GIving Thanks

Oh, the riches I have! I am feeling abundantly blessed and lucky tonight. What gorgeous weather we had today! We played basketball and soccer outside all day (when I wasn't inside basting something or other). What great kids I have! They spent much of yesterday creating placements for our guests, felting hearts, butterflies and turkeys (and a few snowmen) to decorate the house. What a great husband I have! He let me sleep in til 8am this morning! Since I was up with Ted most of the night (he had gluten and dairy yesterday with no enzymes), it felt heavenly!

And the food! So fresh, so delicious ... it's so special when a meal is prepared only once a year and enjoyed for all its uniqueness. The abundance of food in our lives makes me alternatively guilty and thrilled. Our CSA share (that the family picked up without me last week) yielded about 50% of our Thanksgiving meal. Were it not for the requisite Tofurkey (a tradition) and cornbread stuffing, it'd be almost 100%!

Tofurkey (from Oregon)
Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing (from Connecticut)
Lentil & Golden Squash Pot Pie (all but lentils from the CSA)
Glazed Turnips & Apples (all CSA)
Delicata Squash Soup (all CSA)
Hot Chai (Boulder Bahkti Chai, homemade soymilk)
Pumpkin Pie (all but the crust from CSA & local ingredients)
Red Wine & Beer (local Boulder Beer, Australian Merlot)

Our friends the Seigals brought the salad and fruit, as well as some Thanksgiving Blend coffee! Mmm!! It was a lovely day; the house is cleaned up and the kids in bed. And tomorrow is only Day 2 of the 4 day weekend! Ahh...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Home Sweet Home

I arrived home late Sunday night, greeted with home-drawn cards and lots of hugs. Sam had lost his 2nd tooth that morning (I knew he'd lose it while I was gone!). We spent Monday at Boondocks, as promised, and I shaved my head. Paul just shook his head at me. Nancy and I were chatting about it. I think, in the short term, that it looks good. I plan to keep it like this until her hair officially gets longer than mine. Let the hair begin! :-) In the meantime, it is very chilly without hair! Good thing I know how to knit!
I fixed Black Bean and Corn Tacos for Paul. He did a great job. The kids were all happy, healthy and fed. What else can you ask for?
Today, Tuesday, we are having a mellow day at home. Tomorrow will be a big cooking day as we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends. This year's turkey is named Hawthorn. Look for his pic on Thanksgiving Day - he's a cutie!
We are hoping Paul will go out to visit Nancy next, maybe sometime in December or early next year.

Farewell!

Today is Sunday, which means I have to go home today. *sigh*

After a rough night of coughing, we had some fresh rice pudding for breakfast. She took a much-needed morning nap while I prepared more of Obama's chili in the crockpot. It will be ready tonight for her dinner and she can pop it in the fridge, ready to serve to Mark and Andrew when they come, if she likes.

After her nap, we ventured out into the chilly air for a walk. The air was much cooler than yesterday, but the sun kept it pleasant. Sundays are busy days in NY! There were many soccer games going on, trophies being passed out, and a dad tossing the football to his sons. Very sweet. We popped into a grocery store to find (yes! finally!) miso and then I got my chai and we parted ways. She went home to take another nap and I explored the bookstore. I found some really fun stuff for the kids. What a neat store.

I got home and made the Moroccan Chickpea Soup, which will go straight to the freezer. We had lunch (leftovers) and pecked at our respective keyboards. I am all packed, laden down with babkas and rugalachs, but it'll be worth it.

I'll catch the M60 in about half an hour to the airport, for my 5:19pm flight to Denver.

It has been a lovely visit as well as a chance to offer my support and love. We love you!!

Saturday - a day out

This morning I was embarrassed to learn that she had been up a full hour and a half before me! This was due in part to my finishing up The Time Traveler's Wife at 1am. But still. We had leftover rice pudding for breakfast, showered and took a morning nap, since we had a show later!

After naps, I prepared our dinner: Turkey and Wild Rice Soup. I had tried to prep the turkey stock the night before, but I plugged it into a non-working outlet. The timing worked out though, and it was ready for us when we returned home this evening. It was very yummy, and very nourishing. Nancy's freezer is well stocked!

Saturday was to be the day we ventured out into the world to take in a show. While we would have enjoyed Turandot at the Met, it was not to be, so we chose South Pacific at the Lincoln Center. It was fantastic! The lead reminded me so much of my dear friend Leigh from CU, so I spent most of the show smiling, imagining it was her. It was a truly amazing performance. I think that is a big difference between NY shows and anywhere else - here is this show that has been in repertory for months and yet the cast is top-notch. There are no weak links. Well, the understudy we had for the Professor was a little weaker than the rest, but that fit his character so I didn't mind. What a great show!

We walked to Zabar's afterwards and I stocked up on black and white cookies, rugelach and chocolate babka. Mmmm! We chose to take a bus home rather than walk (whew! - she still walks fast, even after chemo!) and arrived home to the heavenly aroma of our dinner.

After a dinner of the turkey soup plus some potatoes, we did our respective "computer time" and then plan to head to bed! Tomorrow is my last day here and I am sorry to go. It's been a lovely time. I do enjoy being useful - especially for someone who actually appreciates it! (That's not a slam on Paul, btw, who is always appreciative, but rather the rugrats children.)

Tomorrow I plan to turn our leftover challah into French Toast to freeze for when she can chew easier, make up another batch of Obama's chili (hooray! a hit!) and prepare Moroccan Chickpea Soup for the freezer. Oh, I hate to leave! I will miss the kitties, my brave and beautiful SIL, and of course, NY! Til next time!

The closest I will ever come to singing at the Met! :-)

the LAST Neulasta shot

Friday is shot day. The Neulasta helps the body make more white blood cells, which have been obliterated by the chemo. It was especially appropriate today since her cold seems to be on the rebound. Darn cold!

This morning we enjoyed Rice Pudding for breakfast, using our leftover rice from last nice. It was so tasty! She had some almond milk abandoned in the fridge that she didn't like straight up, so I used it in the rice pudding and it added a yummy creaminess - and lots of extra protein!

After breakfast we tried to go for a walk, but she remembered her meds so we rushed back home to get those into her. At that point, it seemed easier to wait for Tere to come give her the shot. So we started a load of laundry and she caught up on mail.

Tere is such a good friend! She shaves her head once a week in solidarity, supports her at work, and is a good source of companionship in everyday life as well. I'm so glad she is in her life! The shot seemed to go well til the very end, when there was a surprising amount of blood. We all think the initial "pull back" was clear, so it is a bit of a mystery. I guess we'll see how she feels. Never before has she looked forward to the aching in her jaw and pelvis, but this time it will be a welcome sign.

During her visit with Tere, I finished up the laundry, went back to the grocery store for Obama chili ingredients (and *had* to stop in Starbucks for a chai...) and came home to prep the chili for the crockpot.

She ate a leftover Black Bean and Corn taco for lunch and then took a long nap. I had some leftover roasted potatoes and garlic for my lunch and then snoozed too.

After our naps, we took our belated walk. There were many more squirrels at this time of day and we both felt guilty for running out of peanuts. I was also struck by the number of strollers and nannies. They are everywhere! There are so many parks, both for children and for dogs, that raising a small family here would work well. The air is so fresh here too, since it comes in off the ocean. Oh dear - falling in love with the city was not part of the plan! :-)

Tomorrow we are going to take in a matinee performance of South Pacific! I'm so excited! On the way home, we are planning to go to Zabar's and Garden of Eden (a local market that we hope has the illusive miso!).

We returned home to the amazing aroma of Obama's chili, which we enjoyed with challah tonight. This chili is truly extraordinary! Yum yum!

Shabbat Shalom, everyone!

Thursday - a day of rest and food

This morning we slept in, although I think she was up before I was. We had a leisurely morning and she took a late morning nap. I headed back to the store to pick up a few things I had forgotten last night and fixings for tonight's dinner. I also stopped by the convenient Starbucks that was right on my way (*ahem*) and the nearby Children's Bookstore. Once home I fixed lunch, the aforementioned Black Bean and Corn Tacos. They were delicious! We plan to eat them for lunch again tomorrow and freeze the leftovers. Mmm...

Next we tried to take a walk in Riverside Park but the drizzle turned to rain pretty quickly, so we cut it a bit short. We did manage to feed some very sweet squirrels though, so all was not in vain. After our walk, she read the paper for a while and cuddled with the kitties before taking a late afternoon nap. I joined in and snoozed some myself before getting up to fix dinner - Beef with Broccoli with a side of Roasted Potatoes and Garlic. YUM!

After dinner we dashed out to buy a camera cord so I could upload the pics (you're welcome, fans) and missed Joe by just a few minutes. He dropped off a dozen red roses to celebrate the end of chemo. They are beautiful but the kitties are very interested in them, so they may not last long. She also took me to Nussbaum and Wu (love that combo!) where I selected a tiramisu for a treat. It's huge, so split it into 3 servings. Mmm. A delicious ending to a truly delicious day.

And for fun, pics of me preparing and enthusiastically eating the beef. Wow.

It's OVER!!! (updated with PICS!)

Today she did it - her last chemo treatment. It went very easily, although lots of little events transpired to make it so.

We both slept in til about 8 (6am my time - yet it seemed late) and went on a very brisk walk along the Hudson (she is a fast walker - perhaps next time I'll wear my running shoes and jog alongside her - it might be easier to keep up!) We fed the squirrels and enjoyed the crisp morning air. On the way home we stopped for a croissant for me (I was feeling very "city-esque" - it's what happens when you take a soccer mom from the suburbs and plop her in NY for a week!) We got home and had breakfast and realized it was already 11, so we hurried out again - to the grocery store. She has requested Paul's favorite meal, Black Bean and Corn Tacos while she can still appreciate the taste, and I plan to roast some potatoes & garlic, make up a batch of Mel's Butternut Squash Soup, some miso soup and finally, the Broccoli with Beef recipe I bookmarked ages ago to prepare for her. The soups will come in handy this weekend when she can't taste as well or swallow as easily. Hopefully I'll make enough for leftovers.

After our quick grocery store jaunt, it was time to go - for the last time! We took a variety of books for me to read to her, as well as my knitting, and took the subway and bus to the Cancer Center. She was scolded rather severely for coming to the center with a cold (she's on the tail end of it, no fever, nothing, but the nurse really was mad at her). Her doctor checked her out and decided she would be fine, but that she should be in an isolation room. This translated into a private room! With a bed!

After her scolding and before the treatment, we had an hour to grab lunch and chose a new restaurant that looked interesting, Nanoosh. It was a perfect spot, chic and classy yet comforting and delicious. We both had their lunch special of lentil soup with hummus and pita. I had dessert too - a creamy rice pudding with cardamon and toasted almonds. It was a very lovely lunch.

Then we waited for a while before getting settled into her private room with a lovely nurse, Joy. Joy, from the moment she came in and worked to find a good vein, put us both at ease. She was kind and gentle and we just knew we were in very capable hands. Funnily enough, Joy was born in Chicago, went to school at the University of Iowa, lived in Denver and Boulder for a few years, and then moved to New York. Crazy! I read Tell Me Where It Hurts aloud. It's a sweet book about a vet and his animals. Either I read very slowly or the process went quickly, but we only got through three chapters. She was in and out, but mostly present for the reading, and we both are eager to find out what happens to the very first patient that is introduced in the first chapter.

After the treatment, we took a cab home. She took her meds, brushed her teeth, and went to bed. I plan to Skype with Paul and the kids, finish up some reading, and follow her shortly. It was a long day, but a pleasant one. And she is DONE! She even managed to dance a little two-step - hooray hooray!

Adventures in NY

I made it to NY in spite of sketchy bus schedules and nearly missed buses. But I made it! It was a great flight with The Time Traveler's Wife as the movie. I sat next to a mezzo who teaches at CU and sings with Opera Colorado with Erin, so that made for pleasant conversation.

Once in NY I took the M60 bus to Broadway/110th. It was an interesting ride through Harlem. I was pleased that I remembered how to get to the apartment once I was on Broadway. (The last time I was here, in 2001, I was a few weeks pregnant with Ted and didn't know it yet.) I arrived and the doorman gave me the note with the key (and a very large box from Jayne, mostly full with peanuts as well as some picture-hanging doodads.) I did some knitting, read a little and made myself at home with Mini, Maxine and Artie. She came home around 5:30 and we caught up, went to the LAST Thai dinner before chemo (!! hooray!!) and came home to chat some more. We both went to bed at 9:30, which is 7:30 in CO, but I still managed to be ready for it. Amazing.

The night was interesting. She has a bit of a cold and coughed on and off all night. Between that and Artie, I woke up a lot. But while I full expect and am ready to be "on duty" this evening, last night I had the distinct feeling of not being "in charge" of anyone. And it was as if a huge boulder was removed from my shoulders. Interesting. Tonight will be different; I'll be on - and I'm glad to know I sleep lightly enough to serve well!

Dark Days Challenge has begun!

It's November 15, which means the start of the winter challenge this year. This is our 3rd year of participating. The first year was fantastic - I was really on the ball. Last year I managed to prepare about 60% of our food from our CSA and stores. I am motivated again this year, since I am in the groove now and have been preparing. We've been feasting on CSA beans, greens & veggies for a few months now.

So, on to our very first meal! It was a simple one, and perfect for our snowy weather today: chili. I My exemptions are Italian seasoning and 1 can of tomato paste. The local CSA ingredients in this yummy chili are: chickpeas, red beans, yellow onion, garlic, (homemade!) veggie stock, and 2 jalapenos (from our hatch chilis). It's bubbling away in the crockpot right now, blending with the smells of more local roasted potatoes, beets & garlic. We devoured the potatoes and garlic at lunch but will enjoy the roasted beets with some sauteed CSA tut soi alongside our chili. Mmm...

and here is Sam!

Sam's Kindergarten mugshot. Love it!

It is great to be healthy again. The kids are back in school, doing their best to enjoy the gorgeous warm weather we are having. Ted's facial rash is healing up although his hands still look crazy and the skin on his hands is SO dry that people react when they shake his hand. Still, he's getting better. I am finished with my Penicillin and the kids have only a few more days of it.

Lots of knitting projects are going on! I'm almost finished with my 2nd hat (my 1st hat is stalled - more on that later) and am on my 3rd of 6 stripes of Sam's blanket. Tonight I got some super bulky super soft yarn to make some "cuddle blankies" for Ted and Mae, so they don't feel left out at Hanukkah when Sam gets his special mama-made gift. I hope to finish Sam's and get started on the other blankies while in NY (I leave on Tuesday morning.) I also have half a Sam replacement scarf on the needles but ran into a snag with the yarn (I hadn't balled it first, so it's a disaster.) Lots of knitting to do and lots of meal planning with the Dark Days Challenge starting up on Sunday.

Looking forward to a healthy weekend ahead!

We're back!

Here is Ted's official 2nd grade picture. Or mugshot as Wendy calls them. Love it! We should get Sam's on Thursday. We missed Mae's because she didn't go to school last week when the form was turned in. It's not bad either - in a shell-shocked kind of way. Wow. My kids are old enough to have their yearly portrait done at school! (We still want a family pic for the holidays though, Wendy! Can we schedule?)

Well, after more than 10 days of sickness, we are, if not 100%, at least back to the land of the living. Everyone went to school on Monday. I did my swim class today. I think perhaps we are going to be OK. It is truly astonishing to me how sick we all were. Even though, truthfully, I was the only one actually feeling terrible, our worrying about Ted had the whole family under pressure. Sam and Mae were very emotional these past few weeks, probably responding to the increased tension in the house. Paul got sick on Sunday, but luckily it seems to be a cold and nothing more serious. It's such a relief. Imagine - feeling better the next day instead of worse! While we pump their little bodies and our own with antibiotics, probiotics and vitamins and coax their shrunken tummies with apples and pancakes and *gasp* some ice cream, we are starting to see them spring back. Hooray. And thank goodness for modern medicine. It may have it's downfalls, but I'm grateful to it.

Wow

Most of you are of my generation and may have spent as many hours as I did reading Little House on the Prairie. Remember when Mary got Scarlet Fever and went blind? For whatever reason, that and croup (a la Anne of Green Gables) have stayed in my mind as "serious" illnesses. Ted has spent the last 7 days "with a bad cold." The skin beneath his nose and around his mouth was broken out and his fingers "probably from gymnastics" were peeling. Today I took him in to our "homeopathic MD" just to check things out. He took one look at him and said, "It's Scarlet Fever. That's a form of Strep." "I have Strep," I said. "Ah," he said, with a very kind "Well, DUH!" twinkle in his eye. The whole family is on antibiotics now and will all soon be rid of this. What a week. Luckily, and there are so many lucky things to this, Ted has felt great this whole week, completing his homework, his schoolwork, extra work, many crafts and many (many) games. Another plus is that strep, in all its various incarnations, is still MUCH better for Ted to battle than the flu, which puts asthmatics into the hospital with pneumonia right away.
So, phew. Moving on now. (Please!)

back to our lovely Indian summer

This morning started out coolish but reached 72 this afternoon. I love Colorado. A quick recap for the non-Facebook peeps out there. On Wednesday of last week, I took Ted in to the doctor to take a look at the blisters on his hands. They suspected a virus, so not much to do about it but take Tylenol if it's a real pain. By Thursday both Ted and I weren't feeling very good. Ted developed a serious cold and I came down with, ultimately, Strep. I've never had strep before. I had a terrible sore throat, headache, body aches and swollen glands. It went on and on. By Monday, Paul convinced me to go in. It was either H1N1 or Strep. Happily, it was Strep! It's Day 1 on antibiotics and I feel sooo much better. Ahhh...

Now that I'm back up to snuff, I have to get going on food. Luckily I cooked up quite a collection of dinner-esque items last week, enough to hold us through the weekend. On Mondays I always try to prep a crock pot meal and that worked well. Now to turn the Kuri squash in a mashed potato-y concoction, the sugar pie pumpkin into black bean & pumpkin soup and the potatoes into our favorite roasted chunks of deliciousness. Oh yes. It will be a good end to the week.
Ole, btw, is a great compost bin. We had to get rid of ours while the basement was being fixed. We wondered, last season, if raccoons or some other creatures were helping themselves to dinner. Nope - it was Ole! He loves squash! Silly dog.