Friday, June 12, 2015

A Peek into my Week . . .




Today . . . June 12, 2014

Mother Nature . . . I woke up to the most beautiful morning!!  The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, but,  the temperature is perfect!  Will it stay that  way - most likely, NOT!  We can't change Mother Nature!

On My Mind . . . Last week, the retirement center where we have my mother called my sister and told her that our mother had left her electric wheelchair at the top of a stair case (two flights), walked down the two flights of stairs, and had left the building, out a back door with an alarm.  She was leaving to go with an imaginary boy friend.  They told her that we would need to move her to their memory care unit, or take her somewhere else.  The week before, we had looked at one of the memory care rooms in their Memory Care Unit,  and were still trying to decide what to do . . . I guess we had our decision made for us, didn't we!.  Mother was not happy!  What hard decisions to make!  Mother has dementia, she hallucinates, and gets so confused sometimes, but the decision was still a hard one.  I think she is feeling a little more content where she is.  It's a beautiful, new unit with only 10 rooms, so she will get more one on one attention.  Old age is no fun!

Then . . .

On Monday, my daughter called us at about 9:30 a.m. and said that she had fallen, and thought she had broken her foot!  I won't even tell you what she was doing when she broke it, but I will say . . . never stand on a toilet seat when you paint the bathroom... ;0)

She lives about 30 minutes away, and has four little kids, so we hurried as fast as we could to get to her.  Her husband works about and hour and a half away, so we knew we had to hurry!  When we got there, her poor foot was so swollen, and she was in a lot of pain.  I was very relieved that her dear friend and her husband were already there ready to do whatever they needed to do. My husband took her to the emergency room, and sure enough, it was broken in two places, on the outside of her foot.  She will most likely need surgery to fix it, but the doctor can't do a anything until the swelling goes down.

My daughters x-ray!

So, next week, she has an appointment to see the doc!  I'm so glad we live close, I will be spending more than a few days helping her!!  She has a wonderful mother-in-law, and awesome friends, she is very blessed. . . life certainly does throw us a few curve balls!!

In My Yard . . . The garden is coming along!  Most everything is popping up, and my husband is really excited to pull and eat radishes!  I'm not a radish fan, so they are all his!  The horses are always happy to see me in the garden!


Comfort from the Kitchen . . .

Tomorrow, I'm making dinner for my sweet daughter with the broken foot... :0(  It's her husband's birthday on Sunday, so I thought I would make him something kind of special, and call it, his birthday dinner. This is my version of Swedish Meatballs.  I like to serve it with mashed potatoes, but he likes noodles.

Swedish Meatballs and Gravy

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 pounds ground beef 
  • 1 med potato peeled and grated
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, potato, eggs, allspice, nutmeg and cooked onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.  

Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.To make the gravy, melt butter in the skillet. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened, about 8-10 minutes.

*If I am in a hurry, I will use 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and a can of milk or half and half for the sauce.  Just take the meatballs out of the skillet, add the soup mixture and bring to a simmer.  Add the meatballs back to the skillet and cook until slightly thickened.  It's really good too!

A Little Sweetness . . . 

Clara, graduated from pre-school, and it was very cute, and very exciting! She is such a happy girl, and loves to have fun!  We are so proud of this spunky little monkey!



Just Sayin'. . . 


Something from my Playlist . . .

Glen Campbell is truly one of my favorite singers, I almost cried when he was diagnosed with Alzimers. He is so talented, not just as a singer, but also as a musician. . .so gifted. . .Enjoy!




Have a wonderful week-end!!

Hugs,











14 comments:

Vee said...

Oh my! What a lot going on, Barb. So glad that there was no fall involved with your mother...that sounded pretty scary. Your poor daughter! (I have done exactly that thing. I promise I won't do it again.) Hope that she heals fast and that perhaps surgery can be avoided. So good that she has so many supportive people in her life. Hmmmm...Swedish meatballs are a favorite around here and I have never made them the old-fashioned way. Take care. Stay safe over there!

Marsha said...

Life gets pretty hectic when you are thrown a curve ball, hit, and then you don't even get to walk to first base. It's always good that we can rely on family and friends when these things happen.

I'm like you....I do not care for radishes. I can remember as a child that my mom would put a little pile of salt on the table next to her plate and dip her radishes in it.

Clara......what a sweet smile!

Saimi said...

Holy cow lots of happenings going on around you - your poor mama sounds like she'll be getting some good care though - that's all we can ask for - sounds like your daughter is also receiving some good care as well! Ill make note not to paint standing on the toilet seat - your little granddaughter is adorable I can see the sparkle in her eyes for sure! Thank you for sharing ! Take care!

Vickie said...

Hi Barb! So good to hear from you! I've been MIA for so long. I looked back and I think the last time I posted was in February! I do miss my blog friends...

Hate to hear about your mother. My husband's mom has had Alzheimers for 8-10 years now. She doesn't know us anymore, doesn't talk. I hope your mom doesn't get it. And I'm so glad your mom was hurt or lost when she left the home! That's scary! And your poor daughter! That sounds like something I would do. I'll keep that in mind the next time I stand on the toilet. I don't think about nearing 60, one shouldn't be standing on toilet seats or wobbly chairs! (Who? Me?)

You've got a lot happening at your place. I do miss my garden this year - I'll think about fall... Nah... second wedding in October. Well, next spring then... Your little Clara is so proud of herself - just look at that sweet excited smile! You take care, Barb - I'll try to not take so long before I'm back - I lose track of everyone's lives!

Unknown said...
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Shug said...

Sounds like you have sure had a busy week. Oh my....I do hope her foot heals quickly. It is very difficult when the mom of a household is down. Bless her heart! You sure have a precious graduate there. they grow so fast! My heart is with you when it comes to your mom. Your situation was the same as mine about six months ago. We had to make that same decision in order to keep my dad safe. I was so stressed back then....but now I know that we made the necessary decision that was for the best of my dad.
Take care Barb.....Prayers for your family.

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Oh my, Barb...you've had quite a week! Your poor daughter...I hope she's got something to help with the pain and that she heals quickly. This is not how she wanted to start her summer, I'm sure! It's great that you live close enough to help out, I know that is a huge comfort to her.

I'm glad your mother has good care. It's sure hard when parents get older and suffer with dementia. My dad had it, too, and he would always ask me if he could go home with me when I
visited him. It was so hard to have to say no. I knew that I couldn't give him the care he needed. It is a difficult time and my heart goes out to you as you see your mother dealing with all this.

Oh the cuteness!! That is just the sweetest little graduate I've ever seen! I didn't even know they had graduation outfits at that age. (I'm so behind the times since I don't have grandchildren yet!)

Thanks for sharing a song from Glenn Campbell. He was always one of my favorites and it's hard to think of him with Alzheimer's.

Take care and have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs, Cheryl

Deb J. in Utah said...

Hi Barb - I liked Glen Campbell a lot too - back in the day. So sad all the changes that come with age - all part of "enduring to the end." Hope your daughter's foot heals quickly. So hard to get around on an injured foot. I know - I had foot surgery when my kids were still young and that was very challenging - dad at work all day and mom trying to take care of everything while limping around in pain. Good thing our bodies heal up and things get better. Your granddaughter is so sweet. What a cute age. You have had quite a week - hopefully a peaceful and relaxing weekend is in store for you!

JEEWANTIPS said...

Very nice post ...
Welcome to my blog on my new post.

lesa said...

Your daughter is blessed to have you pretty close by. I hope her wait to get into the doctor goes quickly. Good luck with your Mom settling in to her new place.

Kerin said...

My goodness, what a busy week you had!!
Sorry to hear about your mom's ordeal. Getting old is NOT for sissies!!
I hate to admit it, but I too have stood on a toilet seat or two, just to reach the ceiling over the toilet as I painted a bathroom. Ouch!! It looks like your daughter's foot is painful, and she will be a while recovering. I just have to ask; did she get the painting done before the fall?? Of course maybe it's just me, but I would be madder about not finishing the painting, than breaking my durn foot!! Guess that's why I've been banned for life-time from climbing on ladders and toilet seats to paint ~~~~ **giggle**.
You are a great mama to help her out, and of course I know she loves you and appreciates it.

Thanks for sharing your recipe... the Swedish meatballs sound delish!!

Oh, Clara... she is just precious!!!

Hope you have a good week, and sending wishes for your daughter for a speedy recovery!

~K.

LeAnn said...

I love the picture of the dog looking through the hole. I am so happy that your mother didn't fall but for her to escape is scary. Feel good that she is now safe in a lock down unit. When my Dad was in a center he was constantly trying to get out. He would walk around and feel the walls looking for a door to go out of. He would do it all night and then sleep some during the day. It was so sad. I can certainly understand your feelings on this one. It is just so hard.
I feel so bad for sweet Jessica. With those little ones it will be hard. I broke my ankle and had to have surgery on it about 20 plus years ago; so I can sympathize with that sweet girl.
well Bob and I will have to work on the radishes. I love them especially with a little salt; yum!
Clara is just so adorable. I love that she has a hat ad gown; so cute.
I love the Recipe but you will have to make it for me sometime. I do need to start really cooking again. We eat so simple now days.
I too loved Glen Campbell songs. I feel sad about him. Thanks for sharing this one.
sending your way lots of hugs and love. You are such a sweet friend and I hope we see you soon.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear. Your poor mother. I pray that she will adjust to her new room soon and enjoy each day. And your daughter! Ouch! I hope she heals quickly - taking care of children with a broken foot will be challenging. And I love your pictures <3 horses!

Kimmie said...

So much going on for you right now. Thinking of you and sending soft squishy hugs across the miles.

xxx

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