Keeping it Simple

 

Simple food is often the best. Recently out fourth daughter was visiting us and cooked a lovely meal (see above picture) including her delicious potato bake. It tasted even better than before, and then she discovered she had used custard powder instead of cornflour in the sauce. It was a tad yellow but it tasted awesome. Maybe a secret ingredient?

What cooking mistakes have you made that enhanced a dish rather than ruined it?

With Christmas fast approaching and I say that with total denial, I am hoping my eldest daughter gets motivated and energised to do the baking required. I don’t have one inch of Christmas spirit in me. I feel flat, exhausted, sad, a little bit grinchy, (is that even a word) anxious-oh I could just go on but I’m not, for all our sakes. So many people tell me that I have a grandchild now, who will be 4 months old when the big day rolls around, so I have to be happy. Well I cannot be happier with him and I am trying to do my grandmother job well. This year he will like the paper much more than what the toy is. But in future years I will most certainly enjoy seeing his delight at the arrival of Father Christmas.

So now back to simple foods. Christmas this year will be just the bloke and I and three of the girls, my newly minted SIL and of course our darling little Jacob. The plan is to go to Jacob’s home for a nice light breakfast, maybe fruit, toast and whatever else we choose, then come back here for a lunch of cold meats including baked glazed ham, roast chicken, maybe a roast beef, German potato salad, garden salad, pasta salad with trifle and a nice refreshing homemade cheesecake for dessert. Leftovers will be consumed throughout the evening and even next day. See simple and delicious and easily prepared.

I know that I have been quiet here again and I can’t promise things will change, but I do value all of my readers and your comments really cheer me up.

Sleep...

It's a quarter past 7am. I have been up since 4.30am, far to early, as it makes for a very long day for me. I often sit here at my table drooping eyelids too tired to get up and go back to bed and also not wanting to because without assistance from the bloke as I cant get into a comfortable position. If I decide that I must lie down then my only hope is that sleep takes me out if it swiftly.

Do you know that some torturers used sleep deprivation during the wars?

I know I am not alone in the non-sleeping stakes. I have friends who spend many 'sleeping hours' awake and indeed in my own family there are a few who share this unwanted problem. My youngest daughter is one. Often when I am dragging my body our of bed, she is just turning her light out. Her problem was so bad at one time it caused her to leave her job.

The bloke is a good sleeper. His only sleep problem is me! He is very, very cranky if he gets woken. Can't blame him. I am restless in my sleep and get pains in my back and hips. I have suggested having separate rooms and he has slept on occasion in the lounge, but mostly he sleeps in our king sized bed.

At the moment with two kids living here we are short on spare bedrooms. Well there is my 'craft room", but I am not surrendering that again. I have a lot of 'stuff' that needs a home.

Therefore we put up with the situation, and hope it can get better. Luckily my bpap machine is quiet ad the oxygenator is parked outside our bedroom door so the noise from that is minimal.

Sleep is an interesting thing to me.We all need it but have varying degrees of success in achieving a restorative sleep session.
When I look at Jacob, my grandson sleeping I think how his brain and body is growing and marvel at every little smile, grimace, frown and arm flutter he displays on his cute little face whilst asleep.
There is nothing I like better than to sit here on my sofa and watch this child sleep. We put a couple of pillows on the seat next to me and he sleeps there with a light blanket covering him. He doesn't like blankets, like most babies. He will often sleep 2-3 hours next to his Nonna. Ah...bliss.






Jacob asleep on his mama. Don't ya love they way babies hang onto your clothes whilst they sleep?





This is Jacob just after waking up from a sleep. How gorgeous is he.

Post Wedding Roundup

Hello. It's five days post wedding and life for me is returning to normal. Such a big event is both physically and emotionally draining. Usually I am quick to cry but I tried hard not to get too teary, and I did well. On the morning of the big day I was wide awake at 3 am  This was not good as I knew I would be very tired by early evening. The girls all went to have their and make-up done and I was left at home getting my hair done by my hairdresser. Once they arrived home the photographer arrived to start snapping pictures. And then it was time for me to get dressed as I was going to the venue before all the girls did. The bloke also dressed in his newly purchased outfit and he did look dapper in his attire. On arriving at the beautiful gardens we soon realised that the area chosen for the ceremony was in full sun and would be too hot. This was fixed quickly by moving chairs to a lovely spot under the wide spreading, shady tree.
As family and friends gathered for the nuptials there was excitement and nerves in the air. The groom was feeling a little emotional and nervous, and I knew once my daughter, his bride arrived he would be teary. Once the celebrant started the 'walking down the aisle' music all heads turned to watch as first the bridesmaids then the beautiful, elegant bride on the arm of her proud father swept down the lovely stone path.
The lead bridesmaid, my second eldest daughter, carried baby Jacob in her arms, and gave him to his father, the groom. That made me teary; that little boy has that affect on me.
As we all watched the bride walk to her groom my heart swelled with pride. The bride looked exquisite in her simple but elegant off the shoulder dress. Lace around the neckline and little beads scattered across the dress. It also had a small train which looked superb. Her natural beauty shone through.The bridesmaid dresses looked great, with the various shades of dark and pale purple. Purple and ivory were used as the theme.

The marriage ceremony was meaningful as the couple had chosen their own vows.
The weather was perfect. It was like we had dialed in the weather conditions.

The food was lovely and consisted of roast beef and pork, roasted potato and pumpkin,  beef lasagna, fettuccine carbonara and a Greek salad. Dessert was a mini pavlova or trifle. The dancing was great to watch and I admit to feeling left out at not being able to dance, though the others did a good job. Many of the younger people were flinging their arms and legs around and having a ball.
By the time we got home it was midnight and I was very tired.
The wedding was so  much better than I imagined and most importantly the happy couple were pleased with it. So what a year this has been so far. In August I become a first time grandma and now two months later I am a mother-in-law.
Life really does go full circle.
Hope you enjoy the photos. Yes that's me with the bloke in the last pic. I am really not happy at my pictures, but wanted to add it.

Eve of the Wedding

It's 3am on the eve of our eldest DD's wedding. For some reason I found myself wide awake at this ridiculously early hour, on a day that is going to be very full on. As I sit here at my table, in a house that is still very quiet, my mind runs through the days events. Breakfast, before the bloke has to run off and attend a work place safety meeting. Then he is home to collect me and all the decorations and props needed to set up for the wedding. Of we go with all of our girls and the groom to set up. He is stressing that it will take longer than he has time for. We tell him no, once our girls are in action it will be done in no time. Then home again to get cars washed. In the meantime I will be looking after our grandson, with his mum needing to do various other chores. Somewhere in all this we need to make a dessert to take with us tonight as we are going to my sisters place for a BBQ. I'm really excited about this because we will be meeting up with my extended family who have travelled up for the wedding. Whew! There is a whole lot more going on of course, but I won't list it all here.
I think it's going to be a multiple coffee day for me, I don't have the energy to get through it otherwise. Of course, I won't have to do the donkey work, as I will have to use my wheelchair, my role will be chief baby sitter and director of productions. Great jobs I think.
I know there will be tears on the day, I've been quite emotional for the past week or so. I will take my sun glasses, to help disguise my tears.
As my mind roams through the twenty seven years of memories I have with my daughter, I feel so proud of this young woman and all her achievements. She is a very caring, determined, capable, clever person. She is laid back and takes things in her stride, and is calm in the face of high drama. She takes after her dad in this regard, and I'm glad. Tomorrow as she stands with her partner with their two month old baby in his arms, I know the bloke and I and her for sisters will be wishing them a happy, long life together. With all our loved ones and friends watching on, the scene is set for a very special sharing of love. Oops, got to go, my eyes are leaking again.
I will return after the wedding with a few pictures.

Wish us luck.

It's Nearly Time

                                                               Pinterest photo source

It's been a while since I wrote, but this blog will let you know some of the things I have been up to. Overall, there has been the wedding stuff to work on. That is the final numbers, menu choices, drink choices, decorations and on and on. Of course a late venue change added a little extra tempo to the preparations. The venue my daughter has had booked for months, called her two weeks out from the wedding to say they had just realised that there was another event occurring on the same day, but this wouldn't interrupt the wedding. We couldn't believe it, but then again they had not been the easiest people to get along with. The bride and groom to be decided that they were not happy with this situation and so my daughter & I started thinking of alternative venues. Despite this being a popular month for weddings, we were fortunate that another venue was available and with prompt action the it was booked, menu chosen, monies paid. We are so lucky that our daughter is a placid, calm person, as she did not throw a tantrum or dissolve into tears which a lot of other brides might have. I think I was more stressed.
All through the days of planning, making, and all other things involved in organising a wedding I have been able to spend many hours with my darling grandson. He is a happy kid, and developing into a real cute character. He loves me singing to him and he loves listening to The Seeker's, Morning Town Ride. It usually calms him down and he goes to sleep. We make up a little nest next to me on my couch or he goes into his bassinet, which has been bought to our house for his use.

He is a most cherished child, and is responding very well to us. He smiles, giggles s little, burps loudly and easily, yawns quite loudly too, just like his Pop (The Bloke). I must add that Pop has really taken to this baby boy. He goes out to their car when he hears them pull into the driveway and he always has his arms open for a cuddle. My sister had told me that having grand-kids would be the best thing in the world, and they weren't wrong.
So be sure to check back in a couple of weeks or sooner as I will post some wedding pics and a commentary on how things went. I'm feeling a little anxious as it will be my first official outing in my wheelchair in my own home town, wish me luck.

Until next time,