Wednesday aWay…

My wonderful brother came over to visit with our mama today while Don and I head up to Chattanooga to have the speedometer diagnosed.  It’s pegged all the way around and past the 120 mph mark.  And the tachometer is pegged past 6000 rpm’s.  The verdict:  a new speedometer cluster has been ordered …. extended warranty has been notified.

It’s a partly to mostly cloudy day, but nice.  And it was good to get away with my special man.

Hello, Tennessee!

Just over the state line is this really nice rest stop.

The Tennessee River..

Rays of sunshine on our return to Mama Trudy’s.

Did I mention that we ate lunch at Famous Dave’s Bar-b-que?  There ribs are really yummy ……

but Dave is famous to me for his bread pudding!

Hey… I had broccoli.

Terrific Tuesday…

My brother, Jon, on the right, talking on his cell phone to his wife… trying to convince her that we really do need to see him everyday.

I don’t think she’s “buying” it.  We really do love seeing him as often as he can come by.  Mama Trudy especially loves getting a hug from her boy every day.

Don is contemplating what he’s going to prepare for dinner tonight.

And he came up with a chicken enchilada recipe that he found in a magazine he purchased yesterday.

How could they be chicken and cheese enchiladas without melted cheese on top???  Don added the cheese to his.

My addition to the meal:  avocado and tomato salad.

Now… doesn’t that look delicious?  It was even better than it looks.

Save the Gravy!!!!

Don’t EVER throw away leftover Cocoa Gravy!! 

Store it in an airtight container in the frig.  For breakfast or snack in the next few days, add a little milk to it, mix well, microwave in glass bowl for 20-30 seconds until hot… serve over your choice of toast, biscuits, rolls, pancakes…

Have you tried it yet?  Irma would say, “What in the world are you waiting for?? Times-a-wasting!!”

Oh My Goodness… Creamy Hot Fudge on a Shingle!! That word “LARAPIN” comes to mind.Better the second day than it was the first!!

How I make Cocoa Gravy

It’s a tradition that I have neglected in my family.  Mama Trudy made Cocoa Gravy when I was a kid and I loved it.  This morning, my 93 1/2 year old mother requested Cocoa Gravy, so I made it … for the first time ever.

Melt about 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.

Sprinkle in about 2 heaping tablespoons of flour,

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder,

2 tablespoons of sugar (according to how sweet you like it),

and a dash of salt.

Stir until all ingredients are well mixed and all lumps are gone.

Slowly add milk, stirring, on medium heat.  Add about a cup to begin with and then add more until the gravy reaches the consistency that you like.  If gravy is getting too thick too quickly, reduce heat.

We like it semi-thick to serve on buttered toast or buttered biscuits.  A little thinner to serve on pancakes.

Mama Trudy enjoyed with a few walnuts on the side and a cup of hot almond milk.

Why have I not treated my grandchildren with this special treat?  Mama Trudy I’m not, but I promise I will be making Cocoa Gravy for them in the future.

It’s a Cocoa Gravy Monday Morning

I’ve never done this before, but Mama Trudy requested cocoa gravy for breakfast this morning, so I thought … I can do that.  And I did. I wish making cocoa gravy was all it took to make me like my mama.

There was a skinny woman inside me screaming to get out this morning, but I shut her up with COCOA GRAVY on BUTTERED TOASTED!!  Mama Trudy said, “I think you’ve shut her up every day since you got here!”  And then she laughed… well, because it was funny. Who asked her, anyway???? 

Well, coming from my mama and with the prompting of my favorite niece and husband, when Don got back from his walk, I went for a walk.

Of course, I took my camera.

A pretty place around the corner from mama’s place.

And a little further down the street….

A view toward Trenton and the Sand Mountains Ridge.

It’s hard to tell in the winter time, but I’m pretty sure this tree beside the creek is dead.

Lookout Mountain Creek. We’ve had so much rain, it looks more like a river.

I walked on this street….

and this street…and this street, which is more of the street above…Same street around the curve.

I just came from that way.

Turning into the apartment driveway.

Almost back to where I started from.

3,225 steps later..

2,647 aerobic steps… had to stop to take pictures.1.01 miles in 25 minutes… like I said, I had to stop and take pictures.

I burned how many calories?  What!?!! Only 47 calories burned.  That does not take care of that Cocoa Gravy!! But this pedometer sure makes me look like a serious walker.  Will have to work up to more aerobic miles, I suppose.

Don needs a grill!

I really must do a better job of journaling our days with pictures.

My Don went to Wal-Mart today and came home with a gas-grill-in-a-box.  You know what that means?  Yes sir.  It had to be assembled.  What a team we are!  Got that grill put together in 4 hours flat!!    Well, maybe that’s a little exaggeration.  Once we got the table grill together, we realized… no table.  Out on the deck, I got a brainstorm and texted my brother to bring a piece of scrap lumber. His brilliant addition to the idea was the C-clamps to secure the “table top.” 

Voila!

OK, let’s try it out.  Johnsonville Brats for dinner with sauerkraut!  Don sacrifices so much for me.

Table top grill works great.  My man is happy!!!

I’ll admit it… it doesn’t take much to make us happy.  This whole grilling arrangement cost less then $20.

A few days ago, Don made chicken and dumplings in the Crock Pot.  When I got my serving out of the pot, I placed the lid on a burner that I thought was turned off.

What’s that strange smell?

Have you ever seen strings of melted plastic?  I trimmed them off hoping to salvage the lid. No such luck.

Today, Don purchased a $10 Dutch oven at the dollar store to cook the turnip greens that Mama Trudy has requested.

Guess what the Dutch oven glass lid fits on?Now Don can cook that roast to go with Mama Trudy’s turnip greens!

In case you ever wondered if three eggs really do make brownie mix taste more like a cake than fudgy brownies made with two eggs… they do.  And I don’t like cake like brownies.

Tonight, I decided to grill our hot dog buns and you know where this is going, don’t you?  Burnt.

I’m dangerous in the kitchen. So glad My Cook is here!

Dearest Prayer Warriors!

 Kris was admitted to the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital in San Antonio on Monday, January 30th! Russell and Joshua took her there, and Russ even texted some photos of her room as well as one of Kris in her “new” bed. The attached photo shows Kris with her son, Joshua, sitting next to that wonderful hospital bed that she has needed for so long. Russ said it was like an ICU room: private, pretty, spacious, and that fantastic hospital bed, and all the “bells and whistles” necessary for her complete care. Praise the Lord! And we’re proud of Joshua for stepping up to help get Mom packed up and moved. I’m sure it was quite a task for both Russ and Joshua, but it worked like clockwork, evidently. Thanks guys!!!

And for those wonderful folks who send such loving and prayerful cards and letters, Kris’s new mailing address is:

Maj. Kristine Ratliff

Audie L. Murphy Veterans Hospital
7400 Merton Minter Blvd.

Room B-522-13
San Antonio, Texas 78229

Kris had her first full day of therapy yesterday and, when Russell went there yesterday afternoon, he said she was really tired but happy. He said the nursing staff and everyone has been so helpful and really on top of things. I will be able to call every day again and talk to her care manager there, as well as to her nurse. Russell will call every day when he gets there so that I can talk to Kris, and he’ll continue to send pictures from time to time, too. We are excited FOR Kris, and for the family, and I think she realizes this is what it will take for her to go home eventually. Dr. Johnson was there when they arrived on Monday, as was another doctor who will work with Kris. Russ said they will meet every Friday to discuss Kris’s therapy program, her progress, her needs, and her overall care plan. How I wish she could have gone there last fall, but she’s there now... so... we leave it in God’s hands entirely.

As for the folks at Country Care Manor, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for all that they have done for Kris. It is a small facility, but with big hearts, and the therapy girls (as I have said so often) were wonderful. The other photo attached is Kris saying good-bye to Brandy, one of the little therapy dogs at Country Care. (Kris and Brandy really bonded!) To Susan, Rene and Heidi, we just have to say again how very grateful we are that you are there and you took Kris under your “wings.” I saw her become more open to moving around on her own than she has ever been since the accident, and she felt quite at home there. I hope you get that nice big therapy room; no one deserves it more than you!!! You work miracles!

For now, your awesome prayers are coveted on Kris’s behalf, and on the behalf of all those at the Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital who will be working with Kris. It is a huge place and extremely busy, but it seems they have not lost concern for the individual patient’s needs. As I said, we are so excited and we are praying, believing God’s miracles are very close.

Blessings and big heartfelt hugs,

Carol and George