A Little Bit Christmasy Everyday

My friend Christy knows me well. She gave me the 12 days of Christmas puzzle advent calendar. It has 12 little 80 piece Christmas puzzles. I know technically the 12 days of Christmas are from Christmas on to epiphany, but I feel like any 12 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas count.

So now that the house is all decorated I am allowing myself the joy of doing one little puzzle whenever I feel like it. I am not looking at the picture of the puzzle since half the pieces are edge pieces it is not that hard to do. In fact I did this little one today in under five minutes. It is less decadent that spending hours on a bigger puzzle, but just as satisfying.

I also was able to obtain a Holley Broughton Original Santa Cookie Jar, jazzed up in only the way Holley can do. She texted me this morning and I was able to run over to her glitter filled workshop to see all the other cute decorations she is making.

I am thankful I was able to get one because as soon as she posts one on Facebook they are sold. She gave me a preview of what she is working on for Garden club so fair warning it is going to be fabulous of course. I expect big bidding for any Holley creation. I hope all the other Garden Club members are thinking creative thoughts when it comes to their auction items.

It’s time for me to go turn on all the lights to shine the happy into the dark of winter. I got two pillar candles for my outdoor lanterns and they have a remote control with a feature where I can chose for them to be on for just two or four hours. I wish everything Christmas came with a remote control, oh wait it does.

Right On Time

It’s done. Christmas has taken over our house. All the crates have been emptied and returned to the attic. I moved some decorations around to make things seem new and different, even though 90% are in the same places. I retired a few bows whose curls had gone. Finally I vacuumed which is the sure sign I think I am finished, hoping to get up the stay glitter.

There are still wreaths to be made and the Christmas train to be put up around the tree. Greenery will be cut and placed in the needed spots just a day before the first party. Russ has programmed the smart plugs so when I forget to turn off the Christmas tree I can whisper into my dark bedroom and Alexa will do it for me.

I actually had time to make a repurposed cream of stewed tomato soup. When we got home from church I cooked down some chopped onions and carrots with some chicken stock. Added the leftover stewed tomatoes and some half and half and, voilà, soup. I melted a little Gruyère on gluten free crackers and had lunch, which appeared to Russ as new food.

Tomorrow turkey tetrazzini. I was too tired today to cook two items and finish the decorating. I was also too tired to photograph much so if you want to get your family Christmas photo taken come on over and you can pick a spot and I’ll shoot your picture. Or just come over and have a cup of tea and enjoy my Christmas cottage. There is nothing I like better than a Thanksgiving in its earliest possible date giving me a whole extra week of Christmas. I like it even better when all the decorating is behind me.

Ornament Disasters

Day two of tree decorating was my most butterfingered day in my long and storied history of tree trimming. I purposely decorate alone to prevent breakage and hard feelings. My high opinion of my skills was dashed today as I broke ornament after ornament.

I have to climb the 12 foot ladder to decorate the top of the tree. So I don’t have to go up and down the ladder too much I fill a small basket with about 20 ornaments and carry it to the top of the ladder. Not once, but twice I dropped the basket from the top of the ladder. Thankfully it wasn’t full each time.

Then I dropped glass globes I thought I had hung securely only to have them jump off the tree to a certain death. I dropped a mirrored glass house and a hand painted glass ball. If all that wasn’t bad enough I rammed two balls together breaking both of them at the same time.

Just when I thought I had done all the breaking because I was almost done, I crashed a ball into the leg of the ladder. The total loss today was eight different beauties gone forever all due to my own clumsiness.

I still have house decorating to do. Please god let my breakage spell to be done. I can’t afford this streak.

The Throwing Up Begins

A big thank you to Russ and Carter for getting all of Christmas out so I could begin decorating. If there is ever a fight it occurs in our house it is on this day. Russ stoically goes to the hardware store for whatever missing three prog s are missing. Carter puts the tree together unasked.

My job is chief decorator. I always start with the needlepoint garland as it is my pride a joy. I have stitched 98% of the ornaments and the other 2% have been gifts from my needlepoint exchange group.

Putting the garland up and attaching all the ornaments is a process. I have to cover the center connection of the garland with a big ornament and then strategically place each ornament according to color and shape. I have stitched way too many blue ornaments and I am always looking for more red ones to intersperse.

I have not finished any room today, but I did get the glass village built in the living room, half finished the mantel, totally finished the needlepoint, put out the snowman show in the entry, and been up and down the giant ladder 20 times with baskets of ornaments hanging just about 5% of the total.

It’s going to be a whole weekend affair to get this party started. Sadly Carter returns to Boston tomorrow so I may take a break and run some errands with her before she goes.

At least the family input into the job is almost done. Russ and I can carry the empty bins to the attic on Sunday after I have actually. Everyone will be happy when that happens.

The Throwing Up Begins

A big thank you to Russ and Carter for getting all of Christmas out so I could begin decorating. If there is ever a fight it occurs in our house it is on this day. Russ stoically goes to the hardware store for whatever missing three prog s are missing. Carter puts the tree together unasked.

My job is chief decorator. I always start with the needlepoint garland as it is my pride a joy. I have stitched 98% of the ornaments and the other 2% have been gifts from my needlepoint exchange group.

Putting the garland up and attaching all the ornaments is a process. I have to cover the center connection of the garland with a big ornament and then strategically place each ornament according to color and shape. I have stitched way too many blue ornaments and I am always looking for more red ones to intersperse.

I have not finished any room today, but I did get the glass village built in the living room, half finished the mantel, totally finished the needlepoint, put out the snowman show in the entry, and been up and down the giant ladder 20 times with baskets of ornaments hanging just about 5% of the total.

It’s going to be a whole weekend affair to get this party started. Sadly Carter returns to Boston tomorrow so I may take a break and run some errands with her before she goes.

At least the family input into the job is almost done. Russ and I can carry the empty bins to the attic on Sunday after I have actually. Everyone will be happy when that happens.

We Can Do Better By Next Thanksgiving

I know all of you are thankful today, after all it is Thanksgiving. This purely American holiday is something we do not share with anyone else. In our very shrinking world that is so unusual. We have adopted other counties holidays like cinco de Mayo or St. Patrick’s day, but somehow other places have not taken up our Thanksgiving day, (except Canadians who celebrate on a different day and Germans who have a harvest festival and a few other which are mostly about the end of the growing season.)

I remember when we lived in London our English friends would ask us what Thanksgiving was about. They did not like my answer of America being thankful to have gotten out of England and survived. They easily could have thrown back that the indigenous people who helped us survive were none to happy when we took everything from them and drove them off their land. I wonder how much giving thanks is being done in indigenous communities.

In that so American way we have papered over the pilgrim/Indian situation and have turned Thanksgiving inward to be about what we personally are thankful for…our families, or at least the one we like and still talk to who agree with our politics, our health if it is good or the fact you are still alive if it is not good, the fact we have places to live and clean water and food, if you have all those things.

Although Thanksgiving is a beloved holiday we need to be thankful daily and work to make the world one in which everyone has something to be thankful for.

Today I was thankful that we had fun playing 3 generation Mah Jongg. That dinner all came out on time and we enjoyed by everyone. That Russ and Carter went to the attic and got most of the Christmas out without a request from me. That my mother is living in Durham and enjoying it. That we all have interesting and fulfilling work that has sustained us well this year.

There is much I hope for, world peace, to be beauty pageant contestant about it. A cleaner and more thoughtful environment as well as more cooperation between all peoples, stop shooting each other and a return to decency, kindness and honesty as just a baseline for being human would also be nice. I think we need to not settle for just being thankful for the status quo, (because the status quo looks nothing like my childhood), but to push a little harder for things to actually be better.

I kind of feel like it is no wonder other countries don’t take up American Thanksgiving. We have not set the best example lately. Let’s hope that we can do better next year. You have a whole year, start now.

Mother Daughter Day

I have to adjust my expectations and not in the down direction. I made a list of the chores and cooking that had to be done today and tomorrow. I showed it to Carter as a way of telling her what I was going to be doing. Without asking she jumped right in. Out of the whole list I only brined the turkey.

Carter made the apple crisp and while she was doing it she asked me just to sit at the counter and talk to her. So all morning she made the stuffing and the corn pudding. Then we took a break and watched Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret and another movie whose name I have already forgotten.

Carter then went back to work and made the mashed potatoes and then set the table. She pulled out my wedding china and some napkins I got for my wedding but never use since I only have four of them. Thanks to Jane Brothers I have a beautiful center piece.

Yesterday I predicted Carter would tire of cooking, but I was totally wrong. The only things left to make are the roasted Brussels sprouts, Turkey and gravy. I have hardly had a thing to do for this Thanksgiving and I had a very fun day with Carter.

After dinner we played Siamese Mah Jongg. This is when I wish Russ played games because he was left out of the after dinner fun. Tomorrow we will find something to do with him he likes and it can be Mother Father Daughter Day.

Carter’s Here

Carter’s Here

Carter came home last night. It’s great that she has a flexible job so she could come home before the rush. She did have a full day of work so she went into Russ’ office with Shay. She reported Shay’s job performance as Chairman of the Board was good. Shay liked having Carter there because she got to go inside a restaurant to pick up lunch. Carter says that if you don’t ask and just bring a dog in they usually let you. It helps that Shay acts like the chairman of the Board wherever she goes.

One of the best parts about Carter being home more days is she gets to spend more time with her grandmother. Carter just left to go pick her up so they could go out to dinner alone. Carter picked a nice restaurant to take her to. We will see who is going to pay.

I am sorry my mother only has one grandchild because she likes being spoiled by the one she has. At least Carter is an attentive granddaughter.

I think I will get my monies worth out of Carter tomorrow when she helps me with the cooking. She is capable of cooking the whole Thanksgiving herself, but I am not going to ask her to do that. Although she is a great cook she usually tires after completing two dishes. Thankfully I know this already and am prepared to do all the rest.

We are not expecting my mother to cook anything. Why start now. But the good news is that now both Carter and my mother play Mah Jongg so we can do that while we wait to have thanksgiving. This means I will get plenty of needlepointing done while we play. Win-win.

Ghosts of Thanksgiving

I got to thinking about Thanksgiving of my childhood in Wilton. My mom’s sister Susan and her husband Hank used to come so it was a small party. In the early years living in Wilton our dining room was right off the upstairs kitchen. That was when our house just had the upstairs kitchen and the maid quarters kitchen, not that we had a maid. It was just the four of us before Janet was born. And when Janet was born the maid quarter’s kitchen became her bedroom, still with the refrigerator in it.

I came across this photo of Margaret and me eating breakfast with my Dad sitting with us. I was probably about eight and Margaret was five then. We had an antique hutch table that my mother still has in her breakfast room, and a tall antique side board, which is still in my mother’s dining room.

The room was all windows with a window bench along one wall. Inside those hidden benches were lots of serving trays and other items my parents used for the many parties they threw.

We ate all our meals at that hutch table until we built our third kitchen and had a bigger table adjoining that kitchen. So Thanksgiving was just like any other meal at our one and only table. The only difference was my mother would put out these little pilgrim and Indian candles we never were allowed to light. Over the years the candles got dustier and dustier because they lived in one of those window benches in the off season.

The one thing about looking at this picture is the room was smaller than I remember it.

I think our childhood homes are always bigger in our memories. It has to be that we were smaller so our perspective was different.

We are having a small Thanksgiving this year. Just my Mom and Carter. My Aunt Susan passed away a few years ago and Uncle Hank has lost his memory. So I will remember for all of us. The foods we eat are similar to the ones my father made for those Thanksgivings back in the late 60’s. I started cooking the stewed tomatoes today, the same way my grandmother taught my father to do them. They take so long we only have them on Thanksgiving, but since I have been having them for the last sixty years once a year they became an institution.

It is not quite the same without my father. He always was the cook until he taught me to cook. His thanksgiving menu never varied. He loved creamed onions and giblet gravy. Now that he is gone I never have to have giblets in my gravy again, but I would if only he could be at the table one more time.

The Weekend Before the Weekend

I made my list Thursday night of all the chores I wanted to get done this weekend in preparation for the Holiday season. Carter comes home Monday afternoon. We have a small family thanksgiving and then the real work begins decorating for Christmas

In anticipation of that, this weekend was dedicated to cleaning and fixing anything and everything. I deep cleaned the kitchen and Russ emptied the refrigerator so we have space for not just Thanksgiving food, but all the party food for the month of December. Every counter was cleared and piles of note pads and jars of spices all got put away.

I dusted, vacuumed and mopped everything to a sparkle and shine level not seen since last Christmas. Mail that had accumulated on the front hall chest was dealt with. Four loads of laundry was done with an eye on every kitchen towel.

I ordered things I knew I would need in December. I finished making projects that I had been working on all year. Russ chiseled out the old grout and together we replaced the towel bar holder and Russ took to heart that it should be held tightly in place for 48 hours so he fashioned a pole that pushed against it.

Shay did not like all this activity. I on the other hand took great glee as I checked off one by one the things on my list, including things like purchasing plane tickets for far off trips and making sure Santa was ready, sending emails that had gone un-composed for weeks.

I now recognized that the weekend before Thanksgiving is my “get ready to get ready for Christmas” weekend. I realize that this weekend has been used similarly in the past, but not to the degree it was this weekend.

I pray that I am setting myself up for a month of fun. I know I can’t cook for parties that are still two weeks away, but at least I can have the house ready. Thanksgiving is just the warm up for the main act. I can hardly wait.

The Crown Real Life

My BFF Suzanne couple not believe yesterday’s blog was not about The Crown. I had to admit to her that I had not watched it as of the writing of the blog. So last night I started. I was three of the four episodes in when I finally had to go to bed, but was dying to watch the fourth episode. I did not stay up and push on because I wanted to give it my full attention and 11PM was not the right time to start.

I love how The Crown has written this part of history. Of course it is historical fiction as we will never know exactly what went on, but I do feel like they had portrayed the royal family in a fairly good light considering the facts we have in evidence.

The part of the show that I am most happy with is the portrayal of Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed as not some great love and how Charles appeared to grieve the loss. I do feel like Prince Phillip was a big factor in the royal family’s initial public reaction. I never liked him much, and felt like he had trouble changing with the times.

Russ and I were living in London the day Diana died. My sister Margaret was visiting from the states. I will never forget her coming into our room and waking us up telling us that Princess Diana had died. It was a surreal day. It was a Sunday and the city went completely silent.

Russ and I went into the office because we didn’t know what else to do. Our offices were next to Euston Station and I walked into the station to buy a news paper. Although the place had people in it, no one was speaking. The newsstand was stripped of most papers. You have to understand at that time Britain had something like 137 national newspapers and the newsstand at Euston carried at least 75 different ones,

We lived on the north side of Hyde park, not far from Kensington Palace and about a half hour walk through the park to Buckingham. By three days on from her death the smell of fresh flowers was so strong at our house due to the millions of flowers people were leaving at both palaces. Eventually those flowers didn’t smell so good, which was reflective of how people were feeling about the royal family’s handling of Diana and her tragic passing.

I was born the same year as Diana, and often have wondered what she would be doing as she aged. She will always live on in our memories as the most beautiful young woman who left us too early at 36.

Now we have to wait until December to get the final 6 episodes of The Crown. It will be interesting to see how far into the Queen’s life they go.

For now, if you haven’t watched the four episode of Season 6 I think you should. I feel like they handled that era well considering how much we all knew from living through it.

Both Too Strong for Our Own Good

I was trying to get all the towels off the towel rack in the shower so I could wash them. I pulled too many towels too hard and I bent the plastic towel rack to the degree that it came out of the ceramic holders. The holders that are set in the tile wall with motar and grout remained intact.

I put the now freed towels in the laundry basket and tried to replace the rod by putting it in one holder and bending the thick stiff plastic towards the wall. Russ seeing me struggle to do it stepped in to save the day.

He placed the rod in one holder and while holding the ceramic holder at the other end while pushing the rod into the indentation he pulled the ceramic right off the wall. Now instead of not having a rod, we also did not have two holders for the rod.

It never fails that helping makes the problem twice as bad. Now I have to find the right mortar mix it up and get Russ to help me hold the rod in the currently stationary ceramic end while replacing the one he pulled out of the wall.

Life feels like maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.

The Santos/Botox Defense

A congressional committee has found George Santos guilty of using his campaign funds for personal use. That’s a big No-No. I am unsure why it took a congressional committee so long to get around to figuring this out, but I suspect the razor thin majority that republicans hold in the house has everything to do with it.

Meanwhile Santos has been collecting his congressional paycheck, while not being allowed to serve on any committees. I am hoping the DOJ takes the report and charges Santos with the crimes he has committed.

One of the things the congressional committee found Santos illegally spent campaign funds on was many Botox injections. This has got to be the worst endorsement for Botox ever. Santos may have a smooth forehead, but did all that Botox perhaps paralyze his brain. Could his alleged constant lying be due to too much Botox.

I can think of some other big liars who look like they use a lot of Botox. Maybe Santos can say his illegal purchase of Botox was what caused him to lose his mind and spend money wildly that was not his and lie about his ancestry, his schooling and his previous employment.

Poor Botox. They are now linked to Santos in the congressional record. A fate I don’t wish upon my worst enemy.

Planning for Christmas

Those who know me know that Christmas throws up at my house on the day after Thanksgiving. My family hates Black Friday more than any other day because it means they have to go to the attic and bring down the 75+ crates of ornaments, decorations and Christmas crap that is stored there.

It’s time for the tree, the Christmas village under glass, the many wreaths and mini trees, the needlepoint garland, and every other unique Christmas thing I have made over the years. Every year I make one new Christmas thing for the house. This year I have not had the time, nor the inspiration to sew, or saw, or paint or assemble my way into something never seen before on Pinterest. So I have decided to expand to create something outside instead.

For years we were known as the house with the giant snowman, way before inflatables took over and people littered their yards with Santa’s in a Bass boat. Once other people got in on the giant yard thing I got out of it.

So I am making a plan to do just one tasteful new thing. I ordered the supplies and am planning my attack. Since this will be new territory for me I am unsure exactly how it will go, but I am hopeful since the outdoors is virgin space, save the terra-cotta soldiers and big glass candle holders that are on my front porch.

I am not quite ready for Thanksgiving, but that is just a meal. The main course is the Christmas decorating and for that, I am gearing up.

Save America, Play Mah Jongg

People often ask me why I think Mah Jongg has had such a huge surge in popularity. I have come to realize that there is a yearning to be together with people and not talk about anything controversial. People need community and community without strife. That is what Mah Jongg is giving to people.

When you get together to play you may have time to chat a little, but mostly you want to play and be in a room with real people. We learn as children that when we play with people they become friends. That is true for older people too.

If you are friends you are more forgiving of differences. You are more likely to try and understand different points of view from a friend than a foe. We spend too much time in this country being divisive and a game of Mah Jongg can be a starting place for remembering that we are more alike than we are different.

I think if all of America could play Mah Jongg together we would be a happier country. So Mah Jongg could potential save America from itself.

Next time someone asks me why I spend all my time, literally all day and night today, teaching people Mah Jongg I am am going to say, “It is my little way of trying to bring people together as friends to heal America.” I know if I say that out loud people will look cockeyed at me, but how else can I explain the pure hunger people have to learn this game. Everyone knows they need to do something to be with people, they just don’t know what that something is and Mah Jongg is filling the void.

Save America, Play Mah Jongg.

The Kindness of Old and New Friends

The highlight of my day was a small celebration for Needlepoint Nancy’s birthday. We needlepointed, had a yummy ricotta cheese cake made by Karen, Nancy opened gifts and it was general merriment.

This small group I belong too is kind and generous and is a joy. The friendship and fellowship is something I cherish and hold dear.

Then I went to work. I shouldn’t call it work because it is pure pleasure. This was my third class with a group of young mothers who mostly live in the same neighborhood. They have been so fun to teach. Tonight was sadly our last class and Faith, whose house we were at tonight gave me two sweet gifts, she said we’re from the group – A darling Mah Jongg Pad and tea towel.

I certainly don’t expect gifts, but it seems like I am getting them more and more often. I am so touched by people’s generosity. It does make me a little sad when I finish a class with people I like, but it will be time to move on to the next two new classes tomorrow.

Is Oyster Stew Stew?

My southern father loved Oyster Stew. We made gallons of it every Christmas Eve for the more than 150 people who used to come to our house for our family Christmas party. The Connecticut Yankees ate it up, exclaiming they had never had such a thing. I used to wonder if it was a purely southern thing. More than that I wondered why it was called stew at all. Our family recipe included only onions, butter, milk, half and half, spices and oysters. Of course it was served with oyster crackers. It was much more a soup than a stew, but who was I, a mere child/indentured cooked to question.

Along with the oyster stew we served Ham biscuits made with real country ham my father would order from Virginia, like the kind his Charlottesville mother would have used. We had to soak that ham in a sink full of water for days to remove enough of the salt so the Yankees could eat it.

Of course we had standard 1970’s party food, such as onion dip and hot artichoke dip, but it was the southern foods which were devoured first.

This week on my way home from Kinston I stop at the fish market and bought a half pint of oysters and made oyster stew. The simplest of dishes and the best. I felt my Dad’s presence even if it wasn’t Christmas Eve. I still don’t get why it’s called a stew.

Demand for the recipe

2 T. Butter

1 sweet onion chopped

1 clove Garlic

Shake of cayenne pepper

1 t. Paprika

1 t. Parsley flakes

Black pepper

Salt to taste

2 cups milk

1 cup half and half

1 pint of shucked oysters in their liquor

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add the onions on medium heat and cook five minutes until translucent. Add garlic and spices and cook one more minute. Add milk and half and half and the liquor from the oysters. Heat gently until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pot.

Add the oysters and continue cooking for a few minutes until the edges of the oysters curl.

Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with oyster crackers.

Sometimes Amazon Knows Best

Last week I ordered a cordless electric scrubbing wand to clean my shower floor. I was tired of my twenty year old tile not being as white as it originally was. I thought a spinning brush would help the situation and one on a stick meant I did not have to bend over to clean it.

These mechanical brushes are not expensive so I looked at the many different models on Amazon and picked one. I noticed there was another product, that I had never heard of, that was frequently bought with the scrub brush. It was called Pink Stuff.

I read the description. It is a slightly abrasive clearing paste that sounded like it was perfect for my floor tile. At $5 what did I have to lose?

The products came last week and sat in the boxes all week as I was away. Today I opened them up and put the system to work. My shower floor has not been this white in a decade. The Pink Stuff was the trick and the cordless spinning brush made the job easy.

Now I am looking around at what else I can clean with this duo. I went ahead and ordered a caddy to carry all the various brushes, pads and tools with the pink stuff and the wand. I feel like a cowboy with a holster looking for a stain to rub out.

The Pink Stuff says it is good on stainless steel pans. I have a couple I am going to try and make look like new. I promise my blog is not going to become a before and after of things I clean. It just happens to be the most exciting thing that happened around here today.

Everybody Is Where They Should Be

Carter made it back to Boston today after a perfectly fabulous trip to Argentina and Uruguay. That kind of travel is life changing. Everyday she would report on the interesting people and friends she had made, the art she saw, the food she tasted and the sights she saw. It was fun to follow her on instagram, but I am glad she is home safe and sound.

I am home too from my work down East. It is exhausting to have so much fun working. I so appreciate my agent Kristi who organized everything so well. Staying with Debbie and Paul was a real treat. I am always touched by the kindness of my hostesses.

I know I will sleep early and long tonight. Shay and Russ were happy to see me, but I am afraid I was not up to doing much this evening. I did stop at Reynold’s seafood in Kinston and brought back some good seafood, but am too tired to cook tonight.

Tomorrow, I promise I will make dinner.

Lucky to be in Kinston

Day two Mah Jongg in Kinston and last day with my beloved beyond beginner class. The beginners progressed well and they will finish tomorrow. Sadly the beyond beginners class finished today. One of my students Teresa, who I met on a plane and does not live in Kinston has been warmly welcomed by the Kinston crowd. They are such a sweet group and dear friends.

My darling hostess Debbie had some friends back to her house for dinner. It was a rare 70°evening and we sat out in her glorious courtyard and enjoyed drinks and each other. Debbie went deep to serve gluten free things for me that actually were delicious.

We ate dinner under the pergola in the warmth of the shared friendships. Debbie’s husband Paul joined us and we talked on forever.

Jane’s love Warren arrived with their dog Lucky to give me a hug and see me before he was off to yoga. I just can’t spend enough time with these people. It is always a treat to be here.

Thanks Debbie and Paul for having me for this visit .

Kinston Redux

The pleasure of two visits a year to Kinston can’t be underestimated. This one is especially fun. These aren’t students for me, but friends I get to visit. This visit I am hosted by Debbie who always go above and beyond. Debbie is a great baker. She met me at the club this morning before my fist class and delivered fresh hot gluten free apple muffins.

I had a new group of beginners with one repeat student, Teresa. She was retaking beginner and advanced in the same week. She did not need the beginner, but I was happy to have her in class nonetheless.

The big show started at lunch as my friends started to arrive. Usually when I teach a class I have to have everyone introduce themselves so I can make a seating chart so I remember their names. This is the first class where I can honestly say I not only knew everyone, but loved them.

Debbie, brought a bouquet with ballons that said, “welcome back, you are the best, you’re number 1.” It’s no wonder I love to come here.

After class everyone stayed in the bar and visited. A couple of other friends who had to work instead of coming to class, joined us and we had dinner at the club. Debbie had gotten us all silly glasses because she is all about good props for photos.

It was a fun night, but thankfully early. Debbie and I went back to her house to rest. It was a fun day. You know I am never going to be able to sleep after all this extroversion fun, but I have to sleep and get up and do it again tomorrow.

Thanks Kinston, I love you.

Crazy Mixed Up Kind of Day

Well I slept for 16 hours and I hope that is the last I will report on that for ten more years. Now I feel like I m behind on so many things, including the holidays.

My day started with a little gathering of two friends and one brought us our Christmas gifts! It was because she wanted us to have a very cute cup to use through the holidays. I think I will use this cup all year since I love Christmas so much.

After they left I realized that I have two invitations I needed to create for two different groups. It is hard to believe that the Christmas celebrating is less than a month away. I have t even made my thanksgiving menu. (Carter, maybe you can do that. I hope she is reading my blog in Buenos Aries).

Russ reminded me to go vote. We only have the mayoral and city council races, but every vote counts extra in off years when few people vote. I hope my Walkers roommate Nancy wins her race in Southport, CT. If you live there vote von Euler!

I had to iron and pack for my early morning trip to Kinston in the morning before I go to Raleigh to teach some young people tonight.

I am ever thankful that Russ Lange is the best husband and took such good care of me the last few days and runs the house so well while I am gone. I know that Shay is happy to have him all to herself, but I hope she won’t mind when I rejoin them on Friday.

For those of you who wanted to watch my Mah Jongg talk on Expert Connect with Debbie Barnett here is the link to YouTube. https://youtu.be/rWBKXX0_wLY

All Clear

Colonoscopy Prep is not fun no matter how you put it. It was a rough night. Russ took me over to the Endoscopy Center. My Doctor is a friend so he came out to the waiting room and greeted me. Thanks David for the warm welcome. I wasn’t going to spend most of my time with him awake.

While waiting in pre-op I saw another Dr. I know from Church. The nurses wanted to know how I knew all the doctors. It’s just what happens when you live in the same town for 30 years.

The good news is I got an all clear. Ten more years before I do this again. I don’t have much recollection of learning that news. The post-op nurse was trying hard to get me to wake up so I could walk out. I think I slept in the car all the way home. I don’t have much memory of getting back in bed, but that is where I was when Shay woke me up.

Russ brought me dinner in bed. I had cooked a pot roast yesterday in anticipation of getting to eat today. Why a pot roast, don’t ask, but I really wanted those long-cooked carrots and onions.

I’m planning on going back to sleep soon. I’m not very good at doing anything right now. The anesthesia is good.

Thanks to Debbie Barnett

I am so glad finally responded to Debbie Barnett’s emails. Debbie owns Mahjcon, but her email came from Expert Connect, which I was unfamiliar with. I didn’t respond at first because it thought it was a marketing platform. I had no idea it was about Mah Jongg experts. Anyway, I finally answered her call and she asked me to be her guest on her show.

Debbie is a real Mah Jongg expert and a kindred spirit when it come to spreading the love of the game and the rules. We had a wonderful time talking about the game and easily could have talked for many more hours about the finer points and out pet peeves.

I have no idea how many people were watching this as it was on zoom and YouTube. I am just glad I don’t have to figure out how to run all these shows and deal with all the questions and comments. Thankfully Debbie read me the questions, of which there were many great ones. Thanks to all the people who tuned in and asked such interesting questions. I hope I answered them sufficiently.

I always have an opinion about every aspect of the game and love to answer people’s questions. Right after we logged off I got texts from many friends who had watched the show. That was so sweet of you all. I hope even you learned some new things.

When Debbie sends me the link to the YouTube I will post it. I won’t watch it because that would make me never do one of these shows again. I do like podcasts best, but understand that people like to watch things too.

The Mah Jongg community is full of wonderful people who are happy to share information with you and teach you how to play. We all can learn to be better players and I encourage you to continue expanding your knowledge. Mah Jongg will keep you young.

Bad Timing

I am the guest on a MajhCon zoom presentation tomorrow night. The host had been trying to get me for a while so I finally relented this summer and agreed to be the guest tomorrow. Little did I know when I made those plans that it would be the night before my colonoscopy.

I am in the throes of prep. Right now there is not much I can eat and tomorrow I will eat nothing. So it was also bad timing that we were invited to the first party of the season, or the Pre-season as our hostess called it. So no nibbles for me.

Next time I have a colonoscopy I am going to schedule it for a Friday so I don’t ruin a weekend.

A Little Brown Dog Goes to the Dentist

I knew something was up when my Mommy got dressed right after her alarm went off. First hint, there was an alarm. She taught Mah Jongg last night in Raleigh and did not get home until Daddy and I were almost asleep. That alone should have meant she was sleeping in this morning.

Second hint is Mommy did not eat breakfast and did not give me breakfast. Daddy came in and said it was time to go out. Go out? No one has eaten anything. Mommy put on my harness and that only means one thing…I’m going in the car. So Daddy came down to garage with me and Mommy even though he was just wearing his underpants.

Mommy opened the back door of the car, but I was having none of it. I ran all around the driveway and Daddy came out in the cold and ran around chasing me. Eventually they went inside so I followed them. It was a trick. Mommy picked me up and carried me to the car and snapped me into my car buckle. We drove to the vet.

Haven’t I been there enough. I just got my hair done and had a blood test. What gives? Nobody told me I was getting my teeth cleaned. I shivered all the way into the exam room. Mommy discussed if this was going to cost $650 or $1,050. I looked at her and gave her the sign, “It could be free if we walk out now.”

Mommy hugged me and said, “You have doodle tarter, this is for your own good,” and left me there.

I don’t remember much after they shaved a stripe around one of my front legs and put me under. I was groggy when I woke up, but I still had all my teeth. Mommy came back in the afternoon to pick me up and I heard the Dr. tell her I was a good patient and only had a two out of four on the grossness scale for dog teeth.

I was still a little wobbly but I was happy to jump back in the car because the only place we could be going was home.

I realized when I got home that I had on a new green bandana I must have gotten at the vet for being a good patient. Mommy said when she was little and when Carter was little they always got a prize at the dentist for being good. I wish they had given me a steak instead of a bandanna with avocados on it. It must have been because I was only a two.

Having an Adventurous Child

Carter arrived in Buenos Aires this morning. My globe-trotting solo-travel loving girl has been chomping at the bit to run off to some far off nation. She has had plenty of US travel going to a bunch of weddings and the cape and Maine, but nothing scratches that itch of hers like a foreign destination to discover on her own.

Carter was scheduled to go on a Mongolian horse trek alone in August of 2020. I was not thrilled about that trip through Turkey to Mongolia, but she had earned the money and had the time off between working at Bain Capital and starting a new semester at college. The pandemic had other ideas. So the world shut down and there was no travel for her. So instead she just kept working at Bain full time and going to school full time. It was crazy and it was sad.

Carter’s current employer is fantastic about giving time off so Carter thought November would be the perfect time to do a little jaunt some place new and exciting. South America seemed like a good answer since she had never been there and her airline points could get her there and back fairly comfortably.

Carter has become the master of hostels and one of her favorite brands has locations in Buenos Aires so she booked in there. I remember when she was going to London alone once when she was young I suggested she stay at a hostel and she turned her nose up at me. Then when she had to start paying for her own travel she tried it and has been hooked ever since.

Carter loves to go and experience a location alone, but have a place to also meet other solo travelers. She texted tonight that tomorrow she may go to a museum with a friend she just met in the hostel.

I love her adventurous spirit. Her ability to go alone and discover new things fearlessly is a trait that will serve her well. When she was little she didn’t even like the idea of going to spend the night at someone’s house. I am thankful to Hannah Hannan who said she would break Carter of that fear, and had her for a sleep over with Campbell. Hannah lay on the floor holding Carter’s hand until she fell asleep. That one step at age four of five gave her the knowledge that she could go to sleep away camp, to summer school in Taiwan at the age of 13 and live with a family who she didn’t know, to Berlin for her first semester of college, to London for a summer in college and then all over the world alone.

There is no better education than getting to see the world and meet people from other places. I’m thrilled that is a always a priority for Carter. Have a wonderful trip.

Colonoscopy Prep

Russ and I have different colonoscopy Doctors. His prep has always been different from my prep. Mine requires low fiber diet for the day before the terrible clear fluids only day. So tomorrow I start the low fiber. The idea of not getting fresh vegetables and fruits is a killer for me.

Now that I am gluten free the choices of what I can eat are further limited. So I turn to you my tribe of readers. Give me any good things you ate during the low fiber days. Gluten free. White bread is so horrible that I am trying to think of other things. All I am craving right now is a salad since I can’t have that. Or maybe some beats, they are a no. Or some roasted Brussels sprouts with pecans, no and no.

I am not too worried about my Day of Clear liquids. It is just one day. I can have broth, jello, tea, apple juice. It’s the low fiber days that are god awful to me. I feel like all I have been trained to do is eat more fiber so it goes against my every grain, pun intended, to come up with food without fiber.

I await your creative, non red or purple suggestions.

Our Dark House

Our house is dark tonight. We live far enough off the road to make our house undesirable as far as trick or treating goes. The giant magnolia in our front yard have grown so large that most people coming from the down hill side of our street don’t even know our house is back here.

In years past I have bought loads of candy to give out and then find myself left with it. It’s not a good thing. So last year and this year I decided to give up on handing out candy and just hang out in a dark house.

Carter lives in Beacon Hill in Boston on a street famous for Halloween with one house on one end of the street that gets all decked out and and ritzy square half way down her street that is known for generous Halloween treats. Since Carter does not anticipate living on this street forever she thought she would sit on her stoop and hand out candy this year. I asked her if anyone else in her building was going to do it and she didn’t think so, so she was the sole person from her building of ten units between mansions giving out candy.

I saw her instagram and she said it only took 45 minutes for her giant bowl of candy to be cleared out. Then she posted a photo of hoards of trick or treaters and said “Happy Halloween to the two kids dressed as sushi rolls and only them.” I asked if the kids were well behaved and she said for the most part.

You really have to lower your expectations when giving candy out. I am happy people still do it and I am happy kids have to learn to talk to strangers. The crap shoot is you never know how polite kids are going to be.

I hope that everyone who was out had a good experience, both the givers and the receivers. I hope there are not too many stomachs aches tonight and I mean for the fathers who might be eating their kids candy. And I hope everyone gets home safe and sound. Just a reminder that Santa is watching.

The Newest Trend in Mah Jongg

Once you have mastered Mah Jongg the next horizon is teaching your dog. Brilliant Mah Jongg breeds include Labs, Chows, Doodles and King Charles Cavaliers. Terriers have trouble picking hands and sticking to them and bulldogs get their card’s too wet with slobber. Beagles just eat their cards and goldens want everyone to win so they pass jokers, even though they know it is against the rules.

Salty Taylor is seen here with her Mah Jongg coach Kate. Salty first had to be taught not to eat the tiles, but once he realized they had no taste whatsoever he settled down to learning his neighborhoods. He demanded a walk around every neighborhood before he would pick one and zero in on his hand.

He liked winds as he has been known to pass it often. Consecutive run is his favorite neighborhood as it contains one of his favorite activities, running. Dragons are a favorite tile as he thinks they should come with a plush toy for chewing.

Kate has had some luck playing the hands that Salty has suggested once he had a full command of the game. Sally’s most difficult task is picking just one tile from the wall since he must do it with his mouth due to his lack of opposable digits. He feels that no one with such a disability should be excluded from the game as it is an inclusive activity.

Salty may have a future as a Mah Jongg support animal. The word is still out on the legality of Mah Jongg support dogs in tournaments. The one handicap they do have is the lack of ability to tell the difference between a red or green dragon in modern Mah Jongg sets. This of course is no different from the many color blind men who play so the Mah Jongg dogs should not be excluded just on that reason alone.

There may be a future Mah Jongg dog trading camp so keep your eye out for news on that front if you think your dog might be a candidate.

Thankful for My Group

I had a zoom call with my book group tonight. I was a passenger in our car coming back from the mountains, which had to be disconcerting to my friends on the zoom. The world flying by behind me as we discussed the loss of a parent by one of our members along with our latest read.

I am so thankful for this small group that started during the pandemic. We zoomed then because we were spread out across four states and we continue because we are a unit now.

The books we read or listen to are fun to explore, but it’s the friendship and emotional support that is really the glue that holds this group together. Thank you to my dear book group. Getting to spend time with you makes everything better. Looking forward to another year of good books.

Little Brown Dog Goes to The Mountains

I like getting invited to my friend Crocket’s house in the mountains. First, his parents, Jan and Rex are really nice to me. Second, my Daddy takes me on big hikes. Now that I am on medicine my walking is so much better. Daddy says I have four wheel drive going up the big mountain. Plus it was a really nice day for hiking. Third, there are nice beds here.

Crocket does not seem to mind when I take over one his beds in the kitchen. See Mommy and Jan spend most of the day in the kitchen working on puzzles, watching college football, cooking and needlepointing. So when I am not asleep on the sofa in the living room where Daddy is reading, I will sleep on Crocket’s bed. It’s OK with crocket because he is asleep on his princess and the pea bed on top of the ottoman.

I am also good at herding Daddy up to to bed early because I want to sleep on the big bed with him. As long as I can keep Mommy out of the bed I get the majority of space since Daddy is watching YouTube’s in his sleep on his side. Mommy ruins the whole thing when she comes to bed because she turns off Daddy’s IPad, and she expects to get into bed.

That’s OK because I have already slept at lest six other hours in various other beds and sofas throughout the day. I hope Mommy sleeps late again tomorrow because that mean’s I get more alone time with Daddy. I love coming to the mountains. It is the best place to sleep.

Last Minute Fun

Sometimes the best time to get me is the last minute. My friend Jan texted and asked if Russ and I could come to the mountains for the weekend. If she had asked me about a weekend months in advance I might not have been free, but thankfully when she got me I turned to Russ and said, “You want to go to the mountains, don’t you?”

I looked at my calendar, but forgot that I had promised my mother I would take her shopping for a TV stand. She was very understanding when I told her we were going to the mountains.

My friend Shelayne and I had a dozen back and forth texts trying to find a day for lunch. The first common free date is over a month away and only because Sophie was able to change something else. But if she had called me this morning and said, “Can you have lunch today?” I would have canceled my chores to have lunch with her.

Sometimes the last minute is the best minute. I know I am not free much with classes scheduled months in advance, but there are always pockets of time I can make free. Thanks to Jan I am not cleaning my house this weekend, or going to church, or working in my garden. Instead I will be spending time laughing with friends, cooking, doing puzzles, taking walks and needlepointing while the Tennessee football game is on. Great last minute plans.

New Mah Jongg City

New Mah Jongg City

Thanks to Barbara Walters, not the dead one, for inviting me to teach in Pinehurst the last two nights. I had taught one of Barbara’s daughters in Raleigh and she recommended me to her mom. So I had the pleasure of teaching Barbara and her other daughter along with 14 other lovely women.

The world is small. The second person who arrived at class yesterday was very familiar to me. I said, “I know you.” And she said the same. It took a few minutes of “where are you from,” and we eventually figured it out. Sandra’s granddaughter Izzy played basketball at DA with Carter and Saundra and her husband won the grandparents award because they came to every game, including tournaments in Charleston.

Also in this class was my friend Ruth E.’s best friend Penny, who was a hoot. So one quarter of the class was already warmed up to me.

They were a lovely class and they all graduated tonight. I hope this is the beginning of going to Pinehurst more often, even though it was a good drive. They were just a wonderfully fun group. As I say with all new players, “Now you have to play!” Then they can take the next level class.

Why Do I Forget?

I don’t have a regular schedule for my days. Some times I have to get up early and drive far away to teach an early morning class. Sometimes I have only an evening class so I do work around home all day and go to my class late in the afternoon. I am using this lack of regular schedule as my excuse why sometimes I forget to do what I need to do everyday.

I have a lot of medicines and supplements that I have to take four times a day. They are complicated enough that I have to use these four compartment pill containers. I have no trouble remembering to take the ones I have to take right when I wake up. They must be taken on an empty stomach and I am not allowed to eat for at least 30 minutes after taking them.

That is the only thing I ever get right in my day. My second round of pills comes after eating breakfast. I usually remember those, but sometimes not until a few hours after breakfast, which technically is still after breakfast.

The third round is after dinner. Well I am no good at remembering those. Today I left home at 1:30 to go teach in Pinehurst. I remembered to put my pill case in my purse. I taught Mah Jongg from 4-8:30. I forgot to take my pills. I drove home. I still did not take my pills. I was home a whole hour and then I remembered, “My Pills…in my purse.” So I took them, but I still have a fourth group of pills to take right before bed.

I really want to go to sleep, but need a little separation between groups of pills. How much time? Who knows. I just wish I could remember to take my pills right after dinner. It’s not like I don’t do this every single damn day.

I can remember to give Shay her heart worm or her arthritis medicine, but I can’t remember my own. The whole reason I have my pills in these little containers is that I can confirm if I actually took my pills. I am not that old and am having this much trouble. What is going to happen when I really get old?

Mah Jongg All Ways All Day

My dear friend Ann from Kinston has been going through cancer treatment at Duke. Today we got together to go to lunch with Reba and Debbie from Kinston. It was the first time Debbie had met Reba, who is the ground zero student who got me going all over the state. If it weren’t for Reba I never would have met Ann at Atlantic Beach and then I would not have gotten to Kinston to meet Debbie and the thread goes on and on.

Thankfully Ann is doing great with her treatment and of course looks fabulous. But more importantly is going to be around to keep playing for years and years.

After lunch out together Debbie had to go, but Ann and Reba were free to come back to my house, where of course we had to play a few hands. Mah Jongg is life restorative after all and what better way to pass the time between daily treatments.

Tonight I was honored to be on a zoom panel put on by Donna and Dara of Modern Mah Jongg. There were experts from around the country who shared their stories about their love of the game. The themes are the same; getting together to play Mah Jongg is healing, fun, escapism. As I always say at Mah Jongg class when people say how much fun they have in class, “It should be fun, it’s a game.”

What I let them discover for themselves is that it is much more than a game. It is a life line, a life saver, a community, a place to let lose and laugh, a place for support, an exercise for your brain, a place for advice, a place you belong.

A Heart Stopping Moment

I had a last few hours with Carter this morning before my journey home began. We had such a fun four days and I was sad to leave. My Uber driver was unable to figure out how to get me to Logan, but he happily took directions from me for the very short drive. All good I got to the airport.

When time came to board my flight I discovered two very tiny Chinese women sitting in my row, one in my seat. I asked her if she was in the correct seat. She asked if I would switch with her and sit on the other side of the aisle. I purposely pick the left side aisle seat because I needlepoint on the plane and that way my needlepointing hand moves out into the aisle and not into the person next to me. I really didn’t want to sit on the other side, but I didn’t want to separate these very old women. So I agreed.

A man was at the window and a nice middle aged women was in the middle seat of my new row. I apologized as I sat down, “I’m sorry I needlepoint and I promise not to stab you.” The man asked me if I wanted the window seat so I would only stab the window. So we all got up and rearranged.

I have done about a third of this giant canvas and I need to work on it everyday to try and finish it in this calendar year. So I stitched the whole flight, packing up my bag right as we landed.

It was great to get home to Russ and Shay who met me with a lot of wagging. That’s Shay, not Russ. Russ carried my bags upstairs and I looked at mail. I called the jury duty number to see if I was required to report for jury duty tomorrow. Thankfully I was released.

After dinner I started to unpack my bags. My needlepoint bag was not in my carry-on. I looked all around the downstairs route to my bedroom. My heart stopped. Had I not put my needlepoint bag inside my carry-on? Had I perhaps thought I had, but instead slipped it down the outside of the bag. Since I was in the window seat I did not have a good view of the floor around my seat.

I know what happens to left onboard needlepoint. I have more than a few friends who have left their stitching in the seat back pocket, never to see it again. I did not have any identification on my needlepoint bag. Not that an airline gives a damn about what is left on board.

I grabbed my keys and went out to my car. Just before I was about to throw up from the thought of having to recreate that whole canvas I saw my needlepoint bag on the front seat.

Now I am happy to be home.

Our Day of Neighborhoods

Carter picked me up in a zip car today and we went to pick up Claire and Norman for a day of touring neighborhoods. We drove to Charlestown which is so fancy now. 37 years ago I went to Charlestown to visit my friend Laura and she made me put a sign in my car that read, “no radio” so my car would not get broken into and my radio stolen. Too bad I did not have the money to buy a house in Charlestown then because it would have been a very good investment.

From Charleston we went to the South end. Carter and I have looked at streets in the South end and dreamed of her living there, but once again they are very far out of reach. Southie was next. Nice, young, hipper, not as fancy. We stopped and had lunch outside since Norman was with us.

Our tour continued to neighborhoods in Dorchester. Uphams Corner, Polish Triangle, Savin Hill, Ashmont. These neighborhoods are more affordable. We dropped Claire and Norman off at home and Carter and I went back to her Beacon Hill Neighborhood for tea at the new darling Beacon Hill Bookshop.

We had a tiny table in the courtyard. We had every staff member wait on us at one time or another. They went out of their way to give me gluten free items. Susu, the creative culinary director took a shining to Carter and offered her a job to work the tea service on Sundays.

We did not get a chance to see the book store because we stayed so long at tea. We couldn’t help ourselves because we were listening to the girls sitting next to us. One girl described a movie with Kiera Knightly that she liked, but when she went to find the book the movie was based on she said she couldn’t read it because it was half about the character Kiera plays and half about farming. Carter and I were waiting patiently for the woman to remember what the book was. When she looked it up on her phone and said, Anna Karenina Carter and I almost spit our tea out. Not a book about farming.

We walked back up the hill and up five flights of stairs to Carter’s cozy apartment to watch a movie. Time to pass out after such a fun day.

Bringing Adults Joy

Day two at Mah Jongg camp with Carter and Claire’s friends was a blast. The day started with Carter and I meeting up to have brunch. We talked our way into having the best booth in the place where we holed up for a good close to two hours talking. Thankfully our waitress had a new trainee so they were kind to let us keep the table so long. I tipped accordingly.

After that long gab fest Carter and I ubered to her office to set up for the second day of class. Sadly Carter’s friend from work, Drean had another class today so we missed her, but everyone else came to play.

Since yesterday was the big learning the rules day, today was the big playing day. The ladies came with snacks and drinks and I was especially appreciative of Claire’s special Arnold Palmer she brought just for me.

They were a smart group so we got lots of games in. There was nothing more joyful than when someone got their first Mah Jongg. The cheers went up for everyone.

We took one break in the playing to have a big group therapy session to discuss a family issue then went right back to playing.

I loved all the friends who came. It gives me great comfort to get to know Claire’s friends and how wonderful they have been at accepting Carter to their group. I hope they all have many happy years of playing Mah Jongg together and are always as happy as they were in these pictures. Sadly Courtney left before our group photo today.

We played longer than originally planned because everyone was having so much fun. After class Carter, Claire and I went to dinner. It was amazing we could still be talking at 8:30 at night after all the talking all day. Now I need a good recovery sleep, but all these cute people will keep my extrovertedness up I am certain.

Boston Mah Jongg

Last Spring Carter and Claire asked me if I would come to Boston and teach their friends how to play Mah Jongg. What a silly question. Of course I love nothing more than spreading the Mah Jongg love amongst their friends. Little did I know that the weekend we would pick would be the head of the Charles. So the city is covered in tourists and rowing fans.

Our class was tonight after work so it was nice that all these young people came after working all week. Carter was able to use the conference room in her building so we had a good place to learn.

Carter ordered dinner to be delivered to her office. As everyone was arriving Carter got a text that the grub hub driver had delivered the food with a photo of it sitting on the loading dock of the seafood warehouse across the street from Carter’s building. Carter and her friend Keves ran across the street to get the order before a big semi pulled up to that dock. The driver did not get the right building, but he left the food at dock 6 which is the number of Carter’s building.

When Carter and Keves got back they alerted us that the order was also missing three Pizza’s. Claire got involved then dealing with the missing pizzas. We just started the learning part of class while we waited for the rest of the dinner to arrive.

I love teaching young people because they pick everything up quickly. They learned most of the basics before we hit the Friday Night wall and everyone went home to rest up for a big day of learning/playing tomorrow. The bonus for me is meeting this fun Boston friends and Norman Clair’s sweet golden doodle who came to class with his emotional support vest on. I hope Norman liked Mah Jongg class.

Take Your Mother to Work Day

I got to go to Carter’s office and meet all her wonderful team members. It made a mother proud to hear how well she is doing and get to put faces with the fabulous people she is learning from.

I am in Boston to hold Mah Jongg lessons with Carter and her friends. Nothing but fun. After seeing her office we walked down the street for dinner at Chickadee. Carter’s best college friend Estelle joined us. I adore Estelle. We had such a fun dinner.

Carter thought it was time I told Estelle two of my classic stories. The first was the Saskatoon story and the second was the lost underpants story. Estelle is a member of the family now that she knows those stories.

Spending time with your grown child and her good friend is about the most fun thing there is. More to come from my Boston days, but now I have to rest up.

Good News — Tell Your Mom

When you are a young adult and something good happens to you because of your own hard work what should you do? It may feel braggadocios to tell your friends or worse post it on social media. There is one person who definitely wants to hear about your successes, Your Mom!

For years Moms have gotten report cards on your work. We have watched you at sports events and cheered you on. We know everything you ever applied for and did and did not get. When you get out of school we no longer get outside feed back on how you are doing in life. So if you get a job, a raise, some praise, a big sale, or a successful presentation. Tell your Mom.

I call finding out these things “adult report card.” No one is happier than your Mom to hear your good news. There is no fear of sounding too boastful. The hard part is that your Mom must also keep the news in the family, but at least you and your Mom can talk about it all you want.

No one is happier for you than your Mom. Having successes mean we did our job well and you are our report cards.

Joyful Joyful

Shay had her check up week before last. The vet noticed that her legs were a little stiff. She suggested that Shay might have a little arthritis. Shay had been slowing down a bit.

So the vet prescribed an NSAID to try and see if it helped Shay feel less stiff. We have to cut a small pill in half, which is crazy, and give it to her with her meal. In two days she was like a different dog.

She was walking perfectly normally and wanting to go on much longer walks. What a wonderful thing. I hate to think that she might have been in pain unnecessarily. She is such a stoic little thing, never complaining, never crying.

She may be 12, which is old in dog years, but I hope she has a bunch more good pain free years ahead of her. If only we could live as long as we were bringing joy to others. If that were the case she would live forever.

The Beautiful Spirit of Connie Kearny

I can’t remember exactly when I first met Connie Kearny, but I feel like I have known her almost as long as I have lived in Durham. It feels wrong to think of Durham without Connie, but sadly that has been the situation for the last two days as she passed away after a long decline with Lewy Body Dementia.

Connie was always a kind gentle southern woman with more style than most. As a member of Hope Valley Garden Club we spent many years at meetings and auctions together. For years I would go to her house, a reflection of Connie’s love of black and white and buy clothes from her. Carter attended her Courtesy Camp at HVCC and would come home full of better manners.

Connie’s husband Phil and I used to joke that he and I were cousins since we shared the middle name of Henderson as we do-auctioneered for Caring House together. Phil and their daughters have been devoted to caring for Connie. Connie was loved by all who knew her.

Her dear friends would bring her to garden club when she was unable to come on her own and they would include her in many activities. It was no wonder as Connie was loved by so many and will be greatly missed by our community.

I am sending love to Phil, Kelsey and Sarah and Connie’s sister Belinda and all Connie’s dear friends who are grieving. Sadly I will be in Boston on Friday when the service for Connie’s wonderful life will be celebrated at Trinity Ave. Presbyterian Church.

Connie’s wonderful spirit is free from the body which failed her, but will live on in the happy memories and lives she touched.

Smart Dog

If you look at social media you might have seen dogs who communicate with humans through the use of buttons they step on that speak words. It is so amazing how a dog chooses from over 83 words to say, “leash outside.” I watched as the dog parent pushed on the words, “water outside now.” And the dog went a lay down understanding that water meant it was raining. So 15 minutes after the rain ended the dog pushed “no water.” And the parent got the leash and they went outside.

Shay does not have a word button board, but there are plenty of words she understands, like go, car and chicken. But Shay also uses body language to communicate with us. Her normal dinner is kibble, some chicken and after she has eat the chicken off the kibble she gets cheese in two servings.

Sometimes she is still hungry and she wants more cheese. She has a stance she does on her bed while she sticks her tongue out for just a second indicating, “I need more cheese.” If we don’t respond she sticks her tongue out again, while holding the stance of one leg in front of another.

We pour a little shredded cheese in her bowl and she goes over to eat and then will lie down on her bed indicating her satisfaction. It may not be the same as pushing a button, but we still know exactly what she wants and how to get it. Dogs are so smart.

Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs

My friend Treat asked if I would share my recipe so I replied with it just to her. Then I got six other requests. So rather than writing it over and over I’ll post it here.

Russ has given up red meat for the most part, that is why I use ground turkey, but honestly any ground meat or any combination would would with this.

Since I can’t have gluten and I did not want to grind up my ridiculously expensive gluten free bread, I saw my jar of oatmeal sitting in the kitchen and thought that might work as a substitute for bread crumbs. Worked great and is probably healthier.

1 lb of ground turkey breast (ground turkey is all the parts including skin so I go with breast.)

1/4 cup of rolled oats

1 onion minced

1 red jalapeño minced

1 clove of garlic

2 T. Milk

2 T. Dijon Mustard

3T. ketchup

Good shake of Worcestershire

1 egg beaten

I minced the onion, jalapeño and garlic in the cuisineart all together. While the onion is still a little big I throw in the oatmeal so it too gets chopped up a bit. Then I add the milk and pulse it twice and let it hang out for about five minutes so the oatmeal can absorb some liquid.

I put that mixture in a bowl and add the mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire and egg and mix well. Then I add the meat and gently mix.

I use a cookie scoop the size of a golf ball to scoop out the ball and place them on a foil lined cookie sheet. I bake the ball at 375° for about 15 minutes. I put the meat thermometer in them to make sure they are at at least 145°.

You can substitute chili sauce for ketchup and add Parmesan cheese to the mixture if you want.

It’s About Time I Cooked Dinner

I made some bean soup last weekend and it kept Russ fed all week as I was out teaching. With a much needed day off today I thought it would be a good idea to cook a dinner of new things for Russ so he will stay with me.

Since I had to go gluten free three months ago Russ has been a good sport about eating what I eat. I know he misses pasta like he used to eat. So tonight I made some gluten free Mac and cheese. The elbows didn’t have the toothsomeness we like, but it was a good vehicle for the six kinds of cheese I used.

I made turkey meatballs with oatmeal instead of bread crumbs and Russ loved them so that was a good idea. The best thing I made was a salad of shaved raw Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, chick peas, Parmesan, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds, with a lemon vinaigrette. I want to remember what I put in this since it was good, and I tend to forget dishes I make up as I am cooking.

Shave the Brussels Sprouts in the cuisineart

Peel and dice a butternut squash and roast on a greased sheet pan in a 400° oven until cooked. How long depends on the size of your dice.

Put those things in a bowl and add a can of drained and well rinsed chick peas, cranberries, nuts and shredded Parmesan.

Lemon vinaigrette

Juice of 2 lemons

2 T. Dijon Mustard

1 T. Honey

1/3 cup of olive oil

Salt and pepper

Put lemon juice, mustard and honey in a bowl and drizzle in the olive oil whisking the whole time. Once the oil is well incorporated and emulsified, add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour enough over the salad to dress it lightly.

Crazy Dream

I can tell when I doing too much because I have crazy dreams when I sleep. Last night’s was a doozy. Usually I forget my dreams not long after I wake up, but not this one. It started out with me in a car. I drove it to the car wash where I got out of the car and went around the side the building to use a hose to take a shower – naked.

Thank god in my dream the vision of myself naked was not too distinct or it would have been a real nightmare. Some guy came around the side of the building and told me to drive my car into the car wash. Nothing was said about my showering nakie.

So I went through the car wash and when my car came out the other side I was driving inside a hospital. It was amazing how wide the corridors were because I never hit anyone, although I did come up to a man who demanded I get out of the car and he screamed at me. Thankfully clothes had miraculously appeared on me. I was afraid of this guy so I jumped back in the car and did a u-turn frantically searching for an off ramp inside the hospital.

That is when I woke up. As far as I know I never made it out of the building, but my car was clean as was I thanks to the hose shower and I was fully dressed.

On a better note I had 32 people graduate from two different Mah Jongg beginner classes and 16 from advanced beginner today so my nine classes in four days marathon is completed. I am praying I don’t dream about Mah Jongg, car washes or hospitals tonight.

You Need to Learn Something New All the Time

As a Mah Jongg teacher of thousands and thousands of people every year I see all the different ways that people learn. Over the years I have improved how I communicate information so that people of different learning styles and abilities can all gain as much knowledge as possible.

From teaching children to 80+ year olds all the same material I have gotten enough data points to make some broad generalizations. There is reason children go to school when they do. They are sponges when they are young and can pick things up quickly. Humans continue to get to be better and better learners to a point and then they start to slow down. I find that with the very old it takes a little longer to learn new things, but learn they still do.

The best students at any age are the most curious, wanting to know the “why.” My favorite class to teach is Advanced Beginner Mah Jongg. It is a class helping people learn how to think about the game, rather than just learning the rules like they do in beginner Mah Jongg. The class and I all work on the same hands, but the students work in groups discussing possible moves and then together we discuss the best move.

Normally that class is three days long and what is extraordinary is how over the three days people go from sometimes getting the answer right to almost always getting the answer right as they train their brain how to think about the strategy.

The most exciting thing to me is to see how older students improve at the same rate as younger students. I find that at first older students take a bit longer, but with each exercise it is like their brain has turned on high and then they hold their own. It is a little like the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.

The one thing I have come to appreciate is that those repeat students I have who come to a class every year or twice a year make the greatest leaps and bounds in their skills, especially older students. It boils down to the fact that we have to keep exercising our brains in new a different ways as long as we live.

Thanks to my students for teaching me so much about teaching you. It exercises my brain everyday and the bonus is I get to spend time with you.

Joyful, Joyful, Exhausted

Three classes today. I left home at 7:45 AM. Got home at 9:39 PM. Had a big day with 52 new students. But the best part of the day was my lunch break with my two of my favorites, Dell and Holly. Thanks to Mah Jongg I get a chance to make so many wonderful friends.

Nothing feels better than arriving at the home of a previous student, Liz, who got a new class started for her friends and to be greeted by a big “DANA!” And a hug.

I may be exhausted, but it is well worth to have the privilege of doing what I do.

All that being said. I have to get up early and do it again tomorrow, but only two classes and not three. I wish everyone the joy of getting to do something you love that brings others so much fun.

You Have to Advocate for Yourself

I needed a prescription today. My dr. Is very old fashioned and called it into the pharmacy. The Dr’s Assistant called me and told me they left the prescription on the voice mail of the pharmacy. We both knew that meant they might not listen to it for a while.

I waited three hours and checked the online system. No prescription for me in the system. So I went to the store. I waited to be helped and told them my prescription was on their voice mail. The clerk said she could see two voice mails on the system, but the pharmacist had to listen to them. I watched as three people without appointments walk up to get vaccinated before the pharmacist listened to the voice mail.

The clerk told me they then had to check to see if they had the medication in stock. Ten more minutes. She said they had the generic and the pharmacist had to approve the change to generic. She finally did that ten minutes later. At this point I was the only person waiting in the store.

The secondary clerk old me it would be another 30 minutes and that I should sit in the chairs and wait. I politely said I would stand to wait. She then told me to sit down. You can imagine that did not go well with me. I said I was fine standing, but it was five hours since my prescription had been called in and it should take priority over walks-ins with no appointments as it was for an actual illness, not preventative.

So I stood. Standing worked and it was only 15 more minutes, making that visit a total of almost an hour because they didn’t have time to listen to the voice mail without my going there to tell them it was waiting for them.

When the number of pharmacies exploded a number of years back adding one on every corner, they did not expand the number of pharmacy students in the same ratio. There are not enough people to man all these pharmacies. Considering how long it takes to get a degree in pharmacy and then what a terrible job it is to stand in the store with horrible people like me waiting I don’t think things are going to get better anytime soon.