Got Dad home. This is a picture of him a bit ago. He’s doing fairly well. Though last night we noticed a huge hematoma on his side where that bruise was, so the doctor was out here this a.m., discontinuned his coumadin, told him to stay in bed. She’s sending nurses for blood work and an x-ray unit to check his lungs and ribs. Occupational therapists coming and he has a phone appointment this afternoon with his neurologist.
And I’m supposed to have my hair done at 4:30.
But as I wait for the nurse, I’m watching my fire burn in my woodstove, sipping my dark brew. It’s gray today, but no snow so far. It snowed steadily yesterday though none was forecast.
Tomorrow my husband will make a wood run and I’ll clean house, cook shrimp, and make the base for our cioppino — Christmas Eve dinner. That seafood stew is lovely with fennel bulb, fennel seed, tarragon, basil, and it calls for Pernod, but I usually have to use Ouzo or some other anise flavored liquor since we aren’t sophisticated enough in Northern Michigan to find Pernod. If you think you don’t like those flavors, you haven’t had cioppino. I’m not sure once it gets mixed with the tomato base, the fish stock (or clam juice), the chorizo sausage, you might not even pick out what makes that fabulous flavor. My favorite soup of all time: I use salmon, shrimp, mussels, scallops, and lobster claws. Though you can use king crab, lump crab or other fish for the base. You can use clams (I’m not as fond) or whatever seafood you fancy in it. I freeze the leftovers and we have it New Year’s Day while we watch football. The key is to sear the scallops and shrimp at the end, not throw them in the stew. And add the mussels on top. The salmon is part of the base, however, as well as the chorizo.
Great stuff. Just some slices of bread along with.
But we are having health workers in and out all day here today. I will not be very organized this holiday, I can tell you. And I can’t seem to get into exercise/writing, though I didn’t think I would until the new year. Now, even less chance. Will be lucky to clean quickly, and change the beds.
I have a small family and we plan to gather, but we are fortunate this year in that my grandson was exposed to Covid (I know, but it turned out great) and they closed his school over a week ago. My daughter and son-in-law are working from home and being tested repeatedly — all negative to date. Including my grandson. So this actually makes us feel more secure than we would have. My son is working from home and he and his girlfriend will be tested or were just tested, results pending. So there will be 8 plus little John Michael.
I keep a window open and we heat with woodstove and gas fireplace mostly, so that the forced air doesn’t run much, and we keep the fan off or on auto. My son and his girlfriend sleep outside in our travel trailer, very nice spot for them.
Happy Tuesday, folks. How is your holiday going? Do you plan to gather?
L.E.K. 