say what you will about Chicago people, but what you see is what you get – no putting on airs, no pretending or posturing. It was a breath of fresh air to hang out with real people. I hope they come out again soon, and for a longer visit.

– I finally finished painting my powder room last week (just in time for company). I had taken down the wallpaper, spackled and repaired the drywall surface, sanded it to a smooth finish, then painted it a rich cocoa brown. It looks brand-new and beautiful! Now, which bathroom do I tackle next?

– The deck is no more. They demolished it last week, and now it feels like we live on a cliff. It’s very naked out there. The guys were kind enough to leave us a big pile of decking that the boys can use for future Fire Nights. This week, utilities will be marked and holes will be dug. After inspection by the city, the building will proceed. I have no problem being patient with this process, since we hope to pay for the rest of it with Bill’s December 1st bonus. When it’s done it will be bigger, stronger and prettier. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished result. And I’m already sick of walking the dogs all the time.

– Decky’s Birthday Month is just about over! A party in Chicago, a weekend trip to Omaha, a Fire Night celebration on his actual birthday, and I think we’re finally done. Whew! I’m exhausted. What a happy, lucky boy he is.

– Our volunteer lone pumpkin and two squash are ready for harvest. Owen will help me put the garden to bed today and Wednesday. We all went to the pumpkin farm this weekend for our requisite wheelbarrow-full-of-pumpkins. This week we’ll carve them for display on Halloween. Decky still hasn’t figured out what he’ll dress up as. Harry Potter is under consideration.

– Bill is still losing weight. He’s starting to train for a half-marathon in June (13.1 miles!). I envy his willpower and strength. I find myself falling into old unhealthy patterns lately. Time to get back on the wagon. I bet a day of green smoothies will start me on my way. Tomorrow.

– I got my raise, and although it’s only retroactive a few weeks, I am glad that mess is done with. I also was able to have a friend cover my Thanksgiving shift. This will fulfill my major holiday obligation for the year, and I will get to go to Chicago for Thanksgiving as I had hoped. I win!

– Broke the old carpet shampooer, bought a new one. I swear we go through one a year, we use it so much. I warned Bill that we will soon no longer have enough carpet left to shampoo. We’ll have to recarpet next year, I think. Ugh. It never ends.

– I was informed by our weekend guests that Ryan’s old room in the basement is now the Putting Room or the Golf Room. The boys have erected a putting green with a large dinosaur on it. More holes are planned.

– I have many icky apples from last week’s apple picking in Iowa. I plan to make homemade applesauce and apple butter. I like to use apple butter instead of fat in my baked goods, so that will be wonderful. Boy will the house smell good Wednesday, when the wind whips up and the temperature drops, and we’re in the kitchen working!

– Gary the Cat is determined to leave this place. He darts for the door each time it’s opened. He’s speedy fast, too!

– Time to go use the new shampooer to clean up the mess the old shampooer made. TTYL.