A few family photos from the memorial...

Bubbie and Firstborn

Gina, The Girl, Rodney

The Girl

Firstborn

Bubbie

Teddy

Maggie and Bubbie

Dutch and Scout

Gina

Empty Nest menu #113

I picked up groceries yesterday, then when I got home I worked on dealing with the weekend leftovers - rotisserie chicken, brisket, beans and, etc.  But I realized I was basically out of containers since most of them are currently in use:

Which is not a bad situation at all.

Loads of freezer meals + tired me = no cooking.

The chicken got shredded and placed into freezer bags, the bones got used to make stock, and I threw all of that into the freezer, too.  As for the rest of the leftovers:

Monday - Jalapeno Sausage and Beans, coleslaw, spicy pickle mix*

Tuesday - Chinese Lettuce Wrap filling over ramen

Wednesday - Wine Wednesday with The Girl

Thursday - Brisket, side of spinach Florentine pasta, probably corn

Friday - Coconut Shrimp, baked sweet potato, side salad

Saturday - Chicken Linguini Alfredo, broccoli

Sunday - Salmon with garlic butter and a grilled veggie on my hibachi, roll

*this is all of the leftover sliced onion, jalapenos, bread and butter pickles, and sliced dill pickles mixed together and stored in a jar in the fridge.

Gina

The eulogy, and etc...

 Not that I've lost my mojo for blogging, but the rest of the week, I may lay low on it.  This is the week we are celebrating Mark, and in the midst of that, there is still grief and mourning.  And much as I would like to say I have made great strides forward, I also must admit that I have been pushed back a few paces.  I guess that's to be expected.

Life doesn't move in a straight line.

This week I did what I never imagined myself doing - writing a eulogy for Mark.  Something that would speak to our life together, his character, and my hopes and prayers that my children will continue to move forward in life with hope in their hearts, expecting the best.

I want them to remember the day in a peaceful way so I will try to be peaceful, myself.

"God's mercies and provisions are new every morning.  So on a daily basis, we should optimistically ask for and strongly expect the miracles, blessings, and breakthroughs that he provides for us in this life.  We should, in fact -  in faith -  Expect the Best"

Keep us in your prayers,

Gina

Empty Nest menu #112

 Getting a "short break" at work is getting no lunch break.

And maybe no lunch if you didn't have one packed.

So thank goodness I do and it is READY when I am.  Because not even getting 30 minutes to grab a lunch in the cafeteria is next to impossible.

Monday - Cilantro Lime Chicken on a bed of baby greens and avocado {The Girl picks up Teddy from his visit}

Tuesday - Burger for One {counseling appt in p.m.}

Wednesday - Taking The Girl to dinner here

Thursday - BBQ Pork Chop, creamy corn, pintos

Friday - Garlic Butter Salmon, pasta with alfredo sauce, peas {pick up BBQ at Rudy's}

Saturday - Memorial/Lunch at Highlands:  BBQ Brisket, pintos, coleslaw, Lay's (Dad's favorite), pickles and onions, Bug Juice (a nod to Boy Scouts). Maybe some cookies?  Dinner is TBD.

Sunday - (freezer) Coconut Shrimp, veggie - rest and relax

Gina

Five thing Friday: breakfast, Blondie, water fountain, cactus, plaque

 I ordered Saturday breakfast from a favorite spot in Burnet, then ate it while gazing out of my screen door.

'twas nice.  And barbacoa is one of my very favorite things!

Winery dogs know if you have something delicious.  They don't want your wine, but they would love to share your charcuterie.  Sorry, Blondie.

You're cute, but no cigar.

I doesn't take whiskers to tighten up the kitchen water fountain.  But it does take a couple of tools, your head and half your body under the sink, and about 30 minutes of sticktoitiveness.  How I wish Mark had shown me how to do simple things around the house.  It would have helped me nag a whole lot less and I would know how to fix some things.

A heart shaped prickly pear came home to live at Rustown.  She may be pretty but she will stab you...I had two nurses digging in my finger on Monday, removing one of these spikes.  I do not wish to repeat that experience so this is probably the last time I bring one home.

I ordered a brass plate for Mark's wooden box.  I pep talked myself all the way through so I didn't hurt the wood or God forbid, the ashes.  Its a simple way of identifying it.

Mark Allen Cannary

1/31/1961 - 7/23/2021

Husband and Father

EXPECT THE BEST

Maybe the hardest little project I have done in a while.

Gina

Little project: address stickers

The drive up to the top of the hill at Highlands begins here at a sharp left turn off a winding county road.  Years ago, someone placed an old water heater shell here and slapped some numbers on.  Yep, that's our address.  This photo was taken in September of 2017.

Several hot summers later and the numbers were starting to peel and flake.

Plus, they were hard to see at night as they weren't reflective.

I thought for sure I could find these large numbers somewhere, but no.  And the largest ones I did find were about half the size of the originals.  But they are reflective and easy to see.  So I took the scraper to the old numbers, added the new ones, then trimmed back the cedar tree at the entrance.

Curb appeal?  Maybe not.

But my goal is to make it clear that I'm still checking in on 1201.

Gina

Empty Nest menu #111

I finally got around to making the chicken and rice dish from the weekend before and it was delicious!  I skipped sprinkling parsley all over it, but it could have done with more lemon.  The olive and garlic were a great addition.

Anyway, a keeper.

I do love a good chicken and rice.

Monday - (freezer) Mexican Lasagna, salad

Tuesday - (leftover) Chicken and Rice, peas

Wednesday -  Pork Chop, veggie quinoa, corn

Thursday - Chicken Fried Rice a la The Girl {Teddy coming for the weekend}

Friday - Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, green beans

Saturday - Garlic butter steak bites, sweet potato, salad, roll

Sunday - TBD, but The Girl won't be in town so Ted and I will fend for ourselves.  Going to Highlands to clean up a bit in advance of the memorial.

Gina

Five thing Friday - ramen, china, pictures, outfits, wineries

It hasn't been a terrible week, just not stellar.  Same things causing the same stress.  I'm ready for spring.

******

I know ramen noodles aren't particularly healthy, what with all the salt and carbs.  But if you use only a small portion of the seasoning packet and add in your own fresh veg and chunk of meat, it can be quite the comforting bowl of lunch.

The bonus is you can use up bit of leftovers at the end of the week and make it different each time.

I hadn't looked at this china in so long.

It was living in a cabinet above the fridge.  So pretty!

It has coordinating pink crystal goblets and martini glasses.

When I moved the tea service out of this cabinet, I made it the china and crystal storage.  'Twill go to my peeps some day when they have homes of their own and who knows if they will ever use, let alone display it.  But china and crystal don't thrill me like they did Hubby's mom. 

Slowly I am making my home reflect more of what is important to me.  I am moving a few pictures around, setting things out that having meaning to me, or putting things away if doing so helps me realize that things are so different here.

Do I need family pictures in every room?  Maybe not.

Although I am no clotheshorse, putting outfits together is easier when you have a big closet with room to store and see what you have.  I keep running across stuff I haven't worn in so long, including these cute sandals.  Its nice to dress cute now and again.

The Girl went with me to pick up my wines on Saturday and it was a different experience.  I need to think about what my interests and weekend activities will look like going forward.  Though I love spending time with my daughter, winery visits just aren't the same without Hubby.

It was our thing, you know?

Gina

The memorial plans

Its time.

The kids and I talked just before the holidays and decided that we would wait until after the New Year to plan Mark's* memorial.  We originally settled on February 28th.  But that day came and went and I was still dragging my heels.

Anyway.

Here is the plan:

Family will assemble at Highlands for the day.

We will enjoy BBQ, music, and one of Mark's favorite wines from one of his favorite wineries.  Hawaiian shirts will be encouraged.  We will look at photo albums, say a few prayers, hug a lot.

Walks and talks and yard games will happen.

Bug spray will be encouraged!

And maybe there will be a few bluebonnets, and definitely a lot of tears.

Gina

*he can be Mark now, because he was so much more than a hubby

Empty Nest menu #110

 I was going to donate the two head tea cups, but I changed my mind and put them in the bookcase instead.  They are weirdly wonderful kitsch from the 50's.

Monday - Chicken Tacos with avocado and Monterrey Jack cheese, black beans

Tuesday - Spiral sliced Ham, roasted red potatoes, creamy spinach

Wednesday - Wine Wednesday with The Girl

Thursday - (freezer) Lima Beans with Ham and cornbread

Friday - Chicken Pot Pie, side salad {on call tonight}

Saturday - TBD {beer release at Save the World, listen to music at 7 Creeks}

Sunday - Mexican Lasagna, chopped salad, warm cookies!

Gina

5 thing Friday - medals, overnight oats, cooking, Happy Hour, records

I'm making more time to be creative along with the cleaning and purging.  Creative things give my brain a little play time.

Recently I found Harry Sr's military medals and they were in sad shape.  The silver was tarnished, the fabric they were laying on was crumbling to dust.  I cleaned up the medals (carefully!) and covered the foam pad with burlap.  Then I placed it back into the cedar chest.  Some day I may research the medals and write it all out - there are lots of military mementos in that cedar chest.

The ID bracelet is engraved "Harry and Marie" in beautiful script.

I am late on the overnight oats trend but I am really enjoying the switch from hot oatmeal.  Plus, I have a lot of frozen fruit from our summer smoothie mornings that works well for it.

It always amazes me what you can do with a pound of dry lima beans and a ham bone.  Granted, I added a half packet of onion soup mix.  But the simplicity of this meal!  Bonus: the house smelled amazing.

Contrasted with this one.

The virtual cooking class had us make Chinese Lettuce Wraps.  I wasn't wild about the filling which called for beef (why), baby corn (yuck), carrots (weird), and no green onions.  Plus, it made too much and involved so much chopping and prepping.  Definitely not weeknight meal worthy.  I have two recipes that are better, in my opinion, including this one.

Happy hour with The Girl after the estate hearing.  I was wound up like a top last week and had a hard time relaxing after the hearing.

Records that span the length of the coat closet.

What are vinyl records worth?  Turns out it varies and is subjective.  But I have HUNDREDS of them,  LP's and some 45's, along with cassette tapes, CD's, and all of the equipment to play them.  Not that I ever will.  Just another one of those collections that I have to figure out how to manage...

Gina 

Little project: bracing cabinet shelves

The top shelf of the kitchen island has had this sag happening: 

I had mentioned it to Hubby in the past, but neither of us ever did anything about it.  I'm sure it was caused by the sheer weight of stuff I had stored in here - a bunch of that stuff has been purged, hallelujah.

I went to the garage looking for wood I could cut to fit below the top shelf, vertically, and lo and behold found one.  I had to use a hand saw, but it was relatively easy.

Do you see it?  You wouldn't even know it was there, lurking behind the middle of the cabinet on both sides.

I pulled most of the things out to see if it was straight.  IT WAS. No sag!

I used some hair elastics to help keep cords together.  And I gave everything a really good wipe down.

Including the crock pot which had lime buildup from pots of beans.

Mostly removed by a little soak in white vinegar.

Everything got put back in an order that made sense to me.  I used a couple of small baskets and a tray for small items.  Nothing heavy on the top shelf.

There is lots of space down here and I aim to keep it that way.

Gina