Sanna's Bag

“I never seem to have what I need when I need it. I’m going to make a belt-bag that’s bigger on the inside than on the outside, and just carry everything with me.”

Saturday, January 26, 2013

sitting up and taking nourishment

It's been two weeks we've been down with this flu thing.  DH has lost 20 pounds.  It's not fair!  I ate very little more than he did and I'm down only 8 pounds.  It's emotionally trying when your beloved is 30 pounds lighter than you are.  Clearly, I come from a line of people that survived through illness and famine.  No pining away for this kid!  We are both feeling vastly better, and even have started to eat a bit.  We didn't have the Noro virus, thank God,  just the 18 day flu.  And nothing tasted good.  See, there's his advantage.  If nothing tastes good, he won't eat.  I'm a clean plate ranger and will ignore the taste because it's my job to eat, whether I want to or not.  Early training and the control issues of a mother who believes that if she loves you, she will feed you, and if you love her, you will eat.

In America, do kids who are picky eaters ever starve to death?

Often I say that I skipped blogging because nothing has been happening.  We have been sleeping 15 to 18 hours a day and have not left the house except to get the mail for freaking ever.  We are starting to get shack-nasty, but are still to puny to do anything about it.  Thank God for the laptops!

And really, for the past two weeks, nothing has happened here.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Flu report. very boring

Well, we got the flu.  Fever, cough, bronchial phlegm, extreme lassitude.  DH came down with it Saturday morning while he was killing time during the knitter's tea.  I started showing symptoms that afternoon.  Sunday was fever and feet-up all day. Nothing tastes right, the appetite is missing, and there's just about enough energy to get up, go to the bathroom, get another glass of orange juice, and fall asleep again.  Nyquill and Mucinex.  And surprisingly enough, a cold wet cloth for face and wrists is wonderfully comforting.

DH had to go to the doctor after three days home to get a letter saying that he really is sick.  The company he works for is inhumane.  He still has too call in every night to tell them he won't be at work the next day.  He has the flu for cry sakes!  He won't get well overnight.

I keep nibbling, trying to find something that will taste good.  He just quits eating.    He has lost 15 pounds  so far.  I'm down 7.  There's food in the house, but it just doesn't appeal.  Even tea tastes wrong. Jello and orange juice keep the system fueled.  I know I'm sick when I want Jello.  I had a pickle last night.  That tasted pretty good.

I keep spiking a fever, then breaking a sweat.  Thank GOD for my robot servants, the washer and dryer. I am running through two or three nightgowns in a twelve hour period.  It feels so good to get out of a hot bath, all clean and fresh, and slide into a soft clean nightgown. I have a bath towel in the bed to keep from sweat-soaking the mattress, and that, of course, adds to the laundry.  The dining room table is covered with stuff that is clean and dry and needs to be folded.  We can sort through and pull out what we need.  I don't have the energy or the motivation to fold and put it all away.

And thank God for the dishwasher.  All those glasses and cups don't clean themselves.

The TV isn't getting much use.  He plays world of Warcraft, and I flop around on Facebook, but daytime TV just doesn't appeal.  I'm listening to Audiobooks and knitting a bit, but I keep nodding off.  I listened to a version of "Jurassic Park."It was and abridgment of the book based on the movie, based on the book, and even through I have read the original book, then seen the movie more than once, I still couldn't follow the abridged version.  Audiobooks does so much better with the full book.  I am now listening to "The Truth" by Terry Pratchet, and vastly enjoying every bit.  One reader creates, with voice, tempo and accent, a huge, distinct repertoire of identifiable characters.  I almost said, a menagerie of characters, because one of them is a dog, and just from the sound of his voice, you know he is a small, cynical, self-pitying mongrel  that will still come through, begrudgingly, when push comes to shove.  He may bite you, but he won't tear away chunks of flesh.

The cats are quite happy to have us both warm and horizontal.  It's Friday already and a whole week has just vanished into this void of droop.  I need to . . . ah, heck.  I need another nap.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Chapeaux to go

 More hats on hot ladies.  We totally should get dressed up with gloves and hats and nice pumps and go out for tea at the Heathman.





Saturday, January 12, 2013

January tea

 If you couldn't come, you missed a good party.  Angel food cake with strawberries in orange syrup,  gingersnaps, plain shortbread, chocolate/hazlenut shortbread, sausage bites in phylo  crust,  tangerines, tea, coffee, and chocolate wine.

I got out the blue and white tablecloth and the blue and white china.  It's rather a surprise to me how much blue and white china I have.  And last Christmas, LG made me a set of blue and white napkins and napkin rings.  We loves them, we does!  Every napkin is a different print, and the napkin rings are knitted, felted, and adorned with a glorious selection of buttons - no two alike.  What fun!


The table looked quite pretty, and the party-goers were, as always a joy and a treat!   



 I got out the hats that I inherited from Mom.  Mom loved hats with feathers.

Hallie is too cute!

Barb is looking seriously regal
Merilee is rosy!  (Mom wore this hat to my high-school graduation.)
This isn't a good photo of Pat.  She looked so elegant and sophisticated in this stylish black number with the big white bow.  With a little black sleeveless dress, elbow length black gloves, and nice black pumps, she could give
audrey Hepburn a run for her money!

Other folks got photos as well.  Want to share?

Monday, January 07, 2013

Yeast can sense your fear

This pitiful thing was intended to be a loaf of rye bread.  My husband has used the same recipe and the same yeast and gotten a five-inch high, lofty, tender loaf.  I somehow managed to produce a two inch thick brick with a pleated and deformed crust that looks rather like a fast-cooling lava flow.  The bread is tasty, and has the texture of the pumpernickel you buy to spread chopped liver on, but it did not rise as it should.   Yeast has my number and knows that I can be intimidated.  Thank God we don't have to rely on me to provide the household's bread.  We would have to eat cake.

In other domestic news, our refrigerator fan died.  We were just three months past the expiration of the warranty, so I guess we should have expected it, but I don't keep track of these things the way I should.  I opened it up on Monday morning, and the contents were room temperature. So we emptied the fridge.  Lots of stuff is in cardboard boxes in the garage where the temperature is cool enough to keep the yogurt from going bad.  Lots of stuff had to get thrown out, because we didn't get to it soon enough.  How long can you keep butter after it has gone soft?

I realized that it has been far too long since I have completely cleaned the fridge, usually making do with a swipe here and there when I notice a spill.  I took out all the shelves, the bins, the bins on the door, the whole magilla, and scrubbed inside , outside, upside and back.  Martha Stewart's housekeeper no doubt does this on a weekly basis, but how often do you completely disassemble and clean the fridge?

So that's what I did most of Saturday, and it wore me out.  Hours on my knees with a toothbrush, getting stuff out of the seam in the back floor of the cabinet.  I may have scrubbed out some caulking - who can tell?  The whole darn box is white and shiny now.  Two more days before the part will be delivered and installed if we are lucky.  Thank God it didn't happen mid-summer.

Ladies' Knitting here on Saturday.  Angelfood cake, gingersnaps, shortbread, tangerines, and chicken sausage in phylo dough.  And chocolate wine.  My niece had chocolate wine at her wedding and it bears sharing!  So consider this your formal invitation and let me know if you can make it.  I have GOT to update the e-mail invites list.

I will not make anything with yeast.  Yeast can sense your fear.

Thursday, January 03, 2013

January the 3rd

 On New Year's Day, it was bright and sunny so DH and I participated in an urban 5K walk.  If it had been bucketing down rain, we would have stood in bed, but as is usual this time of the year, a fierce east wind is howling down the gorge, bringing cloudless days, and nights cold enough to freeze the ears off a wooden Indian.

Here we are at the Portland waterfront in front of the old fire station.  Waterfront park is a block deep band of trees and grass that lines the West bank of the Willamette river in downtown Portland.  It's like the city's front porch.
And here we are next to the working sternwheeler steamboat.  They take cruses up and down the river with meals and entertainment laid on.  You go for the view and the entertainment.  The meals are pretty pedestrian.

I am dressed in multiple layers and found the practice quite effective.  As you see, the windbreaker layer got shed.  The scarf around the throat kept my neck from chapping, though it was soaked by the time we finished.  I have a polypropylene shirt under the silk/cotton long-sleeve t.  I never thought I would wear synthetics next to the skin, but by golly, it sure does wick wonderfully!  I never felt a bit of chill in spite of 40 degree temps,and the chap-your-cheeks wind.  I'm wearing two pairs of gloves, and a microfleece ear band under my hand knit wool hat.

Back in the wild old days of the city, loggers and sailors used to wander around enjoying the sights.  When they got thirsty, the only thing they could do was go into one of the many saloons and buy a drink.  A city founder, Mr. Benson, frowned on the drunkenness thus fostered, so, at his own expense, set up drinking fountains all through the city.  Here I am taking advantage of a Benson Bubbler, still providing free fresh water to the thirsty citizenry.

He also built fountains where you could water your horses and dogs as well.  Not so many horses and dogs in town, so most of those fountains are gone now.


So with the new year, I have no resolutions to share.  Yes, I want to get more exercise, but I don't yet want it badly enough to get off my broad backside and do something.  Yes, I want to lose weight.  But the fridge is on the fritz and that soft butter soaks into hot toast so deliciously.  And there are all those chocolates that people gave us for Christmas that will get stale if we don't eat them soon.  Not to mention that today is the Feast of Sumptuous Cakes and I have to do SOMETHING to celebrate.  Maybe a trip to the cupcake shop . . .

Remember, as we go through 2013, there is always something to be grateful for.  A dry, warm house or  a dry safe bed or even one more breath in the dark.  I remind myself that no one is dropping bombs on me, and I'm not pregnant.  Life is good!