- Good food, good company, good advice from Grandma

ONE Year Later

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Today is my birthday. Last year on my birthday, I was in the hospital fighting for my life. I was unconscious, and had tubes running out of every place they could run out of. When I finally came to after 34 days in the hospital, I had been operated on five times, and had lost part of my colon, had a colostomy inserted through my abdominal wall, and the fascia layer removed. I have been in pain every second of every day of the last year.

Some days I try to remind myself that the pain lets me know I am still alive. Other days, I wonder how long I can go on living in pain, with no end in sight. I have changed my life completely. Before the surgery, or let’s call it BS, I was a park ranger, living at the Grand Canyon North Rim for six months out of the year. I loved to sew, to hike, to DO things. I had hiked every trail at the North Rim except for the rim to rim one. I knew I was not fit enough to tackle that one.

I enjoyed sitting at my sewing machine, making things. I made quilts, baby quilts, tote bags, wallets, all sorts of things. I loved to go places at the spur of the moment. A jump in the truck to go to Florida, or Arizona, or Tennessee, or Alabama was nothing but fun. I had plans to plant a vegetable garden and flowers at our house. I dreamed about painting and hanging pictures, and decorating the walls. I wanted to build a barbecue grill and a patio, and raised beds for my flowers.

Now, I sit in my recliner and play games on my iPad. I sleep a lot. We did go on a four day vacation to Florida last week, but I have spent the last five days recuperating from that trip. I still can not put my shoes and socks on by myself. I can not reach my feet to wash them in the shower. I need help getting in and out of the car. I can not reach things in the lower cabinets or the higher cabinets. I can not do the things I want to do. Some days, I don’t get out of bed. When we go shopping, I use an electric cart.

Really, I try to be happy. I try to look at this like “I am still alive”. I still get to see my grandchildren, look at videos of Becca’s new puppy and laugh at his antics; I still get to talk to my sister and friends on the phone. I haven’t written much about this because I don’t want to sound like a “oh, woe is me” or have a pity party for myself all the time. But, just for today, I am going to try to be happy that I have made it one more year. I’m going to try to think that in another year from now, I will not be in pain anymore. What I want for my birthday is to not be in pain. Not just for today, but for every day for the rest of my life. Who can give me that?

Thirty-One Review and Giveaway

Karen · 139 Comments

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Melinda, a Thirty-One consultant, contacted me and asked me to do a review and giveaway for Thirty-One products. I chose the Organista Crossbody Bag because I was looking for a small bag that would hold everything I need to take with me, yet be out of the way so that I could use both hands when I am out and about. The Organista bag fits that description quite well. Just look at all the stuff I fit in this 9.5″ X 7.5″ bag:

All the things pictured above, plus my camera and a pill bottle, fit in that little bag! I have been very satisfied with the functionality of the Organista. I took it to Florida on vacation with me, and I was able to have everything I need right there with me.

I like that there are slots for debit and credit cards, and window for my ID. A zippered change pocket is quite handy too.

Melinda is giving one of my lucky readers a $31 gift certificate to use to order the item of their choice from her Thirty-One Website. To enter the giveaway, use the Giveaway Tools form below. OH! and don’t forget, if you’d like to become a Thirty-One Consultant, Melinda can sign you up! Check out her web page for details.

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A Little Vacation

Karen · 3 Comments

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I may or may not have said here on the blog that I have decided to celebrate my birthday twice this year since I missed it last year. So, last week, Fabgrandpa and I went to Florida for a few days. We left on Thursday morning, and drove as far as Perry, Florida before we stopped for the night.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. The guy at the check in counter was very nice, and offered us a nice discount for Veterans. They give the government rate for vets, which is about $25 less than the regular room rate. We have stayed at Holiday Inn Express lots of times in our travels, and we were not disappointed in this one. The only thing wrong with it was the smell. They had sprayed some kind of floral air freshener in the hallway and it was very strong. P.U. There was also a bad smell in the room, which I jokingly told Fabgrandpa that it smelled like someone pooped under the bed. At least after you got used to it you didn’t notice it.

While we were in Perry, we went to dinner at Goodman’s Barbecue. I am accustomed to Georgia style barbecue, and this was not anywhere like what we have had in Georgia. This pork was cooked with a dry rub. While it was a good taste, it was rather dry and stringy compared to other places we have tried.

On Friday we arrived in Safety Harbor, and checked in to the Safety Harbor Motel. Although this motel was probably built in the 1950’s, it was very clean and very comfortable and in a quite neighborhood. We slept like babies there.

The room we stayed in was a kitchenette, so we could have cooked meals in our room if we had wanted to. There was a stovetop, a microwave, a refrigerator, and coffeepot. There was a sink, and complete eating, drinking, and cooking items for two people. I don’t know how much it was per night, because our good friend paid for our stay for my birthday.

We had plenty of room to store our suitcases, with a full sized closet. There was also a desk and a dresser with plenty of drawers. The TV was VERY old, but it did work and there was cable TV and free Wi-Fi access.

WE didn’t get to stay long enough, but even at that, I enjoyed every minute of our time there. Our friend, who we both love so much, was so much fun to be with. We don’t get to see her often enough! On Saturday, Polly and I went to get mani-pedis. She had never had a manicure and pedicure before, and before we were done she was talking about “next time”. I can not imagine being as old as we are and never having had a pedicure before!

After that, we drove over to St. Petersburg and walked on the pier that is going to be torn down. It was the last day it would be open, so it was very crowded with people going for the last time.

It was hot out there but the view was magnificent.

When we left the pier, we drove over to Clearwater for dinner. We went to Cooter’s, a restaurant and bar. They were celebrating their 20 year anniversary so there was a band and lots of people there. I ordered crab legs, Fabgrandpa had blackened scallops and Polly had steamed oysters on the half shell. Yummy!

Cooter;s in Clearwater — Cooter’s in Clearwater

Fabgrandpa's blackened scallops — Fabgrandpa’s blackened scallops

Polly's steamed oysters — Polly’s steamed oysters

And here is me being silly:

After dinner we went back to the motel, and I collapsed into the bed. I stayed in bed most of Sunday, trying to rest up from all the activity on Saturday. Late in the afternoon, we went to downtown Safety Harbor, just a few blocks away. We had barbecue again at Brady’s. This barbecue was sooo good! They had a mango barbecue sauce that was very tasty.

inside Brady's Backyard Barbecue — inside Brady’s Backyard Barbecue

WE walked a little bit on the sidewalk looking at shop windows, and saw this:

Fabgrandpa drove us home on Monday. I have spent all week resting and getting over our trip, and even though it wore me out and made me hurt so much, I really enjoyed it. We laughed so much my face hurt when we got home.

May Day May Day

Karen · 2 Comments

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When I found out I was pregnant with Emily, I cried for three months. It wasn’t that I didn’t want her–it was that I didn’t want to be pregnant. Becca was only seven months old at the time, and I just wasn’t ready to do it again. She was a beautiful baby, with lots of hair. She slept so much that I had to wake her to feed her, and almost never cried. I thought the hospital gave me the wrong baby because of that.

Back in 1975, we didn’t have instant digital cameras, so I don’t have very many pictures of my last born child. But, this one was taken in the hospital on the day she was born.

She was a good baby. She didn’t have teeth until she was 14 months old, and I was afraid she wouldn’t have any. A trip to the dentist told me that although that was unusual, it was not unheard of.

By the time she was a year old her hair had turned blonde, and it was shoulder length. My father called her Farrah Fawcett because of the way her hair looked.

We liked to go camping when the children were little, and belonged to a hunting club. She was the little darling of the club:

Emily was a really active little girl, but she had asthma. She and I would wind up in the ER about twice a month getting breathing treatments. That went on from about the time she was two years old until she was about twelve. I could tell my the her breathing sounded that I would heading to the hospital soon. Even with asthma, it was hard to get her to sit still, so it is amazing that I have this picture of her sitting in the grass.

She was a um, typical teenager. She met a guy when she was 17, and I decided that he was not right for her, and I told her she couldn’t date him. She left that night. I was a difficult time for me, because it broke my heart that she left. I was sure she would get hurt. I was proved wrong, though, because she and Thomas are still together after 21 years. They got married in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in June 1997.

June 1997, Emily and Thomas's wedding — June 1997, Emily and Thomas’s wedding

After she graduated high school, she worked at Wal-Mart while she put herself through West Georgia College, now called University of West Georgia. She graduated with a degree in Science. She worked as office manager for a pediatric group in Atlanta for several years, until she decided to go back to school to become a teacher. Since she had a degree in Science, she was able to get a teaching position while she went to school at night to get her Master of Education.

In addition to working fulltime and going to school at night, Emily has also given birth to two beautiful babies. Spencer is now 11 years old, and Parker is going on 4 months. And as you may already know, she had a stroke after Parker was born. She will be going back in the hospital soon to have her skull put back in, or as she said, have her head put back together.

DSCN0168 — Emily after her stroke and hemicraniectomy

While we have been at odds during our life together, I still love her, and she will always be my baby girl!

Jayco 2007 322FKS Travel Trailer For Sale

Karen · 8 Comments

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As much as I really really don’t want to, we have decided to put our travel trailer up for sale. We have had so much fun, and made so many memories while traveling in this RV. It may not mean the end of traveling, but it does mean we are not going to have an RV for a while.

So, here are the particulars: This RV is a Jayco Eagle 2007 322FKS. It has a large bedroom in the rear, with wardrobe closet across the entire rear end of it. The bed is between queen and king size, so you’ll have to get king size sheets and bedding for it. There is an overhead cabinet over the bed, and one over the dresser. The dresser has 4 large drawers. You can see floor plan and specs here.

The bedroom

Another photo of the bedroom showing wardrobe and dresser

The living area has a sofa bed, with overhead storage above the sofa. There is a large cabinet across from the sofa that is where the TV goes. It has space for a satellite TV tuner and a DVD player. We kept extra linens for both beds under the TV in that cabinet.

The living area with sofa and pantry closet. The living area is separated from the bathroom/sleeping area with a pocket door.

The TV cabinet

The pantry with the doors open. It holds a lot!

The kitchen is in the front. It has counter tops all the way across the front. Lots of cabinets. It has the larger RV refrigerator, too.

The dinette folds down to provide a sleeping area big enough for two kids. Drawers underneath hold lots of stuff.

jjSeparate potty room

Shower and bathroom sink can be separated from bedroom area with a folding door.

We’re also throwing in this dorm size electric refrigerator with the sale.

That electric hitch jack and solar battery charger also come with the trailer.

If you know anyone who is interested in buying this trailer, you can email me at fabgrandma@gmail.com. It retailed new in 2007 for $33,831. The NADA Blue Book values it at $19,000. We are asking $18,000 for it, and that includes a new electric hitch jack ($250), an Equilizer Sway Control Hitch ($800), and a solar battery charger ($175)’ and whole unit serge protector ($600). There is still a lot of fun and adventure left in this old gal. Make us an offer we can’t refuse! MORE PICTURES

May Day May Day

Karen · 1 Comment

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Since today was Mother’s Day, I celebrated the fact that I am still here to be a Mother to my children. Each one of them called me or contacted me in some way, and let me know that even though I don’t see them or hear from them every day anymore, they still love me and think about me. That is enough to celebrate.

My Mother’s Day started yesterday, with Becky taking me and Fabgrandpa out to lunch at Wallace Barbecue in Austell. After that, we went to a junk store, and an antique store. Fun! When I got home, Becca called and we talked for an hour. I love talking to her. She just got a new puppy, and she told me all about him. He sounds like such a smart little guy. He is catching on really fast to “stay” and “sit”, and is already letting them know when he has to go outside.

Today, Emily shared a video of Parker tasting applesauce for the first time. How sweet was that! Then, Seth commented on my Facebook Wall to let me know he was thinking of me.

It is so nice to know I am still loved and needed by my adult children.

This was about three years ago now. Amelia and Parker weren’t born yet. Becca, Ken, and Rafe were not there with us, so they are missing from this photo too. I do not know how we would get everyone in one picture now!

My Favorite Gluten Free Products

Karen · 22 Comments

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This post has affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a commission. Thank you!
May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, so I decided to write about my favorite gluten free products. In the beginning, in 2007 when I started eating gluten free, I had never even heard about gluten free. It took me a long time to figure out which products were worth buying a second time. Since then, I have found several things that are good, and that I buy over and over again. So, here is a list of my favorites, and what I use them for.

Udi’s Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread

I think this bread is the best tasting gluten free bread on the market. I use it for toast for breakfast; for sandwiches; in casseroles; and in my southern style corn bread dressing. You can get it on Amazon.con in a case of 8, but sometimes you can find it in grocery stores. If your local supermarket doesn’t carry it, ask them to. Also try Udi’s Cinnamon Raisin Bread. Soooo good for French toast.

Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix

My husband who is not gluten free, loves pancakes made from this mix. It is the only one he likes. I also use it to make biscuits that taste a lot like the ones you get at Red Lobster; for sausage balls for parties; cobblers; and for making muffins. My favorite gluten free product.

Pamela’s Cornbread & Muffin Mix

This gluten free cornbread mix is the only gluten free cornbread mix that I have found that does not have sugar added to it. No southern cook puts sugar in her cornbread, at least none that I know of. If you want true southern cornbread, this is the one for you! I have also used this mix for breading catfish and okra before frying, and it is the main ingredient in my Gluten Free Southern Style Cornbread Dressing. My non gluten free husband loves this cornbread too. He asks for it by name. It is really really good. I buy in a 6 pack.

Chocolate Chex

This cereal is my favorite snack. I eat it right out of the box, no milk. I also use it to make Chex Treats, much like Rice Krispie Treats. Sometimes I add crushed peppermint candy to it, to make Chocolate Peppermint Crunch. I also make trail mix with it. Actually, all of the Chex Cereals except for Wheat Chex are gluten free now.

Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Flour

Tom Sawyer All Purpose Gluten Free Flour is a flour mix that can be used cup for cup as a replacement for regular wheat flour. It is a blended flour of rice and tapioca flours, xanthan gum, and kosher approved unflavored gelatin. The flour is prepared in a dedicated gluten-free environment, using gluten-free mixing and packing equipment and is then tested for gluten contamination. It makes a pretty good gravy. I use it for breading things like chicken, liver, and pork chops for frying. If you like onion rings and fried cauliflower, it makes a terrific beer batter using your favorite gluten free beer.

Cookies

Cookies are a whole separate category. There are so many good gluten free cookies out there, that it is really had to choose just one. However, here are some I have tried that are really good, and worth buying a second time. These are my favorites:

Udi’s Snicker Doodles (soft and chewy)

Udi’s Chocolate Chip (soft and chewy)

Lucy’s Sugar Cookies (crunchy)

Lucy’s Oatmeal (crunchy)

Lucy’s Gingersnaps (crunchy, and makes a great cookie crumb pie crust)

Glutino Lemon Wafers (wafer cookie)

Glutino Chocolate Vanilla Creme (Oreo type cookie)

Katz Colored Sprinkle Cookies

Miscellaneous

These products are just good. They don’t really have a category:

Comstock Raspberry Pie Filling, makes a great cobbler. It comes in other flavors too.

Fischer & Weiser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. I marinate pork roast with this yummy sauce.

New Grist Beer. It’s hard to find it in the southeast, but it is a pretty good gluten free beer.

Goodbye Gluten Flour Tortillas. I found these at a grocery store about 45 miles away from my home, and the next time I went back, I bought all they had on the shelf. They freeze well, and make terrific wraps, breakfast burritos, and quesadillas. I have even thought of making chocolate tacos with them for dessert.

Rudi’s Gluten Free Flour Tortillas. These are just as good as the Goodbye Gluten tortillas, but they are smaller in size.

Kinnikinnick Crumbs

Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crumbs.

This product is worth it’s weight in gold if you want to make pies with a graham cracker crust. They taste just like regular graham cracker crumbs to me. No one will ever know it is gluten free if you don’t tell them. I use this to make my Banana Split Cake. Yum!

Cedarlane Frozen Dinners. I received some of these to do a review a couple of years ago, and now I buy them all the time. My husband likes them too, and he is not a gluten free eater. His favorite is the Enchilda Pie.

favorite gluten free product — My favorite is Eggplant Mediterranean

Look for Cedarlane Gluten Free Frozen Entrees in the freezer section of your grocery store.

If I think of other things I’ll update this list. What is YOUR favorite gluten free product?

Thrifty Thursday: I Can’t Believe They Think This Is An Antique

Karen · 10 Comments

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We saw this stroller in an antique shop in Cedartown

When we were out shopping the other day, we stopped in at an antique shop on Main Street in Cedartown. There, we saw this baby stroller that had a tag on it dated 1950. That may be old, but I can’t wrap my head around “antique”. I mean, really!

Me on the right in 1952, Fabgrandpa on the left in 1949

That’s Fabgrandpa on the left in 1949 and me on the right in 1952. I don’t feel antique yet!