Ponder Post: Just Like the Ones We Used to Know

There are two guilty pleasures of mine that are personal Christmas traditions. The first is watching corny, predictable, Hallmark holiday made-for-TV movies. Frank and/or I record a bunch and then during the Christmas season, each week, we watch one, if not every night, then at least every few nights. My second guilty pleasure is reading Christmas-themed romance novels. They are like Hallmark movies with sex, i.e., rated PG instead of G. The situations are more adult and the romance flourishes beyond merely flirting and kisses. Just Like the Ones We Used to Know © 2006 by Brenda Novak was first published in the anthology Once Upon a Christmas by Harlequin SuperRomance. That auspicious entry alone into the literary world should give a clue to its content.

Angela, a woman in her late twenties has taken over the care of 6th grade age Kayla, because Kayla's mother Stephanie, a drug addict who turned to prostitution to support the habit, is incapable of raising the daughter she conceived in her wild teenage years. Angela and Stephanie had been high school friends until their paths in life diverted. When Angela's parents had died early in her life, Stephanie's mother, Betty, had taken Angela in so she need not enter the foster child system. Whew. As I re-read what I've written, I realize how "soap opera-ish" and "non-Noelic" it appears to be; but don't be turned off. The drugs and streetwalking and early parental death do not dominate; they act only as a background early in the book to very briefly explain and validate single Angela's role in Kayla's life. Angela learns that Kayla's one and only desire and her Christmas wish is to know and meet her biological father. Kayla writes in a school essay

I want to know who I belong to. I want my father. Then I could ask him why he loved my mother enough to make me but didn’t love me enough to stay.

Angela knows who Kayla's father is, but withholds this information. Instead, in the guise of a holiday vacation, she and Kayla set off westward from their home in Denver to the father's home in Virginia City, a 15 hour car drive. Before any revelation, Angela wants to first  to assess his present life situation and the impact a revelation of Kayla's parentage would have on all involved. Angela knew Matt from her high school days in Virginia City, but that was over twelve years ago, and she has no idea what his life is like now.

If Virginia City rings a bell of familiarity, it may be because the fictional Ponderosa Ranch from the TV show Bonanza was roughly a two-hour horse ride from Virginia City. (Listen to Bonanza's opening song to jog your memory.) Virginia City is in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range and averages 50 inches of snow per year. The US average is 26 inches of snow per year. Snow and Christmas are usually paired together and so the Virginia City location for this Christmas time story is quite fitting. 

A relationship evolves among Angela, Matt, Kayla, and Matt's extended family. It is difficult to disclose more information without introducing a spoiler into a predictable plot, so read the book for yourself. Call it trite or heartwarming, maudlin or memorable, but I enjoyed the quick read. I completed it in one sitting at my computer as a Kindle purchase and it made me smile. Yep. A guilty  pleasure. A $1.99 stocking stuffer from Amazon. Hallmark with sex.

SoCal Nursing Visit

A couple weeks before Christmas I flew down to help out my son Dan and his family while Dan had some elective sinus surgery. I flew down Tuesday December 11th, the day before surgery and returned Sunday December 16th. With me there, his wife Carrie did not need to take time off from work to do the out-patient to-and-from transport for the three+ hour surgery and I could do some cooking, medication pickups, and general motherly type nursing duties. Carrie could focus caring for the three kids.

Usually I can find something interesting to amuse myself at an airport. On my flight down, his unique method of creating an "X" indicating this walkway was out of commission in the Oakland airport, caught my eye as somewhat clever.

Wednesday, waiting to go in for his surgery, Dan allowed me to take a picture of him in his Jolly Green Giant garb. I told him it was appropriate for a Christmas elf. His grin was not as big after coming out of the anesthesia but he rallied before too long. Dan rested/slept a fair amount and was on the path to mending within a couple days. Thursday at his home, we watched a movie together, Crazy Rich Asians (2018) which I enjoyed. I had seen it once before with Frank and had deemed it worth a repeat viewing. Dan liked it, also.

As a bonus while I was there, I got to see my three grandchildren and attend Vivian's short preschool Christmas concert.

Lillian posed for me in her adorable sheep pajamas, sporting a very stylish but totally unnecessary bandaid on her cheek.

I placed William in his bouncer seat, which he can barely fit in now, but never-the-less he can give it a very jouncy and exuberant workout.

I have two cute stories to relate. On Saturday morning when Carrie and the kids were not so rushed to get out the door I made pancakes. I called Frank and he texted me the recipe from my cookbook at home. He then suggested I put it in my blog so I would always have it wherever I was. I did. This is it. Ignore the handwritten numbers along the left margin. They are point values from an older Weight Watchers' system. Oh, and I also reduce the baking powder, omit the salt entirely, and concoct my own buttermilk from regular milk and lemon juice.

I mixed it up as I usually do but the batter seemed very runny, more like thin crepe batter and not like thick pancake batter. But I cooked up the first pan's worth and, though the results were pretty flat and came out pretty crumpled up, they tasted ok and the kids loved them. I added more flour beyond what the recipe called for from Carrie's clear acrylic canister on the counter top. The white powder was a little more fine than I was used to but it could have been cake flour. It wasn't. I had used powdered sugar. No wonder the kids like them. They were sweeeeet. No syrup was needed, that's for sure! Carrie figured out my goof and showed me the cabinet space where the flour really was. She was low on eggs so I could not scrap the batter and start again. I just kept adding flour to my thin creamy creation and forged ahead. They were truly like crepes and even eight month old William eagerly gobbled up the nibbles Carrie fed him.

Then Saturday afternoon, right around nap time Lillian (2½) came clumping into the family room wearing pink princess shoes. Vivian (4½) informed her in no uncertain terms that those those were her princess  shoes and Lillian had to take them off and give them back right then and there. Lillian's shoes were the blue ones. Of course Lillian did not obey since she claimed the pink ones matched what she was wearing better. Sibling bickering ensued. 

I intervened. "You know girls, Grandma brought presents when she came, right?" They both nodded. "Well that means I have lots of room in my suitcase and can pack anything you fight over in it to take home with me when I go. You will not be able get it back until you visit me or I visit you again. And I do not know when that will be." They both got very somber. "Lillian please give me those pink shoes you are wearing." She did. I held them up and began to laugh. "Look at this girls. They are two different shoes and in two different sizes. This is what you were fighting over?" They both began to grin sheepishly and the battle was defused.

I thought that was the end of it. Then Sunday morning, after I had packed and was waiting to leave for my late afternoon flight, little Lillian came up to me, hugged my thigh and murmured, "Grandma, did you pack our princess shoes in your suitcase?" I was surprised she remembered, kind of glad my ploy had been so effective, but at the same time I felt about two inches tall that I had caused her such anguish. A Grinch I was not, but it reminded me of that scene with Cindy Lou Who – who was no more that two – when she asked. "Santy Claus, why? Why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?"

"No, Sweetie. You and Vivian stopped fighting so all your toys are still here. Grandma did not take anything." I repeat. A Grinch I am not!

Ponder Post: On a Snowy Christmas

On a Snowy Christmas by Brenda Novak tells the tale of a small chartered plane carrying two political rivals that crashes in the snowy mountains. The survivors Maxim and Adelaide must do all that is necessary to preserve body warmth and survive until rescued. Thus is the setting for arch enemies heading toward romantic attraction.

The story is trite but fast moving, the ending is predictable, but the book by Brenda Novak is an enjoyable light, holiday-themed read that I completed on Christmas Eve. It is worth three stars and, maybe because it is non-taxing and does not have a great deal of substance, it allows my mind to wander in other directions tonight. I am struck by the cover illustration of a red pickup truck carrying a pine tree. Although this book was originally published in 2009, that image seems to be a common theme in decor in the stores this year. I bought this cup and tray set at a Home Goods store last month. 

And I bought six of these melamine dishes a few weeks ago during a trip to the grocery store.

I also own fabric that I purchased earlier this year with this theme. The combination of green tree and red vehicle simply seems to make me smile. I am inspired to aim to make a 2019 Christmas quilt out of this fabric.

So here is the scene at our house tonight. As I write this post, Alex is intently and contently assembling puzzles at the butcher block table right behind me while watching a Winnie the Pooh video. An evergreen garland with stuffed ornaments is visible on the top of the cabinet behind him. We have just finished a dinner of spaghetti with sausages followed by freshly baked warm chocolate chip cookies. I baked two pumpkins pies earlier in the day but we have yet to cut into them. We will later, after I have whipped the cream for the topping.

A small Charles Wysocki tree sits before the window on a vintage scale in our family room.

The snow people in the family room flank the images of Owl and other Winnie the Pooh friends on the television.

This may be an atypical Christmas Eve  – eating spaghetti, reading romance novels, blogging, puzzling, and watching Winnie the Pooh instead of drinking hot chocolate or hot apple cider and singing carols –  but it is a peaceful and pleasant Christmas Eve. It may not be snow – it rarely is where we live in California – but I hear the rain splattering gently on the dome of our skylight. 

Last night Frank, Alex, and I made our annual traditional trip to see the lights at Deacon Dave's. The theme was more liturgical this year, "Away in a Manger", so perhaps, as a balance, we can embrace a more secular evening today. Tomorrow will be more standard, spent mostly in the living room, opening gifts in front of the Christmas tree.

Ponder Post: Two Good Dogs

Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson has a cast of well developed characters beyond the circle of the two dogs. This book will appeal to an audience beyond the limited one of animal lovers only.

The novel begins with four main characters. A troubled fourteen year old girl Cody harbors a terrible secret while also trying to meet and make friends in a new school. Cody's widowed mom Skye struggles to support herself and her daughter by owning and managing a run-down motel for vacationing tourists. A repeat guest of the Lake View Hotel, Adam is grieving the recent loss of his wife. Adam's emotional therapy dog Chance is a beacon of stability in the book. Yes, there is a widow and widower, but do not leap to conclusions. There is an age difference between them and the novel is more a story of friendship rather than romance, a tale of companionship and mutual support as an antidote to loneliness. The relationship between a daughter and her mother and a dog and his person are both painted in a very pleasing fashion. I liked the characters and became invested in them early on in the novel.

The book was written in first person but what makes it unique is that it was written in two voices – one for the mom Skye and one for the dog Chance. Seeing the dog's assessment of the human emotions of anger, grief, fear, sadness, etc. was insightful. Per Animal Planet: An emotional support animal is a pet that is part of the owner's psychological treatment plan and prescribed by a licensed mental health professional. This may include but isn't limited to treatment for: Depression, Anxiety, Phobias, Loneliness, etc.

There are other supporting characters but fortunately not so many that keeping track of who was who was difficult. In the later part of the book a pit bull Dawg and his street-kid person Mingo are introduced. Oddly enough there are only a few villains in the book but their scarcity does not result in a dull story. The author manages to create conflict and suspense that together have the reader rooting for certain outcomes. There are indeed climactic moments in the book that induce turn-the-page-quickly reactions; to tell what they are, would reveal too much of the storyline. I believe that the true strength of Two Good Dogs lies in revelation of the plot bit by bit and the undercurrent of people caring for each other, even when showing it is relegated to subtle actions. Two Good Dogs was an enjoyable read that moves along at a good clip. Read it and find out. It will be worth your while. I rate it four stars.

Thanksgiving 2018

Thanksgiving this year was a week long affair at our house with overlapping family visits.

Sat – Fri       11/17/18 – 11/23/18    Robin's family of four for 7 days
Wed – Sat    11/21/18 – 11/24/18    Dan's family of five for 4 days
Thursday     11/22/18                      Alex for Thanksgiving Day only

Here are Frank and me with the five grandkids during the three days the two families had in common, 11/21–11/23. I am holding Lillian age 2½, Frank is holding her brother William age 7½ months and in the front row are 3⅓ year old Isaiah with his 6 year old sister Autumn, and his cousin Vivian 4½.

Providing sleeping arrangements for this crew was a study in musical beds. Differing bedtimes and varying activity levels led to deviations from what I had originally planned  - you know the saying, "Man plans and God laughs". This is how we started out that first Saturday night ...

...  but I think by the end of the visit each kid had been in bed with their parents at least part of the time. Frank was blissfully unaware with the best slumber place in the house - an old couch in the garage. And it was right next to his trains, too! My son-in-law has an appropriate saying for these type of situations based on a variation of his time in the marines, "Semper Gumby" – Always Flexible.

The Saturday before traveling out Isaiah had broken two bones in his right arm tripping at the base of a slide after successfully and uneventfully riding down it. He had three pins surgically put in at a children's specialty hospital. The surgeon there seemed non-plussed, informing Robin and Jeremy it was a common injury for three year olds. But on Sunday, when Frank and Jeremy and Autumn went bowling with Alex, Isaiah stayed home with Robin and me, his parents reluctant to risk possible further injury to his casted arm at the bowling alley. But Autumn and her Uncle Alex seemed to like putting together puzzles at Alex's home after bowling. By the way, Robin sewed Alex's Disney dogs knit shirt. She is becoming quite the seamstress. Read about it in her blog at the link  http://robinlovesquilting.blogspot.com/2018/07/gone-to-dogs.html

Bowling can be exhausting and require rest afterward.

Once back home, the kids (and parents) all played nicely together. At the first part of the week with only Robin and Jeremy's kids, Autumn and Isaiah, there was constructive building with wood blocks and LEGOS and gears. By the way, Robin sewed Autumn's Cinderella panel knit dress. Read about it in her blog post at http://robinlovesquilting.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-cinderella-mash-up.html.

There was energetic battling with light sabers and Grandpa, Isaiah's broken right arm in a cast not withstanding. (By the way, Robin made Grandpa's woven cotton Harry Potter shirt. Read about it in her blog at link http://robinlovesquilting.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-magical-gift.html)

Engaging scenarios with Storm Troopers and associated Star Wars characters was serious play for Isaiah, also. Keeping track of the light sabers for six figures (or was it seven?)  around the house proved to be a challenge.

On Tuesday there was decorating for Christmas.

There was banking and peg stacking.

There was puzzling. There was cut-out cookie making, too, but with all the floury hands around I did not manage to take any photos of that activity!

There was relaxing and resting on a rainy day.

On Wednesday morning there was a trip to the local library with Autumn and Isaiah and their parents, Robin and Jeremy, for a session on music and movement which was great for getting the wiggles out. By the way, Robin made Autumn's knit dress. Read about Autumn's dress in Robin's blog at link http://robinlovesquilting.blogspot.com/2018/05/jacks-back-for-spring.html.

Wednesday night Dan's family of five arrived, taking Bay Area Rapid Transit from the airport to avoid Thanksgiving eve traffic nightmares. We had to take two cars to get them and their luggage, but only needed to drive as far as our local BART station. Once back in Livermore the girls got reacquainted by taking a serious interest in coloring and in signing Isaiah's cast.

William took an interest in the Christmas tree and in his big cousin Isaiah.

Although the arrival of the Southern California family was in the late evening on Wednesday night, energy levels did surge (at least for the kids) and the interactions did morph into somewhat of a free-for-all before bedtimes.

Once all were in their pajamas, Jeremy read a fair number of bedtime stories to calm the crew.

Thanksgiving morning I planned out a schedule for the food. Figuring the 20 lb turkey would take about five hours to cook, I calculated the timing for the other menu items accordingly.

I could not find my small metal pins for lacing up the turkey so I improvised with shish kebob skewers. The turkey kind of looked like the hairdo on a Geisha Girl.

Check the clock. I was right on schedule for getting the bird into the oven at 10:00 am. I asked someone to take a picture of me. Stuffing a 20 lb bird and slathering it with butter and seasonings is effort enough that I declared they better photograph me for posterity because this was the "last time I was doin' it"! That smile does look kind of forced, doesn't it?

Meanwhile the kids contented themselves doing puzzles and watching TV. Isaiah seems very proud of his assembly ability on that dinosaur puzzle.

At one point I looked into the kitchen from the family room and saw the pantry wide open in an abandoned configuration of disarray. I suspect four pair of very curious little hands were responsible for at least part of it.

We ushered the kiddos into the living room to open one pre-Christmas present each. Frank and I had gotten a SMARTGAMES™ selection for each of the four oldest. Each game comes with a booklet of pictures and the child has to figure out how to place the pieces of the game and in what sequence to match the picture. We managed to get a choice appropriate for each age. I only got the chance to sit down with Vivian and Autumn later in the day after the main meal and get them started on how to use the booklet with the pieces. Both girls caught on fast and seemed engaged. I have since seen a video of Autumn helping her younger brother Isaiah with his car game once they were back to their home in Oklahoma. I hope to get Lillian engaged with her bunny game when I see her next week, if her mom or dad have not already done so.

While the turkey was cooking and in order to allow me to get organized for the later rushed fracas of getting food items on the table at approximately the same time, adults took the kids to a nearby park. By the way, Robin had made Autumn's "Rock Star" dress in the following photo. Her Robin Loves Quilting blog about it is at this link http://robinlovesquilting.blogspot.com/2018/07/rockin-aurora.html

Frank called from his cell at about 2:40, 20 minutes before the turkey was due out and asked if it was "safe" to come home and I said OK. Getting the sweet potatoes, pierogies, corn, string beans & carrots with lemony walnuts, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and rolls all on the table and seating everybody was a blur and I have no pictures of that part of the day other that of the cooked turkey once the stuffing had been extricated.

After the meal, before every one scampered off to the four winds, we had the kids put on the hand knit hats their Great Aunt Maxine had made for each of them. Here they are wearing them, shown in chronological order oldest to youngest. We tried to get a photo all together but that was not going to happen.

Friday after Thanksgiving, Robin's family of four had flights home. Before they left Autumn enjoyed crawling around on the floor some more with her 7½ month old cousin William.

Isaiah did some last minute teasing, tickling, and wriggling with me.

Robin posed for a few photos with me and the gnome quilt I had made for her best friend Mary's second child, Charlotte. For more information about the quilt, see the post in my quilting blog http://dianeloves2quilt.blogspot.com/2018/12/gnomes-quilt.html

Once they were off and on their way back to Oklahoma that Friday, life should have gotten less chaotic. Lillian had been feeling a bit under the weather but we anticipated that with a bit of rest coming her way, she would get better. In the evening Dan and Carrie slipped off for a small respite of wine tasting at a local vineyard. The sound of Lillian's breathing started getting worse. I suspected croup and so I sat with her outside on a bench by our front door hoping the crisp, moist, night air would help her. It did not seem to alleviate her symptoms so we called Dan and Carrie back home and Dan and I took Lillian to a urgent care center near our home. She was running a fever of 103°F and, it was confirmed to be croup. I recognized the symptoms but had never known the background that croup is a viral infection of the vocal chords. Lillian was given a breathing treatment, some oral steroids (that she said tasted "yucky"), and more fever reducing medications (which apparently tasted OK). She was well behaved for the medical staff, though it was clear she was not at all a happy camper.

Hard to believe, but when they released her a couple hours later she was smiling and jumping all over the place. It must have been very rewarding for the doctors and nurses to see how successful their interventions had been to have effected such a transition. Lillian was recuperated enough to go with her family into San Francisco on Saturday to visit the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park.

William enjoyed the outing that Saturday, but he also liked at home the challenge of our stairs and the fascination of watching Snoopy. Frank and I enjoyed a respite day of quiet in our home when we could recharge.

Sunday November 25th was the departure day for the remainder of our visitors, except for Snoopy who was not flying and was to be picked up at a later date. Before their late afternoon flight, we squeezed in a few more activities. Vivian spent some time in the garage watching grandpa's trains.

Then Vivian, like her cousins, participated in some Christmas decorating. She was engaged in putting more stuffed ornaments on the tree. The tree was very full at this point but you can always find the space to squeeze in just one more.

Determined to get all the remaining stuffed items threaded onto one hand's worth of fingers, Vivian then showed them off as a head dress or wore them as a butt decoration.

As one final Christmas activity, Willam posed with me and his vintage knitted Christmas stocking that I had just completed for him. You can read more about the stocking in my quilting blog at post http://dianeloves2quilt.blogspot.com/2018/11/williams-stocking-completed.html.

It took two cars with three cars seats to get Dan's family and their luggage  to the airport. All kids conked out in the back seat during the ride there. So this is my last image of them, Lillian in the foreground, Vivian in the middle, William well hidden in the background. They did rouse just enough for sleepy goodbye hugs and kisses.

Lest you think we failed completely in our attempt to get photos of everyone together, we did not. We asked our good friend Al to come over Thanksgiving Day and take some photos of the twelve of us. He did a great job and here are the best of them. In the first one, left to right are Dan (son), William (7½ months), Vivian (4½), Carrie (daughter-in-law), Lillian (2½), me, Alex (son), Frank, Robin (daughter), Jeremy (son-in law), Autumn (6), Isaiah (3⅓ and upset because he stepped in dog poop and is intent on wiping it off on his mom’s shoe and pant leg). The source dog Snoopy is not in the photo. In the second photo everyone is looking up. The third photo is of our original family of five who started it all.