An Experiment Of Sorts

I didn't sleep well the other night. It was one of those times that I tossed and turned, and couldn't shut my mind off, no matter what. It was around five in the morning when I finally started to doze off, and then I woke up at seven, exhausted and wondering how I would make it through my day.

But I did have plenty of time to think while I lay awake, and a frozen turkey that had been sitting in the little chest freezer in the garage kept coming to mind. After a warm shower and a hot coffee that made me feel so much better, I pulled the turkey out to roast ...

I must add that I have no idea how old that turkey was. It was frozen rock solid, though, and looked pretty good when I unwrapped it. I really hate wasting food. I decided that if it tasted bad, we wouldn't eat it. Into the oven it went.

I usually roast my turkeys frozen, it can be done, really. Of course the directions always make it look so simple, and it isn't always simple. You have to roast it awhile and then try to get the frozen neck and giblets out, and they don't always cooperate. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to get them out of the cavity this time, I just gave up and roasted the turkey until it was done.

It wasn't bad! The skin tasted a little of freezer burn, but the meat was quite tasty. And while I was at it, I decided to make a true dinner of it and baked some sweet potatoes in the air frier and some green bean casserole in the little crockpot, something I had my doubts about but will definitely do again in the future. I also found a bag of fresh frozen cranberries and simmered up those.

Then I ordered some silicon gloves to wear the next time I roast a frozen turkey. Maybe I'll be able to get those giblets out without burning my hands, you never know.

I love cleaning out my freezer ...

Date Night

It's cold out there! Or maybe it just seems extra cold because we're not quite used to winter weather yet?

We decided that it would be a good idea to get out of the house for awhile and planned a Date Night. We ended up going to Houlihan's for Happy Hour because they have good deals on wine and appetizers. It seemed to be an older group of folks there, but maybe that happens when you go out to eat at 4pm. I didn't care. I kind of like getting there before the crowds, and I like settling back into a cozy home for the night once it gets dark. We rented a DVD from Redbox, something we'd never done before. I'd been hearing good things about The Big Sick and had seen the lead actor host SNL a couple of weeks ago. He was funny! The wind whipped around us and froze our ears while we tried to figure out how to get the DVD out of the box, it was a little ridiculous. We'll have a piece of leftover chocolate lasagna from the fridge later on while we watch the movie.

I spent a good part of the afternoon dealing with the pile of papers accumulating on the kitchen table. Looking through some catalogs, I saw a fleece blanket that looked like something my dad might have liked in his earlier years, one with with deer and other wild life on it. Living in the Care Center, his need for material things is so small. And I struggle with this because I want to give him things. I want so much for him to be happy. But I know, it really isn't possible to give someone happiness. It's sad. I think I will buy the blanket for him, anyway.

Last night, he looked so sweet in his hat that I snapped a picture of him wearing it. Mom loves to have her picture taken. I'm storing up memories!

Under Control

I think we have the yard situation pretty much under control now.

Most of the leaves are piled on the huge pile out back, and yesterday I gave all the Hosta a haircut. I found the little pot that had Grandpa Harry's Hiacynth plant in it (the one we thought had died) and lo and behold, it now has new growth! I rescued it and tucked it in the little bathroom off the kitchen and then closed the door so the kitties wouldn't chew on it, which they most likely would have done if given the chance. Tristin is already enjoying all the outdoor furniture stacked up on the porch.

Then we took one last walk down to the lake, still so beautiful with color.

Today is gray and blustery and we might get a couple of inches of snow tonight, but I will not complain. There are too many other states with bigger, more scary weather issues going on, a little cold and snow should not be a big deal!

And, did I already mention that I'm looking forward to not having to make a drive into the city every day any more?  Maybe it's not such a bad thing to be out of work. As one of my old directors at the care center used to say ... silver lining.

Mom Turns 84

We celebrated Mom's 84th birthday last night with a steak dinner and chocolate lasagna for dessert. Mom loves 7 layer salad and fries so we had to have those, too.   :-)  Wonder if I'll be as youthful as she is when I'm 84!

Update On Cleo

If you've been following along with me on my blog, you might remember me talking about Cleo.

If you haven't been following along, here is the story ... Cleo is one of Grandma Gloria's two cats (Punk is the other).  After Grandma Gloria moved into Assisted Living and then Memory Care, Punk and Cleo moved in with us.

That brought us to four cats and a dog in the house!

We somehow managed for a couple of years, and then it just didn't work so well. Cleo is part Bengal, and though very smart and very beautiful, she can be a handful. Plus she didn't get along so well with Katie's little man, Tristin, and let's just say that it was a lot of work to manage them all.

It can be difficult to find homes for cats, I found, and when a cat loving friend from work said she'd take Cleo in, we were thrilled. The down side was that she already had a nearly blind and deaf dog (who wasn't really the problem) and two big male cats. Almost immediately one of the two big cats, Bob, started to stalk Cleo. They tried everything they could think of ... separating them, plug in pheromones, keeping Cleo in the bedroom all of the time, but then they couldn't sleep.

I do think that the more cats you force to live together, the more neurotic they can become. Cleo began to scream all the time, and Bob actually took a little nip out of her ear, which makes me sad to think about. They kept Cleo a full year, and then decided they just couldn't do it any longer. I got the call from my friend saying they would need to find Cleo another home. Yikes.

And then Mark, my brother, came to the rescue and said he could take Cleo. It's only been a couple of days, but it seems to be working out just fine. I've always suspected that Cleo might do better in a one cat home where she could get All of the attention, and I hope this is the case.

Goodness.

Deephaven in Fall

It never ceases to amaze me how gorgeous it is around here in October. People talk about the colors up north, or down south, but I think Vine Hill Road and Ridgewood Road have about the most beautiful colored trees a person could ever hope to see at this time of year. I've also heard people refer to Deephaven as God's Country, and I would say that I have to agree.

Last week was a year from Grandma Gloria's passing, and we brought her ashes to scatter around the tree sitting by her bench at the Arboretum. How she loved it there.

Bruce has been busy getting the cabin ready for winter. Lots of leaves to deal with up there, too, plus getting the dock and boat out and winterized for the season. He chopped up a bunch of wood, which will most likely last us forever!

My little hot tub had to be put away for the season. Too bad our extreme Minnesota winters don't allow it to be used year round, but then it will be exciting to put it out again in the Spring.

I guess now that winter is again on it's way, there is a need to adjust to the new Season. I don't particularly enjoy the bitter cold or driving on winter roads, but perhaps I can look a little closer and hopefully notice the goodness of what this time of year can offer.

I am looking forward to the Holidays!