Saturday, December 31, 2011

December 31, 2011 New Years Eve at home

Jalál (Glory), 1 Sharaf (Honor), 168 BE – Friday-Saturday, December 31, 2011 AD about 5:15 AM Pacific Time

This is the first in a series of entries themed “Stay at Home Saturday”. On Saturday, I normally remain at home with Mom. If I leave the house, Mom has to go with me or I have to find someone to stay with her. Any business I do I accomplished Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM because Mom is at an Adult Daycare center.

Sometimes staying home with Mom is exciting and sometimes it is mundane. I never know how the day will go. I am never of Mom’s mood. The one thing I can say about Saturday at home with Mom is that it is a blessing. My mother is 90 years old and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, so sometimes the day getting interesting.

This is Saturday and New Year’s Eve, Mom and I are staying home all day. Tonight, we (or I depending on how early Mom goes to bed) will watch the festivities on television. I am planning to watch all the excitement of the birth of 2012 on Channel 3 KSNV Las Vegas, NV.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The drain behind the washer (again)

Fidál (Grace), 16 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Tuesday, December 27, 2011 about 1:45 PM Pacific Time

The drain behind the washer is doing it again. It is overflowing into the wall between my kitchen and living room. Then it is leaking into the living room. I do not know what the problem is this time. I do know I have no desire to go to the laundromat any more.

I called and left a message for the people who fixed the problem. Someone will get back to me. I will call back again tomorrow if I have not heard from anyone by 5:00 PM today. I will have to go back to the laundromat beginning Monday or Tuesday of next week if the issue is not resolved by then.

I have used the machine for several weeks without it overflowing. This is the first time it has overflowed in all the time I have been washing clothes since having it fixed. At least, I think this is the first time; I am sure I would have noticed water in my living room before this. The problem could be the sewer pipes, which are iron and have tree roots in them. I think there is something I can run down the drains to take care of the tree roots.

I have noticed that my kitchen sink is running slow, so the problem with the pipes behind the washer could have something to do with that. Oh well, at least Mom and I have clean clothes for a while.

Perhaps having the last pine tree in the front yard removed would help solve the issue of overflowing drainpipes. It is going to cost, at least, $800.00 to have the pine tree removed. True I had planned to have the tree removed in 2012, I just did not plan to have it removed until March or April, but now I may have to remove it before the end of January.

Monday, December 26, 2011

My Right Knee is Stiff

Kamál (Perfection), 15 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Monday, December 26, 2011 about 1:00 PM Pacific Time

On Friday, December 23, I hurt my right knee (again). I felt a sharp pain and began limping. I don’t know how I hurt my knee, I have osteoarthritis in that knee so almost anything will cause knee pain. Anyway, my knee has been stiff ever since.

As soon, as a finish dealing with the issue of my left leg; I will talk to my doctor about the right knee. At this point, I can deal with only a few things at a time. Today my knee is feeling better.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

More Clearly Myself

Jalál (Glory), 13 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Saturday, December 24, 2011 about 2:45 PM Pacific Time

I received this beautiful birthday card from my health care provider a week or so ago. I decided to wait until today, my birthday, to scan the picture on the front of the card and compose an entry. I was born on December 24, 1946 in Blackwell, Oklahoma. I lived in Blackwell until I enter high school.

I went to high school in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where I graduated. After Shawnee, we move to Oklahoma City where I worked as a waitress. I moved back to Blackwell to take care of my Grandparents. At the time, I thought I moved back to live with them, but I did help take care of them. My Grandparents were buried in Blackwell. I now live in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Inside the card are spaces to list my prescription and over-the-counter medication. In addition, it gives information about the preventive health screenings I need to have. The next time I go to my primary care physician, I will take the card with me and talk to her about those screenings.

More fully myself
This is what is happening
65 years old

“We did not change as we grew older, we just became more clearly ourselves.”
Lynn Hall

Friday, December 23, 2011

Microwaveable Chicken and Rice Casserole

Istiqlál (Independence), 12 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Friday, December 23, 2011 about 10:30 AM Pacific Time

Today I am making Microwaveable Chicken and Rice Casserole, with plans of dividing it into two portions and freezing half for use later. The recipe makes enough for at least four people, so it is more then Mom and I will eat today.

Ingredients:

4 cups of cooked white or brown rice
1 14 oz. can clear chicken broth
1 14.5 oz. can sliced carrots
1 14.25 oz. can whole kernel sweet corn
1 14.5 oz. can cut green beans
1 12.5 oz. can fully cooked chunked chicken in water
½ cup of your favorite cheese grated (if you want more cheese add 1 cup)

Directions:

Step 1: Cook the rice. You may want to cook the rice the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator over night.

Step 2: In a medium to large microwavable casserole dish combine the rice with the chicken broth. Stir until the well mixed.

Step 3: Open cans of carrots, corn, and green beans. Drain the water off the vegetables. Stir the vegetables into the rice and broth mixture.

Step 4: Open the can of chicken. If you want to drain the water off the chicken, go ahead. Sometime I drain the chicken and at other times, I mix in the chicken without draining off the water.

Step 5: Place the lid on the casserole dish and put it in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Step 6: If you are making this dish for one or two people divide the contents for freezing.

Step 7: Place the casserole in the microwave to cook or rather to heat. Since the ingredients have all ready been cooked, the only thing you have to do is heat it up, which takes about five or more minutes depending on the microwave oven and whether or not you add grated cheese to the dish.

Step 8: While the ingredients are still hot, stir in the grated cheese. The cheese should melt into the hot ingredients.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve this with a green salad of some type. You can buy salad ingredients already mixed at the grocery store.

Monday, December 19, 2011

A bright and beautiful Monday morning in Las Vegas

Kamál (Perfection), 8 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Monday, December 19, 2011 about 9:50 AM Pacific Time

The clouds are gone, the sun is shining, and there is no rain predicted for today. I can hang the bed sheets on the line today instead of draping the wet sheets over furniture to dry in the house. It rained on the weekend, but I still had laundry to do. If I do not wash one or two loads, a day I get behind and I cannot take wet clothes to a laundromat.

I just finish hanging the sheets out and I am out of breath. I remember helping Grandma hang clothes on the line. I do not remember either Grandma or me getting out of breath from hanging four sheets on the line. Of course, when I helped Grandma I was a child and in better health. Apparently, Grandma was in better health at 64 then I am.

Today it was easier walking and carrying a clothesbasket outside then last week, so the meds my doctors prescribed are working. In addition, my leg is feeling better and looking better. However, I need to increase my stamina so that I do not get out of breath easily. Perhaps I need to join a gym to build up my stamina because doing laundry does not appear to be doing the job. I will have to talk to my primary care physician when I see her again in January.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

One Week until Christmas Day and another week until New Year’s Day

Jamál (Beauty), 7 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Sunday, December 18, 2011 about 3:50 PM Pacific Time

I no longer celebrate Christmas. Christmas Eve is my birthday and Christmas day brings back memories of my childhood in Blackwell, Oklahoma. My Grandmother Newland enjoyed Christmas because she could do one of her favorite things. Grandma enjoyed cooking and baking. Every year at this time, she would bake pies, cakes, and cookies.

Grandma began baking a few days before Thanksgiving and continued until after New Year’s Day. In addition to baking, Grandma fixed turkey, ham, and everything else that went along with the holidays. In addition, Grandma cleaned house. Grandma did a through how cleaning twice a year, once in the spring and again before the New Year.

The holiday season was a busy time for Grandma. For several years, she planned and cooked the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s dinners, while she was cleaning the house for the New Year. Thinking about it make me tired, because I am not sure I can do all the things she did.

Where do I begin writing about my Grandmother’s Christmas and New Year’s rituals? I suppose I should begin with her cooking, especially her pumpkin and apple pies. For years, Grandma made her own pastries for the holidays. I cannot bake pies like my Grandmother, I can cook many of the other dishes she made, but not the pies; therefore, when I want a pie I buy it in the store. Grandma Newland also made her own whipped cream.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

One week from today

Jalál (Glory), 6 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Saturday, December 17, 2011 about 4:00 PM Pacific Time

One week from today, I will be 65 years old. I will celebrate my birthday at home with my mother. I want a birthday cake, so I will wait until Friday, December 23, to bake the carrot cake I have in the cupboard. I have some chocolate in the refrigerator, so I will use it to make frosting for the carrot cake. That does not sound like an exciting birthday; however, that is my birthday now that I am over 60 years old.

It would be nice to go out for my birthday, but Mom does not go out anymore, except when she goes to the daycare center during the week. I am not sure what else we will have to eat. I have some canned chicken in the cupboard, so I will fix pasta or rice to go with it. What I would like is a piece of prime rib and a baked potato, since we are not going out to eat prime rib is out of the question.

I miss the birthdays my family celebrated as child. Even if my each of siblings did get to open, a Christmas present when I opened my birthday presents. I used to resent that, but now I miss the celebration and the chocolate cake and ice cream.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

A poem waiting

Istiqlál (Independence), 5 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Thursday, December 15, 2011 about 7:15 PM Pacific Time

I stare at the screen
A poem waiting for lines
My muse is laughing

I can’t think. I draw a blank. I’m not tired and even if I were I couldn’t go to bed because Mom has one more pill to take at 8:00. In addition, I have a couple more meds myself. I also have a poem to write, but all I can think of is a title. The title is “Something in the Water”.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The sun finally made an appearance in Las Vegas

Fidál (Grace), 2 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Tuesday, December 13, 2011 about 1:25 PM Pacific Time

The sun finally made an appearance. There are still clouds, but I can see sun and blue sky between the clouds. The sun should dry up the puddle in my driveway quickly. I am doing laundry and hanging the clothes on a drying rack.

I do not intend to hang clothes out today. There are still too many clouds for that. I want the clothes to dry and I think they will do that faster in the house then outside. In addition, carrying a laundry basket full of wet clothes outside is no appealing.

I am thankful that I do not have to go to the laundromat any more. At home I can do the wash clothes between writing or doing housework. If I go to the laundromat, I am limited reading, doing puzzles, or dozing while my clothes wash. In addition, I have to do all the dirty clothes at once. At home, I can do small loads between other jobs.

The only thing I want here at home is an electric clothes dryer. At this point, it is difficult to walk to the clothesline carrying a basket full of wet clothes. Lately, the only clothes I have hung on the line is bed linen, the other things I have hung on the drying rack. I suppose by the time I can afford an automatic dryer it will be summer or my leg will be healed and then it will not matter if I hang clothes outside or dry them in the dryer.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Another reason I need an electric dryer

Kamál (Perfection), 1 Masá’il (Questions), 168 BE – Monday, December 12, 2011 about 10:45 AM Pacific Time

My first reason is the difficulty I have hanging sheets on the line outside. Rain is the second reason I need an electric clothes dryer. I realized yesterday, when I hung four sheets on the line how difficult it was becoming. I am not sure what causes this problem. I could be issues with my rotator cuff or arthritis, but whichever it is it makes hanging clothes, especially sheets hard.

In order to hang a sheet on the line, I have to stretch my arms over my head to reach the clothesline. I do not know how my Grandmother did it, but she hung clothes on an outside line all the time. Grandma’s clothesline like mine was taller then her, yet she hung sheets neatly on the line. I cannot manage hanging them that way, my sheets always seem to hang lop sided on the clothesline. My sheets look pathetic hanging lopsided on the cloths line and if I am not careful, they drag on the ground when I turn the line.

Grandma did not have to worry about sheets dragging on the ground because her clothesline did not turn. My clothesline turns; I like this feature because I can stand in one place and turn the line instead of dragging a basket full of clothes across the yard.

Today is cloudy and the meteorologist predicted rain, so I cannot hang any of the clothes on the line. Fortunately, I have a drying rack so I can wash and hang the clothes on the rack.

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Two AM wake up call

Jamál (Beauty), 19 Qawl (Speech), 168 BE – Sunday, December 11, 2011 about 6:38 AM

Mom woke me up about 2:00 this morning crying. When I went into her bedroom to investigate the problem, she asked, “Where is my husband?” My parents were divorced when I was in grade school and both my parents eventually remarried.

Of course, I am not sure my mother was talking about my father, but considering she has Alzheimer’s disease and is loosing her memory; I doubt she was talking about later husband. Mom remembers things that happened in her young adulthood, but not some of the thing that happened later in her life.

I told Mom that he was called into work because the business was short a person. She did not calm down. In fact, it took me several minutes to get her to listen to what I had to say. Even then, she did not stop crying. I finally had to give her some medication for agitation. Mom finally went back to sleep.

I went back to sleep for a little while myself, however, I did not sleep very long. I have too much work to accomplish today to lay in bed any later then necessary. I am going to let Mom sleep later today then usual, she had a tough night and she need her sleep. This is Sunday and Mom is not going to the Daycare center.

Note: The picture is of my parents when they were first married.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Café Mocha in Las Vegas

Jalál (Glory), 18 Qawl (Speech), 168 BE – Saturday, December 10, 2011 about 2:35 PM Pacific Time

It’s that time of year again, when I buy instant hot chocolate mix. It’s been a few months since I had hot chocolate mix in the house, but I had a coupon for Swiss Miss mix so when I went to the store on Monday I bought a couple of boxes. I made Mom some hot chocolate this afternoon and I made myself a cup of café mocha. In the morning, I’ll make Mom and I both a cup of café mocha.

The way I make café mocha is to open a package of instant hot coco mix, in this case the Swiss Miss, and empty it into a coffee cup or mug. After the mix is in the cup, I pour the coffee in and stir it with a spoon. It makes great café mocha and I do not have to go out of the house to have a cup.

Monday, December 05, 2011

I feel cut off from the world in Las Vegas

Kamál (Perfection), 13 Qawl (Speech), 168 BE – Monday, December 5, 2011 about 2:05 PM Pacific Time

I cannot make or receive calls on either my landline or cell phone. I e-mailed my cell phone provider this morning. The reply they sent said it would take about 48 hours to solve the problem. The phone connected to my landline does not work. I either need to get a new phone or a cable to fix the phone, in the mean time I am out of contact with the rest of the world.

I need to get a headset and a microphone so that I can download Skype to my computer. I do not like the feeling cut off from the world. I can check my landline voice mail online, but I cannot contact anyone back until I get either the landline phone fixed or cell phone.

One of the blessings of modern life and technology is a connection to the rest of the planet. I have been lax in checking my Facebook page, but no longer. From now on, I will check my Facebook page at least every other day, if not everyday. In addition, I have to get a headset and microphone so that I can use Skype.

Saturday, December 03, 2011

The Pine tree is still standing

Jalál (Glory), 11 Qawl (Speech), 168 BE – Saturday, December 3, 2011 about 4:20 PM Pacific Time

The pine tree still stands
After the high wind warnings
Birds set in the limbs

I was relieved to wake up this morning and see the pine tree still standing. Perhaps, I should say leaning because that is how it looks. The tree appears to lean toward the street and the power polls. The high winds did not knock it down, so far, this weekend. I can only hope it contuse to stand.

It will cost between $400.00 and $1,000.00 to have that tree removed. I have to find the money to have it removed in 2012. In the mean time, I can only pray that it remains standing. This weekend, there were high wind warnings for the Las Vegas valley and winter storm warning in the mountains.

I think the winds have slowed down for a while, but I do not know for how long. We (Mom and me) still do not have enough money in the savings accounts to pay for tree removal. Therefore, I can only pray and hope that the tree remains standing until we have the money. I think we can have the tree removed sometime in May or June of 2012. I would like to have it removed before that, but the finances are not there yet.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Winter has arrived in Las Vegas

Istijlál (Majesty), 9 Qawl (Speech), 168 BE – Thursday, December 1, 2011 about 11:40 AM Pacific Time

Winter has finally arrived in Las Vegas, with High Wind Warnings in the valley and Winter Storm Warning in the mountains. Today is cloudy and chilly. I did not let this prevent me from doing a couple of loads of laundry and hanging them on the line. Since I did not do laundry on Tuesday and Wednesday, I had to do it today. I am behind and I need to catch up this week.

So far, it has not rained, I did hear thunder earlier, but that has stopped. If it rains, I can do nothing about it. I just hope that it holds off until some of the clothes are dry. True it takes longer for cloths to dry on a cloudy day, but the eventually dry. I have to consider getting an electric dryer and then I would not have to worry about the weather and the clothes drying. However, the dryer has to wait a while because other things take priority.

I have a small space heater for the bathroom and a clothes rack. I can always put the cloths rack in the bathroom and turn on the space heater. That will allow me to dry some of the clothes in the house. I would prefer to hang the clothes outside or use an electric dryer. The space heater and the clothes rack will help me catch up on the laundry, which is what I want to do this week.