What's Happenin' (Part 2)

[Mal L]

hey everyone !

hey mal! glad you get out and come to the forums! go out on sunny days, it helps depression. i take vitamin d and fish oil for depression...well, actually i take a bunch of supplements. one of my friends once made fun of me for taking all of them. i researched them all, i know why i take them and i'm okay. still kind of blue, but these are the worst months.

okay, so i tossed caution to the winds and ignored some of the people who said you either do gumbo with a roux or with okra, not with both. i made a roux, which is basically flour cooked in a little oil until it's color is that of a dark penny. you stir it constantly. i have been making roux since i was about 12 because we use it in one of our family's polish specialties. i added the roux. then i cut up some andouille sausage, it's just a tad spicier than smoked sausage, but i wanted that smokiness. i added smoked paprika and a good spoonful (cough-cough, watery eyes), of cayenne pepper. i let the soup simmer for about 45 minutes. i ladled the soup over rice. VOILA! perfect! this is definitely good now and i can make it with a chicken carcass, too! i always make a whole cooked chicken for sunday for dinner and have leftovers for the next day. now when i want gumbo, i will save the carcass.

well, i am putting the vine tree i got 2 years ago up for Christmas this year. nora, my dog, was smelling something in it when it was newly made, so i decided until she lost interest in that smell, i wasn't going to put up the tree, lest i find a pile of vines when i got home from shopping one day. so, she has been upstairs where i put the tree and she hasn't even bothered it....so downstairs it came. i am putting lights on it tonight.

i hope you all had a good weekend! joy, i hope you got outside for a bit of sun and are feeling better!

thank you all for sharing and caring,
jeannie

We didn't have sun here but I am feeling better anyway. --- Mal

[dawnmn]

Glad to hear your doing better Mal.

Joy, how are you feeling?

Julia, how are you feeling?

Jeannie now I'm craving for a good gumbo. My BF makes a really good gumbo. The creole resturtant that opened up near me has gumbo but only at certain times. Weird I think that they would have it all the time. Who doesn't love a good gumbo.

I've been fighting my depression. I'm trying not to let it win. I hurt my rib and it's really sore. DH has health issures that we just found out about. Between these two things I've been a little sad.

The weather is going to be in the 40's this weekend. I hope to be able to enjoy the weather outside. Not much to do with everything wet. I hope this is going to be a mild winter for us in the Midwest. The east coast has gotten their fair share of bad weather. My little hope is that it will be cold here while I'm in florida over christmas.

My sister called to invite us over to her house for christmas eve since out flight doesn't leave until christmas morning. This will work out great for us. No mess or worrying about left overs. Christmas shopping is almost done. One more left to buy and that's my DH's job.

[Jo6]

Mal L, I'm so sorry you have been depressed, but am happy you are feeling better. You too Clouds. I hope you can spend time with your sister this holiday. Being with family usually helps.

Joy, glad you are getting on the computer some. Be patient, you will get the hang of getting back on the thing again. After I had been sick so long it was hard for me to get back to normal, remember anything, it was pitiful. So, just be patient, but keep trying and it will all come back soon.

Dawn, it would be great if we lived coaster to the coast, then we could get together for a meal when you are in Fl. I would love that!! Ken has a brother that lives near Crystal River, Fl. I have no idea where that is. If I ever get to where I can travel very far we plan to go there. Grandson and wife want us to come to Chicago and if I ever get there I'm hopping we can get to see some of you all.

I'm a bit down today myself. I would love to get out and get some sunshine. I'm as white as a I am thankful I am not back and forth to the hospital like I was this time last year. I haven't been in the hospital since July of this year. April, May, June and July. The longest time I've been out in over 4 years!! I have much to be thankful for.

I think I went by Ambulance all 4 of those times. I pray those days are over! I have been able to get some dental work done. I had a root canal, then a crown. Last week my cleaning and only 1 small little cavity. It had been so long I was afraid I would have to have them all pulled. lol The Dentist was surprised my teeth were in such good shape. So was I!!

Jeannie, talk about JUMBO!! How I would love some. Your cooking sounds so good. Ken will have to get some of your recipe's and cook some of these things for me. I know it isn't on the NO SODIUM diet, but I need a little sodium, don't you think? Ken would love some of the dishes you make. Hot, spices, the whole works. I do appreciate him cooking for me, but chit, sometimes I just crave something hot and spicy.

Oh well, I may as well forget it. It is about time for him to come in and ask me what to cook for supper. I say "how should I know"? You go grocery shopping and I don't know what's in there. I'll shut up for now and stop griping.

I love all of you, Julia s

[tic chick]

hey everyone !

julia, there is "lite salt" made by morton. it is sodium and potassium chloride and those 2 balance each other out in your body. there is also "sea salt", which has other trace minerals in it that are good for your body and heart. it's impossible to completely avoid salt in the food we eat. i think if you cook your own food and don't eat canned soups and packaged food with a lot of salt, then you can add salt to your home-cooked food. that is the salt doctors worry about, the kind that's in foods that you buy already prepared.

dawn, i can empathize with your depression. i am in my seasonal blues right now. this is the worst part of the year for me, from the beginning of november until about mid-february for me. ouch! i pulled a muscle in my chest during mid-october from doing some crazy dancing at a party. i'm sorry your hubby is having health problems, i hope they aren't life-threatening.

i think the reason gumbo is only available at some times is that okra is a staple veggie in gumbo and it isn't available at the market until late summer/fall. i was able to find some frozen okra for my gumbo. i saw some fresh okra, but i didn't know how long it had been sitting there losing vitamins. sometimes frozen foods are more nutritious. i think if i make chicken gumbo, i might add shrimp to it, because chicken isn't as strongly flavored as turkey. or i might not, because shrimp is so darn expensive and i will not buy farm-raised fish because of the unsanitary conditions that it is raised.

so, i am slowly decorating my vine tree. i spent several hours last sunday trying to put the lights on. i wanted to put them inside the tree because it is hollow, but the tree is so narrow that i couldn't get my shoulders through the bottom and six feet up to attach the lights to the metal frame. then i tried to put the lights inside by going through the top of the tree with a huge metal needle (about 18 inches long). well, that didn't work because there were too many thick vines for it to go through the top. so, i gave up and i put the lights on the outside of the tree. i am putting small silver and red/silver bows around the tree. i don't know about tinsel garlands, unless i find some very thin ones. so far, the tree is mostly silver and red...and i kind of like that. i'll see what's on sale in the store this weekend. i want to finish the tree then and start baking cookies.

my friend tom, whose wife is in the nursing home in a vegetative state, took me to the cemetery to see my mom's niche and the decoration my sister and i had ordered for her. the decoration was very pretty. i went up to the niche and i said, "well mom, here i am again, still unable to do a dam thing for you." and i laughed, sadly. it is my statement that i could never help my mom with her problems, not when i was little and not now, when she is dead. yes, i could take care of her, which i did when i wasn't supposed to and then when i was supposed to, when she was sick and in the nursing home. i am sad she suffered the last 6 years and i'm sad that she didn't seem to be happy while she was alive, but i don't miss her because that means i would miss taking care of her and i don't miss that. it took such a toll on me, as a child and as an adult, until i got some therapy and let her problems go.

so, i hope y'all are getting ready for christmas, too! joy, i hope you are okay!

thank you all for sharing and caring,
jeannie

[tic chick]

OH! OH!

i found this video on you tube that the news said was the video that went viral this year (got the most views). i laughed myself silly because you can't wait for the reaction of people. here it is:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[Jo6]

Jeannie, thank you for your advice about the salt. Ken is so afraid he will do any little thing that will be harmful to me. I appreciate him caring and trying so hard to make things as best he can, but he is going over board with it all.

I won't complain though. He eats every thing I eat. We both asked Drs. and nurses both for help in controlling the "no sodium" thing, but no help for the wicked!! I have no swelling to speak of. Just now and again my feet and ankle's swell a little, but I have very bad veins in my legs. I try to do my indoor exercise's and that seems to help.

You know, we never put salt on food after cooking. We don't eat any kind of soup anymore, that has been missed very much. Only fresh or frozen veggies, no prepared frozen foods, but I think I could use a little salt in things like oatmeal, brown rice, etc. From what you've said it sounds like we are doing right and can have a little salt .... I have tried not to complain to Ken, he has tried so hard to keep me healthy and out of the hospital. Actually he hoovers way too much. It's down right creepy to feel someone or some thing watching me and look up and he is standing away from me just staring. Sometimes I scream, LAUD!! He is getting better about it, but if he see's I have gone into another room without my walker he brings it right to me.

Jeannie, I'll have to tell him to call you up and get some of your recipe's. He will believe you and the both of us would be healthier. That sounds like a good idea to me, eh?

I love you all, Julia s

[clouds z]

merry Christmas /happy Hanukkah

[clouds z]

merry christmas

happy Hanukkah

[dawnmn]

Stopping in and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New year. Happy Hanukkah also.

[tic chick]

hey everyone !

merry christmas or happy hanukkah or happy holidays to you all!

clouds, i hope your hives have stopped bothering you? did you try the benadryl pills you can get over the counter? or did they just go away? i hope you have a nice christmas and that things go well for you in the new year!

dawn, it's nice to see you pop in! hope you have a nice christmas!

joy, i saw your post to jan and i'm glad you're getting back to the everyday routine. i hope you and hubby and the kids and grands have a wonderful christmas!

julia, i hope you and ken and the family have a great christmas! seems you have so many kids and grands and now great-grands! how blessed you are. some of them are sure to pop in over the next few weeks!

mal, i don't know if you've mentioned your family? anyway, i hope you have a nice christmas also!

all those who haven't posted for awhile, chris , labella, jan and pati (i hope you are ok), i hope you are all doing well and will have a nice christmas, too! i'm thinking of people off the top of my head....oh, sly! hope you're doing well and have a merry christmas, LEO! it's been ages! hope you are ok and have a merry christmas!...yes, i'm thinking of people off the top of my head, so if i forget your name, know that if you have posted here, you are in my heart !

i'm having chirstmas eve dinner here on the 23rd, due to working schedules. it's only one day early, so that's ok. my daughter won't be coming in from new york this year, so it's my other 2 kids and the ex. i don't mind having him here. he isn't drinking anymore due to his health probs and i have no anger left towards him, just sadness. we can talk about stuff without arguing...lol...prolly the best thing i can expect.

love you all ....
jeannie

[Mal L]

hey everyone !

merry christmas or happy hanukkah or happy holidays to you all!

clouds, i hope your hives have stopped bothering you? did you try the benadryl pills you can get over the counter? or did they just go away? i hope you have a nice christmas and that things go well for you in the new year!

dawn, it's nice to see you pop in! hope you have a nice christmas!

joy, i saw your post to jan and i'm glad you're getting back to the everyday routine. i hope you and hubby and the kids and grands have a wonderful christmas!

julia, i hope you and ken and the family have a great christmas! seems you have so many kids and grands and now great-grands! how blessed you are. some of them are sure to pop in over the next few weeks!

mal, i don't know if you've mentioned your family? anyway, i hope you have a nice christmas also!

all those who haven't posted for awhile, chris , labella, jan and pati (i hope you are ok), i hope you are all doing well and will have a nice christmas, too! i'm thinking of people off the top of my head....oh, sly! hope you're doing well and have a merry christmas, LEO! it's been ages! hope you are ok and have a merry christmas!...yes, i'm thinking of people off the top of my head, so if i forget your name, know that if you have posted here, you are in my heart !

i'm having chirstmas eve dinner here on the 23rd, due to working schedules. it's only one day early, so that's ok. my daughter won't be coming in from new york this year, so it's my other 2 kids and the ex. i don't mind having him here. he isn't drinking anymore due to his health probs and i have no anger left towards him, just sadness. we can talk about stuff without arguing...lol...prolly the best thing i can expect.

love you all ....
jeannie

I haven't heard yet about family plans, but as the days go on, I am counting my blessings.

[Jo6]

Jeannie, most of the kids, grand's and great-grand's come on Christmas day for breakfast. Papa Ken makes breakfast to order for everybody at any time they come in. He has done this ever since we were married or shortly after.

Now granny Julia is so glad when everybody goes home. I used to make a big dinner, but not so anymore. I love having the grand's, especially the great-grand's and I will have a great time with them while Papa is in the kitchen.

I did most of the shopping and wrapping and getting the tree's together. Of course the sweet hubby had to help, a whole lot. I don't like getting old, it's hard to do anything you used to do, but I'm thankful for my life with my family.

Grandson and wife from Chicago probably won't come. He works at O'Hare Airport and holidays are the "get busy time" for him. They will pop in soon I hope! They always surprise me. He is my oldest grandson. His wife is a nurse and she quit her job to try having a wee babe. That would make me happy.

His brother has given me 4 great granddaughter's over a few years.. IT'S A BOY!!!! I don't have any great grandson's. It will be so nice to have a grandson. I'll stop bragging here and wish everybody Happy Holidays and good health & happiness.

I love you all, Julia s

[Fig]

Well hello. Remember me? I'm still around, too.

Not much new. I get to my volunteer job at the zoo whenever I can...it cheers me.

Stay well.

[clouds z]

anything new here?

[clouds z]

had hives badddd last night-i think eggs do it and other things

it sure seems easy now to get a computer-my virgin phone that isn't really hooked up with virgin will connect to wireless connections

this phone is 60 but you can get them on sale for 20 at times i think-the event phone by virgin or any of those new smart phones that are cheap