I'm Still Here - Stephen Sondheim

 With the passing of the great Mr. Sondheim, I wanted to choose one of my favorites to share with you.  "I'm Still Here" is one of the many amazing songs from his show "Follies".  Many wonderful actresses have performed this number from Yvonne De Carlo, who introduced the song in the original production, to Ann Miller, Eartha Kitt and Elaine Paige, among many others.  My favorite one, though, is Carol Burnett performing during the "Follies in Concert".  I hope you enjoy it!

Recipe of the Day - Black Eyed Pea Salad

 I am always on the lookout for new cold vegetable side dishes.  I like to keep them in the fridge to have for lunch during the week.  It's just easy to fill up a container of something and take it with me to work.  So, I found this recipe in one of my FBC cookbooks and thought I'd give it a try.  I love black eyed peas so why not?  And it's easy...gotta love that!

Black Eyed Pea Salad

2 cans of black eyed peas, drained

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 small jar chopped pimento

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 can of mushrooms, drained*

1 medium tomato, chopped

8 oz Italian dressing**

Combine vegetables in a bowl.  Pour dressing over vegetables and stir to coat well.  Chill for several hours, preferably overnight.  Drain off the liquid and serve.

*the next time I make this, I may use fresh mushrooms and chop them.  Sometimes the texture of canned mushrooms is a little rubbery.

**The Italian dressing I had on hand was a house Italian, so it was a little thicker than the standard Italian, but it worked just fine.

Enjoy!

Rehoming pieces can be more fun than I thought

Unlike many people's houses this day and age, walking into our house is like stepping into the past.  Our house is filled with family treasures from all sides.  And it's honestly a pretty good mix of things.  I love them and try my best to use them whenever I can.  Not only do I enjoy how it looks but I love all of the memories that each thing brings to mind.  It's just part of who I am. So, when I am in the process of rehoming pieces, naturally I will turn to family members first.  I believe that it is important to keep things in the family as it is part of our history.  This is not always the outcome but it is my first go to when I want to let go of something.  I say "let go" because "get rid of" just sounds so negative LOL

Anyway, several months ago Michael's parents moved out of their home into a smaller place.  I want to incorporate more of the treasures that we received from them during that process into our own home.  It's important to me. And, in the process, I can let someone else enjoy something that I have.  It's a win win situation for me.  I started looking at things that I have the most of, some of which I was ready to let go of.  Lo and behold, china was at the top of the list.  If you've read some of my earlier posts, you will know that I have  a lot....at least in my mind....5 sets.  And we got a set of Christmas china from Michael's Mom, so this is the perfect time to switch them out.  

The set that I am letting go of belonged to my Great Aunt Mary Lee.  It is a pattern called "Sahara" by Noritake.  They began producing the pattern in the 1920's and I have no doubt that Mary Lee acquired it around this time.  When she broke up housekeeping, it went to her sister, my Great Aunt Billie.  When she passed, it came to my Mom and then eventually to me.  I do love it and have used it several times. 

 

I had 4 relatives that I wanted to offer this set to, hoping that one of them would want to take it.  And while everyone was interested in the history, not everyone could take it.  But, luckily, one has kindly accepted my offer.  I have a very distant cousin by marriage on the Tyner side of the family.  Aunt Mary Lee married into the Tyner family in 1909.  We've been online friends for years and he seemed thrilled to have this set.  And I am beyond thrilled to give it to him because, like me, I know he will use it and cherish it.  Our love for antiques and family history is one of the things that binds us.

So, this set, along with a few other things that I will save for a later blog, will be off to a new home soon.  Now, I just have to find enough boxes and paper to wrap it all up.  I never thought I'd be excited to give away china, but I truly am!

That is all

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

 Even in today's world, there is so much to be thankful for.  Sometimes you really have to search for it, but it's there.  No matter what, there is always hope and that is something to be thankful for.

That is all

The Continuing Adventures of Just a Waiter - MADE Cards

 One of our associate guidelines at work is that we are not allowed to receive tips from our residents or their families or friends.  Now, as that may sound unfair, especially to the associates who wait tables, there is a way around that.  We have these little things called MADE cards.  MADE stands for Making a Difference Everyday, which is our company motto.  Anyone can fill out a MADE card for any associate at anytime.  Each card is worth a certain amount of points and at the end of each quarter, those points can be cashed in.  All in all, it's a pretty fair system and a nice alternative to getting a tip.  

But the truly nice thing about it is reading those cards that are made out for you.  Finding out that what did actually made a difference to someone.  Sometimes it's a resident, sometimes it's a family member, sometimes it's another associate.  Most of the time, we've done things that we weren't aware were helping someone out.  Maybe we just simply asked another associate if they needed help with something.  Maybe we went out of our way to listen to a resident when they just needed to talk.  There are so many reasons for the MADE cards.  

I would like to tell my fellow associates to utilize the MADE cards more.  We have several associates who fill them out constantly but we can all do more with them.  It makes your coworker feel so much better just to know that they've been helpful.  These cards are a great tool for teambuilding because you can reach out to others that you might never really do otherwise.  You can get to know people better through these cards.  And it's very helpful in understanding some of the things that go on in other departments that we normally take for granted.

Admittedly, I do not fill out enough MADE cards and I need to work on that.  If I would keep myself in the moment when something happens and not think, oh I'll fill it out later, I would definitely be more proficient in writing them.  That is one of my goals from here on out at work.  Because, if I can go a day without seeing something worthy of filling out a MADE card, then we're not doing our jobs to the best of our capabilities.

That is all.

It Is Well With My Soul

 I wanted to start my morning off with a hymn that I find very comforting.  I've known this hymn my entire life.  It takes me to a place of contentment and hope, what better way to start my day.  That is all.

Daily Challenge Update

 This is where that ideal of not being so hard on myself comes into play LOL  My latest challenge was daily exercise and admittedly, I have fallen flat with that one.  It is one of those things that in my head sounds great but somehow I have not managed it yet.  Part of it is the time change.  On top of being tired after a long day at work, it's also dark when I get home so walking is out.  Our neighborhood, sadly, is no longer safe after dark so I have no plans of walking in that atmosphere.  Of course, we do have exercise equipment at home I can use...I just haven't yet LOL  I hope to change all of that in the upcoming week.  Maybe even today.  We shall see!

Having my daily water is going fairly well still and I'm still dressing nicely every day for work.  I can still tell it has impacted my daily routine and existence with these two factors in play.  Adding the exercise in will only enhance that.  I am not going to create another daily challenge for myself until I honestly start working this last one into my normal routine.  Wish me luck!

That is all

Being the accompanist

 One of the things about playing the piano that I miss the most is accompanying friends of mine when they're singing.  Back in my first round of college days, I would spend hours in the practice rooms with friends and help them learn songs.  Sometimes I would help fellow actors prepare songs for auditions.  But  mostly it was just having fun.  My friend Marcia and I would literally spend hours in there going over music.  And once I got a piano in my apartment, many nights were filled with music.  I truly did enjoy it.

I was never one to enjoy playing solo in front of people, whether at home or in a recital setting.  There was so much pressure...at least pressure I'd put on myself.  But I was great support when there was someone else in the spotlight.  I did accompaniment on at least 3 different shows and had absolutely no issue as far as nerves go...even when I did hit the occasional wrong note.  I also learned how to take music from a condensed score and modify it for my abilities so that it not only supported the singer, but made me sound pretty good as well.

There is a great connection between a singer and an accompanist.  You have to be able to guide each other through the journey of a song.  Sometimes, one party will get lost or off track and the other must be able to bring them back, often without anyone else realizing what is going on.  There is just something simply beautiful about the relationship between piano and singing.  To connect and make music together with someone...I do miss that.

That is all.

Recipe of the Day - Cranberry Orange Chicken

 This is a fairly easy recipe that I found in one of my (many) church cookbooks.  I made it for the first time last night and enjoyed it.  I would tweak it a little as far as the cooking time goes.  When I'm making a recipe for the first time, I tend to follow it to the letter.  I will only adjust it once I've done it the original way LOL  Anyway, the sauce is really good and could probably be used with other meats.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Orange Chicken

*4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can whole cranberry sauce

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained

1 envelope onion soup mix

8 oz French dressing

Preheat oven to 350. Place the chicken breasts in a pyrex or casserole dish. Combine the other four ingredients and pour over chicken.  Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour**.  Serve over rice.

*you can totally use bone in chicken, with or without the skin, for this

**I would decrease the cooking time to probably around 45 minutes, maybe even less if the chicken is cooked up to proper temp.

Jesus Loves Me - Piano

 I wanted to start out my week with something that reminded me of and honored Grandmother.  As I start to get myself back into the ritual of participating in church, I cannot help but think of her.  Every Sunday, we sat in the fifth pew on the right.  This song was played at her service years ago and it was so perfect for a person who taught kindergarten for 40 years.  I hope that this week my life will truly reflect hers.  That is all.

Quote of the Day

 

So true!  Music is the one thing that is consistent in my day.  There is always music...on the radio, in my head, on the record player.  It enhances my joy and depletes my sadness.  A powerful force in my life and I am thankful for it.

A Prayer of Thanks

 

As we are in the season of Thanksgiving, I am very thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me in my life, especially over the past year.  Now, some may find it hard to be thankful for that with all of the bad things going on and I totally understand that.  I find myself thankful to God for the small things and the specific things.  I am thankful that I had a job to sustain me during all of this.  I am thankful I had a home to come to at the end of the day.  I am thankful that Michael and Squirt are in that home with me.  I am thankful for the family that I have and the friends that are family.  I thank God, for myself anyway, for helping me focus on what I find important and learning how to better take care of myself.  I am very grateful for that, Lord.  The spirit of Thanksgiving that you invoke in us is something I will do my best to carry with me each day of the year, not only in November.  That is all.

Recipe of the day - Chicken Salad

 I have always been a big fan of chicken salad.  It was a staple in our household when I was growing up.  I watched mom make it many times and often helped her with it.  I almost use her recipe for making it whenever I make some for us now.  One of the things I most remember about making the salad with her is that she never chopped her chicken or her celery with a knife.  She always used her kitchen scissors.  And she had a yellow tupperware container that she always put her chicken salad in.  I still have that and use it whenever I make chicken salad!

But, I decided that I wanted to try something a little different with my chicken salad.  It's not because I don't like the way I've been making it, I just did not want to burn myself out on it, so decided to look for something different, yet still basic.  I'm not one for a whole of ingredients in my chicken salad.  Too many flavors mess it up for me LOL  But I will always give it a chance, just to try it.  Anyway, I found this recipe online and enjoyed it.  It will become part of my rotation.  

Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped*

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 green onion, sliced**

1/2 cup mayo

1 Tbsp brown mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until the mixture is well coated.  Chill in the fridge for awhile before serving on a sandwich or bed of lettuce.

*to save time, I sometimes used the bags of precooked sliced chicken, they work well

**any onion will do: red or white, just a small amount as to not overpower the dish

Enjoy!

Moon River

 Today has been a crazy, hectic day for me.  It started off badly but did improve, it was just busy.  And it's not over yet.  I'm just taking a break before heading out to handbell practice and then back home for dinner.  I just wanted to listen to something that always relaxes me.  The music of Henry Mancini is something that I love and listen to a lot.  This song, which I've posted before, just makes my body sigh and I need that in this moment before I get my second wind.  That is all.

The next challenge - exercise

 Overall, I have been doing a good job keeping up with my daily challenges.  I have definitely increased my daily water intake, though I still need to reduce the amount of other things like tea and soda.  I am trying to limit that to just meal time.  Most days, I am successful at it, but some days I do drift off course a bit.  All in all, though, I am pleased with the progress.  I have also been doing well with my wardrobe.  I enjoy dressing up for work and people have definitely noticed.  Only occasionally have a "dressed down". And that has usually been because my shirt is too short to tuck in LOL  People have noticed that too when I'm a little more casual.  I'm enjoying it though!

So, I am looking for my next challenge.  This one is one that I have constantly had in the back of my mind but haven't done anything about it yet.  Frankly, because I have been lazy and have been complacent in my daily routine.  Basically, I need to start doing some kind of daily exercise.  And I have to stop counting work as exercise, even though I get in a lot of steps each day at work.  I can't use that as an excuse anymore.

My doctor advised me to get in at least 20 minutes of good walking every day.  I can do that, I believe.  It's just a matter of making myself do that.  Of course, I have to figure out how to get that into my routine.  Where to insert it, to be exact.  Now that the time has changed, I'm not sure how much daylight will be available to me after work and I don't want to use that as an excuse.  I also am not crazy about walking around my neighborhood after dark either LOL

But, it also does not have to be walking all the time.  There are other things I can do.  Heaven knows we have enough exercise equipment to open our own gym it feels like.  And we don't use what we have so I need to start taking advantage of that.  It will help me physically and mentally, I believe.  I have never been in good shape and now, as I am inching my way towards 50, it is time to start working towards that goal.  Here's hoping!

That is all.

Escapades in Adulting - when your fur baby isn't feeling well

When you take on the responsibility of a dog, you have to take the bad with the good.  And, in the long run, the good far outweighs the bad.  At least that is the case with our Squirt.  He came into our lives the day after a vacation some 10 years ago.  He was found by our next door neighbor literally stuck in the fence in the backyard.  David and Vicky could not keep him at the time because they had 2 dogs already, so we took him in while we looked for his owner.  Long story short, Squirt became ours and I am so grateful for it.

Today, Squirt is not feeling well.  He is having a hard time going to the bathroom and he is so uncomfortable.  I don't know exactly why he is having such a hard time with it.  He did have an accident in the den earlier, so I know he's capable.  But he keeps wanting to go outside to poop but once he gets outside, nothing much happens.  It's cold and he doesn't want to be there.  But I can tell he has to go because of the way he's keeping his tail down over his bum.  And he's walking like someone who is trying to find a bathroom quickly.  I know that I have walked that walked before and yes, it is totally uncomfortable.

I feel badly because I cannot help him with this.  He can't tell me what's wrong or how to help him.  Now, I understand that we can totally communicate with animals, but here I am talking about words.  I just want him to tell me what I can do to help.  Alas, he cannot and so I just have to let him be.  As a parent of a fur baby, that is hard to do.  I want to make him feel better but there's only so much I can do until whatever passes...literally.  

The sun is out and so he's been sitting at the front door, enjoying the sunshine.  I put one of his beds there so he can at least be comfortable while soaking up the sun.  It's hard not being able to help.  It has created a lot of anxiety in me this morning but I know it will all pass.  I'm worried about him because he's not feeling well but am hopeful that his rest in the sun will do him some good.  It does me some good just to see him resting there.  And I do stop and stare just to make sure that he's breathing.  I always tend to expect the worse in situations like this.  One of my faults.

I can only imagine what it's like for parents of children to have to watch them when they're sick.  It has to be heart breaking.  Especially when you can only do so much to help them and have to sit back and let nature take its course.  Mom was a great nurse to us when we were sick and if she was ever worried, she never let it show.  I wish I had that gene when it comes to Squirt.

It will all be fine, I know.  I just worry in the meantime.  That is all.

Working on a Household Inventory

One of the things I used to love doing as a young man was household inventories.  I realize that this sounds like an odd activity for a teenager and yes, it is.  But still, I loved doing it.  It all started when Aunt Sara passed away.  Mom was her executor and among Aunt Sara's papers were 2 household inventories that she had done.  One was of her own personal belongings in the old homeplace and the other was the belongings left from her parents in the homeplace.  I was utterly fascinated with this concept.  I loved reading them.  I loved learning the history of the pieces...where they came from, who they had belonged to, etc.  It was a wonderful piece of history.

So, I was determined to do the same thing.  I cannot remember if I started with our house or with Grandmother's.  But I took note of almost everything and wrote it down.  Now, I didn't do things like clothes and household items like cleaning supplies and toiletries.  This was an inventory for records purposes.  I would gather all the information that I could about a piece and notate it. I believed, and still do, that it is extremely important to know something's history.  To me that makes it worth more, definitely personally and historically and possibly even financially.  Doing research on items that I did not have background on was fun.  I learned many different styles of furniture and names of patterns of glass, china and silver.  

I would spend hours, days even, doing this.  I eventually did an inventory for Aunt Billie as well.  And these inventories came in handy when both she and Grandmother passed as it gave record to what was in the house. I felt like I was accomplishing something both for myself and for them.  I think I have copies of all of these somewhere.  If I can't find them, then most of the information is still stored in my brain.  I spent so much time doing it that I remember a great deal of it.  I also had a cousin, Isabel, that I have her inventory she did somewhere as well.  Hers was for appraisal purposes for things she was selling upon her death.  Still, it's fun to read and see what she owned since I don't remember much about her house LOL

Recently, I started working on some inventory of my own.  I started with a set of china.  The purpose of this particular inventory is because I am hoping to pass this set on to a member of the family and want them, whoever they may be, to know what their getting.  But, I had such a great time in the process of doing this one.  I had almost forgotten how much fun it is and now much I enjoy it.  I should translate this into some kind of business...except I'm very slow and thorough LOL  But I enjoyed the research and information getting.  And I hope to do more of it.

That is all.

Getting the weekend going

 I stated on FB last night that I have a long weekend ahead of me in that I took today off and don't have to go back in until Monday.  I'm very much looking forward to it but I do worry that I will waste my time.  That may sounds strange to some people.  They'll be like "just relax" or "don't do anything, just be lazy".  That's all well and good but not exactly satisfying.  I want to have a weekend of both relaxation and productivity.  Sometimes, for my anyhow, those 2 go hand in hand like when I'm in the kitchen cooking.  It relaxes me and I'm also doing something that we benefit from.  A win win situation.

I also realized this morning that I want to make sure that I put things that I enjoy into the weekend as well.  I'm not exactly sure what that will be yet, but I am determined to do that.  Sometimes, like I have said before, it is hard for me to do something that I enjoy simply because I am too busy making sure everyone else is enjoying whatever their plans are.  This weekend, I'm going to do some things for myself.  Whether it be at home, or going someplace, I'm going to rediscover those things that I enjoy doing for no other reason than that I like doing them.  That's more than sufficient a reason, don't you think?  Michael is very good at that, so I should follow his lead, no?

As for this morning, I am starting off my weekend having my coffee and going over my list of things to do.  I have some errands to run this morning and will get started on household chores like laundry.  All the while, I will think of other things to accomplish and to have fun with.  I can do that.  As for now, I'm going to pour myself another cup and relax with some music for a bit before getting myself going.

That is all 

Quote of the day

 Some days, it is hard to wrap my mind about the way people treat each other.  After browsing today's headlines...local, national and international...it was disheartening and I wanted to find something hopeful to carry through the day with me.  That is all.