Today I am 49. So I did what every woman in my position would do, I went blackberry picking. Let me just say: HOT! I bought an Enteman's raspberry coffee cake so we could make a fast get away, but then I couldn't find my other shoe so we didn't get out until after 8.
Blackberries were just coming in. Tons of huge berries. Tons of buzzing insects too--flinging themselves kamekaze fashion into our eyes and noses--but we managed. Bees, wasps, grasshoppers. Zoe swears she saw potato bugs, but I don't know what potato bugs look like so I can neither confirm nor deny.
Thornless blackberries are a bland compensation for the potential sunstroke. Thorned varieties have a perfume quality about them--a complexity of flavor that thornless berries lack.
Current obsession is Chinese treats for the residents (I'll blog about my new job later). Current flavor of said obsession is healthful, refreshing jellies made with agar agar and fruits. Agar agar seems better than Knox gelatin because it comes from sea weed, not animal hoofs. It has some iodine (and something else I'm blanking on), LOTS of fiber and swells up in the stomach 3x it's original size so it's filling. It also isn't supposed to melt in the heat the way that gelatin does so it won't turn into soup in the car on the way to work.
I have gotten bedazzled by the glistening variety that's possible.
I pureed some berries, got about 2 cups of juice. Added 1 tsp of lemon zest, 1/2 Cup of Splenda--heated it up. In another, smaller pan, heated up 1/2 cup of water and added 1/2 Tablespoon of agar agar and 1 packet of splenda. Brought the little pot to a boil and wisked it to throughally dissolve it. I was worried about the acidity of the berries plus the lemon interfering with the setting up of the jelly, so I added more of the agar agar than is usual. Looks like they turned out well.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Havin' Fun at the New Job
I have a job! A job I like, feel challenged by and am enjoying! Liz's Mom S has started a residential home for the elderly with various forms of dementia. It's a dream she is pursuing that combines her deep Christian faith with a career. Trouble is, she has been trying to do most of it all by herself and has become a bit burnt out. When she was trying to get them to do activities, they seemed to be really resistant to her suggestions and she became disappointed. feeling unappreciated. So, she offered me a job as an Activities Coordinator/Director, which is a fancy way of saying I get to play games with the residents. A slight problem is that for the most part they speak Cantonese/Toisanese. Heh. I don't. Heh. But, I'm learning!
S has always impressed me. A lot more hard line, fundamentalist-type Christian than I am, she is never the less a unique mix of warm and loving, mixed with prickles and drive. She's not afraid to do the heavy lifting.
She offered me a wage that while is perhaps low to some, is good enough for my first post-degree job, and, as importantly, fits her budget. I run my ideas by her to make sure they will work in the context of the house and with the people and she's given me freedom to do what I like. I only work 3.5 hours a day--which is good for me. I am getting experience working with people in a semi-therapeutic setting--another good.
Right now, it's Mr. L., Mrs. M., Mrs. L and E (I, and everyone else, calls E by her first name). E is the only one who speaks English--and she speaks English only so it's a bit of a challenge for her as well.
Mr. L is 90. He has dementia, but I'm unsure as to what kind. He has Peripheral Vascular Disease, which means his legs don't get enough blood and I wonder if the condition of his veins/arteries is impacting the blood flow to his brain as well. He owned his own dry cleaners for years and likes to be in charge...even when it's not his decision to make. He has a garden in the back yard and is growing tomatoes, beans and zucchini. He is in really good shape as he was really active during his youth and middle age.
Mrs. M is leaving in about a week and I'm sad. She's such a sweet spirit--she really lights up my day, I like her a lot. Her enthusiasm is infectious to the others and helps me to get the others to take part in my activities. Mrs. M speaks Cantonese almost exclusively, but she also has the most patience with teaching me and is the best about communicating exactly what the words are about. She's about 86. She has Parkinson's Disease and some dementia--not sure if it's the result of the Parkinson's (could be) or is a separate issue. She's leaving to go to Hong Kong, I think to see if she can get other treatments. I know there is such a thing as deep brain stimulation, but I don't know if she's up to the hours long surgery that it would entail. If she did have it, she is fairly robust so I think she would live quite a bit longer so it might be worth it. S says that even if she came back to the USA she probably wouldn't come back to the house so, again, I am sad.
Mrs. L has Alzheimer's and is a challenge. I think she must have had to work hard her entire life. She seems to relate everything to work. She seems to default to the belief that she's in a work environment. It's hard to get her to do stuff without her believing that she is at work. Then she looks around at everyone not doing the activity and says they are lazy and she has to do all the work. I've been researching Enbrel as a treatment and am excited about the potential. However, it's bloody expensive--not sure her family could afford it.
E is American and speaks English. She has Macular Degeneration, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and smokes like a chimney. She recently had another stroke and lost about 10 years of memory. I enjoy her a lot as she's charming and fun. It's interesting that she has real difficulty getting stuff into her long term memory, and then getting it out again. However, her core personality is the same. She is E, and despite blindness, pain and memory loss, remains E.
S has always impressed me. A lot more hard line, fundamentalist-type Christian than I am, she is never the less a unique mix of warm and loving, mixed with prickles and drive. She's not afraid to do the heavy lifting.
She offered me a wage that while is perhaps low to some, is good enough for my first post-degree job, and, as importantly, fits her budget. I run my ideas by her to make sure they will work in the context of the house and with the people and she's given me freedom to do what I like. I only work 3.5 hours a day--which is good for me. I am getting experience working with people in a semi-therapeutic setting--another good.
Right now, it's Mr. L., Mrs. M., Mrs. L and E (I, and everyone else, calls E by her first name). E is the only one who speaks English--and she speaks English only so it's a bit of a challenge for her as well.
Mr. L is 90. He has dementia, but I'm unsure as to what kind. He has Peripheral Vascular Disease, which means his legs don't get enough blood and I wonder if the condition of his veins/arteries is impacting the blood flow to his brain as well. He owned his own dry cleaners for years and likes to be in charge...even when it's not his decision to make. He has a garden in the back yard and is growing tomatoes, beans and zucchini. He is in really good shape as he was really active during his youth and middle age.
Mrs. M is leaving in about a week and I'm sad. She's such a sweet spirit--she really lights up my day, I like her a lot. Her enthusiasm is infectious to the others and helps me to get the others to take part in my activities. Mrs. M speaks Cantonese almost exclusively, but she also has the most patience with teaching me and is the best about communicating exactly what the words are about. She's about 86. She has Parkinson's Disease and some dementia--not sure if it's the result of the Parkinson's (could be) or is a separate issue. She's leaving to go to Hong Kong, I think to see if she can get other treatments. I know there is such a thing as deep brain stimulation, but I don't know if she's up to the hours long surgery that it would entail. If she did have it, she is fairly robust so I think she would live quite a bit longer so it might be worth it. S says that even if she came back to the USA she probably wouldn't come back to the house so, again, I am sad.
Mrs. L has Alzheimer's and is a challenge. I think she must have had to work hard her entire life. She seems to relate everything to work. She seems to default to the belief that she's in a work environment. It's hard to get her to do stuff without her believing that she is at work. Then she looks around at everyone not doing the activity and says they are lazy and she has to do all the work. I've been researching Enbrel as a treatment and am excited about the potential. However, it's bloody expensive--not sure her family could afford it.
E is American and speaks English. She has Macular Degeneration, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and smokes like a chimney. She recently had another stroke and lost about 10 years of memory. I enjoy her a lot as she's charming and fun. It's interesting that she has real difficulty getting stuff into her long term memory, and then getting it out again. However, her core personality is the same. She is E, and despite blindness, pain and memory loss, remains E.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Darwin Post 2 and Others
The next day Darwin was soooo sore and so tired. He slept a lot. When he did move he moved in slow motion. I think even his tail was sore. He didn't want to jump down off of the bed, didn't want to walk, didn't want to be moved. When he did get up, he'd get up slowly wagging his tail at half speed. Rob said he moved like "Old Man Beaglestein."
I got sort of worried by the end of the day so I took him into the emergency vet who confirmed that it was mostly sore muscles with a minor sprain/strain on his right front paw. He got some Doggy anti-inflammatory and is much better. He's still tired though. Rob took him on a walk and he wanted to sit down about half way through.
Still working on the bonnet. The brim seems too large for the sides. worked furiously trying to figure out what was going on--I am definitely not spacial. After far too long spent in frustration, I decided to move along and just deal with it in one way or another. Now I'm sewing the tip to the sides and will be covering it with bias tape, the attach the brim in some magical way.
I got some laundry done, some plants cut in the garden. I was working on a rhododendron and when I saw there was a nest. So, I cleared out some more really dead wood but left the rest for fall. Got some volunteer trees cut down though--good to do these things I've been wanting to do forever!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Darwin Saga
Last night I went out the basement back door with Darwin but came in the front door. In an astonishing feat of ADDedness I forgot all about the back door still wide open. Darwin either smelled the air or remembered, headed downstairs and and ran off into he forest. I thought he was sleeping on our bed! I didn't even realize he'd gone till Rob got home and didn't get his usual ecstatic greeting. By that time he'd had about an hours head start. .
This all was doubly compounded by the fact that the night before we found out that Darwin's tags had been pulled off--we found the jump ring which had been pulled into a wide C shape and the tags on the floor. We didn't have a replacement ring, so put off putting them back on his collar. So, although he had a microchip, Darwin was without tags! I imagined people finding him and taking him home with them to keep. I imagined EVIL people finding him and taking him home to keep. I imagined Animal control people finding him and not scanning him. I imagined car hits and coyotes--I did a lot of imagining. PLUS, It was all MY FAULT.
We ran out into the woods (Rob much faster than me) we tracked him by sound but night was quickly falling. It was becoming deep twilight and I was having a hard time seeing where I was going. Realizing that unlike Rob I had no idea where I was, I turned back early enough that I could still see the path. I jumped (okay, panted and limped) into the car and took off for the Farm Park. Rob saw him and almost caught him but by this time Darwin was in his crazy zone--maniacally sniffing, snuffling, whining and baying--all while running away from Rob. We regrouped at the house and discovered we didn't have the faintest clue where our flashlights were.
I drove around the farm park turning off the engine and calling for him with no luck. Rob called the microchip people, Listed him on Craigs list and then ran to CVS and got a flashlight.
I stayed home compulsively cleaning and Rob--who knows the forest--went out to try and find him again. He almost caught up with him at the bridge but this time was so far ahead for most of it he was out of reach. He called me and said "He's at the bridge" and I headed off only realizing half way I didn't know which bridge he was talking about! There's a street bridge and a forrest bridge. I went to both and didn't see/hear them either time. I turned back to the street bridge and picked up Rob walking home. He had seen Darwin just enough so know that he was off chasing deer and had gone under the street via the bridge. Knowing he was across the street and nearing other streets scared us even more.
The area around us still has large tracts of land--the farm park, farms and some mansions. We drove around and could hear him baying sometimes far off in the distance but never found him and weren't sure we could get to him even if we knew where he was (although mentally I was prepared to drive across people's yards if I had to). We saw some people who had seen him but no luck. Around 11, I took Rob--who had to work the next day--home and drove around a little looking and listening. Eventually I gave up and came home. Neither of us could sleep and about 2 am we heard him begin to bay outside the house. He was wet and cold--shivering--and dirty. Sooooo tired. I had wondered if he'd end up sleeping outside--it's still chilly at night--the answer was no. Smelt a bit like sewage (creek water) and was falling asleep as he laid down. We got him dryer and wrapped him in blankets and towels.
Today, he's so tired and sore--I think his feet are sore as well as his muscles--I was outside cleaning off the carport and when I came inside he jumped off the couch and did his greeting thing sort of slow motion and not very loud on tender feet. I am going to give him a bath today. Do I think he learnt his lesson? No. This is instinct.
Today I'm looking into wireless fences and obedience training.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Zoe's Christmas Potluck
Zoe's Potluck Christmas Party
This be the Potluck list for Zoe's party which will take place on December 22, 2007~beginning at 5 pm. Here you can peruse a list of things needing to be brought and RSVP by leaving a comment about if you are coming and what you will/can bring. I have temporarily allowed public comments.
Things we need:
- Drinks--taken
- Paper Party Goods (cups; plates; napkins etc.)--taken
- Main Course (hot dogs? Hamburgers? Tuna Casserole?)
- Another Main Course
- Vegetable Dish (Green Bean Casserole? Veggie Tray w/dip?)
- Another Vegetable Dish
- Chips & Dips
- desserts/treats--taken
- Zoe--Drinks; Pizza; Cookies; Cups; Plates; Napkins etc.
- Scarlett--Chocolate Mess & Ice Cream
- Liz--
- Erika--
- Scotty--
- Cindy & Cheryl--
- Timmy--
- Mary--
Sunday, November 25, 2007
*Sigh*
Zoe is back at school. I miss her so much already. Just having her around makes me more cheerful. Although, not having her here makes it easier to try to get some of the projects I have planned for her Christmas presents actually completed...or even started. Nah, paltry recompense.
We got her unloaded and were able to take fairly good measurements of her various parts before Amanda, her roommate, arrived bearing toilet paper. We watched a Simpson's episode with Stephen Colbert in it, and I took off.
We drove up, stopping at the giant Joann's. I bought a Clover Mini Iron II, which is exactly what it sounds like. This kind has different heads that you can switch between. It was on my list, but was 50% till tonight and my pragmatic streak decided Rob would be hard pressed to get a better price so I got it for him for me...yes, I think that IS what I meant to say.
I also got some computer printable fabric. It's a new brand to me, 200 count pima cotton. I also got some super thick interfacing "for fabric bowls" that I will have to see what it's really "for."
I wanted to get Zoe some fabric, scissors or something but she was right there and I am big on the surprise element at Christmas--although with my lousy secret keeping abilities you'd think otherwise. I settled on some extra-fine flower head needles for the silk.
I dropped by Walmart--den of evil--to get some dog food and picked up some small magnets and sparkly plastic snowflakes and stars that are much prettier than they sound.
We got her unloaded and were able to take fairly good measurements of her various parts before Amanda, her roommate, arrived bearing toilet paper. We watched a Simpson's episode with Stephen Colbert in it, and I took off.
We drove up, stopping at the giant Joann's. I bought a Clover Mini Iron II, which is exactly what it sounds like. This kind has different heads that you can switch between. It was on my list, but was 50% till tonight and my pragmatic streak decided Rob would be hard pressed to get a better price so I got it for him for me...yes, I think that IS what I meant to say.
I also got some computer printable fabric. It's a new brand to me, 200 count pima cotton. I also got some super thick interfacing "for fabric bowls" that I will have to see what it's really "for."
I wanted to get Zoe some fabric, scissors or something but she was right there and I am big on the surprise element at Christmas--although with my lousy secret keeping abilities you'd think otherwise. I settled on some extra-fine flower head needles for the silk.
I dropped by Walmart--den of evil--to get some dog food and picked up some small magnets and sparkly plastic snowflakes and stars that are much prettier than they sound.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Turkey Day 07
Turkey Day 07
We had a good Thanksgiving even though:
The turkey was frozen, which meant I had to cook it with the neck and bag inside since all in the center were solid and rock-hard. Luckily I found a USDA recipe for cooking the turkey from frozen to done. I loves me the USDA!
Rob put the candied yams in to broil--to brown the marshmallows. However, not ever having broiled marshmallows before he didn't know how long it would take. So he cranked it up to high and wandered off to do other things. After a bit he looked in and the marshmallows were on fire. They were black and crispy. He ended up scraping as much as possible and we did without the marshmallow-y goodness this year.
The frozen turkey recipe said not to put the bird in a pan with sides as the bottom would end up getting less heat--so I decided to use the two-part broiling pan--but this meant that the juices could have gone everywhere if the bag burst. Mid cook, ominous crackling noises could be heard coming from the oven so to be safe I decided to siphon off the juices using the bulb baster. I sucked a big bulb full up through a slit in the bag, tipped it up so it wouldn't drip and I could put it in the de-fatting cup and a hefty stream of piping hot juice/fat leapt from the baster bulb onto Rob's bare feet. This is what I mean by entropy having a perverse precision.
Zoe is a vegetarian. No turkey for her...or gravy. We bought a Tofurkey (and vegetarian corn dogs just in case) and used vegetarian stuffing--cooking it on the stove-top. However, we couldn't find room in the oven for the Tofurkey, and the recipe on the package was adamant that we not microwave it--no way, no how! Rob went on the website and although they also said not to microwave it in big bold letters at the top, at the bottom of the page they grudgingly gave up some microwave instructions. Phew!
When the turkey was finally done I discovered that I had put the turkey in upside down so it browned on the bottom rather than the top. This also meant that the thermomater was inserted into the bottom of the bird instead of the top where it's supposed to go.
But, except for being hungry, we mostly kept our good tempers. The turkey was done and tasted really good (it was a butterball), as did the Tofurkey. The bag didn't burst and we had plenty of juices for gravy. Rob didn't have blisters and the candied yams absorbed a bit of the marshmallow taste even though we had to scrape the marshmallows--and you could hardly taste the charred bits. The green beans were perfect and delicious.
Dave, Rob's brother, came up for TG. It's nice to see him. Ooof, to tired to go more into detail.
Darwin LOVED the turkey and thinks he should have some every day.
Rob bought 4 pies when he went to the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in order to get some rhubarb pie to try. A guy in his office described rhubarb pie as a life-changing experience. Unfortunately, Rob thought this version was too sweet and his life remained unchanged. The pumpkin and apple were delicious though and the raspberry was amazing!
We had a good Thanksgiving even though:
The turkey was frozen, which meant I had to cook it with the neck and bag inside since all in the center were solid and rock-hard. Luckily I found a USDA recipe for cooking the turkey from frozen to done. I loves me the USDA!
Rob put the candied yams in to broil--to brown the marshmallows. However, not ever having broiled marshmallows before he didn't know how long it would take. So he cranked it up to high and wandered off to do other things. After a bit he looked in and the marshmallows were on fire. They were black and crispy. He ended up scraping as much as possible and we did without the marshmallow-y goodness this year.
The frozen turkey recipe said not to put the bird in a pan with sides as the bottom would end up getting less heat--so I decided to use the two-part broiling pan--but this meant that the juices could have gone everywhere if the bag burst. Mid cook, ominous crackling noises could be heard coming from the oven so to be safe I decided to siphon off the juices using the bulb baster. I sucked a big bulb full up through a slit in the bag, tipped it up so it wouldn't drip and I could put it in the de-fatting cup and a hefty stream of piping hot juice/fat leapt from the baster bulb onto Rob's bare feet. This is what I mean by entropy having a perverse precision.
Zoe is a vegetarian. No turkey for her...or gravy. We bought a Tofurkey (and vegetarian corn dogs just in case) and used vegetarian stuffing--cooking it on the stove-top. However, we couldn't find room in the oven for the Tofurkey, and the recipe on the package was adamant that we not microwave it--no way, no how! Rob went on the website and although they also said not to microwave it in big bold letters at the top, at the bottom of the page they grudgingly gave up some microwave instructions. Phew!
When the turkey was finally done I discovered that I had put the turkey in upside down so it browned on the bottom rather than the top. This also meant that the thermomater was inserted into the bottom of the bird instead of the top where it's supposed to go.
But, except for being hungry, we mostly kept our good tempers. The turkey was done and tasted really good (it was a butterball), as did the Tofurkey. The bag didn't burst and we had plenty of juices for gravy. Rob didn't have blisters and the candied yams absorbed a bit of the marshmallow taste even though we had to scrape the marshmallows--and you could hardly taste the charred bits. The green beans were perfect and delicious.
Dave, Rob's brother, came up for TG. It's nice to see him. Ooof, to tired to go more into detail.
Darwin LOVED the turkey and thinks he should have some every day.
Rob bought 4 pies when he went to the Pennsylvania Dutch Market in order to get some rhubarb pie to try. A guy in his office described rhubarb pie as a life-changing experience. Unfortunately, Rob thought this version was too sweet and his life remained unchanged. The pumpkin and apple were delicious though and the raspberry was amazing!
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