Just an update about life as it is right now

 Just to check in - 

Amber is so pleased how well Brylee sleeps! She says that she now understands why babysitters told her that Bryn & Blake didn't sleep - she hadn't had a baby who was a good sleeper to compare them to.

EfM is going well. I love the group and I love leading the group through the information. The TRs are wonderful this year.

Community of Hope/Circle of Care is going well. I was asked to be an Al Alon sponsor a few months ago, and the training I received at COH/CofC is helping me to hold space and walk the journey with my sponsee.

The Enneagram Journey program by Susanne Stabile went well. The group is still meeting, expanding beyond the 12 weeks.
I am starting another group in June during EfM's summer break.

I have also decided to go through the "Me and White Supremacy" book with another group this year. I think it is important to recognize our own biases/prejudices since awareness is the first step to change.

I am still hosting the Al Anon group on Wednesdays, and occasionally attend the Tuesday meeting as well. I am so grateful for the tools taught in Al Anon. I have more serenity now than I have at any other point in life.

Aquarium Sagas:
I still have three fish tanks: 

a 29 gallon tank with Gus Gus the blood parrot, a bristle nose pleco, and some zebra danios.
a 15 gallon tank with a bristle nose pleco, three peppered corys, a platy, and three neons.

and a 38 gallon tank with the two goldfish: Cleo & Levi. 

I have the two guinea pigs: Chewy & Andie.

Four indoor cats: Tilly, Patch, Lucy, & Boots.

One dog: Meggie. 

Four outside cats: the mama cat, two babies (who aren't babies anymore!) and Minnie. I need to name them. Mama cat had babies & one of the "babies" is pregnant. I sure wish that No More Homeless Pets was still open to the public; I'd like to get the outside cats fixed, but it is so expensive. Minnie is spayed, but the other three, and now the babies, are not.

Seven chickens: an Americana, Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, a silver laced Wyondotte and three gold sex links.

Bentley asked me, "Why do you have so many pets, Grandma Mema." I didn't know what to say! I love them all & they bring me joy.

I had Boots to the vet last week. He is getting over his nasty cold, but the vet did think we should do a viral panel since he has a spot on his eye that worried her; she is hoping that it is not being caused by the herpes virus, but told me to watch it and bring him back if it starts turning opaque as it could make him go blind.

I figured out the ages of all of the indoor cats & Meggie:
Meg will be 16 in July (born in 2006)
Mow Mow Boots will be 14 (born in 2008)
Tilly will be 13 (born in 2009)
Patch will be 5 (born in 2017 - the year Bethy the dog died.)
Lucy will be 4 (born in 2018)
All of the indoor cats & dog were born here at this house except for Boots who showed up in the yard last year & adopted us.

Last week Steve had his first colonoscopy on Friday, and on Tuesday we visited Michael's new neurosurgeon. Steve's colonoscopy went great and he doesn't need another one for 10 years! I am jealous, since I'm on the 5 year track.
Michael's neurosurgeon seems very kind and is happy to tell us that since Michael hasn't had a problem with his shunt for nearly 20 years, chances that he will in the future are very low. We will go back for a check up in 2 years.

Something of note is that I had someone besides Cami or me cut my hair on Saturday. I went to the SmartStyle in Walmart and one person was working, Karley E., so she was the one I chose. The haircut turned out very well!

Miah had her 13th Birthday, last week, which is a big difference from when I first met her 9 years ago when Josh and Hayley first got together (her 4 year old birthday)!

I think that is all the updates I can think of for now!
♥ Melody

Daniel Tiger and Lady Aberlin's duet

I saw this facebook post and realized that it needed to be here, on my blog, where I can read it and remember it, because I had forgotten all about this -

Melody
April 7, 2019 

I love in the part in Mister Roger's "Won't You Be My Neighbor" documentary when Daniel Tiger and Lady Aberlin sing a duet together after Daniel confides to her that he feels like a mistake and a fake. 

Hedda Sharapan said that it was interesting to watch Daniel tell Lady Aberlin his worries, then watch her she sing back to Daniel that she loves him as he is, and then they both sing their songs together, in a duet. She said that she felt it would have been disingenuous if Daniel would have simply accepted what Lady Aberlin said as truth above his own - that in that moment he knew she was right and he was wrong - but as they sing both of those songs as truths in a duet, it felt very genuine and helpful. It felt true that Daniel could hold both ideas in his head and heart - and I think we're all like that.

My story similar to this was when a person said to me, "Everyone loves you, Melody, don't you know that?" I don't remember what my mouth said, but my heart said that no, I don't know that. Now, when I start feeling unlovable, I remember his words; they are a treasure to me just as I'm sure Lady Aberlin's are to Daniel Tiger.

https://vimeo.com/90982494

Brylee M. Rose

She is here! Brylee M. Rose Born on April 4, 2022 @ 12:54 p.m. 6 lbs 10 oz 20" long ♥ Grandma Mema and Baby Brylee ♥ I am so glad that this little bundle is finally here, healthy & strong. ♥ Melody

Sugar Cookie Recipes

At Christmas, I was longing to eat a sugar cookie from my childhood. Today's sugar cookies are so different from the "old ways."

I have decided to ask friends for their sugar cookie recipes and try them, to see if I can find the sugar cookie from my memories.

Here is one from Tracy from C&H Sugar ( recipe link ) 

Also, I just realized that the icing I've been missing is Royal Icing. I'll post a recipe soon. 
I've used buttercream in the past, but I've missed the smooth, hard icing from my childhood, and I think that is Royal Icing.

Spring's Yam Oats

This is the tiktok link to the video with the recipe:
https://www.tiktok.com/@springdiesel.2.fkn.whyte/video/7053572865081494831?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

Written recipe:

In an Instant Pot:

Spray the pot with a vegetable oil like Pam, then add:

1 1/4 cup steel cut oats
3 3/4 yam juice + water
can of yams

Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and let sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, vent to release pressure.

Open the Instant Pot and smash the yams with a potato masher. Stir the oats and yams together.

My additions:
add 1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar. 
Let the butter melt and stir together & place in a 7 cup bowl with airtight lid to store in the fridge. Keep the lid off until the oat/yam mixture is cool.

This dish will store for several days. 
You can reheat a dishful in the microwave and add half & half to cool it off a bit and add more flavor.

1/2 cup of yam/oat mixture is 216.5 calories.

Steve's cabbage vegetable soup

Steve's cabbage vegetable soup

Ingredients/Shopping list:

1 head green cabbage (Don't use purple! - I have tried it, it is yucky!)

6 green onions (scallions)

2 red bell peppers (green works fine too - but the added color is nice)

1 whole stalk (bunch) of celery

2 large cans chopped tomatoes

1 package (envelope) onion soup mix

3 bullion cubes or equivalent

Instructions:

Chop up all vegetables and put in a 8 quart or larger stock pot or kettle. The size to cut them is from 1/4 inch to 1 inch - just however big you like vegetables in your soup.

Add the 2 cans tomatoes and the 3 bullion cubes (or paste or granules or whatever.)

Stir and add enough water to cover everything.

Bring to a fast boil and boil for 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to a simmer (slow boil) and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. (The cabbage and celery are the ones to look out for. I like mine cooked for about 30 minutes! Some people like them crispier.)

Add seasoning (like poultry seasoning or additional salt) if desired.

Enjoy a bowl of hot soup. It smells good and tastes good. And it uses more calories to process than it gives your body. This is a negative calorie food!

Let the rest of it cool, and then refrigerate. I like to put mine in pint size jars to make it easy to grab a couple before heading out for the day.