I say yes, you say no, OR People are Strange

Seattle is supposed to be 74 today.  We had RAIN last night - so loud and heavy it woke my husband (nothing wakes me other than some pain - then I just take a tylenol and slip back under.

Athena - sorry to hear you're running low on sorts.  I've got a few to spare, as it's still early in the week....  Grab 'em quick, before they get away...

No traveling for us until the winter.  Hubby's still working on the house so we can hopefully get it on the market - though we've missed the supposed "good time to sell" so maybe we won't bother putting it on until next spring.  It seems like it would be easier that way.  Once it sells, I may retire, as the commute (and resulting lack of sleep) is really getting to me - the biggest problem will be insurance, but I think we'll be able to work it out.  Whatever happens will be fine though - I believe that I've developed a bit of a rubber ball attitude - whatever comes, I can bounce back from - it may just take a little longer than I'd like.

About the strawberries and cream - that is nummy.  But my very favorite is boysenberries.  They have a super short season, and are so fragile, they turn into juice if you look at 'em wrong.  We bought a 1/2 flat yesterday, and it's already 1/3 gone.....

Athena - I will return the sorts I borrowed last week. I found mind despite being trampled by a horse yesterday!



There should be a gourmets ice cream delivery service. I'm just sayin.

gumby  we had rain?  really?  goodness, I missed it or maybe there just was none in my 'hood.

I am looking at the puffy clouds, fading fog and blue sky.

bok choy--as a long time stir fry person, I have found the very best way to do bok choy is to heat a dab of oil in a pan, add garlic and turn off heat (garlic burns frightenly fast)!  blanch bok choy in fairly salted boiling water--no more than a minute.  At the same time you toss the bok choy in the water turn heat on for garlic pan.  transfer bok choy directly from water to stir fry and toss to finish off cooking and get all nice and garlicy.

Sunday was sad---I had to go buy some grown-up work clothes.  To my great dismay, I have gone up a size in pants.     And I can't buy the slightly smaller size because, well I need the work clothing to wear NOW.  More boo hoo.  I know part of it is the tamoxifen and part of it is a handful of bad eatting habits (our wicked receptionist and his wickeder candy dish! seconds at dinner) and that I ought to be able to do something about it but still.  sigh. Motivation even though I hate the weight is hard to find.   I know my stress level is way up (stupid work, stupidbreastcancer, stupiddealingwithmother's cancer) --that doesn't seem to help with anything. 

Oh for the good old days when stress made me not eat and drop weight like you wouldn't believe.  When I was first working I would go into a stressful period and soon enough the skirts on my suit would be spinning around my waist!  I am hoping that a month of vegetarian eatting (Oldest wants to try being a vegetarian and we are all going along for the ride) might help along with forcing myself to go for more walks etc.  Encouragement is welcome!

Just so you know, I have some sorts squirreled away for a rainy day. But as there seems to be no more rain, I'll be happy to share.

kira - boysenberries are HUGE and very soft.  They'd never sell them in a store, as they wouldn't be able to be shipped.  We buy them at a local berry farm.  When I was a kid, there was an "old" lady a few houses down (she was probably in her fifties...  LOL) who grew boysenberries in her backyard.  I used to pick every single one of them that was outside the fence on the alley.  SO GOOD.  As for what they taste like....  they are a cross between raspberry, blackberry and loganberry.  They probably taste a little more like loganberry than any of the others.  They look like a very large blackberry but more of a purple than black - each berry part is big, as is the seed contained therein.  My husband said boysenberry pie was his favorite as a kid, but I've never been able to hang onto the berries long enough to get them into pie form  .

3monstmama - it was one of those localized "rain showers" except in this case it was a rain deluge.  But I was happy to have it, as that means I don't have to water tonight.    I understand we're supposed to have thunderstorms tonight, so maybe I won't need to water tomorrow, either. 

WhiteRabbit - if we ever actually get the place listed, I'd be HAPPY to send you the listing.  I've heard the same thing about winter listings, and actually did sell one house during the winter, quite quickly.... but with house sales being so slow right now, we were (well, really I was) thinking that it may be better to wait.  I sure don't know - I spend most of my time confused anymore.  I've sold 4 houses in my life, and every one was to the first person who walked through the door - in fact the last one we sold, we signed the papers to list it and went out to dinner.  When we got home we had an offer.  House was sold that night.  Living in a house that is for sale is going to be a new, and I'm assuming very unpleasant experience.   The other thing is that if it sells Spring/Summer/NEXT fall, I could just retire and get on with life - if it sells THIS fall/winter, it's a bit too early, and we'd have to move and then move again, as I have zero intention of living my life within commuting range of downtown Seattle.  Two moves is too much more work.

It would be fun to visit NOTL again especially during the peach festival. The peaches last year were the best peaches I ever had. I was also thinking that meeting at one of the hotels in town would be perfect and not be a hardship on Linda. 

sorts, sorts, and more sorts for Athena.  we're all gonna get cooler weather in a few days, so maybe you'll be better - have you made choices about new work, consulting? 

Kira, you have a waist?  gee, what does a waist look like?  I seem to remember having one b4 chemotherapy, and before 5 years on Arimidex, now there's sort of a Buddha belly ( no offense to Buddha, who looks serene with his) and lumps, and more lumps, from laproscopic gall bladder surgery.

Thanks all, for the sorts (I'm giving Scoot back some of hers - trampled by a horse?!)

Oh, this heinous weather!

Off my self-pity soap box, back into my cool den.

Waving at Barbara, and glad to see Glenna back.

I am okay. A horse spooked and ran through me. I fell over backwards and he stepped on my thigh as he ran. Everything is fine - just a badly bruised thigh. No broken bones or internal injuries.



It was funny - I was lying on the ground with my hands over my face, thinking "oh crap, Keisha (oncology nurse) is going to be so mad at me!" She was horrified that I bought a horse after the fractured pelvis incident and was convinced I would end up in a full body cast. Not this time! Ha!

I was more afraid of Keisha than the horse!

I have always been just a little afraid of horses. My daughter was horse crazy, went to all sorts of horse camps, and while I was very happy for her, I just couldn't get into horses myself. They're just so big-and so tall when one is sitting up on top of one. Horse-fearing was not the best quality for a Girl Scout leader!

It's nice here in Seattle again after yesterday's rain.

Mary 

Sounds lovely but I can't imagine anyone having room for so many. Lindasa is a gem for having done it. MY DH and I spent time back in 1985 ish at London, Ontario. He did some work with an astronomer there and we were able to stay in an apartment at the planetarium for a month. It was a wonderful time. I took my son who was in the 3rd grade on several train trips during the week when DH was working. Just loved my afternoon tea. If anyone wants to visit the D.C. Area I have one queen size guest room and one twin size guest room. Would love to have visitors.

Blue, I have some of those big red flowers ... what are they called? Okay, okay, I'm not a green thumb, but the house we bought has lots of beautiful flowers that someone else planned and executed. I just get to enjoy. A good day is wished to all.

Glenna, oh, your DH must have felt so awful when he said that Some call it chemobelly, but I swear it's the Arimidex that did it to me, finally ( finally!!!!) losing weight, not enuf yet, as Scoot is afraid of her doc, oohhhh....when i see mine she doesn't even mention weight anymore, but I KNOW what she's thinking!  Kinda funny, in a weird way: after chemotherapy, and as beginning Arimidex I got "the speech" - warning me that both cause weight gain, and then "oh, btw, we need you to lose weight."  Docs smiled, but it's true.  Add an antidepressant to the mix, which is why I was carrying "extra" weight when I was diagnosed....

The only thing I've found that helps - is what my friend calls "grazing" - I have about 5 "meals" a day of very small amounts of food, like little "snacks" - and almost no carbs except veggies, fresh fruit, and quinoa. Not great for "socializing" but I have been SO good about staying away fromevents centering on food, don't miss it now.  Feel so much better, and my blood glucose level has REALLY dropped.  Bitter melon for all those who haven't read my other posts ;-)