Torment...,

My neighbor on the other side of the wall (think duplex) has two sons, one dog and a cat.  She used to live in the house next to me but recently moved.  She is a doll. 

It is the cat that I now write about. The cat is an adorable little grey fuzzy thing.   She had several months of watching him from the window and then when she was old enough graduated to sitting on the back porch watching him.  From the beginning, the little kitty knew just how to yank Mozart's  chain and yank it good. There was nothing but torment in store for Mozart.  Then, her research done, she set out with a goal and boy did she meet it.  

She never once bothered him, UNTIL...one day I hooked Mozart up on his lead and let him out. Immediately he was barking up a storm and just would not stop.  I went to the door and looked out to see him straining at the end of the lead, trying to get to the cat.  

Now you must understand that Mozart has never had issue with another cat.  My sister has a cat that he completely ignores.  But, this little grey kitty would sit on my porch or under my bushes and when I let him out she would jump up and race off.  Not far, mind you but just far enough.  She would end up laying about six inches beyond Mozart's reach.  It was driving him insane, but what a brilliant move by the cat.  In the many months to follow, she did this over and over again and each and every time it drove him more nuts.  This became their routine fairly quickly and there were not too many occasions that this was not the case.  I wish I had a dime for every time I had to drag him in the door so he would stop barking at the cat.  

Now she has started sauntering back and forth on the sidewalk or in the flower bed in front of the large window Mozart sits and looks out and once again, drives him nuts.  LOL  Poor dog doesn't stand a chance.  

So, the other night I am all snuggled into my recline with Mozart snoozing away on my lap when I noticed a little movement outside the front window.  The curtain was pushed back about four inches where Mozart keeps watch on things from his perch.  I kept my eyes on the window and a few seconds later, there was more movement.  I turned off the little lamp that sits right beside my chair and looked at the window only to find the little cat, sitting on the window sill,  looking for Mozart.  Thankfully he was sound asleep and had no idea she was there.  I kept an eye on her and she stayed there close to thirty minutes, just waiting for her buddy.  

I guess she will miss him when we move.  Who will she torment then?

Keeping watch

Thirty one years...

They raced by in the blink of an eye, yet they dragged on for ever.

Thirty one years of, take this pill and that pill.  Get more rest, avoid stress, take more pills, have your chest split wide open, try this treatment, oh darn that didn't work, OK try this one now, take less of those pills and more of these, avoid people who have colds, flu or anything contagious! What a ride it has been. I am certain no theme park has a ride quite like this.  Thank goodness!

There was a time when I thought there was no way I would live this long.  Guess I proved that theory wrong.  It is horribly mind boggling to be diagnosed with a chronic disease.  It is hard to put into words how lost and hopeless it can make one feel.  It is even more difficult to put into words how devastating it can be to someone very young.

The very young Nanner, within a year of diagnosis.

My  Mother was an angel, she took care of me every step of the way those first years.  She was my nurse, best friend and Mom.  She helped me be wiser and stronger and she helped me learn to speak my mind and stand up for myself. My family and friends have always been a tremendous source of support and strength for me.  There is, absolutely, NO way I would be living and loving this wonderful life of mine without them!

In thirty one years, I have soaked up a lot of information, taken in a lot of experiences and best of all, have lived a fabulous life.  I have been places and done things that others dream of or see in a movie.  I am truly blessed.  Life really is all about what you make of things.  Life throws obstacles in everyone's path, what we do with them, how we crawl over, under or through them is what makes us who we are.   Don't lose sight of the goal, take baby steps, work your way through and always keep the faith.  You WILL make it.

To my Flakey friends you have my admiration and respect as well as much love.
To the rest of you nuts...I love you too!  :)

Also within a year of diagnosis.

Just a glimpse of my view these days.  :)

As requested...

A very dear friend told me that mentioning yummy foods was not allowed without posting the recipe.  So, here is the recipe for the aforementioned Collard Green and Andouille Soup.
I have included the part with the dumplings, but as I mentioned in the earlier post, I just make com bread to go with it.  Much easier.  Enjoy!

Collard Green, Andouille and Corn Dumpling soup

Dumplings:

3/4 C flour

3/4C yellow cornmeal

1 T sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c whole milk

1 1/2 T melted butter

1/2 C chopped green onions

Whisk first five ingredients together in a medium bowl. Stir in milk and butter and when combined add green onions.  Cover with wrap and let sit at least one hour and up to two hours.  Using wet hands (or if you have one of those handy dandy little scoops) shape mixture into balls.  Arrange on plastic covered sheet pan and chill well covered.  This can be done 1 day ahead.

  Soup:

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 C finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic pressed

4 bay leaves (I didn't have any and it was still wonderful)

1 T fresh Thyme ( 1 tsp dry)

1 pound Andouille, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds

6 C chicken broth

2- 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 T hot sauce, or to taste 

1/8 tsp ground allspice

1 12 oz bag collard greens, chopped (I use frozen when they are not in season)

 Heat oil in large pot, add onion and garlic, bay and thyme and saute until onion is tender.  About five minutes.  Add sausage and saute five minutes, until fat renders.  Add stock, tomatoes with juice, hot sauce and allspice and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.   Soup can be made ahead to this point.  Store well covered in fridge.  Before continuing return soup to simmer. 

Add collards to simmering soup and cook uncovered for ten minutes.  Drop in dumplings and cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20-25 minutes until dumplings are tender.  Adjust seasoning as needed.

This can be made much easier by just making corn bread and serving soup over it.  Just as yummy!!!

It's a new day, a new year, a new beginning...

Last year on January 1st I started something I thought would be fun.  I had seen it on Pinterest, so of course, it had to be great.  :)  I gathered up an empty plastic canister,  a little pad of paper and pen and sat down to jot down the first 'good/wonderful" thing of the year.  It wasn't difficult to find several things to jot down.  So, right on time, into the jar went my frost note went.  Now the object of this exercise was to make notes about good things in my daily life, add them to the jar and then, on New Years Eve or New Years Day go through and read about the great things that happened during the year.  I read through all mine several hours ago.  I did, indeed have a good year!  My one failure is that I read through them too quickly, I need to make more notes this year.
So, I find myself sitting here, with a little note pad and pen in hand to begin filling the jar again. It really is a wonderful exercise and I highly recommend you try it.

Recently my eldest sister and I were talking about variations on this theme.  I do not have kids, but she has two wonderful sons who are now both fathers.  As you well know, out of the mouths of babes come the most hilarious and adorable things.  So, here is my suggestion.  If you have kids, every day jot down something wonderful, amusing or just ridiculous that they have said or done.  It will be great entertainment next New Years Even to sit around reading them while waiting for midnight.   And then save them all and type them up to share with your kids when they have their own kids.  LOL

Here are a few things I am working on in the new year.  I don't make "resolutions" because I would hate feeling guilty for breaking them.  But, here ya go....

     Getting mean with myself and getting back to the diet and losing more weight.
   
     Moving to the lake.  It has always been a favorite place of mine and I can't wait.
   
     Feeling much better.  I know I only have so much control in this, but I am going to feel better!!!

     Writing more notes for my jar and actually blogging, not just thinking about it.

     Finishing a few projects (handiwork) that are patiently waiting on me.


I was bored last night so I did my cooking for today.  Being a southern girl, I have to have collard greens, black eyed peas and some kind of pork on New Years Day.  I got it all.  I made black-eyed peas as well as collard greens and andouille soup.  I found the soup recipe a couple years or so ago and just love it,.  The original recipe had cornmeal dumplings too but it was fussy so I just make cornbread to go with it.  It is delicious.

My phone keeps beeping.  There is a winter weather advisory and we are expecting snow.  Yipeeee!  I love snow.  There is only one problem, it may cause problems with my massage appointment.   Oh well, so it goes.

Mozart and I are looking forward to sharing a wonderful year it with you.

Happy New Year