Today is ......

 Sunday.  I know that because I looked at the calendar.  It's been a strange, unsettling, and frustrating ....  week?  days?  

I hope your Thanksgiving was enjoyable.  I had Carole and Chris here and we all commented on the food being the best ever.  Same recipes, nothing different, but oh my it was.  If you haven't tried our green beans casserole or sweet potato casserole, you must.  Green beans here and Sweet Potato here.  The green beans are just too good and no soup!  But don't substitute yogurt for the sour cream or it will be watery after baking.  We have a little of the cranberry walnut salad left because I made the full 9 x 13 instead of a half recipe.  We always dealt with the turkey resting before carving and trying to keep that plate hot enough.  Several friends informed me that they always roast the day before, allow it to cool to hold juice, carve and add to a large dish.  College Inn turkey broth is then added to the cold meat, covered, and reheated the next day at 350 for 15 minutes and then reduced to 250.  Did not believe them at first because reheating turkey breast????  Really?  Well we tried it and have done this for the last three years.  Wonderful.  I guess not carving until really cool and then layered with the broth does the trick.  All our dishes, including Holiday Mashed Potatoes were prepared the day before and just put into the oven, except for the gravy.  Takes the rush and hassle out of the day, even if it's only with two guests.

That was a good thing, but several days before I started feeling great anxiety and depression almost to despair.  Suddenly.  Unexpected.  Puzzling.  Since this started when the beta blocker pills did, and I am extremely drug sensitive, I called the pharmacy.  Yep.  My cardio doc told me he takes a beta blocker to improve his mood on a bad day which I found very odd, and assumed he was joking.  Turns out in a few cases it can absolutely cause my symptoms.  They told me to take a half dose to adjust and give it a few weeks.  I can see the fog is lifting.  The palps and the fibbing are continuing, have not had a break as yet.  But last night was a real test.

I needed more greenery for outdoors and we thought Arby's sandwiches would be good to have with the leftover dishes, so out we went at dusk.  My fear of that time of day in our area of deer is always present, and there she was.  Mark slammed on the brakes and we missed her but the oncoming car could care less and she barely made it across the road.  That sudden panic caused an unbelievable increase in the palps.  We all feel that adrenaline rush and pounding heart when startled, but this would not leave.  On the way back, there was a bump in the middle of the road.  As the headlights shown, it lifted its head, a cat trying to get food from a long dead critter.  It was a 50mph brief sighting, lots of traffic behind us on this hill.  No street lights so we couldn't see once passed.  It wasn't until after midnight and an Ativan that inside jitters stopped.   The shock of the deer was long over and I was certainly calmed down, but that pounding would not stop.  My bottom BP number almost matched the top for a time.  But it settled and I was able to sleep.  Too much info, huh?

Not decorating much at all this year, took out the very small trees, using a larger lighted wire tree without ornaments.  Just not into it.  Prior years outdoor was my usual door basket and buckets of fresh greens, grapevine tree at the door.  I really need to make another one since this is getting brittle but haven't found enough vines.  

I had a brown wire tree here last year and did like it, may buy another.   What a difference weathered wood makes.  Mark likes the look of even stain, I prefer the aged.  I even think I like the old door better.

I pulled out my sit-on Lacis hoop and will try working on the body of Elizabeth.  I started, it's not easy to get used to since I work almost exclusively in hand but I'll try.  If not, the spool huggers will go back on.  I looked at a few Christmas designs and was planning to order, but ....  And I am still seriously considering Dorothy Walpole, but queen stitches in that gorgeous band are not something I could do and that area should not be omitted.  

My cousin's daughter in another state is getting married in January.  She is not allowed more than 10 in the church including the bride, groom, priest, and witnesses.  You can have one person per pew at opposite ends!! But the country club hosting the lunch after is not a problem.  Really?  Passing Kraynak's last night, the parking lot was completely filled, overflow to the plaza across the street.  Our restaurants are restricted and dying even with plexiglass and 10 foot spacing.  There were hundreds of people in that store buying Christmas lights/trees and those aisles are not spaced any differently than other years.   Carole's best friend has a daughter, son in law, grandkids, and great grands testing positive.  My cousin's family has had several positive, cold symptoms a few days, and luckily are fine now.  They worked from home since March, walk and run outside, groceries and meals delivered (all were guys) no restaurants or bars.  And positive.  Chris (type 1 diabetic with HBP) has been a like a bird going from one place to another almost daily for my demanding sister since March and so far, he has been lucky.  She is getting more short of breath lately and wondered if her heart is worsening, or possibly because she sits in front of the TV all day, not much movement.  Being most times outspoken, all times a crabass, and other times smart, I did not reply to her query.  Cleveland will be a visit in the spring, they haven't increased her meds as planned on the virtual visits.

This is the last day before the unpleasant weather hits the fan so I will be outside finishing up chores and windows.

Bud is eating some, afraid of his food (he circles the dishes in hunting position), losing weight and showing his age but still happy.

Sorry for the boring post!   Thanks for making it to the end!

Stay safe everyone.

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