Where We Are - 1/29/08

As January draws to a close, Warren is still doing OK. He has increasing pain (which we medicate) and limited use of his left hand, but he has not had any major loss of function that we feared. Of course that could come in the days and weeks ahead, but we are hoping that it does not. He can still eat, walk around the house, and take care of his basic needs.

We talk about our love for each other and the wonderful life together that we have shared. There are no regrets, no words left unsaid. Not everyone gets this time to close out their life, some go in the blink of an eye. There is an old adage to "always live each day as if it were your last". There is wisdom in that because in truth, today is all any of us has for sure. I encourage you all to follow your dreams, love who you love with all your heart, make fools of yourselves, and never let a broken heart break your spirit. We are meant to come into this world to laugh and cry and wear out our bodies and hearts experiencing everything we can in this great creation.

Namaste.

(picture "Dance Me to the End of Love")

One Word - 1/27/08

Paste me a link to yours in reply.

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

Not as easy as you might think.

1. Where is your cell phone? table

2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? nonexistent

3. Your hair? short

4. Work? caretaking

5. Your father? deceased

6. Your favorite thing? home

7. Your dream last night? nonexistent

8. Your favorite drink? coffee

9. Your dream car? Jeep

10. The room you’re in? livingroom

11. Your pet? none

12. Your fears? cancer

13. What do you want to be in 10 years? clairaudient

14. Where did you hang out last night? TV

15. What you’re not good at? patience

16. Eyebrow rings on the opposite sex? Ouch

17. One of your wish list items? serenity

18. Where you grew up? Maryland

19. The last thing you did? typed

20. What are you wearing? sweats

21. What aren’t you wearing? earrings

23. Your computer? on

24. Your life? busy

25. Your mood? sad

26. Missing? no

27. What are you thinking about right now?  27

28. Your car? Jeep

29. Your work?  24/7

30. Your summer? NIH

31. Your relationship status? married

32. Your favorite color? red

33. When is the last time you laughed? today

34. Last time you cried? today

35. School? past

Soups On - 1/21/08

For those of you who are really, really hungry for a hot bowl of steaming Minestrone, here is a recipe for you. It will serve 30. If your family is smaller, please feel free to practice your math skills and halve, third or quarter the ingredients to get a batch of soup that will actually fit in your pots. Because I'm a purist and I happen to have a 3 gallon stock pot, I make the whole recipe and then freeze vats of it.

Minestrone

Yields: 30 servings (uses a 3 gallon soup pot)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup and 2 teaspoons olive oil (this can be reduced if need be)

11 cloves of garlic chopped

7-1/2 onions chopped

7-1/2 cups chopped celery

18-1/2 carrots sliced

7-1/2 cups chicken broth

7-1/2 cups water

15 cups V-8 juice

3 Tbsp. and 2-1/4 teaspoons red wine (optional; I did not use)

3-3/4 cups canned kidney beans drained

3-3/4 (15 oz.) cans green beans

7-1/2 cups baby spinach, rinsed

11 zucchinis, quartered and sliced

3 Tbsps. And 2-1/4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1/3 cup and 2 Tbsps. Chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1-3/4 cups and 2 Tbsps. Seashell pasta (or any small pasta)

1/3 cup and 2 Tbsps. Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Over medium-low heat in a large stock pot, heat olive oil and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth, water and V-8 juice. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. If desired, add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.
3. Cook your pasta separately according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. You may either put the pasta in the bowl and ladle soup over it, or add the pasta to the soup itself.
5. Garnish with grated parmesan when serving.
   

This soup has a very well balanced flavor which I attribute to the use of the fresh herbs and the V-8 juice as opposed to tomato juice. It freezes well. Enjoy.

An Update - 1/12/08

I suppose I should offer a little update on what's going on here.  I've been too tired lately to spend much time on the computer. 

Hospice increased Warren's pain medications again this week and also added the steroid dexamethasone to reduce tumor related swelling.   The steroid seems to have given him a boost in energy.  He's sleeping less during the day.  He's comfortable most of the time, unless he tries to do too much or is up walking around too much.  He's working on the taxes of all things.

A Little Frost This Morning - 1/7/08

Poem: "Desert Places" by Robert Frost, from The Poetry of Robert Frost. © Henry Holt and co.

Desert Places

Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast
In a field I looked into going past,
And the ground almost covered smooth in snow,
But a few weeds and stubble showing last.

The woods around it have it—it is theirs.
All animals are smothered in their lairs,
I am too absent-spirited to count;
The loneliness includes me unawares.

And lonely as it is, that loneliness
Will be more lonely ere it will be less—
A blanker whiteness of benighted snow
With no expression, nothing to express.

They cannot scare me with their empty spaces
Between stars—on stars where no human race is.
I have it in me so much nearer home
To scare myself with my own desert places.