Easy As Pie

How to make a memory and a pie at the same time:

Grab some strawberries fresh  from the farm.

Find a grandson who happens to be an aspiring chef.

Teach him the technique of crimping a pie crust.....

jussst right.



Stir up some filling.

Pour the filling over the strawberries which have been placed in a baked crust.



And strut your stuff (pie).

The Recipe

1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup water 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin 4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Directions

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled.

Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in the crust. Pour gelatin mixture over berries. Refrigerate until set. Garnish with whipped cream.  Whipped cream can be made early in the day and kept in the refrigerator.  Just make sure you whip it really stiff.

"What do you see Nurses?" + A Nurse's response

I Wanna Hold Your Ha-a-a-and. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

Nursing home living can strip you of your identity.  Forget modesty and it becomes a challenge to remember who you really are in a "take a ticket -- take a wheelchair" environment.

So last night I had the privilege of giving my mother a manicure.

She was so pleased to look down and see her life worn hands with nails shaped and polished.

It did us both good to have a reason to hold hands.

Touch is always important but I believe that the same failure to thrive syndrome in babies not touched also affects our survival in later years when our world is not so big.

There are so many ways to serve others and mani-pedis in nursing homes is an innovative one.

Maybe we should all reach out and touch someone who is lonesome?

Yew Dell Gardens

A little pocket of joy in the midst of being a caregiver. 



Time is too long for those who mourn
Too short for those who laugh
But to those who love
Time is an eternity.



Indy Children's Museum

We took a mini vacation and took the grand kids to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis.  It is the largest children's museum in the world.  When my boys were growing up we went once a year.  Such fun!

Famous masterpieces recreated in Jelly Beans.  Delicious!

Barbie-Land
(A travelling exhibit)



Barbie's office.

A place to design Barbie's next outfit and even a runway show for your creations.

A ride on the carousel.

A class on DNA.

"Shave and a hair cut --two bits."



An old fashioned beauty shop.



Tropical delights.



And we even  ran into famous new friends.

If you find yourself in that part of the country -- go. 

Three Pairs of Underpants

I left home on May 19th for an out of town wedding.  I was rerouted to my mother's hospital bed on the way home.  So here I sit five weeks later with three pairs of underpants.
I mentioned this to my friend Donna (a flight attendant who has been standed in a foreign country often) and she replyed:
"Actually each pair has an -- inside --outside -- front -- and back."  So she assured me I really have twelve pairs!
Even in the midst of life's challenges isn't it good to know we can laugh?
In Proverbs 31 God describes His kind of gal.
"She laughs at the days to come" is one of His observations.

“The enemy can take no advantage but what the Lord permits him; and He will permit him none but what He designs to overrule for your greater advantage in the end.” – John Newton

Call me a copy cat but I found these on a different blog and it rested my weary soul.

Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy - The Tams As I sit by my mother's bed we reflect on the lessons to be learned. I've told her that she continues to teach me great and hard lessons. No regrets is one of them. How sad to reach the end of your life and realize -- I played a role and clung to the shore. No regrets.

Blessings - Laura Story (with Subtitles)

Sick Leave

Sorry for the abrupt departure.  My mother got sick (Well, she had to have a hip replacement) and I had to leave.
We are not out of the woods yet but she is on the mend physically and trying very hard to stay mentally upbeat. 
I've had some old fashioned sayings running through my mind as we've navigated this trial.

1.  "It's a jungle in there."  Health care is a maze.  You better have someone with a backbone and a smidgen of common sense sitting in that pleather recliner if you ever find yourself in a hospital gown.  I had to refuse several tests that were ordered by vigilante specialists who didn't read the chart, talk to the patient to get background or slow down long enough to get the big picture.

2.  "When the house is on fire it's no time to rearrange the furniture."  Crisis' bring out the best and worst in the family affected.  My  friend the head chaplain told me that dysfunction is magnified 10 fold in a medical crisis. ( I know he understood who he was talking to because he remembered my bringing  a floor lamp when my son had surgery. I don't like the lighting in hospital rooms.)  We are no different.

3.  "There is nothing like an old friend."  My girlfriend for life Linda has opened up her beautiful home for me to stay at and I have had a respite in the midst of a frenzied time.  She even leaves the light on for me.

4. "When all else fails -- pray."  A shoulder to cry on, a cheerie voice mail , E-mail or a sweet card in the mail are welcomed during a time like this but there is nothing like that friend who grabs your hand and says; "Let's pray"  then proceeds to  pray words you can't even form in your own mind and your heart rests.
Would you please continue to pray for us? 

Quick -- Take a Deep Breath!

Memorial Day reminds me of how important it is to remember. 
Remembering helps us not to make the same mistakes and transports us back to sweet pockets of good times.
When my boys were young I wanted them to remember the good times of their childhood.  Those free and happy days of not being in charge and big exciting adventures.
I read an article back then that said  smell is the sense most closely associated with our memories.
Ahhhhh, the smell of a fresh Christmas tree, Krispy Kreme do-nuts rolling off the conveyor belt, the smell of walking into my grandparent's farm house.  To this day those smells can take me back to peace and love.
So when the boys and I were out and all of a sudden I would realize that this moment needed to be engraved in their hearts forever I would instruct; "Quick take a deep breath!  Now, remember this time forever."
It worked because my son has told me how many of those smells have become safe havens for him in his daily life.
The smell of a State Park.  The smell a glazed ham baking in the oven.
What are the "Smells" of your life?

Resting Well

My mother is resting well after her surgery.  Thank you for your prayers.  We could feel the support.