The Aftermath!
The chicken breasts were already cooked, and the chopped
celery and onion for the dressing was easily stir fried into the cast iron
skillet before mixing that in, and the cranberry sauce was in a can. Pretty
simple dinner even if it could cause indigestion considering the speed with
which it was consumed. Had never seen a Red Lobster honey butter biscuit mix,
but tried it anyway. Threw in some shredded cheddar just for laughs. Not bad.
Not as good as my butter rolls, but quick as anything out there. Then tossed
the paper plate in the trash and took—or tried to take—a nap. My children and
their cousin had a recipe discussion that included sharing my recipe and my
late sister-in-law’s recipe for rolls. Told them to be sure to teach their
children how to make these rolls. Would not want those recipes lost. Jennifer
said that she is pretty picky about the ones with which she shares my recipe.
Guess that is ok, too. It is pretty special. It is one of the traditions that
make occasions special.
All things considered, our traditions make for special
occasions anyway. We hardly ever get entire families together any longer. And
so many of us will not be around much longer. Thinking about it today: among my
classmates, only two or three are still with their original mates (Roger and
James). And most of the widows have remained unmarried. And children have a
tendency to move away from this part of the country to find decent jobs in the Metromess.
The grandchildren will never know what it was like to live out in the country
on a farm.
Connie and her sister plan to stop by for eggs this
afternoon. They will benefit from my homesickness for the country life. Can’t
really have the room to have critters here in the city the way we did on either
of the farms where the grandparents let us stay. We worked hard there, but we
also learned so very much that is unknown by young people now. Sterling said a
lady asked him what they did to “work” the cattle, and he found himself
restricted to telling her about dehorning and branding, but not the other part
of reality when bull calves became steers. He is nicer than the old woman would
have been. Some folks do not have any idea what makes the difference between a
cow, a heifer, a bull calf, or a steer. We have all heard jokes about the old
girl that tried to milk the bull. Ahem.
Today is the birthday of my mom. She would have been 95
today. She and Dad had birthdays one day apart—the 23rd and 24th
of November. Not unoften they had a Thanksgiving birthday. Guess it could have
been worse: it was not December 24th or the next day.
Tara Ross used a quote from George Washington about how
much our nation’s existence and the blessings upon it have depended on God. “[I]t is, in an
especial manner,” Washington said in 1795, “our duty as a people, with devout
reverence and affectionate gratitude, to acknowledge our many and great
obligations to Almighty God and to implore him to continue and confirm the
blessings we experience.”
Tonight,
my prayers include those who need peace of mind and the patience it takes to
live with those who have mental problems—whether it is Alzheimer’s, mild
dementia, or simply a narcisstic personality. And those who find that families
do not understand or care about the problems involved with living in that
situation can just remember that their attitudes reflect the same lack of
concern for mental stability as is currently prevalent in society as a whole.
Dealing with narcissism is very unpredictable and can be scary. No woman should
have to live with a man screaming and shouting at her. Or the other way around
if it is the woman who is behaving as if demented. Life is too short to live
without peace, beauty, some good music, and some critters. Just ask my two dogs
if they are loved. They both grin and wiggle to be touched and brushed. Peace
is love.
Rest
well, my friends. You are loved.
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