HAPPY MAY

Well, here's my puppy, on the mend.  Need I tell you he does not like this cone.  He has to wear it for two weeks, no exceptions, no cheating and taking it off for even 2 minutes.  It makes sense though because he has to adjust to it.  The hard part is he doesn't have the freedom to snoop around the backyard, I have to walk him on a leash.  The leg has so many sutures, Dr. B. said that if a stitch breaks, the whole six inches will gape open.  You can see it on his thigh, I didn't want to get any more graphic than this--it's not pretty but it's looking better everyday.

This was in the afternoon after I picked him up.  I lifted him on our bed and Layla and I curled up with him and we all slept blissfully for about two hours, a nice breeze blowing in the window.  I had lost so much sleep over this and it was so good to have him home.  And Layla was an absolute riot.  When I walked in with him that morning she came tearing out of my bedroom, took one look at her big brother with the huge cone on his head and skidded to a stop.  Then she quickly scurried under the couch!  It took a few days of her being overly cautious around him but she's okay now.  

The good news is that Dr. B. called today with the biopsy results of the tumor and the margins around what he removed show no remaining cancer cells.  So it looks like he got it all.  Sigh.  Our prayers were answered and all of you helped.  Thank you for that love and support.  Our furry friends are undeniably one of the greatest gifts in life.  :)

I did some patching up of the grass in the yard...this really is all I've been able to do outdoors in spite of buying plants as I mentioned in my last post.  I was told to confine Milo in a crate (which I don't have), or in the bathroom if I had to go out.  He could hurt himself.  I was housebound until a dental appointment on Thursday and then Emily came over to dogsit.  Anyway, this is my herb garden.  The oregano and chives come back every year and I replace basil and parsley.  This year I'm adding thyme and dill.  I've been told that dill spreads like crazy and that the best thing to do is plant it in a pot and bury the pot in your garden bed.  So that's what I'll do, if I ever get the chance.  Maybe with The Husband home this weekend to keep The Mi company.  

Major red tape at the lakehouse.  But who would expect anything else?  I can't go into detail and I think it would bore you anyway, but I breathed a heavy sad sigh when I saw this picture from last June.  The bay in the background, the chimnea ready for some wood and a match on a cool evening, dressing up the table so pretty.  Whenever I'm in HomeGoods or the like and I see the cute beachy and nautical pieces, I think, that would be so great at the lake.  And then I remember, there's no lake this summer.  I know I shouldn't feel sorry for myself, I'm trying to make make it a good summer here.  I'm working on resurrecting my vegetable garden, painting the baker's rack I have on the patio and adding some new perennials once they go on sale at the end of July.  I want to have a few family barbeques and maybe I can get The Husband to spend a few weekend afternoons or evenings going downtown, doing some shopping, meandering and having lunch or dinner al fresco.  I simply love that!

We do have a lot planned...The Husband is going on a 5 day camping/hiking trip over Memorial Day weekend with sons Jeff and Kevin and about 8 other guys.  He is SO excited.  I will be a Hiking Widow, I simply don't know what I'll do with this time alone.  No one to cook for or clean up after.  Trying to sleep alone and hearing every moan and creak in this old house.  Anyone want to come and keep me company?

The last weekend of May we will be getting together with my blogger friend Cindy from Applestone Cottage, as well as her husband, in Door County, Wisconsin.  I'll give you more of an idea of what that's about in my next post.  It will be our sixth year getting together.  Now this is a true blogger friendship!

We have a trip to Asheville planned  for July and then son Jeff's wedding in mid August.  Also, my niece, Jaime, is getting married in Louisville in early August so it will be wonderful to go down and see my brother, his wife and family and just enjoy beautiful Kentucky. 

That's all we're doing.  ;-)

This post has become lengthy as usual so I'll tell you about what I threw together Wednesday night.  We have been loving flat iron steak.  Yes, we are meat eaters.  Still, you can do this and omit the beef.  Flat iron steak is best cooked rare to medium and it doesn't take long at all.  I used a grill pan.  While that was happening, I tossed together a salad with a mix of greens and a little romaine for crunch. Then I threw in some scallions and blue cheese and seasoned it all with a pinch of garlic salt and oregano.  I then topped it with sliced plum tomatoes.  Once this was done--and I think it takes a whole five minutes,  I made some cous cous.  This is comparable to making instant rice.  I love this stuff because just a few spoonfuls makes a nice side dish.  I like to mix it into salads but I wanted a little side here.  Finally, I poured about a cup of balsamic vinegar into a saucepan, added about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of garlic powder and let it reduce and thicken up, the vinegar cooking off.  Do this last minute or it will harden beyond belief.  So now that I have you feeling like you are juggling a million balls in the air, simply drizzle a bit of the balsamic on the greens and top with thin slices of the steak.  I saved a little of the sauce to add to the top of the steak, too.  I've made this a few times and we feel like we are eating upscale restaurant fare.  

I love grocery shopping, I go every other Friday.  I totally understand it's not every one's favorite thing to do but when you love to cook, it's like being a gardener in a nursery or a crafter in Michael's.  I lose track of time, just sort of become mesmerized while dreaming up meals I want to make.  Well, yesterday I saw these flowers...it never registered that the floral department was overflowing in anticipation of Mother's Day.  This is such an over the top store (a smoothie bar, meat and fish grilled to order, a piano player and a bar that serves, yes, alcohol).  I simply love carnations.  They are so colorful and if you keep the stems trimmed and the water refreshed, they can last up to two weeks.  

Then The Husband came home from work with a bouquet of roses.  "I wanted to get you something before everything nice was sold out."  What a sweetie.  I feel like I'm in a floral shop along with all the vases I have, including tulips. These roses are so pretty, a cross between deep pink and red.  

Every Mother's Day we go on a three mile Breast Cancer Awareness walk.  Our group honors The Husband's first wife who died from breast cancer when she was just 31 years old.  Her sister puts this together and after the walk, hosts a brunch at her home.  I have to admit, sometimes I don't make the walk, asthma is a battle for me in the spring, the donation comes from the purchase of the T-shirt we all wear, the rest comes from the camaraderie and the love we hold in our hearts for this brave woman that won't be forgotten.  

Off I go.  Again, thank you for your prayers and well wishes for my Milo.  Have a wonderful weekend.  Celebrate yourself, your mother, your mentor...or simply celebrate life!

Jane x

***Love to my beautiful mother in heaven, Marjorie Mary Doll-Carroll***