Maura's Acolytes

In health news, i now have yet another additional skin diagnosis, autoimmune and well correlated with existing diagnosis. I also have a clear plan. Well, clearish. Will write up and get confirmation, because memory and the instructions on box differ.

Bruno has crystals in his urine which could explain what seems to be increased urination outside the box. Having a barrier pad on the couch paid off this morning. X-ray next to look for kidney stones.

Yesterday dawned with Gulf warmth and humidity and ended with an arctic blast that dropped the temperature 20°F degrees and the dew point 35°F over the afternoon into evening. I dunno, it seemed more abrupt as it was happening, but now doesn't seem that remarkable. The low passed over us at 13:37, with the dew point (an absolute measure of the humidity independent of air temp) at 60°F at 13:12 and 25°F at 19:17 and hitting 16°F at 7:22 this morning.  Temperatures fell, too, with a high of 62.6°F at 13:07,  40.8°F at 19:17,  and a low of 24.9°F also at 7:22 this morning.

Taking today off to go with Christine on a visit to her sister A's in Mayberry/Mount Airy, riding up with sister D. This is fraught for Christine in part with the concern about bathroom stops and anti-trans politics, and her health condition about which she is not wanting to make clear to her sisters. Instead, there is abundant worry about A's health and D's grief. And how A doesn't recognize D's grief. And D's anger over how their brother L's widow is being treated by brother L's kids (which is both objectively problematic treatment, but probably compounded by D by her recent widowhood). And A wanting to ignore that and not talk about it at Christmas.

I had tea with my sister last night when i went to pick up my new scripts, gave her a big hug, and told her how thankful i was for our relationship. I am so very very very lucky in my relationship with L and do not take it for granted. Brother N is on his own planet, which is more intense now that his sons are at college and his wife and daughter have moved back to the states. I feel sad for him on one hand, but on the other -- well, i suspect that his regrets are going to be more of a headache to for L & I to negotiate as Dad gets older and passes, and we have to deal with the "family" home (note N never lived there). But L: i feel lucky we are both honest, open, and compassionate with each other.

Happy cooking things:

Bread pudding in a pumpkin: will do again.

Seared baby bok choi with potatoes and pre-cooked tofu made a nice lunch. (I've learned that pressing and then air frying slabs of tofu really creates a nice chewy texture).

Used hatch chili skins that i'd shoved in the freezer, ground up two very old dried-out okra, and coriander stems and seeds to make a broth. That plus left-over black beans from the freezer and some left over tomato paste made a very satisfying soup. House smelled lovely.

Realized we still had frozen Wellington from Thanksgiving, so not making that today. Caramelized onions and made quasi-duxelles from the fresh mushrooms and shoved in freezer for some other time.

Shallots and beet greens, first cooking the stems and shallots down, then adding the greens. Served over toast that i used to wipe up the caramelized onion pan with slivers of a nice sharp cheese (Sartori Merlot BellaVitano). Bliss.

Happy that that is net-less stuff in freezer, plus got fresh green things eaten or fixed before they went too sad.

I need to eat down the freezer so that when Christine has surgery on Jan 13, we can have comfort food for her in the fridge.

I carefully watched for a low stress time to give Christine more stress: i shared with her some observations about the things listed for her surgery appointment that point to some recovery aspects i knew she would find.... hard. She's coping OK. I am pretty sure the surgeon's description of recovered state was interpreted by Christine to apply to immediately post surgery, so it was a surprise. What is stressing me is the need to go to Ohio and the uncertainty about the recovery needs. I have a hard time believing that we could be scheduling the week of MLK day.

Today both Marlowe and Bruno did inappropriate urination. That stressed Christine lots. I got a laundry line set up in the back porch, under the ceiling fan, so hopefully this will ease some of the appliance demands.

 ( body/weight trigger warning )

We had a pleasant holiday. I am very thankful for my relationship with my sister. We had a long phone call before our households woke, and a walk together later in the day. I am well aware how special our relationship is.  Christine and i also joined her family and my Dad for gift exchanges, Swedish pancakes and (Norwegian -- from her husband's side) Sandbakkels (lovely sugar cookies baked into domes). I'll just note Mom didn't go all Swedish heritage until after i was in college, so only a few things i remember from my born-to-Swedish-parents great aunts and grandmother hint to their Swedish heritage. They were encouraged to assimilate.

Yesterday we took Bruno to the vet to find out whether there's an infection or similar causing his urination. It's probably psychological, and we have gone all in on Feliway, which seems to be the general advice. We'll try a little kitty prozac. I occasionally try to sedate Marlowe with gabapentin (days i won't spend working in the same room with Bruno).  Sometimes it works but most of the time it doesn't. Wish i knew what would make that reliable, so we could expose them to each other without Marlowe going all special forces on Bruno. Carrie Dog had a panic attack Friday morning. Poor pups. I did feel a bit like this is the household of misfit beings, yesterday morning, but we can be a refuge for these beings and ourselves.

For Yule Christine has given me a maslin pan, which is the answer to the question: what type pot is wide enough to get all the jam and jelly to the right temperature while also not boiling over? Deep stock pots are not the answer. After reading rhapsodic accounts of jelly made in 100% copper pans, then reading why it's safe -- high sugar content buffers the acids in fruits -- i chose the more practical stainless steel. That should make jelly, jam, and fig leather prep next year more pleasurable.

I managed to pass on some Frankoma Plainsman green dishes to my sister, who missed out on the 70s overdose of avocado green. I knocked the handle off one of my Pfaltzcraft Heritage Christmas mugs as i got them out for the first time since, i dunno, pre pandemic? Pre Mom's stroke? I think it will glue back OK. I am trying to decided if i should just ditch it. I also broke a ramekin (and thinking back a broke a 4 oz jelly jar).

Meanwhile, time passes. Myself and all around me slowly giving over to entropy.