Juliet Update

Daughter Julie had a major surgery, planned, three days ago.  It was a GI thing, a procedure removing some bowel and a urostomy revision, among other cuttings.  For those of you who might have encountered this sort of thing, you know pain, quite a bit of pain, is involved.

For the first 48 hours after surgery, she was in pain.  She reported most every time that on a scale of one to ten, it was a 10.  Finally the on-call doc came in late yesterday afternoon and increased her medicine by 400 percent (gradually, of course).  The analgesic is Fentanyl, which the nurse said is one hundred times as strong as morphine.  When I left last evening, they were administering it and assured me she would be closely monitored.  She is on a cardiac unit now where she gets more intensive monitoring and nursing care.

Three angels from the manor staff came to see Julie the day after the procedure.  She laughed, talked, joked and thoroughly enjoyed their visit before crashing with low BP.  So she could not have been a 10 on the pain scale when those staff Angels came with a card signed by many people at the manor.  Julie was extremely touched by their caring (I was also). The pink stuffed creature they brought her is on her pillow most of the time.

Thank you for all your good thoughts, prayers, and warm spaces in your hearts for Julie.  This pain will get taken care of by today so the healing can begin.  I am sure of that.

Today is the second Sunday in Ordinary Times.  I am looking out for the extraordinary, seeking blessings as they occur, keeping eyes open for God's goodness, praying you are doing the same.

"For this very reason, make every effort 

to supplement your faith with goodness,

goodness with knowledge,

knowledge with self-control,

self-control with endurance,

endurance with godliness."

~ 2 Peter 1:5-6 ~

Ephipany House Blessing

Our house was blessed last night! We were privileged to have Father Don Malin from Immaculate Heart of Mary blessing a box a salt, a gallon of water and some chalk, then marking our doors with chalk.....reading scripture, and sprinkling all the rooms in our house with the Holy water and blessed salt.

Above the front doors, the markings are this: "20 + C + M + B +16". This symbolizes the three wise men who worshiped Jesus: C for Caspar, M for Melchior, and B for Balthasar who followed the star of God’s Son who became human two thousand and sixteen years ago, and + meaning "May Christ bless our home and remain with us throughout the new year." 

This is Fr. Don writing above the lintel of our doors:

We then shared a meal together in our newly blessed house.

Gene concocted a luscious lamb stew and made crusty bread.  My contribution to our shared meal was a King's Cake because it was an Epiphany blessing.  The King's cake signifies and celebrates the arrival of the three wise men in Bethlehem and the day Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Most of the King's Cakes I found on Pinterest and the internet called for a dozen jams to make pretty window paned, stained glass effect atop the sweet dough.  But with just two of us living in this house, we would never get through twelve jars of jelly or jam in our remaining life times.  Not even if we each ate a tablespoon of jelly a day!  

Further looking showed up another, simpler cake used in France sans all those jams.  That is what I made with puff pastry.

(using David Lebovitz' recipe here for Epiphany Cake with an almond filling).

Post Script: the Church calendar is sung here.  I had never heard of this solemnity, but it is beautiful (part of the January 3 homily by Father Isaac Karuiki follows).

We feel truly blessed.

Into 2016

Onward and upwards.  Yesterday was quiet on the home front and our activities included an 8 AM Mass to start off the new year, followed by a Mexican food lunch at a quick food place that uses fresh ingredients.  My all time favorite salad is Cafe Rio's sweet pork salad with a cilantro and lime dressing.  HERE is a link for this recipe, a copy-cat one, but it looks like the original.

Julie was quarantined to her room yesterday with the noro virus. She had her first symptoms while visiting us on Thursday, and had to be immediately taken back to the Manor (her nursing facility). A quick phone call a moment ago says the entire Manor is now under quarantine, so I will not be visiting again today. All the halls are closed and patients must stay in their rooms. She said she felt pretty lousy yesterday, so hope by today she is improving.  We are so thankful the Manor is on top of this crazy bug and that she is well cared for.

"Look for the presence of God in your life," Pope Francis says on New Year's (LINK HERE)  It is a good message, and I will be on the lookout for His presence.  Take a look at the homily if you have a chance.  Gene and I are enjoying our new church home at IHM. This is my new app for my phone: The Pope

January 3-17 are the dates our parish will host homeless men overnight, providing food and shelter.  This is the link for the sponsoring shelter.  I am looking at all recipes to make inexpensive but nutritious trail mix, stored in give-away zip lock bags.  Please email or comment on this post if you have a recipe your would recommend that would make 25 or so cups of mix.  Here are a few I found: link

OK, today's update must include a new knit I made from left-over yarns.  It is the Interrupted Striped Cowl by Gretchen Tracy.

It is my first 2016 knit project, made to go with my new Eddie Bauer flannel shirt:

Although colors are not accurate on my monitor screen, the colors really DO coordinate!