One Knife Kitchen

(Or how to cook Thanksgiving Dinner with ONE knife)

    We have just returned from spending a week in a guest house on a Mennonite farm in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. In our living/kitchen area, there were 11 windows. We could see the countryside all around us dotted with Amish houses and farms. Everyone of these homes were as clean and neat as anything I have ever seen.

   This is a picture of the owners' house. Our guest house was attached to the left side as you look at the picture. We had 3 bedrooms and 1-1/2 bath, kitchen, living area. Lots of room and beautifully decorated.

   We planned to cook Thanksgiving dinner in our guest house with Deedie, Mitzi, me, Tim, Amy, Gabe, Annette, and Tim's mom, Ruth attending. I discovered early in the week that the kitchen was meagerly equipped (in my way of thinking and cooking), but I was determined to make-do with what was there. I had one butcher knife which was not very sharp, no cutting board and no Pampered Chef chopper. After cooking several days, I learned to like coarsely chopped apples in my tuna and even wondered briefly why I had 5 Pampered Chef knives and 4 Cutco knives in my drawer at home. The cleaning up was much easier with only one knife, especially since there wasn't a dishwasher.  There was a TV in the living room, but no TV service. It was connected to a DVD player, and we even watched part of an old Andy Griffith movie one night. Our Thanksgiving dinner turned out very well, with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, peas, corn, deviled eggs, cranberry sauce, ham, a special dressing that Ruth makes and pumpkin and pecan pies purchased at an Amish bakery. Ummm good! It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful setting to enjoy Thanksgiving.

   Of course, being with Tim, Amy and Gabe part of every day was the reason we were there and it couldn't have been more fun. We enjoyed Gabe, who turned one on Sunday, November 25th, the day we had to leave. He is so smart, with a laid back, sweet nature and it was hard to leave him.

   The owners of the home we stayed in were industrious and hard working. She has a gift shop in the town of Bird In Hand, as well as runs the household where we were. Every year at this time, she along with her sisters and sisters-in-law, mother, grandmother, etc. stop everything they are doing and put together Christmas wreaths from live trees. They have a building behind where we were and they worked all day and into the night. They make them by the thousands and trucks pick them up and deliver them to retail stores all over the country. We were able to watch for a few minutes one morning and it was very interesting.

   We shopped one day at Lena's gift shop and wee surprised to discover that there must be Amish people who live in China, because a lot of the gift items in her shop said "Made in China". She also had a lot of beautiful handmade items and we enjoyed looking. We loved looking at the countryside and driving around just looking at the farms and passing the horse pulled buggies. Mitzi jogged a few mornings and had to dodge the horse droppings.

This is a picture of the front porch of the main house.

The top two pictures were taken on an old well, and the bottom one is at Gabe's birthday party on Saturday.

   Between Mitzi and me we took between 200 - 300 pictures, so if you ever have a free day - just come on over.
   We loved the simplicity of the life on the Amish farms. Everyone does their share and they work hard, but they are always smiling and friendly and I would go back again if ever given the chance.

Long Winter Days

Having just returned from 10 days seeing our grand children and brand new great grandchild, Gabriel Keith Baker and all the activities that involved, life now seems a bit hum drum. In days past I could cook something yummy for us and start new projects.
But with my diabetes having gotten a little out of control and with pain in both feet constantly that cuts down tremendously on activities I enjoy. I see the foot doctor next week, so maybe I will get a diagnosis and I have purchased (through my new Kindle) a book called "The 30 Day Diabetes Cure" It is written by a doctor and he explains in graphic detail what will happen to me if I don't get my Type 2 Diabetes under control, and it is not a pretty picture. So after having read some of it on Tuesday, I went to the health food store on Wednesday and bought a cart full of food he suggested I eat. I started the diet on Wednesday and have managed to stay on it for two days. I think the first 10 days is the worst because he's trying to get all the sugar out of your body and get it cleansed for the next phase. I haven't been brave enough to read that far yet, just trying to survive one day at a time for 10 days. I'm finding it cost a lot more to eat healthy than to eat fast foods, good homemade baked potato soup, etc. That is definitely not on this diet, nor are the bagels with cream cheese and the boxes of donuts the motel put out each morning for our breakfast. I know I have to take this diet seriously because the doctor just keeps adding medicine on top of medicine when my blood sugar goes up. Actually the doctor who wrote the book said this isn't a "diet" but a lifestyle change and I thought "whoopeeeee". When you get older, eating out or cooking "good" food is about the only pleasure we get, so I'm thinking of other things to do beside eat.
One of my favorite things to do is read and play with my new Kindle. I've downloaded several books, the Bible, a few games and Amy taught me some things about it while we were there. She just got hers for Christmas and could do more than I could within the first 30 minutes. Of course I have several books for classes at church that I need to be reading as well. Every time I sit down to read one of those books, my restless legs kick in and if I take a pill so I can sit, it puts me to sleep.
I'm not really complaining, even though it may sound like it. There are so many people that our ladies class visit who are so much worse off that I count my blessings all the time.
So yesterday I hobbled up to Home Depot and looked at their carpet. We may carpet the sun room, so that's a fun thing to think about, especially since we won't be watching the Cowboys in the playoffs, and it looks like the Mavs won't make it either. Come on Ranger's baseball season.
Spring will be here before we know it and I get to go dig in the yard. Can't wait!
I may just start a new jigsaw puzzle. Getting older is definitely not for the faint hearted.
More later and maybe it will be positive.

Gabriel Keith (Thompson) Baker

   Our GREAT grandson arrived right on his time schedule at 5:18 am Eastern time on Friday, November 25, 2011. So far we've only seen a couple pictures taken from a cell phone. He looks absolutely perfect and Tim and Amy look like you would expect proud parents to look.
    When people see his little face they immediately say "He looks just like Amy" or "He looks just like Tim" or my sister sees Dennis in him. Of course, everyone is right. He is a combination of Baker/Thompson /Moses genes, but he will be  his own little guy. When we see him in 22 days, I'm sure he will have changed and maybe we can tell if he does favor one person more than another. If he has the character, integrity and heart of the three people he is said to favor, then he will indeed be a special little boy and hopefully, some day a man of God.
   I could look at his picture all day. I love looking at his little ears, mouth, nose and eyes. With a cap on and bundled in a blanket, that's about all I can see right now. Annette said he has dark hair like Tim, and not the little red fuzz that Amy had. The most important thing of all is that he and Amy are doing so good. God has blessed all of us with this little human to love and watch as he grows.
   I've never been a long distance grandparent OR great grandparent, and I don't imagine we will get to see him very often, so thank goodness for email pictures, cell phone pictures and computer cameras. We have loved him since the moment we found out that Amy was expecting him.
   A new generation has begun as well as a new adventure for Tim and Amy. The pages of the book are almost blank, but soon will start to fill with the different stages of his life. As I realize that we won't be around for the majority of his life, I sort of feel that a torch has been passed down from our parents, Deedie and me, his GREAT aunt Mitzi,  Dennis and Annette and Amy and Tim to little Gabe and I have a feeling he will carry it proudly.As long as he is pleasing to God, that is all that matters.
We love you Gabe!
Great Grandma (Gigi)
Great Grandpa
November 26, 2011

My Nemesis - Technology

Well, I've gone and done it again. I was given lots of Amazon Gift Cards for my birthday, so today I ordered the Kindle Fire. I'm sure it will be another frustration for me before I figure it all out. Really all I wanted was a reader to take on trips, to doctor's offices where you wait, and other places where I have to wait and I can just pull this out of my purse and read. But NO - I can watch movies, listen to music, play games, email and surf the web all from one little 7" gadget. They are not specific in letting you know which or if all of these things cost extra money. I'm sure they do so I will probably only use it to read books and emails when traveling.

 While we were looking at several of these today to get an idea of what I might want, Deedie asked "what is an app?" I actually knew that one from listening to Mitzi and Lisa talking. But it made me wonder about the terminology used in all types of technology. Are some people born knowing what an "app" is, what an hourglass means other than what we used to think it was, did everybody know a "mouse" was a way to move your "cursor" around, and what a "cursor" was in regards to a computer. I've taken 3 classes recently at the Farmers Branch Senior Center on the picture organizer called "Picasa". The teacher used terms like "import"  and "export" as though we knew exactly what each command did and where to find it on the screen. Did everyone but me know that "noise" means a grainy or blurry picture. I think there's a Secret Society out there that whispers these special terms in selective people's ears so they know what they mean before they are ever used. I still don't know the difference in a "GB" and a "MB" .

My son, Dennis, taught me most of what I know about using computers. He thought it was ridiculous that a "lay" person had to know so much in order to use a simple program. He said most people didn't know how a car's engine worked and didn't need to know in order to drive the car. I totally agree. Even the books for "Dummies", of which I have several, are not much help to me. They use words to explain words and I don't know the meaning of either. The world's vocabulary has completely changed since I was in school and I am clueless.

It doesn't comfort me a lot to realize that my great grandson to be, Gabe, will probably learn all of this before I do, so I think I'll just wait and let him teach me how to use my Kindle. I'm sure he will like it because it has lots of books and games for children.. Guess I could just go the library and check out a book, but that's done electronically now too and you never talk to a human. I usually slide my card the wrong way and gum up the works and have to find someone anyway.

I do have one new activity that I just started this week. I joined "Netflix" where you choose from a selection of DVD movies or television shows and put them in your "queue". They send you the first one in your queue and as soon as you watch it, you put it back in the envelope and mail it, and they send you the next one you have chosen. I've discovered they get it the next day and I get my next one the day after that. Amazing. And all for only $8.00 a month - as many as you can watch in that length of time. Now if I could just figure out how to work our new DVD player.

Of Planes, Trains, RVs, and Trucks

Several weeks ago I wrote about our new adventure in buying a huge truck large enough to pull an RV that we bought a week or so later. Our first trip with Mitzi  and Opie to a campground near Utopia, TX was a blast. It was obvious to all the campers around us that we were totally "greenhorns" and we received lots of help and advice. The refrigerator stopped working and when we returned home the RV went back to the dealer. During the 10 days it was in for repair, we had a chance to step back and take a look at what we had done. The truck got 10-11 miles per gallon while puling the RV. Although we only traveled approximately 600 miles, our gas cost over $600,00. On top of that we paid $34.00 per night  (winter rates), plus eating out since our refrigerator wasn't working. It takes so much strength to hook up the hitch and stabilizing bars that Deedie and I could never go anywhere without Mitzi, which would limit our trips greatly.
So when the dealership called to tell us the RV was ready we went up and told them to keep it and try and sell it. He actually sold it in two weeks and we are very relieved.
Once we got that off our hands we begin to think  about trading in the Avalanche for a smaller SUV similar to the Mitsubishi that we had. We looked for a couple days both physically and on the computer. Yesterday we found our vehicle It is a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country (mini van I guess).  We will pick it up today and then we will be back to the day that things were too peaceful. Our savings account is much smaller, although for the first time in our life, we traded vehicles and they actually are writing us a check for a few hundred dollars. Not nearly enough to make up for our expenses to determine we didn't want an RV or a huge Chevrolet Avalanche that MIGHT get 17-20 miles per gallon on the road.
Oh when I asked the lady who stays with Opie if she would be available Christmas week, she said yes. Wish I had asked her earlier.
So our whole family plan to be in Pennsylvania at Christmas time and get to spoil Gabe for Amy and Tim and then come back home.
Hope things don't get boring or peaceful in January. If that happens would someone please come and tie us down.

Life is Indeed a Vapor

Within the past week we have lost two of our male friends from our Webb Chapel family.
One was expected because he had been ill for some time after a stroke. It didn't make it any easier for his sweet wife of over 50 years, but she knew it was coming and spent his last days with him constantly.
The other man was at Wednesday night bible class last night. This morning he was sitting in his chair waiting for his wife to cook their breakfast. When she went to get him to eat he was slumped over in his chair having had a massive stroke. She called 911 and he was taken to the hospital. We went to the hospital to be with her and check on his condition. He died at 12:00 noon, never regaining conscious.
It made me think again how we can be here one minute and gone in the blink of an eye. This couple had only been at Webb Chapel for approximately 3 years, but as they usually sat in front of us we had gotten to know both of them fairly well. Then last year she taught our ladies' class and did a super job. He was actually a retired minister and he led the most beautiful prayers in our church services. I was able to get to know Joyce through ladies' class. We are on the same visitation team and I have really enjoyed spending time with her. They have two daughters and a son. One daughter is in Hawaii and the son is on his way here from Tennessee. What a shock this must be for them and what a sad trip home. They have always been a very close family and I feel for them as they go through the next few days and weeks.
At our grand daughter's baby shower given by ladies from our church last Sunday, we were all given little notes to write our advice to Amy, who lives in Pennsylvania.  The hostess put together a beautiful book to mail to Amy with pictures and momentos from the shower. I was looking through the book and read all the little notes of advice. In almost every instance the women at the shower wrote to spend time and love this baby, let the housework go, have date nights with her husband, etc. This is advice all of us can take when it comes to our family and friends. As has been demonstrated so harshly this morning, you never know when it will be the last time you have an opportunity to do that.
Just my thoughts as we have now returned from the hospital leaving the family with so many necessary details to work out and little time to mourn. If you read this please include them in your prayers.

Three (Unfortunately True) Stories

Our Ladies Bible class have four teams of three or four ladies and each team makes visits once a month to our shut-ins, hospital, nursing homes, etc. The team I am on made our visits after class on Tuesday. We usually have lunch together and then spend most of the afternoon visiting. Sometimes these are enjoyable and uplifting for all of us but yesterday that was not the case. We all came away a little depressed and feeling  helpless.

1. Our first visit was to a lady I have know for 45-50 years. She attended Denton Drive church when we were members there and then she was  a member at Webb Chapel.. She is a beautiful lady then and now. She lived less than a block from the church building and was there every service with her two little boys. Her husband had no use for "religion" and as the boys grew older he would take them to races or other "fun" places on Sundays but my friend was always there. She would look as though she had just had a professional make over and she was fun and vivacious and a good friend. She cleaned houses for extra money and I never heard her complain about one thing. A few years ago she had a stroke and for a while we thought she might recover. But she hasn't and now most likely never will. She is my age and still  can understand when you talk with her and definitely knows who I am. Her eyes light up and she points at me whenever she sees me. You can talk to her but her only response to everything is "aya, aya, aya," etc. She still lives at home and her husband and a neighbor care for her..
2. Our second visit was to a nursing home to see a man from Webb Chapel who also had a stroke a few years ago. We have known him and his sweet wife since we started attending Webb Chapel 29 years ago. His son-in-law spoke at our son's Memorial Service a little over four years ago. His wife stays most of the day at the nursing home but we missed her yesterday. She is one of the sweetest ladies I have ever talked with. She is always asking how I am and only then can I get her to talk about her husband's condition. She has been caring for him constantly since he became ill. It is easy to see what it has done to her physical and mental health. He didn't know us and the things he talked about made no sense. It seems such a waste of a wonderful man and a very cute and loving couple. Again they are really close to my age.
3. Our last visit was to a man who lost his wife of over 50 years to cancer. We had visited them three days before she died about two years ago. He cared for her lovingly at home. He had a hospital bed set up in their living room and as far as I could tell very seldom left her side. Before the cancer took her she had also been a beautiful lady and they always sat one section over from us and a couple of pews down. I didn't know them very well, but their daughter-in-law has become a good friend. She has serious health problems also and lost her daughter a few years ago and is raising her grand daughter who is in middle school. The man we visited has been out of the house very little since his wife died. The television set is against the wall with the tv screen facing the wall. He said his great grand daughter comes over every Saturday. She loves music, but has to bring her own music and player because he has nothing in his house that plays music. His house is in a very expensive neighborhood and when we were there before beautifully decorated with lots of very large silk flower arrangements. His hair is unkept and he didn't seem interested in talking about anything. When we left I told him we missed him at church and he said he might be back some day. He was another person who was always there. Did I mention that they he isn't very much older than me.

Yesterday was truly sad and a lesson for all of us. All three of these people's lives changed overnight. I don't know when the thought of living and enjoying one day at a time has meant more to me than it does now.And I realize that there are thousands of these stories all across our nation. The good news for these three is the reward in heaven that is awaiting them. And for them it probably can't come soon enough.